Working with PETG for the first time.

Improvement in quality

I decided to try 3D printing with PETG since PLA has limitations when it comes to heat resistance and strength. People in 3D printing forums suggested PETG and ABS, but they warned me that PETG is difficult to print.

I had scoured the internet trying to find out what perfect 3D printing profiles would result in good quality prints. Almost all of them emphasised that a hot-bed was needed. Now I have two 3D printers, one with a hot bed and one without. My 3D printer with a hot bed has a Bowden Tube, and some people warned that PETG does get stuck in Bowden Tubes sometimes, which scared me a little bit.

So, for my first PETG filament test print, I used a 3D printer with a direct drive extruder but no hot bed. I was initially scared that it wouldn't stick. But my first test print went well. The print was a 3 mm cube, and the resulting brim stuck well.

Next, I decided to print a more complex image to see how it would fare. I had set the recommended PETG profiles; high temperatures, slow speeds, retraction enabled, and a Z offset (manually). And within the first few layers, there was warping at the side. Which you can see in the image below (left).

This was not good, as my requirements are for a consistent and pleasant looking prints. My next approach was to increase the temperature and slow the speed even further. I resorted to using a raft rather than a brim for better building plate adhesion. This time the adhesion was slightly better, but there was still warping at the top of the print. 

Approach number 2 involved using a glue stick all over the bed. This seemed to do the trick, as the print was virtually flawless. (Pictured below on the right).

This means that the glue really does help in improving adhesion, and so does using a raft (although it involves using more filment). In the future, I will try out even more complex prints to see how they will fare. Preferably something with a curve.