Enclosure Temperatures?

I have started printing the plastic parts of my build but it's going to be an enclosed (side walls n top) printer or in an enclosure.

As I happens I have started printing with Petg rather than PLA but I have no idea how hot it should be in an enclosure or an enclosed printer so I am unsure if that's the most appropriate material.

What temperature range are you using in your enclosures?

Thanks All.


Aamcle

Although I have only printed a few things in an enclosure, and those just as an experiment, I have found with ABS that even 40°C gives a very marked improvement. 80°C seems to be the most recommended for ABS but I don't know about PetG

Mike

Although it's unlikely that I'll print high temperature materials like PEEK or Polycarbonate I would like to be able to print carbon filled petg and to have the potential to print exotics.

70-80°C is getting relatively close to the glass transition temperature for Petg it's beginning to look as if I need to print in ABS.


Oh Dear...


Thanks aamcle

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/2019 06:48AM by aamcle.

Specc'd motors and Gates belts are usually good to about 80C. If you're planning on going that high, your printer design better keep motors and belts out of the heated area. Use Chinese no-spec belts/motors above room temperature at your own risk.

A 50C chamber works fine for printing ABS, and doesn't require a complex cooling system for the hot-end. If you go much hotter, you'll need water cooling or you'll have to bring in outside air and vent it back out.

PIR foam panels are good insulation to use in a 3D printer enclosure- it is essentially fire-proof, and it's cheap- about $15 for a 4'x8'x 1" sheet at Home Depot (if you're in the US).

Your printer design should minimize the number of plastic parts, regardless of the type of plastic you use. If you must use printed parts, try to keep them in compression. Heat from the chamber will heat the printer's frame and anything in contact with it, such as motor mounts, pulley brackets, etc. Be sure to consider what happens to the mechanism when the frame expands as it heats up.

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Son of MegaMax 3D printer: [www.instructables.com]
Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

Right then if I don't go over 50°C I can carry on with Petg but I may change to a design with more metal.



Aamcle