Test 4 with Iglidur i150-PF filament

prusaprinters

This is the fourth test of a series with the filament of Igus: Iglidur i150-PF. https://www.igus.eu/product/12404. I used the following hardware: -steel sheet (a steel sheet without coating). -enclosed printer with ventilation control with an ambient temperature of 22C. -0.6mm nozzle -Note that I always store the igus filament in a drybox (with filament buffer inside the drybox, see https://www.prusaprinters.org/prints/39795-mmu2-filament-buffer-and-spool-within-an-ikea-dryb) So even during printing it is in the drybox. Changes made to test 3 are: -Set the max of the cooling fan speed of 25%. -Retraction Length changed to 1.5 mm (was 1) -Minimum travel after retraction: changed to 1 mm. -Set the Speed for print moves for small perimeters to 15 mm/s -Set the first layer speed to 15 mm/s -Set the speed lower at the layers where the tips of the gears are thin. My observations are these: the warping at the gear tips is solved I tried to play with the minimum travel after retraction, but that did not help. The beginning of the first layer did not stick to the bed, even at values of 0.2 and 0.5 mm and the first layer was getting more blobs. I wander if a higher bed temperature for the first layer will help. In the next tests I will look further to the first layer problems. Tips are very welcome. I also will test if drying makes a difference as Niklas Eutebach mentioned (see test 3). This is the reply Niklas from Igus: Hi Bas, it seems to me that your main issue is the stringing in the small sections, I still hope that drying will make a difference. I’m not sure however if you will get totally rid of it, with a 0,6 mm nozzle it is more difficult to control filament flow in such small areas. Other customers have similar issues. Regarding bed adhesion, we have no experience with plain steel sheets as a printing surface. Usually, people use at least Blue Tape, and this has helped in the past. Other methods, such as glue stick or Magigoo (igus Magigoo for Tribofilaments definitely works) are also viable, they all help you to get away with a lower bed temp. Without adhesion mediums, it should stick at 70 – 75 °C, but then you might get issues with removing the parts (e.g. chipping glass plates). So I always recommend using an adhesion promoter, since they are also release promoters when cooled down. Does material come out of the nozzle when starting the first line of the bottom, and curl up instead of sticking to the plate? Or is the material extrusion delayed and this leads to separation? Either way, the before mentioned measures should help. I’ve just finished perfect prints (albeit without such small sections like the top of your gear teeth) like this: freshly dried I150 filament, 0,4 mm nozzle, at 240 °C (significantly higher than what you are using, but depending on the printer there might be some differences – also moisture makes a difference since very dry material has a lower viscosity and thus needs a little higher temperature), on 60 °C glass plate with igus Magigoo, two parts, Skirt, without any stringing at all and zero gaps at the start of a line. So it is possible 😊 We’ll get there… Best regards, Niklas Me: Here are my thoughts: It seems to me that the first part of the first layer is curling up. I will test a higher bed temperature of the first layer. I will also do a first layer test with the Prusa Smooth steel Sheet ( https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/i3-accessories-mk3s-mk25s-etc/214-powder-coated-spring-steel-sheet.html ) with glue. Regarding the stringing, I better can avoid such small sections in my design. So I will adapt my design. I also will dry the filament in my filament-dryer of Esun and test this. Anser from Niklas: Hi Bas, take a look at Stefan’s video about filament drying, I learned a lot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqQRN9TUw08 You do need an active dryer, not just desiccant, but your Esun dryer might work (don’t know the model). thanks for contacting Prusa, I think we’ve been in contact before, but apparently there wasn’t any development of profiles as of now. Were you using plain steel sheets or the Prusa PEI coated sheets? These should work quite fine, maybe at somewhat higher temperatures of 65 – 70 °C, but I haven’t had any issues with PEI in the past myself. Mit freundlichen Grüßen / Best Regards Niklas Eutebach M. Eng. Me: Dear Niklas, Do you mean that one can print directly on the PEI coated sheet, without using glue or 3DLAC? I did a first layer test with the pure steel sheet with 3DLAC and at a bed temperature of 70 degrees, the adhesion is good. At 65 degrees it is still not. Met vriendelijke groeten - Sincères salutations - Kind regards - Mit freundlichen Grüssen - С наилучшими пожеланиями, Bas Niklas: The powdercoating on the steel sheet is meant to promote adhesion, if I’m correct there should be a smooth and a rough side but they are both coated. I thought before you were talking about a clean steel sheet without coating. Yes, on a coated sheet it should work without additional measures.