Factors That Affect 3D Printing Surface Smoothness
As earlier mentioned, several factors contribute to the surface smoothness of your 3D printing. These factors are classified into:
1. Printing Parameters
These are factors inherent in the printing machine, and the parameters are:
- Layer Thickness
The thickness quality or Z-resolution of the material to print determines if you end up with smooth or rough 3D-printed parts. With thick layers, you’ll spend less printing time, but they have rougher surfaces. Thinner 3D-printing strips are smoother, but you spend more time printing them.
- Temperature
The bed and the extruder temperatures of the printing machine are vital, too. The extruding temperature of the machine affects the behavior of the print material during the print process.
The bed temperature, on the other hand, tells how much the print attaches to the machine base and if it’ll warp during or post-printing.
Both temperatures differ for different 3D materials, so you have to check their settings before you print.
- Infill Density and Pattern
The density of infill in 3d printing refers to the complexity of the 3D structure of the material to print. A good infill density relies on the strength and density of your print material. Larger infill densities produce smoother surfaces, although they take more time to produce when compared to smaller ones.
- Printing Speed
Printing faster and at higher temperatures may lessen the time you spend printing, but it leads to rougher surfaces.
Also, when the printing speed doesn’t sync with the machine parts, it can cause the machine to vibrate. This unmatched vibration of the machine causes the machine nozzle to make rough mistakes as it prints. This defect is called rippling.
2. Environmental Factors
These are factors that arise from the environment and not from the print material, setting, or print machine. They include:
- Humidity
A humid environment affects the quality of your print and the 3D print machine by making the release of generated heat waste difficult.
While different materials may tolerate different humidity levels, keeping the humidity around 20% is good for most materials.
- Environmental Temperature
High environmental temperatures affect the 3D printing process, product smoothness, and the printing machine’s efficiency.
Higher ambient temperature affects 3D printing by causing the print material to shrink. As the material shrinks, it becomes rough and more difficult to work with during the printing process.
