Water soluble support 3d printer

Which 3D Printer Under $1,000 Works Best With Soluble Supports?

Comprehensive guide to 5 low-cost dual-material FFF printing technologies in 2021/2022

This story was originally published on www.fabbaloo.com (see Part 1 and Part 2).

“I don’t care about multi-color, I just want soluble supports,” writes a 3D printer user in a forum on dual-material 3D printing.

Sure, a model of a four-colored amazon rainforest frog would look great in your 3D printed collection. But enough users would agree that the true potential of dual-head printers lies in their ability to print soluble supports rather than a palette of colors.

A quick search on Google reveals dozens of soluble support filaments on the market. Most of them are based on well-known water-soluble polymers PVA and BVOH. But there are also new contestants coming out such as VXL from Xioneer that provide superior performance to PVA.

But printing a support-material combination is not the same as printing two colors of the same filament. So, which dual extrusion 3D printer is up to the task?

In general, multi-material FFF technologies can be classified into five categories – each with its own pros and contras when it comes to printing soluble supports.

Depending on how often you print, what support material you use, and how much you are willing to invest, you might even find the perfect match for your needs.

The good news: you can get a decent 3D printer in any of these categories for under $ 1,000. So read on.

1. Mixer 3D Printers: Lowest Price-Tag But Probably Not the Best Choice for PVA

Mixer Hotend (Illustration by Xioneer)

In 2014, the legendary 3D printer component manufacturer E3D came out with its “Cyclops” hot-end. The name says it all: It is a hot-end with two inlets, but only one outlet: the “eye.”

This mystical creature takes two filaments in, melts them inside, and extrudes a single strand of mixed material. It’s great for mixing colors and creating stunning color gradients in your parts using just two filaments.

But can it also print supports?

The mixer hot-end acts as a Y-splitter – letting you extrude either support or model material from a single nozzle – without mixing them together. So yes, it can print supports too.

3D printers with a mixer hot-end like the Geeetech A10M sell from USD 230. This price tag is really hard to beat when it comes to something as sophisticated as dual-material 3D printing.

Nozzle calibration on these machines is straightforward because they use only one nozzle. No need to fiddle with extruder offsets, which are notorious in systems with two separate nozzles. So with a device like A10M you could start churning your complex models with supports soon after unboxing.

But before you grab your credit card to order an A10M, you might want to keep learning about some of the drawbacks.

Mixer hot-ends require you to print a purge tower with every print job. It is a way to clean the nozzle before switching materials and avoid material bleed in your parts.

But getting the right amount to purge can be tricky. Purge too much and you needlessly waste precious filament. Purge too little, and the residues of support filament will contaminate your model affecting part stability and surface quality in the end.

But one way or another: mixer hot-ends will always produce waste.

Besides, using PVA with a mixer hot-end is a challenge on its own.

PVA and similar water-soluble materials are very sensitive to heat. If you leave them lingering for too long in a hot nozzle, they will degrade and turn into a crusty mess – clogging your extruder.

So, with mixer hot-ends, you want to keep PVA flowing through your nozzle as much as possible. This means shorten time window to print model materials. In practice, you will print only smaller models to avoid a clogged nozzle when using a mixer hot-end.

One trick is to use more temperature-stable support material such as VXL from Xioneer. But if you absolutely need to stick to PVA, the only remedy seems to use two separate nozzles – each with its own temperature control.

2. Traditional Dual-Extruders: Work With PVA But Are a Challenge to Calibrate

Traditional Dual Extruders (Illustration by Xioneer)

What’s the benefit of using two nozzles (for model and support materials respectively) versus a single alá “Cyclops” nozzle?

Using two nozzles lets you cool PVA inside your support nozzle while you print your model material with another nozzle. This helps prevent PVA from overheating and eventually clogging your extruder.

But this requires some tweaking to get it right.

However, PVA will need at least a 20°C-50°C temperature drop to keep the material from degrading too quickly. This leads to long heat-up times for every layer, adding to hours of unproductive time throughout the entire print job.

One solution is to use a temperature-stable support material such as VXL instead. The material does not degrade as quickly as PVA inside a hot-end saving you the need to cool down your support nozzles.

