3D printing has revolutionized how we create prototypes, models, and even final products. While it’s a powerful tool for producing parts of all sizes, small parts come with their own set of challenges. These parts can be intricate, delicate, and require higher precision to ensure they function properly.
When printing small parts, certain settings need to be fine-tuned to get the best results. Small components demand attention to detail, as even minor mistakes can lead to print failures or a loss of quality. In this article, we’ll go over the best settings for 3D printing small parts, ensuring that you can achieve high-quality, accurate prints every time.
Why Small Parts Are Challenging to Print
Before diving into the settings, it’s essential to understand why small parts can be more challenging to print than larger ones:
- Precision and Detail: Small parts require a high level of detail. Even slight inconsistencies in the print can affect the part’s functionality, especially when dealing with moving parts or components that need to fit together.
- Warping and Adhesion: Smaller prints are more susceptible to warping or detaching from the build plate, especially when printing with materials like ABS. As these parts are smaller, they also tend to have less surface area for adhesion, making it harder to get a strong bond to the bed.
- Overhangs and Supports: Smaller models often have more intricate geometries, which may involve overhangs that need supports or bridges that require careful management to avoid stringing or sagging.
- Material Flow: Printing small parts requires fine control over the flow of material. Too much or too little extrusion can result in defects, such as blobs or gaps, compromising the overall print quality.
Best Settings for 3D Printing Small Parts
Let’s explore the optimal settings for printing small parts, taking into consideration factors like layer height, temperature, speed, and more.
1. Layer Height
Layer height, or the thickness of each printed layer, plays a significant role in the quality and precision of your 3D print. For small parts, a smaller layer height ensures more detail and smoother surfaces.
Recommended Settings:
- Layer Height for Small Parts: Use a layer height between 0.1 mm and 0.2 mm. The smaller the layer height, the more detailed and smooth the part will be. However, printing at extremely fine layer heights, such as 0.05 mm, may increase print time without significantly improving quality, so finding the right balance is key.
- Nozzle Size Consideration: When using smaller layer heights, it’s best to use a smaller nozzle (e.g., 0.2 mm or 0.3 mm). Larger nozzles, like 0.4 mm, can still be used but may result in less detail for very small parts.
Smaller layer heights also help minimize visible layer lines and improve the overall aesthetic of the print, making it perfect for parts requiring high resolution.
2. Printing Speed
For small parts, it’s essential to reduce printing speed to allow for more precision and accuracy. High speeds can cause inconsistencies in the extrusion, leading to rough surfaces or poor layer adhesion.
Recommended Settings:
- Printing Speed for Small Parts: A slower printing speed of around 30–40 mm/s is ideal for small parts. This slower pace allows the printer to lay down more precise layers and reduces the likelihood of defects.
- Perimeter Speed: Decrease the perimeter speed to 50-60% of the overall print speed. Since perimeters define the outline of your part, printing them slower ensures higher quality.
For high-resolution prints, it’s crucial to be patient and allow the printer to operate at a pace that guarantees fine details and consistent extrusion.
3. Temperature Settings
Proper temperature control is vital when printing small parts. Too high of a temperature can lead to stringing, oozing, or over-extrusion, while too low can result in poor adhesion and weak parts.
Recommended Settings:
- Extruder Temperature: For common filaments like PLA, set the extruder temperature to 190°C to 210°C. For ABS, the temperature range should be 220°C to 240°C, and for PETG, 230°C to 250°C.
- Bed Temperature: A heated bed is especially important for small parts, as it helps prevent warping. Set the heated bed to 50°C to 60°C for PLA, 80°C to 100°C for ABS, and 70°C to 80°C for PETG.
Keep in mind that the temperature can vary depending on the specific filament you’re using, so always check the manufacturer’s recommendations for optimal results.
4. Retraction Settings
Retraction is the process of pulling filament back into the nozzle to prevent oozing when the printhead moves between different areas. Small parts, especially those with complex geometries, are prone to stringing and blobs, so proper retraction settings are crucial.
