Increasing resolution

What is the general consensus on increasing the print resolution of the reprap? Is the thickness of the extruded plastic the main issue right now? or are there other factors?

How do the high-end 3D printers that extrude plastic work? Do they have smaller nozzles and better feeding mechanisms?

-Tom

You might like this post:
[rapmanv3.blogspot.com]

The size of the nozzle is not the hurdle for higher resolution.

Thanks for the link. According to them: "nozzle size, the speed of print and layer thickness" are the variables. Sounds like you can get it a bit finer by driving the head faster than the extruder, so the extruded bit gets stretched thinner, but only within a certain range.

They also said they are working on a rang of nozzle sizes, rather than the stock 0.5mm nozzle.

Has anyone already made smaller nozzels?

Has anyone attempted a variable nozzle opening? So you could do your fill or low-rez areas of a part with it set wide, and then choke it down for high-res parts?

-Tom

they get to .25mm with a .5 nozzle. The different nozzles are for Bits from Bytes extruder.

You seem to be able to get smaller nozzle sizes easily by filling them with high temperature solder, and drilling a smaller hole in it.

Lacking a drill, you can fill it with high T solder, whilst having something of the right size in it (a bit of wire) which the solder doesn't stick to. Then you can remove the wire afterwards.

(Idea comes from the hydraraptor blog)

... smaller inner diameters need more pressure, so you are limited by the stability of the fixings ... increasing force/pressure tends to damage the extruder!

Viktor