The two low-cost dual-printhead 3d printer models often found in reviews are the X-Pro from Qidi Technology and the Bibo Dual Extruder 3D Printer. These printers seem to be popular due to their low prices of $482 and $650 respectively.

A decent 3D printer model comes from Prusa with its I3 MK3S+ together with the dual head upgrade. This kit would burden your wallet with around 890 euros. However, the reputation of Prusa and its supportive community, this investment may pay itself off quickly.

But despite their advantages over mixer hot-ends, dual-printhead models do not always sell well. I once asked one of our resellers why.

The problem wasn’t the higher price. It was the complexity of getting these systems calibrated. This reseller required its users to undergo rigorous mandatory training to learn how to use dual-head machines (probably to save hours of support calls later on).

Imagine holding two pens in your hand and trying to write something with both of them at the same time. One of them will always try to lift up, while the other will be pushing too hard against the paper. It’s really tricky.

The same problem happens when printing with two nozzles mounted on a single print-head. If one is too low, it may kick your part off the build plate. If it is too far, the layers will not bond well.

So calibrating the height of two nozzles in a sub-millimeter range will take time and experience to get it right before every print job.

Actually, this problem was one of the reasons 3d printing companies came up with another solution: place both nozzles on separate print-heads: each with its own temperature and motion control.

3. IDEX: Most Likely Your Top Choice For Support Materials

IDEX Multi-material 3D printing (Illustration by Xioneer)

IDEX stands for an independent extruder 3d printer. These systems use two extruders that alternate in the printing process.

So instead of trying to hold two pens in one hand, you take one pen in each hand – and write with each of them individually. Now, most of us aren’t ambidextrous (able to write with left and right hand equally well) – the machines do a great job printing with a pair of independent print-heads.

The first benefit of two independent nozzles: they are typically easier to calibrate than two nozzles mounted on a single print-head.

Another benefit of IDEX systems: they park unused nozzles outside of the build area, where they can leak material without oozing over your part.

Oozing is indeed a big issue not only in multicolor 3D printing but in printing model-support combinations. The smeared support may leave blemishes and holes inside your model undermining its aesthetics and surface finish.

So using IDEX 3D printers typically results in more reliable printing, prevents scraping of nozzles over the parts, and creates smoother surfaces. Such systems come very close to being the top choice for printing with support materials.

One of the lowest cost IDEX machines is the Tenlog Hands 2 Pro which retails at $430. The machine encompasses an impressive build volume of 235 x 235 x 250 mm. If you need to print larger parts, Tenlog offers its TL-D3 Pro with 310 x 310 x 350 mm build volume with a price tag of $ 560.

Another popular IDEX model appearing in 2021 reviews is the Creator Pro 2 from FlashForge. It is available for USD 700 and comes with a number of useful features such as an enclosed build-area to reduce the warping of parts. The Creator Pro 2 has a build space of 200 x 148 x 150 mm.

When it comes to printing support materials (VXL or PVA), machines with independent extruders offer the best price-performance ratio in my opinion.

4. Tool Changers: Smooth Parts But Comes With a High Price-Tag

Tool changer (Illustration by Xioneer)

Tool changers are nothing new in the world of CNC machining. But in 3D printing, they are considered an exotic species. Although priced above a thousand dollars, it would be unfair to leave them out of this review.

In our pen and paper example, tool changing is the equivalent of picking a pen from a cup whenever you need it. When you are done writing with one pen, drop it back into a cup, and simply pick another one. In fact, this is what we (humans) naturally do when we want to use two pens.

For a machine, this approach has a few benefits.

A machine with a tool-changer only needs a single set of motors. So overall, these systems typically exhibit fewer moving masses, letting you reach smoother surfaces on your parts. This is clearly an advantage when printing intricate models with lots of supports.

But this solution is generally the most expensive choice. This is bad news if you are looking for a 3d printer with a tool-changer under one thousand bucks: we didn’t find any as of this day.

The option that comes to mind is to build a tool-changing dual extruder 3D printer yourself. You can get a head-start with a $ 2,105 (excl. VAT) Tool Changer & Motion System Bundle from E3D that provides all the mechanics you need to create such a beast.

