Sainsmart TPU Issues

Heylo,

First post so please go easy. I am having some serious trouble printing with this Sainsmart Transparent TPU. I have it in both Blue and Purple, the Blue is slightly better but both give me a lot of trouble.

First, I'll start with my setup. I have the BIBO 2 Dual Extruder 3D Printer from Amazon. I am currently using Cura 2.7 as my software because I'm too cheap to go for Simplify3D although I've heard it makes life much easier.

I have searched and searched and I've tried all of the settings I could find for this TPU and I can never get a clean print. Delamination, under-extrusion, and I don't know what else. This is all a bit above my head. I'm used to PLA which I never have a problem with, and I have printed with this YOYI TPU from Amazon and that stuff was amazing. I have also printed with NinjaTek Cheetah TPU and that stuff is also amazing. I can print both the YOYI and NinjaTek with the following settings:

Layer Height: 0.2mm
First Layer Height: 0.3mm
Infill Density: 45%
Printing Temperature: 230?C
Bed Temperature: 70?C
Diameter: 1.75mm
Flow: 100%
Enable Retraction: Yes
Build Plate Adhesion Type: Skirt
Build Plate Adhesion Extruder: Extruder 1

I've tried the Sainsmart TPU at the following settings, but these are only the most current:

Layer Height: 0.2mm
First Layer Height: 0.3mm
Infill Density: 100%
Printing Temperature: 240?C
Bed Temperature: 70?C
Diameter: 1.75mm
Flow: 100%
Enable Retraction: Yes
Build Plate Adhesion Type: Skirt
Build Plate Adhesion Extruder: Extruder 1

I've been stepping the print temperature and the infill density to where they are now... I've attached some photos below.

Attachment 11804 Attachment 11805 Attachment 11806 Attachment 11807 Attachment 11809

I guess I just need some educating and some ideas for where to go from here. I've done hundreds of prints and it's always the same problems, so I know it's probably me.

Any help will be massively appreciated. Thank you in advance.

With Gratitude,
CBK

well looks like you are printing too hot.
Says 200-220c on the reel.

Also is this stuff floppier than the other filaments you've used ?

The cheetah is quite firm. No clue on the yoyi.
It might be worth checking your xtruder is optimised for flexible filaments. Most of the extruders used in makerbot clones are NOT optimised for flexibles.

Also what mm/s speed are you ptinting at ?
Flexibles have to be printed at really slow speeds.

With your setup I'd probably go up to 25mm/s MAXIMUM speed.
The advantage of flexibles is that because they stick so well to just about everything you can print the first layer at the same speed as all the other layers :-)

Also have a look through this: https://3dprintboard.com/showthread....n-instructions

Just tried Ninjaflex on my Makergear m2 and it is a bit tricky.First off you need to rig up a gravity feed at least if you have a direct drive like the M2, it was too stretchy to be pulled. Also had to adjust the tension a bit. Used the .5 nozzle, 10mmS , no retraction and the center temp within the manufactures range. Neat stuff, make me some stepper motor dampers and it worked great!Good luck

Thank you for the response curious aardvark, and for your help. :) I should have mentioned that I have increased the temp in 5C increments from 190 to 240and I get the same problems every time.

And you were right. I somehow missed including my print speeds as well. With the YOYI and the Cheetah I usually print at 30 mm/s but with this, I have slowed it even down to 15 mm/s but to no avail.

And yes, this stuff is much floppier than I've used. And I notice that when I am loading the filament, the feed is much thinner than with the other flexible filaments I've used. It's like it is struggling to feed it, which would definitely account for the under-extrusion that is happening among the myriad of other problems.

Unfortunately, the link you provided is no longer active or at least wouldn't work when I tried it. :/ The link to the PDF is broken.

At this point, I think I can chalk it up to this stuff is just too floppy for my printer to print well. I believe I will have to make some sort of modification to the extruders in order for it to work.

Hi...did you put the jumper on the board that allows for flashing the firmware? (it is the two pins just to the left of the USB type B port)
while the documentation is poor, I really quite like my sainsmart 2 in 1.