PolyMax Strings between parts

[MikeHenry]

I'm using PolyMax at -80 and 0.14mm, high speed, 100% fan, normal seam on multi-part prints and getting a lot of very fine "strings" between the parts.  Is that pretty normal for this filament.

Oh yeah - Z-Temp V1, and ZT-HE on a Zortrax M200.

[Julia Truchsess]

Yes, Polymax is a stringy filament, and the ZT-HE is a stringy (low-friction) hot end. You just have to cut them off

[MikeHenry]

Thanks, just wanted to be sure I wasn't missing anything.  The strings actually remove quite well if a hot air gun is applied to the part.  The fuzz just seems to melt away into thin air.

[Julia Truchsess]

It's possible that one of the other Z-Suite profiles uses more retraction than the Z-ABS one, and might therefore have less stringing, but I stay with Z-ABS just to minimize the number of variables in my testing.

[MikeHenry]

I'm also staying with ABS slicing in Z-Suite just to be consistent and minimize foul-ups at my end.  It would be nice if Zortrax released a utility to report the parameters used when a particular part Z-code was created.  As it is now, I have old parts saved and no idea what version of Z-Suite was used to create it, let alone what filament and other parameters.  Oops - starting to rant here.

[hobbymods]

Maybe try -70, 60% fan and normal speed. ABS.

I've never had any issues with stringing with those settings, with either Z or ZT-HE hot ends.

The ZT-HE gives a slightly nicer finish with Polymax though.

[MikeHenry]

Thanks Hobby, I'll try that on a part that doesn't take too long to print.  Experimenting with settings on 8+ hr print jobs is a very slow process.

I'm gradually working through the parts for the Zortrax Modular Arm at 0.14 mm.  So far Polymax is doing pretty well and it is really nice to have a color choice with little or no warping on larger parts.  Between filament and and fasteners this will be well over $100 in materials.  Polymaker has been quick on delivery; my order on July 3 showed up today and the 4th was a US holiday so that is basically 2-day shipping.

[z-renegade]

I'm also staying with ABS slicing in Z-Suite just to be consistent and minimize foul-ups at my end.  It would be nice if Zortrax released a utility to report the parameters used when a particular part Z-code was created.  As it is now, I have old parts saved and no idea what version of Z-Suite was used to create it, let alone what filament and other parameters.  Oops - starting to rant here.

MikeHenry, you could open that old files in one of the newer versions of Z-Suite (not every works though) and see what slicing profile (filament) and basic parms (layers, infill, support) have been used originally.

[MikeHenry]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I usually just re-slice the part if it's important to know.  Since Zortrax decided to go with encrypted G-code, it seems only fair to ask them to provide a way that we check the parameters that a Z-code file was created with.  Of course, they may not have included that info in the G-code so maybe it's a moot point.  If they haven't, they should have but asking about stuff like that is worse than pulling teeth.  At least the pain stops when you pull the tooth but with Z you still have the pain.

[MikeHenry]

For what it's worth, here are shots of a PolyMax part before and after cleaning.  Does this look pretty typical or do I need better technique?

As noted before the strings clean up quite easily so I'm not as concerned as I was before.  Getting the raft off on some parts is now my main problem, especially on parts with a round footprint.

[Julia Truchsess]

That's hilarious! I guess all the times I've used Polymax it's been for "blockier" things where the tool path didn't have to cross empty space very much. If you're using "random" seam, setting that to "normal" might help.

[MikeHenry]

Nope, learned my lesson on random seam and no longer use it.  I'll check the strings off my list of things to worry about.

This part is from the Modular Arm (non-motorized robitic arm) and the orientations are driving me nuts as I never know which is the best way to print them since they are so irregular.  The default orientation when loaded into Z-Suite is usually at some sort of odd angle that appears to be sub-optimum and what looks like the obvious orientation (to me) sometimes needs an adjustment of a very weird increment like 22.867 degrees.  Other times 90° does it.  This sort of lack of attention to detail drives me nuts.

[z-renegade]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I usually just re-slice the part if it's important to know.  Since Zortrax decided to go with encrypted G-code, it seems only fair to ask them to provide a way that we check the parameters that a Z-code file was created with.  Of course, they may not have included that info in the G-code so maybe it's a moot point.  If they haven't, they should have but asking about stuff like that is worse than pulling teeth.  At least the pain stops when you pull the tooth but with Z you still have the pain.

Hmm, looks like we misunderstood!?

Z actually IS embedding the slicing parameters in ZCode and that's why you CAN look it up by just opening that ZCode file with Z-suite.
Z-Suite shows the slicing parms used in the bottom line. There has been at least one Z-Suite version that did not show it correct (dunno wich), but most do it right.

And I do not get the point how you can tell the originally used slicing parms by just reslicing the part (kinda memory effect that happens then? :-) )

[Julia Truchsess]

Yes, but unfortunately they don't display a lot of parameters, like fan speed, surface layers etc. Not even sure if print speed is shown. That's why I keep a print notebook to record all parameters.

[MikeHenry]

Yes, but unfortunately they don't display a lot of parameters, like fan speed, surface layers etc. Not even sure if print speed is shown. That's why I keep a print notebook to record all parameters.

Exactly, though I think that Z-Suite now lists more parameters in a sliced file than it used to.

Zrenegade - when I re-slice it's just I use whatever parameters make sense to me that day.  I'm afraid that re-slicing doesn't help my memory at all.