5. Filament Switchers: Great for PVA But Produce Waste

Filament Switcher (Illustration by Xioneer)

The Canadian company Mosaic Manufacturing came up with a multi-material 3D printing solution that is truly out of the box.

Mosaic Palette 3 is a device that cuts different filaments and welds them together in a single multi-material filament strand. Depending on the amount of model and support material for each layer, the device will precisely chop the filaments in lengths as needed – and deliver a welded strand to your 3D printer.

The device is an add-on. This means a great deal if you already own a single-extruder 3d printer. No need to buy a new dual-extruder machine and calibrate its two nozzles. You can keep using your single-extruder 3D printer and fit the Palette post factum.

Agreed, a price tag of $599 is more than double what you pay for a Geeetech A10M, but the Palette 3 seems to offer a unique benefit when it comes to printing with support materials.

Switching filament before the melt-zone on Palette makes sure that PVA is delivered to the nozzle only when it is needed. So PVA does not have a chance to linger in a hot nozzle eventually clogging it. This should drastically improve printing reliability.

Another – less expensive option – is the Prusa’s MMU2S Upgrade that retails for USD 300, but it was designed specifically for upgrading Prusa printers in mind.

However, both products seem to have a major drawback: they produce lots of waste when switching from one material to another.

On the mosaic website, the manufacturer states: “In order to create clean, high-quality multi-color/material prints, Palette uses a Transition Tower. This allows your extruder to purge the filament in between transitions, creating precise breaks in your model. Without these towers, the quality of the print would be reduced due to filament bleed and other print issues.”

They recommend purging 130mm of filament for its transition tower on each layer. Now, for a 1000-layer object, this amounts to 130 meters of wasted material or about a half of a 750g spool! This may not seem like a big deal when using cheap PLA or ABS. But you may consider accounting for so much waste when using expensive support materials such as PVA and VXL.

Mosaic and Prusa do provide tips and tricks on how to reduce material waste. For example, printing multiple objects at once, or using your model infill as a purge/transition area. But clearly, the material waste remains one of the key issues of filament switchers.

Summary

Printing model and support is no longer a luxury of high-end expensive FFF machines. You can get a decent dual-material system well under $1,000.

The table below gives a summary of the low-cost options available on the market today.

If you are aiming for the lowest price and plan to use VXL instead of PVA as your support material, then you may seriously consider getting the Geeetech A10M. The device comes with the added benefit of simpler calibration due to a single-nozzle setup.

But if you look for a more reliable printing experience with PVA and less material waste, you should be looking into an IDEX machine like the TenLog Hands 2 Pro or the Creator Pro 2 from FlashForge. The nozzle calibration is a bit trickier than on A10M, but not as challenging as on traditional dual-nozzle machines.

For the highest reliability when printing with PVA, and if you don’t mind the notable material waste, you might find a filament switcher like the Mosaic Palette 3 or Prusa’s MMU2S as an attractive option. The system gives PVA the least chances to burn and clog in your nozzle. The device is an add-on you can fit onto an existing single-head 3d printer.

Summary: 5 dual-material technologies for printing soluble supports.

Using soluble 3D printer filament to build support structures

Using soluble 3D printer filament is an easy and effective way of building support structures for your 3D printed part. In this article, we run through the different types of soluble filaments on offer, the advantages of using this type of material as opposed to insoluble supports, and our tips and tricks for the smoothest printing process possible.

3D FDM printing is a manufacturing technology that allows us to create parts with complex geometries, typically impossible to achieve using traditional methods. However, in using this technology, each layer of the part requires a support surface, either on the structure of the part itself or an added support structure.

On single extruder printers, you are limited to using the original printed part’s material to build the support structure. This is not the case in dual extruder printers as soluble filaments can be used to create these structures.

Types of filaments for soluble 3D printing

3D printer water-soluble filaments

These materials are known for being soluble in ordinary water without any type of aggregates. This makes them an excellent option as their dissolution does not represent any type of danger as well as not causing any reaction to the material of the piece.

Of these materials, we have PVA, which is the most commonly used material to create support structures in 3D printing. BVOH is another commonly used material with better material compatibility than PVA as well as a shorter dissolution time.

