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  • All about the 3D printing speed

All about the 3D printing speed

3D Printing Help Centre

3D PRINTING HELP CENTRE

In the 123-3D help centre, we answer all your questions about 3D software and printer settings, problems you may experience during or after 3D printing and other 3D-related topics.

How do I adjust the 3D printing speed?

In 3D printing, the speed of the printer plays a major role. Making a 3D print can easily take several hours. How quickly a 3D printer can complete a job depends on several factors.

The print speed does not only depend on the type of 3D printer you have. The software settings of your 3D printer also play a major role in this. In addition, the material you use to print and the design of your 3D print affect the print speed.

How do I increase the print speed with the 3D slicer software?

Using your 3D printer software, you can increase the speed of your 3D printer in various ways. Increasing the 'default printing speed' is the most commonly used way. This speeds up the movement of the print head, or nozzle. However, this can affect the quality of detailed designs. It is important that you test whether the chosen setting works for your design, so that no printing problems arise.

How do I adjust my 3D design to increase the speed?

Other possibilities to increase the print speed, using the 3D printer software, are to adjust the structure of the infill and the thickness of the outer layer. Most solid 3D prints are completed with a honeycomb structure. If the strength of the product is not of great importance, you can choose a simpler infill. By filling your 3D print with a light infill, your print is ready faster and you use less filament. The infill you choose must be strong enough to support the outer layers. It is possible to modify this outer layer and make it less massive. This creates a thinner wall and a simpler infill can be chosen. Because less needs to be printed, your 3D print will be ready faster. The object you want to print, however, is not the only thing printed. In addition to your design, supporting parts are also printed. If you have a dual extruder and you print the supporting parts with a different material than the main design, it takes a lot of extra time. This is because your 3D printer has to change the material and also has to adjust the temperature. If you prefer a quick print than, for example, soluble support material, choose to print the support from the same material as your design. Choosing fragile support materials, such as PLA or ABS, can also save a lot of time.

How do I adjust my 3D printer to print faster?

Another way to have your 3D print ready faster is to switch to a nozzle with a wider diameter. The print speed depends on the amount of filament that comes out of the nozzle. When using a wider print head, more filament will be squeezed out. Combine this with a higher layer height and you will save a lot of time. This is ideal for prints where accuracy is not important, as details can be lost due to the thick print layers.

How do I print multiple 3D prints as quickly as possible?

Do you want to make multiple 3D prints of the same material? Then print them all at once. This is only possible with smaller designs because they all have to be printed on the same print bed. The advantage of printing multiple prints at the same time is that your printer does not cool down in between and does not have to warm up again. You have already entered the settings, so you do not need to do this again. In this way, you work efficiently.

Do you have another question?

Have you not been able to find the answer to your question in the overview above? At 123-3D.co.uk we are busy with 3D printing every day and we like to follow every development. We are happy to share the knowledge and experience that we have built up over the years with you in our 3D printing help centre!
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