Gaps between lines

[GChamp 0]

Hi,

I am currently using Cura 5.2.1 with 0.4mm nozzle, 0.2 layer height & 0.4 line width.

Is it possible to remove or reduce the gaps between the lines?

Normally this is not an issue but recently it has been on a few of my prints making them weak at line joints & I would like to have a better surface finish too.

 

I have attached a screen shot from Mainsail G-Code viewer. I have pointed out some of the gaps I am talking about. The part in this picture is small, only 15x20mm, to exaggerate the point.

 

I know a smaller linewidth would help but I don't really want to have to do that as it makes it a much longer print.

 

Any suggestions welcome & thanks in advance.

[TomEm 3]

Hi @GChamp

 

I don't know the material, but maybe you can print with the temperature 10 degrees higher?

 

Kind regards,

Tom

[gr5 2,295]

@TomEm - it's a gcode viewer.  It's pure software.  No materials are involved.

[gr5 2,295]

@GChamp - I don't know how well mainsail gcode viewer was written.  Cura varies the flow so even though the nozzle is 0.4mm in diameter, it may be underextruding and overlapping "lines" or overextruding and spacing the "lines" farther apart.  I don't know if mainsail compensates for that.  Also what happens is if you over extrude for a bit this builds up a little pressure and then when there is a tiny gap like in your picture, it gets filled in based on the extra pressure and the liquid filament finding it's way into those gaps.  I don't know how much of that is simulated with the gcode viewer.  Also note that it's kind of impossible not to have gaps in the "lines" or paths that are taken.  Those circular ones though - those look bad.

 

Also there is a feature called "coasting" where the nozzle stops extruding (on purpose!) for the last mm or so of each "line".  This is similar and related to pressure advance.  You don't want both features turned on (one in the slicer and one in the firmware) as they are addressing the "same" issue and P.A. does it better.

 

Make sure coasting is disabled.

 

[Dustin 178]

Would be worth previewing the slice on Cura as noted by @gr5.
Cura will show when the lines are being slightly under or over extruded by the Cura Arachne engine. 
I'm not sure if those are being properly rendered in the Mainsail gcode viewer.