3D printer water-soluble filaments with chemical agents

Certain materials used at an industrial level are not compatible with filaments such as PVA or BVO due to their chemical properties and/or thermal resistance. For this reason, materials similar to BVOH or PVA have been designed with added properties to allow their compatibility with high-temperature materials such as PEEK, PEKK, PPSU, PP, among others.

To dissolve these support structures, the pH of the water must be acidic in order to break down the sugars this type of material normally contains as this is less dangerous than the use of solvents.

3D printer soluble filaments with organic solvents

These are the least used materials due to the complexity of using organic solvents with the polymers most used in 3D printing because the solvent can react with the print´s material and damage it.

The advantage of using these filaments is that they are highly compatible with the structural material. The most used example being HIPS as a support material for ABS.

Insoluble vs soluble 3D printer filament supports

Soluble filaments for support structures have the following advantages and disadvantages compared to the use of insoluble filaments:

Easier to remove supports

As the support structures are soluble, one simply needs to submerge the piece in the correct solvent and wait for the support structure to disappear. This is highly beneficial to parts with very complex structures.

Improved surface quality of the contact surface

This is an advantage related to the first point; Because the material is easy to remove, it is possible to create a solid base in the area where supports are required, thus allowing a smooth surface finish free of filament remainders.

Less need to post-process the part

The ability to print complex parts with high surface quality due to the use of soluble filaments, also reduces the need to perform post-processing tasks, such as polishing, sanding, gluing, among others.

Longer print times

The problem with using soluble filaments is the increase in printing time, as it is necessary to change materials during printing. However, there are support structure optimization techniques to reduce this problem.

Tips to create support structures with 3D printer soluble filaments

Modifying some settings in your slicer, you can get strong support structures to improve the quality of your printed part. If you want to know more about our slicer, please visit our website about BCN3D Stratos.

Improving the resistance of the support towers

It is quite common for thin towers to be generated to hold very thin parts of the piece, however, they are not resistant and tend to break during the printing process.

To improve the strength of the towers, the following support configuration parameters can be adjusted:

Horizontal expansion of the support: Increases the overall thickness of the support, allowing the tower to be thicker and stronger.

Avoiding support breakage during the print

The supports have the thickness of the diameter of the hotend, so they are usually quite brittle and can break during the print. By modifying the pattern and other parameters, the robustness of the supports can be increased:

Support pattern: The grid and triangle patterns are quite resistant to tearing during the printing process. These patterns are only recommended to be printed on soluble material, as they are quite difficult to remove.
Support printing speed: If the supports are printed too fast there is a risk of the structure breaking. By reducing the speed, the structure avoids vibrations or being damaged by the passage of the head.

Improving the surface quality of the part

The quality of the contact surface depends on the Z distance from the backing pattern, the direction of the top and bottom lines of the perimeter, and the amount of material holding the base of the part. Modifying these parameters can improve the surface quality but complicate the process of extraction of the supports.

Support density: The higher the density of the supports, the better the piece will hold and therefore the surface finish will improve.
Top/bottom Line directions: Changing the direction of the perimeter pattern helps to hold the bottom piece layer, as it allows the backing and perimeter patterns to better intersect.
Support pattern and top/bottom pattern: The patterns of the support and the perimeters influence how the piece of the supports is fastened, the ideal is that the patterns intersect as much as possible to better fasten the first layer.

Always bear in mind that it’s important to keep your filaments dry since soluble materials absorb humidity easily and could cause problems during the printing process. For more information on this topic, check out our knowledge base article.

Materials like PVA and the BVOH can be dissolved in normal water. This water can also be heated to reduce the time it takes to dissolve.

We hope that you follow our tips and tricks to achieve improved surface quality of your 3D printed parts and a faster, more efficient process. Check out how Camper is using the dual extrusion system and the water-soluble materials to revolutionize its footwear design process through in-house 3D printing.

90,000 types of plastic for 3D printer

Content

- Pla
- ABS
- HIPS
- PVA
- Petg
- SBS
Every year 3D printing becomes more popular and accessible. Previously, a 3D printer was more like a complex CNC machine, but now manufacturers are meeting users. Simplified and automated settings that many beginners drove into a stupor. Despite this, it can be difficult for a novice user to understand the variety of constantly appearing plastics for a 3D printer. nine0003
The choice of plastic for a 3D printer is very important, especially when the goal is to print a functional model with certain properties. It will be a shame if the printed gear breaks almost immediately, or the decorative model quickly loses its beauty.

