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2022/07/21 | 612 | 2,147 | <issue_start>username_0: I’ve a Flashforge Adventurer 3 which I’ve found to be a fantastic out of the box ready to go printer. I’ve clocked up 500 hours on it.
I’ve had issues where the nozzle was too close to the print bed, making it impossible for the extruder wheel to force filament down the bowden tube. With harder filaments that results in clicking as it’s cog is skipping. With softer, usually matte PLA it’s just wearing a groove and no longer pushing. I have to take the then baked filament and manually push it out of the nozzle, then bed recalibration.
I have a filament dryer, and use it every time I’m printing as it’s a perfect dispenser with it’s roller bearings.
I recently keep getting prints where they start out perfect, but then after about layer 10, the extrusion simply stops. The printer obviously carries on like all is ok, but there’s not even spaghetti.
What could this be? Do I just need a new nozzle? I don’t understand how a metal nozzle printing plastic can deteriorate it. It’s not the same as pitting you get in a soldering iron tip surely…
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IdDcQ.jpg)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EFz2Q.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: Nozzles do degrade with use. That is why they're made to be easily replaceable.
Your problem may be a worn nozzle or incomplete cleaning or something with the bowden tube etc,. but an easy troubleshooting step is just to replace the nozzle.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I have had this happen at times. I finally got it to go away once I fixed my bed adhesion.
By chance is your print curling up near the edges? If it's popping up and exerting backpressure on the extruder, that can be enough to cause an internal jam and the extruder "clicking" (which is itself just a sign that the plastic isn't feeding).
There might be additional problems or other causes, but this was what fixed my issue.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/07/22 | 1,031 | 3,303 | <issue_start>username_0: Are there any safety risks inherent to PLA plastics used for 3D printing?
The material safety data sheet of some PLA plastics indicates low risks at a toxicological level, but I'd like to make sure some other factor isn't overlooked.
([1](https://printparts.com/datasheets/PLA-MSDS.pdf), [2](https://www.nhh.com.hk/en/3dprinting/document/pla_classic/MSDS_PLA_Classic.pdf), [3](http://wwwassets.e-ci.com/PDF/SDS/CI-D-07-PLA-3D-Printing-Filament.pdf))
>
>
>
> ---
>
>
> SECTION 11: TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION
>
>
> ---
>
>
> PRINCIPLE ROUTES OF EXPOSURE: Eye contact, Skin contact, Inhalation, Ingestion.
> ACUTE TOXICITY: None noted during use.
> LOCAL EFFECTS: Product dust may be irritating to eyes, skin and
> respiratory system. Particles, like other inert materials, are
> mechanically irritating to eyes. Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal
> irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
>
>
> SPECIFIC EFFECTS: May cause skin irritation and/or dermatitis.
> Ingestion may cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting and
> diarrhea. Inhalation of dust may cause shortness of breath, tightness
> of the chest, a sore throat and cough. Burning produces irritant
> fumes.
>
>
> CHRNOIC TOXICITY: None noted during use.
>
>
> REPRODUCTIVE TOXICITY: No data is available on the product itself.
>
> CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS: None of the components of this product are
> listed as carcinogens by IARC, NTP, or OSHA.
>
>
><issue_comment>username_1: Extrusion of PLA through a nozzle can cause microparticles to be generated (referenced as "dust" in your document) which can be temporarily airborne. If ingested through breathing for an extended period of time, this can cause respiratory distress. Your document claims "no acute toxicity" from this.
My personal experience is that:
* Different plastics at different temperatures emit a variable amount of this dust.
* A cloth mask effectively blocks it.
* The dust settles very quickly, in both time and distance.
* The effects (for me at least) are irritation only (well described in your document), and disappear completely in a time proportional to the length of exposure, but not more than a day or so.
* PLA is not near as bad as other plastics like ABS. But either of these burns is much worse.
The paper ["Review on particle emissions during fused deposition modeling of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and polylactic acid polymers"](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214785320391902) goes into this in greater detail.
There are probably others.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: If you are concerned about inhalation (and I think you should be), you should use a hierarchy of controls to mitigate the risk.
NIOSH (part of the CDC) have a [good document outlining how to mitigate the risks of 3D printing particulate emissions.](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2020-115/default.html)
Note that the smell you experience may be VOCs, not particles. Both are important to block. To do so, use a respirator with both particulate and organic vapour filters, in addition to an air purification/local exhaust ventilation system. The ‘carbon filters’ often seen in 3D printers do almost nothing for particulates, only nuisance levels of vapours.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/07/31 | 710 | 2,743 | <issue_start>username_0: I am new to 3D printing. I own jewelry stores and want to 3D print my jewelry packaging for rings, necklaces, and bangles as in the picture below:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/NVwgE.png "Product photo of a jewelry ring box")
I have two main problems:
1. Is 3D printing capable of building this package?
2. I know I can build boxes for jewelry with the outside being made of plastic. But I want the inside to be like a sponge. Is there a filament or a way to print a filament to make it look like cloth or a sponge?
3. Are there printers on the market which are able to print several copies without the need to set up each time it finishes a single box?<issue_comment>username_1: With the right materials
========================
With the right material, you can get flexible surfaces and prints. Just two random examples:
* TPU is a flexible material, which can be used to print something like "Lips" that flex and take the jewelry or even strings that suspend the piece in the center.
* Foaming TPU is a variant of normal TPU that expands during printing. This makes it somewhat spongey.
However, those have downsides: they don't make good rigid shells, so you will need two different materials: one hard for the shell, and something flexible for the holder.
Luckily, any direct drive filament printer can work with flexible filaments, and there are some flexible filaments that work with a Bowden setup. Due to dissimilar materials though, you need to either assemble the part or buy a somewhat specialized printer: one with two nozzles. These are available but are way out of hobby-grade pricing.
Also, you will never get the "smooth" silky look of a fabric insert cover, but always a clearly industrial printed surface.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I would advise against this, as you will get layer lines which isn't visible in normal form, and the fit wont be as smooth etc, resulting in a cheaper look & feel. You will spend a lot of effort modifiying the parameters to get a foamy look, but still end up with a worse product.
Instead the best option is probably to buy EVA foam, and cut it with hot hire, or even a blade/knife.
I understand the jewelry is (probably) expensive, and thus you will want to give it a premium feel. One advice I would give is for the plastic box, consider SLA / Resin printing, and you will get almost injection moulding quality. However the chemicals involved with this are not as user friendly, and you will need to wear PPE and ensure a large amount of ventilation (as resin fumes can be toxic), however the quality will be much better
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/07/31 | 1,099 | 4,417 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm quite new to 3D CAD and printing.
I own a Dremel 3D45 and I use FreeCad / Ultimaker Cura as softwares.
My question is pretty simple.
Say you have to make one object with a pin and another with a hole. They should be coupled together. Of course if you set the diameters of the pin and the hole equal the won't fit!
Right now I'm setting the hole larger of 0.2 mm and the pin smaller of 0.2 mm. This allow a quite good coupling (not so hard but with some resistance).
I guess this tolerance (0.4 mm in my example) depends on a lot of variables: 3D printer settings, material, etc... so it may change using different setup.
How to correctly handle this?
Should I add a variable in my CAD spreadsheet and use it to change the nominal diameter of the coupling items?
I don't think so, but anyway: is there a settings in Ultimaker Cura that allow to compensate an hole or a pin by a specified amount?
Any other suggestion is gladly accepted.<issue_comment>username_1: >
> I guess this tolerance (0.4 mm in my example) depends on a lot of variables: 3D printer settings, material, etc... so it may change using different setup.
>
>
>
Tolerances required **depend on the geometry you're printing**. A hole that is horizontal, vertical, or diagonal will need different tolerance (as I found out in a project that used the same steel dowel pins in three different orientations). And, vertical holes and pins are different from flat-sided shapes: the plastic will be pulled toward the center of a curve, so diameters come out small (and more so for holes since there's no material further inward to resist the movement).
That said, I think you can expect that the distortions of printing are fairly consistent, if your printer is functioning well. I have a Prusa i3 MK3S, and I have printed many parts other people have designed, and *when* those parts have been designed carefully, I almost always get very good fits between parts. So, my experience suggests that models do not necessarily need tuning for specific printers.
>
> Should I add a variable in my CAD spreadsheet and use it to change the nominal diameter of the coupling items?
>
>
>
Yes. If nothing else, this allows you to define how the two parts *should* fit together separately for the printing error. Use separate numbers for different shapes/fits, so that you can adjust one without messing up another.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: >
> I guess this tolerance (0.4 mm in my example) depends on a lot of variables: 3D printer settings, material, etc... so it may change using different setup.
>
>
>
Yes, this is true, you need to find out for yourself on your rig. Fine tune the printer. Note that filament also shrinks, although some less than others.
Once you figured it out, you can address the tolerance in the CAD design. E.g. I used to print with a material that has a lot of shrinkage, once you established the level of shrinkage, I scaled the complete model accordingly.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: Once you understand how the parts will need to fit together to meet their purpose, you will need to define *allowances* on your parts in order to create *clearance* between them.
You will need to understand your printer's capabilities and *accuracy* by printing some test parts and measuring them. *Tolerance* is the amount of variation from the specified dimension that is acceptable on a part.
If your printer isn't accurate enough to achieve the tolerances specified on the part, you'll have to find some way to improve the parts so that they are within tolerance. Often this is done as a finishing step: filing, sanding, or grinding an oversized printed part; drilling out an undersized hole; etc. You should also consider other options: buy a more accurate resin printer, redesign the part to make the pin out of a commercially available metal rod or tube, pay someone else to make the parts for you, etc.
Armed with this information you can "design for manufacturing". That means you alter the design of your parts enough so they can be successfully produced with the tooling available to you.
I just posted a little Q&A that discusses this very topic of [the difference between allowances and tolerances](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19747/what-is-the-difference-between-allowance-and-tolerance), and ways to achieve that.
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/08/03 | 818 | 3,128 | <issue_start>username_0: A couple of days ago I got my first 3D printer: Creality 3D Ender 3 Pro. I finished assembling it last night. I booted it up, but ran into problems (which I guess is not a common thing for a beginner in 3D printing). After booting and running the motors, it seemed that the lead screw got stuck about halfway down the Z-axis. I heard a rattling sound. So I turned the 3D-printer off. I disassembled the lead screw and applied some Lithium lubricant on it. But the problem persisted. Looking more closely at it, I noticed some notches on the lead screw:
I tried to spin the Creality Z-axis stepper motor, and it felt smooth and did not have any resistance. The bolts on the rod holder were slighly loose so that the lead screw had a bit of play inside.
Im wondering if the lead screw may have been defect during manufacturing process? Are lead screws supposed to have notches like these, or are these manufacturing defects? Here's two photos of the lead screw:
Im guessing the notches are too deep for the z-axis to actually work the way it is supposed to.<issue_comment>username_1: The notches are certainly abnormal. The screw appears to have taken an impact from a narrow cylindrical object. It's normal for rods and screws to be packaged independently, frequently wrapped in paper for shipping. The notches seem to be just a bit too small to have taken an impact from one of the guide rods, but it's difficult to determine from the image.
It could have been dropped, but that doesn't explain the notch shape. A fall would have flattened faces, not notched them.
It's time to contact the seller about replacement parts.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: The threads of the screw are very damaged, this causes your brass nut to be damaged as well.
This is hardly accountable by misusage, this is a production or handling error in the factory.
You need to contact the vendor for a new screw and new threaded brass nut.
Although the nut is softer and may run in on the damaged threads, there will always be a rough part of the screw, so it will always affect print quality, please replace the damaged parts.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Both of the above answers are likely correct **but also,** I own an Ender 3 and it's kinda/sorta tricky to get it set up right. I had a similar problem and I was certain it was the lead screw -- and mine indeed does not have the marks that yours has -- but in the end the issue was that I had assembled the printer ever-so-slightly out of true, and I had to do a lot of adjusting and wobbling to get things lined up right. So just be prepared for that.
Yes I think the rod is damaged and send back for a replacement, but when it comes back be sure and triple-check that everything is adjusted properly following videos like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ0q9zLygTY). You might also need to spend a little bit more money to replace some of the stock parts to really get it dialed in but once you do you won't be disappointed!
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/08/08 | 528 | 1,950 | <issue_start>username_0: What slicers have support for belt printers like the CR-30? Or what slicers can have an add-on, plugin, or extension added to them to support it (from a user level, not a dev level).
I found more total slicers than I expected, since I was only expecting 3 (Cura, PrusaSlicer, Simplify3d). Surely that means I'm missing out on more, if there are already so many different slicers.
* Creality Slicer - Comes from the OEM of the printer
* Blackbelt Cura - Everyone who mentions it says don't use it because it's old
* Raise3d Ideamaker - Seems to be based on Flashforge's slicer, has some interesting features too. Not as configurable as Slic3r or PrusaSlicer though.<issue_comment>username_1: I think most slicers don't distinguish printers based on if they have belts or delta configuration, etc. The slicer generates gcode, and the firmware on the printer translates the gcode into actuator motions specific to that printer to perform the gcode.
The difference slicers generally care about is if it is a FFF printer that extrudes a bead or a resin printer that solidifies liquid. Many other 3d printing methods exist, but those to are the most common ones supported by most of the open slicers.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: It seems **Creality** provides a modified version of **Cura 4.8.2** for the **CR30**: [Creality Download](https://www.creality.com/pages/download-cr-30-3d-printer) ; **BlackBelt** does the same, another modified version of Cura 3.6.2: [Blackbelt Download](https://blackbelt-3d.com/download-area/).
The current version of **Cura** (5.x) does not limit the area in size, but it seems very difficult to use it like that for belt printers (eg printing the same object many times), so you have to use a dedicated slicer.
Some possible tricks: printing the same object many times could require a simple edit/processing of the gcode, plz ask for this because it's another question.
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/08/08 | 822 | 2,903 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm printing a ring that's a replacement for the non-slip base of a mixing bowl. The ring is about 130mm in diameter, with a rectangular cross section, like this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9cx9Y.png)
I'm using Cura as the slicer, and I've set the infill to 100% and `concentric`, but after slicing it looks like Cura used `lines` instead; the ring is filled with parallel straight lines:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LEfXF.png)
Is this a problem with Cura? Is there something I can do to encourage it to use concentric infill? I don't really care what the infill pattern is, but I think `concentric` would print a lot faster since the head wouldn't have to switch directions all the time.<issue_comment>username_1: >
> Is this a problem with Cura?
>
>
>
I don't know if the good folks at Ultimaker consider this a bug or a feature, but it appears that Cura uses the `Lines` option regardless of the *Infill Pattern* setting when *Infill Density* is set to `100%`. There may well be some reason for that; for example, the fact that the `Lines` option alternates the direction of the lines from one layer to the next probably makes for stronger parts.
>
> Is there something I can do to encourage it to use concentric infill?
>
>
>
**Yes!** It turns out that setting *Infill Density* to anything less than `100%` gives the expected concentric infill (provided *Infill Pattern* is set to `Concentric`, of course). When I changed the setting to `99.99%` and re-sliced, I got concentric infill in the Preview panel. I haven't tried printing yet, but I have no doubt that I'll get the same thing in the actual print.
>
> I don't really care what the infill pattern is, but I think concentric would print a lot faster
>
>
>
With *Infill Density* set to `99.99%` and *Infill Pattern* set to `Concentric`, the estimated time to print my part drops from 4 hours 50 minutes to 2 hours 44 minutes, **a 44% time savings compared to 100% infill**. That's probably a lot more savings than you'd get on a part that wasn't so narrow, but it's worth knowing that at least some parts can print much faster with concentric infill.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This is [a known issue](https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/issues/11568). Cura's profile variable logic sets the number of bottom layers to 999999 if infill is set to 100%, overriding infill by replacing it with additional bottom layers. If you go find the setting for number of bottom layers and set it back to the number you actually want, overriding this, infill should work as expected.
Alternatively, setting top/bottom pattern to concentric should also fix it, and you probably want that anyway so that you don't have distinct bottom layers that are printed as lines.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2022/08/11 | 444 | 1,739 | <issue_start>username_0: With a fan cooled, all metal hotend, is there any reason to wait for the hotend to cool, before shutting down power, if the filament has been unloaded?
When leaving the filament on the machine after a print, I’m normally in the habit of waiting until the hotend has cooled down below the filament’s glass temperature before turning the printer off, because without the hotend fan running and the heat block hot, the filament can get softened up in cold end and potentially jam next time. But if there is no filament, would it stand to reason there isn’t enough remaining plastic in the hotend to get heat creep? And it doesn’t matter if the cold end gets hot?<issue_comment>username_1: While heat creep as you describe it *is* a concern, The more pressing reason to let a hotend cool off first is **safety**.
A hotend at printing temperature can be >200°C, with little to no airflow it may STAY at a dangerous temperature for a significant amount of time.
Not only can it burn you if it touches, It may be dangerous if the hotend starts moving *after* the printer turns off (In systems that cannot passively maintain Z especially)
Aswell, the remaining thermal energy may be enough to "cook" the residual polymers *inside* the nozzle or hot-zone, which can cause future clogging and extrusion issues.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: If there is nothing out of plastic place nearby or inside, it should be fine. It won't take more than a couple of minutes to go down to 100 °C or so, so plastic leftover inside won't cook. Plastic outside from the mount may soften and weaken the assembly, so I would wait until the hotend is at 100 °C or so. With a fan on, it should happen in a minute or so.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/08/12 | 568 | 2,258 | <issue_start>username_0: On my Ender 3 v2 printer I recently and consistently get some knocking.
This happens in only two scenarios.
First, it now occurs all the time when printing the initial test strip gets near the top (high Y value), and knocks several times.
Secondly, it occurs if the model (sliced with Cura) has a high Y value (eg: if the model occupies most of the bed).
(If there is room and I move the model - in Cura - closer to the front there is no knocking.)
On the first 10 (or so) layers the printer sometimes knocks when a high Y value is reached and the entire model is thereafter shifted to the front by a few millimeters.
There is a third scenario. At the end of a print the print head is in the middle of the bed and moves up 20 mm then travels directly to the top left corner. At this corner there are 4 or 5 "knocks" (and the nozzle is 20 mm above the bed).
Any suggestions to diagnose/fix this problem will be much appreciated.<issue_comment>username_1: Your bed has become unleveled or skewed in Y direction.
When the nozzle is closer to the bed the extruder has to push harder to get the same filament flow through a smaller space, the stresses the extruder to a point that the stepper skips or grinds the filament. This is generally described as a knocking sound.
You need to find out why the bed is higher at the upper end of the Y range and fix this. Otherwise your bed has become warped and may need to be replaced. There are alternatives in using a sensor (e.g. a BLTouch) to sense the shape of the print surface, it will then automatically adjust for the shape during the first 10 mm (default value) of your print product. Installing a sensor requires new or alternative firmware.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Embarassingly, I discovered that the cable to the heatbed was sometimes caught between the on/off switch and the adjacent power plug. So, for high Y values the cable was very tight and the bed could not be moved. Presumably the "knocking" came from the Y-axis motor. The problem was fixed by attaching this cable to the adjacent hotend/X axis motor cable.
Hopefully this will be helpful to others who have a similar problem. Please add a comment if you experienced this.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2022/08/14 | 1,015 | 2,801 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm using an Ender 5 with standard PLA and Creality slicer 4.8.2.
How can I deliberately maximise stringing, and if possible get it to be as consistent as possible.
My aim is to have "thousands of hair like threads strung between two rocky pillars".
If possible I'd like to do this in the slicer with PLA, rather than using cotton or some other material after the model has printed.<issue_comment>username_1: Slicers will perform a retraction when moving from one solid to another, the value of which is part of the settings. I've not researched if a specific slicer will allow a negative retraction, but if it's possible, it's likely to create adjustable stringing.
If negative retraction is not possible, one can identify the retraction segments in g-code of the print and find/replace those values with extrude rather than retract. My slicer, Simplify3D does not support reversed retraction, but the code is clear when examined with a text editor:
```
G1 E-4.0000 F2400
G1 Z0.300 F1200
G1 X118.760 Y117.415 F12000
G1 Z0.250 F1200
G1 E0.0000 F2400
G92 E0.0000
G1 X122.415 Y113.760 E0.0972 F900
build g-code removed for clarity
G1 X118.760 Y117.415 E1.5303
G92 E0.0000
G1 E-4.0000 F2400
G1 Z0.300 F1200
G1 X158.280 Y117.216 F12000
G1 Z0.250 F1200
G1 E0.0000 F2400
G92 E0.0000
G1 X162.216 Y113.280 E0.1047 F900
build g-code removed for clarity
G1 X158.280 Y117.216 E1.5902
G92 E0.0000
G1 E-4.0000 F2400
build g-code removed for clarity
G1 E0.0000 F2400
G92 E0.0000
G1 X162.415 Y113.760 E0.0972 F900
build g-code removed for clarity
G1 X158.760 Y117.415 E1.5303
G92 E0.0000
G1 E-4.0000 F2400
```
All entries beginning with G1 E-4.0000 represent the 4 mm retraction called by the slicer. One could search for just that code and replace it with a positive value. Some experimentation is indicated to accomplish the desired result. The F value is feed rate and presents another value to adjust.
Pursuant to Oscar's comment, I overlooked the lack of movement as a factor. He is correct, such a modification is likely to create a blob. As a possible compensation, a better modification would be to create a custom extrusion code with a reduced flow rate, using the existing code as a reference.
This starts to complicate the process substantially, requiring far more calculations and edits. I suggest that it could yet be accomplished, but would be more easily done so with post processing of the code via Python or similar, with which I am not qualified to address.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: 1. Eliminate retraction in slicer.
2. Print at a higher hot end temperature; something like +10°C higher than recommenced temperature.
3. Slow down speed hot end moves when not printing.
4. Maximize hot end movement without printing where you want strings.
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/08/15 | 1,201 | 4,964 | <issue_start>username_0: I have 12 parts for a model I want to print but I would like to know if I can put all of them in a single G-code file and print that on its own. Would this affect the model in any way?
I’m using PLA on my Ender 3 Pro<issue_comment>username_1: This answer assumes FDM printing -- for resin printers, as I understand it, as long as there's flow space between parts, if they fit on the build plate, they'll print.
For FDM, generally, you'll get better print quality printing a single part, because layers don't cool while you print the same layer for each of the other parts (meaning layer adhesion will be better). That said, if the parts are very small, this additional cooling may be an improvement vs. having to set your slicer to provide a pause between layers to avoid slumps and layer spreading.
A compromise, if the parts are low enough, is that most slicers can be instructed to print the parts sequentially -- that is, print all of part A, then all of part B, and so forth. This has some limitation in that all parts already printed must clear parts of the machine, and may also require larger clearance between parts for items like fan shrouds.
But printing a bunch of parts at one time does work, if the compromises in layer adhesion and other quality issues related to traveling between parts are acceptable. The only way to be sure is to print the whole lot (perhaps with a large nozzle and thick layers, low infill, etc. to minimize filament consumption and print time) and see if they're good enough.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: >
> Would this affect the model in any way?
>
>
>
Resin would be fine.
Filament is more problematic. Printing multiple items increases the chance of a problem with one eg. a failed support, impacting on the others.
You also increase the chance of stringing between items and can have problems with layer adhesion higher up the print.
Having said that.... I do it all the time, because it's just easier. The only real concession I make is that I check periodically that the first couple of layers are fine, after that I just let it do it's thing.
The only filament I do it differently is TPU because I turn off retraction, without retraction it's guaranteed stringing between parts, so when I do multiple ones I always join them into one with a couple of lines then cut the joins off afterwards.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: With a printer that has all the physical/mechanical problems worked out, and with slicing configuration tuned to make sure the slicer isn't doing anything stupid to introduce problems, printing a whole plate of parts at a time should be no problem. This is how folks use high-end CoreXY and Cross-XY printers printing more printer parts (to sell, etc.) all the time.
But if your printer sometimes has problems, doing multiple parts at a time drastically increases your risk that something will fail and mess up all the parts on the plate. And unless your printer is really fast, there's not a whole lot of benefit to plating a large number of parts together. Having to manually start a new job after a 6-hour job finishes is usually not a big deal unless you're trying to take advantage of overnights, which are an even worse idea if your printer isn't reliable. But on a fast printing setup, having to start a new job every 20 minutes rather than a plate after 3 hours is a big productivity killer, making large plates more attractive.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> I have 12 parts for a model I want to print but I would like to know if I can put all of them in a single G-code file and print that on its own.
>
>
>
You certainly can. The printer doesn't care how many parts there are. Many single parts, like those with holes, will have layers that have areas that aren't contiguous. To the printer, multiple parts look just like a single part that happens not to be connected.
That said, printing multiple parts at once means that the job will be larger and take longer, and a problem printing any of those parts can force you to stop the whole job. Because small parts have less area in contact with the bed, small parts are more likely to come loose from the bed during the print, so running a job with many small parts can be risky -- if any one part comes loose, you might lose all the time and material you put into the whole job.
One tool that can help mitigate that risk is the [Cancel Objects plugin](https://plugins.octoprint.org/plugins/cancelobject/) for [OctoPrint](https://octoprint.org). If you use OctoPrint to manage your printer, you can use the plugin to stop further work on any objects that have problems during the print and continue with the rest. [Here's a video](https://youtu.be/ANfOr2F79LQ) about using Cancel Objects.
Also, when printing multiple parts, be sure to check that you have enough material (filament, resin, etc) available to complete the whole job.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2022/08/18 | 591 | 2,242 | <issue_start>username_0: I recently purchased a spool of PETG to try working with it. I have managed to dial in most of the settings in Prusaslicer but one, in particular, is giving me a problem. As seen in the photo, the clip I printed has extra extrusion on the inside and outside. I have noticed that the nozzle will pause at the seam for about 5 secs before continuing. (The bottom is not Elephant's foot, I just didn't clean off all the brim)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/WlK7I.jpg "Photo of the front and back of a 3D printed clip showing extra extrusion")
I positioned the seam on the inside of the model. I know that the extra extrusion is caused by the seam but why would it also appear on the outside of the model?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3RwLE.png "Screenshot of the Prusaslicer Preview of the model showing the seam and retractions")
I have printed the same clip in PLA without any printing errors. What setting within Prusaslicer needs to change so I can get rid of the extra plastic on the inside and outside of the print?
[I don't know what relevant print settings are needed to solve this problem, but will edit the question when I get some guidance.]<issue_comment>username_1: Looks like **Retract at layer change** is causing this. Disable that and see. This will help you to improve the quality a lot.
It will be under retraction settings:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tdYOm.png "Screenshot of retraction settings")
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: After checking several places online, I finally got an answer in a Discord chat.
The solution was to turn off the **Power-loss recovery** setting on the printer itself.
After that was done, the print came out beautifully.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2022/08/19 | 925 | 3,079 | <issue_start>username_0: I did my homework reading similar questions, like [this](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/8296/petg-sticking-to-nozzle), [this](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7122/petg-filament-doesnt-stick-reliably-to-fake-buildtak-surface) and [this](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/722/petg-collecting-on-the-extruder).
Here a video that shows the issue:
The filament is PETG from [JAYO](https://www.amazon.it/gp/product/B08BRDT3X8/) and the printer is a Dremel 3D45.
As you can see, the filament does not stick on the buildplate. The manufacturer suggests to use 220-250 °C for the nozzle and 70-80 °C for the bed.
Here what I tried so far:
* add purple glue from Dremel
* bed temperature from 70 to 80 °C
* nozzle temperature from 235 to 250 °C (below 230 °C it does not come out from the nozzle at all)
* print speed from 50 to 70 mm/s
* nozzle gap from 0.0 to 0.4 mm (in step of 0.1 mm). The video was taken with the maximum gap. When the gap is lower, almost all the filament sticks to the nozzle
* fan speed from 0 % to 50 %
* the filament is inside a filament dryer
* clean up the nozzle
* before each print I level and calibrate the buildplate
Honestly I don't know what to do further.
From your experience what should I do to avoid what you see in the video?<issue_comment>username_1: Your nozzle is very much too high to properly print just about any filament. If the filament sticks to the nozzle after it is positioned closer to the bed, you have two problems. The first is the initial layer position, sometimes called z-offset. The second is bed adhesion.
