Team colorFabb, Author at Learn ColorFabb

PLA/PHAlloween

It is almost Halloween again and our print lab printed a pumpkin in Dutch Orange PLA/PHA to stay in the spirit.

Pumpkin: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:25935

Sir Fill by Ola Sundberg: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:501831

PLA/PHA was the first product group we launched almost 4 years ago (how time flies…) and Dutch Orange has been consistently one of our top colors. PLA/PHA is the unique blend of PHA added to our PLA to make the filament less brittle. PHA is like PLA a bio-polyester.

Since we used a golden oldie as our material for this print, we also decided to use on of our trusted Ultimaker Originals for this print job. As always, it performed remarkably well in combination with our PLA/PHA, printing on a 0.2mm layer height.

PLA/PHA is available in a wide variety of 30 diverse colors. Check them out in our webshop!

Have a great Halloween and a fantastic weekend!

Toyota Corolla

We don’t only print big cars (like, for instance, the F1 car), but also smaller ones, like this Toyota Corolla AE86 toy car (which measures 12cm). For this print we used nGen Black and Gray Metallic.

Design: click here.

Inspired by the anime series Initial D and modelled by Jurica Pranjic it has a drif bodykit and Work Meister S1 Wheels. You can find Jurica’s full portfolio on MyMiniFactory.

nGen was released late last year as our second Amphora based co-polyester from Eastman Chemical Company, after succesfully launching colorFabb_XT in 2014. Since then, we have also launched the high temperature resistant colorFabb_HT and recently the semi-flexible nGen_FLEX.

nGen is a perfect all-round material to make prototypes, big and small, For toys we need materials with great colors and good stable mechanical properties. nGen comes in 17 great and carefully selected colors . Because of nGen’s good mechanical properties parts will last a long time.

This print was made on the Ultimaker 2 with a 0.1mm layer height.

nGen is a low-odor, styrene-free material uniquely suited for 3D printing enthusiasts, particularly those who need the flexibility to print within a wide processing temperature range. With nGen you will have good flow properties through the printer nozzle—even at lower temperatures than some other polymers require. These properties make nGen more workable at a wider breadth of temperatures, producing reliable results and resulting in less waste.

You can find more information about nGen, based on Eastman Amphora AM3300, on our dedicated nGen landing page.

nGen is now available in our webshop and through our worldwide network of distributors and resellers.

3d printing colorfabb ngen toy toyota ultimaker

Dual print with nGen and nGen_FLEX

Today’s featured print is a demonstrator model we also used at the recent TCT Show. For this model, which is our own design, we used nGen Gold Metallic for the base and nGen_FLEX Dark Gray for the flexible part.

Printing on the BCN3D Sigma we see how a world of opportunities opens up when you are able to use two different materials in the same print. The layer adhesion between the two materials is downright excellent.

nGen was released late last year and is an all-round filament which has many advantages over, say, a PLA. The temperature resistance is over 80 degrees C and it works on most printers with a heated build plate. nGen is a low-odor, styrene-free material uniquely suited for 3D printing enthusiasts, particularly those who need the flexibility to print within a wide processing temperature range. With nGen you will have good flow properties through the printer nozzle—even at lower temperatures than some other polymers require. These properties make nGen more workable at a wider breadth of temperatures, producing reliable results and resulting in less waste.

nGen_FLEX was released recently at the TCT Show and is our first semi-flexible material. With a Shore A hardness of 95 it is a material that is ideally suited for functional parts. It is not soft and squishy like other flexible materials in the market, but allows for fast printing and printing on 3D printers using a Bowden tube. nGen_FLEX is a material for users looking for an engineering grade flexible filament with a high temperature resistance (over 120 degrees C) and good chemical resistance.

Both nGen and nGen_FLEX are made with Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymers, a range of co-polyesters developed with Eastman Chemical Company for 3D printing. Amphora co-polyesters are low-odor, styrene-free choices that are uniquely suited for 3D printing applications. With Amphora, items can be created that are more functional, more durable, more efficient and attractive. You can find more information about co-polyesters in the article we recently published: What we talk about when we talk about co-polyesters.

Both nGen and nGen_FLEX are available now in our webshop (click here or here) and via our network of distributors and resellers. Click here for a reseller closest to you.

3d printing amphora bcn sigma colorfabb eastman functional ngen ngen_flex tct

Water cap with nGen_FLEX

We are always looking for functional designs that we can use in real life. And when it comes to functionality we always go for one of our Amphora based co-polyester filaments. Developed with Eastman Chemical Company, we currently offer four grades: nGen, colorFabb_XT, colorFabb_HT and the recently launched nGen_FLEX.

And with this nGen_FLEX, which won great reviews after launching, we printed a water cap, designed by Peter Krige.

Design by Peter Krige, click here.

