Xometry.pro
en – TR
Knowledge & Community
Search
K
Quote & source your parts
Europe Europe
English Deutsch Français Italiano Español
Türkiye Türkiye
English Türkçe
United Kingdom United Kingdom
English
Global Global
English
select
navigate
switch tabs
Esc close

Get Instant Quote

Use our Instant Quoting Engine to easily quote and source your parts online

Get a Quote
Back
 Profile
Menu
Materials Library
Manufacturing Stories & Cases
Articles
E-Books & Guides
Free Tools
Webinars
Free Courses
Community Discussions
Create Topic
Quote & Source Your Parts
Get a Quote

Edit topic

Home Xometry Community Industrial Design 3D Printing Tolerances for Assembly

3D Printing Tolerances for Assembly

0
S
2

Hello, I have a fairly general question, but need some insights/experience:

How can I determine the optimal tolerances for 3D printed parts to ensure they fit perfectly in a three-piece case assembly? I’m considering using FDM or SLS technologies for the case and need to account for possible post-processing (e.g. painting) and material shrinkage. The case will be used for an electronic device, so precision and durability are crucial. This is a custom device that will not go into mass production, so injection molding is not efficient for a production of max. 50-70 pieces per year.

Specific guidelines or rules of thumb for these technologies would be very helpful, especially to achieve a tight fit and structural integrity.

Thanks!

Stefan

Automatically translated from: Deutsch
See original
Link copied
Solved by Nikolaus Mroncz

Hello Mr. Meyer,

for precise parts, I would definitely prefer SLS. Here you can safely process parts. Even the basic accuracy is already very good. Xometry also offers free project consultation for corporate customers. You could then discuss your specific project, start test parts, try these out and change them if necessary, before you go into a higher quantity. The customer does not need to take shrinkage into account. The manufacturing process is designed to achieve nominal masses, there are slight deviations here, which can then be corrected in another run.

Best regards

Niko

    • S
      Hello, I have a fairly general question, but need some insights/experience:

      How can I determine the optimal tolerances for 3D printed parts to ensure they fit perfectly in a three-piece case assembly? I’m considering using FDM or SLS technologies for the case and need to account for possible post-processing (e.g. painting) and material shrinkage. The case will be used for an electronic device, so precision and durability are crucial. This is a custom device that will not go into mass production, so injection molding is not efficient for a production of max. 50-70 pieces per year.

      Specific guidelines or rules of thumb for these technologies would be very helpful, especially to achieve a tight fit and structural integrity.

      Thanks!

      Stefan

      Automatically translated from: Deutsch

      See original
      0
      Reply
    • Xometry Engineer

      Hello Mr. Meyer,

      for precise parts, I would definitely prefer SLS. Here you can safely process parts. Even the basic accuracy is already very good. Xometry also offers free project consultation for corporate customers. You could then discuss your specific project, start test parts, try these out and change them if necessary, before you go into a higher quantity. The customer does not need to take shrinkage into account. The manufacturing process is designed to achieve nominal masses, there are slight deviations here, which can then be corrected in another run.

      Best regards

      Niko

      0
      Reply
      Link copied
      • S
        Nikolaus Mroncz

        Hello Mr. Mroncz,

        I will try to proceed with SLS.

        Thank you very much!

        0
        Reply
        Link copied
3D Printing Tolerances for Assembly
Your information:




Suggested Topics

Topic
Replies
Views
Activity
Visibility of parting line on GF30 PA6 injection molded handle
Industrial Design
Hello everyone, how visible can the parting line be on final molded parts? My team is currently designing a handle cover for an industrial machine, injection molded in PA6 with 30% glass fiber. Aesthetics... read more
T
0
9
May 05
Minimum embossed text size for TPU molding
Industrial Design
Hey there, I'm designing a flexible watch strap that will be injection molded in TPU (Shore 85A). I want to include some small embossed text (branding and serial number) directly on the strap, but... read more
A
n
2
51
May 05
Printed bracket cracking – how to reinforce?
Industrial Design
Hi,  I'm prototyping a small bracket for holding a plastic cover in place—roughly 60 × 30 × 10 mm, with two hooks and two screw holes (M3) on the top side. I printed it in PLA with 20% infill... read more
G
R
1
48
Apr 23
FEA of a welded tow hitch
Industrial Design
Hi! Need help on a welded tow hitch for an off-road vehicle using S355 steel tubing and 8 mm plates. It needs to handle a 3,500 kg towing load with off-axis forces. In ANSYS,... read more
L
R
1
83
Apr 10
Best gear setup for a compact robotic arm gearbox
Industrial Design
Hi,Working on a compact gearbox for a robotic arm and need advice on the best gear setup. The arm sees intermittent loads, max torque at the output is 15 Nm, and I need about... read more
R
M
2
102
Apr 16

Edit topic