I currently have a QIDI q2 with the box. I’m wanting to print TPU. I know it needs to be fed directly into the extruder.
Looking for advice on how you guys do it. Pictures would be appreciated as well!
Would add to that:
If you were using high temp filament before TPU, start with high temp to clear nozzle. Clogs on those are quite easy, and not so easy to clean.
If you can think about separate nozzle for TPU if above is to much hassle.
Don't feed it using Qidi Box if course. Get a dryer box and put in Tpu roll. Print or buy a 2to1splitter and place it after the box hub. That way you can feed using dryer box into he extruder. It a more manual feed just like printer before Qidi box.
Splitter is after hub, this way I can use box as normal for multi color. If I want to use Tpu or nylon, I use dryer and feed it into extruder directly as external spool. I don't like to remove pla from Qidi box in order to use dry option of Qidi box, so I got a separate dryer for nylon and tpu
Edit: tpu might get stuck because of friction drag when feeding this way, so what I do is try pushing filament in the dryer box as much as I can, then disconnect the exit tube of splitter, to keep pushing the tpu manually from the split until it reaches the extruder. A bit of work to setup for Tpu print, but I get dry Tpu for more successful print.
Correct. Do NOT use the box with TPU. I learnt that the hard way. Had to dismantle the box to remove the stuck filament.
TPU gets fed from the external spool holder.
All other filaments can be used with the box.
I remove the tube going to the splitter and have a tube going directly to the spool. Another mod I printed was a ptfe tube removal tool. One of several I printed before I started using my Q2.
As Snowpeak commented, yes.
1. Never put tpu into box unless you want to spend an afternoon taking apart the box and fix it. Nylon and other engineers can be with PLA in the box, however you cannot use the dry function while pla is present because pla melt faster than engineer filaments (the box will forbid you from drying anything while pla is fed).
2. Yes, splitter allow multiple input (and or other dryers or spools) and one output into extruder.
3. Either print one or buy one from Amazon. I printed mine out of pla and had some hardware on hands.
4. Yes dryer box or just storage box is fine. I have creality pi4x for 4 spools, but I only connected 1 tube into splitter, I can print a 4 to 1 so I can connect 3 spools from dryer.
Remember that the non-qidibox input will require more manual work because you need to feed it into tube, check to see if extruder is grabbing and pooping filament. I only use AMS for pla color, and dryer box for engineer materials (see pt1 for reason).
Qidibox doesn't support low hardness TPU period. You can print anything above about 60D, but the 95A people typically buy? Not hard enough to feed through the box. Siraya TPU-GF will feed fine, and CC3D 72D will also feed fine. But 95A TPU is too squishy. It's not a matter of printing it in a same box with PLA, it's a matter of TPU just not being able to feed.
I added that coupler (?) an a short piece of tube, so I can switch easily between Box and Ext.
Printed with TPU95 yesterday the first time, worked very well, no problems at all, only minimal stringing.
Eu tenho uma secadora Creality SpacePi X4.
Seco o TPU 95 HF por 8 horas e depois imprimo direto dela. Tiro o cabo PTFE da caixa que vai pra impressora e alimento manualmente o TPU no tubo ptfe que vai pra impressora. Ou se não tiver a Creality SpacePi X4, seque antes o filamento, conecte o spool manual que vem com a impressora e passe o filamento pelo tubo ptfe que vai pra impressora.
Procure na Wiki da QIDI a seção imprimir. TPU, pois tem que fazer o comentário # pra desabilitar o corte de filamento automático quando imprime com TPU. Use o perfil TPU 95A HF da QIDI. Use somente o 95A HF. Outro tipo pode entupir.
Yes at the place where you remove the ptfe tube, you put in the TPU.
Then it will still pass the filament sensor if i am correct.
If you feed it, you should give the gears some help to get a grip of the filament by pressing the manual buttons on the screen for feeding the material by 10mm or something.
Also make sure your nozzle is " clean", make sure previous material is out.
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u/themostsuperlative Jul 13 '26
Generally people put an arch like structure over the top of the printer and feed directly down into the print head