As described by the designer himself: “A hose or plastic tube is attached to the inner nozzle on the Water Cap. This is then inserted into the water container. The cap is screwed on and the inner rubber washer ensures an air tight seal. The water container is half filled with water. Then a longer piece of hose or plastic tube is attached to the outer nozzle and its other end installed in the flex tap. The flex tap works by creating a kink in the tube which controls or stops the water flow depending on how much the user flexes the handle. A bicycle pump is connected to the schrader valve and the container pressurised with air.”

With nGen_FLEX we created a truly functional print of this design. nGen_FLEX was launched succesfully at the TCT Show recently and is our first semi-flexible filament. It has a Shore A hardness of 95 and has very good printability on a wide variety of printers, even the ones with Bowden tubes which are in general challenging to print flexible filaments on. The heat resistance of over 120 degrees C adds to the functionality and even allows steam sterilization of your print when needed! You can find more information about the material, the data sheets and print tutorials on our dedicated landing page.

We printed the water cap on the Mass Portal Pharaoh 3D with a 0.2mm layer height.

nGen_FLEX is now available in both dark gray and black. Click here for availability online.

3d printing amphora colorfabb flex functional mass portal ngen_flex water cap

Dodecahedron with XT-CF20

A few weeks ago we printed a Rhombic Dodecahedron Derived Figure with nGen Light Blue. You can find the original post here. We use this model, made by Fred Bartels, a lot lately to test our filaments with. The print we want to share today is the same dodecahedron, but printed with XT-CF20.

Design by Fred Bartels: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:539489

We introducted XT-CF20 early 2015, containing 20% carbon fibres with colorFabb_XT.

Due to the abrasive nature of XT-CF20 we always used hardened steel nozzles to print this filament. In recent weeks, however, we have been extensively testing with the Olsson Ruby nozzle, provided to us by 3DVerkstan, our distributor in the Nordic region and producer of these new nozzles. You can find the Death Gun mask here and Robot Action figure here for examples printed with this new nozzle that will be released in November.

As you can see we have had fantastic results with this new nozzle.

We printed the dodecahedron on an Ultimaker 2 at 0.1mm layer height.

XT-CF20 is available now in our webshop.

3d printing colorfabb design dodecahedron fred bartels nozzle olsson ultimaker xt-cf20

Robot Action Figure

For a little while we’ve been testing The Olsson Ruby, a truly very special nozzle. With a real gemstone at the tip of the nozzle this is one of the most abrasion resistant nozzles made. As expected it fits right into the Olsson heater block which makes it easy to swap between other nozzles.

We’ve been running two of our abrasive filaments XT-CF20 and steelFill to see what these nozzles are made of. The temperatures we’ve used during printing have been very similar to regular brass nozzles, so it seems no big temperature difference are expected using The Olsson Ruby.

In this case we printed the Robot Action Figure designed by le Fab Shop for the 2014 Paris Maker Faire. Print quality looks great with nice details and good layer adhesion.

We’ll be printing a lot more with The Olsson Ruby in the next few weeks to really put it through its paces. If you’re interested in more information on The Olsson Ruby project visit the 3D printing forum.

3dverkstan steelFill The Olsson Ruby ultimaker 2

3D printed pennyboard

If a 3D printed pennyboard is strong enough for a person to stand on, why not print the trucks and wheels as well?

So that’s what we did. We used the beautiful Pennyboard designed by Andrew Askedall as the base and designed trucks and wheels based on pictures found on the internet. Not a single person in our colorFabb organization knows anything about skateboarding or designing skateboard parts, but we think it turned out well enough to share with you.

The board was printed on a Delta Tower with colorFabb_XT. The model was placed at a slight angle instead of straight up to increase the layer cross section and improve strength. We used a 0.8mm nozzle for best toughness possible. The trucks have been printed with colorFabb_HT using the Mass Portal. The parts turned out very tough and have not yet been replaced, because we used 80% infill and 3 perimeters in combination with a 0.6mm nozzle.

All the nGen-FLEX parts have been printed on the Mass Portal, using a buildTak sheet.

With nGen_FLEX you can make a lot more then just skateboard wheels, by varying infill and perimeter settings you can determine if a print needs to be stiff or flexible. We used this trick on the 3D printed bushing to get he right stiffness in the truck assemblies.

Want to make your own 3D printed pennyboard? Get the files:

Other things you’ll need:

8x 608 bearings for the wheels
2x M8 threaded rod for the axle
8x M5 bolt for mounting the trucks (holes might not align perfectly with board so drilled these out)
8x M5 nut for mounting the trucks
4x M8 lock nut for mounting the wheels
2x M5 for mounting the two pieces of a single truck together

Hex Key Holder in nGen Dark Gray

Misplacing hex-keys is a thing of the past with this handy 3D printed hex-key holder which is designed by AngelLM. We 3D printed this in nGen Dark Gray on the Ultimaker 2 at 0.15mm layerheight and this resulted in a beautiful and functional 3D print. For the perfect fit we had to scale it up a tiny bit which gives a firm yet easy fit.

nGen is available in 17 beautiful vivid colors which will give life to any project you can think of. Keep an eye out for specific color which are on sale every week because you might just find the color you need for a great deal.

ngen thingiverse ultimaker 2

How to post-process co-polyesters

Of course we love our prints as they are. We put great effort to choose the best materials and the finest materials. With our “How To…” posts we want everybody to be able to create the best prints possible on a wide variety of printers. We have written before about post-processing our metal filled filaments, which literally truly shine when processed the right way. More links to blogs about post-processing these special filaments can be found here.

