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2018/08/08 | 656 | 2,853 | <issue_start>username_0: Looking in the Cura interface, I can set any whole number 0-100 for the infill percentage. Does Cura have an algorithm to calculate a pattern for any of those possible values, or does it have a few patterns where it selects the closest one?<issue_comment>username_1: From what I can see, the only way to change the pattern is the manual way.
There is still an open gate to create a plugin that could select the pattern - but that is rather a complex solution - unless you will have a fully automated pipeline
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: There is a option for the infill pattern. It is one of the MAAAAANY by default hidden options in Cura. On the Header of the cathegories there will appear a gear symbol while hovering over the header. By klicking it a window will show up and provides this many options to be shown in the settings, if they were checked.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I fear I'm going to deny your question. The infil percentage and the infil pattern are two orthogonal properties, both of which contribute to the strength, density, mass, and print time of an object. Since there's no way for an algo to "know" what your desired outcome is, this can't be done.
Note - I used 'orthogonal' in the Hilbert sense, meaning neither property is a function of the other.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: Infill serves two main purposes. These don't seem to map particularly well to the available controls.
**Adding strength to the part** The more plastic your part has inside, the stronger it will be. At least, that is the simplistic assumption. In fact, it seems that infill is not a particularly effective way of strengthening a part (compared for example with thicker walls and structural design features). What is apparent is that some infill patterns are stronger in certain directions, some are more isotropic, and some are just weak.
**Supporting upper layers** Without infill, any top faces on a model will involve bridging, so there is a trade-off between infill density, the number of top layers, and the quality of the top surface of your print. To reflect this function, slicers allow you to incrementally increase the infill density as you approach a top surface. This is particularly useful in a model that has a large inner void which does not otherwise need to be filled.
In addition to affecting the infill strength, adjusting the infill pattern can influence the points at which infill connects to the walls. For complex shapes this might affect how successful the print is. There are also other parameters which you can adjust (overlap, orientation).
The 'best' infill settings are influenced by the requirements of infill, and the 'success' metric does not appear to have a sharp response that would be useful in performing an optimisation.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/08/08 | 882 | 2,813 | <issue_start>username_0: I've just bought **Anycubic i3 Mega** printer and trying to level it.
So far I've printed test object and 2 others but looks like there are problems with leveling.
I want to make image of 5 small one layer squares(one in each corner and one in center). Looking for recommendations of **simple** software/tutorials/approaches to do it. I tried zbrush but found that it kind of complicated.<issue_comment>username_1: You are probably looking for something like [this](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2479352):
Note this is for large beds (300 x 300 mm), so you would have to X, Y scale this in your slicer.
This is a simple part that is very easily generated with [OpenSCAD](http://www.openscad.org) 3D design software (very good modeller if you are familiar with software coding), but could easily been designed in any [other tool](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_3D_modeling_software).
Another leveling and centering print that is created with OpenSCAD is [this](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2280529), and could be a start for you to create your own design:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mH73a.jpg)
Note that the file with the design is located in the "files" section.
**Edit**:
Some code for OpenSCAD made within 5 minutes (I don't type fast so it could have been faster if I did not use the constants, but if you go OpenSCAD, making parametric designs is almost a must ;) ):
```
// Set constants as you like
width = 30;
depth = 30;
layer_height = 0.2;
first_layer_height = 0.2;
nr_of_layers = 2;
box_size = 180;
// Calculated parameters
height = first_layer_height + (nr_of_layers - 1) * layer_height;
// Draw the test object
translate([-width/2, -depth/2,0]){
// Draw the center square
cube(size = [width, depth, height], center = false);
// Draw the corner squares
for (x=[-1:2:1]){
for (y=[-1:2:1]){
translate([x * (box_size-width)/2, y * (box_size-depth)/2, 0])
cube(size = [width, depth, height], center = false);
}
}
}
```
Rendered figure:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bVNru.png)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: One of the most accessible modelling tools has to be [tinkercad](https://www.tinkercad.com/). Everything is done in the browser, and it even works (to an extent) on a tablet.
I wouldn't recommend getting too attached to it, since it is fairly limited. As an introduction to modeling in 3D, and some of the spatial concepts that you will need to get used to, it works very well.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/08/08 | 747 | 2,789 | <issue_start>username_0: I want to tackle an experiment with the following goal:
>
> Determine the correlations between printing parameters (temperatures,
> speeds, humidity, perimeters, infill, etc.) and tensile strength using
> a specific 3D printer, test specimen, and filament brand/model.
>
>
>
This goal calls for two parts then: a standardized **test procedure** and **test specimen**. For the test procedure, I've been asking myself:
>
> What portable, measurable and roughly consistent tensile strength test
> does not require building a complicated machine, can be performed with
> ready-made tools or machines available at a large hardware store, and
> can be set up within 5 minutes?
>
>
>
I am thinking here about a procedure that lies somewhere between this [hanging scale test](https://youtu.be/CZX8eHC7fws?t=136) and ISO 527. Definitely not using [bare hands](https://youtu.be/R7gpW6aCz0o?t=116) or [pliers](https://youtu.be/bmgSojocJ3c?t=388). Once the procedure is defined, this begs the question:
>
> Is the ISO 3167 multipurpose test specimen an appropriate specimen for
> the test procedure outlined above or are there other specimens that
> are more suitable?
>
>
>
I was thinking that, since the usual filaments have an ultimate strength of around [40-60 MPa](https://www.simplify3d.com/support/materials-guide/properties-table/), perhaps the "recoil" would be too much and one needs to use a smaller, weaker specimen.<issue_comment>username_1: For these kind of tests you could rely on the [ASTM](https://www.astm.org/) standards. They define test procedures and test specimen sizes for different types of tests. Or you can derive a specimen yourself based on these standards (e.g. for my bachelor's degree I used an alternative notch impact specimen as I was bound to the amount of available material of the turbine rotor blade the specimens were taken from). Considering the material, you could device up a contraption made from extrusion profiles or something.
Please do note that to get reasonable results, you would have to do a lot of tests as the spread in results is probably even more than in metals.
The company I work for does this, these material qualification programmes run for long times (years, as we also do fatigue and creep testing), and a lot of samples are tested to qualify for use in Aerospace applications.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: A reliable and repeatable test can be performed by printing cylinders, tapping them to M4 thread and then testing the resulting bolts.
My Tech Fun
does something like that, but he prints the thread directly, which may be less repeatable.
Then you can perform pull and bend tests on the samples using simple attachments available at the hardware store.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/08/09 | 1,663 | 5,382 | <issue_start>username_0: I came across this suggestion on the klipper github, <https://www.facebook.com/groups/Hypercube.Evo/permalink/192106034761003/>. In order to reduce the stretching in the bowden tube you can add fiberglass packaging tape lengthwise along the tube. This would decrease the elasticity while still allowing the plastic filament to run through it. Allowing you to reduce the retraction length and have better control over the amount of plastic being extruded.
Is there any reasons that this would not work or actually decrease the performance of the bowden tube?<issue_comment>username_1: The question seems to be built on a false premise, namely that the major extrude/retract errors in a Bowden design come from tube stretch. The PTFE tube is *not* significantly elastic, actually it is reasonably stiff so there is minimal scope for improvement here.
A longer tube *will* contribute to degraded precision, but slack in the filament/tube gap is roughly as significant as stretch (and filament compression). Constraining the tube path may help marginally (but there is no need to 'bond' the tube). There is not much you can to to reduce the gap between filament and tube, but this will dominate the error for a long tube.
The most obvious weak point is the clip used to secure the tube at each end. I saw a review of a recent Prusa design where high quality clips were called out as making a big improvement to securing each end of the tube.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The most common setup is 1.75 mm filament inside PTFE tube with 2 mm internal diameter and 4 mm outside diameter. The 4 mm outside diameter goes inside pneumatic push in 4 mm tube connector with 1/8 BSP thread that goes somewhere like E3D extruder.
It is very arguable if PTFE tube not significantly elastic. Apart from elasticity the filament some kind of compressing inside forming the sinus like line along the tube. And it has several places where it pushes at the tube wall and this deforms it slightly from circular to ellipse shape. All these effects accumulates with the length of the tube.
But in theory all these have minor effect if the feed rate is around the same value (the first order forces equalize and effect could be eliminated with proper retraction value). The bigger effect will be if feed rate changes and as result internal compression in the tube will vary and as result the melted filament will go out slightly off time. And this will affect quality but slightly and in some places of the print. Basically the motion variance will do some kind of coloring of the print.
I am personally recommend to use reinforced tube.
The best tube I found is 5 mm bike gear outer cable. It is steel reinforced with internal PTFE lining that perfectly suits 1.75 mm filament. Also it has outer layer of some kind of plastic that fit really well inside 5 mm push fit connector. The only problem is that 5 mm push fit connectors not common but you could find them on ebay as I did.
Another advantage of this cable is that you could cut out couple of centimetres of outer plastic at one end and the result steel shell will be 4 mm in diameter and goes deep inside E3D extruder.
The steel layer of this cable is actually spring and it makes this cable really perfect for 3D printer.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: The [Young modulus](http://La%20solution%20propos%C3%A9e%20dans%20la%20revendication%201%20de%20la%20pr%C3%A9sente%20demande%20ne%20peut%20%C3%AAtre%20consid%C3%A9r%C3%A9e%20comme%20impliquant%20une%20activit%C3%A9%20inventive%20pour%20les%20motifs%20suivants:%2050%20Ohm%20repr%C3%A9sente%20la%20valeur%20ordinaire%20de%20l'imp%C3%A9dance%20des%20dispositifs%20de%20mesure,%20voir%20D3%20[alin%C3%A9a%2083].%20L'homme%20du%20m%C3%A9tier%20utiliserait%20cette%20valeur%20sans%20faire%20preuve%20d'esprit%20inventif.) of [PTFE](https://www.designerdata.nl/plastics/thermo+plastics/PTFE?cookie=YES) is about 500 MPa and the surface of a PTFE tube for 1.75 mm filament is about 9.4 mm2.
The Young modulus of [PLA](https://aip.scitation.org/doi/pdf/10.1063/1.4918424) is variable, between 350 and 2800 MPa, let's say 2000 MPa. The filament surface is 2.4 mm2.
The ratio is about 1 because the surface ratio is 4x and the Young's modulus ratio 1/4x. As result, the stretching of PTFE is about similar to the compression of PLA inside it (of course they sum, since they go in opposite directions). PLA is very stiff: other materials will compress much more and make the stretching of PTFE less relevant.
However the filament is thinner than the tube, so it will curl a bit, which increases its contraction much more! It is likely that even for PLA the stretching of the PTFE is much less relevant than the compression of the filament.
Anyway, [fiberglass](https://www.azom.com/properties.aspx?ArticleID=764) has a Young's modulus of about 80 GPa (150 times PTFE), but its thickness is what? 0.1 mm? That bring a surface of 2 mm2 at most (and I'm very optimistic, more likely much less than 1 mm2). Fiberglass helps to strengthen PTFE by a factor of surely less than 30, more likely 10 or less (will the glue hold or slide?).
As result, PTFE, from a contribution to the overall stretching/compression of 50 % (in fact, much less due to curling), will be reduced to about 5 %. It is good, but this is an optimistic value.
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/08/09 | 1,284 | 4,651 | <issue_start>username_0: I think it's best that I explain what my issue is before I explain how I arrived here. I have a Tronxy x5s with a stock board that I am repairing for the sake of repairing, even though I know I should probably just spring for a new board. It's the principle of the thing.
* The extruder thermistor accurately reads for a few seconds, and then gives a negative reading as if it's been unplugged.
* I know that this is the same reading of an unplugged thermistor because when you unplug either the extruder or bed thermistor from a known-good port, it gives this same negative reading.
* It is not attached to the original pin. It is attached to a new pin that I moved it to. I cut the old pin off from the thermistor port and soldered the new pin to the traces of the port. Then I changed the pin in the configuration file, and it works, for a while.
* The electronics are messy but sound; I have used my voltmeter to verify connectivity and voltage.
* The thermistor works; it reads a little over 100kΩ in my hot garage and the temperature changes after I put it in my hand for a few minutes. But this temperature change only registers, as explained in the rest, for a few seconds.
* I am sure there's a configuration somewhere in the firmware that I am missing that causes that pin to either go "off" or become disused after a few seconds.
Greater context:
The printer was working great for months, but one day the extruder thermistor shorted so badly that the Analog to Digital pin on the Arduino powering the Melzi board was permanently damaged. The temperature reading consistently stayed at 260 °C, even when unplugged.
I wanted to come up with a repair solution rather than replacing the board (even though I have plans to do that anyway), so I downloaded the datasheet for the Arduino Mega 1248P and looked for other ADC pins I could use. I found that ADC Pin0 was unused on the board, so I thought I'd isolate old pin (ADC Pin 7), solder the trace to the new pin, and change the firmware to reflect the new pin.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Nr4D2.jpg "Datasheet pinout")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eUuyj.jpg "Photo of trace and isolation")
Then I changed the pin used for that extruder thermistor reading in the `Pins_SANGUINOLOLU_11.h` config file (the old Melzi board for the Tronxy X5s is a Sanguino):
```
// Temperature Sensors
//
#define TEMP_0_PIN 7 // Analog Input (pin 33 extruder)
#define TEMP_BED_PIN 6 // Analog Input (pin 34 bed)
```
Changed to
```
// Temperature Sensors
//
#define TEMP_0_PIN 0 // Analog Input (pin xx extruder)
#define TEMP_BED_PIN 6 // Analog Input (pin 34 bed)
```
I didn't know what "pin 33" was or used to be so I just put xx in the comment.
Anyway, my hardware was good, and my software was supposedly good, so I flashed the new firmware, plugged it in, and turned it on:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xrAAq.jpg "Good temperature reading")
Yay! But after a few seconds...
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gbrNb.jpg "Bad temperature reading")
Boo. It stops working.
I am sure my connections are solid: I've tested for connectivity and voltage. Both the new port and the heat bed thermistor port get 4.97 volts, so it's not a voltage drop. It's something in the Arduino.
Any ideas?<issue_comment>username_1: Thermal expansion is opening a connection somewhere. It might not be one of your solderings, but if you shorted the board bad enough to fry pins, it could have cooked something somewhere else, and putting current through it is heating up the spot enough to break the connection. Either somewhere else in/on the board, or inside of the IC chip itself.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I am having the same issue so in the firmware instead of changing to an empty pin, I swapped pins 6 and 7 so the nozzle temp would read from the bed temp plug on the board. Now the nozzle temp is reading properly i went into configurations.h line 291 and changed the 1 to 999 and on line 295 i changed the value to 60 now the bed temp will always be 60 so as long as my print settings match it will never engage the heat bed and allow the machine to print. Now I will use an ESP8266 nodeMCU to read the temp and control the MOSFET for the heat bed.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/08/10 | 659 | 2,487 | <issue_start>username_0: I just received my new Creality Ender 3. I was going through and checking/adjusting everything for alignment, and I noticed that when you "auto home" the print head, the nozzle stops off the front of the print bed by 5-10 mm.
Is that normal?
Is it perhaps by design to allow purging the nozzle without dumping on the bed?
It doesn't appear that there is any way to adjust the Y stop switch without making modifications to it. It also didn't look like there was any easy way to move the bed either.<issue_comment>username_1: Yes, this is the "intended" behavior, as the home in relation to the physical limit position is not placed correctly about 7.5 mm into the bed in both X and Y.
to correct this, please look at the [Recalibrating Home-position](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6399/recalibrating-home-position) for the Ender3
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Many printer's X/Y endstops are not at the origin of the build plate/heated bed. In the firmware, an offset is defined from the build plate origin to the endstop locations. This is normal, nothing to worry about.
When you hook up your printer to your computer over USB, and install a program that can interface with the printer (e.g. PronterFace, OctoPrint, Repetier-Host, etc.) through a so called [terminal](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/10573/what-is-a-printer-console-terminal?), you can send the print head to the origin with command `G1 X0 Y0` (or you can put that line in a G-code file and print the file, be sure to have homed the printer first with `G28`). You will then see the head move to the origin, which should normally be the left front corner as the firmware compensated for the endstop offsets. If the print head is not at the origin after these commands, you could recalibrate the [endstop offsets](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6375/how-to-center-my-prints-on-the-build-platform-re-calibrate-homing-offset/).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: It is intentional for the head to start slightly off the build plate.
If it did start on the build plate you could crash the nozzle when the bed is not levelled. Note the level varies with temperature and build plate type. If you switch from PLA to ABS etc you should relevel the bed.
Having just had the innaccurate z-end stop switch cause a deep gouge across my stock build plate, I strongly recommend getting an ABL (auto bed leveller).
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/08/12 | 333 | 1,403 | <issue_start>username_0: I bought a buddha statue and I would like to scan it using photogrammetry and publish the result.
**Am I allowed to do that?**
Is this the same like scanning a book and publishing it? Sketchfab on the other hand is full of 3d models of commercial products.<issue_comment>username_1: If the design was made from an artist and is not public domain, than you should not upload that scan without the (written) permission of the creator of the design. Espacially a scan of a decorative object will likely be protected, so costumers buy the original instead of printing itself or buy a printed version. If you would design a deco object and sell copies of it, you also don't want that others just scan it and print it.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: First thing to do is get a lawyer skilled in copyright law as applicable where you live. It's going to depend in no small part on whether your scanned model is considered a copy or a transformative work of art.
Personally, I see scanning an object as similar to photographing it (or sketching it). Lots of art objects, or for that matter personal items such as a photo of a living person, are protected by copyright; others aren't. If I made the laws, which I sadly don't :-) , I would consider a scanned, printed object to be in the same boat as a sketch -- has to be demonstrably transformative and all that.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/08/13 | 389 | 1,678 | <issue_start>username_0: Cura has a layer view feature that lets you watch a simulation of the extruder head as it lays down material at each layer. Is it possible to get Cura to show a time stamp as it does this? That would let me set reminders to check a print just at certain critical times.<issue_comment>username_1: These estimates tend to be very approximate, even if Cura has the accurate acceleration values for your firmware. An error of 100% is not unusual.
What you probably want is an alarm at a specific layer (a few before the critical ones). You might be able to add this to Octoprint fairly easily - it does support plugins which can provide (for example) pushbullet notifications.
I'm not sure that 'critical' points are much more likely to fail than other less predictable things (like bed adheesion failure, extruder jams, filament breaks) - unless you're testing features (and then hopefully you can print only a slice of the part).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: If I may interpret your question a bit, and add alternatives to <NAME>'s suggestions. I agree that any attempt to estimate elapsed time per layer is doomed.
Perhaps you should just look at the LayerView to determine the critical layers of interest. Then edit the gcode file in a text editor. Locate the start of the layer in question, and insert a PAUSE command (as well as whatever other actions your firmware supports, in case you can actually send an audible alarm or something).
If you really just want to print a subsection of the item, you're better off removing the unwanted parts in MeshMixer/MeshLab/whateverCAD , and slicing just the part you want to produce.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/08/13 | 2,248 | 7,573 | <issue_start>username_0: Creality does offer its firmware on [creality3d.cn](https://www.creality3d.cn/download/firmware_c0001) as .hex files. These are pretty good as backups as one can't alter and destroy them by accident.
But... How do you install them?!
---
This is about installing firmware *directly* and *without* another microcontroller. To use another mictrocontroller is [How to install new firmware via a Microcontroller?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6685)<issue_comment>username_1: Creality also does provide an installation PDF. The process they propose is twofold and might need different settings on other machines1. Spots where I assume you might need to adjust are noted withA. Note that **this solution depends on CURA**.
1. Install the printer as a periphery machine.
----------------------------------------------
This part is specific for Windows. If you use Linux or a MAC, you will need to use a different setup, but you might get the same results.
1. Turn on the power on the printer and connect it from the MircoUSB to a USB of the computer. This should automatically install the driver. If not, the Driver is on the SD card provided with the Printer2.
* To manually install `windows Key` + "`MANAGER`" and choose *Device manager*. Find the serial port that shows yellow, Right-click, choose `Update driver software > Browse my computer for driver software`. Now `Browse`, find the location of USB driver on the SD card and click `Next`.
* Generally,the serial port(COM) you need update has the biggest number, but can change.
* A good idea is to confirm the correct port with a software like [Repetier Host](https://www.repetier.com/download-now/), with which you can control the printer directly - if it works, you got the drivers and the port correct. Also, you know the correct Baudrate.
2. After the driver installation, launch [CURA](https://ultimaker.com/en/products/ultimaker-cura-software) to do some settings. In `File > Preferences`:
* Print Window is "Pronterface UI"A
3. Switch to `Machine > Machine Settings`:
* Serial Port: choose the one that just was updated
* Baudrate: 115200A
2. Upload the .hex file via cura
--------------------------------
1. `Machine > Install custom Firmware`
2. Make sure the printer is connected, then `OK`
3. find the .hex file on your PC, then confirm.
4. Wait for the process to finish.
---
1 - most likely, you will have to change the baudrate
2 - This might not be true for all manufacturers, but is for creality. Other manufacturers might have different sources for these.
A - Adjust as needed!
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: A major part of the Arduino IDE is sort of semi-hidden, and that is some guy called avrdude. Actually, [AVRDUDE – AVR Downloader/UploaDEr](https://www.nongnu.org/avrdude/) is a standalone binary.
As an aside, there is also `gcc` which does the compiling, but that is another matter. The `avrdude` uploads the compiled binary provided by `gcc` on to the Arduino, via the USB port (COM port).
You can invoke this from the command line (assuming that you have the Arduino IDE installed).
You will need to specify (see [command line option descriptions](https://www.nongnu.org/avrdude/user-manual/avrdude_4.html#Option-Descriptions)):
* The baud rate of the COM port (`-b`)
* The COM port (`-P`)
* The processor used in the board (for the Arduino Mega2560 board: ATmega2560) (`-p`)
* The path to the `.hex` file (`-U`)
* The path to the `.conf` file of avrdude itself (`-C`)
* Verbose mode, so see what is happening (`-v`)
* Specify the programmer to be used (`-c`). See the -c option on [command line option descriptions](https://www.nongnu.org/avrdude/user-manual/avrdude_4.html#Option-Descriptions) for more information.
* Disable auto erase for flash (`-D`)
The command will be of the form:
```
/hardware/tools/avr/bin/avrdude
-C/hardware/tools/avr/etc/avrdude.conf
-v -patmega2560 -carduino -b 115200 -cstk500v2
-P
-D -Uflash:w::i
```
This example above:
1. Specifies the full path to the `avrdude` binary
2. Specifies the full path to the `avrdude` `.conf` configuration file
3. Verbose mode
4. The ATmega2560 processor used in the Arduino Mega2560 board
5. The Arduino programmer
6. The baud rate of the USB port
7. The Atmel STK500 Version 2.x firmware programmer (may not be required)
8. The port to which the Arduino board is connected
9. Disables auto-flash as it is not required – Auto erase is not used for ATxmega devices as these devices can use page erase before writing each page so no explicit chip erase is required. Note however that any page not affected by the current operation will retain its previous contents.
10. The memory to be uploaded to and the path to the .hex file (see the -U option on [command line option descriptions](https://www.nongnu.org/avrdude/user-manual/avrdude_4.html#Option-Descriptions) for more information):
1. `flash` specifies the flash ROM of the device.
2. `w:` read the specified file and write it to the specified device memory
3. `:i` specifies Intel Hex
### Examples
For Windows
```
C:\dev\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr\bin\avrdude
-CC:\dev\Arduino\hardware\tools\avr\etc\avrdude.conf
-v -patmega2560 -carduino -b115200 -cstk500v2
-P\\.\COM1
-D -Uflash:w:C:\Users\\Documents\firmware.hex:i
```
For OSX
```
/Applications/Arduino/hardware/tools/avr/bin/avrdude
-C/Applications/Arduino/hardware/tools/avr/etc/avrdude.conf -v -patmega2560 -carduino -b115200 -cstk500v2 -P\\.\COM1 -D -Uflash:w:/Users//Documents/Arduino/firmware.hex:i
```
Alternatives
------------
If you are not comfortable using a command line interface (CLI) it might be easier to use a GUI solution…
### XLoader
For a Windows only solution, see [Uploading Arduino HEX files with XLoader](http://www.hobbytronics.co.uk/arduino-xloader)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1Zglt.jpg "XLoader UI")
From the [author’s website](http://xloader.russemotto.com/):
>
> I’ve made a small program that can be used to upload your own \*.hex
> files to arduino boards using the bootloader. That means you don’t
> need a flash programmer. I made it for my own use and found it pretty
> useful. So now I’ve made a more user friendly version.. To use it
> compile you’re code in something like AvrStudio. Then simply start
> XLoader.exe, pick a hex file and press upload. That’s it. Good news it
> now also supports Arduino Uno.
>
>
>
### Arduino Builder
From [Arduino Builder – standalone utility for building and uploading Arduino sketches](http://arduinodev.com/arduino-uploader/)
>
> 1. Choose file, either a sketch file (.ino), an HEX file (.hex) or an ELF file (.elf)
> 2. Choose the board type in the dropdown list.
> 3. Click on the serial port (or USBASP button) and theuploading will be proceeded.
>
>
>
### Arduino Uploader
From the [same page](http://arduinodev.com/arduino-uploader/), there is Arduino Uploader which is a command line version of Arduino Builder.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The Prusa i3 MK3 comes with [Slic3r, Prusa Edition](https://www.prusa3d.com/slic3r-prusa-edition/). It has a menu for flashing the firmware, which takes a HEX file as input.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/L5TEH.png)
You can then select the HEX file. It will auto-detect the printer, if connected via USB.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/AQ9Lk.png)
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/08/13 | 1,155 | 3,903 | <issue_start>username_0: Up till now, I've tended to scale my first layer according to the print quality, so a 0.12 mm first layer for a 0.08 mm print, and 0.28 mm for a 0.2 mm print.
After changing to a PLA which isn't sticking well, I'm wondering if the first layer is best determined by the printer/tolerance/material, rather than the overall print quality settings. Am I going to get more predictable results if I stick to a 0.12 mm first layer regardless? This is with a 0.4 mm nozzle on an Anet-A8.<issue_comment>username_1: Default settings for first layer height in Slic3r Prusa Edition print profiles regardless layer height is 0.2 mm.
If you need to improve bed adhesion then try tips from this video [3D Prints not sticking anymore? Watch this! 3DP101](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShFaJ027pFs) by Maker's Muse. It's about using glue stick and spreading it using paper towel and isopropyl alcohol.
There are other possibilities how to improve bed adhesion, e.g. [Ultem sheet](https://shop.prusa3d.com/en/3d-printer-parts/146-replacement-pei-sheet-for-mk2s-ultem.html) or other printing surface like [BuildTak](https://www.buildtak.eu/).
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The first layer height can be the same as the whole printing model however you can set different sizes and speeds; it is recommended that layer height should be 75 % or less than nozzle diameter, this means that for a nozzle of 0.4 mm the max height is 0.3 mm *(if you are a master you can use higher dimensions)*
The first layer with a height of 0.3 mm with a speed of 70 mm/s will have less adhesion than printing at 50 mm/s. Also the same height and speed of 70 mm/s at 210 °C will have more adhesion than at 195 °C. So printing at 195 °C with speed of 50 mm/s could have the same adhesion than 70 mm/s at 210 °C. This depends on the quality of your PLA
On my prints I have set the prints at 195 °C and 55 mm/s with a height of 0.20 mm, then the whole print uses the same temperature at 85 mm/s with 0.25 mm of layer height. With other PLA quality I have to set 210 °C first layer at 50 mm/s, and other layers at 200 °C with 70 mm/s. ***So adjustments are based temperature and speed once you have determined the smoothness of your prints.***
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I made more negative experience for 0.4 mm nozzle and 0.2 mm layer but 0.28 mm initial layer. Change it back to 0.2 mm solves all adhesion problems for me. (Tested on Anet A8 and Ultimaker3)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: Layer height in my cura settings means that head of extruder will be going up at 0.3mmm, and how i know that? Because i measure few different settings with height of bed.
When I set bed to -0.2mm, ike everybody is proposing on internet, and i started printing first layer, I did stop it and measure with precise caliper thickness, it was 4.2mm, (human precision with leveling bed :P ) that was for me to much, because extruded material almost was not sticking to the bed,, and walls was not connected each other.
I did test also with home position of nozzle and setting bed to touch nozzle, to 0 height. ( YEAH) And again I measure thickness of first layer. It was precise 0.3mm. Exactly as I want.
That means that or I have better software witch can take nozzle up with initial layer in cura settings?, or magical printer, but my printer is cheap and is buy'ed almost by everybody.
That means that peoples who are teaching others how to set bed in a printer are totally wrong. Maybe no one measure thickens of first layer?
Even seller from who I buy printer propose me use paper with thickens of 0.25mm to set level of the bed.
Previously I have problems with first layer, because that was too high from bed, now when I set 0 position of nozzle exactly with bed, I don't have problems with thickens of layer, and printed element looks allot better from bottom.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/08/13 | 899 | 2,745 | <issue_start>username_0: I would love to start a small engraving business without having to purchase expensive hardware.
Using scrap parts at home, or parts from broken CD players, are there any ways to make a laser engraver at home? My cousin managed to make one of his own from scraps.<issue_comment>username_1: I have a printer and a diode laser head which will etch aluminum for under $4k, but you're going to have to manage potentially noxious fumes based on what material you're lasering. It's safe if used safely: the focal distance is 15-20mm from the lens, but all present should wear PPE.
Note: I work for Hyrel3D.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: If you do not have knowledge about the electronics then consider buying a cheap etching machine instead.
Build
=====
Take a look on <https://hackaday.com/> and search for laser engravers.
I have found following articles in few seconds:
* [Hackaday.com: DVD LASER DIODE USED TO BUILD A LASER ENGRAVER](https://hackaday.com/2013/05/06/dvd-laser-diode-used-to-build-a-laser-engraver/)
* [Hackaday.com: LASER PCB EXPOSER BUILT FROM CD-ROM DRIVES](https://hackaday.com/2016/03/14/laser-pcb-exposer-built-from-cd-rom-drives/)
* [Hackaday.com: HOMEBUILT LASER ENGRAVER USING SALVAGED PARTS](https://hackaday.com/2017/10/31/homebuilt-laser-engraver-using-salvaged-parts/)
* [Hackaday.com: ENTRY-LEVEL 3D PRINTER BECOMES BUDGET PCB MACHINE](https://hackaday.com/2017/11/27/entry-level-3d-printer-becomes-budget-pcb-machine/)
Cheap laser engravers
=====================
And this one is about 2018 list of laser cutters/engravers: [15 Best Laser Cutters, Laser Engravers & AIO Machines of 2018](https://all3dp.com/1/best-home-desktop-laser-cutter-engraver-aio-machine/%20It%20lists%20machines%20around%20100$). It lists machines around 100$
* Meterk Laser Engraver ($125)
* NEJE DK-8-KZ ($70)
* QIILU Mini Laser Engraver ($130)
* SuperCarver K2 ($160)
Safety
======
Laser could damage your eyes (imagine laser reflection or if the machine falls from table when it's working). Take a look on [wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_safety).
The best option is to use *acrylic cover* in same color as your laser, so you can observe the etching process and the laser beam is always blocked. For example take a look on orange cover of [Formlabs Form 2](https://formlabs.com/3d-printers/form-2/) 3d printer (it uses laser for printing).
Another protection is to wear *laser protection glasses*. Again the glasses must have same color as your laser.
Using laser for cutting or engraving means to burn material away. You should have good ventilation in the room.
Buy a *smoke detector* if you use cheap electronics with higher power consumption.
Upvotes: -1 [selected_answer] |
2018/08/14 | 802 | 3,044 | <issue_start>username_0: I got my Ender 3 a couple weeks ago. Within a couple days of test prints, I was able to get it working pretty well. Prints looked great. However, I installed [a more permanent solution to my X-Gantry binding issues](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2959991) and now print quality is down again.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/P5yjv.jpg)
The bottom .25" of the calibration part looks absolutely terrible, with hideous layer separation issues, while the upper .75" looks flawless. I have little idea what could be causing this issue.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/G5lab.jpg)
The only possible failure mode I can think of is that the bed isn't the right distance from the print head, but even fiddling with the knobs doesn't yield any better print quality than the print on the right of the first image. What can I do?
I slice with Cura and can make my profile available if it would be useful.<issue_comment>username_1: Well, you have several problems with your print. One that could be affecting your print is the nozzle temperature. The print looks wavy and has a lack of adhesion, so the filament is not flowing properly, causing under extrusion and will provoke a clogged nozzle.
Try to increase the temperature by 5°C and do a small test, don't wait to waste material and try another 2-3°C more.
Try to reduce the printing sped; try reducing the feed rate on your printer to 90% or less. While printing you can reduce the feed rate to see which speed works better at your printing temperature. I prefer to do this first rather than change the temperature; If you notice that your print gets better at lower feed rate *then* change your temperature higher to print a higher speed.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The answer now seems brain-dead obvious now. *Hindsight is 20/20, amirite?*
I had a decent filament clog in the extruder past the end of the Bowden tube. This was resolved by sticking a [nozzle cleaner rod](https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B078HXTLX8) up and down the filament path from the top of the extruder block several times and clearing the filament jam from the bottom of the Bowden tube. The printer works flawlessly now.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I had a real problem with what I was poor bed adhesion and layer separation on my 6month old Ender 3 pro. this problem started all at once, I checked the bed height several times and layer height, temperatures etc still the problem was there.
Then I noticed the filament guide pinch roller was at a slight angle and on further inspection the plastic arm on removal was fractured so instead of holding the filament against the toothed drive it was metal to metal causing a slip on the nozzle feed.
I ordered a replacement aluminium feed roller kit at £6.99 the machine is working as it did when I first got it.
So it’s worth removing the pinch arm and inspecting.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/08/16 | 900 | 3,107 | <issue_start>username_0: I've been printing successfully on my CR-10 for the past year now. I've had issues now and then but have been able to look around the internet and solve them. I've been using some Flashforge white PLA with great results.
Example:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JlMqb.jpg)
Last week I got a couple of new rolls of filament, black and orange. SinceI tried printing with them, I've got nothing but jams. The white prints fine, however.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bC6Tt.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5M8YN.jpg)
I dug around online and found this was happening to my printer: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vH_spN5wyw>
So yesterday I opened up my hotend to clean it out and got quite a bit of gunk out:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MbatW.jpg)
I also changed my nozzle. I printed some with the old white PLA and printed fine. The moment I switched over to the new orange filament, it jammed after a few layers.
I ensured my nozzle was tightened and then got to measuring the filament. The older white one is 1.75mm in most places with some at 1.73mm.
The new ones that I got are pretty inconsistent - the orange one ranging from 1.68mm to 1.72mm; I found very few places where it was actually 1.75mm. The black one averaged 1.72mm.
So I made the change in my slicer but even then the first layer was visibly underextruding and it jammed soon after. I took apart the hotend and cleaned it out. Now, I put the white one back and its back printing fine.
Should I go ahead and return the filament?<issue_comment>username_1: Not all filaments are created equal. Even with the very same manufacturer, the addition of colorful pigments can change the needed printing temperature a lot! I have had a white china PLA that was giving ok quality at 200°C, but the same brand's clear PLA only took 195°C to print. My white Kaisertech prints better at the 200°C while orange needs a little more, something about 205°C - this is the same brand and manufacturer mind you. The matte "natural" PLA I have even needs some more heat, 210°C.
As a rule of thumb: **Printing temerature is filament dependant.** Test around (there are temperature tests - use them!) to find the ideal one for each brand and color combo you have.
It is also a goood idea to replace the claps on the Bowden tube, if the plugs appear more often.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: From attached pictures I can see that some of the printouts are not sticking enough to the bed (that can be a non-leveled bed).
As you are printing directly on the glass ensure that the area is clean (no fat or other organic substances - clean with alcohol or another grease remover) or use a PVA glue to get better adhesion.
If the Z height is to low it can clog the nozzle, if to high then print will not stick.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/08/22 | 2,148 | 8,488 | <issue_start>username_0: Has anyone tried the steel-reinforced polyurethane timing belts? If so, how do they compare to the rubber ones?<issue_comment>username_1: I do not believe the standard rubber/plastic belts have any significant stretching over time, nor do they stretch under drive motor force during acceleration (and in any case, extrusion takes place mostly under steady-velocity conditions).
While I suppose it's possible a steel-reinforced belt might have a longer lifetime, replacing a belt is quick and cheap, so why bother?
*[incorporating comments]
My suspicion is that standard belts, e.g., as supplied with Prusa-clone kits will outlive us mere mortals. They can move an entire print bed+heater, so a larger print head is not an issue.*
The usual problem with any belt material is ensuring there's no significant slack (which leads to backlash/hysteresis), and changing the material won't help or hurt tensioning control systems.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Belts come in several formulations. This [page](https://www.mcmaster.com/#belts/=1e9qsqj) from McMaster-Carr lists several types of belts. The main materials (rubbers) are Neoprene and urethane, with fiberglass, Kevlar, and steel reinforcement. I would suggest spending some time looking at these, comparing the specs, and basing your choice on the needs of your application.
I used 1/4" wide MXL series cut-to-length in my machine. I have yet to see a wear or stretch problem and haven't yet done the high-speed photography to look for dynamic stretch. IMO, I have a bigger problem with the length of belt resonating like a guitar string than I do with the stretch of the belt. The compliance needed for resonance can come not only from the belt but also from the mechanical system it is mounted to. In some cases, a slightly stretchy belt could dampen oscillations that would otherwise result from impulse forces being coupled into the printer frame.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: It's a question of **what you want to use the belt for.**
All Belts are subject to stress as they run around the motor and idlers and gears and bend. They will get eaten as they are subject to friction against parts, they will stretch as they are subject to tension. All this applies some sort of stress or another on the belt. Anything that is subject to stress wears. And as it wears, it will fail. The question is just: **What is your life expectancy?** The lifetime expectancy is again dependant on how the belt is used, so usage dictates lifetime of the belt.
Each belt type has an application it is designed for. A bending radius that is to be kept at, a gear it is to be used with, a load it is expected to move, a tension it is expected to uphold, and a lifetime it is expected to serve.
Let's take a short look at some rough ideas what
### a soft rubber belt without additions
This is usually a bad choice for printers, but can occasionally be in very cheap kits. This kind of belt *has* applications. It is for really low loads, it can work tight bends for a long time and provides superb self-tensioning with just a very short tensioning device. On the other side, most rubbers don't take heat well, stretches a lot, wear fast and can only move a light load. If it rubs against a standing object, it squeaks horribly.
### a medium hard, somewhat elastic belt reinforced with fibers
The standard belt we often get with printer kits. the fibers lessen the material's stretching ability while offering still some self-tensioning (depending on the fibers). These properties allow to move medium loads yet harder material demands slightly larger bend diameters (not *too* much, but measurable!). When the piece gets friction against a standing surface the sound will be not that horrible, but the harder rubber might start to shave off, break teeth and destroy the belt after some time. The typical reinforcing is done with cloth, usually cotton, so there are some limits to how much they can take.
### reinforcing with aramid fibers
Some fibers are better than others for our applications because of how they stretch and reinforce it. Aramid fibers, for example, are better than cloth. Some *consider* them as impossible to wear out with the tension in 3D Printing applications alone, but that is not entirely the case. They still stretch under larger loads or on longer lengths enough that it can be a problem (or become one). They also can still be shredded with friction (and heat). For a professional machine, the expected lifetime is quite nice. They are though, but only as good as the rubber used and if properly installed. There are also generally two types: long fibers and short fibers. Long fibers have a somewhat even stretching behavior, while short fibers have totally different stretching behavior. The latter type is looked at in scholarly articles like [Yin, Zhou, Lou et al.](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142941819307160)
### a hard belt reinforced with fibers
Let's take... Uhm... a toothed belt from a car. I believe some of these are aramid-reinforced, old ones are on cloth cores, most modern ones I know are steel reinforced. It is somewhat hard. By design, it is made to withstand a strong tension at high speeds. It needs somewhat big bending radii for the hard rubber, but that is easily given by the gears and the large teeth don't break easily. Over the lifetime it will slowly stretch due to the temperature it will encounter, till at some point it gets too loose or looses too many teeth as the parameters don't match up with the teeth anymore and they get ground away. It is made to deliver high torque and could move - if something similar was used on a printer-like machine (like a large CNC), a heavy load for a long time, but the machine needs to be made accordingly.
### steel reinforced belt
Steel is going stiffer. Steel reinforcements usually get the stretching parameter to a bare minimum at the cost of increasing their minimum bend and added weight. They can be used to move very heavy loads without the belt starting to slack as it simply can't stretch to give slack on the underside of the belt loop when forces are applied. Steel belts are pretty much Heavy Duty. If you can work with the bending radii belonging to them (as said, usually a little bigger than a similar fiber-reinforced one), you could make use of these properties, for example in a CNC Router with a full spindle or when moving very heavy tool heads.
