'MinFill' - New Print Process for Faster 3D Printing, Using Less Filament

MakerBot has introduced a new print mode called MinFill - short for 'Minimum Infill' - that uses an intelligent algorithm to determine the minimum amount of support needed for the inside of any 3D printed object. Infill is printed as a pattern and is the support structure inside a 3D print, holding up the outer layers of a print, as well as the final roof layers. With most 3D printing software, the percentage of infill can be adjusted - however, infill is always printed uniformly throughout the entire object. Not all 3D prints need to be durable or heavy, so when surface quality and print speed are more important, MinFill is an efficient option. According to MakerBot, the new printer typically prints 30% faster using 30% less filament.

Transcript

00:00:02 At MakerBot, we're always striving to make your 3D printing experience faster and more cost-effective. Now we're proud to introduce a dynamic new print mode that does just that. This is MinFill, short for minimum infill. The first of its kind in 3D printing. It redefines what a 3D print can be from the inside out. Prints are made up of several parts. There are shells which are the outside and

00:00:26 and infill which is the inside. Infill helps support the models walls and roofs. Most infill uses a repeating pattern. MinFill is smart. Minfill actually evaluates the inside of your print to see what walls and roofs need to be supported and only prints material there. Based on our testing you can typically print thirty percent faster and use thirty percent less filament. In fact,

00:00:47 the greater the internal volume of your print, the more time and money you'll save. This is a prototype for a speaker that we use to test out MinFill in our Z18s. With regular infill, this would have taken 81 hours. With MinFill, this took 35 hours to print. You're saving over a whole day of printing time without sacrificing any of the good quality that you'll require as a designer. For professionals, that means

00:01:12 faster early concept modeling, faster form studies and ultimately reducing the time from idea to innovation. This is MakerBot MinFill. Our commitment to elevating your 3D printing experience.