TPU/TPE Filaments

[Simon @simonhoult I have several commercial Robox units]

Just tested nGen_flex on another printer (on my new build surface). Its an excellent material and very similar to PolyFlex, although I did notice a strange odor from the nGen_flex.

@pete Have you used nGen_flex and PolyFlex? If so which one works best with the Robox? or is another material better? I only really need to have one flexible option so if you know the answer it would save me some time when the new Robox arrives.

STEELMANS 3D PRINT.
3D Hub: www.3dhubs.com/service/steelmans
Website: www.steelmans3d.com

[Kent Hartland @heartlander My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version Kansas City, Missouri, USA]

I had good luck with Semi Flex in the Robox. Feeds well but not real rubbery when printed, certainly not like super rubbery NinjaFlex which I can’t get to feed at all in the Robox.

I have also had pretty good luck with PolyFlex, something between NinjaFLex and SemiFlex as far as rubberiness, but it can be a trick to get it unstuck from the bed. They say try blue tape but I had a hard time getting it to stick to that. And, big qualifier, I have not tried it on my Robox, just my Prusa. So, some experimentation seems due. If the unsticking problem can be resolved, and I’m sure it can, it would seem to be a great flex filament.

Kent
Damn Solid Design

[click @click My Robox is a Green Kickstarter Limited Edition]

@heartlander feeding ninjaflex is not easy but possible. I’ve been printing with it all last week or so and managed to get all I needed. You just need to be patient and equipped with a tube to feed it through up to the extruder. If it doesn’t work for the first time then try to squeeze as much filament into the tube as possible making it compressed before extruder grabs it. Also, as soon as you hear extruder pulling it add more to that compression…

[Pete @pete My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version CEL HQ Bristol UK]

I havent tried Polyflex but nGen flex is very easy to print with. Ninjaflex returns to shape when flexed, nGen flex doesn’t, it is probably good as something which resists movement of impact but not as a spring or something which needs to retain its shape. If you stretch Ninjaflex it springs back, nGen flex will stay stretched and not return to it’s shape.

Both regular Ninjaflex and semiflex are able to be used on Robox but like click says it takes patience and a newer X2 type extruder (grey casing, not black). I’ve said before, pushing a floppy thing down a tube is challenging 🙂

For official support please visit www.cel-robox.com/support/ and create a ticket

[Terry Taylor @n6mon My Robox is a Green Kickstarter Early Bird San Lorenzo, Ca, USA]

@pete, One issue that I have had with NinjaFlex is ejecting it. AM only heats the extruder to 140 degrees and (at least on my machine) is not hot enough to allow the NinjaFlex to eject.

Terry Taylor

[BHudson @bhudson I have several Robox units Kickstarter and Commercial Arizona, USA]

@n6mon In my experirence, the problem isn’t with the heat, it is with the grab on the material. I don’t bother trying to eject NinjaFlex, I just pull the head off hot and eject with the head off, then cool the head afterward. The NinjaFlex always comes right out of the head and makes a nice broken end at 140. My printer won’t eject NinjaFlex at print temperature either.

I operate two Betas and one Production Robox.
I am the US/Canada Technical Support engineer for the Robox.
See my 3D Hub site at https://www.3dhubs.com/phoenix/hubs/ben

[Pete @pete My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version CEL HQ Bristol UK]

There are a few materials which will not eject reliably with the default eject temp of 140°C, the eject macro is also able to do a series of movements to create a neat end on the filament, the best movements vary a little between materials.

We are building a database of materials and how they should be handled. This is not ready yet so for now it would be best to follow these steps for materials that wont eject normally:

1. Enable advanced mode in Preferences>Advanced.
2. Heat the nozzle to an appropriate temperature for the material using the gcode panel. The command below will heat the right nozzle (material 1:) on a DM head or both nozzles on an SM head. (For left nozzle on DM head replace S with T (material 2:))

   M104 S220

3. Once the temperature is reached use the following command to run the top extruder backwards. This is the extruder which supplies the right nozzle (material 1:). For the bottom extruder (material 2:) use D in place of E.

   g0 e-10

4. Repeat this command a few times, if the material appears to be moving you can increase the command to:

   g0 e-200

5. I’ve found 5 or 6 repeats of this command will eject the filament, don’t just repeat it quickly, make sure it is moving each time. If it gets stuck at any point you can power off, remove the head, power on again and use a positive number to run the filament toward where the head was, remove any deformities and then eject the filament. Be sure to power off before fitting or removing the head.
6. If at any point you are not sure you should ask for help from support. If you break something using these commands you will be responsible for the repair bill.

For official support please visit www.cel-robox.com/support/ and create a ticket

[click @click My Robox is a Green Kickstarter Limited Edition]

I didn’t have issue ejecting it even at 140ºC. Issue was that when extruder started pulling ninjaflex back, it would thin out around filament detect switch and AM would stop ejecting it as it would think there’s no filament in. I usually sort it by manually drive extruder back until get my filament out.

It wouldn’t be bad to still have jog controls even though AM detects no smartreel and/or filament loaded.

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