Post-processing of metal AM parts can account for a significant portion of the total cost of making the part, with figures ranging from 26% (according to Wohler’s Report 2019) to over 70% according to other reports and personal experience).
Much of that post-processing involves manually removing support materials and cleaning up the remnants of the supports after they have been removed.
There is, of course, a very simple way to slash those support-removal costs, and that is to not use support materials at all, or at least minimise usage of supports.
3D Systems now offers an on-demand webinar, and they are going to show us all how to design metal parts with the aim of reducing or eliminating supports altogether by use of their NoSupports process.