### carbonfiber reinforced
And then there is the super heavy-duty carbon fiber. One can barely stretch it (steel is less stretchy), making these belts super tough in the stretching compartment and granting an extremely long life under most conditions. In comparison to steel, they can work much tighter radii. Usually, they are coupled with urethanes to get a high wear resistance against abrasion. The biggest downside: their price.
Belt Materials
--------------
### Silicone
Silicone is soft but high temperature resistant but dislikes abrasive forces.
### Uretane
Urethanes are not the best to handle the heat, but they can handle abrasive forces. They also don't create dust in the same way as other rubbers.
### Neoprene
The most interesting feature of neoprene belts is their reduced noise under work.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: I have recently changed the standard belts on my Prusa MK3 for the aramid fiber reinforced E3D neoprene belts. Those belts are really tough and hard to cut even with a quality side cutter! They have a much smoother surface and a lot more aramid fibers than the standard belts.
Prior to the change, the belt on the X axis was twisting when changing directions, now it is running straight and smooth. Surface quality has improved a little, the ripples are smaller and more regular. Overall a small but noticeable improvement
P.S. I am using belt tensioners on both x and y axis.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: I had really bad problems with GT2 PU belts (including steel reinforced), under big tension they degrade suddenly with big change in the geometry at some position. When removed they look twisted. Looks like some reinforcing wires slipped inside the PU body of the belt.
Once switched to rubber GT2 belts (fibreglass reinforced) I never had problems connected to the belts. I can tell that rubber GT2 belts have no noticeable change in the geometry over many years of constant use under high tension with the spring.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/08/23 | 541 | 2,206 | <issue_start>username_0: So apparently the wiring in my home is... questionable. Very rarely, plugging or unplugging things will cause a power dip. This is almost always the result of turning on a fan or something, is only for a moment before coming back, but its long enough to cause my printer to reset. I want to add a backup battery supply using either the 12v cell pulled out of an old apc ups (before the suggestion of just plugging it into that... I did, somethings fried in it and it will ALSO power cycle everything connected to it every few hours) or an old car battery. Is there any reason I shouldn't use this circuit, which was originally intended for amateur radio equipment? [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Jd7Sp.gif)
Also is there anything else i should be considering?<issue_comment>username_1: This circuit is correct as it does the job (provides a charge and switch-over when needed).
The only drawback could be that you need to ensure that the battery is sealed as during the charging process the electlorit will slowly evaporate and decrease battery capacity.
I am personally using a UPC as that gives me more options to power-up more stuff including 240V heater and it has a self-test built-in (it is APC1500VA).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: There are a couple of points to consider with this question. First, you will need to make sure the PSU is correctly adjusted to the float charge voltage of the 12V battery. SLA should be safe to float charge, but over voltage will damage it over time.
One alternative solution (since powering the heaters will limit your run time) is to detect power failure, cut the heaters immediately, and save state to EEPROM in the firmware. This is the approach taken in the latest Prusa printers, and is a bit more complex, but might turn out to be more reliable.
If the problem you are solving really is brown-outs, then a simpler solution might be to isolate the high current and control sides of the circuit. The MCU will be run from a regulated 5V or 3V3, so a large capacitor (with diode isolation) on that regulator's input would do the trick.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/08/23 | 1,409 | 5,555 | <issue_start>username_0: I have an Ender 3 which I primarily use for printing with PLA. I haven't branched out to other materials yet. :)
I've done [some research into PLA fumes and airborne particulates](https://3dprinthq.com/desktop-3d-printer-safety/) which seemed to mention that PLA is mostly safe, but ABS is rather dangerous to print without proper ventilation. However, I understand that there isn't much research on the topic and that there haven't been many studies.
I have been keeping my printer in my bedroom, far isolated from flammable materials, which I sometimes leave on to print while I'm asleep. Should I be concerned with my health safety with respect to airborne particulates emitted by printing with PLA?
**Other questions ask about ABS, but here, I'm asking specifically about PLA.**<issue_comment>username_1: Fire is the most obvious risk - firmware can now detect some of the more obvious failure modes such as a detached thermistor, but loose or failing connections can still overheat. A smoke alarm is a fairly obvious (but not necessarily effective) protective measure.
The risk from particulates in particular is *probably* low, but marginal health risks like this are extremely hard to analyse, and will likely take many years to manifest. The closest analogue would be to look at commercial plastics workers since they are exposed to both heated plastic, and any potential dust generated.
You could also compare the risk to other 'hobby' activities such as soldering, painting, woodworking.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Standard manufacturing practices contraindicate leaving a manufacturing device unmonitored while it's on. That being said, your workshop should be well ventilated anyways since you're probably using acetone, isopropyl alcohol, and other substances that you shouldn't inhale.
If you can not move to a well ventilated workshop, consider installing a fume hood or at least a range hood in your current workshop
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: **You are probably pretty safe printing PLA**
1. Regarding emissions, the following recent report, [Emissions of Ultrafine Particles and Volatile Organic Compounds
from Commercially Available Desktop Three-Dimensional Printers
with Multiple Filaments](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/acs.est.5b04983), indicates that PLA is a pretty low emitter (1/20th of nylon) and most of what it out-gasses is Lactide which is low on the harm scale. That said, everybody's nose sees things a bit different and people tolerate smells differently. Note also that we used to think lots of things (like asbestos) were harmless that we know differently now. Note also in the figure below from the [report](https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/acs.est.5b04983) that all PLAs are not created equal. Dremel PLA produce way more nasty stuff than FlashForge PLA did. I am also sure additives, colorant, and fillers can change this a lot as PLA filaments aren't not all PLA.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/oFK7Y.jpg "Estimates of emission rates for the top three highest-concentration VOCs")
2. Regarding the fire safety issue. Note that there is a BIG difference between a kit and a "product". Since you are the manufacturer of the printer for a "kit", the packager of the "kit" is not responsible for the fire or electrical certifications of the final product. This does open the door to some risks. The biggest risks are electrical safety; but, fire safety can be an issue as well. I would say that the risk is likely higher to you personally when the printer is NOT in your bedroom as if it catches fire when you are sleeping, you will likely catch the fire faster if it is in your bedroom.
3. From a practical standpoint, I have heard several people complain that they can't sleep when the printer is printing when the printer is in a separate room.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: I have been printing daily for 2 months with PLA and have noticed respiratory problems! I feel like slight pneumonia symptoms!
I also have very sensitive lungs that react to things that would not bother normal people.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: Having asthma, I'm very sensitive to air quality and when i first started 3D printing i quickly noticed a sore throat, feeling out of breath, headaches and well the smell.
One thing many beginners overlook is material oozing out of the extruder in places other than the nozzle itself. This causes a dirty extruder head which 'burns' that material and thus creating a ton of air pollution and a nasty smell.
As a fix, i took my extruder head apart and reassembled it with PTFE tape on all the threads. The oozing and burned smell of material is now completely gone, my initial health issues have also gone away.
This does not take away the fact that ultrafine particles are still being generated, but you will not notice this problem in an acute way. If you print daily use a fume extractor, your lungs cannot clean out this size of particles. The health effects will be similar as living near a busy street or highway.
One last thing few people mention: cleaning up parts. When you file or sand down parts this creates a lot of very fine dust, and since plastics are electrostatic this becomes very hard to clean up. I now use an extraction fan whenever I'm cleaning up a printed part.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/08/23 | 1,675 | 6,601 | <issue_start>username_0: I've seen many references to a FDM print being weakest in the Z axis, due to poor bonding between layers compared to the extruded walls.
Thinking about optimising this for a specific material (excluding temperature and geometry), is there an optimum layer height? It seems obvious that too thick a layer will give less compression and maybe less heat transfer into the layer below (so 0.3 with a 0.4mm nozzle might be expected to be a bit weak). Is there a single break point (i.e. less than half the nozzle is good), or are super fine layers either good or bad?
I'm specifically using PLA at the moment, in case different materials have different behaviour in this respect.
I am **not** asking how to model the strength of layer bonds or how to take that into account when designing a part.<issue_comment>username_1: My3dmatter.com performed a [series of tests](http://my3dmatter.com/influence-infill-layer-height-pattern//influence-infill-layer-height-pattern/) with PLA, using "a universal testing machine". They conclude:
>
> Layer height influences the strength of a printed part when it becomes
> thin. A printed part at 0.1mm shows a max stress of only 29MPa, as
> opposed to 35MPa for 0.2mm (21% increase).
>
>
> Past 0.2mm, the max stress remains fairly constant around 36 MPa (we
> confirmed this conclusion with an extra test at 0.4mm, not shown here
> because it was not part of the same batch).
>
>
>
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/i2fXm.png)
Note: It is recommended to read the full article to comprehend the complexity of the subject matter.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: According to the people of Ultimaker, the best layer height for PLA is [50% of the diameter of the nozzle](https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/22969-layer-resolution-range/?tab=comments#comment-209869). They did extensive testing, although they have not, as far as I'm aware, released any research papers or numbers gathered from their testing.
So, if you have a 0.4mm nozzle, keep your layers at 0.2mm height for best bonding, 0.4mm for a 0.8mm nozzle, and so on.
The max ratio possible is 75% of nozzle diameter, though, at this point, your print has the consistency of a spider web. I tried with a 0.4mm nozzle and 0.3mm layer height and nearly crushed the test print when taking it off the print bed. Anything above that and you end up with the dreaded spaghetti plate.
(Note: I own an Ultimaker 3 Extended, thus why I asked them when I was doing some tests.)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: The question is not easy to answer as it would be difficult to give exact print guidelines. [This answer from user @username_1](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6733/5740) already shows results of the print height versus the specimen strength (IMHO his answer should be the accepted answer), as taken from [this excellent reference at 3DMatter](http://my3dmatter.com/influence-infill-layer-height-pattern/) which basically describes the results of a series of experiments. This answer builds upon his answer. In reference to your question, this reference did not optimize the print settings (all specimens are made with the same print settings), so your question is valid.
It is assumed that you imply in your question that all print parameters that effect the inter-layer bond strength needs to be taken into account for the optimization. Many parameters are in play to bond the filament onto the previous layer, amongst these parameters are e.g.:
* Print speed
* Filament temperature
* Print height
* Print cooling
All these parameters influence the deposition temperature which in its turn determines the bonding to the previous layer. Not only printer parameters play a role here, but also the properties of the material itself. Between the various brands, and even within a single brand, material variations (e.g. color doping, or different process batches) influence these parameters.
The question states
>
> It seems obvious that too thick a layer will give less compression and maybe less heat transfer into the layer below
>
>
>
Well, this is not so obvious and assumes that compression is the main driver for bonding a layer. However, the larger the layer height, the more filament can be deposited at once with a higher heat capacity (stays hot longer), so potentially this could have a positive influence on the bond (higher temperature, better adhesion).
The print fan cooling parameter could play a very important role here (or even the filament print temperature). In fact, the results of this are already shown by the 3DMatter experiment referenced above. If you keep all print parameters the same except for layer height, the bond strength increases. This implies that in order to get a better bond for low print heights, you should decrease the amount of print-fan cooling flow, or increase the filament print temperature. How much this is should be done in a similar experiment where you lower the cooling air and increase filament print temperature for more specimens (separately) and test again. This is referred to as a [design of experiments](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Design_of_experiments).
Theoretically, you can make the bond at any layer height just as good provided you optimize the correct parameters. This implies that there is no relation between the print height and the bond strength, it is just a matter of proper setup.
Also, I would not say that poor bonding strength is the cause of failure in Z direction, as FDM deposits layers in between each layer you will have a lot of potential crack initiation locations, this is usually the starting point of the failure. I have seen prints start the failure between the layers, but not continue to crack along the layers, but traversing through the layers meaning that the bonding strength is not that bad after all.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WCQnm.png)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Just adding another datapoint. CNCKitchen has a new [video](https://youtu.be/fbSQvJJjw2Q) where he analyses this for cross layer and between layer tension. He also references some other research (which is rather inconclusive). He supports the coarse estimate of 'no more than 50% of the nozzle diameter, with performance also dropping at very low layer height.
He found cross layer tension supported more than 2x the layer-to-layer tension (with a typical 3-wall, low infill pattern).
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/08/23 | 2,750 | 9,128 | <issue_start>username_0: I will be creating a small tube styled piece to use as a junction between two pieces of plastic. The idea is to reattach the two pieces and provide strength so they don't break apart again. I plan on using PLA.
My question is, will superglue (cyanoacrylate) work best for this or are there better choices for attaching PLA to hard (injected molded) plastic? The big thing I'm wanting to make sure is if any of these glues will dissolve the PLA and whether some glues might bond better than others.<issue_comment>username_1: Yes Super Glue is best choice.
I personally use it in many PLA projects.
I even apply Super Glue layer to ABS prints to avoid layer separation.
It works well with both ABS and PLA, but exercise some caution whilst using Super Glue because it produces very bad tear gas. Use it in a well ventilated area.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: PLA is a nice one, and gluing has been a topic on some of our most favorite maker's channels. For example Stefan from CNC kitchen ([this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSff8OMRHtw)) and Joel the 3DPrinting Nerd ([this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1q2D_pK0BE)). Also, in 2022, [Tom's 3D](https://youtu.be/dGE509zjf7E) ran a test on glues for PLA, PETG and resin prints. Here some information from them together with my own experiences. Most of these glues are not exactly PLA specific by the way and work for many other materials too. Be careful with PLA containing infil though, as that can seriously alter the properties.
Step 0: Safety First!
---------------------
Some of these methods are working with chemicals that can irritate the skin (resin, cyanoacrylate), have irritating fumes (acetone), or are flammable (acetone). Others (Cyanoacrylate) are not heat-stable and break down into their components under heat.
### Use proper protection when working with glue! Eye protection and respiratory protection, as well as gloves, are to be used when necessary. Read the manual of the products you are working with!
Preparations
------------
For most glues, it is advisable to prepare the surface: sand it to increase the surface area, remove grease from fingerprints etc. Follow the manual!
Glues
-----
* Cyanoacrylate - yep, the "one kind for all" is a solution for PLA too: Superglue. However, look out for what type you get! Some are clearly better than others, and using an accelerator can change the properties of the glue spot.
+ Together with talcum powder, CA glue ("superglue") can fill gaps easily. However, a gap-bridging bond isn't the strongest, and working can be finicky. Yet if the parts do sit flush, a CA glue bond can be a almost as strong as any 2-component glue bond tested, according to Tom.
+ **CA is not stable under heating and when heated too much it breaks apart into a rather noxious fume!** This can be handy to break metal-CA-metal bonds in machining of small parts but keep this in mind if you want to use inserts or plastic-soler pieces on the same areas! Don't tack with CA in those cases.
* Epoxy resin - Epoxy is a favorite for very tough gluing, a few droplets can stick a car to the roof... and it warms up in curing. If you take a slow
curing resin, you can safely use it to glue PLA without the part deforming.
+ **Uncured Resin and their hardeners are strong skin irritants.**
* 2-Component Acrylic resin is just as good as epoxy often, as Tom noticed. It's very comparable to Epoxy in performance.
* [Urethanes](http://www.adhesives.org/adhesives-sealants/adhesives-sealants-overview/adhesive-technologies/chemically-curing/two-component-(2-c)/urethane-adhesives) - 2 Component Urethanes offer strong but flexible bonds and work great according to Joel. Their curing process is also exothermic, so take care to not 'cook' your piece.
* 2-phase Putty - in a similar vein come 2-phase putties like [Green Stuff](https://www.games-workshop.com/en-FI/Green-Stuff) or [Miliputt](https://www.milliput.com/), which harden after mixing. Their heat generation isn't too big and they allow to fill gaps easily. My favorite stuff though is not the expensive modeling putty but the stuff from the home depot: stuff like [Pattex Repair](http://www.pattex.de/do-it-yourself-mit-pattex-klebstoffe-produkte-new/pattex-klebstoffe/reparaturkleber/repair-express.html)sorry, no English site for this or [UHU Repair All Powerkitt](http://www.uhu.com/en/products/epoxy-adhesives-2-component/detail/uhu-repair-all-powerkitt-1.html?cHash=e0f929a3ec974e591e89c5e1987a30ab&step=70) harden within an hour, are surprisingly cheap and get a smooth surface.
* Acetone - We all know that you can smooth and glue ABS with Acetone or an acetone-ABS slurry. [Tom (<NAME>)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZUfq0yrtv4) made a few experiments with it. He discovered that it works for at least *some* types of PLA in the following fashion: apply some acetone to a spot and press the second piece (that also was prepared this way) to it and they might melt themselves together after some time.
+ Effectivity of this depends **very highly** on the exact PLA you got.
+ **Acetone is highly flammable.**
* There's a type of glues commonly called "Kraftkleber" or "Alleskleber" in Germany, for example, [UHU Hart](http://www.uhu.com/en/products/special-adhesives/detail/uhu-hart-kunststoff-1.html?cHash=9e818145273de580c4e3c132faad3710&step=202) or [Pattex Kraftkleber](http://www.pattex.de/do-it-yourself-mit-pattex-klebstoffe-produkte-new/pattex-klebstoffe/kontaktkleber-gel-fuer-schwierige-oberflaechen/kraftkleber-transparent.html)German. While they often *stick* to PLA, I personally don't like their gluing power and find them often quite messy to work with. Also, they very much fail in loadbearing joints.
* Wood Glue - Yes, Wood Glue. PVA Wood glue as well as its non-water-soluble cousin ("Express") have proven themselves to me as a rather nice surface coating to smooth over print lines as well as a good solution to affix paper and wood to prints. It is less of a solution for plastic-plastic bonds but works OK-ish.
Glue? Why glue?!
----------------
### "Solder"
What better way is there to combine parts than welding or soldering?! Often none. My personal all-time-favorite PLA *glue* is PLA itself, by using it as **PLA solder**. This method also works for most other filament types, but is not advisable for ABS and other plastics that emit fumes without wearing respiratory protection! In any case, you need to work with an exhaust, as you heat your plastic in a not always fully controllable way. If you can, use a soldering station where you can set the temperature of the iron.
* Take the pieces and make sure on both sides is a cavity that can be filled.
* Take a soldering iron and set it to around 200°C.
* Take a length of PLA filament.
* Melt the filament with the soldering iron and use it as solder when combining the two pieces. Make sure that at least some filament gets into the cavities and sticks there - it can help to stick the soldering iron into the goop in there to force it to merge with the infill/walls and press together to hot PLA goop filled pieces against the iron before pulling it away, pressing the pieces together.
* As the PLA cools and hardens, the joint is usually tougher than the actual layer boundaries.
### Pen
Instead of using a soldering iron, one might also use a 3D printing penOne that eats filament, not one for PCL or some gel!, but I don't like those personally.
### Inserts!
On a different note, a soldering iron is also a very good solution to make inserts into PLA - heat up the metal insert (like a nut) and press it into an undersized hole, and it will mold the plastic around itself into a perfect fit without any glue.
### Friction Welding
An alternative to using direct heat from a soldering iron is **friction welding**. For this, take a rotary power tool and some filament. Insert the filament into the tool, tighten and cut so that about an inch is reaching out of the claw. Turn it on at medium speed, about 800 to 1200 RPM. Now, once you press the tip of the spinning filament against other PLA it gets hot and melts, creating a welding seam. [Joel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa2DoE3sirU) has a good explanation.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I used to work at a small thermoforming plastics enclosure company and we used “weld-on” for basically ANYTHING. Delrin and medical grade plastics not included but, PC, PE, acrylic, PETG, etc. use "weld-on number 3" for more easy bond plastic, "number 4" for more crystalline/harder to bond plastics.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: [PLA Gloop](https://www.3dgloop.com/shop/pla-gloop) is dedicated glue for PLA. It contains chloroform, so be careful.
* [3D Gloop! // 3D Printing Adhesive Spotlight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTtW_NXFMCY)
* [PLA Smoothing 3D Prints with 3D Gloop!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQc5TBPF8uw)
Additionally a PrusaPrinters guide: [The Great Guide to Gluing and Assembling 3D Prints](https://blog.prusaprinters.org/the-great-guide-to-gluing-and-assembling-3d-prints_44908/)
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/08/23 | 4,154 | 16,035 | <issue_start>username_0: What are the 'headline' basic design rules for FDM?
Which topics for design principles do you recommend to someone who has purchased an FDM machine and wants to understand what is practical? In other words, where is the place to start when you don't yet know what questions to ask?
[This question](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5215/3d-printing-references-for-beginner) and its answer discuss design tools and the workflow but doesn't cover design rules.
Design rules here meaning the principles of what is **special** about **planning** a design to be manufactured with an FDM process as opposed to traditional machining or a printing process like SLA, not the detailed/automated checks that would be applied to something like a PCB layout prior to sign-off.<issue_comment>username_1: Designing a part for 3D printing often doesn't seem to have many special considerations, but I have learned the hard way, that there are some things to do differently. This is just a list of things to that one should keep in mind ***in addition to basic principles of design***1 when designing parts, keeping the subsequently slicing the parts in mind too:
Print orientation
=================
There are many ways how you could orient your print, but usually, there is one orientation, that has the least need for support. Look at your part critically and keep this orientation in mind when designing. Especially look at overhangs and bridging, and if you can get away without.
Overhangs
=========
There are 3 sorts of overhangs:
1. Small overhangs ones that are neglectable.
2. Long overhangs which can get support.
3. Overhangs that can't be supported.
When designing parts, you want to make sure you only have type 1 and 2 Overhangs, as type 3 overhangs will sag and fail. Think carefully if you can rotate the piece to get a print orientation that does not need an overhang that can't be supported by an automatically generated support structure. If that is impossible, try to implement a sacrificial piece that can turn the overhang into a bridge.
Smaller overhangs can be made neglectable by adding a phase to the underside. This phase's angle is depending on the printer. In my experience, 70° is something many printers can manage, but I prefer 45° due to the ease of making them. A fuller *can* work to give a small overhang the needed support, but often has problems for larger overhangs!
Bridges
=======
Overhangs turn into bridges if they are connected on both sides. These either have a limited length, depending on the printer you use or need a support in the center. Check if you really *need* a bridge or if you can rotate the piece to get away without.
Avoid vertical holes in bridges
-------------------------------
It might be something that might surprise but a vertical hole or slot in a bridging part is something that often fails as the bridging strings just sag as they are terminated mid-air without a support structure and finally fall, ruining the bridge. Yet such a support structure sometimes could not be removed in all cases, so something needs to be done differently.
One such a solution is to add a 1-layer sacrificial layer on the bottom of the hole: printing a solid layer by bridging is possible, and the subsequent hole/slot can still be free. It has to be cut free after printing in post-processing though.
round holes in Walls
--------------------
Round holes in standing walls can become problematic to print once the diameter gets too large. A trick to keep the upper parts of the hole to sag into the cavity, making it undersized or needing to drill it to size later. To prevent this, the upper side of the hole can be adjusted: instead of a round upper rim, turn the hole into a teardrop. This reduces the overhanging area. Keeping a 60° top angle on the hole should be fine.
If the hole is used to key an item to an axle, put the keyway to the top of the print orientation, so it takes the place of the teardrop-tip.
Some more about holes one can learn from [<NAME> (<NAME>)](https://youtu.be/j6508J94VsA)
Reduce internal structure
=========================
I have seen prints fail for strange reasons. One of them was a piece taken from a straight up industrial design plan, then scaled down. This one resulted in *too much* tiny internal geometry, resulting in a lot of material and time wasted on printing these internal pieces that nobody could reach, that were fused together for the original gaps were already 0.2mm and less and besides that, there was the occasional print failure.
Removing any non-essential internal geometry lessens not only the printer's load, but speeds up the print, lessens the material waste and can prevent failures due to clogs or other unexpected behavior. If you can't fix it in design, [there are workarounds](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6230/easy-way-to-refine-a-3d-model-for-3d-printing-by-removing-internal-geometry), but try to need to avoid them!
Avoid Intersecting Shells
-------------------------
As we are at it, often game and graphic designers are lazy and use intersecting shells. These can become quite messy in the slicing step. If possible, try to avoid intersecting shells, even as modern slicers have learned to fix this by themselves by now. The results of that are not always pretty if you forget to flag the "Union intersecting shells" option in your slicer.
Sizing
======
We might not always be aware of it, but prints do *shrink* in the XY axis and to a different degree in the Z axis as they cool, during and after the print is done. This is what causes warping in the first place and lead to many lost prints (especially on non-heated beds). This behavior has to be taken into consideration especially when designing bores. My suggestion for this is twofold:
* Intentionally design the hole to be too small and add extra wall material in slicing, then drill it up to the right diameter. Drill slowly to not melt the plastic.
* Learn your shrinking parameter for the material and design with that shrinkage in mind, possibly iterating the print a few times. Note that different spools/colors of the same material might have different shrinking!
Minimum Wall Thickness
----------------------
Without Arachne, a 3D-printer can not reliably print walls that are thinner than the extrusion width of a printer. The choice of the correct nozzle for an extrusion width is [a question upon itself.](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7425/help-to-reconcile-nozzle-diameter-deposited-line-width-and-wall-thickness-in-c). Even with Arachne slicing and variable line width, printing a wall thinner than a nozzle diameter is nigh impossible.
Tapping/Screwing/Inserts
------------------------
For tapping prints directly, you need wall thickness - according to the norms - you'll need usually about 0.2mm diameter that can be tapped into for smaller standard-size threads. Using 3 perimeters with a 0.45 mm extrusion width will give walls of 1.2 mm, which I consider a rather strong wall, and provides quite some tolerance to drill up to size and then tapping screws into. You will get away with 2 perimeters for smaller thread sizes (M3 and lower), but for large ones (M10+), you will want a fourth or even fifth perimeter.
Remember though, that the *printed PLA is not good for very strong threading*: **Tapping print**s directly is pretty much only for **low- and non-load-bearing connections**. If you combine several pieces with screws, try to design the parts to make some sort of compression fit using a bolt and nut, or use several, small diameter screws with a fine thread. Avoid coarse thread if you can, stay on the small side.
If you need a **load bearing connection** with screws, the best strength comes from using a **metal insert** or provide a **space for a nut to fit into**. Metal inserts are usually placed by heat-setting them: put the heat-set insert onto a soldering iron tip and push it into the slightly under-sized hole, melting and molding the print to fit the insert, providing strong threads that are held really good in the shell of remolded plastic.
As a compromise, modern slicers allow to use modifier meshes, that could be used to increase the strength of modeled threads or holes that need to be tapped.
Do you want to know more? [CNC Kitchen (Stefan)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR6OBlSzp7I) had made some tests on the strength of these connection type.
Print strength
==============
Keep these general rules in mind when designing load-bearing parts:
Generally speaking, FDM prints are strongest in carrying along their **Z-axis** when withstanding **compressive forces**, as then the print layers of the shell are forced against each other. It also excels at fighting **bending** forces this way. But this orientation is also giving us the **lowest tensile strength**, as each layer boundary is a possible breaking point.
The **XY-plane** usually **excels in tensile strength** but sacrifices some of its ability to withstand compression (it is *not* proportional though).
Printing a part at a **45° angle** will give often a **great compromise of strengths**, but might need an additional surface to get a good first layer - this surface can be sacrificial with the use of support.
For deeper information on the strength of parts and materials in comparison and how to manipulate it, there are large playlists of tests made by [CNC Kitchen (Stefan)](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEOQTmIWJ_rncRcWmjQIvMKFAeM071CXM) and [<NAME> (Tom)](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDJMid0lOOYl8TZJV9xHznKFq5yA5ZTi2)
Post processing
===============
Post processing can be your best friend when printing, just as it can be your worst nightmare. I won't detail all methods of postprocessing, but some that are quite applicable.
Assembly/Gluing
---------------
Remember to design your parts with gaps for the glue when designing parts for assembly, and you might want to include guidance notches/cones or other **alignment features** to make sure the assembly aligns. This is especially needed as the parts shrink a little and have a rough surface.
If you need to assemble your part due to the available print volume, be especially sure to include ways to key the parts together. Pegs or outcroppings/indents (often called *keys*) that match up to one another make alignment on assembly much easier too, and are a different type of alignment feature. It can be a good idea to design yourself a "cookie cutter" file that is applied after designing the part that automatically includes the glue gaps and keys.
There are a lot of glues and other methods to merge the parts. A more in-depth look at some of them is [What glues for bonding printed PLA to injection-molded plastic?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6723/what-glues-for-pla/6725#6725) but you will have to keep in mind how you want to combine your pieces in the design step - and account for it.
Print in Place/PIP
------------------
In this vein, learn the **tolerances your printer** can manage to allow print-in-place(PIP), allowing functional parts that require no assembly. PIP is something that isn't possible with subtractive manufacturing usually, but remember that in 3D printing you might need to *break* the parts free after printing from bridges or sagging. Usually, a single strong turn suffices. To be able to do this, you might want to include a position for an Allen-key to manually turn the parts.
To learn how fine your tolerances are, there are many **tolerance gauges/tests** around. A *rule of thumb* for many printers is, that 1 nozzle width is often easily achievable with a good setup, 0.5 nozzles are achievable with some effort and 0.25 is somewhere close to the 'holy grail' - you might want to change the nozzle to a smaller one in case you want to have very thin gaps.
Composite construction
----------------------
There are ways to turn your (mostly) hollow prints into much stiffer versions of themselves by turning them into composites, for example by using a resin or a different hardening fluid (like foam or plaster) as a filler or coating material.
When planning to do so, remember to include inlets/outlets for it and the air. It can be a good idea to design the part in such a way that it just contains the walls and a pre-planned support structure. In doing so, remember to disable infill in the slicer to enforce the flow you want in your structure. Look at how the ribs inside of an airframe are designed for general rules on hollow parts: include holes. This allows the flow of your fluid into each and every corner instead of blocking the flow. This can also reduce the needed number of inlets and outlets from one per *chamber* to one per *part*.
Plastic Properties
------------------
Remember we work with thermoplastics. Learn what kind of postprocessing your thermoplastic allows and its mechanical properties. Some examples:
* APS can be vapor smoothed with acetone.
* Many plastics can be annealed by baking at or little above their glass transition temperature, increasing strength and layer-to-layer bonding.
* When using power tools on plastic, use ample cooling and time, as otherwise, one quickly melts the prints!
Surface Finish
--------------
The surface of FDM prints is somewhat rough. To smooth it out there are 2 general ways: fill it up or smooth it down. If you want to fill it up, design the part *undersized*, if you smooth it down, add *sacrificial thickness*. It is common to combine both, adding body filler first, then sanding down till the print material shows through again. If doing this, make sure to check your sizing.
If there comes a lacquer layer atop, remember to account for that thickness: undersize surfaces, oversize holes!
---
1 - this means, that thoughts about postprocessing that are not unique to 3D printing are not elaborated on here. Examples are painting, coating or smoothing the surface mechanically.
---
Further reading/viewing
=======================
Further information can be gotten from these playlists, though they aim at times for newbies:
* CNC Kitchen (Stefan): [3D Printing for Engineers Playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEOQTmIWJ_rmoqdFUCgKrNu_BsMVB7e1V)
* CNC Kitchen (Stefan): [3D Printing Tips](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEOQTmIWJ_rmPCnfJVOpkdIAhrOk6QppZ)
* Maker's Muse (Angus): [3D Printint 101](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTCCNNvHC8PDR_jQy609toqq8EAfhiOOL)
* Maker's Muse (Angus): [Advanced 3D Printing Tips](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTCCNNvHC8PCFgwvZZBBI6qVW9W8KfJ_7)
* Maker's Muse (Angus): [CAD for Newbies](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTCCNNvHC8PC40tcEqaJcgUMb97LNkLIn)
* Maker's Muse (Angus): [CAD for 3D Printing](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTCCNNvHC8PAcpgeMC1IIa0xEzrHO_9r0)
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In a [presentation](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1p62P1ZvTwCKK0TGZL7FKhxg-lZQLMe3Q/view?usp=sharing)(pdf) that I've used as an introduction to 3D printing, I listed out the following points:
* Structures have to be built-up from the build platform, with only about 45° overhang (or small **flat** bridges).
+ supports can be added (generally automatically), but results can be variable.
+ changing the print orientation can solve overhand problems.
* Infill is used partly to provide additional strength, and partly to support any roof parts. Generally a print will not be solid.
* Small parts in particular may need a brim to help with bed adhesion.
* Designs must be 'manifold' to be printable. Arguably this is part of the workflow, but it can be the cause of non-obvious failures.
The other detail worth calling out is the precision of what can be printed with FDM, although the best case resolution is ~0.1mm, the overall accuracy will be closer to the nozzle diameter due to the way that extruded filament is squashed during the print.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/08/25 | 693 | 2,647 | <issue_start>username_0: When I purchased my China made Anet A8 printer, it came with the ball bearing style linear bearings for the 8mm guide rods. While pulling parts out of the box and putting them together, I noticed several of the small ball bearings fell out of their respective holders. At the time, I really didn't know what to think of it (ie: were these just *extra* ball bearings falling out; were they actually needed). I put the printer together anyway and it seems to work okay.
I have noticed while I've been printing, there's a lot of noise during travel of the pieces. I'm not exactly sure where the noise is coming from, but realize it has to be coming from one or more of the bearings. To hopefully fix the issue, I've purchased some Igus Drylin polymer bushings to replace the linear bearings:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dA0pj.jpg)
My questions are:
* When installing these bushings, should they be completely dry?
* Should I at least clean the rods?
* Are they completely maintenance free?
* Anything else I'm not thinking of to worry about?<issue_comment>username_1: According to [igus commercial documentation](https://www.igus.eu/wpck/19864/drylin_plasticvsmetal), these bushings:
* do not need any kind of lubrication,
* are not susceptible to humidity (but your steel rods might)
* work seamlessly in presence of dust (it gets expelled from the bushing with movements)
I've replaced all of my bearings with these, and in my experience, the above claims have been true so far. I must say that I am really pleased with them. Movement is smoother, and the noise is considerably lower.
I did clean the rods to remove any trace of lubrication prior to installing them. I did not dry them.
I believe that igus is also selling rods in a material designed to even further improve the qualities of these bushings, but it starts to become quite an investment.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In addition to [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6741/5740) and addressing `Anything else I'm not thinking of to worry about?` I would like to add that you should take care in installing the plastic bearings in suitable housings. It is best to lower the mass of the carriages by replacing the blocks and the bearings, there are a lot of printable bearing housings to find on the internet (e.g. Thingiverse). When installing plastic bearings, it is quite easy to get problems with bearings that bind, so take care when you install them and make sure the bearings do not bind (before you re-install the belt).
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/08/27 | 980 | 3,025 | <issue_start>username_0: ISSUE: Stepper motors are not working when connected with RAMPS 1.4.
OBSERVATION: The LED lights(LED 2,3,4) in the RAMPS 1.4 is not powering up.
PRACTICES: I use Arduino Mega 2560 and installed Marlin firmware in it. And I bought a RAMPS 1.4 in a local electronic dealer. I placed the RAMPS over Arduino Mega 2560. For testing I just connected 2 NEMA 17 stepper motors with RAMPS. When USB port connection is given from laptop to Arduino board, a LED light is ON in Arduino board (L) and in RAMPS (LED 1). I use SMPS 12 V 20 A as a PSU for RAMPS. But in RAMPS the LED 2, 3, 4 are not switched ON. I checked the input voltage to the RAMPS using micrometer and it shows 11.75 V. But there is no output from the RAMPS.
Also I installed and tried Repetier firmware and Grbl but it doesn't work. And I use Windows 10 pro 64 bit OS.
When I flashed Arduino with Grbl, in this case all of the LEDs on the Arduino and RAMPS 1.4 are switched ON. I use Candle GRBL software to test the stepper motors.
And I replaced and tested with another RAMPS which is bought from Amazon but the problem remains unchanged.
Kindly give some suggestions at the earliest.
I have attached the images of my circuit connection:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/m4Q68.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dyH6r.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4Pk7V.jpg)
Board selection in Marlin:
```
#ifndef MOTHERBOARD
#define MOTHERBOARD BOARD_RAMPS_14_EFB
#endif
```
### Additional clarifications
In response to Professor's questions:
1. Yes the stepper drivers are connected correctly
2. Yes the stepper wiring is accurate (2B 2A 1A 1B) as per mentioned in the Ramps 1.4.
3. No there is no voltage input to stepper motor. But there is 12V input to Ramps 1.4.
4. Disabled cold extrusion
5. No, the firmware is not set to no move before homing (issue G28 first)
6. Yes, pins are set correctly for your board in Marlin<issue_comment>username_1: to help you to solve this problem - please see my checklist
1. are the stepper drivers connected correctly (pin1 to pin1)?
2. stepper wiring is accurate (1a-1a..2b-2b)?
3. is there enough voltage provided to the steppers (regulate)?
4. if you are trying to move E0 or E1 then you need to disable cold extrusion as that stops rotation (waiting for 170C deg on the nozzle)
5. is the firmware set to no move before homing (issue G28 first)?
6. are pins set correctly for your board in Marlin?
the led's are set on my ramps as they are mostly giving a stutus for heater fan and bed, so grbl software could use those pins differently
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I actually thought the problem is in the electronic circuit but the problem is the baud rate. I initially took the baud rate as 115200 but later. after someone's suggestion, I changed it to 250000 and now it's fine.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/08/27 | 2,444 | 9,072 | <issue_start>username_0: I sadly have a big problem since a couple of weeks and I cant fix it myself. For over 20 prints, I had the same problems: At the **start, everything goes well** but at some point of time, my Creality CR-10 starts **under extruding and** after like 1 minute, **NO filament is extruded anymore** and the 3D printer moves over the printing bed without extruding anything. After that, I have to pull out the filament and the feeder always grinds into it.
Some problem with the hotend (so the feeder works well but it cant push the filament through somehow - I cleaned the nozzle and couldn't find anything wrong there. When I push the filament through by hand it gets extruded but after a failed print, it is **VERY hard to pull it back** (because of the filament being slightly bigger at the nozzle - hard to remove! -
**That could be the problem:**
**I just tried to remove the filament from the printer (another failed print) I had to use two tongs because the filament was so hard to pull back. I noticed that the diameter of the PLA close to the hotend was a lot bigger (way over 1.75 mm) *For about 5 cm* that's a very long distance - that's the reason why it's hard to pull back (and also push through?) But I don't know why that happens... If I get an answer for that, I think that I have solved my problem**
I already tried printing at 50 % which didn't work.
* Creality CR-10 with 0.4 mm nozzle,
* 1.75 mm PLA filament used (white)
* 0.27 mm layer height
* 45 mm/s printing speed at 220° (I can easily push the filament through at 200° by hand)
* 60° bed temp
And here some pictures of the failed prints:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZPB2n.jpg "Failed print")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Mrw3I.jpg "Filament grinding")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xKJTQ.jpg "Sorry for the bad resolution")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/54vPw.jpg "Failed print #2")
**I think I can exclude these:**
It could be: (the things I can imagine but don't have a solution for)
* The feeder being too strong/my new PLA filament being too soft
* Maybe a software problem? I'm using the newest Cura version and I don't know what could be wrong there.
The filament seems to run out of the hotend. Something is really broken here. I tried to lower the print temperature and don't have an issue (at least not that big) with pulling out the filament but instead, the feeder started grinding into the filament again.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tHT78.jpg "Filament exiting nozzle")
I'm very happy for any answer and possible solutions.<issue_comment>username_1: Grinding is due to attempts to advance filament faster than it can be melted and dispensed. Try one or more of the following:
* Raise the head temperature (to meet current throughput demand)
* Lower the print speed (to reduce throughput demand)
* Slice for thinner layers (to reduce throughput demand)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I have had this problem for several reasons. I can not say what your reason is, but these have been mine. From your symptoms, I suspect the first problem, but I've listed others in case they are helpful
1. I had this problem to most with a "Thing-o-Matic" printer. The problem was that there wasn't a clean enough break between the heater and the filament. To fix this, I added a fan on the metal tube above the melt zone. When the filament was sitting, it would soften and expand. It was then harder to push, and it would cause these vertical strings like you have in your picture. The Thing-o-Matic extruder was direct rather than Bowden, but the same problem could exist. I see that the CR-10 has a fan attached to the extruder. Be sure it continues to run, and that the airflow cools the region right above the hot-end, even when the head is an inch above the bed.
One more thought on this topic: retracting pulls filament out of the melt zone into the space above the melt zone, bringing the heat with it. Lowering the retraction settings may reduce the heating of the space above the melt-zone.
2. Bad connection to the heater, so that the temperature drops while printing.
3. Too much pressure on the filament by the extruder pressure roller. One pass through is fine, but a pattern of short extrusions with frequent retraction caused the filament to pass repeatedly through the roller, and become flattened so that it had difficulty feeding through the rest of the mechanism.
4. Jammed filament on the spool, preventing the extruder from smoothly pulling.
Some other problems which could cause this, and I have looked for but haven't been the problem in my cases:
1. Weak power supply. Check the +12 or +24 voltage while the problem is occurring.
2. Overheated or defective extruder driver chip that fails to drive one or more stepper motor phases with sufficient current. This can allow good behavior much of the time, but if anything happens that adds load to the motor, it can stop turning.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Under-extrusion after some time printing sounds like heat-creep. If the cold side of the extruder is getting warm, even up to 60°C (the glass transition temperature), then the un-heated filament will start to soften and fill out to block the tube. As this happens, there is more pressure above the hot-end and less extrusion (but even more force to make the situation worse).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8D904.jpg)
The best solution to this is better cooling of the extruder/stepper, and a good heat-break with a sharp transition between solid and well-melted (but something has presumably triggered this failure on your setup, rather than a fundamental design problem).
