TPU
Flex? What the heck is Flex? Must be an "Original Prusa" term like "Mesh".
Anyways... How to print with TPU:
1. Pickup the tool that will be printing the TPU
2. Bypass the side sensor with a piece of filament (I leave them enabled. Lots of folks are disabling them)
3. Turn off "Filament Sensor" in the UI panel
4. Remove the guide tube from the top of the extruder
5. Load the TPU and feed it directly into the top of the extruder. I.e., don't try to use the guide tubes.
Works fine.
RE: TPU
If you’re faking the filament presence in sensor with a shim, why turn off the sensors?
RE: TPU
I believe the “Filament sensor” menu item in the ui panel is referring to the ball switch at the top of the Nextruder or possibly the side as well.
RE: TPU
I took the ball bearings out of the filament sensor. I'll take my chances. This is something I'm hoping prusa redesigns for the XLS or XL+ or whatever it's going to be next. the ball bearing puts WAY too much pressure on tpu and causes drag and underextrusion. It also doesn't help for pretty rigid filaments like Aquasys 120 which I have to reduce the amount of bend in the tube for. For the aquasys I ended up replacing the tube for E5 with a 3mm ID tube. Anyway, I don't see how much testing they could have done with tpu at the factory with that filament sensor.
RE: TPU
I'll eventually try the magnet mod: https://www.printables.com/model/700838-xl-side-filament-sensor-with-reduced-force-magneti
Seems easy enough.
RE: TPU
I'm going to wait to see what prusa comes up with in next rev of XL. My hope is that with all the feedback they're getting they'll have a XL+ or XLs with tweaks based on the feedback. We'll see. Right now I'm working ok with the filament sensors off and the ball bearing removed.
I'll eventually try the magnet mod: https://www.printables.com/model/700838-xl-side-filament-sensor-with-reduced-force-magneti
Seems easy enough.
RE: TPU
The XL+ will have a thermal stabilized, actively powered, noise dampening HyperPINDA+ to improve perfect first layers even further, much better LCD knob (with fingerprint sensor) and finally introduce the missing Y-Axis metal clips. At 100 USD it will be a steal.
I'm also looking forward to the MMU4 update for the XL, which will remove all the complicated multi-toolhead hassle for a truly stellar multimaterial user experience.
In all seriousness, they might ditch the side sensors, have people load filament to the top of the extruder and use the PTFE only for routing to the print chamber. I don't see any point in having two sensors. That can be done in software and with 1-2 printed parts, and hardly justifies a paid upgrade.
RE: TPU
you forgot the <sarcasm/> tags 🙂 I'm with you though, I don't see the side sensors as necessary when you've got the one in the extruder itself. It effectively would just work like the MK4 then. I don't really ever rely on filament runout sensors though, just in principle. Joking aside, I'll be curious what feedback gets taken into account when they do have a paid upgrade.
The XL+ will have a thermal stabilized, actively powered, noise dampening HyperPINDA+ to improve perfect first layers even further, much better LCD knob (with fingerprint sensor) and finally introduce the missing Y-Axis metal clips. At 100 USD it will be a steal.
I'm also looking forward to the MMU4 update for the XL, which will remove all the complicated multi-toolhead hassle for a truly stellar multimaterial user experience.In all seriousness, they might ditch the side sensors, have people load filament to the top of the extruder and use the PTFE only for routing to the print chamber. I don't see any point in having two sensors. That can be done in software and with 1-2 printed parts, and hardly justifies a paid upgrade.
RE: TPU
What's a sarcasm?
RE: TPU
Oh my bad, like HTML tags. So you can tell when <sarcasm>this is sarcasm</sarcasm> lol sorry I'm a web developer so I assume the humor carries over lol It's also early in the morning(colorado time) and my coffee cup needs a refill 🙂
What's a sarcasm?
RE:
Jokes aside, has anyone tried one of the following, on purpose or accidentally (sorry I have almost zero hobby time rn):
- what happens when the side and hotend filament sensors disagree (e.g. when filament breaks or is cut between them) ?
- what happens on clogs (both filament sensors triggered but filament not moving/moving too slow) ?
- what happens when the extruder sensor fails to detect (the flaky one seems to be the side sensor) ?
My point being, is the load cell actually involved in the logic yet? This was a major advertisment item the whole time but now we hear nothing about it anymore.