While the bed is cool, clean it carefully using the appropriate substance for your bed. I'm not familiar with that specific printer, but a glass bed can be cleaned by just about anything, while PEI beds should not have acetone as the cleaning substance. IPA or Denatured Alcohol is pretty safe.
Once you can get a clean bed and good adhesion, bring the nozzle back to an appropriate height. 0.4 mm is the most common nozzle diameter (perhaps until lately) and will provide near zero adhesion. 0.15 is the value I use for my printer, but each printer will be different.
You don't want ropy stringy build lines, nor do you want a nozzle that flattens the filament into something you can't remove when cool. I've had too-low nozzle height in which the filament was nearly transparent and was nearly impossible to remove.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: With one brand of PETG I used 110 degrees on the build plate and 240 for the nozzle. Couldn't get a decent first layer before that.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: I agree with fred\_dot\_u, you are too far away from the bed. If you can't get it after that, I would suggest using [Bed Weld by Layerneer](https://layerneer.com/products-bed-weld-original/).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bBAt5.jpg "Product photo of Bed Weld by Layerneer")
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/08/20 | 687 | 2,700 | <issue_start>username_0: I am interested in references to designs which use a customized support instead of the slicer's default normal/tree support.
The background is this: I am making a hubcap with a 3D logo. I do not want to place the logo on the print bed because the logo will become very messy. So, I place the rim of the hubcap on the bed. This means that a lot of support is needed. With support = normal the print time taken is 36.5 hours using 290 g of filament. With support = tree the time taken is 29.5 hours using 200 g of filament. In comparison, with support = none the time taken is 14.5 hours using 115 g of filament, but of course is not practical. So, I decided to make my own support and I manually inserted it at a specified layer - just below the top disk and the logo above it. The design included some small brackets to hold the support. The time taken and amount of filament is the same as no support - about half the time & amount for tree support! Here is what the support looks like:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TfeLg.png)
I intended to snip away the mesh, but it blends in quite well with the layer above it. (Perhaps a finer mesh is easier to remove.)
I am interested to know of others who have designed customized supports.<issue_comment>username_1: In this situation I probably wouldn't use supports at all.
I'd put something round on the bed that fits the space instead.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Your question may be closed for being somewhat vague and outside the scope of the SE, but consider to view [Maker's Muse video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPijCjz9G1w) about creating alternatives to slicer-generated supports.
The video suggests creating primitives in locations appropriate to the overall design. For example, an unsupported "shelf" or "ledge" could result in a massive number of supports if left to the slicer. The MM method suggests that a small rectangular prism on the edge of the ledge turns the object from an unsupported item to a bridging solution. If the gap is excessive, multiple primitives in strategic locations would reduce the slicer-generated support.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/qgY3N.png)
Image is screen shot from linked video.
I've had to print a counterbore that I did not want to load with supports. The primitive was a simple cylinder with a diameter of 0.4 mm larger than the diameter of the hole. This created a peg attached to the edge of the counterbore, which the slicer saw as a bridging solution. Easily snapped clean after the print completed.
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/08/20 | 703 | 2,690 | <issue_start>username_0: I know that 3D printed parts can be coated in metal by painting them with conductive paint (graphite or copper seems to be usual) and then electroplating them in a commercial copper or nickel bath. The disadvantage of this process is that it does not coat insides very well, because those are not reached by the electric field.
I know that in the industry for plating ABS-parts with chrome and other metals, there is a process used where first the ABS is etched, then seeded with electroless catalytic palladium and then there are various options, for example electroless nickel or chrome.
I tried to etch both FDM printed ABS and ABS-like resin prints in NaOH, then after rinsing, dropped them in a commercial palladium activator and, after rinsing again, then in an electroless nickel bath, without any effect.
Does anyone have an idea on how to metal plate 3D printed parts (by electroless plating, meaning no electricity involved) and can shed some light on the chemicals used? I would prefer to mix them myself.<issue_comment>username_1: There is another option where the plating is done like brushing paint. The electroplating is just done a different way but has the same effect.
It's called [brush plating](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wktymv8fsus). There's a bunch of different products (none of which I have tried) and the youtube results are pretty impressive. They do need a current as it's electroplating, but you don't immerse the object, the current is through the brush etc,.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: You can use semiconductor processes like evaporation, sputtering, and chemical vapor deposition. These are expensive. Sputtering is probably the most feasable but it will have trouble with shadows.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: Good day, I have experience in applying electroless nickel on difficult 3D parts, in your case, it's exceedingly difficult to do it directly to the printed piece. You will need to seal the piece with a more benign coating that will accept the palladium activator. Also, a sensitizer before the activator is needed.
Try this.
Try your original procedure, but this time use just before the palladium activator, a stannous chloride solution (20 g per 1 L of deionized Water and 10 ml of muriatic acid), submerge the piece in the solution for 1 minute, rinse in deionized water and then place the piece on the palladium activator for 1 minute (don't rinse the activator) and then place the piece directly on the electroless nickel plating bath.
If that still does not produce good results, then you will need to seal the piece with a two-part epoxy sealer and do the process again.
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/08/21 | 1,465 | 5,225 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm very new to 3D printing. When my printer was new, I got loads of really good prints, however, now they're all failing.
I suspected that the nozzle was in bad shape, so I replaced it, but even now, the prints are still quite bad.
I suspect that the filament is not coming out properly. (extruding?)
I have a Creality Ender CR6 SE. and I'm using Overture Matte White PLA. I've tried using the default 200 °C nozzle and 60 °C print bed temperatures and I've also tried on the upper end of the recommended temperatures at 230 °C and 70 °C.
I've also tried reducing the print speed to 70 %.
Here is a picture of the first layer of a raft:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pQdGD.png)
And here's a picture of a few layers in (still of the raft):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JqnSe.jpg)
Just before this print I did an auto-level and cleaned the printbed with warm soapy water.
This is the print if I leave it going:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7TBDn.jpg)
Additional Info: I used the auto-level feature on the CR 6 SE before any of the pictures and used Cura Slicer for slicing.
When using the hairspray method, I managed to get a print out - that print is a 3D Benchy:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cdXfj.png)
Not looking too good. Also - as you can see, I used a different filament.
Using the hairspray again, I tried printing this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vN9i5.png)
But ended up with this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PSSmF.png)
**UPDATE 3**
Ok, So I've found something that's probably not a good thing and I need some advice on it. I think the problem is with the print bed. I found that it can wobble. If I put slight pressure on the front of the bed, the front goes down and the back goes up. Not by much, but there's definite give.
When I print a big circle, the left of the circle is "thinner" than it should be, unless I push down slightly on the print bed. If I do that, then the print thickness on that part of the bed seems to be correct.
However, if I keep that pressure while the nozzle goes around then the print loses adhesion. As soon as I release the pressure and the print bed goes back to what it was, then the print regains adhesion (on that side).
However, if I leave it like that, then the nozzle will be too close to the bed on the other side again.
Now I know. This is a tramming (leveling - are these words completely synonymous?) issue, but when I paid extra for the auto-leveling with the Ender CR6 SE, I paid that extra so that I wouldn't need to mess around with stuff like this. Is this money wasted?
Print nozzle too close on the left, too far on the right:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rMBag.png)
**Should I contact Creality and try to return the printer and get a cheaper one that I'm going to have to manually level/tram anyway?**<issue_comment>username_1: It almost looks like that nozzle is too far away from the bed. Try releveling your bed.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I'd be inclined to blame the filament. So my first troubleshooting measure would be to use another filament. If the problem persisted then I'd check all the belts are tight and give the printer a clean with some canned air.
This is assuming your levelling and settings are the same as when it was working ok. Not sure about this assumption because it does look as if your levelling is off for the first layer.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: The CR-6 SE uses strain gauge based sensing for the auto leveling. This implies that the nozzle itself is the probe for the leveling procedure. It is important that there is no filament left on the nozzle and no debris is on the bed (of so, this causes incorrect measurement of the bed surface and results in a too large of a gap between the nozzle and the bed).
Normally, when you replace a nozzle, you need to re-assess the distance between the nozzle and bed with the so-called "paper thickness" method.
This video of the CR-6 shows that paper is still required:
As seen from the first layer of the raft (which by the way is totally unnecessary for PLA) the nozzle is too far from the bed, you see this in balling up of filament and cutting corners where filament is dragged and not deposited. The video does show that it is required to set the Z-offset to the correct value during the printing of the first layer. It is advisable to decrease the Z-offset, alternatively you can set a Z-offset in the slicer, e.g. Ultimaker Cura has a plugin called Z-offset made by Fieldofview to set a different offset directly as slicer option.
You may also have an adhesion problem, probably caused by the incorrect distance, but an adhesive might be beneficial too.
Reprint and post a question on the quality of the print.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/08/23 | 560 | 2,253 | <issue_start>username_0: I thought the answer was ABS, but I read about how some people used it to print parts that were used in plumbing, and they failed when put under constant load, and some said that PETG is better for this application. I want to print bases for my table legs, would PETG be a better material to use?<issue_comment>username_1: It almost looks like that nozzle is too far away from the bed. Try releveling your bed.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I'd be inclined to blame the filament. So my first troubleshooting measure would be to use another filament. If the problem persisted then I'd check all the belts are tight and give the printer a clean with some canned air.
This is assuming your levelling and settings are the same as when it was working ok. Not sure about this assumption because it does look as if your levelling is off for the first layer.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: The CR-6 SE uses strain gauge based sensing for the auto leveling. This implies that the nozzle itself is the probe for the leveling procedure. It is important that there is no filament left on the nozzle and no debris is on the bed (of so, this causes incorrect measurement of the bed surface and results in a too large of a gap between the nozzle and the bed).
Normally, when you replace a nozzle, you need to re-assess the distance between the nozzle and bed with the so-called "paper thickness" method.
This video of the CR-6 shows that paper is still required:
As seen from the first layer of the raft (which by the way is totally unnecessary for PLA) the nozzle is too far from the bed, you see this in balling up of filament and cutting corners where filament is dragged and not deposited. The video does show that it is required to set the Z-offset to the correct value during the printing of the first layer. It is advisable to decrease the Z-offset, alternatively you can set a Z-offset in the slicer, e.g. Ultimaker Cura has a plugin called Z-offset made by Fieldofview to set a different offset directly as slicer option.
You may also have an adhesion problem, probably caused by the incorrect distance, but an adhesive might be beneficial too.
Reprint and post a question on the quality of the print.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/08/25 | 854 | 3,072 | <issue_start>username_0: I wanted to build a 4-wheel ground robot vehicle with a payload of 25 kg for outdoor use, but I wanted to make the frame/chassis using a 3D printer. The outside temperature ranges between 30 °C-35 °C and the humidity is 70-90%. I think the vehicle would be outside for 4 hours at a time. The dimensions of the vehicle would be about 1.0 m x 0.8 m x 0.8 m (LxWxH). From other stack exchange questions and some reading online, my choices have come down to ASA, PC, and Nylon. It's important that the printed part doesn't deform outside. I think I'm leaning towards Nylon for tensile strength, toughness, and heat deflection, but I don't know how the Nylon printed part will hold in high humidity.
Has anyone had experience with Nylon in the outdoor conditions I mentioned? Was it difficult to print a large surface area Nylon part (I'm thinking of printing with the filament directly coming out of an active dryer)? Which bed surface were you using? Would you recommend any other filaments?<issue_comment>username_1: My first choice for this would be PET. Not PETG, which is a mess of blobbing, stringing, warping, creep under load, etc., but real PET, also known as BPET (bottle PET) or HTPET (high temperature PET, because it needs high temperatures to print and has high HDT)
Unlike ASA, PC, and nylon, PET is easy to print. It does not need a heated chamber or even a heated bed (although it does a little better with the bed a little above room temperature, at 30-45°C) and you don't have to fight with warping or compensate for significant part shrinkage.
The HTPET I use is rated for high HDT, 87°C as-is, and 100°C annealed. You can probably arrange for it to self-anneal during the printing process with the right settings; I'm planning to experiment with this at some point. To give you an idea how readily it anneals, the smokestack of a Benchy tends to anneal while printing it just from the accumulation of heat in a small area.
It needs high print temperatures. 275°C is about the minimum. The manufacturer of the HTPET I used recommends 285°C for high speed, but I've found flow increases all the way up to around 320°C if you want to go faster.
It is somewhat hard to find PET filament, despite it being fairly easy to make your own from recycling bottles. I would not really recommend that for your project because it's hard to get perfect flow to simultaneously ensure precision and part strength. There are at least a few manufacturers selling it in the US and probably elsewhere though.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: The application doesn't look to be demanding at all from a material point of view. Operation below 40 °C and 70-90% RH is not that special.
Once taken out PLA for creep, most rigid filaments would work. Nylon deform under constant stress, so screws may get loose over time.
PETG, ABS, ABS+ (TitanX/niceABS are about as easy to print as PLA), ASA, ...
For ease of print, PETG or ABS+ should be fine, but ABS will deform more before breaking, while PETG tends to shatter when it breaks.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/08/26 | 1,129 | 3,712 | <issue_start>username_0: The Benchy looks good for the most part except for some boogers on the chimney
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fV2oD.jpg "Photo of a printed Benchy with zits on the chimney")
And some stringing on the bow, near the front deck.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EimB6.jpg "Photo of the top of a printed Benchy with minor stringing problems")
Here are my settings. On another roll of Inland PETG, I printed a Benchy at 30 mm/s and it came out perfect. Is there any way to improve my results at higher speeds? Maybe 4 or 5 for retraction and/or faster retraction speeds? I figure I ask before taking shots in the dark. I was told to not go below 235 °C for PETG so that seems like lowering the temperature is out of the question.
Any ideas? Below are my settings.
The printer is a Sovol Sv01 Pro (this is similar to an Ender 3 S1)
* direct drive extruder
* Creality silent board
* CR Touch
* Marlin 2.0
* hot end like and Ender 3 Pro with an MK8
* PEI sheet
* K value 2.0 - this was the factory setting
All the parts are pretty new since I bought the printer on an Amazon Prime day about a month ago.
Settings (using Inland PETG - Yellow):
* a few days ago it had a 6hr session in a filament dryer
* 235 °C nozzle
* 70 °C bed
* retraction 3.0 mm
* print speed 40 mm/s
* print acceleration 500 mm/s
* jerk 12 mm/s<issue_comment>username_1: My first choice for this would be PET. Not PETG, which is a mess of blobbing, stringing, warping, creep under load, etc., but real PET, also known as BPET (bottle PET) or HTPET (high temperature PET, because it needs high temperatures to print and has high HDT)
Unlike ASA, PC, and nylon, PET is easy to print. It does not need a heated chamber or even a heated bed (although it does a little better with the bed a little above room temperature, at 30-45°C) and you don't have to fight with warping or compensate for significant part shrinkage.
The HTPET I use is rated for high HDT, 87°C as-is, and 100°C annealed. You can probably arrange for it to self-anneal during the printing process with the right settings; I'm planning to experiment with this at some point. To give you an idea how readily it anneals, the smokestack of a Benchy tends to anneal while printing it just from the accumulation of heat in a small area.
It needs high print temperatures. 275°C is about the minimum. The manufacturer of the HTPET I used recommends 285°C for high speed, but I've found flow increases all the way up to around 320°C if you want to go faster.
It is somewhat hard to find PET filament, despite it being fairly easy to make your own from recycling bottles. I would not really recommend that for your project because it's hard to get perfect flow to simultaneously ensure precision and part strength. There are at least a few manufacturers selling it in the US and probably elsewhere though.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: The application doesn't look to be demanding at all from a material point of view. Operation below 40 °C and 70-90% RH is not that special.
Once taken out PLA for creep, most rigid filaments would work. Nylon deform under constant stress, so screws may get loose over time.
PETG, ABS, ABS+ (TitanX/niceABS are about as easy to print as PLA), ASA, ...
For ease of print, PETG or ABS+ should be fine, but ABS will deform more before breaking, while PETG tends to shatter when it breaks.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/08/26 | 1,920 | 7,343 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm attaching a picture to show my issue. I'm hoping might be an easy settings fix, or at least maybe someone has a couple suggestions I can try. I'm using an Ender 3, and the program Cura. The print on the left was printed with the opening facing up. The print on the right with the hole facing down. The support leaves a rough surface. Any suggestions for support settings would be appreciated. [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/AnkLP.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: There's only so much you can do about this without a multi-material printer that can utilize dissolvable material or material that doesn't bond to the print material, and print the supports at zero distance from the model. So expect it to be ugly. But not quite that ugly.
Slicers, including Cura, have options to control the Z distance between the support material and your model, among other things. Reducing this will make it harder to remove the supports, but will give a better bottom surface. It only really works on whole-layer granularity in Cura (while some other slicers let you do arbitrary distances), and really should always be equal to one layer. A distance of two or more layers will give really bad results, which might be what you're seeing.
Also, Cura has an option called "support interface", which you want on. This prints a flat top surface on top of the support, below your print, so that all the lines of the print have something they're resting on. Without this, the bottom surface over the support will sag down between the lines of the support and look very bad - or, if it's a small detail, it might sink entirely between lines of the support and effectively not be supported at all!
Finally, one hack you can try if you don't have a multi-material printer but want to try printing supports at zero distance from your model: set support Z distance to zero and use a slicer plugin to pause-at-height just past the top surface of the support. Then, when the printer pauses, paint a release agent that won't bond to the print material on top of the support. Reportedly Sharpie permanent markers work as such a release agent, but I haven't tried this, and there are probably better choices.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You cannot print into the air (hot filament will sag when not supported). Do remember that even with support enabled, you are printing into air. This is because there is always a gap between the print object and the support structure, the option is called `Z distance`. If there wasn't a gap, the print object will fuse to the support structure. You may want to increase fan cooling or decrease the Z distance between support and print object to get better print results, but, print orientation is also important, sometimes placing an object under an angle works. In the example you provided, it is clear that it is better printed upright (unless there is a recess at the other side).
From experience, to increase the surface above the support structure, having the option `Enable support interface` enabled will add a dense surface on top of the support structure. This surface, in conjunction with the correct gap and cooling when dialed in correctly will provide better surfaces above support structures.
---
[**Z distance** *(in Ultimaker Cura)*](https://support.ultimaker.com/hc/en-us/articles/360012612779-Support-settings)
*This refers to the distance from the top and bottom of the support structure relative to the model. This setting is divided into the top distance and bottom distance. The top distance defines the distance between the top of the support and bottom of the model and the bottom distance refers to the distance between the bottom of the support and top part of the model.*
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KMUX6.png)
*A small distance between the support structure and parts of the model is necessary in order to remove the supports easily after the model has been printed. A low value creates a smoother surface, but can also make it more difficult to remove the support properly.*
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: It is extra work, but if the overhang/recess is flat and parallel to the build plate, you can get a very nice surface finish, with a single material fdm printer. The trick is to put down a layer of blue masking tape on a solid support structure the layer before the overhang prints.
You could model in a throwaway “plug” with your model, with a 1mm horizontal gap between it and the real walls, and a single layer gap (like .2mm) vertically between the plug and the overhang surface. Or one could potentially futz with the support settings to generate a solid interface layer on top of the support and a one layer gap between the interface and the overhang.
Once sliced, you program a pause at the end of the layer before the overhang. It is good to program in few extras in the G-code: a movement to retract the filament to make it ooze less, and an X and Y G1 movement so the hotend doesn’t ooze on the model and make a lump. Last, a command to disable the X and Y motors so you can move the bed or carriage around to get it out of the way.
Once paused put down some blue masking tape over the pulg completely. press it down and make an indent where the gap is. Then cut out the plug shape in the masking tape with an exacto knife, following the indent. Now is a good time to put the glue stick on the tape.
When ready to start the print again, home the X and Y axis, and extrude some filament, since undoubtedly the nozzle has oozed out the filament in the nozzle, you don’t want it shooting blanks when you start the next layer.
It is important to go SLOW when printing over the masking tape, or it won’t stick. It is also helpful to increase the extrusion temporarily to get it to stick better. This can be done by hand, or programmed into the G-Code if you are running the job multiple times and don’t want to babysit.
When the print is done, the plug should be easily removed. A little rinse of water can get rid of any residue from the glue stick.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rZ9sF.jpg)
Here is some example G-Code of the pause, taping, and aftermath:
```
G1 Z0.980 F9000.000 ; Z step to the layer with overhang to print
G1 E0.11935 F3900.00000 ; some extruder move
G92 E0 ; extruder length reset
G1 X25 ; move nozzle away from print
M18; disable steppers
@pause painters tape ; printer pauses and displays message. Add tape, cut out. When finished, prime nozzle, remove blob with tweezers, immediately click continue
G28 X0 ;home X axis
G28 Y0 ;home Y axis
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
G1 E-1 ;retract
G92 E0
M220 S25 ; slow speed to 25%, for better adhesion to painters tape.
;remember to add command later, after tape is covered, to speed it back to 100%
M221 S150 ; increase flow rate to 150%, to adhere to painters tape. return to 100% later!
G92 E0
G1 X130.071 Y164.894 F9000.000 ; print job continues...
G1 E1.50000 F3900.00000
```
Then later on, after the layer has gone down over the tape, add
```
M220 S100 ; return print speed to 100%
M221 S100 ; return extrusion rate to 100%
```
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/08/28 | 1,110 | 4,123 | <issue_start>username_0: I want to make some prints of pressure resistants. I am currently trying to print a simple cylinder to find the best parameters to make my prints airtight (by airtight I mean, it needs to resist to 10 bar).
Here is the test model that I have made for this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IQyNO.png "Screenshot of a model for a pressure resistant")
Here are the parameters that I have changed in Cura:
* layer height: 0.1 mm
* infill : 100 %
* print temp: 250 °C (high temp to make the layers stick between them)
* wall line count: 5
* infill overlap: 40 %
* flow: 115 %
But all these changes in Cura don't give good results for ABS. It's not even airtight at 2.5 bar:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rt0B8.jpg "Photo of pressure resistant under water producing bubbles; not airtight")
And here is a mid-cut of the print :
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EkNP6.jpg "Photo of pressure resistant cut in two to show internal structure")
Do you have any ideas/suggestions to have better results? Can it be from the ABS itself? There is a sort of white powder between the layers, is this normal for ABS? Should I try using PETG? What could I change in my parameters?<issue_comment>username_1: This is going to be hard. Even holding a vacuum is hard (I've tried it and not succeeded). I'm not sure what the mechanism of air molecules getting thru the print is - whether it's defects in inter-layer bonding, defects at seams, imperfect mating with the fitting, or even permeability of the plastic itself. It might not actually be existing flaws in the print, but rather the high pressure being a stronger force than the bonded layers can withstand, essentially ripping the layers apart from the weakest point until the pressure can discharge through the opening produced.
If using ABS, you might try an acetone bath followed by a long period of trying or use of vacuum chamber to quickly remove the solvent, if you can stand some possible part deformation. This would tend to fill any gaps. Coating with low-viscosity CA glue (Loctite 420 or equivalent) might be a better version of this approach, as the solvent will both attack the ABS and deliver fill material.
In principle PET (maybe also PETG, but PET is preferable anyway if you can get it) should be a suitable material for pressure vessels, as it's what's used for soda bottles at comparable pressure, but those are blown from a single piece, not fused together with seams.
At some point I will attempt this again, and will update my answer if I have any findings that contribute to your question.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: It's very difficult to get accurate internal sizing with 3D printing for this sort of application. It's also difficult to get it airtight without some sort of post-processing. My group wrote a [paper on the flow dynamics of pressure restrictors made with 3D printing](https://threedmedprint.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41205-021-00129-1). In short, I'd suggest you use a drill or mill to produce such parts. We were using pressures < 0.1bar and still struggled to get them to seal without post-processing.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Not without postprocessing
--------------------------
FDM is pretty much welding plastic to plastic. Many many layers. Each of them is a potential breaking point, a corner for stress to arise and break the print.
Easy with a hollow body
-----------------------
Printing a hollow item that can be filled with resin is comparatively easy. Once filled with a monolithic curing resin (epoxy), that will take the pressure much better and seal it fully.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/08/31 | 847 | 3,287 | <issue_start>username_0: I am trying to create a couple of holders for my ultrasonic cleaners. They are supposed to be used for parts that don't fit in the holder that came with the cleaners. I was wondering what material is best to use for this.
My initial thoughts are:
* Material should hold up to the cleaning solution, I have a wide range of them from degreaser, deruster, and so on. I would say PETG or PLA should be a safe bet as it reacts with almost nothing
* Material should not have issues with warm (not hot) water, I'd say something along the lines of 60-80 °C. This already eliminates PLA, but I think PETG should still be OK-ish (I am aiming more towards 60 °C than 80 °C).
Is there something I am missing? Does anyone have any input? I am anyway just going to do a few tests, but I assume starting with PETG is a good start.<issue_comment>username_1: This is going to be hard. Even holding a vacuum is hard (I've tried it and not succeeded). I'm not sure what the mechanism of air molecules getting thru the print is - whether it's defects in inter-layer bonding, defects at seams, imperfect mating with the fitting, or even permeability of the plastic itself. It might not actually be existing flaws in the print, but rather the high pressure being a stronger force than the bonded layers can withstand, essentially ripping the layers apart from the weakest point until the pressure can discharge through the opening produced.
If using ABS, you might try an acetone bath followed by a long period of trying or use of vacuum chamber to quickly remove the solvent, if you can stand some possible part deformation. This would tend to fill any gaps. Coating with low-viscosity CA glue (Loctite 420 or equivalent) might be a better version of this approach, as the solvent will both attack the ABS and deliver fill material.
In principle PET (maybe also PETG, but PET is preferable anyway if you can get it) should be a suitable material for pressure vessels, as it's what's used for soda bottles at comparable pressure, but those are blown from a single piece, not fused together with seams.
At some point I will attempt this again, and will update my answer if I have any findings that contribute to your question.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: It's very difficult to get accurate internal sizing with 3D printing for this sort of application. It's also difficult to get it airtight without some sort of post-processing. My group wrote a [paper on the flow dynamics of pressure restrictors made with 3D printing](https://threedmedprint.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s41205-021-00129-1). In short, I'd suggest you use a drill or mill to produce such parts. We were using pressures < 0.1bar and still struggled to get them to seal without post-processing.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Not without postprocessing
--------------------------
FDM is pretty much welding plastic to plastic. Many many layers. Each of them is a potential breaking point, a corner for stress to arise and break the print.
Easy with a hollow body
-----------------------
Printing a hollow item that can be filled with resin is comparatively easy. Once filled with a monolithic curing resin (epoxy), that will take the pressure much better and seal it fully.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/09/02 | 668 | 2,561 | <issue_start>username_0: I am working with a bunch of Makerbot Replicator+ printers and one Z18 in a classroom. I would like my students to be able to print cups and stuff to drink from if they want. I know I need a food-safe material AND a food safe nozzle if it can be managed.
So, I wanted to check the following:
1. Is there a material data sheet for the PLA filament that Makerbots use? I am told you need to check for each color, so the general one doesn't seem to be what I need. If anyone knows where to find it, please let me know.
2. I am told stainless steel nozzles are best. I saw several sold on amazon and the like that will supposedly fit the Smart Extruders. Recs on which I should use (if any) are welcome. Especially as the nozzle width will differ, the stock nozzle I think is 0.4mm? I assume I will need to adjust the settings on the printer as well anyway if I swap out the stock nozzle.
3. Another procedure my research yielded was that I would probably want to coat the 3D prints in resin. It seems there are several food-safe brands. Would such resins stand up to acidic liquids like orange juice and the like? What about alcohol? I know they won't work with coffee or something because PLA melts as such a low temperature. Recommendations are welcome here, and whether I should paint on or dip the 3D print?
3a. Even if the PLA isn't itself officially food safe would just coating it in resin solve that problem?
Any assistance here is much appreciated.<issue_comment>username_1: A better alternative would be PETG, it's food safe on it's own and has more heat tolerance than PLA. It prints with much the same ease as PLA.
I'm not familiar with your particular printer, but nozzles are standard sizes. Swapping a brass nozzle for a stainless steel one doesn't need anything extra done. They both work the same, just the steel nozzle is harder wearing.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: FDM itself is not particularly food-safe, coating the print may prevent bacteria to settle in crevices. Furthermore, the filament should be able to withstand high temperatures for extended periods of time in case you want to clean the printed cups to kill bacteria.
