<p>Your image is difficult to use to be certain of a specific answer, but a generic answer may be found in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPijCjz9G1w" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Angus of Maker's Muse on YouTube</a>.</p>
<p>His suggestion, which I've used with quite good results is to add primitives manually to the locations that will eliminate the need for supports. Typically, the new primitives will convert an overhang to a bridging, or will provide support with a smaller impact.</p>
<p>If your part is not proprietary, consider to edit your question with a link to download the STL file, as it will provide a better viewpoint of the troublesome areas.</p>
<p>As an example of Angus' solution, I added thin wall hollow cylinders to a part that contained a double counterbore. With traditional support implemented, the mass of plastic would have been nearly impossible to remove. The new primitives were sized to overlap the unsupported centers of each counterbore by only one nozzle width and were two nozzle widths thick. Picture the stereotypical archery target.</p>
<p>The result on printing was that the created support cylinders remained attached to the bed when the part was cleanly removed.</p>
<p>In Angus' video, he shows the addition of a vertical panel creating a support for an orthogonal overhang, using approximately the same nozzle width reference. A thin vertical wall attached to the side of the model, extending outward to the end of the overhang, creates a bridging in place of a massive support structure.</p>
<p>From the <a href="https://youtu.be/RPijCjz9G1w?t=380" rel="nofollow noreferrer">linked video</a>, these screen captures show one extreme example that accomplishes the objective with reduced material use, time and post processing:</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/cWEnw.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/cWEnw.png" alt="before manufactured supports" /></a></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ZTU4I.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZTU4I.png" alt="after manufactured supports" /></a></p>
<p>This method does not require &quot;ground-up&quot; design, as one needs only to have a resource to create primitives in an editor. PrusaSlicer provides for adding primitives, Meshmixer allows for a wide variety of features in this manner and even Tinkercad can be used to add thin rectangular prisms or cylinders as needed.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-17T21:52:18.910Z
2023-02-17T21:52:18.910Z
fred_dot_u
<p>I'm trying to print this item with as few supports as possible due to difficulties with removing the supports afterward in very small places. I set the support angle to be at 70° since that covers the area which was a problem before. When the printer starts, however, it stops right at the first layer, 2-3 seconds into printing, and then complains of a power crash. I tested it out and it's not happening on other prints, just on this one.</p>
<p>Any suggestions on why is it stopping and how I could print it with minimal supports?</p>
<p>The issue I had was that the supports that were inside the moving parts ended up being printed as strong as the actual infill and I can't remove it now.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/nFmek.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" title="Screenshot of a 3D model in Cura's Preview"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/nFmek.jpg" alt="Screenshot of a 3D model in Cura's Preview" title="Screenshot of a 3D model in Cura's Preview" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-02-17T23:19:43.893Z
Please add an image of the object unsliced, it is very difficult to help out without. Also an image of the failed print could be useful.
0scar
<ultimaker-cura>
Printing with minimal supports
Iustinian Olaru
# Printing with minimal supports

(Asked by: username_0 on 2023-02-17)

I'm trying to print this item with as few supports as possible due to difficulties with removing the supports afterward in very small places. I set the support angle to be at 70° since that covers the area which was a problem before. When the printer starts, however, it stops right at the first layer, 2-3 seconds into printing, and then complains of a power crash. I tested it out and it's not happening on other prints, just on this one.

Any suggestions on why is it stopping and how I could print it with minimal supports?

The issue I had was that the supports that were inside the moving parts ended up being printed as strong as the actual infill and I can't remove it now.

[![Screenshot of a 3D model in Cura's Preview](https://i.sstatic.net/nFmek.jpg "Screenshot of a 3D model in Cura's Preview")](https://i.sstatic.net/nFmek.jpg "Screenshot of a 3D model in Cura's Preview")

**Tags:** ultimaker-cura

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Please add an image of the object unsliced, it is very difficult to help out without. Also an image of the failed print could be useful.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2023-02-17. Score: 1

Your image is difficult to use to be certain of a specific answer, but a generic answer may be found in [Angus of Maker's Muse on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPijCjz9G1w).

His suggestion, which I've used with quite good results is to add primitives manually to the locations that will eliminate the need for supports. Typically, the new primitives will convert an overhang to a bridging, or will provide support with a smaller impact.

If your part is not proprietary, consider to edit your question with a link to download the STL file, as it will provide a better viewpoint of the troublesome areas.

As an example of Angus' solution, I added thin wall hollow cylinders to a part that contained a double counterbore. With traditional support implemented, the mass of plastic would have been nearly impossible to remove. The new primitives were sized to overlap the unsupported centers of each counterbore by only one nozzle width and were two nozzle widths thick. Picture the stereotypical archery target.

The result on printing was that the created support cylinders remained attached to the bed when the part was cleanly removed.

In Angus' video, he shows the addition of a vertical panel creating a support for an orthogonal overhang, using approximately the same nozzle width reference. A thin vertical wall attached to the side of the model, extending outward to the end of the overhang, creates a bridging in place of a massive support structure.

From the [linked video](https://youtu.be/RPijCjz9G1w?t=380), these screen captures show one extreme example that accomplishes the objective with reduced material use, time and post processing:

[![before manufactured supports](https://i.sstatic.net/cWEnw.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/cWEnw.png)

[![after manufactured supports](https://i.sstatic.net/ZTU4I.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ZTU4I.png)

This method does not require "ground-up" design, as one needs only to have a resource to create primitives in an editor. PrusaSlicer provides for adding primitives, Meshmixer allows for a wide variety of features in this manner and even Tinkercad can be used to add thin rectangular prisms or cylinders as needed.


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