Author Topic: Ultem - Apparently the Stiffest Material Available  (Read 14793 times)

AstroBuilder

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Ultem - Apparently the Stiffest Material Available
« on: August 27, 2016, 01:45:47 PM »
Has anyone tried or thought about printing with Ultem 1010?  It's apparently the stiffest material available today and would bring the M200 up into the ranks of a Stratasys.  Would the Z-Temp products enable doing so?




Julia Truchsess

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Re: Ultem - Apparently the Stiffest Material Available
« Reply #1 on: August 28, 2016, 04:56:01 PM »
It's difficult to get the Zortrax hot end above 310-320º in my experience, even with Z-Temp cranked all the way up. You would not want to use the ZT-HE at that temp, and probably not the Zortrax v2 - you'd want an all-metal hot end. The Z-Temp bed switch does not enable increase of bed temp, so other means would have to be used to get the recommended 110-120º bed temp, if in fact the M200 bed is capable of going that high. In short, the answer to your question is "no".
"Character is doing what's right when nobody's looking." - JC Watts Jr

AstroBuilder

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Re: Ultem - Apparently the Stiffest Material Available
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2016, 09:14:04 AM »
Julia,

Thanks for the knowledgeable reply.  I will outfit my M200 with the Z-Temp products, but pursue other alternatives for a printer that can handle Ultem.

Thanks again.


Dennis

MikeHenry

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Re: Ultem - Apparently the Stiffest Material Available
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2016, 06:55:13 PM »
I wonder if ceramic or glass tube of the proper diameter could be used in place of the Teflon tube liner?

Julia Truchsess

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Re: Ultem - Apparently the Stiffest Material Available
« Reply #4 on: August 31, 2016, 07:08:46 PM »
I actually bought some stainless tubing with the idea of having an "all-metal" option for ZT-HE, but the problem is cutting it square with nice, burr-free edges. Didn't really pursue it.

Even with an all-metal hot end, it's tough to get the required temperature with the Zortrax heater. You need to enclose the printer, have a well-heated room, keep the fans off, and wait a long time. I don't think I've gotten it above 320º.
"Character is doing what's right when nobody's looking." - JC Watts Jr

MikeHenry

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Re: Ultem - Apparently the Stiffest Material Available
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2016, 05:51:43 PM »
Cutting ceramic or glass cleanly might be harder, but I've had good luck with diamond tooling on ceramic.

Could a higher wattage cartridge heater be used to increase temperature faster or is the current limited by the control circuit(s)?

Julia Truchsess

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Re: Ultem - Apparently the Stiffest Material Available
« Reply #6 on: September 01, 2016, 08:39:21 PM »
It is probably possible to use a higher-wattage heater cartridge to get more heat. The MOSFET on the motherboard is rated for something like 110A and the heater takes nowhere near that. The control circuitry should not be a factor, because it's always trying to set the temp to what it thinks is 275 (ABS profile). Z-Temp at +60 should make the actual temp go to 335º if the heater can generate enough heat to get it there. A more powerful heater would probably also destabilize the PID control loop to some extent, resulting in more overshoot and "hunting" while at temp.

Use the above info at your own risk, I take no responsibility for anyone's M200 going up in flames!
"Character is doing what's right when nobody's looking." - JC Watts Jr

MikeHenry

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Re: Ultem - Apparently the Stiffest Material Available
« Reply #7 on: September 02, 2016, 01:27:44 PM »
I knew there was something I was forgetting - temperature control parameters would be a problem.