Today we bring you another article about filaments, in this case we test the samples provided by Filament2Print. This company has sent us samples of an assortment of filaments and we have made a variety of prints to show you the different technical characteristics of the materials they have supplied us. Filament2Print is a company that for 3 years sells filaments from different international suppliers from your online store betting on innovative and high-quality materials.
La websites from Filament2Print has a great usability and la navigation for the same is very intuitive. The different filaments are cataloged by type and in the tab of each filament we can find a wide Product description, downloadable datasheet in pdf and even a detailed list of technical characteristics which includes values such as "Autoignition Temperature" or "Elmendorf Tear". To its complete web we would only add a mode to be able to categorize the filaments by manufacturer, so that the fanboys of a specific brand have it very easy to remain faithful to their favorite brand.
Speaking of brands, the variety of brands of those they have ensures that we can find everything we can think of: Taulman nylon, Recreus 3D flexible filament, Fillamentum wood-look filament…. the list is very long. Stop by his websites and take a look.
General tips when printing with PLA filaments
Undoubtedly 3D printing with PLA is easier than with ABS. We can print without using hot bed at temperatures between 190º - 220º C, the most optimal temperature will depend on many factors, from the quality and diameter of the nozzle of our printer to the detail in the composition of the chosen material. For example, filaments of different colors, as they carry pigmentation particles in different concentrations, will not melt at the same temperature.
It is important to bear in mind that the speed at which the PLA cools is slow, so when printing small objects it can happen that from one layer to another it has not completely solidified. Solution: always-on fan and if we continue with problems we can (as the manufacturer advises us) print several pieces at the same time.
To ensure good adhesion of the first coat and to minimize the effects of warping, we always We print with the BRIM option of Active Cure and apply a layer of Lacquer "Nelly" on the base surface.
Prints with PLA Premium Pearl Gold
El Pearl Gold PLA technically it has the same characteristics as normal PLA, and really we have not noticed differences or difficulty when printing with it. Printed objects have beautiful reflections that make this material very beautiful. It has inspired us to print some trophies for some competitions that we will have shortly in the office. We have printed to 190º without heated bed and with Brim, perfect result. The manufacturer ensures a tolerance of +/- 0.05 mm, at no time have we had problems during printing.
If you want a showy filament for some project and print without added difficulties, this is a great option.
Printing with PLA Stainless Steel
In order to present an appearance with a certain similarity to steel in this filament has been included a% of steel powder mixed with the PLA material. The filament obtained before use is stiffer than the usual PLA filaments. We thought it was appropriate to print an object that we had previously printed to compare the differences and the chosen object was the same trophy that we had printed in gold filament. We have printed to the same temperature and speed as normal PLA without any notable problem. Once printed, the material has a dark and opaque tone and the trophy is significantly heavier than its counterpart printed in PLA.
The manufacturer assures that we can treat the pieces of this material to make them shiny in a similar way to steel. Given the possible techniques (brushing, polishing, or epoxy coating) we decided pass a fine-grained sandpaper and after a very superficial work the results show that really the pieces take on shine.
Carbon Fiber PLA Printing
El Carbon Fiber filament is composed of a polymer (PLA) and approximately a 15% carbon fiber in small particles, of a size small enough to be able to ensure that they will pass through the extruder without causing jams. With this mixture a much stiffer filament with less flexibility. Ideal features for parts that have to suffer impacts deforming as little as possible. We have printed a parasol for our camera, it is an accessory that, as always, is very exposed, receives many blows and always ends up cracked or drained. The object obtained is very light.
The printed objects have a nice matte finish and despite the fact that the manufacturer talks about using a 0.5 mm nozzle, we have been able to print with the 0.4 nozzle that our printer has without any problem.
Impressions with FILAFLEX YELLOW
It is surprising to open the bag in which the sample of this filament and find yourself with a bright yellow spaghetti, a plus point for the sent tone that is very striking. Filaflex 3D printer filament is a TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) filament with a polyurethane base and certain additives.
Of all the materials analyzed, this is the one that has caused us to make the greatest changes in the printing configuration of our equipment. Following the instructions in the material, we had to configure a very slow printing speed (45 mm / s) and a high temperature (245º C). With this configuration we have not had any problems printing various flexible objects. Another important detail to keep in mind is that this material adheres very well to the base so it is not necessary neither a warm bed nor the usual lacquer coat.
We have had a lot of fun torturing, stretching and twisting objects printed with Filaflex. The manufacturer ensures that material has 700% stretch to break, a high coefficient of friction and great softness, we can assure you that we have stretched it a lot and it can withstand the unthinkable.
Conclusions
The materials tested are of excellent quality, each of them stands out for different reasons. Although all have met the required quality criteria, our favorites have been the FilaFlex and the Carbon fiber.
And you, have you found any material on the manufacturer's website that has caught your attention?