LW-PLA trouble printing Eclipson V2

[natek808]

I've been having some quality issues printing some of the parts for the Eclipson V2. Using and Ender 3 V2 and ColorFab LW-PLA See image below.

I've triple checked that I'm using all of Eclipson's settings. I've been able to minimize the banding a bit at the upper parts of the prints by slowing things way down, but seems much slower than intended by the settings recommended in the docs, and we're still getting a significant amount of artifacts on the exterior or the prints.

Hoping someone with more experience than me can point me in the right direction!

Thanks!

 

[LitterBug]

Have you tried using the supplied files rather than slicing them yourself?

The banding may be caused by hotend PIDs needing to be retuned.

I started playing with the V2 LW-PLA files last spring but never finished it.

 

[telnar1236]

The external artifacts are kind of inevitable with LW-PLA since it always strings but you can reduce them by printing one part at a time and by reducing the wall overlap percentage in the infill settings (the overlap percentage does not look like a big issue for you in the picture but I'm mentioning it in case you do run into it). I just run over my LW-PLA parts with a cheap utility knife to cut away the stringing and really, you can pull most of it off by hand. Pretty much every LW-PLA part must be post-processed before being usable if you're printing multiple parts simultaneously or even have a complex shape. As for the banding, LW-PLA does need to be printed slower than normal PLA since it takes time to foam but it sounds like you're needing to print too slowly. The most likely cause of the banding is temperature variation in the hot end. I had a similar problem caused by a bad wire to the temperature sensor a year or so ago and it caused the same issue of banding as it got further from the print bed and the wires stretched, but it could also be an issue with tuning as LitterBug said. To check the wires, heat the extruder and then gently wiggle the wires going to it. If the temperature displayed changes, that's your problem and if doesn't, then try PID tuning. Another possibility is the filament slipping because of a dirty nozzle obstructing the flow or for some other reason. LW-PLA can harden in the nozzle and get stuck if the temperature gets too high, but if you're just starting out, that's less likely to be the problem.

 

[jpot1]

Unfortunately with tall thin prints the banding is inevitable. Even slowed down the higher up you get the more wobble introduced in the part. If you watch you can see the part moving. If possible print the left and right side of a part together with the sharp trailing edge pointing toward each other. Put the parts at a 90 degree angle. The oozing lw-pla will actually form a bridge between the two parts and help stabilize them.

Example below

 

[quorneng]

Just out of interest what is your layer thickness?
The bead foams as it leaves the nozzle so it is much bigger, wider and thicker than in PLA. If the layer thickness is set too thin the nozzle scrapes the surface of the next layer which builds up material around the nozzle. This can stick to the print if the head is momentarily stopped or as it moves away from the print.
In my limited light weight printing I have found that what works well for PLA (0.4 nozzle with a 0.15 layer and 100% flow) gives a wall thickness of 0.4mm In LW PLA the same 0.4mm nozzle and a 0.25 layer and a 62% flow gives a wall thickness of 0.7 mm and that is printing at only 210 degrees. The minimum foaming temperature.
A LW-PLA nose cone

It is 'vase' printed so just a single wall with no internal structure but there is virtually no discernible banding. In fact it has a better surface than the same printed in normal PLA!
I hope this helps.

 

[skymaster]

I've been having some quality issues printing some of the parts for the Eclipson V2. Using and Ender 3 V2 and ColorFab LW-PLA See image below.

I've triple checked that I'm using all of Eclipson's settings. I've been able to minimize the banding a bit at the upper parts of the prints by slowing things way down, but seems much slower than intended by the settings recommended in the docs, and we're still getting a significant amount of artifacts on the exterior or the prints.

Hoping someone with more experience than me can point me in the right direction!

Thanks!

View attachment 231124

One question if you know is going bad y let it ride.