printing without breaks or jumps

[rg137]

Hello, I’m new to the forum and am seeking some technical advice/help with a college research project. I was approached last semester by one of my engineering professors about working with him on a 3d printing research project. He wants to create modifications to a low cost 3d printer which allow the addition of continuous fiber (like the markforged printers). However he wants to be able to use multiple types of fiber beyond that of just carbon. He wanted me to work with him on this because I have had a 3d printer for years and do quite a bit with it. I’ve already thought of a way to modify the nozzle and create a spool to feed the fiber in with the plastic. My main concern is getting a machine to run through a print without any breaks or jumps. Obviously if the machine is feeding fiber and then skips from one side to the other this could cause issues.We are going to order a 3d printer for the purpose of this project. Is there a particular printer (not an overly expensive one), or slicing software which can easily slice a print so as to avoid breaks in the filament?

[curious aardvark]

all slicers can do this.
But it's mainly down to the design of the model.

ie: a vase with 'vase print' setting switched on uses a continuous line of filament with no retractions or travelleing.

But for more complex models - it is actually necessary to move from one part of the model to another that is not actually connected to it.

I use simplify3d, which has an option to 'avoid travelling across open space.). I use it to reduce and eliminate stringing (spider webs).
But you still need to retract the filament during movement.

Another way to reduce retractions and travel is to select where each layer starts.
Usually you use random start points so that the model does not develop a 'seam' at the point where each layer starts and stops.
But if you have each layer starting at the same point - it can cut down on travel and retraction.

But at the end of the day - it's a lot more to do with the design of the model than the slicer.

[rg137]

all slicers can do this.
But it's mainly down to the design of the model.

Thanks for the reply, I knew about vase mode, but wasn't sure if there was another way to do this for models thicker than one wall line. As far as the models go I definitely realize it comes down to the design. I think every thing we'll be doing for the purpose of the project is mainly rectangular sections for tensile tests and also to slice and image under a microscope. The slicer I use has an "optimize printing" option, which sometimes reduces time, but still usually has a lot of random jumps back and forth. It's nice to know that simplify 3d has that feature-that will probably be what I use then.

[curious aardvark]

there are a lot of options to avoid travel and jumps.
I like to avoid them in general.
even with normal prints the fewer retractions and less travel across open spaces the better the print.

So for retraction settings there are a number of useful ones in simplify 3d.

here's my usual setup.
It reduces retractions to essential travel only and also reduces travel over open space.
This is for my delta - which can move the printhead much faster and smoother than most cartesian machines (although I reckon I'll use the same settings with my sapphire pro2 corexy machine). So making it go round the houses to get to the next layer start or deposition area doesn't actually slow the print down noticably.

retraction settings.JPG

for the record I have no idea what 'wiping' is. I've never bothered it and it's never bothered me :-)

[rg137]

Thanks for that-those setting modifications will be helpful when I get the printer and start using simplify3d. My personal printer is a quidi tech x-plus and it came with their own cura based software. It is pretty good, but maybe not as many options for travel as simplify.

[curious aardvark]

Yeah given how cura is laid out - the settings could well be there but buried under half a dozen nested menu layers.

Fortunately my printers either use flashprint or simplify3d.

I use flashprint for my klic-n-print replicator clone, as it's much better for dual extruder prints than s3d.
well I'll qualify that: I have never been able to get a decent dual extruder print from simplift3d. While it's childs play with flashprint and works every time.

It's probably me.
But I just do not find s3d at all multi extruder friendly.

the otjer thing to consider is that if you select 'random start points' for each layer.
While you'll still have broken threads - they will be at different points for every layer - so from an overall strength point of view - I doubt you'd notice any practical difference.