If you’re planning to 3D print something that will undergo a lot of stress, you will want it to be strong. Strong parts are much more likely to handle any form of force or stress you put them under. Of course, the first place to start when making strong prints is to choose a strong material. The best option would likely be to 3D print metal.
Unfortunately, true metal 3D printers are extortionately expensive and exclusively available in the manufacturing industry. There are no options to do this in the consumer space without using a 3D printing service that offers metal printing. ABS, ASA, nylon, and PETG are consumer-grade filaments considered strong and printable on most consumer-grade 3D printers.
Infill and Perimeters
The easiest way to create strong prints is to maximize the amount of filament you use by using more thicker shell layers. This significantly increases the strength of the outer shell of your print. You can also increase the strength by increasing the infill density. Typically, this can be as low as five to fifteen percent as this minimizes filament costs.
Increasing the density obviously increases the amount of material used and increases the internal support for the print. The strongest type of print would be taking this to the extreme of an entirely solid print. Unfortunately, this will take a long time to print, be heavy, and use much material.
Local Strengthening
In many cases, the stress that a print will be under will vary across the print. For example, if you’re 3D printing a step or stool, the legs will be under strain, but the part most likely to break would be the flat top.
In the scenario, you can try to apply strengthening techniques such as increased infill density or shell layers to the print portion most likely to fail. You can then still save costs and time where possible but ensure that the print is strong enough where it’s needed.
Conclusion
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