Research Article
Research Progress on Support Structures for 3D Printing
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/eai.24-4-2026.2364890, author={Chenyang Wang}, title={Research Progress on Support Structures for 3D Printing}, proceedings={Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Mechanics, Electronics Engineering and Automation, ICMEEA 2026, April 24-26, 2026, Singapore, Singapore}, publisher={EAI}, proceedings_a={ICMEEA}, year={2026}, month={9}, keywords={3D Printing support materials algorithm optimization structural innovation}, doi={10.4108/eai.24-4-2026.2364890} }- Chenyang Wang
Year: 2026
Research Progress on Support Structures for 3D Printing
ICMEEA
EAI
DOI: 10.4108/eai.24-4-2026.2364890
Abstract
3D printing achieves the formation of complex structures. The supporting structure is key to ensuring the stability of suspended parts and preventing deformation and collapse. Traditional support technologies have bottlenecks such as large contact areas, difficult removal, and excessive material waste. In high-precision scenarios, they may also affect the performance of parts and are hard to meet the demands of multi-material printing and the manufacturing of large components. To break through the limitations of 3D printing and solve support-related problems, research on support structures has significant theoretical value. This article reviews the problems encountered in support structures. Research on 3D printed support structures covers three directions: materials, algorithms, and structural design. New support materials such as hydrogels and water-soluble PVA can reduce the difficulty of post-processing. Topological optimization and the minimum spanning tree algorithm can reduce the amount of support materials used. Innovative support structures have shown advantages. Support structures still face problems such as high cost, shrinkage of parts or environmental pollution caused by post-processing. The main development directions are non-support algorithms and intelligent post-processing technology.