What is "print cooling" and its importance for certain materials?

Print cooling refers to the process of actively cooling the extruded filament as it is deposited during 3D printing, which is particularly important for certain materials like PLA (Polylactic Acid). When layers of material are laid down, cooling helps solidify the material more rapidly, which enhances layer adhesion and results in better detail and accuracy in the final print.

Materials such as PLA benefit significantly from this cooling process because they tend to retain heat longer than other thermoplastics. By using fans or cooling systems to promote faster solidification, the printer can maintain finer layer definitions and improve dimensional stability. This can prevent issues such as warping or sagging in overhangs, leading to an overall increase in print quality.

The impact on print quality and the ability to speed up solidification makes print cooling a key feature in successfully working with thermoplastics that require careful thermal management during the printing process.