Bheema Shankar
Over-extrusion is an issue that every 3D printing enthusiast needs to be aware of. If your 3D printer deposits too much material onto the print bed, it can quickly ruin your projects. When too much filament is being used, your prints will not have the expected level of detail or accuracy which can lead to wasted time, money and quite a bit of frustration.
If you’re having trouble with dimensional inaccuracy, layer drooping, stringing, oozing, blobs or even jams when printing with your 3D printer, chances are you’re dealing with an issue of over-extrusion.
Thankfully, there are easy things you can do to help avoid over-extrusion. Let’s look at three settings you can change on your slicer to stop over-extrusion.
Tip #1: Adjusting & Reducing Extrusion Multiplier
The extrusion multiplier setting in 3D slicers is an important factor when trying to get the most accurate 3D prints possible. Too little or too much material being extruded can cause a variety of problems in your printing, like abnormally large layers, nozzle jams, and more. To make sure this doesn’t happen, most slicers set your printer’s extrusion multiplier to 1 (or 100%), which works as the default.
However, if you find that your printer is extruding too much material, then it’s best to decrease the extrusion multiplier set by 2.5% increments until the issue of over-extrusion is resolved.
If you drop it too low and end up needing to adjust it further for accuracy and avoid issues, there are other settings within your slicer that can act as a guide.
Tip #2: Lowering Your 3D Printer’s Print Temperature
If the previous suggestions do not work, try lowering the print temperature. if the print temperature is too high, there can be uncontrolled flow from your machine’s nozzle.
By slowly decreasing the temperature of the print in five-degree increments until it’s just right, you can produce beautiful 3D prints that are both consistent and reliable. Similarly, if your prints keep coming out too thick or if something else goes wrong, try the next setting.
You can also experiment with this setting by running one test print or creating a temperature tower that allows you to try out different temperatures on your machine and material.
Tip #3: Verifying and Adjusting Your 3D Printer’s Filament Diameter
Filament diameter is an essential factor in ensuring successful 3D printing. If your filament diameter is not correctly inputted into the slicer, it could lead to over-extrusion – a common yet terrible consequence that must be avoided. Three standard filament diameters are 1.75 mm, 2.85 mm, and 3 mm, though there are variations too. Over-extrusion arises when the slicer mistakenly assumes a thinner filament than what is actually being used, resulting in too much material extruding through at once.
While it should be indicated on the filament box or spool itself, a digital calliper can provide more accurate inputs for assured success.
Taking the time to adjust individual settings may be frustrating but it could save you both time and money in the long run, just make sure not to make too many changes at once or you may end up with more problems than what you started with.
Bheema Shankar
I am Bheema Shankar. I have worked on SLS, CJP, DLP, SLA and FDM technologies at Think3D. Currently working as Process and application engineer at VEER-O-METALS PRIVATE LIMITED. I am always fascinated by the process of creating things layer by layer. This fascination led me to pursue a career in 3D printing technology. I am passionate about how 3D works and enjoy exploring new ways to improve the 3D printing process.
