About this Block
What it does: The Manufacturing Support Beams block generates beam-based support structures under points on a body that require support for additive manufacturing. It identifies these regions based on a user-defined overhang angle relative to the build plane. Common uses:- Automating the generation of support structures for additive manufacturing build preparation.
- Creating efficient, easily removable lattice-based or single-face mesh supports.
- Reducing manual intervention and “clicks” in the build prep process.
- Spacing: This input defines the distance between support points on the build plane. A smaller spacing increases the number of calculated support points, which improves support density but increases algorithmic computation time.
- Overhang Angle: Regions on the body with a shallower angle than this value (relative to the build plane) will receive support structures.
- Min Overhang Angle: Use this optional parameter to define a minimum threshold, confining the support volume only to a specific angular range.
- Support Region: You can choose to build supports for internal regions, external regions, or both.
Example File
Download Example: Manufacturing Support Beams
Generate beams under the points needing support on a body for an additive manufacturing process based on overhang angle.
Inputs
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Body | Implicit Body | The body to support. |
| Build plane | Plane | The build plane. |
| Spacing | Scalar | Distance between support points on the build plane. This input will affect the number of support points calculated and the speed of the algorithm. |
| Overhang angle | Scalar | The overhang angle that will define where supports are required. Regions on the body that form a shallower angle than the overhang angle with respect to the build plane will define the support volume. |
| Min overhang angle | Scalar | An option to define the support volume only to this minimum overhang angle. |
| Support region | Manufacturing Support Region Type Enum | An option to define whether to build supports for internal, external, or both regions of the body. |
Outputs
| Type |
|---|
| Graph |