TPR filament is very flexible and more elastic than TPU. It also makes printing very difficult. Most other 3D printers use TPR filament to their limit. In particular, the Bowden extruder had problems, and there would be constant filament plugging.
Print quality with TPR filament is as good as any other filament set up correctly. However, since it is so flexible and easy to accumulate, it tends to create more spots. But it is easy to remove from the plate after printing.
When I removed the first trial print from the plate, I was surprised to find that the finished product was as flexible as the original material on the spool. I'm not used to the high flexibility of the TPU, it gave me a lot of interesting object ideas.
Direct drive extruders are best for flexible filaments. That's why the Cambrian Pro has two interchangeable. For direct drive extruders, the extruder is located directly in front of the nozzle. Between the extruder and the nozzle is a TFN (Teflon/PTFE) thermal barrier.
Large temperature decouplers made of metal cannot be installed due to the short distance between the nozzle of the direct drive printhead and the extruder. Thanks to the special material of this insulating material, the Atomstack prevents the filament from melting before the nozzle, or in the worst case, in the extruder. Another advantage of this material is low friction, which further reduces the likelihood of filament clogging.
The only real disappointment with the Cambrian Pro is the built-in fan in the printhead. Of course, with a direct-drive extruder system, the fan needs to be as light as possible to avoid vibration, but the quality of the fan is different from the rest of the printer and definitely needs to be replaced sooner.
High wire compatibility
Not only is the Cambrian Pro perfect for flexible filaments, it can of course also handle all other standard materials. PLA, ABS and other filaments like PETG* or wood wool* are no problem.
Due to the high requirements for extremely flexible wires such as TPR, the Cambrian Pro can easily process common wires such as PLA. Print quality is good and reliable.
The 2.85mm printhead will not work with non-flexible filaments. The gears are adjusted correctly for flexible filaments, but do not create good friction with hard filaments. There are some extruders that can adjust the contact pressure, but the Cambrian Pro's direct drive extruder is not one of them.
This means you have to print PLA, ABS, PETG and other rigid filaments with a 1.75mm printhead. But that's okay because 1.75mm is the standard for this type of filament. However, I think it's relatively rare to use this printhead because you buy the Cambrian Pro because it has good flexible filament printing capabilities.
