Part Orientation

Typical Layered Manufacturing Process

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Importance Build Orientation
Two major controllable process parameters affecting part accuracy: slice
thickness and part build orientation.

Minimizing the slice thickness would result in replicating the original CAD
model better but it would also lead to increased build time and cost.

Assuming that the slice thickness is maintained constant for a part, the
part build orientation would still affect the part quality and build time.

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Effects of build orientation:
On dimensional accuracy

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Cont..
On build time
Orientation can also have a significant impact on print time
Using as an example the cylinder of the previous section, the horizontal
orientation will take significantly less time to print than the vertical
At a 100 μm layer height, the horizontal cylinder will be printed with 100
total layers and the vertical with 300 layers

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Cont..
On part strength

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Cont..
On support required

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Orientation constraints
Orientate cylindrical features vertically for a smoother surface finish.
Consider the direction of the loading when choosing part orientation of a
functional part
Most of the important faces should be positioned either vertically or
horizontally without support
Ensure that the part is firmly supported during the entire prototyping process
Wherever the supports meet the part there will be small marks and reducing
the amount of supports would reduce the amount of part cleanup and post
process finishing
Parts that have thick walls may be designed to include hollow features if this
does not reduce the part’s functionality

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Cont..
While ensuring that the part is firmly supported during the entire
prototyping process, the overall support contact area should be
minimized. This helps in minimizing the influence of the support on the
surface quality of the prototype
As RP models are built in a layered fashion, a staircase effect is
unavoidable, but it should be minimized
This can be achieved by reducing the number and areas of inclined faces,
i.e., by trying to position the part such that most of the faces or, at least,
most of the important faces are positioned either vertically or
horizontally without support, to the extent possible

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Cont..
In general, a part should be oriented to meet the following criteria:
• Maximum number of perpendicular surfaces.
• Maximum number of up-facing horizontal surfaces.
• Maximum numbers of holes with their axis in the slicing direction.
• Maximum number of curved cross-sections drawn in the horizontal plane.
• Maximize the area of the base surface.
• Minimize the number of sloped surface.
• Minimize the total area of overhanging surfaces.
• Minimize the number of trapped volumes.
• Minimize total number of slices
• Minimize the height of the required support structures.

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Cont..
User specified critical surfaces: if these surfaces are planes, they have to be placed
such that their normal point in the build direction. In other words, they are horizontal
and upward facing. Cylinders, cones and surfaces of revolution are oriented so that
their axes are vertical.
Coordinate system: since a coordinate system is usually created by the designer and
employed whilst modelling, the orientation of the coordinate axes may represent the
most logical build direction. It is placed so that the z-axis points in the build direction.
Holes: in order to avoid hard- to remove supports and stair-stepping inside holes,
these are placed orthogonally to horizontal planes.
Protrusions: if these are created by revolving a section, the axes are positioned so
that they are vertical.
Shells: these are orientated so that the concave part of the shell faces upwards in
order to minimize internal supports. However, if the part is built on an older SL system
employing the deep-dip recoats method; this orientation should be avoided as it
would procedure a trapped volume.

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