Calibration object not sliced correctly

[whoDat]

When slicing the calibration object 0.5mm-thin-wall.stl from http://reprap.org/wiki/Calibration
Using the default m2 config

object.jpg (122.46 KiB) Viewed 6190 times

I get this result, which is only the first layer, and then the print head just prints a vertical line from one corner of the object.

sliced.jpg (124.71 KiB) Viewed 6190 times

[Simplify3D]

It's because you are trying to model a 0.25mm thick wall with a 0.4mm thick plastic extrusion. The slicer won't lay down plastic there because it would go outside of the part boundaries. This is just the nature of how the slicer performs, and it's the same reason you get such good tolerances with normal parts.

If you manually set your extrusion width to something below 0.25mm it will slice correctly (this is a good "hack" for when you want to print unrealistic things like this), or you could modify the actual STL file to have thicker walls. Either works.

Does that help?

[whoDat]

Sure did, thanks!

Although it didn't print very well when I unchecked Auto-Extrusion and set it to .24, not enough filament was coming out.

[Simplify3D]

Ah, yes you're correct. I forgot to mention that. Changing the width will make the software think you don't need as much plastic since you're only printing a smaller width*height area. You would also need to change your extrusion multiplier accordingly. It would be roughly linear, so if you halve the area, you should double the extrusion multiplier.

What you see with a lot of STL files that are intended to have a single wall nowadays, is that they actually make the entire interior of the model solid and you simply choose zero infill and zero top or bottom solid layers. That's really the preferred method for doing this.

[alien2108]

Hello!

Somehow I do not truly understand that with the 0.5mm-thin-wall.stl.Wall is supposed to be 0.5mm thick not 0.25, well the name says so, but if you measure the model, you are right, it is 0.25mm.

So please correct me if I am wrong: If I want to calibrate with this element, I have to setup Extrusion Width to 0.24 (since then it is sliced OK) and extrusion multiplier to 2.00 (my nozzle is 0.4mm)?

Since calibrating with something "approximate" is really not the idea of calibration

[AndersE]

Really? I had no idea about that. Never heard that before. That is good to know.

Would it then be possible to print 0.05 walls?

Could also be a future feature to have selectable automatic settings of extrusion?

Ah, yes you're correct. I forgot to mention that. Changing the width will make the software think you don't need as much plastic since you're only printing a smaller width*height area. You would also need to change your extrusion multiplier accordingly. It would be roughly linear, so if you halve the area, you should double the extrusion multiplier.

What you see with a lot of STL files that are intended to have a single wall nowadays, is that they actually make the entire interior of the model solid and you simply choose zero infill and zero top or bottom solid layers. That's really the preferred method for doing this.

[jimc]

well right now you have auto which will set the ext width to just slightly over you nozzle dia which is correct then you can set to manual and make it whatever you want. usually try and keep you width maybe .05 over your nozzle dia.