Desktop 3D printing was invented by a DIY community of academics and enthusiasts. At the time, the easiest and cheapest sources of thermoplastics were plastic welding rods. These rods typically had ... diameters of 3.00 mm which meant filaments with that diameter were the easiest to make. Eventually, the 1.75 mm filament became more popular but the way you print may benefit from using products in the 3.00 filament class.
Thicker Hatchbox PLA and Hatchbox ABS are more rigid than thinner filament. This stiffness is particularly useful when 3D printing with flexible filaments. You are less likely to get jams in a Bowden tube and the filament is less likely to snap under tension.
The larger cross-sectional area of 3.00 mm filament lets a 3D printer’s extruder push three times more plastic through the print head with each step of its motor. As a result, 3.00 mm filaments let you use wide-bore nozzles to print wider lines and thicker layers at faster speeds than you can with 1.75 mm filaments. This performance increase makes 3.00 mm filament more popular in additive manufacturing.
PRINTING TIPS FOR 3.00MM
Try alternate filaments: Using the 3.00 mm version of flexible, metallic, and other filaments is more reliable and causes less wear on your 3D printer’s nozzle.
Print large objects faster: The combination of HATCHBOX 3.00 mm 3D printer filament and wide-bore nozzles takes a lot of the pain out of 3D printing large objects. You can set larger line widths and layer heights while keeping reasonable print speeds.
Consider a dedicated 3D printer: If it is within your personal or business budget, consider dedicating one printer to 3.00 mm filament paired with a wider nozzle and one printer to 1.75 mm filament paired with a narrower nozzle. You get the best of both worlds without the hassles of switching print heads and printer profiles.
