Support structures keep 3D-printed parts from collapsing during printing, like a margarita glass would without them. Water-soluble, snap-off, and powder-based supports each require different removal methods. The real challenge is automating post-processing to make it faster and more consistent.
think about also, as these things get printed, you know, not everything, uh, can, can automatically be printed without thinking about support structures. And the classic example is a mar— is a margarita glass. If you're going to print a margarita glass, it's going to hold that beautiful margarita at the end of the week that you want to have. Well, you got to make sure it doesn't collapse because of gravity. And so you have to have support structures in additive manufacturing, very well-known process. And depending on the material, some of these things can be automated, can be dissolved through water. Some of them are water soluble. Other ones need to have you snap off the support structures, or some of them have powder and you have to remove some of those structures. So this whole idea of post-processing, how do you take that part that's been then printed, if you will, there's a post-processing, and how do you make sure that you automate that?
