NinjaFlex vs. FilaFlex - Any opinions?

[NinjaFlex Engineer]

jimc,

Please feel free to send my email to the fellow member struggling with NinjaFlex. The feeding is dependent on the extruder design. We do know where it works well and how to modify some extruders to make it feed better. We are always looking at improvements as well.

Stan
stankulikowski@fennerdrives.com

[American 3D Printing]

I have handled Ninjaflex builds when I was up at the Lulzbot factory, and it definitely will return to original shape. When I was up there last, they were still developing the special extruder for it, you couldn't use a regular extruder. Now that they are in production with the Ninjaflex extruder, we're going to get some and also order in all the colors of Ninjaflex. We're just waiting on a quote with our wholesale pricing.

We already have Makerbot flexible filament in the store, and we have not been able to get a successful build out of it on our Rep 2s. We've been working with Makerbot support on this. For one thing it prints at 100°C (we had originally just plopped it in there at the standard Makerbot setting of 230°C). I think the print speed might need to be slowed down too, our standard speed is 90mm/sec. In any case, it is much firmer than Ninjaflex. I don't know what the Makerbot flexible filament is made of, but I know from talking to the engineers up at Lulzbot that Ninjaflex is a urethane based elastomer.

[MadMikeMitchell]

I haven't used filaflex or ninjaflex, but I can say I have personally touched and held stuff made with NinjaFlex and it was really great stuff. I don't know if there are feeding issues or not though.

[The_Critter]

Here's a cool video of some things printed using the Ninjaflex filament

[JMK]

From what I hear, both of these are quite amazing. I hear that some printers have a little bit of a difficult time printing using the NinjaFlex (could be the same with the FilaFlex), but when you get it working, this stuff is really amazing.

[3dman]

I haven't used NinjaFlex, but I have had the chance to print a little with the FilaFlex. I messed up my first print because the filament was getting kinda clogged on the nozzle. I figured out the issue though (my fault), and then printed out a rubbery looking hand. It came out very nicely. I'd definitely recommend it if you want that silicon like feel.

[Schultz]

I've used the NijaFlex and this stuff is excellent once you get it to print. We have used about 3 rolls so far. I have an Airwolf HD with the Boden head at work. We have found that it sticks to glass easily, little or no bed heat is needed and don't cover the printer leave it open, if the spool material gets too warm it's like trying to push a noodle through the extruder. The parts are extremely tough when printed tight (squish the layers together). The parts can't be torn or pulled apart. We have used them to make flexible pipe couplings, bellows, anti-backflow valves, gaskets and other prototype items for our new products. We have had problems with it jamming in the feed mechanism, it also takes a while to fully purge the ABS from our extruder and for that reason we run it on the hot side (abs temps) so it tends to droll from the tip. Our feeder isn't completely tight on the inside so it can double up inside and jam. Its understandable that using a Boden type extruder is not ideal for a flexible material, but it does work.

[NDG]

I've used the NijaFlex and this stuff is excellent once you get it to print. We have used about 3 rolls so far. I have an Airwolf HD with the Boden head at work. We have found that it sticks to glass easily, little or no bed heat is needed and don't cover the printer leave it open, if the spool material gets too warm it's like trying to push a noodle through the extruder. The parts are extremely tough when printed tight (squish the layers together). The parts can't be torn or pulled apart. We have used them to make flexible pipe couplings, bellows, anti-backflow valves, gaskets and other prototype items for our new products. We have had problems with it jamming in the feed mechanism, it also takes a while to fully purge the ABS from our extruder and for that reason we run it on the hot side (abs temps) so it tends to droll from the tip. Our feeder isn't completely tight on the inside so it can double up inside and jam. Its understandable that using a Boden type extruder is not ideal for a flexible material, but it does work.

Hi, Just got couple rolls of Ninja Flex and I'm having issues with it jamming in the feed mechanism too. May I ask how did you manage to fix that ?
Thank you.

[charlie]

Can i print with NinjaFleX and a flashforge creator x?


or aHH.... what 3d printer prints with NinajaFlx... ?

[American 3D Printing]

I know this is an old thread but we finally JUST got our Ninjaflex. It's been backordered from Lulzbot for about 2 months now. We got their Flexistruder first and were just waiting on the material.

I have to say it was worth the wait! The stuff is VERY rubberlike.

Our first job has been in our store for over a month waiting on this material. It is a seal for a shower fixture diverter valve. The seal is no longer made, and a new valve plus installation would cost the customer over a hundred bucks. We designed the replacement (15 minutes x $40/hr = $10), built it (15 minutes x 20$/hr = $5) and it used $0.08 worth of material. So the customer gets a replacement for $15.08, probably less than what it would cost if the hardware store had them in stock.

Note that the Flexistruder for the Lulzbot TAZ was about $300 and the material is about $60 for 0.75 kg.

Printing notes:

Prints at 230°C
Unheated bed (TAZ uses PE tape covered glass)
30mm/sec
0.4mm layers

It needs to build up pressure inside the nozzle before it extrudes smoothly, but boy does it work well. Bridges decent too, even without the fan running. I am REALLY happy with this stuff. I doubt we could use this with our Makerbots, Type As or Z-Morphs, the Lulzbot TAZ Flexistruder is really key to getting good results, along with the slicing profile they provided for Slic3r.