ABS Poor Layer Adhesion

I've been trying to print a bracket for a water pump, but due to poor layer adhesion, the bracket just falls apart instead of flexing and clamping onto the pump. I did some research and the usual advice was increase extrusion temp, but I've already increased it from 230 to 250 and there's still not much of a difference. Any advice on getting stronger prints?

If you print with lower layer heights and hence higher width / height ratio the plastic is squashed together more and will be stronger.

Raising the ambient temperature will make it stronger, a cool draft will make it weak.

Some ABS forms better bonds than other types. The cream coloured natural type seems the strongest.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

I'm already printing at .2 mm layer height and I haven't gotten good results from anything lower. Although that was with PLA, I haven't tried .1 with ABS yet. Is it typically easier to go lower with ABS?

I'm planning to make a heated chamber for that, but I'm still a little weary about putting all the electronics in there. I was thinking about a small peltier setup that blows air from the hot side at the print and blows air from the cold side at the electronics (just to make use of the cooling). I know it won't be as good as a heated chamber, but do you think it'll at least be a significant enough improvement to try?

Ah, that would explain why the stock pieces were so strong compared to mine. I'll give natural a try.

What problem did you have going lower than 0.2 with PLA? I can print 0.1 layers no problem. You have to increase width over height and use hexagonal infill as it doesn't like spanning gaps. I.e. you need to keep the width about the same to keep it strong.

I made this before I had a heated chamber or a heated bed and it had very strong layer adhesion. I think it is just a matter of using the right type of ABS and doing it in a reasonably warm draft free room.

If you box it in you can box the small area at the back below the spool separately from the front. The electronics then stay on the outside.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

I'm not certain, but from what I could see it looked like the layers weren't sticking and were getting dragged around, which just kept propagating and creating a mess. I was using hexagonal infill at 25% and 1.5 w/h. Should I increase the w/h ratio even more?

Wow that's a lot of weight.....yea I think I'll try a combination of that and printing with a skirt going all the way up and around the object.

Yes you need to increase W/H. That is what gives more strength and is also what you must do to print lower layers without stretching the filament too much. W needs to be as least as big as the nozzle diameter so with 0.2mm layers W/H needs to be at least 2 and I would go for 2.5 with ABS.

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[www.hydraraptor.blogspot.com]

Ok I'll give that a try, thanks.