I could use some help from the more experienced folks, I’m still quite new to the 3D print world, and am still working on getting my 3D printing license for the Sovol Zero
To help me with this effort I thought I’d try and increase my understanding a bit more and move into the flexible print space while somewhat staying within my familiarity zone of PLA/PETG filaments.
I found this flexible PLA filament from Flashforge at a better prince than current. It’s actually very flexible, like a wet noodle out of the box and seemed to be something I could use to try printing a simple cell phone case with.
Here is the part I don’t understand, I am trying to test for a good print temperature using Orcaslicers built in print tower and providing it specific temperatures ranges for PLA.
Why is the base of the print tower always the best looking, then the model just starts to fall apart? Bed is stock Textured PEI FL 55c, OL 45c. Tower range is 5c degrees apart, but seems to print the same way from the base up. I tried to slow down the print speed for the second test and started with 250c thinking it would help me nail down a good temp range between the two models. Instead 240c with the slower speed 4.5 mm3/s looks worse and 250c looks like 240c did on the first test with 7.6 mm3/s speed. I would have expected a better print consistency between the two given it’s hotter and slower, do I have this backwards or am I missing a knob somewhere, or not even close? I’m also printing with a brim to hold the model in place.
Any helpful pointers would be appreciated, I’d rather not burn through the whole roll trying to figure this out
Cheers,
Mike
It’s “winter” here so humidity is up and temp is relatively low chamber floats around 25c -29c when prints are happening. The filament is in a Polymaker dryer box and has new descant in its holder showing 32%.
I don’t own a Zero the info below is what I’ve observed printing TPU on other printers.
In my experience TPU is exceptionally prone to stringing unless it is absolutely dry. Even dry it needs careful tuning for retraction and Z hop.
I don’t recall ever trying a temperature tower with TPU but as it is flexible by design tall slender structures need supports (which are exceptionally hard to remove). TPU is NEVER going to bridge well so the standard temp tower is really never going to print well.
Thanks @Lion I saw it as recommended but not required, it might explain it, I’ll give it a go, thanks for pointing that out!
The EU Flashforge page does list this filament and shows “Nozzle Diameter φ0.4/0.6mm (Recommended φ0.6mm)”. I couldn’t find it on the US sight, just US store fronts. Thanks for the help.
While 32% RH is lower than the 48% of your environment, it isn’t considered dry. You want the meter to read 10% (that’s as low as most consumer meters can read). Once it starts reading 11% or more, it is time to recharge the desiccant.
Also check your box seals, and actively dry (heat) your filament roll before storage. Recipes vary, but something like 8 hours at 40C is typical for 1kg of PLA/TPU.
@rpcyan Thanks! I keep the heat low during winter and it’s been raining so humidity is up, those are some good pointers. I’ll take a closer look at the dryer box seals and refresh the desiccant.
FYI found out my cell phone needs a case bigger than the Sovol Zero print bed so I tried a flexible sphere … you know that measuring things rule … The print is still rough, found out my Speed settings were way to fast, so I tuned the speeds and temps a bit…
Bottom sphere roughness I believe is the chamber starting cold 20c as the middle and top quality 25c looks much better, anyway, better than the temp towers started, forward progress?
Yes, still 0.4mm nozzle, wife says I’m stubborn too . The “Speed” layer speeds were slowed way down to accommodate. The filament speed 2 mm3/s, and 236c for nozzle print.
Cheers,
-Mike
P.S. Hats off to the 3D printer folks in the early days, can’t imagine how those 3D print story books read!
Many flex filaments tend to under extrude as print speed increases and the tension to draw filament through the feed path increases. You can disconnect the bowden tube and by hand loosely dangle feed filament directly into the extruder to see how the filament prints without extruder tension which might motivate you to work out an alternate feeding arrangement for better flex printing.
@HandyDoodads You know, I had not put much thought into that. Actually the filament does have quite the ~1m roller coaster ride to reach it’s destination after leaving the Polybox…
To be honest, that pulling part of the filament after the loading process was always one of those back of the mind question mark thoughts I have. The physics for moving, pulling between a physical solid to a molten viscous liquid, and the calculations for all the variables involved is well out of my wheelhouse, and I have a few jokes for that statement, wow!… anyway, I’ll just keep the response “solid” …
Performing a simple loose feed test for the before and after is a really good point, I’ll look into testing that part out, thanks!
@cardoc I will, also I’m working on test v.2 and tuning a few more of the settings by slowing the acceleration a bit to see it that helps. I’ll look into a stringing test as well, thanks!
found out my cell phone needs a case bigger than the Sovol Zero print bed so I tried a flexible sphere … you know that measuring things rule 
. The “Speed” layer speeds were slowed way down to accommodate. The filament speed 2 mm3/s, and 236c for nozzle print.