KRC ManufacturingCustom parts
New Knoxville, Ohio
3D printing / KRC Manufacturing

3D Printing Design Guidelines

Design FDM parts around wall thickness, layers, support access, and assembly clearances.

PRACTICAL DESIGN GUIDANCE · UPDATED OCTOBER 2026
FDM / LAYERED GEOMETRYKRC / FIELD NOTES
3D Printing Design Guidelines — technical illustration
Technical illustration · not to scale
Online envelope230 × 230 × 240 mm
FilesSTEP / STP / STL / 3MF
ScaleVerify units and overall size
AssemblyAllow fit clearance; validate prototypes
The useful starting point

Give every feature a printable cross-section and a realistic load path. A watertight mesh is necessary, but does not prove manufacturability.

01 /

Make a valid model

Use a closed solid or a closed mesh with consistent face orientation. Remove accidental floating shells, self-intersections, and zero-thickness surfaces. STL files need a confirmed unit scale. Reopen exported files and compare overall dimensions before upload.

02 /

Walls and features

The current quoting configuration uses three standard walls and a nominal 0.2 mm layer height. That is a build configuration, not a universal minimum wall or dimensional tolerance. Design thin features with enough room for stable toolpaths. Fine embossed text and knife edges may not resolve as modeled.

03 /

Overhangs and supports

Unsupported downward-facing surfaces may need supports. Leave a path to remove those supports. Small holes, hidden internal roofs, and deep cavities can be difficult to clean. A chamfered transition can sometimes print more cleanly than a broad unsupported horizontal ledge.

04 /

Fit and load direction

Leave clearance between mating parts and use representative test features when fit is important. Strength varies with direction because the part is built in layers. Infill percentage alone does not establish load capacity; walls, orientation, geometry, and material also matter. KRC selects the final orientation and supports during production review.

Put the design to work.

Choose the process, verify your files, and take the next step toward a custom part.