Untangling Skeinforge: Infill
Infill - half empty or half full?
I had the opportunity to talk to Nick Starno of MakerBot yesterday about something we are both passionate about – getting the best Skeinforge settings to print sweet awesome things. ((Photo courtesy of micmol)) One of settings we discussed was “infill.” 1 While this may be review for some, I’m hoping to do a few more posts that will build on this topic. 2
25% infill, 75% infill
It is probably pretty intuitive that an object that is 100% filled with plastic is going to be stronger than an object with 0% filled with plastic. But, what if you don’t need the strongest part possible? What if you just need an object that is purely decorative and doesn’t need to be strong at all, an object that just needs to be only just strong enough for a particular application, or an object that will print very quickly?
Generally speaking, a higher infill ratio will lead to a stronger and sturdier object that will use more plastic and time to print. Whereas, a lower infill ratio will lead to a lighter, less sturdy object that uses less plastic and time to print. When I don’t need a part that is super-strong, I typically print with about a 20-25% fill ratio. I find this makes for parts that are very strong and durable while still being quick to print without using a ton of plastic. 3
What infill ratio do you use for strong lightweight quick-printing objects?
| Tagged with | infill, skeinforge, skeinforge calibration, tutorial, untangling skeinforge | 4 comments |
4 Comments so far
Tony Buser
To speed up big but purely decorative things that don’t need to be very strong, like Drabbits, I like to try using really low infill, like 10% and under or even 1%, but add 2 or 3 extra shells.
kory75
Great article! Thanks!
I’m looking forward to learn more about extra shells next time!
Coasterman
I use 23% all the time to keep print times down, keep a good strength, and keep the infill from drooping in. The rectangle pattern works nicely, but I usually use hexagonal at 30%. I use 1 extra shell. When I need to print quickly, I change to line and bring the density up a bit, making a nice fast print.
Brian
Note: A solid part is not necessarily stronger than an incrementally hollow part. If you have a webbed/honeycombed interior or a hollow core you can create a stronger part by distributing the bend, compression, torsional forces to better effect and benefit from the material’s characteristics. —- It’s a math and science thing…..