3D Printing Methods - Infill
What is Infill?
What sits inside a 3D print’s outer shells is called infill, and it can be adjusted with respect to density – 0% is hollow while 100% is solid – and pattern.
A major benefit (and necessity) of 3D printing is that parts can be varying degrees of hollow. From a production perspective, this reduces material and cost as well as the weight of the final product. And from a printing perspective, it saves valuable time!
Quick 2D infills (Low Strength)
Typical Infil Density: 0-15%
Are used for quick, but weak models
(generally early prototypes or prints to check design work)
Method(s): Lines, Zig Zag
Strong 2D infills (Medium Strength)
Typical Infil Density: 15-50%
Are used for everyday prints.
Method(s): Grid, Triangles, Tri-hexagon
Strong 3D infills (Strong Strength)
Typical Infil Density: 15-50%
Are used to make the object equally strong in all directions.
Method(s): Cubic, Cubic subdivision, Gyroid, Octet, Quarter Cubic
Concentric 3D infills (Flexible)
Typical Infil Density: 0-100%
Are used for flexible materials.
Method(s): Concentric, Cross, Cross 3D
Infill Examples
Lines
Zig Zag
Zig Zag
Lines: Generates multiple lines per layer
Zig Zag
Zig Zag
Zig Zag
Zig Zag: Is simply one constant line
(unless interrupted by the model)
Grid
Zig Zag
Triangles
Grid: Is a self-explanatory 2D pattern, the main advantage of grid is print speed (compared to Triangles and Tri-hexagons)
Triangles
Tri-hexagons
Triangles
Triangles: A 2D mesh made of triangles, this pattern has an inherent advantage in strength when a load is applied perpendicular to the object’s face. It also makes sense for parts with thin, rectangular components, which might otherwise have very few connections between wall
Tri-hexagons
Tri-hexagons
Tri-hexagons
Tri-hexagons: This 2D pattern produces hexagons interspersed with triangles. One advantage is that hexagons are an efficient shape, making them a strong infill pattern relative to their material usage.
Cubic
Tri-hexagons
Tri-hexagons
Cubic: This is a 3D pattern of stacked and tilted cubes
Cubic subdivision
Cubic subdivision
Cubic subdivision
Cubic subdivision: This variation of cubic uses less material
Octet
Cubic subdivision
Cubic subdivision
Octet: Also known as tetrahedral infill, this pattern stacks pyramid shapes.
Quarter cubic
Cubic subdivision
Quarter cubic
Quarter cubic: This 3D pattern is like octet, but half of the pyramid shapes are shifted with respect to the other half
Gyroid
Concentric
Quarter cubic
Gyroid: A particularly unique 3D pattern, which gives the impression of waves. Nevertheless, it is equally strong in multiple directions. This infill pattern would therefore be a good choice for a part that will be stressed in multiple ways.
Concentric
Concentric
Concentric
Concentric: This 2D pattern produces “waves” through the interior of the print, mimicking the shapes of the outer walls. This is much like how a stone thrown into water makes concentric circular ripples on the surface
Cross
Concentric
Concentric
Cross: Another 2D pattern, cross produces grids of what appear to be very fanciful crosses. The spaces between crosses and grids allow for bending and twisting.
Cross 3D
Cross 3D
Cross 3D
Cross 3D: This 3D pattern is similar to cross, but as the print grows, the lines move at inclines. The end result is an object with slightly more rigidity.
Sources
Cross 3D
Cross 3D
Information for this page came from https://all3dp.com/2/cura-infill-patterns-all-you-need-to-know/
Sources
Cross 3D
Sources
Print examples came from Propofsteel on thingverse