Effects of Hot & Sultry Weather on Enders PLA Efforts

Filament 3D Printer Technical Help
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Hello Forum. May I warn you that I just posted this exact same text at the Maker forum, but I’m not sure if anyone goes there so here it is again, to be sure to be sure.

I bought an Enders V3 SE just over a year ago and started using it about a month ago after getting the required workbench and electrics organised, amongst other projects. Naturally, the first thing I planned to do was to print myself a chess set, since I bought a kilo each of the black & white PLA to go with it. Quite reasonably obvious, isn’t it? What else is there to do with it? :wink:

Well, things started out well, and I had high expectations, always having presumed that 3D printing would be infallible in the twenty-first century, until the first part of the puzzle began skating around the print bed. I’ve managed to finally get thirty four *(34) pieces completed in the first couple of weeks, with eight(8) white and twelve(12) black failures, most likely because I printed the white pieces first using the slightly more bleached sample filament that came with the unit for the first dozen pieces … and the weather keeps getting hotter.

  • two queens.

Then I had the bright idea to print a chess board, out of 40x40x8mm blocks, with interlocking tongue & groove … and the weather keeps getting hotter.

The board is comprised of equal parts b&w: 2 x corners, 12 x sides, and 18 x middle squares. Again, I chose to print the thirty two (32) white squares first. There were ten (10) failures of which I have kept the 40x40 parts as souvenirs. A number of other failures occurred where there was just curly swarf stuck to the nozzle, and those got chucked, so the success:failure ratio was about 4:3 roughy … and the weather keeps getting hotter.

As for the thirty two (32) black squares, both corners, the dozen sides and only eight (8) of the middle squares have been completed. One yesterday morning on the second attempt of four. Zero today having given up after two failed attempts. It’s 47*C in the trailer/workshop right now, and the printer refuses to participate. Thirty (30) failed 40x40mm squares and probably half as many again curly swarf skaters which went in the bin. The success:failure ratio now for the black squares is about 1:2, with about forty five (45) fails and twenty two (22) successes … and the weather keeps getting hotter.

Last month when just beginning to print the pawns and rooks, I learned how to adjust the printer settings;

  1. print speed from 100% down to 60% and sometimes up to 88% without failure on cool days.

2. Nozzle temperature from 200*C up to 225*C.

3. Bed temperature from 50*C up to 60*C and maybe 65*C.

  1. Fan speed up to 50, 70, 80 …

  2. An offset of -1.78 seems to be about right. Twice I’ve dug grooves in the bed but they have miraculously healed quite nicely.

However the weather keeps getting hotter, and I suspect that the 40*C+ heat might be having some effect on the print jobs with the black PLA and printer settings as listed above. I suspect because there have been no changes made since printing the white squares with a higher success rate, and even now, the best chance of a successful job is early morning or early evening. (Overnight is impossible because the batteries can’t print and power the fridge at the same tme without solar power, and I have frozen food in the fridge to eat next week.)

Has anyone else ever tried using a 3D filament printer in the rather hot conditions of a non-air conditioned caravan/trailer parked out in the sun for the solar panels in the 47*C summertime in the desert at 29* latitude south?

If so, what possible printer settings can you recommend to improve the chance of success? Turning up the bed heat above 60*C seems to warp the corners of the squares. Turning up the nozzle heart above 225*C seems to increase the chances of curly swarf skating around on the nozzle and not adhering ot the bed.

I’m halfway down through the kilo of black PLA filament, which means I’ve used a lot more than half the kilo, and so trial and error is becoming more and more untenable with each new days’ failures. So I thought it might be wise at this point to ask for some expert advice.

Thank you for reading.

1 Like
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Printing with a bought machine is only 13 years old (since around 2012-ish), 8 for affordable machines from China. Before that you had to build your own machines, so no. Welcome to the joy of 3D printing!

You didn’t say where your from or how hot it is but assuming a warmer climate it would have to be very hot to affect filament. The “glass” temp on most PLA filaments is around 60C or 130F. That is the point were PLA can start of soften and then you get fun things happening. Your printer can have problems with “heat creep”, your print head has reached 60C, which causes PLA to soften and jam up the filament. Proper cooling of the head is a fix. Another problem is that WHITE filament is very abrasive and can erode the tip which can also cause jams. Pictures of bad results would help to determine problems.

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Thank you for your reply. Desert 29*S 320*K.

(The text input window at this website has a peculiar way of dealing with the asterisks I use to denote the degree symbol. It seems to think I want italics when all I want is to print a blasted asterisk.)

