If a 0.4mm nozzle is 4x the area of a 0.2mm nozzle, should I print 4x faster with a 0.2mm nozzle?
Context - I think I’m having heat creep and printing too slow. (ender 3, pla 210c)
If a 0.4mm nozzle is 4x the area of a 0.2mm nozzle, should I print 4x faster with a 0.2mm nozzle?
Context - I think I’m having heat creep and printing too slow. (ender 3, pla 210c)
Yes and no; you’ve got a lot of engineering variables here.
Can you go physically faster in the X/Y, if limited by your volumetric flow already? Yes.
Can you go physically faster in X/Y and maintain the same quality with the current machine setup? It depends on your setup.
If you’re not limited by volumetric flow of the hot end already, then you could theoretically go a lot faster. If your setup isn’t rigid and able to maintain those speeds, you’ll end up with garbage.
BUT NONE OF THAT MATTERS
If you think you’re having heat creep - the first thing to check is the fans.
Next thing to check is that you ACTUALLY have the hot end built correctly. The stock hot end is known for pushing that PTFE tubing up, melting filament, and forming a plug between the end of the PTFE tubing and the nozzle’s back face.
Additionally, 0.2mm nozzles are a BITCH AND A HALF. Get into Resin if you need better quality than a 0.4mm can provide you. Or hire it out.
You’re trying to solve the wrong problem here. You don’t try and go faster because something is broken. You go faster when everything is working PERFECTLY.
If you are stubborn and still want to use 0.2mm nozzles – A: Don’t own pets. B: Buy high quality filament. C: install wipers along the filament path. D: Get a good air filtration system for the area the 3D printer lives in. E: Buy high quality nozzles that you can be assured are actually 0.2mm
Since I’m curious (and just a 0.4mm scrub) I’m assuming pet hair is enough to block the nozzle?
Not just pet hair, but pet dander. Pets in general just add a bunch of stuff to the air that likes to land on top of uncovered rolls of filament; I run a repair shop for 3D printers, and after some surveying, I’ve found that people with pets experience clogs much more often.
0.2mm nozzles are like 25% of the area that a 0.4 has. That means every, little, potential bit of problem can, and WILL clog the nozzle.
Additionally, the 0.2mm nozzles are so tiny, there’s not likely a good way to clean them, as most needles are 0.3mm or larger.