Your real speed ceiling is set by how fast your hotend can melt plastic — its maximum volumetric flow (mm³/s). Enter your layer height, line width and hotend flow limit to see the top print speed you can run before under-extruding.
About this calculator
Max print speed = volumetric flow ÷ (layer height × line width). It tells you the fastest speed your hotend can feed at those slicer settings. Currency and typical prices are auto-detected from your locale and fully editable, so it works whether you’re in the US, UK, Germany, India, Vietnam or anywhere else.
FAQ
What flow rate does my hotend have?
Stock brass 0.4 mm hotends manage ~10–15 mm³/s; high-flow hotends (Bambu, Volcano, Revo HF) reach 20–32+ mm³/s. PLA flows easier than PETG or PC. Run a flow-rate test to find your real number.
Why is my print speed lower than this?
This is the melt ceiling. Motion system limits (acceleration, corners), cooling and quality targets usually mean you run below it — aim for ~80% headroom.
Reviewed 2026-08-18. Estimates for planning; verify critical values yourself.