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2021/03/08 | 749 | 2,704 | <issue_start>username_0: I am building a 3D printer from scratch, the bed will only move on Z and the head will stay at the top of the printer and move X and Y.
How do I modify the Marlin firmware to have the bed lower as it prints instead of lift like most printers.<issue_comment>username_1: To understand normal commands from a basic printer slicer, all movement commands in g-code are written to be away from the base layer as positive. Note that *technically* a "lower the bed" printer does violate Orthonormal coordinates unless you either swap X and Y while retaining 0 in the front-left corner or put 0 in the front-right corner, going left for +X (e.g. inverting that motor axis too) and back for -Y.
Hardware
========
To *invert* the movement direction of an axis without rewriting the firmware there are two main ways, from mos invasive to easiest:
* Mount the actuator "upside-down" as that flips the rotational normal vector.
* use a left-hand-threaded rod and nut. This does not flip rotation but how rotation affects the bed.
* alter the stepper cables by "crossing" one of the phases leads. The motor rotates reversed to its commands now.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/miZU6.jpg)
Firmware
========
In Marlin, you can also just flip the direction of the motor via `configuration.h` by altering the line from `false` to `true`:
```
#define INVERT_Z_DIR true
```
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: You can control in Marlin what the direction of the stepper motor is, e.g. my Hypercube CoreXY printer (which has a similar setup like you described) has the following set (in the Marlin [`Configuration.h`](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/blob/2.0.x/Marlin/Configuration.h) file) to ensure the platform raises when it has to decrease height:
```
// Invert the stepper direction. Change (or reverse the motor connector)
// if an axis goes the wrong way.
#define INVERT_Z_DIR true
```
Furthermore, it matters where the Z endstop is located, e.g. using a bed probe sensor or a min Z endstop, you need to home towards a decreasing height (in the direction of your probe/endstop):
```
// Direction of endstops when homing; 1=MAX, -1=MIN
#define Z_HOME_DIR -1
```
Don't forget to set a max Z height that falls within the printer volume, e.g.:
```
#define Z_MAX_POS 345
```
If the bed is heavy, you should also prevent the steppers to lose power when not being used, so at least set Z to `false`:
```
// Disables axis stepper immediately when it's not being used.
// WARNING: When motors turn off there is a chance of losing position accuracy!
#define DISABLE_Z false
```
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer] |
2021/03/11 | 1,985 | 7,485 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm still fairly new to 3D printing; got my Ender 3 V2 for Christmas last year. Recently the tension arm in the stock extruder snapped, so I bought and installed an all-aluminum replacement. My first successful(ish) print since installing it lasted two to three hours before I noticed the filament wasn't feeding. It had softened and clogged the lead-in to the Bowden tube just past the tooth gear. I figure the problem comes from (and what probably broke the original plastic) heat buildup; the new aluminum frame was VERY hot to the touch. I also noticed that the extruder motor was rather hot as well.
So you all know where I am: all I've printed with is PLA at 195 °C. Since changing extruders, I was getting over extrusion and dropped it to 185 °C and increased the retraction from 5 mm to 6.5 mm. The new one doesn't have (easily) adjustable tension, but the tension felt as strong as I had it on my old one, so I left it alone. I currently print within an enclosure, one of Creality's foil-lined ones since my printer is located in the garage (this is more for dust, but for longer prints I felt it was good to have since at the time it was getting very cold at night in the garage).
I don't think it's heat creep, since that meant it went all the way up the Bowden tube. My first guess is the ambient heat inside the enclosure. I am currently trying a new print with the top and side openings folded up to allow airflow. But I welcome more experienced suggestions and input.
### Additional info
I think I was getting away with the low temperature (185 °C) because my printing enclosure held heat so well. I'm attempting to print outside the enclosure today to start removing variables to my problem, if it under-extrudes, I'll bump the temperature up again.
Please note that I replaced *just the frame*.
I wouldn't know how to adjust the voltage [of the Z-stepper] if indeed the [pre-set factory calibration is incorrect and causing the stepper to heat up]. The new tension arm is a bit tighter than I had it set on my old, but I can't imagine it's making enough resistance to overwork the motor without seeing other issues first.
I didn't see any signs of Heat Creep when I pulled out the filament. The only softening I saw was in the direct drive; it had been pushed into a conical shape that plugged the port into the Bowden just past the gears. I'm still leaning towards an issue with the direct drive (is that what it's called? still learning the terms). the aluminum was too hot to touch and I had to wait 10 minutes before I could safely depress the tensioner and pull the filament out. That or the motor is overheating trying to pull Filament through.
The motor driving the filament is on the opposite side of the Teflon tube, mounted to the vertical frame - it is *not* on the nozzle side of the Teflon tube.<issue_comment>username_1: You could still get heat creep with a Bowden tube. It has different characteristics. Instead of jamming up in the direct drive, the filament can melt too far upwards into the heat break where it can refreeze and jam. The characteristic, if you can pull out the filament, is widened filament extending into the heat break.
See [Air printing/jamming midway through raft creation](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15732/air-printing-jamming-midway-through-raft-creation/15738#15738)
and
[What are ways to avoid heat creep?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15629/understanding-all-the-ways-to-avoid-heat-creep)
Adding fans to an enclosure improves the temperature control in the enclosure.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: *Answer created from octopus8's comments. If octopus8 wants to post their own answer, this wiki answer can be deleted.*
---
185 °C is quite ok for several PLAs I have when printing slow.
Honestly, I couldn't believe that the heat can go up the heatsink and Bowden tube to make extruder frame hot. So maybe your extruder's stepper motor is just getting hot heats up all metal elements (or a combination of both)? Did you replace only frame or also the stepper motor? Maybe the voltage is too high? I think voltages might be not calibrated well in factory, because my Z stepper in Ender 3 V2 also is getting really hot since I bought the printer (so far I added radiator, but I plan to regulate this voltage).
>
> The new tension arm is a bit tighter than I had it set on my old, but I can't imagine it's making enough resistance to overwork the motor without seeing other issues first.
>
>
>
I agree with your judgement. Regarding the voltage: first I am not sure if my copy of v4.2.2 mainboard [has TMC2208 stepper drivers, or some older HR4988](https://www.reddit.com/r/ender3/comments/ibqo8s/). I would need to determine that first, then find a valid formula for Vref. Actual voltage is tuned using potentiometer next to corner of stepper's small radiator. You can [see here an example of this process](https://marlin.crc.id.au/faq/Ender%203%20V2/#vref). One problem is that Ender 3 V2 has the mainboard accessible from the bottom, so I would need something like garage pit to operate...
As you can see, it is important to not touch the screwdriver's metal bar, and anyhow include your body's capacity to this circuit, or you may break things. There are also ceramic screwdrivers - but I already bought two and still my best option is sculpted from 3mm filament. Plastic or ceramic tool will need you to measure voltage separately from turning potentiometer. So the idea of connecting voltmeter to small metal screwdriver is very handy, but you have to be careful to touch only plastic parts.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: *Answer taken from [Seradhe's comment](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15843/ender-3-v2-extruder-getting-hot/16542#comment30113_15846). If Seradhe posts their own answer, then this wiki answer can be deleted.*
---
Sorry for the long delay, but I wanted to post a follow up to conclude this.
I printed outside of my enclosure with no problem. Best guess is that the sealed enclosure wasn't bleeding off heat very well, and the aluminum feeder (being aluminum) was just soaking up the heat non-stop. Fine for short prints but anything over three hours it would get hot enough to soften the filament. I'm currently printing housings for some extra PC fans I have and framing in a vent system to keep it from getting too hot in the future
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: I had this problem when I switched to the aluminum dual gear extruder. The spring was too strong and was crushing the filament out of its round shape into more of an oval profile as it fed into the Bowden tube. This caused excess friction in the Bowden tube, which stressed the extruder stepper motor and caused it to heat up, which transferred through to the aluminum dual drive. This in turn softened the filament in the drive and cause it to lose even more shape, increasing the friction in the tube and further stressing the stepper in a self-perpetuating cycle.
No print lasted more than a couple of hours before the filament jammed in the extruder and I was air printing. The solution was to remove the stronger yellow spring and replace it with the weaker bare metal spring that came with the stock extruder. It's not strong enough to distort the filament and problem solved.
If you are using the stock extruder then the source of friction maybe somewhere else in the filament feed chain.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/03/13 | 572 | 2,191 | <issue_start>username_0: Just received my new Ender 3 v2. When using the Auto Home feature, the Y-axis motor drives the bed as far back as possible then the motor grinds for about 10-15 seconds. The Y-axis limit switch is not being depressed and the limit stop is about .5 inches away from the switch. The control unit locks at this point and must be power cycled to regain control. If I manually depress the limit switch then it appears to act normally.
Clearly either the limit switch is way out of adjustment or the bed is not positioned properly. Can this be fixed or should I send it back as defective?<issue_comment>username_1: It is possible that the **buildplate is too low**, and cannot travel all way down the Y axis, but is hitting into the Y motor enclosure.
If you have screwed the Z-stop to printer's vertical frame, shifting the endstop all the way down, there is even bigger chance for this. So one advice is to **raise the Z-stop** by about a width of wrench key included to the set. Ender 3 V2 has a bit taller glass plate comparing to previous model.
That is not my idea, I just repeat that after the author of ["Tomb of 3D Printed Horrors" youtube tutorials](https://youtu.be/JTN6jtB5mqk?t=2071). The author also presented quick method [Ender 3 easy bed leveling](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JSa_r8xgX8), including **fine tuning** of the Z-stop position.
Please also note, that there are wires with thermistor taped below the bed with crackling tape (probably capton). So if you raise it too few, you will regularly hear scraping and crackling sounds. Therefore before builtplate leveling, I would advice first to **check the initial height** if it is already safe.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I was able to just bend the brass piece on the switch toward the front of the printer. Be careful of course, breaking it would be very bad. That worked for me.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I just replaced my Y-axis belt, I returned everything to its regular place and it started grinding. This was because the build plate is symmetrical but the wheels are a little lower on one side, so flipping around the build plate fixed this for me.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/03/13 | 679 | 2,596 | <issue_start>username_0: So I was thinking of using a closed-loop motor in my 3D printer for better accuracy and high-speed printing without losing steps. I have analyzed options available including just tweaking stepper current and firmware changes to prevent step losses but I want to find the best way to do it with encoders. The problem is I need a pretty high resolution for a 3d printer and usually, high-resolution servo motors use potentiometers that are limited and not suitable for a 3d printer. I am thinking of building my own closed-loop continuous rotation servo using stepper/DC motors and encoders but I can't find any high-resolution encoder at a reasonable price. So is there any way to somehow use low-resolution encoders (like 36 pulse every full turn) or is there any encoder type that I can use for better accuracy at a reasonable price other than optical ones? Also is there any other solution for closed-loop systems at a reasonable price?
Note that I am aware that I may need to modify firmware or write my own code for motors and program them from scratch.
**Note:** You might consider this question [Closed-loop stepper motors](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/12087/closed-loop-stepper-motors) a possible duplicate but I have read that and my main problem is not being able to find any cheap high-resolution encoder for this purpose.
Also for some reason, I can't use products like BTT S42B closed-loop stepper drives, my only option is to build them myself.
**TL;DR:**
Is there any type of encoder with high resolution and cheap price for use in 3D printers? (I don't mean brand, I mean technology)<issue_comment>username_1: The gearbox approach is solid, but it will be 100x slower, and you said you wanted speed.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: You can use a magnetic position encoder.
[AS5048B High Resolution Position Sensor](https://ams.com/as0548b)
14-bit rotary position sensor with digital angle (interface) and PWM output
14 bit means 16k steps/rotation. With a stepper which does 200 steps/rotation and 16x microstepping, you will need only 11 bit, so you have plenty of extra accuracy you can use to filter noise.
You may use [AS5600 Positioning Sensor](https://ams.com/as5600) instead, which is 12 bits, since you don't need to track each microsteps in a closed loop, 4x is enough.
AS5600 in PWM mode does up to 920 Hz, AS5048 1 kHz. I'm not sure in I2C mode but surely more. Of course you have to take into account delay between measuring the position and transmission of the position.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2021/03/14 | 1,281 | 4,293 | <issue_start>username_0: I uploaded a 3D object for [this project](https://lerdagiovanni.wixsite.com/kauda/stl-files) to Fusion 360 and printed it out straightforward:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BLeFU.png)
Yet its middle hole is too small for the stepper motor ([Nema 17 Stepper-M](https://www.omc-stepperonline.com/nema-17-stepper-motor/)) I am using so I wanted to increase its tolerance before reprinting it.
So, I followed the [tutorial by <NAME> Tech](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SigAE7GG9vs&ab_channel=TylerBeckofTech%26Espresso) who lead me to drawings:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Z3YX.png)
I was wondering if doing a drawing (sketch in Fusion 360) was sufficient to expect the shaft of the step motor to go through?
Here are the gear and the shaft before I add the drawing constraints:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/arA1s.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wpxT3.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: This seems like a tolerance press fit problem and similar to what you will find if you try the same using normal machining operations on a lathe or milling machine.
I print 3 mm clearance fit holes on my Prusa MK3S, meant to fit on 3.00 mm (measured with a digital caliper) stainless steel shafts. The printed parts are from Fusion 360 models, with 3 mm holes by design, converted to STL and then sliced and printed with 0.2 mm layer height. The holes are very close to 3.0 mm and out by 0.05-0.1 mm.
The solution was to make adjustments in Fusion. I left the model with the hole size as 3 mm but then use the Offset Face command on the inside of the extruded hole to make it slightly larger with the required tolerance.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/OaMCs.png)
In my case, an offset of 0.05 provided a nice press fit, and 0.1 offset allowed the shaft to closely fit in the hole but loose enough to rotate.
I suggest you create a simple model with a number of holes designed to be the same size and then use different Offset Face numbers to dial in what you need. That way you get to learn what to expect from your printer and its accuracy.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Besides offsetting the **clearances** you want into models, you can and should also calibrate your printer to **compensate for included holes** - because often inner holes are solved to be smaller than actually designed out of necessity.
However, the option can *also* be used to fix problems that stem from the slicing and printing itself, and thus offers to fix some problems that are endemic to your setup or where you can't easily fix the model by setting an offset to create the wanted clearances in it.
In Ultimaker **Cura**, the option for this fix is called `Hole horizontal expansion` since [4.6 in April 2020](https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/32187-ultimaker-cura-46-released/), which only affects internal perimeters as I know from testing.
**SuperSlicer**, a PrusaSlicer branch offers `hole_XY_compensation`, though I can't quite pinpoint the time when it was added. I guesstimate sometime before [October 2020](https://github.com/supermerill/SuperSlicer/commit/151ea0a39f94d383fdf17802e4e52e787a7bae46).
**PrusaSlicer** offers `XY size compensation`, which does affect outer perimeters. A hole-only is requested almost since that option was available the first time. An attempt to implement a hole-only compensation again appears to be [worked on since mid-2020.](https://github.com/prusa3d/PrusaSlicer/issues/4561) It seems that in the beginning of March some implementation has been tested.
The first work for such a function [was tried by **Slic3r**](https://manual.slic3r.org/troubleshooting/dimension-errors) before PrusaSlicer was started on, using an [Arc-compensation formula](https://reprap.org/mediawiki/index.php?title=ArcCompensation&action=history) in at latest 2009, but the function proved to be overcompensating. As Prusa-Slicer is a *fork* of Slic3r, some of this work might remain in the code.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/03/15 | 2,535 | 8,600 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm using Cura and it removes my holes and deletes sections of the print and disconnects parts. In Blender it looks as it should be, as I designed it. I know there are a few mishaps inside (not manifold) but is there a way to fill in everything on the inside. I only care about the externally facing faces. This is extremely infuriating I hope someone can tell me how to force Cura to print what is originally seen in the .stl.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vhECG.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/spmc4.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/R5IEQ.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XhOsa.png)
These are photos of how it should look.
Now these next photos are how Cura previews it. Not only does it fill in the holes (no, fill holes isn't enabled) it adds huge gaps in the side and bottom of the print as can be seen.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/nhQv4.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/H1eTp.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Q51Me.png)
How can I force Cura to print what I see in blender in the original .stl?
I am exporting in Blender to .stl and opening that in Cura.
---
I was able to fix it partially by fixing normals in Blender but there is still this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Rjk38.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lFOfR.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wPoMg.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Z2Uuy.png)<issue_comment>username_1: It's common for modeling software to flip normals, causing what you describe. You said,
>
> I only care about the externally facing faces.
>
>
>
But are you sure they are truly externally facing? Turn on normals in Blender and ensure that all the arrows/pointers are external.
Another problem that can generate the results you're seeing are self-intersecting surfaces, non-manifold edges, and a couple others that are explained in a [3dhubs article.](https://www.3dhubs.com/knowledge-base/fixing-most-common-stl-file-errors/) Correcting those problems involve a bit more examination and trouble shooting.
The slicing software prefers to have clean, well defined triangular surfaces in order to create a print file. When something is amiss, you get results you've presented.
With the STL in hand, I opened it in Meshmixer (free) and immediately was given a clue.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/oITba.png)
The zebra-stripes are reversed normals.
Here's another error point, difficult to see clearly in flat 2D image, but panning and zooming and orbiting and all those 3D manipulating things shows there's nothing there:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FrtCK.png)
The other end of this not-joined area shows a bit better:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IH41m.png)
After selecting all I could find/locate, I did the reverse normals and here's a slightly improved result:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GcpRG.png)
Unfortunately, the other borked up portions prevented meshmixer from performing a suitable auto-repair, completely destroying the model in the process.
Those joint corners and any other colored lines have to be addressed individually.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Rhino gives the following output for `MeshRepair`
* Mesh has 3 degenerate faces. (a face that's actually a line or a point)
* Mesh has 42 non manifold edges. (a line where 3 or more faces meet, possibly caused by degenerate faces)
* Mesh has 6 duplicate faces. (faces that share the same coordinates)
* Mesh has 148 naked edges (edges that have only one face)
All of these things are indicators that it might be difficult to distinguish inside from outside.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x89lO.png)
I have encountered these problems after changing a model a lot during it's lifetime (adding/removing stuff). Since there are 200 errors and it's a relatively simple model, I advice you to fix these kind of problems by starting with a new clean model, using some of the coordinates of the old model as reference.
Also: be sure to check out [blender's 3d printing wiki](https://daler.github.io/blender-for-3d-printing/printing/3d-print-toolbox.html), they seem to have quite some tools similar to rhino's meshrepair
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Okay, so like suggested I put it into 3D Builder (A free Windows 3D modeling program). I imported it as an stl, then exported it as an stl and imported that stl into Cura. And lo and behold all problems were gone! If you are having a similar issue give that a try! The 3D Builder program and similar ones are designed to export for the sole purpose of 3D printing so it automatically fixes these issues! If this doesn't work try editing yours in edit mode (Blender) a bit so it makes it easier for 3D Builder to fix it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: There are several problems at work here:
* Internal Geometry & unjoined parts
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CiNMC.png)
* Missing Surfaces
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/828Da.png)
* Generally inverted surfaces: every surface is inside out!
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/l6wUG.png)
Fixing it!
==========
Step 1: add missing surfaces.
-----------------------------
Select the vertices around the hole that has no bottom surface and then pres `F` to create a surface. Use several steps, making roughly triangle surfaces. For example: select the red marked vertices, then `F` and then the next set.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jqM6b.png)
Step 2: Internal Geometry
-------------------------
Let's now hunt for purely internal surfaces. Select them and delete them with `Del`, and select `Delete Face`.
Step 3: Superflous surface geometry
-----------------------------------
Some areas have remnants from areas where you worked. Merge those vertices to prevent new artifacts from cropping up. Select the vertices, `M` and then `collapse` for each circle, like the red one. Some might need to be collapsed at a specific vertex to prevent surfaces from getting ripped or intersecting badly - in the lower picture the green circled one.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Cs1gV.png)
Step 4: Normals
---------------
Last but not least: `Alt`+`N` and then `Recalculate Outside`
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/hnHSs.png)
Export to look for other errors...
----------------------------------
Everything should look much better now: The "checkered" areas are gaps are gaps in the walls... which stem from bad geometry in the big walls I selected in the lower picture.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/RwOxB.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/w20Qs.png)
So, I select one of these areas - then change to vertex mode, deselect the vertex I **don't** want the face to connect to (red) but the ones that should define the edge instead (green) and then press `F` to make a new face. Then I select the old one and delete it.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DqpkG.png)
DONE!
=====
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Wpwy1.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6FRZJ.png)
Upvotes: 3 |
2021/03/16 | 2,146 | 7,294 | <issue_start>username_0: Prusa MK3 heatbed power cable shorted out (on the Einsy side) and it looks like I need to replace the Einsy. Should I replace the heatbed too? I don’t know electronics well and am worried I will just fry a new Einsy.
Heatbed end:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1pA7t.jpg "Heatbed end")
Crispy at RAMBo end:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rWn8V.jpg "Crispy at RAMBo end")
Crispy at RAMBo end:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4Ot8Z.jpg "Crispy at RAMBo end")
Larger images can be found [here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Qt77P.jpg).<issue_comment>username_1: It's common for modeling software to flip normals, causing what you describe. You said,
>
> I only care about the externally facing faces.
>
>
>
But are you sure they are truly externally facing? Turn on normals in Blender and ensure that all the arrows/pointers are external.
Another problem that can generate the results you're seeing are self-intersecting surfaces, non-manifold edges, and a couple others that are explained in a [3dhubs article.](https://www.3dhubs.com/knowledge-base/fixing-most-common-stl-file-errors/) Correcting those problems involve a bit more examination and trouble shooting.
The slicing software prefers to have clean, well defined triangular surfaces in order to create a print file. When something is amiss, you get results you've presented.
With the STL in hand, I opened it in Meshmixer (free) and immediately was given a clue.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/oITba.png)
The zebra-stripes are reversed normals.
Here's another error point, difficult to see clearly in flat 2D image, but panning and zooming and orbiting and all those 3D manipulating things shows there's nothing there:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FrtCK.png)
The other end of this not-joined area shows a bit better:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IH41m.png)
After selecting all I could find/locate, I did the reverse normals and here's a slightly improved result:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GcpRG.png)
Unfortunately, the other borked up portions prevented meshmixer from performing a suitable auto-repair, completely destroying the model in the process.
Those joint corners and any other colored lines have to be addressed individually.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Rhino gives the following output for `MeshRepair`
* Mesh has 3 degenerate faces. (a face that's actually a line or a point)
* Mesh has 42 non manifold edges. (a line where 3 or more faces meet, possibly caused by degenerate faces)
* Mesh has 6 duplicate faces. (faces that share the same coordinates)
* Mesh has 148 naked edges (edges that have only one face)
All of these things are indicators that it might be difficult to distinguish inside from outside.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x89lO.png)
I have encountered these problems after changing a model a lot during it's lifetime (adding/removing stuff). Since there are 200 errors and it's a relatively simple model, I advice you to fix these kind of problems by starting with a new clean model, using some of the coordinates of the old model as reference.
Also: be sure to check out [blender's 3d printing wiki](https://daler.github.io/blender-for-3d-printing/printing/3d-print-toolbox.html), they seem to have quite some tools similar to rhino's meshrepair
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: Okay, so like suggested I put it into 3D Builder (A free Windows 3D modeling program). I imported it as an stl, then exported it as an stl and imported that stl into Cura. And lo and behold all problems were gone! If you are having a similar issue give that a try! The 3D Builder program and similar ones are designed to export for the sole purpose of 3D printing so it automatically fixes these issues! If this doesn't work try editing yours in edit mode (Blender) a bit so it makes it easier for 3D Builder to fix it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: There are several problems at work here:
* Internal Geometry & unjoined parts
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CiNMC.png)
* Missing Surfaces
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/828Da.png)
* Generally inverted surfaces: every surface is inside out!
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/l6wUG.png)
Fixing it!
==========
Step 1: add missing surfaces.
-----------------------------
Select the vertices around the hole that has no bottom surface and then pres `F` to create a surface. Use several steps, making roughly triangle surfaces. For example: select the red marked vertices, then `F` and then the next set.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jqM6b.png)
Step 2: Internal Geometry
-------------------------
Let's now hunt for purely internal surfaces. Select them and delete them with `Del`, and select `Delete Face`.
Step 3: Superflous surface geometry
-----------------------------------
Some areas have remnants from areas where you worked. Merge those vertices to prevent new artifacts from cropping up. Select the vertices, `M` and then `collapse` for each circle, like the red one. Some might need to be collapsed at a specific vertex to prevent surfaces from getting ripped or intersecting badly - in the lower picture the green circled one.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Cs1gV.png)
Step 4: Normals
---------------
Last but not least: `Alt`+`N` and then `Recalculate Outside`
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/hnHSs.png)
Export to look for other errors...
----------------------------------
Everything should look much better now: The "checkered" areas are gaps are gaps in the walls... which stem from bad geometry in the big walls I selected in the lower picture.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/RwOxB.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/w20Qs.png)
So, I select one of these areas - then change to vertex mode, deselect the vertex I **don't** want the face to connect to (red) but the ones that should define the edge instead (green) and then press `F` to make a new face. Then I select the old one and delete it.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DqpkG.png)
DONE!
=====
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Wpwy1.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6FRZJ.png)
Upvotes: 3 |
2021/03/17 | 1,093 | 4,367 | <issue_start>username_0: I have just bought my own 3D printer. However, I am now reading that there may be some safety risks to 3D printing. I will be taking some precautions, such as buying an enclosed 3D printer (the FlashForge Adventurer 3), using PLA instead of ABS, and putting my 3D printer in my garage. However, I am still concerned about the possible risks. What are some other good safety tips and best practices when 3D printing? Am I doing enough, or should I do more? What have other users of 3D printers done to mitigate potential safety issues? Please let me know.<issue_comment>username_1: Install an overhead vent, like those you would have above your stove, to direct fumes and micro-filaments away from the area. You could alternatively use a box fan with a thin air filter attached to it, but the idea is to draw those fumes away from the room.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Assuming you are using PLA filament, it is plant-based and very safe. The reason some 3D printers have enclosures is becasue it helps keep some materials warm, its not for safety and especially not for fumes. You could run the thing in your bedroom 24/7 and I guarantee you would be plenty safe.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: Technically, you should never leave your printer running unattended. Printer fires are rare, but it can happen, especially with cheap printers with poor quality control. Personally, I would just make sure that there is a fire alarm near by, so you'd be alerted if there was a fire.
Also, the fumes concern is valid in the sense that you don't want to sleep in the same room as your 3D printer. The following article points out that if you are spending time in the same room without proper ventilation you'd benefit from potentially using an enclosure with a HEPA filter. Also, the article points out that using PLA may be a safer choice than other materials such as ABS or Polycarbonate when it comes to harmful particles: <https://3dinsider.com/3d-printer-fumes/>
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: Check where the moving cables (especially for the heaters) are bending. The bending radiuses should be as wide as possible and connections or soldering points should never see any direct force from movement. Add a strain reliev if there are any such connenctions to prevent them from failing over time and possibly melting down.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: There are several ways to be injured with a 3D printer. The biggest threats come from the printer running under normal conditions. The uncommon, exceptional, and difficult to quantify threats come from fire and fumes.
For fire, consider the 3D printer to be like any other 400W heating appliance in your house, with the advantage compared to, say, a television in that you can inspect most of the failure points.
Check the feed points where the power connects to the power supply, main board, and the power lines to the bed heater and hot-end heater cartridge. After a few hours of printing, these should still not be hot.
There is always the possibility of a thermistor failure and thermal run-away. Most good control firmware should detect this possibility and fail with an error. If you are using custom firmware, you might want to check that this is included.
For fumes, the evidence is real that fumes are produced. It is less clear the nature and dosage of their effects. If the fumes bother you, don't breath them. If you are concerned, consider an enclosure with an activated carbon filter.
For the more immediate threats, you need to always take care when working with the printer. The hot end can burn you quickly. The heated bed can burn you more slowly. Gears, belts, and moving parts cause pinching hazards, and blood blisters can be raised easily.
Glass beds may have sharp edges, and can break to create thousands of sharp edges.
In conclusion, remember that stamped sheet metal parts, present on some printers, can bear burrs and sharp edges, inviting you to leave bloody finger prints.
A 3D printer, like many things, is dangerous in many ways. I've experienced the common threats, and have avoided the less common ones.
Be careful, but in my view a personal 3D printer is by far safer than any metalworking machine. I have been more injured by a drill press, and welding fumes are more noxious then filament out-gassing.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/03/17 | 1,475 | 5,655 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a [Flex3Drive](https://flex3drive.com/) remote-direct-drive extruder I bought for my Ender 3 (with the original extruder motor), and I'm pretty happy with it except for abysmal retraction performance due to the 40:1 reduction, which requires the motor to turn about 480° to retract just 1 mm. This is minimally workable for PLA and rigid materials where I can get by with just 1 mm of retraction, but it takes just as long to retract 1 mm as the original bowden extruder did to retract 6 mm, defeating a lot of the appeal of a direct drive. For TPU I haven't been able to make it workable at all. By the time I retract 3 mm or so, which seems necessary to avoid stringing, the hotend has already melted and/or deposited a blob on the print. Failure to print TPU also defeats much of the point of a direct drive.
I'm running retraction at 8 mm/s, 500 mm/s² acceleration, which is already higher than the manufacturer of the extruder recommends, and about the fastest I've been able to get it to work. Based on [this calculator](https://www.daycounter.com/Calculators/Stepper-Motor-Calculator.phtml) and 8.9 mH motor inductance, that seems roughly expected. I have TMC 2209 steppers and tried playing with current but it doesn't seem to make much difference.
Otherwise, I love this extruder, and want to make it work. Is there a way I can salvage it by changing out the motor for something that can do higher RPMs and accelerate just as fast or faster?<issue_comment>username_1: In general I would use <https://github.com/rcarlyle/StepperSim> which takes into account more parameters.
You can play with voltage and current to see which combination gives you the best results for your motor.
Or you can change to a TMC driver with higher voltage (35-50 V) to keep torque at much higher speeds and push the current motor more.
Since the torque you require is likely not so high, you can increase the speed of your stepper motor with 3D printed herringbone gears, for example 4:1. They don't need to be super accurate, backlash is totally fine considering the ridiculous 40:1 reduction.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: While the following doesn't conclusively prove changing the motor would work, I think the answer is yes! And I achieved the desired result via a different method, so I consider the problem solved.
Instead of changing the motor, I designed a 1:4 step-up planetary gearbox to put on top of the extruder motor, yielding a 10:1 net reduction instead of the original 40:1. This works, even without much attention to part strength or backlash in the gearbox (thanks to the subsequent 40:1 reduction), yielding the desired sub-50ms retractions with PLA. This seems to establish that the rotational rate or acceleration of the flex shaft is not a limiting factor.
One thing I noticed after adding my gearbox is that, even after scaling up the extruder speed and acceleration to 4x the values I was using without the gearbox, the stepper motor did not make the sharp "chirp"/"squeal" sound on retractions that I got before. This seemed odd, because it should be the same speed/acceleration for the output shaft and slightly higher load than before. So I think there may be something other than just exceeding the stepper's capabilities going on with the original configuration.
The manufacturer's recommended (provided STL files) coupling of the motor to the flex shaft is this long rigid coupler and guide cap:
That looks like a suspiciously long lever on the motor output shaft. And while the cap retains the flex cable sheath fairly rigidly, it can't be perfectly aligned with the motor shaft, and there's room for the flex shaft to move slightly side to side inside the sheath. So, my guess is that spinning the flex shaft at high speeds with it directly coupled to the motor like this put some serious lateral forces on the motor output shaft, interfering with the motor's performance and likely leading to long-term damage if not corrected.
The gearbox I added avoids extending the motor shaft at all (the planetary gear carrier slides fully over the D-shaft) and the small amount of backlash in the gears themselves allows the flex shaft positioning to be imprecise with (apparently) no serious ill effects. And if it does cause unwanted wear, well these are printed parts that are easily replaceable.
As for the 40:1 reduction in the extruder itself, after working with all of this to get it printing well, I don't think it's necessarily a wrong design. The flex shaft can handle the speeds needed just fine, and the 40:1 reduction keeps torque from the extruder gear off of it while extruding. The Zesty Nimble (which some call a clone of this design) used 30:1 instead of 40:1, and has dropped to 20:1 in their latest iteration, probably for reasons related to my troubles with the 40:1. But I think the gearbox at the motor side is actually a rather nice solution that preserves all of the potentially good properties of the high reduction and none of the bad ones. It does make the setup more complicated to manufacture and install though.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I was considering buying a Fl3xdrive but had this exact fear, that the speed (rotation) required for retractions was too much.
I stumbled upon this post while looking for a project for a step-up gearbox. I found a [Nema 17 Gearbox "Pulleybox" Mod for Extruder](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3714978) on Thingiverse, should be enough to do what you did with your design, I guess.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/03/18 | 1,255 | 4,789 | <issue_start>username_0: So basically I've been having a problem with my Micro+.
It will not level / calibrate itself and I can't fix it. The reason I'm here is that I've been using Cura, and somehow it destroyed my bed. (See image)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Qe8cA.jpg)
I would like to know how to get it off, as I tried freezing, scraping and sandpaper
---
To clarify some things:
* The material is PLA,
* bed is made of plastic.
My build plate surface got destroyed after trying to use Cura, which sliced wrong and engraved the print into my bed.<issue_comment>username_1: In general I would use <https://github.com/rcarlyle/StepperSim> which takes into account more parameters.
You can play with voltage and current to see which combination gives you the best results for your motor.
Or you can change to a TMC driver with higher voltage (35-50 V) to keep torque at much higher speeds and push the current motor more.
Since the torque you require is likely not so high, you can increase the speed of your stepper motor with 3D printed herringbone gears, for example 4:1. They don't need to be super accurate, backlash is totally fine considering the ridiculous 40:1 reduction.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: While the following doesn't conclusively prove changing the motor would work, I think the answer is yes! And I achieved the desired result via a different method, so I consider the problem solved.
Instead of changing the motor, I designed a 1:4 step-up planetary gearbox to put on top of the extruder motor, yielding a 10:1 net reduction instead of the original 40:1. This works, even without much attention to part strength or backlash in the gearbox (thanks to the subsequent 40:1 reduction), yielding the desired sub-50ms retractions with PLA. This seems to establish that the rotational rate or acceleration of the flex shaft is not a limiting factor.
One thing I noticed after adding my gearbox is that, even after scaling up the extruder speed and acceleration to 4x the values I was using without the gearbox, the stepper motor did not make the sharp "chirp"/"squeal" sound on retractions that I got before. This seemed odd, because it should be the same speed/acceleration for the output shaft and slightly higher load than before. So I think there may be something other than just exceeding the stepper's capabilities going on with the original configuration.
The manufacturer's recommended (provided STL files) coupling of the motor to the flex shaft is this long rigid coupler and guide cap:
That looks like a suspiciously long lever on the motor output shaft. And while the cap retains the flex cable sheath fairly rigidly, it can't be perfectly aligned with the motor shaft, and there's room for the flex shaft to move slightly side to side inside the sheath. So, my guess is that spinning the flex shaft at high speeds with it directly coupled to the motor like this put some serious lateral forces on the motor output shaft, interfering with the motor's performance and likely leading to long-term damage if not corrected.
The gearbox I added avoids extending the motor shaft at all (the planetary gear carrier slides fully over the D-shaft) and the small amount of backlash in the gears themselves allows the flex shaft positioning to be imprecise with (apparently) no serious ill effects. And if it does cause unwanted wear, well these are printed parts that are easily replaceable.
As for the 40:1 reduction in the extruder itself, after working with all of this to get it printing well, I don't think it's necessarily a wrong design. The flex shaft can handle the speeds needed just fine, and the 40:1 reduction keeps torque from the extruder gear off of it while extruding. The Zesty Nimble (which some call a clone of this design) used 30:1 instead of 40:1, and has dropped to 20:1 in their latest iteration, probably for reasons related to my troubles with the 40:1. But I think the gearbox at the motor side is actually a rather nice solution that preserves all of the potentially good properties of the high reduction and none of the bad ones. It does make the setup more complicated to manufacture and install though.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I was considering buying a Fl3xdrive but had this exact fear, that the speed (rotation) required for retractions was too much.
I stumbled upon this post while looking for a project for a step-up gearbox. I found a [Nema 17 Gearbox "Pulleybox" Mod for Extruder](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3714978) on Thingiverse, should be enough to do what you did with your design, I guess.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/03/20 | 724 | 3,012 | <issue_start>username_0: I want to build a mini CNC machine and need some lead screws. I was wondering I can simply 3D print some. There are a few 3D models out there but I want to know if printing it in PLA+ has enough strength for a small CNC. Is it possible?<issue_comment>username_1: Is it possible? Yes. Is it advisable? **No**
Lead screws need to be smooth and have little to no stretch and there can be a lot of tension on them. However, 3D prints are quite rough by the way they are made and super weak on tension forces - and not have a good compression withstanding either.
a 3D printed leadscrew is therefore **not adviseable**, especially since ready-made leadscrews and fitting nuts are cheap in the shape of nuts and threaded rods for the crudest setup.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Expanding on some previous comments which are probably enough to warrant an answer:
What username_1 said is completely right. Leadscrews are readily available parts and any dimensional errors in the leadscrews will be reflected in the output of your CNC machine unless you have some sort of compensation for them. Moreover, if the material is not highly rigid, the dimensions are subject to change over time, so any compensation would have to be ongoing manual adjustment or closed-loop rather than a one-time calibration. "PLA+" is an especially bad choice because it usually means PLA that's been modified with additives to make it less brittle, deforming under stress instead of holding its shape until it breaks catastrophically. [CNC Kitchen's video on PLA+](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAoZCpXoPWo) elaborates on this.