Other things you could try are:
* Less retract distance (to reduce the variables)
* Lower print temperature (and speed, but this will increase pressure in the nozzle)
* Reduce the extrusion multiplier (if your filament is a bit thick, the pressure might be a bit high)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: **Sadly, this isnt true:** "*I finally found the solution! It was the spring being slightly too loose at the feeder. That was it. Such a small thing. I thought that I checked it at least twice.*"
I bought a new Hotend for my 3D-Printer. I hope that solves the problem. I think that the PTFE Tube doesnt sit tightly on the nozzle so that some filament leaks through. And maybe the fan doesnt work properly. At least I can say that the problem is the Hotend. -the cooling of the filament I guess. Thats because the filament always became larger near the nozzle because it melted. That's also the reason why it was so hard to pull out.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: There are many reasons why that could be happening. The simplest one:
1. The nozzle may be clogged/has debris. Push the filament down into the hot end with your hand to see if more force will cause a better flow rate. Also, if the filament tries to curl as it's coming out of the nozzle (in any direction) there is is most likely a blockage in the nozzle.
2. There is a gap between the teflon tube and nozzle, resulting in a larger melt zone which makes it harder to push the filament through.
3. The extruder cooling fan isn't working which allows the heat to travel up heat brake, extending the melt zone.
4. The extruder gear may be dirty with plastic debris/dust/rust. This will cause slipping. The fact that the print starts working but then fails seems to indicate that the problem is progressive, indicative of slipping.
5. The motor is under-powered, resulting in step loss and a cumulative error during printing.
6. The filament is poor. Voids and inconsistent diameters used to be a problem that caused print fails long ago, but not so much these days.
7. The stepper motor drivers are over heating and shutting down intermittently during printing, resulting in cumulative errors. Use a house fan/ or other suitable fan to cool the board. I had one Anet A8 mainboard die on me due to over heating.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Fixed this by replacing the hotend.
Upvotes: 1 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_6: A 0.27 mm layer height is not correct for any printer, any nozzle/hotend, any file, and should never be used as a layer height variable for any FDM printer.
Layer height should be a factor of the diameter of your nozzle size. i.e. Your nozzle is 0.4 mm, so depending on your printer, your range of resolutions/layer heights could start as low as 0.04 mm, but is monumentally more likely to begin at 0.08 or 0.12 mm, with a maximum value being 0.28 mm, and maybe 0.32 mm if you're doing some risky/experimental spiralized vase printing.
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/08/27 | 1,947 | 7,338 | <issue_start>username_0: Issue: Printing is not continuous.
Observation: While printing, the upper layer of the nozzle is leaking. And also the printing is not continuous, the layers are not formed properly.
Practices: Alternate nozzle has been fastened, Bed leveling has been checked, Even used the other softwares to print. Reset-failsafe is also done.
Conclusion: Feeding of filament from the extruder motor is continuous but the printing is not smooth.
Attachment: The pictures and [videos](https://youtu.be/Zwp45vp5AxQ) (working) are attached.
Which should be a print of the following image of the model:
Certainly I have made certain observations along with your suggested queries. I have listed them please comment.
1. The brand which I'm using is the TEVO TORNADO.
2. The material is PLA.
3. The temperatures are 60-65C (BED) and 210-215C (EXT)
4. The software I used is REPETIER.
5. The extruder stepper motor works fine (No clicks) (The teeths are clean)
6. This is the nozzle leak
[](https://ibb.co/c6gf2p)<issue_comment>username_1: Grinding is due to attempts to advance filament faster than it can be melted and dispensed. Try one or more of the following:
* Raise the head temperature (to meet current throughput demand)
* Lower the print speed (to reduce throughput demand)
* Slice for thinner layers (to reduce throughput demand)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I have had this problem for several reasons. I can not say what your reason is, but these have been mine. From your symptoms, I suspect the first problem, but I've listed others in case they are helpful
1. I had this problem to most with a "Thing-o-Matic" printer. The problem was that there wasn't a clean enough break between the heater and the filament. To fix this, I added a fan on the metal tube above the melt zone. When the filament was sitting, it would soften and expand. It was then harder to push, and it would cause these vertical strings like you have in your picture. The Thing-o-Matic extruder was direct rather than Bowden, but the same problem could exist. I see that the CR-10 has a fan attached to the extruder. Be sure it continues to run, and that the airflow cools the region right above the hot-end, even when the head is an inch above the bed.
One more thought on this topic: retracting pulls filament out of the melt zone into the space above the melt zone, bringing the heat with it. Lowering the retraction settings may reduce the heating of the space above the melt-zone.
2. Bad connection to the heater, so that the temperature drops while printing.
3. Too much pressure on the filament by the extruder pressure roller. One pass through is fine, but a pattern of short extrusions with frequent retraction caused the filament to pass repeatedly through the roller, and become flattened so that it had difficulty feeding through the rest of the mechanism.
4. Jammed filament on the spool, preventing the extruder from smoothly pulling.
Some other problems which could cause this, and I have looked for but haven't been the problem in my cases:
1. Weak power supply. Check the +12 or +24 voltage while the problem is occurring.
2. Overheated or defective extruder driver chip that fails to drive one or more stepper motor phases with sufficient current. This can allow good behavior much of the time, but if anything happens that adds load to the motor, it can stop turning.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Under-extrusion after some time printing sounds like heat-creep. If the cold side of the extruder is getting warm, even up to 60°C (the glass transition temperature), then the un-heated filament will start to soften and fill out to block the tube. As this happens, there is more pressure above the hot-end and less extrusion (but even more force to make the situation worse).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8D904.jpg)
The best solution to this is better cooling of the extruder/stepper, and a good heat-break with a sharp transition between solid and well-melted (but something has presumably triggered this failure on your setup, rather than a fundamental design problem).
Other things you could try are:
* Less retract distance (to reduce the variables)
* Lower print temperature (and speed, but this will increase pressure in the nozzle)
* Reduce the extrusion multiplier (if your filament is a bit thick, the pressure might be a bit high)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: **Sadly, this isnt true:** "*I finally found the solution! It was the spring being slightly too loose at the feeder. That was it. Such a small thing. I thought that I checked it at least twice.*"
I bought a new Hotend for my 3D-Printer. I hope that solves the problem. I think that the PTFE Tube doesnt sit tightly on the nozzle so that some filament leaks through. And maybe the fan doesnt work properly. At least I can say that the problem is the Hotend. -the cooling of the filament I guess. Thats because the filament always became larger near the nozzle because it melted. That's also the reason why it was so hard to pull out.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: There are many reasons why that could be happening. The simplest one:
1. The nozzle may be clogged/has debris. Push the filament down into the hot end with your hand to see if more force will cause a better flow rate. Also, if the filament tries to curl as it's coming out of the nozzle (in any direction) there is is most likely a blockage in the nozzle.
2. There is a gap between the teflon tube and nozzle, resulting in a larger melt zone which makes it harder to push the filament through.
3. The extruder cooling fan isn't working which allows the heat to travel up heat brake, extending the melt zone.
4. The extruder gear may be dirty with plastic debris/dust/rust. This will cause slipping. The fact that the print starts working but then fails seems to indicate that the problem is progressive, indicative of slipping.
5. The motor is under-powered, resulting in step loss and a cumulative error during printing.
6. The filament is poor. Voids and inconsistent diameters used to be a problem that caused print fails long ago, but not so much these days.
7. The stepper motor drivers are over heating and shutting down intermittently during printing, resulting in cumulative errors. Use a house fan/ or other suitable fan to cool the board. I had one Anet A8 mainboard die on me due to over heating.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Fixed this by replacing the hotend.
Upvotes: 1 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_6: A 0.27 mm layer height is not correct for any printer, any nozzle/hotend, any file, and should never be used as a layer height variable for any FDM printer.
Layer height should be a factor of the diameter of your nozzle size. i.e. Your nozzle is 0.4 mm, so depending on your printer, your range of resolutions/layer heights could start as low as 0.04 mm, but is monumentally more likely to begin at 0.08 or 0.12 mm, with a maximum value being 0.28 mm, and maybe 0.32 mm if you're doing some risky/experimental spiralized vase printing.
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/08/27 | 936 | 4,117 | <issue_start>username_0: I get the concept of automatic bed leveling...the printer moves around the bed and uses a sensor to identify high and low spots, then "software compensates for differences".
But what exactly does "compensates" mean?
It is extruding more material in the low spots to build them up and thinning out the high spots? Is it adding or removing layers? Is it shifting layers as it goes up to compensate tilt? Or...?
In what ways will this affect the final outcome? Would it be valid to say that if you wanted an automatically leveled bed and dimensional accuracy you should always print to a raft?<issue_comment>username_1: Last first: use of a raft has nothing to do with bed levelling. It depends only on the features/shape/etc of the object being printed.
Now, as to what the auto-levelling does: the answer is, sadly "it depends." A simple algorithm will just find the Z-height of the four corners and apply a bilinear correction to Z as a function of {x,y} coordinates. A really good algorithm would map the entire build plate to some designated precision (perhaps 5 mm) and create a 2-dimensional lookup table to adjust Z over a curved build plate. What your printer's levelling software does is more likely the former.
Why? because if you try to correct over curves & bumps, then you will end up distorting your entire printed object (basically forcing every layer to follow those distorted axes). Far better to have some flattened or "fat" spots in the first layer printed, and then print proper planar layers after that.
Example: I know my bed (AnetA8 aluminum) is slightly bowed, peak in the center; so after levelling the overall bed I try to set the Z-zero so the outer extremes of my object have good adhesion, even if the center region of the first couple layers ends up non-extruding because the nozzle touches the bed.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: A probe or even manual (e.g. through LCD panel) leveling results in either a reference plane or mesh. This depends on the firmware and the options set in the firmware. Basically, this process maps the geometry of your build plate. Once it knows this geometry, printing an object results in the head following the height contours of the mapped build plate. Generally the following of the height contours is levelled out in the first few millimeters, which is also set in the firmware. This means that after a few millimeters of printing the height is not adjusted anymore, but is kept at a single level.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Basically there are two problems to address: first - bed inclination and second - uneven bed surface.
There are different algorithms dealing with one or both problems.
Most specialists insist that bed should be flat and most people use glass as the top to achieve this. And this eliminates second problem and require to solve only the first one.
To find bed inclination - autolevel algorithm usually do three points test and get transformation matrix. This matrix then used to transform XY motion to be parallel to the surface.
For uneven bed surface more complex algorithms used. But usually bilinear mesh used that could be looked as the whole square surface subdivided into smaller ones with individual inclinations. Basically algorithm from XY coordinates determines the sub-square and then applies corresponded transformation for it's inclination.
The transformation fade out with the Z going up and usually applied within first 10mm over the bed level.
There is UBL (Universal Bed Leveling) algorithm that deals with two problems simultaneously. Only once it probes the whole bed with many points to produce two dimensional mesh to address second problem.
And for each next auto level it does three points test to find the whole bed inclination. Then it combines measured inclination with the mesh information stored in memory. UBL assumes that surface do not change but only it's inclination could change.
In all cases this is all about to guarantee that the first levels of filament will lay on the bed evenly and will stick to it.
Upvotes: 3 |
2018/08/27 | 1,029 | 4,260 | <issue_start>username_0: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qNWsZ.png)
Hey!
Pretty new to all this. Wondering how you would approach this problem to have an extruded element on top of a flat surface. I want to avoid lots of support material (actually no support at all for a cleaner print and no work with sanding etc.) I intend to print this inverted in Z (i.e. text down) for the main structure.
My only idea would be to print it separately and then glue it on. But maybe there is another solution that comes to your mind?
Cheers!<issue_comment>username_1: Supporting the text while printing should simply not be a problem, if printed in the orientation shown. The text, as per your description and shown in the illustration is extruded vertically and there is no overhang. No support should be needed at all.
A few notes:
The bottom (dark grey) portion of your object does have a significant overhang, and may need some support depending on the specific shape. But support for that should not be near the text or affect it.
Text can be tricky to print with high quality if the width is not much bigger than your nozzle size. This is not specific to text, but rather feature size, slicer settings, and printer/filament capabilities. Experimentation is your friend - print it, and then address any quality problems that you find.
If you want the text to be a different color (as in your illustration), you might be in luck. There is a technique to pause the printer at desired layer height, swap out the filament, and resume printing. Your shape would lend itself to this technique. It's not too hard, but the specifics do depend on the software and printer you are using. There are quite a few good writeups on various 3D printing sites. If you want to ask about this, please ask another question, with this information.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: welcome to 3DPrinting.
To make this easier to talk about, let me call the surface on which you want to print the letters the "tabletop".
Looking at your picture, let me guess that you would print the object with the tabletop down. Then everything prints naturally, with no bridging and no overhangs.
You want to put text on the tabletop. This could be done by using support material to lift the bed up to the text height, or, in the converse, by using support material to permit the entire object to be printed with the tabletop up. I can't see enough detail in your drawing to know if the object is printable with the tabletop up without using support material, so I will assume that it is not.
In your drawing, the lettering is a different color from the table. I'll assume that this is not your intention, and you want the entire object with the text to be printed with one material.
I have solved this in two ways in different cases.
In one case, I wanted extruded letters printed on a vertical surface. I surrounded the letters with a 45 degree draft so that the overhang was printable. This won't help you here unless the object is printable on the side.
In another case, I changed my design to have letters engraved rather than extruded. That prints well against the bed, with no overhang issues, and only short bridging required.
Engraved letters are readable, like extruded letters, and can be printed against the bed.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Let's assume a general case where the base object has to be printed "face down" for reasons of overhang, strength, or anything.
My recommendation, and it's largely one of personal style, is to modify the face surface to have a couple mounting holes in it. Then, in whatever CAD or Mesh software you're using, add mating pegs to the backside of the lettering. (This is easier if you can include a thin "base layer" or connectors so the text is a single object). Then print the base object "face down," print the text "face up", add glue and insert pins into holes.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: One way that I have solved that issue is by model it in openscad and embed the letters in the surface. then with my dual headed printer, print the letters in a different color. No support material is needed in that case.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/08/27 | 757 | 2,848 | <issue_start>username_0: Are there any specific type of FDM 3D printers that I should look for?<issue_comment>username_1: Not all printers are suitable to print flexible filament. E.g. 1.75 mm filament printers with a Bowden extruder/hotend combination will not work (you may have more luck using 2.85 mm filament, which is stiffer because of the increased diameter). For 1.75 mm filament you require a direct drive extruder, e.g. with the stepper mounted onto the hotend, even then some additional guide parts need to be printed to make it work. This also depends on the amount of flexibility of the filament, some are more flexible than others.
---
E.g. Ultimaker 3D printers use 2.85 mm filament with a Bowden setup. They also sell a flexible filament that can be printed with these printers. Even for direct drive extruder printers like the Anet A8 (a cheap Chinese Prusa i3 clone) inserts exist (e.g. [this](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1829810) or [this one](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2217215)) to even better guide the filament to prevent it to buckle.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: and welcome to 3D Printing Stack Exchange.
No. Not all 3D printers can print flexible material.
The first place you will have trouble is in the extruder itself. Flexible filament will find any way to escape from the confines of the rollers and the guide tube. Any opening will allow the filament to buckle and find a new path. It is common to find that the filament has filled any gaps inside the extruder, and wrapped itself tightly around the drive roller.
@username_1 describes this in [his answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6761/5740). If the extruder does not have tight tolerances, with 1/4mm or less clearance between the drive roller on all sides, AND if there isn't a tube mated right up into the place where the filament is pressed between the drive roller and the idler, your extruder will fail to print Ninjaflex (a very flexible filament).
Oscar also mentions that Bowden feed doesn't work well. It is fundamentally the same buckling problem. There is always a gap around the filament inside the Bowden tube. A still filament will rub at some points, but a soft filament will compress and ripple, filling the entire lumen inside the tube, and greatly increasing the friction. Higher friction means more extruder pressure, so more buckling, more friction, and more failure.
Even if you are lucky and don't experience the run-away friction problem, the flexible filament is more compressible. With a Bowden feed system, that compression must be preloaded at the beginning of each extrusion movement and relieved for each retraction. With direct drive, the filament also compresses, but the amount of filament is much less, so the compression is less, and the problems are less.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/08/28 | 596 | 2,526 | <issue_start>username_0: A couple weeks before, I bought a custom 3D printer that has an Ultimaker 2 motherboard in it. However, the dimensions of the printer is not same with Ultimaker 2 (X and Y same, a bit smaller on Z). The printer had tinkerfirmware installed in it. Today, I tried to print a premade .gcode file (Which was for another 3D printer I guess) and after pressing print, The machine told me the file will overwrite machine settings, and I pressed yes for it. After that, the dimensions of my 3D printer has changed in it's firmware. The bed is raising more than it should while starting calibrating, and not setting it's position precisely. (To make the 1mm gap, I had to move the bed down 4-5mm away from where it should be.) Now the question is, what can I do to fix this problem ? I also tried reinstalling original firmware which didn't really worked. (All the parts are orginal except the frame, which is a bit more smaller on height) How should I measure the height of printing area?<issue_comment>username_1: Your printer is an Ultimaker clone or something else? All of the original firmwares located on TinkerGnome's Github are configured for Ultimaker printers so if you are using them on something different you will need to configure it before using it. The easiest option would be editing this print file that changed your settings to your desired settings and then reloading it.
How to find your actual Z? Well that's a bit difficult without more information. I'm guessing from your description that your printer homes at Z max? If it's homing at Z max you need to home the machine, jog the Z axis to where you want 0 to be (usually using a piece of paper between the nozzle and bed), then record the Z axis position and enter that as your travel limit in the firmware. If your printer homes at Z min this could be as simple as changing the homing offset.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Firmware *is* stored in EEPROM, and may contain some default values, but does not affect the *calibration* values which are stored in EEPROM.
You should be able to reset the calibration to 'factory defaults', this actually means to take the defaults in the firmware and store them in EEPROM.
Use `M502` to load firmware defaults into the current session.
Use `M500` to write the settings from the current session into EEPROM.
It is unusual for a design in gcode to include modifications to the settings, but maybe it was done to change acceleration or something similar.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/08/29 | 1,244 | 4,117 | <issue_start>username_0: When running [Marlin Firmware](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin), is it possible to run [G-code](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code) scripts/series of commands automatically when you insert the SD card?
---
I'm running Marlin on a 3D printer board using an ATmega 2560 based board with a reprap discount LCD controller with an SD card slot. I would like to do this without the need to add another computer/board, so native from the board running the Marlin Firmware.<issue_comment>username_1: I am not *entirely sure* if this is what you are after, or if it will work, but from [this post](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/issues/2891#issuecomment-180980733) on [Printing From SD Card when printer is turned On](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/issues/2891)
>
> While an LCD controller is not needed for auto#.g to work, if you have an LCD controller you can use the `MENU_ADDAUTOSTART` option to add a menu command that will run the auto0.g, auto1.g, auto2.g whenever you want.
>
>
>
This (final) post ended up closing the thread so it appears to answer the OP's question - however, whether it will answer your question is another matter.
---
[This post](https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?415,833394), on the Marlin forum, replicates your question and asks about purely insertion of an SD card on a printer which is *already* powered on.
[A reply](https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?415,833394,833489#msg-833489) was received and apparently it should be possible by making a code change in `ultralcd.ccp`:
>
> It does not seem like an auto print, when inserting a SD-card, is to
> be found in the current program code of Marlin.
>
>
> You might consider making a feature request here: [[github.com](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/issues)]
>
>
> I do not think that it would require much work to implement a
> "card.autoprintfile()" function in Marlin. It seems to me that a call
> to such a function could happen at line 5172 right after:
>
>
>
> ```
> else
> LCD_MESSAGEPGM(MSG_SD_INSERTED);
>
> ```
>
> in the file `ultralcd.ccp`
>
>
>
A subsequent feature request has been made on Marlin's GitHub, see [[FR] Can G-code scripts be run automatically on inserting an SD card when using Marlin Firmware?](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/issues/11815)
However, from [this reply](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/issues/11815#issuecomment-420791259), it appears that a feature request is already pending:
>
> I'm not in favor of this as a general feature. We already have a
> feature request to be able to run custom G-code in response to various
> events, with SD card insertion being one of those events. Would that
> feature serve your needs?
>
>
>
However, as yet, I do not have a link to this other feature request. Will update as and when.
---
As an aside, in might be worth mentioning that the SDFat related code could be the place to code this in, see [if SD card removed, how to flag and restart?](https://forum.arduino.cc/index.php?topic=360754.0), although after looking at the Marlin codebase, in particular [`SdFatUtils.cpp`](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/blob/1.1.x/Marlin/SdFatUtil.cpp), this would appear to be a [red herring](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_herring).
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I don't know what you would like to achieve.
As @typo mentioned there is similar functionality which triggers at printer startup: <https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/wiki/Autostart>
I found in Marlin's source code that you can enable that autostart feature to be triggered from menu. Just enable `MENU_ADDAUTOSTART` in [Configuration\_adv.h](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/blob/1.1.x/Marlin/Configuration_adv.h).
If you really need a g-code that start after sd-card insert then you have to adjust the marlin source code on your own. I suggest to alter file [cardreader.cpp](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/blob/1.1.x/Marlin/cardreader.cpp). There you have to trigger the autostart procedure after a sd-card is inserted.
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/08/30 | 1,010 | 4,064 | <issue_start>username_0: I've heard I should store filament in sealed container, preferably with a desiccant.
But let's say I let a spool get a little old on the printer, or I purchased a filament spool that was old or improperly packaged. How would I know? How would this impact prints (what kind of symptoms would I see)? What things could I do (perhaps in the slicer) to correct for this and prolong the life of marginal filament?
And the corollary... in a typical environment, how long can filament be left out without suffering from the exposure?
I'm thinking mainly about PLA, but responses for ABS and other materials are useful, too.<issue_comment>username_1: The primary issue with long-term exposure of filament to the environment is that it will absorb water moisture from the air. When a filament that has absorbed water is passing though the hot end of a printer, the water will turn to steam and cause problems with extrusion:
* Small bubbles of steam can form, causing extrusion to sputter - you might hear a sizzling noise and have poor consistency.
* Large steam bubbles can cause significant oozing followed by no extrusion.
* Extreme cases can cause mysterious jams that seem to clear themselves (the extruder cannot overcome the steam pressure).
In short, this will cause terrible print quality and failed prints. As the effects are not consistent, there is nothing that can be done by slicer settings to "recalibrate" for filament that has absorbed water.
This can be avoided by storing filament in an air-tight container with desiccant to ensure low humidity. Some people use "dry boxes" that allow the spool to be mounted inside while filament can be passed to the printer, so there is minimal exposure even while the spool is in use.
If you do suspect that your filament has absorbed moisture, you can dry it out, by placing the spool in a warm oven or in a food dehydrator for a few hours. If you weight it before and after, you should find that it weighs several grams less afterwards. **WARNING:** It is important that the temperature does not soften the plastic at all, or it can become distorted or bind on the spool. Most ovens will peak well above the set temperature as the thermostat cycles. Of course, fully melting a roll of filament could destroy your oven or cause a fire.
It's hard to say how much environmental exposure is too much, as every filament and environment is different. When I started out, I had several spools of PLA that I stored in the open for months. I didn't think I was having any problems, but I was also learning much and improving my printer settings at the same time. After getting PETG, it became unusable with oozing and jams after about two weeks but a few hours in my oven was a miracle cure! I then dried some PLA as well, and I found that print quality did improve, but not amazingly so. I have not used ABS, but in theory it is less hygroscopic than PLA, so it is probably not very sensitive to exposure.
I set up a dry storage box, and I am careful to always store PETG or my "good" PLA when I'm not actively using it. I have a couple rolls of PLA that I don't like as much anyway and generally just use for draft prints, and I don't really worry about it that much.
Note: An object that has been printed will also absorb moisture, but in general this isn't a problem.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Moisture creeps into the filament when PLA is exposed for a long time to a humid environment. This is audible like popping bubbles when heated in the hotend and does worsen the print quality. The moisture causes a noticeable property as it breaks the long molecular chains of the thermoplastic material. Once this has happened, its effect is irreversible.
The effects of this moisture breaking the long molecular chains results in a more brittle filament; it can even snap during feeding, leading to unpleasant results like unfinished prints. If the filament snaps/breaks when you bend it, instead of folding, your filament has taken up moisture.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/08/31 | 936 | 3,721 | <issue_start>username_0: I had recently purchased an ender 3 and after setting it up and plugging it in, I received an electrical shock from the power supply. I live in the UK and so I was provided an EU to UK adapter which I used and I set the voltage to 230 V.
Does anyone know why I was shocked and if there is any solution? Was it because EU to UK isn’t grounded (or am I wrong)?
Would an older 10 amp monitor power cable work better as it’s grounded?<issue_comment>username_1: The "shock" is likely from noise filtering circuitry at the power supply's input. For filtering, every power supply has a small capacitor that connects the live input wire to ground (a so-called "class Y capacitor"). A small amount of current can flow through this capacitor, which can give an annoying, but otherwise harmless shock/tingle. Grounding the power supply would solve the problem (which you should do anyways, because it is dangerous to run electronics that are supposed to be grounded without ground).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: You need to take particular care when using plug adaptors - they are not always made to a high standard, and it is possible that the earth connection is not present. If you suspect that the earth connection won't allow a 13 A fuse to blow, it would be good to destroy the adaptor.
A simple cable (without adaptor) will be better, but is unlikely to solve the problem.
You should also check if your mains supply uses an earth-leakage protection circuit (any modern installation must, but your house may predate this legislation).
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: An electric shock from a PSU usually means that either the PSU is wired up incorrectly, or the PSU is wired to an ungrounded spot.
Often, Adapters are not grounded or sloppily made. Get yourself a cable with the same ampere rating as the one you want to replace which has a UK plug. If this does not solve the grounding problem, you need to check if the ground wire in the PSU is mounted correctly.
If you can't get a cable rated the same, either use a higher rated one or change the plug on it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Check the input cable used, I had similar experience when using cable they provided, then I found out that the plug had swapped L and N wires inside, measuring mains voltage between neutral and ground. Swapped cable for known good and the issue was gone.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: Yes. The shock from the lack of grounding. Most cheap SMPS (switched mode power supplies) are grounded to the metal casing which, in turn, is connect to the ground terminal where the AC plug is wired.
tl;dr, take the plastic box on the end off an wire in a UK plug that DOES ground the power supply.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: Had a similar problem with my Ender 5, just a 'static like' shock, not continous.
Put a multimeter between printer frame & earth with printer switched ON & it read 20+ volts ac continously! With printer OFF there was about 0.5V ac.
I connected an additional earth wire from the psu earth terminal to the printer frame & now no more shocks.
I can only assume there not a good earth connection between the psu & printer frame but this doesn't explain where the ac voltage is coming from.
ps
I also measured current flow between printer frame & earth when the voltage was 20+ V ac & MM showed zero micro amps?
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: Sorry for leaving this so late, I completely forgot about my account until I went through some old emails. In terms of the PSU shock issue, it was fixed through a replacement 13 A cable from an old monitor (so @Green Online and @username_2's response worked best I think).
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/09/01 | 632 | 2,360 | <issue_start>username_0: I have an Adventurer 3 printer from Flashforge and every time I unclog it, it gets clogged up again. I’ve done about 6 or 7 prints with it. So after I unclog it, I load the filament and it comes out of the nozzle like it should but once I start a 3D print, it’s clogged again. The process of what I do to unclog it is by heating the nozzle up and then shove a small metal rod down the nozzle to push out the clogged filament. I do this several times until its all gone. I’ve read up on what I can do to prevent it but it doesn’t seem to work. What should I do? <issue_comment>username_1: The Flashforge documentation is not much help, so unless there's a way for you to connect with their user community (because, maybe what you're dealing with is a known issue related to firmware or the machine itself) or Flashforge's customer service folks, you've got some fun detective work ahead of you. Seriously--you will enjoy solving this!
So: It will help to teach yourself the ABC's of clog symptoms, so you can see what the cause(s) *could* and *couldn't* be, in your situation. This is [not a bad starter guide](https://rigid.ink/blogs/news/clogged-extruder-nozzle-what-causes-it-how-to-avoid-it-and-how-to-fix-it), and there are lots of others. You say you've "read up" on preventive measures--that's great! When your original post says, "but it doesn’t seem to work," please understand, though, that we who read don't yet know what "it" *means*, in this case. Clarity & details are you friends here.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I can see from the photo that filament melted and frozen thicker inside extruder. This is the problem and not the clogged extruder. This thick part produce a lot of friction and actually diameter grow until the print finally will stuck. Basically I had the same problem and I could guess that you are also using Bowden setup. The length of this built thicker part is actually corresponded to your retraction length setting in your slicer (the default value in Cura is unreasonably big like 6.5 millimetres). I solved the same problem by decreasing retraction settings to about 2-3 mm. Just try it and I am sure you will not have this problem again.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/09/02 | 1,215 | 4,336 | <issue_start>username_0: I need help with finding what properties or designs I need to look for. I know that I will need these characteristics to work with the material of my choice:
* Can reach 300 °C or up
* Can handle nozzle size larger than 1 mm
* Can be used with polycarbonate filament
I plan to use it in a custom RAMPS 1.4 3D printer running the Marlin firmware, in case this changes something.<issue_comment>username_1: By interpreting your question as *"Can most hotends print polycarbonate at 300°C+?"*, and taking into consideration the answers to [Can cheap hotend parts sourced from China actually produce good prints?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4209/can-cheap-hotend-parts-sourced-from-china-actually-produce-good-prints)1, then it would seem to be safe to assume2 that most hotends can, given a few adjustments or considerations:
* Use of a PT1003 or thermocouple, en lieu of a thermistor
* Use of PTFE tubing
Taken directly from [E3D's V6 product info](https://e3d-online.com/v6):
>
> The V6 can comfortably reach 285°C with the supplied thermistor. By swapping a thermistor for a thermocouple (may require additional electronics) or PT100 you can reach over 400°C. This not only allows you to print extremely high temperature materials like Polycarbonate and Nylons but also eliminates HotEnd meltdown failures associated with PEEK/PTFE designs. The PTFE filament guide inside the V6 HotEnd is never subjected to high temperatures, so there is no risk of damage through overheating.
>
>
>
---
### Footnotes
1 The materials used by cheaper clones of the higher quality, more expensive, branded hotends are *probably* the same as those used in the branded hotends, and indeed are probably produced using the same pirated patterns/molds/casts, but with less care and quality involved. They can even be produced in *the same factory*, but are items that have failed the QA tests, and as such are not deemed to be *brandable*.
2 Although, to paraphrase a quote from a movie: Assumptions can be considered to be the mother of all *disasters*.
3 A Pt100 or Pt1000 is a Platinum RTD ([Resistance Temperature Detector](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resistance_thermometer)) with a resistance of 100 ohms at 0°C which changes with temperature. From this manufacturer's [website](https://www.processparameters.co.uk/platinum-resistance-thermometers-pt100-pt1000/):
>
> A Pt100 or Pt1000 is a Platinum RTD (Resistance Temperature Detector) with a resistance of 100 ohms at 0°C which changes with temperature. They are suitable for applications in the temperature range of -200°C to 600°C but are more commonly used in the range -50°C to +250°C. These temperature sensors are reliable and can offer a higher degree of accuracy.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Handling a 1mm nozzle implies a desire to reduce the overall print time (otherwise why use a large nozzle), so you will need to consider not only the maximum operating temperature but also the rate at which plastic can be melted. (See also [this question](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/572) and one on overheating to [compensate](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3350))
Using 1.75mm filament is a good start, this has a better surface area to volume ratio, but you're likely to see issues with both the heater cartridge power (so a 40W heater is probably going to help), but also the size of the melt zone and the thermal mass of the heater block.
As you need to push a reasonably large amount of heat from the cartridge to the filament, it is important to minimise the thermal resistance - so using a steel nozzle would be a disadvantage here (but since polycarbonate is abrasive, you will need to consider wear resistance as part of your trade-offs). You can get longer nozzles and larger heat blocks designed to work better in high flow applications.
Also remember that your extruder needs to work 6 times faster to achieve the same linear speed compared to a 0.4mm nozzle (with at least as much pressure), so this also might need to be upgraded (or driven a little harder).
If you can however tolerate a somewhat slower print speed, you might not [need to reach 300°C](https://rigid.ink/blogs/news/why-3d-print-with-polycarbonate-how-to-get-best-results) to print PC.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/09/02 | 632 | 2,498 | <issue_start>username_0: I have printed a couple weeks perfectly fine with my Ender 3. Two weeks ago I changed the firmware but the settings were all fine and resulted in good prints.
Now, suddenly *during* a print the extruder motor started to under-extrude.
I thought "hey, could be the file" and used a test file that printed well two weeks ago: Under-extrusion, barely a line.
I looked at the extruder, no filament grinding, no clicking from lost steps or moving against pressure. The Bowden tube is firmly seated though.
I measured what is coming out: instead of 50 mm I ordered to push into the hotend got 28.7 mm. So I went and looked at the steps/mm, which is 93, exactly what it is also on the TronXY X1, which uses pretty much the same extruder setup but for a different style, same sized gear.
I cleaned out the nozzle nevertheless, but that didn't change the results.
What might be wrong and how can I fix it?!
Edit:
* Touching the filament while I was printing a freshly sliced test, I realized it DID lose steps, just the filament did slip back (almost) quietly. Pressing a finger on the filament made me able to feel the shiver in it.
* Inspecting what was printed showed, that the nozzle had migrated against the print platform a little over the weeks.<issue_comment>username_1: Sounds similar to something I experienced with my Y-axis. The grub screw on the toothed wheel had come a little loose, and I was experiencing a reasonably consistent degree of slip.
In the extruder particularly, these locking screws might not be too obvious to check.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: A close inspection of what happened when printing the first layer resulted in this:
* The missing steps on the new print came from the nozzle scraping too close to the print surface, which lead to no first layer
* Readjusting the Z-axis end stop, which had moved down, resulted in no more lost steps, but the print not sticking for the first test.
* Releveling the bed and making sure the bar was parallel to the bed resulted in a perfect first layer.
* Lost steps and under-extrusion could not be replicated after 48 hours of *rest* for the printer.
I have no idea why the print had failed due to under-extrusion *during* the print, but apparently, my immediate tests were flawed enough to not detect the first layer height resulting in getting almost no extrusion. This I mistook for massive under-extrusion, making me believe something else was at fault.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/09/03 | 1,227 | 4,345 | <issue_start>username_0: I am trying to resolve this for months and have tried almost everything, I guess.
I am using Marlin firmware on a custom extruder with a custom fabricated heating block in which heater and thermistor (Marlin Temp\_Sensor 11) are set up perpendicular to each other. Whenever I try to heat it up to 200 degree Celsius, it falls short and fails at around 140 and that too with a very low pace (especially between 100 to 140).
I have already tried PID tuning, ADC values calibration, etc. Also, I have tried varying the values of `Watch_Temp_Sensor` in `Configuration_Adv.h`. I don't know what's going wrong.
Can extruder coldend fan have an effect on the heating of thermal block? I have tried heating the hotend without cooling the coldend, although it takes around 10-12 minutes yet it works perfectly fine then and it reaches to the desired temperature.
The power supply is working fine
P.S. I am not using any kind of pre-built extruder like E3D etc.
This is the setup:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5xvI9.jpg "Photo of hotend")
This is the thermistor setup:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tnbVn.jpg "Thermistor setup")
This is a view of heater position:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Vl3b0.jpg "Heater position")<issue_comment>username_1: There are many unknowns at this point, you need to work methodically through each stage. You probably also need some test equipment, at least a basic multimeter. Ideally a temperature probe too.
First, check that your power supply can drive the hot-end directly. You already know how long it takes to reach 120°C, so be sure to not let it heat too far beyond this time. This will bypass all of the control logic, and risks overheating your hotend/burning out the heater - but it should be OK if you limit to a few minutes.
Check the temperature reading, and cross check with some PLA or other low melting point filament to see if you actually reach ~180°C. Check the voltage as close to the heating cartridge as you have a connection point. It should be at least 11V (with a 12V PSU). My guess is that you have a bad connection somewhere...
If you observe the hotend getting hot enough to melt plastic, check the thermistor readings. You should see a fairly constant rate of heating well past 200°C. However, I expect this will work fine.
Finally, check the hotend mosfet drive and output as the hotend reaches the target temperature. It should be on, then switching on/off, then off as you pass the target.
If this all looks OK, repeat but with the board in-circuit and controlling the heater. It may be that the mosfet is damaged, or it is not being driven very well - but to progress past that point we need to see voltage readings at various points.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_1: Now that we can see the real problem, your heater cartridge doesn't have good thermal contact to the block, and the block does not have good contact to the nozzle.
Where is your heatbreak? You need to perform a basic analysis of the heat flow in your design. Anything that is expected to conduct needs to be clamped, and to have thermal paste. Any connection between hot and cold which is used for mechanical support needs to have minimal cross section, and maybe use materials with poor thermal conductivity.
Example
-------
Here is a simplified diagram, with some assumed thermal resistances. Note that the geometry is not representative since your nozzle is actually within the throat, not between the heater and the throat as I've shown.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CtbEO.png)
Total thermal resistance is 7.5 °C/W. Maximum heat in is 40W, so the heater is at 320°C, and the nozzle can reach 300°C.
Replace the heater with a 20W element, and the nozzle drops to 170°C.
Keep the heater at 20W, to achieve 220° at the nozzle, the throat needs to provide at least 4.5°C/W thermal resistance.
Assuming you're using a 10 mm diameter aluminium bar as a heat break, it needs to be 7 cm long with a 20 W heater. If you use steel instead, the length can be reduced by a factor of about 3.
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/09/03 | 1,538 | 5,641 | <issue_start>username_0: The company I work for is protective of IP and has security procedures for disposing of anything that could be stolen for industrial espionage. Paper gets shredded and sent to trusted recycling center, all old data storage media gets obliterated, but what do we do with 3D prints? For any functional prototype, I have 10 or more early versions and failed prints. Is there a good way to dispose of these so that they are unrecognizable? Given the volume of prints I need to dispose of, it should be safe, cheap, and able to handle large batches.<issue_comment>username_1: If your company has a shredder which would handle large amounts of paper at one time, it should be able to handle the plastics from 3D printing. Most larger shredders can handle paper clips and staples. 3D plastics would be even less of a burden than them. You may need to break the pieces down into smaller chunks, but I doubt it would be an issue. Even destroying most prints by hand shouldn't be too arduous.
Secondarily, you could also melt them using something hot ... a heat gun would probably do the job without issue. [They get in excess of 1100°F](https://home.howstuffworks.com/heat-gun.htm). Since we *usually* melt filament at around 200°C (~392°F), a heat gun should be more than hot enough to make it an unrecognizable blob of plastic.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: There are industrial shredders that will destroy just about anything. They are not cheap, at least from a hobbyist point of view. You might look into them because they might be right for the size of your company.
Otherwise, you can simply melt them in a hot oven or with a heat gun. I would be careful about getting them too hot because some filaments release toxic fumes when heated and that might pose a hazard risk with potential liability risk.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: A plastic shredder machine it's better then a melting/burning solution. It is faster and it doesn't produce fumes. Imagine burning PET bottles.
For the shredder you need nothing but electricity for the motor. For plastic melting it would be much higher consumption. Additionally you could reuse shredded plastic for filament machine like [Filastruder](https://www.filastruder.com/) or [Strooder](https://omnidynamics.co.uk/collections/all/products/strooder-filament-maker).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vqf6P.jpg)
There is a nice article about shredders on [3dhubs](https://www.3dhubs.com/talk/t/which-shredding-and-extruding-machines-are-available-part-3/2008) from 2015.
Then it depends on your budget. Around 400$ you can build one. A nice tutorial on [preciousplastic.com](https://preciousplastic.com/en/videos/build/shredder.html). For 1000$ you can find shredder machines on [Alibaba](https://www.alibaba.com/showroom/plastic-shredder.html).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Big batches need you to be time efficient - or use a method that uses little work. So my suggestions are mainly needing oversight. Keep a fire extinguisher and safety gear handy though!
Melting together
================
Most filaments are melting at or around 200 °C.
I recently got rid of my box of (PLA) waste material by putting them on a tray and melting them together in a standard kitchen oven at 200 °C for about 1-2 hours. The resulting plate of plastic destroyed all structure that could be identified. This plate can be then broken up or recycled without the risk to disclose any company secrets.
I suggest to use a baking paper under the filament to be molten or a teflon coated tray, as the filament will be REALLY sticky to a blank metal surface.
