Over extrusion is a common problem in 3D printers that can ruin the quality of your 3D model and your efforts as well. There are many possible reasons for the over extrusion of the 3D printer. Still, the most prominent are improper heating of the filament, dimensional inaccuracy, stringing, blobs, and sometimes blockages in the nozzle.
If you see any of these causes in your 3D printing, you should know this could be the reason for over extrusion. Some professionals know how to tackle this problem, but if you are new to 3D printers, it would be hard to rectify over extrusion in the early stages of printing.
If you are experiencing or have experienced an extrusion problem, you’d know how difficult it is to get the end product extrusion-free. Hence, to avoid over-extrusion, I will slice down several ways that, when applied, will help you prevent overspills.
What is Over-extrusion in 3D Printers?
The glitches in the settings of the printer cause over-extrusion. Moreover, most 3D printers do not have an accurate mechanism to track how much filament is being extruded from the nozzle.
So, if the settings are not configured properly before initiating the printing process, you will always face an over-extrusion problem in every print. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the 3D printer you are buying has supporting software to optimize all the settings to ensure the nozzle is extrusion the filament perfectly.
What Causes Over Extrusion in 3D Printing?
You cannot create a masterpiece if your 3D printer is hemorrhaged. So, fix any glitches. You must know what’s causing the problem. So, here are some of the core reasons why your 3D printer over-extrudes.
- The multiplier setting could be off
This setting decides the flow rate of the filament that is to be extruded through the nozzle. Noticing the multiplier setting off is not hard; if you see large uneven layers frequent nozzle jams, you can assume it could be because the multiplier setting was off. You can control this setting from the 3D printer Slicer or through Flow rate settings in the 3D printer firmware.
- Extremely hot print temperature
The consequences are obvious when you set the nozzle temperature too high; you will see the melted filament coming out through the nozzle at an uncontrollable speed. This certainly ruins the actual finish of your final product.
- Higher flow rate setting
Over extrusion can be caused if you keep the flow rate speed at maximum. A higher flow rate can ruin the dimensional accuracy of your model; if you don’t set the settings at optimum, you will end up getting an ugly, uneven print.
- Bigger nozzle
This is the most common reason for over-extrusion. Thus, this factor should not be overlooked at any point. Bigger nozzles have wider width, which may not be suitable if you are looking forward to having highly detailed prototypes. Thus you must check the nozzle size before starting the printer.
Ways to Fix Over-extrusion
- Keep optimum temperature
The ideal temperature needed by a plastic filament is between 190 to 230 degrees celsius; if you go beyond this temperature, you will end up getting an over-extruded product. On the other hand, if you go below this temperature when the filament comes out of the nozzle, it will start solidifying.
Thus, it is important to keep the temperature ideal. So, ensure the temperature is maintained whenever you are dealing with plastic filament. Sometimes higher temperatures also discolor the filament, indicating that the filament is burning, and trust me, this will completely ruin your final product.
- Take control over the multiplier setting.
Every 3D printer has this setting in them, so before you even start printing, you should first check this setting. If you keep this setting off, the filament flow will be disastrous. There will be thick layers of filament falling on the print bed, nozzle jams, etc. So, whenever you feel your nozzle is acting weird, you stop the printing and start working on multiplier setting controls. The multiplier setting controls the flow rate of the filament. You can also check the user manual for multiple setting values so that you save your print from over-extrusion.
- Use the right filament diameter
If you use a filament of lower diameter, your 3D printer will be forced to extrude that filament at a much higher rate than usual. If you use filament of a higher diameter, the result will be nozzle jams or blockages. The ideal diameter for any plastic filament is 1.75mm to 3mm. This range fits perfectly in the nozzle width, and you will get the right amount of filament flow.
Conclusion
Over-extrusion can be very challenging at times, but you can tackle it with ease if you have the right solution. To avoid this problem, you can also try to lower the printing temperature, avoid using too much filament at a single time, use smaller size nozzles, and most importantly, keep the multiplier setting to the optimum.
