<![CDATA[SoliForum - 3D Printing Community — Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/topic/12074/has-anyone-figured-out-pla-printing-yet/ Mon, 24 Aug 2015 09:14:20 +0000 PunBB <![CDATA[Re: Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/104102/#p104102 i have modify me press to do pla and ninjaflex

i did it by drilling up a 3mm  in the 2mm channel on the alu heatsink then put a 3mm 2mm ptfe tube inside
more info on solidoodle facebook posts from mattias wikström

it works realy good mutch better  but if you still have warranty on the machine it will be void do it on your own risk.

]]> Mon, 24 Aug 2015 09:14:20 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/104102/#p104102 <![CDATA[Re: Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/103968/#p103968 It's telling that SD only officially supports Press printing with filament they sell, yet they don't sell PLA.

My experience with PLA on the press is that eventually the top of the heat break tube gets too warm and the filament bulges there and jams. The extruder body is the heat sink and is also heted by the motor, so it's just oo warm. Ideas:

  • Make sure your extruder fan is blowing in - some presses were misassembled

  • If you're not having troubles with the extruder motor thumping, you could turn down VRef a bit so the motor  heats up less - it's a balancing act though.

  • Printing with the lid open lowers ambient in the printer, which cools the extruder a bit better

  • Don't park the extruder at X=200 - (which is what SP does) This puts the fan very near the right side, which reduces air flow through the fan.

Those are just ideas - I haven't seriously messed with trying to get PLA working. In terms of mods, eventually I might also try:

  • A small bit of ceramic insulation on top of the heater block to reduce thermal coupling between heater block and extruder

  • Replacing the fan with a blower and duct

  • Redirecting some blower air directly to the top of the heat break.

  • A slightly longer heat break tube with attached heat sink.

]]> Fri, 21 Aug 2015 12:53:28 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/103968/#p103968 <![CDATA[Re: Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/103670/#p103670 mobius1ace5 wrote:
selkess wrote:

im using 207c for pla   but if you had abs before then start whit 230 then when you see pla coming out insted then lower the temp to 207c and extrude again so only pla coming out. 

and put some sewing machine oil on the pla first cm then it not sticking to inside of extruder


I will have to give the oil a try.  Odd question, but does it have to be sewing machine oil?  I have tons of different oils around the house, but that is not one of them.  If so, I will go get me some!


Any light machine oil should work.

]]> Sun, 16 Aug 2015 18:56:42 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/103670/#p103670 <![CDATA[Re: Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/103667/#p103667 selkess wrote:

im using 207c for pla   but if you had abs before then start whit 230 then when you see pla coming out insted then lower the temp to 207c and extrude again so only pla coming out. 

and put some sewing machine oil on the pla first cm then it not sticking to inside of extruder


I will have to give the oil a try.  Odd question, but does it have to be sewing machine oil?  I have tons of different oils around the house, but that is not one of them.  If so, I will go get me some!

]]> Sun, 16 Aug 2015 17:56:54 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/103667/#p103667 <![CDATA[Re: Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/103657/#p103657 I have an SD4 been printing for almost a year have only used PLA. IIRC 195- 200 c for first layer then lower for later lares. So I think you may be printing too hot and burning the filament. My blue la is marked 190 - 220. And remember you senor temp and heater temp can be different from each other and the nozzle by a few degrees. An my first prints were cold and not exactly on the bed and were more like harp stings than a solid object.
The biggest problem I have is with a long thin ,vertical object.  just cant print one without a fan but if printed with a a larger object at least as tall works fine the other workaround is print two or tree  and the layers of each one have some time to cool.


Could just be a bad spool. I have bought a few over the years.

Yep could be , try another roll.
Tin

]]> Sun, 16 Aug 2015 12:07:01 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/103657/#p103657 <![CDATA[Re: Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/103654/#p103654 im using 207c for pla   but if you had abs before then start whit 230 then when you see pla coming out insted then lower the temp to 207c and extrude again so only pla coming out. 

and put some sewing machine oil on the pla first cm then it not sticking to inside of extruder

]]> Sun, 16 Aug 2015 09:24:57 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/103654/#p103654 <![CDATA[Re: Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/103634/#p103634 To my knowledge there is no good fan solution for the Press yet, so that is out of the question.  I have tried lower temps as well with similar results.  I have done my best to tweak retraction but i know without a cold-end fan on the press it is going to be an uphill battle.

]]> Sat, 15 Aug 2015 19:28:10 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/103634/#p103634 <![CDATA[Re: Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/103633/#p103633 Could just be a bad spool. I have bought a few over the years.

]]> Sat, 15 Aug 2015 19:26:46 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/103633/#p103633 <![CDATA[Re: Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/103632/#p103632 Those are two completely different machines. Different thermistors, the placement of which, all else is different.
With PLA you need to print at the lower temps. The hotter the setting, the faster the jam. Attempting 230 points this out quite clearly.
Tweak your retraction a bit as well. PLA is kinda goopy, so keeping it melted is a bad idea. You don't want it molten any longer than the act of extruding.

Another tip, add a fan and print with the enclosure open. This material takes longer to cool than ABS.

]]> Sat, 15 Aug 2015 19:25:25 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/103632/#p103632 <![CDATA[Re: Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/103631/#p103631 Okay, heating her up to 230...


nope.. jams up almost instantly sad

]]> Sat, 15 Aug 2015 18:38:15 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/103631/#p103631 <![CDATA[Re: Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/103629/#p103629 On my CTC PLA prints at 230..

]]> Sat, 15 Aug 2015 18:20:36 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/103629/#p103629 <![CDATA[Has anyone figured out PLA printing yet?]]> https://www.soliforum.com/post/103623/#p103623 Been trying for the past few hours and always get jams when I stop extruding.  Have tried temps from 190 to 215c.  Anyone have tips or tricks?

Been trying with monoprice blue PLA I believe.  Not sure if it is monoprice, but the spool and logo seem to fit their bill.

]]> Sat, 15 Aug 2015 15:36:59 +0000 https://www.soliforum.com/post/103623/#p103623