Automated Design for Manufacturability (DFM) Checks

With SyBridge On-Demand, you get instant design for manufacturability (DFM) feedback on your part designs across a range of technologies, including 3D printing (DLS, MJF, FDM, SLA), CNC machining and injection molding.

Our software automatically checks your part files for issues that will make them difficult to manufacture. 

Additionally, SyBridge On-Demand also tracks parts from design to manufacturing to fulfillment, so you can see how different design elements contribute to a part’s success or failure. We feed that information back into the system to continually improve our models, resulting in automated design checks that get smarter every time you use them.

A Data-Driven Approach to Design

When you upload your design, it’s automatically checked for a variety of issues that can impact manufacturability, function and overall quality. These checks help you identify potential problems early and ensure clear communication about what you can expect from your manufactured parts. 

A red X indicator means there’s a critical manufacturability issue that you should address before manufacturing your parts. Though you can still proceed to manufacture parts with such issues, they may not turn out as you intended or could have defects.

An orange exclamation point indicator means that there are elements in your design that might cause issues. Our team sees these checks too, so they’ll let you know if they anticipate any major issues.

If you’re not sure how to fix an issue, you can submit your part for a manual quote so our team can take a look.

Take a look at the chart below for a brief overview of the DFM checks we perform and how any issues may impact your final parts.

DFM Check Reference Guide
DFM Check Performed	Manufacturing Process						Manufacturability Warnings ⚠️ Warning/Notice 🛑 Critical Issue	Description
	DLS	MJF	FDM	SLA	CNC	IM
Supported Surfaces*	✅			✅			⚠️	Part design has surfaces that need to be supported. Reducing overhangs that require support is recommended to avoid aesthetic imperfections.
Watertightness	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	🛑	Part design may not be watertight. Mesh issues such as unintended holes or missing sections may exist.
Minimum Process Resolution	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	Part design has areas that register as having zero thickness. Revising your file’s mesh may correct these issues.
Inadequate Venting	✅	✅	✅	✅			⚠️	Part design inhibits access for removal of supports or excess material from certain areas. Filling in voids, increasing hole diameters or improving access to cavities is recommended.
Trapped Material	✅	✅	✅	✅			🛑	Part design has fully enclosed cavities where material may become trapped. Adding vent holes to allow material to exit these regions may be necessary.
Regions Needing Venting	✅			✅			⚠️	Part design has partially enclosed volumes that may become fully enclosed. Adding vent holes in these areas is recommended.
Partially Vented Regions	✅			✅			⚠️	Part design has partially enclosed volumes that may not vent properly. Adding larger vent holes or relocating vent holes is recommended.
Thick Walls	✅	✅		✅		✅	⚠️🛑	Part design has thick walls whose thickness may need to be reduced to avoid issues during manufacturing.
Thin Walls	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️🛑	Part design has thin walls whose thickness may need to be increased to avoid issues during manufacturing.
Feature Size	✅	✅		✅			⚠️🛑	Part design has small features that may not form correctly. Increasing the size of these features is recommended.
Surface Imperfections*	✅	✅		✅			⚠️	Part design has shallow or low angles perpendicular to the build direction that may result in visual imperfections. Adjusting the angle of these surfaces is recommended.
Sharp Edges or Corners (Concave)					✅		⚠️	Part design has sharp internal corners that may require adding standard fillets to avoid use of specialized tooling.
Sharp Edges or Corners (Convex)						✅	⚠️	Part design has sharp edges or corners. Adding fillets to these areas is recommended.
Standard Hole Sizes*					✅		⚠️	Part design contains non-standard hole sizes. Using standard metric or imperial sizes is recommended to reduce costs.
Draft Angle*						✅	⚠️	Part design has no draft (taper) on its surfaces. Adding at least 0.5 degrees of draft is recommended.
Part Aspect Ratio	✅	✅		✅	✅		🛑	Part design has a high aspect ratio, making it susceptible to warpage. Creating a more regular geometry by increasing the smallest overall dimension or reducing the largest overall dimension may be necessary.
Multiple Body Detection	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	🛑	Part file contains multiple solid bodies. Part designs must be uploaded individually to assess manufacturability.
Deep Pockets or Slots					✅		⚠️	Part design contains deep pockets or slots. Changing the overall depth or the minimum internal radii of these features is recommended.
Part Unit Selection	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	⚠️	The selected unit of measurement resulted in a part that’s too large or small to be produced. Check that the selected unit is correct.
Part Size	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	🛑	Part design is too large for the selected manufacturing process. Selecting a different process may resolve this. Alternatively, dividing the part into multiple pieces may be necessary.
Sharp Edges or Corners (Knife Edges)					✅		⚠️	Part design has sharp edges or corners. Rounding edges or corners with standard fillets is recommended.
Surface Contouring*					✅		⚠️	Part design has a high percentage (>50%) of surfaces that require contouring. Replacing curved and/or organic surfaces with flat ones is recommended.
Low Material Utilization*					✅		⚠️	Part design requires a high percentage (>35%) of material to be removed relative to the stock size. Reducing the part size to fit a smaller stock or adjusting the geometry so less material is removed is recommended.

* Included with Fast Radius Pro subscription

Get Design Feedback in an Instant

To get started, simply upload your design file and choose your manufacturing process and material.

Checks are listed on the right side of the screen. Each check expands to show a more detailed description of the issue. Clicking on a check will highlight that specific issue on your part visualization. If you need help understanding any of the checks, you can contact our team of experts right from within the Fast Radius Portal.

Once your part passes the necessary checks, you can place your order and checkout. Alternatively, you can also submit your design for a manual quote to start a conversation with our experts. Contact us today to get started.