Best layer height for lattice lamp design with PLA

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Giulio Milone

6 December 2024 at 16:31

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Hi! I’m designing a lamp and exploring FDM 3D printing with PLA for the first time. The design includes both fine and textured finishes, and I’m trying to decide on the best approach to achieve the look and feel I want. For layer thickness, I’m torn between a finer finish and a coarser texture. I know 200 microns is a standard choice, but what would you recommend for balancing surface detail with print efficiency? Any ideas on the likely layer heights used in the examples?

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    Giulio Milone

    6 December 2024 at 16:31

    Hi! I’m designing a lamp and exploring FDM 3D printing with PLA for the first time. The design includes both fine and textured finishes, and I’m trying to decide on the best approach to achieve the look and feel I want. For layer thickness, I’m torn between a finer finish and a coarser texture. I know 200 microns is a standard choice, but what would you recommend for balancing surface detail with print efficiency? Any ideas on the likely layer heights used in the examples?
    

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    Danny94

    9 December 2024 at 11:59

    For your design, which has detailed lattice structures, I’d recommend a layer height of 100–150 microns for a fine finish, especially on visible surfaces like the outer lattice. The smaller layer height will help maintain the sharpness and smoothness of the thin struts. For the base, where aesthetics may be less critical, you could go up to 200 microns to save time.

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      patrick

      9 December 2024 at 15:07

      Danny94

      The latticework might benefit from slower print speeds and a finer layer height (e.g., 100 microns) to reduce vibration artifacts and ensure precise details. Using a smaller nozzle diameter (e.g., 0.2–0.3 mm) could also improve accuracy, but it will increase print time significantly.

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      Giulio Milone

      9 December 2024 at 17:28

      patrick

      The suggestion about using a smaller nozzle diameter is really helpful—I hadn’t considered that before. I might give a 0.3 mm nozzle a try to balance accuracy and time for the latticework. Thanks again for sharing your expertise!

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