Using new ColorFabb XT Transparent PLA

[anon4321 16]

PeggyB, I don't think the bubbles are normal. Maybe you got a bad batch. Contact colorfabb and ask.

http://colorfabb.com/contact-us/

 

[fatalerror3141 0]

I just opened a new spool of XT today and it has bubbles in it too, my first spool had none.

Not noticed a change yet, but ive only used afew meters.

 

[meduza 191]

I have had problem with layer adhesion and brittleness in Colorfabb XT, i can easily crush a thin (2mm thick) print like this http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:8119%C2%A0to%20shattered%20pieces%20in%20my%20hand,%20it%20acts%20really%20brittle%20and%20tends%20to%20break%20along%20the%20layers,%20do%20anyone%20else%20have%20that%20problem? to shattered pieces in my hand without using a lot of force.

I have tried printing it really hot and slow, (260c, 10mm/s), colder and quite slow (245, 15mm/s), and even hotter and faster (255 and 40mm/s), also tried both thin (0,1mm) and thick (0,24mm) layers and i still get a similar result...

Printing at a Ultimaker 1 with custom heated bed at kapton tape.

Anyone had that problem?

You can see how it looks during print here:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/s7101392xhu7vfq/IMG_20140808_024718.jpg

 

[jonnybischof 60]

I have the bubbles as well. Haven't had any problems with that yet. There will be partial underextrusions whenever one of these bubbles reaches the nozzle. But they should be small enough to not really matter.

Other materials might have these bubbles as well, but if it's not transparent you just won't notice it...

 

[anon4321 16]

I have found that XT is MORE flexible in thinner prints. I printed a fan duct (camel toe!) in XT using a thickness that was good for PLA. However it was too flexible in XT so I had to thicken it. The thicker part doesn't seem brittle at all and remains quite pliable.

 

[colorfabb 3]

Did anyone see this also?

air bubbles in the filament...

don't know if this has any effect yet..

 

 

But they should be small enough to not really matter.

Other materials might have these bubbles as well, but if it's not transparent you just won't notice it...

 

Hi Peggy, about the bubbles in XT filament. These are actually not 'air bubbles' but vacuum holes, they can occur when filament cools down and starts to set during the production. Since there isn't trapped air inside, but nothing at all it shouldn't effect the print quality. We have tested this on several printers and couldn't see a noticeable effect.

 

[peggyb 169]

thanks for clarifying this, I couldn't see any effect on the print, nor hear any difference..

 

[hreedijk 4]

Advise for adhesion with XT to the printbed (use it also for PLA), use kapton tape.

I print with XT every day, never have adhesion problems.

 

[meduza 191]

I have solved all my printing problems with Colorfabb XT, seems like i got a bad roll, since @gadgetfreak saw my post above and he lent me a demo roll of XT from http://3dverkstan.se and well, it was a totally different animal to print with. I will get a new roll as soon as their next order arrives.

Thanks to 3Dverkstan and @gadgetfreak for great service

 

[hreedijk 4]

Good to hear Meduza !

 

[daniel-schinsky 0]

I printed a bunch of new printer parts with the Colorfabb XT. I was under the impression that this material was much stronger than traditional PLA. However I am finding it to be very brittle... it does not flex at all without breaking.... and easily I might add. I thought it could be temp.. but that would mostlikey only cause breakage allong the layers. but it breads along the layer and againts them. so for not impressed. I am printing at 70 speed at 240c I have tried 250 and 220c as well. no change??? any ideas?

 

[meduza 191]

That sounds like the problem i described at the last page, which all went away with a new roll of XT.

 

[jonnybischof 60]

I usually print with 255°C (a bit lower should still be fine, but print too cold and you get brittle results).

As little fan as possible (I have a much weaker cooling fan than the UM standard, and I use 40% max).

And I print with 2 shells and 100% infill to get super-strong prints.

Hollow (20% infill or something) XT parts actually are much more brittle than a good PLA. I think, the trick is that the shells must not be allowed to flex. With 100% infill, the shells are tightly held into place. If you have only a 0.8mm wall, you can flex it which delaminates the layers.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong with my hollow prints, but I've just settled with 100% infill

 

[chuck-yanke 10]

Does anyone know the difference between XT and PET+ from Made Solid? They seem very simular

[printedsolid 3]

They are very similar and are both going after that market of a really functional 3D printing material.