An overview of food-safe filaments is given by [All3DP](https://all3dp.com/2/food-safe-3d-printer-filament-best-brands/). Without going into details, this overview recommends the use of certain TPU, nylon, high-temperature resistant co-polyester, PETG and ABS filaments. All these filaments are located at the higher-end temperature region of the filament pool.
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/09/08 | 522 | 2,035 | <issue_start>username_0: I would like to print a custom version of something akin to this rugged case that was originally created using injection molding:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/oL8JW.jpg "ea weather proofed tablet with over-molded rubber")
The outside consists of a material that is a bit softer than the main body.
It is used to protect the electronics against drops when the case falls onto the floor.
Unfortunately, I don't know which material this is, and I don't know which method I could use to measure its softness.
I would therefore like to ask if anybody has experience with such a softer outer hull and can tell me which material could be used when I want to 3D print it.
I would like to use this case in a hospital environment.<issue_comment>username_1: I do it a couple of ways.
I use TPU which is pretty good for impacts and either make it thick or stiffen it with another filament as an inside or outside shell.
But TPU is what you want for this project because it's flexible in the way you need it to be.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: TPU or TPE
----------
You are looking for a Thermoplastic Urethane or Theroplastic Elasomere. Both are types of FDM printable synthetic rubbers, which can be used to create such flexible buffers. **However** you need to properly design your casing with the correct thickness and hardness of the material in mind - you can not just take the dimensions and design from an over-molded material.
Most flexible filaments need to be printed hollow to achieve good protection for the part. In some cases, you might want to use a foaming TPU/TPE that expands and creates cushioning voids, allowing to slow the part falling down to a slow enough speed to protect sensitive circuits.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Case designers usually use TPU for flexibility and polycarbonate for stiffness
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/09/09 | 519 | 2,002 | <issue_start>username_0: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TaqNr.jpg)
When I print the gcode repeatly, under extrusion happens at the same place.
The under extrusion not only occurs on first layer. I noticed the second layer also has some part under extruded, but not at the same place as first layer, because the infill line direction is rotated 90 degrees.
I have tried the following but could not solve the problem:
1. Delta calibration (leveling)
2. z=0 gap adjustment
3. Filament flow calibration
It's a delta printer running Marlin 2.1. Slice with SuperSlicer.
The top layer doesn't seem to have under extrusion. There is even a bit over extrusion at the corner.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/XF2Bf.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: The most likely cause is that your bed just isn't flat. At least as I understand it, delta calibration is not mesh leveling, and is not there to correct for a non-flat bed, just for skew from the bed not being square with the towers or possibly other errors in the tower configuration.
Without knowing more about your printer, it's hard to know if you could add mesh leveling, but it's really a tradeoff anyway. You may be better to just adjust your Z offset so that the low points are sufficiently extruded, leaving the high points slightly overextruded.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: low-spots in the bed
--------------------
If the bed is lower in some areas, the line is not squished there and more rounded. As a result, a line appears to be "under extruded"
High-spots in the bed
---------------------
In other areas, the bed might be too high and block the nozzle - the line looks under extruded because it is too thin.
Uneven filament
---------------
When filament is uneven and below nominal diameter, those areas create a real under extrusion in the area when that area is fed.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/09/10 | 1,588 | 6,201 | <issue_start>username_0: It is difficult to describe with words what's happening, so take a look at the picture. Somehow PrusaSlicer decides to move and print in the air (blue line), where instead it can continue going from outwards to inward. I understand it wants to print first the outer layer but in this case it is obvious it will not hold that layer.
The final position is shown in the second image.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iB1fc.jpg)
The final step of that layer:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PCetc.jpg)
Any idea how to configure PrusaSlicer to avoid this situation?<issue_comment>username_1: You'll want to turn on supports, which will create a series of low density pillars in the "floating" area and provide a foundation for the layer that is printing mid-air in your second image.
Another option is to create a hollow support cylinder perhaps a half millimeter larger diameter than the hole in the floating layer. This creates the support for the inner diameter and allows the printer to create bridges.
The former method will use more filament and take longer to print but provide a better under-surface than the latter method.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: There is one way assuming the picture is complete, and that is to print the object upside down from it's current orientation. This would negate the need for any supports or worrying about printing in thin air.
If thats not possible then as Freds answer says, you need supports. If you're printing a run of the same objects you can make a support and insert it into the object at the correct layer and then re-use it for subsequent copies rather than print supports each time.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: The inability to do this is not fundamental, but it's currently a limitation in slicing software, and not likely to change soon.
You can see from [this demo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9b7Ey4LyCs) that the kind of printing you want is possible. However, it's currently only being done with software to assist in hand-crafting gcode to make the printer do what you want it to do. The hard part is making the slicer automatically figure out that that's what it's supposed to do.
For your needs, just printing from outer loop inward here is not going to suffice. There needs to be overlap, computation to compensate for the fact that extrusion lines will not squeeze out to their nominal width because there's nothing below them to extrude against, and using the overlap in the XY direction to achieve that instead. This is all new stuff slicers have just not been programmed to do.
So for now, you need supports. If you're willing to use Cura, Conical Supports or Tree Supports will let you support this with less waste material and make removal easier. Alternatively you could design your own support into the model and put it just under the hole in the middle, letting the flat part bridge. Or you could make a *sacrificial bridge layer* so that the first layer is solid bridge all the way across, and cut/drill it out after the print is done.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_4: It isn't universally applicable but I have had success avoiding undesirable sagging in some situations by printing a part in two pieces, one inverted, and gluing the two "bed" surfaces together.
The software I use (Repetier 2.2.4) includes a setting "Cut Off Object Bottom" and accepts a dimension. For some objects it's possible to choose a cutoff point that will produce two pieces without overhangs that can be joined. The image shows a simple example.
Using the cut off option makes it possible to do this without making changes to the model.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/racj0.jpg)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_5: >
> How to configure PrusaSlicer to prevent printing in the air
>
>
>
You need either support or change the print orientation.
You cannot print into the air, you can however print lines on top of a prior layer with a certain overlap, or bridge a certain gap. E.g. (screw) holes are often covered with 2 layers over the screw hole so that you use bridging to print (the cutout shows that the hole has a bottom):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/nPEbf.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/iVQ5a.png)
After printing you need to punch through the layers to open the hole.
Starting and stopping extruding in thin air will result in deposition of the extruded material on the location the nozzle crosses a prior layer (often seen when support structure pillars have fallen over).
What is used frequently together with support in Ultimaker Cura is the option called `Enable support roof`, this will create a dense top layer on top of the support interface which allows for pretty good bottom surface of the overhang.
This e.g. results in the following slice:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/QolNr.png)
When applied to a recently printed flanged tube you see that the bottom surface is pretty good (note the concentric lined top surface, first image shows the product with support, second image, on the left a view of the bottom above support layer and right the support with roof layer):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cZVtw.jpg)[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3LmGO.jpg "on the left a view of the bottom above support layer and right the support with roof layer")
>
> How to configure PrusaSlicer to prevent printing in the air
>
>
>
In PrusaSlicer you should be able to something pretty similar with `Interface pattern spacing` set to zero:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jbHQr.png)
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/09/12 | 306 | 1,120 | <issue_start>username_0: My Prusa i3 does not appear to have any sound device incorporated. I've read "[Writing G-Code: Audible Alert at end of print](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11056/writing-g-code-audible-alert-at-end-of-print)" and it seems everything needed to implement audible alerts is built into the G-code syntax and firmware but my rig appears to be lacking the necessary noise maker.<issue_comment>username_1: Possible is this an idea found at the octoprint web site?
<https://plugins.octoprint.org/plugins/pwmbuzzer/>
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I just looked in the Marlin FW `pins_RAMPS.h` where the pin assignments are located:
```
#define BEEPER_PIN 37
```
Please check for yourself. I assume you run Marlin, but my version is old and may not be correct.
As you mentioned there is no LCD on your printer so most likely this pin is free, just need to find it.
Also, just a warning, use a proper buzzer or beeper module with the onboard transistor. Do not connect a buzzer directly to the signal pin as the current draw can kill your controller.
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/09/13 | 1,170 | 4,180 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm struggling to find out an enclosed 3D printer that allow to load the common 1 kg filament bobbins. Most of the enclosed ones accept only proprietary bobbins (like Dremel or Flashforge).
Do these bobbins ( = 1 kg) rely on a specific standard I can search for?
How to filter out the printers that match my request when making a Google search?
I'm aware I can "easily" put them out of the machine using a custom support (or even directly in a dryer as I do for my Dremel) but this partially nullifies the advantage of the enclosure.<issue_comment>username_1: QIDI Tech makes a series of enclosed printers, which would narrow your search a bit. I own an X-Max model which has an internal spool spindle as standard equipment, along with an "ordinary" external mount. The internal spindle will take a standard one kilogram spool. It's considered good practice when printing moisture sensitive filament such as nylon to have such an environment.
With respect to search terms, it's fairly difficult to identify a phrase that would collect the information you require.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: There are standards for spools/bobbins/reels
============================================
Looking for standards for spools, I started at Alibaba and then came to an actual European manufacturer or retailer of reels: [Häfner](https://www.hafner-spools.com/en/products/spools/spools-for-3d-printer/). They manufacture reels for wires, which are also used for 3D printers. They helpfully provide a chart of their products from about 250 cm³ to a whooping 98454 cm³ - which is about 250 grams of ABS to in theory 98 kilos. However, typically the largest spool you will find for privates is the 300/20 K type with about 3800 cm³, which is more than enough to get a 4-kilo reel of PLA onto it. At times you might find something in the order of 8000 to 10000 cm³ for a rather heavy 8-kilo spool, though that is industrial sizing.
As this single offerer shows, spools are **very** varied, and the hub diameter of them is not standardized, but the boreholes only come in very distinct sizes.
However, **some** of the items that are sold as 3D filament spools are actually welding wire spools, for which standards exist, such as [this](https://www.nationalstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/NS-Welding-Wire-Catalog-2018-05-05.pdf) dictating "2‐1/32 inch" arbor holes.
Scale of spools is dependant on the market
------------------------------------------
Typical enclosed consumer FDM machines are small.
But spools below 1 kilo are not useful for mass-production of large parts and even then, 3 kilos is a sweetspot for handling between ease of moving and time spent changing spools. So industrial machines usually take larger spools - or propriatory cannisters/cartridges with a spool.
One of the big ones is the [Stratasys F900](https://www.stratasys.com/en/3d-printers/printer-catalog/fdm-printers/f900-printer/). It has a print-volume of 914 x 610 x 914 mm and takes "up to 500 cubic inch" cartridges, apparently the largest size of FDM Filament cartridge offered by Stratasys. For the record: 500 cubic inch weigh about 8 kilos in ABS, and about 10 kilos in PLA.
Modification of existing printers
---------------------------------
It is almost trivial to modify an existing printer that takes non-proprietary spools to allow taking in filament from the outside without keeping the door closed. A piece of PTFE tube can easily take the position of the spool inside the machine to guide the filament into the machine-mounted intake. The modification might only need a single small hole in the door for the tube or its fitting to get into the machine.
This way you mount pretty much an adapter for larger spools, but you bypass for example automatic filament detection with the spool unless you also open the door and slot in a "disk" of sorts that contains the RFID with the configuration of the mounted spool.
A random example setup, mounting the "outer intake" in an angled block at the center of the former door:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/L43i3.png)
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2022/09/13 | 1,114 | 4,173 | <issue_start>username_0: I am having some trouble with model adherence to my print bed. As shown in the attached photo, my model is pulled away at the sides leaving it bowed even though it is designed to be flat. Other than this "bowing", the model is of good quality.
The model is printed solid on an Anycubic Photon M3 Plus with Anycubic 3D Printing UV Sensitive Resin. My print settings are:
* Bottom layer count: 6
* Bottom layer exposure: 22 secs (also tried 30 secs and 40 secs with the same results)
* Normal layer height: 0.05 mm
* Normal layer exposure: 2.5 secs
* Off time: 0.5 secs
* Z lift height: 6 mm
* Z lift speed : 360 mm/sec
* Z lift retract: 6 mm
The bed is aligned. Could anyone suggest what is wrong and what I could try to remove this "bowing" effect?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/VmF9H.jpg "Resin printed model with a bowing effect")<issue_comment>username_1: Print orientation
-----------------
Your model is pulled up from the FEP film with a huge force. It releases from the film first at the corners, then progresses to the center. The force bends the model down as it is still flexible, so it creates a bent item.
This can be mitigated by reducing the area that you pull at. Commonly, you'll turn the item so the area is minimized, and you also might want to angle the item. This will cost some material in support structure, but you reduce the force on the part that can deform it in printing.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: It looks like the top of your model (The lowest part in the picture) is wider than the bottom (The part in contact with the build plate).
This means that there is a substantial lip with nothing under it to support it, or to attach it to the build plate.
If I remember my rules of force correctly (and I may not) this means that the force excerpted on the part of the object furthest from the build plate is the square of the force on the part nearest to it that's touching the build plate.
By 3D printing standards this is quite a big number. You either need to angle the model to reduce this force (Draw a triangle from the corner to the big touching the base plate, and angle it so that the triangle is as shallow as possible, or to add additional material in to make that angle as shallow as possible.
I would suggest that you don't place your model flat on the build plate, instead angle it at maybe 30 and use heavy supports.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: * It's most likely that your bed does not mechanically reach the correct position before the printer starts curing the resin. Many printers and slicer software allow setting `wait_time_before_cure` to e.g. 6 s (I don't know about your printer/slicer). That means that once your bed has presumably reached its position for curing, it waits another 6 s to settle mechanically. If your slicer software does not allow to set `wait_time_before_cure` (or similarly named) but your printer can handle `wait_time_before_cure`, you can use the open source tool [UVtools](https://github.com/sn4k3/UVtools) to do that. (Edit: I just saw [a discussion](https://github.com/sn4k3/UVtools/discussions/626) so it's basically possible with your machine even though not optimally so.)
* It's much less likely that your FEP has become less transparent towards the edges of the vat. You could fix that by putting a new FEP on.
* **Bottom layer exposure**: Once you increased `wait_time_before_cure`, you can go with something around 7 s.
* **Z lift speed: 360 mm/sec**: if the printer could achieve the acceleration necessary, it meant that your bed could jump within less than a second to the top of the rails :-) Set it to something in the order of 50 to 80 mm/s.
* Peel force is very unlikely an issue with this 3D model and orientation on the print bed. We have printed 1000 s of similar models flat on the print bed, so orientation is likely ok.
* Leveling of the bed seems ok as the peeling happens on all sides symmetrically? If it wasn't symmetrical, bad leveling might also have an influence.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/09/17 | 784 | 2,762 | <issue_start>username_0: Ender 3 Pro, everything is stock except that I swapped the magnetic sheet for a glass bed.
As the tin says, I'll get this error around a half hour into a print:
```
THERMAL RUNAWAY: E1
PRINTER HALTED
Please Reset
```
I recorded it in the act, and here's some info I've collected:
The Extruder temp isn't consistent. It's set to 200 °C (Cura default), but will often wander around in the 197 °C-202 °C range.
There are random severe spikes where it will instantly go from 200 °C to 190 °C, then climb up to 205 °C.
About 5 minutes before error, it instantly dropped from 200 °C to 170 °C, then 180 °C, then 190 °C, then chilbed back up to 200 °C.
The error popped in when the extruder was at 190 °C.
See, it seems to jump around in an odd pattern, not just smoothly transitioning to a lower temperature. This leads me to suspect it's a sensor issue.
*However*, around the time these jumps were occurring, the plastic wouldn't adhere to the plate correctly. Some parts wouldn't stick:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EV75D.png "Photo of the first few layers of a printed model with edges curling up")
Compare the bottom (printed first) to the top (printed last). A lot of edges are popping up (although the bottom isn't perfect either).
This wasn't an issue until I moved my printer to the basement (from my bedroom) for a 30-hour print. I had it running for ~14 hours straight before my first encounter with this error. The temperate difference between my room and the basement is minimal.
I also leveled the bed before re-trying, which didn't solve the issue.
I am new to this, I got the printer 3 weeks ago. Extensive googling has resulted in many different solutions, but none specific to my printer's temperature situation. I post this hoping to find clarification for myself and provide a concise description of the problem so others down the line can find the solution easier.<issue_comment>username_1: Usually this is due to a wiring issue to the thermistor (or, less likely, thermistor itself may be damaged). Check the integrity of your wires everywhere, especially at the thermistor end (easily damaged when cleaning hotends, changing nozzles, etc.).
An insulating silicone "sock" wouldn't hurt either against real temperature fluctuations, but these seem like phantom, electrically-based fluctuations.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: What worked for me was switching the voltage switch on the back of the printer from 230 volt to 115. I had missed the step during the build to switch to my power outlet's voltage.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/09/17 | 414 | 1,586 | <issue_start>username_0: After leveling the corners of the bed and doing a manual mesh bed leveling (both options on the menu LCD) I adjust the babystep Z while printing to get a perfect first layer.
Ideally, I would take note of the optimal babystep Z value and store it as Z offset, but there´s no Z offset option in the LCD menu. The only similar setting I can find is (only while printing) **Tune** > **Bed Z** but this setting doesn´t affect anything. If I adjust babystep Z I can clearly see changes in Z height but not with Bed Z.
Does anyone have any idea how to store the babystep Z value? (I´ve already tried adjusting the babystep Z and then selecting the **Store Settings** option but that doesn´t work) Or maybe how to store my Z offset value through Pronterface?
PS: I recently started 3D printing, I know how to send commands through the Pronterface terminal, but haven´t learned how to modify firmware yet.<issue_comment>username_1: Usually this is due to a wiring issue to the thermistor (or, less likely, thermistor itself may be damaged). Check the integrity of your wires everywhere, especially at the thermistor end (easily damaged when cleaning hotends, changing nozzles, etc.).
An insulating silicone "sock" wouldn't hurt either against real temperature fluctuations, but these seem like phantom, electrically-based fluctuations.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: What worked for me was switching the voltage switch on the back of the printer from 230 volt to 115. I had missed the step during the build to switch to my power outlet's voltage.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/09/18 | 1,724 | 6,288 | <issue_start>username_0: I want to print the following model on my Kobra Max using ABS.
I have uploaded it [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XMasuTVzg3MCHDd3Txi7sb-pUqEzPtE0/view?usp=sharing).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/H0zNf.jpg "Screenshot of the Cura preview for a 3D model")
I have tried it 3 times now, it always results in this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SoZMu.png "Photo of the printed model on the build plate with corners curled up")
As you can see, one part managed to break free from the support and warped upwards.
At this point, I had to stop the print process.
The element which broke free really has a strong will to bend.
What could I do in this case?
These are my print settings; bed temperature is 80 °C, and nozzle temperature is 195 °C.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/7EaSA.png "Screenshot of the Travel and Build Plate Adhesion settings in Cura")<issue_comment>username_1: You are getting warping. It's unusual in this case, as your overall model is relatively low profile. It's the taller stuff that likes to warp.
Consider to edit your post to include the layer heights and also the filament type and filament and bed temperatures. My first instinct is that your bed temperature is too low. There's little harm to be had by raising the temperature by ten degrees or so. Also if your slicer arbitrarily reduces the bed temperature after the first layers, disable that feature. There's no sense to set a good adhesion temperature on a print and later reduce it, yet I've seen slicer results that do just that.
Too cold filament by a substantial amount can also reduce the adhesion in combination with a too low bed temperature.
If you still run into adhesion problems, the Elmer's Purple Glue Stick works wonders.
With the new information comes new responses:
For ABS, 80 °C is on the low end for the bed, but may work. The extruder temp is really low for ABS. I run 250 °C for ABS. Also ensure some form of enclosure, even a cardboard box will help. I've accidentally fed ABS into a PLA profile. The results were surprisingly good, although warping was prevalent and some underextrusion was evident.
If you have a glass bed, you will very much want to use glue stick, as a release agent, not as an adhesive. ABS sticks really well to clean glass, well enough that it will pull fragments of glass from the surface!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This is definitely warping caused by subpar adhesion to the bed, you can try glue or making the bed hotter as [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/19944/) suggests.
Another way of really making sure is to take off the square corner. They seem to be really prone to warping. When I have a persistent issue that is beating the glue stick and bed heat I will add a bit to the design itself to have a rounded edge at the corner. Basically just a flat circle that goes a bit further out where the sharp corner is and just for the first few layers (frequently called mouse ears). Then during post processing I cut it off.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: ABS is a challenging material to print because it warps. It warps because it shrinks as it cools. The top layers are cooler than the bottom layers on a heated bed, so they become slightly smaller, and flat things turn happy face shape.
The real way to print big flat parts in ABS is with an insulated enclosure, that keeps the temperature up and the top layers don’t shrink enough to peel the model off the build plate. Recommended bed temperature is 100 °C, which many printers struggle with.
I have only been able to get ABS to stick to the bed with “ABS juice”, a mixture of acetone and scrap ABS filament. Wear gloves and mop some onto the bed with a paper towel or brush. Check that your print surface is compatible with acetone, otherwise you’ll have to use something milder, like gluestick.
As well as using ABS juice/glue on the print surface, use a brim. It is an extra, sacrificial layer of plastic around the model on the first layer that can help big flat parts stay stuck down. It is relatively easy to peel off by hand or shave off with a utility knife.
A brim of 10 mm is a good starting point. Nuclear option: if a print or material is really problematic you can pause the print after 3 layers or so and tape the brim down to the bed with wide blue painter’s tape.
If it is cold in your shop, a heat lamp or 100 Watt incandescent bulb near the print can keep the temperature up, if you don’t want to build an enclosure.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> What is this called
>
>
>
This is called **warping**.
Warping of prints occurs frequently when you use a filament that shrinks. If the model would shrink uniformly, it will become smaller, like in a scaled version (unfortunately, the print is attached somewhere, which causes stresses in the first layers). But, if (due to the geometry of the print) some part of the model shrinks more, the model warps. It could then bend upwards from the build plate, deform at higher layers or sometimes even crack (e.g. in between layers).
>
> and how do I avoid it?
>
>
>
* A high(er) build plate temperature
* Not use a filament that is prone to shrink, e.g. ABS is frequently replaced by PETG/NGEN/some other Co-polymer nowadays
* Decent adhesion by using everything you can image to get the filament to stick to the build platform:
+ A rough build plate surface, like e.g. BuildTak or equivalent
+ An adhesive like glue stick or specific sprays like Dimafix or equivalent
+ A slurry of ABS and acetone
* Use an enclosure to raise the temperature of the build volume
* If an enclosure is impossible, use a draft shied (basically a multi layer skirt which creates a sort of a mini enclosure)
* Use a raft
* Don't use part fan cooling
Upvotes: 3 |
2022/09/22 | 1,549 | 5,754 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm new in the 3D priting and I bought a BIQU B1 printer :-)
I printed the Pokemon with the white filament that come as a sample with the printer (PLA) and after that I bought the Inland PLA+ and PETG+ from Microcenter.
The first thing that my son asked me to print is the toaster.
Well, I tried to print three times with the PETG+ filament and always I end up after one or two layers with oozie everywhere and I had to stop printing.
I replaced the filament with the PLA+ and now it's printing correctly (It's 91% complete right now :-) )
So, I set the correct temperator for both filaments:
* PLA+ 205/60
* PETG+ 230/70
I'm thinking that for this type of object (torture toaster) it doesn't work with PETG because of the complexity.
Is that correct? If not, what I could be doing wrong with PETG+ filament?<issue_comment>username_1: You are getting warping. It's unusual in this case, as your overall model is relatively low profile. It's the taller stuff that likes to warp.
Consider to edit your post to include the layer heights and also the filament type and filament and bed temperatures. My first instinct is that your bed temperature is too low. There's little harm to be had by raising the temperature by ten degrees or so. Also if your slicer arbitrarily reduces the bed temperature after the first layers, disable that feature. There's no sense to set a good adhesion temperature on a print and later reduce it, yet I've seen slicer results that do just that.
Too cold filament by a substantial amount can also reduce the adhesion in combination with a too low bed temperature.
If you still run into adhesion problems, the Elmer's Purple Glue Stick works wonders.
With the new information comes new responses:
For ABS, 80 °C is on the low end for the bed, but may work. The extruder temp is really low for ABS. I run 250 °C for ABS. Also ensure some form of enclosure, even a cardboard box will help. I've accidentally fed ABS into a PLA profile. The results were surprisingly good, although warping was prevalent and some underextrusion was evident.
If you have a glass bed, you will very much want to use glue stick, as a release agent, not as an adhesive. ABS sticks really well to clean glass, well enough that it will pull fragments of glass from the surface!
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: This is definitely warping caused by subpar adhesion to the bed, you can try glue or making the bed hotter as [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/19944/) suggests.
Another way of really making sure is to take off the square corner. They seem to be really prone to warping. When I have a persistent issue that is beating the glue stick and bed heat I will add a bit to the design itself to have a rounded edge at the corner. Basically just a flat circle that goes a bit further out where the sharp corner is and just for the first few layers (frequently called mouse ears). Then during post processing I cut it off.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: ABS is a challenging material to print because it warps. It warps because it shrinks as it cools. The top layers are cooler than the bottom layers on a heated bed, so they become slightly smaller, and flat things turn happy face shape.
The real way to print big flat parts in ABS is with an insulated enclosure, that keeps the temperature up and the top layers don’t shrink enough to peel the model off the build plate. Recommended bed temperature is 100 °C, which many printers struggle with.
I have only been able to get ABS to stick to the bed with “ABS juice”, a mixture of acetone and scrap ABS filament. Wear gloves and mop some onto the bed with a paper towel or brush. Check that your print surface is compatible with acetone, otherwise you’ll have to use something milder, like gluestick.
As well as using ABS juice/glue on the print surface, use a brim. It is an extra, sacrificial layer of plastic around the model on the first layer that can help big flat parts stay stuck down. It is relatively easy to peel off by hand or shave off with a utility knife.
A brim of 10 mm is a good starting point. Nuclear option: if a print or material is really problematic you can pause the print after 3 layers or so and tape the brim down to the bed with wide blue painter’s tape.
If it is cold in your shop, a heat lamp or 100 Watt incandescent bulb near the print can keep the temperature up, if you don’t want to build an enclosure.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: >
> What is this called
>
>
>
This is called **warping**.
Warping of prints occurs frequently when you use a filament that shrinks. If the model would shrink uniformly, it will become smaller, like in a scaled version (unfortunately, the print is attached somewhere, which causes stresses in the first layers). But, if (due to the geometry of the print) some part of the model shrinks more, the model warps. It could then bend upwards from the build plate, deform at higher layers or sometimes even crack (e.g. in between layers).
>
> and how do I avoid it?
>
>
>
* A high(er) build plate temperature
* Not use a filament that is prone to shrink, e.g. ABS is frequently replaced by PETG/NGEN/some other Co-polymer nowadays
* Decent adhesion by using everything you can image to get the filament to stick to the build platform:
+ A rough build plate surface, like e.g. BuildTak or equivalent
+ An adhesive like glue stick or specific sprays like Dimafix or equivalent
+ A slurry of ABS and acetone
* Use an enclosure to raise the temperature of the build volume
* If an enclosure is impossible, use a draft shied (basically a multi layer skirt which creates a sort of a mini enclosure)
* Use a raft
* Don't use part fan cooling
Upvotes: 3 |
2022/09/24 | 815 | 2,749 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm using PrusaSlicer with OpenSCAD. I want to print a solid object with a notch in it, without top layers, but with infill and solid walls for the notch, like this...
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rWoz3.png "Screenshot of the preview of a 3D model in PrusaSlicer")
I can set the number of top layers to zero (**Print Settings** > **Layers and perimeters** > **Solid Layers** > **Top** = 0), which gets rid of the top layers as desired, but it also removes the base from the notch, like this...
