Tag: experience

mtf.white 1.3 nefertiti

Posted on by maker

Saw this beautiful piece of art from over 3.3 k years. For sure thingiverse already had few versions of it so i downloaded files and went for it.

this was also thin wall first calibration run so i dont mind some imperfections, mtf.white recently got 1.3 mechanical upgrade so speed is still testish…

This was printed at 50% size since it is huge, i think xl will be able to pull it off in 1/1 but we shall see about that. Here is meta.frame white in action.

Whole print considering speed and early machine status took nice 6 hours, some problems were caused by me not checking how thin these walls really are so with minor tweeks i think we can do this much better.

Here is final product front

mtf white 1.3 nefertiti front
mtf white 1.3 nefertiti front

also side view

mtf.w 1.3 nefertiti side
mtf.wwhite 1.3 nefertiti side

So, what needs to be changed? A bit more on extrusion ratio, bit lover temperature and higher speed will probably do the trick.

next time remember than when printing 0.4 nozzle always check your wall thickness.

mtf.white 1.2 fat extrusion

Posted on by maker

Another mtf experiment, my reasoning was:

how would it look like if instead of trying ever thinner and finer printing i try another way?

Said, done! I found one nozzle that always used to clog, one dremel 2.6 mm diameter drill bit and combined the three. Drill, drill bit and old nozzle allowed for extremely wide and high layers. Almost 2.4 mm height with 3.1 mm trail width.

mtf white 1.2 bigger nozzle.experiment
mtf white 1.2 bigger nozzle.experiment

Since at this time i am working on firmware for xl model it was risky to experiment here but i gave it a try and got full print, with many problems but never underestimate knowledge base of problems.

one thing is that prints are very fast, material is also speedy spent since pressure is 3 mm filament to 2.6 mm nozzle so not much friction.

Temperature will also need to be higher because sometimes perimeters pull inside whole side. This rocket bottom took only 30 minutes start to finish so potential is here. Part is rough and slick at same time.

mtf white 1.2 xl extrusion experiment
mtf white 1.2 xl extrusion experiment

this is bottom untouched after print, brim is still here and part is very tough and heavy. I have need for more precise prints so this will be only experiment.

mtf white 1.2 very fat extrusion
mtf white 1.2 very fat extrusion

Do you have use for this idea?

Case at hand will be finished and hopefully launched this spring.

mtf.white will be going for upgrades to 1.3 next, then hopefully some more precise prints with new sliders and actuator.

 

thermoplastic wars!

Posted on by maker

Two main material selections when dealing with everyday 3d printing using layer deposition technique are shorthand ABS and PLA. Broadly speaking both materials are thermoplastic but in essence are completely different beasts.

Polylactic acid or polylactide (PLA, Poly)

3d.print.filament.pla.polyactic.acid.aliphatic.poliesterBiodegradable thermoplastic aliphatic polyester derived from renewable resources, such as corn starch, tapioca roots, chips or starch, or sugarcane. In 2010, PLA had the second highest consumption volume of any bioplastic of the world. The name “polylactic acid” does not comply with IUPAC standard nomenclature, and is potentially ambiguous or confusing, because PLA is not a polyacid (polyelectrolyte), but rather a polyester.

biodegradable thermoplastic aliphatic polyester PLA requires 185°C minimum temperature for print and 50°C min. temp. for heated print bed but can be printed without heated option.

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)

3d.print.filament.abs.acrylonitrile.butadiene.styreneABS (chem. (C8H8)x· (C4H6)y·(C3H3N)z) is a common thermoplastic polymer. Its glass transition temperature is approximately 105 °C (221 °F). ABS is amorphous and therefore has no true melting point. ABS is a terpolymer made by polymerizing styrene and acrylonitrile in the presence of polybutadiene. The proportions can vary from 15 to 35% acrylonitrile, 5 to 30% butadiene and 40 to 60% styrene.

amorphus thermoplastic acrylonite butadiene styrene ABS requires 225°C minimum temperature for print and 110°C min. temp. for heated print bed.

Meaning of this?

Having used now extensively both materials for long period of time on multiple machines and from different material manufacturers i can say PLA is way to go.

I still use ABS in some production scenarios but for prototyping and everyday usage PLA is more economical, ecological, to be more precise, 100% more biodegradable than ABS. First temperatures, PLA has much wider spectrum of temperatures that can be used so it is easier to find sweet spot for every spool but at generally lower temperatures than ABS. This leads to much more durable hot end parts and also less heat lost and power used. Also heated bed can sit at 65-70°C with PLA vs 125°C with ABS.

For sticking to print bed with PLA i use just fresh water vs acetone-abs slug when printing with ABS. Less time in wait to reach printing temperature is also significant advantage.

There are some cons also, PLA has lower melting temperature so for some applications ABS is better, also ABS is somewhat harder, tougher and more rigid when printed than PLA. PLA is somewhat more flexible and slippery so in some cases this is advantage and in some this is problematic.

3d.services.printing.makingThermoplastic wars, the conclusion!

There are tons of materials, vendors, colors to choose from and also everyday there is new material to start with and generally speaking it is very case related to say which is best, but somehow i always have some PLA available, just in case! I keep PLA rolls in storage box with lots of dehumidifier substances like rice or silica bags.

PLA is more ecological, completely harmless when printing and also completely biodegradable after, it is reusable, less power required and for me easier to work with. Machines also tend to last longer and if one can use 0.3 or wider nozzle to avoid clogging problem just be smart and use PLA.