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Found a new easy-to-print engineering grade material

srjacob

Senior Member
For those who need to know, I found a decent, really strong engineering filament that is easy to print.

The filament is 3DXTech PETG+CF (PETG blended with carbon fiber). I am using the black filament with a stock Prusa I3MK3/s printer. It prints with a matte finish. It needs a steel nozzle, and I purchased the .3mm steel nozzle from 3DXTech. I am using textured PEI Prusa bed. However, I spray it with Windex as a release agent before I print, and prints come off easily. If you don't use the Windex, it will take a chisel to get the stuff off. I run the hot end at 270 and the bed at 70.

Still trying to nail down parameters for support material. With some of my parts, I can get away with no supports, but then I have to clean off the strings.

This is what I am printing: www.hangatablet.com. I have the patents on the thing and designed it using Alibre (now I am on V23). Don't think there is much of a market anymore, but it's interesting working with it and useful for rental cars.
 

bigseb

Alibre Super User
Cheers for the info.

I try and stay clear of anything glass or carbon fibre filled. They shred nozzles. Even a hardened steel one won't last long unfortunately. The newer PLAs are pretty decent and have been shown to be stronger than ABS in the long run. Their only real (and imo major) downfall is the low glass point. Then you have your standard PETG and ASA that are the next step up.

Post some pics of your upgrades (to your printer) and of the print progress!!
 

srjacob

Senior Member
The only upgrade I made to the printer are the inclusion of a much bigger power supply and an Octoprint box. I have set up Octoprint and the power supply to turn off when the print is done. My object is to use the printer as a tool, and not a hobby in itself.

I printed the parts out of PETG, but under stress, the parts warped. I am trying the PETG+CF to see if the warpage is still there. The next step is to try polycarbonate, but that is more complex to print.

PETG is generally my go-to material (I use the Matterhacker's MH Build stuff). ASA is too difficult to print (I've tried it). PLA is for sissies.

BTW, I have gone through 1/2 a spool of the PETG+CF stuff, and the nozzle is fine. This stuff is easier to print than ASA or PC, and it is REALLY strong. Anyway, nozzles are cheap, and with the right tools (you can get them on Amazon), changing nozzles is fairly easy. I use a .3mm nozzle for fine stuff, and a .4mm nozzle for most other parts.

One day, I'll get an IDEX printer and put support filament in the second extruder. I'm looking hard at the Vivedino T-Rex.

I would be looking at a direct drive extruder, since the Bowden arrangements most Chinese printers use are not great for flexible filament or filament that needs retraction.
 
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