Printing POM/Delrin...it sticks!

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum, and fairly new to 3D printing too.
I've been experimenting with printing using POM (1.75mm in Black, from Hobbyking) and have looked around various forums to see how other people managed to get it to stick to anything (it is really slippery stuff).

Anyway I thought I'd share the method I'm using having had some success.

I have found that it sticks very well to cotton. So I got a piece of board (tufnol in this case, but you could use anything) and glued a sheet of cotton (an old pair of boxer shorts, washed of course!) to it using Impact adhesive.
It seems to work really well.

The heat settings I'm using are; 215 C for the extruder, and 105 C for the bed.

A large brim seems to reduce the amount of warping too.


I'd be really interested to hear how other people are getting on with printing POM, and if anyone has any further tips/comments....

You really need a hot build plate for this stuff. Like 130+. Then Extruder temps should be around 195 or 200. I haven't tried it but evidently a thick ABS slurry on Glass works.

what is pom ?

Dellrin...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyoxymethylene

https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=...E/t_614319WWcJ

There is a pretty good discussion about it here. I started this thread originally and some very good advice is given about properties and use of this filament.

Actels are fun. Running some of it right now (injection molding).

For what it's worth, for most of our molding applications with this material we run mold temperatures of around 80c tops. Now, this is to *encourage* release from the mold, if I had to guess to get it to stick to the tool I would suggest in excess of... *converting* 120c. At that temperature an acetel resin should stick to damn near anything and then pop right off once it cools down. I know when I have a hot tool in my hand and I get molten delrin on it, the stuff stays firmly put until the whole assembly is cooled down.

Though I am sure you have noticed the smell when processing it, just in case, I would strongly suggest good ventilation. Formaldehyde gas is volatilized from these plastics, and that stuff wreaks havoc on mucus membranes.

Additional information I can supply:

Acetel is a highly crystalline polymer. Since the Tg is below 0, any cure temperature (chamber temp in the case of printing) will encourage strong crystal formation. The higher you can comfortably manage chamber temperature, the larger, stronger, and more dense the crystals will be. This makes for excellent mechanical properties. Of course, you will also reduce warping this way. Double bonus. Thing is though that most likely the differences won't matter for 99.9% of you guys. Just something to keep in mind.

Cautionary note:

Many acetels are also pretty flammable, so be wary of this if you plan to use an open flame to heat a clogged extruder with the stuff in it. I have lit the entire back side of an 30x1000mm extruder on fire before. Some brands have flame retardants in them, but even still the stuff will ignite.

looks like across between pla and nylon.

Quote:

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so be wary of this if you plan to use an open flame to heat a clogged extruder with the stuff in it. I have lit the entire back side of an 30x1000mm extruder on fire before. Some brands have flame retardants in them, but even still the stuff will ignite.

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lol cos setting fire to the extruder would be my first recourse.

You're mad. :-)

POM isn't a cross between anything.

But it isn't uncommon to use an open flame to clear glob formed due to a leak in the assembly. I would imagine that's probably the last thing you would try with a hotend that isn't all metal though lol.

And what am I mad about?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ama-fessional Molder

And what am I mad about?

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Plastic?

minchars

Enthusiastic is the correct word.

All. I'm printing POM successfully at 177C on PEI surface hot bed @ 140C. Not great prints so far, but at least the stuff is sticking and not warping. I have my extrusion and movements set to VERY SLOW however. Makes this less than ideal, but hey it finally works.

I've had a heck of a time with Gizmo Dorks POM. Warping is the main issue. I'm able to get it to stick to a LARGE bed of PLA at 50C and below (so the PLA bed remains flat), but laying down the PLA takes awhile and there's still the issue of warping. The only way I can stop the warping is extrude at 177C.

If I could I'd heat up the entire chamber @ 150C and try 195C to see of that warps. Can't do it with my gear though.

Feel free to email me at jahearn@sbcglobal.net

POM is an engineering plastic so very high grade with superior mechanical properties. It is strong and lightweight without being brittle, it is not prone to weathering degradation and used in high-performance applications such as motorcycle gears.
If you can 3D print this it will open up new applications - how strong are the parts you get out of the printer?