3 valuable tips you need to know for your next flex 3d print

FLEX FILAMENT

Flex filament behaves like rubber, therefore, it remains flexible and soft even after printing. It is quite strong and it has good layer bonding. You can easily control the amount of flexibility with the amount of infill of your print. It can be used in a variety of projects, from making rubber wheels or mechanical grips to shock absorbers. If you want more information on the flex filament, click HERE.

Flex filament, 3D printing, Leapfrog

HOW TO PRINT WITH FLEX FILAMENT

  • The first step is to load the flex filament into the Bolt Pro and this requires a slightly different approach than other materials. When loading the flex filament into the Bolt Pro make sure you loosen the filament pressure knob, then load the flex filament regularly.
  • As soon as the filament is gripped by the pinch wheels in the print head stop extrusion and finish the loading sequence.
  • Be sure to select the right print settings and the printer should do the rest.

Flex has a tendency to ooze a lot which is why the wipers of the Bolt Pro are so useful. In the end, you should have a perfect flexible model. These instructions are also available in a video format.

EXAMPLES OF FLEX APPLICATIONS

Prosthetics below were made with the Bolt Pro using Leapfrog Engineering PLA, which is a new type of high-strength filament able to withstand stresses and Leapfrog Flex, a flexible, rubber-like material that distributes the forces onto the patient’s leg evenly in order to avoid large stresses. If you want to read more click HERE.

3D printed prosthetics, Leapfrog, Bolt Pro

VDS Culemborg

Flex filament is also extremely versatile and useful for all kinds of projects. VDS Culemborg created a camera mount for an aluminium extrusion profile frame. Normally, you would make this part with PLA; however, they decided to use Flex instead. They printed it with high infill and the result was a more durable part rather than a rigid, hard, plastic part. It also provides more grip when being snapped on the rail and fastened using bolts. For more information on this story click HERE.

Leapfrog, 3D printing

BEST 3D PRINTER FOR FLEX

The Bolt Pro is an industrial 3D printer capable of printing with a wide variety of filaments. This ranges from Flex, PLA, Hybrid, Laybrick, Nylon, and ABS. Below is an overview of all filaments the Bolt Pro can print.

Filaments, 3D printing, Leapfrog, Bolt Pro

All of this is possible because of minimum stress on the filament, which further proves the reliability and constant extrusion capability of the Bolt Pro. Bolt Pro fares so well with Flex 3D filament because of the layout of the direct drive head and the wiping feature that prevents the oozing effect.

Bolt Pro, 3D printing, Leapfrog

If you want a FREE sample from the Bolt Pro, click HERE. We also offer a FREE PERSONALIZED solution specific to your situation. If you want to talk to one of our experts about your situation and the possible 3D printing solutions for your business, click HERE.