3D printing profile and 3D printing parameters: how to choose printing settings to print a part
How to get good print quality with 3D printing settings
Getting good print quality with 3D printing settings is possible when experience and knowledge on the printing parameters are acquired. You may have just got your 3D printer and you are about to print a part. You open your slicing software and a long list of parameters appears on the screen. What settings lead to a high quality? How can you speed up the printing time?
Acquiring knowledge on the different printing parameters can provide more clarity on the influence of these, thus enabling a better printing experience. Here is a short guide to achieve good print quality that will make you ready to print!
What are profiles in 3D printing?
Profiles in 3D printing are the set of parameters that define the machine settings to print a part through the use of a slicing software. When varying any of the slicer settings, the results obtained may consequently be different.
Since every material and every printer are different, 3D printing settings will need to be adjusted to reach a good print quality. Also depending on the geometry of the 3D file, some settings will have to be fine-tuned.
Among the parameters that can be set on a slicer software there are:
- nozzle diameter;
- layer thickness;
- number of perimeters;
- infill;
- material data (build chamber temperature, extrusion temperature, etc.).
What does slicing mean in 3D printing?
Slicing in 3D printing means discretizing the 3D part into single layers so to create a *.gcode. The *.gcode is the set of the machine instructions that are followed by the 3D printer.
In short, slicing means digitally converting a geometry file into a machine instruction set through a software. Thanks to slicing, 3D printers know how to print the 3D objects. Among the most common instructions given by the *.gcode to the printer there are:
- extruder movements;
- build plate levelling;
- build plate translations;
- filament feeding;
- chamber temperature;
- nozzle temperature.
What You Should Know about 3D printer Nozzle diameter
The nozzle in 3D printing is the tip of the extruder from which melted polymer filament flows out to form a solid part. The smaller the nozzle diameter, the less the material deposited and the higher the printing time. In short, it’s a trade-off between resolution and speed.
Nozzle diameter also determines the layer thickness. It needs to be adjusted according to ratio to nozzle hole size. The reason for this is that, immediately after the extrusion, the flat part in the nozzle tip gently presses the molten filament with the aim of better fusing the layers. Accordingly, the layer height cannot be any higher than the nozzle diameter. Together with the previous parameters, if the printer is equipped with steppers motors, you might have to consider the so-called magic number.
3D printer magic numbers: the influence on layer heights
Magic numbers in 3D printers are the specific layer heights that align with the Z-axis motor and lead screw properties, to give a smoother and more accurate printing process. They are used to avoid the unalignment of the layer heights towards the points on the printer motors. This misalignment might lead to printing imperfection, especially in the profile view of a printed part.
Roboze ARGO printers are equipped with brushless motors for the movement of the Z-axis. This leads to a smooth process and no need to look for the “ideal magic number”.
The recommended value for layer height in 3D printing usually ranges between the 15% and 75% of the nozzle diameter:
- Below 15% the tip might clog since the material isn’t pulled with enough strength by the motor;
- Around 15% the process gets slower and there are no significant quality advantages;
- With values around 75% the surface quality starts to worsen;
- Over 75% the extrusion tip might clog due to the high pressure and the high viscosity of the polymer that starts to expand, pulling air in.
Therefore, the optimum layer high is generally around the middle of the range.
Layer height and nozzle size: are there different sizes of nozzles?
Printer nozzles can have different sizes, determined by the nozzle diameter. The most used nozzle is the 0.4 mm, since it allows a good level of detail without compromising the printing speed. However, Roboze printers are equipped with four different nozzle diameters: 0.25 mm, 0.4 mm, 0,6 mm, and 0.8 mm, depending on the printing needs. Fine tuning printing parameters isn’t child’s play. If you change any of the software parameters, you can’t be sure about the quality of the 3D print.
The influence of a bigger nozzle in a print, with the consequent different layer height, is noticeable by a lower printing time and a worse resolution of the geometry.
Ideal 3D printing parameters: what are the consequences of the different 3D printing settings?
Experience in 3D printing is required to understand what the consequences of the different printing settings are. This is the reason why Roboze provides the ideal printing parameters for the four different nozzle sizes. In this way, you just need to select the nozzle size and the file to print, and the software will generate the *.g code with pre-adjusted settings.
A huge part of the job is done by Roboze: with the printing parameters provided, one can print almost any shape. For some very customized demands, the operator will need to further personalize the 3D printing profile to comply with specific needs. The Roboze team works alongside the customers to tailor the printing settings, talking directly with the customers. After these trainings, customers acquire the 3D printing advanced know-how and become independent on their workflow and produce flawless parts.
