So a number of folks have brought this up. But we wanted to make sure there was useful link. There are plugins for cura and a number of other slicers that add Mouse Ears. (Here is one: marketplace.ultimaker.com/app/cura/plugins/5axes/TabAntiWarping) The reason we did not include it in the video is that we don't think these are good solutions. Mainly because none of them add the sprue. So they are sub-optimal. And on this channel we really try to show the single most effecient way to do a thing. Since we work in mass production 3D Printing, a 1% improvement means a lot of cost savings for a client when they make 10's of thousands of an item.

Don't forget you can usually add circles in your slicer software, this means you can easily modify other people's designs for better printing without brims.

Please continue making more of these design optimization videos. They are incredibly helpful pointers to keep in mind when designing parts.

I use these regularly. Once the printer is above them, i pop a small neodymium magnet on (my prusa uses steel plates) to ensure adhesion to the bed

I’ve also found that a .3mm brim distance works very well. It doesn’t touch the model in most places, but it does hold on to the corners and is very easy (and satisfying) to pop off.

Oddly enough, I was fighting corners pealing up on an intricate design where a brim would have been a nightmare when this video popped up. Huge help, thank you so much.

This is fantastic. I have been looking how to start using sharper corners in some of our designs so everything isn't so rounded. Keep up the good work.

In subtractive manufacturing (e.g. milling or cutting) and in injection molding, those sprues would be connected to a frame. You see these all the time with small plastic pieces for model cars and with paper punch-outs for board games. You can do the same thing for 3D printing designs. Think of it like a brim, but the brim is spaced out a little ways and its only connected to the part with a few tabs. Similar to those mouse ears with sprues, they are very easy to remove by cutting the tabs, especially if you put the tabs perpendicular to flat edges instead of sharp corners (much easier to sand or shave flat). But compared to mouse ears, you can get much more surface area using a large frame without making lots of little jagged movements, which is really helpful to avoid the kind of dragging you mentioned. Sharp corners anywhere cause a problem. Creating a sharp corner requires coming to a stop. To do this at high velocities, you need high acceleration. High acceleration means high forces on the machine and vibration. It also means large changes in flow rate, which leads to thinning and blobbing. The freshly-laid filament is still hot and only semi-solid and it has strong adhesion to itself, so the filament you are laying down is pulling on the filament that was just laid. Pulling it in a straight line isn't generally a problem, but pulling perpendicular or even back towards itself is going to tend to pull the soft filament back up off of whatever it was on. All of these factors make small, sharp features difficult to reproduce quickly and reliably. So whenever possible, try to use fillets, dog bones, or other smooth curves instead of sharp edges. The wider the radius, the better, though a few line widths is probably sufficient. This will allow you to maintain velocity, reduce strain and vibration, and avoid blobs and other surface imperfections. This is especially important when printing first layers, thin features, or mating surfaces where dimensional accuracy and consistent are important. As for designing parts that work regardless of machine, settings, or scale? Don't kid yourself. Physics doesn't work that way and neither do the suggestions in this video. What works well for PLA on an FDM printer with a 0.4mm nozzle set to 0.2mm layer height is going to be awful for UV acrylic resin in an SLA printer with 0.05mm dot pitch and layer height. A good design should be tolerant to imperfections and be easily adaptable to different machines, settings, and scales, but it's going to need adaptation. Every design is going to be subject to minimum feature sizes, tolerances, material loading (tensile, shear, bending), kerf, and plenty else. One design will not fit all. But the beauty of parametric CAD is that you can quickly make changes to the design to customize it for the machine it will be used on. Parameterize the things that will need to change, build things up in pieces, use constraints and references to ensure things shift and scale together, and leave room in the design itself to add, remove, scale, offset, or whatever else might need to be done to key features in order for them to function correctly when manufactured in your environment.

I have been 3D printing for more than 12 years now, but this was new for me. Still learning :) Thanks!

Great tip! It makes me wonder it a teardrop shape might work even better by providing a relatively large surface area but without the rapid change in nozzle direction that exists where the sprue encounters the mouse ear circle.

I've been experimenting this with some 3D printable buildings I've been working on for miniature wargaming, which often have large, flat floors, and are thus prone to warping at the corners. So far the results have been great! Thanks so much for sharing this technique!

Always had issues with these and love your points about not relying on printer settings and instead focusing on quality designs

This totally made my life easier this week. I was printing a bed full of 100 tiny objects and by adding a sprue to interconnect them and to an outer system of circles i was able to save time and not worry about failures.

Tabs and similar are quite handy for PLA's, but my fix for this was to install a recirculating chamber heater system, works for ABS and above, no warping anymore, and better bed and layer adhesion, depending on the material I can go all the way up to 90° C inside the chamber.

