Understanding anisotropies of the printed part

FDM prints feature anisotropies along the printing direction. Typically, the mechanical strength between stacked layers is weaker than the strength in other directions; therefore, the higher loads should always be applied along the layers, not perpendicular to them.

We should always consider these anisotropies when studying part placement, especially if we are about to print a functional prototype that will be loaded by forces and deformations. Let’s take the following component as an example; this part is similar to a circlip ring and will act a bit like a spring:

Figure 15.7: Another example of different printing orientations

As you can see, there are two different part placements for this part; the first one on the left features the part standing up, while the second shows the part laid on its side.

Both part placements are feasible from a printing perspective. However, since this is a component...