Yes, you can order a model that is made of connected parts (or shells) in the Normal finishes of PA12 (SLS) , PA12 (MJF), PA-AF, PA-GF and Polypropylene. Whenever we detect that connected models have been ordered in any other material, the order is canceled and you are contacted.
Disclaimer
Please note that connected parts may inhibit our internal processes such as: making accurate quality inspections, providing optimal cleaning of each part by our production team as well as packing and protecting each individual part in the best way for shipment. Choosing to order connected models implies that you accept these conditions and that don’t mind getting your hands dirty and do some extra cleaning of your parts yourself. Also, take care to still design all parts according to the design guidelines of the printing material.
Techniques for connecting multiple parts
In the following we will highlight 3 techniques for combining multiple parts into one file:
1. Interlocking parts
Parts which have overlaps that combine several shells (or parts) into one model are called interlocking parts, see following picture:
If your parts have holes through them, another way to keep them connected is by combining them on a printed ring.
Putting your parts on a key-chain style loop ensures that we can process your designs as one part. However, when grouping your parts with this method, we can no longer orient them individually or define the correct space between them.
To avoid any problems during the build, prepare your design with a minimum of 1 mm spacing between each part. The minimum thickness of the connecting loop should be 3 mm. Make sure to limit the number of parts on the loop as too many items or large and heavy parts will have a greater chance of causing the loop to break. Designs, where the chance of breakage is too high, will not be allowed.
2. Sprued Parts (parts connected with support beams)
One way of making sure all the shells in your design stay together and can be processed as one model is to connect the different shells with sprues (support beams).
It is important that the parts are well connected and that the sprues are strong enough. Use a minimum wall thickness of 3 mm as anything thinner will not be strong enough to support the different parts of your design. The heavier/bulkier your individual parts are, the thicker the sprues should be. If the connections between the parts are too weak, there is a risk that your parts might get lost.
You can prevent to heavy shells by hollowing them out. Just don’t forget to provide several large drainage holes so that the powder on the inside can be removed – otherwise, your part will not become lighter. The part’s wall should be less than 5 mm thick.
It’s also advisable to have 4 firm connections per shell. The larger the shells, the more difficult they are to connect properly. Parts that are not well connected might get lost during the production process.
Please note that for Polyamide, the sum of the dimensions of the imaginary box (X+Y+Z) around your design should be less than 350 mm.
3. Parts in a grid Container
Another option that will allow you to have multiple shells printed in one go is to place all of your parts into a container.
This means that you will need to design a container around your parts. Here are some basic things to take into account when designing that container. Always engrave your container with a unique label identical to the filename of your design so we can easily identify your box as we won’t be able to check the contents of your container. Use a clearly readable font such as Arial Black for the engraved text. We recommend using letters with a minimum line thickness of 1 mm, a depth of 0.8 mm, and an overall height of at least 3 mm.
It is advised to use a perforated container because that will allow us to remove most of the excess powder from your parts. We recommend the following minimum feature sizes for your container: at least a 1.5 mm thickness for the gridlines; and a minimum of a 4 x 4 mm square up to a maximum of 10 x 10 mm. Make sure the parts on the inside of your container cannot pass through the perforations of the container to ensure that all your parts stay together. Parts that pass through the holes might get lost.
In addition to your container features, you also need to keep a minimum spacing distance of 3 mm between each individual part and between the sides of the container and the parts. If the distance is smaller than this, parts might get sintered together.
If the overall volume of your container is larger than 1700 cm³, you should limit the density in the container because parts that are too dense can cause an irregular cooling down process. This may cause yellowing and deformation of your parts. Limit the total volume of the model to 10% of the overall volume of the container.
If you have fragile parts in the container, we recommend connecting the individual parts to the container. This will prevent fragile parts from hitting each other during shipment. Otherwise, your parts will be loose in the closed container and may damage each other by moving around during the shipping process.
Please be aware that some residual powder might be present when receiving your parts. You will first need to open the container with scissors or pliers. To clean your parts further, the residual powder can be removed with a brush or compressed air. Then the assembly of the parts is possible.
