One-Shot Camera-Based Extrusion Optimization for High Speed Fused Filament Fabrication

TL;DR

This paper introduces a practical, camera-based calibration method for high-speed 3D printing that improves quality and speed without specialized hardware, enabling users to optimize prints with simple tools.

Contribution

It presents a novel one-shot calibration framework using a phone camera and simple patterns to enhance high-speed fused filament fabrication without complex modifications.

Findings

Reduced corner over-extrusion and surface roughness.

Achieved high-quality prints at 3600 mm/min, doubling standard speeds.

Enabled accessible high-speed 3D printing with minimal setup.

Abstract

Off-the-shelf fused filament fabrication 3D printers are widely accessible and convenient, yet they exhibit quality loss at high speeds due to dynamic mis-synchronization between printhead motion and material extrusion systems, notably corner over-extrusion. Existing methods require specialized hardware, extensive calibration, or firmware modifications that are inaccessible to most users. This work presents a practical, end-to-end optimization framework that enhances high-speed printing using only standard 3D printers and a phone camera, without requiring additional complex setup. The method employs a one-shot calibration approach in which two simple printed patterns, captured by a phone camera, enable identification of extrusion dynamics and cornering behavior. The identified systems enable a model-based constrained optimal control strategy that generates optimized G-code, synchronizing motion and extrusion. Experiments show reduced width tracking error, mitigated corner defects, and lower surface roughness, achieving surface quality at 3600 mm/min comparable to conventional printing at 1600 mm/min, effectively doubling production speed while maintaining print quality. This accessible, hardware-minimal approach enables a wide range of fused filament fabrication users to achieve high-quality, high-speed additive manufacturing.