3D printers

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minionhunter
Posts: 186
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 5:36 pm

Re: 3D printers

Post by minionhunter »

peterwaller wrote: Sun Nov 21, 2021 9:33 am I always use Alloy 910 nylon for any armour or areas likely to come in contact with a spinner.
I get it from 3DFilaprint who offer a great service if you buy two spools of filament you get free next day delivery.
Thank you all for responding! I really appreciate it.

Do you think nylon (the alloy 910) is equivalent to 1mm poly-carbonate (like stuff from sheets)? Also do you print it solid or with a % of infill?

I'm wondering if I need to upgrade the Prusa nozzle to a hardened steel nozzle (like the e3D Nozzle X or if the Prusa hardened steel nozzle would be just as good). I just watched just cuz robotics video he released and he said he used the stock Prusa with the following upgrades

e3D nozzle X

and
reprinted the stock ABS fan duct with Alloy 910
replaced the stock stainless steel heat brake with titanium
replaced the stock aluminum heat block with a nickle plated copper block

He said he was trying to compensate for the reduced thermal conductivity of the stainless nozzle (compared to brass). He said he didn't know if it did anything but he said it did seem to heat up faster.

Since I have to build the Prusa when I get it, it might make sense for me to just swap in the new parts when I get it instead of building it and then tearing it down to replace the parts.
minionhunter
Posts: 186
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 5:36 pm

Re: 3D printers

Post by minionhunter »

MySolderIsOlder wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 9:12 am I mainly use three filaments, all of which I get from "3D Jake". Shipping from Germany can be a bit slow (normally about a week) but I find their range and service excellent:
- Fiberlogy's 'PA12+CF15' (a Nylon/Carbon Fibre mix) for most bodywork/armour.
- PolyMaker's 'PolyMax PC' (polycarbonate) for more intricate parts, like gear wheels or servo horns - gives much 'sharper' prints than Nylon.
- Fillamentum's 'ABS Extrafiill' transparent for everything else, and also for prototyping - because it's cheaper than other two and its being translucent when printed makes it easier to spot design flaws.

Whether any of these would work for you depends a lot on your printer set up. I use an "Up 2 Mini", which has a heated chamber, a hot-end that works fine at 290c, and an abrasion-safe steel nozzle. For some reason, those filaments all just 'worked' for me with minimal tinkering, while bizarrely I've always struggled to get any decent results from PETG or PLA. Best thing is to get small samples of a few types, read all the Prusa discussion boards, print some tests and see what works. PETG and PLA+ certainly seem to have their fans in the ant world. Indeed there are some that claim "PLA+ Is a Perfectly Legitimate Choice..."

Finally I'd suggest not obsessing too much about filament type at this stage. Whilst material choice certainly does make a big difference to survivability, designing for strength is just as important. A PLA shell printed with the right wall thickness, perimeters, infill, etc, with decent fillets on all corners, and with surfaces angled to deflect blows, will outlive a CF-printed shell that got the basics wrong.
Thank you I really appreciate it!

When I see bots that are printed in colors like blue or yellow or green, do you think they are using PETG or something else? Like wedge wedge wedge is printed (mainly wheel hubs and the tires are silicone dyed to match) in color so that the three identical bots can easily be distinguished and the drivers don't get confused as to which is which. Team Oink also prints in color and dyes his silicone for his theme. So I'm wondering what the best type of material might be if you want or need to use specific colors.

Side note/question does team Oink use laminated pink cardstock to form his bots? I think it is genius if that is what he does.

Again thank you to everyone for your help. I'm grateful.
minionhunter
Posts: 186
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 5:36 pm

Re: 3D printers

Post by minionhunter »

T_Y wrote: Mon Nov 22, 2021 9:52 am
Indeed there are some that claim "PLA+ Is a Perfectly Legitimate Choice..."
You called? :D

I use eSun PLA+, mainly because that's what I started using when I got into 3D printing and didn't have a proper set up for printing better materials like an enclosure or all-metal hot end. Some materials will require an all-metal hot end to avoid the PTFE tube deteriorating. I think the Prusa already has an all metal hot end so you should be fine in that regard, but always worth checking.

