Design for 3D PrintingBridging Gaps
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Design for 3D Printing

Course progress0/11
1Design Thinking
  • Think Print-First
  • Design an L-Bracket
2Tolerances and Fit
  • Understanding Tolerances
  • Design Mating Parts
3Bridging and Edges
  • Bridging Gaps
  • Design a Bridge Structure
  • Chamfers & Fillets
4Multi-Part Design
  • Multi-Part Design
  • Design an Assembly
5Phone Stand Project
  • Phone Stand Design Brief
  • Project: Phone Stand

Design for 3D Printing

Course progress0/11
1Design Thinking
  • Think Print-First
  • Design an L-Bracket
2Tolerances and Fit
  • Understanding Tolerances
  • Design Mating Parts
3Bridging and Edges
  • Bridging Gaps
  • Design a Bridge Structure
  • Chamfers & Fillets
4Multi-Part Design
  • Multi-Part Design
  • Design an Assembly
5Phone Stand Project
  • Phone Stand Design Brief
  • Project: Phone Stand

Bridging: Spanning the Gap 🌉

Bridging in 3D printing
How horizontal bridges work in 3D printing

A bridge is filament printed horizontally across a gap.

Bridge Length Limits

LengthResult
< 20mm✅ Usually perfect
20-50mm⚠️ Slight sag
> 50mm❌ Likely to fail

Improving Bridges

  • More cooling fan
  • Faster printing speed
  • Slightly lower temperature

Design Solutions

When you need a long bridge:

  1. 1Add support pillars

  2. 2Use an arch shape

  3. 3Design removable supports