Support Structure
Support Structure
Depending on the nature of a particular RP process, there will be a
need for part supports while implementing the prototyping process
The Functions of Part Supports are as following:
❖ To provide support to hanging structures: It provides support
to hanging structures and prevents such structures from
collapsing.
❖ To separate parts from the platform: The use of supports will
make it easier to safely remove the part from the platform after
model production.
❖ It will also be easier to control the layer thickness and surface
quality of the bottom layers.
❖ Marks on the platform would not be printed on the final part.
Principles of Support Design
Generally, the design of support structures should be based on the
following principles:
❖ The support should be able to prevent parts from collapse/warping,
especially the outer contour area which needs support; for metal
processes, stress and strain needs to be considered and thermal
simulation modeling can be conducted for design;
❖ The connection between the support and final parts should be of
minimal strength to perform the support function, with the aim of
easily removing support;
❖ The contact area between the support and final parts should be as
small as possible to reduce surface deterioration after support
removal;
❖ When designing the support, material consumption and build time
should be considered as a significant factor, as well as the trade-off
between them and the final printed quality.
Support Structure Design
Incidences where supports are needed: (a) separation between part and platform; (b)
down facing regions below the equator of the surface normal curvature; (c) supports
for hanging structures; (d) internal supports; (e) support for part stability; and (f)
supports for islands
Support Structure Design
The three functional areas are:
➢ Sierras or Needles: Connections between the main support and
the part
➢ Supports: The main support structure
➢ Separators: Connections between the main support and the
platform
Sierras or Needles:
❖ For an area connecting to part surfaces, the support structure should
be easily removable while providing sufficient support
❖ The support structure for this area is often defined as sierras or
needles with minimum contact with the part surface
❖ Sierras or needles for connecting the part surface, if used, should
penetrate into part surface by a few layer thicknesses
❖ The intersection will ensure that the supports physically connect to
the part features
Supports:
❖ The main support should be strong enough to withstand both the
vertical weight and other horizontal disturbances.
❖ A different strategy may be applied for areas between the main
support and the platform for easy removal while providing a stable
base support
▪ There exist a variety of designs for the main support structure:
▪ Some of the approaches are illustrated in below figure
Support structure design : (a) gussets; (b) projected feature edges; (c) single webs; (d)
webs; (e) triangle webs; (f) perforated wall structures for various web-based support
design; (g) columns; and (h) zigzag and perimeter support
The following are some commonly used support structures:
Gussets: As illustrated in Figure a, gussets (a single one or a set) are
used to support lightweight overhang areas during the part building
process and attach to a vertical wall near the overhang areas
Projected feature edges: The edges of unsupported lightweight areas
where gussets cannot reach are projected downwards to provide
support
Single webs: Thin walls can be supported by single webs produced by
projecting the center-line along the narrow side of the thin walled
feature
Webs: Contact of support structures with vertical part walls should be
avoided to protect the final part surface. To minimize support material
consumption, perforated walls may be used in the web structure as
shown in Figure.
Honeycomb: Other sophisticated support structures similar to the
honeycomb style for hollowing master prototype models initially
developed may also be used as support structures
Columns: For isolated small islands, column type support structures
can be used as shown in Figure g. For large islands, columns defined
by other web structures may also be used.
Zigzag and perimeter support: Delicate support structures are
most suitable for processes such as steoreolithography as the laser
beam can be easily blocked anytime anywhere to prevent the resin
from solidification
❖ For processes such as FDM that use nozzles for material
injection, a continuous path is preferred whether for support
generation or for building the part.
❖ The zigzag and perimeter support structure shown in above
Figure is most suited for FDM prototyping with a continuous
path for each layer
Examples for reducing support waste by deforming original shape
(a) T part needs the most support in this direction; (b) T part needs less support than
(a); (c) T part does not need support in this direction; (Black: parts; Green: support.).
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