¶ Preparation for drying before printing
PVA, or polyvinyl alcohol, is a flexible and biodegradable polymer that is highly sensitive to moisture and easily absorbs moisture from the air. It can also dissolve in liquid water.
PVA filament is relatively hard in a dry state and can be used with AMS and AMS lite. However, when it becomes damp, it becomes soft and sticky, making it no longer suitable for use with AMS and AMS lite.
We strongly recommend against using it without drying in advance, to avoid issues such as loading failures, stringing, extruder clogging, and nozzle clogging caused by damp filaments.
To avoid these problems and achieve higher printing quality, it is necessary to dry the damp filament before printing. During the printing process, store the filament in a sealed container or AMS and use a desiccant to ensure the humidity is below 20% RH, preventing the dried filament from becoming damp too quickly.
You can refer to this wiki for more information on drying and moisture prevention: Filament Drying Recommendations
When using the A1 series printer for printing, due to the lack of sealed storage conditions in AMS Lite, besides preparing desiccants, it is necessary to prepare an airtight container on your own, such as a filament drying box, sealable box, or sealable bag.
¶ Parameter settings
In Bambu Studio, when using support filament for printing support structures, there are two options:
1. Using support filament as both the support base and support interface:
This option is more suitable for models that require extensive support during the printing process but are difficult to remove after printing and require overall dissolution, such as hollow or nested models.
2. Using the main filament as the support base and the support filament as the support interface:
This option is more suitable for regular models that require minimal support structures that are easy to remove, in which case PVA and Bambu Support for PLA have similar effects. The specific setting method is as follows:
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Using support filament as both the support base and support interface |
Using the main filament as the support base and the support filament as the support interface |
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The default support parameters of most printers are not suitable for cases where both PVA is used as the support base and as the support interface, and appropriate modifications are required. In such cases, it is advisable to avoid using tree supports (which can be excessively thin and fragile) during slicing to prevent the collapse of these supports during printing. To achieve better results, the following slicing settings are recommended.
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1. Speed settings |
2. Support settings |
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Note: A 3mf file containing print parameters with Bambu PVA support is provided at the end of the document.
¶ Dissolution of supports after printing
After printing, immerse the model in water to easily dissolve and remove the PVA supports. The dissolution process may take a few hours to a dozen hours.
Using warm water and agitation can speed up the dissolution of PVA. However, if the model is printed on PLA filament (low heat-resistant), the water temperature should not exceed 50°C to avoid deformation of the model.
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1. Before immersing |
2. After immersion for a few hours |
3. After complete immersion |
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Due to the presence of numerous voids inside most FDM 3D printed models, there is a risk of water ingress into the internal structure during the immersion process. To reduce the risk of water ingress inside the model, you can refer to the parameter settings in this wiki article: Guide to reduce the risk of prints leakage
¶ Default Profiles
Download and open the following 3MF files and import them into the model to obtain pre-configured printing parameters.
When using a different printer model, you can transfer the corresponding process parameters and filament settings mentioned below:
Bambu PVA (PLA support base + PVA support interface).3mf
Bambu PVA (PVA support base + PVA support interface).3mf
¶ End Notes
We hope the detailed guide provided has been helpful and informative.
To ensure a safe and effective execution, if you have any concerns or questions about the process described in this article, we recommend submitting a Technical ticket regarding your issue. Please include a picture or video illustrating the problem, as well as any additional information related to your inquiry.