Infinite Material Solutions AquaSys® 180 is an amorphous water-soluble filament used as a support material in conjunction with high temperature thermoplastics. Relatively fast dissolution rates allow for easy support removal when submerged in hot tap water at temperatures up to 85 degrees Celsius.
Offering great thermal stability and robust adhesion characteristics, AquaSys® 180 is a compatible soluble support material for many high temperature thermoplastics including:
Printing Difficulty: Intermediate/Expert
AquaSys® 180 can be purchased from AON3D directly by contacting help@aon3d.com.
AquaSys® 180 is susceptible to moisture uptake. Oozing and stringing may occur if it has been hydrated, see the Stringing section for more information. It can also burn more easily when introduced in a hot end.
The filament can be dried in a convection oven at 85ºC for 4 to 6 hours before processing and fed from a low humidity environment. When not in use, store in a sealed package or container with silica desiccant to inhibit moisture absorption. Properly dry the material before adjusting process parameters to obtain reliable and consistent results. Our drybox setup prevents filament moisture uptake to keep the material printing process free of moisture, contact help@aon3d.com for more information.
For more information, see the Filament Drying and Moisture Control guide.
AquaSys® 180 absorbs moisture at a relatively slow rate but requires a lot of time to dry. The dried material can be left in a sealed container for relatively extended periods without showing loss of printing performance.
For instructions on how to inspect the AON3D build plates, refer to the Inspect and Clean Build Plates procedure.
AquaSys® 180 prints well on the PEI build sheet, with very good adhesion to the sheet without special settings. The PEI build sheet is sensitive to Z calibration. If the bed-to-nozzle distance is too large, part warping may occur. AquaSys® 180 benefits from a smaller bed-to-nozzle distance than usual, although it is more important to ensure the offset matches the other tool to successfully support the model.
AquaSys® 180 can also be printed on the CF-PEEK composite plate although more care is needed to ensure good first layer adhesion. To successfully print AquaSys® 180 on the CF-PEEK composite plate, reduce the First Layer Speed and increase the extrusion temperature for the first layer. Increase the First Layer Height and First Layer Width above 120%.
AquaSys® 180 prints best on the High-Temperature Build Plate. Avoid placing less stable support structures over the bolt holes when using the High-Temperature Build Plate.
AquaSys® 180 prints best on the High-Temperature Build Plate. Avoid placing less stable support structures over the bolt holes when using the High-Temperature Build Plate.
At bed temperatures above 170ºC, the AquaSys® 180 filament printed near the bed may darken in color, but this discoloration has no effect on print results.
For best results, process settings should be adjusted based on model geometry. If you require process development support, our Applications Engineering team can help! Send us a message at help@aon3d.com to consult with one of our Additive Manufacturing Specialists.
A filament feed path upgrade kit is available to purchase. This upgrade lowers the friction between the filament and the PTFE tube allowing the material to freely move to the extruder. It also increases the bending radii of the feed path, reducing the risk of filament breaking inside the feed tube. Note that it is already included in machine serial starting from 200150. Contact the Customer Success team at help@aon3d.com for special pricing.
Optimized Ooze Control settings will reduce the likelihood of excess AquaSys® 180 material getting stuck in the part from oozing or stringing. Avoid chamber temperatures above 120ºC as AquaSys® 180 may soften and get stuck in the filament feed path.
| Setting | AON M2+ | AON-M2 2020 | AON-M2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extrusion Temperature | 270-290ºC | 270-290ºC | 270-290ºC |
| Bed Temperature | 95-180ºC | 95-180ºC | 95-180ºC |
| Chamber Temperature | <120ºC | <120ºC | <120ºC |
| Print Speed | 10-30 mm/s | 10-30 mm/s | 10-30 mm/s |
| Nozzle Size | 0.4-1.20 mm | 0.4-1.20 mm | 0.4-1.20 mm |
| Preferred Build Platform | PEI Build Sheet (optionally with Nano Polymer Adhesive), CF-PEEK Composite Plate | High-Temperature Build Plate | High-Temperature Build Plate |
Dual tool printing with AquaSys® 180 requires fine-tuning for optimal printing. AquaSys® 180 breaks down more quickly than most materials when exposed to extrusion temperatures for an extended period. Reduce the temperature of the tool to 200ºC while it is idle to avoid clogging the nozzle. Adding a wipe in the Tool Change Script will clean the tool head as it oozes and purges between each layer.
For easy support removal and good support top/bottom contact layer adhesion, set the Upper/Lower Vertical Separation Layer to 0. Using 1 separation layer is not needed when printing AquaSys® 180 support structures. AquaSys® 180 can be dissolved, allowing the distance between the part and support structure to be very close without damaging the part during support structure removal.
Design your parts to require little or no support material. Generally, it is better to avoid using any support material at all if the geometry permits it. Surfaces supported by AquaSys® 180 are visible even with 0 Upper/Lower Layer Separation Layers.
For more information, see the Using Supports and Support Materials and Dual Extrusion guides.
The FFF material profiles to print AquaSys® 180 as a support material can be found in the model material page:
Allow all machine components to reach room temperature before proceeding further. Failure to allow components to cool down will result in thermal injury (burns) to personnel.
AquaSys® 180 parts separate easily from the CF-PEEK composite plate by hand at room temperature. The use of a spatula can facilitate part removal if needed.
AquaSys® 180 can be peeled off the PEI build sheet by hand at room temperature. The use of a spatula may be necessary, especially to remove a brim or skirt.
Avoid removing prints while the PEI build sheet is still hot. If not cooled, permanent deformation of the PEI build sheet may occur when removing a large part with a lot of contact area.
Wear protective eyewear and gloves when mechanically removing AquaSys® 180 support structures from prints. AquaSys® 180 can suddenly fracture due to its brittle nature, potentially causing injury to yourself from sharp structures. Sharp edges from cooled AquaSys® 180 stringing and/or oozing may also occur if the filament is hydrated or Ooze Control settings are not dialed in.
We recommend mechanically breaking more accessible and larger support structures away from the model once the print has cooled. Small, harder to reach, and/or support structures that may damage the part if mechanically removed can be immersed in warm water to soften and removed with a small brush or tweezers. The minimum temperature of the water must be at least 65ºC for material dissolution. The use of warm water (up to 85ºC) and agitation to the support structures is recommended to increase the dissolution rate.
More post-processing information of AquaSys® 180 can be found on the manufacturer’s website
Drying of AquaSys® 180 is critical for optimal printing performance, but drying requires a long time. The hydrated filament may produce an excessive amount of stringing even if Ooze Control settings have been manipulated. Stringing of the support material may find itself on the side of the model.
If stringing/oozing occurs even when properly dried and fed from a low humidity environment, slightly decrease the Extruder Temperature, increase the Retraction Distance, Coasting Distance, and/or the Retraction Speed.
Follow the drying procedure in the above Moisture Control section.
AquaSys® 180 is susceptible to material degradation if left in the nozzle at extrusion temperatures for too long. Most commonly occurs when the toolhead idles for extended periods during tool changing. Decrease the support material toolhead to 150ºC for large layer sizes (200x200mm or more) while it is idle to avoid clogging the nozzle.