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wow. those are some tough printing conditions in my mind. depending on your PLA brand, and/or type, you may need to adjust your print temp up, or down - I’ve settled on 210 for most of the PLA and PLA+ I use. That first layer squish is super helpful, and as others may suggest, brims or mouse ears on your corners may help with warping.

I found in an enclosure, that was mostly closed, that I couldn’t rely on convection to vent enough heat for PLA printing, so, my soft sided encl. sits fully unzipped for PLA printing. In your case, I don’t think an enclosure’s a good idea - might actually promote a fire hazard.

Can you add some additional air movement to give the onboard fans a fighting chance? and I’d let all of your fans speed get to 100% - keeping it low isn’t helping you, heat is needed, but it is very much your enemy.

None of my recommendations are specific to your printing conditions, just based on my experience, and a bit of general physics knowledge, and dealing with datacenter heat issues. Hopefully this, plus what others here may say nudges you closer to a 1:10 failure/success ratio.

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Don’t use PLA. Petg runs higher temps it won’t cause the same heat issues.

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I use black, white and grey Ender PLA all the time. I’m surprised that in a hot environment, you’re having so many problems (we usually discuss cold weather printing issues).

Set your nozzle temp to 200°C. Bed temp to 60°C. Cooling 100%. Your environment may cause those temps to creep, but the cooling fans should keep it close.

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Bed temp. for first pass 70C then reduce to 50 or maybe 60.

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as a general practice its best to 3dprint when under 80% humidity

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Thank you all for your learned advice. Sorry I’ve been absent far too long, suffering from a chronic case of Acute Disappointment.

Today is the first day this month that the weather has cooled down to under 40^C forecast, which inspired me to try, try again. I’m currently printing the fourth attempt of the day, having already had one failure followed by two successes. It’s now 39^C in the trailer, just after noon and crossing my fingers. Only seven black squares to go …

Having tried changes to print speed, nozzle temperature, bed temperature, and fan speed, I have discovered that the best configuration setting is to Wait For The Weather To Cool Down A Bit.

Then the print speed at 55%, nozzle temp at 230^C, bed temp 60^C, fan speed at 50-60-80 for The First Layer, and then the machine has been changing fan speed to 255 (100%) all by itself after that. Hang on while I check this fourth job of the day, BRB … 34% and all is well cross fingers.

I believe, having been told by a few experts, that the bed temp and fan speed can be adjusted down and up after The First Layer, to improve its adhesion to the bed, but then left alone for the rest of the job. That seems to work fairly well, however the best solution has proven to be Wait For The Weather To Cool Down A Bit. I best go and check the job BRB.- 37% and still sticking.

I’m stuck with PLA until I can get to a shop next month, but the PLA seems to work fairly well for ornamental jobs like chess sets. ABS is on my shopping list, because I need something strong for building some structural parts like electrical junction boxes and Anderson connectors. Not sure yet on how good Petg might be for strength and for outdoor fixtures, because I believe ABS is not suited to outdoors in the sun and rain. How strong and outdoor-durable is Petg compared to ABS, please?

I’ve run out of things to write about, but I just went and had a look in the trailer and the job is up to 65% and its just gone 40^C inside the trailer according to the IN/OUT thermometer. I might just wait these last few minutes so that I can report on whether this fourth job of the day makes for the third success or the second failure. Please go and make yourself a cup of tea or something while we wait. Won’t be long now …

(printing at 55% speed seems to take three times as long)

91% cross fingers …

It is still very clammy and humid in the trailer, so that’s why I just go out and check and watch for a few minutes then come back, because it is, well, call me a big sook but I find it quite uncomfortable compared to back here in the air-conditioned Transit van. … BRB …

Okay! Success #3 out of 4. It’s 40^C in the trailer and feels quite subtropically humid. Only six black squares left to build and then I can play myself to a game at last. I’ll report back in when the job is done.

Thanks for tolerating my efforts at comedy. Happy New Year!

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Hi Sean, have you dried your filament lately? Printer filament really, really, really hates moisture. Humidity over about 15-20% will cause problems for your prints. If your at over 30%, forget about it. Most of your prints will fail. Dry that stuff out really good with a good quality filament drier, then make your prints right away. Do not wait long to print. You will see the difference in print quality, a massive drop in failure rate, and your disappointment will go away since pure joy will replace it ; )

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ASA is best outdoors far better than Pets or ABS. ABS (what lego bricks are made of) is very good outdoors but PETg is a bit higher UV resistance. PLA is ok but discolours and get brittle. PETG is really hygroscopic it absorbs moister easily maybe not the best in highly humid conditions. ABS too for that matter. Both throw micro plastics that are quite bad o breath, ABS also has toxic fumes as well.