About 4 liters of broken prints resulted in approximately a 5x450x300 mm sheet. If you make sure that no filament can touch the heating elements, you can get rid of quite a lot of material in each batch.
**Don't do this with ABS** and don't contaminate your food trays with plastic rests - use specially marked ones that are for disposal of prints only.
### Green destruction
If you want to be green when destroying prints: [a box solar cooker](https://insteading.com/blog/solar-cooker/) with a glass lid easily runs at 200 °C, is decently cheap and runs all day on just a couple seconds of adjusting every hour or so. You have to set it up in an access restricted area, but as long as the sun shines, it runs pretty much for free. Just make sure to put the prints to be destroyed onto some kind of non-combustible carriers, like tinfoil or aluminium trays.
ABS in Acetone
--------------
If you use ABS, exposing it to acetone fumes for a short time (seconds to half a minute will smooth the surface. Give it some minutes can destroy the structure into a batch of plastic waste without heat that hardens as the acetone evaporates again, though complex structures might need as much as an hour. Dunking ABS into acetone results in pure chemical waste, that is just a waste of acetone.
To save acetone and a way to the chemical waste disposal, try this:
Put a batch of several prints into a large, airtight box that isn't made from ABS. Pour some acetone on a tray and add a paper towel to generate a consistent acetone atmosphere in the box. Make sure to keep the tray on the floor of the box but in a way so no print will fall into it. This should dispose of the prints by merging them into a huge lump within about an hour.
**Do this outside & keep fire away**.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_5: My 2 cents. If you have a CNC machine, you could "mill" them down. other than that, garden shredder/mulcher might suffice.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/09/05 | 2,424 | 8,778 | <issue_start>username_0: I am attempting to write a basic slicer for some objects I am working with. I need to write a custom slicer as the objects are not polygonal based (they are implicit objects) and therefore cannot be plugged into slic3r. I can easily obtain the perimeter/shell of the objects I am working with and have a few successful prints. What I am having trouble with is how to add infill. I think the biggest hurdle is simply my inability to frame the question properly. How do current software tackle this problem?
I don't know of my current approach is feasible but if I have a collection of vectors that represent the path around the outside of the object and a collection of vectors that represent an arbitrarily large infill pattern is there a way to union the two paths together to from an outer path (the object shell) and an inner path that is the infill pattern cut out in the shape of the object?
EDIT:
Sorry for the lack of clarification. So lets say I cut out the infill pattern to match the inside of the object. How do I then intelligently connect all the broken infill segments together to form an efficient path that doesn't cross gaps or mess the object up in any way?<issue_comment>username_1: simple answer is math but you know that for sure
more descriptive answer (but still simple and with no math) is more or less as follows
* slice an object with a plane to form (calculate) outline perimeter
* create a grid of infill according to your needs (ie: lines, grids or honeycombs)
* calculate where outline cuts your grid of infill
* abandon all what is outside
* sort cut points in some order ("some" is definitely the hardest task)
* join points according to your sort
and voila ;)
of course there is many details not mentioned in such description as distance between perimeter and infill, layer thickness and many others
this is just very naive and silly description but it's just to direct you where to go further
generally there is great library which you could give a try
<https://sourceforge.net/projects/jsclipper/>
**edit**
simple sort (counter)clockwise could be like this
* set center point of the object (perimeter)
* start from 1200 hour and calculate module and angle of each cut-point
* sort them by angle
it's still very simple and it's working only for convex set
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The answer to this is pretty much basic algebra: The software tackles the problem by using a set of functions that generate the infill pattern for ALL the build volume, then discard anything outside the shells. Which is determined by algebra:
Basics
======
### Outline Function
Assume the outline of the body is a function $O(l)$ that has a parameter $l$ for its length. This function can be calculated into XY coordinates, giving us $y\mapsto O^{xy}(x)$, that is parameterized after $x$, and should give us the values of $y$ for a closed function $O(l)$.
### Infill Functions
Now, let's generate a function for infill pattern. Let's make it easy for us and use a diagonals pattern: $I\_n(x)=x+n\times d$
where $d$ is a fixed parameter for "distance to last line" and $n\in\mathbb Z$ is the number of the line with 0 passing the origin.
### Comparation: Outline=Infill
Now basic algebra! Let the computer solve for each $n$ the term $O(x)=I\_n(x)$. The result should be (in the best case) paired points, all on the linear function $I\_n(x)$. Sort these points by their correlating $n$ value first, then the $x$ values.
Dealing with the results
========================
Let's assume we have some banana shape and our solutions for n=0 are like this: $P\_{i=1 \to 4}=\{\{1,1\},\{2,2\},\{3,3\},\{4,4\}\}$
Modeling starter
----------------
On the most simple cases, we hope to only have paired results - the outline is closed and thus each line passing it has to *cut* it in multiples of two. Because we don't allow geometry to be below $\{0,0\}$, the line in this example will pass into the body at the first solution of these points and pass out of it at the second and so on. Generally: It moves in at odd and exits at even i. So our infill lines in the example need to connect $\{1,1\} \to \{2,2\}$ and $\{3,3\} \to \{4,4\}$.
Enhancing the Modeling
======================
checking for tangents
---------------------
Now, we might have an odd number of points that solve O(x)=In(x) for a given n. Let's assume $P\_{i=1 \to 5}=\{1,1\},\{2,2\},\{3,3\},\{4,4\},\{5,5\}$.
Now we need to be careful as one of these points is guaranteed to be a point in which $I\_n(x)$ is a tangent at of $O(x)$. So, we need to know the first differential of $O(x)$ in the points, which is the tangent at $O(x)$. But we don't need to solve *all* the points: We know the first should enter and the last exit the body, so we need (for most cases) to only solve this for the points $P\_i$ with $i=2 \to i\_{max-1}$. When $O'(x)=I\_n(x)$, we got a tangent and remove this point from the list of points to connect with infill lines.
Because we could have several tangents in a set of points, this check has to be done for all sets of points to eliminate these points.
Also, I used the "usually" there by intent: there are cases where the first or last point is a tangent, and because it is easier to cose, we should run the elimination process over all $P\_1 \to P\_{max}$!
The new, reduced set of points will be a paired list: $Q\_{i=1 \to 4}=\{1,1\},\{2,2\},\{4,4\},\{5,5\}$. The Infil connects $Q\_1 \to Q\_2$ and $Q\_3\to Q\_4$.
Turning Points into vectors
---------------------------
Now, we have our points $Q\_1$ and $Q\_2$ (or any other pair of $n \land n+1$, where n is an element of the odd numbers), both on $I\_{n=0}(x)$. How to connect? Easy! $I{n=0}$ is a function, most likely a linear one. Along this line has to be our connecting line from $Q\_1\to Q\_2$, so the movement we have to plot is the function of our pattern between the points. For a simple, linear pattern this would be:
$L\_1=\frac{I(x)}{|I(x)|} \times |\vec{Q\_2}-\vec{Q\_1}|+\vec{Q1}$
Optimisation
============
Sorting properly
----------------
Now, we have a set of Lines $L\_n$, where, as established in the last paragraph, n is an odd number declaring it has the lower-end $Q\_n$, and the upper-end $Q\_{n+1}$. How do we sort these lines smartly so we have the least movement? Let's take a look at our lists:
* The list of Pi, which contains all tangential points and end points. Not very helpful.
* The reduced list of $Q\_{n}$, which contains all the start and end points; it is *sorted* in a way that odd numbers are starts, and even ends.
* The list of $L\_n$ with i always being an odd number, that contains the movement paths (=lines) from each $Q\_{n}$ to its corresponding $Q\_{n+1}$
### Shortest movement between prints?
Now, let's do some math again: What is the closest $Q\_{a}$ to the $Q\_{n+1}$ we did end at after doing the $L\_n$ movement? Well, first of all, we need to make sure we don't get back to already moved paths so let's make a new list $R\_{i}$, which contains all the $Q\_{i}$ we have not yet moved to.
So what is the closest $R\_{i}$ to the end point of the path $L\_e$ we just moved? Well, easy! Solve $min|R\_i-L\_e|$ with i being all the odd numbers in the list of $R\_{i}$ and $L\_e$ the point where the printhead was sent to at the end of the last movement
### fewest direction changes?
Always moving just the shortest distance might create a large number of direction changes. So it might be a good idea to keep the point-lists sorted by the parameter n of the function $l\_n(x)$ that created the points in the first place, and run down that list from minimum n that generated points (which can be below 0) to the maximum n that generated points.
### optimizing direction changes & movement paths
Now, we have 2 approaches that pretty much only follow the pattern. However, we might make our average movement paths more efficient by using a simple trick:
Up to now, all our line functions $l\_n(x)$ had the same vector and just a different starting point to one another. So all the starts were on one side of the body, all the ends on the opposite. With a very simple trick on the infill function we can generate a group of functions that alternate the sides of the end-points between each line, jsut by adding an inverse element:
$L\_n(x)=-1^n\times l\_n(x)$
Now, after all the movements with the same $n$ are done, check for the closest starting point (which should be on the same side, but is not necessary the neighboring line), and go down that line fully, eradicating these points from the list of remaining points $R\_{i}$. Once back on the side we *started* first at, we look for the closest unused point again, run down that line, rinse and repeat.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2018/09/06 | 268 | 962 | <issue_start>username_0: When manually controlling the z-axis in reprap, it works fine. If I use the home button, it doesn't move. Instead, it stalls/freezes/hangs. It attempts to turn, but can't successfully make a full turn.<issue_comment>username_1: lower the moving speed of the Z-axis motor, search for
>
> homing feed rate
>
>
>
in config.h as it looks like the given speed is to high.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Looks like endstop signal for Z is inverted. In this case Z will move in manual mode but when homing it will try and stop as limit detected immediately. Change Z\_MIN\_ENDSTOP\_INVERTING to opposite value.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: If you run M503 you should be able to see your max speeds. They, along with your homing speeds, are probably far too high and causing skipped steps (no movement). You can lower them down temporarily with M203. <http://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M203.html>
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/09/06 | 1,460 | 5,493 | <issue_start>username_0: I've got a bracelet concept that I've sketched up as a flat design. I'm trying to found a route by which I can extrude this into a 3d object (depth map?), curve it into a bracelet, then ultimately create a STL file out of it. I'm having trouble finding a way to do this that allows me to "warp" the flat object into a bracelet before I try to print.
Is there a recommend technique for this? I'm not worried about representation of the picture; it's effectively meant to be an 'etched' pattern.<issue_comment>username_1: This may not be your cuppa tea, but if you're willing to learn to use [OpenSCAD](http://www.openscad.org/) or already know how, there's a [Thingiverse](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1668883/) post that appears to directly address your objective.
Correction, this particular post on Thingiverse consists of a series of Python files, of which I have zero experience/qualifications. It may still be of value, if you are Python capable.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/i9Fkh.jpg)
Another resource that is strictly OpenSCAD is from <NAME>, a rather talented 3D design person. His YouTube channel has a number of useful tutorials for both OpenSCAD and Solvespace. [This video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNcGNqMUl5I) in particular describes applying a flat object to a curved one using OpenSCAD, resulting in a lithophane.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MbyOa.png)
As I created this answer, I did not re-watch the 12+ minute video, but I recall how he explains clearly how the program dissects the surface into a number of flat panels and then superimposes the image on each segment. From this presentation, I suspect one could expand to a full cylinder.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Easy peasy. Go to [3dp.rocks](http://3dp.rocks/lithophane/) and select the output shape you desire. I've had excellent results making flat lithopanes. I created a couple curved STLs which look fine in Cura; just didn't print them.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: This is the best and simplest way I've found to transform a flat design into a 3D object that you can then save as an STL file: [Blender-Converting 2D Image to 3D Object](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ows2QTiMRPg)
This solution requires you to use [Blender](https://www.blender.org/) and [Inkscape](https://inkscape.org/), both softwares are open-source and available for free at this time.
As suggested below by @Greenonline, I will provide a step by step in case the video is removed from Youtube. I'm sorry that I cannot provide screenshots at the moment, but I'm on a trip and writing from an old laptop that cannot run either Blender or Inkscape.
1. Load your image in Inkscape.
* Format is unimportant as long as Inkscape can read it. It works with black and white and color images, but please note that color information won't be sent to Blender in the end, you'll have to add color materials yourself once the picture has been converted to a 3D object.
2. Select the image or the portion of it that you want to turn into a 3D object.
* For some unknown reason, Inkscape doesn't automatically select the image you loaded into it, so you have to do it manually. When the image is selected, it will be surrounded by a dotted line and you'll see arrows appear on the sides and corners.
3. Go to Path > Trace Bitmap, or use Shift+Alt+B, and a pop-up window will appear. Keep the default settings, just make sure that the 'Remove background' option, located at the bottom of the window, is checked, then click OK.
* You can see the result of the operation in the 'Preview' window. If the 'Preview' is empty, just click on the 'Update' button located below 'Preview'. If it is still empty after you clicked on 'Update', then you haven't selected your picture as indicated in Step 2!
4. Got to File > Save As and save your file as 'Plain svg'.
* Saving as 'Inkscape svg' should work as well, but it's always best to use the standard format.
And you're done with Inkscape, time to switch to Blender.
5. Go to File > Import > Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg) and import the picture you just created in Inkscape.
* If you do not see Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg) in the list of importable files, it means the add-on hasn't been activated. You can do it by going to File > User Preferences > Add-ons then typing 'svg' in the search field will bring up the relevant add-on (Import-Export: Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format). Clicking the checkbox next to it's name will automatically activate it.
* The picture will usually appear very small in Blender. Press 5 on the numeric keyboard to home onto it, then you can stretch it to the desired size by using the relevant tools in Blender.
* It might be a good idea to move the object center into the middle of the geometry, although, from personal experience, you can do it after it becomes 3D without too much trouble.
6. Your picture has been loaded in Blender as a Curve object. Go to the 'Curve' tab and in the 'Geometry' sub-menu you can use the 'Extrude' slider to give depth to your picture.
7. Finally, once you've extruded your curve to your satisfaction, go to Object > Convert To > Mesh from Curve/Meta/Surf/Text, or use Alt+C, and voila, you're done!
You know have a nice 3D object made of polygons that you can modify at your leisure using Blender's tools.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/09/07 | 1,553 | 5,806 | <issue_start>username_0: When exchanging the mainboard of my Ultimaker Original, I found the new (unoriginal) mainboard to have a condensator that is quite a little higher than on the original, which means the fan duct doesn't fit any more.
I read somewhere that those A4988 stepper motor drivers don't have to be actively cooled, but a heatsink will be sufficient:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/oJmlL.jpg)
After testing the theory I found the heatsinks to be really hot, but not too hot to touch. Sadly I do not have any means of temperature measurement other than my fingers...
How hot do they normally get, when should I abort printing and look for a different solution?
Are there any good solutions other than the original cooler & cooling duct?<issue_comment>username_1: This may not be your cuppa tea, but if you're willing to learn to use [OpenSCAD](http://www.openscad.org/) or already know how, there's a [Thingiverse](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1668883/) post that appears to directly address your objective.
Correction, this particular post on Thingiverse consists of a series of Python files, of which I have zero experience/qualifications. It may still be of value, if you are Python capable.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/i9Fkh.jpg)
Another resource that is strictly OpenSCAD is from <NAME>, a rather talented 3D design person. His YouTube channel has a number of useful tutorials for both OpenSCAD and Solvespace. [This video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNcGNqMUl5I) in particular describes applying a flat object to a curved one using OpenSCAD, resulting in a lithophane.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MbyOa.png)
As I created this answer, I did not re-watch the 12+ minute video, but I recall how he explains clearly how the program dissects the surface into a number of flat panels and then superimposes the image on each segment. From this presentation, I suspect one could expand to a full cylinder.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Easy peasy. Go to [3dp.rocks](http://3dp.rocks/lithophane/) and select the output shape you desire. I've had excellent results making flat lithopanes. I created a couple curved STLs which look fine in Cura; just didn't print them.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: This is the best and simplest way I've found to transform a flat design into a 3D object that you can then save as an STL file: [Blender-Converting 2D Image to 3D Object](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ows2QTiMRPg)
This solution requires you to use [Blender](https://www.blender.org/) and [Inkscape](https://inkscape.org/), both softwares are open-source and available for free at this time.
As suggested below by @Greenonline, I will provide a step by step in case the video is removed from Youtube. I'm sorry that I cannot provide screenshots at the moment, but I'm on a trip and writing from an old laptop that cannot run either Blender or Inkscape.
1. Load your image in Inkscape.
* Format is unimportant as long as Inkscape can read it. It works with black and white and color images, but please note that color information won't be sent to Blender in the end, you'll have to add color materials yourself once the picture has been converted to a 3D object.
2. Select the image or the portion of it that you want to turn into a 3D object.
* For some unknown reason, Inkscape doesn't automatically select the image you loaded into it, so you have to do it manually. When the image is selected, it will be surrounded by a dotted line and you'll see arrows appear on the sides and corners.
3. Go to Path > Trace Bitmap, or use Shift+Alt+B, and a pop-up window will appear. Keep the default settings, just make sure that the 'Remove background' option, located at the bottom of the window, is checked, then click OK.
* You can see the result of the operation in the 'Preview' window. If the 'Preview' is empty, just click on the 'Update' button located below 'Preview'. If it is still empty after you clicked on 'Update', then you haven't selected your picture as indicated in Step 2!
4. Got to File > Save As and save your file as 'Plain svg'.
* Saving as 'Inkscape svg' should work as well, but it's always best to use the standard format.
And you're done with Inkscape, time to switch to Blender.
5. Go to File > Import > Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg) and import the picture you just created in Inkscape.
* If you do not see Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg) in the list of importable files, it means the add-on hasn't been activated. You can do it by going to File > User Preferences > Add-ons then typing 'svg' in the search field will bring up the relevant add-on (Import-Export: Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format). Clicking the checkbox next to it's name will automatically activate it.
* The picture will usually appear very small in Blender. Press 5 on the numeric keyboard to home onto it, then you can stretch it to the desired size by using the relevant tools in Blender.
* It might be a good idea to move the object center into the middle of the geometry, although, from personal experience, you can do it after it becomes 3D without too much trouble.
6. Your picture has been loaded in Blender as a Curve object. Go to the 'Curve' tab and in the 'Geometry' sub-menu you can use the 'Extrude' slider to give depth to your picture.
7. Finally, once you've extruded your curve to your satisfaction, go to Object > Convert To > Mesh from Curve/Meta/Surf/Text, or use Alt+C, and voila, you're done!
You know have a nice 3D object made of polygons that you can modify at your leisure using Blender's tools.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/09/07 | 1,363 | 4,090 | <issue_start>username_0: I am using cura with M3D entry level printer.
When I print things more than 6-7cm/2.5-3inches, at the end of the print, the hot end sink back into the print then gets stuck as it tries to return to idle position.
Please see the attached photo. Has anyone had this problem? Thank you[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2xpD4.jpg)
The last 20 lines of gcode is:
```
G0 X50.83 Y49.982
G1 F600 X50.541 Y49.975 E4399.62304
G1 X50.268 Y49.985 E4399.62637
G1 X49.999 Y49.999 E4399.63024
G1 X49.73 Y50.012 E4399.6341
G1 X49.457 Y50.023 E4399.63742
G1 X49.168 Y50.016 E4399.63941
G0 F7200 X49.28 Y49.87
;TIME_ELAPSED:6301.614981
G1 F1500 E4393.13941
M107
M104 S0
M140 S0
;Retract the filament
G92 E1
G1 E-1 F300
G28 X0 Y0
M84
M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
M104 S0
;End of Gcode
```<issue_comment>username_1: As Oscar commented, check the tail end of your gcode files. Most slicing software includes commands to move the head to x=0,y=0 at the very least. I am a bit surprised that your files don't appear to have this, since Cura does apply said code.
Possiblly there's something lacking in your printer's firmware and it doesn't recognize some of the gcode commands.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: As can be seen from the G-code file, the head is instructed to travel to x=0, y=0 (`G28 X0 Y0` is actually a homing instruction to home the head and label the position with zero X and zero Y). After that it powers off the motors (`M84`).
From your picture, it looks like the head digs in the print without moving to the home position, so `G28 X0 Y0` is **not working** (although you mention it tries to move while digging in?!?). That is strange as there is no instruction to lower the head. Please alter `G28` to `G0` so that it reads:
```
G0 X0 Y0
```
(or `G1 X0 Y0` which does work and will instruct the head to move).
The digging into the print could be explained by the weight of the head/carriage that cannot be held when the steppers are not powered anymore (as instructed by `M84`). When the nozzle is hot, the nozzle will then dig into your print.
---
**Edit**:
Now that I see your comment on another answer, your proprietary software may produce different G-code than Cura does, this could imply that your printer does not use a "standard" G-code interpreter or does not implement all G-codes.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: For some reason the `G28` command to home X and Y is not having an effect. I wonder if there is something 'special' in the firmware that affects how it homes.
You can try to replace the G28 with a move (and maybe a different location would be better to place the extruder in the best position for removing your print).
```
G1 X0 Y0 ;Move to home position
```
Best would be to look at one of the included 'pre sliced' models that are usually included with a printer to check the manufacturer's default end sequence.
You might also be able to configure Cura to move up at the end of the print (so long as the print is not at maximum height).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: From the provided G-code:
```
G28 X0 Y0
```
The meaning of the `G28` code is [move printhead to home](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#G28:_Move_to_Origin_.28Home.29). In theory, the presence or absence of `X`, `Y`, and `Z` values are used to indicate which axes the printhead should move on, but as the RepRap wiki notes, some printers ignore this, typically interpreting any `G28` code as "move to 0,0,0". In particular:
>
> Because the behavior of G28 is unspecified, it is recommended not to automatically include G28 in your ending GCode. On a Cartesian this will result in damaging the printed object. If you need to move the carriage at the completion of a print, use G0 or G1.
>
>
>
You should probably replace the code with `G1 X0 Y0 Z[value near the top of your printer]`. You could simply replace `G28 X0 Y0` with `G1 X0 Y0`, but that risks dragging the tip of the nozzle across the upper surface of the finished print.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/09/08 | 1,646 | 5,891 | <issue_start>username_0: After noticing that my ender 3 couldn't print a 'perfect' circle I decided to use a [calibration cube](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1278865) to see if that could be the issue. These were my results:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/OHJOF.jpg)
I did have some successful prints before noticing these problems but it would be great if anyone could help/find a solution.
I think it may be because of the belts tension as I had accidentally over stretched it by putting it over the wheels instead of under: is it worth getting a new belt then?
I use 20% infill, with triangle pattern in cura, using the standard 0.4mm nozzle.
Edit
====
After doing a [different testprint](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3090144) and measuring, it revealed that both had an accurate 20mm Y and Z, but only an 18.5mm X. Might I have destroyed my belt when I mounted it overstrained?
Edit2:
======
After purchasing a new X belt, the calibration cube was much closer at 19 x 20 x 20. But still not at a good enough tolerance for my liking. Additionally, when printing a cylinder, two relatively flat edges were printed with it either side (perpendicular to the x-axis).<issue_comment>username_1: Your top layer looks like you need to add additional top layers and there are signs of a slight bit of over-extrusion in that top layer (red). On the other hand, it looks like the top layer is not sliced nicely resulting in gaps and holes (yellow), which might be a fault of the test print.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pJooa.jpg)
The X on the file you used is not centered, resulting in the off look in the print.
I suggest you try a different calibration print before starting to tinker with the hardware, for example [this](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3090144).
I suggest to use concentric only for the top layers and instead rely on a simple Zig-Zag pattern for the intermediate layers, as this usually generates a better connection to straight walls.
EDIT1:
======
After considering the miss-dimension in X only, you might want to look to [calibrate your X steps](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3344/calibrating-steps-order).
The stretching of the belt might be an issue, but you might get away *easy* if you just check belt tension and manage to get it right again.
As I have an ender-3 myself, I know you might need to [flash](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6399/recalibrating-home-position) [fresh](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6657/export-firmware-as-a-hex?noredirect=1&lq=1) firmware to get the ability to change the steps/mm.
EDIT2:
======
The 19x20x20mm cube sounds like the new belt did fix a lot of the dimensioning problem, but the steps/mm might be slightly off - or we have to trace down SOME mechanical error in the movement path. As a 140mm long test print also had a 1mm offset, a steps/mm error should be out.
After examining the machine with jb [in chat](https://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/83007/ender-3-calibration-cube-fail), the bearing on the X-belt seemed to stick a tiny bit on one side.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qTjdg.jpg)
Turning the large bolt of the assembly in an attempt to disassemble it without a wrench to hold the self-securing nut on the far side seemed enough to lessen the pressure on the core of the bearing, allowing it to spin freely. In addition, the belt was a little loose.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: First, check that the calibration part you have is actually a cube. Maybe you downloaded a trick 'calibration cube' model. Cura will show he overall dimensions of any model which it is slicing.
Ignore any print quality issues first off. A hollow calibration cube is mainly used to check the X/Y/Z motion and so long as you print at a sensible (slow) speed), the other parameters shouldn't have much effect (so long as the first layer is OK, and you get within 30% of the right extrusion).
If the calibration cube is within +/- 0.5mm on each side, it's probably good. Under/over extrusion, caliper technique, etc, can explain this sort of variation, and you might want to use a bigger test part like [this star on my thingiverse account](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2566871) once you think you're close.
The 'steps per mm' setting is determined within the firmware, it is part of how your printer consumes G-code. For a delta printer, for example, there is some fancy maths to combine X/Y/Z into the motor movements. This means that you can't change steps/mm in Cura, you need to either change the firmware defaults and 'reset to factory settings', or modify the parameters in EEPROM by sending G-code.
Seeing too small a calibration part (for a Cartesian printer) can easily be explained by problems in the printer's motion system:
* Stepper missing steps due to jerk or acceleration too high
* Stepper missing steps due to binding/friction in the bearings (Send `M84` to idle the stepper motor, and move X by hand)
* Teeth missing on the drive belt (may show up on a diagonal 'bar' print)
* Loose drive pinion (maybe backlash on the flat on the spindle means the problem is greater on small parts) - see below
* Flex in the drive mechanism (e.g. belt mount to traveller is loose)
An annoying feature of a lot of these problems is that for any particular repetitive sequence of steps, you might see a very consistent result. Even thought to problem is something being badly adjusted, it gives the impression that the problem is calibration.
The drive wheel is held in place with a grub screw, see this diagram from the Anet-A8 assembly diagram.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1C3fcb.png)
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/09/10 | 1,882 | 6,897 | <issue_start>username_0: Really strange observation with my MP Select Mini V2 printing PLA. I've printed a dual-fan shroud so I can have a dedicated part-cooling fan. I've noticed that when I turn it on, the extruder starts stringing everywhere. Little tiny spider-web wisps. No amount of temperature change will make them go away (printing at 200 °C). But if I simply turn off the part-cooling fan, I get a perfect print. This doesn't make sense to me - isn't the part-cooling fan supposed to reduce stringing by cooling the filament faster?
More info: Using Ultimaker Cura 3.4.1, retraction enabled at 3.5 mm and 40 mm/s, which works great when the part-cooling fan is OFF. But when I turn it on without changing any other settings, I get stringing everywhere.
Please see picture below. The part on the left was printed using the part-cooling fan and the one on the right was printed without the part-cooling fan. No other changes. The part-cooling fan is pictured in upper left (bottom fan).
Why does my part-cooling fan cause stringing?
Note that I print at 0.175 mm layer height, or "Normal" for the MP Mini. The cooling fan can be controlled but if I turn it completely off then the cold end part of the nozzle won't get actively cooled. Using Cura I can slowly increase the fan over the first several levels as well, but I'm worried that if the cold end doesn't stay cold it will get clogged up with melted filament. I will try some different fan speed settings and report back - currently running at 100 % all the time.
---
*I went back to the stock shroud with single fan to remove variables. The stock shroud has a small vent at the bottom where air blows over the part, but not much. I had the same problem - I had to put a piece of tape over the blow hole to get the part to print without strings. I also couldn't get the PLA to stick to the bed easily when the blow hole was open. I'm not using the heated bed in any cases - I've found I can print most PLA without heating the bed at all. I'm beginning to think maybe this PLA is just extremely temperature sensitive. The brand is 3D Solutech Printer Filament Real Black.*<issue_comment>username_1: Your top layer looks like you need to add additional top layers and there are signs of a slight bit of over-extrusion in that top layer (red). On the other hand, it looks like the top layer is not sliced nicely resulting in gaps and holes (yellow), which might be a fault of the test print.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pJooa.jpg)
The X on the file you used is not centered, resulting in the off look in the print.
I suggest you try a different calibration print before starting to tinker with the hardware, for example [this](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3090144).
I suggest to use concentric only for the top layers and instead rely on a simple Zig-Zag pattern for the intermediate layers, as this usually generates a better connection to straight walls.
EDIT1:
======
After considering the miss-dimension in X only, you might want to look to [calibrate your X steps](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3344/calibrating-steps-order).
The stretching of the belt might be an issue, but you might get away *easy* if you just check belt tension and manage to get it right again.
As I have an ender-3 myself, I know you might need to [flash](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6399/recalibrating-home-position) [fresh](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6657/export-firmware-as-a-hex?noredirect=1&lq=1) firmware to get the ability to change the steps/mm.
EDIT2:
======
The 19x20x20mm cube sounds like the new belt did fix a lot of the dimensioning problem, but the steps/mm might be slightly off - or we have to trace down SOME mechanical error in the movement path. As a 140mm long test print also had a 1mm offset, a steps/mm error should be out.
After examining the machine with jb [in chat](https://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/83007/ender-3-calibration-cube-fail), the bearing on the X-belt seemed to stick a tiny bit on one side.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qTjdg.jpg)
Turning the large bolt of the assembly in an attempt to disassemble it without a wrench to hold the self-securing nut on the far side seemed enough to lessen the pressure on the core of the bearing, allowing it to spin freely. In addition, the belt was a little loose.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: First, check that the calibration part you have is actually a cube. Maybe you downloaded a trick 'calibration cube' model. Cura will show he overall dimensions of any model which it is slicing.
Ignore any print quality issues first off. A hollow calibration cube is mainly used to check the X/Y/Z motion and so long as you print at a sensible (slow) speed), the other parameters shouldn't have much effect (so long as the first layer is OK, and you get within 30% of the right extrusion).
If the calibration cube is within +/- 0.5mm on each side, it's probably good. Under/over extrusion, caliper technique, etc, can explain this sort of variation, and you might want to use a bigger test part like [this star on my thingiverse account](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2566871) once you think you're close.
The 'steps per mm' setting is determined within the firmware, it is part of how your printer consumes G-code. For a delta printer, for example, there is some fancy maths to combine X/Y/Z into the motor movements. This means that you can't change steps/mm in Cura, you need to either change the firmware defaults and 'reset to factory settings', or modify the parameters in EEPROM by sending G-code.
Seeing too small a calibration part (for a Cartesian printer) can easily be explained by problems in the printer's motion system:
* Stepper missing steps due to jerk or acceleration too high
* Stepper missing steps due to binding/friction in the bearings (Send `M84` to idle the stepper motor, and move X by hand)
* Teeth missing on the drive belt (may show up on a diagonal 'bar' print)
* Loose drive pinion (maybe backlash on the flat on the spindle means the problem is greater on small parts) - see below
* Flex in the drive mechanism (e.g. belt mount to traveller is loose)
An annoying feature of a lot of these problems is that for any particular repetitive sequence of steps, you might see a very consistent result. Even thought to problem is something being badly adjusted, it gives the impression that the problem is calibration.
The drive wheel is held in place with a grub screw, see this diagram from the Anet-A8 assembly diagram.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1C3fcb.png)
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/09/11 | 469 | 1,618 | <issue_start>username_0: **problem solved by resetting cura.**
I have problems like this: How can I fix this? I can't find the right setting.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2cf9Q.png "No top layer")
Also, what are these yellow lines? Do you know how to remove them? They disappear when I disable to show the brim/raft/skirt.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bj7Sx.png "Yellow lines #1")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BnAc4.png "Yellow lines #2")<issue_comment>username_1: I'm pretty sure the yellow lines are showing the full path of the extruder head, including where it's retracted. Somewhere in Cura's maze of menus, there's an option to turn on/off various displays related to the slicing.
As to why the top layer isn't there -- most likely it's too thin in your source model. You might try enabling "Print thin walls" options in the Preferences advanced list. BTW, if you post the original STL or CAD file, we might be able to provide more accurate diagnosis.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This problem appears when a face is inverted, so the slicer confuses and expect the other wall to close the object. So you need to reverse that face to show the face out and the back face inside the shape to be filled
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/OklcS.png)
*I will edit this answer with more examples*
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/09/12 | 632 | 2,115 | <issue_start>username_0: Can the glTF format be used for 3D printing?
If not, is there any tool can convert it to another format such as STL, OBJ, STEP, and IGES?<issue_comment>username_1: As far as can be found it should be possible to convert glTF into STL (or OBJ).
You could try to use an online converter to do this, e.g. [this one (greentoken)](http://www.greentoken.de/onlineconv/); and [this (assimp)](http://assimp.sourceforge.net/main_features_formats.html) may be useful too.
According to [this](https://b2b.partcommunity.com/community/faq/view/211/95/105/0/how-to-convert-3d-models-between-file-formats-i-e-fbx-to-obj-o) greentoken supports glTF as input and STL as output, but it is reported by @username_2 that that does not work. Assimp could output STL files which then could be used by slicer programs to generate the specific G-code file to print the model on your printer.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: No, `gltf` is not a format that slicers accept commonly, and indeed, it is not even intended to be reverseable in the 1.0 format version. This has changed a little for the 2.0 standard. Some programs that allow exporting into the sliceable `stl` and `obj` formats can also import `gltf`:
* [blender](https://www.blender.org/) has an [importer plugin](https://github.com/KhronosGroup/glTF-Blender-IO) - more info [here](https://blender.stackexchange.com/questions/93415/how-to-open-a-glb-or-gltf-file-in-blender)
* [SketchUpp](https://www.sketchup.com/) has an [importer plugin](https://www.simlab-soft.com/3d-plugins/GLTF_Importer_For_Sketchup-main.aspx)
You have to be careful though: formats like `dae` or `stl` are meant to transfer 3d objects usually without the loss of information or with just a minimal loss (stl, for example, does technically not contain a *scale* natively), while `gltf` is end users and [does not contain all the information](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40549453/is-there-a-way-to-convert-gltf-to-dae). This can lead to models getting distorted and destroyed on importing them into a rendering or modeling software.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/09/12 | 2,133 | 7,464 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm looking for clamps to fix the glass on my heatbed. After some search I found that some people use clamps printed of PLA. Can I use PLA clamps for a heated heatbed (~60 °C)?
I also tried foldback clips but they block my nozzle. The Anet A8 starts in the front left corner. When I start to print, the nozzle moves a little bit up on z, then up on y and right on x. At this first move it moves into the fold back clip. I'm looking for a way to fix the corners and not to fix the edge in the middle.
What other clamps or clips can I use to fix the glass (~3 mm) on the heatbed (~2.5 mm)? I don't want to use glue.
My printer is an Anet A8.<issue_comment>username_1: Let's analyze the problem:
* We have a 5.5 mm total thickness.
* We want to (semi)permanently affix the two layers together mechanically.
* The clips shall not be higher than about 0.2 mm to allow the nozzle to pass over them.
(non)Solution attempt zero:
===========================
Let's look at the problem objectively... we can print something, can we? Well... 0.2 mm or below of PLA means 0.2mm of PLA that need to withstand the stress of trying to push the glass to the bed. PLA, just like any plastic, isn't super strong in thin layers, especially when heated to 60°C to get a good bed adhesion. And then you might want to print something like ABS, which demands an 80°C or higher bed temperature. The result will not be pretty: either the clip breaks after a very short time or it starts to bend. The result: no clip, bed slipping free.
Solution attempt one:
=====================
Let's look at old picture frames that consist of just a glass sheet and a paper/wood backing. A "Frameless Picture Frame" like [this one](https://www.picture-frames-warehouse.com/P-19784/Glass-Clip-Photo-Frame-Is-Frameless-With-A-Tempered-Glass-Overlay)1. These clips do need some kind of mounting on the underside.
Using this design as a base, you might either get these clips or make similar ones yourself. But how to mount them?
Well, here comes the nice part: we got some options.
* Glue or solder the clips to the underside of the bed. Removing the sheet gets a PITA, but is still possible
* Cutting mounting slots for the clips. The sheet can be removed by removing the clips now. But the bed heating might not like us cutting slots into the aluminium.
* Adding a mounting point. Again, we can use glue or solder to add some kind of framework that we mount the clips to. Like a piece of aluminium U-profile with the opening to the centre of the bed, giving us mounting points for the clips.
1 - This was just the first one that I found that had the right setup. I am not affiliated with them and don't get money for this.
Solution attempt two:
=====================
Take this idea up a notch and look for this same principle applied.
There is the ["Swiss Made Glass Retaining Clip"](https://www.3dprintandstuff.co.uk/shop/glass-retaining-clips-swiss-made) [username_2](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6898/8884) mentioned. Good idea, and instead of having to cut a notch into the aluminium bed, a simple, small hole would be sufficient. About the same price than a frameless picture frame but less construction work!
And then there is, of course, the option to look at the Ultimaker and its [Build Plate Clamps](https://ultimaker.com/en/resources/19947-replacing-the-build-plate-clamps) like [username_4](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6900/8884) mentioned. If you can get them (also in the same price range as the other options) you even might have an easy installation: they are supposed to be mounted in the corners of the build plate by being held by the springs. For the A8, you'll have to possibly adjust the mounting point some, maybe even give them a little nub to pivot around to secure them in place, but this clearly is a solution too.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: There are some clips similar to username_1's answer that aren't mounted but have a spring in them to apply pressure. Looks like they are called Swiss clips: [Glass retaining clips – Swiss made](https://www.3dprintandstuff.co.uk/shop/glass-retaining-clips-swiss-made):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4Y0hV.jpg "Swiss clips")
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: They might not work for every printer, but how about old fashioned *bulldog clips*:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/UUB0D.jpg "Bulldog clips")
Attached at both end in the y-axis, they will avoid your Z-axis rods and frame (attached in the direction of the x-axis I have noticed them catch against the Z-axis frame).
Like so (except the image below uses the *foldback clips* that (I assume that) you refer to):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MaatM.jpg)
The lever/handles aren't as long as those on foldback clips, and more sturdy too. Also, they have no curled edge that can catch the nozzle if mounted right.
You should obviously route any wiring/tubes away from the clips travel at the rear of the printer.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: How about the Ultimaker clips? Ultimaker uses 2 mm heat bed and 4 mm glass, that should be within reach by bending the clips a bit. They have quite a low profile/footprint.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/kdjTts.jpg)[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mxLEss.jpg)[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vPkxUs.jpg)
These clamps are very cheap and can be found on those typical auction or Chinese sites.
Alternatively, you can also tape the glass to the aluminium bed using kapton tape if you are concerned about hitting the binder clips.
Note that e.g. in Marlin firmware, you can define a Z-offset to prevent hitting the binder clips on movement.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_5: PLA has two problems that keep it from being usable for your purposes.
First, it deforms under load. I've used printed C-clamps for various jobs; by the time I'm done, the clamp is generally warped by 10+ millimeters.
Second, PLA has a very low heat tolerance. The glass transition temperature of PLA is around 60-65°C, right around your intended heatbed temperature, so not only will your clamps deform from the load, the plastic will flow from the heat.
If you were printing on a cold bed, you might be able to use printed clamps, printing out a fresh set whenever deformation of the current set gets too high. On a heated bed, not a chance. Look for some sort of metal spring-based clips instead.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_6: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EOeIf.png)
I went to OfficeMax and got some Small clips. They are bigger than the Micro/Mini clips that ship with the printer and seem to fit just right on a glass plate.
One of the Mini clips that shipped with the Ender 3 is shown to the left. The Small size that works best is obviously centered. The Medium in the back seem way too big.
For an added bonus, they sell this sandpaper with a rubber back and it really increases traction. An oversize chunk of that worked really well. But it's optional.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/09/14 | 1,173 | 4,497 | <issue_start>username_0: *The pictures explain my problem. I have already tried to reduce the retraction but that showed no effect. Thank you for your help.*
The effect is a total stop of the print (no material is extruded).
* Creality CR 10
* Cura 3.4.1
I recently added this new feeder aluminium block because the 3D printed stock version was bad quality.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/05Kkq.jpg "Filament not entering Bowden tube")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qzUD5.jpg "Close up")<issue_comment>username_1: This is typically caused by resistance in the tube or hotend but in your case it appears to be mostly caused by a very poorly designed extruder. The filament needs to be constrained closer to the drive gear. You may be able to drill out the PTC connector to allow the PTFE tube to reach closer to the gears or print a spacer to fit in between but you need to support the filament in that gap.
You can try raising the hotend temperature as a band-aid until you can fix the problem, do not exceed 240 C if you have a PTFE lined hotend. Long retractions can also pull molten filament into the cold zone where it solidifies and make extrusion harder.
