When the nozzle of an FDM printer moves across open space to reach the next point, melted plastic may sometimes ooze out, solidify, and stick to the printed part. This is known as "stringing" in 3D printing, which creates spiderweb- or hair-like plastic threads on the 3D-printed component.

In theory, when the nozzle moves in open air (also known as moving), plastic should not deposit. However, molten plastic often leaks onto components that should not leak, making the printed parts look like "whiskers".
The main reasons for wire drawing in FDM printers are incorrect retraction settings and excessively high hot end temperature settings. For example, PETG requires relatively high temperatures to melt, making it prone to wire drawing. PLA and ABS also have this issue.

IBOSS will learn five simple methods to solve 3D printing wire drawing with everyone, hoping that everyone can print perfect works.

1.Enable retraction

Enabling retraction is the most commonly used method to solve the drawing problem of 3D printers. Enabling retraction means that when the extruder must pass through a certain space, the filament will be pulled back by the feeder (only slightly). This can prevent melted plastic from trailing when the printer head moves, as the "pull back" action can serve as a measure to prevent leakage. Once the extruder reaches the next position, the filament will be pushed out and resume printing from the nozzle again.
In most slicing applications, such as Cura, rollback is typically enabled by default.However, if the retraction settings are turned on and you still encounter cable issues with the 3D printer, you may need to delve deeper into the specifics of the retraction settings:

Retract distance:

The retraction distance may be the most critical retraction setting, as it determines the distance traveled by the filament. Generally speaking, if your nozzle can be further retracted, it means that you are less likely to encounter 3D printer drawing. However, if you retract too far, the hot wire may not be able to be used at the hot end when you need to resume printing.
To determine the correct retraction distance, you may need to perform a test print.

Retraction speed:
The retraction speed determines the speed at which the filament retracts. The faster retraction speed indicates that the possibility of 3D printer drawing is relatively small, as the filaments have been pulled back quickly enough before they begin to seep out. However, when the retraction speed is too fast, it may cause the filament to disconnect from other parts inside the nozzle. Even worse, the rapid movement of the driving gear may grind the molten plastic and clog the nozzle or create areas of non deposited filaments.
Therefore, you should strive to find the optimal point (between slow and fast) where the retraction effect is best. This optimal point may vary depending on the printing material. Perform several test prints to determine the ideal shrinkage speed.

          What settings should be used?

Different retraction settings can significantly increase or decrease speckle

To determine the optimal retraction value, it is necessary to first understand the extruder and printing material to be used.
On direct drive extruders, materials such as ABS and PLA typically have a speed of 40 to 60 millimeters per second and a retraction distance of 0.5 to 1.0 millimeters. These numbers are not fixed and will vary depending on many variables.
Some slicer programs, such as Simplify3D, come with "translation" and "wiping" parameters, which are powerful tools for further adjusting scaling values. As the name suggests, "wiping" is to move the nozzle against the outer wall to remove residual plastic, while "sliding" is to turn off the extruder at the last few millimeters of the printing line to reduce pressure accumulation and prevent large blocks or spots from appearing.
In Cura, the 'minimum retraction stroke' setting prevents the print head from retracting unless it moves a certain distance. This can prevent the filament from being worn off. Another setting to consider is the 'combing mode', which can control the movement of the printer and avoid unnecessary retraction. All retraction settings can be found in Cura's' Move 'dropdown menu.
Ultimately, if the retraction operation is correct, it can prevent wire drawing and give you more control over printing.

Set the appropriate temperature:

As the temperature increases, the printing material becomes more liquefied and more likely to drip from the nozzle, even after adjusting the retraction settings. A lower nozzle temperature will reduce this possibility. However, be sure not to set the temperature too low. Extremely low temperatures may prevent filament melting and cause extrusion problems.
The ideal temperature depends on the printing material and other printing settings. However, once wire drawing is detected, it is usually recommended to lower the temperature. You can try lowering the nozzle temperature by 5 to 10 ° C, but do not lower the temperature below the manufacturer's minimum specifications. Here are some commonly recommended nozzle temperatures for the most popular consumables:

PLA: 180-220℃
ABS: 110-250 ° C (90-110 ° C printing bed)
PETG: 220-250℃
TPE: 110-260 ° C (20-110 ° C printing bed)
PVA: 160-215 ° C (60 ° C printing bed)
TPU: 110-230 ° C (30-60 ° C printing bed)
Using a temperature calibration tower to test printing is a good way to determine the ideal temperature for each printing material.

Adjust printing speed:

Printing speed can also affect the drawing of 3D printers. For example, if the nozzle moves between two points for too long, it is likely to experience stringing because molten plastic has more time to seep out of the nozzle. But if the extruder moves at a fast speed, the short-term movement may be fast enough, and the filaments may not have enough time to seep out.

Increasing the nozzle movement speed when not printing can reduce 3D printer stringing, but if the temperature is low and the printing speed is too high, insufficient extrusion may eventually occur because the plastic does not have enough time to drip.

Generally speaking, speeds ranging from 190 to 200 millimeters per second are suitable for most printing materials. As a 3D printer, before making any adjustments, you need to confirm the speed at which the printer is being used. For example, the X/Y axis movement speed represents the movement speed from one side to the other, which is directly related to the length of time the nozzle moves in the blank space.
     Thoroughly clean the nozzle before printing

You can use a brush to clean the nozzle of the 3D printer

When you use the printer for a long time, especially with single types of materials such as PETG, the filament will leave a thin layer of residue inside and outside the nozzle. This layer of residue can cause the 3D printer to become tangled, as the filament will attempt to stick to the surface of the printed component.
To avoid this issue, please ensure that the nozzle is thoroughly cleaned before printing. Firstly, start from the outside of the nozzle and wipe it with a damp cloth while it is still hot. This can remove debris from the outside of the nozzle, but you may need to use a wire brush or small blade to remove any remaining material.
Next, you need to deal with the inside of the nozzle and clean the debris blocking the output hole. The simplest method is to insert a small needle or drill bit into the nozzle. This can break down dirt and clean the nozzle. However, if this does not work, you can also try using cold drawing to remove the residual dirt on the previous wire.

If there are still problems after cleaning using the above methods, you may need to replace the nozzle. Just make sure to heat the hot end, melt the material stuck inside, and remove the filament fed into the extruder. After removing all residual materials, the nozzle can be removed. Then, clean the hot end with a small metal pick before installing the new nozzle.

Keep the filament moisture free:

Water in the air can damage the filament and cause it to become tangled. Once moisture is present, plastic will turn into steam when heated. This steam will mix with plastic, increasing the possibility of leakage during non printing processes. Polylactic acid is the main culprit, as it tends to absorb more moisture compared to ABS and other materials. However, all FDM 3D printing filaments have moisture absorption to some extent.
If there is a serious stringing phenomenon, it means that your filament is damp and needs to be dried and stored.