Infill in 3D printing: how much does it affect printing?
The infill percentage is one of the printing parameters to set on the slicer software. It determines the amount of material that the user wants to have inside the part, knowing that the outline perimeters, forming the shell of the 3D object, will still be printed on the outside of the infill. The material that forms the infill comes in different patterns like for example:
- Grid;
- Triangles;
- Hexagon;
- Concentric;
- Zig Zag;
- Gyroid.
Implementing the infill option with FFF technology is one of the very few solutions available. It means that parts can be not entirely full, leading to a higher weight saving, but keeping the functional surfaces. Since the infill percentage is a measure of the density of the inner part of the 3D objects to manufacture, consequently, the lower the infill, the lower the mechanical properties of the part.
Generally, very low infill is recommended for aesthetic and dimensional prototypes, while a higher infill is demanded in highly loaded functional parts.
Influence of printing temperature on material quality
Temperature is one of the most important settings to fine tune when printing. It generally depends on the material to 3D print. The extrusion temperature for printing polymers must be higher than the Tm, the melting temperature, to have a fluid material that can rearrange itself to the desired shape. At the same time, the extrusion temperature shouldn’t be too high: if so, it can degrade the components in the extruder and the extruded polymer might become too fluid to be manageable, leading to poor part quality.
At the same time, in the printers equipped with a heated chamber, like the ones in the ARGO series, the printing environment can be settled to a temperature that helps the material to crystalize. A 3D printer that prints PEEK should have a chamber temperature higher than the Tg, the glass transition temperature, to observe crystallization in the material. Only in this way thermal post-processing like Annealing can be avoided. In fact, if the chamber is at a temperature lower than the glass transition temperature, the polymer structure of PEEK stays in its glassy state and it’s not viscous liquid or rubbery enough for allowing a better adhesion and crystallization.
Influence of printing parameters on 3d printing application
Printing parameters affect the properties of 3D printed parts, like:
- Resolution;
- Printing speed;
- Accuracy of features;
- Mechanical properties.
Depending on the application and the specific needs of 3D printing, the most suitable parameters should be chosen.
The four 3D printing parameters of Roboze printers are:
- Ultra-quality
- Nozzle diameter: 0.25 mm
- Materials: PEEK and Carbon PEEK
- Series: Xtreme
- Advantage: very high resolution, ideal for thin-walled features and aesthetic parts. More dimensionally stable process
- Applications: very small parts, electrical connector, chip cases, microfluidic cases, terminal blocks
- Main Industries: electrical and chemical - Quality
- Nozzle diameter: 0.4 mm
- Materials: PEEK, Carbon PEEK, Ultem9085, Carbon PA, Functional-Nylon, PC-Lexan, PP, Flex-TPU, ABS, ABS-ESD, Ultra-PLA
- Series: Xtreme, ARGO
- Advantage: high resolution and good compromise between resolution and printing speed
- Applications: small parts, gaskets
- Main Industries: consumer goods, Oil & Gas, marine - Speed
- Nozzle diameter: 0.6 mm
- Materials: PEEK, Carbon PEEK, Ultem9085, Carbon PA, Functional-Nylon, PC-Lexan, PP, Flex-TPU, ABS, ABS-ESD, Ultra-PLA
- Series: Xtreme, ARGO
- Advantage: low printing time and lower porosity
- Applications: medium parts, brackets, tools, housings
- Main Industries: Machinery & Manufacturing - Ultra-fast
- Nozzle diameter: 0.8 mm
- Materials: Carbon PA
- Series: Xtreme
- Advantage: very low printing time and lower porosity, resulting in stronger mechanical properties. Production time is extremely low if compared to similar solutions in the market
- Applications: large parts, tooling, jigs & fixtures
- Main Industries: aerospace, automotive
How do you print using a 3D slicing software?
In September of 2021, Roboze released Prometheus, the software solution that contains the set of printing parameters to use onboard all Roboze printers. Roboze-approved printing parameters are already pre-set in Prometheus and the user simply has to import the *.stl file and proceed with slicing and creating the *.gcode. Being a cross browser, Prometheus works both on Chrome and Microsoft Edge, so that it can be used on other platforms rather than just a computer. Since the optimum parameters are already pre-set in the software, in just a few clicks the user can print using a slicing software like Prometheus.
This user-friendly software is constantly updated with the latest printing sets, so as to be up to speed with the latest news and material options.