Advanced MatterControl: Settings – Filament
The
Filament
tab allows you to change parameters that deal with the current filament
you're printing with. The
Filament
page is divided into three categories;
Filament
,
Temperature
, and
Retraction.
The filament
Diameter
parameter tells the
slicing engine the size of the material you're
printing with. When starting a new roll of material,
you should pull off about 2 meters of material and
check it in 10 spots along the length using a digital
caliper. Average those samples and plug the result into the
Diameter
field. This is a good way
of getting a good estimate of the material you're actually using. This allows the slicing engine to
deliver more consistent results instead of depending on the generic size of the material.
You'll notice that the
Diameter
field is highlighted in orange. This means that the
parameter is part of a predefined material configuration. When using a new spool of material for
the first time, it's a good idea to create a new profile for it when you're taking the sample
measurements of the diameter. A good rule of thumb is to include the date you started using the
filament as part of the material profile name. Note the date on the spool label if it has one and
add one if it doesn't. This will help you track individual spools of the same color and
manufacturer.
The
Extrusion Multiplier
parameter allows you to tweak the flow rate of the material
coming out of the hot end. A basic rule of thumb on this is to restrict the max value to 1.1 and
the minimum value to 0.9. Note that these aren't hard limits but are simply a guideline to utilize
until you're familiar with the effects this parameter has on print jobs.
The
Extruder Temperature
is the
temperature for the hot end,
Bed
Temperature
is the temperature for the
heated bed. As you can see, both of these
are part of the currently selected material
profile. Each material class has a general
temperature range for the hot end. For example, ABS extrusion temperatures can range from
195 to 240C. PLA likes anywhere from 180 to 215. The specific temperature that your material
works best at varies by manufacturer and chemical blend. It's not unusual to see different
“sweet spot” temperatures among identical colors of material, even with the same manufacturer.
The
Bed Temperature
parameter typically has a lot less of a range than the extrusion
temperature does. A good rule of thumb here is 55-60C for PLA and 80-100C for ABS.
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