Cooling fan control in 3D Printing - Step-by-Step Execution

Concept Flow - Cooling fan control

Start Print Job

↓

Monitor Print Temperature

↓

Is Temperature > Threshold?

No→Fan OFF

Yes↓

Turn Fan ON

↓

Adjust Fan Speed Based on Temperature

↓

Continue Monitoring

↩Back to Temperature Check

The cooling fan control checks the print temperature continuously. If the temperature is above a set limit, it turns the fan on and adjusts its speed to cool the print. Otherwise, the fan stays off.

Execution Sample

3D Printing

temperature = 60
threshold = 50
if temperature > threshold:
    fan_state = 'ON'
    fan_speed = (temperature - threshold) * 5
else:
    fan_state = 'OFF'
    fan_speed = 0

This code checks if the temperature is above 50°C. If yes, it turns the fan on and sets speed proportional to how much temperature exceeds the threshold. Otherwise, the fan is off.

Analysis Table

Step	temperature	Condition (temperature > threshold)	Action	fan_state	fan_speed
1	60	60 > 50 is True	Turn fan ON, calculate speed	ON	50
2	45	45 > 50 is False	Turn fan OFF	OFF	0
3	55	55 > 50 is True	Turn fan ON, calculate speed	ON	25
4	50	50 > 50 is False	Turn fan OFF	OFF	0
5	70	70 > 50 is True	Turn fan ON, calculate speed	ON	100

💡 Execution stops after checking all temperature samples.

State Tracker

Variable	Start	After Step 1	After Step 2	After Step 3	After Step 4	After Step 5
temperature	N/A	60	45	55	50	70
fan_state	OFF	ON	OFF	ON	OFF	ON
fan_speed	0	50	0	25	0	100

Key Insights - 2 Insights

Why does the fan turn OFF when temperature equals the threshold?

Because the condition checks if temperature is strictly greater than the threshold (temperature > threshold). When temperature equals threshold, the condition is False, so the fan turns OFF as shown in steps 4.

How is the fan speed calculated when the fan is ON?

Fan speed is calculated by multiplying how much the temperature exceeds the threshold by 5. For example, at step 1, (60 - 50) * 5 = 50, as seen in the execution_table.

Visual Quiz - 3 Questions

Look at the execution_table, what is the fan_speed at step 3?

A 0

B 50

C 25

D 100

💡 Hint

Check the fan_speed column at step 3 in the execution_table.

At which step does the fan turn OFF because temperature is not greater than threshold?

A Step 1

B Step 2

C Step 3

D Step 5

💡 Hint

Look at the fan_state column and condition result in execution_table.

If the threshold changes to 60, what happens to fan_state at step 1 (temperature=60)?

A Fan turns OFF

B Fan speed doubles

C Fan turns ON

D Fan speed is zero but ON

💡 Hint

Recall condition is temperature > threshold, so if temperature equals threshold, fan stays OFF.

Concept Snapshot

Cooling fan control:
- Monitor print temperature continuously.
- If temperature > threshold, turn fan ON.
- Fan speed increases as temperature rises above threshold.
- If temperature ≤ threshold, fan stays OFF.
- Helps cool printed parts to improve quality.

Full Transcript

Cooling fan control in 3D printing works by checking the print temperature during the job. When the temperature goes above a set threshold, the fan turns on and its speed increases based on how much the temperature exceeds the threshold. If the temperature is at or below the threshold, the fan remains off. This helps keep the printed object cool and improves print quality. The example code shows a simple check and speed calculation. The execution table traces different temperature values and shows how the fan state and speed change step-by-step. Key points include understanding the strict greater than condition and how fan speed is proportional to temperature difference.