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mdzlT.png "Screenshot of the preview of a 3D model in PrusaSlicer with no Top Layers")
Is there any way to do what I want without awful shenanigans in OpenSCAD or editing G-code?<issue_comment>username_1: I just confirmed it works flawlessly in PrusaSlicer as it did in Slic3r, the software from which PrusaSlicer is forked. Just use the solution provided in "[Different infill in the same part](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6522/different-infill-in-the-same-part/6523#6523)", but now do not change infill options but the layer options.
First load the cube with notch, and then load/insert a modifier to get something like the following (grey is the box with notch, green cube is the modifier):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jiHYw.png)
Now change the options (click on modifier and left-click to select `Layers and Perimeters` option item) of the modifier (select zero top and bottom layers):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DZNtW.png)
The sliced solution will look like what you request:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/vKsfy.png)
Note that this solution will give you an object that is exactly the height of the designed cube, it just doesn't have a top surface, but infill and walls to the top.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I would just pause at the second to last layer, remove the print and cancel it.
With Cura you can do this easily in the slicer. Or just manually do it.
I have never used Prusaslicer but all slicers must have this. For more information, see the Prusa documentation ["Insert pause or custom G-code at layer"](https://help.prusa3d.com/article/insert-pause-or-custom-g-code-at-layer_120490).
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/09/25 | 636 | 2,295 | <issue_start>username_0: I am printing Eryone 1.75 mm PET on my Kobra Max printer with 80°C bed and 230°C.
I am experiencing this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/RXv0n.jpg "Possible stringing and over-extrusion")
Is this "over-extrusion" and "stringing"?
And how do I avoid this?<issue_comment>username_1: Stringing
=========
PETG is prone to stringing, even with the best settings. Often, I live with some stringing as strings are easy to clean up while other issues can be introduced by getting totally rid of it.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: PETG sticks to brass nozzles *really well*. Better than it sticks to itself, in many cases. When travelling over already-printed material, especially if the filament is not retracted (Cura calls this kind of travel "combing") or if the material it's travelling over is overextruded and bulging up, the nozzle will pick-up/dig-up some of that material and drag it around. There, it accumulates until the size and shape is adequate to cause it to get dislodged when a part that's sticking out far enough not to be molten collides with another part of the print, and it falls off. It may get picked up again by the hot nozzle later, leading the process to repeat.
There are various mitigations for this:
* Limit "combing". In Cura, set "Max Combing Distance Without Retract" to 1 mm and "Connect Infill Lines" on to get good behavior without introducing huge numbers of retractions. slic3r-based slicers have an option called something like "Only Retract When Crossing Perimeters" that you want to turn **off** to get the same effect.
* Make sure you're not overextruding. Turn down flow slightly if needed.
* Dry your filament. PETG is always wet unless you dried it in the past 24 hours yourself, and wet PETG does this a lot worse.
* You may be able to select a nozzle that the material doesn't stick to. There are non-stick (likely PTFE) coated nozzles designed for this purpose (but they can't be used at high temperatures), and nickel plated seems to do better too. I'm not sure about other materials like stainless steel or (note: expensive) tungsten carbide but they may be options to improve this too.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/09/26 | 1,169 | 3,947 | <issue_start>username_0: I have an HBot 3D 1.1 printer (it's a CoreXY style printer, newer versions are produced by ZMorph). I think that a filament guide tube inside the hotend got damaged, resulting in decreased diameter, which means I can't push the filament through it. It stops halfway through the heatsink (black marker in the attached photo).
I need some help, I'm not sure how to disassemble this type of hotend. With my Ender 3 which I have at home, I can just unscrew the nozzle since it's simply a hexagonal nut, but here it seems that the nozzle and heat block are one part and I don't think I can unscrew the heat block and the heatsink. I'm not sure what to do.
I'm sure the nozzle itself isn't clogged. I've done some cold-pulling on one end, inserted a thin wire from the other, and examined the insides with a flashlight.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Pkoj3.jpg "Photo of the heat block and nozzle of the HBot 3D printer")<issue_comment>username_1: Not exactly the type of answer you probably want, but this hotend does not look servicable. The nozzle is usually considered a consumable part unless it's made of something like tungsten carbide, or at least steel. The nozzle is almost surely long past its useful life unless the printer was barely used, and the entire hotend has lots of design flaws like very small thermal mass and heat sink butting up against the heater block, which defeats the purpose of having a heat sink.
The right solution here is to figure out what kind of attachment it's supposed to use (dimensions of that groove mount) and buy or put together a replacement hotend.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: This is an old hotend type, it is called a [J-Head](https://www.google.com/search?q=j+head+nozzle) (see e.g. the [J-Head Nozzle Mk V](https://reprap.org/wiki/J_Head_Nozzle#Mk_V), I'm unsure which exact version you have). The hotend is serviceable, you can buy separate "nozzles" (with integrated heater block) for it in [some e-shops](https://www.123-3d.nl/3D-printer-onderdelen/Extruder/J-Head-p388.html). You should be able to unscrew the "nozzle" from the PEEK nozzle holder. The milled flat surfaces indicate that you can use a 13 mm or 1/2" open-end wrench to disassemble the PEEK nozzle holder.
The "nozzle":
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/a3MXz.png)
The instruction to assemble such a hotend are:
>
> **Mk V**
>
>
> 1. Secure the brass nozzle in a vise by the heater section.
> 2. Wrap a couple of turns of PTFE tape (plumbing tape) around the brass threads.
> 3. Screw the nozzle holder down onto the nozzle. If no flats are milled, use a pair of pliers to tighten the nozzle. The nozzle holder can be protected from the pliers by first wrapping it with a rag or paper towel. If there are flats milled, a 13 mm (1/2") open-end wrench can be used to tighten the nozzle.
> 4. Remove the brass nozzle from the vise.
> 5. Slide the PTFE liner down into the nozzle holder. The PTFE liner needs to be inserted such that the flat end is making contact with the brass and the internally tapered end is towards the top.
> Install the washer.
> 6. Screw in the hollow-lock socket set screw. Ensure that the washer stays centered while tightening this set screw. Use a piece of filament to ensure that the set screw is not too tight as the liner can become compressed and obstruct the passage. If this happens, slightly loosen the set screw.
>
>
>
To disassemble you need to reverse the order.
You need to ask yourself it you want to change to a newer type of hotend, but generally, these are higher, e.g. compared to a V6:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2XnBm.png)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2022/10/01 | 1,071 | 3,725 | <issue_start>username_0: I just purchased this Ender 3 Pro about 1 week ago and since then I've been having nightmares with leveling/tramming the printer bed. From having to tram it again after every print to not being able to level it at all.
Since then I've been reading and watching a lot of problem-related content to try and find a solution.
The two most recommended upgrades were a glass bed and stiffer springs for the bed so that's what I bought. I purchased the original Creality glass bed and the yellow springs and for a day or so I got it to work in an acceptable way but I still had to tram the bed every couple of prints.
Today for some unknown reason, I woke up and I can't seem to get my bed leveled in the middle. I've tried every possible solution that crossed my mind but the middle of the bed is still too far from the nozzle and the filament won't stick.<issue_comment>username_1: Not exactly the type of answer you probably want, but this hotend does not look servicable. The nozzle is usually considered a consumable part unless it's made of something like tungsten carbide, or at least steel. The nozzle is almost surely long past its useful life unless the printer was barely used, and the entire hotend has lots of design flaws like very small thermal mass and heat sink butting up against the heater block, which defeats the purpose of having a heat sink.
The right solution here is to figure out what kind of attachment it's supposed to use (dimensions of that groove mount) and buy or put together a replacement hotend.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: This is an old hotend type, it is called a [J-Head](https://www.google.com/search?q=j+head+nozzle) (see e.g. the [J-Head Nozzle Mk V](https://reprap.org/wiki/J_Head_Nozzle#Mk_V), I'm unsure which exact version you have). The hotend is serviceable, you can buy separate "nozzles" (with integrated heater block) for it in [some e-shops](https://www.123-3d.nl/3D-printer-onderdelen/Extruder/J-Head-p388.html). You should be able to unscrew the "nozzle" from the PEEK nozzle holder. The milled flat surfaces indicate that you can use a 13 mm or 1/2" open-end wrench to disassemble the PEEK nozzle holder.
The "nozzle":
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/a3MXz.png)
The instruction to assemble such a hotend are:
>
> **Mk V**
>
>
> 1. Secure the brass nozzle in a vise by the heater section.
> 2. Wrap a couple of turns of PTFE tape (plumbing tape) around the brass threads.
> 3. Screw the nozzle holder down onto the nozzle. If no flats are milled, use a pair of pliers to tighten the nozzle. The nozzle holder can be protected from the pliers by first wrapping it with a rag or paper towel. If there are flats milled, a 13 mm (1/2") open-end wrench can be used to tighten the nozzle.
> 4. Remove the brass nozzle from the vise.
> 5. Slide the PTFE liner down into the nozzle holder. The PTFE liner needs to be inserted such that the flat end is making contact with the brass and the internally tapered end is towards the top.
> Install the washer.
> 6. Screw in the hollow-lock socket set screw. Ensure that the washer stays centered while tightening this set screw. Use a piece of filament to ensure that the set screw is not too tight as the liner can become compressed and obstruct the passage. If this happens, slightly loosen the set screw.
>
>
>
To disassemble you need to reverse the order.
You need to ask yourself it you want to change to a newer type of hotend, but generally, these are higher, e.g. compared to a V6:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/2XnBm.png)
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2022/10/02 | 908 | 2,970 | <issue_start>username_0: In a review for a certain filament I read that somebody recommended "[a feeding rate of 105%](https://www.amazon.de/gp/customer-reviews/RVMUN4CW9ZLKX/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B01080YND6)".
What does he mean, and how could I set this in Cura?
When I search for "*feed*" in the print settings properties of Cura, nothing is found, so I suspect he means "*speed*".
When I search for speed, multiple speed settings turn up, not only one.
How could I do what he recommended?
Thank you!
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DoQ2L.png)<issue_comment>username_1: [Extruder] feed rate [modifier] is used synonymous to extrusion multiplier
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The feed rate of the extruder is the rate at which filament is pushed (fed) into the hotend. An overwrite value that modifies that rate from the normal rate is in most slicers called "extrusion multiplier".
It is a *quickfix* to manipulate print behavior, especially addressing under extrusion due to various problems, such as mis-sized filament or to compensate for deformability of it compared to the filament the extruder is calibrated for.
It is however not a permanent fix. See also [here](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11074/why-and-how-am-i-supposed-to-change-the-extrusion-multiplier?noredirect=1&lq=1), [here](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6968/slicer-line-width-vs-extrusion-multiplier-for-layer-adhesion?noredirect=1&lq=1) and [here.](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/8382/isnt-using-the-extrusion-multiplier-like-cheating/8384#8384)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: In the context of the linked source (in German *"Die Feeding Rate sollte mit 105 % eingestellt werden"*), with *"a feeding rate of 105 %"* is meant the extrusion multiplier (there is no reference in the source to Cura). This is explained in [this answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/20006). The answer is correct for the translation, but should have warned for the incorrect wording. Technically, *feed rate* is **not** a synonym for *extrusion multiplier*.
The source is wrongly using the term *"feeding rate"*, feeding rate is the rate at which all steppers are scaled, not solely the E (extruder) stepper.
In G-code this is found to be the `F` parameter, e.g. in `G1 F1200 X76.468 Y148.947 E0.0264` the feed rate of 1200 mm/min is applied on all steppers, in this example X, Y and E. Changing the feed rate changes all speeds for all steppers simultaneously. This is found in G-code [`M220`](https://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M220.html).
The extrusion multiplier (or known as *"Flow Percentage"*) only acts on the E stepper motor, this is not reflected in the G-code, but adjusted in the firmware planner. The G-code to adjust the flow percentage is [`M221`](https://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M221.html)
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/10/04 | 1,104 | 4,364 | <issue_start>username_0: I am new to 3D printing. I have a Longer LK5 Pro. I was making a part that has raised letters, and wanted to have white letters on the black part. I used a Post Processing script on the Cura program called "change filament", which is supposed to stop printing, retract the head, and allow you to change the filament. Mine just keeps on printing. I've tried "pause" and done the filament change, but unsuccessfully so far because of blobs deposited on the letters.
Any suggestions?<issue_comment>username_1: I've done it a few ways depending on the desired effect I'm after.
Manually pausing the machine is what seems to come out best. If you design for it, you can sometimes have it pause while it's over infill and therefore has no blobs to worry about. I haven't looked into doing it automatically, but perhaps it's possible to pause partway through a layer.
If the design doesn't have to be flat, then I'll do a solid colour and the last top layers another colour with the design cut out. This is to my mind optimal as you get a bit of texture with the design inset as well as different colour and makes for a nice clean method.
The other way was z-hopping which is an idea I got from a Youtube video. Cura has a setting for this. Basically you can make the nozzle lift when it moves. You split the colours into two separate objects and you print in one colour. Then you change filament and print another colour as a separate print right over the top of it and the nozzle hops over the original print.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Manually pause and immediately do an X-home or Y-home so nozzle is not over the work. Swap filament. Repeat an X-home and a Y-home to assure printer knows where the nozzle is (it's possible to disturb the print head position while changing filament). Manually turn on extruder heater if it's off and allow to reach printing temperature. Advance filament to purge old color and assure heating chamber is filled. Resume.
It works pretty reliably for me...
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Vp6wa.jpg)
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: I found that raised letters look and work better when picked-out using paint or permanent marker.
Print your lettering in your part but don't even bother changing filament. Instead carefully use a marker pen or paint brush to colour in the top of the lettering. Depending on the paint you might choose to do several layers.
Nail polish is an excellent paint option - it comes in a plethora of colours and the budget stuff works fine. Gold/silver/metallic "art markers" give a nice look on black or white PLA too.
Note, white/light filament jobs may encourage pigments to track between the layers, giving a shadow look. Test before committing.
When dry, you might chose to do a clearcoat of spray paint on top for durability.
IMO changing filament colour is a feature that doesn't work very reliably.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Cura's "Filament change" post-process script relies on the insertion of the G-code [`M600`](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M600:_Filament_change_pause). This only works when your printer manufacturer has activated this in the firmware!
The Marlin default is that the `M600` command is not functional, see e.g. the following [line of code](https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/blob/bugfix-2.1.x/Marlin/Configuration_adv.h#L2625) of the advanced configuration file:
```
//#define ADVANCED_PAUSE_FEATURE
```
In order to enable the functionality to "add" the `M600` code to the firmware you need to rebuild the firmware by removing the `//` in front of the `#define ADVANCED_PAUSE_FEATURE`. This may require some additional skills to do, downloading firmware, setting the proper settings in the configuration for your specific printer model, compiling and installing the firmware.
The alternative is manual pausing from the display, but this requires you to be present at the printer.
Another alternative is that you alter the G-code yourself to insert a dwell code ([`G4`](https://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/G004.html)), which can be supplemented by a move away from your print), note this requires you to also sit next to the printer, the dwell command will allow for a pause for a specified amount of time, be sure not the miss the window.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/10/06 | 654 | 2,382 | <issue_start>username_0: * Printer: Kobra Max
* Nozzle: 0.4 mm
* Material: PLA
* Slicer :Cura
I have printed 1 model 3 times with different settings (different temperatures and different bed temperatures).
* Try 1: 190 °C / 50 °C
* Try 2: 210 °C / 70 °C
* Try 3: 230 °C / 50 °C
All 3 models show 1 "line" at some point.
The models are smooth all around, but then there is this 1 line on each model.
What is this error called, please?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zmV36.jpg "Photo of three printed models with the same printing error")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x8b7D.png)<issue_comment>username_1: This is the Z-seam, or just "seam". It's a consequence of the fact that the extrusion of each layer has to start and stop at some point rather than being a continuous path for the whole print (like it would be in "vase mode").
Depending on your retraction speed and distance, travel speed, linear advance/pressure advance tuning, and various slicer-level knobs, the seam can range from mild and nearly imperceptible to a giant bulge to a gaping hole in your print. Yours doesn't look terribly bad.
Most slicers (you didn't mention which you're using; knowing that could help get better answers) have options to control where they position the seam, letting you hide it in corners where possible or put it consistently along one edge of the model you don't care about.
Upvotes: 5 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I had the same concern to make mechanical connections where we tolerate a distance of 0.1 mm and these so-called "sewing points" making it impossible. I started to compare between the preview before printing in the slicer and the part printed before.
The problem is recurrent along a vertical line and always repeats itself at the same point. So by looking to the layer settings, there is a junction between the outer and the first inter shell. This junction could be avoided by modifying the "shell print order" parameter.
Here is a video shows the difference abd before / after picture. The line remains visible but the points disappear completely. You can set the layer height to 1.2 mm for better results.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/10/06 | 1,487 | 5,617 | <issue_start>username_0: * Printer: Kobra Max
* Nozzle: 0.4 mm
* Material: PLA
* Slicer :Cura
I have printed 1 model 3 times with different settings (different temperatures and different bed temperatures).
* Try 1: 190 °C / 50 °C
* Try 2: 210 °C / 70 °C
* Try 3: 230 °C / 50 °C
All 3 models show a seam.
How / where do I best hide this seam?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/zmV36.jpg "Photo of three printed models with the same printing error")
These are some screenshots of the model in Fusion 360:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/x8b7D.png)<issue_comment>username_1: There are a bunch of possible causes for the seam. But the main one is retraction.
In Cura the main setting affecting this is under '**Travel**'.
In the '**Travel**' settings is '**Enable retraction**', and '**Retract at layer change**'.
Retraction pulls the filament up and it doesn't make such a noticeable seam.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: In the Cura settings, search for "seam". This will then display the options to adjust those settings.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xBDzm.png "Screenshot of Cura settings for 'seam'")
Make the following adjustments:
* **Z Seam Alignment** to **User Specified**
* **Z Seam Position** to **Back**
* **Seam Corner Preference** to **Hide Seam**
This will position the seam to the best possible position both inside and out.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/aVo99.png "Screenshot of Cura's Preview for a model with the seam shown in white")
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: With cylindrical objects you cannot hide the seem (as there aren't sharp corners to hide the seam), unless the parts are oriented always facing a certain side.
There are 3 options, one is to face the part with the view you want to display and put the seam at the back with a slicer option, or two, fiddle with the retraction settings to minimize the seem as much as possible, or three, randomize the seam (but this generally doesn't look very well).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_4: There are 5 Ways to deal with seam placement
============================================
2 ways to place seams deliberately with `Z seam alignment`: *User specified*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
* `Seam Corner Preference`: *sharpest corner* - this is good to get the seams to one corner, and for boxy prints can make them invisible even. However, this fails for cylinders, as it needs a corner that is discernable sharper than others.
* `Seam Corner Position`: Choosing a direction - this fails to remove the seam for cylinders for the same reason, but can help if one side isn't seen usually.
1 way to distribute the seams and *blend them in*
-------------------------------------------------
* `Z seam alignment`: *random* - by distributing the Z-seams randomly, the whole print looks uniform, but you also have the bulges all over the build.
Vase mode is seamless
---------------------
By activating `Vase Mode`, the print is automatically printed with a single, continuous shell made from a single, spiraling line. However, such prints can't have overhangs at all and are very thin, making them unusable for most technical applications.
Postprocessing can remove seams
-------------------------------
The most common way is to put the seam on a surface where it does not hurt, and then remove it after the print with either a sharp knife, scraper, sandpaper, or needle files. In most technical usages, sanding and smoothing over the layer lines is beneficial anyway, so removing the seam in the same step often isn't too much an extra problem.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_5: Hiding the seam isn't really possible when the object is rotationally symmetric. The closest you can get is hiding it "statistically" by distributing the seam randomly so it's fractionally-bad everywhere rather than fully-bad in one place. Depending on your needs, this might be good, or it might be awful. If you're hoping to clean up the seam in postprocessing, it's probably awful since there's not just one isolated point that needs fixing with a razor blade or something, but the whole print surface.
One thing you can try, though, is turning on *wipe*. In Cura this is "Outer Wall Wipe Distance". Setting it to 1-2 mm can go a long way to concealing the seam, especially if it's not bulging from ooze, which yours doesn't seem to be. Combined with random distribution, this might come out looking pretty good for your particular need.
In general, how to deal with seams depends on whether the problem is cosmetic or functional. I'm assuming in your case it's cosmetic, but if it is functional (affecting fit of mechanical parts together, making a printed gear rotationally asymmetric, etc.) then one trick you can do is make an artificial *cut* into the surface at an arbitrary point and selecting to put the seam on the sharpest corner. This can help ensure the entire print fits inside the intended print volume, and is only missing a small amount of material on a scale smaller than the functional scale of the print.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/10/07 | 763 | 3,122 | <issue_start>username_0: I need to build me a small support wall 250x80 cm mounted on two metal supports approximately 200 cm apart.
I was looking into WPC (Wood Plastic Composite) boards and then it hit me that I may be able to make it functional AND pretty with my 3D printer (Prusa MK3S + MMU2).
However, I have zero idea on how to calculate whether the board will be able to handle the weight of the soil I would shovel behind it, if at all.
My current design proposal is to make a hexagon mesh of PETG filament. The hexagons would have cylinder cutouts in all three directions, through which I would then hammer in cylinders to bind them together. Perhaps even some edge contours so that they fit perfectly.
But, my problem is that I don't know how to calculate the strength of such a solution (or any other).
Is this even a viable idea?
The filament type needs a bit more explanation:
My current proposal is PETG since I read that PLA will become brittle with time (as I can attest to myself having to replace my flag pole holder every 3 - 4 years)
I don't want ABS since I have horrible experience printing it.
I did not find anything of particular use when searching for "3D print load-bearing" on this site and similar with Google searches...<issue_comment>username_1: Calculations such as you want are not possible in my opinion except in such general terms as to be useless. Differences in layer height, layer adhesion, print quality and what heat you printed the item would all affect the physical properties.
Since it's not a manufactured item with known properties but a unique one. You would have to print and test it yourself.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: You could print a decorative layer that attaches to the WPC board.
It would be faster and cheaper, and there'd be no doubt about its strength.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Here are some general issues with load bearing 3d prints for this type of usage:
* If this is to be used outside, plastic has issues with both water and UV exposure making it brittle. PETG does better on both of these areas than either PLA or ABS.
* Plastic generally does better with compression than with shear or pulling. In other words, hanging something from plastic might not work well but it might work as a bottom support or in a situation where it is squeezed rather than pulled.
* Even if the plastic appears strong enough initially, it may "creep" where the plastic deforms under stress over time. This applies to all three of compression, shear, and pulling.
* To optimize for strength, print direction is critical. You want to make sure that the stress will not be trying to shear print layers. Also (for any material, not just 3d printed plastic), curved shapes are stronger than square corners. A fillet instead of a corner makes a big difference, but more extreme curves are even better.
* If you are going to make this out of modular pieces joined with a second material, it is very hard to characterize the strength of the resulting composite, but generally it is stronger than using a single material.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/10/08 | 390 | 1,518 | <issue_start>username_0: I just got an Ender 3 S1 Pro and I've done a few prints using fairly stock settings out of Cura. A few minor tweaks to Layer Height and Start temps. I've done some research but can't really find an example of this issue. If someone can give me some insight, that would be very helpful.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/yMDo8.jpg "Photo of a 3D printed rabbit model with a printing error partway up the model")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SxbEa.jpg "Photo of a calibration cube with a printing error partway up the model")<issue_comment>username_1: If this defect is present in all your printed models, there most likely is something wrong with the mechanics of the printer. Check the rollers, the vertical posts and the screw. Make sure sure everything runs smoothly. Also look out for hitting external object near the printer like e.g. spool holders.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I had exactly the same problem, every print has had the same defect.
What solved it for me was calibration. I calibrated the printer once, it was already better, then I calibrated it another time and it was gone.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/10/09 | 386 | 1,426 | <issue_start>username_0: I experience some lines on my prints. However, I would not really call them "stringing".
I have seen some stringing and it was rather like an undefined spider web.
But the lines that you see in my photo are super straight and fine.
Are they called "stringing" too? And how do I get rid of them?
Specs:
* Printer: Kobra Max
* Nozzle: 200 °C
* Bed: 50 °C
* Filament: GiantArm PLA
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/W0uJF.png "Photo of print bed with faint filament lines that don't look like part of the printed model")<issue_comment>username_1: They're caused by filament being pulled during travel so they qualify as stringing.
You need to look at your retraction and heat, speed as well makes a difference. You can try combing and other things or just pull them off.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: You should provide a better picture, i.e. a finished print.
Stringing is generally something you don't worry about - adjust your retraction settings a tiny bit to retract more.
I didn't see what software you used, that will help with where the settings are.
Also the plate is very different from the rest of the layers, it could just be a leveling issue.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/10/13 | 1,327 | 4,966 | <issue_start>username_0: If I am 3D printing on my Ender 3, and I pause the print, the extruder lets out more filament for like 2 seconds. This leaves a glob of dry filament on my print, which the could contact the nozzle tip, causing it to slide the build platform.
I have fixed the build platform sliding problem by attaching the included clips. However, another problem remains. Once the glob is made, the filament dropped on top of it gets pushed up, making the print not be even, which ruins the print. I don't think I did anything wrong on the setup, but it might just be that the extruder doesn't stop in time? Did I do anything wrong is is this an issue among all Ender 3s?
* I use the Creality Ender 3<issue_comment>username_1: It extrudes after a print to replace any filament that may have drooled out while it was paused.
Quite possibly it is extruding much more than necessary, and ideally, it would clean the nozzle after dong an extrusion like that. However, the stock ender3 doesn't support automatic nozzle cleaning, so that's not exactly an option.
Personally, I keep a long tweezers near the printer, and just grab the free space extrusion when it does this and clean the nozzle manually with the tweezers. It takes a little bit of care and speed to do this without causing other damage, however.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I had this same issue, it's just how it works.
I solved it by pausing over infill, so when it resumes the blob is not visible. You can grab the filament with something as well, but it takes good timing. If you just pause/resume over infill then it doesn't matter.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: A hot nozzle will leak out material (called oozing) if the filament is not properly retracted or if pressure has build up in the path from the extruder up to the nozzle (typically in Bowden tube setup extrusion).
[Pausing a print on an Ender 3](https://all3dp.com/2/ender-3-change-filament-mid-print/) can be performed by two different methods, a manual pause invoked by the menu of the printer display, or, a G-code pause (note that the filament changing G-code is used instead of the dedicated filament pausing G-code `M601` which is generally not supported).
In case of the latter option, a G-code ([`M600`](https://reprap.org/wiki/G-code#M600:_Filament_change_pause)) can be used to pause and retract, use the same filament to continue, this way it is considered a pause.
A word of advice from All3DP.com's article "[Ender 3 (V2/Pro/S1): How to Change Filament Mid-print](https://all3dp.com/2/ender-3-change-filament-mid-print/)":
>
> The above script uses the M600 command to function, but this command may not be registered by your printer’s firmware. In our experience, the M600 command was successfully registered by the Ender 3’s original Creality (Marlin-based) firmware – indeed, according to Creality’s GitHub for Ender 3 firmware, the M600 command is programmed. However, if you have an older model of Ender 3, the feature may not have been activated in the firmware.
>
>
>
To prevent the blob you can use the [answer](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/20062/) provided by [username_2](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/users/31811/kilisi) of try to use the second method using G-code (if you know when you need to pause, e.g. to [insert something into a print](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/10587/how-to-pause-a-print-to-insert-something-in-a-cavity-using-ultimaker-cura), your question doesn't state what the reason for the pause is).
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: Working pause-and-resume without damaging the quality of your print depends on the printer doing a lot to preserve the primed/ready-to-print state of the printer and avoid heat damage to the part you're printing and to the filament, and on your using **very well-dried filament**. If any of these requirements aren't met, you're going to have a bad day.
In particular, the printer needs to do extra retraction (at least an extra 10 mm, probably more like 20+) to get the filament completely out of the melt zone while paused, and needs to quickly move the nozzle away from the print so as not to melt it. If this is done right, unretracting by the same amount just when starting will get you back to the necesssary nozzle pressure to resume extrusion nearly uninterrupted. Marlin firmware *can be configured* to do this right, but I doubt it's done right in the version of the firmware shipped with your printer. You didn't describe what happens in detail when you pressed pause, but it sounds like this isn't happening, so it's likely doing just a "dumb pause" in-place.
