If you want to experiment, buy some other machine. the M 200 is designed for Z-Filament series.
The fact that it can “work” with any other it’s just because maybe that particular filament is in the same range of Extrusion temp. But it doesn’t mean that it will perfom ok.
The Z-filament purpouse and concept is to offer customers high quality product, and a certainty on chemical and mechanical properties not like those “other” filaments, Actually very limited manufacturers test and provide information related to this properties.
For fabricating “maker crap” you can use any cheap filament. For producing high quality results, several alternatives are available, aside from Z-filaments like colorfabb, Orbitech, Ninjaflex, etc. none of them cheap.
As pointed out by others, the Zortrax uses it’s own proprietary 1.75 ABS filament (although other “Z” materials are available. The quality of the Zortrax filament is extremely good although it prints at much higher temps than other 3rd party ABS filaments. It prints as much as 20-30 degrees higher than most (typically around 260). By using the correct Z-ABS, removal of support is a walk in the park. When you print with other filaments, although it may work, the support will be bonded much stronger to the print which may may removal a lot harder.
Allegedly (LOL) the filament that UP! supply uses the same nozzle temperature and (allegedly) it prints identically with perfect support removal. To be honest the UP! genuine filament isn’t really cheaper and it has nowhere near as good a range of colours compared with the range offered by Zortrax, however it is more widely available in the UK.
As others have said, certain materials aren’t available as official “Z” branded and approved materials. For this reason, the print profiles similarly aren’t available.
There is soon to be a commercially available 3rd party plug-in mod to be released which will provide the ability to change extrusion temperature which will be a really exciting prospect for many Zortrax users. Use of any mod would of course void the warranty (which to be fair to Zortrax has been a VERY good warranty for me).
I would say one thing though, printing with Zortrax filament is virtually bullet proof. You can load a file, walk away and know that a 24-36 hour print will complete without you having to nurse the machine through every hour of the print. The material profiles are exceptionally good. It’s why I LOVE the Zortrax. Although the ability to print “alternative” ABS or materials at lower prices is a wonderful plus, it will of course mean that in some instances, printing will revert to being less predictable or plug and play.
I have an UP! Plus 2 printer as well as the Zortrax and to be fair, although I have a temperature mod for it, I don’t actually print anything other than genuine UP! (or Zortrax as they’re so similar) filament for the majority of the time.
I know this is an old thread but just in case someone stumbles upon this as I did. Zortrax has opened their machines to third party materials. Z-suite now contains the option to switch to third party materials and make adjustments such as speed and temp.
