Support Materials

In FDM 3D printing, support structures are required when printing has overhangs or features suspended in mid-air. They allow the successful printing of complex shapes by protecting these otherwise unsupported areas.

The support material for 3D printers is simply the material in which these supports are printed. Different materials provide different compromises between price, ease of use, and print quality, so selecting the right material for your models can make your printing experience much more enjoyable.

Build Material Supports

The easiest, most common support material is essentially the same material from which model is made. This is because many 3D printers are still single extruder machines capable of printing only one material at a time, making a dedicated support material impossible (Figure 6.21).

In addition to being more accessible, common building materials tend to be more affordable than dedicated support materials. Build material supports may therefore be an attractive option for those on a budget. Build material Installed structure supports are also expected to conform better to the pattern, made of the same structure. However, this adhesion is a double-edged sword: Prints are less likely to fail, but support for removal, will require more effort and will yield poorer surface quality. As shown in Figure 6.22, the use of an X-Acto knife or sandpaper may be required to achieve a smooth surface on the model after removal of the support.

Materials as Their Own Support

Since PLA is more fragile, if your model requires smaller support clusters that are less dense, it may be more difficult to remove than ABS and PETG, which are more ductile materials. Besides that, anecdotal evidence indicates that the printing of PLA supports under PETG, and vice versa, has good results because the two materials do not bind together and can therefore be clipped more easily.

Works on: Single extruder, multi-extruder 3D printers Pros:

• • Works on single extruder 3D printers
• • More competitive
• • Compatibility of materials is not a problem

FIGURE 6.21 Cleaning up build material supports with an X-Acto knife.

FIGURE 6.22 Breakaway supports being removed. Cons:

• • Poorer consistency of surface
• • Removal of support may be a problem