With that said, if you don't need a high level of precision, or if you're in a situation where you're unable to obtain manufactured components, I think 3D printed leadscrews would work ok if you print them in the XY plane rather than along the Z axis. While nozzle width and discrete layers produce a sort of "stairstep" quantization of printed threads in the Z direction, that doesn't happen with the threads in the XY plane; the nozzle width limits feature resolution (oscillations per unit length) but the positioning of the threads is quantized only to the X and Y (micro)step size, which is typically on the order of 10 microns. Moreover, the strength and rigidity of the part printed in this direction can be very high, due to the offset-layered zigzag structure.
Back to accuracy of the part, though, it's important to note that whatever flaws your printer might have in XY positioning accuracy will be reflected in the resulting leadscrew. This includes *non-linear effects* such as belt paths being slightly trapezoidal instead of having perfectly colinear points of attachment to the carriage. In general, when manufacturing parts that will affect the accuracy of the resulting machine, you want to use processes that amplify the precision your tooling was manufactured with rather than processes that reproduce or amplify its flaws.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2021/03/21 | 525 | 2,076 | <issue_start>username_0: Being new to 3D printing, I started using Cura (which came with my Ender 3v2) to slice models I found on Thingiverse. I know that there are other slicers and have heard positive things about PrusaSlicer.
I know that settings will have different names, but I am asking more about the setup. What things, settings, etc. should I be aware of when using PrusaSlicer? Will I need to re-calibrate anything in PrusaSlicer?<issue_comment>username_1: Basically all slicers work very similarly, it is a matter of preference, being accustomed, or wanting to use a certain (set of) features. Their job is to prepare the object to be sliced in layers to be executed by the printer you use. For every slicer to work properly, you need to configure the printer settings correctly.
Basically, all slicers have the following basic settings:
* Printer settings,
*these contain information on the printer like build volume, origin, heated bed, nr. of extruders (and what filament diameter is used), scripts, etc.*
* filament settings,
*these contain e.g. information on the print and bed temperature*
* print settings
*these contain all parameters you use in your normally used slicer, these can be hundreds of options like speeds, accelerations, layer height, nr. of walls, etc.*
+ some of the movement profile settings (like acceleration, jerk, max-speed) might be handled as a *printer* setting by some slicers and as a *print* one by different slicers. In the end, some of these are dependant on the printer's construction.
Printer dimensions and layout, filament diameter, and start and end G-code scripts are the things to look for. The rest is straightforward, you need to specify material and object slice settings as you would normally do.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: PrusaSlicer already has pre-tuned profiles for the Ender 3 v2 in the Configuration Assistant. It also has tuned print settings from SUPERDETAIL (0.08 mm layer height) to SUPERDRAFT (0.28 mm layer height) so it shouldn't be too hard to set up.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/03/21 | 598 | 2,271 | <issue_start>username_0: I am trying to print a fairly simple object yet I keep getting the same issue.
As you can see in the picture the print quality is bad with all the blobs on the vertical part of the print.
I have leveled the bed many times and I keep getting this issue. I have also calibrated the E-steps. I have replaced the PTFE tube as well.
I am printing with Sunlu PLA+. I was printing at 220 °C but now that I set it at 200 °C the result is a little bit better but it has not gone away.
Please advise on how to fix this.
Note: I have 2 Ender 3 V2's and the other printer is printing the same files pretty much perfect.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ku8fN.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: Maybe it's only about the slicer settings, it's over extruding problem. I recommend lowering the extrusion multiplier.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: 1. Print the same file, with the same settings, on both machines.
2. If the problem persists, try swapping the filament between the two printers. If the problem now occurs on the other printer, that suggests that the filament is the issue. Label the bad one "For lumpy prints" and put it away.
3. If the problem persists on the printer where it first occurred, despite swapping filament reels, the issue probably has something to do with the printer. Remove and examine the nozzle, and consider replacing it even if it looks OK. Nozzles are cheap and easy to replace, so this is an easy early step.
4. If a new nozzle doesn't fix it, other parts related to the extruder like the hot end thermistor, fans, heater block, etc. could be to blame. If the thermistor is just positioned a little differently than on the "good" printer, for example, it might be reading a little low and causing the nozzle to heat up more to get to the target reading. That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to replace those parts; you just need to recognize the difference and compensate for it when you use that printer. Just as a baker might think "the recipe says 400 °F, but I know my oven runs hot, so I'll use 375 °F instead," you may need to adjust the nozzle temperature to compensate for the hardware differences when you use this printer.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/03/21 | 832 | 3,115 | <issue_start>username_0: I have just set up my new 3D printer. However, the build plate keeps slipping while printing. I tried to use binder clips to keep the plate in place, but this makes the build plate unlevel, messing up my prints. What are some other ways to prevent the build plate from slipping. I was considering using duct tape, but am not sure whether this would work.<issue_comment>username_1: I use kapton tape to fixate the glass plates to the heated beds on two of my printers, one a Prusa i3 clone, the other a CoreXY. The tape is able to withstand higher temperatures, and is very thin, so it doesn't have the drawbacks of limiting the print area or high chance the nozzle hitting the clips.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4Mjuj.jpg)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I'm not sure what "the build plate keeps slipping while printing. I tried to use binder clips to keep the plate in place" means, but if you have a build surface and a bottom heated bed, you can look for "silicone thermal pad 0.5mm".
You can put it between build surface and lower bed, so that it will increase friction and there won't be any slipping, even without clips.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ppiOT.jpg)
You can also look for "thermal conductive rubber silicone cloth 0.3mm" which is fiberglass reinforced and thinner, but with a maybe worse thermal conductivity. It is however more tear resistant, which helps when you remove the build surface.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JTBCY.jpg)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: **Build Plate**
If your clips aren't holding down your build plate, make sure your nozzle isn't crashing into the plate and moving it. A build surface between the clip and surface or adhesive might help keep the clip from slipping on the top surface. A rubbery gasket material that can withstand you heated bed temperatures, such as the silicon username_2 mentions, can keep the bottom of the plate from slipping. This is the most important surface not to slip.
Apparently, Oscar's option is to tape down the edges of the build plate. I have used Kapton tape to cover torn build surfaces. As Oscar mentioned, it is thin enough for the nozzle to pass over. Kapton tape can be a challenge to adhere at high bed temperatures, such as 110 °C. For that option it's probably worth checking the adhesive specs if they vary for different Kapton tapes.
Those two options aren't mutually exclusive and could be used together. You could even put clips over the Kapton tape at higher bed temperatures if it is an issue.
**Build Surfaces**
PEI sheets are the most common build surfaces and already have an adhesive surface. Kapton tape seems to be the surface most resistant to damage, but a sheet that covers the entire build surface is expensive. Kapton seems to do a better job of releasing PETG. Otherwise, I use Elmer's glue sticks to protect the build surface.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/03/21 | 1,019 | 3,587 | <issue_start>username_0: So I have been having an ongoing problem with my printer that I just can't solve. I don't usually ask the questions on stack exchanges until my problem gets unsolvable. Unfortunately like this one
**Printer**: Creality Ender 3 V2
**Current Board**: [Creality v4.2.7 (Silent Motor)](https://rads.stackoverflow.com/amzn/click/com/B07TFTVTXK)
**Background**: This started when I accidentally fried the T20 chip on the v4.2.2 mainboard when I tried to install the BLTouch incorrectly (I looked at the photo upside down) and and also accidentally pulled the wire out and what I guess is why the T20 chip was fried. I thought at first the PSU was the one causing the trouble at first so I replaced it. Then found the burnt chip and decided to upgrade the board to a v4.2.7. I installed everything correctly according to a video that I found somewhere on YouTube.
**Current Problem(s)**: When I turn on the machine the light on the mainboard is on but there is continuous beeping coming from the display with small clicks like a clock every 1 sec. or so. The backlight to the display is on but nothing is shown. I just found with a multimeter that the bed and nozzle terminals give no volts back.
**Firmware**: I have tried to update the firmware to the [official one off of Creality's website](https://forums.creality3dofficial.com/download/ender-series/ender-3-v2/) and also using the source code for [Marlin v2.0.7.2](https://marlinfw.org/meta/download) with PlatformIO. The tutorial I followed was here:
**Update [3/24]**: Found that the firmware seems to not flash even after giving the .bin file a different name.
**Extra Thoughts**: I currently have no idea what to do. I think I might replace the LCD and its cable. I have only printed a few things and just want to get back to it but I don't want to buy a whole new printer to do so. I feel like I get closer to getting back to it every time I fix something but I'm starting to lose hope that it's just a never ending problem loop. I appreciate any help given.<issue_comment>username_1: Thanks to [the comment](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15922/ender-3-v2-blank-screen-and-lcd-continuous-beeping-with-clicks/20921#comment30127_15922) from @Rykara, they led me to the answer:
>
> Could be a bad or incorrectly formatted SD card. I think the card needs to be FAT32 format. Try reformating and/or using a different SD card?
>
>
>
The whole problem was kinda a firmware issue but on the SD card side. The reason why it wasn't flashing was because I didn't flash the SD card to use the FAT32 format. Unfortunately I tried every other format option except that one before hand, mostly because I am mainly on a Mac. Now there is no more problems and I am back on track to printing. :)
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I had the constant beeping, black screen issue.
I went to [Creality Cloud Firmware for 3D Printers: Ender 3 v2 Mainboard version 4.2.2](https://www.crealitycloud.com/software-firmware/firmware?type=2&keyword&system=0&subType=60067926229435d86f60789a&hardware=V4.2.2).
I installed `Ender-3 V2-Marlin-2.0.1 - V1.2.1 - Filament` because I have the Ender 3 v2 4.2.2 board. This is the only firmware that loaded. I then reran all the other compatible firmware and it loaded them fine. But it only fixed itself once I ran the one with `- Filament`. **No idea why!?!?!** I spent hours and this is what did it.
The site's root is [Creality Cloud: Download Creality Firmware and Software](https://www.crealitycloud.com/software-firmware).
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/03/24 | 1,735 | 7,327 | <issue_start>username_0: I have read that if I disconnect OctoPrint when printing, the print will stop. Since I thought the advantage of OctoPrint over, say, printing from Cura, was that it didn't tie up the computer while the print was taking place, what are the advantages of OctoPrint?<issue_comment>username_1: The benefit of using OctoPrint as a printserver lies in the fact that it can be used on a stable computer platform. E.g. when you install OctoPrint on a Raspberry Pi, you are ensured that the "computer" stays online. Other platforms, such as Windows are much prone to interrupt the printing process (user actions during printing, sleep mode, Windows updates, etc.). Furthermore, the power consumption of the Raspberry Pi is also much lower than a full computer or laptop running OctoPrint.
An advantage of running OctoPrint on a dedicated Raspberry Pi is that you can access it from anywhere within your network through a browser interface (or even from the outside) as it is always online. Other advantages of OctoPrint over e.g. Cura is that there are numerous plugins available to tailor the printing process to your needs.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Printer Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCADA>
In the context of 3d printing, SCADA is useful because it is important to have a redundant method of monitoring (and control) of a system. The 3d printer's µController is typically busy with doing the important task of controlling the steppers and monitoring the heating elements. It is important to the print job that these functions occur in a way that is uninterruptible. We know all too well of the consequences of letting the hot end go into thermal runaway. As it stands most 3d printers have simple µControllers that are not powerful enough to handle TCP/IP responses AND monitor the 3d printer's machinery. To that end, being able to notify a Supervisor of the status of the machine and any failure conditions that may be occurring becomes important in the management of the machine. This is where a Supervisory system like Octoprint comes in. With its myriad of plugins and other connectivity, it extends the abilities of an inexpensive printer (e.g. like my Anet A8) with advanced capabilities for notification (e.g. the Octoprint Android/IOS apps) and control; such as automatically powering off the printer with a wifi-enabled smart plug. These are safety features that should be considered when operating a 3d printer. The temptation to leave the machine running unattended has resulted in problems in the past.
With a supervisory system, the machine's operator can give at least some attention to the print process at all times.
Further, sometimes the print fails without actually being a result of some sort of electromechanical fault. Having optical inspection equipment (e.g. a camera) attached to the supervisory system can help determine if there are problems with the process so that fine-tuning can be performed. Without such data, it is usually very difficult to diagnose those problems.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: The advantage to OctoPrint is that 3D prints take a long time, and Windows needs reboots.
**The moment (or 4 days into it) you start a 5-day print job, there *will* be an urgent need to reboot your Windows computer.**
Then your print job will be lost, and you will have to start all over.
Applications crash, windows update needs to reboot, and a host of dozens of other reasons all surface when you start printing.
Eventually, Windows will force a reboot or you will get a blue screen of death from Windows, etc.
**The OctoPi and/or OctoPrint run on a Linux-based OS that just works.**
It never crashes, or at least I have never had it crash.
When you have a 5-day print, reliability is *king*.
Also, it should be noted with a Cura plugin you can send the print directly to OctoPrint. I do this *all* the time.
Plus they're a number of handy community support plug-ins for OctoPrint.
In addition, because it's not attached to my computer directly there is one less cable to trip on.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> I have read that if I disconnect OctoPrint when printing, the print will stop.
>
>
>
You can disconnect your computer from the OctoPrint server while printing and the print will continue just fine. You cannot disconnect the OctoPrint server from the printer without interrupting the print, of course.
>
> Since I thought the advantage of OctoPrint over, say, printing from Cura, was that it didn't tie up the computer while the print was taking place, what are the advantages of OctoPrint?
>
>
>
The advantage (the one you're talking about, anyway) of printing via OctoPrint (which you can also do via Cura, btw) is that you don't have to tie up the computer that you're using for other things. You run OctoPrint on some *other* computer that can stay connected to the printer. Typically, a Raspberry Pi is used; they're cheap (~$30), and there's an [OctoPi](https://octoprint.org/download/) distribution that's practically a turnkey solution.
Other advantages of OctoPrint include:
* stores your .stl files, either on the print server or on the printer's SD card
* enables remote monitoring, including a webcam feed
* lets you control your printer from any device with a web browser
* provides a plugin mechanism (and a large variety of [plugins](https://plugins.octoprint.org)) to extend its capabilities
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: There are some answers here talking about reliability of an OctoPrint installation vs Windows, but they only tell part of the story. These days, Windows can be pretty reliable, too. If I *really* cared about reliability, I'd use the SD card method, which takes other computers out of the equation completely.
Instead, the advantage of OctoPrint comes down to two things:
1. You set it up on a **dedicated computer** that is *not used for other things*. Something like a cheap Raspberry Pi. This is what is really responsible for improving reliability over printing from your desktop/laptop. It's not about using linux over Windows as much as making sure *absolutely nothing else* will interfere with the computer for the duration of the print.
2. OctoPrint is designed explicitly for printing and managing prints. It's not just an add-on or feature of another product whose main purpose is slicing, as when you print from Cura, but a platform in its own right with support for plug-ins and extra tools for managing and monitoring your print, to extend the experience beyond what you could otherwise achieve.
For example, OctoPrint makes it possible to check on your progress over the web, without needing to setup a dedicated web server on your day-to-day computer. Or you can manage your printer by installing an app on your phone. Or you can use OctoPrint to create time-lapse videos of your print. Or get an alert when reaching a certain layer. Or a hundred other ways you can use plug-ins to customize OctoPrint to work the way you want.
Personally, I use OctoPrint mainly to add wifi capability to the printer (it's not built-in for my printer), so I can start printing directly from my desk without also needing to keep the printer close enough to the computer to connect a usb cable.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/03/26 | 1,159 | 3,913 | <issue_start>username_0: I've updated my Ender 3 with V4.2.7 mainboard, BLTouch and 400XL kit (extends the capabilities of your Creality Ender 3 3D Printer to a 400 mm X, 400 mm Y and a 500 mm Z printing platform). Now I need to update the firmware. YouTube did not provide any help: i.e.: out of date, so cryptic as to be unusable. Marlin & Creality had overly complicated, for what I need, solutions. Trying these led only to frustrations! Any ideas?<issue_comment>username_1: I've done the board upgrade on my Ender 3 Pro. As I've read the BLTouch is easy to install. I'd go over to the Creality [forum/help](https://forums.creality3dofficial.com/) site. You can open a support ticket. They actively have information on firmware in both "release" and "beta" threads. Look there & see if you can get your answers.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Without knowing exactly which Youtube videos you've looked at, I think where I would start is by downloading the latest Marlin Fimrware and configuration files for the Ender 3 with 4.2.7 board:
[Latest Release of Marlin Firmware on Github](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/archive/2.0.x.zip)
[Configuration File Repository on Github](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Configurations/tree/release-2.0.7.2/config/examples/Creality/Ender-3%20V2)
[Microsoft visual Studio](https://code.visualstudio.com/download)
[PlatormIO](https://platformio.org/install/ide?install=vscode)
If I were doing your upgrade in your place, I would refer to [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neS7lB7fCww&t=495s) for how to compile the firmware for the correct board. I've had to compile firmware for my Ender 3 a few times and I sometimes forget a step. This video is the best that I've found for showing/reminding me of each step.
Essentially, what I think you need to do is compile your firmware as if it were a stock Ender 3 V2 using the settings files I linked above but then change your print area the configuration.h file to match the X400 x Y400 x Z500 print bed area.
Look for the following:
```
// The size of the print bed
#define X_BED_SIZE 200
#define Y_BED_SIZE 200
```
Change to the following:
```
// The size of the print bed
#define X_BED_SIZE 400
#define Y_BED_SIZE 400
```
And then look for
```
#define Z_MAX_POS 200
```
and change to:
```
#define Z_MAX_POS 500
```
There are other changes you'd need to make to the settings file (refer to the video for those). I haven't done your particular upgrade on my machine, so I'm just guessing those extra couple of changes would work for you.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Shortly after my post I found [this commercial Marlin site](https://marlin.crc.id.au/) *1)*. It offers firmware for Creality & other printers. You can order 'off the shelf' firmware or customize it yourself. Customizing is quite easy & self explanatory; 5 min. after submitting my requirements, I received a zip file, which I un-zipped & copied the needed file to my SD card. Then I inserted the SD card into my printer & started it. The printer recognized the new firmware & updated its self.
---
*1)* *This service is not free. Membership of \$15.00/year, is required.*
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: A quick solution is obtaining a pre configured configuration file for this custom extended version of the Ender 3. While it should be very easy to find configurations for Ender 3 with or without BLTouch, the only difference this extension has is an updated printer volume specification. A ready made configuration is found [here](https://github.com/teachingtechYT/Marlin/blob/Ender3-V2-BLtouch-extender/Marlin/Configuration.h) (please note that it contains an errand for the maximum build height, change `#define Z_MAX_POS 250` to `#define Z_MAX_POS 500`.
The basic changes are:
```
// The size of the print bed
#define X_BED_SIZE 400
#define Y_BED_SIZE 400
Z_MAX_POS 500
```
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/03/26 | 554 | 2,097 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm new to the 3D printing world and got my first Ender 3 (with the 32-bit controller board).
I have a problem with every single print. I've upgraded to the newest Marlin firmware, did the mesh leveling then started printing and fix the Z bed option in "Tune - Z bed" during the print (so the first layer is perfect). Please note that I save all the data of the mesh before end of the print. Then, when I start the same print again, the nozzle height is wrong. This happens every single print. The strange thing is that I need to adjust the height differently after every print. Like, the first print was -0.055 mm, second print was 0.30 mm, then it was +0.25 mm somehow.
I really like to print without these constant adjustments.<issue_comment>username_1: It sounds like your bed is unstable. This is what I had to do with my Tronxy X1, and I fixed it by installing a decent bed stabiliser. Now that I have a stable bed, I only have to re-level it occasionally. However, the Tronxy X1 is a cantilever printer with a single rail for the bed, not an Ender 3.
I would suggest that you tighten the bed-levelling springs as far as they will go whilst still leaving sufficient movement for bed levelling, and re-position the end-stop switch. Then re-level the bed. If that doesn't work, try fitting stiffer springs. Upgrades are available for the Ender 3. If that still doesn't work, look for bed stabilisation solutions for your printer.
Note also that the bed-levelling knobs have a reputation for coming loose on the Ender 3. Tightening the springs (or fitting stiffer springs) may cure this, but some users fit locking nuts to stop the knobs moving.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Thanks everybody for their help, but apparently it was a slicer/software/gcode (i don't really know :D) issue...
So i just added this line M420 S1 after the G28 command to my Cura printer settings and now the nozzle height is always at the point i set before, no changing every print.
Hope my solve will help somebody who is struggling with this too!
Upvotes: 1 [selected_answer] |
2021/03/29 | 13,859 | 31,432 | <issue_start>username_0: I have just acquired my first 3D printer, a BIQU B1. Overall I'm quite pleased with the printing results but I'm having minor defects on the Benchy test. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I guess it's related to the overhang and maybe vibrations.
My print settings are:
* Software: Ultimaker Cura
* Temp: 205 °C
* Heatbed temp: 60 °C
* Height: 0.2 mm
* Print speed: 60 mm/s
* Travel speed: 150 mm/s
* Flow: 94 %
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PAFSA.jpg "Imperfections in Benchy - front")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ob3Za.jpg "Imperfections in Benchy - rear")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7tYI7.jpg "Imperfections in Benchy - side")<issue_comment>username_1: From the Benchys, it is apparent that the temperature is quite high or that there is not enough part cooling flow. This can be seen from the sagging of unsupported overhanging structures. Considering the bow of the Benchy is quite fine, the most probable cause is the temperature, [usually with too less part cooling flow](/a/8013/), the [bow shows defects](/q/8012/).
Please note that a Benchy is a gimmick that does show defects, but it isn't a calibration object, there are many other different test prints available.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I agree with [this answer](/a/15995). There might be an obstruction in the cooling. I also have a B1, have you checked the included printed part that redirects the blower fans towards the part and made sure it's clear? Mine came with some warping that I had to file off.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: After two weeks of working on different settings in different slicers, I finally have a profile which has improved the quality of my printings. It still has some overhangs, which I'm sure will improve by increasing the cooling flow like username_1 already mentioned.
Here is the profile bundle (for Prusa Slicer): [Link](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nvSK950zlEQtIUIpFnCav5-t5cN3E4HE/view?usp=sharing) or see [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/16297/4762) below.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: Code from Celtic's [answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/16116/4762):
```
# generated by PrusaSlicer 2.3.0+win64 on 2021-04-17 at 15:16:02 UTC
[print:BIQU B1 - Standard]
avoid_crossing_perimeters = 1
avoid_crossing_perimeters_max_detour = 75%
bottom_fill_pattern = monotonic
bottom_solid_layers = 4
bottom_solid_min_thickness = 0
bridge_acceleration = 0
bridge_angle = 0
bridge_flow_ratio = 1
bridge_speed = 50
brim_width = 0
clip_multipart_objects = 1
compatible_printers =
compatible_printers_condition =
complete_objects = 0
default_acceleration = 0
dont_support_bridges = 1
draft_shield = 0
elefant_foot_compensation = 0
ensure_vertical_shell_thickness = 0
external_perimeter_extrusion_width = 0
external_perimeter_speed = 50%
external_perimeters_first = 0
extra_perimeters = 1
extruder_clearance_height = 20
extruder_clearance_radius = 20
extrusion_width = 0.4
fill_angle = 45
fill_density = 20%
fill_pattern = cubic
first_layer_acceleration = 0
first_layer_extrusion_width = 0
first_layer_height = 0.28
first_layer_speed = 20
gap_fill_speed = 20
gcode_comments = 0
gcode_label_objects = 0
infill_acceleration = 0
infill_anchor = 600%
infill_anchor_max = 50
infill_every_layers = 1
infill_extruder = 1
infill_extrusion_width = 0.48
infill_first = 0
infill_only_where_needed = 0
infill_overlap = 30%
infill_speed = 60
inherits =
interface_shells = 0
ironing = 0
ironing_flowrate = 15%
ironing_spacing = 0.1
ironing_speed = 15
ironing_type = top
layer_height = 0.2
max_print_speed = 80
max_volumetric_speed = 0
min_skirt_length = 50
notes =
only_retract_when_crossing_perimeters = 1
ooze_prevention = 0
output_filename_format = [input_filename_base].gcode
overhangs = 1
perimeter_acceleration = 0
perimeter_extruder = 1
perimeter_extrusion_width = 0
perimeter_speed = 50
perimeters = 4
post_process =
print_settings_id =
raft_layers = 0
resolution = 0
seam_position = aligned
single_extruder_multi_material_priming = 1
skirt_distance = 5
skirt_height = 1
skirts = 1
slice_closing_radius = 0.049
small_perimeter_speed = 40%
solid_infill_below_area = 70
solid_infill_every_layers = 0
solid_infill_extruder = 1
solid_infill_extrusion_width = 0
solid_infill_speed = 50%
spiral_vase = 0
standby_temperature_delta = -5
support_material = 0
support_material_angle = 0
support_material_auto = 1
support_material_buildplate_only = 0
support_material_contact_distance = 0.2
support_material_enforce_layers = 0
support_material_extruder = 1
support_material_extrusion_width = 0.35
support_material_interface_contact_loops = 0
support_material_interface_extruder = 1
support_material_interface_layers = 3
support_material_interface_spacing = 0
support_material_interface_speed = 100%
support_material_pattern = rectilinear
support_material_spacing = 2.5
support_material_speed = 60
support_material_synchronize_layers = 0
support_material_threshold = 0
support_material_with_sheath = 1
support_material_xy_spacing = 50%
thin_walls = 0
threads = 24
top_fill_pattern = monotonic
top_infill_extrusion_width = 0
top_solid_infill_speed = 80%
top_solid_layers = 4
top_solid_min_thickness = 0
travel_speed = 150
wipe_tower = 0
wipe_tower_bridging = 10
wipe_tower_no_sparse_layers = 0
wipe_tower_rotation_angle = 0
wipe_tower_width = 60
wipe_tower_x = 180
wipe_tower_y = 140
xy_size_compensation = 0
[filament:BIQU B1 - GSDT - PLA+ Silver]
bed_temperature = 50
bridge_fan_speed = 100
compatible_printers =
compatible_printers_condition =
compatible_prints =
compatible_prints_condition =
cooling = 1
disable_fan_first_layers = 1
end_filament_gcode = "; Filament-specific end gcode \n;END gcode for filament\n"
extrusion_multiplier = 1
fan_always_on = 1
fan_below_layer_time = 100
filament_colour = #8B8B8B
filament_cooling_final_speed = 3.4
filament_cooling_initial_speed = 2.2
filament_cooling_moves = 4
filament_cost = 1000
filament_density = 1.3
filament_deretract_speed = nil
filament_diameter = 1.75
filament_load_time = 0
filament_loading_speed = 28
filament_loading_speed_start = 3
filament_max_volumetric_speed = 0
filament_minimal_purge_on_wipe_tower = 15
filament_notes = ""
filament_ramming_parameters = "120 100 6.6 6.8 7.2 7.6 7.9 8.2 8.7 9.4 9.9 10.0| 0.05 6.6 0.45 6.8 0.95 7.8 1.45 8.3 1.95 9.7 2.45 10 2.95 7.6 3.45 7.6 3.95 7.6 4.45 7.6 4.95 7.6"
filament_retract_before_travel = nil
filament_retract_before_wipe = nil
filament_retract_layer_change = nil
filament_retract_length = nil
filament_retract_lift = nil
filament_retract_lift_above = nil
filament_retract_lift_below = nil
filament_retract_restart_extra = nil
filament_retract_speed = nil
filament_settings_id = ""
filament_soluble = 0
filament_spool_weight = 1000
filament_toolchange_delay = 0
filament_type = PLA
filament_unload_time = 0
filament_unloading_speed = 90
filament_unloading_speed_start = 100
filament_vendor = (Unknown)
filament_wipe = nil
first_layer_bed_temperature = 50
first_layer_temperature = 195
full_fan_speed_layer = 4
inherits =
max_fan_speed = 100
min_fan_speed = 100
min_print_speed = 10
slowdown_below_layer_time = 10
start_filament_gcode = "; Filament gcode\n"
temperature = 195
[filament:BIQU B1 - PETG]
bed_temperature = 70
bridge_fan_speed = 35
compatible_printers =
compatible_printers_condition =
compatible_prints =
compatible_prints_condition =
cooling = 1
disable_fan_first_layers = 3
end_filament_gcode = "; Filament-specific end gcode \n;END gcode for filament\n"
extrusion_multiplier = 1
fan_always_on = 1
fan_below_layer_time = 100
filament_colour = #29B2B2
filament_cooling_final_speed = 3.4
filament_cooling_initial_speed = 2.2
filament_cooling_moves = 4
filament_cost = 0
filament_density = 0
filament_deretract_speed = nil
filament_diameter = 1.75
filament_load_time = 0
filament_loading_speed = 28
filament_loading_speed_start = 3
filament_max_volumetric_speed = 0
filament_minimal_purge_on_wipe_tower = 15
filament_notes = ""
filament_ramming_parameters = "120 100 6.6 6.8 7.2 7.6 7.9 8.2 8.7 9.4 9.9 10.0| 0.05 6.6 0.45 6.8 0.95 7.8 1.45 8.3 1.95 9.7 2.45 10 2.95 7.6 3.45 7.6 3.95 7.6 4.45 7.6 4.95 7.6"
filament_retract_before_travel = nil
filament_retract_before_wipe = nil
filament_retract_layer_change = nil
filament_retract_length = 4
filament_retract_lift = nil
filament_retract_lift_above = nil
filament_retract_lift_below = nil
filament_retract_restart_extra = nil
filament_retract_speed = nil
filament_settings_id = ""
filament_soluble = 0
filament_spool_weight = 0
filament_toolchange_delay = 0
filament_type = PET
filament_unload_time = 0
filament_unloading_speed = 90
filament_unloading_speed_start = 100
filament_vendor = (Unknown)
filament_wipe = nil
first_layer_bed_temperature = 75
first_layer_temperature = 235
full_fan_speed_layer = 0
inherits =
max_fan_speed = 35
min_fan_speed = 35
min_print_speed = 15
slowdown_below_layer_time = 20
start_filament_gcode = "; Filament gcode\n"
temperature = 235
[printer:BIQU B1 (No Z Hop)]
bed_custom_model =
bed_custom_texture =
bed_shape = 0x0,235x0,235x235,0x235
before_layer_gcode = ;LAYER:[layer_num]
between_objects_gcode =
color_change_gcode = M600
cooling_tube_length = 5
cooling_tube_retraction = 91.5
default_filament_profile = ""
default_print_profile =
deretract_speed = 0
end_gcode = ;BIQU Default End Gcode\nG91 ;Relative positioning\nG1 E-2 F2700 ;Retract a bit\nG1 E-2 Z0.2 F2400 ;Retract a bit more and raise Z\nG1 X5 Y5 F3000 ;Wipe out\nG1 Z10;Raise Z by 10mm\nG90 ;Return to absolute positionning\nG1 X0 Y235 ;TaDaaaa\nM106 S0 ;Turn-off fan\nM104 S0 ;Turn-off hotend\nM140 S0 ;Turn-off bed\nM84 X Y E ;Disable all steppers but Z
extra_loading_move = -2
extruder_colour = ""
extruder_offset = 0x0
gcode_flavor = marlin
high_current_on_filament_swap = 0
host_type = octoprint
inherits =
layer_gcode =
machine_limits_usage = emit_to_gcode
machine_max_acceleration_e = 5000,5000
machine_max_acceleration_extruding = 500,1250
machine_max_acceleration_retracting = 1000,1250
machine_max_acceleration_x = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_y = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_z = 100,200
machine_max_feedrate_e = 75,120
machine_max_feedrate_x = 250,200
machine_max_feedrate_y = 250,200
machine_max_feedrate_z = 10,12
machine_max_jerk_e = 2.5,2.5
machine_max_jerk_x = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_y = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_z = 0.2,0.4
machine_min_extruding_rate = 0,0
machine_min_travel_rate = 0,0
max_layer_height = 0
max_print_height = 270
min_layer_height = 0.07
nozzle_diameter = 0.4
parking_pos_retraction = 92
pause_print_gcode = M601
print_host =
printer_model =
printer_notes =
printer_settings_id =
printer_technology = FFF
printer_variant =
printer_vendor =
printhost_apikey =
printhost_cafile =
remaining_times = 0
retract_before_travel = 1.5
retract_before_wipe = 0%
retract_layer_change = 0
retract_length = 7
retract_length_toolchange = 10
retract_lift = 0
retract_lift_above = 0
retract_lift_below = 0
retract_restart_extra = 0
retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0
retract_speed = 70
silent_mode = 0
single_extruder_multi_material = 0
start_gcode = M220 S100 ;Reset Feedrate\nM221 S100 ;Reset Flowrate\nG28 ;Home\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up\nM109 S{first_layer_temperature[0]}; Preheat hotend\nG1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to start position\nG1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15 ;Draw the first line\nG1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to side a little\nG1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30 ;Draw the second line\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
template_custom_gcode =
thumbnails =
toolchange_gcode =
use_firmware_retraction = 0
use_relative_e_distances = 0
use_volumetric_e = 0
variable_layer_height = 0
wipe = 0
z_offset = 0
[printer:BIQU B1 (With Z Hop)]
bed_custom_model =
bed_custom_texture =
bed_shape = 0x0,235x0,235x235,0x235
before_layer_gcode = ;LAYER:[layer_num]
between_objects_gcode =
color_change_gcode = M600
cooling_tube_length = 5
cooling_tube_retraction = 91.5
default_filament_profile = ""
default_print_profile =
deretract_speed = 0
end_gcode = ;BIQU Default End Gcode\nG91 ;Relative positioning\nG1 E-2 F2700 ;Retract a bit\nG1 E-2 Z0.2 F2400 ;Retract a bit more and raise Z\nG1 X5 Y5 F3000 ;Wipe out\nG1 Z10;Raise Z by 10mm\nG90 ;Return to absolute positionning\nG1 X0 Y235 ;TaDaaaa\nM106 S0 ;Turn-off fan\nM104 S0 ;Turn-off hotend\nM140 S0 ;Turn-off bed\nM84 X Y E ;Disable all steppers but Z
extra_loading_move = -2
extruder_colour = ""
extruder_offset = 0x0
gcode_flavor = marlin
high_current_on_filament_swap = 0
host_type = octoprint
inherits =
layer_gcode =
machine_limits_usage = emit_to_gcode
machine_max_acceleration_e = 5000,5000
machine_max_acceleration_extruding = 500,1250
machine_max_acceleration_retracting = 1000,1250
machine_max_acceleration_x = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_y = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_z = 100,200
machine_max_feedrate_e = 75,120
machine_max_feedrate_x = 250,200
machine_max_feedrate_y = 250,200
machine_max_feedrate_z = 10,12
machine_max_jerk_e = 2.5,2.5
machine_max_jerk_x = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_y = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_z = 0.2,0.4
machine_min_extruding_rate = 0,0
machine_min_travel_rate = 0,0
max_layer_height = 0
max_print_height = 270
min_layer_height = 0.07
nozzle_diameter = 0.4
parking_pos_retraction = 92
pause_print_gcode = M601
print_host =
printer_model =
printer_notes =
printer_settings_id =
printer_technology = FFF
printer_variant =
printer_vendor =
printhost_apikey =
printhost_cafile =
remaining_times = 0
retract_before_travel = 1.5
retract_before_wipe = 0%
retract_layer_change = 0
retract_length = 7
retract_length_toolchange = 10
retract_lift = 1
retract_lift_above = 0
retract_lift_below = 0
retract_restart_extra = 0
retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0
retract_speed = 70
silent_mode = 0
single_extruder_multi_material = 0
start_gcode = M220 S100 ;Reset Feedrate\nM221 S100 ;Reset Flowrate\nG28 ;Home\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up\nM109 S{first_layer_temperature[0]}; Preheat hotend\nG1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to start position\nG1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15 ;Draw the first line\nG1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to side a little\nG1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30 ;Draw the second line\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
template_custom_gcode =
thumbnails =
toolchange_gcode =
use_firmware_retraction = 0
use_relative_e_distances = 0
use_volumetric_e = 0
variable_layer_height = 0
wipe = 0
z_offset = 0
[printer:BIQU B1 Alpha v1]
bed_custom_model =
bed_custom_texture =
bed_shape = 0x0,235x0,235x235,0x235
before_layer_gcode = ;LAYER:[layer_num]
between_objects_gcode =
color_change_gcode = M600
cooling_tube_length = 5
cooling_tube_retraction = 91.5
default_filament_profile = ""
default_print_profile =
deretract_speed = 35
end_gcode = ;BIQU Default End Gcode\nG91 ;Relative positioning\nG1 E-2 F2700 ;Retract a bit\nG1 E-2 Z0.2 F2400 ;Retract a bit more and raise Z\nG1 X5 Y5 F3000 ;Wipe out\nG1 Z10;Raise Z by 10mm\nG90 ;Return to absolute positionning\nG1 X0 Y235 ;TaDaaaa\nM106 S0 ;Turn-off fan\nM104 S0 ;Turn-off hotend\nM140 S0 ;Turn-off bed\nM84 X Y E ;Disable all steppers but Z
extra_loading_move = -2
extruder_colour = ""
extruder_offset = 0x0
gcode_flavor = marlin
high_current_on_filament_swap = 0
host_type = octoprint
inherits =
layer_gcode =
machine_limits_usage = emit_to_gcode
machine_max_acceleration_e = 5000,5000
machine_max_acceleration_extruding = 500,1250
machine_max_acceleration_retracting = 1000,1250
