Time is often the decisive factor in 3D printing. Whether it's a prototype, a tool, or simply a quick test model – with the right design decisions, printing time can be drastically reduced without significantly compromising stability or appearance. The key lies in designing the model itself for efficient printing.

In this article, you'll learn what characteristics a "speed-friendly" model should have and how to optimize it for high printing speeds right from the design stage.

Consider component orientation during the design phase

Instead of laboriously rotating the model in the slicer, the design should meet the following criteria:

The "printing surface" is as flat as possible.
Critical areas are located close to the print bed.
Long edges are printed horizontally instead of at an angle.
This improves both printing time AND reliability.

Consider nozzle selection during the design phase

For large models, it makes sense to use larger nozzles. This allows for higher layer heights and significantly reduces printing time. a.

Details

Avoid small details and thin wall thicknesses!

Consider the build-up in FDM 3D printing

Printing walls and ceilings in FDM 3D printing is slow. Now you need to consider: How stable does the model need to be? Do I need thick walls? Often it's more stable to use thinner walls because the prints are hollow, and as soon as the wall thickness exceeds the thickness set in the slicer, cavities form that make the model significantly less stable, even though it's thicker. Large, uniform surfaces for fast movements The printer works particularly fast with: Long lines Few changes of direction Simple contours Avoid zigzag surfaces, intricate patterns, or irregular geometries. A clean, minimalist style is clearly advantageous here.

Prefer a flat design

Tall models take a long time to print – regardless of the slicer.
If possible:

• Design models wide instead of tall
• Align functional surfaces horizontally
• If necessary, split the design into two flat parts
• Every millimeter of height means an additional layer.

Fewer overhangs = less support material

Supports significantly increase every print time.

Optimize your model so that the print remains as support-free as possible:

Overhangs < Design at 45°
Curves instead of horizontal surfaces
Consciously reorient or segment parts
Every support avoided saves minutes to hours of time.

When slicing

Choose a sensible internal structure
If you also use the model functionally, design the internal structure at the same time:

Use straight channels, not angled ones
Opt for support-free cavities
Avoid unnecessary hollows with critical overhangs
If the model is intended for rapid prototyping, also consider:

Completely solid with little infill
or hollow with thick outer walls
Both variants print faster than complex, organic infill structures.

Optimize the printer

If you implement all the tips well and you have a modern Core X-Y Printer, then you will quickly reach the maximum printing speed of your filament. To print even faster, you need high-speed filaments, which you can quickly and easily find the right one for your project using the Filament Finder. You can also find more information about high-flow nozzles in the article All about nozzles for FDM printing

Conclusion

The best slicer profiles are of little use if the model isn't designed for fast printing.
With optimized CAD design, you can drastically reduce printing times, especially if you design specifically for your printer and match the nozzles to the model. adapts.

Key points:

• Simplified geometries
  • Rounded corners
  • No overhangs
  • No small details
  • Few walls
• Few overhangs
  • support-free design
  • bridging if possible
• flat build
• better wide than tall
• consider large nozzles
• enable high layer heights
• result in more stable walls
• optimize internal structure
• use a high-flow nozzle

This is how you achieve clean, stable, and extremely fast 3D printing results.