Process for controlling extrusion speed in 3d printing systems

A system for printing a 3D object, comprising:

• a print head carried by an x-y carriage, including a nozzle having an extrusion port, wherein the extrusion port exhibits a extrusion nozzle port size;
• and
• a processor control system, wherein the processor control system includes executable code to:
• identify the extrusion nozzle port size of the nozzle extrusion port;
• identify a maximum volumetric extrusion rate for a filament material and a minimum volumetric extrusion rate for the filament material;
• calculate an optimized volumetric extrusion rate from the maximum volumetric extrusion rate, the minimum volumetric extrusion rate, and a scaling factor identified by a user,
• wherein the scaling factor includes a first component for print speed and a second component for print quality;
• calculate an optimized X-Y velocity VXY of the print head based on the optimized volumetric extrusion rate;
• and
• adjust a computer numerical control code to include the optimized X-Y velocity VXY of the print head.

A method of printing a three-dimensional object, comprising:

• generating a computer numerical control code from a computer aided design file representing a three-dimensional object;
• selecting a filament material;
• selecting a scaling factor, wherein the scaling factor includes a first component representative of maximizing print speed and a second component representative of maximizing print quality;
• identifying an extrusion nozzle port size;
• identifying a maximum volumetric extrusion rate for a filament material and a minimum volumetric extrusion rate for the filament material;
• calculating an optimized volumetric extrusion rate from the maximum volumetric extrusion rate, the minimum volumetric extrusion rate, and the scaling factor;
• calculating an optimized X-Y velocity VXY of a print head based on the optimized volumetric extrusion rate;
• adjusting the computer numerical control code to include the optimized X-Y velocity VXY of the print head;
• and
• printing the three-dimensional object.