Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

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3dotter
 
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Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by 3dotter »

Hi,

Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Do you provide online 3D printer services? If yes, can Can NinjaFlex be used with this? If not which can?

I am also looking for a way to include a functional Printed Circuit Board into a DIY 3D print. So actualy it could go like this:
Step 1 3D print the base of the enclosure;
Step 2 Put your functional PCB with battery on top of this base 3D print;
Step 3 Continue the 3D print around the functional PCB with battery and, voila, ready is your electronics with (preferably waterproof) 3D printed enclosure.

Heard of that anywhere?

Thanks in advance for your answer.

Best wishes,
Addy

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?
The recommended temperatures and print speeds for NinjaFlex are as listed below.

Recommended extruder temperature: 210 - 225°C
Recommended platform temperature: 20 - 50°C
Recommended Print Speed: 30 mm/s
Do you provide online 3D printer services?
We do not provide printing services. I am not aware of any services that offer Ninjaflex specifically, but some have other flexible material options.
I am also looking for a way to include a functional Printed Circuit Board into a DIY 3D print.
Many printers have a 'pause' function that will stop the print at some point. If adding batteries to a print, be sure that your battery can tolerate the heat of printing.

3dotter
 
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Re: Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by 3dotter »

Thanks for your swift answer. Much appreciated. However not all of my questions have been answered.

There was no answer to: "Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?" Additional question: "With which 3D printers NinjaFlex has been succesfully used?"

No clear answer to the question: "Is it possible to embed electronics with a 3D printer?" Has this been done before to your knowledge and by whom?

Indeed good to know about the temperatures.

I am looking forward to these additional answers.

best wishes,
Addy

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

There was no answer to: "Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?"
It can work with any 3D printer that meets the requirements stated iin my answer to your question:
The recommended temperatures and print speeds for NinjaFlex are as listed below.

Recommended extruder temperature: 210 - 225°C
Recommended platform temperature: 20 - 50°C
Recommended Print Speed: 30 mm/s
For further recommendations please refer to the FAQ: file:///D:/Users/Bill%20Earl/Downloads/NFFAQ.pdf
Additional question: "With which 3D printers NinjaFlex has been succesfully used?"
Our 3D printing specialists use the Lulzbot Taz: https://www.adafruit.com/product/1670
It is also known to work in the Makerbots.
no clear answer to the question: "Is it possible to embed electronics with a 3D printer?"
You can embed anything. You just have to make sure it can withstand the rigors of continued printing. It is a well discussed technique on 3D printing forums. If you search the web you will find many examples.
http://www.engineering.com/3DPrinting/3 ... Trick.aspx

3dotter
 
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Re: Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by 3dotter »

Thanks a lot! Very helpful.

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MichaelD33
 
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Re: Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by MichaelD33 »

3dotter wrote:Hi,

Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Do you provide online 3D printer services? If yes, can Can NinjaFlex be used with this? If not which can?

I am also looking for a way to include a functional Printed Circuit Board into a DIY 3D print. So actualy it could go like this:
Step 1 3D print the base of the enclosure;
Step 2 Put your functional PCB with battery on top of this base 3D print;
Step 3 Continue the 3D print around the functional PCB with battery and, voila, ready is your electronics with (preferably waterproof) 3D printed enclosure.

Heard of that anywhere?

Thanks in advance for your answer.

Best wishes,
Addy
There are various 3D printing services that allow you to buy things that have been 3D printed by others...
For example: 3D Hubs

Hope this helps!
Michael

3dotter
 
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Re: Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by 3dotter »

Hi Michael,

I have used 3D Hubs. It was very good, but a 3D Print with flexible material did not succeed for our model. I have 2 questions:
1. Do you know where in the Netherlands it can be done with a material like NinjaFlex?
2. Is it possible to embed electronics through 3D Hubs?

Indeed Adafruit's example about the second question in this thread is nice, but there the embedded part was not sticking out of the already 3D printed base layer. With my task the electronic board will stick out. Therefore I wonder in this case if the 3D printing head would stumble or gets obstructed by the PCB sticking out of the dropped base part during printing the top part. I guess it is also a matter of how the movements of the 3D printer head are directed. When this uses the shortest path in space I guess there will be a collision problem, but if the printer head can be lead around the PCB sticking out then it might work.

Please let me know if this would be possible.

Best wishes,
Addy

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adafruit_support_bill
 
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Re: Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by adafruit_support_bill »

With my task the electronic board will stick out.
That would be a problem for most FDM type printers. The nozzle itself needs some clearance. And most print algorithms optimize head movement for maximum print speed and assume there is nothing above the plane of the currently printing layer.

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MichaelD33
 
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Re: Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by MichaelD33 »

3dotter wrote:Hi Michael,

I have used 3D Hubs. It was very good, but a 3D Print with flexible material did not succeed for our model. Do you know where in the Netherlands it can be done with a material like NinjaFlex?


Please let me know if this would be possible.

Best wishes,
Addy
Hey Addy,

This is quite easy, however not all printers can do it. Any printers on 3D hubs with a listing for ninjaflex should be able to use it... If it cannot yet it is listed, then that is a problem w/ their printer and they should give you a refund...

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MichaelD33
 
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Re: Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by MichaelD33 »

3dotter wrote:Hi Michael,
Is it possible to embed electronics through 3D Hubs?

Indeed Adafruit's example about the second question in this thread is nice, but there the embedded part was not sticking out of the already 3D printed base layer. With my task the electronic board will stick out. Therefore I wonder in this case if the 3D printing head would stumble or gets obstructed by the PCB sticking out of the dropped base part during printing the top part. I guess it is also a matter of how the movements of the 3D printer head are directed. When this uses the shortest path in space I guess there will be a collision problem, but if the printer head can be lead around the PCB sticking out then it might work.

Please let me know if this would be possible.

Best wishes,
Addy
I'm going to say no, unless you are using a powder printer such as a high end machine, but the problem with that is that you can't put the electronics in... It unfortunate but the technology isn't advanced enough yet to do what your thinking... However, I do completely understand what you're trying to do, but you can make it a snap together enclosure or similar (depending on what you're doing) quite easily.
Best of luck,
Michael

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tomek
 
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Re: Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by tomek »

I skimmed the post, but bear in mind this:

Ninjaflex is going to work best with an FDM printer that grips the filament near the hot-end. Ones that use a bowden tube (i.e, many homebrew ones and the ultimaker), although mechanically my favorite setup by far, they are less suitable for flexible filaments like the ninjaflex.

I dont have experience running it in a bowden tube, but I have heard the flexible filaments can be a bit tricky and require a close tolerance bowden tube diameter and not too fast of a feedrate (which the latter also applies in the direct-feed type.)

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tomek
 
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Re: Can NinjaFlex be used with any 3D printer?

Post by tomek »

I dont know how flexible ninjaflex is. If it's totally noodle-like, that's a bigger problem than if it's just a somewhat flexible PLA.

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