Lift on Print Makerbot Replicator 2x ABS

[Wilhelmkingspeak]

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I am printing on a MakerBot Replicator 2x with ABS. Extruder is at 230C and the build plate is 110C. I am printing on Kapton tape.

I have been preheating makerbot and that helps but still with small bits I have lift.

Any Ideas?

[Sebastian Finke]

110 is far too hot for ABS. The glass point of ABS is 105 so you really want be below that. I usually aim for 90-95.

Your ABS prints are warping due to a physical property of ABS called shrinkage. Most plastics expand when hot and shrink when cooled. As you print the bottom layers cool but the top layers are still 'relatively' hot. As the upper layers cool they exert that force onto the lower layers and lift them up. A heated bed helps but only up to a point. The best thing to do is to enclose your print chamber completely to keep the chamber as hot as possible. Once you do this you can get fantastic ABS prints.

[iDig3Dprinting]

As Sebastian says enclosing the print chamber will be a big help. The other thing to look at is improving your adhesion to the bed using ABS juice, hairspray, or pva. Lastly look at your fan settings, if you have the fan on this will increase warping tendencies.

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[Wilhelmkingspeak]

Thank you, the combination of lower temperature and using PVA gluestick has been a dream come true. Now the Printer is working better than ever. Now to print an InMoov robot.