Design Nomenclature / Physical Model Making
Raft
Also called print raft
This entry has not been translated yet and is shown in English.
A disposable slab printed under the whole part to isolate it from the bed, giving warp-prone material a flat surface of its own to build on. It costs material and time, and its top layer becomes the part's underside — which arrives rough, slightly oversized, and needing work.
Not to be confused with
- BrimA single-layer collar fused to the part's first layer, widening its footprint to resist peeling without lifting the part off the bed. Cheaper than a raft and it leaves the underside intact — only the edge needs trimming. The right first thing to try on a tall print with a small footprint.
- Support structureSacrificial material printed under overhangs so molten or curing material has something to land on. Every support touches the part and leaves a scar, so where it lands matters far more than whether it exists. Reorienting the model to need fewer supports is nearly always cheaper than cleaning them off afterwards.