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Extremely interesting and totally useful, many thanks!!! Do I interpret the graphs correctly to conclude that transparent polycarbonate (UM filament) beats Tough PLA in terms of both strength and Young's modulus? However, it is surprising that the graphs shows "generic PLA" to be stronger than Tough PLA.

I need to produce a prototype (with an Ultimaker S5) that can withstand some serious mechanical stress. What is the strongest material that I can use for that? I am currently using "Tough PLA", but ideally I'd like something tougher. Much tougher, if possible...

I am printing several perforated tiles. I like to print them horizontally, because that does not need support in the holes. But they take up a lot of space, hence I'd like to print a bunch of them on top of each other to save me time and nerves.

Quick question. Is there a way to instruct Cura to print models on top of each other, separated by a layer of support?

My UM S5 has an issue that I do not understand. When I start the print, it brings up the plate, it does the active levelling ... and then the printhead goes to the left back corner, both LEDs on the printhead stay red, and the display says "Ready to print". And nothing happens. Then I reluctantly cycle the power (I haven't found a way to do a "warm reboot"), and randomly, on the 2nd or on the 5h attempt, the UM starts printing. This is very frustrating. What might possibly be going on?

I have an UM S5, and I need to better understand the relationship between printhead movement velocity and print quality. Until yesterday, I always left the speed at the default value, which I think is 45 mm/s. Then, upon reading some posts here, I stepped up to 70 mm/s. The result was a horribly clogged AA0.4 print core, with an enormous blob of PLA encapsulating the nozzle and large parts of the print core! I managed to remove (most of) the debris with a combination of hot-air gun and dental surgical instruments. Now I have reduced the speed to 30 mm/s, and the current print seems to be OK. However, I am not even sure that the printhead accident had anything to do with the increased speed (although it seems likely). Might community members please elaborate on speeds appropriate for various materials and nozzles, and offer some advice? Thanks in advance!

Thanks! Very useful tips. I also use UM materials, except for Dupont Hytrel which is a fantastic elastomer, incredibly malleable.

Stef, what do you exactly mean with "slow speed"? How slow for 0.4 and for 0.25 cores, respectively? With which materials? I am experimenting with a lot of settings, and I am learning by trial-and-error - but I wouldn't mind avoiding (at least some) errors...

I also stopped. I see no difference. The shield seems a good thing though. Less stringing, I believe.

I think that it is very unfortunate that UM does not even bother to display which one of the two extruders is down. It doesn't seem too much to ask.

what do you think of the idea of improving the polybox by adding a Reptile Heating Pad?

...or is PLA simply not the right material? Would I obtain more strength from e.g. polycarbonate?

I am trying to print some M10 screws with tough PLA. With the AA0.25 nozzle, the resolution is very good and the threads are usable without modifications. However, the screws are simply not strong enough; the threaded part snaps away from the head as soon as I give some torque. I thought that my Cura settings would be really strong, but that was not the case. Which settings are critical in order to achieve the strongest possible print? If push comes to shove, I'd even print everything solid (100% infill) but when I tried that setting Cura would still leave a lot of open space (maybe because of the gradual infill, or something).

Thank you. Are there any Cura settings that would make a prime tower redundant? Does it make sense to print the "shield" with Extruder 1 (PLA), and would that to some extent replace the need for a prime tower?

Good point. I think that I will not make any moves until Bondtech provides a plug-and-play replacement with obvious, documented advantages.