As an example, here is a picture of a Bondtech BMG extruder. Note how the extruder constrains the filament path all the way from the drive gear to the hotend entrance. While this example is extreme for normal PLA/PETG/ABS, it is required for flexible filament. A 4mm gap (or closer) should be fine for PLA/PETG/ABS or other hard filaments.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Sj0N9.png)
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There are two parts to this problem.
**First**, the extruder is meeting too much resistance in the print. There can be several causes, from the first layer being too low, a blocked nozzle, too low a print temperature, or printing too fast, so the viscosity of the filament just makes it too hard to pass through the nozzle. Usually, several of these will be in play together.
**Second**, the extruder design allows the filament to bend as it leaves the drive gears. Typically, this problem is seen most with flexible filament because that will obviously collapse more easily under compression for a given unsupported length.
The trigger is the first group, the second part determines the resiliance of your setup to this problem. Once the break point is reached, there is no recovery. You can retract the filament, but trying to resume the print will just set the extruder back to the same absolute position.
First, check that you can extrude OK in free space, without any drop in temperature. Also check your extrusion steps calibration - if you're extruding 110% of what the print is expecting, the extrusion back pressure can build up to a point of failure. Check the first layer, check the calibration.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Your extruder is encountering resistance and the filament path is too open.
Your teeth seem to be biting in too hard. Loosen up your tensioners a bit. Teeth biting too hard deforms the filament. Does that rough looking stuff feed through the tube smoothly? Any rough bits can catch anything in the filament path?
It is preferable for the motor to skip when there is a problem, rather than waste filament, so maybe turn down your motor vref too.
How well does filament feed by hand, and with no teeth marks on it? Significantly better, or about the same? Does the bowden tube have and kinks or bends in it? Those effectively shrink the diameter of the tube and really put the squeeze on filament passing through.
Does your hotend have proper thermal preparation? Lots of insulation on the block, and a good strong cooling fan? Too little insulation will cause too much power to be used, and raise the melt area. Too little cooling (especially with PLA) will also allow the melt area to rise (called heat creep). If pointing a big fan at the printer fixes the problem, it's probably hotend cooling related. If it makes it worse, it's hotend insulation related.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_4: You just have to cut the filament at a 45° angle. Then push down the extruder and push the filament in. Then heat up the nozzle. Next, hand feed the filament until the filament starts oozing out.
Upvotes: -1 |
2018/09/15 | 730 | 2,792 | <issue_start>username_0: There's PLA filament clogged in my Bowden tube, is there a best practice for cleaning it out or do I need to replace the whole tube?
Also, the couplings are totally stuck, so I guess those would need replacement too or are there ways to get stuck couplings off?
Click [here](https://streamable.com/bi73e) for a video.<issue_comment>username_1: If you are able to force the filament from the interior of the bowden tube without causing damage to the tube, you will be able to determine the cause of the clog. My bowden tube clogged recently, but it was because I left the system idle with old filament inside. The filament broke from brittleness and the edge of the broken pieces managed to wedge against the tube.
I was able to use a "healthy" piece of filament along with great force (pliers pushing close to the tubing end) and remove the damaged filament.
Once removed, the new filament slid easily within.
Your PTC fittings may not have to be replaced if the tubing is not damaged inside and if the existing spacing meets your requirements. A PTC fitting has a ring of teeth which gouge and/or grasp the outside of the tubing preventing removal. It is frequently necessary to push the tubing into the fitting, then compressing the release ring followed by pulling the tubing.
The PTC fitting at the end where only the filament exits is probably a stock fitting. The fitting which has the bowden tube extending through it has been drilled and may be challenging to find. Your best source for such a fitting is the original manufacturer.
It's clear in the video that the threaded portion of the two fittings are different.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: As a short-term fix, grab a twist drill bit that is on the order of 1.5 mm diameter (assuming a 1.75 mm tube). Using a hand drill, slowly and gently drill out the clogged filament. Obviously you want to try to avoid scarring the teflon lining, so better to use the thinnest drill that will work.
With a little training and a little luck, you'll get the clog cleared. I would recommend removing the nozzle first so that the chips don't fall into the nozzle.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I haven't tried this, but it's possible to melt filament inside a PTFE bowden tube; some have even used this for splicing filaments. The examples I saw were over a flame but controlled heating would probably be better. If you do this, weld the clog to another piece of filament then push or pull once it's started to cool.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: Most standard filaments soften at 200 °C, meaning a pot of near-boiling water should soften whatever is stuck, allowing you to either fuse another strand of filament to it or use it to push it out of the tube.
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/09/18 | 1,454 | 5,506 | <issue_start>username_0: I've been looking into the viability of manufacturing a replacement part for a kitchen blender that has a broken part. I found [this page that talks about what makes a print food safe](https://all3dp.com/1/food-safe-3d-printing-abs-pla-food-safe-filament/). One of the items mentioned was:
>
> ... a brass extruder may contain lead, and lead contamination can cause some nasty health problems. ...
>
>
>
I own an Ender 3, and I haven't replaced the nozzle yet. How can I tell if my printer is capable of creating food safe prints in its current state?<issue_comment>username_1: Yes you have to change brass nozzle it contains lead.
If you are planning to print in PLA don't do that because PLA filament we are using in 3D printer are not food safe it contains some nasty colour dyes which are not food safe. Consider some special food safe filaments available in market. I think extruder gears are also made up of brass. Consider also changing them.
Steel extuder gears are available in market like below
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IHv9p.jpg)
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: Food packaging needs to comply with regulations. One certification agency informing about these (and their service to certify for them) is [TÜV Süd](https://www.tuv-sud.com/home-com/resource-centre/publications/e-ssentials-newsletter/food-health-e-ssentials/e-ssentials-3-2015/regulations-for-food-packaging-products-and-materials), another is [SAI global](https://www.saiglobal.com/Assurance/resource-library/Food-Safety/packaging_Brochure.pdf). A summary of the GFSI can be found [here](https://www.manufacturing.net/article/2014/07/compliance-food-grade-product-manufacturing). Inform yourself about the standards you wish to apply! The stack can not give legally binding answers.
**No**
======
The Ender 3 is not approved to produce food products (and not usable for them out of the box) for lack of certification. In the design it comes from the box, you need to replace a lot of parts for food rated ones:
* The whole print head/bed need to be swapped out for food rated parts due to the exact composition being not known. They might contain banned materials. As a result:
+ You'll need an all-metal hot end that can be taken apart for cleaning up to the standards if needed.
+ You'll need a food rated PTFE tube.
+ You'll need a stainless steel nozzle that complies with food grade manufacturing demands.
+ The extruder gear should be stainless steel as well.
+ You'll need to add some part to prevent filament shreds/flakes from the extruder to enter the print area as they might act as contaminants or carry germs.
+ Similar measures have to be taken for the wheels on the hot end carriage, as it might shred.
+ As you include a volume of air into the print, you are likely to be demanded to print under a protective atmosphere to make sure no germs are inside the print.
+ We do not know the composition of the build platform, so you'd need to replace the back surface with something that is food rated.
* You'll need to post-process your prints as smooth as possible, especially because of the small edges at the layer boundaries, which can and will act as spots where germs can grow.
+ This *can* be achieved with a material that is smoothable in some way.
+ Alternatively, a sealing lacquer/coating that is food safe might help here.
Remember, safety first:
=======================
Printed plastics that are rated for food are not necessarily food safe because of the quality or blend of the material. PLA and ABS can be made food safe, but that is usually *pure* material. We usually don't know what kinds of fillers or coloring is in our filament. The heating process might destroy the colors or fillers, which in turn might make it unsafe.
Indirect manufacturing
======================
If you are stone set you want/need, you can use indirect manufacturing: you don't print the actual object, you print a mold that makes the actual object. Clay and other ceramics can be made food safe very easily and they can be shaped with plastic molds.
Boxing
======
There is also another way to facilitate food safety in a 3D printed container, and that is checking where the food will actually make contact. For a lunch box, that is the inside. We could line this inside with a food safe surface, for example placing a steel cup in our plastic cup-holder. Accessories like a cup holder or a decorative container for the actual food container do not need to adhere to the food packaging regulations themselves.
Exposure time
=============
I know this is all looking at industrial food rated production. The [Primer](https://all3dp.com/1/food-safe-3d-printing-abs-pla-food-safe-filament/) given in the question does include a point about time the product gets into contact with the food - if there is just a short exposure, you might *get away* with it, but it doesn't make it certified food safe. Another good read in this regard is [this](https://pinshape.com/blog/3d-printing-food-safe/) short discussion about the Pros and Cons.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Parts printed in pla are food safe, as pla is usually made from corn starch. However, most 3d printed parts would not be food safe for they have many crevices where bacteria can grow. Also, if you printed with materials other than pla with that nozzle, traces of the material (which would make it into the print.
Upvotes: -1 |
2018/09/18 | 622 | 2,411 | <issue_start>username_0: I am a newbie to 3D printing and ran into a weird infill line on my second 3D printing object on a new Qidi X-Pro machine (which works great). I've included a screenshot of the infill line, which is deliberately printed the full height of the object. I'm thinking this line has been deliberately inserted by the Qidi slicer for some reason, but I have no idea why. Do all slicers generate these kinds of lines? If so, why?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/s1SAU.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: I do not know the Qidi slicer, but if you look closely, you will see this line is thinner than the normal support infill lines. You could try to visualize the G-code in a viewer, usually this can be done in the slicer itself, but [online viewers](http://gcode.ws/) are available. The viewer will not only show the printed lines, but also show moves by the print head (usually in a different color). You can check whether this extra line is actually printed or a move. If it is a move, this extra line is caused by your hotend which is leaking when it moves. You need to properly tune the hotend with respect to the retraction settings and temperature. There are numerous retraction test print objects to find on the internet.
Depending on your slicer settings, some slicers are able to define where each layer starts printing (e.g. random, or start at sharp corner). The fact you see a support structure "printed the full height of the object" tells you that each layer starts at the same position. It is not uncommon in uniform simple parts where each layer starts at the same position (X/Y) as this is instructed by the slicer setting. In Ultimaker Cura such an option is called `Z Seam Alignment`.
---
Bottom line, all slicers will do this when your printer is improperly tuned (incorrect settings for e.g. print temperature, retraction, coasting, travel speed). It is up to you to find the correct settings, test print objects help you with that.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Here have a posible solution -> [How to remove unwanted filament trails from sharp corners](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6990/how-to-remove-unwanted-filament-trails-from-sharp-corners)
I think, that can be a combination of z-hopping and combing-mode in the slicer that you use.
Upvotes: -1 |
2018/09/19 | 1,640 | 5,529 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm building a 3d printer of size 500 x 500 x 500 build area. For the Z axis, I'm planning to use this [Linear actuator](https://www.3dprintronics.com/Linear-Actuator-Ball-Screw-1204-p108536003).
The maximum weight Z axis might encounter is 15 Kg due to it being a clay printer. A single linear actuator can, according to the specs, lift 10 Kg. So I'm planning to use two of this.
My question is a ball screw of pitch 4mm or 5mm, will it be able to Maintain it's position when the motor is de-energized under a load of 15 kg shared by two systems.
What effect the diameter of rod has on it??
Is there any way to find that??<issue_comment>username_1: >
> My question is a ball screw of pitch 4mm or 5mm, will it be able to Maintain it's position when motor is deenergized under a load of 15 kg shared by two systems.
>
>
>
The detent torque of a [typical NEMA 23 stepper](https://motion.schneider-electric.com/downloads/quickreference/NEMA23.pdf) varies between around 3 and 7 N·cm. This is the torque produced when the windings are not energized.
Using this [leadscrew torque calculator](https://www.daycounter.com/Calculators/Lead-Screw-Force-Torque-Calculator.phtml), you can find that the torque required for a 12 mm diameter, 4 mm pitch leadscrew to hold up a 75 N load, is around 5 N·cm - assuming there is no friction. If there is friction, then the required torque will be lower.
So, the torque required is almost equal to or possibly even higher than the detent torque. Therefore, you should not count on a de-energized motor holding up the build platform. In practice, you might see that friction is enough to hold up the build platform, but that any disturbance (such as somebody bumping into the printer) is enough to get the leadscrews to start spinning and have the platform drop like a rock.
>
> What effect the diameter of rod has on it?
>
>
>
Increasing the pitch also increases the torque required (so, go with a lower pitch leadscrew). The diameter does not affect the torque directly, but having a larger diameter increases the friction and so is beneficial.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Let's pull out physics...
We have a load of 15 kg, which is a weight force of 147.15 N, PLUS the bed. Let's take into account about two kilograms of bed and cables that need to be carried too, so 166.77 N. That is in the margin of error of 150 N, which simplifies calculations a lot, so let's just assume that. $$F\_{g\_\text{total}}=166\text N$$
Let's assume we use 2 lead screws, one left, one right, and both go exactly vertical. Then we get, that the load is half, so $$F\_{g\_\text{per lead}}=83\text N$$
Now, let's look at the specs of the lead screw: Pitch is 4 mm, Diameter is 12 mm. For the [calculator](https://www.daycounter.com/Calculators/Lead-Screw-Force-Torque-Calculator.phtml) we need Pitch Diameter (=Diameter) and the Thread Density (=Threads/cm), so I pull up the pitch [conversion table](https://www.newmantools.com/tech/pitchconversions.htm) and look under 4 mm Pitch. Also, we check the table and grab an intermediate "steel on steel" friction coefficient of 0.2 for dry, or 0.15 for oiled.
The results I get with those numbers are $\tau\_\text{dry}=-0.0478\text{ Nm}$ and $\tau\_\text{oiled}-0.0222\text{ Nm}$ respectively. That's the torque that needs to be applied to our motors to move it down. Wait, that number is negative?! Yes, it is, and that is actually not a bad sign:
Let's assume a higher high pitched thread. Like, REALLY high: 1 rotation per inch. One thread. It is pretty much "straight". The calculator drops us a result of $\tau\_\text{dry,super-steep}=0.273\text{ Nm}$ for 0.2 friction coefficient that the motor would need to keep working against to not have it moving.
So, when do we stay, when to we move? Well, if $\tau\_\text{calculated}>\tau\_\text{detent}$, it moves down on its own. if $\tau\_\text{calculated}<\tau\_\text{detent}$ it stays put for friction. The $\tau\_\text{detent}= 0.027\text{ Nm}$ for a [single length NEMA 23](https://motion.schneider-electric.com/downloads/quickreference/NEMA23.pdf). Our negative Torque just means we need to apply some extra torque to overcome friction before we get the bed going.
That means, with the 15kg load (+2kg bed), it is to be expected that the bed stays up. If you would use a more slick combination of materials, you might start to slide.
Always remember, there is the caveat of overcoming the detention strength with a short impact, or applying force directly to the rods when bumping into them. If the machisnism starts to spin, the friction from the nut on the bar and from the motor is all that can provide a breaking to the machine.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Adding to the other more scientific answers here. The backdriving force will move the lead screws depending on the stiction between the lead screw and the nut. If it was friction less then it will always slide. Basically you need to keep the lead screw from turning while the machine is off. You can make a basic electromagnetic clutch which will add some resistance to turning by using double pole double throw relays to short the motor leads to ground when the power is off. You can test this yourself by just connecting all the lead wires together and then try turning the motor spindle by hand.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Rycew.gif)
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_brake>
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/09/19 | 465 | 1,698 | <issue_start>username_0: I finished a 3D object for 4 wheels, but something seems wrong with the final scene to me:
The nearer wheels (#1 and #2) appear smaller than the far one (#3 and #4), and the distance between wheel #3 an #4 seems longer than between (1) and (2), like you can see in this picture:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8YdzP.png)
I want to achieve the scene like this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/RkHkU.png)
How to do that in FreeCAD?<issue_comment>username_1: CAD programs uses parallel view not perspective view.
So the length of 2 objects with the same length are displayed as 2 objects with the same length on the screen.
This is better for constructing stuff.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: FreeCAD, like many other 3D programs (including blender) does use Isometric/Orthographic display as the default displaying option as it allows to see on one view if some lengths or angles are "equal".
In many cases, a perspective view can be toggled on to allow visualization in a room, especially for architectural one.
In the case of FreeCAD with all its options, this option gets swamped out of the user's field of view sometimes, and the documentation is not that easy to navigate without a proper keyword, making the right thing slightly hidden in the documentation. But once you know it, it should be obvious:
* [`View > Perspective View`](https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/Std_PerspectiveCamera) toggles to perspective view.
* [`View > Orthographic View`](https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/Std_OrthographicCamera) toggles back to isometric.
Upvotes: 3 |
2018/09/21 | 1,909 | 7,363 | <issue_start>username_0: I recently became curious about the Line Width setting in Cura and why one might change it if they aren't using different size nozzle.
Since I've gotten my Ender 3, I've always kept the line width equal to my nozzle size (*0.4 mm*). I've [looked around a bit](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/5zxj1z/should_line_width_always_nozzle_size/), and it seems like most people actually set their line widths to be higher, depending upon who you ask anywhere from 120 - 150 % nozzle diameter.
Why is this? They mention that it helps with print adhesion, but why? Shouldn't a 0.4 mm nozzle create a line of plastic 0.4 mm wide, necessitating a line spacing of 0.4 mm?<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Shouldn't a 0.4 mm nozzle create a line of plastic 0.4 mm wide
>
>
>
Not necessarily. Due to a phenomenon known as [die swell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_swell) extruding plastic through a 0.4 mm nozzle, the line of plastic that is created is actually slightly wider. Pressure inside the extruder compresses the plastic slightly, and it expands again as it exists the nozzle.
>
> They mention that it helps with print adhesion, but why?
>
>
>
When you extrude a thicker line of plastic than your nozzle diameter, the "excess" plastic is compressed by the nozzle and forced out to the side. This pushes the plastic into the layer below, increasing adhesion. You can compare this to taking a hot glue gun, pressing the tip into the surface and squeezing the trigger, versus lifting the glue gun above the surface and letting the glue drip onto the surface. Doing the former creates much stronger adhesion.
As a side effect, using thicker lines makes it easier to get the first layer to stick, since the thicker line has more surface area to adhere to.
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_2: There are several things at play that can make a wider line nice to have:
First layer adhesion
====================
Due to some filaments having serious struggle to get the first line or layer stuck to the bed, it can be an easy fix to just increase the line width, generating a bigger Adhesive Force $F\_a\propto A(l,w)$, where A is the area covered by the line, and thus simply $A=l\*w$ with length l and width w of the line. So, a wider line means better *initial* adhesion and *can* lead to less failed prints in layer 1.
Plastic Goo
===========
Plastics under heat behave in certain ways: they turn into a gooey substance that expands. This is also the reason why prints shrink a little as they cool. Now, if we press the plastic onto the bed with more force (as we force more plastic through than before to go from 0.4 mm to 0.5 mm) for the first time, we have a roughly flat area. The extra filament will make a wider line. The slicher can account for that, and does.
Now, next layer up: Where does the extra material go now? Plastic goo has one property that is very interesting: it tries to shrink its surface as much as possible. Heat a short piece with an airgun and it gets a little beady. But on the other hand, it comes hot enough from the nozzle to melt a tiny surface area of the already built layers, which is how layer bonding works in the first place. But our goopy plastic finds the layer below not exactly flat like the first layer found its lower surface, it finds a shape of ridges and valley. Taking into account that it wants to have the least surface to non-plastic (=air) and slightly cross bonds with the print, it will fill these nooks and crevices *inside* the print a tiny little better, as the increased force we use to push it out also increased the speed at which it expands to them: we reduce the time a tiny bit to reach there. How does it matter?
[](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0XcMz05zejI/maxresdefault.jpg)
Well, heat transfer bases, roughly speaking, on a formula like this: $Q = mc\Delta T$ Q is the thermal energy of the object, m the mass of the object, c its specific heat capacity and T the temperature, ΔT the temperature change. But we don't have a homogenous object, we got pretty much a heat distribution with touching zones of different heat. The actual formula for the heat transfer inside the object is a long mess containing stuff like the gradient $\text{grad}T$, thermal conductivities, and integrals, but what matters is the result: The faster-expanding line of filament loses a little less thermal energy to its surroundings than the less forceful extruded line, which can increase the bonding between the two as the temperature on several fronts:
* it enters the crevices further before reverting from goo to solid, leading to better adhesion for more surface.
* it contains more thermal energy that can and will get transmitted to the layer below and has a bigger surface area, so it can increase the zone thickness that gets remelted a tiny bit, increasing the layer bonding strength a little.
This *can* result in a problem though: if you don't give the printed lines enough time to cool, it can lead to the material to accumulate heat more and more, leading to the whole thing to melt and turn into goop. An easy fix to this side problem is minimum layer time. But that would be only tangential to the original question, so look for example at the question [here](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4975/printing-starts-well-but-then-it-breaks-down-anet-a8/4976#4976) or the video the thermal picture above is taken from [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XcMz05zejI).
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I'll give a short answer here: It's the volume. The the nozzle redistributes the volume of the plastic into a different shape. i.e. the nozzle is turning a cylinder of 0.4 mm diameter into a rectangle of the same volume, which a function of the layer height / volume = line width.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: There are several yet unmentioned considerations:
Given the same movement speed thicker lines fill up a layer quicker, because more volume is extruded per second. In some systems the extrusion flow is the limiting factor for speed, but around corners the print head needs to slow down. Thicker lines = less lines = less corners = less slow down = higher print speed.
Thicker lines have less detail, though. A line of 0.6 mm cannot represent details smaller than that, so smaller line widths capture the input geometry better. Also corners will get rounded by the same distance, so thicker lines = rounder corners.
Thicker lines create worse overhang. Thicker lines require more pressure from the nozzle and if the layer below is (partly) missing the back pressure from the previous layer is less, which results in overextension, which will then also more likely go downward instead of to the sides.
The higher pressure can force lines into small crevices of the layer below, though. This was highlighted by username_2 already.
The model Cura uses for a single line is rectangular, while in actuality the printed lines are rounded on the sides. This makes the width of the full extend from side to side larger than computed, at the cost of the corners of the rectangular model. This means that the line width setting should be set slightly smaller than what you would want the lines to end up like.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/09/24 | 1,973 | 7,685 | <issue_start>username_0: As I started to learn about 3D printing, the gist I learned was "it's better to store the filaments in a drybox." As I rechecked these notes, they were to a good degree from an era when PLA was rather new to the market and ABS was the goTo.
Then I learned "PLA is not really hygroscopic and can be stored freely."1
Now, I know some materials are pretty hygroscopic, but not all. So, let's try to pin it down:
**Which materials are hygroscopic enough to demand a drybox?**
I know that it is good practice to store all filament [in a somewhat dehumidified or airtight box](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/84/does-filament-have-to-be-stored-in-an-airtight-environment), but there are some materials out there that become **unprintable** and need drying before printing if improperly stored. ***This question is to point out these "special storage mandatory" filaments only.*** If a material can't be printed without dry storage it belongs here. If it is a nice to have, it doesn't.
This is a **Back It Up** question: answers need to provide one of two:
* explain personal experience, marked as such.
* provide an authoritative source (scientific paper/videos, manufacturer papers, quote from an experienced maker).
---
1 - For some time (month?). I do store my PLA in a closed but unsealed IKEA container with all the desiccant bags I can find as it is clearly *benefitial*.<issue_comment>username_1: [PVA](https://ultimaker.com/en/products/materials/pva)
======================================================
From experience I can tell that PVA filaments need to be stored with silica beads in a plastic bag or in a specific dry-box. PVA is soluble in water and is very hygroscopic. With moisture it gets soft and swells. My Ultimaker came with an open spool of PVA which popped when heated (steam bubbles popping) resulting in very poor quality supports and clogging of the nozzle. A newly bought spool which was properly packed did not have these issues.
Nylon
=====
Some Nylon filament brands require to be stored dry or need to be dried before printing. I have a spool of Nylon that has taken up some moisture although carefully packed, the only time it was out is when it was being printed. This experience applies to Ultimaker Nylon; I've learned now that not all Nylon filaments are behaving the same, it is suggested to look-up the specifics from the manufacturer or from reviews prior to buying.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Necessary:
* PVA otherwise it will become unprintable, because it is VERY hydrophilic and becomes soft, but it is dryable
Better to store boxed:
* PLA otherwise it can became brittle, I have some of such PLA, it brakes from time to time if it is just loaded, but luckily it doesn't broke while printing so far.
* Nylon is also hydrophilic
Generally you should google for the material you want to use and look for hydrophilic properties or other, e.g. gas releasing, properties and so on.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: PEEK (polyetheretherketone) will print better if has less moisture, and should be used at under 1%.
PPSU (polyphenylsulfone) prints terribly unless it is extremely low humidity (under 0.1%), and is really only reliable when run from a drier to the print head without any exposure to "normal" humidity from the air in the room.
The point at which you have visible cosmetic issues comes at a different point than that at which you have visible structural issues, but even when no cosmetic issues are visible, there are still potential structural issues at a microscopic level.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: You should ask the maker or supplier of the filament which ones really need to be stored in dryboxes and which ones are safe.
Technically, they can all benefit from being stored in dryboxes, but some can handle being left in the open more than others, so it also depends on how fast you go through your rolls of filament. If you use one roll of PLA a month, using a drybox for it is not necessary, if you use it in a year, then a drybox becomes useful.
Though, as a rule of thumb and as was pointed in previous answers, PVA absolutely needs a drybox and Nylon also benefit greatly from being stored in one.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: All filaments need a drybox. Before any kind of plastic is injection molded, it has to be dry. I'd advocate a vacuum sealer. If they are not free of moisture then the water will turn to steam and cause little steam explosions inside of the nozzle. This blows the molten filament out of the nozzle causing blobs, gaps and other z scaring artifacts. This is the same thing that happens in injection molding machines. Before the plastic can be placed into the hopper the plastic pellets (of any kind) must be thoroughly dry.
I have personally noticed surface condensation on my PETG filament on a rainy day; here in the tropics. A spool of nylon filament that I have would not stop crackling and poping during the printing process. Its moisture absorption was so high that just having it outside while printing was enough to cause printing problems. The resulting part that I printed was also hydroscopic; so much so that it expands if you place it in water and shrinks after is is allowed to dry out. I had tried to make a cover for a water container with the nylon and foolishly turned the container upside down on the counter just to prove that it was a good seal. I came back a few hours later to find water all over my counter and the floor. The cap expanded, let go of the container, and all the water leaked out. It then dryed and shrunk back to the original size. This caused me much confusion as to why the water leaked out, as the cap was still fitting snugly on the top of the container when I came back to it.
The following link from "CNC Kitchen" highlights these issues in more detail.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAXUjZZER5E>
In short the video says that:
* Wet filament will have stringing, bubbles and substantial oozing.
* Moisture can break up the long chains of the polymer changing the mechanical properties of the plastic, resulting in embrittlement.
* Air bubbles end up in the printed part and result in delamination.
* The surface finish of wet filament will be rough and inconsistent, requiring post processing (sanding, filling etc).
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_6: All filaments should be kept in a low-humidity, dry environment. The OP suggests that PLA doesn't need to be dried. My experience says otherwise. I had miserable trouble printing with a PLA spool until I dried it in an oven at about 60 C for a couple of hours. It then printed well.
A comment was made, and then refuted, about FDM being the same as injection molding. I agree that, for this purpose, it is. Both involve heating the plastic so that it softens, and neither process will work well if the filament is outgassing steam. They both have a confined melt chamber, and steam will be pressurized with the plastic. When the pressure is released, the expanding steam creates defects in the object.
It is true that some filaments are more hygroscopic than others, but all filaments should be treated as if they are moisture sensitive and should be stored in a dry container.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_7: Some brands of PLA+ and colors of filament seem to have issues if left in the open air for too long a period. These then need to be dried back out in a dry box. The filament seems to be softer and the hobb seems to strip it out more easily causing print failures. The colors I have had the most troubles with are transparent Blue, Dark Green, and silky Copper.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/09/25 | 2,146 | 7,670 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm a 2-week newbie at 3D printing, working on a new Qidi Xpro machine (that is solid and one that I like). So, I do not want to believe that this issue is caused by my printer itself. I'm hoping that my settings have something to do with it.
The problem is all the filament lines (travel lines, I think) that start at a sharp corner and go somewhere else. Most often, the lines go to another sharp corner but sometimes can intersect the middle of a side. See the image below for many examples. I have drawn white lines parallel to the unwanted filament lines in case they are hard to spot.
The unwanted lines also appear in the infill underneath the surface lines. They look like porous infill grid lines since they should probably not be there, and they do not get a full load of filament extrusion. You could easily say "Oh, they are the result of a "leaky" nozzle with poor retraction, but I think it's more complicated than that. I have done a full load of retraction tests and calibrations to optimize retraction lengths and speeds to minimize hairs.
Here is an image showing the problem:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PnCci.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/UWQbv.jpg)
My Cura settings seem reasonable for PLA: bed 50C, nozzle 200C, print speed 40mm, travel speed 90mm (100-110 makes no difference), retraction length 8.5-9.5mm (makes no big difference), retraction speed 35mm, infill: density 20% (line, grid, makes no difference), z-seam set to random, retract at new layer = enabled.
I want to believe that something in my settings is telling the machine to extrude a 1/2 or 1/3 amount of filament when it starts those travels from sharp corners to somewhere else. But, I have not been able to solve the problem.
Everything else works fine in a print (IMHO) except for another problem that I [described here](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6945/infill-failure-at-the-far-corner-of-two-different-prints). I thought I fixed that one, but I saw it occur on the image shown above (inside the infill, under the surface that is shown above).
Does anyone have any ideas that I might try to solve the problem? Thank you.
UPDATE: Here's an image with Zhop when retracted enabled at zhop height 1mm. This is an infill picture, so it cannot be directly compared to the surfaced original. But, the unwanted trails are all still there (although very thin). Maybe 2mm hop height will do it. I will run another test.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LYvRg.jpg)
UPDATE:
I ran a second test with zhop 2.0mm, but without success. The problem was still there. (Retraction on, 8.5mm, min distance 0.8mm). Here is a comparison picture. I think the gcode is definitely telling my printer to do what it does, because the problem is not just a random leak. I think I'll try a different slicer in hopes that it generates different gcode.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CZjwx.jpg)
UPDATE ON COMBING
Oscar pointed me to the Cura "combing" setting in his comment below. He nailed teh problem perfectly. Combing means "don't retract, and ooze as you please while you move in a straight line to the destination." That's exactly what I've been showing in my images.
The default for Cura combing is enabled. As a newbie, I didn't know enough to turn it off. Worse yet, if combing is enabled ("don't retract"), it prevents "Zhop When Retracted" from zhopping. So, all my zhop experiments did exactly nothing and had zero effect because no zhopping was occurring. After I disabled combing, then for the first time in my life I actually saw what a zhop looked like. (And thus I can assert that zhopping was not happening with combining=enabled.)
Here is an image of my new "perfect" prints thanks to Oscar's pointer on combing. The left two prints have combing off, zhop off. They are almost perfect, inside and out. The infill walls are generally solid and smooth (20% infill) and without the globs and gaps in the image on the right (with combing on).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3Mkik.jpg)
As a closing note, I think the combing setting was probably also responsible for the problem of missing infill grids in the corner, [as described in this question.](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6945/infill-failure-at-the-far-corner-of-two-different-prints) The problem doesn't happen with combing off. My theory is that with combing on (as it was for that question), the oozing pulls filament out of the nozzle during the travel, so there's not enough filament at the destination to bite and bond to the corner. So, turning combing off solved 3 problems for me: the awful surface lines, the unwanted trails in the infill, and the missing infills in the corner. It also greatly improved the quality of the infill walls, too.<issue_comment>username_1: Having run into this type of problem at the library makerspace, under a different slicer, I had a good idea where to start the search. It is, in your case, "z-hop cura slicer" and the best return came from [Polar3D](https://polar3d.freshdesk.com/support/discussions/topics/9000021981).
Keep in mind that this post is more than 2 years old, but if the feature was there before, it should be there now.
Summary (okay, dead straight copy/paste):
>
> Cura settings > Basic > Enable Retraction - details (click the little
> gear/cog) > "Z hop when retracting (mm)"
>
>
> You may see it default to 0.3mm, try raising this somewhere around
> 0.8mm - 1.0mm.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: You can Z-hop what you like, but if it is oozing it is oozing, you will always see the effects of that as it just drops down.
Basically you have **multiple issues**, **first the oozing**, **second the line markings on the top**.
**First**
=========
Oozing is fought by applying correct settings for e.g. print temperature, retraction, coasting, travel speed, as is explained in an [answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6940/5740) on [one of your own questions](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6938/what-is-this-weird-support-line-doing-in-this-print). Note that you have not explorer the coasting option as far as I understand from your question. Coasting means that you stop extruding filament prior to a move when the head is still printing. This is explained by the pressure build-up in the hotend; ideally you set the coasting length as such that all the material that is pressed out as a result of the pressure build-up is extruded just before the head moves/travels to another location. Specific calibration prints can be found to tune this for your printer.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x08w4.jpg)
**Second**
==========
The markings on the top can be removed by setting the correct combing setting. Combing does not use retraction and uses straight moves, this saves a lot of time in printing, but it makes those ugly scars on bottom and top faces. You can set the option to not comb on those surfaces, and frankly, what happens on the inside stays in the inside, I would not worry about that. A good read with additional info on combing is [this post](https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/4850-hum-whats-combing/).
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/09/26 | 1,278 | 4,106 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a Tronxy X5S and I am having issues calibrating my X and Y axis. When I print a 20 mm3 cube it comes out 19.9 mm x 20.4 mm x 20 mm. I have already made the belt tensions as even as I can get them but it did not change the calibration cube size.
I have added [this](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2815168) upgrade to my printer for the idlers and motor mounts:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/QG60X.jpg)
I have also upgraded the hotend to a V6 clone, after this change is when I noticed the discrepancy in the calibration print.
**What else can cause the X and Y axis to be uneven in a CoreXY printer besides uneven tension in the belts?**
UPDATE:
Its seems Oscar was correct in his [assessment](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7002/corexy-calibration-issue#7003) that my printer is not printing square. I printed [this](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2563185) calibration square to measure the diagonals and I got: $ \overline{AC} = 141.82 $, $ \overline{BD} = 141.35 $. I believe the correct value for these diagonals should be $ \sqrt{2} \times 100 \approx 141.42 $.
[](https://cdn.thingiverse.com/renders/16/e6/d8/c1/f0/9bb6e035af9cc431b0bb4fa60281c967_preview_featured.jpg)
Oscar also mentioned that I can adjust my firmware to correct this but I would rather fix the problem than apply a band-aid. Does this indicate that I did not assemble the printer frame correctly?<issue_comment>username_1: Having run into this type of problem at the library makerspace, under a different slicer, I had a good idea where to start the search. It is, in your case, "z-hop cura slicer" and the best return came from [Polar3D](https://polar3d.freshdesk.com/support/discussions/topics/9000021981).
Keep in mind that this post is more than 2 years old, but if the feature was there before, it should be there now.
Summary (okay, dead straight copy/paste):
>
> Cura settings > Basic > Enable Retraction - details (click the little
> gear/cog) > "Z hop when retracting (mm)"
>
>
> You may see it default to 0.3mm, try raising this somewhere around
> 0.8mm - 1.0mm.
>
>
>
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: You can Z-hop what you like, but if it is oozing it is oozing, you will always see the effects of that as it just drops down.
Basically you have **multiple issues**, **first the oozing**, **second the line markings on the top**.
**First**
=========
Oozing is fought by applying correct settings for e.g. print temperature, retraction, coasting, travel speed, as is explained in an [answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6940/5740) on [one of your own questions](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6938/what-is-this-weird-support-line-doing-in-this-print). Note that you have not explorer the coasting option as far as I understand from your question. Coasting means that you stop extruding filament prior to a move when the head is still printing. This is explained by the pressure build-up in the hotend; ideally you set the coasting length as such that all the material that is pressed out as a result of the pressure build-up is extruded just before the head moves/travels to another location. Specific calibration prints can be found to tune this for your printer.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x08w4.jpg)
**Second**
==========
The markings on the top can be removed by setting the correct combing setting. Combing does not use retraction and uses straight moves, this saves a lot of time in printing, but it makes those ugly scars on bottom and top faces. You can set the option to not comb on those surfaces, and frankly, what happens on the inside stays in the inside, I would not worry about that. A good read with additional info on combing is [this post](https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/4850-hum-whats-combing/).
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/09/27 | 751 | 2,597 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a [Monoprice Select Mini V2](https://www.monoprice.com/product?c_id=107&cp_id=10724&cs_id=1072403&p_id=21711) and I’ve recently been having issues with little strings that are thick and sturdy sticking off of models:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xUMyH.jpg "Example of stringing")
I used Ultimaker Cura v3.4.1 to slice this model: [Basic Retraction test](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2563909) using [Hatchbox Black PLA](https://hatchbox3d.com/collections/pla/products/3d-pla-1kg1-75-blk) filament
And the following settings:
* Layer Height: 0.1313 mm
* Wall Thickness 1.05 mm
* Infill: 22%
* Extruder Temp: 200 °C
* Bed Temp: 55 °C
* Retraction Distance: 4 mm
* Retraction Speed: 40 mm/s
* Speed: 50 mm/s
* Z-Hop When Retracted: Off
* Supports: Off
* Adhesion: Brim
I’d appreciate any advice on how to fix this problem.<issue_comment>username_1: The Monoprice Select Mini V2 uses a Bowden style extrusion system. Bowden extruders compress the filament in the tube where the gap between the filament and inner tube diameter allow for the filament to buckle slightly and compress causing a pressure build-up in the hotend. Without retraction this implies that the filament will start to ooze out of the hotend once you stop extruding.
From your settings can be seen that you are using retraction. The question now arises whether you retract enough? Furthermore, this stringing can be reduced by setting the correct settings for e.g. print temperature, retraction, coasting, travel speed. It is up to you to find the correct settings; test print objects like calibration prints (like in the image you showed) help you with finding the correct settings.
Apparently, the retraction you use still allows for some filament to ooze out of the hotend as shown in your image. This means that prior to the travel move there is still some pressure left in the hotend. A parameter that reduced the pressure prior to the travel movement is called "coasting"; basically you define to stop extruding while the head is still completing the printing moves prior to the travel move. It is advised to explore this setting. Other options to investigate further include lowering filament print temperature or increase travel movement.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: What I ended up doing was using the settings from the cat.gcode that came with the printer. It has a retraction of 10 mm specified, which I thought was a bit much, but if it works, it works.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/09/29 | 562 | 2,108 | <issue_start>username_0: When modelling for 3D printing, can I distinguish somehow the type of infill in various areas of the model? Say there may be some areas in the model where I want 100% infill (maximum strength) but some areas where the infill can be less (maybe 25%).
I am new to 3D printing, doing my first model (enclosure for electronics - camera module). Using tinkercad.com only so far. Places where 100% infill is wanted are usually walls of the case and "threads" for the bolts but I want to make the enclosure as stiff as possible as a whole so I am thinking about using some sparse infill in the "free space" inside of the enclosure (so that it does not break so easily when it falls to the ground etc). I just do not know how to define this within the model.<issue_comment>username_1: I found out I misunderstood some principles of designing/modelling for 3D printing.
I designed my object for 100% infill which is not really necessary. It turned out that one does not mostly have to take care of the infill % and just model the object for example as solid 3D cube and the printing service will then take care of it to print well, hopefully slicing it well for printing and choosing the correct infill percentage.
So instead of designing a "hollow" cube with 3mm thick walls filled with 100% infill and free space inside, one can design a solid cube and the printing service will then print it "somehow" - they may make the walls only 1 mm thick but fill the inside of the cube with 10% infill which may work just fine for final object stiffness etc.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: To achieve additional localised stiffness, you can also insert small voids (gaps) inside the model. These become double thickness walls once sliced and can be used to support things like screw holes.
See the 'negative' parts used with a cube, and the sliced result here:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eULwV.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/z7uzX.png)
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/09/29 | 1,116 | 3,911 | <issue_start>username_0: How can I vary the infill percentage for different layer heights of my model?
Context: The bottom part of my model needs about 20% infill. The geometry of the top part of the model (mostly cones of various sizes) prints well with 0% infill and is of course a lot faster to print if I can specify this.<issue_comment>username_1: *Your question is very similar to [Different infill in the same part](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6522/different-infill-in-the-same-part) and [Using multiple infill types within one model [duplicate]](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7019/using-multiple-infill-types-within-one-model). The difference is that you specifically ask for Slic3r and a variation in layer height infill percentage.*
---
Actually [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6523/5740) describes using "helper volumes" in Ultimaker Cura to set different properties for certain parts of the model *(**UPDATE**: that answer now includes also Slic3r instructions)*, but it appears that this answer is very much applicable to Slic3r also. Please read [this](http://slic3r.org/blog/modifier-meshes) posting. Quoting from the reference:
>
> Finally, I fired Slic3r up and loaded the main part, then clicked on
> Settings... and then hit Load modifier... I loaded the new volume as a
> modifier mesh and I applied 100% solid infill...
