Does CPE or CPE+ react with Limonene? Looking to print with dissolvable HIPS supports...

[camiwtnb 0]

I've been trying for months now to print quite a tricky part out of CPE and CPE+ (boss's orders). However, the PVA supports I've been using just wont print well with the high temps required for these two materials. There's always oozing and stringing, which gets trapped between layers and compromises the structural integrity of the part. But equally frustrating is that the CPE just wont adhere to the PVA and warps like crazy. 

 

I was hoping to try using HIPS as an alternative to the PVA, since it has a much closer nozzle and build plate temp., but I cant seem to find anything on whether CPE and CPE+ can hold up to the limonene required to dissolve the HIPS. We haven't purchased the HIPS filament or solvent yet so I haven't been able to physically test it. 

 

Any advice or print suggestions?

[gr5 2,071]

Try PLA as breakaway support.  It works AMAZINGLY well for PETG and PETG and CPE are very similar materials (maybe they are identical - I think the formulations are a secret).  So I'd give it a shot.

 

As a non-dissolvable support material you have to be careful where you allow the supports.  I'd just use it to support the outer extremetries of those loops.

 

ALSO it looks like you have some bad shaking for those columns.  You can probably reduce that by putting the print a little more towards the back of the print bed where it won't bounce as much.  Although I suspect that in your specific case - bouncing isn't the problem.  I'm not sure what the problem is.

 

Hmm.  That center print - the right tower has all this extra crap on it and the left tower is so underextruded it is missing most of the tower.  Something is messed up here but I don't know what.

 

Are you using a support tower?  That might be your main issue.

 

Okay I'm changing my advice: 

1) Make sure the the PVA is resting on the print bed and not only on top of PLA.  To do this increase "support horizontal expansion" to at least 5mm or whatever it takes so that the PVA is securely on the print bed.

2) use a support tower - that should correct the over extrusion of the right vertical post and the under extrusion of the left vertical post.

3) Use support blocker for the central part of the print.  That's a huge waste of PVA in areas that don't need any support.  You just need support where those "race tracks" curve around 180 degrees.  This 3rd suggestion is not going to make the print any better but it will save you tons of time so you can do more experiments and save on PVA and save on the time to remove the PVA by many hours.