3D Printing with Autodesk®: Create and Print 3D Objects with 123D, AutoCAD and Inventor

13. Designing Multipart Models to Print Preassembled

An interesting feature of 3D printing that always attracts attention at demonstrations is the fact that it is possible to print more than one part at a time, fully assembled, all in one hit. To make this work, you need to be aware of a few details that we cover in this chapter. On the other hand, we also explain why this might not be a good idea under certain circumstances.

Effects of Printer Resolution on Parts

When 3D printing is a complete assembly that involves parts that can move relative to each other, the first significant point to note is printer resolution. As discussed in Chapter 12, “Designing Easy-to-Print Parts,” the layered nature of 3D printing means you can’t print small details ...