In a previous post the importance of controlling layer temperature is explained. In the latest prints poor results due to insufficient cooling were encountered. Therefore we calculated the minimum required cooling time for the current setup. By dividing the length of layers (mm) with the printing speed (mm/s) the printing time per layer is calculated.
The print shows that around layer 15 the quality decreases, this is the point of interest. Unfortunately, this was also the point in printing where the printing speed is increased from 15 to 19 mm/s. Therefore the minimum cooling time could not be calculated exactly; instead a range between 14 – 18 seconds was found.
To be able to increase the printing speed while sufficient cooling is achieved, improvements on the fans can be made, such as controlling of the air flow. It is important the cooling flow is being steered only towards the extruded material. Cooling the nozzle or heated bed could result in clogging of the nozzle or poor bed adhesion.