Print-in-place

Definition

Print-in-place (PIP) mechanisms — hinges, nuts on screws, chain links — come off the plate already assembled. They need a designed gap so the layers do not fuse. A practical clearance is twice the printer’s measured dimensional error plus a fit extra: tight/press, sliding, or loose. Z is usually worse than XY because of layer lines and elephant’s foot. Test a coupon before you commit a 12-hour print.

Calculators that use this

• 3D design & tolerances

  Print-in-Place Tolerance

  Size print-in-place clearance from your printer’s tested dimensional error plus a press, sliding or loose fit. Z uses a 1.4× penalty for layer lines.

• 3D design & tolerances

  Wall Thickness vs Line Width

  Round a CAD wall to an integer number of FDM lines so shells are not a thin leftover extrusion. Suggests line count, actual thickness and a line width that hits the target exactly.