Overheating

The plastic exiting your extruder can range from 190-310°C. While it's still hot, the plastic is soft and flexible, allowing it to take on various shapes. However, once it cools, it hardens and retains the desired form. Achieving the right balance between extrusion temperature and cooling is essential. The plastic needs to flow smoothly through the nozzle and solidify quickly enough to hold the precise dimensions of your 3D print. If this balance is off, you may notice that your print lacks definition or that the outer layers are not as crisp as you’d like. Below, we’ll explore common reasons for overheating and how to prevent it.

Common Causes and Solutions:

Insufficient Cooling

The primary cause of overheating is often inadequate cooling. When the plastic cools too slowly, it has more time to deform. Many types of plastic benefit from rapid cooling to maintain their shape after printing. If your printer has a cooling fan, increase its speed to help the plastic solidify faster. Quicker cooling can greatly improve the part's shape retention. If your printer has no built-in cooling fan, consider adding one or using a handheld fan to cool the layers as they print. If your printer is enclosed, you could also try opening it up to increase airflow (e.g., leaving the door open on Bambu Lab X1-Carbon 3D Printers), if safe to do so.

Printing at Too High of a Temperature

If your cooling fan is already in use and the issue persists, it may be helpful to lower the printing temperature. Printing at a slightly lower temperature allows the plastic to harden faster and hold its shape better. Lower the temperature by 5-10 degrees and see if that makes a difference. Be careful not to set the temperature too low, as this can make it difficult for the plastic to extrude from the nozzle properly.

Printing Too Fast

Another common cause of overheating is printing layers too quickly, especially for smaller parts. When printing at high speed, the previous layer may not have had enough time to cool before adding the next layer of hot plastic. This issue is particularly noticeable with small prints, where each layer may only take a few seconds. Even with a fan, you may need to slow down the print speed to give the layers enough time to solidify.

When All Else Fails: Print Multiple Parts at Once

If you’ve tried the previous solutions and are still struggling with overheating, another trick can help - printing multiple parts simultaneously. You can either duplicate the part you’re printing or import a second object to print alongside it. By printing two objects at once, you give each part extra time to cool while the nozzle moves back and forth between the parts. This method provides a simple but effective way to reduce overheating.