The Perfect Creality CR10 PETG Settings

While many printers are taking the market by storm, the Creality is ruling when it comes to the best 3D printers. Having the best 3D printer is a requisite for becoming a successful 3D printing hobbyist.

Creality CR10 3D Printer

The CR-10 is popular due to its amazing features, easy use, great print quality, and economical price. The best part is that you can connect The CR-10 Smart 3D printer to a network through Wi-Fi and RJ45. 

Creality Cloud APP allows you to slice 3D models, remotely operate your printers, and print an object anytime and wherever you have a mobile device.

What Is PETG?

The plastic used in water bottles and food packaging, PETG, is a modified form of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). Increased flexibility and impact resistance are achieved while brittleness and hazing are reduced thanks to Glycol (G).

PETG is a popular choice for 3D printing. PETG combines the greatest features of both PLA and ABS into a single, high-performance material. 

PETG is a wonderful choice for mechanical applications because of its excellent layer adhesion, minimal warping, and strong impact resistance, making it ideal for mechanical applications. As an extra benefit, PETG is both salt and acid/alkali resistant as well as sterilizable!

In spite of this, PETG has several peculiar qualities that make printing with it more difficult for those who are not familiar with it.

Setting The Best PETG Settings

The tiniest modifications may have a huge effect, from the fan speed to the print temperature. The right slicer settings and hardware might make this a viable replacement for PLA.

Let us have a look at the best measures that serve as a starting point for you to make the perfect PETG setting for your Creality CR10 printer.

1. Bed Leveling

As a starting point for other polymers, PLA is generally our first choice. A sheet of notebook paper (thickness: 0.1 mm) is commonly used for bed leveling, where you must smash the initial layer into the build plate.

A somewhat bigger space between the nozzle and the bed works best for PETG. If the nozzle is too near to the extruder, the material will not flow correctly, and the extruder may become jammed. The filament will not adhere to the heated bed if the nozzle is positioned too far away. To get the best results, fold the notebook paper in half or use an index card in its place.

2. PETG Temperatures

PETG filament melts at a greater temperature than PLA, making it a better choice for printing. It works well at 230-260C for flow and 80-90C for heated bed adhesion (depends on brand). Check the recommended temperature range on the side of the filament roll because each roll is unique.

• Nozzle Temperature: 230C – 260C
• Bed Temperature: 80C – 90C

It is best to print a Temperature Tower first when using a new filament. This will give you a concept of how it looks, feels, and prints as the temperature increases incrementally. There will be no strong connection between layers if your nozzle is too cold (delaminate). Excessive stringing, oozing, and bubbling occur when the nozzle is heated to a dangerous level.

Do a PID Tune on your printer metal hotend if the print temperatures are inconsistent and changing. It will calibrate the Kp, Ki, and Kd values for optimum results based on your present hardware.

3. Print Temperature

In terms of aesthetics and durability, the print temperature has an impact. The suggested temperatures shown below are based on median values; make adjustments as necessary. 

The optimal print temperature is considered to be 205. However, you can increase it to 215. The high temperature can heat the extruder more to improve plastic flow and hence increase stringing. 

4. PETG Fan Speeds

Whether or not PETG requires a cooling fan is an open question. In fact, it can print at any speed between 0% and 100% fan speed, depending on what you are trying to achieve. To determine how much cooling to apply, consider the part's intended use.

- For Low Fan Speed

The low fan speed increases the time of the 3D printed model. This means that if less cooling is required, the part will be more durable. The molten plastic adheres incredibly well to the preceding layers because it melts into them. The trade-off for significantly stronger pieces is that the aesthetic quality may suffer as a result.

As seen in the illustration, Bridges, and overhangs will be particularly hard hit if inadequate cooling is not provided. Simplify3D's Bridging Fan Speed Override option or a comparable function inside your preferred slicer tool is advised to fix this issue.

- For High Fan Speed

The end product will appear nicer if the item is cooled more quickly. Vanity prints, such as masks, flowers, and other visually appealing designs, typically benefit from this method. Even if it does not last as long as prints are set at room temperature, it will have a far better finish.

Plastic sets faster with a higher-powered fan, preventing bridges from sinking and warping at the corners.

5. PETG Print Speed

The print speed is essential for the perfect printing with PETG on the CR10 printer. It is important that the initial layer adheres properly to the construction plate, therefore, go slowly. Your typical print speed should be used as a guideline here.

• Print Speed (Layer 1): 10 mm/s
• Print Speed (Layer 2+): 40 mm/s

The best practice is to begin at 40 mm/s and progressively raise the speed until you reach the ideal setting for your printer.

6. Retraction Distance

It is important to use the correct retraction distance with PETG filament, which is susceptible to stringing. You need to start with these parameters and fine-tune them as necessary. 

For instance, if you see stringing, increase the value and decrease it in case of clogs. However, the recommended setting is 5 mm, while the minimum is 4 mm. 

Moreover, the recommended retraction speed is 45 mm per second, while the minimum is 25 mm per second. 

Conclusion

No doubt, PETG is a versatile polymer, and it is quite helpful in many ways. Therefore, it is considered an important filament in 3D printing. So, we have enlisted the perfect PETG settings for your Creality CR-10 printer for optimal printing results.