The infill is the inner part of a 3D printed object.

The infill is the inner part of a 3D printed object, which gives it strength and structure and often makes up about half the volume of an object. The filling can be made with many different materials if the printer allows it. When you want your project to be robust, you have to consider how much it needs to be filled. Filling will determine the density and strength of a printed object; this means that if you need an object that can withstand strong stresses, then you should use a larger infill, so as to make it strong enough not to fall apart easily!

The material to use depends on your needs, but there are many different options available that can be used as a fill. A good example is the honeycomb, which has a high strength-to-weight ratio, so it’s not too heavy to carry but still strong enough to hold the model together.

The types of filling

The honeycomb fill is an infill with a hexagonal grid structure. The cells can guarantee high strength with less weight. Straight, triangle or rectilinear fill is a solid structure composed of straight lines or triangles that creates lattices in the internal space between the layers during fabrication, depositing molten material inside the object to be printed. Fill types are not limited to these examples, but are the most common.

The different percentages of filling

The fill percentage is the amount of fill compared to the total volume of an object and can range from 0% to 100%. The higher the fill percentage, the firmer (and heavier) the print will be. Therefore, if you want an item that is sturdy enough for everyday use and that can withstand abuse, a higher fill percentage should be used. However, printing with less than 100% fill percentage also has advantages: for every 10% reduction in density (from 100% to 90% or from 90% to 80%), a weight reduction of 10 times. This allows for light prints, a useful feature when working with certain materials.

The infill affects the appearance and functioning of the creation

Filling is an important element of 3D printing that affects the look, feel and functioning of creation, it is what holds an object together and gives it strength, stiffness and durability. The higher the density (or percentage) of the chosen material, the stronger the creation will be and vice versa! This can be especially useful if you are creating something with moving parts or that may have to withstand some stress in its life as a support. In summary:

• The infill determines the lightness or heaviness of an object at the end of printing. For example, if you are printing something that will eventually become part of a larger template, using 100% infill will give it more weight than using 20%.
• The infill also affects the strength of objects, because there is more material inside them that holds them together and therefore they are less likely to break over time under normal use (for example, if they are bumped).

Conclusion

When designing 3D printing, it is important to consider the amount of fill required for the object. For example, if you want an item for decorative use, you will need to use less filler than one that needs to be sturdy enough to withstand heavy use. Depending on the type of fill chosen (honeycombs are widespread), you will also get different levels of surface quality, depending on how evenly they are distributed in the model.