is .1 or .2 layer height stronger?
CNC kitchen did a pretty good test for layer heights and strength.
Tldr, about half your nozzle with for your layer height will generally get your strongest layer adhesion. So for your typical .4mm nozzle, .2mm layer height will generally make the strongest parts.
I’ve tested this theory pretty extensively with printed ammo. .2mm layer height with a .4mm nozzle seems to be the best for this application and I have tested it pretty thoroughly
Imo, lower heights make it look nice but significantly extend your print time without actually improving strength. 0.2mm is just fine for 0.4 nozzles. It’s a great balance between looks and print time.
edit: I’ve never done science on it but I’d almost be willing to assume lower layer heights may be weaker since layer adhesion is your primary issue with FDM and smaller height = more layer boundaries.
In my experience? Doesn’t really matter – layer height influences outward print quality and dimensional accuracy more than strength.
This right here. As long as your layers are bonding properly and everything else is equal, layer height is not a major factor in strength. I usually use 0.2 for most everything, and fuzzy skin to give the impression of print quality. Seems to work reasonably well:
I like to dip to 0.16 and 0.12 where it makes sense purely for quality. The mag catch on the SF5, for example, benefits from the higher resolution against high-friction surfaces and makes the paddle smoother to operate.
Print fine stuff with fine settings, more or less.
EDIT: That’s a kickass-looking leber btw
Thanks! It shoots great.
And yeah, if I’m doing smaller parts I’ll drop the layer height down a bit on the 0.4 nozzle, or swap over to the 0.25 nozzle and drop it way down for the really small stuff. Most everything I do is large enough that I just stick to 0.4/0.2 though. Layer height around 50% of nozzle orifice seems to be a good place.
Hoffman Tactical made a great print setting guide that talks about general considerations like this (https://odysee.com/@hoffmantactical:3/Print-Settings-Reference-REV-A:7). Line height, wall count, top/bottom layers, etc. Of course, follow documentation and tune for your materials and machine, but it gives some good guidelines.
There is a test on YT. If I recall properly, the strength rises with smaller layers to around 0.15 mm, then start falling. Not significantly difference tho. Personally me printing 0.16 mostly. And 0.20 for non-critical parts.
