Fix warping issues once and for all. Part 1 Part 2
Chitu 3D Printer Heater
DDW X1C Chitu Heater Shroud
Bambu Lab X1-Carbon
Having the right chamber temperature is fundamental for 3D printing in my opinion. It’s physics. It will fix warping, reduce shrinkage, improve print quality, and increase layer adhesion. All is achieved by just using default print settings.
All is possible with the help of the Chitu Mini 3D Printer Heater. I cut some wires, used some connectors, and drilled a hole to give it a nice, clean fit to the Bambu Lab X1-C. You can get creative on installation and or just use the heater as is.
I should mention that this is a mini heater with a 24V 5A or 120W power supply, but the heater itself is only 75W. It can get up to about 40°C by itself in maybe 30-40 minutes with little insulation. I was expecting more heat, but it’s good enough nonetheless. It can get up to the set temperature faster with the help of a heated bed, continuous printing, and good insulation. Another factor is that everything inside the printer will need to be heated as well which can take some time. Once they’re warm, then it’s easier and faster to get to set temperature and maintain that temperature.
So far, here is what I have experienced with the heater while barely taping most of the gaps around the printer. Print using a Cool Plate and a Smooth PEI High Temp Plate.
- PLA chamber temp set to 45°C, using default print settings, and the actual temp ranges between 40-45°C.
- ASA chamber temp set to 60°C, using default print settings with every fan turned off, and the actual temp ranges between 50-52°C.
To be honest, I wanted a 60°C+ chamber temperature to print ABS/ASA, but it topped out at 52°C. However, it’s confirmed, no warping at 50-52°C for small ASA prints; no brims, no draft shields, nothing special, just default print settings with every fan turned off. I should mention that the ASA was in the filament dryer at 60°C for that extra nice quality print. A big ASA print warped at 50-52°C chamber temperature.
What’s next? Welp, it is time to take insulation seriously and hit that 60°C+ chamber temperature. Stay tuned for the next post!
Other than that, all that’s left to do is find the optimal chamber temperature for each material.