There are lines on the side of your 3D print because of the following reasons:
- Over extrusion
- Uncalibrated printing speed
- Mechanical problems
- Poor print leveling
- Temperature fluctuations
- Cooling issues
This quick guide will cover how to avoid these annoying lines in your print.
Over Extrusion
Over extrusion is the number 1 reason, and the way to prevent that is to make sure the filament coming out of the nozzle is properly adjusted, and the user must identify any problem during the first layer print before committing to print the whole thing.
Make sure the flow rate is properly adjusted in the Slicer software before starting.
Try to print small calibration cubes to identify the problem areas for each filament, and once you find the sweet spot, save the settings for future use.
A clogged nozzle or anything like that can cause more problems, and sometimes the printer stops midway through the print.
Uncalibrated Printing Speed
If the extruder moves too fast or pushes out the filament excessively, then the print will most likely to have noticeable on the object’s edges.
We all like fast printing to get the job done, but we have to be careful on how to properly adjust the flow rate.
Try setting the speed to what your printer recommends, and also critically think about the design you have and choose the speed accordingly.
Not all parts of the print follow the same printing speed, some delicate areas may require slower extruder movement than others.
Mechanical Problems
Whether you’re using CoreXY, Cartesian, or Delta printers, all the components that move the nozzle play a big role in how smooth the printer can print.
Any stiffness in those moving parts will cause problems in your print.
The common areas to investigate if poor print quality occurs are:
- Using poor quality filament
- Using filament exposed to moisture
- Poor first layer setting on top of mechanical problems
- Belt tightness & wheel smoothness
- Rod lubrication
- Lead screw perfectly straight for the Z axis stepper motor?
- Vibration
- Poor bed adhesion
Poor Print Leveling
Poor bed leveling of any kind will lead to a horrible print result. If you’re moving to a more advanced 3D printer, please invest in an auto bed leveling system that can do the job for you with a much higher degree of accuracy.
This will save you time so you can get to the print faster than manually leveling multiple points on a plane.
Temperature Fluctuations
If the temperature fluctuates more than 5 degrees Celcius, then there is a problem.
When the temperature is too high over the optimal amount for the specific material to print well, blobbing and oozing can occur.
The key is to have a high enough temperature so stick to the bed, and then lower the temperature to the sweet spot for the rest of the print.
The first thing to do is to update the printer’s firmware to make sure it’s not miscalculating the temperature, then calibrate the PID controller and monitor the thermistor of the hot end.
If recalibration or firmware update doesn’t help, then replace the circuit board.
Poor Cooling
Some printers may not have cooling mods, but they help a lot to improve the fan flow and resulting in faster cooling and cleaner lines.