Not all bridges require support – the 5 mm rule
Just like overhangs, not all bridges require support. Here, the rule of thumb is: If a bridge is less than 5 mm in length, the printer may be able to print it without requiring 3D printing support structures.
To do this, the printer uses a technique called bridging – where it stretches the hot material for short distances and manages to print it with minimal sagging.
However, if the bridge is longer than 5mm, this technique doesn’t work. In this case, you need to add 3D printing support structures.
Before you start printing models with overhangs, it is a good idea to get an idea of your printer’s ability to print the tamer overhangs.
This is quite easy to do. Just download this Massive Overhang Test model from Thingiverse and print it. This model has a series of overhangs ranging from 20 degrees to 70 degrees with a 5-degree increment.
Identify the angle where the printer starts failing. This is the maximum overhang angle that your printer can print without support. Note this down so that you can use this information later to decide where to use support and where not to.
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