SuperSlicer has this function for Brim > Brim Ears. Works great. Your example in CAD does offer more flexibility.

Nifty! Brims are such a drag, amazing that the little sprue can hold it down. One comment you made in the explanation was about internal stress and shrinkage. I have issues with parts that have a section change where, say, an internal floor stops and i get a small step on the outside. I've tried a few different chamfers and fillets but still see it even with thicker walls that have some infill. Do you see the same things? Idea for future vid?

Literally just had this issue with a print going right now, fantastic timing, thank you

I have heard from various people to just: Buy an enclosure for consistent heat... Use a glue stick for better adhesion... Make sure they're is not an AC vent blowing on it... When in reality, I won't be the only person printing the part. Each person will have a different skill set and this eliminates all of those factors. It IS proper engineering design. Thank you for taking the time to create this video. You have a new sub!

Hi - I saw your short version of this earlier today, and am currently printing a part that was very prone to lifting in one area. Apparently now fixed: Thank you!! 😚

Slowing and increasing temperature at the first layer much helpful as well.

One addition I would do is put the Sprue perpendicular only to the one face of the corner. Makes it even easier to trim off.

Phenomenal, thanks! On some of my parts I've actually rounded the corners to prevent curling where it didn't affect the functionality or appearance. On cube corners I have chamfered the point. Saves filament too.

This seems like a pretty hot tip, thanks for sharing! I've started to incorporate beveling into my corners to help alleviate some of those issues, this definitely seems like a great trick to try!

Excellent. Thank you very much for sharing your knowledge with the community!

You dont need to make this adjustment in the CAD software, just download a circle as a stl. file and merge them in the slices.

Very interesting! Slicers could actually implement this sort of a corner only brim to help with all the things you said.

Epic! Also, love the comment about designing independent of the printer settings.

Thank you! Another arrow in my design quiver, can’t wait to use it.

This tip really helped me out. Thanks!

Certainly will be trying this technique soon. I know some slicers do brim ears. But this is a nice touch.

Thanks, I've encountered those problems and now I have a fix!

Clear and right to the point, great tip!

Absolutely going to try this. I suspect it's not only going to work well for corners with high internal stresses and lift/warp potential, but it will *probably* allow for relatively thin parts to be reliably printed without the bed adhesion issues (and get away from the ton of post-processing required!). Even if it doesn't help with thin parts, it's brilliant enough to warrant a sub from me. Thanks! EDIT: Yep, it works for thin parts. Easily saved me up to five minutes of finishing per piece for small stuff. SUPER!

Interesting. Gotta try this. Thank you

Much appreciated brother. I have to print in a 0c environment so the biggest problem I suffer with printing, even with an enclosure, is first layer adhesion. I was lucky enough to find this video after only two failed prints, and I think this has saved me months of wasted filament, tweaking and troubleshooting!

It's a nice theory but actual printed parts in comparison would help even more. I use brims on objects with small contact area and rather high print height. To make sure they don't get ripped off. Like on the little ski on the RC Tiny rider snowmobile. The little gears don't need brim because they are done quick enough. Warping cannot really be avoided with these brims. Warping is a fault within the cooling itself. The ambient temperature must not be too low or otherwise the part will warp on the layers that shrink too fast and strong.

Thank you! I've been adding mouse ears that I designed for a while now. I'm going to try this on my next print! This looks great!

Thanks for this video. A big help!

Best 3D printing tip of 2023 so far, thank you so much!

That’s the most useful tip I’ve seen on KZfaq for a while. Thanks 😊

Muchos gracias, senior. Great tip!

Really great video. I'm not incredibly well versed in 3D modeling but I've spent enough time to appreciate a well designed model. There's no doubt this will become incredibly handy even for low-production DIY parts.

Never thought of this, I will have to keep this in mind as I design stuff. Great video 👏

Great idea, thanks for the video

Interesting indeed. I've been 3D-printing for a while; This is the first time I've seen this design technique. I'll be trying this to see how this works om my printer. Thanks.

I have experimented with brim spacing and adding little bumps that touch the part, I thought there might be some benefit from a wavy brim or perforated to weaken the first layer, especially on bottom beveled surfaces where you always end up with a sharp blade around it and have a ton of cleanup

that's such an interesting idea, i wonder if that can be integrated into the slicer the same way they implement supports for resin

Good tip, I'm going to adopt this technique. Thanks! 👍

That's really neat! I hate post processing off a brim.

Interesting techniques definitely worth making a note of. Additionally If design allows, rounding vertical corners reduce print time and material. The reduction of material usage isn't just from eliminating brim and mouse ears but from the rounding it self. Also the time savings will come from the higher average speeds from the nozzle not having to slow down at the corner. Even a 0.5mm radius rounding of the corner can have a huge impact with more complex shapes.