machine_max_acceleration_x = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_y = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_z = 100,200
machine_max_feedrate_e = 75,120
machine_max_feedrate_x = 500,200
machine_max_feedrate_y = 500,200
machine_max_feedrate_z = 10,12
machine_max_jerk_e = 5,2.5
machine_max_jerk_x = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_y = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_z = 0.4,0.4
machine_min_extruding_rate = 0,0
machine_min_travel_rate = 0,0
max_layer_height = 0
max_print_height = 270
min_layer_height = 0.07
nozzle_diameter = 0.4
parking_pos_retraction = 92
pause_print_gcode = M601
print_host =
printer_model =
printer_notes =
printer_settings_id =
printer_technology = FFF
printer_variant =
printer_vendor =
printhost_apikey =
printhost_cafile =
remaining_times = 0
retract_before_travel = 1.5
retract_before_wipe = 0%
retract_layer_change = 0
retract_length = 3
retract_length_toolchange = 10
retract_lift = 0
retract_lift_above = 0
retract_lift_below = 0
retract_restart_extra = 0
retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0
retract_speed = 70
silent_mode = 0
single_extruder_multi_material = 0
start_gcode = M220 S100 ;Reset Feedrate\nM221 S100 ;Reset Flowrate\nG28 ;Home\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up\nM109 S{first_layer_temperature[0]}; Preheat hotend\nG1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to start position\nG1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15 ;Draw the first line\nG1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to side a little\nG1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30 ;Draw the second line\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
template_custom_gcode =
thumbnails =
toolchange_gcode =
use_firmware_retraction = 0
use_relative_e_distances = 0
use_volumetric_e = 0
variable_layer_height = 0
wipe = 0
z_offset = 0
[printer:BIQU B1 Alpha v2]
bed_custom_model =
bed_custom_texture =
bed_shape = 0x0,235x0,235x235,0x235
before_layer_gcode = ;LAYER:[layer_num]
between_objects_gcode =
color_change_gcode = M600
cooling_tube_length = 5
cooling_tube_retraction = 91.5
default_filament_profile = ""
default_print_profile =
deretract_speed = 35
end_gcode = ;BIQU Default End Gcode\nG91 ;Relative positioning\nG1 E-2 F2700 ;Retract a bit\nG1 E-2 Z0.2 F2400 ;Retract a bit more and raise Z\nG1 X5 Y5 F3000 ;Wipe out\nG1 Z10;Raise Z by 10mm\nG90 ;Return to absolute positionning\nG1 X0 Y235 ;TaDaaaa\nM106 S0 ;Turn-off fan\nM104 S0 ;Turn-off hotend\nM140 S0 ;Turn-off bed\nM84 X Y E ;Disable all steppers but Z
extra_loading_move = -2
extruder_colour = ""
extruder_offset = 0x0
gcode_flavor = marlin
high_current_on_filament_swap = 0
host_type = octoprint
inherits =
layer_gcode =
machine_limits_usage = emit_to_gcode
machine_max_acceleration_e = 5000,5000
machine_max_acceleration_extruding = 500,1250
machine_max_acceleration_retracting = 1000,1250
machine_max_acceleration_x = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_y = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_z = 100,200
machine_max_feedrate_e = 75,120
machine_max_feedrate_x = 500,200
machine_max_feedrate_y = 500,200
machine_max_feedrate_z = 10,12
machine_max_jerk_e = 5,2.5
machine_max_jerk_x = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_y = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_z = 0.4,0.4
machine_min_extruding_rate = 0,0
machine_min_travel_rate = 0,0
max_layer_height = 0
max_print_height = 270
min_layer_height = 0.07
nozzle_diameter = 0.4
parking_pos_retraction = 92
pause_print_gcode = M601
print_host =
printer_model =
printer_notes =
printer_settings_id =
printer_technology = FFF
printer_variant =
printer_vendor =
printhost_apikey =
printhost_cafile =
remaining_times = 0
retract_before_travel = 1.5
retract_before_wipe = 0%
retract_layer_change = 0
retract_length = 7
retract_length_toolchange = 10
retract_lift = 0
retract_lift_above = 0
retract_lift_below = 0
retract_restart_extra = 0
retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0
retract_speed = 70
silent_mode = 0
single_extruder_multi_material = 0
start_gcode = M220 S100 ;Reset Feedrate\nM221 S100 ;Reset Flowrate\nG28 ;Home\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up\nM109 S{first_layer_temperature[0]}; Preheat hotend\nG1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to start position\nG1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15 ;Draw the first line\nG1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to side a little\nG1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30 ;Draw the second line\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
template_custom_gcode =
thumbnails =
toolchange_gcode =
use_firmware_retraction = 0
use_relative_e_distances = 0
use_volumetric_e = 0
variable_layer_height = 0
wipe = 0
z_offset = 0
[printer:BIQU B1 Alpha v3]
bed_custom_model =
bed_custom_texture =
bed_shape = 0x0,235x0,235x235,0x235
before_layer_gcode = ;LAYER:[layer_num]
between_objects_gcode =
color_change_gcode = M600
cooling_tube_length = 5
cooling_tube_retraction = 91.5
default_filament_profile = ""
default_print_profile =
deretract_speed = 35
end_gcode = ;BIQU Default End Gcode\nG91 ;Relative positioning\nG1 E-2 F2700 ;Retract a bit\nG1 E-2 Z0.2 F2400 ;Retract a bit more and raise Z\nG1 X5 Y5 F3000 ;Wipe out\nG1 Z10;Raise Z by 10mm\nG90 ;Return to absolute positionning\nG1 X0 Y235 ;TaDaaaa\nM106 S0 ;Turn-off fan\nM104 S0 ;Turn-off hotend\nM140 S0 ;Turn-off bed\nM84 X Y E ;Disable all steppers but Z
extra_loading_move = -2
extruder_colour = ""
extruder_offset = 0x0
gcode_flavor = marlin
high_current_on_filament_swap = 0
host_type = octoprint
inherits =
layer_gcode =
machine_limits_usage = emit_to_gcode
machine_max_acceleration_e = 5000,5000
machine_max_acceleration_extruding = 500,1250
machine_max_acceleration_retracting = 1000,1250
machine_max_acceleration_x = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_y = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_z = 100,200
machine_max_feedrate_e = 75,120
machine_max_feedrate_x = 500,200
machine_max_feedrate_y = 500,200
machine_max_feedrate_z = 10,12
machine_max_jerk_e = 5,2.5
machine_max_jerk_x = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_y = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_z = 0.4,0.4
machine_min_extruding_rate = 0,0
machine_min_travel_rate = 0,0
max_layer_height = 0
max_print_height = 270
min_layer_height = 0.07
nozzle_diameter = 0.4
parking_pos_retraction = 92
pause_print_gcode = M601
print_host =
printer_model =
printer_notes =
printer_settings_id =
printer_technology = FFF
printer_variant =
printer_vendor =
printhost_apikey =
printhost_cafile =
remaining_times = 0
retract_before_travel = 1.5
retract_before_wipe = 0%
retract_layer_change = 0
retract_length = 4
retract_length_toolchange = 10
retract_lift = 0
retract_lift_above = 0
retract_lift_below = 0
retract_restart_extra = 0
retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0
retract_speed = 70
silent_mode = 0
single_extruder_multi_material = 0
start_gcode = M220 S100 ;Reset Feedrate\nM221 S100 ;Reset Flowrate\nG28 ;Home\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up\nM109 S{first_layer_temperature[0]}; Preheat hotend\nG1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to start position\nG1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15 ;Draw the first line\nG1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to side a little\nG1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30 ;Draw the second line\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
template_custom_gcode =
thumbnails =
toolchange_gcode =
use_firmware_retraction = 0
use_relative_e_distances = 0
use_volumetric_e = 0
variable_layer_height = 0
wipe = 0
z_offset = 0
[printer:BIQU B1 Alpha v4]
bed_custom_model =
bed_custom_texture =
bed_shape = 0x0,235x0,235x235,0x235
before_layer_gcode = ;LAYER:[layer_num]
between_objects_gcode =
color_change_gcode = M600
cooling_tube_length = 5
cooling_tube_retraction = 91.5
default_filament_profile = ""
default_print_profile =
deretract_speed = 35
end_gcode = ;BIQU Default End Gcode\nG91 ;Relative positioning\nG1 E-2 F2700 ;Retract a bit\nG1 E-2 Z0.2 F2400 ;Retract a bit more and raise Z\nG1 X5 Y5 F3000 ;Wipe out\nG1 Z10;Raise Z by 10mm\nG90 ;Return to absolute positionning\nG1 X0 Y235 ;TaDaaaa\nM106 S0 ;Turn-off fan\nM104 S0 ;Turn-off hotend\nM140 S0 ;Turn-off bed\nM84 X Y E ;Disable all steppers but Z
extra_loading_move = -2
extruder_colour = ""
extruder_offset = 0x0
gcode_flavor = marlin
high_current_on_filament_swap = 0
host_type = octoprint
inherits =
layer_gcode =
machine_limits_usage = emit_to_gcode
machine_max_acceleration_e = 5000,5000
machine_max_acceleration_extruding = 500,1250
machine_max_acceleration_retracting = 1000,1250
machine_max_acceleration_x = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_y = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_z = 100,200
machine_max_feedrate_e = 75,120
machine_max_feedrate_x = 500,200
machine_max_feedrate_y = 500,200
machine_max_feedrate_z = 10,12
machine_max_jerk_e = 5,2.5
machine_max_jerk_x = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_y = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_z = 0.4,0.4
machine_min_extruding_rate = 0,0
machine_min_travel_rate = 0,0
max_layer_height = 0
max_print_height = 270
min_layer_height = 0.07
nozzle_diameter = 0.4
parking_pos_retraction = 92
pause_print_gcode = M601
print_host =
printer_model =
printer_notes =
printer_settings_id =
printer_technology = FFF
printer_variant =
printer_vendor =
printhost_apikey =
printhost_cafile =
remaining_times = 0
retract_before_travel = 1.5
retract_before_wipe = 0%
retract_layer_change = 0
retract_length = 4
retract_length_toolchange = 10
retract_lift = 0
retract_lift_above = 0
retract_lift_below = 0
retract_restart_extra = 0
retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0
retract_speed = 70
silent_mode = 0
single_extruder_multi_material = 0
start_gcode = M220 S100 ;Reset Feedrate\nM221 S100 ;Reset Flowrate\nG28 ;Home\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up\nM109 S{first_layer_temperature[0]}; Preheat hotend\nG1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to start position\nG1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15 ;Draw the first line\nG1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to side a little\nG1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30 ;Draw the second line\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
template_custom_gcode =
thumbnails =
toolchange_gcode =
use_firmware_retraction = 0
use_relative_e_distances = 0
use_volumetric_e = 0
variable_layer_height = 0
wipe = 0
z_offset = 0
[printer:BIQU B1 Beta v1]
bed_custom_model =
bed_custom_texture =
bed_shape = 0x0,235x0,235x235,0x235
before_layer_gcode = ;LAYER:[layer_num]
between_objects_gcode =
color_change_gcode = M600
cooling_tube_length = 5
cooling_tube_retraction = 91.5
default_filament_profile = ""
default_print_profile =
deretract_speed = 0
end_gcode = ;BIQU Default End Gcode\nG91 ;Relative positioning\nG1 E-2 F2700 ;Retract a bit\nG1 E-2 Z0.2 F2400 ;Retract a bit more and raise Z\nG1 X5 Y5 F3000 ;Wipe out\nG1 Z10;Raise Z by 10mm\nG90 ;Return to absolute positionning\nG1 X0 Y235 ;TaDaaaa\nM106 S0 ;Turn-off fan\nM104 S0 ;Turn-off hotend\nM140 S0 ;Turn-off bed\nM84 X Y E ;Disable all steppers but Z
extra_loading_move = -2
extruder_colour = ""
extruder_offset = 0x0
gcode_flavor = marlin
high_current_on_filament_swap = 0
host_type = octoprint
inherits =
layer_gcode =
machine_limits_usage = emit_to_gcode
machine_max_acceleration_e = 5000,5000
machine_max_acceleration_extruding = 500,1250
machine_max_acceleration_retracting = 1000,1250
machine_max_acceleration_x = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_y = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_z = 100,200
machine_max_feedrate_e = 75,120
machine_max_feedrate_x = 250,200
machine_max_feedrate_y = 250,200
machine_max_feedrate_z = 10,12
machine_max_jerk_e = 2.5,2.5
machine_max_jerk_x = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_y = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_z = 0.2,0.4
machine_min_extruding_rate = 0,0
machine_min_travel_rate = 0,0
max_layer_height = 0
max_print_height = 270
min_layer_height = 0.07
nozzle_diameter = 0.4
parking_pos_retraction = 92
pause_print_gcode = M601
print_host =
printer_model =
printer_notes =
printer_settings_id =
printer_technology = FFF
printer_variant =
printer_vendor =
printhost_apikey =
printhost_cafile =
remaining_times = 0
retract_before_travel = 1.5
retract_before_wipe = 0%
retract_layer_change = 0
retract_length = 7
retract_length_toolchange = 10
retract_lift = 0
retract_lift_above = 0
retract_lift_below = 0
retract_restart_extra = 0
retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0
retract_speed = 70
silent_mode = 0
single_extruder_multi_material = 0
start_gcode = M220 S100 ;Reset Feedrate\nM221 S100 ;Reset Flowrate\nG28 ;Home\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up\nM109 S{first_layer_temperature[0]}; Preheat hotend\nG1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to start position\nG1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15 ;Draw the first line\nG1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to side a little\nG1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30 ;Draw the second line\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
template_custom_gcode =
thumbnails =
toolchange_gcode =
use_firmware_retraction = 0
use_relative_e_distances = 0
use_volumetric_e = 0
variable_layer_height = 0
wipe = 0
z_offset = 0
[printer:BIQU B1 Beta v2]
bed_custom_model =
bed_custom_texture =
bed_shape = 0x0,235x0,235x235,0x235
before_layer_gcode = ;LAYER:[layer_num]
between_objects_gcode =
color_change_gcode = M600
cooling_tube_length = 5
cooling_tube_retraction = 91.5
default_filament_profile = ""
default_print_profile =
deretract_speed = 0
end_gcode = ;BIQU Default End Gcode\nG91 ;Relative positioning\nG1 E-2 F2700 ;Retract a bit\nG1 E-2 Z0.2 F2400 ;Retract a bit more and raise Z\nG1 X5 Y5 F3000 ;Wipe out\nG1 Z10;Raise Z by 10mm\nG90 ;Return to absolute positionning\nG1 X0 Y235 ;TaDaaaa\nM106 S0 ;Turn-off fan\nM104 S0 ;Turn-off hotend\nM140 S0 ;Turn-off bed\nM84 X Y E ;Disable all steppers but Z
extra_loading_move = -2
extruder_colour = ""
extruder_offset = 0x0
gcode_flavor = marlin
high_current_on_filament_swap = 0
host_type = octoprint
inherits =
layer_gcode =
machine_limits_usage = emit_to_gcode
machine_max_acceleration_e = 5000,5000
machine_max_acceleration_extruding = 500,1250
machine_max_acceleration_retracting = 1000,1250
machine_max_acceleration_x = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_y = 500,1000
machine_max_acceleration_z = 100,200
machine_max_feedrate_e = 75,120
machine_max_feedrate_x = 250,200
machine_max_feedrate_y = 250,200
machine_max_feedrate_z = 10,12
machine_max_jerk_e = 2.5,2.5
machine_max_jerk_x = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_y = 8,10
machine_max_jerk_z = 0.2,0.4
machine_min_extruding_rate = 0,0
machine_min_travel_rate = 0,0
max_layer_height = 0
max_print_height = 270
min_layer_height = 0.07
nozzle_diameter = 0.4
parking_pos_retraction = 92
pause_print_gcode = M601
print_host =
printer_model =
printer_notes =
printer_settings_id =
printer_technology = FFF
printer_variant =
printer_vendor =
printhost_apikey =
printhost_cafile =
remaining_times = 0
retract_before_travel = 1.5
retract_before_wipe = 0%
retract_layer_change = 0
retract_length = 7.5
retract_length_toolchange = 10
retract_lift = 0.5
retract_lift_above = 0
retract_lift_below = 0
retract_restart_extra = 0
retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0
retract_speed = 70
silent_mode = 0
single_extruder_multi_material = 0
start_gcode = M220 S100 ;Reset Feedrate\nM221 S100 ;Reset Flowrate\nG28 ;Home\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up\nM109 S{first_layer_temperature[0]}; Preheat hotend\nG1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to start position\nG1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15 ;Draw the first line\nG1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to side a little\nG1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30 ;Draw the second line\nG92 E0 ;Reset Extruder\nG1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
template_custom_gcode =
thumbnails =
toolchange_gcode =
use_firmware_retraction = 0
use_relative_e_distances = 0
use_volumetric_e = 0
variable_layer_height = 0
wipe = 0
z_offset = 0
[presets]
print = BIQU B1 - Standard
sla_print =
sla_material =
printer = BIQU B1 (With Z Hop)
filament = BIQU B1 - GSDT - PLA+ Silver
```
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/03/29 | 979 | 3,547 | <issue_start>username_0: I am designing some parts that should modular fit together. I am currently exploring a Lego-like design with octagonal holes and cylindrical pins.
I notice that (depending on the amount of clearance) that the fit is initially tight (to the extent that the pieces are very difficult to remove from each other), but that after a few dozen times connecting and disconnecting the parts the fit becomes very loose. I am currently using PLA. With what material would this occur less quickly/is more resistant to this kind of wear?
The sizes of the pins/holes are slightly bigger than Lego (probably similar to Duplo). Don't think that snap-fit would work in that size. Below of a picture of one of the test pieces (this one later printed in PETG).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/uePVE.jpg)
I have an open printer so I prefer materials that don't require me to build an enclosure first. It is a Prusa i3 MK3S: Direct drive; 1.75 mm filament; max temp 300 °C; heat bed max temp 120 °C.<issue_comment>username_1: A flexible material, such as PETG or ABS, is probably the best. PLA is brittle, especially after absorbing moisture, and probably would crack under continued use.
Nylon is good, but not easy to use. With PETG in an enclosure, I end up running fans to avoid heat creep; so PETG may actually do better without an enclosure.
If you're printing to flex your print, keep in mind the the x and y axes are stronger than the z-axis, which depends on how well the layers stick together. PETG tends to stick to the print surface too well; so I use an Elmer's glue stick for it to pull up the glue layer instead of damaging my print surface.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: PETG, ABS and NYLON would work great for press-fit or snap-fit connections. If you really can't build a (cardboard) enclosure I would go for PETG as it has good repeatable mechanical properties and does not require an enclosure.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: [PLA and nylon deform over time](http://thrinter.com/creep-abs-pla-petg-alloy-910/) under stress ("creep"), therefore they will get loose(r) and will snap less effectively together.
See what happens to clips after one day of stretching (respectively nylon, PLA, PETg, ABS):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Le7j.jpg)
And if you leave them unstretched, after a while:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BxJTM.jpg)
PLA permanently deforms a lot. PETG is better than PLA, but ABS or ASA are the best choice for the purpose.
A material simply "flexible" is not necessarily the best choice.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: If you're aiming for a Lego-like snap fit, look at Lego parts to see how they work. Using the right material is important, but using it the right way is at least as important. Lego bricks are made so that the walls and tubes can deform very slightly as the studs of another brick are pushed into the brick.
The walls of the octagonal holes in your part appear to be solid. Perhaps they're not really, and underneath the surface layer there's a lesser amount of infill, but infill can provide a lot of strength, and that solid surface will prevent deformation at the entrance of the hole.
Try removing the solid bottom layers and reducing or eliminating the infill in the part so that the walls of your holes can flex more.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/03/29 | 950 | 3,462 | <issue_start>username_0: I'd like to buy a 3D printer and use it as a "platform" for an **external** optical sensor. The idea is to mount an optical sensor on the Z-axis and to put a workpiece on the X-Y table. Now, I'd like to move the sensor across the workpiece and trigger the measurement of the optical sensor. Hence, the 3D printer is not actually printing, but only used as a motion and trigger device for the optical sensors.
I have never used a 3D printer, but I'm afraid that I'll run into several problems:
1. The standard G-code of "wait one second" is `G04 X1` on many CNC machines. Does this code exist on 3D printers as well?
2. Is it possible to extract a trigger signal (e.g. 5 V) from the 3D printer? Are printers available which provide a G-code for an external trigger? Could anybody suggest a model? I'm happy to pay some extra dollars if I don't have to solder by myself. Of course, a second option would be to use the voltage, which is used to heat the filament.<issue_comment>username_1: A flexible material, such as PETG or ABS, is probably the best. PLA is brittle, especially after absorbing moisture, and probably would crack under continued use.
Nylon is good, but not easy to use. With PETG in an enclosure, I end up running fans to avoid heat creep; so PETG may actually do better without an enclosure.
If you're printing to flex your print, keep in mind the the x and y axes are stronger than the z-axis, which depends on how well the layers stick together. PETG tends to stick to the print surface too well; so I use an Elmer's glue stick for it to pull up the glue layer instead of damaging my print surface.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: PETG, ABS and NYLON would work great for press-fit or snap-fit connections. If you really can't build a (cardboard) enclosure I would go for PETG as it has good repeatable mechanical properties and does not require an enclosure.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: [PLA and nylon deform over time](http://thrinter.com/creep-abs-pla-petg-alloy-910/) under stress ("creep"), therefore they will get loose(r) and will snap less effectively together.
See what happens to clips after one day of stretching (respectively nylon, PLA, PETg, ABS):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0Le7j.jpg)
And if you leave them unstretched, after a while:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BxJTM.jpg)
PLA permanently deforms a lot. PETG is better than PLA, but ABS or ASA are the best choice for the purpose.
A material simply "flexible" is not necessarily the best choice.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: If you're aiming for a Lego-like snap fit, look at Lego parts to see how they work. Using the right material is important, but using it the right way is at least as important. Lego bricks are made so that the walls and tubes can deform very slightly as the studs of another brick are pushed into the brick.
The walls of the octagonal holes in your part appear to be solid. Perhaps they're not really, and underneath the surface layer there's a lesser amount of infill, but infill can provide a lot of strength, and that solid surface will prevent deformation at the entrance of the hole.
Try removing the solid bottom layers and reducing or eliminating the infill in the part so that the walls of your holes can flex more.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/03/31 | 494 | 1,937 | <issue_start>username_0: I've just received my Ender 3v2 and tried multiple SD cards, all have been formatted to FAT32 with no luck. Under the Print selection, all I get is the back button. I looked and I have the V4.2.2 and the firmware is up to date, Showing 1.0.2 unless this is not right and this is why I'm having this issue. Even when plugging directly into the computer, nothing is showing up.<issue_comment>username_1: What helps for me is **re-inserting the TF card** several times. Indeed, the machine has some trouble reading it, strange because this would seem to be an easy problem compared to the overall design of the printer....
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I have the same issue but whilst none of these worked for me they have worked for other people:
* Make sure the name of the G-code file begins with a letter or number
* Make sure the G-code is not in a subfolder
* Make sure the name of the G-code file is less than or equal to 8 characters long
After I attempted all of these, reinserting the SD card multiple times worked but I don't know what fixed it or if it was just I had been putting it in wrong though I didn't try anything different.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: Just to be sure - you know that the SD Card reader in an Ender 3 is upside down? That means the visible contacts on the micro-SD card have to be facing upward.
If someone has forced a card in the wrong-way around, it could have damaged the reader.
Personally, once I got OctoPrint working I never print from microSD card at all. Not a solution but a workaround.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: Abd to follow along with J Boughtons advice, I've noticed if the word "end" is in the first file, it won't read any of the files.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: **Do not overlook the possibility of the card not being formatted properly** like I did. Make sure it is FAT32 or another supported format.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/03/31 | 1,712 | 6,534 | <issue_start>username_0: I was thinking about [this question](https://lifehacks.stackexchange.com/questions/24627/how-to-paint-a-circle-pattern-on-a-big-piece-of-paper) and thought of maybe printing a pattern-drawing roller painter.
The question is: is it possible to print with an ink absorbing material that could make a paint roller possible?
P.S: I don't own a 3D printer, nor have I any deep knowledge in this matter. I simply want to know if this is feasible, so I can start looking for someone to 3D print this for me. If it's not, knowing beforehand could spare me a lot of time.<issue_comment>username_1: Not really.
-----------
It's possible to 3D print in materials like TPE that are rubbery. In theory, one could print a sheet of the pattern and then wrap that sheet around a roller. That would be expensive, though, and I doubt TPE would absorb enough paint/ink to lay down an good and even coat.
As pointed out in the comments,there is one of foaming TPU filament ([Varioshore TPU](https://colorfabb.com/varioshore-tpu-natural) that might be able to achieve the kind of soft, spongy feel that a paint roller would need but it's expensive and, I suspect, soft but not particularly absorbent in the way you would need.
I have no direct experience with it, though, so I can't say for sure. For the price and amount of time that would be required to get a print roller produced the way you need, I think you'd be better off buying a [custom pattern roller/brayer](https://www.rollerwall.com/) or making one yourself.
I imagine you could achieve this by getting a sheet of stamp pad foam and plotting it with a CNC cutter (or cutting it by hand) and then taping/gluing it around a tube.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm relatively new to 3D printing, but I know some stuff. If you really wanted to print a paint roller with a pattern, I would actually go with nylon or TPR. TPE is okay, but I find that it is less cushy. I would highly suggest buying your own printer for this project. It would be much more cost effective in not only the long run, but for testing different materials. 3D printing services get pricey, so choose your printer wisely. If you do decide to buy your own printer, I would go with an Ender 3 pro. Mine is very smooth, and has an easy-to-use interface.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: While printing a *roller stamp* or rubber-roll from a flexible material such as [[hard]TPU, [softer] TPE](https://all3dp.com/2/tpe-vs-tpu-flexible-filament-the-differences/), or even a [super soft] foaming flexible filament is certainly possible. In any case, this would create soft, somewhat squishy prints. These prints will work quite easily as a stamp or woodblock printing stock, transferring ink from a pad to paper. The print pattern will depend a lot on how soft the stamp is: the harder, the sharper it will print. A massive roll of this material can behave akin to a rubber roll as one uses it in linoleum printing.
A foaming filament might be able to take *a little* paint in its airgaps, but it will never be as soft and contain as much paint as a foam lacquer roll - making it at best an improvised tool, or one that is chosen for a specific artistic purpose. It behaves more akin to closed-cell foam, while foam brushes and rolls from artist supply are typically open-cell ones. So if you go for a roller-stamp, you'll need to have an ink reservoir in the shape of a soaky-roller that isn't printed.
To top it off, it is nearly impossible to print a hairy wall painting roller: the hairs used in them can't be achieved with common print materials and slicers at the time. Even if stringing creates hair of *similar* dimensions, they are not affixed well enough to not get lost in the paint and can't be reliably created on demand.
Notes on pricing: One of the few options for foaming print materials is colorFabb, who was the first to offer such. Most of their foaming filaments cost around [50 €/kg](https://colorfabb.com/filaments/lightweight-foaming-filaments), their flexible NinjaFlex costs about [80 €/kg](https://colorfabb.com/filaments/ninjatek-filaments).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: It might be possible to directly print something like this, however it might not be the easiest method. Let me unpack that a bit.
The issue for 3D printed foams is that, even the low density foams, such as the ones from ColorFabb, still are fairly high density on the scale of foams. (they are about 50% as dense as solid filament when expanded. They are also great materials, side note, just not for this application) They are also what is called "closed cell" which means, while they have hollow spaces inside them, those spaces are closed off from each other. This makes them not very useful for things like holding paint, because the effective surface area is not substantially different from a solid part.
There are alternatives, materials out there which print solid but contain a fraction of soluble material. So you print, and then post process to dissolve away those elements, resulting in a high-porosity filament. Something like Poro-lay might work. (you can find it for purchase [HERE](https://www.matterhackers.com/store/l/poro-lay-lay-fomm-filament-175mm/sk/MLWKN3PY))
There might be an easier path here though, and that would be to use 3D printing as an intermediate step. 3D print the design of the roller you want, and use it as a mouldmaster. Pour a silicone or urethane mould material over it, making yourself a mould into which you can then cast any of a wide variety of different rubber or foam materials to make your roller. 3D printing as an intermediate step, rather than end-use-part, is very very powerful in that way.
With all of this, chemical compatibility between your paint and end material should be kept in mind. Some paints contain solvents which will attack various foams, plastics, etc.
Finally, while this is digressing from the realm of 3D printing, there is one more solution I might consider exploring. A C02 laser will cut, or engrave, the felt on most paint rollers. If you can find someone with a rotary axis who is willing, they can simply cut/engrave the felt/foam of a factory paint roller into whatever pattern you like. (this is how the [CUSTOM RUBBER ROLLERS](https://www.rollerwall.com/) linked in @username_1's post were made) It wouldn't actually be terribly difficult, however you'd probably want to experiment on a couple different rollers to ensure the effect is what you want.
I hope that helps. :)
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/03/31 | 636 | 2,610 | <issue_start>username_0: I recently got an Ender 3 Pro for my birthday, and I am having some problems with elephant's foot (as the title suggests). I have tried several fixes; lowering the print speed, changing the print micron size (quality) in my slicer, and I have also tried the masking tape trick (it definitely does not work). I want to know if there are any other ways to prevent elephant's foot on my prints. I first noticed it on a game-cartridge holder. It was four and a half millimeters thick on the bottom. I think that it could be an issue with the design, but I'm not entirely sure. I can send the specs for the design if you want to look at them.<issue_comment>username_1: Elephant foot on an FDM machine is typically caused by more material (filament) being present in that layer than it has space for.
The most common cause of this is your z-zero is too low, so for the first layer the nozzle starts too close to the bed and the filament gets "squeezed" laterally. You can try adjusting your z-zero or z-stop to allow slightly more space, fractions of a millimeter, between the nozzle and bed for your first layer.
If you don't want to try that, or you'd like to try a different solution first, consider printing the part on a raft so that it starts raised up off the bed and away from that elephant-footing.
There are a handful of other potential causes and factors which can make this better or worse, things like having a large footprint on the bed, but I hope the above is a quick and easy place to start.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Elephant's foot can be caused by different causes.
* Incorrect leveling or incorrect nozzle to bed distance
[This answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/15993/) describes that it can be caused by a too low nozzle to bed distance.
* Bed temperature
A too high bed temperature and weight of the print can cause bulging out of the bottom layers. This also frequently occurs as the result of an uncooled/too less cooled first layer.
Improved cooling, lowering bed temperature or adjusting nozzle to bed distance and proper leveling are the most obvious solutions to fight this problem. Other solution can be found in using chamfers on the bottom of the print (requires modifying the model) or printing on a raft, this latter solution does lead to losing the nice bottom layer finish.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: If bed temperature is the cause, but you need that temperature for the first layer to stick, Use that bed temperature for the firsts layer, then set the bed temperature lower for subsequent layers.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/04/01 | 896 | 3,599 | <issue_start>username_0: Suddenly my prints start having small strings and I'm not sure what to do to eliminate them.
I have already tried to clean the filament tube, cleaned up the nozzle, and played with various retraction settings. Nothing seems to work and I still see these small strings.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/uweHt.jpg "3D print showing stringing")
Any idea how I can eliminate it?<issue_comment>username_1: What you're seeing does not look like *stringing*, which I would characterize as material that exited the nozzle after extrusion was supposed to have stopped, usually due to missing or insufficient retraction, but like the extrusions along the concave contours *failed to bond* to the previous layer and got drawn across to a point on the other side of the contour where some degree of adhesion resumed. This happens when the lateral acceleration force of going around the curve overcomes the bonding of the new material to the existing material it's being laid down against, and in my experience it's always the result of **moisture-contaminated filament**. This matches your description of the problem has something that "suddenly" started happening.
To fix it, dry your filament. If your bed is big enough, the easiest way to do this is to lay the whole spool on the heated bed covered by a cardboard filament box with one side cut out to make a heat chamber, and running the bed heater at around 60-70°C (for PLA) for several hours, flipping the spool a few times during it. You can also use an oven but I would not trust the temperature control not to shoot up high enough to ruin the filament. If you want a less hackish solution, all sorts of specialized filament drying systems are available but I don't have experience with any to recommend. I just use my bed for PLA and oven for materials that can withstand higher temperatures.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: These artifacts can be either moisture, as explored by [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/16007/8884) or problems with temperature/speed control or the Z-Axis:
If the temperature is not hot enough, the filament might not get melted enough to squish down to the next layer nicely at the speed the head moves at, resulting in the cooling filament getting dragged behind the printhead and forming a line in the air. Due to such errors I generally tend to print PLA more in the upper temperatures than where it barely liquifies.
This also can happen if the printhead is not on the right Z-height and the gap is larger than expected. Usually, this happens only at the lowest layer when you are unlevel (bad bed adhesion is the result), but if you bump the printer or it hooks on something, during Z-travel, it can result in such a mechanical problem. Other reasons that show the same pattern are uneven Z-Axis movement. For example, a loose gantry or a defective Z-rod can lead to it, as could bad firmware or a worn-out motor that *lost* a coil or two.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: I would say that it **IS** stringing. If you have a Bowden setup, AND you have a different filament, your retraction may need to be tuned! If this is not a Vase Mode (no separate layers, but a continuous stream, these could be because the start/stop point of the layer change is not "fixed"...Check that setting in the slicer! While it looks like missed layer adhesion, it is probably a movement from one stop point of a layer to the start point of the next layer.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/04/03 | 578 | 1,943 | <issue_start>username_0: In slicer G-code is it possible to set the probe Z offset for the first layer only?
For my stock E3 plate I find -4.125 mm best however for glass I need to go to -4.175 mm for the first layer to get better adhesion. So it's a manual process every time. Any way to tell the slicer do the first layer at -4.175 mm and next ones at -4.125 mm?<issue_comment>username_1: I don't understand the reasoning behind a first layer having a different offset from the following layers, but, You can manually add a re-definition of the current height after the first layer, suppose your first layer is 0.2 mm, you just need to tell the printer to move to a slightly higher next layer to redefine this as a different Z-offset.
* From a G-code file find the start of the second layer:
`G0 F600 X141.541 Y109.467 Z0.37`
* Modify this to:
`G0 F600 X141.541 Y109.467 Z0.42`
* Now insert the following command:
`G92 X0.37`
Now it is like you have changed the Z-offset.
The reason for not using `M206` is that is applied onto current offsets, if you accidentally save setting to memory after printing, it stores this offset. You can use `M206`, but use it carefully. A re-definition of the Z level is never stored, the next `G28` erases the effect, so does repowering the motors.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Trying to change the Z level (NOT the offset) during a print isn't a good idea UNLESS you know that all future moves will be "relative".
The `M206` (if you use Marlin) is the right way to set it! Depending on the slicer, just create TWO "different" printer definitions and add them to the startup G-codes.
If you don't save it, a reset will return the z-offset to the "saved" value. Or consider resetting to a "standard" value in the ending G-code.
Also, consider using "baby-stepping" (if you can), and manually adjusting things at the start of a print with a different surface.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/04/03 | 346 | 1,280 | <issue_start>username_0: Does anyone have any information about using a soldering iron to fix and retouch 3D prints?
On the market, for example, we can find Modifi3D pen. Why has nobody created a simple soldering tip for this use?
I have a TS100 soldering iron which has great temperature control and I think it would be perfect for this use.
Does anyone think it's a bad idea?<issue_comment>username_1: Cutting materials with a 'hot knife' isn't anything new. There should be a fairly established toolset for working foam. For 3D prints, I prefer to add coatings rather than modify surfaces with a hand held tool after. I do run a drill bit through printed holes though.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I have used a standard soldering iron to modify and fix 3D prints in the past. You have to keep some things in mind when doing so:
* Don't overheat your material. PLA can take a soldering iron of about 230 °C before charring.
* Don't use a tip with solder, or you will get grey deposits in the plastic.
* Round tips or flat tips both work fine, but you want to not dump *too* much heat into the model or you start to deform the print as it needs to cool again.
* Using snippets from the end of the spool for soldering is a good way to recycle the "waste".
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/04/04 | 367 | 1,416 | <issue_start>username_0: I've used TinkerCAD (<https://www.tinkercad.com/>) and was able to easily model objects for 3D printing, despite having no prior experience in 3D modeling.
