What Filaments Can I Use With My Ender 5 Printer?

Ender 5 is one of the most popular 3D printers in the world. It is beginner-friendly, cheap, and easy to use. You can get high-quality printing results just by using it right. So many people start 3D printing with Ender 5 using PLA filaments. Now it’s time to know if this excellent 3D printer can go further. So:

What filaments can the Ender 5 use? According to the manufacturer, Ender 5 can print with:

• PLA
• ABS
• Wooden filaments
• Soft Glue
• Copper Containing filaments
• Gradients
• Some toxic filaments

Even though the part quality may be too low in some cases.

You can expect your Ender 5 to easily print some decent PLA, PVA, and HIPS parts after some trial and error. Printing ABS and PETG won’t cause serious problems either. Ender 5 uses a long Bowden tube, and its bed is not designed for high temperatures. So, printing TPU, Nylon, or ASA with Ender 5 is not a good idea.

Depending on the printing setting, filament quality, and user experience, the final result may vary significantly. There are a lot of variables you need to consider before printing with a 3D printing machine.

So, let’s get into more detail about the things you may need to know about Ender’s features and limitations and learn some manual skills to get better results.

Main features of Ender 5 and how they affect its printing ability

First of all, the long Bowden tube of Ender 5 makes it hard to push filaments from the extruder to the hot end, especially when it comes to flexible filaments like TPU.

Another feature of Ender 5 is a default magnetic bed. The magnetic bed is ideal for printing PLA and PVA, but it’s not a good idea to overheat it. Magnetic beds may get damaged due to high temperatures around 80^o C and above, causing your piece to not stick to the bed anymore. So consider using other options like a glass surface for higher temperatures.

The maximum Nozzle temperature of Ender 5 is 260^o C. So you can’t use it to print filaments at higher temperatures. Also, the top bed temperature of Ender 5 is 110^o C, which is enough to print common filaments.

Despite all of these features, you can always upgrade your 3D printer and replace the extruder or add an enclosure to receive better quality prints. However, upgrading a 3D printer can be overwhelming for beginners sometimes.

So, can Ender 5 print PETG?

Yes, it can. Printing PETG requires a hot end at 250^o C and a heated bed at 80^o C. So the Ender 5 can handle it. Printing PETG is easier than ABS.

Printing ABS using Ender 5

Based on Ender 5 features, it’s not designed to print ABS, but printing with ABS using Ender 5 is possible if it’s done right.

ABS is a commonly used thermoplastic with various applications. ABS parts, with good post-processing, will have a smooth surface finish. Also, Toughness and high impact resistance are the main features of ABS despite its difficulty when it comes to printing.

1. Bed? Set! Ready to go!

Bed temperature is an essential feature for getting good ABS prints. The bed temperature should be around 110^o C.

Ender 5 comes with a magnetic bed. It gets heated by default. The heated bed is necessary for printing ABS. In general, heated beds help with the first layer and the bed adhesion. They also even out the temperature below and above the first layers. This feature reduces the warpage when printing with ABS filaments.

If your filaments still stick to the bed, there is a possibility that your bed is warped or not leveled correctly. You should always check out your bed leveling or use an auto-leveling bed sensor to level the bed frequently. You can always change your current one to another Creality Glass surface or any other surfaces.

2. Use An Enclosure

Ender 5 is not ideal for printing ABS because the model is exposed to wind and mechanical airflows. However, an enclosure keeps the ambient temperature high enough to prevent ABS from warping or splitting its layers.

The point here is to maintain a high enough ambient temperature and avoid exposure to external forces; they make the filaments cool down naturally. As you may know, Ender 5 doesn’t have an enclosure, so you need to either create it or buy one!

* If you wanted to create an enclosure, enclosing the printer’s power unit may introduce a fire hazard to the setup. You should remember to put the power unit out of the enclosure to avoid the upcoming issues.

3. Set Your Slicer Settings Correctly

If you have the experience of printing with PLA, you’re already halfway there. When you print with ABS you need similar settings as Printing with PLA. Hence, only a few sets need to be modified.

The next point is to turn the cooling fans off. They can cool down the whole printing area. It’s also a good idea to put a raft or brim on the printer’s bed. They usually reduce the chance of thermal contraction effects and increase the first layer adhesion.