What are the best flexible filaments?

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psd
Posts: 203
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2016 9:09 pm

Re: What are the best flexible filaments?

Post by psd » Sat Oct 07, 2017 12:42 pm

billc wrote:I did my first print with Cheetah last night. I used my (Jules mostly) PETG settings with modifications indicated by Cheetah specs (temperature, etc).
I was very surprised to get a nice print - simple rectangle on the first try. I expected to have to make several attempts. I'm looking forward to doing something more complex this weekend - a drone housing for a GoPro. Anyone have advice for bridging success with Cheetah? Also on an M3
what print speeds did you use? surely not the same as PETG speeds?
- peter,

innovative product designer and tinkerer

www.petersolomondesign.com

billc
Posts: 9
Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2016 12:33 am
Location: Ann Arbor, Mi

Re: What are the best flexible filaments?

Post by billc » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:48 am

Actually I did use petg speeds which are pretty slow. Worked perfectly with cheetah.

Gwhite
Posts: 372
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2017 3:38 pm

Re: What are the best flexible filaments?

Post by Gwhite » Thu Oct 12, 2017 2:33 pm

I haven't played with flexible stuff yet, but I can definitely see a use for it. My application would be padded vise jaws with cavities shaped to securely hold delicate parts. Something fairly firm would be good, with lots of traction to avoid slipping, and it needs to be tough enough not to tear. Soft wobbly stuff won't work very well.

I took a quick look at Ninjaflex, and it has a Shore A hardness of 85, which is actually pretty good. Typical O-ring material is 70, and hard O-rings are 90, so it's right up there. Cheetah is actually a bit stiffer, at 95. Both are very pricey. I noticed both are listed as having a "low friction exterior" for ease of feeding, which might be an issue unless it's got more traction once it's printed.

I realize these aren't the typical requirements, but I was wondering if anyone can recommend a filament to try for this sort of application?

Thanks!

Phil
Posts: 214
Joined: Mon Sep 19, 2016 7:49 pm

Re: What are the best flexible filaments?

Post by Phil » Thu Oct 12, 2017 3:14 pm

This stuff is pretty good. It might be slightly stiffer and tougher than Ninjaflex and is definitely less expensive.
https://www.makergeeks.com/collections/ ... eplacement

Gwhite
Posts: 372
Joined: Tue Jul 11, 2017 3:38 pm

Re: What are the best flexible filaments?

Post by Gwhite » Thu Oct 12, 2017 7:30 pm

They are kind of short on real specs. I'll contact them & see what they say about hardness.

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