Best Voron for Hi Temp Abrasives

[Fullwatts]

Hello Voron community! I have watched the project for years and been tempted to build a Voron for a very long time. Now I may have hit the point where the decision is being made for me. I am in need of a printer that is capable of printing PPS-CF and PPA-CF. Those will likely be the only filaments used with the machine. PPA can be printed on some off-the-shelf printers but PPS needs 320-340c and there’s just a couple printers in the consumer space that can reach those temps. The Qidi plus 4 can handle the task but the proprietary nozzles are expensive and the rollout was unimpressive with the 110v SSR issue. The Creality k2 is also up to the task but initial reviews don’t justify the price and for what that machine costs I’m in the ballpark for a Voron.

So all this said I humbly ask the Voron experts what Voron is best suited to my needs? Like I stated I’m only going to print hi temp nylon abrasives. The machine is going to be dedicated to production printing of a high end fpv drone frame. As such the total z height of the part it will print is no more than 20mm off the build plate, but it is large in the X and Y. I’ll need the 350 size for sure.

Right now I’m leaning toward the trident because it’s been said to be a little easier than the 2.4 and I really like the access to the electronics. I’m easily capable to build the machine. I’ve been printing and designing for well over a decade. So skill is not a concern. I’d like to hear from those in the know what the pros and cons are for each model and what recommendations are for hot ends that can reach 350c+ . Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Sanity Agathion]

Hi, voron as such is suitable for printing ABS and ASA, and is not designed to print HT engineering materials well. Those require using comp[onents and tools outside of the scope of this project https://docs.vorondesign.com/sourcing.html#unsupported-configurations We can advise on how to insulate your printer to reach higher temperatures, but discussion about active chamber heating required for these materials is frowned upon, due to people doing unsafe things, liability, and all that.
But there are other communities being less strict about it, I encourage you search for those

 

[Fullwatts]

Hi, voron as such is suitable for printing ABS and ASA, and is not designed to print HT engineering materials well. Those require using comp[onents and tools outside of the scope of this project https://docs.vorondesign.com/sourcing.html#unsupported-configurations We can advise on how to insulate your printer to reach higher temperatures, but discussion about active chamber heating required for these materials is frowned upon, due to people doing unsafe things, liability, and all that.
But there are other communities being less strict about it, I encourage you search for those

Thanks for the reply. The issue isn't so much obtaining a high chamber temp. Ive successfully printed PPA-CF on a machine with no chamber heating. I can get very decent PPA-CF prints but the nozzle temps required for PPS-CF are just out of range of most of the machines on the market today. So to be 100% clear I'm not asking about chamber heating or doing unsafe things. My question was a bit more general in nature regarding which platform (Trident or 2.4) would likely be the best choice for a project like this and why. All I really need is a hotend that can hit 350 and a bed that can hit 100. Maybe there are better (and certainly more expensive) ways to skin this cat but If I'm going to rule out a Voron I'd like a clear reason why it absolutely cannot work for this use case.

 

[Sanity Agathion]

I see. Trident seems to be more popular due to motors staying in one place, meaning they can be water-cooled if needed. Heat also rises up, butyou can overcome this on 2.4 by using fans for convection effect.
As for the hotend, I know E3D Revo HT hotside can reach those temperatures (just don't use their coated nozzles, at those temps it will essentially turn to graphite and rub off), Slice engineering with Mosquitos too. Chube is also an option. Good accurate cartridge and thermistor suitable for these temps are needed.

 

[claudermilk]

I was thinking the same as @Sanity Agathion. Trident with E3D Revo high temp. There are now hardened nozzles available in the Revo ecosystem.

 

[Fullwatts]

Thank you both for the replies. I was not aware of the chube hotend. That's an impressive bit of engineering. I really like the v6 nozzle integration. Those nozzles are cheap and plentiful. I've found that CF filaments like to clog nozzles and it's particularly painful to toss a $30+ US hardened nozzle with just a handful of prints under it. I'll do some googleFu and see what it knows about the chube on a stealthburner, but it looks at first blush to be a totally different beast and seems to my unfamiliar eye that it might require some special considerations. The revo on the other hand looks to be a lot more straightforward but the nozzles are also back in the expensive zone. For my use case I don't need to print super fast or push stupid quantities of plastic. I'm just looking for a solution that will let me print consistently and reliably. quality > speed. I'm using about 80-120g of filament per unit and at roughly $0.14/gram for PPS or PPA, failed prints are expensive.

 

[vinnycordeiro]

I've found that CF filaments like to clog nozzles and it's particularly painful to toss a $30+ US hardened nozzle with just a handful of prints under it.

If you want a V6 nozzle that can handle abrasives, get a full tungsten carbide one (not the insert tip ones). I have those from 3D Maker Engineering, but there are other manufacturers that sells them. They are expensive, yes, but the way to unclog them is simple: torch them to cherry red until the filament is gone, tungsten carbide doesn't anneal nor does it lose its properties due to heat. It's a buy once, cry once nozzle that will outlast your printer.