However it needs to be connected to the internet to work, which is not always available at my location.
At minimum, I need an ability to create solid shapes and holes, and with resize, align and rotate options.
Is there an equivalent program that's free, with a similar intuitive interface as TinkerCAD, and works completely offline?<issue_comment>username_1: Cutting materials with a 'hot knife' isn't anything new. There should be a fairly established toolset for working foam. For 3D prints, I prefer to add coatings rather than modify surfaces with a hand held tool after. I do run a drill bit through printed holes though.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I have used a standard soldering iron to modify and fix 3D prints in the past. You have to keep some things in mind when doing so:
* Don't overheat your material. PLA can take a soldering iron of about 230 °C before charring.
* Don't use a tip with solder, or you will get grey deposits in the plastic.
* Round tips or flat tips both work fine, but you want to not dump *too* much heat into the model or you start to deform the print as it needs to cool again.
* Using snippets from the end of the spool for soldering is a good way to recycle the "waste".
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/04/07 | 564 | 2,140 | <issue_start>username_0: I just got the Ender 5 Plus with BLTouch set up today. I was having some massive issues and determined that my leveling was off because the BLTouch was flashing red and not connecting. When I turn on the printer there is about a 50% chance that it will probe correctly by deploying the pin and correctly retracting it. However, I'm having about a 75 to 90% fail rate on auto leveling where it is doing measurements. I've checked the wiring and it looks correct, but not sure what else to check.
The fixes I've seen say updating the firmware, but all show firmware at 1.70.0 BL. Mine is at 1.70.2 BL. So I'm not sure if there are more firmware updates to apply.
I do not know how to check which BLTouch I have. And I've been able to make it get to printing 2 times, but something is off because it is stringy at 1 point of the build on the first layer. No adhesion basically. So that is the problem I'm trying to fix, but can't get to it because the BLTouch fails so often on the first part. The only way I've found to fix the BLTouch consistently is turn off machine, pull the pin down, push it up, then turn on the machine again.
Is it possible this is a firmware issue or is just the BLTouch is likely faulty?<issue_comment>username_1: Cutting materials with a 'hot knife' isn't anything new. There should be a fairly established toolset for working foam. For 3D prints, I prefer to add coatings rather than modify surfaces with a hand held tool after. I do run a drill bit through printed holes though.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I have used a standard soldering iron to modify and fix 3D prints in the past. You have to keep some things in mind when doing so:
* Don't overheat your material. PLA can take a soldering iron of about 230 °C before charring.
* Don't use a tip with solder, or you will get grey deposits in the plastic.
* Round tips or flat tips both work fine, but you want to not dump *too* much heat into the model or you start to deform the print as it needs to cool again.
* Using snippets from the end of the spool for soldering is a good way to recycle the "waste".
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/04/08 | 966 | 3,259 | <issue_start>username_0: I am printing fairly cheap, but highly rated, PLA and not sure whether this is underextrusion or overextrusion; but it just looks bumpy and not clean. My settings:
* 195 °C at 60 mm/s bed temp 50 °C
* 0.4 mm nozzle at 90 % extrusion
* 0.1 mm layer height
* 6 mm retraction at 60 mm/s with 0.50 mm coasting
I tried at 190 °C and it severely underextruded halfway through, but the outside looks much smoother; I also tried with and without coasting with no difference and tried adding -0.2 mm extra restart distance which didn't change much either. Could this be because I am just printing a rather small part (25 mm diameter)? I think this because I tried printing a much larger 100 mm diameter hemisphere just before, which printed perfectly using the exact same filament.
I've switched out to a new 0.4 mm nozzle, tried a 0.6 mm nozzle, but the only complete print I got had this rough and bumpy outside. It is printed in the orientation shown as removing support from those thin legs lead to them snapping.
I also had moderate stringing throughout, which I thought coasting and restart distance would fix.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HfV5J.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/v4xCN.jpg)
Any ideas would be much appreciated.
Edit 12/04:
I have since reinstalled one of my all metal hotends, as I wasn't using them due to clogging issues, installed a brand new 0.4 mm nozzle, set the extrusion multiplier to 1.0 and disabled coasting. I also calibrated my e-steps, which means I needed to buy an arduino and burn new firmware.
Sadly I didn't print in between fixed, but these are the results I got.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9T77E.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JEcZv.jpg)
The prints are **much** better but there is some pretty serious stringing and zits due to me needing to reduce the retraction distance for the hotend to 2 mm, as the 6 mm distance I was using before would make it clog; but since I'm using a bowden extruder it creates stringing. How could I go about fixing this? I feel like I'm playing a game of whack-a-mole.<issue_comment>username_1: Cutting materials with a 'hot knife' isn't anything new. There should be a fairly established toolset for working foam. For 3D prints, I prefer to add coatings rather than modify surfaces with a hand held tool after. I do run a drill bit through printed holes though.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I have used a standard soldering iron to modify and fix 3D prints in the past. You have to keep some things in mind when doing so:
* Don't overheat your material. PLA can take a soldering iron of about 230 °C before charring.
* Don't use a tip with solder, or you will get grey deposits in the plastic.
* Round tips or flat tips both work fine, but you want to not dump *too* much heat into the model or you start to deform the print as it needs to cool again.
* Using snippets from the end of the spool for soldering is a good way to recycle the "waste".
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/04/10 | 463 | 1,585 | <issue_start>username_0: I am looking for a way to easily separate the wires between the power supply and the Einsy board of my Prusa Mk 3S+ with a connector. The power supply delivers 10 A at 24 V.
I thought about a [YL wire-to-wire electrical connector](https://www.jst.com/products/wire-to-wire/yl-connector/) as it can handle up to 7 A at 300 V. This should be enough since the two cables share the total load.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WOMTO.png)
The 6 cables (4 power cables & 2 PSU power panic cables) have different diameters. Is it better to use one connector (6 pin) or two connectors (4 pin, 2 pin)?<issue_comment>username_1: Cutting materials with a 'hot knife' isn't anything new. There should be a fairly established toolset for working foam. For 3D prints, I prefer to add coatings rather than modify surfaces with a hand held tool after. I do run a drill bit through printed holes though.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I have used a standard soldering iron to modify and fix 3D prints in the past. You have to keep some things in mind when doing so:
* Don't overheat your material. PLA can take a soldering iron of about 230 °C before charring.
* Don't use a tip with solder, or you will get grey deposits in the plastic.
* Round tips or flat tips both work fine, but you want to not dump *too* much heat into the model or you start to deform the print as it needs to cool again.
* Using snippets from the end of the spool for soldering is a good way to recycle the "waste".
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/04/13 | 734 | 2,610 | <issue_start>username_0: I bought an Ender 3 v2 in January 2021 for my second printer. I have had an Ender 3 for two years and love the quality it prints. This new printer has been plagued with issues since day one. Creality sent me a new mainboard and fan due to issues. Even since then my printer will still not print consistently. I checked all my belts and made sure the bed is leveled.
I print a test cube and it looks perfect. Then I will print a bigger longer print and sometimes it looks 100 % perfect with smooth layers and then I will print the exact same print from the same memory card and there will be ridges every couple of layers and the print turns out very rough.
What would make this happen? I could understand if it always printed like this, but it is *completely random*. This is all from the same filament spool and I only use Hatchbox. My Ender 3 hasn't had a single problem in the two years I have owned it besides changing out the Bowden tube twice.
I use Cura for slicing.
The following pictures are of the same print on the same printer using the same filament from the same file.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/UJnPq.jpg "Photo of print showing layers")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/G34o9.jpg "Close up photo of print showing layers")<issue_comment>username_1: First, check that your belts are tight, on the X-axis and the bed. If not, tighten them.
Second, grab the hot end and wiggle the gantry, and make sure it is not loose. If there is any play at all, tighten the eccentric nuts.
If this doesn't fix your problems, check out this playlist I put together for the Ender 3 V2, it should answer everything.
[Ultimate Guide to the Ender 3 V2](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPb81Z-Cw4oheuYfZy9GHORyQOY0aDgod)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Hopefully you've solved this by now. If not, I'd be looking at all your bolts. Tighten every single one of them. Make sure none of the pieces are able to rock or twist or warp or anything like that. After that, recheck your belts.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: If you have a 4.2.2 board, it may be a stepper driver problem. If this is the case, the only solution is to replace the board.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Had exact!y the same problem. Belts were slipping. X belt slips just a touch and the layers move left, then if it slips the other way, its back to normal
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/04/14 | 1,185 | 4,714 | <issue_start>username_0: Ive been experimenting will multiple color filament but the colors a more or less blended. Is there are filament that goes from one color directly to another without having transition color ex. red to green immediately.
I've been tinkering with [Filament Hub Filament](https://www.filamenthub.com) and it is very good (some of the best I've ever used) however I've had to essentially melt strands of one filament to the next and this is unsustainable.
Anyone know any filaments or methods to have an immediate color change<issue_comment>username_1: It takes at least a few cm of extrusion to purge the old color before switching to a new one due to mixing in the melt zone, and possibly much more depending on the particular pigments. If the old color is something bright like red and the new one is white or something close, it can even take many tens of cm before you get a clean new color.
Multi-color extrusion setups either use separate hotends per color or fancy retraction setups where each color can be retracted separately, along with purge towers. You cannot get a clean color switch in the print just by having one in the input filament, and this is probably why all the mixed color filament that's sold is blended - so customers don't get disappointed when it doesn't work like you expect.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> Anyone know any filaments or methods to have an immediate color change
>
>
>
There is a solution (or multiple) where you can have multi color filament without a gradual transition from one to the other color (seen from the filament side, not the extrusion/nozzle side), i.e. immediate color change. This requires an additional piece of equipment to do this automatically, or could be done even manually1).
There are systems that calculate what color is needed for which part of the extrusion process and cut and pastes (welds) multiple colored strands of filament to a single strand of filament, see e.g.:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5D9An.jpg "Mosaic Palette 3 Pro")
If you look closely, you see that the single filament strand is composed of various colored strands welded together (4 colors, fifth being welded).
Using multiple colors and single hotend wil require an extra extrusion of the new color to purge the hotend for a clean and crisp change. Slicers are already equipped to to this task for you, these are called purge towers, they print alongside the print and prevent too much blending of colors.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gVwh8.jpg "Printed part and purge tower")
*Source [<NAME>](https://peterleppik.com/articles/multimaterial-printing-palette-vs-mmu2)*
---
1)*Note that an expensive device is not specifically necessary, with a little effort you can do it yourself. This requires slicing the part for multi colors (including a purge or printing purge tower to prevent mixing of colors) and parse the obtained G-code file to find all the respective lengths of the colors. These are easily found as a color change implies a tool changing script to be active in the G-code file, summing the individual lengths you could created your own filament by welding the individual colors together. Now remove the tool changes from the G-code file and you have created a "manual" multi-color print using a single hotend and extruder.*
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: When calling for a **manual** color change, Marlin is set up to allow to extrude extra filament. This is to ensure that the new filament is in the hotend, but it also allows to "purge" the old color from the hotend by extruding till no mixed color comes out anymore.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: There is a way that you'd be able to do it but its not really conventional and could use up some filament:
Calculate out where you want it to stop. Then, when you want to change colors, you set your slicer to print a floating object in the air that isn't part of your print to purge out the old filament and prime the new one.
That way, when it goes back to the print, there won't be any of your old color. You will just have to pause the print when you get to the point where you want to change color, and make sure it's not over your print, then takeout the old filament, and put the new one in.
Then let it purge, and you can grab the string of filament before it goes to the print. Or just pluck it off when the print is done. This is the only way that I could see this working without multiple spools of filament and multiple extruders.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/04/16 | 547 | 1,944 | <issue_start>username_0: I recently bought a Titan Aero hot end which came with a 24 V 30 W heater cartridge from E3D. I'd like to use this but the cable length is only 1 meter long and I need it to be 2 meters. The ends terminate with prong connections and there is no polarity to the prongs. How can I safely extend the leads one meter and then connect to my Duet 3 Mainboard 6HC?
Should the cable terminate with a JST connector instead of the prongs to connect to the Duet board?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/OVTbP.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bucyV.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: Heater polarity doesn't matter
==============================
The heater cartridges are just large resistors and so polarity is irrelevant. Either can be positive or negative.
You can extend the leads by cutting and splicing in ~20 gauge wires\* to a two pin JST connector line you suggest.
---
\*At 24 volts and 30 watts, you need [wire that is rated to carry at least 1.25 amps](https://www.platt.com/CutSheets/Multiple/AWG%20Conductors.pdf). The US National Electric Code dictates that this should be 20 gauge wire, but their standard is very conservative. Since you don't need to adhere to NEC codes, you could get away with something thinner (ie higher gauge number).
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: 1 meter puts you far enough away from the heater than you don't need high temperature wiring to extend it. The larger the guage(e.g. 20 guage) the less resistance you will add to the heater circuit. This doesn't matter as long as you can still achieve your maximum temperature (if you can still achieve the same current without maxing out your voltage on the heater).
Your sensor is where added series resistance is critical. Series resistance to the thermistor will give a negative error in the temperature.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/04/17 | 1,020 | 3,346 | <issue_start>username_0: My custom 3D printer prints everything inverted. I guess this is a homing problem as the motor moves in correct direction.
In Pronterface,
* if I press -Y — bed moves forward (towards the Y endstop)
* if I press +Y — bed moves backward (away from Y endstop)
* if I press -X — hotend moves left (towards the X endstop)
* if I press +X — hotend moves right (away from the X endstop)
on RAMPS 1.4:
* X endstop is connected on the 1st pin
* Y endstop is connected on the 3rd pin
* Z endstop is connected on the 5th pin
(Pin 2, 4 & 6 are not used (are these for MAX\_ENDSTOP ?))
Below is my Marlin config
```
#define X_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING true // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Y_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING true // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Z_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING true // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define X_MAX_ENDSTOP_INVERTING false // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Y_MAX_ENDSTOP_INVERTING false // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Z_MAX_ENDSTOP_INVERTING false // Set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Z_MIN_PROBE_ENDSTOP_INVERTING false // Set to true to invert the logic of the probe.
#define X_HOME_DIR -1
#define Y_HOME_DIR -1
#define Z_HOME_DIR -1
#define INVERT_X_DIR false
#define INVERT_Y_DIR false
#define INVERT_Z_DIR false
```
I have attached 3 photographs.
1. Shows the Home position of hotend. Y Motor on back and Y endstop at front.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/M4Gcr.jpg)
2. Shows inverted print.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9SRBZ.jpg)
3. Pronterface screenshot (shows actual G-code file)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/4ru5r.jpg)
I tried flipping the motor cables, but that inverts the motor direction
I also tried INVERT\_Y\_DIR true, but no luck.
Please help me. What am I doing wrong?<issue_comment>username_1: Heater polarity doesn't matter
==============================
The heater cartridges are just large resistors and so polarity is irrelevant. Either can be positive or negative.
You can extend the leads by cutting and splicing in ~20 gauge wires\* to a two pin JST connector line you suggest.
---
\*At 24 volts and 30 watts, you need [wire that is rated to carry at least 1.25 amps](https://www.platt.com/CutSheets/Multiple/AWG%20Conductors.pdf). The US National Electric Code dictates that this should be 20 gauge wire, but their standard is very conservative. Since you don't need to adhere to NEC codes, you could get away with something thinner (ie higher gauge number).
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: 1 meter puts you far enough away from the heater than you don't need high temperature wiring to extend it. The larger the guage(e.g. 20 guage) the less resistance you will add to the heater circuit. This doesn't matter as long as you can still achieve your maximum temperature (if you can still achieve the same current without maxing out your voltage on the heater).
Your sensor is where added series resistance is critical. Series resistance to the thermistor will give a negative error in the temperature.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/04/19 | 1,760 | 5,602 | <issue_start>username_0: Let's say I've made a 3D scan of my face and managed to get that into FreeCAD. How might I then create an object (it's a mask, okay?) that conforms to the shape of my face, with a given thickness, such that I can export and 3D-print that part only?
So if I printed it, it would fit over my face, but still look like my face from the outside, too. It would be, say, 3mm thickness througout.
To be clear, I'm not looking to make a 3D model of my head (the world does not need such a thing), or 3D model of a mold that I can use to replicate my head. I just want to make parts that conform to the shape of other, complex, parts.<issue_comment>username_1: It depends on the software you're using, but here is an example with TinkerCad.
Step 1: Import your 3D model (imagine that the ball is a head):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vZwKP.jpg)
Step 2: Change its type from "Solid" to "Hole"
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/hyI2S.png)
Step 3: Create a "Solid" box around your imported model.
Here is the inverted Solid/Hole version:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/kNleK.jpg)
Here is the Solid version with the Hole model inside your Solid box:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DpOW2.png)
Step 4: Select both models and group them:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rxE4J.png)
Step 5: Add a box covering half of your mold (ideally splitting it in half):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xumc5.jpg)
Step 6: Duplicate the mold and the box
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FBwsG.png)
Step 7: Group the left mold with its surrounding box:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/21pUL.png)
Step 8: Invert the box of the left mold by taking its left corner and dragging it over to the right side of the mold:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/piyeO.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JQITx.png)
Step 9: Group the right box and the mold.
Step 10: You now have two molds for each half of your model:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2JdUs.jpg)
Based on your comment, I'm adding a couple more steps:
Step 11: Take your cast, duplicate it, enlarge the duplicate, make it a hole and fit it over your cast (like so):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XIO7P.jpg)
Step 12: Group the left cast with the larger "Hole" copy:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IFBvK.jpg)
And if you're going to 3D print it and fit it over the old model, then you might want to enlarge the cast by a few mm.
It's now up to you to figure out how to clamp the molds, inject them, and then separate them.
A few things to keep in mind:
1. You might want to play with the placement of the model inside the mold a little better so it's not at the bottom of the mold but more towards the middle.
2. You could also get a bit more creative with the joining of the two molds by adding channels or some kind of way that they can fit into each other with greater precision. Here is an example: [](https://i.etsystatic.com/6549005/r/il/271593/1763722747/il_794xN.1763722747_q1q2.jpg).
3. If the parts are more complex, then the cast will be more challenging and might require to be split into more parts.
Good luck! :)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Instead of using FreeCAD, I would import the mesh data into a vertex-based 3D modeling software, such as blender.
After stitching the model in any areas where you still have gaps, you remove any vertex belonging to areas you do not want to use for the mask. This leaves you with pretty much a skin-tight base for your mask. Select all the remaining surfaces and scale `S` them in all directions in regards to the origin so you create a little airgap 5% extra (`1.05`) should create enough space to sit somewhat comfortably, but you might prefer a little more. As a stand-in for the face, I use this approximation of a forehead...
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7ZUJ6.png)
Next, we thicken that surface using the modifier menu: Select the [Solidify modifier](https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/modeling/modifiers/generate/solidify.html) and set a `thickness` that looks good to you and that might be printable. Then make sure it pushes *away* from where your face is. Also make sure the Offset is at `1` or `-1` to ensure that it does not stick out from the face-scan surface to the back!
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/s5sBk.png)
Now you got a perfect base to model on the outside of using the sculpt features while retaining the inner surface! Do yourself a favor though: print at least part of this model as a test fit and adjust the mask as needed.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2021/04/19 | 625 | 2,243 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a problem in regards to filament jam, however I don't think that my case is any related to the extruder nozzle.
After 30 to 40 minutes printing my filament bends and get stuck on the tube entrance.
To print a nut wheel which comes as a demo file, I had to repeat the operation 4 times, and I had to stop printing when it got stuck, and continue with the printing, which led to a small imperfection.
What's the problem? The filament? The printer? Myself?
I have a Voxelab Aquila (completely new) and the filament u just a generic PLA from Amazon.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SkWzF.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Hs1qY.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: Something is stopping the filament from going down the tube 30 to 40 min. after you start printing. You are correct that this doesn't sound like a clogged nozzle. It could be deformed filament, but the closeness of the timing after the start sounds like heat creep. Other possibilities are also listed at the linked stackexchange article.
Note: with heat creep the filament will not jam in the tube. It will jam just above the nozzle on a Bowden tube extruder; thus the filament stops going down the tube. The tube entrance is probably the largest location the tube can kink, although not very large.
[What are ways to avoid heat creep?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15629/what-are-ways-to-avoid-heat-creep)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You need a better filament quality I have the same printer and I had switched to Overture. Know use PLA Plus or (PLA+)due to not sticking to the bed well enough and your issue. And this issue may be the way the entire module moves up and down the threads may need better positioning like tighten loosen or even level it out check for a bend.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: First, remove the Bowden tube coupler from the extruder and clip that mangled end. If the tube isn't straight, it will cause friction and other problems.
Second, your filament should not have gear marks biting into it but the white tube shouldn't be visible between the gears.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/04/19 | 462 | 1,675 | <issue_start>username_0: I am getting this error when I try to enable the Z2 driver for MKS Gen L V2.1
Could anyone help?
Error "TMC2208 or TMC2209 on Z2 requires Z2\_HARDWARE\_SERIAL or Z2\_SERIAL\_(RX|TX)\_PIN.<issue_comment>username_1: Something is stopping the filament from going down the tube 30 to 40 min. after you start printing. You are correct that this doesn't sound like a clogged nozzle. It could be deformed filament, but the closeness of the timing after the start sounds like heat creep. Other possibilities are also listed at the linked stackexchange article.
Note: with heat creep the filament will not jam in the tube. It will jam just above the nozzle on a Bowden tube extruder; thus the filament stops going down the tube. The tube entrance is probably the largest location the tube can kink, although not very large.
[What are ways to avoid heat creep?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15629/what-are-ways-to-avoid-heat-creep)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You need a better filament quality I have the same printer and I had switched to Overture. Know use PLA Plus or (PLA+)due to not sticking to the bed well enough and your issue. And this issue may be the way the entire module moves up and down the threads may need better positioning like tighten loosen or even level it out check for a bend.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: First, remove the Bowden tube coupler from the extruder and clip that mangled end. If the tube isn't straight, it will cause friction and other problems.
Second, your filament should not have gear marks biting into it but the white tube shouldn't be visible between the gears.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/04/21 | 1,156 | 4,450 | <issue_start>username_0: I am currently trying to print a company logo on another part I have printed in a different colour. To try and maximise the strength of the part, I need to print the part on a different orientation to what I intend on printing the logo on. As a result I need to in a sense re-adhere the part to the bed so I can print the logo. I am using PLA filament on a spring steel sheet (the default sheet with a Prusa Mini).
Any ideas would be appreciated before I accept defeat and just glue the parts together.<issue_comment>username_1: Adherence is the 3D printer's worst enemy.
I use painter's tape, but I heard that you can if you need to remove and re-stick it back, heat the part lightly with a lighter and re-stick it back to the bed. Never tried but I'm guessing you would need to cool the bed, heat the part, and stick it back then reheat the bed and continue to print.
Glue sticks can maybe help or even hot glue. But I would be afraid in that case that the part wouldn't be level hence the glue would be to tick.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I have not done this, but I believe this is the best method and I want to test it at some point soon:
Model a negative for the footprint of the part you want to adhere to the bed, in the orientation you want to adhere it, with just a few mm of height, and clearance suitable for your printer (probably around 0.25 mm) in the XY plane, and print that with thick extrusions on the initial layer so that it adheres well to your bed. It should look exactly like a "thickened brim" for the part you want to re-adhere. Don't let the bed cool after printing it.
Now, you have a slot to insert your part into that will not only hold it to the bed, but holds it to particular coordinates you chose to print at, which you can align to the coordinates of the new model you want to print on top of it.
If you can't get the clearances right to hold without knocking off the negative footprint from the bed, you could try adding some threaded holes to it, so that you can put a couple set screws through it to hold the part in place. This technique can also be used if you want to avoid modeling a full negative (e.g. if you don't have the original in CAD form where you can easily negative it) - just print a few posts to hold set screws in approximately the right places on the bed.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I like the idea of printing a holder, for the part-it holds the part laterally and indexes the new printing. I would maybe model it and slice it separately. Then model and slice the text as a first layer thing. It is important the slicer doesn’t think the text is floating in the air, or it will interpret it as a bridge, and do weird stuff. Don’t use skirt or brim on text slicing. I’m thinking print the holder, keep the bed warm. Raise the extruder up out of the way. Get the plastic piece warm on the heated bed. Put glue stick on the part and stick it to the bed in the holder.
With the extruder cold, slowly bring the extruder down until it is the right height to print, could use a sheet of paper between the part and the nozzle as a feeler gauge. Now the Z is at the right height. Bring up the text G-code. At the beginning of the G-code, edit the homing command, `G28`, to be `G28 X Y`, no Z, so it won’t home the Z-axis. Also, delete or comment out `G29` auto-leveling if present. Then type in a line `G92 Z.1`, this spoofs the position of the Z-axis so the printer thinks it’s at zero plus the thickness of your sheet of paper (.1 mm). Add in a move to prime the nozzle, after it is heated `M109`, right before it starts moving. `G1 E10 F400`. Then `G92 E0`, then a retract move `G1 E-2 F3900`. This is right before it starts moving, with a long series of `G1` commands. Note, ignore the prime, retract thing if your G-code already includes it. That should be good to print.
Dial down the speed and be ready to catch the plastic squirt from the prime move with some tweezers, you could even hold something flat and metal under the nozzle as it primes to simulate having a surface to build up pressure. Immediately after the prime, be ready to micro-step the Z-axis to dial in your first layer as it starts printing on your part. Turn up the speed if everything is going to plan.
You could pull the filament out of the extruder and do a dry run if you’re worried about the part. Or print a couple in case the first one gets messed up.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/04/22 | 734 | 2,593 | <issue_start>username_0: I've recently switched to PETG , and I'm using Cura as slicer and Ender 3 as printer.
I'm printing a model which Cura declares to be **35 g**, but if I weigh the printed model it weighs **23 g**.
I'm printing with just 1 line of skirt, so its weight is negligible on total weight.
I've replaced the stock plastic extruder with a double gears metal extruder (3Dman 11 Dual Gear Extruder ).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/22V5v.jpg)
I've also replaced the stock springs with metals ones.
I'm not having a quality problem, just I want to understand if this difference is caused by a bad configuration that could be improved.
Which are the corrections/checks that I need to do in my setup (both printer and Cura) for fixing this difference?<issue_comment>username_1: The density of the filament can be specified in the material model of the filament in Cura (Preferences -> Configure Cura... -> Materials and click on the material/filament you are using to slice your model for PETG), look at the value behind *Density*, the PETG filament I use is using 1.28 g/cm³ ([PETG Economy Black -> Specification >](https://colorfabb.com/petg-economy-black)).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vy283.png "Cura materials window")
This field is user editable, so you can change it to your needs. Cura calculates the weight based on the deposited volume.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Likely underextrusion. The Ender 3's extruder is particularly bad at PETG and slips a lot unless you go really slow, like 3 mm³/s (about 40 mm/s at 0.2 mm layers and 0.4 mm line width) or lower.
For a long time I thought this was a limitation of the material, at least without a really powerful hotend, and wondered why anyone liked it. But after replacing the extruder on my Ender 3 with one that grips the filament much better (among other differences) I can extrude at several times that rate with no extrusion issues.
My extruder has a lot of differences from the stock Creality one that might be making a difference. It's (remote) direct drive, has a cut-out hobbed gear that wraps partly around the filament tensioned rigidly rather than with a spring, and has net 10:1 reduction gearing. I suspect the hobbed gear configuration makes the biggest different to increased PETG printing capability but I'm not sure. Here's a picture of what I'm talking about
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/04/23 | 919 | 3,253 | <issue_start>username_0: I was wondering the other day why don't all three motors move at the same time? Don't normal paper printers move 2 motors at a time? they're 2D printers. It makes sense if a 3D printer really does print with *all* three motors moving. Won't it also be more efficient if they do 3D print in all axes?<issue_comment>username_1: The Z axis moves between each layer so you are indeed printing in the 3rd dimension. There are some techniques that move all three axis at the same time.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Frame challenge: is it just 1D printing? Each G1 command moves linearly in a single one dimensional affine subspace of the build volume.
What makes 3D printing 3D is that the resulting object produced is three dimensional. There are indeed a lot of advances to be made in FDM printing by not working only within constant-Z cross sections at a time, but these are matters of surface quality/accuracy and the classes of geometry that are printable, not efficiency.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> I was wondering the other day why don't all three motors move at the same time?
>
>
>
That is perfectly possible for most printers (with limitations, "3D Printing" with all steppers being used is called "non-planar" printing), but there are some major cons you need to deal with. First, there are not that many software suites that slice objects perfectly well like the "normal" per "fixed/variable layer height" slicing as the slicers are under developed. Second, it requires a specific tall and slender nozzle/print head, else the height of printing is very limited. Last, besides generally not being useful for rectangular prints (except for 90° overhanging structures1)), this method is only/best suitable for curved objects as the top layer will follow the contours of the object.
>
> It makes sense if a 3D printer really does print with all three motors moving.
>
>
>
No, it does not make sense, the essentials of 3D printing it that it produces a 3D object, not that all stepper motors should be running simultaneously.
>
> Won't it also be more efficient if they do 3D print in all axes?
>
>
>
Not necessarily, there are limitations to non-planar printing like geometry and print quality, but, you could (in some cases) print with less support material.
---
1) : From [<NAME>, published March 3, 2021, https://xyzdims.com](https://xyzdims.com/2021/03/03/3d-printing-90-overhangs-without-support-structure-with-non-planar-slicing-on-3-axis-printer/):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eaJm0.png "Non-planar slicing for printing 90° overhangs are tilted sliced")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Liiiw.png "Non-planar slicing for printing 90° overhangs are conically sliced")
*Note that these are **demonstration** pieces, normally you would rotate the print for 90° and print it sliced normal (planar).*
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2021/04/23 | 903 | 3,191 | <issue_start>username_0: We're thinking of buying a PETG-powered printer. When researching printers available on the market, there are machines with a 100 microns. I was wondering if there are machines with a 50 microns or close to 50 micros? Otherwise, why not?<issue_comment>username_1: The Z axis moves between each layer so you are indeed printing in the 3rd dimension. There are some techniques that move all three axis at the same time.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Frame challenge: is it just 1D printing? Each G1 command moves linearly in a single one dimensional affine subspace of the build volume.
What makes 3D printing 3D is that the resulting object produced is three dimensional. There are indeed a lot of advances to be made in FDM printing by not working only within constant-Z cross sections at a time, but these are matters of surface quality/accuracy and the classes of geometry that are printable, not efficiency.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: >
> I was wondering the other day why don't all three motors move at the same time?
>
>
>
That is perfectly possible for most printers (with limitations, "3D Printing" with all steppers being used is called "non-planar" printing), but there are some major cons you need to deal with. First, there are not that many software suites that slice objects perfectly well like the "normal" per "fixed/variable layer height" slicing as the slicers are under developed. Second, it requires a specific tall and slender nozzle/print head, else the height of printing is very limited. Last, besides generally not being useful for rectangular prints (except for 90° overhanging structures1)), this method is only/best suitable for curved objects as the top layer will follow the contours of the object.
>
> It makes sense if a 3D printer really does print with all three motors moving.
>
>
>
No, it does not make sense, the essentials of 3D printing it that it produces a 3D object, not that all stepper motors should be running simultaneously.
>
> Won't it also be more efficient if they do 3D print in all axes?
>
>
>
Not necessarily, there are limitations to non-planar printing like geometry and print quality, but, you could (in some cases) print with less support material.
---
1) : From [<NAME>, published March 3, 2021, https://xyzdims.com](https://xyzdims.com/2021/03/03/3d-printing-90-overhangs-without-support-structure-with-non-planar-slicing-on-3-axis-printer/):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eaJm0.png "Non-planar slicing for printing 90° overhangs are tilted sliced")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Liiiw.png "Non-planar slicing for printing 90° overhangs are conically sliced")
*Note that these are **demonstration** pieces, normally you would rotate the print for 90° and print it sliced normal (planar).*
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2021/04/23 | 748 | 3,015 | <issue_start>username_0: Every time I start a print, midway during printing, my printer starts to under extrude.
I tried lots of different models every time the problem occurs.
What should I do about this?<issue_comment>username_1: If everything is stock on the machine and all other setting are properly configured, this is most likely [heat creep](https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printer-heat-creep/). This is caused when the PFTE tubing is not properly set within the hot end itself leaving a small gap. As filament is fed into the hot end and heated to melting, some filament oozes out in the gap between the PFTE tubing and the nozzle. This melted filament then cools and hardens making it harder to extrude filament causing under extrusion.
You may want to calibrate your E-steps and flow as well, [here is an excellent website](https://teachingtechyt.github.io/calibration.html).
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I was getting intermittent underextrusion (to the point of brief "ghost printing") with my own Ender 3 over the past few days, after a couple weeks of exemplary operation. In looking the machine over (searching for issues that could cause clogging, for instance), I discovered that the "extruder arm" (the spring loaded arm on the extruder that carries the bearing and channel that presses the filament against the actual extruder wheel) was badly cracked; the crack ran from the brass insert where the screw holding the pressure bearing threads in, up to the hole for the screw the whole arm pivots on; it was near breaking off entirely.
I was able to find a .stl file for a replacement arm on Thingiverse (search for "ender 3 extruder arm"), and dismounted the broken arm and super glued it back together, hoping it would hold up long enough to print a replacement (I also contacted the Amazon seller about warranty service, since I've had the machine only three weeks and there's a 90 day warranty).
If this is the cause of your own failures, it will likely go from "intermittent underextrusion" to "doesn't work at all" without any further warning. Fortunately, that arm is made of a plastic that takes glue well (probably either polypropylene or ABS, as it appears to be injection molded); mine has held up for long enough to print a replacement, and (so far) through about eight hours of my next print in line (which is going perfectly).
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: This is some kind of filament stuck in the hotend tube problem. Just like "heat creep" as mentioned above. PTFE pipes should be checked, all parts should be carefully cleaned. I also add checking the extruder (gears, tightness) to the list. The plastic extruder can structurally loosen or break over time. I switched to metal extruder a long time ago, but metal also breaks / loosens after a while. Finally I'm using a double gear extruder without any problem. And I replaced the stock pipes with more durable PTFE and "Pneumatic Fittings". **Pneumatic fittings** are also very important by the way.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/04/24 | 521 | 1,769 | <issue_start>username_0: Does anybody if the Anycube Mega X comes with a nozzle for 1.75 mm filaments or is it 2.85 mm?
I saw online that it works with 1.75 mm filaments but the Cura settings given by the manufacturer had 2.85 mm.
I should mention that using a 1.75 mm filament works BUT my designs have clear under-extrusion, which is very likely caused by having 2.85 mm in the settings. So at this moment, I am trying to gauge whether to change the settings to 1.75 mm or buying 2.85 mm filaments (this only works if the Mega X comes with the appropriate nozzle).<issue_comment>username_1: Reading all 49 pages of the manual was fruitless. I'm astonished that there is no reference to the filament diameter used in this printer.
From [3dJake's web site](https://www.3djake.com/anycubic-3d-printer-and-accessories/mega-x) comes a confirmation that the printer uses 1.75 mm filament.
It's not a matter of changing a nozzle to use 2.85 mm filament, as the entire filament path is based, in this printer, on the 1.75 mm specification.
To find 3Djake's site, I used "anycubic mega x filament diameter" as the search terms. Many other links appeared, confirming the 1.75 mm filament size.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: This is a well-known problem with Cura. The filament diameter is set to 2.85 mm by default (probably because Ultimaker printers use 2.85 mm filament). This will cause extreme under-extrusion if your printer uses 1.75 mm filament. Simply change the filament diameter to 1.75 mm in Cura's printer definition, and everything should be fine.
Older versions of Cura would reset the filament diameter to 2.85 mm if you installed an update or new release, but I think the Ultimaker have fixed that annoying little bug.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/04/25 | 1,127 | 4,202 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm trying to print the following model:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/b8cSN.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/HGgi3.jpg)
I'm using [Simplify3d](https://www.simplify3d.com/) to print the model with the following settings on my [Qidi X-pro](https://www.qd3dprinter.com/):
* Filament is ABS
* Bed temp is 100 °C
* Extruder temp is 230 °C
* 1 top layer
* 1 bottom layer
* 4 perimeter shells
* The outside direction is 'outside in'.
* Internal infill is triangular at 60 %.
I've tried numerous tweaks to the settings, but, I can't seem to get a perfect perpendicular exterior wall as seen in the photos. The print more resembles a trapezoid. It appears like the walls are bowing inward. This also seems to throw off the dimensions. They aren't consistent. For example, the height of the part is 6 mm, but, in measuring with a caliper it shows 5.8 mm to 6.2 mm.
Can anyone tell me how I can get my external walls perpendicular?<issue_comment>username_1: You may be getting shrinking due to cooling on the non-top and non-bottom layers. Sixty percent infill is rather substantial. I'm printing 20 hour pieces in ABS at 100 °C / 250 °C using ten percent infill and getting nothing like what your image shows.
Can you do with a lower infill? More isn't always stronger. Four perimeter shells may be a factor but you'll probably see a difference with a smaller percentage infill.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: If your object doesn't need to be flexible and can tolerate a more brittle material, PLA has better dimensional accuracy. Thus, it would be easier to get your desired shape.