If you really want good pause functionality, you probably need to investigate customizing the firmware. This is not terribly difficult, but also not dead simple, and can go badly wrong if you mess it up. You'd need to weigh these risks against how much you want the functionality.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/10/13 | 445 | 1,630 | <issue_start>username_0: Pretty new to 3d Printing. Ultimaker Cura as my Slicer. I have the Ender3 3d Printer.
I have a model from Hero Forge I'm trying to print. I added some caltrops on the base but when I go to print the figure, my Ender3 won't finish the caltrops/smaller items and won't finish the figure. It will basically just go through the motions lol.
Here's an example of it happening on the base of my Figure.
This is the mockup and afterwards is basically where it stops and the filament either just stops coming out or the nozzle moves around the filament that actually does print.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/UWp3p.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gIME4.jpg)
Here's an example of something similar happening to Pikachu's ears.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MAR24.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: I suggest you try again with another filament. It looks like your nozzle is either clogging or your filament is slipping. There could be multiple reasons why, but the easiest first troubleshooting strategy is to change filament because it can rule out half the reasons.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Resolution is limited
---------------------
You are printing with FDM. FDM is limited in printing detail by its nozzle diameter: you can not print something that is much smaller than your nozzle diameter. A typical nozzle is 0.4 mm in diameter. Your figurine? That is too thin and fragile.
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/10/20 | 1,227 | 4,435 | <issue_start>username_0: Can someone shed some light in why FDM (Fuse Deposition Modelling) is not possible with metals?
Has anyone attempted any experiments with it?<issue_comment>username_1: For many metals you would need to run the hotend around 1000 °C. Aluminum melts at a lower temperature but needs to be in an inert atmosphere, such as argon. Solder melts at the right temperature, but tends to stick to most metal nozzles. It would start dissolving a brass nozzle thus enlarging the nozzle opening. Lockheed has a titanium alloy printer that melts powder with a laser. I would assume they need an inert atmosphere since titanium reacts with nitrogen as well as oxygen.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Yes, it is possible and it's done all the time. It's more commonly known as welding.
We did TIG welding on our Hyrel printers back in 2017.
Note: I work for Hyrel.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: [It is completely possible,](https://all3dp.com/1/fdm-metal-3d-printing-makerbot/) there are 3d FDM printers that could do that with the Ultrafuse 316L. You could print filament that has metal in it, you just need a special nozzle for that. The pure metal-printing printers use an industrial heater/extruder that can reach up to 230 °C.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_4: I have tried some stuff. It depends what problem you're trying to solve.
You can get metal infused filaments, both aluminium and copper infused filaments print fine. But since there's plastic as well you don't get the nice properties like conductivity.
If you just want some of the properties then electrolysis might be the better choice of technology.
If you want robust parts then as far as I know the traditional methods are the best as the metals properties are constant or controlled.
Something like cnc welding layers on layers wouldn't make sense in terms of cost and predictability I would think. You'd need too much heat and it's unlikely to be as strong as traditional metal forming. It has been used for a long time to spot weld, but not build up layers as far as I know.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_5: First of all, it is possible in multiple ways:
Computer-controlled-Welding
---------------------------
The most akin to FDM is using an automated MIG-welder, building up weld beads upon weld beads using an arc to melt the metal and keeping the puddle in position by carefully low speeds and coordinated movements. With a little ingenuity, even a TIG could be used, if you manage to feed the filler rod.
Converting a MIG is possible even on a hobbyist scale, as this [hackaday 2021](https://hackaday.com/2021/06/27/turning-a-mig-welder-into-a-metal-3d-printer/) article shows. However, research into something like that is in research since [at least 2018](https://3dprint.com/226829/researchers-develop-low-cost-metal-3d-printer/), and Hyrel experimented with a [TIG setup](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azFY-IqDB_0) in 2017.
The items created this way have a rather rough surface, yet they do have upsides: The created metal is easily machineable and can reduce a lot of waste. It might not beat machining from bar stock at the moment, but it can beat steel casting in price, though not in quality. However, automated welding also has the chance to have defects. In some applications, it is used industrially, for example, to manufacture specialized stock for machining with minimal waste or from a special material.
Oh, and it is even rather simple to repurpose 3D welding robots to 3D Weld a gap closed bead to bead, akin to how you'd 3D print in FDM.
[Metal Filaments](https://all3dp.com/2/3d-printer-metal-filament-for-real-metal-parts/): BMD
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There are filaments that contain about **80%** of metal powder. These **highly abrasive** filaments contain a binder that is thermoplastic. You can print on a somewhat modified machine with those. That's called BMD - Bound Metal Deposition. This method is industrial by 2022, and often post-processes the part to remove the binder.
Usually, this post-processing is done in a kiln or sintering oven, melting or cross bonding the metal between layers more than with the plastic binder, and simultaneously at times burning out the binder. This technique exist since at least 2018, as [this answer shows](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/6623/8884).
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/10/20 | 527 | 2,133 | <issue_start>username_0: From my understanding of FFF 3D printing, the glass state is usually used to heat the bed for better first layer adhesion. Other than that, does the extruder keep ex:PLA in a glass state for any reason?
Is the transition of the filament straight from solid to liquid for extrusion without any real regard for the glass state?<issue_comment>username_1: The transition from solid to liquid is the important part.
The bed is heated for adhesion and kept heated for the same reason, but the extruder is a lot hotter and just performs the task of solid to liquid, the fans and ambient temperature cool it to solid.
Once a layer is solid it will heat up again when the next layer goes on it both from heat radiating from the nozzle and the liquid plastic going on it. This should give better layer adhesion.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: *Note that the extruder feeds filament it doesn't heat anything, you don't want heat in the extruder. The hot end is the part that adds heat well over the glass temperature.*
The [glass transition temperature](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_transition), the temperature where the material transitions from a brittle "glassy" state into a viscous or rubbery state, is always lower than the melting temperature. This temperature is of importance for adhesion to the bed; in a rubbery state the stresses are much lower than in a brittle state.
>
> Is a thermoplastic's glass state relevant for 3D printing extrusion?
>
>
>
* No, the glass transition temperature is not directly important for the extrusion, the extrusion temperature (where the filament is fluid enough for deposition and adhesion) is much higher than the glass temperature.
* Yes, the glass transition temperature may play a role in the hot end in case of heat creeping up the cold end (usually some kind of radiator or heat dissipating element; usually connected through the heat-break), but not necessarily in melting the filament for extrusion. Heat creeping up with excessive retraction may cause filament to (partially or fully) clog and as such influence the extrusion.
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/10/25 | 1,304 | 4,477 | <issue_start>username_0: I have an Ender 3 Pro modded with the Hero Me Gen 6 air ducts, installed a Creality 4.2.7 mainboard, and updated Marlin firmware to the latest for now 2.1.1 version. I'm printing with PLA only.
It was printing well enough. The nozzle started to wear down so I replaced the nozzle (standard brass one) but also upgraded the heatbreak to a bi-metal one (not all-metal, there is still a plastic tube inside the heatbreak) and a heatblock (standard goldish Creality block). And since that moment, the printer fails to print with good quality starting the second layer
What I tried:
* recalibrated it with a gauge of 0.2 mm and the first layer is perfect (did not know that could be a thing :))
* updated firmware
* tried to tighten screws (as it is recommended [here](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5503/has-anyone-encountered-this-type-of-strange-print-patterns))
* adjusted Z-axis steps/mm
* another filament
I can't figure out what causes that thing.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/NpYMj.jpg "Photo of the first two layers of a printed model; the second layer looking very different")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/NPZVO.jpg "Upclose photo of the printed model showing the difference in the two layers")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SKahg.jpg "Zoomed in photo of the printed model showing the detailed differences in the two layers")
edited 2022-10-25 23:41
I think it is overextrusion. I tried reprinting object. The first layer was perfect, but second was poor again. There was no difference with cooling or without, no difference printing slower. But flow rate did matter:
1. 100% flow rate
2. changed to 85% flow rate
3. changed to 75% flow rate
4. changed to 100% flow rate
5. changed to 75% flow rate
Maybe it is prusa slicer doing its thing. I will try Cura. The only thing that bothers me is that diagonal scratch - that is from the nozzle which makes me think it is too low for the second layer
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/j0wWW.jpg "Difference of other flow rates")
edited 2022-10-28 15:53
It's not a slicer thing. I sliced object with Cura and got pretty much the same result. I babystepped z-axis during the print to get nice result. So I think it is either z-axis motor not stepping enough or I need to lower extrusion multiplier in slicer. I will print calibration cube to check if z-axis motor steps up enough
edited 2022-10-28 18:34
Printed calibration cube. Turns out my z-axis steps were off. Model was 19.66mm instead of 20mm. I tuned steps to 407 from 400. That helped a bit (model is 20.02mm now) , but still the same ugly overextruded result. Tried to lower extrusion multiplier to 0.8 and still got the same bad result
edited 2022-10-30 22:11
It is neither nozzle nor heatbreak tube. I checked it using my old hardware. Maybe it is somehow connected to firmware... Or E-steps are off while printing<issue_comment>username_1: I would go back to the brass nozzle and try again for comparison.
We had a batch of 10 cheap steel nozzles all of which caused problems.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I think the answer is printing temperature. This shiny PLA I'm using is Eryone Silk PLA. Although the working temperature is stated as 190-220 °C, my 205 °C was too much for it. A temperature of 190-195 °C produces good results though not as shiny anymore. It is three layers printed on the sample below with no problems.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tJP8x.jpg "3D printed sample printed with 195 degrees Celsius and showing no printing errors")
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/10/26 | 545 | 1,825 | <issue_start>username_0: I want to buy my first FDM printer, to print household items and wearable gadgets too big for my LCD resin one. Due to financing & tax reasons, what I'll buy now is what I will have for at least a year.
I was thinking about [Prusa i3 MK3S+](https://www.prusa3d.com/product/original-prusa-i3-mk3s-kit-3/), and [MMU2S](https://www.prusa3d.com/product/original-prusa-i3-mmu2s-upgrade-kit-for-mk2-5s-mk3s-org/) looks really interesting and useful, especially to print water soluble supports. However, after reading reviews I hardly can justify buying it.
I have some technical experience, can make some things and once even built a 3 axis stepper motor system from scratch, and it worked. I have a resin LCD printer and have printed working parts. I still have NEMA17 motors, 4 of them.
Assuming I'll get Prusa i3 MK3S+, what else would I need to print and assemble MMU2S? Is there an official Bill Of Materials? Blueprints? STL files?<issue_comment>username_1: I would go back to the brass nozzle and try again for comparison.
We had a batch of 10 cheap steel nozzles all of which caused problems.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I think the answer is printing temperature. This shiny PLA I'm using is Eryone Silk PLA. Although the working temperature is stated as 190-220 °C, my 205 °C was too much for it. A temperature of 190-195 °C produces good results though not as shiny anymore. It is three layers printed on the sample below with no problems.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/tJP8x.jpg "3D printed sample printed with 195 degrees Celsius and showing no printing errors")
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/10/26 | 985 | 3,178 | <issue_start>username_0: I am using Cura 4.13.1 as a slicer for my Ender 3 v2 printer.
I want to print a model which I scaled to 400 %. To improve bed adhesion I wanted to add a default raft (Extra Margin = 15 mm). Unfortunately, Cura is not able to slice the model despite being still within the printer's build volume (400 % = 190x200x200 mm). I have to reduce the scaling to 365 % (= 171x183x180 mmm) to fit the slicing.
As a workaround for printing the 400 % size, I will try to use a small support structure for better bed adhesion but I would prefer a raft.
**Edit:** Sorry for leaving out the info about the models form. I get the 220+raft limitation but my model is tapered downwards:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/9PC5q.png)
So the raft actually fits the printers/slicers default limit.
Does it really not matter and cura simply adds the raft size to models max X and Y values?<issue_comment>username_1: The raft still needs to fit on the bed, and it counts as a print, because, it is printed. You want the raft for better adhesion, so that means that you need more contact with the bed. If you’re not, your basically wasting filament. Its kinda logical actually.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Adjusted model Dimensions
-------------------------
The model has the size determined by the base area of the bounding box, in this case, $\pu{190 \times 200 mm }$. The raft as told by OP adds 15mm on **all** sides of the model, and thus adds 30 mm in total on both the X and Y dimensions. This gets us a bounding box floor area of $\pu{220 \times 230 mm}$.
The model's bounding box has a height of $\pu{200 mm}$. Add to that the thickness of the raft. This is not mentioned, but in the worst case, this is about 3 mm, and so you get $\pu{203 mm}$ as the maximum. Our model's Bounding Box thus is $\pu{220\times 230\times 203 mm}$
The smaller scale model ($\pu{171 \times 183 \times 180 mm}$) results in an adjusted area of $\pu{201 \times 213 \times 183 mm}$.
Printer dimensions
------------------
The standard Creality Ender3 v2 is set up with a build volume of ($\pu{220\times 220\times 250 mm}$) As your base area is 230 mm in one dimension, it just can't fit. The slightly scaled item is *just* under that dimension and thus fits.
Solutions
---------
With a firmware update, the printer can be told to use all of the bed, and then Cura's printer settings can be adjusted accordingly.
Sometimes, but not in this case, rotating the model can result in a model that doesn't fit in normal orientation to fit: A line of 240 mm doesn't fit along the X or Y axis, but easily along the diagonal of the printer. In fact, it is enough to turn the model by about 23.3° and the line fits:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rP9Ab.png "Graphic showing a 240 mm line at a 23.3-degree angle fitting inside a gray box")
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/10/30 | 1,077 | 3,489 | <issue_start>username_0: I need to print a thin piece.
Theoretically, it could work, but Cura prints the walls as single lines.
In my case, it is just this line that breaks apart as you can see here.
Is there a setting that would instruct Cura to avoid creating such a line as the outer wall, or how else could I resolve this problem?
* Printer: Kobra Max
* Material: PETG / PLA
* Temperature: 250 °C / 65 °C
Speeds:
* Print speed: 80 mm/s
* Outer Wall Speed: 45 mm/s
* Inner Wall Speed: 80 mm/s
* Top/Bottom Speed: 45 mm/s
* Travel Speed: 100 mm/s
* Initial layer speed 45 mm/s
* Travel retraction speed: 40 mm/s
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/nwP2L.png "Photos and graphic showing the point of failure of a 3D printed model")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/F0Scr.png "Screenshot of Cura's Print Preview of a 3D printed model showing where the failure happens")<issue_comment>username_1: The raft still needs to fit on the bed, and it counts as a print, because, it is printed. You want the raft for better adhesion, so that means that you need more contact with the bed. If you’re not, your basically wasting filament. Its kinda logical actually.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Adjusted model Dimensions
-------------------------
The model has the size determined by the base area of the bounding box, in this case, $\pu{190 \times 200 mm }$. The raft as told by OP adds 15mm on **all** sides of the model, and thus adds 30 mm in total on both the X and Y dimensions. This gets us a bounding box floor area of $\pu{220 \times 230 mm}$.
The model's bounding box has a height of $\pu{200 mm}$. Add to that the thickness of the raft. This is not mentioned, but in the worst case, this is about 3 mm, and so you get $\pu{203 mm}$ as the maximum. Our model's Bounding Box thus is $\pu{220\times 230\times 203 mm}$
The smaller scale model ($\pu{171 \times 183 \times 180 mm}$) results in an adjusted area of $\pu{201 \times 213 \times 183 mm}$.
Printer dimensions
------------------
The standard Creality Ender3 v2 is set up with a build volume of ($\pu{220\times 220\times 250 mm}$) As your base area is 230 mm in one dimension, it just can't fit. The slightly scaled item is *just* under that dimension and thus fits.
Solutions
---------
With a firmware update, the printer can be told to use all of the bed, and then Cura's printer settings can be adjusted accordingly.
Sometimes, but not in this case, rotating the model can result in a model that doesn't fit in normal orientation to fit: A line of 240 mm doesn't fit along the X or Y axis, but easily along the diagonal of the printer. In fact, it is enough to turn the model by about 23.3° and the line fits:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rP9Ab.png "Graphic showing a 240 mm line at a 23.3-degree angle fitting inside a gray box")
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/11/07 | 1,324 | 4,731 | <issue_start>username_0: After encountering extreme under extrusion on my Anycubic i3 Mega, I first cleaned the nozzle and ended up replacing the entire hotend + nozzle. Since that did not help and I couldn't see any issues with it, I went on to check my E-steps. It seems that this is the root cause of the issue.
I removed the Bowden tube to have no resistance and used `G1 E100 F100` to feed 100 mm of filament through the extruder. The extruder only extruded ca. 23 mm though, so I had to adjust the E-Steps value from **92** to **398** which already seemed way off, seemingly "fixed" the issue though. When I repeated the test "under load" with the Bowden tube connected and the hotend heated to 220 °C (using PLA I normally print at 200 °C), the extruder once again only extruded a fraction of the supposed 100 mm (I don't remember the exact measurement, though approximately 30 mm). The gears seem to be fine, and the filament that is pushed against the small gear doesn't seem to slip either.
Unfortunately, that's where my experience ends, can someone tell me how to proceed to narrow down the issue? I suppose it could be the motor itself, a faulty stepper motor driver, loose cables, or the mainboard.
**Edit to @Citadel:**
When I bought the printer it had a spare hot end that came with it. I simply replaced the old one with this one. I did not do any further hardware customization.
**Edit2:**
Sorry for the late update, I wasn't able to check the printer before due to work. I swapped the stepper driver with one of the others on board and checked the e-steps again. Aaaand I just then I noticed I must have forgotten to save the to eeprom when I updated the e-steps last time... So of course I tried with the swapped stepper driver and original e-steps (**92**), but this didn't fix the issue. So the issue is not the driver. After that I changed the e-steps to **398** again and saved this time. Last time I accidentally started a print that that caused the eeprom reset before I saved the settings and tried the e-steps under load. This time it worked, even under load. I still believe this must mean that the motor is missing some steps but for now it seems to print fine. If I get issues again I'll next try to swap the motor. Thanks for your answers!
TL;DR: forgot to save the new e-steps due to starting a calibration print that reset the value before saving. New value actually works but probably indicates that something might be wrong with the motor as the stepper driver is fine.<issue_comment>username_1: The raft still needs to fit on the bed, and it counts as a print, because, it is printed. You want the raft for better adhesion, so that means that you need more contact with the bed. If you’re not, your basically wasting filament. Its kinda logical actually.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Adjusted model Dimensions
-------------------------
The model has the size determined by the base area of the bounding box, in this case, $\pu{190 \times 200 mm }$. The raft as told by OP adds 15mm on **all** sides of the model, and thus adds 30 mm in total on both the X and Y dimensions. This gets us a bounding box floor area of $\pu{220 \times 230 mm}$.
The model's bounding box has a height of $\pu{200 mm}$. Add to that the thickness of the raft. This is not mentioned, but in the worst case, this is about 3 mm, and so you get $\pu{203 mm}$ as the maximum. Our model's Bounding Box thus is $\pu{220\times 230\times 203 mm}$
The smaller scale model ($\pu{171 \times 183 \times 180 mm}$) results in an adjusted area of $\pu{201 \times 213 \times 183 mm}$.
Printer dimensions
------------------
The standard Creality Ender3 v2 is set up with a build volume of ($\pu{220\times 220\times 250 mm}$) As your base area is 230 mm in one dimension, it just can't fit. The slightly scaled item is *just* under that dimension and thus fits.
Solutions
---------
With a firmware update, the printer can be told to use all of the bed, and then Cura's printer settings can be adjusted accordingly.
Sometimes, but not in this case, rotating the model can result in a model that doesn't fit in normal orientation to fit: A line of 240 mm doesn't fit along the X or Y axis, but easily along the diagonal of the printer. In fact, it is enough to turn the model by about 23.3° and the line fits:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rP9Ab.png "Graphic showing a 240 mm line at a 23.3-degree angle fitting inside a gray box")
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/11/08 | 1,136 | 3,890 | <issue_start>username_0: I upgraded my Ender 3 with a new Mobo, the 4.2.7 version.
My current setup is:
Printer Specifications:
* Ender 3
* Upgraded Motherboard 4.2.7 (Silent Stepper Drivers)
* Marlin FW Upgrade to Version 2.1.x
* New metal extruder handle
* Replacement bed springs
* New complete hot end
* Everything else is in stock
Prior to the mobo upgrade, everything was working fine. Now I'm having problems with the extruder.
I did use at first the Ender3 32bit 4.2.7 firmware, but it did happens too.
The e-steps for the filament length have been adjusted. Once I start spinning the extruder, the extruder stepper starts grinding and jumping/rewinding the extruder wheel with the filament to the back; sometimes even 8-10 mm. Also, if I manually hold the filament back, it springs back. It seems that there is no power/power coming from the stepper motor.
So I would like to check how much power the driver needs and gets.
How or where can I find the required voltage for the drivers?
How to adjust the drivers?
Any tips or references are welcome.<issue_comment>username_1: I would try to reinstall the old board and see if the extruder still skips.
If the extruder is not having an issue with the old board installed, you'll need to visit [Creality's Updates page](https://www.creality.com/pages/download-ender-3?spm=..page_1934481.products_display_1.1) and install the Marlin 2.0 firmware designed for the 4.2.7 board. Please use a how-to video on YouTube for installing your new board, you will need to calibrate E-Steps, calibrate PID Temperatures, etc. as outlined in the video.
If the extruder continues its behavior, the extruder is under-extruding. Please check out [The Holy Bible of 3D Printing troubleshooting: Underextruding printer](https://www.3dsourced.com/rigid-ink/ultimate-3d-printing-troubleshooting-guide/#inconsistent-extrusion-under) to get to the bottom of it before you upgrade to your new silent board. Then I can pretty much guarantee you have either a clogged nozzle or a hotend that's too cold during printing to melt the plastic at a fast enough rate.
The third thing is you need to upgrade the stock Ender 3 extruder because the stock black extruder bracket is absolute garbage, and it alone would cause a skipping and flaking extruder. Get the sweet stainless grey one for 15 USD on amazon. Blame Creality for that oversight.
Please respond back if this didn't help.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: There are different versions of the 4.2.7 main board. This is an excellent video made by [YouMakeTech](https://www.youmaketech.com/how-to-adjust-stepper-motor-currents-on-ender-3-pro-v2/):
---
*To prevent the answer to become unusable due to [link rot](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Link_rot), a concise summary is shown below.*
The correct drivers can be "read" from the written letter on the card reader:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/jwXQK.png)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/1gANf.png)
Depending on the driver, you need to find out what the maximum Vref for your stepper is (this depends on the maximum current rating of your stepper), e.g. for 2208, 2209 and 2225 drivers the Vref is calculated by the same equation:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lUWvp.png)
The Imax (maximum curretn) is depending on the used stepper:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TUVYP.png)
Use the nominal values to prevent the steppers to become too hot.
The Vref can be adjusted by the screw potentiometers next to the drivers, use a voltmeter while adjusting:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rONzE.png)
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/11/17 | 1,037 | 3,987 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm having some problem with my Ender 3. I have been printing for almost a year with good results. Then, all of a sudden, the fan started to be noisy and the prints came out definitely not good.
From what I understood looking around, the problem could be under extrusion.
I replaced the fan (both of them actually) but the prints keep coming out badly. The software is always the same (Cura) and I never changed any parameter whatsoever.
This is what I tried so far:
* printing with (four) different filaments (always PLA though).
* changing the E-steps
* unclogging and replacing the nozzle (twice)
* re-calibrating Z like a million times
* printing different projects, included those who I already successfully printed before
-> Nothing helped!
Then I was forced to also change the software (because my PC died...) But even with the new version nothing changed.
Now the extruder calibration is okay (I print 10 cm and 10 cm of filament are consumed through a hot nozzle).
Increasing the flow by 5 % and the temperature by 10 °C (I'm now printing at 220 °C....) actually gives better results (the calibration cube is more definite and more solid) even if under extrusion is still appreciable.
Calibration cubes:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pjHYz.jpg "Calibration cubes (before and after increasing flow and temp)")
Printing example:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/54sFZ.jpg "Printing example")
I don't know what else to try!!!
Can someone help me?<issue_comment>username_1: You are pushing 10 cm through a hot nozzle for calibration, this is sometimes different in terms of pushing it under load (back pressure from the deposition/squishing of the filament). Although the correct calibration, the prints are under extruded, so there is too less filament delivered to the nozzle.
This hints to a problem with the extruder; these type of extruders are known not to be the best type of extruders, common problems with these extruders are a lack of idler wheel tension, broken and cracked extruder lever and wearing out of the brass extruder gear.
You should closely check the extruder during printing, it is expected that not enough filament is pushed forward to the hot end. You could increase the tension on the lever, but is is probably best to invest in a better Bowden extruder, preferably using a dual gear and/or using a gear ratio (for more torque). Note that you may require buying a new stepper motor as well: [Problems with stock gear with no screw on Ender 3 pro](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15131/problems-with-stock-gear-with-no-screw-on-ender-3-pro).
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: In addition to checking for a broken or improperly tensioned extruder, I would also recommend just checking the brass filament gear and cleaning it. It tends to get caked with a mix of dust, filament shavings, and whatever else they absorb out of the air - maybe even oils from the nearby Z leadscrew or motor bearings, etc. - and this significantly reduces the effective tooth depth and thus grip. The soft brass teeth might even wear down.
If it's just dirty, cleaning it could solve the problem, but if it looks like it's worn and needs replacement, replacing the whole (very bad) extruder would be a better option. No sense spending money on just the gear when pretty much everything about this extruder is bad, and for not too much more cost, you could get a better one.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: I can think of the following causes:
* if the thermistor and heater in the hot-end is loose it can lead to weird results due to inconsistent temperatures.
* the gear grip for the filament feed might be slipping and lead to inconsistent feeding and print outcome.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/11/18 | 1,646 | 4,924 | <issue_start>username_0: I've just bought my first 3D printer, and I've started playing with it. But apparently, I have the problem that the raft won't stick. I mean, it sticks, for iteration (layer) or two, and after that it just disconnects. This is what I've checked until now:
* Bed is leveled properly, including Z, tried different variation of offsets
* Temperature of both bed and nozzle are okay (70 and 210 °C, it is PLA filament)
* Received slightly better results with adhesive for 3D printers, but still not ideal
Now, I've came up to the idea: I would like to try to interconnect each line in one layer (iteration) with thicker dot of melted filament for better adhesion. Unfortunately, I don't know how to setup this parameter in slicing software (Cura). Does anyone eventually know where I can find this parameter in Cura? In addition, here it is the extract of the GCODE:
```
;FLAVOR:Marlin
;TIME:8750
;Filament used: 3.97836m
;Layer height: 0.15
;MINX:45.401
;MINY:52.901
;MINZ:0.36
;MAXX:154.6
;MAXY:147.099
;MAXZ:31.035
;Generated with Cura_SteamEngine 5.2.1
M140 S45
M105
M190 S45
M104 S210
M105
M109 S210
M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
G28 ;Home
G1 Z15.0 F6000 ;Move the platform down 15mm
;Prime the extruder
G92 E0
G1 F200 E3
G92 E0
G92 E0
G92 E0
G1 F1500 E-6.5
;LAYER_COUNT:199
;LAYER:-7
M107
G0 F7200 X49.177 Y57.705 Z0.36
;TYPE:SUPPORT-INTERFACE
G1 F1500 E0
G1 F1350 X48.447 Y58.574 E0.05124
G1 X47.809 Y59.466 E0.10075
G1 X47.23 Y60.43 E0.15151
G1 X46.778 Y61.31 E0.19618
...
