Micah Chaban, Founder and VP of Sales at RapidMade, has spent years helping engineers transition from traditional manufacturing to additive—without compromising performance, tolerances, or timelines. At RapidMade, his team works closely with clients to not only print parts but optimize them for production. In this interview, Micah breaks down the key principles of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM)—what works, what fails, and what engineers need to think about before hitting “print.”
What’s the real value of DfAM from your perspective?
Designing for additive isn’t about making something printable. It’s about making it print well. The goal isn’t just to get geometry onto the bed—it’s to build a part that prints cleanly, performs in the field, and doesn’t require an hour of post-processing per unit. DfAM gives engineers the framework to align geometry, orientation, material, and process from the start. That’s how you get repeatable, reliable results.
What are the first things an engineer should think about when designing a part for AM?
Orientation, wall thickness, and support strategy. Most people underestimate how much those three variables influence everything else—surface finish, mechanical properties, time, cost. If you don’t plan for the build direction, you’re going to run into Z-axis weakness, warping, or unnecessary supports that chew up your budget.
Let’s talk about wall thickness. What are the guidelines that really matter?
Every process has a lower limit. For example, FDM really needs about 0.8 mm for supported walls, 1.2 if they’re unsupported. SLS and MJF can get away with 0.75 mm in some cases, but we usually recommend more if there’s any stress involved. SLA can do fine detail, but the mechanical performance drops if you push the limits. And beyond minimums, uniformity matters. Sudden changes in wall thickness can create stress concentrations that cause delamination or warping.
Overhangs and supports—engineers know they’re necessary, but how do you manage them in practice?
We try to minimize them through design first. Anything over 45 degrees in FDM needs support, but that doesn’t mean you just accept it. A chamfer, a teardrop hole, or reorienting the part might remove the need entirely. SLA needs support for almost everything facing downward, so it’s about making those areas accessible and not fragile. And SLS/MJF don’t use supports, but you still need clearance for powder removal, especially in enclosed voids.
What about orientation? Beyond mechanical strength, how does it affect production?
Orientation impacts everything—print time, surface finish, post-processing, and mechanical properties. The X-Y plane is almost always stronger than Z. If you’re printing a snap fit or a cantilever, it better not be built vertically. And print height directly affects cycle time. If you can rotate the part to shave off 20% of your Z-height, that might save hours per build across a production run.
Let’s shift to tolerances and fit. How much leeway do designers have?
Additive is not CNC. You’re not holding ±0.01 mm across every surface. We typically tell engineers to plan for ±0.2–0.3 mm unless they’re going to post-machine. For fits, it depends on the process and material. For slip fits, 0.2–0.4 mm clearance is safe. For interference fits, you’ve got to test—it changes with moisture, orientation, even ambient humidity. Prototyping is part of the workflow.
You mentioned part consolidation earlier—how far can engineers push that?
Pretty far. We’ve had customers bring us five-part assemblies with fasteners, and we’ve turned them into one-piece prints with snap fits or living hinges. It cuts out hardware, lowers part count, and usually improves strength because you’ve removed joints. Even if you can’t fully consolidate, you can embed alignment features or reduce how much finishing is needed after the fact.
How much does material behavior shift between processes?
A lot. Nylon PA12 from MJF is super tough and chemically resistant—but if you orient it wrong, it gets brittle fast. TPU is great for flexibility but challenging to print consistently. ULTEM™ 9085 is amazing for heat and flame resistance, but it needs a high-end FDM machine and tight print controls. The same polymer can behave completely differently in SLA versus FDM versus SLS. You’ve got to pick based on real-world requirements, not just a data sheet.
What’s a common mistake engineers make in closed or internal features?
Not thinking about cleaning. In powder processes, enclosed voids trap unsintered material. In SLA, resin can get sealed in and cause blowouts. You’ve got to plan for powder evacuation or venting—typically holes 2–3 mm in diameter. Otherwise, your beautiful design becomes a liability during post-processing.
Do engineers often overdo surface details or text?
Absolutely. Logos, serial numbers, alignment marks—those are fine. But you’ve got to size them for readability. Engraved features should be at least 0.4 mm deep and 2 mm tall in a bold font. And put them on flat or slightly curved surfaces. Otherwise, they get smoothed off or lost in finishing.
Final thoughts—what separates a part that just “prints” from one that prints well?
Intent. A part that’s been designed for the process will orient cleanly, print efficiently, and need less finishing. It’ll fit, function, and repeat. A part that’s been pushed through a slicer without thinking about DfAM might still print, but it’ll break, warp, or fail inspection. The earlier you think about how a part is built, the better the result.
Looking to design smarter for additive?
RapidMade offers engineering-grade 3D printing services, DfAM consulting, and full production support to help you take your part from digital to real—without compromise.
Visit for the best 3D printing services visit rapidmade.com or email [email protected] to get started.