Try two perimeter shells, but slow down the print speed of the perimeter.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: ABS shrinks about 1.5% as it cools from print temp to room temp. If your setup doesn't automatically account for this, you can scale up your STL 1.5% before slicing.
I also recommend more top layers - I usually use 4 for 50% infill or greater, and 6 or 8 for lower infill percentages.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Already mentioned in an [answer](/a/16208/) is that ABS has a relatively large percentage of shrinkage ([about 1.5 %](https://www.simplify3d.com/support/print-quality-troubleshooting/warping/)), this should be encountered for in your model. So, the top layers width being smaller than the model is perfectly explained by the shrinkage.
It is also this shrinkage that causes the excess width layers at the bottom in combination with the heated bed temperature. The bed is of relative high temperature, this is close to the glass temperature of the filament, this ensures that the plastic is soft and adheres well to the build plate. But, this high temperature also causes that the material doesn't shrink much (the cooler, the higher the shrinkgae), the further away from the bed the lower the temperature the higher the shrinkage. This causes each layer to be a little smaller than the previous layer. As the part progresses layers are build upon layers fixating the layers, so the material at the lower layers will not shrink back when the whole part is cooled down (it will probably cause for some compression stress in the lower region).
This defect is known as "elephant foot" as e.g. explained in [this answer](/a/5867). Basically the bed temperature is too high (but the downside is that ABS needs a high temperature to prevent warping and loosening from the build plate), too less cooling (also not something you want when printing ABS as cooling causes warping and prevents layers to stick well to each other) or a too low distance between the nozzle and the build plate. You could try lowering heated bed temperature by 5 °C each print, print with a raft and increasing the nozzle to build plate distance (leveling with a thicker piece of paper or increase the nozzle by redefinition of the `Z=0` plane).
This is a common issue for high shrinkage, high temperature materials. It is something to live with, try to balance out the problem or adjust the print object by changing the design to include a chamfer at the bottom of the print.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/04/26 | 534 | 2,278 | <issue_start>username_0: Every now and then I'll have a problem with layer shift. Solving this is a separate issue, but it occurred to me: most of the time when this happens I notice right away because of the noise. What if there were an easy to to pause the print, re-home the X/Y axis (not Z), and then resume. I'd only have one layer that was a bit off. Sometimes that's enough to ruin the print but sometimes I could clean up with a razor knife later and just live with the small scarring and weakness.
Is there a way to do this during a print? I suspect it might require support within the printer (or print tool like OctoPrint), and might also depend on how the print is sliced in terms of knowing absolute vs relative coordinates at any given moment.<issue_comment>username_1: Have you tried this? It should just work, at least if you're using software like Octoprint to control the printer over serial interface rather than print-from-SD-card on the printer itself. In such a setup you're free to submit whatever commands (in particular, `G28 X Y`) you like while the print is paused. You'll need it setup to save and restore position across pause/resume, or the next command executed might start from the wrong starting position; this would be no problem if it's a travel command, but if it's an extrusion move it would make a mess.
If you're using the printer's builtin pause/resume functionality, I'm not sure whether it will work. It mainly depends on whether it *lets you* access the homing function while paused. If not this is more of a logic limitation than any fundamental incapability, and could be fixed in the firmware.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Repetier software has a Pause button and works very well. I use it to change filament color in mid-print. When pause is invoked manual moves and homing of all three axes are available.
In my case, after pausing I quickly home X and Y so the nozzle is not over the in-progress print in case of oozing during the filament change. I also move +10 mm on the Z axis to provide a little working space. When resuming, the print head moves to exactly where it was interrupted and goes on as before.
I can't see any reason a pause and home scheme wouldn't be an option after a minor layer shift.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/04/28 | 883 | 3,383 | <issue_start>username_0: My Ender 5 Plus (original) does not perform leveling.
After the self-leveling command, the Z axis only descends.
I have already exchanged the BLTouch three times, and the problem remains unchanged.
I bought my E5P in December, in America, to bring it to Brazil, I had to completely dismantle it.
Machine reassembled, I start work again, everything works very well.
But, one day, I made the mistake of stopping an impression (due to problems with the appearance of the piece) and, before removing the piece from the bed, I pressed the HOME command, which caused the hotend/BLTouch to rest on the printed part, forcing the whole mechanism.
Well, I changed the BLTouch and the problems really started.
When I send the leveling command, the Z-axis behaves erratically, going down instead of returning to the beginning and, with each command, it goes down more and more.
I changed the leveler again, the problem persisted, I disassembled piece by piece, wiped a general cleaning, applied a clean solution to contacts all over the electronics, reassembled, reinstalled the firmware (Version 1.71.0 KF), and everything went back to work.
Yesterday, I sent a piece for printing (PLA nozzle 1.00 mm, layer 0.36 mm, speed 100 mm/s, infill 40 %), and left for my morning walk. When I returned, there was a huge ball of melted material, adhered to the hotend, again more problems. I disassembled the entire hotend, carried out the total cleaning, reassembled it, and let's go back to work.
Leveling OK, there was a problem with the thermistor and the heating of the nozzle, I changed the thermistor and the heater cartridge (taking the opportunity, since several times the system had heating problems, when the temperature should be above 230 °C / 446 °F). Everything ready, come on...
* Leveling problem has returned.
* BLTouch exchange done, nothing done
* Loading the firmware again, nothing done
* Review of connections, nothing done
The Z-axis continues to descend, not responding to commands, and in the Pronterface the message appears:
```
Error: STOP called because of BLTouch error - restart with M999
Error: STOP called because of BLTouch error - restart with M999
```
I've already exchanged BLTouch 2 times and it didn't work out.
I have 2 inductive levelers here, maybe the solution is to install them and forget the BLTouch, or do the leveling manually.
Questions:
1. Has anyone had this kind of problem with the printer? If so, what is the solution?
2. removing the leveler and performing manual leveling, has anyone tried this? What changes in Marlin need to be made?
3. Does the replacement of the BLTouch by an inductive sensor imply in what firmware changes? Is there a tutorial about it?
I appreciate any help you can get from friends<issue_comment>username_1: I had the same problem with my Ender 5 Plus.
There is a small set screw at the top of the BLTouch you will need to tighten this in to adjust the location of the sensor pin. Keep screwing it more and more until you see it initialize reliably that is it should move out and back twice to initialize.
When the BLTouch initializes correctly then the leveling can be completed.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I had the same issue. The probe for the BL touch was just stuck.
I manually pulled it out and tightened the screw and then the problem was fixed.
Upvotes: -1 |
2021/04/30 | 577 | 2,322 | <issue_start>username_0: Any hints or suggestions (filament type? suggested settings? model sources?) for 3D printing minis to use in Dungeons & Dragons?
I've done a couple where the support structures were difficult to break off without breaking off a hand or something.
I have a Lulzbot Mini (1), single-extruder if that makes any difference.<issue_comment>username_1: Buckle up, this is going to be rough:
FDM printers are not the best choice for printing figurines in the 25 to 40 mm scale that is typical for wargaming and D&D games. Resolution-wise, that's the area of *resin* printers.
But there are ways to get some partially decent prints made:
* you might want a small nozzle. 0.2 is about the smallest you can do without specialty extruders, so there is our lower limit.
* You need to make sure to have a minimum layer time set, especially as the crosssections of figures are often rather slim.
* Overhangs can be a pain
You might be better-served printing "meeples" than actual figurines.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: There are adequate demonstration videos on YouTube showing that it is possible to print very acceptable 28 mm scale miniatures with FDM printers, easily rivaling the quality of resin printers from only a few years ago.
There are a couple of key requirements to get optimum quality for small, highly detailed parts (like miniatures): the smallest practical nozzle (0.2 mm seems to be elected), the smallest practical layer height (for 0.2 mm nozzle, this seems to be 0.1 mm), and optimal temperature and cooling. Supports, if needed, can be optimized for layer skip, interface, and traditional or tree style. It may take several test prints to find the best combination, but once found this should remain fairly constant for a given printer and filament choice.
The final ingredient, of course, is patience -- small nozzle, fine layer height, possibly reduced print speed required for those, mean these prints will take longer than you'd think for the size of the final object -- but if you get the settings right, and are willing to wait, you can get good miniatures with FDM.
For filament choice, I'd suggest PLA, generally -- it's very tolerant stuff, except for temperature, and you aren't likely to leave your minis on the dash of your car in the sun anyway.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/05/01 | 791 | 2,809 | <issue_start>username_0: All of my completed prints come out with rough edges. What are some methods for removing rough edges from 3D prints? Also, are there any ways to reduce rough edges on prints? For reference, I use a FlashForge Adventurer 3 and PLA filament.<issue_comment>username_1: 1. To remove unwanted residual material:
* You can scrape with a knife
* Use sand paper
* use files
* Very fine sandpaper or files can smooth out the rough surfaces left from filing or sanding.
* Dremel tools tend to be aggressive. They tend to melt the surface if too fast. Buffing wheels are probably the most useful on a Dremel. Dremel tools are good for cutting.
2. A deburring tool can remove sharp edges such as parts of the brim that don't want to come loose. However, it's not unusually to need to scrape off flat surfaces as well.
3. If you want to smooth out the surfaces left from layers, you can:
* Carefully use a heat gun or heat from other soldering tools; not spending too long in one spot. The difficulty with using heat is most prints have fill rather than being solid; so, with only two or three outside layers, it's easy to get the surface to deform into the fill. Also the print material will tend to stick to solid surfaces hot enough to melt the material.
* Use acetone on ABS. Don't breath the fumes or dissolve your print.
* Paint the surface as the comment from user77232
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: In some cases, you can remove sharp edges in the CAD model before printing. Outside corners can be rounded, inside corners can be filleted. This also can strengthen the part in some cases.
Older printers and software did not handle corners well, and so accidentally rounded corners. Newer printers that use controlled acceleration can make much sharper corners, so old or simple CAD models may not take that into account and may include unintended sharp edges.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: There are several different ways you can go about doing this
1. You could calibrate your printer/software better that way so the slicer can make better gcode files that are best fit for you printer
2. Take a lighter to the edge and scrape everything off, this really helps for if your print gets really stringy, this balls all of the strings up and you can scrape if off
3. Use sandpaper, a file, or any type of abrasive tool to scrape the edge to get it smoother and flatter
4. Some filaments melt with acetone, so if your printing with that, this would be a good solution for you as well.
Here is a good video for every type of filament: <https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiy0KWuu9bwAhXyKDQIHf6iDasQwqsBMAt6BAgIEAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DvSwumoSlZTo&usg=AOvVaw1L7WcqmbsJ5OBhzp5CT8lH>
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/05/01 | 862 | 3,075 | <issue_start>username_0: When I first got my 3D printer (a FlashForge Adventurer 3), it came with a sample pack of filament. With this filament, I was able to use skirts for my first layer. When the sample filament ran out, I switched to Hatchbox PLA filament. For some reason, I cannot use skirts with the Hatchbox filament. Now, whenever I try to print something with a skirt, the print moves around, ruining it. The only first-layer that works now are rafts, which I do not like, as they use up more filament and are more of a pain to remove. Is anyone else having this problem? If so, what are some workarounds to this issue?
>
> Here are the failed prints. I terminated them mid-way, as they started
> to shift on the build plate.
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: It is unlikely this is a filament material issue since many of us have used Hatchbox PLA without this issue. This is a first layer adhesion issue.
1. Your bed may not be clean, or the bed may have had an adhesion layer you cleaned off.
2. Your nozzle may be too high on the first layer.
3. Your bed my not be level.
4. Glue sticks can help adhesion. Glue sticks usually don't post the composition on the packaging, but Elmer's glue sticks work. Elmer's washable makes it easy to remove the old layer before adding a new one. There are also glue sticks specified for 3D-printing.
Here's a discussion on glue sticks: [Are all glue sticks PVA-based? How to find out?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15281/are-all-glue-sticks-pva-based-how-to-find-out/15283#15283)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: PLA is a forgiving filament, you can even print such filament without a heated bed. Although there are differences in quality between brands, PLA shouldn't need a raft to be printed. Hatchbox filament is not considered as a low quality type of filament; it is economical and has been around since 2013. A raft is a structured platform that is specifically used for high temperature and or high shrinkage types of filament, PLA is not such a filament and shouldn't need a raft. This implies that something is wrong with getting the filament sticking to the plate. Good adhesion requires a levelled bed, a correct initial nozzle to build plate distance (e.g. paper thickness) and possibly an adhesive like a glue stick, special adhesion spray, a textured bed or blue tape, etc.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Please try one (or more) of the following:
1. Change the temperature of your heated bed (50 - 60 °C)
2. Check your nozzle height (0.15 - 0.25 mm is what I use)
3. Make sure your bed is level (Maybe use a leaving stick (or whatever those bubble things are called))
4. Use adhesion. Start with painter's tape (least damaging, easy to remove), then use a glue stick or even hair spray if necessary.
5. Be sure the bed is clean (I recommend glass cleaner 1-3 squirts and then a light scrub of a paper towel)
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/05/03 | 1,116 | 3,989 | <issue_start>username_0: This issue just started recently; I am not sure if it is because of the specific part I am printing or whether something on the printer is going bad. Up until now, I have been printing all kinds of parts with no problems whatsoever.
I am printing a hollow sphere whose walls have fill paths that require the X and Y to change rapidly. i.e. the wall is 2 mm thick and the wall-line-count setting is set to 2.
When the print head is jerking back and forth to fill in this area it causes horrible vibrations and really bad Y layer shift. You can see the vibrations transferred through the flexible neck of the black LED light in the foreground.
All the Cura settings are at default- I have not tried to speed up my printing in any way by adjusting the settings.
The vibration seems to be coming from the Y stepper.
I have already tried tightening the belt; everything else seems tight.
It is an Ender 3 Pro with a stock mainboard and probably around 50 hours on it +/- 20 hours.
I have printed the same part on my other printer with no issues.
This is happening now on other parts that do not have particularly high jerk paths, it is shifting the Y by a full mm or more at a time.
Would you say the stepper motor is going bad? Or the driver? Or something else?
Here is the part in the video; I of course stopped the print after it started shifting:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DQ9JC.jpg)
And this is how it is supposed to look:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Bkr03.jpg)
EDIT:
Here is the path that causes the problem:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/k4rPv.png)<issue_comment>username_1: It is unlikely this is a filament material issue since many of us have used Hatchbox PLA without this issue. This is a first layer adhesion issue.
1. Your bed may not be clean, or the bed may have had an adhesion layer you cleaned off.
2. Your nozzle may be too high on the first layer.
3. Your bed my not be level.
4. Glue sticks can help adhesion. Glue sticks usually don't post the composition on the packaging, but Elmer's glue sticks work. Elmer's washable makes it easy to remove the old layer before adding a new one. There are also glue sticks specified for 3D-printing.
Here's a discussion on glue sticks: [Are all glue sticks PVA-based? How to find out?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15281/are-all-glue-sticks-pva-based-how-to-find-out/15283#15283)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: PLA is a forgiving filament, you can even print such filament without a heated bed. Although there are differences in quality between brands, PLA shouldn't need a raft to be printed. Hatchbox filament is not considered as a low quality type of filament; it is economical and has been around since 2013. A raft is a structured platform that is specifically used for high temperature and or high shrinkage types of filament, PLA is not such a filament and shouldn't need a raft. This implies that something is wrong with getting the filament sticking to the plate. Good adhesion requires a levelled bed, a correct initial nozzle to build plate distance (e.g. paper thickness) and possibly an adhesive like a glue stick, special adhesion spray, a textured bed or blue tape, etc.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Please try one (or more) of the following:
1. Change the temperature of your heated bed (50 - 60 °C)
2. Check your nozzle height (0.15 - 0.25 mm is what I use)
3. Make sure your bed is level (Maybe use a leaving stick (or whatever those bubble things are called))
4. Use adhesion. Start with painter's tape (least damaging, easy to remove), then use a glue stick or even hair spray if necessary.
5. Be sure the bed is clean (I recommend glass cleaner 1-3 squirts and then a light scrub of a paper towel)
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/05/08 | 792 | 2,748 | <issue_start>username_0: I’ve got this proximity sensor which is a 5 V, it doesn’t say it can be used over 5 V. Can I use a buck converter or is it possible to wire it up direct to a 5 V source on the Ender 3 V2?
What I don’t understand is where to wire it direct to 5 V on the printer or if I use a buck converter then where does the 3rd wire go to on the printer?
If it goes to the signal wire on the Z endstop then which one is the signal wire?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0yHTW.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: It is unlikely this is a filament material issue since many of us have used Hatchbox PLA without this issue. This is a first layer adhesion issue.
1. Your bed may not be clean, or the bed may have had an adhesion layer you cleaned off.
2. Your nozzle may be too high on the first layer.
3. Your bed my not be level.
4. Glue sticks can help adhesion. Glue sticks usually don't post the composition on the packaging, but Elmer's glue sticks work. Elmer's washable makes it easy to remove the old layer before adding a new one. There are also glue sticks specified for 3D-printing.
Here's a discussion on glue sticks: [Are all glue sticks PVA-based? How to find out?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15281/are-all-glue-sticks-pva-based-how-to-find-out/15283#15283)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: PLA is a forgiving filament, you can even print such filament without a heated bed. Although there are differences in quality between brands, PLA shouldn't need a raft to be printed. Hatchbox filament is not considered as a low quality type of filament; it is economical and has been around since 2013. A raft is a structured platform that is specifically used for high temperature and or high shrinkage types of filament, PLA is not such a filament and shouldn't need a raft. This implies that something is wrong with getting the filament sticking to the plate. Good adhesion requires a levelled bed, a correct initial nozzle to build plate distance (e.g. paper thickness) and possibly an adhesive like a glue stick, special adhesion spray, a textured bed or blue tape, etc.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Please try one (or more) of the following:
1. Change the temperature of your heated bed (50 - 60 °C)
2. Check your nozzle height (0.15 - 0.25 mm is what I use)
3. Make sure your bed is level (Maybe use a leaving stick (or whatever those bubble things are called))
4. Use adhesion. Start with painter's tape (least damaging, easy to remove), then use a glue stick or even hair spray if necessary.
5. Be sure the bed is clean (I recommend glass cleaner 1-3 squirts and then a light scrub of a paper towel)
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/05/10 | 548 | 2,042 | <issue_start>username_0: Today I ran into an issue with the filament not sticking to the build plate. However, the strange part is, that this only happens with one filament color (both PLA, khaki, black works just fine) and only in the main print. The test line on the side of the bed and the brim all stick without a problem. I already releveled everything and as I'm using ABL and the other filament works fine, this shouldn't be the issue.
I also tried increasing the first layer thickness in Cura, however, this leads to extreme warp (2 mm height on 5 mm width).
From my observations, it seems that the print head is raised after the brim is printed. Is there a setting in Cura to change that?
**Printer Details:** Modified Ender-3 with MKS Gen L V2 Board and TMC 2209 motor drivers and BLTouch
**Print temp:** 220 °C / 70 °C initial after that 200 °C / 60 °C
**Firmware:** Marlin, details [here](https://github.com/MasterPuffin/MKS-GEN-L-V2-Marlin-Firmware-for-Ender-3/tree/BLTouch)<issue_comment>username_1: Yes you can edit many parameters in Cura that may help with your problem.
However, I believe an easier fix to this problem may be to either apply some glue or masking tape to the bed before you try to change Cura settings since the problem only occurs with just one filament type..
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Your temperatures look pretty good. You could try raising both bed temperatures by 5°C.
You could try Elmer's glue stick or hair spray.
Make sure your Z height is still OK as well as your bed being level after you loaded the different filament.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Thank you for all your answers! After many failed benchies I fixed the problem now, however I don't know exactly what the problem was so I'll list everything I did:
* Dried my filament
* Recalibrated the Z-Offset
* Turned around my print bed, as I noticed the warp always starts at a
certain spot
The high temperature is actually a recommendation by the manufacturer (PM Filaments).
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer] |
2021/05/12 | 3,213 | 7,683 | <issue_start>username_0: **My setup**
* Ender 3
* Creality glass bed
* Creality 3D BL Touch auto bed levelling kit v1
* Creality 3D silent mainboard v4.2.7
* OctoPrint running on a Raspberry Pi 4 connected over USB (with the 5 V pin covered with a piece of tape to prevent powering the mainboard)
**Problem**
Despite starting with `G28` & `G29` in my G-code file, and the printer & BLTouch doing a proper bed levelling (the BLTouch seems to work as intended), the first layer comes out uneven. Please find some pictures below of a test print ([this one](https://thingiverse.com/thing:4077747)). I hope the pictures show clearly that the nozzle is too close in the bottom left, and too far in the top right (top left is also a bit far, and bottom right a bit close).
I've done days of research, all over the web, Reddit, forums & YouTube and tried numerous fixes, to no avail
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KBGqd.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0AUFG.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TXjUk.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Qhg7n.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/leTlq.jpg)
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 1: Observe z compensation**
When I do a test print with a bed levelling at the start, I observe the z-axis go up and down during the print, suggesting the printer is trying to compensate based on the readings from the start of the print. It just seems it's not compensating enough (or too much).
When I run a `M420 V` I get (which implies it has the mesh loaded):
```
Send: M420 V
Communication timeout while idle, trying to trigger response from printer. Configure long running commands or increase communication timeout if that happens regularly on specific commands or long moves.
Recv: Bilinear Leveling Grid:
Recv: 0 1 2 3 4
Recv: 0 +1.245 +1.257 +1.282 +1.332 +1.342
Recv: 1 +1.187 +1.167 +1.130 +1.127 +1.147
Recv: 2 +1.082 +1.080 +1.057 +1.077 +1.085
Recv: 3 +1.202 +1.147 +1.057 +1.000 +0.957
Recv: 4 +1.192 +1.180 +1.117 +1.085 +1.027
Recv:
Recv: echo:Bed Leveling ON
Recv: echo:Fade Height 10.00
Recv: ok P15 B3
```
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 2: Level the bed as much as possible**
I've tried to level the bed as best as possible. As you can observe from the `M420 V` command the bed is pretty level. This was done using the Bed Level Visualizer plugin from OctoPrint.
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 3: I've changed from a 3x3 grid to a 5x5 grid**
As advised in several places the bed levelling is now done with a 5x5 grid. This didn't make a (noticeable) difference.
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 4: I've updated the firmware**
I used to run on the Creality firmware. I've downloaded new firmware from `marlin.crc.id.au` (did that today, so using `Ender3-v4.2.7-BLTouch-20210511.bin`). Didn't help.
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 5: I've calibrated the Z-offset**
I've done a lot of tests, tweaking the z value to the current value, where part of the bed comes too close to the nozzle, and part of the bed stays too far away. So the Z-offset is not going to be able to improve anything I believe.
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 6: I've done all the regular hardware tweaks**
I've checked all the common things: Belts are tight, wheels are properly tightened, nothing is wobbly, Z-axis is clean.
**What I've done to try to fix / debug 7: I've tried to add M420 S**
I've tried to add the `M420` command after the `G29` command (I know it shouldn't be needed, as `G29` enables bed levelling, but just wanted to make sure)
**Reference: My printer M503 settings**
```
echo: G21 ; Units in mm (mm)
echo: M149 C ; Units in Celsius
echo:; Filament settings: Disabled
echo: M200 S0 D1.75
echo:; Steps per unit:
echo: M92 X80.00 Y80.00 Z400.00 E93.00
echo:; Maximum feedrates (units/s):
echo: M203 X500.00 Y500.00 Z20.00 E50.00
echo:; Maximum Acceleration (units/s2):
echo: M201 X500.00 Y500.00 Z100.00 E5000.00
echo:; Acceleration (units/s2): P R T
echo: M204 P500.00 R500.00 T500.00
echo:; Advanced: B S T X Y Z E
echo: M205 B20000.00 S0.00 T0.00 X10.00 Y10.00 Z0.30 E15.00
echo:; Home offset:
echo: M206 X0.00 Y0.00 Z0.00
echo:; Auto Bed Leveling:
echo: M420 S1 Z10.00
echo: G29 W I0 J0 Z1.24499
echo: G29 W I1 J0 Z1.25749
echo: G29 W I2 J0 Z1.28249
echo: G29 W I3 J0 Z1.33249
echo: G29 W I4 J0 Z1.34249
echo: G29 W I0 J1 Z1.18749
echo: G29 W I1 J1 Z1.16749
echo: G29 W I2 J1 Z1.12999
echo: G29 W I3 J1 Z1.12749
echo: G29 W I4 J1 Z1.14749
echo: G29 W I0 J2 Z1.08249
echo: G29 W I1 J2 Z1.07999
echo: G29 W I2 J2 Z1.05749
echo: G29 W I3 J2 Z1.07749
echo: G29 W I4 J2 Z1.08499
echo: G29 W I0 J3 Z1.20249
echo: G29 W I1 J3 Z1.14749
echo: G29 W I2 J3 Z1.05749
echo: G29 W I3 J3 Z0.99999
echo: G29 W I4 J3 Z0.95749
echo: G29 W I0 J4 Z1.19249
echo: G29 W I1 J4 Z1.17999
echo: G29 W I2 J4 Z1.11749
echo: G29 W I3 J4 Z1.08499
echo: G29 W I4 J4 Z1.02749
echo:; Material heatup parameters:
echo: M145 S0 H200.00 B60.00 F255
echo: M145 S1 H240.00 B70.00 F255
echo:; PID settings:
echo: M301 P21.73 I1.54 D76.55
echo:; Retract: S F Z
echo: M207 S3.00 W13.00 F4800.00 Z0.30
echo:; Recover: S F
echo: M208 S0.00 W0.00 F4800.00
echo:; Z-Probe Offset (mm):
echo: M851 X-45.00 Y-7.00 Z-3.30
echo:; Filament load/unload lengths:
echo: M603 L415.00 U450.00
echo:; Filament runout sensor:
echo: M412 S0 D8.00
ok P15 B3
```
**Reference: The start of my G-code file**
```
;FLAVOR:Marlin
;TIME:775
;Filament used: 0.480677m
;Layer height: 0.2
;MINX:16.516
;MINY:16.515
;MINZ:0.2
;MAXX:218.485
;MAXY:218.485
;MAXZ:0.2
;Generated with Cura_SteamEngine 4.9.0
M140 S60
M105
M190 S60
M104 S215
M105
M109 S215
M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
; Ender 3 Custom Start G-code
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
G28 ; Home all axes
G29 ; Auto bed levelling
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
G1 X5 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move over to prevent blob squish
G92 E0
G92 E0
G1 F2700 E-5
;LAYER_COUNT:1
;LAYER:0
M107
G0 F6000 X26.14 Y20.098 Z0.2
;TYPE:SKIRT
G1 F2700 E0
```
**Reference: Congifuration.h**
As I've used two precompiled firmwares (see point 4 above), I don't have a `Congifuration.h` to share.
**Concluding**
I hope I've given a detailed enough account for you guys to help me. If you have any additional questions I'll try to answer them as quickly as possible. Thanks a million!<issue_comment>username_1: I had the exact same issue as you and had done all the fixes you mentioned. The only thing that solved it for me was to make sure the model in the slicing software was flat to the "bed".
I use Cura and it has a "flat the bed" option which I only discovered due to a model that was slightly off which caused the top and bottom layer to half.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Had similar problems. I even did a 10x10 grid just to find out that my printing bed wasn't actually flat.
It actually had dips in it.
I would have to look up the command, but I actually just lowered the nozzle by 0.050 mm at a time. Eventually it got too low, and then I backed it off in even smaller increments.
I also had to print with a raft so any extreme dips are held together on top of the raft.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/05/12 | 709 | 2,641 | <issue_start>username_0: Sorry, I'm new in 3D printing and modeling and I need help.
I bought a 3D model with a hollow part of the body that doesn't print on my printer normally (with very high resolution (layer is 0.12 mm, the nozzle is 0.4 mm) because the walls are very thin). I tried to make it as a solid in MeshMixer or ZBrush, but I can't. Can you help me, how I can fix this defect?
I use Cura for slicing.
I know, that I can take a thinner nozzle (0.2 mm) and Cura will slice it better, but I want to make this model solid so I could print it with nozzle 0.4 mm.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/QqOdU.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VZNwk.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: This is a problem with the model, you need to make sure that the model isn't hollow. You might be able to get around this though if you use scaffolding, it might recognize the overhand hand build supports for your print inside of your print, you just might have to mess around with the scaffolding settings a bit.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Print with Supports, Standard, Everywhere.
You'll get some external supports that may require sanding or scraping to smooth the attachment marks (it may be possible to use further Cura tricks to block those if this model normally doesn't need supports), but "Everywhere" will cause Cura to create supports that sit *on the model* -- hence inside the hollow body. I've seen them *inside a 3 mm diameter horizontal hole*. You can then adjust "support infill" to create what amounts to a (slightly inefficient) infill in the part of the model that's made as a hollow.
I'd recommend trying this first with a large nozzle and thick layers, to speed printing for the test ("draft mode"), but I have every reason to believe it will work.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: The model clearly contains an enclosed surface, which is directed to the inside - in other words, it was modeled to contain a volume of air.
Those surfaces need to be removed to print the body solid. To do this, you could check if those surfaces constitute a separate shell for meshmixer. If yes, you can just go, run separate shells, remove those internal items, and then re-merge all other shells. Slicing that should result in the voids being filled.
If however the shell is meant to exist, then it should instead simply get its normals inverted. This is best done with modeling software such as blender. Some steps you need can be seen [here](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/15881/8884)
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/05/13 | 3,171 | 12,303 | <issue_start>username_0: In Prusa i3 clones the Z axis is often problematic. Mechanically unsynchronized dual Z axises which are driven by the same stepper driver easily misalign. Using only one Z motor makes the whole gantry sag on one side. And Z lead screws that aren't perfectly straight lead to z wobble.
The other day I had a simple idea that would fix all of that, but I can't find anyone who implement it before, so I probably there are drawbacks that I don't see.
The idea is to remove the lead screws (possibly replacing it with a second set of smooth rods to counteract X axis vibrations) and instead hang the gantry onto two ropes/wires which are drawn by a winch. That way, both ends of the gantry could be drawn symmetricaly by a single motor. Since there is no Z lead screw, there is no wobble. And since only the gravity is pulling the gantry down, you shouldn't be able to destroy anything by ramming the nozzle into the bed.
What drawbacks are there for this system? What am I missing? Is the gravity strong enough to press the nozzle into the last layer when printing? I am using a direct drive extruder.
---
Supplemental follow up question (related to, and answered by, Trish's answer):
>
> From my understanding the hangprinter is only attached to ropes, same as a portal crane. I am considering an i3-style printer with the leadscrews removed, but the smooth Z rods intact (maybe even with a second set of smooth rods in place of the leadscrews. So the only forces that gravity has to work against are: output pressure of the extruder and potential bouncing in z direction. So, how could I calculate if gravity is enough for that?
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: Unless your gantry is extremely heavy, I don't think this will work. The Z motion system needs to not only lift, but to hold the nozzle rigidly at the desired distance from the bed/previous layer. Otherwise I would expect poor layer bonding and possibly even collisions between the nozzle and already-printed material, from slight variations in height where extrusion pushes back against gravity.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: That's a crane. Cranes are low constrained
------------------------------------------
What you are proposing is a portal crane. Have you ever seen a container portal crane in operation?
Containers are strung up at the 4 corners and lifted from long cables. They move on their path because the container is super heavy and they have had years to finetune the acceleration profile. But the container sways and swings from side to side during airtime because the cables hang!
Only in a container lifter, where the container is carried by a gantry that is constrained on 4 corners **and** very heavy to keep the cables tight and taunt at every moment, you get the needed constrainment, and now we are talking that the claw lifting the container weighs in the order of tons.
Scaled-down to a printer, a napkin estimation of the gantry tells me that it would need to weigh in the order of about half a dozen kilos to ensure that nothing in the printer path could force the nozzle up - and the motors you need now are actually high power servos as you find them in heavy CNC equipment. However, that's for a conventional crane: the printhead hangs straight down, the mounting point of the crane is moving, and the high mass is to try and reduce swaying as we go really really slow.
### extreme example of low constrainment: Hangprinter
The same problem was present in the [hangprinter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9vbJFpzeTQ) - in the idea that is a free-floating gantry with little to no limitations. The main problem it faces is layer accuracy because of the length of the ropes. The suspension stretches as a factor of the length of them, making movement complicated, but solvable. By using polyester that has no real stretching and mounting the wires in a triangular fashion by three cables, the printer becomes self-stabilizing. But the free-floating makes it extremely vulnerable to imparted errors from outside, such as wind or just the building swaying. Also, its print volume is a cone.
Constraining the gantry
-----------------------
Of course, we don't want to have a free-hanging gantry like a hangprinter. But now we need to constrain the gantry. With a quad of rods, that'd be enough, similar to how they are in the haulers on the ground in container harbors. That constrainment also reduces the needed weight to make it resilient to shifting, but the gantry still needs to be somewhat heavy to prevent the shifting weight to alter the balance - the gantry itself should be at least three times as heavy as the printhead to minimize the lifting cables stretching differently when the printhead moves left and right.
However, the setup still suffers from some large downsides:
The smallest problem is the elongation of cables under stress. While this is dependant on the length of cable, so the lifting profile isn't exactly linear, the right material choice can fix this.
A bigger problem is the diameter of the spool changing with the number of windings that the cable is coiled up over, adding more non-linearity, and this is hard to predict in the worst case. If one side gets its cable into the next layer while the other doesn't, this could force a tilting force onto the gantry.
Tilting forces of enough strength could, in the worst case, press the bearings in such a way against the rods that the result in a lock-up situation where the gantry isn't going anywhere. This could be solved with some engineering ingenuity and proper tolerancing.
Another problem is, that while constrained to the *down* direction, the setup isn't constrained to the up direction, making it possible to push the gantry up to the top, but the weight will get it back to the print level again. However, such a bump might result in the force on the motor losing a few steps, giving us *layer shifting* in the vertical. This is an outside-induced error though.
To mitigate most, if not all of these problems, you would need to use cables in both directions (one to hoist, one to prevent lift), which basically makes this a continuous belt-attached gantry and mitigates any requirement for a heavy gantry to keep the cables stretched. A well-designed set of loops also would prevent tilt-locking the gantry as the cable can't get mis-wound - possibly even all driven by one motor.
Mechanically linked setups
--------------------------
What you are looking for are mechanically linked/synchronized Z-axis'. That actually can be done without needing pulleys. A single motor *can* turn both leadscrews easily if it was connected to both with a proper motion train. Examples are using a chain and gears, or just a gear train using a horizontal axle and two pairs of angled gears to turn the leadscrews. Take a look into how heavy machinery synchronizes axis'.
If you want to go with a pair of belt-loops, you could have a single motor turn an axle upon which the gears for both belts are mounted, resulting in synchronized movement of both belts and the required constrainment on both belts. An example using 4 belts is the machine mentioned by [username_4](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/16301/8884). However, keep in mind that you want non-stretchy belts for this and to keep them tuned well.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I have thought about this same type of problem before and my solution is to use CoreXZ!
Let me explain. With CoreXY the effector (the thing that the hot end is on) moves on the X and Y axes. However, there is no reason why this solution can't be turned 90 degrees to stand vertically. Once paired with a normal Prusa/RepRap Y axis, you end up with CoreXZ (which is supported in Marlin already I believe). You eliminate 1 motor, and the mechanism is inherently sag proof, assuming it's been built properly.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BwKFI.png)
The only downside is the gravity issue. If the gantry is too heavy, when the motors are turned off, the X will fall and slam into the print.
This problem can be mitigated somewhat by:
* Never turning off the motors until the bed has been moved out from under the gantry and the gantry has returned to the home position. If you want the home position to be at the top of the frame, then suitably sized magnets can be used to restrain the effector at the top as opposed to the bottom (some trial and error may be required).
* Use a counterweight on a pulley to offset the mass of the gantry.
* Use a constant force spring to ensure that the gantry always gets pulled upwards instead of falling downwards. (I once used constant force springs on a design. It gave an interesting and unexpected result. Instead of pulling the gantry upwards the slight variances in the pulling force resulted in the gantry twisting and then getting stuck. So instead of falling or rising the system just "magically" held in place. A happy accident.)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PWipe.jpg)
* Use a "Double Pole Double Throw" relay to short circuit the phases of the stepper motors once the power or other control system has been turned off. When you short circuit a stepper motor, the back electromotive force makes the spindle much harder to turn (you should try this for yourself). You can use that effect to make a rudimentary braking system.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/R5Slb.jpg)
* Lastly, make sure the linear rails you use are sticky. Less friction in this setup will allow the gantry to fall easier. Therefore using a linear rail solution that is both accurate enough and provides adjustable friction would help mitigate this problem.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/W7n7O.jpg)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: This concept already exists, it is e.g. found in some high quality 3D printers. Instead of a winch, a belt system (of several belts) is used.
An interesting point from [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/16289/8884) already mentions that a winch isn't a good mechanism to lower/raise the gantry; if the cables are wound over each other the diameter of the wound cables will get larger and thus the movement. This could be circumvented by creating a push pull system and very few windings on the winch.
