Today it’s 72.1K views on this thread, which is 10,000 more than the 62.1K views on May 7, a little more than a month ago. So, yeah, eliminating the possible clickbait of the prior title and toning down the title to the benign version it is now didn’t really dent people’s interest. It makes sense to me: the original Bambu buyers fit the early adopters profile, the kind of people who by their very nature are want to keep a constant watch-out for whatever new or better thing that might be coming onto the market.
The more people who participate the more interesting it gets, so polish your crystal ball and don’t hold back: jump in if you hear news or even just compelling opinions regarding what is likely to transpire in the near-term, medium-term, or even long-term.
I’m not finding references for such high chamber temperature recommendations for PEEK. Recommendations range from 90C (vision miner) to within 10C of the glass transition temperature (140C). Basically congruent with what @just4memike said above:
Also, I believe most PEEK’s glass transition temps are closer to 140C, so you’d want to be fairly close to that in chamber temps, but there aren’t many printers that can do that. Printers in the 90-120C chamber range is probably the norm and should be usable for PEEK/PEKK.
So, according to these sources, a 300C chamber temperature for PEEK would actually be a fail. @JayZay I’m thinking you may have made a mistake in your recall (to err is human), but if you do have sources recommending 300C, please post a link or links and then maybe we can collectively figure of why there would be such a large discrepancy.
Here’s another machine which claims it can do PEEK, though this time with a decent build volume(260x260x260mm)–but at 3x the cost ($6,000), or roughly what a fully configured Prusa XL might cost (at least according to what Teaching Tech said he paid for his Prusa XL).
Its chamber temp at 90C would be at the very low end of the range. That sounds awfully near the edge minimum for PEEK. I’d rather there be at least some headroom capability above that just to be confident it could hit the necessary minimum. Nonetheless, if the specs are right, it should at least be able to comfortably do some of the other high-end filaments that are currently outside the reach of regular hobbiest printers.
Edit: on one of the other threads, one of the posters said he was doing PEEK in his garage, but it was on something like a $90K printer that he got from work. Even then he thought it was a very difficult material to print. He said he did a lot of PEEK printing and was of the opinion that such a serious machine was needed. I guess maybe PEEK is probably a bridge too far–or else barely within reach. It seemed like a good aspirational target, as its properties are often compared to metal, but at $90K (or whatever the number was), you could have a full metal shop for less and work with real metal more cheaply. As some are pointing out, though, maybe some of the other high-end filament types still have a lot to offer. Worth checking that out next, I suppose.
Yeah. I made a mistake by stating the limits of some industrial printers and not specifically PEEK. 300C will not work with PEEK, yet I cannot precisely define a temperature as most information is not coherent or available. Yet, I read (I will try to find the source, but I think it was two interviews with industrial 3D printing players) that it wasn’t that simple, as, besides the glass transition temperature, you need to avoid a significant temperature difference between the extruder and the ambient. Otherwise, one may face issues such as volume contraction and curling. While not new, it seems critical in a demanding filament material. Also, it can be why reputable manufacturers set a top-to-bottom approach, i.e. their printers work solely with their filament. Therefore, when one consults information about their products, the datasheet does not entail the technical values, at least the ones we are looking for, e.g., the filament datasheet only contains mechanical, thermal and other properties for the printed part and not the printing settings.
Claim to have a direct annealing system. Yet, not a desktop printer.
FYI - During an AMA (ask me anything) session, BL employees have (more or less) answered to many BL users’ questions… and to some extent provided some teasing answers to BL plans for launching a new flagship printer, similar or in the same range as Prusa XL. There were questions about A1 and P1 series new models as well. I leave the YouTube link covering these topics below, for your own viewing pleasure. At the end of the video, you may draw your own conclusions on whether to buy now, or better wait a bit longer (definitely, if there will be a new flagship as discussed in the video, it will come with a noticeable price increase)
Elegoo announced their X1C clone a few days ago. I haven’t seen anything about the price yet and I’m guessing no multi-material because they didn’t mention it.
Exactly as I said, you shouldn’t compare the price of the “X1C Combo” to that of a single material printer.
The price of the X1C as a single filament printer is ~ $1100 shipped. Yes there will always be “similar” printers with a much lower price tag. It’s up to the buyer to decide what trade-offs they are willing to make.
(LOL)… My bad… I was referring to the X1C only, but being an owner of a X1C Combo, the typing reflex took over and it came out with the Combo “attached”. Also, I’ve referred to the Combo unit price instead of the single unit. As said already, my bad.
$100 isn’t much in the grand scheme of things, but it does shift which printers it gets compared to. At $399 it makes sense to compare it to the Qidi Q1 Pro, which has a heated chamber that it lacks.
Also, for me it’s a red flag when a printer gets announced and maybe only one semi-obscure guy is enthusiastically reviewing it. To me it suggests the manufacturer isn’t confident what the usual trusted reviewers might say–i.e. is worried they may pick on some negative aspects the manufacturer is aware of–and so they try to control the message by limiting access. That seemed to happen with the two trees core-xy printer when it was announced, with one guy gushing about it as a Bambu killer. Looking back now, after other reviewers have had their say, his review makes him sound like an idiot, whereas at the time of his review he was the only one with access, so in the short-run he could say almost anything and get away with it.
I’m not disputing your opinion. I’m just sharing the info that I came across. Everyone may review it, assess it against whatever criteria they chose to use for reference, and based on their results, decide for themselves. Eventually, they may decide to share their thoughts and opinions, like we do right now, for the benefit of us all.
Oh, absolutely yes. Worth keeping an eye on it. Thanks for bringing it to everyone’s attention. I like that it runs Klipper natively. IIRC, the Q1 Pro doesn’t, or didn’t. Not sure. Or maybe that was flash forge that got criticized for using it but then closing it off. The market is getting crowded now to keep track of it all.
I see the fact that the market is getting crowded as a good thing, as it will push the existing manufacturers to not only compete with each other by bringing innovative and qualitative products to the market, but also might force them to adopt lower prices as well. Another good thing from getting a crowded market is the fact that those manufacturers unable to adequately respond to the market needs and requirements will eventually drop off and disappear…or be taken out by their more creative and successful competitors… In the end, it will still be the end users who will benefit from this race between the current competitors. Don’t you think so?
The main task for the X1 - wait until something happens. Not even in the sense that a better model is coming, more in the sense that a print job comes along that doesn’t go through the M5.
Changing materials is a good thing, but having multiple printers that are already loaded with the right material is even better. And when it really would by needed, an Idex printer would standing there a long time ago… so the way around are there.
And if I ever think about multiple materials again, it will be an IDEX and with more than 1000 USD they can keep the printer.
So you’re right, the only thing I’m paying attention to now is the price - and even if they come with a model in 2024 - not interesting as I do not look on one single K2 Plus Combi review… I may will look at a new Bambulab Printer end of 2025. Whether the X1 is lucky or “we can do that”, the proof is still pending… And to believe it, I’ll watch at it at least for a year, too much chatter and too little delivered.
And if they want to wait, they can wait for themself. I don’t have the time for this and the train is gone.
It appears that Anycubic through the Kobra 3 has put out there a bedslinger with an obvious multicolor copy-cat syndrome, that is very much hampered by a half-baked proprietary slicer.
Has anyone tried it yet? If you did, care to share your thoughts on it?
