Episode 1 - Infill pattern & density

Last updated on April 25, 2022 07:46

Episode summary

Infill is one of the most important parts of 3D printing. It determines the strength of your part, the print time, and the amount of material you need for your print.

Yet, even the most advanced users often do not fully understand the concept of infill and the many choices available for tuning.

This episode takes a close look at infill: what is it, why do you need it, and what options do you have. We explore three totally different applications, and explain why those infill settings were set the way they are.

After this episode, you'll know how to select the right infill pattern and density for your application, and you can replicate the examples shown in the episode easily by downloading the assets below.

Asset library

Slide Deck

Please find here the slides shown during the episode.

Download slide deck Episode 1 - Infill Pattern and Density

Cheat sheet

This cheat sheet helps you to quickly determine which infill settings are right for your specific needs: depending on the model, purpose, and material used.

Download the cheat sheet

Settings Guide on infill patterns

We highly recommend that you install the Settings Guide plug-in. It gives you a hover-over detailed explanation of every setting in Ultimaker Cura. Find the plug-in here.

The content for Infill Patterns can also be found on Github.

Model and Project files

Below you can download model and project files for all sample applications shown in the episode. All files are 3MF files. The 3D model file contains only the part (STL) and can be opened in Cura for any printer type. The project files are also 3MF files, but contain the tunings in infill settings that we showed during the episode, available for all Ultimaker printers.

Sample part	Description	3D model file (3MF)	Project file (3MF)
Sidepod blower	This model shows the tremendous time and material savings possible in low-stress models by using the Lightning infill	Model file	Ultimaker S5 Ultimaker S3 Ultimaker 3 Ultimaker 2+ Connect
Pack spinner	This model shows the effect of infill type on the flexibility of a TPU part: Grid, Gyroid, Triangles	Model file	Ultimaker S5 - Grid Ultimaker S5 - Gyroid Ultimaker S5 - Triangles Ultimaker S3 - Grid Ultimaker S3 - Gyroid Ultimaker S3 - Triangles Ultimaker 3 - Grid Ultimaker 3 - Gyroid Ultimaker 3 - Triangles Ultimaker 2+ Connect - Grid Ultimaker 2+ Connect - Gyroid Ultimaker 2+ Connect - Triangles
Gearwheel	This model needs the right strength and rigidity in the XY plane, while minimizing the amount of material used and print speed	Model file	Ultimaker S5 Ultimaker S3 Ultimaker 3 Ultimaker 2+ Connect