But, this concept already has been worked out in the [VORON 2.4 printer](https://vorondesign.com/voron2.4) design. This design is based on the work of a group of engineers and is considered to be a high quality printer that is also suitable for professional use. From the following image you can see (on the right side) a belt. This design uses 4 linear rails to support and guide the bed and 4 belts to drive the whole CoreXY gantry up and down.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/w9eqZ.png)
So, a winch will not work, but the type of suspension already exists and is in use.
---
With respect to the i3 style printers and the free gantry movement the following is from my own experience.
*I've build several i3 style printers of which my latest 2 where all having a freely moving gantry upwards as I decoupled the lead screw from the X mounts. The lead screw nuts simply push the gantry up as they are embedded in a separate part; gravity will pull the gantry down. The mass of the guide rods, a stepper motor and the hotend provide enough mass to pull it down. I've had excellent results with these printers, e.g. mentioned in [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/16285/):*
>
> poor layer bonding and possibly even collisions between the nozzle and already-printed material, from slight variations in height where extrusion pushes back against gravity
>
>
>
*is not encountered. The following images give an impression of the lifting device:*
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9B8cMm.jpg) [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PGu4Mm.jpg)
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2021/05/13 | 251 | 868 | <issue_start>username_0: I am printing ABS on an Ender 3 printer at a temperature of 240 °C on the nozzle and 110 °C on the bed. I am getting the following result:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/FnLuQ.jpg)
Is there any way I can fix this?<issue_comment>username_1: I think that your bed is too hot because the bubbling is only on the bottom layer, if it was through out the entire print, I would say that it is your nozzle temp and you should do a temp tower, but because that isn't the case try lowering your bed temp
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I had a similiar issue. First 2 to 4 layers looked god, than a trouble zone with 5 to 10 layers, and after that good again.
In my case the z-layer screws were not tight. During moving up I lost some steps due to the lose screws ...
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/05/16 | 1,255 | 4,858 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a BLTouch clone (3DTouch) on my printer (Artillery Sidewinder X1). I installed it on the printer ages ago and has been working fine since. Recently, I did a BTT smart filament sensor upgrade.
I updated and edited both the Marlin firmware and the MKS TFT28 screen firmware to get it to work with the smart filament sensor. The filament sensor runs through the screen not the motherboard so it is enabled in screen firmware instead.
The sensor works fine and every other part of the printer is fine as well, except that after the BLTouch does a `G29` (I have it do that before every print in my start G-code, followed by an `M500`), It will not adjust the Z-axis to compensate for the unevenness of the bed. I can see the Z motors not move and I cannot feel the lead screws rotate in my hand if I touch my hand against them.
I have been through several other forums, videos, etc. on the internet but none of them have the same problem as me and/or their solutions do not fix the problems.
I have also tried flashing the display with the original firmware, which did not work so I guess is that I have something wrong with the firmware.
I have checked and double-checked my firmware but maybe there is something I missed or do not know about that could be causing my problem.
Firmware can be found [here.](https://github.com/Smartich0ke/Artillery-Sidewinder-X1-firmware)
---
*I have tried running the original firmware with changes only made to enable the BLTouch. The Z-axis does still not compensate.*
---
*I have also replaced the mainboard. I don’t know if that could affect the operation or not.*
---
*Recently, I needed to print a part so I put the default Marlin firmware using the Artillery SWX1 example in Marlin's collection of examples with modifications made only to work with the BLTouch. I can post this copy of the firmware but it is probably identical to the GitHub repo below. This way I could just print with no Z compensation, however, now whenever I try to home the printer or do a `G29`, the BLTouch doesn't deploy and it will crash into the bed. I posted an unlisted video on YouTube demonstrating the issue [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyyazOalsc8). Also note that in the video, I attempt to move the Z-axis by 1 mm, but instead, the stepper motors spin at full speed and the gantry comes zooming towards the bed.*
---
*I tried flashing the firmware yet again and for some reason, the BLTouch worked. it could home is and to a probing routine. I have been using the printer without the compensation and it works fine but it is really bizarre that this is happening. I know it is unlikely to solve the problem, but I am thinking of purchasing a replacement BLTouch. They are only 20 bucks to replace and I did accidental slightly bend the plastic probe before the Z stopped compensating. So is it possible the BLTouch is cactus?*
---
*So recently, I noticed when running a G29 T through Octoprint or Pronterface, etc. that the printer will return a set of numbers for each probing point. Does this indicate that the BLTouch has taken the measurements but the printer will not use them to compensate the bed?*
I have tried all the answers below.<issue_comment>username_1: I am not the best with firmware modifications or anything like that, but you could try running your printer through OctoPrint and do the bed leveling through that and maybe that might fix the problem that you are facing.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: There is something not correct in your configuration file.
You mention the use of an upgraded controller board from an MKS GEN L to a MKS GEN L v2.1.
>
> ...the original was MKS Gen L v1.0 , the new one was an MKS Gen L v2.1...
>
>
>
This change of hardware is not effectively present in your configuration.h file, it currently states the use of the old board:
```
// Choose the name from boards.h that matches your setup
#ifndef MOTHERBOARD
#define MOTHERBOARD BOARD_MKS_GEN_L
#endif
```
You should have used the board constant called `BOARD_MKS_GEN_L_V21`.
I honestly don't know if this could fix your problem, but at least all correct pins are then loaded and could help you start searching for the problem.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I have the exact same printer and had the same issue using the same probe. What fixed it for me was adding a `M420 S1` after `G29`.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: So I discovered that the fade height must have been set to something really off.
I didn't know this at the time so I thought I should set the fade height to the default 10 mm just to make sure nothing was wrong and tested it. The printer now levels and compensates perfectly!
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_5: Make sure `RESTORE_LEVELING_AFTER_G28` is uncommented in `configuration.h`.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/05/16 | 900 | 3,411 | <issue_start>username_0: I picked up some no-name "silk" PLA in a multi color pack as part of a project where I needed some additional distinct colors and structural properties didn't matter, but now I'm playing with the excess I'm not using for that, and its behavior is really weird. On overhangs with detail on the downward-facing surface it's like everything flowed/melted together rather than retaining the extruded shape. And on vertical surfaces where one would expect to see layer lines, the lines are present and can be felt and slightly seen, but don't seem to contibute to the sheen/reflective properties like how they would in normal PLA or other materials. Together these observations make me suspect there's an additive that melts to a state where it flows much more than the base PLA at PLA printing temperatures, coalescing into more of a uniform smooth surface.
What are the likely additives in "silk PLA" filaments, and what printing/mechanical properties should we expect from them?
Some further observations: pushing it out of the hotend by hand, it has *a lot* of die swell, almost up to the original 1.75 mm diameter, and if tension is released it tries to retreat back into the nozzle. This suggests to me there might be some sort of foaming type additive involved, and also explains the behavior on overhangs.<issue_comment>username_1: It has additives to the PLA to change its characteristics.
>
> Typically, “silk” filaments are enhanced PLA filaments, owing their glossy result to various additives. As such, they tend to show most of the same pros and cons of PLA filament. In the case where silk filaments have a different base, these would be expected to have similar properties to the base material. For this article, we’ll focus mostly on PLA-based silk filaments.
>
>
>
-- [Silk PLA Filament: Best Brands](https://all3dp.com/2/silk-3d-printing-filament-brands-compared/)
The article goes on to say that this does modify how the material prints and thus may need different parameters on your printer from normal PLA. You can get silk PLA in different brands. There doesn't seem to be a standard composition, so each brand may behave differently.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Silk PLA is a descriptor
========================
Silk PLA is a description of how the PLA looks. It is a separation from Glossy and Matte that is taken over from paints: Gloss, Silk, and Matte are the three general types any paint can come in, indicating different reflectiveness of high, intermediate, and low respectively.
As a result, Silk-PLA is designed in such a way to get some sheen without looking all shiny/glossy.
Most PLAs are modified with various additives anyway to achieve good printing or specific looks, silk PLAs use theirs to get the sheen often attributed to silk. A common additive that gets a nice sheen in paints is Mica, but most PLAs are made silky-shiny by adding a slight bit of various TPE - Elastomers. That is not one but a whole group of materials that is added!
As a result of being a polymer mixed with additives, you need to tune for each material, brand and color combination anyway.
### Further reading
* [What is PLA+? How is it different from PLA?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4982/what-is-pla-how-is-it-different-from-pla)
* [How to find pure PLA filament?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/q/13913/8884)
Upvotes: 3 |
2021/05/17 | 365 | 1,354 | <issue_start>username_0: I broke 2 keys (i.e. left ctrl, enter) on my Asus UX31A laptop and it seems that this model is too old to find replacement keys.
Is there any way I can find a 3D model of the needed keys to have them 3D printed?
I do not have a printer nor I have any experience in this field.
What I need is either someone that has models for these or that can point me where I can find such models.<issue_comment>username_1: This is more off-topic as an answer, but serves as a possible solution.
Replacementlaptopkeys.com is a resource that appears to have keycaps for the model you've noted.
<https://www.replacementlaptopkeys.com/asus-zenbook-ux31a-db71-laptop-keys-replacement-dark-brown-black/>
At seven dollars a key, it's going to be less expensive than 3D printing to accomplish your objective.
If you owned a 3D printer, it would not be less expensive to purchase, but the work involved would increase your cost to have such keys commissioned. As a 3D printed object, the strength is going to be less than a keycap purchased from the linked site.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You're better off if you can get the key from Fred's link. I was impressed by the detail of a 3D-printed battery cover for electronic calipers, but I'm sure it took much work to get it right. Also, ebay has keyboards for your model.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/05/18 | 1,164 | 4,458 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a 3D printer, which wasn't used for a longer time. There is a nozzle, but don't know what diameter is it. I used several widths - from 0.2 to 0.8, switched them depending on my needs, but don't remember which one was used lately.
The nozzle is a little bit worn down, so the diameter on the side is not visible.
How to get the nozzle diameter, without taking it off the printer?
This is more of a theoretical question, because I can simply swap the nozzle, but still - eager to know.<issue_comment>username_1: The best method is to have a scale on your microscope that looks like a ruler drawn in the optical path. However I usually visually compare an unknown nozzle with known nozzles under a microscope. If you don't have a microscope, you can get USB otoscope cameras (15mm focal length for looking in ears) for under $20.
You can get a fairly good idea of the size by telling the printer to extrude in air then measure the extrusion diameter with calipers. Of course, it's better if you can compare with a known nozzle. If you push the filament through by hand, the extrusion will be too thick. With the stepper motor extruding, I measure the extrusion diameters between 0.3 and 0.5 mm on a 0.4 mm nozzle. Low cost calipers are less than $20. The main different with the low cost calipers is the slides are not smooth, reducing the accuracy in the 0.01 mm place.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I would find some wires (piano wire, CAT5 copper, paperclip, nozzle unclogger, etc. ) and choose one that should fit the nozzle (eg. a 0.5 mm copper wire will fit a 0.8 mm nozzle) and push them into the nozzle. Heat them up a bit to soften the filament in the nozzle and brush with a metal wire brush to easily clean it up.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: Extrude some filament, let it hit the desk or whatever surface the printer is resting on; but not the bed as it may be too close. The initial filament will form a coil. After extrusion stops measure the straight part of the extruded filament as close to the coil as possible. This will give you the true current nozzle diameter. (Edit: I mean measure with a micrometer)
Just as ancillary info, the nozzle diameter increases as the filament is passed through it. This is called nozzle wear, and since the diameter is changing the quality of your prints is going to drift. If you have a brass nozzle then after every spool of filament, you should reverify your nozzle diameter. Steel or other hardened nozzles would be much more resilient.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Majority of nozzles have a .4 or a .3 on it, that indicates how big it is in millimeters. If yours doesn't, take one of these digital rulers (the ones that have the prongs that stick out on the side and slides, I don't know the name off of the top of my head), extrude some filament and measure the filament, make sure that you find a piece that was extruded after the bottom hit the ground and make sure that you find one that isn't bending that way its not stretched or compressed. (Your measurements won't be exact due to things cooling off and shrinking)
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_5: If your nozzle is worn enough that you can't read the size stamped on one of the hex flats, you need to replace it anyway.
That said, the best ways I know to measure the aperture are with either a pin gage (known diameter high precision wire, find the largest that will enter the nozzle aperture), or optically -- take off the nozzle or hot end and put it on a scanner bed; use the scanner to image the nozzle at highest available resolution, then count the pixels across the opening in the image and multiply by the pixel size (for instance, if 6400 ppi, you'd multiply your pixel count by 1/6400 in/px \* 25.4 mm/in).
I've used the optical method to measure photographic pinholes (drilled in delicate, .001" thick brass shim stock) that were smaller than 0.5 mm, so I know it works in this size range.
Measuring the extruded filament may not give an accurate diameter, for two reasons -- the hot, freshly extruded material may either swell or stretch after extrusion (and may well do both in a short length of extrusion, giving varying diameter), and it's difficult to accurately measure small round samples (especially of plastic) with either micrometer or dial/digital caliper -- it's too easy to compress the sample and obtain an artificially undersize result.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/05/21 | 684 | 2,393 | <issue_start>username_0: I've observed printing PETG that the primary if not the only reason for using a high bed temperature seems to be preventing the bed from acting as a huge heat sink and rapidly cooling the initial layers such that they don't bond well to each other. In particulat, the heat is not needed for adhesion-to-the-bed purposes. This got me thinking whether there's a way we could get rid of the requirement, as a way to save time and all the energy spent heating the bed and cooling the room it's eventually dumped into.
With that in mind, are there viable bed materials that are good thermal insulators? Just putting down a layer of any insulating material between the underlying bed and buildtak or whatever surface you want might work, but I would think these kinds of print surfaces are designed for moderate to high thermal conductivity themselves, and wouldn't be as bad a heat sink as the underlying metal, but might still sap a noticable amount of heat out of the part right away.<issue_comment>username_1: I’m pretty sure it can be brought separately but usually comes with a lot of heat-beds; It is a type of foam that has adhesive on one side and aluminum foil on the other. [Here](https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/3D-Printer-Parts-Heat-Insulation-Cotton-200-220-300mm-Foil-cotton-3D-printer-/193735774067?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286) is an example of what I mean:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/R9Qw9.jpg)
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: You can place a 2-4 mm thick MDF board on the bed and print directly on it, or you can place a 2 mm thick cork foil (IKEA office desk supplies) between magnetic plate and aluminium heater. The magnetic plate should not absorb too much heat and the cork will avoid conduction to the aluminium heater.
If you want to avoid the magnetic plate, print on paper/cardboard on top of cork.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Very early (pre-RepRap) commercial 3D printers used *foam* build plates. They were single-use as the foam would be damaged when removing the print, but it's probably as insulating as you can get.
[This blog post](https://haveblue.org/?p=1913) details some experiments on using foam as a build plate and mentions [a particular type of foam](https://www.generalplastics.com/products/fr-7100) that is apparently most suitable.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/05/22 | 622 | 2,370 | <issue_start>username_0: I’m just getting my feet wet with 3D printing, and I’ve had a few prints do this. Curious if anyone has any ideas for me that might help clean this up? (I don’t really have anyone in my personal circle who can help out, so hoping this community can :) )
Edit 5/23
The first layer of the print is inconsistent in the way it’s deposited. Some areas feel correct while others are very thin. Usually there are large gaps like in the pictures below. After the first layer, the rest of the print seems to be fine. I’m curious is anyone has any insight into what could be causing the inconsistency.
I try to level the bed before each print, but I’m not sure if it’s at the correct height as the instructions I got with the printer are pretty subjective: “use a piece of A4 paper and you should be able to pull it with **some resistance**”.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/OD6cz.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cNVrs.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: It looks like your nozzle is a little too close to the bed, if there is not enough space, you can see through the layer and pressure can build up and ooze out when there is a little more room in a different location (if the bed isn't completely flat/straight).
You could level with a thicker piece of paper or add a Z-offset to the whole print ( e.g. in your slicer, or change the G-code by redefining the Z height).
You could *also* increase the first layer a little when slicing.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: It looks like a bed adhesion problem to me. Some additive information: What is your bed material?
Z-calibration problem isn't the only suspect. I've seen the same problem with my printer before. There were defects in some parts of my glass print bed that prevented it from sticking.
The molten filament from the hot nozzle has two adhesion chances; full adhesion to the bed or adhesion next to the previous extruded filament. If the previous filament is not stuck to the bed, it means you are printing on the air shown in the pictures.
Without forgetting, your images also seem to have a Z-calibration problem, but as I said, I don't think it's the only suspect for blobs. It will be useful to clean the surface.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/05/22 | 1,524 | 6,049 | <issue_start>username_0: I've had my Ender 3 for almost three weeks, gone through about a kilogram of PLA filament (printing a mix of upgrade parts for the Ender 3 and stuff I actually want to use) and made one PETG object, generally with good results.
I've noticed however, as seems relatively common (per YouTubers, anyway), that my bed isn't *flat* -- that is, the build surface isn't a good approximation of a geometric plane. If I adjust the bed to have correct clearance (good adhesion and correct single-line width) at the corners, I'll get adhesion failure in the center, and if I adjust to give a correct center, the extruded filament will be squished into the build surface texture; the nozzle may even lightly scatch the surface at the corners. That indicates the corners are high, relative to the center, by roundly 0.1 to 0.15 mm.
I'm aware of BLTouch and its clones, but in order to get full use of that system (which automatically compensates for the non-planar bed) I would need to not only install the surface sensing hardware, but flash my printer's firmware (potentially after removing the control module cover and plugging a cable and adapter into the mainboard). As a longtime builder/upgrader of my own computers, this is certainly within my capability, but I'd prefer to make my build surface flat instead of applying software corrections; I see this as upgrading from a 386 to a Core i3 because the computer is overheating -- that is, the problem will go away because of all the other stuff you have to do, but you haven't really *solved the problem*.
My general idea more or less mimics the self-answer on [this question](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11996/options-for-getting-a-really-flat-build-surface) in terms of measuring the excursion and applying shims under the build surface (I've installed the Creality magnetic sheet surface, so shims would be applied between the magnetic base sheet and the removable build surface). I plan to use household aluminum foil, standard weight, which is generally close to 0.63 mil (= .016 mm), applied with repositionable spray adhesive and laid down in layers, using a combination of feeler gages and single-layer test prints to determine where and how much foil to apply.
I've "test flown" this option by putting a single Post-It sheet under the center of the removable build surface, and now I have a much closer match between the center and corners, and can (depending on my nozzle standoff) actually see the outline of the makeshift shim in the first layer where it prints over the edges of the Post-It.
Is there anything I'm missing that would prevent this shimming method using aluminum foil from resolving the warped bed to allow me to depend on an even thickness and correctly adhered first layer?<issue_comment>username_1: I may be biased as my question/answer is the one I believe you're asking this question in reference to, but I would say that yes, it not only competes but is a far better solution. "Auto-leveling" systems **do not level** your bed. They just partially compensate for poor adhesion by adjusting the bottom layer(s) of your print to conform to the bed's errors. This of course messes up the dimensional accuracy of your prints; in a worst case it can come out [rather absurd](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/16284/height-of-the-prints-are-always-larger). They also do not compensate for the change in volume (which would require differing extrusion amounts) due to changes in Z height to compensate for the non-level bed.
The right solution is always to get your bed level and flat. Ideally if the bed/print surface is warped, you replace it with one that's not, but shimming is a reasonable alternative. ABL systems (not talking about real 3-point leveling with 3 Z motors here, but "ABL" stuff like BLTouch) are a gimmick for making it easy for beginners to start printing without all their prints failing due to non-adhesion from poor manual leveling. They're not a solution.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: So, the difference between the shimming vs. auto-leveling is that auto-leveling goes around in a 4x4 grid taking measurements of the bed (you do need to set the Z calibration first, as you know) vs. the shimming method where you go to 4 corners on your build plate where you stick a piece of paper or something under there and you adjust the knob at the bottom until you can feel tension on it. What I've found to be the best for me at least is to use both. This is my method for printing every time:
1. Clean the build plate. I will take my scrapper and scrape everything off, then I will run it under some hot water and wipe all of the residue off that is still remaining, then I might take some glass cleaner or something and wipe it down.
2. Set the Z calibration.
3. Do the shimming leveling (I would normally go through all of the corners again plus the center/Z calibration just to make sure that I didn't mess up any of the other corners.
4. I will run the auto-calibration (I use OctoPrint so I just run it through there)
5. Smear Elmer's glue over the print bed. I do this for a couple of reasons:
1. I use the glass side of the bed, just because I've gotten better results this way, and
2. it just makes your prints stick better. I also do this after the Z calibration and bed calibration because you get better results this way.
6. Start the print and watch the first couple of layers. If you notice that when you are printing and the brim looks stringy, like you could pick apart the individual lines, you should cancel the print, and go back to your slicer and bring your line width down my 0.1 mm, I typical print with the lines 0.1 mm or 0.2 mm below what the nozzle prints at, so a 0.5 mm nozzle I will print at 0.4 mm. And if your print messes up here I'd scrape everything off so the filament and the glue off (I'd keep the bed hot and the tip hot just so I don't have to wait 10 min. for it to heat up again) then apply more glue and reprint.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/05/24 | 1,114 | 4,252 | <issue_start>username_0: I am trying to print a tank to be used with my RC engine. The material that I have to use needs to have the following properties:
* It needs to be possible to seal the final print so that it is not leaking any fluid
* It needs to resist methanol, nitromethane (a solvent like Acetone) and lubricating oil at room temperature. It can get discolored or have other changes from the fuel, but it must not be able to compromise the sealing.
I first - foolishly - just printed it with ABS as I do for every fluid container as I can nicely seal it with Acetone. After almost being done with it a friend told me to check the chemical resistance of ABS and as you might guess methanol and nitromethane completely desintegrate it, almost like acetone itself, so that was a waste of time/material.
Next I considered using Nylon. It shows exactly the chemical resistance against all the fuel components I need, however I could not find any (easily available) option to seal the print after printing and after printing a small test container and pouring in some water it leaks after half a minute, so unless I find a way to seal the Nylon containers interior this is also not an option.
I checked various epoxies but the few that I checked all showed poor resistance against methanol/nitromethane.
What I could not test yet but seems like an option is using HDPE. I am using PET bottles to transport the fuel sometimes so it definitely is both resistant and - in theory - watertight, however I am not sure how I can seal an HDPE print, so I am not sure about my first requirement with HDPE. **EDIT**: I found that [Limonene](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limonene) dissolves HDPE and is relatively harmless and easily obtainable. Maybe it can be used to seal the HDPE print surface?
Hence my question: Is there a material that can be printed on a regular desktop printer (heated bed, nozzle up to 255°C) that satisfies both my requirements above or am I "doomed" to buy a moulded plastic fuel tank?<issue_comment>username_1: Most commercial blow-molded fuel tanks for model airplane fuel (methanol or ethanol, nitromethane or nitroethane, and some combination of castor, mineral, or synthetic lubricating oil) are made from HDPE. This material isn't commonly seen as filament, in my limited experience, but it ought to be possible to arrive at settings that will give a liquid tight tank without further sealing if you can find some. As you note, limonene might be used to smooth/seal HDPE prints, but likely won't be necessary if your settings are right.
You might want to test PETG filament for its resistance to your fuel mix(es) -- this material *is* available as filament, prints with settings little different from generic PLA (in my experience, higher nozzle and bed temperature, and a little more bed clearance for the first layer), with good layer adhesion and, with a good print, is liquid-tight as printed. It's not particularly flexible (as is the case with HDPE), but since you can customize the shape of your fuel tank, it may work for you -- or it may be more flexible in vase mode, as PLA is.
Sealing PETG may be as simple as baking it (similar to "heat treating" PLA to increase print strength, albeit again at a higher temperature) -- this partial remelting will ensure that layers are adhered throughout the print, which (presuming you have avoided under-extruded areas) should be all that's needed to make a printed tank liquid tight.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: As a supplement to the answer (doesn't fit well in the comments). This site <https://www.filamentive.com/chemical-resistance-of-3d-printing-filament/> lists PETG has have a very high restance to alcohol, a high resitance to fuel
>
> **Is PETG UV Resistant?**
>
>
>
>
> In the long run, it is now a well-known fact that it will almost always come out on top when it comes to objects and builds that have to be resistant to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. I.e., UV resistant. This is why it is ideal for objects that have to be kept under the harsh mid-summer sun. This is because UV radiation has minimal effect on it as compared to PLA and ABS.
> --
> From <https://makershop.co/petg-uv-resistance/>
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/05/26 | 674 | 2,471 | <issue_start>username_0: What fan speed should I use with PLA? Do I need to manually set the fan speed in ‘Control’?
Also, on the filament cartridge Bed Temp is listed: *"No heat/60-80 °C"*. Does this mean heating the bed is optional?<issue_comment>username_1: Most commercial blow-molded fuel tanks for model airplane fuel (methanol or ethanol, nitromethane or nitroethane, and some combination of castor, mineral, or synthetic lubricating oil) are made from HDPE. This material isn't commonly seen as filament, in my limited experience, but it ought to be possible to arrive at settings that will give a liquid tight tank without further sealing if you can find some. As you note, limonene might be used to smooth/seal HDPE prints, but likely won't be necessary if your settings are right.
You might want to test PETG filament for its resistance to your fuel mix(es) -- this material *is* available as filament, prints with settings little different from generic PLA (in my experience, higher nozzle and bed temperature, and a little more bed clearance for the first layer), with good layer adhesion and, with a good print, is liquid-tight as printed. It's not particularly flexible (as is the case with HDPE), but since you can customize the shape of your fuel tank, it may work for you -- or it may be more flexible in vase mode, as PLA is.
Sealing PETG may be as simple as baking it (similar to "heat treating" PLA to increase print strength, albeit again at a higher temperature) -- this partial remelting will ensure that layers are adhered throughout the print, which (presuming you have avoided under-extruded areas) should be all that's needed to make a printed tank liquid tight.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: As a supplement to the answer (doesn't fit well in the comments). This site <https://www.filamentive.com/chemical-resistance-of-3d-printing-filament/> lists PETG has have a very high restance to alcohol, a high resitance to fuel
>
> **Is PETG UV Resistant?**
>
>
>
>
> In the long run, it is now a well-known fact that it will almost always come out on top when it comes to objects and builds that have to be resistant to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. I.e., UV resistant. This is why it is ideal for objects that have to be kept under the harsh mid-summer sun. This is because UV radiation has minimal effect on it as compared to PLA and ABS.
> --
> From <https://makershop.co/petg-uv-resistance/>
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/05/27 | 649 | 2,133 | <issue_start>username_0: I printed a lot of models in last month. I spent 2 kg filament in total. I want to know how many hours have been passed while printing. As far as I read, 1 kg PLA (1.75 mm) is about 110 meters long. My default print speed is 70 mm/s. The nozzle diameter is 0.4 mm. The nozzle multiplier in the simplify3d is 0.9 .
In a very basic math,
220÷(0.7×0.04÷0.0175×0.9)=~ 153 hours.
Is this correct?<issue_comment>username_1: Your math looks correct, and is also a good approximation for what I've seen in the first few weeks with my own Ender 3.
Another way to calculate (to check yourself) is to calculate the volume extruded (nozzle area times extrusion percentage times print speed -- be sure you convert everything to the same units!) in a given second, multiply by the density of your filament (common PLA runs about 1.2 g/cm^3), and get a rough figure for how long it takes to print a kilogram of filament. Your actual print time will always be higher than this approximation, because there are moves during which the extruder isn't running, infill is often set to lower extrusion level, and of course there's setup and cleanup time to account for.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Your formula doesn't seem to take into account two important factors: layer height and average speed.
Do the math differently:
voumetric flow rate [mm^3/s] = layer height [mm] \* line width [mm] \* speed [mm/s]
For example, 0.2 \* 0.45 \* 70 = 6.3 mm^3/s
which is realistic, the extruder on the Ender 3 cannot go much faster than that reliably.
PLA weighs 1.24 g/cm^3 = 0.00124 g/mm^3
To extrude 1 kg you need 1000/(0.00124 \* 6.3) = 35 hours (70 for 2 kg).
However the printer does not reach 70 mm except on straight long moves, the average speed may be lower or much lower depending on what you print.
If you print technical parts with straight edges, maybe you can multiply by 1.5 (50 hours/kg), but if you print models and small statues or similar you may need to double it (70 hours/kg).
I use Klipper as firmware and I have a macro which keeps track of printing time and filament length used.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/05/31 | 611 | 2,100 | <issue_start>username_0: I want to get my Ender 5 plus to print at 300 °C. As such, I've edited the firmware and increased the `HEATER_0_MAXTEMP` to 315 °C.
In my slicer, I can slice and print at 300 °C, however, I cannot manually adjust the temperature on the LCD screen past the stock setting of 260 °C.
Any help in getting the manual adjustment fixed would be greatly appreciated.<issue_comment>username_1: Your math looks correct, and is also a good approximation for what I've seen in the first few weeks with my own Ender 3.
Another way to calculate (to check yourself) is to calculate the volume extruded (nozzle area times extrusion percentage times print speed -- be sure you convert everything to the same units!) in a given second, multiply by the density of your filament (common PLA runs about 1.2 g/cm^3), and get a rough figure for how long it takes to print a kilogram of filament. Your actual print time will always be higher than this approximation, because there are moves during which the extruder isn't running, infill is often set to lower extrusion level, and of course there's setup and cleanup time to account for.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Your formula doesn't seem to take into account two important factors: layer height and average speed.
Do the math differently:
voumetric flow rate [mm^3/s] = layer height [mm] \* line width [mm] \* speed [mm/s]
For example, 0.2 \* 0.45 \* 70 = 6.3 mm^3/s
which is realistic, the extruder on the Ender 3 cannot go much faster than that reliably.
PLA weighs 1.24 g/cm^3 = 0.00124 g/mm^3
To extrude 1 kg you need 1000/(0.00124 \* 6.3) = 35 hours (70 for 2 kg).
However the printer does not reach 70 mm except on straight long moves, the average speed may be lower or much lower depending on what you print.
If you print technical parts with straight edges, maybe you can multiply by 1.5 (50 hours/kg), but if you print models and small statues or similar you may need to double it (70 hours/kg).
I use Klipper as firmware and I have a macro which keeps track of printing time and filament length used.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/01 | 586 | 2,073 | <issue_start>username_0: The problem with my Anet E12 should be on USB connection itself.
1. If powered down, the board still gets power from USB
2. If board is resett, USB will still connect
3. Still works on SD; seem like most part not damage.
What cause the problem? Where to check first? How to fix it?
Note: This printer worked with no problem before.<issue_comment>username_1: Your math looks correct, and is also a good approximation for what I've seen in the first few weeks with my own Ender 3.
Another way to calculate (to check yourself) is to calculate the volume extruded (nozzle area times extrusion percentage times print speed -- be sure you convert everything to the same units!) in a given second, multiply by the density of your filament (common PLA runs about 1.2 g/cm^3), and get a rough figure for how long it takes to print a kilogram of filament. Your actual print time will always be higher than this approximation, because there are moves during which the extruder isn't running, infill is often set to lower extrusion level, and of course there's setup and cleanup time to account for.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Your formula doesn't seem to take into account two important factors: layer height and average speed.
Do the math differently:
voumetric flow rate [mm^3/s] = layer height [mm] \* line width [mm] \* speed [mm/s]
For example, 0.2 \* 0.45 \* 70 = 6.3 mm^3/s
which is realistic, the extruder on the Ender 3 cannot go much faster than that reliably.
PLA weighs 1.24 g/cm^3 = 0.00124 g/mm^3
To extrude 1 kg you need 1000/(0.00124 \* 6.3) = 35 hours (70 for 2 kg).
However the printer does not reach 70 mm except on straight long moves, the average speed may be lower or much lower depending on what you print.
If you print technical parts with straight edges, maybe you can multiply by 1.5 (50 hours/kg), but if you print models and small statues or similar you may need to double it (70 hours/kg).
I use Klipper as firmware and I have a macro which keeps track of printing time and filament length used.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/04 | 773 | 2,891 | <issue_start>username_0: So I bought this printer three days ago as a way to dip my toes into the 3D printing world, and it was working great at first. But at some point, the ABL procedure started behaving oddly: Instead of moving down to touch each corner of the printing bed, it's now only doing so for one corner, then moving to the next, but instead of going down, it goes up. It then continues to the third corner, stops, and moves up again. After that, it returns back to home position. The result is that the extruder hovers way above where it's supposed to be --or alternatively bumps into the printing bed when it's near the origin corner-- thinking it's adjusting for some nonexistent slant, dripping filament all over the place.
The gantry itself is totally level, and I can't see any mechanical faults. As far as I can tell, there's no way to manually level the bed, the only option is to use ABL.
I found out that the Monoprice Cadet printer is the exact same one as the Tina2, so if anyone has experience with that printer in particular, it'll apply here too.<issue_comment>username_1: According to the [manufacturer's page for the Weedo Tina 2](http://www.weedo.ltd/product-detail/tina2/), the bed sensor for the ABL is magnetic -- which means that if you've removed the magnetic build surface you likely have removed the printer's ability to sense the bed height. You most likely need to replace the worn out magnetic build surface for the (mandatory) ABL to work.
Weedo ought to sell replacements for a part that wears out, but if not, you can buy one made for the Ender 3 (and cut it down to fit) on Amazon (very reasonably priced, too) and have it in your hands in a couple days, though I have no way to know the original didn't have specific poles in particular locations on the sheet. You'll likely need to remove the base sheet from the Tina 2, if there is one, so as to follow the instructions on the Creality and ensure the upper, removable, flexible sheet actually sticks to the adhesive-backed lower sheet.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: This is a community wiki answer from [an answer](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/lz4c9l/comment/gr9v9pb/?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) on [Reddit - Monoprice Cadet auto-leveling question](https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/lz4c9l/monoprice_cadet_autoleveling_question/), for those who stumble upon this question:
>
> Then I tried their text chat support and the response was basically:
>
>
> "It is a bad level sensor, which we've never heard of happening to a 3 month old printer and is very rare in general. You are under warranty so here's a preprinted return shipping label, and we'll send you a new printer once we receive your busted one."
>
>
>
---
*From the many "me too" answers, this appears to be a genuine issue rather than a "one-off" issue...*
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/04 | 509 | 1,809 | <issue_start>username_0: Windows has its 3D Builder software which upon importing an image, converts it to a heightmap of the image, aka turning it to a 3D model that can be saved as an stl.
Does Linux have software with similar properties that takes a black and white image and turning it into a 3D heightmap model?<issue_comment>username_1: FreeCAD can import JPG (and IIRC TIFF and PNG as well) image files and produce a lithophane type height-map based on the brightness of each pixel. I'd be rather surprised if other 3D CAD software aimed at the 3D printing user base couldn't do the same. Most of the common free-to-use 3D CAD packages have Linux versions; FreeCAD certainly does (I use it on Kubuntu 20.04, and it should work on any recent version of any flavor of Debian-based Linux, if your hardware meets it requirements).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: The OpenSCAD `surface` function will do this. You can feed it a greyscale image or a textfile containing a matrix. Documentation and examples can be found at <https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Other_Language_Features#Surface>
OpenSCAD is a cross platform free open source cad package.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Cura will import a picture and use it as a heightmap to build a 3d object.[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fMb0F.jpg)
There are a few options available when importing :[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7xmEU.png)
You can even export back the data as STL if you need to process the mesh. Here is the mesh exported in STL, opened in SideFX Houdini: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/F8AGV.png)
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/05 | 512 | 1,795 | <issue_start>username_0: I have an UP! mini and I am using the UP Studio and ABS 1.75 mm.
My prints are always stuck to the rafts and are impossible to remove without destroying the print.
I've had a look at the settings on the Up Studio but I don't know which ones to change to improve the situation.<issue_comment>username_1: FreeCAD can import JPG (and IIRC TIFF and PNG as well) image files and produce a lithophane type height-map based on the brightness of each pixel. I'd be rather surprised if other 3D CAD software aimed at the 3D printing user base couldn't do the same. Most of the common free-to-use 3D CAD packages have Linux versions; FreeCAD certainly does (I use it on Kubuntu 20.04, and it should work on any recent version of any flavor of Debian-based Linux, if your hardware meets it requirements).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: The OpenSCAD `surface` function will do this. You can feed it a greyscale image or a textfile containing a matrix. Documentation and examples can be found at <https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Other_Language_Features#Surface>
OpenSCAD is a cross platform free open source cad package.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Cura will import a picture and use it as a heightmap to build a 3d object.[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fMb0F.jpg)
There are a few options available when importing :[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7xmEU.png)
You can even export back the data as STL if you need to process the mesh. Here is the mesh exported in STL, opened in SideFX Houdini: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/F8AGV.png)
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/06 | 771 | 2,593 | <issue_start>username_0: I have noticed major watches watch brands do not seem to offer manuals to 3D print your own parts.
Is there a reason for this?
I would assume in this day and age, with [watch repair a dying profession](https://www.careeronestop.org/Toolkit/Careers/Occupations/occupation-profile.aspx?keyword=Watch%20repairers&onetcode=49906400&location=US), transitioning parts to 3D printing would be a logical next step (notice luxury watches are still very popular but [also fluctuating](https://monochrome-watches.com/top-50-swiss-watch-brands-2020-market-share-sales-editorial/)).
