How To Make STRONGER 3D Prints: Shells Vs. Infill | Additive Manufacturing Podcast

If you had to choose between more infill vs. more shell layers, there is a clear winner for making your 3d prints stronger. During this segment of the Additive Manufacturing Podcast, the team discusses how to make 3D prints stronger and explains which printing method will give you the best and most rigid option (In most cases).
shell

The Cast:

#3DPrinting #AdditiveManufacturing #ShellvsInfill

[CADimensions]

What do you think makes a 3D print stronger? The infill or the shell?

[jaquanjames]

The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell!!! He said it

[jamesdaleo]

I find the easiest example to understand is a solid rod vs a hollow pipe. If supported at both ends with a weight suspended in the center, the top is experiencing compression force, the bottom is experiencing tension force, and the forces balance to zero at the center. Thus, the hollow pipe is nearly as strong as the solid rod. The closer you get to the center, the less effect additional material will have.

[billymorris]

When making full density prints, I've had better success with shell all the way to the core as opposed to 100 percent infill. Especially with tpu. It's typically a zero interference pattern, leaving less chances for things to go wrong. Full shell is also more forgiving for flow regulation.

[WildLifeService]

In strictly shells vs walls, walls would make the stronger print. In saying that, to me the strength of the part of determined by the shape of the part and the percentages of infill vs shell that could be optimized to give it better strength depending on the type of load against the part, weather it’s shock load or tensile strength and even then you could go down a very deep rabbit hole as to what shapes (geometric vs organic). Everything can be optimized now days and there are some good videos out there showing part strength with different loads and different material.

[ronald]

What a lot of us would like to know is when printing Lithophanes, which gives a better finished product. Higher such as 99 to 100% Infill or a Higher Number of Walls such as 20 to 99? There is a Lot of Confusing numbers being put out on Social Media.

[theautobahnguy]

Simple physics. It's the shell thickness which makes the part rigid. You want to add enough shells and just so much infill that it'll be sufficient to create good top layers (shells).

[AmaroqStarwind]

What if you put multiple shells within the part with infill between them?

Also, what if you could warp/distort the infill itself to better match the contours of the shell?

[judithbakkerharpmusic]

I wish you would have shown some tests. I'd like to see the difference between strengths

[fave_alt.ego.]

I also guess infill pattern, I get strong parts with a cubic infill, interested to keep watching and see what you gus have found

[nutzyify]

Trihex with line meshing. For high impact go 90% infill and figure the lines yourself. You want 80% lines rest infill for flex

[compositenation]

The shell take more load cause of the distance with the mass center

[Jangle]

2:45
I’d say the shell at least for impact resistance. Anything else then it’s the infill

[OfficialHarrison]

As was said, the infill will build strength. I believe filling the inside would make it stronger

[KZD]

I thought of small working parts something not much bigger than a half dollar should be solid

[edwardvinch]

So i think. Your option should vary on the need. What if having a simulation software to see how different variations of print is better.

[lookatme...O_o...]

i 3D printed circle in cura but only 1/4 of the circle is being printed in actual

[arbjful]

Could you tell me if printing on 100% is stronger or at 50%, I am trying to make a functional part. ?

[oBseSsIoNPC]

7 minutes of 5 guys trying to discuss part strength eh? Simple example: Egg vs cylinder vs bee hive vs topology optimization
Anything round will be strong especially from the top and bottom plane of a cylinder and has decent strength from the sides, but mostly when forces act from the inside out.
Otherwise, a tubular infill adds little support perpendicular to the circular planes.
Honey comb is one of those things in nature, that has great strength, load dispersion and use of space in all orientations.
Anything round leaves gaps and stress points that are unused and make sense only, for weight saving in flat parts.
For strength in structures, honey comb is the best all rounder.
The only other thing that makes a nearly perfectly strong, light and quick print part is topology optimization, like how nature grows our bone structure.
Most infills are just a waste and never consider the forces on a part, this is up to a experienced designer, making the part in CAD and prototyping the crap out of it.

[wilcals]

Lol the answer is already in front of you. Look at the bottle. It's hollow but strong. And the guy who talked about skin and bones, has a mug in front of him.