>> Print Quality and Detail

Print Quality  is determined by many factors when 3D printing, but typically refers to print resolution. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) printers, like the Bambu X1 Carbon machines, are like very fancy glue guns that push plastic through a nozzle in  a very precise pattern. To build up height, they raise the nozzle a set amount after each layer. Using this method, there are two aspects to resolution: the nozzle size (horizontal resolution) and layer height (horizontal resolution).

Nozzle Size is the width of the hole that the material is extruded through. (Horizontal resolution of the print) 

At the DSI we provide nozzles in the following sizes:  .2mm, .4mm, and .8mm. 

Smaller print core nozzles are good for small details and text.   

The 0.4mm nozzle is widely recognized as the standard nozzle diameter for modern 3D printers due to its optimal balance between print quality and print speed. _{(bambulabs.com)}

 

 

 

Layer Height

is the distance the  nozzle is raised for each pass.  (Vertical resolution of the print)
Layer height can range from 0.04mm - 0.5mm, but a typical height is 0.1 or 0.2mm. Curved walls or steep changes in angles benefit from lower  layer height values.

The prints shown here are all the exact same model, except printed with different nozzle size and layer height resolutions. The highest resolution print is the .25 nozzle / .04mm layer height print. It took over 17 hours to print. The lowest resolution print is the .8 nozzle / .2 layer height print  which took 46 minutes to print. Increasing the resolution can lead to  very fine detail, but is done at the cost of increased time. For many prints, a .8 nozzle with a .2 layer height will produce significant detail for the  print to look good while saving on print time.  

Some print configurations are not recommended. This can be seen in the .8 nozzle / .04 layer height print. In this case, the print core is extruding  too much material for the nozzle in comparison to the layer height. This  results in a splotchy print where the material ends up blobbing up. 

These prints were done on our previous Ultimaker 3 machines, so times and nozzle sizes will differ slightly for the Bambu X1 Carbon machines.