I have found [minimal information](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8AvZnqt5NE) on 3D printing watches. Maybe there is another name for this science and it's not typically fit for 3D printing? It appears some [purists](https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/tech-design/article/2127463/how-3d-printing-changing-swiss-luxury-watchmaking) aren't into 3D printing. So it appears watch parts are [machined](https://www.productionmachining.com/articles/keeping-watch-on-small-parts) except for the small parts.<issue_comment>username_1: FreeCAD can import JPG (and IIRC TIFF and PNG as well) image files and produce a lithophane type height-map based on the brightness of each pixel. I'd be rather surprised if other 3D CAD software aimed at the 3D printing user base couldn't do the same. Most of the common free-to-use 3D CAD packages have Linux versions; FreeCAD certainly does (I use it on Kubuntu 20.04, and it should work on any recent version of any flavor of Debian-based Linux, if your hardware meets it requirements).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: The OpenSCAD `surface` function will do this. You can feed it a greyscale image or a textfile containing a matrix. Documentation and examples can be found at <https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/OpenSCAD_User_Manual/Other_Language_Features#Surface>
OpenSCAD is a cross platform free open source cad package.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Cura will import a picture and use it as a heightmap to build a 3d object.[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fMb0F.jpg)
There are a few options available when importing :[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7xmEU.png)
You can even export back the data as STL if you need to process the mesh. Here is the mesh exported in STL, opened in SideFX Houdini: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/F8AGV.png)
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/06 | 1,440 | 5,567 | <issue_start>username_0: I am printing this piece using a 0.4 mm nozzle. It happens that the piece on the chin does not print properly.
I have already tried the tree mode supports, touching the plate and in all the places but the same thing happens.
I include photos of my configuration in Cura.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rXeqU.jpg "Photo of print")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y5jNA.jpg "Photo of bad print quality")
>
> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0zNft.png "Settings - quality")
>
>
>
>
> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x0WTX.png "Settings - speed")
>
>
>
>
> [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lM79D.png "Settings - support")
>
>
>
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VyQY3.png "Screenshot of Cura - showing supports")<issue_comment>username_1: I see that you have a minimum support angle of 60 degrees -- that may mean Cura Slicer isn't generating supports for that chin. Try changing this minimum to a lower figure -- 51 degrees or lower. From what I've read, most filaments and settings will allow 60 degrees with PLA, but this is the easy first thing to try to get that chin supported.
On looking at the photo again, I also wonder if what looks like a bad overhang print is actually supports that didn't separate as they should -- perhaps you only need to adjust your Z skip for supports to get them to come off the actual part better.
Following up, I saw a likely cause for this on one of my own prints yesterday -- coincidentally on the chin of a sculpture part. What I observed is that supports for this region, which trailed up the body (as would those for your dragon's chin), likely due to their slenderness, repeatedly got knocked over. The support structure "healed" over several layers after each such incident, but in a very fragile condition that would again get knocked off by a nozzle brush. The solution to this is either to enable Z-hop on retraction (so travel doesn't brush the nozzle across supports printed in the same layer), or to reorient the part so the problem support is shorter and doesn't run right alongside the actual body wall. Z-hop has less effect on other areas of the print.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You need to zoom in on the layers where the support is being generated and check if there is actually support being generated under that area.
Additionally, I noticed your support generation setting is "Touching build plate only". You should change this setting to 'everywhere' because it could be that build plate support cannot directly reach the area in question (so a portion of it is residing over an already printed surface). With this setting changed though, double check the rest of your print is not generating unecesssary supports, and if it is, use support blocker feature to get rid of them.
And as a last thought, after changing the setting i mentioned above, also play around with overhang angle and carefully observe how the rendering of the support structures changes (like, really zoom in those gaps and check).
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: This is caused by insufficient support under the whole chin, incorrect slicer settings and the fact that the chin is an overhang than isn't connected to the model at the lower layers (this means that an island is printed in a sea of support that later becomes a peninsula).
The model is a Pokenmon called Dragonite which was found on [Thingiverse](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3962846/files). When sliced with the tree support option (note that tree support has been an advanced experimental option probably due to the issues with this support type) Cura builds a tree-like structure of which the stem/branch spreads out just before printing the island of the chin:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jrJbY.png)
The problem is that the created support isn't enough for the print settings you are using. E.g. from a different view, you can see that part of the chin is unsupported with this support (note that the chin is also pretty flat, so each consecutive outer wall of each layer doesn't have the best contact with the previous layer, this is something you encounter when you print a sphere or rounded corners, that is why chamfers are preferred over rounded corners on bottom layers):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eE6xn.png)
As seen in the latter image, there is quite some distance of the outer wall perimeter that is printed without support and minimal adhesion to the previous layer.
To deal with this you need to dial in the printer for this filament, i.e. do not print too hot, and use sufficient part cooling. Also be aware that you print the inner walls before the outer walls. You can also choose a different type of support, but that could result in supports that are stuck to the model, which are not easy to remove and possibly leave scars. Rotating the model around the X-axis can also be an option I've used successfully on printing miniatures.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/06/09 | 1,180 | 5,044 | <issue_start>username_0: All the blower fans for part cooling I've seen rotate counter-clockwise when viewed from the intake side. I'm looking to replace mine on an Ender 3 with something stronger, and one of the worst parts of the stock design is that it's offset by about 20 mm versus the nozzle position, requiring awkward duct paths that reduce the flow to get uniform coverage around the newly extruded material. A fan that rotates in the opposite direction, with air exiting on the right-hand size when viewed from the intake side, would be exactly right. Are there such models available, and if so, what is the right terminology to search for them by? Or is there a simple way to modify a fan to reverse its direction?<issue_comment>username_1: I see that you have a minimum support angle of 60 degrees -- that may mean Cura Slicer isn't generating supports for that chin. Try changing this minimum to a lower figure -- 51 degrees or lower. From what I've read, most filaments and settings will allow 60 degrees with PLA, but this is the easy first thing to try to get that chin supported.
On looking at the photo again, I also wonder if what looks like a bad overhang print is actually supports that didn't separate as they should -- perhaps you only need to adjust your Z skip for supports to get them to come off the actual part better.
Following up, I saw a likely cause for this on one of my own prints yesterday -- coincidentally on the chin of a sculpture part. What I observed is that supports for this region, which trailed up the body (as would those for your dragon's chin), likely due to their slenderness, repeatedly got knocked over. The support structure "healed" over several layers after each such incident, but in a very fragile condition that would again get knocked off by a nozzle brush. The solution to this is either to enable Z-hop on retraction (so travel doesn't brush the nozzle across supports printed in the same layer), or to reorient the part so the problem support is shorter and doesn't run right alongside the actual body wall. Z-hop has less effect on other areas of the print.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You need to zoom in on the layers where the support is being generated and check if there is actually support being generated under that area.
Additionally, I noticed your support generation setting is "Touching build plate only". You should change this setting to 'everywhere' because it could be that build plate support cannot directly reach the area in question (so a portion of it is residing over an already printed surface). With this setting changed though, double check the rest of your print is not generating unecesssary supports, and if it is, use support blocker feature to get rid of them.
And as a last thought, after changing the setting i mentioned above, also play around with overhang angle and carefully observe how the rendering of the support structures changes (like, really zoom in those gaps and check).
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: This is caused by insufficient support under the whole chin, incorrect slicer settings and the fact that the chin is an overhang than isn't connected to the model at the lower layers (this means that an island is printed in a sea of support that later becomes a peninsula).
The model is a Pokenmon called Dragonite which was found on [Thingiverse](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3962846/files). When sliced with the tree support option (note that tree support has been an advanced experimental option probably due to the issues with this support type) Cura builds a tree-like structure of which the stem/branch spreads out just before printing the island of the chin:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jrJbY.png)
The problem is that the created support isn't enough for the print settings you are using. E.g. from a different view, you can see that part of the chin is unsupported with this support (note that the chin is also pretty flat, so each consecutive outer wall of each layer doesn't have the best contact with the previous layer, this is something you encounter when you print a sphere or rounded corners, that is why chamfers are preferred over rounded corners on bottom layers):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eE6xn.png)
As seen in the latter image, there is quite some distance of the outer wall perimeter that is printed without support and minimal adhesion to the previous layer.
To deal with this you need to dial in the printer for this filament, i.e. do not print too hot, and use sufficient part cooling. Also be aware that you print the inner walls before the outer walls. You can also choose a different type of support, but that could result in supports that are stuck to the model, which are not easy to remove and possibly leave scars. Rotating the model around the X-axis can also be an option I've used successfully on printing miniatures.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/06/09 | 509 | 2,054 | <issue_start>username_0: I have an Ender 3, currently in stock Bowden extruder configuration.
I want to be able to print nylon and TPU, both of which require temperature too high for the tolerance of the PTFE Bowden tube (as well as the issues with the flexible filament in the tube).
Therefore, I've considered converting my printer to direct drive. However, the conversions I've seen, both DIY/print the parts type and commercial, seem to include a short length of the same PTFE tube between the extruder (now mounted on the hot end carriage) and the actual hot end. This same material ought to have the same temperature limit (about 250 C) as it would have in a Bowden configuration -- and for nylon, at the least, this is a problem, since the PTFE would start to soften from contact with the heat break.
Am I missing something in these conversions, or is the PTFE's glass transition not the limiting factor in printing hotter with a direct drive conversion?<issue_comment>username_1: Direct Drive v.s. Bowden has no relation to the maximum print temperature. What determines the maximum print temperature is the design of the hotend itself. There are "all-metal" designs, where the PTFE tube (Bowden or not) stops in the cold zone and the heatbreak and all other components that get hot are fully made of metal. Other hotend designs have the PTFE tube run all the way down into the hot zone and this limits the maximum printing temperature. It has nothing to do with whether the hotend is Bowden or not.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Bowden tubes extending to the nozzle to make a seal will damage the Teflon (PTFE) tube if exceeding 250°C for an extended time. An all-metal hotend for a Bowden would have either the nozzle sealed against the heatbreak or an integrated nozzle and heatbreak. Then the Bowden tube would attach with a minimum gape with either the heatbreak or heatsink.
Note: The heater block needs to be at the maximum operating temperature When making a seal between the nozzle and heatbreak.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/11 | 398 | 1,585 | <issue_start>username_0: I just assembled Ender 3 and noticed that the X-axis movement doesn't correspond to the commands. When I make it move 1 mm with the encoder it moves 16 mm. Everything is in the "out of the box" configuration.
The current steps/mm for the X-axis read (from the display) 80 steps/mm.
Am I supposed to manually fix this with steps per mm setting or could it be another problem. Other axes seem to work fine. I also double checked and everything should be built correctly.<issue_comment>username_1: Direct Drive v.s. Bowden has no relation to the maximum print temperature. What determines the maximum print temperature is the design of the hotend itself. There are "all-metal" designs, where the PTFE tube (Bowden or not) stops in the cold zone and the heatbreak and all other components that get hot are fully made of metal. Other hotend designs have the PTFE tube run all the way down into the hot zone and this limits the maximum printing temperature. It has nothing to do with whether the hotend is Bowden or not.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Bowden tubes extending to the nozzle to make a seal will damage the Teflon (PTFE) tube if exceeding 250°C for an extended time. An all-metal hotend for a Bowden would have either the nozzle sealed against the heatbreak or an integrated nozzle and heatbreak. Then the Bowden tube would attach with a minimum gape with either the heatbreak or heatsink.
Note: The heater block needs to be at the maximum operating temperature When making a seal between the nozzle and heatbreak.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/11 | 581 | 1,947 | <issue_start>username_0: I have recently started printing with Polymaker's PolyMax PETG on my Ender 3 v2. I have not been able to get the layer adhesion anywhere near as strong as it should be. I would guess it is around 20-25 % of the strength in the XY direction. The parts snap easily along the layer lines under loads that PLA and nylon hold up to just fine.
Print settings:
* 0.15 mm layers @ 35-20 mm/s
* Hotend temp 245 °C
* 4 mm retraction @ 40 mm/s
* combing on
* jerk control on
* no cooling
I made sure to use a nickel-plated brass 0.4 mm nozzle. I have calibrated my E-steps and tried printing in an enclosure, but nothing seems to help with layer adhesion. I have made sure there is no debris getting on the filament as it comes out of the drybox and even tried taping around the heater block so there is absolutely no part cooling.
Any ideas as to what I could be doing wrong?<issue_comment>username_1: I had this problem with my Ender 3 until I changed to a different extruder and now PETG never has adhesion problems. Even 100 % fan is fine at 245 °C. I think the stock hobbed gear just slips on PETG really badly, giving underextrusion. Go slow, increase the flow to compensate, and possibly increase temperature slightly more. Or buy a decent extruder.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I got a roll of Hatchbox PETG and the prints are fantastic. Small test prints don't break along the layers even at higher fan speeds. The problem was the Polymax PETG. I took a look at the TDS for it and the impact strength on standing samples was only 29% of the standing ones. I believe the Polymax PETG just has inherent layer adhesion problems.
---
*Please note that Polymax PETG isn't PETG, it's PCTG. I may try doing some firmware changes and printing it at 270 °C later on.*
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The layer adhesion with Polymax PETG at 260 °C was great so I didn't go any higher.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/06/14 | 839 | 2,847 | <issue_start>username_0: My Tevo Flash works well. Right now, I'm trying to print a thin, disc-like part on supports. The 3 perimeters at the edge of the disc are OK. The dense fill zigzag pattern makes many U-turns near the perimeter. It all looks OK in Simplify3D. But in the printed part, in several spots, the zigzag pattern doesn't reach the perimeters, leaving a ~1 mm gap.
My guess: in those spots, the filament has nothing to grab onto underneath, so the U-turn region is dragged back by the nozzle a bit (away from the perimeters) and/or it droops. I'm using the smallest support res in Simplify 3D: 1 mm. Any options I can try?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/nxpz1.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: The zig-zag pattern are known for this kind of fluke...
I will use Cura to demonstrate, but it's gonna happen on the majority of slicers.
See this example:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/uK0sk.png)
Because nothing is really a circle on a cartesian plane and there's resolution limitations on the real world, the slicer has to account for these and, assuming you are using zig-zag to save time, they are doing what is expected. The Zig-zag pattern is a continuous, fast way to fill the top/bottom layers.
Now, see this lines pattern top layer:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3CzgP.png)
It has much smaller air gaps. Every time the nozzle finishes a line, it has the chance to reposition itself to make a much smaller gap, just because isn't continuous.
So yeah, the air-gaps are a "feature" for zig-zag patterns, but you can mitigate this effect reducing the line width on top/botton layers.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/V4zXp.png)
It seems that increasing "Skin Overlap Percentage" on cura mitigates this effect too, but i really haven't seen the effects of this setting on a real life object
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: *Posted as a wiki answer from a comment from the OP to a different [answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/16584).*
---
The [`Zig Zag` vs `Lines` patterns](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/16584) was only a part of the problem. The 2nd part was that this layer rested on supports only, so the fill, whatever its pattern, didn't have enough surface to "grab on" near the perimeters. If I had switched from `Zig Zag` to `Lines`, the air gap would've diminished a bit, but I would've gotten drooping. I solved it with wider, underlying perimeters.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2021/06/15 | 1,847 | 7,070 | <issue_start>username_0: 3D printer use stepper motors for moving print head and extruding filament. They need to have good torque and resolution.
Microstepping improves resolution as much as 32 fold (I think) but reduces torque the higher you microstep.
So...
1. Why not rotate the motor with microstepping at high RPM (which also reduces torque) and increase the torque by heavy gear reduction using a worm gear?
2. Won't the movement of printhead be even smoother and small errors in microstepping and unevenness of gears be averaged out using high RPM and gear reduction approach?
3. Does microstepping indeed provide accurate divisions of steps?
4. Can we get by with weaker motors because torque will be increased by gear reduction?
5. Can we get by with 48 step stepper motors instead of 200 step because gear reduction provides increased resolution?
6. There are extruders that use flex shaft to turn worm gear in direct extruder while motor is mounted on frame which turns flex shaft (zesty nimble comes to mind). Why don't they just use smallest possible stepper motor to rotate worm gear directly, instead?
Increasing motor RPM and using gear reduction should preserve the precision and torque, letting you use weaker, lighter motors, potentially reducing granularity of movement. I thought this was simpler approach and I wanted to understand what would I be losing as trade offs. I had considered more friction at worm gear and wear, higher heating of motor etc. But may be it's like "don't fix what ain't broken". 3D printers aren't that costly nowadays. I just wish they were even cheaper.<issue_comment>username_1: There's an old rule that says "If the question starts with 'Why don't they,' the answer is most likely 'money.'"
In this case, the issue is the cost of worm gears. Properly mating worm gears are much more expensive to make than common spur gears. That probably accounts for most of it -- not to mention the 200 step motors we see on most FDM printers are a very common item, and the more you make of something the less each one costs.
Beyond that, you can't back-drive most worm gears (especially those with a high reduction ratio). That wouldn't affect an extruder (or would it? I've seen a lot of Things for knobs to go on the extruder motor shaft), but if I couldn't back-drive my X or Y axes I'd be very annoyed (having to use the manual motion control in the firmware for everything like bed tramming) -- even the lead screw Z axis can be back-driven without undue effort.
So, bottom line, what we have now works well enough and making it (maybe a very little bit) better would cost more than what we gain would be worth. IMO.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: To answer each point:
* *Microstepping improves resolution as much as 32 fold (I think) but reduces torque the higher you micro-step.*
Torque is not reduced by micro-stepping. Torque reduction only occurs when you are moving at high RPMs. The motor's phase resistance has to be conducive to the target RPM's (or step rate). Further, micro-stepping can go as has as 1/256, and I have personally used 1/128. Some will say that all higher micro-stepping does is improve smoothness not accuracy. I have personally tested 1/128 micro-stepping over a 17-inch long axis. I was able to achieve accuracy and repeatability to within 5 microns.
* *Why not rotate the motor with micro-stepping at high RPM (which also reduces torque) and increase the torque by heavy gear reduction using a worm gear?*
Backlash! The whole point of stepper motors is that they produce backlash-free movement. Putting a transmission between the electromagnetic and the end effector will create backlash that has to be compensated for during the movement. Modern CNC systems account for this in their movement profiles and incorporate automatic backlash compensation (e.g. Mach3)
* *Won't the movement of printhead be even smoother and small errors in microstepping and unevenness of gears be averaged out using high RPM and gear reduction approach?*
It is already smooth enough with 1/64th or greater micro-stepping. The extrusion nozzle only goes down to 2mm.
* *Does microstepping indeed provide accurate divisions of steps?*
Yes. Yes, it does.
* *Can we get by with weaker motors because torque will be increased by gear reduction?*
No, because it will just stall.
* *Can we get by with 48 step stepper motors instead of 200 step because gear reduction provides increased resolution?*
Apart from the fact that no one makes 48 steps per revolution motors, using a gear reduction would be counterintuitive. Currently, there are 400 steps per revolution motors, which actually increase accuracy without any torque losses.
* *There are extruders that use flex shaft to turn worm gear in direct extruder while motor is mounted on frame which turns flex shaft (zesty nimble comes to mind). Why don't they just use smallest possible stepper motor to rotate worm gear directly, instead?*
Torque! If they used a small motor to drive the extruder they would have to compensate for the torque loss with higher power (i.e. voltages). This would lead to cooling issues for that motor.
Bottom line is that if you size the motors and design the system correctly then a transmission is not needed. If you want more torque, get bigger motors. If the gantry needs to be light weight, then use a delta or corexy mechanism.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: >
> 6. There are extruders that use flex shaft to turn worm gear in direct extruder while motor is mounted on frame which turns flex shaft (zesty nimble comes to mind). Why don't they just use smallest possible stepper motor to rotate worm gear directly, instead?
>
>
>
The Flex3Drive, from which the Zesty was purportedly cloned, **does** admit using a very small NEMA-8 motor directly coupled to the worm gear in place of a flex shaft. This still adds a considerable (from the standpoint of machines aiming for 40 m/s² acceleration and such) amount of mass to the toolhead, and I'm not clear what E-axis speed/acceleration is attainable with 40:1 reduction and a low-power motor like that.
While the larger steppers typically used in 3D printers are perfectly capable of any plausible E-axis speed or acceleration you could want without gearing or with small reduction (e.g. 2:1 or 3:1), once you get up to worm gear level ratios, it's a question of the properties of your specific motor whether you can get enough speed for acceptable retraction performance or even normal print moves at very high speeds. For example, I have a Flex3Drive G5 and the orignal NEMA-17 E-stepper from my Ender 3 does not work well with it without further gearing on the motor side of the shaft. However, a "high RPM stepper" like you suggest should manage just fine with worm gear reduction.
Now, is there any reason to do this? If you're transmitting the force in a manner that can't deal with high torque, like a flex shaft, yes. Otherwise, no. As others have said, modern microstepping is ridiculously accurate.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/06/15 | 1,253 | 4,664 | <issue_start>username_0: My first attempt to print in ABS has been an unmitigated disaster, and I could do with some advice before I try again.
I've been trying to print a [Bean Hopper Extension for Melitta Barista TS Smart](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4067324) coffee machine, but every time the layers separate, usually at or near a corner.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Net7D.png)
My first attempt had it lifting from the bed before a few layers had completed. When I tried it with a thin brim on the outside, it stuck down for a while, but eventually started lifting away from the bed. When I tried it with a raft, it got further, but then the print detached itself from the raft at one corner. My final attempt used a wider brim on both inside and outside, and it managed to get even further through the print. None of the brim had detached from the bed, but then I noticed layers higher up pulling apart, and when I eventually cancelled the print, I saw it had started separating earlier and managed to recover in later layers.
At this point I gave up and printed it in PLA, first time, but I would like to understand what I can do to improve my chances of printing this next time.
Also, I plan to redesign this with the outer wall extending straight up to the level of the bottom of the notch, with a flat top in which I intend to add a channel for a rubber seal. Will widening of part of the model cause more problems for an ABS print, or will it help strengthen it and prevent it separating as before?
I'm using an Ender 3 V2 with a heated bed, using Prit-stik as my bed glue.<issue_comment>username_1: You make no mention of a heated enclosure, so I assume you aren't using one. ABS undergoes significant contraction as it cools down. If you're not using an enclosure, the temperature differences between the heated bed, the cool middle of the print, and the heat of the freshly-printed plastic will cause severe warping.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: First of all, the bed should be at 100-110 °C and fan 0 %.
I had *incredibly* good results by using a (sacrificial) "draft shield" as shown below together with a large brim (10 mm). It creates a warmer micro-climate which keeps the print a bit warmer, with much less warping. My printer bed back then was 130x130 mm, therefore drafts were strong. You will get even better results, you have about 200x200 mm.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/M0l3m.png)
If you were able to add something like this, it would be even better:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Qnwfl.png)
You can get it by designing in Fusion 360 or anything else a "U" shaped part, which you will add twice to each print and scale accordingly.
The reason is that the normal draft shield will deform a lot and detach from the print bed at least in part, resulting in an opening at the bottom and a chimney effect which reduces the effectiveness of the shield. With the two U parts, it won't happen as easy.
The draft shield is the first thing to try.
You can also add a "shield" out of cardboard around the printer. You don't need to close the top, it will work quite good.
You can also get 2-4 20-40 W halogen lamps (from a car, for example, they run already at 12 V, but don't connect them to the same power supply as the printer!) and point them at the part. If you have two, mount them at the two sides of the horizontal gantry: they don't need to move horizontally, only vertically. They will keep the part quite warm without the need of an enclosure (but it would help).
If you have 4 mount them maybe at the corners of the bed, hoping the shaking won't kill them too quickly.
The solutions I listed so far result in better prints, but also in **stronger** prints because they reduce the causes for warping. The halogen lamps, in particular, keep the printed part quite hot and do wonders.
Another solution which is the easiest and which works extremely well but which weakens the print because it only hides the warping is to use Dimafix on the bed. The print will stick like there is no tomorrow (bed temperature above 90 °C) but the stresses are still there and the print may split in the middle between layers, if it's tall.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: If you are printing very thin walls, corners can be difficult. Rounding the corners helps. Also, if you can leave the outside square, but round the inside (making the corner slightly thicker), this can help.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/06/17 | 1,844 | 6,441 | <issue_start>username_0: I have a Tevo Flash. Normally, I don't care about perpendicularity with respect to the table. But now I have a 5" disc on a ball bearing, held by a 3D printed tube with a flat bottom. If the tube's axis is not 100 % perpendicular to the bottom, the disc, when spun, wobbles at the edge: ~1/8".
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LgMr5.png)
As a test, I printed a vertical sample tube. I took close-up pics, on the printer's table, next to a carpenter's square. Down the table's Y axis, there's a vert. deviation of ~1 mm over 45 mm of height, between the sample tube and the square. Down the X-axis, the deviation is small.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rhb9c.jpg)
How do I deal with it? Can a slicer (I have Simplify3D) compensate for it? I could gently "skew" the geo in 3D modeling software, but it seems inelegant.
Note: this has nothing to do with bed leveling. The bed is level, the printer has a BLTouch. The first layers look great. The problem is above the bed. The right angles of the aluminum-extrusion frame aren't 100 % exact. Measured with the carpenter's square, the vertical columns of the frame (Z) deviate 1-2 mm over 100 mm from perpendicular, with respect to the bottom frame (X-Y). Trying to fix the whole frame would be hard.
EDIT: I used a 0.127 mm shim (from a sacrificial steel gauge blade), it fixed most of it. With the printer laid horizontally (so I could work with the screws underneath) and the shim in, the vertical posts were 100% true (see pic). When I put the printer back into its vertical, working position, the posts tilted back a bit. I'll try a 0.15 mm shim.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2Rt9t.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: If you've measured the frame and it's not square, that's almost surely your problem and you need to fix it. But having a BLtouch does not mean your bed is level. The effect you're seeing is exactly what you get from using a BLtouch and mesh leveling to compensate for a non-level bed, and it's a very bad thing and why these fake leveling systems are band-aids to make it easier to get started printing something minimally viable, not something that gives you a working, precise printer. The bed needs to be physically square with the Z axis.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: In answer to *(doesn't have to the issue of the OP, but as a reaction for other readers)*:
>
> Note: this has nothing to do with bed leveling. The bed is level, the printer has a BLTouch.
>
>
>
[Having a BLTouch doesn't imply the bed is level!](/a/16605) The bed is level when the nozzle moves in the same plane parallel to the bed, the bed shape is compensated for by the BLTouch, it can be very skew and still it will print.
>
> The right angles of the aluminum-extrusion frame aren't 100 % exact.
>
>
>
That is a problem, the frame needs to be square. I don't think that it is a major operation to modify that, you can use some support struts, I've done that for a 2040 aluminum extrusion i3 clone.
Note, this is a portal style printer driven by a single Z lead screw (and a roller mount on the other Z post) as far as can be seen from the manufacturer photographs. *(Update, the OP has a dual screw Z portal, so this possibly is not applicable to that specific version)* Single Z screw portal printer types are also prone to unlevel over height, be sure the rollers of the nozzle carrier and the opposite Z post rollers are correctly functioning.
Although fixing the hardware is the preferred option, there is an alternative, you can solve this in firmware like e.g. Marlin.
You need to make some test prints and fill out the correct values to correct for the skewness, but this may be limited to overall Z skewness, not individual skew Z posts.
E.g. in Marlin, the configuration file can be used to compensate the skewness problem:
```
/**
* Bed Skew Compensation
*
* This feature corrects for misalignment in the XYZ axes.
*
* Take the following steps to get the bed skew in the XY plane:
* 1. Print a test square (e.g., https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2563185)
* 2. For XY_DIAG_AC measure the diagonal A to C
* 3. For XY_DIAG_BD measure the diagonal B to D
* 4. For XY_SIDE_AD measure the edge A to D
*
* Marlin automatically computes skew factors from these measurements.
* Skew factors may also be computed and set manually:
*
* - Compute AB : SQRT(2*AC*AC+2*BD*BD-4*AD*AD)/2
* - XY_SKEW_FACTOR : TAN(PI/2-ACOS((AC*AC-AB*AB-AD*AD)/(2*AB*AD)))
*
* If desired, follow the same procedure for XZ and YZ.
* Use these diagrams for reference:
*
* Y Z Z
* ^ B-------C ^ B-------C ^ B-------C
* | / / | / / | / /
* | / / | / / | / /
* | A-------D | A-------D | A-------D
* +-------------->X +-------------->X +-------------->Y
* XY_SKEW_FACTOR XZ_SKEW_FACTOR YZ_SKEW_FACTOR
*/
//#define SKEW_CORRECTION
```
But, this requires a new firmware installation, the reader should investigate whether this is within the capabilities of the reader.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: The vertical axis of your print is determined by the machine's Z axis, not by the "bed level" compensation of a BL Touch or similar bed error compensation system.
When you print after BL Touch measures the bed height, the firmware moves the Z axis up and down to compensate for errors in the bed (including non-planar bed surface, which is its main utility) -- but as you print and the hotend moves up layer by layer, the movement is determined by the Z axis -- with a common gantry type printer, this is set by the vertical frame. If that frame isn't perpendicular to the X and Y axes, the verticals of the print won't be, either.
To correct your Y axis tilt, you need to correct your vertical frame tilt. The simplest way to do this is likely to be installing an adjustable frame brace system (you can print all the parts except for a couple threaded rods). That will let you make a precise adjustment, print another test like the one in the question, and verify that it's accurate, before printing your "disk on a donut" actual part.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/06/17 | 1,774 | 6,661 | <issue_start>username_0: I've built a custom machine based on the AM8 (Anet A8 upgrade). I've got an E3D V6 clone hotend in, seems like a decent clone. I've replaced the heat break, heat block, and nozzle several times but after a given period it seems like filament leaks up the heat break. The heat break and nozzle are "all-metal" titanium versions.
How I set it up: I insert the nozzle all the way into heat block, I unscrew it about 3/4 of a turn. I insert the heat break until it makes contact. I then tighten using pliers and spanner. I assemble onto the printer. I heat until 285 °C, give it a few minutes, tighten as much as I think I can before something would break. I let it cool down. I heat again to 285 °C, tighten again as much as I can. Cool down. Then ready for printing (mainly using PETG at 240 °C).
What am I doing wrong? What should I be doing differently?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3Nd9q.jpg "Photo of hotend on 3D printer")<issue_comment>username_1: 1. Verification: When you tighten the nozzle against the heat break, the nozzle is not tightened completely against the heater block. If the nozzle tightens completely against the heater block, it will not finish tightening against the heat break.
Note: the heat break is thin between the heater block and heat sink to minimize conduction of heat. Over-tightening the heat break into the heat sink with break the heat break.
2. Verification: your heat break is all metal (no Teflon tube in the filament path). If it's not all metal, 285 °C may be damaging the Teflon tube. If not all metal, tighten the nozzle to the heat break at 250 °C, which is the limiting temperature for an extuder that isn't all metal.
3. The titanium heat break has higher thermal resistance, which helps to isolate the heat break from the heater block. However, higher thermal resistance is a disadvantage for the nozzle, where you want the heat. For non-abrasive filaments, such as PETG, a brass nozzle is easier to get a good seal as well was better heat conduction. PETG is particularly sensitive to jamming from not adequately heating up when printing too fast. While the nozzle heats the filament, the filament cools the tip. Thus, you will need to print slower with a titanium nozzle.
4. From the information so far, it appears to be difficulty get a seal between to titanium pieces. It seams like they could use a different titanium alloy. Titanium glasses frames are flexible, not brittle. However, brittle alloys are usually harder, but the heat break doesn't need to be hard like the nozzle. Of course, brass is easier to get a seal because it actually deforms to fit shape of heat break.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: How does this happen?
---------------------
For melted filament to leak around the heat break threads, it has to first get through the metal-to-metal machined surface joint where the heat break contacts the nozzle. Given this keeps happening, the problem must be a systematic error of some kind.
#### Thermal Cycling
Based on your description of your installation procedure (heat to 285 °C, tighten, cool, reheat to 285 °C, retighten, cool, print at 240 °C) I see a potential issue: [titanium is subject to brittle fracture](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5456638/#:%7E:text=Brittle%20fracture%20is%20one%20of,it%20can%20cause%20catastrophic%20accidents.). Your titanium hot end and nozzle, together, are being overstressed with the combination of heating well beyond print temperature, overtightening, and cooling (the aluminum heat block has a much high expansion coefficient than titanium).
#### Suggestion
What I'd recommend is to change to a brass nozzle or, if you need to print with abrasive filament, hardened steel, and a 304 or 316 stainless heat break. The steel or brass nozzles will cost less than titanium and do at least as good a job (brass is best for thermal transfer to the filament, though it has limited wear life), while stainless steel for the heat break will have similar or lower thermal conductivity and is less brittle. As a bonus, with your tightening routine, the brass nozzle material will deform when it is compressed against the stainless heat break and act as a gasket, rather than fracturing after a few heat/cool cycles.
#### An Additional Concern
While answering comments, I was reminded of another possible issue: the same reason aluminum wiring is no longer used for in-wall home electrical installations. Aluminum tends to deform permanently after heat expansion under constraint, rather than recovering its original shape (as copper and brass will do), and expands several times as much per degree as titanium does. Even if the heat block is an alloy rather than conductor grade pure aluminum, this will occur (though most alloys are significantly harder/stronger than pure metal) with the heat, tighten, cool process. Also, 280 °C may be hot enough for aluminum to undergo heat creep (a slow, permanent deformation under stress normally well below the yield point). The rule I recall from material science courses in college, almost forty years ago, is that creep becomes an issue when the absolute temperature is more than about half the melting point, for most metals, and pure aluminum melts at about 933 °K while you're printing at 553 °K (by comparison, 70/30 brass, as used for firearm cartridges, has a solidus -- the lower melting point of a two-component alloy -- of about 1183 °K.
This permanent deformation of the aluminum heat block at the threads may result in the threads becoming loose, thus allowing extrusion pressure to force molten filament between the heat block and heat break. That layer of filament material then acts as an insulator, increasing the temperature differential between the heat block and heat break -- and with the heat break now running cooler, the gap opens further.
#### A Suggested Solution
One solution to this would be to switch to a brass or copper heat block. Not only do these metals have a higher melting point than most aluminum alloys, making them less prone to creep at printing temperatures, but they have much more tendency to return to original dimension after a heat/cool cycle when constrained (which is why copper house wires don't become loose over time the way aluminum ones do). The change in mass and conductivity might make it desirable to recalibrate the temperature control PID, if present, but this is a one-time operation, compared to having to disassemble and clean the heat block and heat break periodically due to leaks.
Upvotes: 2 |
2021/06/17 | 672 | 2,671 | <issue_start>username_0: I am looking to print an HTD Timing Belt pulley to be used in a laboratory setting that can get *very* cold for extended periods of time. By "very cold" I mean adjacent metal chambers get cooled with liquid nitrogen to lower than -200 °C. For the purposes of having a threshold temperature tolerance, assume that the metal chambers coming directly in contact with the pulley may get as cold as mK close to absolute zero.
While it was my intention to print this pulley out of PLA, I am unsure whether or not it will be able to withstand negative temperatures of this magnitude or if it will become brittle--or something else will happen to the structure of the print when it experiences these temperatures. I am open to printing any other material if there are some materials that will hold up better than PLA for low temperatures. It is preferable for me to print this part instead of machine it for the sake of a deadline. I was also wondering if there is some infill pattern, infill density, or other structural print parameters that would help reinforce a printed part against becoming brittle when imposed to such low temperatures.<issue_comment>username_1: I found [this article](https://www.curbellplastics.com/Research-Solutions/Technical-Resources/Technical-Resources/Plastic-Materials-in-Cryogenic-Environments#:%7E:text=Plastics%20offer%20a%20number%20of,wear%20surfaces%20without%20external%20lubrication.) which seems to suggest PTFE is a good choice of plastic for a cryogenic environment. I've read that there are PTFE filaments available for FDM printers, though there are some caveats. First, you will need an all-metal hot end; enough heat to melt a PTFE filament will melt the PTFE filament guide if it is in contact with the nozzle. Second, you will likely need to edit your printer's firmware to permit printing at the high temperatures required. Third, it may require some testing to determine whether FDM printed PTFE will meet your mechanical needs (shear strength, layer adhesion, etc.) and fourth, you might need an unusual build surface, since the polymers used for many existing surfaces can't take the temperatures needed for bed adhesion.
Finally, as with a PTFE guide tube in contact with the nozzle, at the temperatures required you need to be aware of and take precautions against outgassing by the melting PTFE.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You could try PETG. PETG labware works down to -70, and there is a video clip where a PET bottle filled with liquid nitrogen that withstands appreciable pressure.
But for whichever material is used, thermal cycling may be a problem.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/06/18 | 477 | 1,747 | <issue_start>username_0: My BLTouch was working great. Until one day, it just started showing the right side as being high on every read.
I've tried leveling many times manually and with the BLTouch. But every time I use the bed visualizer, it shows high on the right. I've even rotated the glass build plate with the same result.
Any ideas what could be causing this? The bed leveling image below was done immediately after manually leveling the bed.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/H70hm.png "3D graph of bed mesh")<issue_comment>username_1: I think I found the problem. I think there was some crosstalk between the BLTouch wires and the other wires it was tied together leading to the hotend. When I moved the BLTouch wires away from the others the problem went away.
