12.5 Flex
Flex is a very strong and elastic material. In many cases, classic hard plastics may not be
suitable for printing a specific model. Whether you are printing a phone cover, an action
camera case, or an RC car wheel, it is better to use a flexible material.
Before you print from Flex, clean the nozzle from any previous material. Start by
preheating to the highest temperature you’ve recently printed at. Then load PLA into
the extruder to push out any previous material. When inserting Flex, loosen the
pressure on the idler as much as possible.
Advantages
Disadvantages
Flexibility and elasticity
It requires extra steps to load the
filament
Minimal warping
More demanding to prepare and
print
Good layer adhesion
Must be printed slowly
Abrasion resistance
Higher price
Must be stored in a dry environment
●
Nozzle temperature:
230 - 260 °C
●
Bed temperature:
45 - 65 °C (a larger object requires a higher temperature)
●
Heatbed:
Make sure the surface is clean, as described in
chapter.
WARNING:
Some very soft materials can adhere very strongly to
the
smooth PEI sheet and Satin powder coated sheet require the use of a glue
stick
as a separator to avoid damaging the PEI surface. This is not necessary with
the textured powder-coated PEI.
12.6 CPE (copolyester)
CPE (copolyester) is a special material similar to PETG. The material was designed for easy
and high-quality printing with mechanical properties that surpass standard PETG material.
Like PETG, it does not deform when printed and does not cause any unpleasant odor. It’s
chemically resistant and has excellent layer adhesion.
Advantages
Disadvantages
High strength and tensile strength
Not soluble in acetone
Great for mechanical parts
Somewhat abrasive
Excellent layer adhesion
Must be stored in a dry environment
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