Design recommendations

Material and process-specific - from metal to plastic

The right design is crucial to ensure that your components function reliably in the additive process. Here you will find a practical guide to metal and plastic construction methods.

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Why design recommendations are important

Additive manufacturing opens up a great deal of freedom – at the same time, special rules apply for wall thicknesses, tolerances and assembly orientation. If ignored, these can quickly lead to additional costs or component downtime. With specific recommendations, you can ensure that your part is not only printed, but also ready for use.

Laser melting with metal powder

Metal 3D printing

When laser melting metal powder, strict minimum wall thicknesses apply (e.g. 0.5 mm for aluminum, 0.25 mm for stainless steel or tool steel) as well as fixing to the base plate and frequent subsequent machining of fitting dimensions and threads.
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Laser sintering of polymers

Plastic 3D printing

Plastic parts in the powder bed can achieve large components per construction job (e.g. up to 910 × 430 × 405 mm). Minimum wall thicknesses approx. 0.5 mm in the Z direction or 0.7-0.8 mm for vertical surfaces. In addition, design instructions on step formation, powder removal and tolerances apply.
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What you should pay particular attention to during construction

  • Cost optimization: Material and machine hours can be saved by hollowing out metal components or intelligent stacking of plastic.

  • Quality & function: A correctly positioned structure and defined wall thicknesses prevent warping, cracks or loss of function during operation.

  • Utilize design freedom: Additive processes enable geometries that are hardly feasible with conventional processes if design recommendations are adhered to.

"An additively manufactured component only works as well as its design. If you work cleanly here, you save machine time, rework and nerves later on."

FKM is your high-end 3D printing service provider

for ready-to-install parts made of plastics, filled polymers or metal.

From materials consulting and design optimization to joint project co-engineering, we are our customers’ experts and partners for tricky tasks. With our complete after-print service consisting of testing technology with IATF certification and a range of surface technology with various finishing processes, we have been offering 3D printing services as a complete solution for almost 30 years – from a single source, with a lot of understanding.

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