>
>
>
>
>
Secondly, [this](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6527/5740) answer where 2 different infill percentage sliced models are manually combined at a certain height may also work for you (this is a perfect valid solution for Slic3r, but requires some editing skills).
Basically, although you request for a solution for a slicer other than already described in other questions, boils down to a similar answer, the only difference is the implementation in Slic3r is called differently.
---
To do this in **Slic3r** see [this reference](http://manual.slic3r.org/advanced/modifier-mesh).
The blog describes the use of a simple volume (the green volume loaded from an STL file). After loading:
>
> Right-clicking on the main part brought up the object settings menu.
> From there, clicking "Load Modifier" and selecting the previously
> saved model adds it to the part as a modifier.
>
>
> The green "+" was selected and "Fill Density" was added to modifier
> list and set to 100%.
>
>
>
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/llvIG.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EslBH.jpg)
This shows that the functionality in Slic3r is very similar to the functionality in Ultimaker Cura.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Let's assume the model is 75mm high; the bottom portion (which needs 20% infill) is 40mm, and the top portion (which needs 0% infill) is 35mm.
* Load your model into Slic3r.
* Be sure your default fill is 20%.
* Right click on the model, and select Settings.
* Click "Load Generic".
* Select Slab. This represents a cube which is the same X,Y dimensions of your model.
* Specify H=35 (the height of the slab) and Initial Z=40 (where the base of slab starts).
* This creates a new part for your object. Select it and click "+" to add a new setting.
* Select Infill/Fill Density and set it to 0%.
As a result of this, the bottom part of your model (which is not enclosed in the slab) will print at the default fill setting of 20%, and the top part of your model (which is enclosed in the slab) will print with 0% fill.
You can verify this by slicing and looking at the preview. You will see the base with your default infill, and the top with no infill. The slic3r docs mentions several other ways to [customize parameters](http://manual.slic3r.org/advanced/modifier-mesh) for your model.
Upvotes: -1 [selected_answer] |
2018/10/01 | 1,323 | 4,657 | <issue_start>username_0: I've seen a few print time-lapse videos lately which use gyroid infill: wavy lines, which deform across layers so that the waves end up alternating between the two axes. Other than making the time-lapse videos look much cooler, what are the benefits of this infill style compared to the more common hatching or cross-hatching?<issue_comment>username_1: From [this reference](https://mattshub.com/2018/03/15/gyroid-infill/) you can read that:
>
> A gyroid is a naturally occurring structure which be found in
> butterfly wings and even within membranes inside cells. In 2017, MIT
> researchers discovered that when graphene was shaped into a gyroid
> structure, it had exceptional strength properties at low densities.
> They then discovered however, that the crucial aspect of this was
> actually the gyroid structure itself, and that other materials such as
> plastic could benefit from this.
>
>
>
It is assumed that this type of infill has better properties against failure than the normal types of infill we know.
A test conducted by an author named Martin is found [here](https://www.cartesiancreations.com.au/gyroid-infill-tests/). He printed test specimen and subjected them to bending to test the resistance against shear stress.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jpMc8.png)
From the figure can be concluded that the gyroid infill has a better resistance against bending for a lower weight.
The advantages of gyroid infill over the tested infill types are:
* high shear strength, and
* low weight (so less filament needed).
On top of these advantages Gyroid infill prints relatively fast with respect to some other infill types and is close to [isotropic](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isotropy) (i.e. uniform in all orientations), meaning that is very suitable for flexible prints.
Upvotes: 6 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: username_1 gave a great answer, but I wanted to add to it.
[Stefan of CNC Kitchen](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiczXOhGpvoQGhOL16EZiTg) does a lot of 3D printer technique testing. He covered the gyroid and other patterns. While there's a difference in filament used, the significant differences are **strength**`*` and **print speed**. [Here's his 8-minute infill pattern testing video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upELI0HmzHc); some screenshots follow. I stopped printing honeycomb once this video came out. Perhaps I should switch to gyroid too.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/NDysz.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BDfQW.png)
`*` yes, I'm calling it "strength". Don't at me, physics and materials science peeps, I know it's inaccurate.
Upvotes: 5 <issue_comment>username_3: This answer builds on to both username_1 and username_2's answer:
Martin's experiment was about shear strength, where as Stefan of CNC Kitchen's experiment was about compressive strength on 2 directions.
From their experiments, it is reasonable to conclude that gyroid does well on sheer strength, and above mediocre on compressive strength.
**Why use gyroid?**
1. If your print requires shear strength, use gyroid.
2. Else if your print requires compressive strength from transverse or both directions, use cubic.
3. Else if your print requires only perpendicular compressive strength, use triangle.
4. If your print infill naked, each pattern has its own beauty.
**See also:**
Martin's experiment (Note how he used a bottle of water to test different structures for their shear strength):
<https://www.cartesiancreations.com.au/gyroid-infill-tests/>
Stefan of CNC Kitchen's experiment (Note how he used his self-made machine to compress different structures):
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiczXOhGpvoQGhOL16EZiTg>
Examples of gyroid's aesthetics can be found in Matt's links:
<https://mattshub.com/2018/03/15/gyroid-infill/>
Upvotes: 4 <issue_comment>username_4: About a decade ago, we looked at the 'Gyroid infill structure' (which we called sheet solid). We looked at it as a linear-elastic solid and as possible bone scaffold design:
<https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0142961211006776>
What came out of that study that lots of the triply-periodic minimal surfaces (a broader class of structures that comprise the Gyroid) had interesting elastic moduli.
One thing that's worth noting though is that the Gyroid is not isotropic. Rather, it has cubic symmetry, ie 3 rather than 2 linear elastic constants. But it comes fairly close to isotropic
Upvotes: 4 |
2018/10/01 | 396 | 1,596 | <issue_start>username_0: When printing several objects, I recently encountered a problem that arises when the structure in itself is relatively thin or the support towers have a small surface: the printhead would in motion tend to knock one or more over as it traveled or catch at them and create layer shift.
How can I avoid collisions with the already printed parts of a layer?<issue_comment>username_1: The problem was twofold:
1. Lack of bed adhesion due to the small contact surface
2. motion into the already printed objects.
The *quick and dirty* way was to change two settings:
* Print with a small (3 mm) brim to stick the supports to the print and provide more surface. Other materials than PLA may need considerably more brim!
* Activate Z-Hop to force the nozzle to lift over the print when traveling
These tricks don't solve issues with very thin structures or in all cases. In those cases, it can be mandatory to increase the structure's (support) thickness or change the alignment.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: For the Creality Ender 3, I had the same collision problem and after a while I found it was because of the X-axis not being level.
I found right hand side was more than 3-4 mm below the left side when the Z-axis height exceeds around 8-10 cm. Below that, the two sides were even. I made some calibration by turning the eccentric nuts of the wheels and tighten them.
If you use Creality Ender 3, that might be the problem. Take a ruler and check between base extrusions and X-axis left/right hand sides at different Z heights.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/10/01 | 1,858 | 6,101 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a concept that's roughly 18"x30" (about 457x762 mm), and I just realized that the Makerbot and similar printers only allow dimensions around the size of a piece of paper. What are other options? Are there large 3D printers I just don't know about? I looked up TMC injection mold, but couldn't find anything on size (most links go to PDFs with printer images).
Is injection even in the same "world" as 3D..? Sorry for confusing the two.<issue_comment>username_1: YesIf you have the money
========================
Either read [here](https://all3dp.com/1/best-large-3d-printer-large-format-scale-3d-printers/#section-best-large-3d-printers-under-1000) or look at the ones I plucked out of that list to show you:
First of all, 3D printers on FDM basis can become quite large, if you pay extra. And the price goes up really fast as the dimensions grow because the demands on stability grow exponentially.
Larger Printers?
================
One example of a "scaling" printer family is the CR-10: The baseline CR-10 is about 300x300x400 mm, so about 12x12x16 inch for 400\$. Not enough? 400x400x400 on the CR-10 S4 for ca 760\$. 500x500x500 on the CR-10 S5 for 900\$. That's 20 inch in all directions. But that's still not enough, isn't it? Well, if you need to go larger, you need to go professional...
Going Big!
==========
Well, there are printers like the gCreate gMax 1.5 XT+ (406x406x533 mm) for a mere 3000\$. That's enough, isn't it? Well, we can even go *bigger*: 610x610x610 mm for a mere 3500\$ on the Modix Big 60.
Still not satisfied? Industrial machines can go even larger! A BigRep Studio for the *little* price of 50000\$ could achieve 500x1000x500 mm.
Even more? Go Parametric!
=========================
As username_4 mentioned, the [Hangpringer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangprinter) project of printers has no "set" build size, but you will have to provide a build platform of fitting size and a room it can work in undisturbed and with filament supply ready... just... bring a ladder? And be wary of people tripping over wires... and somehow find a ginormous, evenly heated bed somewhere...
Ways around
===========
Assembly
--------
That is a little overkill, isn't it? Well, the first thing you need to remember when 3D printing is: unless you make a functional part that has to have certain dimensions, feel free to scale it down if it is just for visuals. Then, you can assemble prints. Like, take a smaller printer and print the object in halves or quarters. Then glue it back together.
Order
-----
You don't want or can't assemble the part? Well, there are printing services out there that have these larger scale printers I mentioned (or at least similar ones) that offer to make your parts for you and then ship them to you. Usually, that is much more cost effective than buying one of these ginormous printers yourself.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: As username_1 states, a print service would appear to be your best bet. Building a printer large enough may work out costing more than the print service, especially if it is only for one print of a proof of concept.
Anecdotally, I visited a 3D Printing shop in Bangkok, [JWH High tech Garden](http://jwh3dprinting.com/english/our-shop/our-shop.html), that had a *huge* Delta printer that had, reputably, cost a million baht (~£20000) if my memory serves me correctly, and was capable of producing prints up to 1000 mm x 600 mm (39.37" x 23.62"):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tAN8o.jpg "Large Delta printer")
However, the print service was not cheap at all. In May 2017, I was quoted 68000-100000 baht (~£1360-2000) for some printed parts (the proteins) for a Wilson II 3D printer, which are about only £70 on eBay!
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fpqlJ.jpg "Wilson II proteins")
However, it is worth taking into consideration that, at the moment, Thailand is very expensive for 3D printing in general, as it is relatively new there, and so prices for both printers and print services are high.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: So long as you are not dealing with [MortonThiokol](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster) issues, there is a simple tradeoff: high-cost printer vs. breaking down your design into smaller parts with assembly features.
Many designers publish designs which snap-fit together; others suggest glue; still others go the safe route of providing clearance holes and requiring metal nuts&bolts to assemble.
In sum - if you can deal with separate parts, you can print everything on a standard bed size.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I do not know about your project, but the size of the final object.
Smaller prints glued together
=============================
Just design smaller parts and glue them together. Take a look on this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1q2D_pK0BE), where <NAME> glues OpenRC Formula parts.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/W75Cy.jpg)
Hangprinter
===========
Interesting concept is [Hangprinter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hangprinter) where volume size depends on your room size. It's a RepRap so you have to build it yourself. Components price should be around 500$.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zDQQD.jpg)
Buy a big printer
=================
If your budget is bigger then you can buy a printer. See following lists:
* <https://all3dp.com/1/best-large-3d-printer-large-format-scale-3d-printers/>
* <https://www.aniwaa.com/largest-3d-printers/>
Print service
=============
If you have higher budget and you need just one, two prints, then you can use 3d printing services like [3dhubs](https://www.3dhubs.com/). Such services use large printers. See a [list on all3dp.com](https://all3dp.com/1/best-online-3d-printing-service-3d-print-services/).
Upvotes: 3 |
2018/10/03 | 805 | 3,094 | <issue_start>username_0: I wanted to create a coin stacking device similar to this one:
<https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:499177>
But I wanted to only 3 coins, 5c, 2c, and 1c. Unfortunately the STL came in pretty messy after importing to Blender, which made it difficult to edit the model to have only 3 stacks. So I decided to create my own. I used a box and three cylinders with the diameter of the coins + 2mm so the coins can fall loose into the stack. The cylinders where used for boolean modify the box to create the stack gaps.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1dgA7.jpg)
Exporting the model as an obj and importing them to Cura showed it getting strange diagonal faces at the stack gaps and at the top.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Xgjzt.jpg)
After slicing however the faces were gone and the test print came out pretty decent, even on low quality settings the measurement were quite exact.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VPUWI.jpg)
Still I would like to know why these additional faces appear and how to prevent that. I am not a blender expert, but I guess it has to do something with the topology/faces? I started creating additional edges in Blender for the isolated vertex created by the boolean modifier, but I don't know if that's actually necessary for a 3d printed model that's not going to be textured ect.<issue_comment>username_1: It is quite common for modelling operations to result in 'non manifold geometry', meaning that some of the faces intersect or are not perfectly joined.
Although there is nothing obvious in your model, you can check in blender by going into edit mode, unselect all, selecting nodes, and 'select all by attribute/non manifold' Ctl-Alt-Shift-M (if I remember right).
Usually this happens with boolean operations where you merge the same object twice (i.e. union for the hole, then difference with the cut part). You would need to apply the boolean to see the non-manifold result.
Any of the standard mesh fixing tools will attempt to clean up your exported STL, and you could then import the model back into blender (but then it is a one way process, and you can't make updates to the base model).
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Not sure about Blender, but MeshMixer has a "Plane Cut" tool that would allow you to take the source STL file and cut off the parts you don't want. That might save you some pain.
But if the final sliced **gcode** file works, don't worry too much.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Judging from your second screenshot, I'd say that Cura does not like n-gons very much.
An n-gon is any polygon with more than 4 sides. Most software tries to convert these polygons into triangles, with solutions that may not be what you want. Obviously, if you triangulate your surfaces manually this problem becomes moot.
Go to Modifiers, add the Triangulate modifier, click apply.
Upvotes: 3 |
2018/10/06 | 1,353 | 4,375 | <issue_start>username_0: I just got [my first spool of PETG](http://smile.amazon.com/Stronghero3D-Printing-Filaments-Accuracy-0-05mm/dp/B07HDZ9K22/) and tried to calibrate an Ultimaker Cura profile for it on my Ender 3 today with limited success.
I've had severe issues with the filament not sticking to the build surface, instead balling up around the edges of the nozzle tip. (*rather like [this post](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/722/petg-collecting-on-the-extruder)*) Sometimes it sticks alright, but that happens properly > 50 % of the time. I've never seen this behavior with my PLA materials.
So far, I've only been trying to print [this calibration part](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:37869).
**Relevant Profile Params:** (*let me know if I need to post more, I think these are the relevant ones*)
* Layer Height: 0.2 mm
* Temp
+ Nozzle: 240 °C
+ Bed: 60 °C
* Print Speed: 60 mm/s (*more specific params left to auto calculation*)
* Travel Speed: 300 mm/s (*max*)
* Cooling fan
+ Initial: 0 %
+ Fan Speed: 100 %
* Retraction
+ Distance: 5 mm
+ Speed: 50 mm/s
* Skirt min length: 250 mm
I was initially going by advice from [<NAME>'s video on PETG](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_adY2K-YIc), starting with 230 °C/70 °C, but when that really didn't work, I then tried the advice of a Reddit user (*can't relocate thread*) that said to try a lower bed temp. I then experimented with different bed temps in the 50's to mixed avail. Most other threads are talking about PETG + glass, which seems to work well with a PVA glue stick surface finish.
I'm getting a glass build surface soon (*as soon as GearBest can ship it from across the pond*), and I hear that will help, but in the meantime, I want to find a way to make it work with the fake Buildtak. What can I do to try to make this work better? My thinking is that the issue is with the bed config (*temp, surface, etc.*) and not with the nozzle temp, but I could be wrong.<issue_comment>username_1: Thanks to the magic of r/3Dprinting, I have a solution. [u/Lhelge helped me out with a tip](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/9ltni1/petg_filament_doesnt_stick_reliably_to_ender_3/e79nq20):
>
> I would suggest a higher bed temperature. I print PETG at 80°-95° for the first layer depending on which printer. Then I go down a bit for the second layer.
>
>
>
I then started out by trying a 250 °C/80 °C temperature config and sure enough, it worked great. I managed to tune my profile down to 250 °C/70 °C and up from 50 mm/s to 70 mm/s.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I have printed kilometers of PETG and found the sweet-spot for my brand to be 240 °C for the hotend and 70 °C for the build plate (for my Ultimaker 3 that is, the extruder temp is 5 °C higher for my home build HyperCube Evolution). The reason for the 70 °C is that the glass temperature of PETG is around 70 °C. The PETG is flexible at that temperature such that there are no stresses because of shrinkage causing the PETG to keep attached to the heat bed surface (aluminium, glass, Buildtak, etc.). A little PVA based glue (stick) or spray (hair or specific print sprays) can even further improve the adhesion. A slow first layer also helps adhering better.
Note that the hotend temperature should be calibrated to the speed you are printing. If you print faster, a higher hotend tempearture is required. To determine the sweet spot for your filament you can print typical calibration towers that can be found on e.g. [Thingiverse](https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=temperature%20tower&dwh=125bba06b7b88c7). Note that you need to manually change the G-code file after slicing of the tower or use plugins of your slicer to change the temperature at a certain level.
Furthermore, PETG does not like to be cooled by the print fan, so keep cooling fan rpm low to prevent layers not to bond (else you get a sort of string cheese print).
---
Edit:
I use parametric stair case style calibration prints that include the slicer print settings that are to determine the best settings for temperature, print cooling, layer size and print speed.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ERWy6.png)[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wYWOC.png)
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/10/07 | 434 | 1,594 | <issue_start>username_0: Other than the most obvious issue with the filament kinking in the tube, what other issues could arise when trying to print flexibles (*i.e. TPU/TPE, Nylon, etc.*) with a Bowden style extruder setup?
Can the kinking issue be alleviated by a well-constrained filament path (*proper ID*) in a properly sized Bowden tube?<issue_comment>username_1: As a user of an UM3E, which uses Bowden tubes and has TPU as an available material, I can tell you that the kinking issues can be alleviated or downright avoided.
I've printed quite a few things with the Ultimaker-brand TPU 95, and never had problems with kinking in the tube.
Ultimaker uses 2.85 mm filament, with Bowden tubes adapted for those and a rear motor, i.e. the motor is on the back on the printer and not right on top of the print head.
I personally wouldn't consider Nylon as one of the really flexible material, but that's my opinion. Never had kinking in the Bowden tube with Nylon either in my UM3E.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: To also validate the first answer, I have been printing with TPU95A for a number of years and it has been one of the most reliable materials to use. The strength of the product alongside the flex makes it a test and production based outcome with fewer issues. My printer for the most part of this experience was the Ultimaker 2+ that has a similar set up to the UM3 with a more traditional hot end.
Cautions: Some older material profiles have the heatbed at 60c. I have always had better outcomes from room temp (no heat on the bed).
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/10/07 | 1,022 | 4,280 | <issue_start>username_0: When exporting an STL from Fusion 360, one must select an STL refinement level to use for calculating the maximum triangle count.
For FDM printing (*0.05mm and above layer heights*), where is the point of diminishing returns on STL refinement level when printing PLA and PETG on an Ender 3 with a 0.4mm nozzle? All mechanical components on the printer are stock.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/z9cgx.png)<issue_comment>username_1: I don't know that this can be definitively answered for a specific printer and all arbitrary designs.
The refinement level basically determines how smooth a curved surface will turn out. The STL file format can only express an object in terms of triangular-shaped surfaces, so Fusion 360 will need to approximate a curved surface by breaking it up into triangles. Flat surfaces and straight edges can be represented perfectly, so they won't be affected. Low refinement will use a small number of relatively large triangles. On a part like your example, the cylindrical shaft will have noticeable facets. Higher refinement means a larger number of smaller triangles.
If you have "Preview Mesh" checked as shown, you will be able to see the triangle wireframe, and you can use your own judgment if it's "good enough".
Ultimately, higher refinement means longer processing times and larger file sizes. The final print time won't be affected much if any.
Personally, I always use high refinement. Even on my modest system, it only takes a few more seconds to prepare a multi-hour print, and maybe a few hundred kilobytes or a couple megabytes on my hard drive that I will barely notice. This is a small tradeoff to ensure the best possible STL definition.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: STL file size should not matter these days as far as the memory and storage sizes are concerned. These are generally large enough (unless you have very large and complicated STL files of large dimensions), so saving an STL in low or high resolution should usually be a matter of megabytes. However, the higher the resolution the more processor calculation time is needed.
Fusion 360 defines the STL generation through 3 predefined settings from a coarse to a fine setting. Indeed, coarse settings may result in poor resolution regarding curved surfaces. If the resolution is more coarse than the print resolution, you will definitely see this in your sliced print as you can identify the triangles of which the STL file consists of.
As far as there is no clear objective `point of diminishing returns`, the question cannot be answered. But, slicing with a higher resolution than print resolution does not seem sensible, it creates larger files which cannot be printed to that level of detail. But there is no downfall other than larger storage space and computation speed.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: If you print for example a thin wall cylinder vertically you cannot turn the refinement high enough to not see the flats on the surface. My triangle counts are 524 for Low, 828 for Medium, 2206 for High, and if you select custom and pull the surface deviation slider all the way to the left you get 6572 triangles. The Surface Deviation shows 0.004406 mm which you would think would be fine enough. (This is for a 12 inch diameter cylinder with a 4 inch height and a wall thickness of 2.4 mm. The numbers vary depending on dimensions.) However you can see this level of deviation in the surface of common FDM type 3D prints. For those who are Metric impaired this is a deviation of 0.00017 inches or about 2 ten thousandths. The situation I present is the best case for an FDM type 3D printer and for just about anything else this level of refinement would be overkill. This is partially some arbitrary limitation in Fusion 360 but it is more a characteristic of using STL files. For my purposes being able to specify a surface deviation two or three times more precise would probably eliminate the visible artifacts. Increasing the refinement to the maximum possible will slow Fusion 360 when it computes the STL file and it will slow the slicer down as well but other than this there is no downside to using maximum refinement.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/10/08 | 362 | 1,324 | <issue_start>username_0: I am trying to create a mechanism with moving parts, and would like to see how it works (whether it even works) before printing it.
For example, there's a servo with a bracket, and I would like to see how far can the bracket move before colliding with other objects.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mlheh.gif)
Unfortunately I cannot find any information on how to set pivot points and rotate objects around these points in FreeCAD. Is this even possible?<issue_comment>username_1: freeCad has a draft rotate function in **DRAFT workbench**:
1. Select an object;
2. Press the Draft Rotate button, then;
3. Click to set the rotating point and rotate.
You will get used to that after a few trails.
There is a [step by step guide](https://www.freecadweb.org/wiki/Draft_Rotate) on freeCad site.
There is also a [short demo of the function here](https://youtu.be/5KDEf16MNc0).
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I would also like to take a look at the A2plus Workbench (Freecad Addon). There you can define constraints which can help with this problem. As far as I know, parts cannot be moved with the mouse pointer, but angle parameters can be entered.
<https://freecadweb.org/wiki/A2plus_Workbench>
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/10/10 | 759 | 2,935 | <issue_start>username_0: If I have an image like the one attached, what’s the best way to create an accurate depth map of it? I have photoshop CC and 3ds Max, but I don’t know what settings work best with Slic3r. There is a plethora of settings and combinations to choose from in either programs.
Did anyone do this before? If so, can you share your technique?
<issue_comment>username_1: From a single image from this perspective (front view) you cannot map the coin surface in detail. There is reported limited success in estimating the depth of single images, but, this is for images with a clear perspective (e.g. like a picture of a room showing the walls and floor at an angle). In order to map the surface you will need to have multiple images and preferably know the direction of lighting on that object.
People with one eye cannot estimate depth very well, you need two eyes and a trained brain to understand the differences in depth.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I designed a coin to use as a tokens for a RPG. I decided to make it from scratch instead of making a height map. I tried two different approaches.
**Smooth height changes**
I found a 3D model of the head I wanted to use on my coin. Then I cut it in two, and placed on of the pieces flat side on top of the coin. I then flattened the head to make it more appropriate for a coin. When I sliced it whit the layer height supported by my printer I noticed that I lost too much of the details in the head.
**Layered height changes**
I found a picture of the head I wanted to use and drew outline of the different parts of the head that I wanted to include. I then added each drawing with a different thickness to the coin. This gave me a clear drawing on the coin, and is what I ended up printing.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/OJexW.jpg)
**Printing**
I printed the coins standing up. 2 of my 42 coins failed because the coin fell over during print. I printed 4 and 4 coins at the time, on placed in each corner of the print surface. I finished one entire coin before starting the next.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jjXf6.jpg)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: If you have a depth map (a raster file with the height at each point), OpenSCAD has the ability to read the height map and create a 3D object. That 3D object can then be exported as an .STL file, and sliced normally.
I have done this (maybe 3 years ago), and it worked well.
This [site](http://aggregate.org/MAKE/TRACE2SCAD/) includes a list of available tools. I probably used one of these, as I could easily convert my particular depth map to a PNG or other image file.
Once the file is in STL format, you can choose how best to print it for your printer.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/10/10 | 838 | 2,921 | <issue_start>username_0: Assume somebody has a Monoprice Maker Select and has changed from the original brass extruder gear to a [D4 Plus](https://www.wanhaouk.com/products/extruder-drive-gear) one, which is slightly smaller (10.6 vs 10.9 mm outer diameter).
This person might be wondering if he/she needs to compensate for this difference, and which setting that would be in Cura IIIP.
(Have never calibrated the extruder and am still not sure it is absolutely necessary, since the difference in the gear size is only 3%.)<issue_comment>username_1: If you change the extruder wheel for a different sized wheel, you need to calibrate the extruder to make sure that if you ask to extrude 100 mm it actually extrudes 100 mm. [This answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6484/5740) on the question "[How do I calibrate the extruder of my printer?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/q/6483/5740)" describes how to do that.
It is not required to flash your firmware. The G-code command [`M92`](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M92:_Set_axis_steps_per_unit) can be used to set the new amount of steps for the extruder. The Monoprice Maker Select has a Melzi control board that is running Repetier firmware. This G-code command is supported by Repetier firmware.
You need to be able to connect a so-called terminal to your printer. Applications as Repetier-Host, Pronterface, OctoPrint, and probably many more have so-called terminals where you can interface with the printer by sending command to it when the printer is connected through USB (please mind the communication speed of the board, called Baud rate, these are not the same for all boards).
Sending `M503` will report the current settings for `M92`, e.g.:
```
M92 X100.00 Y100.00 Z400.00 E100.00
```
Extrude 100 mm without the hotend attached so you can measure the amount that is extruded. If that is 80 mm you need more steps $ \frac{100\ mm}{80\ mm} \times 100\ steps/mm = 125\ steps/mm $
You now need to send `M92 E125` and the new steps are set. Use `M500` to store the setting.
You could also change the flow extrusion parameter in your slicer, but it generally not good practice, it is better to fix the printer rather than adjusting in the slicer. However, if you do want to fix it in the slicer, as mentioned in the comments, you can also add steps setting in the start G-code script: *"To get around flashing the new values to the ROM, you can add this to the machine settings in Cura under "Start Gcode" this way it will append your values at the start of every print."*. Note that other slicers have similar functionality.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: This will affect your extrusion rate. The best place to change this would be in your E steps located in the firmware but you can also compensate for this by changing the flow percentage in Cura, a setting of 103% (10.9/10.6) should get you close.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/10/10 | 1,783 | 6,521 | <issue_start>username_0: A Monoprice Maker Select V2, upgraded incrementally with a [Micro Swiss all metal hot-end](https://store.micro-swiss.com/products/all-metal-hotend-with-slotted-cooling-block-for-wanhao-i3), machined lever, and [D4 extruder gear](https://www.wanhaouk.com/products/extruder-drive-gear), systematically fails to produce complete prints, as seen below:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fQC1C.png "Incomplete prints")
The following observations can be made.
* The nozzle clog appears at different heights/elapsed times, so it does not seem to be because of heat creep, which ought to take the same time to take effect, each time.
* All the clogs so far have been easy to clear manually, once the hotend has been made accessible.
* The filament (1.75 mm PLA) is quite new, has only been sitting on the spool at the top of the printer, seems regular in density, is not visibly damaged etc.
* In the original configuration, before the upgrading, the printer worked fine for some months.
One possible explanation might be inconsistent temperature in the extruder, but the display does not show any great variation.
Any other theories? These latest prints were made at 210 °C.
---
The nozzle clogging was verified, each time, by trying to extrude using the printer controls; and then cleaned manually by taking off the "cold end" part, heating the extruder, and pressing the remaining filament out by hand.
Not so long ago the nozzle was cleaned with ethyl acetate and a needle, so I do not believe carbon build-up is the explanation.
Cura settings:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0b6Tz.png "Cura settings")<issue_comment>username_1: The Micro Swiss hotend uses an all metal hotend. These type of hotends are more difficult to operate considering they do not have a Teflon liner that shields the filament from heat exchange from the cold end (the Teflon/PTFE tube acts as an insulator). From [this article](https://www.proto-pasta.com/blogs/how-to/avoid-clogs-with-pla-composites-and-all-metal-hotends):
>
> Jams and clogs are often from a combination of excessive heat and
> non-optimal material flow. This effect is worsened by poorly cooled
> **all-metal hot ends, high torque extruder gears**, small nozzles/layers,
> slow printing speeds, too thin first layer, and excessive retraction.
>
>
>
The bold faced text in the quote sums up what is causing this. A smaller gear requires more force/torque as the arm i.e. the radius is smaller.
The article describes what steps you could do to alleviate the problem. Of all the suggestions, *"**Minimize retraction**"*, seems a possible candidate for you to look into considering the posted print settings. As this is a heat related problem it is advised to also ***increase your printing speeds***, these are pretty low (30 mm/s for slow and 60 mm/s for normal printing) and also ***check the cooling of the "cold end"*** (the fan that cools the radiator fins). Also ***reduce the printing temperature***, 210 °C is pretty high for PLA filament, personally I don't go over 200 °C (note that this depends on your filament, but most PLA brands can be printed in the 185 - 195 °C range).
You have a pretty large retraction specified. The Ultimaker default is 6.5 mm is considered to be large, but works perfectly for Ultimaker machines (read Bowden tube setup). In my Ultimaker 3E which uses all metal hotends, or, in my custom HyperCube Evolution, also Bowden, but with a lined hotend, 6.5 mm retraction works perfectly.
Please look into [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/2632/5740) and [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/2622/5740). Both describe that the retraction performance is worse with all metal hotends. My experiences are exactly the same with metal hotends, at least the cheaper production ones (I tested cheap all metal hotends, but also ran into problems because of production and design errors, I have not tried the better quality heat breaks/throats yet).
Please lower the retraction setting considerably to see if it has an effect. The Monoprice Maker Select uses a direct drive. Direct drive extruders do not need a large retraction length setting. If the filament is hot in the throat (as there is no PTFE lining that in fact acts as an insulator), too large of a retraction may not be reversed when the filament cooles during the retraction.
---
I think you might be experiencing what is described in [this question](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/q/5968/5740): "*Extruder prints fine up until further down the print*". [This answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6469/5740) describes issues of the metal heat breaks.
To comment on your statement in comments above, I am not suggesting you should use a liner in your current extruder. I'm pointing out the differences. Metal hotends are just more tricky to operate regarding retraction and heat management.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: There are several reasons why the nozzles can clog.
**Temperature:**
If you set the temperature too low, the force to push the filament through the nozzle gets up. This can lead to filament grinding and this can lead to clogging. If you set the temperature too high while not extruding, the filament can degrade, which may lead to clogging. So always test the temperature and viscosity by manual pushing filament through the nozzle.
**Nozzle Size:**
Many users do not like to change the nozzle but for many filaments 0.4 mm is not advisable. Try 0.6 mm. The print quality is nearly the same @ similar layer sizes, print time goes down a bit and the likelyhood for clogging is close to zero. Reason is that the flow resistance is proportional to r^4.
**Grind dust/traction force -> Retraction:**
I suggest a max of 2 mm to 2.5 mm for direct extruders. Higher values bring no benefit and lead to filament grinding. Bowden Extruders can use values > 5 mm due to bending sometimes.
**Feeder Spring**
Sometimes the spring of the feeder loses tension over time, thus the filement is not pushed forward and instead, grinded down.
**Feeder Gear**
Another problem can be related with the pushing gear of the feeder (which you mount on the motor). I use gears with fewer theeth. They produce traction force and stay clean from grinding dust. Gears with many small teeth become dusty and produce less traction force.
Upvotes: 3 |
2018/10/10 | 1,200 | 4,315 | <issue_start>username_0: I got my first printer, a [Geeetech Prusa i3](https://www.amazon.de/dp/B075FQRNY3/ref=pe_3044161_189395811_TE_SCE_3p_dp_1), and for the price I paid (160$) I am so blown away. As I saved so much money, I treated myself to a legit copy of Simplify3D, which I am happy with.
I'm using white PLA filament (supposedly 1.75 mm) with a 0.3 mm nozzle. The hotend temperature range is 215-240 °C and the bed is usually at 90 °C (with hairspray it gives a nice shiny solid bottom surface). My goal is to print with 0.3, or with 0.2 if 0.3 is to big for the nozzle (ideally a 0.3 nozzle can print 0.3 layer height).
**The problem:**
It seems that, especially on the first layer with bigger prints, or any layer that continuously pulls filament through the nozzle (outside lining of a layer), the amount of filament that gets "printed out" isn't enough compared to the amount of filament that is pushed in by the extruder gear. This, in my theory right now, causes the new filament to stay in place until the melted plastic in the nozzle is used, which then makes room again for more filament to be pushed through. Until this happens, the gear slips/clicks and can't pull anymore filament.
The mechanics seem to work well, and I don't think the nozzle is clogged. I would guess that some settings need to be manually adjusted to keep the amount of filament pushed through the nozzle equal or less than the amount the nozzle can actually push through, but what is weird to me is that this happens semi-randomly. I have searched online and the issue intermittently appears with other people, but I haven't found a solution yet.
*What settings would I need to test?*
Here is a link to [some current successful prints and a layer mess up example(batman bust)](https://1drv.ms/f/s!AnDfnxILoXLp9TWV9u0Ue1OEW1cL).
My biggest print so far (Batman Bust) is amazing, but even here you can see certain layers where the gear couldn't push filament through and the gear skipped a few clicks, causing it to print less when it was suppose to print on the following instructions. This happens a lot more, but when it happens during an infill you obviously can't see it from the outside. The individual layer-height seems maybe a bit too small (0.1 for batman), and the times where the extruder usually skips and clicks appear when I print bigger sizes (0.2 and 0.3). I want to start printing more complex and bigger things, so using 0.1 seems like an overkill in detail and takes way too long.
Edit:
My filament is the generic Geeetech white PLA that I ordered together with the printer.<issue_comment>username_1: A nozzle with a nozzle **width** of 0.3 mm cannot print a 0.3 mm layer **height**. You *could* do that but you *should* not as you ultimately pay the price in the form of a less aesthetic finish. The general rule of thumb is to maximize the layer height at 75 % of the nozzle width, so a 0.3 mm nozzle would allow for a maximum of 0.225 mm. The rationale is that the filament leaves the nozzle as a tube and needs to be flattened to make it flat and adhere to the previous layer, too high layer heights increase the pressure in the nozzle (more filament is needed) causing a less than ideal extrusion and cause the extruder to skip; this is identified by observing a distinct [clicking](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/search?tab=newest&q=extruder%20click) noise.
Please lower your layer height (try 0.2 mm) and decrease the printing speed to see if this works better.
Furthermore, for PLA, temperatures for the hotend (unless you have some sort of a special PLA filament) and the bed temperature are too high. Please aim to print PLA at about 200 °C with a bed temperature of 50 - 60 °C.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I fixed it!
The problem wasn't the temperature, it was the spring that puts the pressure on the little wheel against the gear. That was too strong, so the entry of the extruder was to tight. The gear worked fine and the settings worked well, I just had to adjust the spring a bit to carefully lower the pressure. I just printed another Golden Key and it looks perfect!
Thanks for all your tips on the other settings, I will experiment with tose to see if I can increase quality even more, but it seems to work perfectly now for a 160$ printer :)
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/10/14 | 815 | 3,111 | <issue_start>username_0: A z-axis homing issue is giving me an ulcer. I'm hoping someone can help with this.
As per usual, after the Z endstop is triggered on my TEVO Tarantula the gantry raises a bit then slowly lowers back down to the z=0 point established by the trigger. However, the gantry is now lowering well past the point triggered by the endstop. It's forcing the hotend to press down into the bed, and I need to reset the printer to avoid any damage.
I'm at a loss to understand why, and it's making re-leveling the bed impossible. Once I have the bed leveled, an auto home grinds the hotend into the bed.
I've done some cable management in the past couple of days but everything is connected where it should be. The endstops are responding, I've even manually triggered them so I know they're working, but the Z refuses to stop where it should.
I've printed at least once since organizing my cables but the bed wasn't level and then I noticed this issue when homing the Z for re-leveling.
For context, I've had several projects print successfully recently so things *had* been working fairly well. I haven't made any changes to the Marlin software since originally setting it up months ago. I had been poking around in some settings on the unit but I'm quite sure I reverted everything I tweaked. Regardless, I can't seem to find the menu I had accessed before, and I don't think I've ever had the TEVO successfully save any customizations made via the LCD interface anyway.<issue_comment>username_1: The soldering in the Tevo components is very low quality as I replaced/resoldered most of the end-stops.
As the gantry goes down - please ensure that the cable is not pulled over (no contact) and there is contact on the edge of the acrylic and the end-stop, also the small acrylic switch holder could bend/slip a bit. Finally, the sensor connection to the main board could be dragged by wires that are connected to the hot-end.
To validate micro-switch behavior - lift the Z-axis (about 100mm), then set `home position` and manually trigger the end-stop switch. That shall lift the Z-axis, so then trigger again to see if that works. You will still have a plenty of time to stop the printer if the switch does not work.
If that works, then the reason could be in slipping edge of the black acrylic plate and the micro-switch. Also validate the mechanical connection (if there is a loosening screw (the small on the switch plate)).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm not familiar with your particular model, so this may not be directly applicable.
For many printer models, a swing thru thingiverse.com will find you a replacement z-stop switch mount that uses a threaded screw to set the z-height at which the microswitch fires. It may well be that you simply need to offset that height by a few mm to get your first layer to mate well with the print bed.
Here are three examples, albeit for various models. [12488](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:12488) , [1829747](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1829747) ,
[2856144](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2856144)
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/10/16 | 1,103 | 3,861 | <issue_start>username_0: I've been printing PLA on a Pegasus 12" for 2 years. Print quality has been great but in the last few months the quality of the prints has deteriorated. After looking into it, it seems when the head moves away from the spool and puts the filament in tension (and pulls on the spool) the extruder cog slips on the filament.
That results in traces where no plastic gets extruded the furthest away the head moves from the spool (the spool is on the left in the picture below):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0W9DA.jpg)
The cog slipping can be seen between 0:22 and 0:27 on the video below: the cog on the right spins continuously but the ball bearing on the left stops spinning for 5 seconds.
<https://photos.app.goo.gl/cTfySUgXDy1XKXGv8>
The end result is a part with multiple gaps, especially on the side farthest away from the spool.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lX4eJ.jpg)
I've cleaned the teeth of the cog (removed plastic dust) to improve traction but that didn't solve the problem. I've also tried to clean up the extruder by inserting a wire from the hot end side, no improvement in print quality.
Any ideas on how to fix that slipping problem?
**Edit with solution:**
=======================
To complement Oscar's answer below, here is what I've done that fixed the problem: it turns out the issue was coming from a lack of friction on the filament. To increase the friction, I've slipped a pair of 0.25mm thick pieces of plastic sheet between the bearing axis and the mount. See pic below.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CXw36.jpg)
That increased the force on the filament enough to fully solve the slippage problem. The print quality is perfect now (see pic below).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KqbYo.jpg)
The plastic sheet trick is just a short term fix. I'm going to try swapping the drive gear for a slightly thicker one and contact MakerFarm to see if there is any long term modification they recommend.<issue_comment>username_1: The soldering in the Tevo components is very low quality as I replaced/resoldered most of the end-stops.
As the gantry goes down - please ensure that the cable is not pulled over (no contact) and there is contact on the edge of the acrylic and the end-stop, also the small acrylic switch holder could bend/slip a bit. Finally, the sensor connection to the main board could be dragged by wires that are connected to the hot-end.
To validate micro-switch behavior - lift the Z-axis (about 100mm), then set `home position` and manually trigger the end-stop switch. That shall lift the Z-axis, so then trigger again to see if that works. You will still have a plenty of time to stop the printer if the switch does not work.
If that works, then the reason could be in slipping edge of the black acrylic plate and the micro-switch. Also validate the mechanical connection (if there is a loosening screw (the small on the switch plate)).
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm not familiar with your particular model, so this may not be directly applicable.
For many printer models, a swing thru thingiverse.com will find you a replacement z-stop switch mount that uses a threaded screw to set the z-height at which the microswitch fires. It may well be that you simply need to offset that height by a few mm to get your first layer to mate well with the print bed.
