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Review on ๐Ÿ–จ๏ธ OVERTURE Dimensionally Accurate Filament Consumables: Leading 3D Printing Supplies for Additive Manufacturing by William Hunter

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Seems to be a quality thread

Just received the 'red' ABS which definitely looks more orange but proof is in press! I decided to test it on one of my commercial prototypes, which is a definitive test of accuracy, smoothness, and layer adhesion. I set Cura 4.7 to 250 degrees. C hot end and 90 degrees. C temp. I also used a full edge and added a "thermal wall" around the part, rising with it and preventing the print from being affected by stray air currents. I figured that the boundary wall also helps concentrate heat rising from the bed, and in the case of a small part, the gantry and printhead cover a large area over the part. I plan to create a simple cover that attaches to the print head and moves with it to act as a "cover" around the perimeter of the wall. I like this idea more than a huge enclosure over the whole printer that heats steppers, belts, etc. When the print was finished there was no sign of the print warping or lifting off the platform. As an added benefit, I put a lid around the wall to keep the table warm while the entire printer slowly cools down, a bit like afterglow. In the photo, the item looks VERY clean with no shreds or threads. Retract setting: 5 mm at 50 mm/s and 50 mm print speed. The real test is the post-processing. So far the part looks great, but I'm interested in how the steam smoothing turns out - it would be nice to look like a shiny molding! I've tried PLA, PLA+ and PETG and PLA+ is a good choice, plus PLA generally prints very cleanly. So far, PETG isn't impressive at all. It's VERY stringy and lumpy, although the right slicer settings can mitigate this significantly. But post-processing is what PETG lacks. At least for the details I make. Large parts that aren't dimensionally critical will come out fine, but turning PETG into a shiny, smooth surface takes a lot of work and there's no practical chemical process. This is my first foray into ABS as I was put off by the high printing temperatures, odours, VOCs and warping issues, but now I understand why ABS was and still is so popular.

Pros
  • Industrial & Scientific
Cons
  • There are new competitors