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Layer height; extrusion width
Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2013 5:11 pm
by int2str
Newbie questions ahead....
Layer height
What are the minimum & maximum values I can choose for layer height?
What is the correlation between layer height & nozzle diameter?
Any practical considerations / guidelines here?
Extrusion width
The default ORION ABS setting from SeeMeCNC uses an extrusion width of 0.6mm for a 0.5mm nozzle. Again, what are the minumum/maximum practical values here?
What effect does it have?
Should this not just be nozzle diameter?
Practical considerations / guidelines here as well?
Thanks!
Re: Layer height; extrusion width
Posted: Sat Dec 21, 2013 10:52 pm
by Toyguy
I'll give you my thoughts, but mainly to see how well they compare with those from more experienced guys. So wait for others to chime in before acting on anything
Anyway, I don't think there's a direct tie-in between nozzle size and layer height. I'm sure there's some practical range, but I think it will just extrude more material to make a thicker layer.
Extrusion width is tied to nozzle size, and the standard default is typically nozzle size plus 10%, so for a 0.5 nozzle, you choose an extrusion width of 0.55. I can't say why the Orion defaults to 0.6 - maybe the SeeMe guys just think that works better.
Re: Layer height; extrusion width
Posted: Sun Dec 22, 2013 10:46 am
by cope413
Every nozzle and hot end is a little different but the general rules of thumb are:
Layer heights shouldn't bbemore than 80% of the nozzle size. So for a .5 nozzle, .4mm layers is about what you should cap it at.
Extrusion width will likely be 110% -120% of nozzle size.
Width depends a lot on material and temp, and it should be something you measure and adjust yourself. Free extrude filament into the air and measure it. Whatever that is, make it your setting.
Re: Layer height; extrusion width
Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 3:59 pm
by lordbinky
My extrusion width varies between the nozzle's hole diameter when I print at high speeds with layer heights near the (.66*nozzle diameter) layer height, only getting away with that because the extruded material is stretching. If I don't print fast, then it's the free extrusion diameter for larger layers.
As I move down in layer height (especially towards .1mm and lower) the extrusion width goes up to the size of the outer diameter of the nozzle tip. For those tiny layer heights, the filament stretches too much to be try to have fine extrusion widths. I found it best to just accept that the material is going to be squished between the surface and the nozzle tip and you have a trade off in layer height and extrusion width.