Here are three examples, albeit for various models. [12488](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:12488) , [1829747](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1829747) ,
[2856144](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2856144)
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/10/17 | 355 | 1,304 | <issue_start>username_0: I have an SLA printed part I want to put a brass threaded insert in using a soldering iron. The insert is slightly larger than the hole so I would assume the edge will melt and re-freeze around the teeth. Are there any issues with melting SLA or this idea in general?<issue_comment>username_1: The plastic used in SLA printing is what is known as a *thermoset* plastic, as opposed to the *thermoplastic* plastics used in FDM printing. What this means, is that it *can not be melted*. The reaction that hardens SLA materials is irreversible. If you heat up the plastic it won't melt, it will just burn (if it gets hot enough). What you're planning is a bad idea, and it won't work.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: There is an alternative. Use screw to expand inserts before final curing.
After washing, but before curing, place the threaded insert into the hole. Use a screw to expand it into the hole walls. Curing will then 'fix' the insert into the hole.
Hope this late advise is usable.
username_2
<https://www.mcmaster.com/screw-to-expand-inserts/>
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Is it possible to make the hole larger, put the brass insert with a pre-installed screw inside the hole, fill the area with resin and cure with UV lamp?
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/10/18 | 669 | 2,793 | <issue_start>username_0: My Anet A8 was working and printing great until my hotbed connector snapped and shorted out my motherboard. After replacing the connections to my hotbed and my motherboard I can't print anything because the filament flow is very inconsistent. It often laying down nothing. See my included picture.
I've tried a bunch of suggested calibration settings but none of them worked:
* increased extruder temp,
* decreased speed,
* increased flow,
Any ideas or thoughts would be great.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/NzZwN.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: *Please note that the problems you faced are typical for the Anet A8, the connectors are underrated for the application. Also, do note that the stock firmware does not have thermal runaway protection, which is considered to be very unsafe and could potentially lead to burning down your house! Please flash a firmware that supports thermal runaway protection, like e.g. Marlin Firmware.*
---
Basically you just tried to change some parameters to see if they have an effect. This is generally a good idea to get an idea of the problem, but a more technical approach would be to start from the beginning and exclude things you have tested. As for now you cannot conclude why the print looks as shown in the image, e.g. it also looks as if the nozzle to bed distance is too large.
The question remains if your 3D printer board did survive the shorting of the hotbed leads!
To troubleshoot this particular problem it is advised to check whether the extrusion process still does what it is asked to do. Disconnecting the hotend from the extruder and measuring how much filament is extruded would be the first thing to check. Please look into [How do I calibrate the extruder of my printer?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6483/how-do-i-calibrate-the-extruder-of-my-printer). It seems odd that the extrusion is off if the firmware has not changed, or alternative settings stored, but to be sure it would be the first thing to check. From this exercise you'll learn whether the firmware is set correctly and the extruder working properly. It can still be that the extruder gear slips, e.g. because the filament does not have a lot of friction when disconnected from the hotend.
When the extrusion process works and the commanded length is extruded, you can update the question with what you have done. After this, and if the problem persists, you can look into nozzle clogging and filament resistance for instance.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Thanks everyone for the tips. I posted this question on another board and it was suggested my extruder was clogged. After unclogging everything works great again.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/10/18 | 449 | 1,630 | <issue_start>username_0: I just assembled a Prusa i3 MK3 and went through the calibration process, but when I print the first layer doesn't look good and my prints come unstuck from the bed. I think it might be Z height but this was as high as I could put the probe without the paper moving on the calibration test. The layers after the first few look good but then the print either warps or comes unstuck and moves.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EdidQ.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4voqC.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: Judging by the images you posted in your question, the first layer distance is too far away from the bed for the current filament flow.
This could either be related to:
* having an offset on the first layer like a height correction in the slicer,
* an incorrectly levelled (read height adjusted) bed, (you did the paper test correctly, so this is probably not your problem, it is mentioned for completeness)
* under-extrusion
+ slicer setting not correct, e.g. filament diameter or flow modifier not 100 %
+ incorrectly calibrated extruder
Your most likely problem is under-extrusion. It would be advised to calibrate the extruder: [How do I calibrate the extruder of my printer?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6483/how-do-i-calibrate-the-extruder-of-my-printer) and check the slicer settings.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I used the live-z adjustment feature and set it to +0.150 and now my prints look much better.
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/10/18 | 1,014 | 3,612 | <issue_start>username_0: How can I achieve keeping the motors active during pause to avoid moving their position during filament changes? I have changed the filament during some prints to change the color or to change the a newer spool, but sometimes the X axis is moved during the change. I'm now using some cloth clips to prevent moving during this change.
To pause the 3D printer I'm using the LCD menu ->pause, then I go to Move axis X, then I move close to 0. This change is manually and random since I don't know when the old filament reel is going to finish. The printer use Marlin as firmware with Ramps 1.4<issue_comment>username_1: I have not tried this, but you could use the `M84 S0` command, this prevents the motors to go into an idle state.
From the [`M84` G-code wiki](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M84:_Stop_idle_hold) (firmware specific!):
>
> On ***Marlin***, Repetier and RepRapFirmware, M84 can also be used to
> configure or disable the idle timeout. For example, `M84 S10` will
> idle the stepper motors after 10 seconds of inactivity. `M84 S0` will
> disable idle timeout; steppers will remain powered up regardless of
> activity.
>
>
>
What rests is to implement this command into your G-code file to be executed during pause. Depending on the pause method you could introduce this command. I have not tried this, but you could put the command in your start G-code and test if the motors keep powered!
Furthermore, *a specific filament change command is available for specific firmware applications*. This code, [`M600`](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M600:_Filament_change_pause), can be used to change filament. From the [Marlin documentation](http://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M600.html) you can read (since you are using Marlin Firmware, you could use this G-code command):
>
> The `M600` command initiates the filament change procedure. The basic
> procedure will move the print head away from the print, eject the
> filament, wait for new filament to be inserted and the user to
> confirm, load and prime the filament, and continue with the print.
> `M600` may be initiated automatically if a filament runout sensor is
> installed.
>
>
>
Please do note that in Marlin Firmware the `M600` command is only available when the comments before `//#define ADVANCED_PAUSE_FEATURE` in the advanced configuration options file [Configuration\_adv.h](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/blob/1.1.x/Marlin/Configuration_adv.h) are removed, hereby activating the command.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Is `ADVANCED_PAUSE_FEATURE` enabled in your printers `configuration_adv.h` file?
There is a `PAUSE_PARK_NO_STEPPER_TIMEOUT` option included in there, which prevents the steppers from timing out during a pause, and may be more robust than a G-Code command if you plan to manually pause and resume the print instead of setting it up in the slicer.
Alternatively, in the same file,
```
#define DEFAULT_STEPPER_DEACTIVE_TIME 120
#define DISABLE_INACTIVE_X true
#define DISABLE_INACTIVE_Y true
#define DISABLE_INACTIVE_Z true // set to false if the nozzle will fall down on your printed part when print has finished.
#define DISABLE_INACTIVE_E true
```
can be found. You may want to increase the `DEFAULT_STEPPER_DEACTIVE_TIME`, or set
```
#define DISABLE_INACTIVE_X true
#define DISABLE_INACTIVE_Y true
#define DISABLE_INACTIVE_Z true // set to false if the nozzle will fall down on your printed part when print has finished.
```
to `false` to keep X, Y and Z engaged while allowing movement of the extruder stepper only.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2018/10/21 | 1,746 | 6,153 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a long print that keeps aborting. At some random point mid-print the printer says "Click to resume...". There is nothing in the G-code that asks for user confirmation. What could it be that triggers this? I noticed that sometimes (not every time) there is a blob of plastic in the way that should not be there.
On one occasion, after the "Click to resume...", the LCD showed the message `FY178.N16466` and again waited for a click.
The printer is an Anet A8 with Marlin 1.1.9. Slicer is Cura. I am printing via USB from Cura directly.
This is the error message:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/QXdNc.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: *This is not an answer/explanation per se, but it might help you track down the cause.*
---
It *might* be worth [enabling logging](http://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M928.html) `M928` to the SD card (ensure that the R/W tab on the SD card is set appropriately), so that (after this has happened a few times) then you can look through the log to see what the command preceding the abort was, and if it is consistently the same (sequence of) commands that cause this to happen.
```
M928 filename
```
If that doesn't throw up anything obvious, then, in conjunction with logging, you could enable debugging, see [`M111` Debug level](http://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M111.html). For example:
```
M111 S7 ; ECHO, ERRORS, INFO
```
Then run through the long print again. As before, after a few of the *click to resume print* messages, then go back and check the log for anything that might indicate why this is happening.
To subsequently disable the debugging:
```
M111 S0
```
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: To answer your question directly, this action (`Click to resume...`) is triggered by a buffer overflow of the Marlin firmware that is caused by the repetitive sending of `M105` command by Ultimaker Cura (without checking the result).
This problem is a [reported problem](https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/issues/3994) and fixed in the next release of Ultimaker Cura (please do note that as of posting this answer, the 3.6 Beta release is available for [download](https://ultimaker.com/en/blog/52744-ultimaker-cura-36-beta-available-now)). It appears to be a communication problem between Ultimaker Cura 3.4+ and 1.1.8+ versions of the Marlin firmware and has to to with polling of the temperature (`M105`). The link above also states it is fixed in the 3.6 release (which is the next release) as the fix has been integrated in the main code base.
This describes the problem:
>
> To update the temperatures in the monitor, Cura sends M105 pings every
> 2 seconds. It seems that if this is done during a print without
> waiting for an `OK` from the printer, the serial buffer on the printer
> may still overflow eventually (causing Marlin to complain/pause).
>
>
>
and this describes the solution:
>
> During some operations, such as preheating, the printer responds to
> new commands with `echo:busy`. While it is busy, it does send
> temperature messages, but these are not prepended with an `ok`,
> because the `ok` is supposed to show that a command was received and
> executed. So the two patches I wrote do the following:
>
>
> * the pattern matching no longer looks for `ok` messages, but looks for
> temperature updates (this fixes the temperature updating while the
> printer is preheating)
> * once the printer has said that it is busy, stop
> asking for temperature updates until the next `ok` is received (this
> prevents the serial buffer overflowing while preheating)
>
>
>
---
*Old answer centered around the firmware (based on the text of the OP, no photo with the actual error message was added yet):*
The text `click to resume print` cannot be found (with case insensitive search) in the latest sources of Marlin 1.1.9 down to Marlin 1.1.6. This means that you are using a different fork, an older version of Marlin or the message is not displayed as such.
The text message `Resume print` can be found, and is part of the message constant `MSG_RESUME_PRINT`
```
#define MSG_RESUME_PRINT _UxGT("Resume print")
```
But, this cannot be found in some sort of a concatenation using `MSG_RESUME_PRINT`!
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Tonight I had faced the same problem.
I've read somewhere (can't find the source now) that this is a Cura bug that has been fixed in Cura 3.6 beta
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: For your information, this problem has occurred for me with Cura 3.6.0 (yesterday and 2 days ago)
I thought the problem was occurring with Marlin since 1.8.
My Marlin version is 1.3 (... just discover that because of that issue!)
As my printer works perfectly with 1.3, I'd prefer not to upgrade.
I had the 'click to resume' problem twice.
I've printed tons of ABS models without problem, two days ago, I've printed PLA models and had this issue. (70 °C 200 °C).
For sure if the problem occurs again, I'll upgrade to Marlin 1.9 (or even 2.0 even if still in beta) because it seems that you *have* found the problem and already solved it; I was surprised to read that it was fixed in Cura 3.6 since I had the problem with that version.
My printer is a Tevo Tarentula (modified, I've removed the pseudo bed leveling options because I prefer to level manually (no z move while printing)).
One more information is that in parallel, I've decided to print the first layer at a very low speed (adhesion problems).
I've changed from 30 mm/s (ABS with big adhesion problems) to 10 mm/s with PLA + Cura 3.6 and went into this bug (yes one could argue that I may print faster etc., but that's not the point here). Maybe I have the problem because I'm printing the 1st layer at a this slow speed (thus making the full buffer problem more critical).
The bug does not occur each time I print, even when printing the same model with same parameters...
@HuguesDug reported the [same problem 14 days ago](https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/issues/3994) and
@Leeb answered him that running with Marlin 1.9 solved the problem.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/10/22 | 562 | 2,214 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm at a location where I don't have easy access to toothed belts for my printer (a [RepRap Wallace](https://reprap.org/wiki/Wallace)). While trying to look for some solution, I saw some talk of using fishing line as a belt, along with a log of admonitions of `Don't`.
However, as I have easy access to fishing line, but almost no access to a toothed belt, I was thinking of using multiple strands of fishing line with regularly spaced knots to simulate a toothed belt. However, Google didn't help much with either usage or possible Gotchas.
Is there any possible issues that I may face with this solution?<issue_comment>username_1: I’m going to recommend not using a fishing line with knots. Probably the biggest problem you’ll have using the fishing line with knots is if the knots are not perfectly spaced, movement along the X or Y axis is not going to be consistent. This could result in weird deformations in your print.
Depending on how you tie the knots they may not grip the teeth of the gears quite well enough to prevent slippage.
Both of these issues will mean that you will not get very good quality prints assuming the print doesn’t outright fail.
You would be better off waiting to get the correct belt then attempting to use fishing line.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: If you are using fishing line, it would perhaps work to wrap the line around the pully and fastening it to the pully (both ends), so that the line wraps around the pully. One side would play out from the pully while the other was wrapping around it.
By attaching the ends of the line to the pully, there will be no slippage between the line and the pully. The knots aren't needed, and their irregularity won't affect the print quality. The problem will be if and when the fishing line wraps tightly over itself and jams. This can be mitigated a bit by having the two ends on opposite sides of the pully, and perhaps adding guide wires to direct the line to the proper side.
Usually, mechanisms like this involve good control of the wrapping and unwrapping, but this might work well enough to print a new pully.
Thin aircraft cable might be a good alternative to fishing line.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/10/22 | 1,104 | 4,231 | <issue_start>username_0: With respect to [Himanshu's comment](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7172/dual-extruder-clogging-problem#comment11340_7172) about applying a lubricant to PLA filament, and then having read the Reddit thread, [Seasoning all-metal hot ends with oil?](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/52xjcg/seasoning_allmetal_hot_ends_with_oil/), pointed to in [0scar's answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7172/dual-extruder-clogging-problem/7181#7181), I was wondering if any studies have been done on the topic?
If so, what is the general consensus? From the Reddit thread it seems as if the better quality branded hotends, such as E3D do not require it, whereas the older, or less well finished clones, may well benefit from such treatment.
In addition, which oil is preferable, animal, vegetable or mineral? Is vaseline a good idea?
Also, would the advice differ if ABS filament is used, or would the same conditions apply?<issue_comment>username_1: I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say this is probably not a good idea in any capacity.
First off, if you take a look at [this list](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Smoke_point_of_cooking_oils) of cooking oils, you'll notice that pretty much all of them have smoke points below the printing temperature of ABS, with a handful of exceptions that have smoke points just barely above that temperature. All that means is that the hydrocarbon chains are going to break down inside your extruder, which really accomplishes nothing helpful for you. As the compounds break down further and oxidize with the small amounts of air coming into the extruder, you're going to get carbon fouling on all surfaces, including the filament itself as it extrudes.
Second, and this depends entirely on the amount of oil present, but I'd expect to see oil actually coating the filament somewhat as it comes out of the nozzle, and acting as a separating agent between the lines of filament on the print itself. I'm not sure how much you'd actually experience this, but again, best case scenario is it doesn't happen, and the oil doesn't give you any real advantage here.
Third, the process of seasoning cast iron works because the surface of the cast iron should be smooth for minimal food sticking, and any kind of rusting causes pits and porosity in the metal. Seasoning just ensures that oil stays in the metal to prevent moisture from interacting with it, and to provide a very thin oil layer that somewhat separates food from the metal until the food is hot enough that its own fats have started to lubricate it against the pan. Extruders on the other hand really shouldn't have porous surfaces nor be made of easily oxidized materials. Stainless heatbreaks, aluminum blocks, brass nozzles, all of these really aren't going to rust readily and probably won't benefit much from an oil coating.
Fourth, if you're looking for a nonstick coating for the interior of the extruder, a PTFE liner has been known to give excellent results for a very long time now. If you're printing above the temperatures PTFE can survive at, then unfortunately you're also printing above the temperatures that pretty much any cooking oil (or petroleum jelly) will survive without rapidly breaking down.
So to summarize, you're not going to find many oils that can even survive inside an extruder, and they wouldn't really give you many benefits for the duration of time that they weren't just a charcoal slurry.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: W.R.T [username_1's answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/10247/4762):
>
> Third, the process of seasoning cast iron works because the surface of the cast iron should be smooth for minimal food sticking, and any kind of rusting causes pits and porosity in the metal.
>
>
>
You season a cast iron pan to create a carbon layer on top of the metal. Water should not be left standing in a cast iron skillet. For my 3D printers I replace the Bowden tube once a year. It cures many problems for me. I suspect that over time the filament cause abrasion in the tube that increases friction. I also do a teardown and cleaning of the extruder in the same interval.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/10/22 | 2,330 | 8,863 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm having issues with ripples on the first layer of big flat prints. The initial corner of a big flat print is fine, but then ripples begin to form as shown in the screenshot.
I'm just a newbie, so I was thinking they might have something to do with heat or contraction or something. Normally, I use the default and print with no turbofan on the first layer. When I tried adding fan 20% or 50%, nothing much changed (slight differences in the ripple pattern and area, but that pattern varies anyway).
I also wonder if one strip gets bent, then maybe the rest just follow the bends. As far as I know, my heating plate is working fine, has no serious hot spots, and I'm using a high-quality PLA+ filament. I also tried adjusting the print temperature from 205-220 (the range on the box is 205-230). Nothing seemed to help. I am running a default first layer thickness of 0.3 mm because that is supposed to help adhesion (and adhesion is fine).
The ripples look worse than they feel. They feel fairly flat, only slightly rippled, even though they look terrible! (And I don't know what that weird row with blobs is in the top left of the picture. That only happened once; almost like junk was in the nozzle or the feed gears slipped or something).
I'm running a Qidi Xpro machine, Sunlu PLA+ (wonderful) filaments, bed 50 C, print temp 205-215, print speed 30-40 mm/s on the first layer, and first layer thickness 0.3 mm (normal layer thickness is 0.2 mm). This machine has a direct drive with gears immediately above the nozzle.
Does anyone know why this rippling effect occurs, and what I might to do to correct it? Thanks
UPDATE: I'm adding this info here to respond to several comments concerning bed leveling, etc. (Thank you to those who made comments!)
1) I'm sure that the bed is as level as I can make it because I always go through the cycle twice).
2) Regarding clearance, if anything I worry that my clearance is too small since there is a fair amount of drag on my leveling card under the nozzle. So, there is definitely drag on all three level points, about midrange between the lightest drag and the heaviest drag that makes me think I'm filing off part of the nozzle.
3) I do have two nozzles, so I suppose the problem could show up on one but not the other if the nozzles were screwed into the block to give different heights. But the ripple shows up on both nozzles, always in the middle of the build plate, always in the middle of a big flat print. Corners don't usually show ripple effects. I don't want to believe that my build plate dips in the middle on my new machine, either ... :-) Adhesion is fine on small prints in the middle of the plate.
Here is a picture of the bottom of the piece. A careful examination shows an oscillation in the squished filament segments on a filament thread. Almost like the extruder was oscillating vertically in the z-axis at that frequency, or perhaps the filament squishyness was oscillating at that frequency. Looks almost like a weave pattern, since the squished parts alternate position on alternating lines.
It's worth saying again that the piece feels pretty smooth on both the top and bottom sides, even though it looks awful. I don't know what to make of that.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/n1zZA.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: 1. The first that I have in mind was connected with an acceleration, so you could play with it (set to half the current value and see the results)
2. The other source of that could be drive belt that is fiddling a little bit on the motor and idler shaft (visual check for any play on the motor/shaft)
3. Next one could be connected with some obstructions in the filament path (as this is direct drive, the Bowden tube could add an extra load if it was bent or spool is blocked)
4. As this is coreXY type printer could you set in slicer filing angles to 0deg and 90deg? That will force booth motors to run in the same time and eliminate a not holding torque on the other motor (or from other hand please check if the other motor gets some play when the head is going diagonally)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: First layer rippling is usually caused by a too low of a first layer height (for the amount of extruded filament).
Are you sure that:
1. Your bed is leveled as good as possible, and
2. the initial height between the nozzle and the bed is correct when Z=0 (A4 paper thickness, when moved should be giving some drag), and
3. the bed is flat. *(This is most probably your actual problem!)*
To minimize the effects, you could try to:
* increase the first layer height, or
* set an additional Z offset in the slicer, or
* reduce the filament flow for the first layer, or
* install an automatic bed leveling sensor, or
* perform a manual bed levelling mesh procedure (if you have Marlin Firmware).
This usually helps fighting these ripples.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The main problem is solved (first layer thickness vs leveled nozzle height).
The following image shows the problem. I was running with a default 0.3 mm first layer (the tooltip setting says a slightly thicker layer helps with adhesion). The build plate was correctly leveled with "midrange" friction on the leveling card at the leveling points.
Problem cause: The midrange leveling height put the nozzle too close to the plate and caused rippling. The first layer thickness was set to 0.3 mm and the thickness of the leveling card was 0.25 mm.
The following image illustrates the problem (and one of the solutions). The bottom right of the image shows rippling. Not knowing what else to do with the "too close" or "too far" or "unlevel" tips in the comments, I just manually lowered the build plate knobs 1/4 turn while the print was in progress. The print began in the lower right. You can see the smooth area where I manually lowered the build plate. Then, to be sure, I raised the plate by restoring the 1/4 turn on the knobs. The rippling returned.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/S4Gdr.jpg "Ripples disappear when build plate is lowered 1/4 turn on the knobs")
To further explore the 0-90 degree suggestion provided by username_1, I changed the slicer degree settings to 0-90 degrees and set the first layer thickness to 0.2 mm, which was equivalent to lowering the build plate knobs by 1/4 turn. I kept the same "midrange" friction settings when leveling. The result was a first-layer print with no rippling.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Eixiu.jpg "No ripples with 0-90 degree settings and new build plate distance")
### Closing Thoughts
From this experience, I think:
1. 0.05 mm difference between a thickness of 0.3 mm on the first layer and a leveling-card nozzle height of 0.25 mm makes a rippling difference.
2. Using mid-range friction vs light friction on the leveling card also makes a difference. You don't need much of a height difference to reach 0.05 mm. Maybe even less is required to cause a ripple.
3. When printing with a first layer thickness of 0.2 mm, tolerances were tight and I discovered a spot on my build plate that had no adhesion because of a buildup of old adhesive. It left a 1/2-inch hole in the 0.2 mm-thick first layer. I also noticed just a hint of ripple in another place on the build plate, which (I think) indicates a tiny magnetic build plate thickness or warp issue of some kind. Hardly noticeable.
4. I think I will go forward with a 0.3 mm layer thickness to "absorb" minor flatness inconsistencies in my plate. (I have a glass plate but I have never used it because the magnetic plate is vastly more convenient.) But, to compensate for rippling effects, I will also use a "very light" friction amount when leveling the plate to ensure that the nozzle doesn't get too close to the plate on the first layer.
5. I found that manually adjusting the build plate height during a solid first layer print was a wonderful way to detect, see, and explore all the relationships between plate leveling, plate flatness, first layer thickness, and friction adjustments on the nozzle. It's very easy to immediately see, understand, and adjust all the related settings to get the best print possible from the machine.
---
Thank you again to everyone who contributed ideas to understanding the problem. It's hard to pick any particular answer because the solution involved multiple ideas, so I have added my own answer to share.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2018/10/23 | 2,153 | 7,276 | <issue_start>username_0: I have what I thought would be a simple question.
I don't have an auto leveling probe, I do my leveling manually with 4 screws and a piece of paper (I measured the thickness to 0.1 mm).
For the longest time I would have trouble with the first layer, sometimes having to give the bed screws a quarter turn to bring the bed up a bit. I would see that the nozzle seemed quite far away from the bed. This went on for the longest time and I just chalked it up to the quality of my printer.
I realized recently that when I level the bed, I am inserting a piece of paper in between the nozzle and the bed. Obviously, I should be taking the thickness into account as a 0.1mm thick piece of paper accounts for 50 % higher than the nozzle should be for a 0.2 mm first layer height.
My question is, how do I set (either in Cura or directly in Marlin config) the z home offset to account for the 0.1 mm thickness of my calibration paper?<issue_comment>username_1: It is preferred to get the distance correct by hardware changes (leveling screws). But it is possible to do it with software. You can not only change the Z offset in the slicer or in the configuration of Marlin, but also with G-code commands.
The "paper drag" method is perfect for determining the correct Z level. Once you leveled with the paper, you do not need to create an offset to account for the paper thickness, however, there are purists that do that. So basically, what we call Z=0 is in fact Z="paper thickness", unless you are a purist. But a slightly larger gap makes printing much easier. Too small heights cause e.g. rippling effects or too much pressure build-up in the nozzle. In order to change your offset after leveling, you could try one of the following methods. This is sometimes a useful method for creating a little extra offset for printing PETG, but personally I do not do that.
**In Ultimaker Cura**:
Open the plugin manager ("Toolbox"->"Browse packages...") and install "Z Offset Setting", a new parameter will be available in the "Build Plate Adhesion" settings menu called "Z Offset". (See also [this older, not up-to-date answer](/a/5939/5740))
**In Marlin configuration file**, modify the MANUAL\_Z\_HOME\_POS constant:
```
//#define MANUAL_Z_HOME_POS 0
```
**In G-code**:
By adding the following lines to your start G-code (see e.g. [this answer](/a/4746/5740)) using the [`G92`](http://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/G092.html) G-code command:
```
G0 Z0.2 ; Move the head to 0.2 mm (so now 0.3 on your machine)
G92 Z0 ; Call this Z = 0
```
or when you are able to connect to the printer over USB using a printer terminal (e.g. Pronterface, Repetier or OctoPrint) using the [`M206`](http://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M206.html) G-code command:
>
> Use M206 to apply a persistent offset to the native home position and coordinate space. This effectively shifts the coordinate space in the negative direction.
>
>
>
```
M206 Z-0.2 ; Will raise the Z height by 0.2 mm
M500 ; Stores the offset in memory
```
Alternatively, when you cannot connect through a terminal, putting the last 2 lines in a text file and saving that as a `.gcode` file on an SD card and "printing" the file will also store the new offset (if `M500` is enabled in the configuration file: `#define EEPROM_SETTINGS // Enable for M500 and M501 commands`)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Based on Oscar's solution using M206, I found it convenient to add in my MicroSD card a hierarchy of such gcode files to set the Z offset to every possible value in some range. For example, "printing" the file z\_offset/1mm/1mm2/1mm275.gcode will set (permanently) the Z offset to 1.275 millimeters.
This hack is a workaround to the lack of Z offset setting in the printer's menu, and is an alternative to "hardware" Z tuning by moving the endstop. It can be useful when using different build plates with varying thickness, or attaching a pen or any other tool to the print head.
Here is a simple bash script which creates the files taking the MicroSD card location as argument:
```
#!/bin/bash -e
mkdir $1/z_offset
for i in {9..0}
do
mkdir $1/z\_offset/"$i"mm
for j in {9..0}
do
mkdir $1/z\_offset/"$i"mm/"$i"mm"$j"
for d in 00 25 50 75
do
echo -e \
M206 Z-$i.$j$d\\nM500\\nM117 Z-offset="$i"."$j$d"mm \
>$1/z\_offset/"$i"mm/"$i"mm"$j"/"$i"mm"$j$d".gcode
done
done
done
```
I chose a 0.025mm resolution, as 0.1mm is slightly to coarse to adjust for first layer issues. Tested successfully on a Creality Ender 3 printer (which seems to have a 0.015mm resolution on the Z-axis).
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: You don't! Level the bed such that you know the nozzle is above the bed. Stop the print. Disable the steppers. Let it all cool down. Tram the bed (or what you call level). Then start the print again. It doesn't matter what first layer height your slicer thinks it is. All that matters is that it sticks and doesn't elephant foot. Note, if you are using glue stick or white glue (like I do) the thickness of the glue layer will be different between the edge of the glass (I assume you're using glass, otherwise you're never going to get a good tram) and the starting position of the prints.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Assuming you already know your Z-offset value, there are several ways to set Z-offset for your printer:
* **on printer's display**
On the printer's LCD, navigate to **Control** > **Motion** > **Z Offset**. Here you can set the Z-Offset value. Next, navigate to **Control** > **Store settings** to store this offset permanently to EEPROM.
The location of this setting may vary depending on the printer and firmware, but it is usually located in the **Control** section.
* **in slicer**
Z-offset value can be set in slicer, from where it will be added at the beginning of each generated G-code file.
+ **PrusaSlicer**
Navigate to **Printer Settings** > **Size and coordinates** > **Z offset**. Requires an **advanced** view mode.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Psq65.png)
+ **SuperSlicer**
Navigate to **Printer Settings** > **Size and coordinates** > **Z offset**. Requires an **expert** view mode.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/OqeFr.png)
+ **Cura**
Navigate to **Print settings** > **Build Plate Adhesion** > **Z Offset**. Requires [**Z Offset Setting**](https://marketplace.ultimaker.com/app/cura/plugins/fieldofview/ZOffsetPlugin) plugin installed.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/b0mED.png)
* **in G-code**
It can be set with `M851` command, followed by `M500` to store it in the EEPROM. For example:
```
M851 Z-0.69;
M500;
```
* **in firmware**
In **Configuration.h**, find `NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET` and set third parameter (Z-offset):
```
#define NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET {
-53.5, // X-offset
8, // Y-offset
-0.69 } // Z-offset <-- set it here
```
---
I usually set it via **printer's display**, since it seems like the fastest and most practical way.
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/10/26 | 904 | 3,209 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm 3D printing almost 2 years, and I expected to have better result after changing to complete smooth rods with new bearings.
I have a problem with my Z axis giving me inconsistent prints; I already replaced the leadscrews, E3D clone with Bowden tube, I decided to replace all smooth rods on all axis and also the bearings. After I replaced all this, my prints are still bad, also I'm very dissapointed with the results after the replacements. I have checked all I could think of; PID tuning, belts, ....) but I'm running out of ideas.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/33DQZ.jpg)
Printing settings:
* print speed is 40mm/s,
* retraction is 3mm at 30mm/s,
* extruder 205°C for the first layer, then 200°C<issue_comment>username_1: From the pictures can be seen that you have good lead screws as there is no cyclic anomaly/wobble present at the side. It appears as though the lines at the sides of the print are more or less random X/Y positional inaccurate.
These lines can be caused by various reasons. From what is read you tried to improve the mechanical system by upgrading the hardware. It could still be the case that there is still some backlash or play left in the system (e.g. I had once had too much tolerance on the holes of the linear shafts in the printed X-Z mounts causing similar problems). Vibration should be looked into also, e.g. do you have a binding bearing or a large mass on the printer that interacts with the carriage movement like a spool holder on top of your frame. Or maybe the micro-stepping does not work optimally, so check the stepper driver currents.
If it is no mechanical issue, it could be that you are facing inconsistent extrusion caused by variation in filament thickness or gear slipping or too much tension on the filament by friction in unspooling. Or else a hotend temperature variation. Maybe insulation on the hotend helps.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Yesterday I tried some improvements, first I replaced the Y belt pulley, and aligned the frame which I thought to be non-perpendicular and removed the spool holder (which was the culprit of my problem) Attached photo shows a print after these improvements. I have insulation on my hotend.
I think this is the quality I could expect from this cheap printer. Maybe I could reprint X axis gantry, but I'm a little tired of doing something on my printer.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9TChe.jpg)
Update on my prints
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/P3JMI.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8JDAE.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GlTMf.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2RTyU.jpg)
I see some elephant foot, but i will fix this by lift nozzle a bit, but is there some more improvements (temp, retraction, z-hop, coasting, ....) ?
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer] |
2018/10/27 | 970 | 3,252 | <issue_start>username_0: I have been running my i3 MK3 for about 12 hours now and the motor on the extruder is fairly hot, not too hot to touch but I'd guess its about 60c on the outside. Is this within normal operating temperatures or should I let it cool down before starting more prints?<issue_comment>username_1: The maximum operating temperature can be found in the specifications of your steppers. Usually the ambient temperature operating conditions are limited to 50 °C with a maximum operating temperature in the range of 70 - 100 °C. For instance, the steppers I use are limited to a temperature of 80 °C. It is however advised to keep this temperature lower, e.g. to max. 60 °C to prolong the life. Do note that very high temperatures could be a problem for "self-printed" stepper mounts of the wrong material (materials with a low glass transition temperature).
To answer your question: "Yes, steppers may get hot, but if you want them to get too hot is up to the mounting system and how long you want to use them."
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: While such temperatures may be OK for extruder motor itself (and probably for extruder body, since it is printed in PETG/ABS), but it can be dangerous for the filament that you are using to print your models. Heat from extruder motor can creep through shaft to Bondtech gears and start to pre-melt filament.
60 °C is enough to soften PLA. Your filament may warp or melt just above heatsink, jamming, and clogging the extruder body.
What you can try to do:
1. Open or remove enclosure;
2. [Glue a generic heatsink on your extruder motor](https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/all-3m-products/~/3M-Thermally-Conductive-Epoxy-Adhesive-TC-2707/?N=5002385+3294001761&rt=rud) with some thermally conductive adhesive or epoxy;
3. [Add an active cooling fan for your extruder motor](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2975582) (or for heatsink of your extruder motor). You can power it from Prusa PSU (then you will need 24 V fan), or plug additional PSU for fans and lighting;
4. [Upgrade extruder motor to LDO / Moons motor](https://prusacommunity.com/to-the-moons-and-back/). These run about 10 °C cooler than stock extruder motor;
5. [Upgrade to Bondtech extruder](https://www.bondtech.se/en/product/prusa-i3-mk2-5-mk3-extruder-upgrade/). Bondtech extruder features 3:1 gearing ratio, and can be run with lower current (e.g. less heat). Also Bondtech extruder uses plastic gears, so heat can no longer easily move from extruder motor to filament.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I've run my Prusa3D i3m3s for 50 hour prints. My motors get hot-ish but on my instance of the machine, they are not too hot.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: 50 °C feels very warm, 60 °C feels hot, 80 °C is painful.
I measured the temperature of the steppers on a Prusa mk3last week. They were all around 45..50 °C, except the extruder stepper which runs around 55..57 °C.
The temperature is stable like that. Letting them cool down is useless, because they would quickly go back to these temperatures after starting the next print. Stepper motors tend to dissipate more power when they stopped or slow compared to when they run fast.
I would not worry about it.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/10/29 | 755 | 2,984 | <issue_start>username_0: After building a Delta printer, I noticed that my whole prints are slightly tilted around the Z-axis in comparison to the slicer (e.g. Cura). There is no twist layer wise. This means, the prints themself look actually perfect.
I just don't know what could be the reason of the rotation. I do not believe it is a build issue of the printer, because I tried to keep the printer frame pretty stiff and symmetric.
Could it be, that the Auto-Calibrate Feature of Marlin can add such a rotation?
The picture below illustrates the problem. I expect the black alignment of the print and get the orange one. Note that the print is still a rectangle with ~90° corners.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pXiHY.png)<issue_comment>username_1: If I am reading this correctly, your prints are being either stretched or your prints are shifting / leaning on more complicated prints.
In this case, given that you are on a Delta printer, my answer is the same for all. I usually do Cartesian based 3d printing but the concept is the same for any drifting or leaning. You simply need to recalibrate your steps per MM for each motor, and tighten your belts. You will have the complication of the interaction of the 3 arms, that others will be able to answer better. But in the end, if each arm moves as it should, the belts are not slipping, and you do not have issues with moving too fast (jerking can cause the belt to shift, and a loose belt can cause whiplash / and other print artifacts). My bet is your steps per MM is off on one of the motors, or you could have an overheating issue (not likely).
There are many [guides](https://best3dprinter.stan-tech.com/delta-printer-calibration-guide-z-axis) to help with Delta specific calibration.
I can provide a better answer with photos. See [Stackoverflows guide on asking questions](https://stackoverflow.com/help/how-to-ask).
Edit with the diagram (not a photo), you issue might be caused by stepper over voltage and you will need to adjust your pololus. If you hear a repeating Thud noise, you have your voltage too high.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: I figured out that the reason is probably a slightly translated slider construction. Instead of using a proper centered slider as shown in **red**, I used a slider construction like illustrated in **yellow**. When all sliders are translated on each tower like this, the print should be tilted by the same amount. This seems to have no influence on the general shape of the object. However, for my next printer I will use a proper centered uni-body slider.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/92vvC.png "Image of centered slider (in red) and (slightly) translated slider (in yellow)")
Upvotes: 3 |
2018/10/30 | 494 | 1,905 | <issue_start>username_0: As moving the endstop upwards reduces the range of the z-axis, I was wondering whether it reduces the maximum height of the printable object, by the distance the endstop was moved. Or is this somehow (to a certain extent) beeing counterbalanced?
(Follow-up question of [this](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7332/tevo-michelangelo-nozzle-below-build-plate) question)<issue_comment>username_1: If you move up the end stop such that it raises the nozzle with respect to the build platform you lose height, so basically the answer is yes. But, as seen in your referenced question, your nozzle location is determined by the mechanical layout of the printer and the end stop had to be raised in order to print at all. This means that although you have less height to move the Z gantry, it can now actually print the full range the printer is designed for (the max Z to print is fixed in the configuration of the firmware of the printer and is always smaller than the maximum Z of the mechanical layout). Theoretically, if you ever make a lower profile hotend head, you would be able to lower the end stop and gain a little in height and adjust the firmware maximum Z height.
E.g. in Marlin firmware, for an Anet A8 3D printer,
```
#define Z_MAX_POS 240
```
in the [Configuration.h](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/blob/1.1.x/Marlin/example_configurations/Anet/A8/Configuration.h) file defines the maximum print height of 240 mm. If you would deliberately increase the Z end stop height and platform by let's say 50 mm, the printer thinks it still can print 240 mm, but in reality the gantry will crash against the top mounts and thus limit your printing height.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: After adjusting the endstop check that the documented maximum height (150mm) is still achievable. Just move Z axis in the menu.
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/10/30 | 1,519 | 5,375 | <issue_start>username_0: I am trying to print a wing for a rc plane with my 3D printer. In order to make the wing as light as possible I need to hollow it (and afterwards put some stable structure there). I've tried the Blender Solidify modifier to do this but without success. The material on the sharp edge on the rear part of the wing gets thinner and thinner although the "Even Thickness" option is checked (see picture). When preparing this for printing, the slicer puts only one line of filament there instead of two. What I need is a brim on the inner side of the stl file with a constant spacing.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XUo9C.png)
I've also tried the Meshmixer Hollow and Extrude modifiers. They both had problems with those sharp edges (see picture).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wPNym.png)
The third program I've tested was FreeCAD. But it crashed at all :-(
Can someone please help me? I would appreciate any suggestion or other programs which can handle this problem. Remodeling is no option for me as I have even more complex objects to hollow for example the fuselage.
The stl file of the wing can be found here: <https://files.fm/u/5futezwj>
Thanks so much for your help!<issue_comment>username_1: Don't design your part as hollow. Make it solid. Then put it in the slicer and chose the infill (i recomment cubic pattern in cura) you want. So you have a mainly hollow wing with a nice structure in it.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I am sorry to inform you, that the answer to "How do I fix the thickness" is "Remodel them" - especially in this case as the whole design is... awkward.
But you don't necessarily need to resign them from scratch, if you can fix it... But beware, fixing does only work **sometimes**...
First of all, **Blender is NOT a good modeling software for designing parts that shall be printed**, Blender is a 3D Artist program, not a CAD program. It can serve its course, but it can and will ruin your day. I suggest grabbing [Autodesk Fusion 360](https://www.autodesk.com/products/fusion-360/overview), since it is mighty and free for small makers.
Step 1: Transfer into CAD software
==================================
For our first step, we want to take the surface of the Wing and export it as an STL. To do this, remove all interior vertices. ALL. Save as a work-project. Look for "BAD" areas - try to have as little vertices as possible. If several are in the same flat area feel free to remove some. The simpler, the better - compare these two pictures - left the bad side, right the good.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IxrNM.png)[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DjNE9.png)
Export via `File > Export > .stl`.
Open Fusion 360 and import via the process outlined [here](https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-insert-a-mesh-body-into-Fusion-360.html): `Insert > Mesh`.
Now we need to turn our Mesh into a BRep like described [here](https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-Convert-a-Mesh-to-a-BRep-in-Fusion-360.html):
* Deactivate the pickup of model history by right-clicking the project in the left, then "Don't capture design history"
* `Modify > Mesh > Mesh tp BRep`
* choose your object and `OK`
* reactivate the model history by right-clicking the project in the left, then "Don't capture design history"
Step 2: assigning Thickness
===========================
We got a surface now... or rather several that are stitched together. We want to give them thickness...
