In my experience this is not the case. Running 30-40% (periodically above 50%) packing density I am usually running low on used powder even with my extreme used powder recovery protocols. If packing density is very low I can see used powder building up and becoming a problem. Achieving a high packing density is imperative to make the most of the material.
If you maintain a high enough packing density, and use a corresponding higher refresh rate, the residual overbaked powder is kept at a low enough percentage such that it does not disrupt the process. This is my theory.
I use a refresh rate of 50% and always make sure to maintain a packing density of 40–50%. However, sometimes when printing large parts that are urgently needed, I only manage to reach about 20%. I often try to print small additional parts or integrate models that I then discard, just to achieve a packing density of at least 40%. I think this way, excessive amounts of old powder don’t accumulate.
Today I cleaned a print and noticed errors again. The sides are completely warped and the base is curved. Printed with Fuse1+, Default, temperature ±0°C, Nylon 12 GF. As I mentioned, I recently printed the file to determine the correct bed temperature and couldn’t detect any difference there. Is this now a sign of too much or too little temperature? Also interesting was the powder cake—it was hard as a rock.
Well if you have tested the armor increase by 15% before maybe it need a bit more, for me it was the definitive solution. If the parts are very dense you might be experimenting more warping which now to my best understanding is the main cause behind orange peel.