EDIT:
What's a sarcasm?
That was meta-sarcasm. Got you.
RE:
well I can tell you I had a really nasty jam with some ninjaflex this weekend, like as in the filament strand coming out the side and snarled up in the gear and the extruder filament sensor had no clue.... and the loadcell sensor apparently didn't realize no filament was being extruded either.
Jokes aside, has anyone tried one of the following, on purpose or accidentally (sorry I have almost zero hobby time rn):
- what happens when the side and hotend filament sensors disagree (e.g. when filament breaks or is cut between them) ?
- what happens on clogs (both filament sensors triggered but filament not moving/moving too slow) ?
- what happens when the extruder sensor fails to detect (the flaky one seems to be the side sensor) ?My point being, is the load cell actually involved in the logic yet? This was a major advertisment item the whole time but now we hear nothing about it anymore.
EDIT:
What's a sarcasm?
That was meta-sarcasm. Got you.
RE:
OK, exactly what I thought with the loadcell. Let's see if it's possible to do what they promised and just takes longer to implement.
Why couldn't they just design a constrained feed path this one time. It's not as if exactly this hadn't been a problem with every Prusa printer.
They need some way to detect motion. Imagine losing a few kgs of filament and several print days at 95% completeness.
RE: TPU
I feel like if you're detecting it with the loadcell, the damage is already done. I guess if they stopped IMMEDIATELY, it could be treated like a manual filament change and it could be resumed right where it stopped. it's hard to say. It might be similar to a manual filament change where it records the position and allows you to load filament and continue. would be cool.
OK, exactly what I thought with the loadcell. Let's see if it's possible to do what they promised and just takes longer to implement.
Why couldn't they just design a constrained feed path this one time. It's not as if exactly this hadn't been a problem with every Prusa printer.
RE: TPU
Well, you have the length of the nozzle including the cold zone as buffer. I'm more concerned about the different scenarios that can lead to a blockage. They might look very different to the sensor and not necessarily be easily detectable without throwing too many false positives. Quite possibly it's not doable. I wish they had just taken the scroll-wheel plus mouse sensor route.
RE: TPU
I feel like for the price-point of the machine you're right. My hope is that whatever they're developing on the industrial side where people are spending even bigger dollars will eventually filter down to the consumer level machines. Kind of like the things on luxury cars that eventually become common place on the cars the rest of us can afford.
Well, you have the length of the nozzle including the cold zone as buffer. I'm more concerned about the different scenarios that can lead to a blockage. They might look very different to the sensor and not necessarily be easily detectable without throwing too many false positives. Quite possibly it's not doable. I wish they had just taken the scroll-wheel plus mouse sensor route.
RE: TPU
I have the printer running for a week now and only about an hour of time per day, and already I'm missing so many firmware features (like per-sheet Z offsets, filament cooling moves on unload to prevent clogs when the filament is still too hot/soft, light controls, realtime detection if filament is grabbed etc). Let's just see what happens on that front.
RE: TPU
That's interesting, I've actually really enjoyed the automatic z-offset stuff on both the XL and on my two MK4s. it's so nice not having to remember that I loaded a smooth or satin sheet. It's actually one of the features I really do like about both the XL and MK4.
RE:
I agree 100% in theory, but in practice the textured sheet works only with PETG for me. PLA is hit or miss, I wish it could be defined from the menu somehow instead of reslicing it with an offset. Maybe something they could also detect with the load cell, by dragging it across the sheet for a few cm it should see the bumps.
RE: TPU
So I pretty much exclusively use satin sheet for TPU, PETG. I've not had a chance to print ABS/ASA on the either the XL or MK4 so but previously when my MK4s were MK3S+'es I used the satin sheet for ABS. Typically I use smooth sheet for PLA only. That being said, I've not had any issues switching between the two with the auto-Z stuff. it's been great. I have definitely damaged plates on the MK3 when I forgot to switch to the right profile. Not having to worry about which z-Offset for which sheet has been awesome.
I agree 100% in theory, but in practice the textured sheet works only with PETG for me. PLA is hit or miss, I wish it could be defined from the menu somehow instead of reslicing it with an offset. Maybe something they could also detect with the load cell, by dragging it across the sheet for a few cm it should see the bumps.