looking for best post printing methods for PA12-CF. Should it be cooled slowly, possibly by a custom G code to hold each incremtally lowered temperature for so long to allow it to stablize as it’s lowered.
did a google on “pa12-cf tech sheet” there are others but this was the first in the list
https://polymaker.com/wp-content/tech-docs/PolyMide_PA12-CF_■■■_EN_V1.pdf
They recomend annealing at 80C for 6 hours. Haven’t used this material so can’t give you any “real world” or “my experience is” comments.
Yeah, I seen the very same thing. Doesn’t seem to be a ton of info on this subject available.
Thinking about it, this filament has been out for about 5 years. My take is that in general printer companies do test new filaments and develope profiles on that testing (maybe I am too much the optimist). So it seems that if there was a “generic” need for an extended cooldown in chamber the g-code would already be there or there would at least be a note in the data sheet. That doesn’t preclude individual users from finding they need to do specific tweaks to meet the needs of their projects. Some of which could be totally contrary to the data sheets or other user findings. Are you trying to deal with a specific issue or are you starting to work with this filament and have been doing you due diligence research and are looking to see what other users maybe doing to use what sounds like a filament that can be problematic?
As a side note I did see this when checking on something. You probably have already seen it. I didn’t watch it yet. Good luck!
Thanks for the reply, yes I have seen that video. Also you made a good point, if the cool down procedure was necessary I would assume the OEM would mention the process. But also they don’t have much available on the annealing process either, which makes me wonder. Maybe I am overthinking it.
Everyone wants their project to come out as good as well as easy as possible. I really understand that. But yes, they are just basic guidlines as far as the annealing and something as a casual printer (like me) would think “i’m not putting that stuff in my oven”. Only thing I can suggest is probably what you have already come up with, figure out an annealing oven of some kind that meets your budget and do some small projects and try to dial it in and fine tune. Seems like 3D printing in general is something that can be impacted just by where a person lives, the age and climate control of where they are printing, etc..
I think both of you are making good points.
My experience with engineering materials is that manufacturers usually provide settings that work well for the majority of users, but they cannot account for every geometry, wall thickness, ambient temperature, or stress condition.
For PA12-CF specifically, I generally follow the recommended profile first and only introduce additional cooling time or annealing if I encounter a specific issue such as warping, dimensional instability, or mechanical performance requirements.
In automotive development we often see the same thing: the standard process works for most parts, while critical applications sometimes require additional process tuning.
Personally, I would start by printing a few test parts using the stock profile, evaluate dimensional stability after cooling, and only then decide whether extra chamber cooling time or annealing provides a measurable benefit.
Sometimes we overthink the process before collecting real-world data. ![]()
One thing about adhesives…
And before anyone comments on the photo
, those glues were actually out because I was printing some PC-ABS parts the other day.
Personally, I try not to use glue unless I actually need it. If the filament is dry, the build plate is clean, and the profile is dialed in, most materials print just fine.
That said, if I see a part with a large footprint, sharp corners, or a print that is going to run for many hours, I’ll usually apply an adhesive from the start. Losing a 15- or 20-hour print because a corner lifts is a lot more frustrating than spending 30 seconds applying some glue.
Usually I prefer to run a few test prints first and see what the material wants rather than adding extra variables right away.
Just my way of doing it.
