Slik filament – additional information
A natural phenomenon in the 3D printing materials industry is the constant desire to create increasingly useful filaments with surprising properties (e.g. filaments with extremely unique aesthetic values). Manufacturers of consumables compete to provide customers with materials that are durable, resistant to mechanical damage, thermally resistant, and at the same time distinctive in appearance. In addition, the printing temperature is extremely important. Additionally, manufacturers focus on the simplicity of 3D printing.
Extremely interesting proposals include silk filaments, which are a combination of two other well-known materials: PLA and PETG and are recognizable at first glance thanks to their shiny, satin surface. The described thermoplastic material can also be described as PLA Silk + PETG filament).
Silk – an impressive filament for 3D printers
In the Botland store you will find silk filaments supplied by the well-known Polish brand Devil Design. The material is available in an impressive range of colors, including ten colors and shades: from white, light yellow, light orange, light pink, red, through blue, purple, light green, up to gold and brown.
The filaments are wound on spools with a net weight of 1 kg, and the bundle diameter is standard 1.75 mm. Importantly, the DevilDesign silk filament is compatible with almost all devices on the market using FFF technology. The universal filament diameter guarantees versatile use.
Before using the SILK filament, you should only make sure that the manufacturer does not limit the scope of materials used in the 3D printer (in some cases, printer suppliers stipulate that only materials produced by them should be used to work with models). In addition to a wide selection of filaments and 3D printers, we also offer printing pens , laser cutters and plotters , 3D printer accessories , 3D printer resins and much more.
Printing parameters with silk filaments
When producing models using the filaments discussed, the nozzle temperature should be set in the range of 225-245°C, while the worktable should be heated to 50-60°C. For users who work in the Cura environment, we recommend ready-made profiles for 3D printers, available for download from the Botland website - they significantly speed up the preparation of the device for work.
When producing models from silk filaments, you can enable the print cooling option, although it is not necessary. However, the manufacturer points out that these 3D printer filaments may rapidly increase in volume (swell) when squeezed from the nozzle.
This phenomenon results from the natural surface tension created in the polymer material, but to minimize the impact of the "swelling" of the filament on the printing process, cooling can be slightly enhanced.
An additional way to obtain the expected results is to print at a lower speed - this principle also applies to many other filaments.
Silk progenitors, i.e. PLA filament and PETG filament
The basis for silk materials is the popular PLA filament. This is one of the most popular materials for 3D printing, suitable even for complete beginners of FFF/FDM technology. The most important advantages of PLA include non-toxicity and odorlessness, as well as low requirements related to printing conditions - especially the relatively low melting temperature, thanks to which this material can be used in almost any 3D printer.
PLA filament is also characterized by high stiffness, so you should not plan to make models from it for processing, e.g. by drilling, because it could crack. The second component of silk material is PETG filament. This is a popular PET material (known to us from beverage bottles), enriched with an admixture of glycol. The biggest advantages of using PETG include non-toxicity and odorlessness, as well as a slight tendency to shrink when cooling. The natural PETG filament is transparent and its surface is slightly shiny.
Our offer includes a wide selection of high-quality filaments that will certainly appeal to users who value high quality and affordable prices.
