Prusa MK4 parts in PC Blend Carbon or Petg?
Hello everyone,
I have a new MK4 and would like to reprint all the plastic parts in a different color soon. However, I have seen on Printables that almost every second person prints the parts in Prusa PC Blend Carbon. Does it make such a difference whether it is printed in PC Blend Carbon or PETG? For me, only the dimensional accuracy is decisive. Of course it makes sense for a few extruder parts because of the temperature. What would you recommend?
RE: Prusa MK4 parts in PC Blend Carbon or Petg?
Prusa original parts are printed in PETG (with the exception of the shroud, which is either ASA or PCCF). So if all you want is a different color, PETG is just fine. PETG is also fine for the occasional print of high temp filaments. If you're planning on a lot of ASA, PC, Nylon, etc, I would reprint the parts with ASA or PCCF. I did reprint the parts for one of my Mk4's with PCCF. Looks awesome but the rigidity of PCCF is an issue for the rod holders. Rods needed some serious—and I mean serious–persuasion to go in, and I ended up printing some of them with PETG. Again, the shroud should be printed with ASA or PCCF.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Prusa MK4 parts in PC Blend Carbon or Petg?
I got all rods into my PCCF parts just fine - I call myself lucky, because I can imagine how difficult this extremely stiff material would make the insertion if anything was just the slightest bit off... I would assume that the Nylon CF Prusament would be a bit better, but it's also even more expensive than the PC Blend.
But honestly: PETG is just fine for almost all parts. The only parts that I would absolutely print out of PCCF again are the Nextruder and the heat bed connector.
RE: Prusa MK4 parts in PC Blend Carbon or Petg?
Yes, heat bed connector. I forgot about that one. Also reprinted it with PCCF for the Mk4's that use PETG parts.
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Prusa MK4 parts in PC Blend Carbon or Petg?
I would assume that the Nylon CF Prusament would be a bit better, but it's also even more expensive than the PC Blend
You definitely do NOT want nylon, cf composite or not. Its creep behavior is significant & unavoidable.
Fwiw, the voron community has settled on ASA as the ideal ... but *actively* heated chambers are not mainstream there, and PC will have aslight but meaningful edge as you get closer to 100C ambient.
I don't have an informed opinion on PC vs PC-CF. I doubt it would hurt, but also as noted the incredible stiffness w/ the composite might have downsides in parts designed originally for petg?