Why does BB 0.8 core reduce support cost so much?

[PaulK 14]

New S5 owner here, and I am interested in reducing print time for some larger parts where I don't care abut surface quality so much, so looking at the 0.8 vores

 

Printing the attached STL in default orientation in using Cura 4 (i.e. kind of on its back ... not necessarily optimal, but I'm exploring what happens X). 

All materials Ultimaker, profiles out of the box, taking all the defaults expect designating extruder 2 as the support extruder.

 

AA 0.4/PLA BB 0.4/PVA Fast profile 

1 day 6 hours

111 g PVA

189 g PLA

 

AA 0.8/PLA BB 0.8/PVA Fast Profile 

15 hours 31 minutes

59 g PVA

230 g PLA

 

I can see why the PLA quantity goes up: 2 shells @ 0.8 is more filament then 3 shells @ 0.4 

But why does the PVA go down so much? PVA is damn expensive, and saving like 50g on a part can add up quick.

 

 

Body1.stl

[Carla_Birch 116]

If you wish to save on PVA you can print with PLA supports with just a PVA Roof, this is something i personally do and it greatly saves on time and cost. But you can only really do this if the supports are in places where you can still remove the PLA support.

 

But if the model is one where you can do just that you save time and money why keeping the benefit of a smooth underside on overhangs that PVA gives.

 

As for the above it could be due to prime tower, 0.8 will do a wider wall around the prime tower than 0.4 would, this is just a guess i have not looked so try it without a prime tower (if you are trying with one)

[Smithy 1,146]

When you use a 0.8 core, Cura changes some more settings than just the line width and therefore you will save material. I cannot say why or which setting it is exactly but maybe the support structure is different.

 

With an 0.8 print core you can save a lot of time. I have only the AA core but I use it a lot because it is faster than the 0.4. I often print with 0.3 layer height and get still decent surface qualities.