Creating a strong infill for your 3D print

Filling is an important factor

The infill is an important factor in your product’s strength. Therefore, it’s important to prevent the infill from being too thin or stringy with the tips underneath.

Different patterns:

There are several different infill patterns to choose from, and each leads to different degrees of strength. Examples of robust infills are lattice, triangular or solid honeycomb. Less robust are rectilinear and fast honeycomb infills. However, these less robust fills may still be preferred, as these types can be printed faster and are robust enough for most products.

Slower printing speed:

The infill is usually printed more slowly than other parts of the product. If the print speed is set too high, the nozzle cannot extrude enough material. Result: a thin and stringy infill that does not provide the proper strength. Therefore, try to lower the ‘Solid Infill Underspeed’ slightly so that the printer has enough time for a strong infill.

High infill extrusion:

For all products, the thicker the infill, the stronger the product. You can make the infill thicker by increasing the width of the grid. Set the Infill Extrusion Width to 110% to extrude more material and get a firmer grid. However, making the infill thicker means that more material is required and the printing process is slowed down. Therefore, you can simultaneously loosen the infill by placing the grids further apart. To do this, adjust the infill percentage in the slicing software.

Conclusion:

You want to print fast and not waste too much material, but you also want to give your product the right strength. It’s therefore important to find the right balance! Experiment with different infill patterns, the printing speed and the infill extrusion to achieve the result that meets your product requirements.