GF Nylon printing with the i3 MK3
I was hoping to get some advice on printing with GF Nylon on my i3 MK3. I know I need a printer enclosure to keep the ambient heat steady and I am getting a solution for that. However I need some recomendations on manufactures of GF Nylon filament and what hot end to buy. Also, I have the the heatbed steel sheet that came with my printer when I bought it and need to know if this is satisfactory to use or do I need a special sheet? Any other tips and tricks (temps, bed surfae prep, etc) for printing GF Nylon would be greatly appreciated as I have never done it. The part I am making is an enclosure for a battery pack which roughly measures 3" X 1" X 0.75.
Thanks!
RE: GF Nylon printing with the i3 MK3
Any filament containing glass or carbon fibers is very abrassive. Ordinary brass nozzles wouldn't last long so you need one made from hardened steel or other types suitable for abrassive filaments. No need to change the hotend, as those hard nozzles are available for the V6 hotend of your MK3.
The steel plate is another question. Nylon filaments and PEI surfaces don't match well. That includes smooth, satin or textured plates, With all of them adhesion is mediocre even using adhesive. On small/medium size models you may (or may not) get successful prints because GF or CF nylons warp less than pure nylon. That said, if you want peace of mind, the best option for these filaments is the Prusa PA nylon powder-coated steel sheet.
Don't forget also that all nylon filaments need to be really dry or you won't get good prints. More often than not, new fresh spools have moisture to some degree. The best policy is to dry well filament before printing or, at least, to print first a small part to test the condition of the material.
RE: GF Nylon printing with the i3 MK3
Thank you for your reply and the information you provided. I misspoke when I said hot end, I meant nozzle. I will purchase hardened steel nozzles for sure. I just looked up the Prusa PA nylon powder-coated steel sheet and I am surprised it does not need any glue stick on the surface. That's great! I live in a very dry part of the country and we have very low humidity year round. That being said, I plan on investing in some sort of a pre-dryer as I have read that this is critical to good repeatable prints.
Do you (or anyone else) have any recommendations on GF Nylon filament?