* `create > thicken`
* click on one area, choose the thickness as a negative value. For example `-1 mm`
* click on the body's lightbulb to make it visible again
* rinse and repeat for each area not yet thickened
+ Hint: `rightclick` opens a context menu that offers `repeat ...`, where ... is the last used operation, in this case: thicken. This considerably can speed it up.
Step 3: Combining thickened parts
=================================
Now, we have several thickened parts, all of them intersecting or touching. like, what usually looks like this...
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bagjv.png)
actually is these different parts (which I colored for showing only - it is totally unnecessary!)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/leVVI.png)
It's easy to see these all intersect. And luckily, intersecting parts can be easily merged!
* `Modify > Combine`
* click one, then another. OK.
* rinse and repeat as much as you can - some pieces will throw an "inconsistent edge-face-relationship" error. If these crop up, you need to start over, fixing the Mesh.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0s1sX.png)
To state it clear after wasting 2 hours on this:
Your files needs to be done again from scratch.
===============================================
In a proper CAD modeling software. Because what you have there is not fixable easily.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/11/01 | 751 | 2,832 | <issue_start>username_0: A while back, I had worked on building a [Yostwerks Sea Cruiser](https://biber-boote.ch/yostwerks/SeaCruiser.html). Now I'm thinking of trying to create a 3D printable (or 3D millable) version of the plans.
The original design uses cross-sections cut from a half-inch thick HDPE sheet. However, I am considering changing this out for one of the easier to print materials, but I cannot find any comparative information about stiffness of HDPE versus other 3D printing materials.
Can I get a suggestion for a alternative to HDPE that is as stiff or stiffer as well as same density or lighter. The Kayak frame is expected to be compressing the cross-sections.
An example set of cross-sections is as below:
Please note that I have also considering changing the shape of the cross-sections to make stiffer yet lighter cross sections, but that will require some trade-off between portable sized cross-sections versus the stiffness of the cross-sections.<issue_comment>username_1: Because of the inherent nature of FDM, material properties will most certainly be always lower than casted/extruded sheet material. Furthermore, your question implies to use the same geometry of the ribs, I doubt whether there will be a filament that is able to get close to your requirements regarding strength and stiffness (for the same geometry). Your best choice for filament would be a high strength filament type like PC, certain co-polyester and ABS. But, I'm more inclined to say that this whole question is more of a design issues rather than material selection issue. For that reason I struggled to vote to close as being off topic for this site. In aerospace engineering t-stiffeners are used to make panels, e.g. wing or hull sections, more stiff by riveting T-profile shaped aluminium stiffeners onto the panels, this is something you could consider (bolt on aluminium profiles), as well as incorporating these stiff ridges directly printed in your design, but that would change the shape of the ribs.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: According to [the chart on this page](https://omnexus.specialchem.com/polymer-properties/properties/stiffness) HDPE has a flexural modulus of between 0.75 and 1.575 Gpa; meanwhile PETG has a flexural modulus of 2.20 Gpa, meaning PETG is the stiffer material.
HDPE, by definition, has a density greater than 0.941g/cc. PETG has a density of about 1.25g/cc.
So while PETG may be denser (depending on the HDPE used), it is more rigid, while not being too rigid.
PETG is quite printable using FDM. If you were printing at a higher temperature and high % infill, I could see it holding up well enough. I've printed heavy duty parts with it using a 0.8mm nozzle.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/11/05 | 396 | 1,469 | <issue_start>username_0: I am modifying some Slic3r config parameters and comparing the results. How can I have two instances (or equivalent: I would like to see two model windows with their associated configuration screens) of Slic3r at the same time? I'm on OS X, but if there is a generic (e.g. within Slic3r) solution that will be preferrable.<issue_comment>username_1: From a terminal window, run the command
```
open -n -a slic3r
```
Each time the command is executed, a new instance of Slic3r is created.
As per Carl's note, keep in mind that both instances of Slic3r will be sharing the same configuration files, so it will be safest not to save configuration changes while both are open.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You could duplicate the application by clicking on the application and pressing **Command (⌘) + D**, and then run both - although I'm not sure if that would mess with the preferences. I haven't fully tested it, but both instances opened up and worked, seemingly ok.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bjNcI.png "Duplicate applications")
You could even rename them to something other than "Slic3r" and "Slic3r copy" to remind you which application is slicing which model, for example:
* "TestCube" and "Benchy", or;
* "Slic3r-TestCube" and "Slic3r-Benchy", or whatever.
However, Mark's answer seems much more elegant.
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/11/06 | 993 | 3,057 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm new to 3D printing and I recently got my first 3D printer, an Ender 3 Pro by Creality.
I've tried to find information about the type of nozzles should I look for. I'm trying to find stainless steel nozzles but there are so many models (M7, M8, etc.) and I have no idea what nozzle type I should get.
I've tried searching on Google but the only info I could find is that the extruder is an MK-10.
I am also looking for a heating cartridge for the hot end, but I still cannot find no information about the size that I need (15 mm/20 mm/30 mm). Also looked for info about the heated bed so I know what kind of thermistor I need (I found two types and no clue which one to get).
Where can I find some technical information about these?<issue_comment>username_1: There is no such thing as a single MK10 hotend design. The Chinese aftermarket has mingled the designations.
If it has a [MK10 like Makerbot](https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!topic/wanhao-printer-3d/TEdslEknny4) hotend, then the nozzles you are looking for are M7 threads. It appears (see [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/7367/5740)) that your hotend is a cloned MK10 and has different dimensions, you have the M6 version.
Quote from link above: (this is about the Makerbot MK10)
>
> MK10 was a complete change of the hotend. MK10 uses smooth OD thermal
> barriers with a larger 4mm OD 2mm ID PTFE liner. MK10 also uses M7
> threads, vs the M6 of all previous models. This is because a 4mm PTFE
> liner is barely enough metal to make the outer tube with m6 threads.
> MK10 is completely incompatible with all previous hotend parts. Every
> part is different. Mk10 still uses MK9 feeder parts.
>
>
>
You could measure your current heat block (the width of the Aluminium block); if you look at the MK10 drawings of a proper M7 MK10 Makerbot (or derivative) hotend (below) you see that the width of the block is about 19 mm (which would be the length of the heater cartridge).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9TftHm.jpg)
The CEO of ToyBuilder labs explains the difference between an "MK10" and an MK8 in [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnI0aeTw9iA):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ah8Od.png)
As can be seen, your nozzle clearly is not an MK10.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The Ender 3 takes an M6 thread (metric 6 mm diameter). Measurement of stock nozzle shown.
Most sellers will list compatible printers Ender 2, Ender 3, Ender 4, CR-10, CR-10S, CR-10 Mini, CR-10-S4, CR-10-S5, CR-8, CR-7. Will Also Fit Any Other MK10 Heater Blocks.
I recently bought some titanium alloy nozzles as the brass one got closed over after crashing into the glass bed.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/I1UPK.jpg "Measurement of nozzle in digital calipers")
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2018/11/08 | 1,274 | 4,409 | <issue_start>username_0: I started using rafts more often, to get better results with complex or fragile parts, but my Ender 3 consistently under-extrudes the initial outside line of the raft (for the first inch or two, where extrusion starts).
It is often very thin and does not adhere. This often leads to problems with the following pattern of raft layer 1 curling up (ABS) as it does not meet the edge line (due to the 1-2 inch gap in the perimeter).
Skirts avoid this problem by getting the flow going, but rafts only print a single outer line.
1. Is it possible to specify more than one outer line on a raft in Ultimaker Cura?
2. Is it possible to add a skirt to a print that has a raft (or at least some initial printing to get the flow going)?
3. Is it possible to add some initial G-code that will extrude a line, say from near the start position to the start of the print?
<issue_comment>username_1: It's not necessarily the case that the apparent underextrusion of a small portion of your raft is the root cause. ABS is notorious for shrinkage and peeling. As a start, you should have a full enclosure so as to maintain a warm environment while printing.
It's also quite possible that your bed is slightly off-level or a few microns low for the first layer, either of which can cause adhesion problems.
Yes, it's pretty much trivial to add a few lines of gcode to extrude prior to the "official" raft -- or you could just toss a fake small object into your slicer to extend the raft over both the real and the fake parts.
FWIW, with a little care I've found a wide brim outperforms a raft for almost anything I print
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: In Ultimaker Cura you can select only one of the the build plate adhesion options skirt, brim or raft. You cannot select multiple options.
There is no option available in Ultimaker Cura to increase the outline count of the raft bed adhesion structure. Basically the raft exists of a line support structure as can be seen in the figure below.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/33dg0.png)
The line around the lines should be considered "the skirt", so if the nozzle is not properly primed (not sufficient molten filament available), you need to properly prime the nozzle prior to printing.
To prime the nozzle, you need to add some extrusion of filament in your start G-code.
Personally, I like the style of Ultimaker where prior to printing, a puddle of filament is deposited priming the nozzle adequately. Basically you need to move to a position where you like to deposit filament:
```
G1 X10 Y10 Z2
```
Then you need to extrude material
```
G1 F125
G1 E10
G1 Z3 E5
```
After that you can even [wipe](/a/6356/5740) the nozzle.
Another option (that requires some copy/pasting from your side and would not be a recommended practice) that is possible is slicing the model with a skirt (with a sufficient distance to stay away from the raft position) instead of a raft and look at the generated G-code and copy the skirt deposition codes into the raft G-code file. You do need to take care of the proper length of the extruder when the skirt followed by the raft, so you need to use `G92 Exx.xx` where xx.xx is the actual length of the filament start for the raft.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The latest update to Cura (3.6.0 at time of writing) added a printer configuration specifically for the Ender 3.
The `Start G-code` script now includes the following:
-----------------------------------------------------
```
; Ender 3 Custom Start G-code
G28 ; Home all axes
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed
G1 X0.1 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to start position
G1 X0.1 Y200.0 Z0.3 F1500.0 E15 ; Draw the first line
G1 X0.4 Y200.0 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to side a little
G1 X0.4 Y20 Z0.3 F1500.0 E30 ; Draw the second line
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed
; End of custom start GCode
```
This prints 2 initial lines, right along the left edge of the print bed. This solves the priming issue completely and results in a perfect initial border on the rafts.
This would indicate this priming issue is a known problem with the Ender 3.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/11/08 | 1,142 | 3,832 | <issue_start>username_0: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rtG5C.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/i1oaO.jpg)
I'm getting some slight pooling on the end of straight lines on my Ender-3
Is this due to over extruding? Or some other issue?<issue_comment>username_1: It's not necessarily the case that the apparent underextrusion of a small portion of your raft is the root cause. ABS is notorious for shrinkage and peeling. As a start, you should have a full enclosure so as to maintain a warm environment while printing.
It's also quite possible that your bed is slightly off-level or a few microns low for the first layer, either of which can cause adhesion problems.
Yes, it's pretty much trivial to add a few lines of gcode to extrude prior to the "official" raft -- or you could just toss a fake small object into your slicer to extend the raft over both the real and the fake parts.
FWIW, with a little care I've found a wide brim outperforms a raft for almost anything I print
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: In Ultimaker Cura you can select only one of the the build plate adhesion options skirt, brim or raft. You cannot select multiple options.
There is no option available in Ultimaker Cura to increase the outline count of the raft bed adhesion structure. Basically the raft exists of a line support structure as can be seen in the figure below.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/33dg0.png)
The line around the lines should be considered "the skirt", so if the nozzle is not properly primed (not sufficient molten filament available), you need to properly prime the nozzle prior to printing.
To prime the nozzle, you need to add some extrusion of filament in your start G-code.
Personally, I like the style of Ultimaker where prior to printing, a puddle of filament is deposited priming the nozzle adequately. Basically you need to move to a position where you like to deposit filament:
```
G1 X10 Y10 Z2
```
Then you need to extrude material
```
G1 F125
G1 E10
G1 Z3 E5
```
After that you can even [wipe](/a/6356/5740) the nozzle.
Another option (that requires some copy/pasting from your side and would not be a recommended practice) that is possible is slicing the model with a skirt (with a sufficient distance to stay away from the raft position) instead of a raft and look at the generated G-code and copy the skirt deposition codes into the raft G-code file. You do need to take care of the proper length of the extruder when the skirt followed by the raft, so you need to use `G92 Exx.xx` where xx.xx is the actual length of the filament start for the raft.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: The latest update to Cura (3.6.0 at time of writing) added a printer configuration specifically for the Ender 3.
The `Start G-code` script now includes the following:
-----------------------------------------------------
```
; Ender 3 Custom Start G-code
G28 ; Home all axes
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed
G1 X0.1 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to start position
G1 X0.1 Y200.0 Z0.3 F1500.0 E15 ; Draw the first line
G1 X0.4 Y200.0 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to side a little
G1 X0.4 Y20 Z0.3 F1500.0 E30 ; Draw the second line
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed
; End of custom start GCode
```
This prints 2 initial lines, right along the left edge of the print bed. This solves the priming issue completely and results in a perfect initial border on the rafts.
This would indicate this priming issue is a known problem with the Ender 3.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2018/11/09 | 626 | 2,404 | <issue_start>username_0: What are the most common 3D printing file formats, and which one is more effective or used more than others?<issue_comment>username_1: [STL](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)) is the standard for pretty much everything out there.
EDIT: This is for models to be sliced and printed. Gcode is what would actually be executed, after slicing, to create the print.
Upvotes: 1 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: 3D-Model Exchange Files
=======================
The [most common file formats](https://all3dp.com/3d-file-format-3d-files-3d-printer-3d-cad-vrml-stl-obj/) to exchange models for 3D printing are STL, OBJ, FBX, COLLADA, 3DS, IGES, STEP, and VRML/X3D.
Of these, STL, OBJ, AMF, and 3MF are the most popular formats according to [All3DP](https://all3dp.com/3d-printing-file-formats/). Pointing out which is the best is a subjective interpretation and not fit for SE sites. However, for many of the model sharing sites, like e.g. Thingiverse.com, many people share the STL file format.
* STL file format is short for “stereolithography” and is a 3D rendering that is containing a single color.
* OBJ file format, this format stores information about your 3D model. It encodes surface geometry of your 3D model and is also able to store color and even texture information.
* AMF file format stands for Additive Manufacturing File Format, this is a relative new format for 3D printing based on an XML open standard. Like OBJ it can store color information. When compressed, the size can be reduced significantly to about half the size of STL files.
* 3MF file format stands for 3D Manufacturing Format. It is also a relatively new file format that aims to be a new standard for additive manufacturing. According to the 3MF consortium, it allows higher inter-operability between 3D modeling software and other applications, services, platforms, and printers.
Actual Printing Files
=====================
In the end, all these formats store the models of your products which eventually need to be *transformed into 3D printer understandable instructions*. These instructions are called [G-code commands](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code).
Lately I also noted that Ultimaker Cura stores sliced models in GZ file format for my Ultimaker 3 Extended, which is a compressed archive from the GZIP compression utility containing the actual G-code file.
Upvotes: 3 |
2018/11/09 | 543 | 2,022 | <issue_start>username_0: I want to print a piece of fruit modeled in Blender. It is an STL file.
Please note that I am an absolute beginner at 3D printing models.
What do these red zones mean? What is wrong about the mesh in each case?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GGEQe.png)
The fruit has some low-poly seeds. These used to be a particle system but I then changed them into individual objects.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cmOfL.png)
This view shows the base of the fruit, why is it colored red?<issue_comment>username_1: 3D printers cannot print in the air without a prior layer or a support structure supporting the new printed layer. For the picture showing the bottom of the fruit, the red area is the calculated area that requires support for printing, so please enable that in the slicer application.
For the top picture please post a detail or a zoomed in part. It is currently difficult to see what is the matter. It looks as though the STL model is incorrect and Ultimaker Cura thinks that the seeds are upside down, hence the red coloring also. This means that you need to fix the normals of the faces in the STL model. Please look into [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/2785/5740) and [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/3298/5740) for some hints.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Red is the color Cura uses to mark overhang areas. For the bottom that is normal, it can be fixed by using support.
For the top, the presence of red **atop** the seeds is a common tell of inverted normals in the seeds.
To fix, open your .blend file again, choose the seeds and `flip normals`. To make the whole thing even better, choose both the fruit and the seeds and then apply the `union` modifier on both.
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/11/10 | 2,381 | 9,090 | <issue_start>username_0: I had a couple of recent nozzle/bed crashes, so I now frequently do a manual bed levelling. I do these while the bed is heated to allow for expansion.
Today I found, after levelling, a subsequent print could vary from having too much clearance (paper moves very freely) to less than no clearance (which left deep grooves in the bed as per the photo).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/8sAZk.jpg "Photo of bed")
What are the possible causes? Is it just a dodgy Z-limit switch or something else? What solutions are available and at what cost? Obviously an ABL seems essential now, but requires a lot of hardware and setup.
It has just happened again so here are some more details.
Printing PLA this time:
* Preheated bed.
* Levelled bed all over and got a very good raft.
* Print failed later so the print was aborted.
* Restarted the same print job.
* Nozzle gouged out a uniform depth trench around print perimeter.
The uniform depth of the gouge indicates a problem related to Z-axis only as the bed remains flat and level, but the height is off. That is to say, the bed is flat and level before and after this occurs.
Please note: I have done over 100 successful prints, prior to this issue, so I do have some knowledge about levelling the bed. I am interested in what could cause such a large variation. Initially I thought it was temperature as I switched to ABS at the time, but it now varies from one print to the next.
The machine is a month old and rock solid. The Z-axis is the slowest moving axis, controlled by the limit switch only, hence my suspecting that is the cause.
I purchased a couple of spare Ender 3's and will update various parts in turn to see what the cause is. The metal trigger on my Z-limit switch seems a little floppy sideways, but I am also starting to suspect the bed springs have lost their springiness.
I have the removal bed version and also a borosilicate glass bed. The glass is perfectly flat and the standard removable is dipped ever so slightly in the middle, but the difference is huge when it goes wrong. As you can see from the photo the trench it digs is quite uniform depth. That's why I keep coming back to the Z-limit switch. I have a spare switch now so will try that next.<issue_comment>username_1: I've just bought an Ender 3 Pro and as a guess I would look at the Z axis stepper motor to see if it is not holding position once it stops... the stepper motor has power on it all the time it is stopped to hold it in position.
I would check the plug that feeds power to see if it is damaged or not making good contact.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Similar issue happened to coworker's Maker Ultimate. I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume that your Z-stop is a little mechanical switch, and there's an M3 screw going through part of the Z carriage that pushes said switch.
Check to see how much force it takes to rotate said screw. There's a lot of vibration happening in a 3d printer, and it takes surprisingly little vibration to make a threaded part do weird things, including making it back out against gravity if conditions are right. Redo your Z gap paper test, get everything lined up, and then slap a dab of blue loctite on the screw to make sure it doesn't move during your next print. See if that fixes your problem.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: This was killing me on mine. My problem wasn't the z-axis, it was the x-axis arm. On the right side, opposite the extruder gear, it had a lot of give (wobble). I could level my bed four times before starting a print and would still have problems, especially with the nozzle making deep grooves in the magnetic bed. The way it messed up was inconsistent as well, making it hard to troubleshoot.
I changed out the bedsprings, got a glass bed instead, changed out the extruder gear and Bowden tube; I was ready to give up.
How to fix the wobble, if that's your problem, if there's a lot of give / vertical movement on the right side of the arm:
You have to take the whole arm off. First, take the top bar off, remove the four screws. Second, disable steppers so you can take the x-axis off completely. I removed the cables once I had taken it off. Third, there's a plate with two holes to get to two screws - make sure these are tight! This is where the wobble was coming from. Four, reassemble and double-check. For me, the give was reduced drastically.
A video tutorial for help. There are English subtitles.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: I had a similar issue, the first layer always ended up at slightly different heights, making the first layer too low or too high.
At one point, I was raising the Z height 100 mm in G-code, and while watching the gantry rise I noticed extremely brief pauses, then when I lowered to zero the nozzle crashed the bed. I realized that the Z-axis threaded rod might be slipping. I Sharpied some marks on the coupler, did the 100 mm rise again, and took a high-speed video of the coupler with my phone. Sure enough, I saw moments where the coupler was turning but not the rod. Even though the coupler felt quite tight. So effectively the machine always thought the nozzle was higher than it actually was.
I tightened about as tight as I could without stripping. It got better, but I still had first layer inconsistency that suggested slip. Replacing the coupler with a version with 2 pairs of grub screws allowed me to get it sufficiently tight. I'm not sure how the coupler got loose in the first place, probably a crash.
Also, I found that the screws that hold the heat block to the heat break had loosened a bit. Surely this could cause issues and again probably resulting from a crash.
Finally, I think my Z gantry wheels may have been too tight. I think that would have relatively little effect on large vertical moves, but could cause some slight inconsistency in small moves or with vibrations; small but large enough to be the fractions of a millimeter that affect first layer quality.
Anyhow, one moral of this story I guess is after a crash, you can expect to spend a lot of time troubleshooting and fixing. try not to crash.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: I'm having the same issue with Ender 3 V2. Everything tightened, Z-axis coupler not "slipping"... I noticed, that the error is made by the Z-axis end switch itself. I am not sure how that is possible but try homing several times and you'll see that the loud click when the switch is triggered occurs in a span of +/- 3 mm, which then results in a collision of the hot end and the bed, or the hot end being too high.
From what I noticed, the problem got worse after installing OctoPi. Strangely enough, I get very different results when homing "manually" (from the machine display menu), and when homing is done at the beginning of printing.
I believe that the problem has three solutions:
1. At least 3 skirt loops and adjust the bed on the fly. This is a very unfortunate solution, but that's what I have now.
2. I suggest some sort of speed regulation when approaching the switch (Z -> 0), thus making the switch always trigger at the same height. I'm a programmer, but not familiar with G-code, I'll make this solution publicly available when I get to it.
3. Change the switch. The tin "paw" that can bend is unfortunate when you need 0,01 [mm] precision. The video is unrelated to the topic, but run 10-15 seconds and you'll see what I mean: [Z-axis switch replacement](https://youtu.be/g0PK4oXbJT8?t=266)
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_6: I have just had exactly the same symptoms with different clearances b/w the bed and the nozzle after homing. In order to reproduce that, I simply had to do subsequent homings and measure the clearance. The variance was around 0.15 mm.
I was not moving my printer. No wobbling was found. If the printing cycle is started successfully, then I have no issues with the printing quality. No missed steps on Z or any other axis.
The solution for me was in software. I have followed the comment here saying "You may want to try reducing the Z-axis homing speed to prevent it from exerting too much force, or tightening the switch more."
SOLUTION: I have compiled Marlin firmware myself with the only changes made to the homing speeds. Namely
in `Configuration_adv.h`
```
#define HOMING_BUMP_DIVISOR { 2, 2, 10 } // Re-Bump Speed Divisor (Divides the Homing Feedrate)
```
and in `Configuration.h`
```
#define HOMING_FEEDRATE_MM_M { (50*60), (50*60), (3*60) }
```
Now during homing, the Z-axis movement is so gentle that the endstop triggers reliably at the same position. It costs me only extra 10 seconds but saves a lot of time in restarting the print.
P.S.
It looks like my problem is a combination of things: speed of homing and some issues with the endstop. I am ordering endstops anyway but meanwhile... **anyone who can compile Marlin may consider this approach as it requires no tinkering with the HW part of the printer and is easy to roll back or configure.**
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/11/14 | 1,180 | 3,975 | <issue_start>username_0: When I adjust the probe offset to get the proper layer height and adhesion, one side is set right but the other doesn't work. If I decrease the probe offset (say -1.100 to -1.050) the right side seems to print better; if I increase the probe offset (-1.050 to -1.125) the left side will adhere to the plate properly.
Before I added the BLTouch and upgraded the firmware to Marlin 1.1.9 I was able to print a perimeter square (with a little manual adjustment).
My Printer is the Ender 3 and I am using a [glass bed](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Comgrow-Glass-Creality-Printer-Ender-3/dp/B07DSC9TJQ) and the model is this [centre crosshair](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2280529/)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xVVfi.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pBFny.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y0usO.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JECOP.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: I have had exactly the same experiences as you did with a inductive sensor on a Prusa i3 clone. It looks as though the bed leveling is not executed, or the level/mesh tilted. Please do note that automatic bed leveling is ***not magic***, you still need to provide a ***build platform as level (and flat) as possible***. A slate of glass is a good build platform surface as the glass production process ensures that the glass is very flat and easy to level.
What I did to solve the problem is that I re-leveled the bed and send the [`M420 S1`](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M420:_Leveling_On.2FOff.2FFade_.28Marlin.29) command over USB to the printer to enable bed leveling as I was under the impression that it did not use the grid obtained with `G29`.
On my CoreXY I also use a touch sensor (3DTouch, which is a BLTouch clone) like you do, even with that sensor I sometimes see that the automatic level is uneven (one side of the skirt has very thin/see through deposition, while the other side appears normal), this is most probably caused by the sensor accuracy (or an obstruction under the probe needle). There is a way to increase the probing accuracy by using double probing where the second probe is advancing slower to the build platform as can be seen in the Marlin Configuration.h file:
```
// Feedrate (mm/m) for the first approach when double-probing (MULTIPLE_PROBING == 2)
#define Z_PROBE_SPEED_FAST HOMING_FEEDRATE_Z
// Feedrate (mm/m) for the "accurate" probe of each point
#define Z_PROBE_SPEED_SLOW (Z_PROBE_SPEED_FAST / 2)
```
For double probing you require to set:
```
// The number of probes to perform at each point.
// Set to 2 for a fast/slow probe, using the second probe result.
// Set to 3 or more for slow probes, averaging the results.
#define MULTIPLE_PROBING 2
```
---
*Side note:
From an earlier posting it appears that you are using the `#define Z_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER` in the configuration file to set the offset. It is much more convenient to set that through the [LCD menu](http://marlinfw.org/docs/features/lcd_menu.html) (`Bed Leveling` -> `Z Probe Offset: -–-`) or send the `M851 Zx.xx` directly over USB or load through a .gcode file from SD card to prevent numerous flashing the firmware with alternative parameters. Make sure that you enable:*
```
#define EEPROM_SETTINGS // Enable for M500 and M501 commands
```
*in the Configuration.h file and execute `M500` to store the new setting set by `M851`.*
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: From the looks of your test print, this is unlikely all or only due to levelling unless the glass plate is abnormally uneven. You may have to check your extrusion (speed, temp, feed) parameters and/or adhesion (clean with aceton and/or prepare with hairspray or glue stck)
Upvotes: 0 |
2018/11/14 | 1,134 | 3,190 | <issue_start>username_0: I am trying to add the line
>
> G4 P4000 G1 F4000 E-50
>
>
>
to pause and retract the print in order for the printed line to dry (printing in mid air vertically). Does the above code work or should i skip lines or does it not matter at all?
>
> G4 P4000
>
> G1 F4000 E-50
>
>
>
Would the following line do the exact same thing?
>
> G4 P5000 E-50
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: This needs to be on two lines like in your second example:
>
> G4 P4000
>
> G1 F4000 E-50
>
>
>
See the RepRap Gcode Wiki for more info. <https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code>
EDIT: if you actually want to retract and THEN pause, reverse it:
>
> G1 F4000 E-50
>
> G4 P4000
>
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Yes, G-code is read line by line. G-code is a numerical control programming language. It basically instructs the machine sequentially line by line to do a specific task. The printer than executes the lines one by one until it reaches the end.
If you instruct the printer to wait (`G4` dwell), it will do the wait/dwell first and than will execute the next command to retract the filament. As such, your examples will not work if you want to retract the filament during the pause, you reversed the process if you want to achieve that.
To add a pause (simple) for e.g. filament changing, you should instruct the head to go to a certain position, extract the filament, and now insert the pause/dwell command. Give yourself enough time to insert and prime the nozzle and go back to the last location to continue printing.
You could insert something like (e.g. in between layer change, before `G1 Zx.xx`):
```
...
G1 X0 Y0 F2000 ; Relocate the print head
G1 F4000 E-50 ; Retract filament
G4 P40000 ; Wait for 40 seconds
G92 E50 ; The new filament should continue at this value
...
G1 Zx.xx
```
Depending on what happens after `G1 Zx.xx`, you may need to set the head back to the location prior to where it was before `G1 X0 Y0 F2000`.
Do note that there are pausing scripts/plugins available for e.g. Ultimaker Cura, and there is also a filament changing command [`M600`](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M600:_Filament_change_pause) that can be enabled for certain firmware (if this is your ultimate goal).
Using a post processing plugin of Ultimaker Cura, a pausing script looks like:
```
...
G0 X137.692 Y105
;TIME_ELAPSED:707.873599
;TYPE:CUSTOM;added code by post processing
;script: PauseAtHeight.py
;current z: 5
;current height: 5.0
M83
G1 F300 Z6
G1 F9000 X190 Y190
G1 F300 Z15
M104 S0; standby temperature
M0;Do the actual pause
M109 S200; resume temperature
G1 F300 Z6
G1 F9000 X133.423 Y105
G1 F9000
M82
G92 E911.50045
;LAYER:24
G0 X137.692 Y105 Z5
...
```
Note that `G0` and `G1` are *"move to"* location instructions (albeit through a different way, fast move and linear move respectively). If you look closely, you see that after the pause, the printer returns to the X-Y position where it left prior to the pause (`X137.692 Y105`).
---
*Side note:
Some firmware flavors allow [buffering](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#Buffering), but each statement is executed sequentially.*
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2018/11/14 | 750 | 3,005 | <issue_start>username_0: Is it a good idea or do I need to calibrate my E steps after I switch to a new filament due to the different types I use (to make my prints accurate)?
E.g. calibrate when switching from PLA to ABS/PETG?<issue_comment>username_1: No that will not be necessary.
However, you could use calipers to measure the diameter of the filaments (e.g. at 5 positions over a few meters) and calculate the mean diameter, if there is a significant difference between the new and the currently used filament you could change the diameter in the slicer (or the flow modifier), you do not need to calibrate the steps per millimeter every time you change filament.
You only need to calibrate the steps per millimeter if you change something in the extruder hardware setup, e.g. different extruder, different stepper driver, a new gear, etc. As long as the hardware is not changed a calibrated extruder setup will move a certain amount of filament regardless of the diameter variation (per rotation of the extruder gear an amount of $2 \times \pi \times (gear\ radius)$ mm of filament.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: **No,** it is not a good idea to recalibrate the machine for each filament. Instead, use a different profile and adjust the flow multiplier to adjust to different polymers.
why
===
Steps/mm is a mechanical setting that is dependent **only on the extruder gear**. The diameter of the filament is independent of this: one rotation of the extruder still has the same length of filament moved.
To adjust for manufacturing differences, you **adjust the filament diameter** accordingly in the slicer. This is independent of the filament type.
*However* filaments behave differently on heating, and a good slicer does adjust for that already: if we assume PLA as a baseline, then HIPS will need a higher material input for the same print results because it has a different compressibility and heat expansion behavior in the hotend.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: That above is not entirely true. Maybe in a perfect world but we are far away from that. Just this week I tested it with an All-Metal MicroSwiss.
* Calibrated with PETG at 240 °C. Result E116
* Calibrated with PLA at 180 °C. Result E96...
A huge deviation one can't control with the flow. The more smart way to calibrate the extruder would be to remove the heating and nozzle out of the equation. Just run the filament dry out of the end of the PTFE tube with the same calculation method. Unfortunately this is still unreliable.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: It is normal to have different filaments with different hardness, therefore the teeth of the gears will bite at different depth in the filament strand.
As result, the effective steps/mm will change and you should have a calibration per type of filament.
Repeating the calibration for each new spool is not needed, if you only change brand or colour, but at the end... it just takes 10 cm of filament. Is it really an issue?
Upvotes: 2 |
2018/11/14 | 1,499 | 5,691 | <issue_start>username_0: I need help resolving some conflicting logic between the nozzle width and shell thickness--parameters in Cura 16.021--and the physical deposited line width (width on x-y plane).
DEFINITIONS
For clarity, let me define a few terms I'm using:
Nozzle size - nominal diameter of the nozzle / Cura parameter
Nozzle diameter - true diameter of the nozzle
Extrusion diameter - diameter of circular cross-section extrusion upon leaving the nozzle
Deposited line width - width of the rectilinear layer deposited on the build surface **in the x-y plane** (not the z-layer height).
Shell thickness - Cura parameter for part wall thickness
Cura - Cura version 16.021
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XBhmE.png)
PROBLEM 1
Physics suggests that for regular continuous flow out of the nozzle the extrusion diameter (cylindrical material extrusion) would be slightly larger than the nozzle diameter, and the deposited line width (rectangular prismatic extrusion) on the x-y plane should be even wider than the extrusion diameter. I'm assuming the deposited line width is equal to the shell thickness as set in Cura. However, I am finding conflicting advice as to whether one should set the shell thickness slightly greater than or slightly less than the nozzle diameter.
In [this post](https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/3297-what-does-it-do-when-i-change-the-nozzle-diameter-in-cura/?do=findComment&comment=43605) on the Ultimaker forum, the moderator seems to suggest that the nozzle size and deposited line width are one and the same.
In [this post](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/1410/how-does-the-sizes-of-nozzle-diameter-and-the-z-axis-layer-resolution-work) on StackExchange, the discussion seems to agree with my understanding.
PROBLEM 2
A [commonly referenced procedure](https://mattshub.com/2017/04/19/extruder-calibration/) for calibrating extrusion suggests printing a 25mm cube with an open top and bottom. My understanding is that by printing four walls of a single shell thickness, we should correct the extrusion rate to achieve a deposited line width equal to nozzle diameter (Cura requires the shell thickness to be a multiple of nozzle diameter) . The problem I have with this is, as stated above, I don't understand a physical basis for targeting nozzle size = shell thickness (deposited line width). I'd expect to calibrate the extrusion to something slightly wider than the nozzle diameter.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/E04EG.png)
My printing experience seems to confirm my intuition. If I reduce extrusion rate to achieve shell thickness = nozzle diameter my prints appear visually under-extruded with poor layer adhesion. Calibrating to about 110% of the nozzle size looks about right.
PROBLEM 3
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XsusB.png)
Although Cura constrains shell thickness to be a multiple of nozzle size, it will not slice thin shapes on the x-y plane equal to nozzle size, they need to be slightly wider. I have verified this multiple times by designing a part in SolidWorks with a 0.4mm wall, exporting it to Cura as an STL, and previewing the slices (using a 0.4 mm nozzle size). If I increase the wall thickness in the model to 0.41mm, Cura will slice the wall. This seems to suggest to me that Cura does account for a deposited line width > nozzle diameter. It calls to question whether the shell thickness is actually a physical dimension for the 3D print or just a parameter for the slicer engine. I have taken it to mean the number of passes around the perimeter in units of nozzle size, similar to other slicers that ask for a shell count.
Thanks in advance to anyone who has put in the time to read this post and kindly share some knowledge.
EDIT 1: My interchanging of terms "width" and "thickness" made it sound like I'm referring to z-layer height. Also, Trish pointed out that "line width" is the better term rather than "layer width" so I have updated this. My post is only concerned with the deposited layer width in the x-y plane--"line width".<issue_comment>username_1: There may be die swell, which will depend on the extrusion force, the material type, and the exact temperature within the hot end. This is because the viscosity is highly dependent on those parameters.
As to line width: again extruded temperature, material, ambient temperature, cooling fan coverage all play into how much "sag" takes place before the material hardens. Oh, and X-Y speed of the nozzle, of course.
Further, for the first layer, if the nozzle is nice and close to the bed, the nozzle itself will force the material to spread laterally while limiting the vertical extent.
Personally, I don't think it's worth the effort to create a mathematical model. Spend the 3 cents' worth of electricity, 0.01 cents' worth of material, and 15 minutes of time to calibrate if desired.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: So, I think I may have found a satisfactory answer. Cura 3.6 includes separate parameters for line width and shell count:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/L8uJu.png)
This seems to decouple the line width from the specified nozzle size and target what I believe is a more optimal width (~110% the nozzle diameter). It was the other version of Cura that was driving a lot of confusion with the line width being defined by the nozzle size. This also removes the weirdness of not being able slice lines equal to the line width.
Thanks to all who responded.
Upvotes: 1 |
2018/11/16 | 761 | 2,489 | <issue_start>username_0: Given the Marlin Firmware what is the difference between the following lines of code:
>
> G4 S20
>
>
>
and
>
> G4 P2000
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: The code `G4` refers to *dwell*. (From what I'm seeing, it can be written as either `G4` or `G04`). `P`is the length of dwell time, usually in milliseconds. The parameter `S` seems to be invalid, because the only inputs are `X` (seconds), `P` (milliseconds), or `U` (undefined). If you have `S20` in your code, it is invalid, whereas `P2000` will cause all axes to remain unmoving for 2 seconds before moving on.
(Note: Not all machines will accept `X` or `U`.)
**EDIT:** This answer is specific to *non-specific* g-code, taken from this [*Source*](https://all3dp.com/g-code-tutorial-3d-printer-gcode-commands/), since the OP did not state any specifics about their firmware type or equipment used.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: The answer is that ***it depends on the type of firmware*** you are using.
Let us look at the documentation of [`G4`](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#G4:_Dwell) to find that `G4` is valid for all the listed firmware types:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Tt7wT.png)
>
> Pause the machine for a period of time.
>
>
>
Furthermore it states that:
>
> **Parameters**
>
>
> * Pnnn Time to wait, in milliseconds (In Teacup, P0, wait until all previous moves are finished)
> * Snnn Time to wait, in seconds (Only on Repetier, Marlin, Smoothieware, and RepRapFirmware 1.16 and later)
>
>
>
It clearly shows that the `S` parameter (which defines the pause in seconds) is only supported by a few firmware types. Do note that this documentation may not be up-to-date, so it is best to look into the source code or the users manual of the particular firmware you are using.
---
E.g. if you are using Marlin Firmware, `G4 S20` will pause the machine for 20 seconds while `G4 P2000` will pause the machine for 2000 milliseconds which is 2 seconds. This means that a different time is requested, to have 20 seconds waiting time you could use `G4 P20000`
To answer your question what the ***actual difference*** between the 2 commands is:
* it is **either** 18 seconds of extra waiting time if your firmware supports the `S` parameter, **or**
* a firmware that skips or chokes on the command because it is not supported (that also probably depends on your firmware).
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2018/11/17 | 937 | 3,043 | <issue_start>username_0: Given a Marlin firmware and a line of G-code such as the following:
>
> G1 F100 X50 Y50 Z0 E-10
>
>
>
What defines the speed at which the stepper motor associated with the E-value is retracting? It is my understanding that the Feed Rate defines the speed of the movement (in this case 100mm/m) but I am not clear how I could accelerate a retraction?
The reason I am asking is that I am not seeing a swift removal of material as i retract. Could the slow feed rate be the issue? I am using a pellet printer (WASP 3MT) and generating G-code from polylines on Silkworm.<issue_comment>username_1: You instruct the printer to move from a certain X-Y position instructed by the previous move, to X=50 and Y=50. While moving at a feedrate of 100 mm/min, it will also retract 10 mm of filament (if the previous extruder distance was 0) during that move. If the movement distance is large, the retraction is slow. If you started from X,Y = 49.99,49.99 it would be very fast.
If you want a fast retraction, first move to a position, and than retract fast, so in separate commands. Do note that we usually do it the other way around: first retract fast and then move, this way there is less oozing of the nozzle.
To sum up, in your G-code command, the speed of retraction depends on the path of travel (the length and speed defined by the feed rate `F`). If it is fast retraction you are after, you should split the command into two separate commands.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It seems like you are particularly talking about your extruder, please correct me if I have misread.
In the command `G1 F100 X50 Y50 Z0 E-10`:
* `G1` - move linearly
* `F100` - Use a feed rate of 100 mm/minute
* `X50 Y50 Z0` - tells those axes to move to (50, 50, 0) (absolute positioning)
* `E-10` - tells the extruder to retract 10mm (relative positioning)
If you are not experiencing high enough retraction speed:
* Try increasing the retraction speed in your slicer.
* Try increasing the max acceleration for the E axis using [M201](http://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M201.html) (e.g. `M201 E10000` sets to 10,000 **mm/s**).
* Try increasing the max feed rate for the E axis using [M203](http://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M203.html) (e.g. `M203 E25` sets to 25 **mm/s**).
Notes:
* If you're able to connect to your printer over USB, and you aren't already using an interface to control it, something like [Pronterface](http://www.pronterface.com/#download) might make it easier to test retraction speeds.
* **If** [this](https://www.personalfab.it/en/downloads-2/download-info/firmware-powerwasp/) is the correct firmware for your printer, it looks like it is able to save changed values to the EEPROM. They may be using a modified Marlin firmware. If so, EEPROM can be saved with `M500`, loaded with `M501`, and reset with `M502`.
* If your firmware limits what you can set with `M201` and `M203`, you may want to download the firmware and try to edit its maximum accel/feedrate before flashing.
Upvotes: -1 |
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