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3D Printing in SOLIDWORKS

dateOctober 21, 2020

Also referred to as additive manufacturing, 3D printing uses computer-aided design to create 3-dimensional objects through a layering method. Initially being a method of producing prototype, 3D Printing is becoming more and more common even for actual production due to its customizability.

If you have a 3D printer installed locally, you can use Print3D in SOLIDWORKS to print 3D prototypes of your models. Here’s how:

1. Click File > Print3D

A database must be created along with the model being added into DriveWorksXpress.

2. Under Printer, select a printer from the list of available 3D printers.

The Width, Depth, and Height of the printer display

3. Under Print Bed Location, in Bottom plane of model select a reference plane.

A preview shows the model within the print volume. If the model falls outside the print volume, click  to reverse the orientation.

4. Under Model orientation, use the controls to position the model within the print volume

Use Print Bed Angle  to rotate the print volume around the model.

Use the Translation controls  and  to move the print volume in the direction of the axis.

Alternatively, you can click Orient to Fit to orient the model so that you get the largest possible printed model.

5. Other Options

There are other options such as Job Quality, Infill percentage, Include supports and Include raft which you can make use to optimize the 3D printing quality.

6. Preview Slices

Before sending the file to 3D printer, we can preview the slices.

With Print3D option in SOLIDWORKS, we can cover the 3D printing setting and slicing without leaving the same interface. It is easier for designers or engineers to focus on the same platform, to complete everything from conceptual design to prototype creation.

Check out the video to see how we can Print3D in SOLIDWORKS easily.