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Overview
Gridfinity if it has any criticisms it is the time it takes the print and the amount of plastic used. With the bulk of that criticism being aimed at the base/floor of the basic cup. Here we are going to discus the causes of the filament usage and options we have to reduce the plastic used and increase the speed of the print.
The relevant options we have are floor_thickness, magnet_diameter and screw_depth and box_corner_attachments_only. These settings set how high the floor (internal bottom of the bin). Adding magnet and screw holes does not change the filament usage much but do increase the print time. We can also use efficient_floor and flat_base to reduce the height of the floor, however this results in the floor not being flat, or in the case of flat_base not being compatible with the the grid plates.
Summary
Summary showing the print time and filament used for a bin of width 2 depth 3 height 5.
| options | Attachments | Corner Attachments | Corner Magnets | no Attachments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Base | 2h27m 64.46g | 2h4m 62.62g | 1h:54m 58.30g | 1h53m 58.03g |
| Efficient Base | 2h10m 47.52g | 1h23m 35.78g | 1h16m 33.97g | 1h11m 32.82g |
| Smooth Efficient Base | 2h12m 48.37g | 1h29m 37.44g | 1h20m 34.58g | 1h18m 34.16g |
| Flat Base | - | - | - | 1h33m 51.64g |
| Flat Base - Efficient Floor | - | - | - | 1h3m 30.40g |
| Flat Base - Smooth Efficient Floor | - | - | - | 1h5m 31.26g |
Comparisons
When comparing print time and filament used the values will differ printer to printer. Whats important is to compare the relative values. The values below are all created using Prusa Slicer 2.7, 15% infill 0.4mm nozzle 0.30mm Quality profile for an MKS3+.
| Style | Details |
|---|---|
 | Standard Box This is the standard original Gridfinity box w1 d1 h5 cup - Print time: 38m - Filament used: 14.67g w2 d3 h5 cup - Print time: 2h27m - Filament used: 64.46g |
 | Corner Attachments Limiting the attachments to the corners only saves a small amount of filament, but significantly reduces the print time w1 d1 h5 cup - Print time: 38m - Filament used: 14.67g w2 d3 h5 cup - Print time: 2h4m - Filament used: 62.62g Printables Download - Standard Cup |
 | Corner Attachments, Only Magnets Removing the screw reduces the floor height by 1mm, (as the screw depth is 6mm and the next highest item to clear is the grid). If you need a flat base with Magnets and a grid, this is a good choice. w1 d1 h5 cup - Print time: 35m - Filament used: 14.11g w2 d3 h5 cup - Print time: 1h:54m - Filament used: 58.30g Printables - Gridfinity Collection with Magnet |
 | No Attachments If you don’t plan on using the attachments (I.E. its in a draw). Not much savings from Corner magnets. w1 d1 h5 cup - Print time: 33m - Filament used: 13.8g w2 d3 h5 cup - Print time: 1h53m - Filament used: 58.03g Printables - Gridfinity Basic cup |
 | Efficient Floor Efficient Floor with attachments reduces the filament and print time, however you wont get flat base in the bin. This to catch dust and is hard to clean. w1 d1 h5 cup - Print time: 36m - Filament used: 11.70g w2 d3 h5 cup - Print time: 2h10m - Filament used: 47.52g |
 | Efficient Floor Corner attachments Efficient Floor combined with only corner attachments further reduces the filament and print time. It still has the issue of collecting dust. w1 d1 h5 cup - Print time: 34m - Filament used: 11.32g w2 d3 h5 cup - Print time: 1h23m - Filament used: 35.78g Printables - Light Gridfinity Bins Collection with Magnet and Screw |
 | Efficient Floor No attachments Very efficient if you don’t need a flat bottom or magnet/screw attachments. w1 d1 h5 cup - Print time: 26m - Filament used: 9.42g w2 d3 h5 cup - Print time: 1h11m - Filament used: 32.82g Printables - Light Gridfinity Bins Collection |
 | Flat Base Flat base removes the grid from inside the cup. The cup wont fit in to a grid, but this is not always desired any way. This reduces the floor height while keeping a flat floor. w1 d1 h5 cup - Print time: 31m - Filament used: 12.36g w2 d3 h5 cup - Print time: 1h33m - Filament used: 51.64g Printables - Gridfinity Bins Collection Flat Base |
 | Flat Base with Efficient Floor w1 d1 h5 cup - Print time: 26m - Filament used: 9.34g w2 d3 h5 cup - Print time: 1h3m - Filament used: 30.40g Printables - Light Gridfinity Bins Collection Flat Base |
 | Flat Base with Smooth Efficient Floor Similar to efficient floor, except the transition is smoother. Slightly more print time than but gives a superior result. If you dont need the internal grid, this is a good choice. w1 d1 h5 cup - Print time: 27m - Filament used: 9.65g w2 d3 h5 cup - Print time: 1h5m - Filament used: 31.26g |