PLA+ is supposed to be stronger than PLA but still just as easy to print. PLA+ can work, but you need to be careful when designing and slicing prints. If you do use PLA+ I'd recommend avoiding those parts from taking direct hits, or if you can't avoid that, then try to make those parts thicker/more infill. In most of my bots, I use 3D printed brackets to hold 0.5mm-1.5mm polycarb panels together, and just make sure I have plenty of spare prints.

For slicing, I try to align my parts so that the layer lines are vertical in the final build. This way, if a vertical spinner gets a good hit, the print isn't being peeled at the layer line, which is the weakest direction for the print. Horizontal spinners in my experience won't cause this to happen as much, and it is easier to defend against those with wedges.
Thank you very much for your help and suggestions!

Have you heard of PETG-HT or HT-PETG?

I saw it on the Prusa materials site and it looks like maybe it is only ColorFaab HT filament (too bad it is only Black, White and clear) but the chart says that it gets close to the durability of nylon but the printing similarity to PETG (but 270 nozzle and 110 bed temps). I'm drawn to it since it says no need of drybox or enclosure which are both recommended for nylon.

See table here for PETG-HT
https://help.prusa3d.com/en/materials
If the chart is true and you get the strength of nylon that seems really nice. However it is expensive $80/kg - I take the listing with a grain of salt, but would getting nylon traits without the hassle of drybox and enclosure be worth it?

(I'm assuming that no enclosure required means that it won't pop off the bed during printing, but this could be an error on may part)


ColorFaab site
https://colorfabb.com/filaments/co-poly ... lorfabb-ht

"With colorFabb_HT colorFabb and Eastman Chemical Company have created a functional 3D printing filament based on Eastman’s signature Tritan™ copolyester technology. colorFabb_HT is made with Amphora HT5300 and is a low-odor and styrene-free material uniquely suited for advanced 3D printing users, particularly those who need their models to exhibit excellent durability, toughness and high temperature resistance with a Tg of over 100⁰C. colorFabb_HT empowers professional users to create more durable and useful items, making prototyping truly functional."


Thank you very much again for your tips and help.
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peterwaller
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Re: 3D printers

Post by peterwaller »

Do you think nylon (the alloy 910) is equivalent to 1mm poly-carbonate (like stuff from sheets)? Also do you print it solid or with a % of infill?
I don't think 1mm thick alloy 910 printed would be as strong as 1 mm polycarbonate sheet. I usually use 2 to 3 mm thick and I always print 100% infill. I have been using alloy 910 for over 3 years through the same brass nozzle without signs of ware it is only with the glass or carbon filled materials you really need the hardened ones. Drying is essential for nylons and is a bit of a bugbear as you cant leave the filament in the printer when not in use.
minionhunter
Posts: 186
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 5:36 pm

Re: 3D printers

Post by minionhunter »

peterwaller wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 8:03 pm
Do you think nylon (the alloy 910) is equivalent to 1mm poly-carbonate (like stuff from sheets)? Also do you print it solid or with a % of infill?
I don't think 1mm thick alloy 910 printed would be as strong as 1 mm polycarbonate sheet. I usually use 2 to 3 mm thick and I always print 100% infill. I have been using alloy 910 for over 3 years through the same brass nozzle without signs of ware it is only with the glass or carbon filled materials you really need the hardened ones. Drying is essential for nylons and is a bit of a bugbear as you cant leave the filament in the printer when not in use.
Thank You Peter!
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Shakey
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Re: 3D printers

Post by Shakey »

minionhunter wrote: Tue Nov 23, 2021 4:04 pm Thank you I really appreciate it!

When I see bots that are printed in colors like blue or yellow or green, do you think they are using PETG or something else? Like wedge wedge wedge is printed (mainly wheel hubs and the tires are silicone dyed to match) in color so that the three identical bots can easily be distinguished and the drivers don't get confused as to which is which. Team Oink also prints in color and dyes his silicone for his theme. So I'm wondering what the best type of material might be if you want or need to use specific colors.

Side note/question does team Oink use laminated pink cardstock to form his bots? I think it is genius if that is what he does.

Again thank you to everyone for your help. I'm grateful.
A bit late to this one, sorry! But for different coloured robots I just have different colours of ABS. I use regular ABS and ABSX from 3d filaprint.
Nuts And Bots - For all your components and ready built antweights!

Alex Shakespeare - Team Shakey / Nuts And Bots / Team Nuts:
AWS 44, 45, 49, 51 & 55 Winner - Far too many robots!
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