Looking at your approach makes me think a tear drop shape might be even more ideal. This is great though as I have done the mouse ears, but never considered minimizing the contact patch.

A good design is one that works in the actual application.

Fantastic solution, glad I stumbled across this channel. Subscribed!

This is brilliant. Thank you!

There's actually a cura addon which can add these circles when you click it. The longer you press the bigger the circle is.

Jus the first idea worked great! Thanks for the insight

Outstanding concept I really enjoy these types of videos.

thats a great video solving (hopefully) some of my design challenges.

Great apporach. Thanks Slant 3D!

Please keep the videos like this coming! I just subscribed. ❤‍🔥❤‍🔥

Oh nice. Helper disks are always super nice but man loving the spru idea!

What dimensions do you recommend for these tabs, in regard to Slant 3D manufacturing? Specifically tab diameter, sprue length, and sprue width.

Thank you for this tip.

Interesting. And it sounds like a good reason to edit the mouse ears plugin.

Cura had an addon that allows you to do the same😉

Brilliant tip!

How didn't I think of this, this would have been so useful

Loved this thank you!

Love these design tips!

Hello, i use this tips since a long time. But it's great for share with a good support. Thx

This is an awesome idea. Thank you.

In Cura there is a plugin called anti warp Tabs, makes it easy to add these in stl files. Just click the area and define the size of the Tab.

Super helpful, I have a couple designs that will benefit from this.

Interesting! Glad I got the tip before it becomes an issue. Thanks!

Wow this totally makes sense now... wish I knew about this ~5 years ago. Thanks dude! 😁

Good tip. Thanks!

wow.. thank you for the tips!

Great hint...

Nice! I just trimmed a brim this morning and it was a pain.

with glass beds, I used brims as they gave me the best adhesion, switching to PEI/magnetic bed, I've not needed anything more than a skirt to just get the PLA flowing.

Thought he was printing it standing it on the one point. XD I was like. 'ya the solution, just lay it down' lol

If you use Prusa slicer, you can insert a shape and make it a circle and do the same thing. Make it the same thickness (saw this by 3D printing nerd's reel)

That is a very handy technique!

Bro, this is gonna be really fucking weird to say, but you look and sound and explain things it almost exactly like my stepdad did when I was younger. He’s older now, but it’s so easy for me to understand what you’re talking about and pay attention because I’ve pretty much grown up my whole life, listening and talking to somebody just like you who sounds like you and looks like you and explains things the way you do. Legitimately you guys are doppelgängers or at least were when he was a bit younger.

that is a very interesting idea, and makes sense, I'll try it out. But would be also a nice addon to the slicer, as tbf, that should be a slicer setting/addon, too Does anyone know if you can do something like that with prusa slicer already ?

Thanks for this tip

I've been using them for a while now very usefull, now I hadn't thought of the screw one I'll give it a shot

great tip

Thanks for sharing this!

i've heard you say this in a couple videos, that you shouldn't rely on print settings, that a good design should work on "any printer, any time, any scale". but in regards to your print farm, where you control the hardware, wouldn't creating slicer files, be just as much work as modifying the 3d model? id love to see a video where you go more in depth about this.

You can also lower corner stress by printing with concentric instead of cross hatch.

This is great, need to try it, and I just so happen to have a 3d printed bracket that has started to break, so many I can modify that model to be a little taller, and add the mouse ears!

With Orca Slicer (and I believe Pursa Slicer as well), it has mouse ear brim built in. It works great.

How thick do you make your sprews?

PLA loves to warp. I once printed a long, semi-circle shaped stand and used a wide-ass brim for maximum stability, and it did work for a while, until the warping got so intense that _the whole goddamn brim lifted off the bed._ Moral of the story, sometimes even the most extreme solution can't completely a fundamental problem. I should invest in a heated enclosure, they can reduce warping by a significant amount. One thing to note here, I have a heated bed and I probably set the temperature too high. A trick that works very well is to set the bed a bit high for the first layer and then let it cool down to a more comfortable level for the rest of the print.

Smart idea!

I do this routinely now with great success and it is creates very little additional work or cost.

I am amazed! this is so... 👌(I almost fell off my chair here!) subscribed right away! also the story of the origin of the print farm, just beautiful! 👍 I discovered this too late!... respect! by the way, thank you for sharing your knowledge!👍👍👍 Healthy and Friendly Greetings from the Netherlands! Rob

Thanks for sharing! Neat tip.

Brims are essential with petg to hold parts down which have a small surface area required on the bed. For instance printing a long thin cylinder. You don't want to print that sideways.