Which issue is commonly associated with horizontal holes printed in Fused Deposition Modeling?

In Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), horizontal holes in a print may often come out smaller than intended due to the way the material is extruded and the mechanics of the printing process. When the nozzle lays down filament, it may not fill the hole completely due to factors such as thermal contraction of the filament as it cools, layer adhesion issues, and the precision of the printer itself.

Holes that are printed horizontally rely on the machine’s accuracy in laying down the material layer by layer. Any slight misalignment or inconsistency in extrusion can lead to inaccuracies in the diameter of the hole. For instance, if there is even a small variance in the extrusion width or a slight miscalibration in the nozzle, the resulting diameter of the hole may end up smaller than designed.

Additionally, when considering the impact of layer heights and the behavior of the molten filament, horizontal features may not fuse correctly, resulting in different dimensions as the layers stack. This smaller-than-intended size is a common challenge faced by those using FDM technology, especially in designs that require precision in measurements.