Operation Manual

TEMPERATURE [Fig. 11.4]
Temperature settings for the extruders and
the build plate are grouped together under
the Temperature tab.
Extruders. The extruders will need to be
heated to approximately 230° C to melt
and extrude the plastic filament at normal
operating speeds. Extrusion temperature
is tied very closely to both extrusion speed
and the material being extruded. If you are
experimenting with either of those, you
might need to experiment with extrusion
temperature, too.
Speed. Higher extrusion speeds require higher
temperatures. During printing, plastic filament
passes into the extruder where it is melted
before being squeezed out onto the build plate.
When the plastic melts, heat moves from the
extruder’s thermal core into the plastic, heating
the plastic and cooling the extruder. The heater
sends heat to the extruder to maintain the
temperature required to melt the plastic, but
when the plastic moves faster, it pulls heat out
of the extruder faster, too.
If you are experimenting with extrusion
speeds faster than the standard 80 mm/s
you might have to raise your extruder
temperature, too. And if you are printing
slower than the standard 80 mm/s,
you might want to lower the extruder
temperature below the standard 230° C.
Material . Dierent kinds of plastic have
dierent melting points. ABS needs more
heat to melt than PLA, for example, and PVA
needs less. At higher speeds the temperature
required to keep the extruder hot can even
this out, which is why 230° C is a good
extrusion temperature for both ABS and PLA.
TEMPERATURE
80
Fig. 11. 4