Free tool
Max print speed calculator
A printer can only print as fast as its hotend melts plastic. Enter the hotend's maximum volumetric flow and your layer height and line width to see the real speed limit, whatever the speed setting says.
Fastest speed for 0.2 mm layers and 0.45 mm lines at 15 mm³/s.
Can it keep up at a set speed?
200 mm/s needs 18.0 mm³/s. That is over the 15 mm³/s limit: expect under-extrusion. Slow down, or use thinner layers.
| Layer height ↓ / line width → | 0.42 mm | 0.45 mm | 0.5 mm | 0.62 mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.12 mm | 298 | 278 | 250 | 202 |
| 0.16 mm | 223 | 208 | 188 | 151 |
| 0.2 mm | 179 | 167 | 150 | 121 |
| 0.24 mm | 149 | 139 | 125 | 101 |
| 0.28 mm | 128 | 119 | 107 | 86 |
Speed is limited by flow
Every second, the nozzle lays down a line whose cross-section is layer height × line width. Multiply that by speed and you get volumetric flow in mm³/s: the volume of plastic the hotend must melt. So the fastest speed is flow ÷ (layer height × line width). At 15 mm³/s with 0.2 mm layers and 0.45 mm lines, that is about 167 mm/s. Ask for more and the extruder skips or the print comes out under-extruded.
Finding your hotend's flow
OrcaSlicer and Bambu Studio set a "max volumetric speed" in each filament profile; that is the safest starting number. For your exact setup, run OrcaSlicer's Max flowrate calibration. The limit drops for higher-temperature and filled materials and rises with a hotter nozzle or a longer melt zone.
Raising the limit
A high-flow hotend or nozzle is the usual upgrade: we list 273 hotends and many high-flow nozzles by the printers they fit. Plan one in the build planner.
Frequently asked questions
What is volumetric flow in 3D printing?
The volume of plastic the hotend melts and pushes out per second, in mm³/s. It sets the real speed limit of a printer, because speed × layer height × line width cannot exceed it.
Why does my printer under-extrude at high speed?
The speed asks for more flow than the hotend can melt. Lower the speed, use thinner layers or narrower lines, raise the nozzle temperature a little, or fit a high-flow hotend.
Does layer height change the max speed?
Yes. Thicker layers need more plastic per millimeter, so the same flow gives a lower speed. Halving layer height roughly doubles the speed the hotend can keep up with.