Old vs New enclosure for the Taz6

Do the different materials really add up to temperature dissipation?
I’m skeptical only that change can make it deal better in a drafty environment.

That’s a very complex question with an answer of “it depends”. There are a dozen variables specific to a given material. ABS is one of the more difficult ones to print and the one where most people start needing an enclosure but it is not an absolute requirement. Materials that shrink as they cool, like abs and materials that don’t bond strongly to cold material, again like abs are the ones that benefit most from an enclosure.

You can also improve adhesion by increasing the strength of the first layer bond by using a pei or buildtak sheet, printing hotter and faster to improve interlayer adhesion. Other things like improving layer geometry by adding stiffer more constrained axis bearings and making for more consistent layer thickness throughout the part can help.

But to answer your question, an enclosure will usually help for materials that are prone to lifting or shrinking. If you are printing pla it won’t help. You can test this by making a temporary enclosure out of cardboard and or a turkey roasting bag. Just make sure the control box is outside the enclosure or you will melt your Rambo board.

There are also downsides such as softened frame parts and lower motor life since the motors get a bit hotter than normal wear that way.

Yep… complex question as piercet states. Any enclosure that traps heat is better than the printer sitting outside.

Wood will probably be better insulator than acrylic / plastic.

Foam could possibly be better than wood. The hardware store has accordion type foam that is .25in thick. Easy to cut and you can print pieces that will hold the shape of the corner.

Here are some print mechanisms to help prevent warping:

  • 5-10mm brim to seal the air from seeping under the project to cause the warping.
  • A “wall” (multi-layer skirt or partial ooze shield) can help to keep air from getting under the object also.
  • Rotating the object 45deg on the print bed can also help mitigate warping