Feature Suggestion -split layer heights

[qooboid 1]

I don't know if this has been tried but it's worth asking.

Most typical 3D printer users set 0.2mm Layers to Balance (compromise) speed and quality.
Layer adhesion remains one of the biggest weaknesses of 3D printing.

Has anyone considered this?

0.1mm outer shell quality. Part-wide layer adhesion only every 0.6mm.
0.2mm inner shell, 0.3mm infill: Print time depends on the ratio of surface area/detail to volume. May be faster than 0.2mm print in some cases(?)
Gcode only, slicing based on simple outer/inner/infill rules, in this example only the .1 outer shell is printed on the first pass. On the second pass the .2 inner shell and another .1 outer shell are printed. On the third pass the .3 infill and another .1 outer shell are printed and so on.

Any printer should be able to print this out of the box.

 

Layer adhesion:
An adaptive algorithm (rater than basic outer/inner/infill rules) Could eliminate layer adhesion issues by strategically inserting an interlocking extrusion.

Or there could be a lucky pattern where layers never line up (without complex math).

An algorithmic approach could allow for strength vs speed options while maintaining fine outer shell quality. 

2nd pic: Would the part be weaker in other ways? Could this be mitigated with existing overlap / extrusion rate techniques?

Thanks for your time:)

[nallath 691]

Cura can already do this to some extent. Try changing the "infill layer thickness" setting.

We have considered it, but it's quite difficult to get this working. For starters; you need to use fundamentally different settings depending on your layer height. Switching from one layer height to another will also cause issues with flow, since it might take some time to adjust. There is also the issue of having to avoid parts that have already been printed (or being forced to press the nozzle into already printed parts).

[qooboid 1]

That's very cool, thanks nallath, I didn't know about the infill layer thickness setting.

I will give that a try! I figured someone must have looked at it, I just hadn't heard of it being implemented.

You're right a full implementation of this would be very complex but I imagine infill layer thickness achieves most of the benefits.

Great work Team-Ultimaker?