Recommended Settings:
- Retraction Distance: For smaller parts, increase the retraction distance to around 4–6 mm for direct drive extruders or 6–8 mm for Bowden extruders.
- Retraction Speed: Set the retraction speed to 30–50 mm/s to ensure the filament is pulled back quickly and effectively.
- Combing Mode: Enable combing to avoid travel over open spaces. This helps minimize stringing by keeping the nozzle within printed areas.
By fine-tuning retraction settings, you can reduce the chances of unwanted strings and blobs, ensuring a clean, high-quality print.
5. Support Structures
Small parts with intricate details or overhangs often need support structures to prevent sagging or deformation. However, excessive support can create more cleanup work, so it’s essential to find the right balance.
Recommended Settings:
- Support Density: Use a support density of 10% to 15% for small parts. This provides enough support without wasting material or making the supports too difficult to remove.
- Support Type: Use tree supports or grid supports for better accessibility and easier removal. Tree supports work well for smaller parts with a lot of detail.
- Support Overhang Angle: Set the overhang angle to 45° to 60° to ensure proper support for parts with steep angles without unnecessary support structures.
Make sure to check your design for overhangs or areas that might need extra support, as printing with insufficient support can lead to failed or deformed parts.
6. Cooling and Fan Settings
Cooling is crucial when printing small parts, as it helps the filament solidify quickly and prevents warping or sagging. However, too much cooling can cause issues like layer delamination.
Recommended Settings:
- Cooling Fan: Set the cooling fan to 100% after the first few layers for PLA and other materials that benefit from rapid cooling. However, reduce the fan speed to around 50–70% for materials like ABS or PETG, which are more prone to warping with excessive cooling.
- Minimum Layer Time: Adjust the minimum layer time to 10–20 seconds to allow each layer to cool sufficiently before the next one is applied.
Proper cooling ensures the layers solidify correctly and maintain their shape, preventing issues like warping, curling, or layer shifts in small prints.
7. Adhesion Methods
Small parts are more prone to detaching from the build plate due to their limited surface area. Good adhesion is critical for the success of small prints.
Recommended Settings:
- Bed Adhesion: Use a brim or raft for better adhesion. A brim of 3–5 mm works well for small parts, as it increases the surface area and prevents lifting.
- Bed Surface: A heated bed is essential for materials like ABS or PETG. Additionally, consider using adhesion aids like glue sticks, blue painter’s tape, or BuildTak for a stronger bond.
- First Layer Speed: Slow down the first layer speed to 20–30 mm/s. This ensures that the first few layers have enough time to adhere to the bed properly.
These adhesion techniques will help you avoid warping, lifting, and failures during the print, especially for small, delicate parts.
8. Nozzle Size
For small parts, the nozzle size you choose plays a significant role in achieving the required precision. Smaller nozzles can print finer details, but they also require slower print speeds.
Recommended Settings:
- Nozzle Size: Use a 0.2 mm or 0.3 mm nozzle for very small, detailed parts. For larger small parts or those with moderate detail, a 0.4 mm nozzle can work well. A smaller nozzle helps achieve finer resolution but may require slower speeds to avoid over-extrusion.
Make sure to adjust the layer height and speed settings to match the nozzle size you’re using. A smaller nozzle paired with fine layers will produce the best results for small parts.
Conclusion
Printing small parts requires a delicate balance of speed, temperature, retraction, and cooling settings. By carefully adjusting these parameters, you can achieve high-quality, precise prints that meet your requirements. Remember that every 3D printer and filament may behave slightly differently, so it’s important to experiment and fine-tune the settings based on your specific needs.
From using smaller layer heights and fine-tuning retraction settings to ensuring proper bed adhesion, each aspect of the 3D printing process plays a crucial role in the success of small prints. With the right settings, you can minimize issues like warping, stringing, and failed prints, ultimately improving the efficiency and accuracy of your 3D printing projects.