I am not a fan of setting the X1 carbon to use generic filament…
I just learned something new. I was not aware that such a filament existed.
Can you share the use-case? I am genuinely curious as I work in the electronics industry.
I deal with PCBA’s everyday and assemble them into final products. The issue is with basic PLA or other filament can build up a static charge if not properly grounded. Some of my designs are not machineable or machine friendly. So Polymaker/Polymax has a PETG-ESD safe material. I have configured these settings on the Bambu but it would save me time from having to set-up the printer everytime I would use “Generic” material.
I made a thing for the goggles I use when racing drones. It has 4x 8x8 LED matrix tiles to display animations and messages when I’m flying (for other people to see when they look at me).
Printed the frame with PETG. I’ve had LEDs die 3 times now, requiring replacement. The problem is that I pick my goggles up from the front. My hand touches the display thing I made before it touches anything else that’s electrically grounded. If I have enough charge, the ESD gets past the plastic and zaps the LEDs.
Only a problem in the winter, doesn’t get killed in the summer.
If I printed with ESD safe PETG, this would not be a problem.
Unfortunately, I want white plastic to match the goggles and far as I’ve seen, ESD plastics don’t come in white. 
Why not save your settings as a new filament profile?
1 Like
I have but you still have to disconnect the AMS, uncheck all filaments to just the back spool holder, then feed it it in through the back send your file to print wait for the extrusion head to heat up and feed the filament to purge it and then it is ready. I use this for work a lot and print from other locations so it’s not that useful when I have to babysit the machine. Lol not trying to rant but it would be easier if they had an ESD safe filament.
I use a lot of the 3dxtech esd safe fillaments. If you want something cheaper.
Polymaker ESD safe is 10⁷ what is pretty close to what the 3dxech is but cheaper.
Inland is 10⁵
Actually used a few spools of the polymaker ESD PETG recently to hold fiber optic connectors for assembly being sent overseas. It’s a big glenair fiber optic connectors. ESD PETG holders and some ESD safe TPU straps as tie downs for them.
Not that being said I have had her ESD audit officer check out various materials and you’d be surprised a lot of the stuff’s actually ESD safe. If you want I can check different filament brands for you are printing out some test parts and having him check them but I recently just had him check some some Lou basic resin and that came in at 10⁷ meaning it’s safe to handle electronic devices. So those are actually holding laser assemblies while we work up tooling for a production line. And That resin is actually better than our black ESV safe gel packs.
So if you want to just send me a message and I can check out some stuff for you and have him check it and let you know. I don’t most people don’t have access to all that equipment to check things like that.
2 Likes
I’m curious. Why would one need an ESD part to hold a fiber optic connector? I’m very familiar with Glenair and if this was part of a military circular connector such as a D38999, there are no electronically active parts on a fiber connector needing ESD protection, it’s one of the major selling features of fiber.
Because there’s 6 parts attached to that connector that can be damaged by ESD. So everything in that box has to be ESD safe. That part is a few hundred thousand dollars and goes into a multi million dollar system that is part of a larger system. So a damaged part. Some stuff is more sensitive then other stuff and these are pretty robust but they have to be treated the same as if it’s one of the parts that are extremely sensitive. Some of the futures I make have to be made out of ESD safe PEEK and PEKK dapending on the application.
Thanks for the explanation. That all makes perfect sense now.
@bignazpwns, 3dxtech has a varirety of options for ESD protection. https://www.3dxtech.com/
Yeah I know. I have 5 spools of all there ESD stuff on hand at any time. I even got 5 spools of every thermally conductive fillament at all time. Right now I probably have close to $200,000 in fillament. From ESD safe PEEK to Rhodium fillament you don’t even wanna know how much that cost makes CF PEEK look like $15 spools of PLA. I got all the weird filaments. And I’ll test pretty much every ESD filament available try to find something that’s a little bit better the one currently using. I was actually testing some of the inland in polymaker to see build a viable back up to are 3dxtech. Since I can get both of those same day and I can only get the 3DXtech overnight a.m. And sometimes you need a backup spool to finish something and I need it same day. Kind of sucks due to space constraints and how the corporate structure actually works I can only order and have on hand five at a time. Based on a system so when I pull one off stock it keeps track of that and it won’t order any until I pull the last one out of stock It will only order five more. Automated system And then it’s a whole big ordeal if I want to change that and all the fillament is stored in nitrogen filled dry boxs maintained at 68 deg 0% Humidity.
Here some new thermally conductive PA6. Also got another filament flavors. Every time we introduce a new filament or even a new batch it has to be verified so sample has to be made and all the properties have to be with them spec If not it gets rejected. I actually have logs of all the filling that we’ve ever used. AS9100 I have to be able to tell the exact properties of the filament used for the part if somebody comes up and says hey this part made two years ago what’s the surface resistivity? So every print has a QR code put into the actual print that says the date filament type and brand batch number and the print settings that were used. It sucks but it’s good for if somebody ask what a good ESD say filling it or what filament has the finest chop carbon fiber what filament is the most consistent with carbon fiber and so on and so on.
1 Like
I’d like to continue this topic on ESD safe filaments.
I am trying spools of Kimya ESD ABS filament but get a clog every now and then and layer adhesion isnt what I am used to. Fiberlogy ABS ESD and Polymaker PETG ESD were much easier to print but
Can you recommend some of the easier to print ESD safe filaments? I print mainly production fixtures/supports for electronics assemly for new product introductions.
I don’t really mind to use the 0.6 or 0.8 nozzle as the fixtures usually dont have fine details.
Hi,
I’m also going to try using polymaker ESD on my Bambu. Would you my share your settings. Gratefully appreciate it.
Thank you.
I have used this on A1 with PEI plate with very thin layer of silicone oil (apply a drop then rub off). On clean bare plate it adheres too much. 260’C nozzle, 75’C bed worked for me. Generic petg, no slower for 1st layer, fan <20%, hardened steel nozzle. Avoid draughts.