The reason they do not require support structures is because they are surrounded by print material (from which each layer is sintered) throughout the duration of the print, which acts as a perpetual supporting structure. SLS printers do not require support structures. You will have to have a basic understanding of which type of 3D printer you will be using to print your part.ĮOS Formiga P 110 SLS industrial 3D printer. Whether you are 3D printing from home or using a service, it is crucial to understand if the 3D printer that will be fabricating your object requires support structures in order to optimize the likelihood of a successful print. You will need to know whether or not to create support structures. If you are modeling in any SOLIDWORKS edition for the specific purpose of 3D printing, there are some things you should keep in mind and know before you start.ġ.) Know your 3D printer. There are industrial 3D printers (expensive) and desktop printers (relatively cheap), and a wide range of materials available overall.īut let’s step back.

Doing your own printing can save you money if you expect to print a large number of objects.

Also, only SOLIDWORKS 2015 users will need the SP5 version to be compatible with Windows 10.Īnother thing to keep in mind is what 3D printer you will be using, and what material with which you want to print.

For example, SOLIDWORKS 2015 has a built-in 3D printing command (which only works with Windows 8.1) that previous versions do not. Before your 3D model can be printed, you have to consider a couple of things: the version of SOLIDWORKS you are using (student or professional), and the year of its release.

Solidworks models