3D Printing Colorado: Top 7 Mistakes to Avoid in 2025

The most common error is picking a printer technology before writing down what the part has to do. FDM, SLA, SLS, SLM and DMLS are not interchangeable. Each one carries its own layer thickness, anisotropy and material set, and those differences decide whether a bracket holds load or cracks at the third bolt hole.

Start with the load case. A concept fit-check that never sees stress is fine on FDM. A manifold that carries 200 bar, or a bracket that sees vibration on a drone airframe, is not. When a part touches a flight-critical or implant-critical assembly, the print process has to be qualified, not just available.

Cost and lead time follow the process choice, not the other way around. Teams that buy a desktop printer because it looks useful often end up reprinting the same bracket three times. A service bureau with a validated process costs more per part and less per project.

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  Fit-check onlyFDM or SLA is enough; skip the qualification paperwork.
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  Load-bearingPrint in metal or design for fiber orientation.
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  Regulated assemblyRequire material certs and process records up front.

DfAM is not a cosmetic step. The layer-by-layer build direction sets the weak axis, and every surface that overhangs needs support that someone has to cut away later. A 45° rule of thumb for self-supporting walls saves hours of finishing and reduces the risk of a collapsed overhang.

Internal channels are where designs quietly die. A horizontal channel inside an SLM manifold needs dense internal support that cannot be reached with a tool. The part comes back blocked, and the scrap rate hits 100%. Angle internal passages so powder clears, and keep them round for flow.

Lattice and hollow sections cut weight and build time, but only when the cell size stays above the minimum feature the printer can hold. Below that, the lattice prints as a solid blob and you have paid for the weight you tried to remove.

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  OrientationSet build direction before detailing features.
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  OverhangsKeep unsupported angles under about 45°.
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  Trapped powderAdd escape holes to every enclosed cavity.

A data sheet lists tensile strength for a bulk specimen. A printed part is not a bulk specimen. Interlayer adhesion, porosity and build orientation can pull real strength well below the published number, and that gap widens on thin walls and small cross-sections.

Certification matters as much as the number. Aerospace, medical and automotive programs need traceable material, lot control and documented process parameters. Ask for the material certificate and the heat lot before the build starts, not after the parts arrive at receiving inspection.

For metal parts, post-build heat treatment and HIP decide fatigue life. Printing to near-net shape and then machining the mating surfaces gives you the geometry of additive and the tolerance of subtractive work in one part.

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  Directional strengthTest coupons in the same orientation as the part.
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  TraceabilityRequire lot numbers and mill certs for metals.
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  FatigueSpecify HIP plus heat treat for cyclic loads.

Print resolution and part tolerance are different things. Quoting ±0.05 mm on every dimension of an as-printed part drives cost up and often cannot be measured reliably on a curved surface. Reserve tight tolerances for the features that mate with something else.

Surface finish works the same way. A printed surface at Ra 12 μm is normal for an as-built SLM wall. If a sealing face needs Ra 0.8–1.6 μm, plan a machining pass on that face alone instead of trying to print it smooth.

Blanket tolerance callouts also slow inspection. A drawing with twelve tight dimensions needs twelve measurements per part. A drawing with three critical ones moves faster through first article and costs less to check.

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  As-printedHold loose tolerances; add stock where it matters.
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  Mating surfacesMachine after printing to ±0.005 mm.
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  Sealing facesSpecify Ra 0.8–1.6 μm on the face only.

Almost every functional printed part gets touched by a second process. Threads, bores, bearing seats and flat mounting faces usually end up on a mill or a lathe, because printed threads strip and printed bores do not hold a press fit.

Build the print with machining stock. Add 0.3–0.5 mm on faces that will be cut, and design a fixturing feature the machinist can clamp without crushing the part. A printed boss with a flat pad is easy to hold. A thin curved shell is not.

Finishing follows the same logic. Anodizing, bead blasting and laser marking change dimensions slightly, and masking a printed surface for selective anodizing takes time. Decide which surfaces stay raw before the parts leave the printer.

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  ThreadsCut them after printing, not in the build.
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  BoresLeave stock and ream to final size.
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  MaskingMark surfaces that stay unfinished on the drawing.

Complex builds cost more than the quote suggests when support removal, heat treat and machining are billed separately. Ask for a line-item price that includes post-processing, or the invoice will surprise you. Metal powder is priced by weight and by alloy, and a titanium build costs several times the same volume in aluminum.

Lead time behaves the same way. Printing time is only part of the schedule; heat treat, HIP and machining add days that a print-time estimate ignores. A realistic plan for a metal part with machined interfaces runs from a week to several weeks depending on alloy and finishing.

Build volume is the last trap. A part that fits the envelope may still need to be split, and that split introduces a joint that has to be aligned and often welded. Check the diagonal, not just the bounding box, and check whether the orientation that fits is also the orientation that holds load.

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  Quote line itemsAsk for post-processing as separate lines.
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  ScheduleAdd heat treat and machining days to print time.
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  EnvelopeVerify part diagonal against the build chamber.