;TIME_ELAPSED:8750.646320
G1 F1500 E835.92386
M140 S0
M104 S0
M140 S0
;Retract the filament
G92 E1
G1 E-1 F300
G28 X0 Y0
M84
M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
M104 S0
;End of Gcode
;SETTING_3 {"global_quality": "[general]\\nversion = 4\\nname = Normal #2\\ndefi
;SETTING_3 nition = custom\\n\\n[metadata]\\ntype = quality_changes\\nquality_ty
;SETTING_3 pe = fast\\nsetting_version = 20\\n\\n[values]\\nadhesion_type = raft
;SETTING_3 \\nmaterial_bed_temperature = 45.0\\n\\n", "extruder_quality": ["[gen
;SETTING_3 eral]\\nversion = 4\\nname = Normal #2\\ndefinition = custom\\n\\n[me
;SETTING_3 tadata]\\ntype = quality_changes\\nquality_type = fast\\nsetting_vers
;SETTING_3 ion = 20\\nposition = 0\\n\\n[values]\\ncool_fan_enabled = False\\nin
;SETTING_3 fill_pattern = grid\\ninfill_sparse_density = 80\\nmaterial_print_tem
;SETTING_3 perature = 210.0\\nretraction_hop_enabled = True\\nspeed_print = 60.0
;SETTING_3 \\n\\n"]}
```<issue_comment>username_1: Your work-around is a description to resolve a problem without resolving the problem. A properly tuned 3D printer will place the first layer on the bed (without a raft!) in such a manner as to allow the entire print to be completed.
Consider to print a single layer rectangle created in any software with which you are comfortable. A rectangle of 100 mm square would be large enough for analysis. Also, edit your question to reflect the current layer thickness and speeds you are using.
The single layer should present uniform width as the filament is applied to the bed. Each adjacent "stripe" should have minimal overlap with the previously applied stripe. Too much overlap (excessive extrusion factor) will create bulges between stripes. Insufficient overlap will result in gaps.
This rectangle print will provide feedback for your bed leveling as well as the z-offset. Excessive z-offset will reduce the grip of the filament to the bed.
Using adhesive and having poor results leads me to suggest the first layer is at a too-high z-offset, but your test will provide a better answer.
Even though I've seen a few references to PLA not requiring drying, PLA and other filament types can have problems with bed adhesion if there is too much humidity absorbed into the filament. Consider to dry your spool for four to six hours to see if improvement will result.
Lastly, you should not need to use a raft, unless a specific aspect of your model requires it. I've seen rafts "required" in low quality, low cost, low performance 3D printers with poor bed planar characteristics. One will hope your printer is not in that category.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: After some "experimenting", I've managed to resolve the problem. There were several contributors to the problem I had:
* I had to replace the slicing software; My printer did not accept G-code from Cura perfectly, even after a detailed configuration of Cura, according to my printer specs. Instead, I've downloaded and used OEM slicing software (in this case Voxelab)
* Printing speed was too high; With printing speed reduced from 60 mm/s to 40 mm/s situation significantly improved. Apparently, the extruder could not keep up with filament delivery at higher speeds
* Increased PLA temperature to 230 °C.; This also partially resolved the filament distribution problem. Bed temperature remained at 60 °C, with quite good success (I've used adhesive as well)
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2022/11/20 | 1,072 | 4,535 | <issue_start>username_0: When designing for 3d FDM printing, I'm wondering what is best practice for items with large overhangs which cannot have (or would be fairly impractical) support structures. Consider my following design:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Rfmyd.png)
This item is about 7" long, and you'll notice the narrow slot running through the middle of it. The slot is 0.100" wide.
I was about to print this when I suddenly realized printing it would be a problem. So I started messing around with painting on supports, but since something slides in this slot, I would have to do some extensive cleanup to make sure it's smooth.
What I ended up doing was splitting the body at the start of the overhang, and placing some alignment pins in the body (with corresponding holes in the upper portion of the body. e.g.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ypGmc.png)
I will print the top and bottom separately and glue them together.
My question is whether this is my only option or if I'm missing something in the design process which might work better? This design is in Fusion360, in case that matters when discussing some specific tools that are available which I'm unaware of.<issue_comment>username_1: When constructing a model intended to be 3D printed, your approach is sound. Overhangs and the required supports can be a severe problem and I believe your assessment is accurate.
The complexity of the upper portion would make printed supports an inappropriate path for the reasons you've provided, while your solution eliminates all the negative aspects of this model's construction/design.
The split as presented turns an excessively supported print into two completely unsupported, easily-printed sections. The alignment pins are the perfect approach as well.
You've not indicated an aversion to adhesive, another plus in the overall assessment. Printing the model(s) in the orientation displayed is going to provide the most strength from the plastic. In some models, one can change the orientation to eliminate or reduce supports, but too often the layer direction change results in a weaker object. Your split design removes that factor as well.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: If your end product allows it, one possible solution would be to remodel your part so that instead of having a square channel in the center, the channel had sloping or curved sides so that the overhand was removed, and then to print out an infill piece that could be clotted into the channel to square it off.
In essence, you would turn the square channel into a triangular notch with shallow sides that didn't need supporting, and then you restore it to being square after it's printed.
This would also have the advantage of meaning that you could print the infill to a much higher standard than the rest of the print, so it was stronger.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: While slicing into slabs and the use of alignment pins is a perfectly viable solution, including the alignment features organically into a single print can make assembly faster. In this case, the model itself acts as an alignment feature or might even act as the clamp, at the cost of creating a more complex cut. An additional benefit of a more complex cut is the elimination of separate alignment pins and getting the glue surfaces away from parts that need a critical dimension
As an example, I used an approximation of your model and shifted the cut layer around some (more complex) to get a natural left-right alignment feature from the deep cut, and then added a high "peak" on the model to act as a front-back alignment feature. The yellow faces ensure alignment in this case, and the red faces are main glue faces.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/NMlwx.png)
Also, keep in mind point orientation can alter things *a lot*: printing on the "back" as we both modeled, the slot needs support. However, there is an orientation that remove the need to support the slot's top and instead only requires support in the pocket, possibly eliminating the need for a two-part print at the cost of needing to remove the support in the area marked red, but which, as a pocket without undercuts, should be decently easy:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/TT8nE.png)
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/11/28 | 407 | 1,441 | <issue_start>username_0: I have an Elegoo Mars.
I have printed a figure in Resin, but after some months I found this - the figure is as if it is not completely cured. The base is open (see picture below). it wasn't open before!
It was printed a month ago, I am not precisely sure. I think I only machine cured and sunlight.
How is this possible?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/l4bBJ.jpg "Base of 3D print")<issue_comment>username_1: Those are cracks as a result of overstressing due internal stresses to further curing of the print over the course of time (stress cracks).
Most probably the print wasn't cured properly or slicing wasn't optimal.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: You should probably cure more, but curing should not be complete during print, or the layer will not stick properly.
Also, when you cure with UV light or the sun after the print is completed, you can cure only up to a certain depth, [likely around a couple of millimetres](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/13660/can-uv-cure-inside-opaque-or-more-massive-printed-object).
If your object was massive and you didn't "hollow it" then some resin got trapped inside it and it didn't cure properly initially. It may slowly cure later, but by the time the object cracks due to stress, some resin may still be liquid enough to cause the issue.
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/12/02 | 969 | 3,158 | <issue_start>username_0: This is a follow up question for [What are viable substitutes for Raspberry Pi to run Octoprint or similar software for Prusa i3 MK3S+?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/q/20196/20803)
I was able to grab Raspberry Pi 400 for around $70, so [at MSRP](https://www.raspberrypi.com/news/raspberry-pi-400-the-70-desktop-pc/), and about half of the current pi 4b prices nowadays. Good deal given shortages, so I ordered it when it was available, and only now I started to think if I can really use it.
Thus, are there any special challenges to using Raspberry Pi 400 as OctoPrint server, and does it have any benefits over regular Pi 4B? Is there any ready-made manual about it I could use?<issue_comment>username_1: The recommended hardware for OctoPi is [listed](https://octoprint.org/download/) as:
>
> Recommended hardware: Raspberry Pi 3B, 3B+, 4B or Zero 2. Expect print artifacts and long loading times with other options, especially when adding a webcam or installing third-party plugins.
>
>
>
Now if we compare the specification of the two Pi units:
| Raspberry Pi | Processor | RAM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [400](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-400-unit/) | BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 @ 1.8GHz | 4GB LPDDR4-3200 |
| [4B](https://www.raspberrypi.com/products/raspberry-pi-4-model-b/specifications/) | BCM2711 quad-core Cortex-A72 @ 1.5GHz | 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, 8GB LPDDR4-3200 |
So they are very close in capabilities. The 4B has a slightly slower processor but does have the ability to have more RAM. The 400 does come with a keyboard but its feasibility would depend on your usage (probably not much for OctoPi).
Given the slight disparity in specs, the Raspberry Pi 400 should work fine for OctoPi.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: While the server will work, there are some challenges.
Raspberry Pi 400 lacks the camera and screen connectors, specifically:
* 2-lane MIPI DSI display port
* 2-lane MIPI CSI camera port
so you can't use Pi screens and camera modules. You need to find compatible USB webcam if you want to make time lapse of your print or stream your build to oversee it. If you want to add a touch screen, you need to use HDMI+USB one, as most of the screens dedicated for Pi won't work without DSI port.
Pi 4b has:
* 2 × USB 3.0 ports
* 2 × USB 2.0 ports
Pi 400:
* 2 × USB 3.0
* 1 × USB 2.0
One of these will be, of course, occupied by the printer, so if you want to connect a touchscreen and webcam, with 4b you still have up to three usb ports free, when with 400 you are all out.
Built-in keyboard is somewhat redeeming quality, especially if you are old time console jockey and don't need a mouse or touchscreens, and 20% faster CPU is nothing to sneeze at if you want to use AI plugin to oversee your print. For end users not interested in any kind of hardware hacking, 400 being already assembled with case and cooling is a great benefit, too.
**In summary**: it's compatible, faster and more convenient for end users, but less hackable. It's also significantly cheaper during 2022/2023 Pi Shortage, sometimes being available at MSRP and in stock.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/12/03 | 358 | 1,504 | <issue_start>username_0: Brand new Ender 3 V2 Neo with CR Touch. Set printer up, switched on, ran bed levelling as per instructions, and tried first print.
Filament is not sticking to bed. I noticed that the nozzle is approx 5 mm above bed when printing. On this model there is no manual levelling, just auto. Any ideas?<issue_comment>username_1: You probably need to manually set the Z-probe offset in the Configuration. The CR-touch is mounted a little lower than the nozzle to prevent the nozzle from interfering when leveling. This offset is not fixed and may differ per installation.
I don't know the proper way to set this other than just incrementing values until the first layer is perfect. Starting you will increment with 1mm per test and in the end you will be incrementing with 0.1mm values. **One very big danger is though that setting a too high value, will press the nozzle into the printbed and damage both of them.** There for I don't recommend this method, but it is what works for me when being very careful with the increments.
Maybe someone with a good trick to safely set the probe offset can comment or answer here.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: Problem solved. Thanks for all the great suggestions. Yes, it was the Z axis offset. After homing Z axis set to 10mm. Set this to zero hen carried out manual bed levelling. After this ran auto levelling then set Z axis offset to correct level. None of this is mentioned in the instal instructions. Thanks everyone.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/12/08 | 514 | 2,037 | <issue_start>username_0: Is it safe to give a 3D printed toy (printed using food-safe filaments) to a toddler?
Are there any recommendations/studies on what is considered safe?<issue_comment>username_1: The answer to this is highly dependent on the geometry, slicing settings, etc. Clearly it's possible for the 3D model itself to have small parts that would be choking hazards, or to have parts of the geometry such that, due to being thin or providing leverage, allow small parts to be broken off and become choking hazards, sharp, pointy, or otherwise dangerous. It's also possible that a print with insuficient layer bonding or poor infill could be split at layer lines or chewed apart, exposing parts that might be likewise dangerous.
If the part is designed with these safety considerations in mind, sliced properly, and printed without error on a reasonably well-tuned printer, it should be safe against mechanical hazards.
The [IC3D Toys for Tots campaign](https://www.ic3dprinters.com/2022-toys/) might give you some ideas about the types of 3D printed toys a reputable organization considered safe for children. I'm not sure right off what age groups they targeted and whether all the toys in their campaign would be appropriate for toddlers - probably not.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: The model election is a non-trivial issue when dealing with to a toddler but also, the extruder and hotend should be 100% free of debris from any previous, non food-safe filaments, although I don´t know how plausible that may be from a procedure point of view and I don´t know if there are any regulations with thresholds on this, but it´s not like we will be making a chemical analysis of a print to verify neither, so moving on to next point
Depending on what you want to do (and your printer flexibility), you might as well have 2 sets of extruder/hotend/bed if your really want to go this route on a production scale: one for food-safe prints and the other for the rest of the filaments like ABS
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/12/10 | 1,310 | 5,078 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm currently printing several cases for electronics, one for a Raspberry Pi 4 and two for smaller electronics, using ABS. These cases will be attached to a drone which might be exposed to rain. The cases itself should handle a little water, but I'm looking for a way to seal the seams where the cases are put together.
As mentioned, the cases must endure light to medium rain. Also, they might be frequently dis- and reassembled, which should work without the sealing being destroyed.
The edges of the case parts are normally very thin, so gluing rubber bands or o-rings to them would be very complicated. And if I apply a sealant coating, how to open the cases again?
I was hoping that maybe there was some kind of viscous liquid that is applied to the edges with a brush (or by dipping the edges into it) and then hardens to a rubber like texture that sticks to the part it was applied to. Other Ideas are welcome too, of course.<issue_comment>username_1: Plastidip is a spray-on rubber-like material that strengthens and waterproofs your 3D print.
Other than that I would make sure that your model is splash-proof by overlaying structures, so that rain rolls off without entering the body and anything that enters the body can seep out.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I've tried gasket sealant, as mentioned by @fectin, and the result seems to be working.
You spread it on the edges of the printed part and evenly flatten it (it helps to print a tool for that purpose that flattens and removes the overhanging sealant at the side of the edge). Now let it sit for about one day. The sealant will harden out and stick to the part. The edges can also be pressed to the edges of an opposite part without the sealant sticking to the opposite edges (so far as I have tested, at least), so a reopening is possible.
Aside from that, I'll simply have to use overhangs whenever necessary.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: How about rubber cement from a stationery store?
Thinly coat both surfaces, let it dry for a while, then press and hold firmly together.
Depending upon the strength of the object, you might be able to simply pry it apart when needed, or use a knife to cut the cement.
**Warning:** be sure to test the cement on a sample of the printed material first to ensure that its solvent won't react with the print.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: Many ways lead to Rome!
-----------------------
There are many ways that lead to Rome in this case, and I want to propose two:
### cut gasket sheet
The most simple solution is a gasket, upon which pressure is applied evenly on all sides. This gasket can be made from any rubbery or foam material and then *squished* between the halves. A typical construction for a gasket would look akin to this stack: a pipe with holes in the flange at its end, then the gasket, then the endcap. The sealant is deformed against the plates on either side and the pressure is applied by having bolts pass through the faces **and** the gasket. You'll find this mechanism often where flat surfaces are *mating*. The thickness of the gasket and its flexibility (some are really stiff, others are super soft) are dependent on the use case. They rely on being tensioned evenly.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/T58Vb.png)
Among the household solutions that can work like this are 2mm closed-pore foam sheets and faux leather. The latter usually is a PVC foam, at times fiber reinforced. Industrial gaskets are at times papery in make but rely on precision machined surfaces then (motorhead gaskets!)
molded gasket by the sealant grove in situ
------------------------------------------
In this case, you use a flexible rubber material, such as acyl, silicone, or a Polyurethane sealant, and add it to a groove or onto a surface. In this position, it cures into a staying gasket and when brought in contact with the mating surface, it provides sealing surfaces by deforming in the fashion limited by the channel provided for it. The upside is, that you can have very complex mating surfaces. The downside is, that often the seal might not be replaceable easily and will need to be destroyed to get a replacement done.
In the example shown below, I designed the receptacle for the sealant in the shape of a grove, allowing you to easily shape it with a coin or wet finger and press it into all crevices of the channel. This will result in a well-curing and maximum-adhering shape.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mFgf6.png)
A slight refinement on the design would be an undercut on the receiving side, preventing one from *pulling* the gasket from the channel if the inside of the vessel had a lower pressure than the outside and the mating surface *sticks* to the seal. However, this makes replacing the sealant harder if it ages over time.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/BGbD3.png)
Upvotes: 2 |
2022/12/13 | 868 | 3,308 | <issue_start>username_0: [](https://i.stack.imgur.com/N3XeE.jpg)
While I was setting up a new Ender 3 v2, and tuning the z-steps value, I noticed that some layers were extending beyond the others in the x and y axes. I didn't notice any pattern related to which layer, or how far from the print bed, or how often they might repeat during the same print.
My current setup is OctoPrint running on a raspberry pi 3B, connected via USB to the recently-assembled Ender 3v2.
My current theory is that something related to the z-axis stepping isn't lifting the print-head. It might be that the wrong number of steps are being performed, or that the screw isn't turning along with the stepper, or that there is some kind of friction or binding keeping the x-axis beam from raising.<issue_comment>username_1: It is unlikely that the amount of steps per mm are incorrect for your Z-axis, but there is indeed something wrong with the Z-axis. The Z-axis doesn’t advance the correct amount per layer for some layers; the Z height of the cubes say enough. If too less raised, the material will be squished outside the outer perimeter.
It could be that there is too much friction or binding or another mechanical problem. You should manually check that. But it can also be that there isn’t enough current delivered to the stepper by the driver. The current for the Z-stepper can be adjusted by the trim pot near the stepper driver.
[From reprap world:](https://reprap.world/customer/service/technical-information/adjusting-stepper-driver-current-on-the-ender3-v2/)
>
> On the Ender3 v2 Mainboard you will find a small set screw for each stepper driver, called a trimpot. To access the mainboard remove the bottom plate of the printer. Once removed, you are able to see the trimpots as on the images shown below. By adjusting the trimpot you reduce or increase the current, depending on the rotation. Be careful adjusting the trimpot, it may break easily. Always disconnect power before adjusting the trimpot and use a suitable screw driver. The following pictures shows the locations of the trimpots.
>
>
>
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/6ws6h.png)
>
> To increase the current rotate the trimpot clockwise by a few degrees. Steps of 10 degrees of change are probably best, until you find the sweet spot. For the ender3 v2 the following vRef are recommended:
>
>
> X,Y,Z: 1.22V
> E: 1.39V
>
>
>
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: After some thought, I decided to verify all of my assumptions. My primary assumption was that I had completed the assembly completely and correctly. This was not the case. I had *not* tightened the collar around the z-axis lead screw sufficiently. After correcting this error, I'm pleased to report that all of my 'squished' layers have disappeared and the printer is now fully functional.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: If your nozzle is too close to the bed, there is not enough space between the nozzle and the bed to extrude the proper amount of filament. Excess filament is either squished upwards between individual printed lines or isn't extruded at all creating additional pressure in the hotend.
Upvotes: 0 |
2022/12/18 | 624 | 2,463 | <issue_start>username_0: I wanted to experiment with a 3D printer and downloaded **Lychee Slicer** and wanted to print an Unreal asset. I took a [free one](https://www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/paragon-steel) from the store and exported the static mesh as `.obj`, so I can load it in **Lychee**. The only thing is details and curves have disappeared and smooth surfaces are visible polygons. Is this something that can be fixed?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/IAXgd.jpg "Screenshot of a 3D model in Unreal Engine")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cPBCL.png "Screenshot of a 3D model in Lychee Slicer")<issue_comment>username_1: The curves (simple smoothing or real "multiple-per-vertex-normals") are embedded in the vertex information of the model and probably still exist in the obj. Lychee only sees the real 3D polygon mesh and discards the vertex data. Your best way to add some sort of polygon smoothing like MeshSmooth or TurboSmooth in 3ds Max, Maya, or Blender. It will read the vertex info and apply it to the mesh, thus creating more vertices. See the following YouTube video for an example:
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: It sounds like the .obj file you exported from the Unreal Engine did not preserve the smooth surfaces and curves of the original asset. This is likely because the .obj format does not support smooth shading or surface curvature information, and can only represent geometry as a collection of flat polygons.
If you want to preserve the smooth surfaces and curves of the original asset, you will need to use a different file format that supports this kind of information. Some options you might consider include the .stl format, which is commonly used for 3D printing, or the .fbx format, which is a more general-purpose 3D file format that can support smooth shading and surface curvature.
It is also possible that the slicer software you are using to prepare the model for printing does not support smooth shading or surface curvature. In this case, you may need to use a different slicer program or apply a smoothing algorithm to the model before exporting it.
I hope this information is helpful. Let me know if you have any further questions!
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/12/20 | 818 | 2,959 | <issue_start>username_0: Referring to a circle shape G-code online generator for my 2D printer at [here](https://cnc-apps.com/en/app/circle), in which I created a 100 mm circle. I downloaded the G-code from the website and try to open it with UGS plotter but it is not showing any circle in that software.
How can I solve this issue? Pardon me, I only started CNC 2 days ago and I have jogged my 2D printer I built and it works well, so now as a beginner task, I want to draw a circle.
If anyone has experience with G-code, feel free to share it with me. I appreciate it :)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xfnfS.png "Screenshot of online G-code generator settings")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/sfcu6.png "Screenshot of UGS software with no G-code shown")<issue_comment>username_1: Make sure you are connecting to the correct port. Make sure you have installed any drivers required for your controller. Make sure GRBL is properly flashed on your controller. As a last resort try removing all previous UGS settings (see property Files) and reinstall.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: The g-code generated by the linked site presents in a text reader as a series of G01 codes, which are strictly movement codes. As expected, the circle was created as a series of fairly short straight line segments.
There are no other g-codes of note in the created file. In the case of a 2D printer, one would expect to see a g-code for pen down/pen up, while in a 3D printer, one expects to see extrusion commands.
The first two or three g-code viewers presented zero graphic results. The last one (because, why continue?) is [NC Viewer](https://ncviewer.com/) and was able to properly display a circle. Images from linked site, using OP linked site to code 100 mm circle:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bYh57.png)
I added in a "pen-down" g-code, M3 S50 to the code and the NC Viewer site also added a pen!
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5nsRS.png)
This would indicate that your code is good/operational/functional, but lacks additional commands to create something useful in the program on your side. Consider to examine the g-code that presents an image in your software. Research the g-codes to determine the function. For example, I did not have a pen-down g-code command memorized, but used a search engine to find "g-code pen down" nearly instantly. Directly related, the M09 g-code in the created file is one I did not recognize. A search presented the answer that it is a "coolant off" command. An unusual command to see in a generic g-code creator!
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/12/20 | 654 | 2,542 | <issue_start>username_0: I recently started using my Ender 3 V2 again because I needed it to print a hook. I went through multiple problems that I could solve by updating the firmware but after starting the print, I heard a very hard noise that made me understand that the stepper motors were going over their limit and, after trying a second time, I saw that every axis was going to +infinite position.
I didn't try much things as I am not comfortable with this but I think it comes from the firmware.
If you have the solution please help me because I can't print anything and I think it damages the printer.<issue_comment>username_1: Make sure you are connecting to the correct port. Make sure you have installed any drivers required for your controller. Make sure GRBL is properly flashed on your controller. As a last resort try removing all previous UGS settings (see property Files) and reinstall.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: The g-code generated by the linked site presents in a text reader as a series of G01 codes, which are strictly movement codes. As expected, the circle was created as a series of fairly short straight line segments.
There are no other g-codes of note in the created file. In the case of a 2D printer, one would expect to see a g-code for pen down/pen up, while in a 3D printer, one expects to see extrusion commands.
The first two or three g-code viewers presented zero graphic results. The last one (because, why continue?) is [NC Viewer](https://ncviewer.com/) and was able to properly display a circle. Images from linked site, using OP linked site to code 100 mm circle:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bYh57.png)
I added in a "pen-down" g-code, M3 S50 to the code and the NC Viewer site also added a pen!
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5nsRS.png)
This would indicate that your code is good/operational/functional, but lacks additional commands to create something useful in the program on your side. Consider to examine the g-code that presents an image in your software. Research the g-codes to determine the function. For example, I did not have a pen-down g-code command memorized, but used a search engine to find "g-code pen down" nearly instantly. Directly related, the M09 g-code in the created file is one I did not recognize. A search presented the answer that it is a "coolant off" command. An unusual command to see in a generic g-code creator!
Upvotes: 1 |
2022/12/23 | 500 | 1,736 | <issue_start>username_0: How to use organic supports in PrusaSlicer or Cura? I heard that it is possible, but I can’t find this option in these slicers.<issue_comment>username_1: As Cura is mentioned in the question, it could be solved using Cura. The only organic support in Cura is called `Tree` as option of `Support Structure` in UltiMaker Cura's advanced options.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CBUKc.png)
This option works best if you want support, but do not want Cura to build it on top of your end product (`Support Placement` -> `Touching Buildplate`).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5Wzwj.png)
This would lead to the generation of an organic like structure for the support structure:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wr6wp.png)
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: It looks like Organic supports is not available yet. That’s why it is not in the slicer.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: As far as I know, PrusaSlicer organic tree support isn't available to the public yet. PrusaSlicer is rumored to use the same code as the Pull request made by <NAME> on his Cura fork who started working on this code around 2020.
The "organic" tree support contributed by <NAME> is also available in the 5.3.0-alpha+xmas Cura version in Cura, which showcases that new tree support. You can find more information in the article [Special alpha: new (Xmas) tree supports for UltiMaker Cura](https://ultimaker.com/learn/cura-christmas-tree-support)
Full disclosure I'm one of the Cura developers.
Upvotes: 4 [selected_answer] |
2022/12/25 | 1,029 | 3,667 | <issue_start>username_0: Well, I know what my critical error was, I was in a hurry and set a print running before leaving it unattended for about 8 hours; came home to a great enormous disaster.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ywdFK.jpg "Photo of a large mass of filament sticking out of a silicone sock")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/YjQec.jpg "Photo of the printer head from below showing filament and residue")
What on earth happened? Perhaps more importantly, is anything here salvageable, or do I just need to get a new printhead?<issue_comment>username_1: It's difficult to determine if there is anything inside this mass of plastic, but a heat gun applied carefully will allow you to extract it.
When a hot end is assembled, the heat sink (finned cylinder) has a heat break threaded into it (slender metal tube) which then threads into the heater block (block with wires for the heater cartridge and thermistor).
The heater block has the nozzle threaded into it, but it's important to not seat the shoulder of the nozzle on the heater block. Leave a gap of 0.5 to 1.0 mm between the nozzle shoulder and the heater block. Tighten the heat break into the block until it contacts the nozzle. Secure it firmly, but don't snap anything off!
Heat the assembly to the highest safe temperature, between 220 °C and 250 °C and tighten the nozzle again.
Step 7 from [cnx-software](https://www.cnx-software.com/2017/06/26/raiscube-r2-3d-printer-review-part-3-how-to-install-e3d-hotend-clone/) states the same thing as the paragraph above, but also provides a graphic showing the components:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/G92bL.png)
Your photo shows the results of a nozzle that might have been leaking filament at the top of the nozzle and below the heat break, leaking out of both the top and bottom of the heater block.
Melting the plastic with a heat gun may release the metal components and if you are very careful and very lucky, you won't damage the wiring for the heater cartridge and thermistor. One can expect that the wiring will be damaged, however and you may have to replace the two items. This is advised, as the melted plastic will bond with the wiring and insulation, making it very difficult to manipulate them during assembly.
If you are determined, you won't have to purchase a new hot end and if you have the financial wherewithal, you may want to purchase one anyway.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: I'd say you are quite lucky, the hotend (as seen in the second photo) is fairly intact!
I've had a similar problem recently, but in my case it destroyed an Ultimaker core module hotend, and salvage would have taken too much time.
>
> What happened during this print disaster
>
>
>
What probably happened is that the print has become unstuck from the build plate or a part of the support is caught by the hotend blocking the deposition of filament to the print object and instead it ricocheted back against the nozzle. This is not uncommon.
>
> , and is it salvageable?
>
>
>
I'd say yes. You should be able to get the silicone sock off and clean the hotend. Heating the hotend and scraping it off seems do-able from the photo you provided, it may require some time and elbow grease.
Upvotes: 3 |
2022/12/27 | 825 | 3,072 | <issue_start>username_0: Just came to the 3D printing world and after installing Marlin 2.1.2 firmware in my Ender 3, which took a while and was finally completed following this tutorial:
I cannot get the CR Touch correctly calibrated, but it is correctly installed (physically) and recognized in firmware. The steps I´m following are:
* Auto-homing. Which does a correct measurement from the center of the bed using CR Touch.
