HOW-TO: 3D Printing with Shiny Silk PLA Filaments
Contents
Summary
Gallery
Kitsune Fox Pendant as Shiny Silk Rainbow
Kitsune Fox Pendant as Shiny Silk Rainbow
Kitsune Fox Pendant as Shiny Silk Rainbow
Kitsune Fox Pendant as Shiny Silk Rainbow
Kitsune Fox Pendant as Shiny Silk Rainbow
Summary & History
After our earlier ABS and PLA printing with the XYZprinting daVinci 1.0 Pro 3-in-1, printing with the Dremel Digilab 3D45 made environmental conditions (head temperature, bed temperature, chamber temperature, calibration, 9-point leveling) much easier to control and monitor. With the Dremel 3D45, we began experimenting with Shiny Silk PLA filaments to get "metallic looking" printed objects, but Shiny Silk PLA filaments behave a little differently than conventional opaque or translucent PLA filaments. This page was created to document our efforts and optimal configuration for Shiny Silk PLA printing.
HOW-TO
Temperatures:
- Brands: Mika3D, CC3D
- Head: 230°C
- Bed: 60°C
Cautions:
 WARNING: When "CLOGGED", it's usually not due to melted filament blocking the extruder head, but splintering/cracking of the filament within the extruder head heated cavity. TO RESOLVE: "Abort" the print job, use pliars to pull PLA filament from head, cut frayed/splinted filament, and re-load filament to resume normal printing. |
Although no particular problems are expected while printing with this filament type, it’s worth mentioning a couple of differentiating points in regards to normal PLA.
Due to the presence of more elastic additives in the filament, some users have reported problems with bed adhesion and some clogging issues. In fact, the correct bed temperature is a bit of a grey area, as many manufacturers suggest an unheated bed.
Also, this type of filament could cause problems with under extrusion and part shrinkage. It seems that these filaments work best with slightly elevated printing temperatures compared to normal PLA, so the print is more durable and less brittle, and for the elastomers to melt correctly and give it the signature glossy look. Some good news is that warping doesn’t seem to be a prevalent issue with silk PLA
References:
Observations:
- "Clogged" twice (One after Kitsune, again after Leash Hangar), appears to be issue with feed rather than extruder temperature, maybe better at higher temperature than recommended 220-230°C
- Noticed cracking and splitting when printing Frog test at 220°C head with 60°C bed