It is important to understand whether the printer will be able to work with the selected plastic. Some materials (most often engineering) require certain conditions for successful printing.

First, decide which model you want to print. What properties should it have? Does the model need to be durable? Or is it a master model for further replication, in which the quality of the surface is important? nine0003

90% of 3D printers use 1.75 diameter filament. 3mm diameter is rare, but it is better to check in advance which size is used in your printer.

PLA

PLA (Polylactide) is the most popular and affordable 3D printer plastic. PLA is made from sugar cane, corn, or other natural raw materials. Therefore, it is considered a non-toxic, biodegradable material.

Extruder temperature - 190-220 degrees. Table heating is not needed, but if the printer's table has a "heater" for better adhesion, you can heat it up to 50-60 degrees. PLA is very easy to work with. The only requirement is to blow the model. There is practically no shrinkage in this material. When printed, it is practically odorless, and if it smells, it smells like burnt caramel.

Pros:
- Does not shrink. This makes it easy to build prefabricated or huge models without changing dimensions. nine0003
- There are no specific requirements for a 3D printer. Any working 3D printer will do. PLA doesn't need a heated table or a closed case.
- Non-toxic. Due to this, during printing it does not smell or has a barely perceptible aroma of burnt caramel.
- Diverse color palette.
nine0051 Cons:
- PLA is poorly sanded and machined.
- It begins to deform already with a slight heating (about 50 degrees).
- Fragility. Compared to other materials, PLA is very brittle and breaks easily.
- Decomposes under the influence of ultraviolet radiation. Of course, it will not fall apart into dust, but it can become more brittle and fade. nine0003
PLA is perfect for making dimensional or composite models. For example, decorative interior items, prototyping, electronics cases, etc.

Recently, PLA+ has appeared on the market. It may differ from conventional PLA in improved performance. For example, more durable, with improved layer adhesion.

Water soluble support 3d printer

Which 3D Printer Under $1,000 Works Best With Soluble Supports?

1. Mixer 3D Printers: Lowest Price-Tag But Probably Not the Best Choice for PVA

2. Traditional Dual-Extruders: Work With PVA But Are a Challenge to Calibrate

3. IDEX: Most Likely Your Top Choice For Support Materials

4. Tool Changers: Smooth Parts But Comes With a High Price-Tag

5. Filament Switchers: Great for PVA But Produce Waste

Using soluble 3D printer filament to build support structures

PLA

ABS

HIPS

PVA

PETG

SBS

Nylon

Soft plastics

Decorative plastics

Engineering plastics

Totals

flexible turtle

Mechanical quick release phone stand

Mobile phone holder in socket

flexible mammoth

PRINT-IN-PLACE PHONE HOLDER - FOR SPACE?!

flexible bear

phone holder - candice

Modular mounting system

phone stand

Universal phone stand

Cell Phone and Tablet Stand

Multi-angle phone stand

Amplifier for iPhone

Mobile Phone Stand-2

Bat Smarphone Stand

Stand Holder Tool for iPhone iPad

Phone Stand with Cable Routing

Geometric phone holder

Parametric Folding Phone Stand

Support phone 2 positions

Kitty Phone Holder

Sticky Note!?

Phone holder for charging

Tortoise Keychain / Smartphone Stand

Octopus Tablet / Phone Stand

iPhone 6, 6S and 6 plus Amp Dock

Telephone Support

Post It Phone Stand - Stand Phone

Multi Angle Phone Stand

Charging shelf

iphone 5/5S/SE car holder

Cell phone stand-4

Smartphone Hugger

Phone Stand project by Mayku

Cat Phone Stand

Textured column phone stand

Elephant diver Portable stand and pencil cup

Foldable tilting tablet/phone stand

mobile support

Phone Mount for Car Vent

Universal Stand for Mobile Phone and Tablet

GRAMiPhone Fixed - iPhone 6 Gramophone Horn

Support phone

flexible turtle

phone holder - candice

flexible bear

Stand Holder Tool for iPhone iPad

Learn more