Stringing in 3D Printing: What Is It and How Do You Fix It?

When it comes to 3D printing, as with any manufacturing process, it goes without saying that users will not always be completely satisfied with the results. It can often happen that, due to different circumstances, the 3D printed part does not quite meet expectations and may therefore not be usable. One of these problems is what is known as stringing in 3D printing. As the name already suggests, stringing results in extremely thin, unintentional plastic threads on the part, reminiscent of a spider’s web. These unsightly strings are a common 3D printing issue. Moreover, currently there are no machine applications that can be used to remove these threads, so this must be done by hand or alternatively with heat. Add on to that the fact that these threads can occur in large quantities, depending on the part, it is safe to say that the removal process can be quite complicated. We have looked more closely at stringing during 3D printing and explain how it occurs and what you can do about it.

The use of 3D printers thrives on almost daily innovations, so it is often unavoidable that challenges can also arise in connection with this. Stringing basically occurs when using filaments, essentially the strings are fine, melted filament threads that settle in places other than they are supposed to be on the 3D printed object. This can usually happen due to incorrect settings, so that the filament continues to drip out of the nozzle even though the extruder is about to move to another location to continue FDM 3D printing.

Photo Credits: Elliot Saldukaite/3Dnatives

Here’s how you can visualize the process: If you’ve ever used a hot glue gun, you’ve probably noticed that even after you stop squeezing the hot glue gun, it still creates more melted glue. This is because there is too much pressure inside the gun. We can also apply this to the effect of stringing in 3D printing: a filament with a size of 1.75 mm, for example, and a nozzle with a size of 0.4 mm – here, too, there is pressure that causes the filament to flow further out of the nozzle resulting in these threads. Theoretically, of course, this shouldn’t happen, but there are a few things you can keep in mind to ensure that the melted filament is really only applied to those parts of the print where you really want them to be.