[Closed] Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible  

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

Yes printing with flex is possible and does work. I believe it has had some testing by PR with more than one tool.

Peter

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

any details on that

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

I'm also very interested in printing flex with the MM upgrade.

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

Can you share any details? I'm interested in particular in mixing rigid and flexible filaments. I've done this using a dual extruder printer, and it worked, but my guess is that Prusa with MM would be cleaner and easier because of the approach of using a single extruder and swapping filaments. That is, assuming that you can print flexible filament at all - I've had no luck with Bowden style extruders and flexible filament before. How does the Prusa with MM upgrade print flexible filament? Can you share speed/temperature settings?

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

Printing flex is very similar to printing PVA (with the obvious difference in temperatures).

When printing with PVA I simply set the max extrude volume to 5mm^3/s and let the slicer and post-processor worry about the rest.

Peter

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

What flexible materials have you tried with the Multi Material kit?

I get a bit worried that super soft flexibles like ninjaflex would have problems being pushed through such a long PTFE tube.

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

What flexible materials have you tried with the Multi Material kit?

As previously stated, I haven't printed anything other than PVA which is very flexible, but other testers have tried Flex as have the PR testers.

I will see if there is anyone who has printed flex who can give further advice.

Peter

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

We have tested Fillamentum 98A - without any problems, Fillamentum 92A was too much. Slic3r specific filament settings for flex should be released in few days, you can experiment with existing -> post-processor has already profile for flex ( slower speed and different filament change profile )

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

We have tested Fillamentum 98A - without any problems, Fillamentum 92A was too much.

Do you think the problem with filament softer than 98A is related more to the print settings (so, something that will be ironed out soon), or the general design of the extruders?

From the filaments I've seen in my area, 98A is pretty hard compared what's commonly available (most seem to start at 85A and peaking at around 95A).
It would be somewhat annoying to more or less be locked to a specific brand of filament.

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

It's not final, we are still testing / adjusting print profile, it's more related to handling of the filament in long bowden tube.

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

I'm genuinely thrilled to know that flex isn't being written off as impossible because of the bowden, and I can tell in the extruder, flex has been taken into consideration (no space between pulley and plastic part. Thanks for the effort and I look forward to trying it out. 😀

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

Welp, Ninjaflex is definitely a no go. Which sucks because I have > .25kg now just sitting around... Makes sense with 85A hardness, somehow finds a way to bunch up at the extruder. maybe higher temps or something would make the nozzle an easier point of escape, idk.

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

Welp, Ninjaflex is definitely a no go. Which sucks because I have > .25kg now just sitting around... Makes sense with 85A hardness, somehow finds a way to bunch up at the extruder. maybe higher temps or something would make the nozzle an easier point of escape, idk.

Have you tried modifying the extruder so that there is zero gap for the filament to escape? (Don't own one, so I don't even know if it's possible. Just asking).

Or perhaps oiling the bowden tube a smidgeon? Might ruin the tube though, if it doesn't help.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Would be great to hear if someone succeeds with printing ninjaflex through the system.

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

I just got some SainSmart TPU (95A) that I am going to fool around with.

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

I just got some SainSmart TPU (95A) that I am going to fool around with.

Printing like a charm.

220 on hotend
0 on bed

20 mm/s

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

Yeah - i can confirm that Sainsmart TPU works great on the MM, printing together with ABS & PETG. Just slow down as usual with TPU. Just some stringing on first try because too less retraction (quickly modified the PLA defaults)
It would be great to see a preset made by the Pro´s in Slic3r 😉

To be able to select different printing speeds in Slic3r would speed up printing this combination a lot. Is it possible to put something like -50% speed on extruder 3 or per material in the settings?

Best
Christian

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

I got the Sainsmart TPU and since then I have been struggling with it . There is too much friction in the stainless steel tube and the filament end up coiling around the gear....

What am I doing wrong? 😕

Thank you.

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

Hey Mohammad, what is the shore hardness of the TPU you are using, i had success with 98A and 95A no issues at all.

Re: Printing Flexible Material with the MM is it posible

Hey Mohammad, what is the shore hardness of the TPU you are using, i had success with 98A and 95A no issues at all.

Also filament quality may cause issues like these. If the filament is not well extruded its diameter can vary a lot more than the specs and that does cause this type of jamming.

Peter