Some excellent progress has been made in the last two days in the quest to get a XYZprinting Da Vinci 1.0 printer to print NinjaFlex filament.
Successful NinjaFlex Prints with Da Vinci 1.0
Da Vinci
Printing PLA with Da Vinci
A quick update. Following on from the ongoing progress with using Ninjaflex (TPE) with a Da Vinci printer, I’ve managed to successfully print some generic clear PLA filament.
An advantage of PLA compared to ABS is PLA is available in transparent colours. The smell of heated PLA is not as strong as ABS. However, the mechanical strength of the material is lower than ABS.
Da Vinci Extruder PCB Details
Within the Da Vinci 1.0 extruder is a small PCB. It serves a few functions and was pretty straight forward to trace out the circuitry to create a schematic.
Ninjaflex Progress Update
Some degree of success has been achieved with printing Ninjaflex with a Da Vinci 1.0 printer. Today, three test prints were made; one is of marginal quality but it was the first. The second for the day, turned out very well and the final print was OK. Each of the prints had differing infill settings so there is still some refining to do.
Using Ninjaflex with your Da Vinci
Can flexible filaments such as Ninjaflex or TPE be used with a stock Da Vinci 3D printer? Probably.
Preliminary testing and multiple trials indicate that it is possible to use a stock Da Vinci extruder with minimal modifications to print this unique material. Additionally, it may be possible to use a stock firmware (1.1.J) and XYZware to make objects printed from Ninjaflex.
Successful progress and encountered pitfalls are being documented as this journey unfolds.
Da Vinci 1.0 Extruder Thermistor Properties
The Da Vinci 1.0 has a small NTC thermistor embedded in the extruder. This provides the printer with temperature measurements of the extruder.
After some experimenting, the extruder’s thermistor temperature response curve has been inferred through substituting known values of resistance for the thermistor. All the measured values have been compiled.
Da Vinci Extruder Power Connector Fail
The small quick release connector for the extruder heater recently failed. This was discovered half way through a print when the extruder stopped heating.
Initial thoughts were that there was a software bug due to the extruder failing to extrude filament after 12 hours of continuous operation. However, some fiddling with connections revealed that the plug and socket connection was the culprit.
Replacing the stock connector with something more robust is straightforward but the process is a little fiddly.
Da Vinci Bed Levelling Improvements
If you’ve had to calibrate the bed of your Da Vinic 1.0, you will understand how this is a painful process. To make things somewhat easier, consider replacing the stock thumbscrews to something a little more manageable.
3D Printing – Da Vinci Supports
Any of your models that have overhanging areas could use some support. The Da Vinci XYZware includes the ability to add supports to your models. These additional areas of printed filament give your models a structure to grow from and can improve print quality.
To improve the quality of models with overhangs, ensure you use supports.
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