Poor Top Surface Quality

[gmolnar2112]

Hey everyone,

I am trying to improve the quality of my prints and at times I get really poor top surface quality and I run into these problems when there is an organic curve at the top of the model compared to being flat. I am attaching a photo below along with the settings that I am using for Simplify3d software. I might just try cura with the same settings.

http://tinypic.com/r/34j27ir/9

Program: Simplify3d
Printer: Formbot T-Rex 2
Nozzle: 0.4
Layer resolution: 0.2
Num of Bottom Layers: 3
Num of Top Layers: 3
Num of Side Layers: 3
Filament: 1.75
Print Temp: 205
Print Speed: 60mm/s (Not sure if the speed would really help this)
Infill at that section: 10%


Possible solutions I was thinking of are:
- Increasing the Infill to 15 or 20%, would be wasting a lot of material but not sure if this would really fix the problem.
- In Simplify3d I have the extrusion width set to auto for my printer which is 0.48. I was thinking about maybe tweeking that because at the top if looks like there are gaps. Even though my first layer is perfect. But simplify3d does squash the first layers so it might leave gaps.

For some reason Simplify3d isn't considering these layers as top layers because then I would have gotten 3 weaving layers. Anyone have any suggestions? Outside of the top, the print is perfect.

Greg

[ralphzoontjens]

Even with little infill, you can increase the number of top layers to, say 6-7, so the outer surface looks proper.
20% infill is definitely recommended and will also greatly strengthen your parts.
Also you can lower the layer height at the top of the model with Simplify3D so there is less layer stepping effect.