FilaFlex by Recreus vs FlexEcoPLA by FormFutura

[Wolfie]

I had a chance to compare FilaFlex by Recreus (GlobalFSD) and a spook of FlexEcoPLA by FormFutura (MakerGeeks)

At first I thought they would be rather similar but it turns out they are quite different! The elasticity of the actual filament is similar but FilaFlex is a bit more rubber band like and FlexEcoPLA is a bit stiffer. I suspect FilaFlex is closer to being comparable to NinjaFlex than Flex EcoPLA.

I have to admit, I had quite the time getting the FlexEcoPLA to print right. I tried 3 different print settings of various temperatures and retraction settings. Either I could get it to print well for overhangs or I could get the layers bonded well with little nozzle drool. Never did get both at the same time.

OTOH, FilaFlex was darn close out of the gate. Fill still has to be dealt with (later in the review). The FilaFlex printed well (except for the top) with only a couple noted drools on the overhangs. I think maybe pulling the retraction back a little more or reducing the retraction refeed might take care of those.


All prints on a Taz 5 using a dual extruder.
Budda Hot End on a FlexiStruder, 0.50mm nozzle

Settings for FilaFlex:
Extrusion Width: Auto (0.60)
Retraction Distance: 2.50mm
Extra Restart: 0.02mm
Retraction Lift: 0.10mm
Retraction Speed: 2400
Coast At End: 0.30mm
Default Print Speed: 1200mm/min
Outline Underspeed: 60%
Solid Infill Underspeed: 80%
Extrusion Temp: 240c
Bed: 70c
Layer: 0.20mm
Top Solid: 4
Bottom Solid: 4
Outline: 2
First Layer Height: 80%
Infill: 15%
Overlap: 15%
Only Retract Crossing Open: yes
Force Retract Between Layers: yes
Adjust Print Speed for layers below: 8s

Best Settings for FlexEcoPLA #3:
Extrusion Width: Auto (0.60)
Retraction Distance: 4mm
Extra Restart: 0mm
Retraction Lift: 0.05mm
Retraction Speed: 1200
Coast At End: 0.30mm
Default Print Speed: 2400mm/min
Outline Underspeed: 50%
Solid Infill Underspeed: 80%
Extrusion Temp: 210c
Bed: 50c
Layer: 0.20mm
Top Solid: 5
Bottom Solid: 5
Outline: 2
First Layer Height: 80%
Infill: 10%
Overlap: 10%
Only Retract Crossing Open: yes
Force Retract Between Layers: yes
Adjust Print Speed for layers below: 15s

Left to Right: FilaFlex, FlexEcoPLA #3, FlexEcoPLA #2, FlexEcoPLA #1





Notice the top of the FilaFlex in the last photo. It didn't cap or bridge well. Unfortunately I only have about 1' left from my sample from GlobalFSD so a retest isn't gonna happen. But I think perhaps additional infill or perhaps more top layers could solve it. Maybe a touch lower temp. Not sure, all a guess at this point.

Overhangs were a problem for FlexEcoPLA but not so much at all for FilaFlex. Take a look at image 3 above and look at the right buttock. It has a moderate overhang. Except for printing cooler with less retraction, I got nasty texturing on overhangs. The FilaFlex nailed the overhangs beautifully!


The groin area is also an overhang but its pretty mild and the FlexEcoPLA still had issues. Ignore the green on the FilaFlex, thats remnants of ABS support for her, um, crotch.

FlexEcoPLA 1	FlexEcoPLA 2	FlexEcoPLA 3	FilaFlex

Clearly these are raw prints. And, to be honest, I haven't a clue how I would finish them! I tried 240 grit paper on the FilaFlex. Didn't seem to affect it. I wiped it with acetone in hopes of getting something. Yea, not even blinked an eye.

General feel is nearly identical between FlexEcoPLA and the FilaFlex as far as touch goes. But squeeze it There you can really tell the flexibility of the FilaFlex. #1 had 20% infill and is as hard as an overfilled bycicle tire. It gives but not much. #2 has 15% fill and is much more flexible. #3 has only 10% fill but is still considerably stiffer than FilaFlex. The granddaughters kept playing with and squeezing the FilaFlex tonight.