Beyond the special filaments, which have great aesthetic properties, we also have our range of co-polyesters: nGen, colorFabb_XT and colorFabb_HT and we received quite a few questions about post-processing these materials. To find our more about the materials themselves, check out the blog we have written before by clicking here.

Developed by Eastman Chemical Company, Eastman Amphora™ 3D polymers are the basis of our co-polyesters and offer a low-odor, styrene-free choice that is uniquely suited for 3D printing applications. With Amphora, items can be created that are more functional, more durable, more efficient, and attractive. With superior melt strength and dimensional stability, our range of co-polyesters deliver advanced bridging capabilities to create stronger and more detailed items—with low odor and low emissions.

Now, once a print comes of the printer and you want to be doing something truly functional with it you may need some kind of post-processing with it, also called secondary operations. Be it painting, drilling or glueing there are multiple ways to work with a printed object once it has been printed, but before you can use it. You can truly bring 3D printing into your life by making useful applications.

For instance, you need to drill into a part. This should be no problem with co-polyesters. We recommend drills specifically made for plastic. Steel drills are possible, but only when grounded. Tips like these are to be found in the brochure that Eastman has prepared and which you can find by clicking here.

Click on the image below to find the full guide prepared by Eastman Chemical Company:

Our range of co-polyesters are available online.

3d printing amphora colorfabb colorfabb_ht colorfabb_xt eastman functional ngen post-processing

How to print with colorFabb nGen_FLEX

To get the best possible quality out of any 3D printing material it’s important to match the slicer settings with the material which is used. On this page we’ll run through the most important settings and suggest good starting values for various printers. If your machine isn’t in our list use the general recommended settings.

In the table below you can quickly find values for your machine, scroll a bit further down to read more about each settings.

[table id=12 /]

Heated platform – 80/100C

We highly recommend using a BuildTak plate for better adhesion. Parts which are likely to warp, either due to high infill, need for external cooling fans or due to the specific geometry of the model will get better results printed on a buildTak plate.
Advice on Using BuildTak – when printing on a brand new buildTak make sure the first layer is not pressed into the buildTak. There should be enough space between nozzle and buildTak, most likely more then you would normally use on a regular glass build surface.
Part removal from a BuildTak plate – when removing a part from the buildTak plate we advice to cool down completely and reheat to 80C. With a thin spatula, slide underneath the brim from all sides, then carefully continue with the rest of the model.
Build plate adhesion – most slicers will have the option for adding a brim around the printed object. We highly recommend to use this feature, removal after printing is very easy, the brim peals right off after making an initial cut.

Printing temperature – 240/260C

nGen_FLEX is processed at 240/260C on most 3D printers. This allows most 3D printers to achieve good flow and reach speeds quite similar to PLA.

To reach higher speed / output of material, you might need to increase temperature. The material handles higher temperatures very well.

Cooling

As always, for tough strong parts with excellent layer adhesion we recommend using 0% fan. However to improve overhanging surfaces, small details and top surface quality some cooling will be required. 50% would be a good start point for most 3D printers. If layer adhesion isn’t affected you will be able to increase cooling and maybe gain some print speed at the same time without loss of quality.

Minimal layer time

If you’re familiar with the minimal layer time setting then you’ll know this is what causes a printer to slow down when printing fine features on a model. Slowing down the print allows each layer to cool down a minimum amount of time. This is of course different for each material, because it depends on how fast a material can dissipate heat and how much heat needs to be dissipated.

For colorFabb_HT it’s also important to adjust the minimum layer time when you want to print without cooling for best layer adhesion.

Retraction

Before you start tweaking the retraction values make sure you’ve found the sweet spot in terms of printing temperature and speed for your machine.

PLA retraction values should be a good starting value for most machines. One can expect slightly higher values of retraction speed and retraction length. For more specific values have a look at our table above.

Coasting is a nice option included in Simplify3D. This is the act of stopping the extrusion just before a travel move is triggered, this helps get rid of the pressure in the hot-end and therefor also making a retraction move more effective.

Print speed

Most machines showed good printability of the nGen_FLEX material printing at PLA speeds, but at elevated temperatures of 250/260C. Whether you can print this fast also depends on the model, some models with overhanging surfaces, or small islands / details, can’t be printed fast due the cooling down of the layers.

howto ngen-flex