What is a key benefit of adding fillets to designs in FDM?

Adding fillets to designs in Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) offers significant advantages, particularly in how they contribute to the structural integrity and performance of a printed object. Fillets create rounded transitions between surfaces, which play a crucial role in distributing stress more evenly throughout the part. This feature is particularly beneficial in areas where sharp corners could lead to stress concentrations, potentially causing weaknesses or failures during use.

Additionally, fillets can help improve the capacity of a design to support overhangs. By allowing the surfaces to grow gradually, they facilitate better layer adhesion and can lead to more reliable overhangs without the need for extensive support structures. This aspect of design can simplify the overall print process and improve the final outcome, as parts with filleted edges generally perform better under load and can maintain geometric accuracy more effectively.

While other benefits, such as aesthetic appeal and reduced need for post-processing, may be true in certain contexts, the primary advantage of fillets lies in their structural benefits and their ability to support more complex geometries during the printing process. This emphasizes the importance of thoughtful design considerations in FDM to maximize the functionality and durability of the final printed product.