Supports. Lets talk about supporting this stuff. #1 I used the same material to build supports in the crotch. BAAAD mistake. I had to use my xacto knife to carve it out (see badly hacked areas in the photos above). For #2 and #3 I utilized my dual extruder and used ABS to build supports. Due to the difference in extrusion temperatures (240c for ABS and 210c for FlexEcoPLA) and perhaps the actual polymer its made from, it didn't stick to ABS very hard. It stuck enough for use as a support material but it came of nearly cleanly. FilaFlex, on the other hand, this stuff extrudes at nearly the same or the same temp as ABS (depending on your ABS of course). It stuck to it nightmarishly. I mean its like glued there. Gotta figure out a different support material with this one. I suppose acetone might dissolve the ABS. Hate to resort to chemicals like that.

Warpage. Man, night and day here. The FlexEcoPLA warped BAD. Really really BAD. If you look closely, you will see that NONE of the black figures sit flat on the desk for the photos. They wobble. Click the link for the first image in this post and view the original sized image (3k). You will see about 1/8" gap under the outside of the legs! Yes, it warped THAT bad. The good side is they popped right off the print plate. Bad is if you actually wanted them to retain a specific shape, oh, say FLAT. Unsupported or somehow controlled by rigid framework, its not going to retain any form of accurate shape. On the other hand, FilaFlex seemed to not warp at all. It sits perfectly flat and looks dimensionally correct (didn't mic it). It adhered to the PEI bed to the point where you can see slight slits in one leg as I slipped the oyster knife in to get it free.

Bottom Line...
FlexEcoPLA:
Semi-flexible. Doesn't stick well to ABS (both good and bad here depending on what ABS you do or do not wish it to stick to). I had a bear of a problem getting settings I was happy with. I still don't actually have happy settings. But, I have a spool of it to work with so I can work the settings more. I can see this being used where slightly more tactile friction is wanted over PLA or ABS rigid stock such as gun grips, bike handlebars, buttons. In fact I used it to print replacement joystick caps for my Xbox 360 controller that my yorkie chewed the stick caps off of. Its a little more flexible than the stock stick caps but the feel is good and stiff enough for good control. Easy to use standard ABS for support material during printing though I worry that its warping could cause it to rip free for complex shapes or tall prints.

FliaFlex:
Very flexible. Soft squeezy flexible. Layers stick to each other very well. Holds its printed shape well after cooling. I see this being a nice material for vibration isolators, control arm boots for RC cars and copters, phone cases and more flexible gripping surfaces. Sticks almost too well to the platform. Sticks like glue to ABS so thats unsuitable as a print support material. But, that also means that in a dual print situation it will adhere to the ABS parts extremely well and provide a very integrated print. So, for example, if you were printing a suspension boot for an RC car, you could print an ABS mount ring and then the FilaFlex boot and it would adhere very well to the mount ring with no need for glue. I am also thinking this would be ideal for watertight boots for wiring connectors as it could easily stretch and bend over the connector to form a decent seal. First print came out very nice except for the top layer,unfortunately I don't have the material to test any more with at this time so I can't refine the settings.

[GlobalFSD]

Hi Wolfie,

Great reviews of these filaments - very clear & replicable for anyone - thoroughly enjoyed reading this... Also many thanks for the filament review you submitted on our website! We hope to see you again soon

Kind regards, GlobalFSD.

[curious aardvark]

there's something quite disturbing about those crusty crotches. You couldn't find a model that needed flexibility ? :-)

But yeah flexible pla isa flexible plastic and filaflex is an industrial rubber - so completely different materials.

Didn't know globalfsd had flexible pla - going to have to order some now lol

Although if it's warping then won't be a substitute for the polymakr polyflex. Still my all time favourite flexible filament - and currently the most expensive, sigh..

[Wolfie]

I chose the model because I had used it for testing before. I knew what size it should be. I had cleaned and finished it in other plastics before. So I could compare these prints to known prints from other filaments. I has smooth contours. Small details. And several overhang areas of varying degrees.

And I had it handy (lazy) as a .factory file from 3D Simplify

Guess I need to make another standard test piece I suppose. Just so you know, its not a real body. Its an export from Poser of Daz's Genesis 2 mesh with some morphs applied to reduce the size of some parts.

[jalbo01]

Thanks for this honest article. From now you can buy FilaFlex in USA from CubiMap Distribution.