XT is stronger and tends to have better layer bonding.

 

[daniel-schinsky 0]

I just noticed on the colorfabb site that they had changed the formula and rolls made before feb 2013 are 220-240 and newer are 240-260.... so I think that is where I got some of the confusion then. I am printing now at 255 and giving that a try ... but up till not everything I have printed has be pretty brittle.

 

[colorfabb 3]

I just noticed on the colorfabb site that they had changed the formula and rolls made before feb 2013 are 220-240 and newer are 240-260.... so I think that is where I got some of the confusion then. I am printing now at 255 and giving that a try ... but up till not everything I have printed has be pretty brittle.

 

Hi Daniel,

At what speeds are you trying to print? I did some XT printing with the UM Original yesterday and was able to print solid parts already at 235C, 0.2mm layer height and at about 35mm/s print speed.

Also when you insert the material into the bowden tube, a fresh piece of filament that has not been flattened by the knurled bolt, do you feel unusual amounts of resistance?

cheers,

Gijs

 

[ilsaarin 2]

I usually print with 255°C (a bit lower should still be fine, but print too cold and you get brittle results).

As little fan as possible (I have a much weaker cooling fan than the UM standard, and I use 40% max).

And I print with 2 shells and 100% infill to get super-strong prints.

Hollow (20% infill or something) XT parts actually are much more brittle than a good PLA. I think, the trick is that the shells must not be allowed to flex. With 100% infill, the shells are tightly held into place. If you have only a 0.8mm wall, you can flex it which delaminates the layers.

Maybe I'm doing something wrong with my hollow prints, but I've just settled with 100% infill

 

I tried with fans off and 255 deg. Total disaster. Just a pile of holes and molten plastic.

 

[jonnybischof 60]

I tried with fans off and 255 deg. Total disaster. Just a pile of holes and molten plastic.

 

What's your heated bed configuration? Temperature, anything added to the glass surface?

I'm printing XT directly on my PEI build plate, just need to heat it to ~60°C. Never printed on glass before, but I think you're supposed to use blue tape on the glass plate + heat it.

 

[korneel 176]

i have now printed over 6 kilos of colored XT using an ultimaker 2...

i find the material very strong and sturdy. I am using it to print vases. I've also tried printing smaller mechanical parts with it, with lesser succes. the vases come out perfect.

my settings are printing at 245 degrees, 50mm/s speed, 0.2mm layer height, fans off and heated bed at 70 degrees. these prints are large prints, about 24 hours of printing, without any hiccups. great material!

 

[ilsaarin 2]

What's your heated bed configuration? Temperature, anything added to the glass surface?

I'm printing XT directly on my PEI build plate, just need to heat it to ~60°C. Never printed on glass before, but I think you're supposed to use blue tape on the glass plate + heat it.

 

Heated glass plate with glue stick in it. No problems with sticking. Just the print looked horrible. I noticed that when layer is started, the plastic boils when it comes out. It bubbles! Temperature was 245 deg. glass plate was set to 70deg.

I made Iphone case yesterday. It came out much better than robotbut I had to switch fans back on. It also had delamination problems.

 

[hreedijk 4]

Ilsaarin, you say it bubbles which means the nozzle is too hot.

Lower the temp of the nozzle, I'm able to print with the new XT at 234 degrees as 50mm/s speed on my UMO.

The old XT even at 212 degrees!

As a test, heat up the nozzle at 220 and raise heat up slowly every 30 seconds by 2 or 4 degrees at a time, until the XT comes nicely out of the nozzle.

Then print a simple object (single wall cylinder as example) to test out the best temperature for the material for your nozzle.

You don't have to stick to the advised temps, I never do.

 

[jonnybischof 60]

255°C (or 260°C) shouldn't be that much too hot. I've never had any trouble with XT overheating or so...

Did you buy that XT directly from Colorfabb? I mean, are you sure that you are printing actual Colorfabb XT and not some fake material?

/edit:

By the way, I've noticed that in my case, XT prints best at 40mm/s or a little faster. Going slower actually gives worse results (nozzle heats up the lower layers too much).

 

[korneel 176]

i have had best results using the default settings... 245 at 50 mm/s..

going slower i would definitely print at 235....

 

[hreedijk 4]

255°C (or 260°C) shouldn't be that much too hot. I've never had any trouble with XT overheating or so...

I agree, but when the filament bubbles out of the nozzle it is for sure too hot.