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Answered Dumb question: Nozzle Sizes

Discussion in 'General Questions' started by WizarDru, Oct 13, 2016.

  1. WizarDru

    WizarDru Member

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    So it never actually occurred to me that different size nozzles were an option...I assumed that was a function of printer design. Can the R1+ support different size nozzles other then .4mm and if so, what is the advantage of choosing different sizes? Is that what governs printing resolution? I assume that smaller nozzle size also means slower print times, right? Does a .8mm nozzle mean faster print speeds but poorer resolution?

    Side question: other than resiliency, is there an advantage to hardened nozzles?
     
  2. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
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    Yes to all of the above (pretty much).

    Of course some of it is more complicated than that, but overall YES is the answer.

    To get the best results with any nozzle the layer height is set to a percentage of the nozzle size (30%-80% is the best range, normally).

    So increasing the nozzle size will somewhat lower the resolution and greatly increase the amount of plastic it can lay down per pass of the nozzle. So -- faster printing. A lot faster if you go large enough.

    The reverse is true if you go smaller (you must also decrease the speed and finer details take longer to print -- less plastic/pass).
     
  3. WheresWaldo

    WheresWaldo Volunteer ( ͠° ͟ʖ ͡°)
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    Your assumption is correct. You can get some very fine details with a .2 mm or even a .3 mm nozzle at the price of much longer print times. You have to go slower and at the same time you extrude much less plastic. Going the other way .6 mm, .8 mm or even 1.0 mm will speed up printing at a larger loss of resolution. One more advantage to larger nozzles is when it comes to filled filaments, such as wood filled or aluminide for example. The rather large grains of the filler are easier to pass in a larger bore nozzle.

    While hardened nozzles will last longer it really is hard to justify the increased cost versus a pack of brass nozzles. If you are not routinely printing with entire spools of abrasive filaments, generally it isn't worth the extra expense.
     
  4. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    Also remember when you go big .8-1.2 mm nozzle sizes you have to be able to melt plastic faster and extrude faster. That is why there are hotends like the E3D Volcano. And like Mark mentioned the percentage of nozzle size dictates your layer height. The greater the layer height the stronger the part at a cost of some finer detail. The opposite of course holds true for smaller nozzles. The Hex hotend excepts the same thread pattern as the E3D for nozzles. So you can buy the E3D fun pack of brass nozzles relatively cheaply if you want to play around. Your layer height is your Z resolution, but your nozzle size can greatly help with your X and Y resolution. For instance if you are trying to print lettering or something similar that is thin. I've yet to play with sizes, but the fun pack is on my wish list with @Printed Solid. Of course that list is long. :)

    Great question.
     
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  5. danzca6

    danzca6 Well-Known Member

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    Like @WheresWaldo mentioned, you can get brass nozzles for really cheap. If you are doing carbon fiber fill or glow in the dark filament that have a high abrasive rating you will need to change your brass nozzle to make sure you don't develop extrusion issues. You can buy a lot of brass nozzles for the cost of a hardened nozzle. It is all up to how often you print with such materials and how often you mind changing nozzles.
     
  6. WizarDru

    WizarDru Member

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    I'll have to check that out. I went to @Printed Solid when they had an open house and mini-maker faire and loaded up on filament. May be time to restock! ;) I also purchased some of the best money I ever spent on my Buildtak spatula, which is the best.
     
  7. Robert Foreman

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    Steve0, WizarDru and mark tomlinson like this.
  8. WizarDru

    WizarDru Member

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    Thanks, Robert. That really illustrates some of the differences. I'll definitely need to pick that up so I can experiment. There are times when I'll definitely want to experiment and do more detailed prints, like doing small detail pieces.
     
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  9. Robert Foreman

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    Your Welcome. I have not had time to play with the other sizes yet.
     

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