How the placement direction of 3D printer parts affects accuracy, manufacturing time, and strength

Part accuracy
Considering a cylinder, the hole in the cylinder uses the FdM3d central axis perpendicular to the printing technique. The 3D printer prints out this structure using a series of superimposed concentric circles. This will produce a final cylinder with a relatively smooth outer surface.
If the central axis of the same cylinder is placed horizontally, it is constructed into a series of rectangles (slightly different in width) that overlap each other. In addition, the surface of the cylinder contacting the construction platform will be flat, as this material will be printed as the first layer. By printing parts in different directions, the quality of the finished product ultimately varies greatly.
Forming time
The orientation of the 3D printer can also have a significant impact on the final molding time. Taking the above cylinder as an example, due to the significant reduction in the total number of layers, the printing time in the horizontal direction is much lower than in the vertical direction: 100 μ Under the layer height, the number of printing layers on the horizontal drum is 100, and the number of vertical layers is 300. This may result in a more noticeable jet lag.
Part strength
Some 3D printers, especially FdM, build parts with inherent anisotropy, which means they are much stronger in the XY direction than in the Z direction. For functional components, it is important to consider the application and load direction. For example, at the same time, compared to the Z direction, when pulled in the Z direction, FdM parts are more prone to delamination and fracture.
Support structure
Adding support materials will increase the time and cost of 3D printing. The usual processing method is to spend a lot of design time considering the orientation of the optimal part, which not only can reduce 3D printing failures but also effectively reduce the required material support.
Surface finish
Generally, the top or upward surface of a 3D printed part will have the best surface finish, but this varies depending on the surface quality of the 3D final molding under printing technology.