How reliable are the stock filament profiles?

As the topic says: How reliable are the stock filament profiles? In other words is it generally feasible to load up a new roll of filament, select the proper filament profile and simply start printing?

If I buy a new roll of the same filament, should I expect to use the exact same profile and get the exact same results? I would have thought that the manufacturer’s production variances would be so small that one roll should effectively print the same as the next.

I have found that I need to adjust the settings of the stock PC-Max profile (this is the filament I am using right now, and I am a new user - doing this for a week now). Settings I have needed to adjust are the Z-offset to get better squish of the lines on the bottom layer, and I have had to fine tune the filament flow to maybe 95% (still playing with that one), and I have not even gotten close to thinking about fine tuning the nozzle temperature!

Should I expect to always need to adjust these settings with a new filament roll and for the variety of layer thicknesses I may need to use?

-Tony

In general the slicing profiles included within Cura LulzBot Edition should work well for 95% of the users and use-cases. Some model designs will require some tuning and balancing of temperature settings and fan speeds, but overall, they should just work.

The vendors of the filament available through LulzBot.com do a great job of maintaining quality and specifications throughout and across different production batches. That being said, some materials do like to have a different Z-axis offset. You’ll also want to make sure that you’re using a PVA-based glue stick on the PEI print surface for better part adhesion.

If you do run into a print where you think it can be better, or changes should be made to the slicing profiles, feel free to post images here for feedback. If you tweak a profile and find that it works great for multiple different models, let us know, our slicing profiles are hosted on our code server at Code.AlephObjects.com