I will be added a sheild to the cable in the future like in this [youtube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkcrRCxPlZM&ab_channel=509Drone)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The OP already found the problem and [answered](/a/16632/) the question hinting to shielding of the cable. If this is the actual problem, of fiddling with the cables might have caused this, an alternative solution is presented as I've experienced similar behavior.
If one side of the bed is higher than the rest, even when rotating the glass bed, you might experience that the nozzle carriage is tilting on that side. E.g. when using a Bowden extruder assembly, a too short Bowden tube (or cables in a non-Bowden setup) the tube (or cables) pull at the carriage causing it to lift at the furthest points from the extruder; this tilting can cause the nozzle to go up a few tenths of a millimeter.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/06/18 | 513 | 2,221 | <issue_start>username_0: I´ve been using my Ender 3 Pro for almost 1 year now. Always using the provided SD card. For a couple of days, the printed does not read any new file that I load to the SD card, but it does with the older files (and it then prints correctly as well).
I tried deleting some old files that I don't need, I tried turning it on with the SD card, I tried inserting the card after turning the printer on. It's always the same.
I am using another SD card and it works properly.
Any idea?<issue_comment>username_1: SD and MicroSD cards use a type of memory (Flash RAM) that is subject to wearing out -- the actual memory cells deteriorate very slightly each time data is written to them, and SD, MicroSD, and thumb drives typically don't use the very best flash RAM (as would hopefully be the case for internal Solid State Drives that house the operating system and user storage in your computer).
Further, the constant plugging and unplugging of these cards also puts wear on the connectors.
Either of these factors can result in one or more devices losing the ability to read the card, and this can result in only old files being accessible (though it's much more common for the card to become read-only, or even become unreadable).
If you can still read the original card in your computer, please make a complete copy of the contents immediately, and then write those contents to a new card (as well as keeping a copy on your computer's storage) -- and throw the old card away, so you don't accidentally use it for anything.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Something in the Ender 3 stock firmware (and even custom Marlin builds) is prone to corrupting SD cards, especially if you've removed and re-inserted them without using the unmount command on the menu first. I never tracked down exactly what it was before switching away from Marlin, but whenever it happened, making a new directory, moving all the files to it, and deleting the old directory seemed to work (assuming you don't keep files in top-level directory) to get it to read them again. When that didn't work, moving them off to the host computer, reformatting the SD card, and moving the files back always worked.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/18 | 469 | 2,068 | <issue_start>username_0: Usually the hardness of the material is considered primary for nozzles used with abrasive filaments. Has friction between between nozzle material and abrasive filaments been considered? It seems that friction as well as hardness would play a roll in how long the nozzle lasts. Perhaps, this is considered with ruby tipped nozzles.<issue_comment>username_1: SD and MicroSD cards use a type of memory (Flash RAM) that is subject to wearing out -- the actual memory cells deteriorate very slightly each time data is written to them, and SD, MicroSD, and thumb drives typically don't use the very best flash RAM (as would hopefully be the case for internal Solid State Drives that house the operating system and user storage in your computer).
Further, the constant plugging and unplugging of these cards also puts wear on the connectors.
Either of these factors can result in one or more devices losing the ability to read the card, and this can result in only old files being accessible (though it's much more common for the card to become read-only, or even become unreadable).
If you can still read the original card in your computer, please make a complete copy of the contents immediately, and then write those contents to a new card (as well as keeping a copy on your computer's storage) -- and throw the old card away, so you don't accidentally use it for anything.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Something in the Ender 3 stock firmware (and even custom Marlin builds) is prone to corrupting SD cards, especially if you've removed and re-inserted them without using the unmount command on the menu first. I never tracked down exactly what it was before switching away from Marlin, but whenever it happened, making a new directory, moving all the files to it, and deleting the old directory seemed to work (assuming you don't keep files in top-level directory) to get it to read them again. When that didn't work, moving them off to the host computer, reformatting the SD card, and moving the files back always worked.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/18 | 728 | 2,602 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there any convention on how to mark an all metal hotend to distinguish it from a hotend with a PTFE tube in the heatbreak? Once assembled for a German Riprap 3D printer, they look exactly the same on the outside. I'm trying to decide on a way of marking them to indicate the difference.
Hotend with heatsink
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZljCB.jpg)
Exposed part of heatbreak between heater block and heatsink
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GpQtt.jpg)
Easy to see PTFE tube on nozzle side of heatbreak (all metal hotend has an all metal heatbreak with no PTFE)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VKfVG.jpg)
Even after removing heatsink, PTFE tube is difficult to see in heatbreak (all metal hotend has an all metal heatbreak with no PTFE)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Injic.jpg)
Nozzle end of all metal heatbreak
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/31MYU.jpg)
Heatsink end of all metal heatbreak
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/srJZ2.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: Given your heatbreaks are the same material and external dimensions, it seems that the most practical way to distinguish one from the other would be to mount the all metal heatbreaks in a heat sink that's anodized to some other color than natural aluminum -- red or blue, for instance.
If you can't buy them that way, or already have plenty on hand, anodizing is fairly easy to do at home -- you need battery acid, a car battery (or heavy duty charger for one), and some strongly colored dye to apply after the anodize has established the oxide layer on the aluminum part. There are many online references on how to proceed and how to stay safe while handling the acid.
If you have machining capability, another option would be to make, say, a copper heat sink for the all metal heatbreak, while keeping the aluminum for the conventional one.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Usually, the neck of an all-metal heat break would be thinner (as it does not need to contain the PTFE tube, and making it overly thick would conduct heat unneccesarily). This may be observable when one loses track of what is where.
If one needs to see at a glance, I do not think there is a convention.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/06/18 | 1,558 | 5,747 | <issue_start>username_0: I’m getting nothing but jams with a new BCN3D Sigma R19 printer, printing PLA at 195 °C, two brands (BCN’s own brand and Monoprice orange). 6.5 mm retraction, as used in BCN’s PLA profile. Using their fork of Cura. Full enclosure, but it gets maybe to 32 °C inside, just warm. It prints fine for a few layers, then it jams, usually partially-I caught it in the act and the extruder (the Bondtech dual gear Bowden extruder they switched to on this model) would make knocking sounds as it skipped steps, and the plastic under extrudes in spider webs. It would valiantly try to keep going, and just chew up the filament a little, then extrude, then skip, etc.
After thinking the problem was the extruder, taking it apart, cleaning, trying a few different tensions on the hobbed gears, my attention shifted to the hotend. I did some cold pulls with nylon, and each time the nylon would come out with this frayed ring of plastic about 15 mm above the cone from the nozzle tip. It’s like it was a separate piece of plastic from the filament, but it seems like it constricts the path. **This ring is about the depth where the heat break screws into the heat block.** I supposed it could have started higher in the cool end and gotten pushed down? I suspect the grooves pressed into the filament by the Bondtech might be prone to hang up on this plastic gunk ring.
Their hotend design is all metal, similar to the V6 (and apparently manufactured custom for them by E3D). Different, taller nozzle. It has a 30 mm fan blowing on the fins. There is no shroud on the fan, like the blue thing on the V6. The heat block is halfway up into the enclosed part with the cool end and fan. The fan blows on the heat break and the block.
One of my cold pulls shows a little bulge, right about where I think the brass nozzle butts into the heat break steel piece. I’m wondering if there is a gap there that plastic melts into? They do an inconvenient thing where they sell the hotend as a whole piece for $125, and apparently you can’t unscrew the nozzle like a V6, people report the threads get ripped out of the heat block. All to say, it isn’t advised to completely disassemble the hotend.
I thought the little fan might not be moving enough air across the cooling fins, so I tried to replace it with a new fan that moves more CFM, but it just screeches, it seems the fan isn’t really driven by 12 V, but maybe a PWM thing at 24 V. It was fine on 12 V DC when I bench tested it.
I disassembled the cold end from the heat break, and verified it had thermal paste on the threads.
My question is if anyone has experience with the gunk ring? Is my heat break getting cooled down into the heat block, or is heat creep getting up into the cool end? Or is the little gap or chamfer where the heat break meets the nozzle causing clogs?
I can work on more cooling (faster fan), or design a shroud for the existing fan so it doesn’t cool the heat break+heater block), to just not sure which.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eVGNx.jpg)
EDIT: The filament partially jams (the extruder skips steps an knocks) even without printing, while just loading and purging over empty space, no retractions.<issue_comment>username_1: Is this what your hotends look like?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/R6FKi.jpg)
They look like Bowden tube extruders. Your images are consistent with heat creek for Bowden tub extruders. Can you print with the enclosure open to see if the problem is at least less?
Here is a full discussion on heat creep.
[What are ways to avoid heat creep?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15629/what-are-ways-to-avoid-heat-creep)
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: My first thought is heat creep. I've never seen a heatsink on the hot-end that couldn't use more air and a lower temperature. IF not heat creep, then perahps under-temperature.
But, since you've worked on this issue without success, and the extruder skipping happens even wit a steady flow and no backpressure against the bed or part, perhaps we should look elsewhere.
First thing to check would be the friction of the filament through the Bowden tube, and the attachment points. First, I would back off the extruder pressure, remove the nozzle, and see if you can easily and without jerks or hangups slide fresh filament past the extruder gears all the way through the hot end and out where the nozzle would be. You'll be doing this cold with the printer off. That should feel slick and easy. If you need to push with any significant force, find where the friction is happening and fix it.
If it flow smoothly, try checking the extruder motor, the extruder gear, and if it is a dual gear system, check both of them. Try running the extruder (you'll need to hear the hot end) with no filament. Does everything turn easily? Try inserting filament in the extruder, pulling back on the filament, and extruding forward. Is the motion smooth? If not, check the gearing to see if a piece of filament or anything else if interfering with the motion.
If you can check the motor current, see if it is running to spec on both coils, in all directions. You could have a problem with one half of one H-bridge.
If you have two extruders, does the problem happen with both, or only one?
I would still mostly suspect that heat creep, or under-temperature. 195 °C may be a little cool. My Prusa prints PLA at 215 °C. I have had heat creep problems with the Prusa, which I addressed by directing more air through the heat sink fins -- too much was passing around the sides of the heat sink without actually cooling it.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/18 | 792 | 3,076 | <issue_start>username_0: Having started with an Ender 3, it just seemed natural to me that the heatbreak should not be load-bearing; Creality's stock hotend has 2 bolts holding the heat block to the heat sink, which of course waste some heating power and increase the cooling needed to avoid heat creep, but serve the important purpose of keeping the nozzle position rigid relative to the carriage and making it so you don't bend or snap the heatbreak when changing nozzles.
Looking at hotends (especially all-metal ones) for a possible future printer build, I'm surprised to see that many (most?) don't have this property, and have the heatbreak playing a load-bearing role. This seems really undesirable. Only the Mosquito *makes a point of* doing this right, and supposedly has a patent on this or related design decisions. Is that really the case? Are there basic all-metal hotends that are designed to avoid making the heatbreak load-bearing that don't cost $150?<issue_comment>username_1: The drop-in replacement all metal hotends for the Ender 3 that I've looked at seem to have the two screws -- though I've read/heard opinions that these are intended to be removed after assembly, these are common Mk. 8 type hot ends, but with 2 mm bore through the entire heat break instead of 4 mm. That seems to be the only modification (other than not anodizing the aluminum heat sink).
While the brand name units of this type run approximately 65 USD at retail, they're available from Chinese vendors for under 10 USD plus a few dollars shipping, if you don't mind waiting a few weeks instead of a couple days to receive your part -- and if they aren't from the same production but sold without extensive vendor support, they're very close physical copies, according to review videos I've seen.
It's also possible to replace just the heat break for similar cost, either in stainless or titanium, with a 2 mm bore unit; this would obviously preserve whatever additional mounting hardware exists on/between your original heat block and heat sink.
BTW, if they aren't already, replacing the screws with stainless will significantly reduce heat loss through the screws -- stainless is a much poorer conductor of heat than common steels used with plated screws.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You ask in general, not specifically for Ender, so since you mention the Mosquito, which has a characteristic shape and a size, the obvious alternative which doesn't cost that much is the Phaetus Dragon.
It copies the idea of the Mosquito, but it is repackaged in a shape and size fully equivalent to standard v6 hotends so it's a drop-in replacement for any v6 hotend. You don't have one, but in general...
Footnote: Slice Engineering got the patent in US, but not in Europe and China, yet. Also, in Europe [their idea](https://register.epo.org/application?tab=doclist&number=EP18801363&lng=en) apparently was [found](https://register.epo.org/application?documentId=E5RB12D46652DSU&number=EP18801363&lng=en&npl=false) as not original. Who knows...
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/19 | 430 | 1,675 | <issue_start>username_0: I am pretty sure that sanding makes a lot of microplastics, so it would be nice to collect the dust, and melt it to got a blob of plastic again instead of millions of tiny particles. What is the best way for collecting it, do you use any dust extractor, or are there different techniques like sanding wet surfaces and filtering it from water?<issue_comment>username_1: As an environmental thing, micro plastics are an urgent problem for ocean life, it’s getting into the entire food chain. With that in mind dumping it down the drain would be the worst, city filtration systems can’t get the tiny bits of plastic before it drains into the ocean. Sanding outside is kind of bad. I sand stuff over a lined waste basket outside, which maybe catches 75% of the dust. Inside (or outside) with a vacuum running would be good, I think best would be a vacuum with disposable bags. Yes it is still micro plastics, but it ends up at the dump, where the soil is already poisoned, and hopefully nowhere near the ocean/waterways, and likely will stay there while it breaks down. PLA takes ~80 years, but ABS takes 1000 years.
The idea of collecting the dust and fusing it sounds like it would be too much hassle to be feasible long term, it’s good, sustainable habits over years that add up.
As a side note, card scraping is a nice way to smooth 3D prints, that doesn’t make fine dust.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I decided to collect the dust and treat both PLA and ABS with chemicals to completely break them down. That solves the issue and I won't rely on false hopes that somehow it does not end up in the environment.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2021/06/21 | 2,206 | 8,062 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm printing a Soma cube I found on Thingiverse -- it's a puzzle toy I remember from the early 1970s, and the kind of thing that ought to be really easy-peasy to print. Each of the seven pieces is made of four cubes (or three for one piece) joined face to face in every possible combination, so that they can be assembled to make a single 3x3 cube (the claim in the day was, in literally tens of millions of ways -- though many of those were reflections or rotations of others).
Problem is, in order for the seven pieces to fit together correctly to make the 3x3 cube, they have to be flat and square on all faces, and dimensionally accurate.
I have an Ender 3 that's just a few weeks old (first print was May 8th to 9th of this year, also my own first 3D print). I'm printing these parts in gray Amazon Basics PLA at 200 °C, with the Creality coated glass build surface at 55 °C. I'm printing on a raft; the first layer goes down well, but over the course of the first forty or so layers, I get this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GCk17.jpg "Raft lifting from build surface")
I presume this is due to the upper layers shrinking, though the horizontal dimensions look fine at the level where I stopped the print. I have Cura Slicer 4.9.1 set to print with no part cooling for initial layer, increasing to 100 % at layer 4. When I removed this part (immediately after stopping the print, so the bed was still in the low 50s), it was still stuck fairly well -- except where it had lifted.
What's causing this warping/lifting?<issue_comment>username_1: >
> What's causing this warping/lifting?
>
>
>
The warping and lifting is caused by insufficient adhesion. This can be caused by an incorrect first layer (it is difficult to see the raft, but generally, rafts have no solid bottom, so less adhesion as there is less material), e.g. not sufficiently squished to the plate. Note that a raft is absolutely unnecessary for PLA, you should use it for high temperature filaments that experience a lot of shrinkage, PLA does not.
What you should do is make sure the bed is completely clean and free from grease. Use isopropyl/isopropanol alcohol to clean the bed.
Temperature of the bed should be fine, but you could try to notch it up with 5 °C.
I've seen people use an adhesive between the bed and the print, even on coated beds. But, I can imagine you don't want to try that, it needs more cleaning.
Also, make sure that the printer isn't in front of a window or in the path of an air-conditioning airflow.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: 1. What has worked for me is to keep the bed temperature constant at 60 °C. Use a higher extrusion temperature for the first layer to promote adhesion. (Differences in PLA composition could cause these temperatures to vary.)
2. Sometimes it helps to have an bed temperature for the 1st layer as high as 75 °C to promote adhesion. While depositing the first layer with this bed temperature promotes adhesion, leaving the bed temperature this high actually decreases it, besides risking the print sagging under its weight.
3. Additional adhesion layers such as glue sticks might help.
4. If not already using it, less stiff fill patterns (rectangular) can help, as well as a lower percentage fill.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: If you know that the bed surface is clean and that the filament and the bed material are compatible (as in this case), you may want to optimise the bed temperature.
It is known that the plastic shrinks a little, so the upper layers pull and the bottom layer has to hold everything flat. It happens also with PLA.
Too hot bed? sometime adhesion is increased, but the first layer is soft and all the flatness work is held by the adhesive. It will likely fail.
Too cold? the first layer will hold well its shape, but little adhesion will result in it failing.
If you can't reach a good adhesion, you have to optimise the bed temperature yourself. Print a wedge at different bed temperatures and pick the best result.
See [here](https://magigoo.com/blog/3d-printing-perfect-first-layer-magigoo/) for the detailed instructions and [here](https://magigoo.com/blog/prevent-warping-temperature-and-first-layer-adhesion-magigoo/) for an explanation.
For information, from personal experience sometimes I had better adhesion by lowering the temperature. For example, 75 °C for PETG seems definitely too much to me, because at that temperature PETG has almost no rigidity. The same with nylon: at 100-120 °C I couldn't get it to work. At 80 °C I could get some results. PETG at 60 °C is good, PLA at 50 °C max, ABS up to 110 °C but 100 °C may be already good (the issue is different with ABS)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: You need to get a little closer in your first layer. I have this same machine (and several others). You shouldn't have that problem with PLA, it's a lot more common with ABS.
So if it's pulling away from the bed, it hasn't adhered all the way, to begin with. Try micro stepping closer with the firmware or just hand adjusting the wheels a slight amount closer and get a good first layer smoosh!
If you need more help with this printer, I have a whole playlist of videos specific to it at on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPb81Z-Cw4oheuYfZy9GHORyQOY0aDgod)
that should be of help to you!
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Y878Y.jpg "Layer adhesion comparison chart")
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: Increase bed adhesion and/or decrease temperature gradient over the part. As the object builds, and it gets further away from the heated build plate, the plastic gets colder and shrinks. The bottom stays warm and does not shrink, this makes the part want to bow/warp. At the plastic’s glass temperature, where it transitions from liquid to solid (PLA is 60 °C), it has little shrink. That’s why heated beds stick to the plastic, but as it cools the object pops off-it shrinks and breaks the bond.
Other answers have good advice-clean oils off the bed, ensure the first layer is squished into the bed. Ensure the bed is level, so the first layer is squished down uniformly. I would disagree that an adhesive is not necessary. I use a glue stick and it works, where glass alone couldn’t keep my corners stuck down. It is common to run a 60 °C bed for the first PLA layer and cool it off 5 degrees, as a little cooler can still adhere but have less tendency for the part to “elephant foot” from the bottom layers being too warm and gradually deforming. Your 55 °C seems fine, you could still cool it off to 50 °C. I don’t think there is any benefit to running it extra hot (unless the glass surface runs cooler than the bed thermistor reports) as it will be more prone to elephant foot the part.
What I felt compelled to add to the other answers is that if the upper layers aren’t as cold, i.e. they are closer in temperature to the bed layers, less of a temperature gradient over the part, they won’t shrink as much and will have less strength to warp and peel up the corners. I’ve used a couple of 150 W heat lamps, shining at the bed, and have been able to print big flat objects without a brim. It especially helps in the winter. The cooling fans, while they help the print quality, increase the coldness/shrink of the upper layers. I think it would be worthwhile to try less cooling fan, so long as the object doesn’t deform/sag. Often the same corner will lift; if something makes it cooler on that corner, like the cooling fan blows on it longer, the heat break fan blows on it, or it’s draftier. If so, a different part orientation could possibly help.
One nuclear option you can try on large flat prints, if you just can’t keep the brim or raft stuck down with adhesive and whatnot, is to pause a few layers in, and tape the brim down with painter's tape.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/06/22 | 713 | 2,770 | <issue_start>username_0: I didn't have any printer-related problem for the past 6 months, but now all of a sudden my Prusa MK3S stopped extruding during printing.
This is very strange as I can easily load\unload filament and control the step motor via Settings\Move axis\Extruder. When I did so, the filament got extruded normally.
However, when I try to print something or do First Layer Calibration, nothing comes out of the nozzle. I tried changing the Live Z (maybe nozzle too low) and it didn't help. I once managed to extrude *something* by increasing the temperature and the flow (in the printer's menu) to a ridiculous value of 999. Obviously, this isn't the best way to solve the problem.
Is there an easy way to fix this? I only had this problem yesterday and with some midrange-priced PETG
Edit: I tried different filaments, default slicer profiles, reinstalling slicer (prusa slicer) and drivers. None of these methods really helped.<issue_comment>username_1: 1. It doesn't seem to be heat creep. See [What are ways to avoid heat creep?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15629/what-are-ways-to-avoid-heat-creep)
2. Have you measured the actually temperature of the heater block? You may have a failing sensor (thermistor) or sensor circuitry. Optically is the best way to measure. The least expensive way is with multimeters that come with a temperature sensor, such as a thermocouple (lowest cost about $20 U.S.).
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: As it turned out, rebuilding the extruder actually helped. I took it apart to the point where both fans were loose as well as the extruder motor and the hotend. I didn't find anything wrong after a quick look so I put it all back together.
Then i ran the first layer calibration and for some reason it worked. I know it's neither the most satisfying solution, nor the most informative one, so sorry about that. Either way, thank you for the suggestions, I still have no idea what caused the problem.
That being said, I hypothesize that something was wrong with the hotend. That is because when I had this probem, molten filament wouldn't exit the heated nozzle on its own. Now when I heat up the hotend, the filament comes out (without the motor working)
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: I have the exact same issue. I still haven't figured out what is going on, but my next step is to work backwards.
I brought my machine in for repairs at our local shop, and the end result was "heat creep" . It worked for a few prints, then stopped. It jammed on me and in the process of removing the jam, I broke the leads to the heat block. When I decide to go back in, I will see if when I reassembled the extruder, I knocked off enough thermal paste to make a difference... :(
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/06/25 | 590 | 2,492 | <issue_start>username_0: A Bowden tube extruder (like the stock one on an Ender 3) is known to have issues with printing the most flexible TPU, and with filaments that (either due to composition or condition) don't take well to too much retraction -- though the latter can be ameliorated somewhat with slicer settings. Direct drive extruders, on the other hand, by reducing the extruder to hot end distance to the practical minimum, greatly reduce the amount of retraction needed as well as the effect of filament compression and stretching.
One potential down side I'm aware of is that putting the extruder stepper and drive on the X carriage adds mass that the X drive motor has to both accelerate and decelerate; this could in theory have an effect on print quality, increasing ringing and overrun on the X axis (though this isn't generally a problem with the steppers used on the Ender 3 and similar printers).
What other reasons might there be to prefer a Bowden tube over direct drive?<issue_comment>username_1: Other than higher carriage mass as you already noted, the only other reason to not go with Direct Drive over Bowden is the higher level of maintenance required. In most cases Direct Drive will provide advantages such as increasing the maximum flow speed, enabling the use of Linear/Pressure Advance, shortening Retraction moves, and better resistance to obstructions in the filament path, and more reliable printing of flexibles as you have already noted. As well, A direct drive system would allow a less-powerful stepper motor to be used, which cuts down on the carriage mass problem.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: There are really no reasons not to convert to direct drive, *provided you use a good one*. Many of the direct drive kits, especially the ones that reuse the existing giant NEMA-17 stepper, are not very good and have tradeoffs due to excessive mass on the toolhead, imbalanced mass, interference with frame reducing print volume, etc. The modern way to do direct drive is with a "pancake" stepper far smaller and lighter, and gearing between 3:1 and 6:1 reduction to get the needed torque - look at the Orbiter, Sherpa Mini, etc. - or even a remote direct drive.
Teaching Tech recently posted a video on this very topic, titled [Why direct drive is not automatically better than bowden tube](https://youtu.be/ybTbuUBy2-s) but then pretty much concluding that all the old reasons not to go direct drive no longer apply.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2021/06/28 | 594 | 2,371 | <issue_start>username_0: I have my print settings dialed into a real good spot, but there's one obstacle that's preventing them from coming out flawless; somehow, my print has "fuzz" everywhere. Not traditional stringing like you get from filament oozing while travelling from section to section, nor do I mean over-extrusion that causes the outer walls to sag or bubble out.
The final shape/texture of my models are perfect - there's just wispy little hairs sticking out all over the model. They are not even really visible unless you hold it up to the light, or against a dark background.
Here's an image of the wing from a dragon I printed. Notice the top edge of the part and how it looks like it's made of cotton or something? That's how it looks everywhere.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tkQPc.jpg "Close up of dragon wing showing cotton effect")<issue_comment>username_1: That is the print stringing still. Even thought that you have your printer dialed in, the plastic that is still in the nozzle is still grabbing onto your print and pulling out the nozzle just a tad. This, as far as I know, is unavoidable. The best solution that I could think of fixing this (as far as having your print come perfect off of the bed) would if a company designed the tips, printer, and filament to perfectly match each other, but until that happens, you are gonna be stuck with a lighter balling up the strings and picking them off.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: These stringers are common with PETG.
You can reduce them by:
1. Increasing retraction reduces the stringers, but too much retraction can cause the filament to jam and stop extruding.
2. Lowering the extruder temperature will reduce the stringers, but also reduce adhesion between layers. Stringers usually aren't an issue on the 1st layer, so you can keep the necessary extrusion temperature for the 1st layer to keep adhesion to the bed.
Your stringers are very short thus difficult to reduce. One method to get rid of stringers is to expose the print very quickly with the flame of a blow torch. Important is you don't want to melt the strings. You want them to burn, so that they are ash and easily removed. Melting the stringers will distort your print.
Upvotes: 1 |
2021/07/02 | 1,482 | 5,069 | <issue_start>username_0: I've got some sliced models that represent the **right**-side arms and legs of a robot. I'm really happy with how they printed, so now I'd like to print the **left**-side arms and legs.
I was thinking it would be pretty trivial to parse the G-code file using Python and change the value of all the `Xn` commands from `n` to `2*h - n`, where `h` is in the middle of the bed, say 110 or 120 mm for an Ender 3.
Before I fire up my favorite IDE, are there any major gotchas I might encounter from such a naïve approach to mirroring the G-code like this? I originally sliced in Cura 4.9.1.<issue_comment>username_1: If your slicer does not have a mirror operation or a scale that allows negative values then mirroring in the G-code should be straightforward.
As long as your printer doesn't have certain specific tool change or homing or purge positions that are done in the G-code you can just transform it, otherwise you would want to skip these sections and just do the model data (it should be obvious looking at the code where model data starts).
In order to mirror it you just need to swap out the X coordinates in your G-code, If (0,0) is the center of your bed, as is often (but not always) the case for delta printers you will just want to negate the X, so `G1 X30 Y-3 Z2` becomes `G1 X-30 Y-3 Z2`. If your coordinates have (0,0) in a corner (often the case for orthogonal printers) then you want to subtract X from the maximum X value. for instance if your bed is 250 mm wide then in `G1 X30 Y10 Z3 X30` becomes `X(250-30)` or `G1 X220 Y10 Z3`.
There is only one caveat, some slicers will switch to relative movement using `G91` for certain operations and then back to absolute with `G90`, so you will want to look out for these. Between a `G91` and a `G90` you will want to negate the X, no matter where the origin of your printer is.
When writing your script, I'd keep track of the minimum and maximum values encountered and the new minimum and maximum values and print them at the end as a sanity check so you can see if anything is wonky.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Based on @John Mecham's comprehensive answer, I whipped up a quick proof of concept. In the image below, the left arrow (top) is the original and the right arrow (bottom) is the reversed clone. Cura does generate a little relative offset code at the end, I think I handled it correctly.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ncnZP.jpg)
```
import re
data_start = re.compile('^;LAYER_COUNT:[0-9]+')
ifilename = 'c:/Users/jentron128/Downloads/ThingVerse/Tools/arrow.gcode'
ofilename = 'c:/Users/jentron128/Downloads/ThingVerse/Tools/rev_arrow.gcode'
new_data =[]
BEDX = float(235)
h = BEDX # Absolute Positioning is default
mode='Skip'
with open(ifilename, 'r') as ifp:
for d in ifp:
new_d = ''
tokens = d.split()
if len(tokens) == 0:
pass
elif mode == 'Skip':
new_d = d[0:-1]
if data_start .match(d):
mode = 'Go'
else:
if tokens[0] == 'G91': # Relative Positioning
h = 0
elif tokens[0] == 'G90':# Absolute Positioning
h = BEDX
for t in tokens:
if t.startswith('X'):
if len(t) > 1:
x = h - float(t[1:])
t = 'X'+f'{x:.3f}'
new_d += t+' '
new_data.append(new_d)
with open(ofilename, 'w') as ofp:
for d in new_data:
ofp.write(d+'\n') # how does writelines not support a line separator?
```
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Usage: python3 [filename.gcode] [bed-width]
```
#!/usr/bin/env python3
import re
from sys import argv
#first arg is the file, second arg is the bed x width
ifilename = argv[1];
ofilename = ifilename.replace('.gcode', '-reversed.gcode');
new_data =[]
BEDX = float(argv[2])
h = BEDX # Absolute Positioning is default
with open(ifilename, 'r') as ifp:
for d in ifp:
new_d = ''
tokens = d.split()
if len(tokens) == 0:
pass
else:
if tokens[0] == 'G91': # Relative Positioning
h = 0
new_d += d
elif tokens[0] == 'G90':# Absolute Positioning
h = BEDX
new_d += d
elif tokens[0] == 'G1':
for t in tokens:
if t.startswith('X'):
if len(t) > 1:
x = h - float(t[1:])
t = 'X'+f'{x:.3f}'
new_d += t+' '
else:
new_d += d
new_data.append(new_d)
with open(ofilename, 'w') as ofp:
for d in new_data:
ofp.write(d+'\n') # how does writelines not support a line separator?
```
For those that have a problem with the script above, I think this fixes it.
Also there seems to be a bug with not writting G90 or G91 whenever it finds it.
Upvotes: 0 |
2021/07/03 | 352 | 1,158 | <issue_start>username_0: As you can see the left side of the edge came out jagged. The right side came out just fine. What happened to the left side?
I am using Ender 3 + BLTouch using Sunlu PLA+ with 200 °C hotend.
[](https://i.imgur.com/Ki7ZzQ4.jpg "Left side")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/W02pj.jpg "Right side")
Here are my retraction settings (if that matters):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rA7gh.png "Retraction settings")<issue_comment>username_1: This may be due to uneven cooling. The part cooling fan only comes from one direction on the Ender 3 series of printers. You may be able to solve the issue by printing the walls from the outside in. If not, I recommend printing a fan shroud that has part cooling ducts on both sides; there are plenty of them on thingiverse.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This was happened because I don't use support on the slope. After I use support the jagged edge is gone.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer] |
2021/07/08 | 333 | 1,273 | <issue_start>username_0: Some time ago, I bought an Elegoo Mars 2 Pro, and I really liked the product. This is my first resin printer and I am very satisfied.
What has been bothering me a little is in relation to the slicer. When I slice an item, Chitubox shows 3 hour/20 g (consumption), but this does not converge, when I print the final result is about 40 % higher than expected, this in both cases (time and resin consumption). I understand that resin consumption can be a little more relative, but time should converge.
My settings are the defaults provided by Chitubox, changing only the resin settings I use: 8 initial layers in 50 s and 2.5 s for other layers.
Is there something I'm doing wrong? Should these values converge with reality?<issue_comment>username_1: This may be due to uneven cooling. The part cooling fan only comes from one direction on the Ender 3 series of printers. You may be able to solve the issue by printing the walls from the outside in. If not, I recommend printing a fan shroud that has part cooling ducts on both sides; there are plenty of them on thingiverse.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This was happened because I don't use support on the slope. After I use support the jagged edge is gone.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer] |
2021/07/09 | 801 | 3,490 | <issue_start>username_0: I just noticed the other day that my Ender 3 is printing stuff a lot slower than it can, and realized when I was slicing a part that it's because the default "Wall Print Speed" is half the "Print Speed" even though "Infill Speed" is full speed. I can enter higher speeds, of course, but then Cura puts up a little notification that "this value is normally calculated, but it has been entered instead" and offers to put it back to the calculated default -- which is half the "Print Speed."
I presume there are good reasons (print quality, underextrusion, etc.) for this -- what are they?
I guess it's relevant to note that I have a 4.2.2 mainboard and currently run Creality's version of 2.0.4-1.0.1 Marlin, the newest they offer for this board version without BLTouch.<issue_comment>username_1: Perimeters, especially External Perimeters, are particularly sensitive to small deflections of the printhead, as well as extrusion issues from too fast of a print speed. You may be able to increase this speed for regular perimeters, however, higher speeds may introduce more ghosting issues.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Cura has a lot of bad defaults, but also a lot of defaults that are chosen to let you get acceptable prints out of a really bad printer, a miscalibrated printer, or a printer with bad firmware.
Printing at anything above very low speeds requires compensation for the differing pressure needed to move material through the nozzle at different flows. The printer firmware feature to do this compensation is known as "pressure advance" or "linear advance", and is absent in stock firmware on most commercially produced printers, especially older ones. Without it, you'll get bulging corners and underextruded middles of your walls. This matters most on the *outer wall*, which determines the dimensional accuracy and visual quality of your print; errors on the inner walls or infill will mostly be hidden and tend to even out, especially if the inner walls are printed after the outer ones so that the extrusion is constrained against the already-existing outer wall (but here's where Cura's wrong defaults come in: it defaults to printing outer wall last, which replicates the inner wall errors onto the outer wall!).
On a printer without pressure advance compensation, you can use either very low speeds (30 mm/s or preferably even lower) to get a decent outer wall, or you can use high acceleration and cornering velocity (but: most stock firmware doesn't handler cornering velocity correctly either) so that the corners aren't printed significantly slower than the rest of the wall, but at high acceleration/fast cornering you'll get ringing (ghosting) artifacts. These can also be eliminated with better tuning of your printer/firmware, but the point of Cura's defaults is giving decent output on a printer where that work hasn't been done.
If your printer has a version of Marlin (at least 2.0) with linear advance and junction deviation, or if you upgrade to that, or if you switch to Klipper, and then you tune these to match your printer, there's no reason to keep the outer wall speed low. With Klipper you can take the acceleration way up too (using input shaper to eliminate the ringing). This can give you prints many times faster than Cura's defaults. Even if you don't, you can still turn the speed and acceleration way up, but you'll get ugly and possibly structurally weak prints as a result.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2021/07/09 | 746 | 2,782 | <issue_start>username_0: When considering enclosures able to reach higher chamber temperatures, insulation is essential to keep the heater power low.
Typical insulation materials are not transparent: cork (fire retardant, good for the inner hot side), rock wool, styrofoam panels, aluminium insulating panels (aluminium walls with foam in between).
Still, most of the time it's preferable to have one side of the enclosure transparent, to see what is happening inside without having to use a webcam (which may not work well or which may have a reduced lifespan when operated at 60-80 °C, due to capacitors and thermal noise in the sensor).
Rock wool, styrofoam panels and cork all offer about 0.032-0.038 W/(m K) thermal conductivity. In other words, a panel which is 50 \* 50 \* 1 cm will require about 0.85 W per each °C of temperature increase, or 8.5 W per 10 °C. A cubic 50 \* 50 \* 50 cm enclosure 2 cm thick would require 26 W to increase the inner temperature by 10 °C.
Replacing just one side with a transparent acrylic panel 3 mm thick would push the power requirement to about 190 W for every 10 °C of temperature increase, therefore finding a transparent insulation would be quite interesting.
**What are the options to have a transparent, but still reasonably insulating, panel?**<issue_comment>username_1: Unfortunately there are very little solutions for fully transparent and thermally insulating materials. You may be able to use panels commonly used for greenhouses and hydroponics if you can accept losing full transparency and only being translucent. Another option may be to have **two layers of your transparent material**, with an air-gap in between, as dry and still air is a very good thermal insulator.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: Glass. Or more specifically, insulating two or three layer window panes between which is a vacuum or low heat conductive gas.
These panels are quite effective, compared to single panes: on a two layer sandwich, 9.5 mW/(m K) can be achieved with a Krypton filling, 5.5 mW/(m K) with Xenon. The sweet spot for avoiding too many loss from convection is usually below 10-15 mm per gas layer, depending on the gas. Three or even four glas panels can get away with much thicker total panes and avoid convection by having the gas insulator broken up into multiple layers as thin as 5 mm.
Such Mehrscheiben Isolierscheiben (insulating glazing) is often obtainable in any size from window makers and can come with a frame that contains the needed mechanisms to open or lock the box.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: How about using thermally insulating transparent silicone rubber sheets?
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Never saw double pane windows of houses? Triple panes are not impossible.
Upvotes: 0 |
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