* Probing the Z Offset. Which is strange because I got 0.1 mm instead of the -1.x mm or even -2 mm some people are getting in some tutorials I´ve seen so far.
* Bed leveling. By default it takes 9 measurements and the first 6 are okay, but for the 7th the nozzle along with the CR Touch goes to low and pushes against the glass bed. Also, is there a way to make it work taking more measurements of the bed? Just for it to be more accurate and know more the bed it is working on.
Once again, I´m new in this but I have seen many videos about it, not getting a valid configuration in any of them. Is there anything to try out for it to work well? Also, I´m using OctoPrint for it, in case this helps or there is a known plugin I can work with.<issue_comment>username_1: Your CR Touch is either installed wrong or broken.
Auto home checks for the X and Y limit switches then goes to the center of the bed and drops the CR probe tip. The probe color should be total blue and the tip of the probe should drop about 5-6 mm, going well past the end of the nozzle.
The Z moves down, the probe tip touches, the probe is pushed into the assembly, and the light turns red. When the light goes red, the nozzle tip should still be somewhere around 1.8 to 2.0 mm above the plate. This is the Z-offset, it’s entered as a negative because that much further the nozzle must move in Z to reach the bed.
Repeat the measurement, retract the tip, move Z +10 mm, and stop. The probe tip when retracted should be above the nozzle tip maybe 1-2 mm.
If Auto home works as described above, the CR Touch is set up and working ok.
The problem is your Z-offset.
Set Z-offset to -5.0 mm. Run Auto Leveling, it should complete without the nozzle hitting the bed.
Run this procedure to set a reasonable Z-offset.
Set Z-offset to -1.72 mm on the display. Run a test print of anything. If you see string coming out of the nozzle and not sticking to the bed at all stop the print. Set Z-offset to -1.74 mm. Repeat.
Continue to move down this way in -0.02 mm steps until something starts to stick, then once or twice more until you can run the test print successfully to the end.
Run Auto Leveling it will work.
Alternatively, the nozzle is not installed or tightened correctly so it extends too low.
Lastly, gross mechanical misalignment.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Mine is doing the exact same thing on the latest Marlin Bug Fix, Ender 3 Pro, 4.2.7 board and CR Touch. On the 7th point it pushes super far into the bed and engages the springs. There must be a bug, I am going to compile the standard release and see if the same thing happens.
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/01/01 | 907 | 3,301 | <issue_start>username_0: I am pretty new to 3D-printing, and I have just finished assembling my Prusa i3 a few days ago.
I finished up basic calibrations, which went fine, but noticed my prints were coming out with a bunch of rough lines on the sides. I looked online, and saw some things about adjusting flow rate, so I took that down from 95 to 90. I am not really sure what else to try right now. I have messed with layer height, which is at 0.2 mm now.
I have double-checked belt tensions and messed around with it, but the belt status seems to be hovering around 267 pretty consistently. I did try loosening it a lot more, but got the around the same, ~270 at max, even when extremely loose. Not sure what the belt tension should be feeling like, but it seems to check out with the guides.
I would appreciate any help or advice.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rYuWe.jpg "Test print of an SD card bear holder, layer lines seem to be sticking out")
Calibration cube printed after tensioning the belts:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/c46X2.jpg "Calibration cube printed after tensioning the belts")<issue_comment>username_1: Your CR Touch is either installed wrong or broken.
Auto home checks for the X and Y limit switches then goes to the center of the bed and drops the CR probe tip. The probe color should be total blue and the tip of the probe should drop about 5-6 mm, going well past the end of the nozzle.
The Z moves down, the probe tip touches, the probe is pushed into the assembly, and the light turns red. When the light goes red, the nozzle tip should still be somewhere around 1.8 to 2.0 mm above the plate. This is the Z-offset, it’s entered as a negative because that much further the nozzle must move in Z to reach the bed.
Repeat the measurement, retract the tip, move Z +10 mm, and stop. The probe tip when retracted should be above the nozzle tip maybe 1-2 mm.
If Auto home works as described above, the CR Touch is set up and working ok.
The problem is your Z-offset.
Set Z-offset to -5.0 mm. Run Auto Leveling, it should complete without the nozzle hitting the bed.
Run this procedure to set a reasonable Z-offset.
Set Z-offset to -1.72 mm on the display. Run a test print of anything. If you see string coming out of the nozzle and not sticking to the bed at all stop the print. Set Z-offset to -1.74 mm. Repeat.
Continue to move down this way in -0.02 mm steps until something starts to stick, then once or twice more until you can run the test print successfully to the end.
Run Auto Leveling it will work.
Alternatively, the nozzle is not installed or tightened correctly so it extends too low.
Lastly, gross mechanical misalignment.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Mine is doing the exact same thing on the latest Marlin Bug Fix, Ender 3 Pro, 4.2.7 board and CR Touch. On the 7th point it pushes super far into the bed and engages the springs. There must be a bug, I am going to compile the standard release and see if the same thing happens.
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/01/02 | 1,047 | 3,802 | <issue_start>username_0: I just finished assembling my Ender 3 Pro and am having trouble with bed leveling. The extruder doesn't even come close to the bed, the z-limit stops the nozzle about 3-4 mm away.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CHT5B.jpg "Extruder and bed gap")
The leveling springs are already pretty uncompressed. Is there any way to decrease the gap? Should I be checking for a specific assembly step to see if I assembled it incorrectly somewhere?<issue_comment>username_1: It's normal for your nozzle to be some distance away from the bed. It should be adjusted properly at first. Since, you can't move your nozzle any lower, you should follow these steps:
1. **Lowering Z-endstop**
You can manually reduce the distance between the nozzle and the bed by moving Z-endstop. Find the Z-axis limit switch (which is located on the left Z-axis on Ender-3) and loosen its screws. Next, set the switch a little lower to minimize Z-offset.
2. **Adjusting with bed leveling knobs**
It looks like you still have some space between the bed level knob and the bed. You can lower this distance by turning the knob clockwise (looking from the top). You should turn all four knobs exactly the same amount. Do not turn the knobs more than one turn, lower the Z-endstop first. This option should be executed last to calibrate the offset as precisely as possible.
The nozzle shouldn't be touching the build plate, because it will damage the printing surface. To check if the distance is set correctly, you can print **[first layer test model](https://www.printables.com/pl/model/252059-perfect-first-layer-test)**. It may be necessary to level the bed at first.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: There is only one thing you can do **if there are no more threads left on the levelling screws**, you need to move the Z-end stop assembly (depicted in the front left of your photo) to a lower position. Just unscrew the two hex screws a little and move the assembly down (blue arrow direction in the bottom/last image below). However, the more recent Ender 3 versions have a notch on the Z-end stop bracket:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ClnLI.png)
That notch rests on the frame:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ddAX4.png)
You should not be lowering this notch lower than the aluminum frame top.
Referring to your image and enlarging it, it appears you still have some threads left (encircled in red), this may be enough to get the bed to the nozzle (note that the leveling screw contains a knurled brass M3 insert, so you should be able to unscrew a little further):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/AODf9.png)
If not, you should first unscrew the levelling screws a little so that you can properly tram the bed (alternatively, use longer countersunk screws). A detailed description can be found at [All3DP's Ender 3 (Pro) Z Offset: How to Adjust It](https://all3dp.com/2/ender-3-pro-z-offset/).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/bcOiA.png)
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: Based on your picture, I can tell that the leveling springs aren't standing straight up, rather they are leaning at an angle, making it so that full extension doesn't push the platform up as high as would be possible if they were straight. I had the exact same problem. I simply took a pen and nudged all the springs to make them stand up straight, and it solved the problem.
I know it doesn't look like it will help much, but trust me it does.
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/01/05 | 613 | 2,513 | <issue_start>username_0: Is there a convention for the scale of the 3D printing STL files that are shared online and/or expected by 3-D printers?
I found a model on Thingiverse that is useful for my project, a connector that must fit with other parts, so precision is important. Eyeballing, it seems that each STL unit corresponds to 1 millimeter, is this a safe/conventional assumption?<issue_comment>username_1: The STL File format is unitless, It only contains relative positions for the vertices of the mesh which makes up the part. As such, there is no true "standard." However, most 3D printing focused slicers will import STL files on the millimeter scale.
The vast majority of STL files you find online *will* be in **mm** units, however, It's important to note that such is not always the case.
Typically however, a file imported in the wrong unit will be *very* obvious, and unless the model author has done something very unusual, scaling should be trivial within your slicer software of choice.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: STL files are based on coordinates rather than individual units of measurement as they're supposed to be completely unit agnostic in order to allow them to be evenly scaled on any platform, and to not be bogged down with unit translations.
Typically, the units are set by whoever makes the model, and by whatever the default of the software that they use is. In most cases, creators use a one-to-one scale.
So, the answer to your question is that the conventional scale is "100%". Though probably isn't the answer that you're looking for.
If you print it at 100% it will be whatever size the creator intended it to be. For example, if you were printing a Warhammer miniature and it has a base attached to it, and you print it at 100% then that base will be 25mm wide, and the figure will be the exact height that the creator intended it to be. Whatever that height is.
For the purpose of your question, if the part "looks" like it was created in MM then it almost certainly was.
If you take that STL file and put it into your slicer, then use the default scale (100%), you can use the slicer to determine how its width or height or length in MM. Just set the scale of the model to whatever makes that dimension the same as the dimension you need it to be and the rest of the model will be scaled accordingly.
Your biggest problem might actually be the material that you use, as some will shrink after printing, or shrink unevenly.
Upvotes: 2 |
2023/01/06 | 2,455 | 9,376 | <issue_start>username_0: This would be my first ever 3D printing
I previously worked in Sketchup to generate simple objects, mostly floor plans and various small objects mostly for visualizing and designing things.
I am now trying to print a dust collector (hose) adapter that would connect my vacuum to my table saw guard. I have the model already (looks like below), I have managed to get quotes from 3D printing service providers so apparently everything looks OK
I still have doubts regarding the stability of the object during the 3D printing.
How can I verify if everything is OK in that respect? I plan to print at our local public library which offers free printing (you pay the materials)
Here is my model, the OD at the base is 64.3 mm (2 17/32", the height is 288.1 mm):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/g8HqX.png)
[Here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hGMpJfpFLHW0tBs2jVpVQWTiLIZi15Js/view?usp=sharing) is the link to the file.
If it matters the local public library branch has the following 3D printers which I can use:
* The LulzBot TAZ,
* The Maker Bot Replicator 2
* The Ultimaker 2 Plus<issue_comment>username_1: The shape seems very easily printable.
The only part which will need supports is the bottom side of the rectangular connection port, in the figure just right to the quote "11 21/32". That part, if it doesn't need to be connected to anything else or doesn't need to be exactly horizontal, can be modified to be slightly slanted, see video below with the issue and solution.
Remeber that the height of the ramp depends on the depth of the overhang part. In the video the ratio is about 0.4 mm ramp height per 2.5 mm unsupported overhang. I would change it to be safer, 0.4 mm per 2.0 mm overhang, so (no less than!) 1 to 5. If your square connector is 5 mm deep (I mean measuring on the outer side of the opening, you get it), use a ramp 1 mm tall or more. The angle will be 11 degrees from horizontal.
Printers may struggle when the angle from horizontal is less than 20, but it's worth a try... or simply make it a bit taller, 0.4 mm per 1.5 mm overhang.
Once printed, file the ramp out so it becomes horizontal again. Try to use ABS if you can, it does better overhangs than PETG. PLA may work too but it's quite brittle if you hit it.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: SketchUp is known to create models which fail in the slicer or during the print. It's a good idea to use a resource to check for flaws/errors in the model. These errors can be quite varied. [All3DP](https://all3dp.com/2/stl-repair-fixer-tool-online-offline/) has a somewhat misleading presentation purporting to provide resources to repair damaged models, but the linked page merely describes those factors which are to be considered when examining a model. This particular link is included for completeness.
Non-manifold builds, intersecting faces, non-intersecting faces (holes) and others are listed in the linked article and are to be avoided/repaired prior to printing.
Some slicers will identify and auto-repair a model if the "damage" is not too severe.
Windows 10 and up includes 3DBuilder, which will also identify flawed models and attempt to repair them. Despite being bundled with Windows 10, it is a capable program for checking a build.
Meshmixer (windows) also has Analysis, Inspector to identify problem areas, and also to repair them. For your model, Meshmixer does not identify any failure points, making a repair unwarranted.
An online [repair resource from NanoDLP](https://www.nanodlp.com/repair-3d-stl-file/) exists but does not display any information, merely repairs the model and makes the repair STL file available for download. There may be others of value online, use search terms "online 3D model repair."
If you can identify the slicer used by the library, it's possible/likely that it is a free download. PrusaSlicer, for example, will provide notification when a suspect model is loaded and will auto-repair. As noted above, your model does not have flaws; loading the model will provide other resources such as slicing and g-code preview as requested in your question. Other slicers are available for free download as well, including Cura, as referenced in the video.
The overhang mentioned by @username_1 is a valid concern and the video provides a useful solution to the possibility of drooping during the print.
Angus of Maker's Muse on YouTube has a couple of videos covering design considerations to reduce or eliminate the need for supports, a version of the video linked by @username_1:
It's similar in respect to adding material to the model, creating a change from overhang to bridging.
I've had to print a counter-bore with the major diameter on the build plate. This created an unsupported bottom of the counter-bore "floating" above the plate. To fill this area with supports via the slicer would have been detrimental to the print quality and possibly resulted in impossible to remove supports.
The Angus' method served well in that I created a cylinder 0.4 mm larger in diameter than the minor diameter of the hole, placed directly in the center. This cylinder created a bridge from the major diameter, with an overlap of one nozzle width, which was easily snapped clear. One could have even less of an overlap by using 0.2 mm delta.
In the case of your vacuum nozzle, the overhang could be changed from the method presented in the video to a few gussets perpendicular to the surface under the overhang. This would "bookend" the overhang, creating bridging of the shelf, rather than drooping.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/rKP7p.png)
This image above is a hastily thrown-together example of the suggested option. The difference between the left and right support panel is the result of sloppy and hasty creation on my part, not a reflection of the model construction.
**Addressing the question** in the comments regarding print time, multiple factors are to be considered. Print speed for the specific filament type is the first. PLA can tolerate relatively high speeds compared to other filaments, especially flexible types. Layer height is also a consideration. A model printed at 0.300 mm layer height will print more quickly than one printed at a common 0.150 mm or 0.200 mm height. Layer lines will be much more visible on non-vertical faces when printed at 0.300 millimeter layer height, but for a utilitarian purpose such as yours, that's insignificant, in my opinion.
The slicer program selected will also be a factor. At 0.300 mm height, one of my slicers presents a 7 hour 22 minute result, while another suggests 8 hours 32 minutes. As both are in excess of your allowed time, you'll have to improvise.
One option, based on the duration limitations, would be to segment the model in a manner to allow easy assembly after printing, then glue the segments in place. Super-glue-type adhesives are prone to becoming brittle and fail, while solvent types are more likely to create a better bond. A popular adhesive, from my experience as well, is E6000.
If you split this model, use a horizontal plane cut to maintain the vertical orientation. It will provide the fastest printing. You can also create the plane cut at the overhang area, removing the need for manipulating support structures.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_3: >
> How can I test if my model can be 3D printed without having a printer?
>
>
>
Find out what printer is used and slice the print yourself using free tools like PrusaSlicer, Slic3r, Ultimaker Cura, etc..
From the mentioned printers, none of these allows for the tube to be printed upright, the TAZ has the largest height of 285 mm (depending on the exact version they have), your object is 288 mm...
e.g. One of my printer cannot take the object upright:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/prJX8.png)
This means that you are left to two options, cut the object into two pieces and design a coupling between the two pieces, or you need to modify the orientation of the object.
Do note that orientation of the print on the plate can do a lot to print object that sometimes do not appear to fit on the plate or in the volume.
E.g., you could print the tube other than upright, see below (it fits my 200x300 mm printer):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/EZm87.png)
This is sliced with support, but, a smaller scaled version printed fine without support. The larger version and the shallow incline of the tube need support for the full size print.
Scaled version of the tube printed without supports:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/aIl8x.jpg)
I think the best solution is to break up the part into two pieces and design an appropriate coupling. This would give you 2 parts, but the printing time and the amount of support will be minimum. The less time and the less support the higher the chance the parts print in one go without failing. It is also best to print the two parts after each other, else you will have the nozzle to retract (takes time) in between the two parts if printed together.
Upvotes: 1 |
2023/01/06 | 1,264 | 4,914 | <issue_start>username_0: I would like to add neodymium magnets during print. The model, which I would like to print, has fully enclosed holes made for placing magnets.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Lz3bj.png)
I added pause on layer (`M601`) in slicer. Since, this is a very long print, I would like to avoid any problems. I read that the magnet can attach to the nozzle while printing. How can I avoid this, and what else should I watch out for? How should I prepare in advance for magnets placing?<issue_comment>username_1: Unless you are using a nozzle made of magnetic metal, the magnet will not attach to the nozzle. The heater blocks are usually aluminum, the nozzles are brass or copper, although some can be steel. Other portions of your extruder assembly could be a factor but I've not seen examples.
Pass the magnet under the nozzle area close enough to touch the nozzle. This will provide indication of which portions of the assembly might attract the magnet.
Consider to apply some super-glue-type adhesive and allowing sufficient time to cure (or use a thin layer of moisture on the magnet, or an accelerator) to provide additional security. Even a small segment of double-stick tape may provide the level of assurance you require.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_2: I've certainly had this happen. While it didn't attach directly to the head, it attached to the steel roller bearings that moved the head, as well as the BL touch probe!
The type of magnet matters as well. If you're just using a regular steel or ceramic magnet, you probably won't have a problem since they usually aren't strong enough to lift themselves the inch or two required. But if you're using a neodymium magnet, then those certainly are.
I've done three things to solve it:
* Learned the tolerance of my machine so I know how large of an opening to make for the magnet so it ends up being a bit of a press fit (when designing my own stuff). It doesn't take much to offer just a little bit of resistance to prevent the magnet from lifting.
* When printing multiple items at once (made some refrigerator magnets), I arranged them so the print head travel properly and not cross over the magnets of the other items
* Used a glue stick to glue them in. I was a bit surprised this worked, but it was just sticky enough to solve the problem.
One of the best first prints I ever did was to create a cylinder, say 1" in diameter, with a hole in it (1/2" in diameter), then create the corresponding "pin" exactly 0.500". Then I'd create multiple cylinders with holes of varying tolerances, say 0.490, 0.495, 0.500, 0.505, 0.510.
Then I could compare the fit between the two items. Essentially if I needed to put a magnet into something, there's no way I can do a 0.500" hole. It's too tight. I've learned that with my printer, that if I oversize a hole by 0.01" *diameter*, then it's a nice fit with a little bit of resistance. Well worth taking a few minutes to do this.
Upvotes: 3 <issue_comment>username_3: You want the magnets to fit snugly in the holes for them so they can't jump out. Making the hole undersized is not a good way to achieve this, because forcibly inserting the magnet can then break or deform the partial part.
Instead, I like adding one or more very thin splines, like the ones Lego bricks have to interface with and grip the studs of another piece, in a slightly oversized hole. These splines can wedge against the magnet and deflect without deforming the rest of the part.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_4: I'll share some experience, I got while printing with magnets:
1. Firstly, check if the magnet can stick to something around the hotend, especially when using neodymium magnets. It may be necessary to replace the nozzle with a non-magnetic one.
2. Apply a small amount of glue before placing the magnets. The magnet should be free of metal filings that may stick to the magnet, because the glue will not stick to the magnet properly. In this situation, the magnet will not stick to the print and may frivolously move around in the hole.
I used a small amount of hot glue on the bottom and top of the magnet, completely surrounding it in the hole. Hot glue should be used carefully as it can deform the plastic surrounding it.
3. **Check magnets pole orientation**. This one is important, if you want to use magnets in pairs, e.g. for parts that should connect and disconnect. Magnets should either attract or repel each other, depending on the application. Before placing the magnets, check that they are correctly positioned. You can also mark the poles first with a marker.
4. Make sure the magnet fits in the hole. For this purpose, you can make a quick test print and check if the magnet fits correctly into the hole. This will save potential drilling in the printout and other unwanted problems.
Upvotes: 2 |
2023/01/14 | 2,063 | 7,445 | <issue_start>username_0: I am trying to print an object with this cross section (the full object is just this mirrored):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/r1cDx.png "Object")
The problem is that big overhang layer. Cura slices it like this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/52SrT.jpg "Bad slice")
This is obviously going to fail. Is there any way to make Cura slice it in a spiral inwards from the outside, something like this (excuse the terrible diagram):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/gLUbJ.png "Good slice")<issue_comment>username_1: Angus of Maker's Muse has a [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPijCjz9G1w) which may be of value. He suggests to create additional components to the model that become supports. I've used this method with great results. The specific model I created contained counterbores that could not be inverted and would have required supports and also would have become a mess to remove.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/nrKN6.png)
The black lines represent a pair of cylinders of nearly matching diameters. The larger cylinder should be the same diameter and the second cut plus one or two nozzle widths, to allow overlap. This creates a bridging circumstance of relatively small dimensions.
This support cylinder could be hollow, but the slicer will have to bridge the top of it in order to create the center cylinder support. One could create a solid cylinder with a cone removed, allowing the print to build a non-supported taper to the top, but it would be easier to create a pair of nested cylinders, both of which could be hollow.
As before, the center cylinder should be the same diameter as the top most cut, plus the nozzle width times to create the bridging feature.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/dEK9h.png)
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: I'm pretty new to 3D printing but I was fairly sure I could get this to print nicely without supports and I did it! First here are some things I tried:
1. I tried the manual supports suggested by fred\_dot\_u, unfortunately, it does not really work in this case. It seems like the bridge needs a reasonable width of support at each end to adhere to.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Uam0x.jpg "Photo of a 3D printed model with the supports failing")
2. I redesigned my model to not have 90° overhangs. Fortunately, in my case I can actually get away with 45° slops and also a 67° slope like this (this is upside down compared to the images in the question).
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3oKl7.png "A sketch showing the model redesigned with 45-degree angles to minimize support usage")
Unfortunately, this did not print at all well with the default Cura settings. It still insists on doing the "wall" rings first and those have no support.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/n5YEu.jpg "Photo of the printed model with a slightly better surface but missing printed elements")
(The black dots are from wet and dry paper.)
3. I managed to get it to print in the right order - spiraling inwards - by slicing with PrusaSlicer and just setting the wall width really high, like 5. It worked a bit better, but still 67° overhang was too much for my printer, and also I don't really want walls that thick.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/d0rjy.png "Screenshot of PrusaSlicer's model preview showing the start of the layer")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/abFB4.png "Screenshot of PrusaSlicer's model preview showing the end of the layer")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/t0ZkU.png "Photo of the model with better surfaces but still failing")
4. Finally I realised what I should do. Bridging seems to work well over long distances, as long as both ends are well supported. So all I need to do is manually add some "bridge supports" and convince Cura to print them as actual bridges. Here's my CAD (I've resorted to just a test piece rather than my actual model now):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/3UYWi.png "Screenshot of a new design in CAD design with manually added bridge supports")
Essentially I added a 0.2 mm layer extrusion down everywhere except a square in the middle, and then a further 0.2 mm extrusion down in these purple areas:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cDz70.png "Screenshot of the new design with bridge supports")
Then when you slice in Cura set **Top/Bottom Line Directions** to **[0, 90]** (or perhaps you could just rotate the square by 45°), and it will slice it like this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/eVgbU.jpg "Screenshot of Cura's preview of the model's first layer")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/fxX0g.jpg "Screenshot of Cura's preview of the model's second layer")
And it prints perfectly!
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/LlDto.jpg "Photo of the printed model properly printed and no failures")
Ok, in the end, I think I might not do that because I realised I can redesign it to use 45° slopes and a big closed hole at the top... but I'm glad I proved that you *can* do 90° overhangs with holes in them without supports.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_3: Here are your settings. The ones with the arrows are especially important. Just copy everything I've underlined with red and everything will work fine ;-)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/wbH8t.jpg)
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/01/19 | 611 | 2,300 | <issue_start>username_0: I recently had some filament get stuck in the Bowden tube so much so that I had to remove it from the stock Creality heatsink on my Ender 3 v2. As I was taking the tube out of the heatsink I noticed some residue inside:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/MRhQR.jpg "Photo of the Creality stock heatsink with some type of residue inside")
Do I have to replace my heatsink or can it be cleaned out? What is this residue? Will this cause problems in the future?<issue_comment>username_1: I'm not sure what this gunk is, but it seems to be standard in Creality hotends and is presumably something they used to hold the threads or improve thermal properties or something. In any case it does not seem important. You do not need to replace your heat sink.
If the gunk is making it hard to re-insert the bowden tube and threaded coupler, or if it looks like you're going to push it down where it would get in the interface between the tube and the nozzle and cause a clog (this seems likely from your pic), you can clean it out with a Q-tip and some IPA. Otherwise, in my experience it's fine to ignore it.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: That looks burned and rough. It is likely to prevent the bowden tube from properly seating, and if that falls into the nozzle, it could clog it.
That may be plastic that leaked between the hot end and the bowden tube and degraded under heat over time. When my printer was new, I took apart the hot end and didn't find any residue like this, but when I changed my nozzle recently, I did. I think this is buildup over time of either degraded plastic or residue that was on the plastic.
I would recommend removing the nozzle and using a q-tip or a skewer to scrape that out and push it out of the hot end.
Also check the end of your bowden tube and make sure it isn't also charred or contaminated with residue. Clean it and make sure that the end is flat so that it can seat fully into the hot end with no gaps. If the tip looks damaged, you can insert it into a loose coupler and use a sharp blade to cut the tip even with the end of the coupler.
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/01/25 | 1,105 | 4,144 | <issue_start>username_0: Setup: Anycubic Kobra Neo (Firmware v1.3.3), Cura 5.2.1
I recently bought an Anycubic Kobra Neo.
It works but has issues with auto bed leveling. Specifically, auto bed leveling does not compensate for bed tilt in X and Y directions correctly. After running the auto leveling, the printer consistently prints higher up in the right back corner, compared to the front left corner of the build plate.
The problem does not seem to be related to auto bed leveling being disabled though. While printing, you can see the Z lead screw turning, so the printer definitely tries to compensate for something.
What I tried:
* Print Z calibration patterns
* Run auto leveling again using the attached controller
* Run auto leveling again with the `G29` command and prior `G28` to home, followed by `M500` to save the mesh
* Add `M420 S1` to start G-code (also tried `M420 L` and both together)
* Reset EEPROM with `M502`
* Use Repetier Host instead of Cura
* Used different filament
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ct23e.jpg "Z Calibration Pattern")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/DAEZC.jpg "Front left Corner of Z Calibration Pattern")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KYVaG.jpg "Back Right Corner of Z Calibration Pattern")<issue_comment>username_1: I've just been through the same problem using the flex bed on the Kobra Max, but it was there with the glass before as well, it was just a little better.
Some problems I did notice:
* When you remove the plastic cover on the printer head, you will notice the strain gauge is already stressed by some wire pushing on the heat sink. If you tie the cover aside to make sure it can blow on the heat sink without adding stress on it and you do the calibration, it improved the results for me.
Something bad I did notice is that by power cycling the printer and redoing the nozzle touching step at the beginning of the leveling process, the pressure required to light the red led was not the same at all from time to time. So I guess the strain gauge is probably calibrating on power on but not in a reliable way obviously.
* When I put the plastic cover back in place on the printer head, I could not have the red LED (on the strain gauge PCB) to stay off so there is something pushing on it while it is tightened so it has to be less sensitive when it's assembled (IMO). I could not yet find what is pushing on it, I would have to sit inside the box to see...
* After having the leveling done without the plastic cover on the printer's head and having power cycled the printer until the nozzle touching step was the most sensitive before the leveling, all my test squares near the outside of the bed were good but the ones in the middle were much thinner.
* What seems to be the major problem in this leveling process is that it is doing its leveling process at a fixed temperature (60 °C). So if your bed has to reach 100 °C for ABS, for example, the aluminum heating bed will expand but not the cold steel bracket holding it underneath, so the bed gets higher in the middle.
