Wall thickness

 

Wall Thickness

In general, we recommend a wall thickness of at least 1 mm. Large parts may require larger wall thicknesses or added ribs or fillets for reinforcement.

Hollow model

 

Hollowing

We advise hollowing out a solid model as much as possible, and when the wall thickness exceeds 20 mm. We recommend a wall thickness of 1-2 mm and the inclusion of at least two holes with a minimum diameter of 10 mm for powder removal.

Holes

 

Holes

It is possible to create holes or perforations and ducts. The recommended minimum diameter size of these holes is 2 mm but some post-production will be needed to remove excess powder. Some residual powder may be stuck on the inside of complex ducts. It is advised to design a strip or chain through the duct to help in dislodging the powder once the part has been printed. In general, complex holes or ducts require larger diameters in order to achieve thorough removal of the unfused powder.

Interlocking parts

 

Interlocking or Moving Parts

It is possible to print interlocking parts and assemblies in a single build. Parts that are printed together should have a minimum clearance of 0.5 mm.

Lattice structures

 

Lattice Structures

Lattice structures allow you to change shock absorption characteristics, on top you can reduce weight and material. Keep in mind that you must maintain a minimum gap of 5 mm between the lattice beams so the unfused powder can be removed.

Embossed and engraved details

 

Embossed and Engraved Details

For embossed or engraved textures, we advise a minimum thickness of 0.25 mm. For legible engraved or embossed text, we recommend letters with a minimum line thickness of 0.5 mm, a depth of 1 mm, and an overall height of at least 2.5 mm.

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File requirements

We accept file formats STL, 3DS, 3DM, OBJ, WRL, MATPART, STP, SKP, SLDPRT, STEP, CATPART, IGES, MODEL, MXP, and MGX on Materialise OnSite.

Next to file formats we also have constraints related to the content of those files. To deliver the best possible quality and ensure traceability, we only allow 1 model per part to be ordered via our online platform OnSite. This means per file, there can only be one shell. If there are multiple shells in one file, we will only process it as it is recognized as one model or part meaning that the shells are intersecting or interlocking each other (if applicable see the technical specifications below). Otherwise your part will not be processed correctly.

Technical Specifications

Standard lead time Minimum of 4 working days, depending on part size, number of components and finishing degrees (offline & online orders)
Standard accuracy ±0.9%(XY) up to ±1.8% (Z) with lower limits on ±1 mm (XY) up to ±1.5mm (Z)
Layer thickness 0.1 mm
Minimum wall thickness 1 mm
Minimum detail 0.25 mm
Maximum part dimensions 274 x 370 x 380 mm (online & offline orders)
Minimum clearance 0.4 mm between parts that need to be assembled
0.5 mm between shells of an interlocking part
Interlocking or enclosed parts? Yes
Surface structure Unfinished parts typically have a smooth surface, without visible layers, and a stone-grey color. Multi Jet Fusion parts can be sandblasted and colored/impregnated.