Flex filament
Hi,
I don't often ask for help as I firmly believe part of the journey is self discovery.
For the life of me though I can't get flexible filament to print on the Prusa.
Using stock settings for flex with Prusa edition of Slic3r and some self made profiles for S3D.
I've only managed to get it through the nozzle a couple of times without it wrapping around the gear, but even then it will not sustain a flow.
Trust me when I say I've tried a wide range of temperatures, I've tried several heights of Z adjust to give enough gap to prevent back pressure. I've lowered speeds from stock to barely even moving. No retraction, no z hop soooooo many different options.
I've tried 3 different flex filaments, Ninjaflex, Filaflex and Prima select.
It shames me to say but I had all of these working on my Wanhao, but I can't get them through the Prusa for love or money.
This is the only filament I'm struggling with. PLA, ABS, Laywoo Wood , Bamboo, PETG, Carbon Fiber you name it. All go down a treat.
Can anyone who has printed flex please take a photograph of the gap between the PTFE tube and the drive gear? This looks suspiciously large to me but I'm not sure.
Thanks for reading in.
Re: Flex filament
I have printed TPU only once, but it worked first time for me.
Main thing is to loosen the filament feed tension screws and to print at a maximum of 20mm/s. Use talcum powder or glue stick otherwise you won't get the part off the bed.
Peter
Please note: I do not have any affiliation with Prusa Research. Any advices given are offered in good faith. It is your responsibility to ensure that by following my advice you do not suffer or cause injury, damage…
Re: Flex filament
I tried some flexible filaments. All worked, some with minor problems, some with big problems.
Main problem, print slow, very slow, 15mm is working well. And try to raise the temperature, but be carefull, the filament is blopping. Make an heattower to check, print with the highest temperatur without blopping.
I've good results with flexible PLA (rigid.ink). TPU works, but a lot of stinging and oozing.
Don't forget the gluestick, otherwise you will damage your heatbed. These material glues like hell !
Thomas
Re: Flex filament
Thanks guys,
Adhesion isn't the problem for me YET. Still struggling to get it through the nozzle.
I'm still convinced the space between the top of the PTFE liner is too large.
Will maybe strip out the E3D and elongate the liner a mm or 2 to take it up a bit over the weekend. 😛
Re: Flex filament
Sharron
I really do think your tension is too high. The filament is being pushed into the drive pulley too much and it is staying attached so you don't have a direct downward push.
Peter
Please note: I do not have any affiliation with Prusa Research. Any advices given are offered in good faith. It is your responsibility to ensure that by following my advice you do not suffer or cause injury, damage…
Re: Flex filament
dont use the Load Filament function. it goes way to fast in the beginning, I'm going to settings->move axis->extruder and slowly feeding it through until its loaded
Re: Flex filament
I've tried both suggestions thanks chaps.
I've backed the tension right off in increments until it stops driving all together. I use stock 14mm for other filaments but I've backed that right off in .5mm steps.
I've also noted that the Load filament command operates at 2 speeds. An initial fast push followed by a regular period of drive.
I have accounted for this by backing off the tension (thumbing the spring back) during the fast period and only engaging tension during the slower period. I can initially get it into the E3D like this but then as the print initiates it stats to go spaghetti.
I've cleaned my nozzle countless times using cleaning filament to ensure no partial nozzle jam restrictions.
I suppose I've just got to live with it. Have had the MM upgrade on back order since beginning of October so hopefully that will take my mind of this problem.
Once that's on I guess I'll be binning these rolls of flex anyway. 🙄