* If you succeed to get even tests around your bed and only the ones in the middle are thinner, try to print with the bed at 60 °C (same temp as its leveling) and it will be perfect :). But yes, I know you want the bed at 100 °C for ABS. For this, I have no fix, they will have to update their firmware so we can level at any temp.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: The issue seems to be mostly left/right.
The cause is a twisted X extrusion or rail together with a probe which has a X and Y offset compared to the nozzle, therefore it reads wrong values.
See <https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/issues/22791>
If you cannot correct the mesh manually, try to straighten the axis, or add a counterweight behind the axis as heavy as the toolhead.
Upvotes: 1 |
2023/01/29 | 1,081 | 3,885 | <issue_start>username_0: I have an Ender 3 that I have been learning for about a month now. I’ve just started to print with PLA silk. I’ve managed to get some quite nice prints out of standard PLA and also PETG. Maybe it’s just the glossiness of the silk that is highlighting these surface zits.
I’ve already tuned my E-steps, and have done temp towers, retraction test towers, and flow tests but just can’t seem to nail what is giving me these blemishes. I’m using a .6 mm nozzle, temp tower showed 195 °C for the nozzle, 60 °C for the bed. Printing at .2 mm layer height and 50 mm feed rate.
Everything is stock except for an all-metal extruder and a BLTouch.
There seem to be a lot of profiles for Cura floating around and I tried them but most of them seem to be tailored to the standard .4 mm nozzle.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/KPdHH.jpg "Side view of a 3D printed model with zits on the surface")
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/PihNp.jpg "Another view of a 3D printed model with zits on the surface")<issue_comment>username_1: 1. Buy a better printer (Sorry, I'm going to be that guy). Judging by the visibility of the horizontal lines on your piece, the print is already painful to look at. This happens due to fluctuating temperatures. Ender 3 is for beginners learning to print who aren't sure if they want to invest in the new hobby, people on a budget who use it once a month, or people who want to mess around with firmware and play around with the code. Ender 3 prints like garbage, sorry, it's just the truth. If you're serious about printing: upgrade.
2. Buy high-quality PLA filament. Stay clear from cheap Amazon stuff, that will only clog your nozzle. This is probably the source of the blobs. Buy black or colorless PLA or live with the problems other colors might and will bring, especially glossy, glittery, fancy stuff.
3. Check **Shell** > **Outer before Inner Walls** in Cura.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/Yr0Gd.jpg "Screenshot of Cura Settings showing the Quality and Shell sections")
4. Adjust **Speed** > **Outer Wall Speed**. Anything under 60 mm/s is **fine**.
5. As a last resort: Reduce the flow rate. In Cura under **Material** > **Flow**, or **Outer Wall Flow**. Not by too much though.
6. If the blobs show up in a certain pattern (it does **not** appear so), indeed turn off \*\*Power Loss Recovery as the comment suggested. If they appear random (from what I see in the photos), there's **no** need to turn off that feature whatsoever.
Also, you'll want to increase your retraction speed and perhaps also retraction amount (both under **Travel** in Cura) judging by that stringing.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Change seam to User defined, then to back right Also Adjust your retraction settings.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_3: I have added a Satsana fan shroud and direct extruder. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s just this filament. I have done test retraction towers using firmware retraction so I can make adjustments mid print and have tried retraction distances from .5mm to 5mm and still can’t eliminate stringing. It’s better, but still there. I have also tried test temp towers and still can’t eliminate it. I haven’t printed anything that will show surface zits and blobs, so I don’t know if that has improved. It’s a new roll but I still put it in the oven at 45-50 for 4 hours to see if that helped, it didn’t.
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/01/29 | 490 | 1,871 | <issue_start>username_0: I recently bought a Anycubic Vyper which prints overall not bad but has a real nasty issue with stringing.
I tried out several temperatures, settings for retract distances and retraction speed but nothing seems to really work. All of my filament is new and stringing occurs with different brands so it does not seem to be caused by the filament.
When the nozzle heats up there is molten filament coming out of the nozzle even the extruder is not doing anything at all.
Is there something I can try to fix the stringing apart from taking the hotend apart?
Retraction tower with different retract-values:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/UOKTl.jpg "3D print showing stringing#1")
Retract test which shows the stringing:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xe0Ev.jpg "3D print showing stringing#2")<issue_comment>username_1: You have a retraction test tower, but consider that a temperature tower is also a useful reference. Your nozzle temperatures may be excessive, especially if you have a substantial oozing from the nozzle when idle.
Consider also that your filament may need drying despite being "fresh out of the box." There are quite a few anecdotes with supporting photos of users printing tests with fresh filament, along with a matching photo of the same test printed after drying the filament in a food dehydrator.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: Thanks for the answers. In this special case the printer had a hardware-defect,so I had to send it back.
I don't know which part in detail was defect but the hotend was switched off in the middle of the print, so either the hotend or something at the mainboard.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2023/02/03 | 344 | 1,229 | <issue_start>username_0: I purchased it new from Amazon in December. It started about one week ago and it just stops with a constant beep and does not allow me to do anything else except turn it off. Doesn't happen on all prints but just loses its brain.
It does save the printing but I must shut it down manually and then it picks off where it left off but still does the same thing. Printing a bonsai bowl and other things and it goes to 0 °C. Is this something I am doing incorrectly or is it a defect in the unit? To me sounds like a defect.<issue_comment>username_1: Did you check the voltage setting on the back of the unit?
There is a semi-hidden switch that can be flipped to go from 230 volts to 115 volts. If you are in the US, you want to print on 115 volts.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: My printer was doing this. I looked all over to try and find a solution on my own. One person said that it was a faulty thermister so having found no other solution I got on the Creality customer support chat and they sent me a file called [`PID.gcode`](https://szscxswkjgfyxgs1.qiyukf.net/a758e1c546fb39cfa1fd61febc8bf86a?download=PID.rar). I ran the file on the printer and it fixed my issue immediately.
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/02/04 | 584 | 2,081 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm producing a series of brackets to allow a laser cutter to be reliably positioned on a waste board\spoil board in that has a measurement grid on it, and to allow a honeycomb bed to be reliably positioned within it in relation to the laser cutter.
Essentially, I'm making 4 large right angle piece with mounting screws and stepped sides. Which will be screwed down to a piece of timber so that things can be fixed to them in the same position each time they're used.
It has a lot of corners, and 90° angles, and it looks like it was designed by a Brutalist architect.
Will bevelling1) the corners for purely aesthetic reasons have any practical effect on the print or the printing process. For example will rounder corners make the print stronger or weaker, or will it make warping more or less likely. Will it improve or harm bed adhesion, will it have any substantial effect on print time or quality?
Version 1.0
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mWPQx.png)
I'm using an Ender 5 with PLA and a 0.2 layer height. Because that's what I have on my shelf right now, and I don't want to spend any extra money on this.
---
1) *I'm using the word "bevel" because I'm using Blender to make the model (Because it's what I'm most familiar with), and you create rounded edges using the Bevel tool in Blender.*<issue_comment>username_1: Did you check the voltage setting on the back of the unit?
There is a semi-hidden switch that can be flipped to go from 230 volts to 115 volts. If you are in the US, you want to print on 115 volts.
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: My printer was doing this. I looked all over to try and find a solution on my own. One person said that it was a faulty thermister so having found no other solution I got on the Creality customer support chat and they sent me a file called [`PID.gcode`](https://szscxswkjgfyxgs1.qiyukf.net/a758e1c546fb39cfa1fd61febc8bf86a?download=PID.rar). I ran the file on the printer and it fixed my issue immediately.
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/02/04 | 241 | 827 | <issue_start>username_0: How do I view the results from the BLTouch probing on my Ender 3?
I have set up all the firmware and installed the BLTouch fine and it works as expected. But how am I able to see the results of the `G29` 9-step probes so I can view them in a mesh visualiser?
I don’t have an OctoPrint print server, as I know this comes with a Plug-in.<issue_comment>username_1: I used Pronterface terminal emulator and connected the printer via USB! Simple really when you figure out how!
Upvotes: -1 <issue_comment>username_2: G-code [`M420 V`](https://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M420.html) will show the mesh heights of the currently loaded mesh.
You can use a [console](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/10573/what-is-a-printer-console-terminal) to send the command and retrieve the values.
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/02/10 | 343 | 1,394 | <issue_start>username_0: I made a successful print before this incident with my Ender 3 S1 running Klipper firmware. After that print, it started not extruding. Well, the motor started wiggling back and forth rapidly. After the prime line, it stopped completely. I thought it might be a problem with Klipper, so I switched back to stock firmware and used a different slicer too. But it is still there. I uploaded a video of it to YouTube:
<https://youtube.com/shorts/q-ZLMg6NHng><issue_comment>username_1: It looks like your extruder stepper is not sequenced correctly. There are a number of possible causes of this.
Basically, the stepper has four (?) poles that must be sequenced in order to make it turn. If you sequence them out of order, it will go back and forth instead of turning in one direction.
The causes for this could be any of:
* The poles are connected to the controller in the wrong order
* One or more of the drivers on the controller is burned out and is being effectively skipped
* The voltage on the controller is too low for the force being applied to the shaft output, causing the motor to jam and steps to be skipped
For an extruder, usually the output shaft is geared down, making the third possibility very unlikely.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I replaced the cable to the extruder and the extruder motor.
Now it works fine.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2023/02/19 | 564 | 2,175 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm doing something special with my Ender 3 V2 Neo these days. Gotten to upgrade to the direct extruder Biqu H2 V2. Nothing is out for the Neo version yet - like adapters and such - so I have modified an Ender 3 Pro mount to make things work.
Everything is now mounted and looks awesome. But, the new extruder won't extrude. I have set the Vrefs to around 1.05 V. The E-steps are set to 932 using Pronterface. I am using Marlin firmware.
My mainboard is marked with T8 and it is using the TMC2208 driver. I have checked my stepper cable and there is good connection with the main board.
I took out my stepper motor cable from the Biqu and tried with the stepper motor cable from my X-axis, and then the Biqu finally started extruding when I adjusted the X value.
So I'm kind of puzzled of this issue?!
Is my mainboard toasted? Or could the E-stepper driver be possibly dead?
Anyone with good ideas?
After a good question on if i had worked on the board with the power ON i went into myself and thought; damn, i actually just have done that. And by trying to move the x-axis with the steppermotor just to have NOTHING happen... i think my steppermotor driver is dead by my own doing... I will buy a new one and let you guys know!!<issue_comment>username_1: It looks like your extruder stepper is not sequenced correctly. There are a number of possible causes of this.
Basically, the stepper has four (?) poles that must be sequenced in order to make it turn. If you sequence them out of order, it will go back and forth instead of turning in one direction.
The causes for this could be any of:
* The poles are connected to the controller in the wrong order
* One or more of the drivers on the controller is burned out and is being effectively skipped
* The voltage on the controller is too low for the force being applied to the shaft output, causing the motor to jam and steps to be skipped
For an extruder, usually the output shaft is geared down, making the third possibility very unlikely.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I replaced the cable to the extruder and the extruder motor.
Now it works fine.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2023/02/19 | 457 | 1,787 | <issue_start>username_0: Can anyone tell me what would cause an entire print to be shifted about 8mm?
I have a new Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro (which is doing an awesome job so far!).
I started printing this [Treasure Chest Puzzle Box](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5414034) overnight, and this morning it looked pretty good until I noticed that after approximately 3 layers, the print shifted by about 8mm. I think it shifted again by about 1mm after 1 layer. The rest of the print is perfect.
Unfortunately, I pulled the print off and closed my Cura file before I took note of which direction the print was on the bed, so I don't know which dimension was shifted - the direction the bed slides or the direction the extruder head moves.
I printed on the normal Cura profile.
Thanks.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/GdXue.png)<issue_comment>username_1: It looks like your extruder stepper is not sequenced correctly. There are a number of possible causes of this.
Basically, the stepper has four (?) poles that must be sequenced in order to make it turn. If you sequence them out of order, it will go back and forth instead of turning in one direction.
The causes for this could be any of:
* The poles are connected to the controller in the wrong order
* One or more of the drivers on the controller is burned out and is being effectively skipped
* The voltage on the controller is too low for the force being applied to the shaft output, causing the motor to jam and steps to be skipped
For an extruder, usually the output shaft is geared down, making the third possibility very unlikely.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I replaced the cable to the extruder and the extruder motor.
Now it works fine.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2023/02/23 | 763 | 2,631 | <issue_start>username_0: I've been getting deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole of UBL and I am losing my mind!
Just installed the CR Touch and I am having print issue after print issue with larger prints despite manually leveling the bed (bed adjustment not UBL manual) to the best of my ability.
* Ender 3 v1
* Board: Creality 4.2.7
* Firmware: Marlin 2.1.2
* Firmware config: [`configuration.h`](https://www.dropbox.com/s/5bveiho4uh21iea/Configuration.h?dl=0)
* Hotend: Creality Direct Drive Sprite Pro
* UBL Sensor: CR Touch
The height map clearly shows an issue - I just don't know how to fix it.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/mbfEP.png "Screenshot of the bed mesh")
Of note - `G29 P1` will only get through 44 of the 100 touchpoints
Here is the code I ran through to generate the mesh:
```
G28 ; home all axes
M420 S0 ; Turning off bed leveling while probing, if firmware is set
; to restore after G28
M155 S30 ; reduce temperature reporting rate to reduce output pollution
M190 S65 ; (optional) wait for the bed to get up to temperature
G29 P1 ; automatically populate mesh with all reachable points
G29 P3 ; infer the rest of the mesh values
G29 P3 ; infer the rest of the mesh values again
@BEDLEVELVISUALIZER ; tell the plugin to watch for reported mesh
M420 S1 V ; enabled leveling and report the new mesh
G29 S0 ; Save UBL mesh points to slot 0 (EEPROM).
G29 F 10.0 ; Set Fade Height for correction at 10.0 mm.
G29 A ; Activate the UBL System.
M500 ; save the current setup to EEPROM
M155 S3 ; reset temperature reporting
M140 S0 ; cooling down the bed
```<issue_comment>username_1: It looks like your extruder stepper is not sequenced correctly. There are a number of possible causes of this.
Basically, the stepper has four (?) poles that must be sequenced in order to make it turn. If you sequence them out of order, it will go back and forth instead of turning in one direction.
The causes for this could be any of:
* The poles are connected to the controller in the wrong order
* One or more of the drivers on the controller is burned out and is being effectively skipped
* The voltage on the controller is too low for the force being applied to the shaft output, causing the motor to jam and steps to be skipped
For an extruder, usually the output shaft is geared down, making the third possibility very unlikely.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I replaced the cable to the extruder and the extruder motor.
Now it works fine.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2023/02/27 | 416 | 1,754 | <issue_start>username_0: I am just getting into printing and would like some direction on my current project. I am building a display cube, and I would like to have an LED light on both the left and right sides. The battery pack/power would come up from the bottom.
I am using freeCad as my design tool. My initial thought would be to create a pocket where the LEDs will be at and then create holes leading back to the bottom. That seems like the logical solution.
Another option I had was to create channels on the inside of the square and run my cables through those. However, this will make the cables visible, and also show the channels.
My final option would be to hollow out the insides with a little bit left for the surfaces.
With all of these options, I can see pros and cons, so that is why I am looking for a little guidance.<issue_comment>username_1: It looks like your extruder stepper is not sequenced correctly. There are a number of possible causes of this.
Basically, the stepper has four (?) poles that must be sequenced in order to make it turn. If you sequence them out of order, it will go back and forth instead of turning in one direction.
The causes for this could be any of:
* The poles are connected to the controller in the wrong order
* One or more of the drivers on the controller is burned out and is being effectively skipped
* The voltage on the controller is too low for the force being applied to the shaft output, causing the motor to jam and steps to be skipped
For an extruder, usually the output shaft is geared down, making the third possibility very unlikely.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I replaced the cable to the extruder and the extruder motor.
Now it works fine.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2023/03/01 | 1,264 | 5,017 | <issue_start>username_0: I've got one particular print which is causing me problems. I've printed other things without changing the filament or printer, so the problem is at least partially the print itself, which has a lot of supports and unconnected sections. What sorts of things can I do to fix this? I'm printing on an Ender 3 Pro and using Ultimaker Cura for slicing.
I print in PLA at 200 °C. The print bed is set to 40 °C. I use a print cooling fan at 100%. The layer height I set to 0.2 mm, the line width 0.4 mm from the 0.4 mm nozzle. I'm not positive what my print speed was set to, but I think I tried it at the default (50 mm/s infill) and then a second time slower (20-30 mm/s, probably). Regardless, the wall speed was set to half whatever the infill speed is. My retraction is 6.5 mm/off at 25 mm/s.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xIHAD.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: 6.5 mm retraction seems to be way too high. Try lowering it to 3 mm or even 2 mm. (I have my Ender set to 2 mm).
---
**Disclaimer**: My knowledge of this topic is not extensive. Nonetheless, below is what I currently know. Make sure to read the comments below for more info.
One of the most important parameters when deciding on the retraction value is the length of the Bowden tube. The longer the tube, the higher the retraction value should be set. It has to do filament compression as the extruder is pushing filament into a nozzle. The longer the distance between the extruder and nozzle, the more filament there is that can be compressed, therefore, the higher the retraction value you need to set to avoid too much filament coming out of the nozzle.
With all that said, based on my personal experience and the experience of my friends who own this printer, for a stock Ender 3 the value of 5-6 mm retraction is too high. Some of my friends' printers make good prints with retraction set to 3 mm. My printer likes the value of 2 mm better, for whatever reason (I modified the extruder and hot end on my printer, maybe that has to do with it).
3D printers kind of "have personalities" and require tinkering around for you to find out the correct values for your prints. Modifications, filament type, filament brand, and many other things/parameters can and do cause requiring changes to your printing values.
So tinker around and see if lowering retraction values gives you better prints.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I have noticed issues like this to happen for me due to what I mention below. I would check each of these and attempt to further narrow down the problem. It is the nature of 3D printing with how different each print shape, machine, and filament being used are, so it is difficult to provide exact settings advice to fix an issue.
1. **Retraction speed & distance** - with the incorrect combination you can cause your printer over time to extrude less at certain layers. The problem compounds over time and becomes apparent on prints that have a lot more retraction steps than others. It is important that any time you change to a new brand or type of filament, you run certain temperature and speed test prints. There are certain models that can be downloaded online on [Thingiverse](https://www.thingiverse.com/) or [Printables](https://www.printables.com/) websites that test for print quality based on differences of retraction speeds, temperature, overhang angle, cooling settings, etc. [Teaching Tech](https://www.youtube.com/@TeachingTech) (YouTube link), for example, offers a very comprehensive array of tests and procedures for calibrating your printer. I suggest visiting his [website](https://teachingtechyt.github.io/calibration.html).
2. **Bowden tube lubrication** - Something like a Capricorn™ tube offers less resistance as the filament is sliding through the tube as compared to the Bowden tube that comes with your printer. Increased friction in the Bowden tube will cause inconsistent extrusion of the filament due to impeding the acceleration and speed as the filament is moving back and forth in the tube. Furthermore, it will exhibit different resistance based on how the filament is resting within the Bowden tube while it is flexing as the print head is moving. Lubricating your filament with a little bit of olive oil every few prints will help in this regard in addition to purchasing a higher quality Bowden tube.
3. **Extruder drive gear tension** - the point where your filament is biting into the cogs of the extruder needs to be very tight. The spring on the extruder pulley clamp needs to constantly exert enough pressure for the cogs to really dig into the filament. This is important because if the bite is not good enough, it will cause inconsistent extrusion when rapid accelerations happen such as when retractions occur. It is good practice that every few prints to manually push on the pulleys together as over time the spring will degrade and become weaker.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2023/03/03 | 1,256 | 5,111 | <issue_start>username_0: I have been researching how to stack models using Cura and I was wondering if it would be possible to stack a model like the image below, where the top is not a flat surface. There are a couple of shapes (mainly circles and a cross) that stick out of an otherwise flat rectangle. The bottom of the model is also flat.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/CEcPF.png "Screenshot of a rectangular 3D model with circles and a cross on top in Cura")
Let me know what your thoughts are regarding this, if I should use some form of supports or not, or if this is just not possible. Thank you!
Edit: Forgot to include some details. I'm using an Ender 3 3D printer with 1.75 mm PLA filament. The print itself has a 0.8 mm thick rectangular base and all of the circles and the cross stick out an additional 0.8 mm.<issue_comment>username_1: 6.5 mm retraction seems to be way too high. Try lowering it to 3 mm or even 2 mm. (I have my Ender set to 2 mm).
---
**Disclaimer**: My knowledge of this topic is not extensive. Nonetheless, below is what I currently know. Make sure to read the comments below for more info.
One of the most important parameters when deciding on the retraction value is the length of the Bowden tube. The longer the tube, the higher the retraction value should be set. It has to do filament compression as the extruder is pushing filament into a nozzle. The longer the distance between the extruder and nozzle, the more filament there is that can be compressed, therefore, the higher the retraction value you need to set to avoid too much filament coming out of the nozzle.
With all that said, based on my personal experience and the experience of my friends who own this printer, for a stock Ender 3 the value of 5-6 mm retraction is too high. Some of my friends' printers make good prints with retraction set to 3 mm. My printer likes the value of 2 mm better, for whatever reason (I modified the extruder and hot end on my printer, maybe that has to do with it).
3D printers kind of "have personalities" and require tinkering around for you to find out the correct values for your prints. Modifications, filament type, filament brand, and many other things/parameters can and do cause requiring changes to your printing values.
So tinker around and see if lowering retraction values gives you better prints.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I have noticed issues like this to happen for me due to what I mention below. I would check each of these and attempt to further narrow down the problem. It is the nature of 3D printing with how different each print shape, machine, and filament being used are, so it is difficult to provide exact settings advice to fix an issue.
1. **Retraction speed & distance** - with the incorrect combination you can cause your printer over time to extrude less at certain layers. The problem compounds over time and becomes apparent on prints that have a lot more retraction steps than others. It is important that any time you change to a new brand or type of filament, you run certain temperature and speed test prints. There are certain models that can be downloaded online on [Thingiverse](https://www.thingiverse.com/) or [Printables](https://www.printables.com/) websites that test for print quality based on differences of retraction speeds, temperature, overhang angle, cooling settings, etc. [Teaching Tech](https://www.youtube.com/@TeachingTech) (YouTube link), for example, offers a very comprehensive array of tests and procedures for calibrating your printer. I suggest visiting his [website](https://teachingtechyt.github.io/calibration.html).
2. **Bowden tube lubrication** - Something like a Capricorn™ tube offers less resistance as the filament is sliding through the tube as compared to the Bowden tube that comes with your printer. Increased friction in the Bowden tube will cause inconsistent extrusion of the filament due to impeding the acceleration and speed as the filament is moving back and forth in the tube. Furthermore, it will exhibit different resistance based on how the filament is resting within the Bowden tube while it is flexing as the print head is moving. Lubricating your filament with a little bit of olive oil every few prints will help in this regard in addition to purchasing a higher quality Bowden tube.
3. **Extruder drive gear tension** - the point where your filament is biting into the cogs of the extruder needs to be very tight. The spring on the extruder pulley clamp needs to constantly exert enough pressure for the cogs to really dig into the filament. This is important because if the bite is not good enough, it will cause inconsistent extrusion when rapid accelerations happen such as when retractions occur. It is good practice that every few prints to manually push on the pulleys together as over time the spring will degrade and become weaker.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2023/03/09 | 1,245 | 4,336 | <issue_start>username_0: I've an Ender 3 and a piece broke.
The part that is broken is on top of the Z stepper motor that guides the filament to the extruder.
The metal "guide wheel" that hugs the filament as its pushed through, the plate beneath it broke. I dropped a socket wrench on it. -- it's just sitting there in the photo, but it's not doing it job.
Do I have to replace the whole stepper motor or can I just get the feeder thing that sits on top of the motor?
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ouABu.jpg "This thing...")
I don't know what it's called so it's tough to search for<issue_comment>username_1: #### Replacing the broken part
You certainly don't need to buy a *whole* new extruder assembly, including a stepper motor.
You could just buy a new extruder mechanism, and upgrade from the plastic1 extruder, to a metal (aluminium(?)) extruder, such as the one (apparently) sold by Creality themselves, such as this2, [Metal Extruder Kit (Red)](https://store.creality.com/products/metal-extruder-kit-red):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SV0nC.png "Metal Extruder Kit (Red)")
However, if you just need a certain piece of the extruder (from your photo, I can't tell which part is broken), you could search for that, although, it would probably be cheaper just to buy the whole thing.
As to the name of the particular part that is broken, again, it is difficult to tell from the photo which part is actually broken. If you could add an annotated photo or more explicitly show the broken part, then it would be easier to provide a name of the actual part.
That said, after re-reading your question, I *think* that you may be referring to the whole black assembly - along with the spring, brass knurled nut, pulley/bearing, and associated bolts - that sits on the stepper motor... if so, then that is the **extruder**.
#### Identifying the parts of an extruder
It can be confusing knowing exactly what the names of the *various parts of the extruder* are - seeing as the entire extruder assembly (including the hotend and stepper motor) is often referred to as the extruder, either individually or as a whole.
Here are a couple of images that map out the various parts of the extruder assembly:
From the excellent [RepRapWiki - Extruders](https://reprap.org/wiki/Category:Extruders)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/94ebr.png "Annotated extruder diagram")
From [Extruders 101: A crash course on an essential component of your 3D printer](https://www.matterhackers.com/articles/extruders-101:-a-crash-course-on-an-essential-component-of-your-3d-printer)
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lnAYp.jpg "Annotated extruder photo")
Note that:
* The *hobbed bolt*, is sometimes referred to as the *knurled bolt* or *knurled nut*
* The idler wheel is (generally) just a bearing
---
#### Footnotes
1 As [confirmed in the comments](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20664/replacing-and-identification-of-a-broken-piece-of-the-extruder/20665?noredirect=1#comment39442_20665), the extruder that comes with the non-pro version of the Ender 3 is plastic.
2 I'm not recommending this seller, nor am I sure that they are genuine Creality parts... this is just an example for what you need to be looking for.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: Sadly this is a known-weak part on all Creality extruders of this design.
The tension arm is ABS plastic and will work fine for a few months, maybe a year and will then break around where the bearing is secured to the arm.
That equates to 5-10 kg of printing before the arm breaks. Since its a higher pressure point, gluing will not succeed.
Your best option is to buy a replacement tension arm, in Aluminium. There are many options on Aliexpess, though fit and finish can be a mixed bag. I had to swipe some bolts from my original extruder-motor mount because the new one was short.
It is telling that Creality offer a metal one and not a plastic one, but sells new printers with just plastic ones.
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/03/11 | 678 | 2,550 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm working on tuning an old Ultimaker 2 Go, and I'm having some weird extrusion issues. The printer uses a Bowden extruder. Extrusion seems to increase and decrease. I don't think it is the filament quality, as I am using Prusament PLA that I am storing in a dark closet inside a sealed bag with silica gel. I also did multiple cold pulls until no debris. I do notice that sometimes the filament appears to bubble. The extruding motor also sometimes slips/snaps back while changing filament, but not during prints.
However, I am using 1.75 mm filament while the printer is designed for 2.85 mm. In order to do this, I followed some steps I found from All3D.
I also have a small PVC jig to hold the filament, but I think it turns pretty well and shouldn't be the issue.
Filament: PLA, Temp: 215 °C, Slicer: Cura
\*Update:
I calibrated the e-steps and all of the axes, but the problem still remains.
I also printed an XYZ cube, and there is a line right under the letters X and Y. It also appears that the extrusion is more inconsistent outside of the letters. I'm pretty sure this issue is related to the weird first-layer pattern, or this is just a cooling issue due to varying cooling %.
Filament: PLA, Temp: 215 °C, Slicer: PrusaSlicer
<issue_comment>username_1: You have a number of "red flags" in your process. Using filament of a size different from the design's filament specification would be one of them. Bubbles in the filament may mean moisture, regardless of the storage method. Reddit contains a number of posts from users who have presented before and after (dehydration) photos of parts created from new-from-the-box filament. You suggest that the motor does not slip during prints, but there's also reference that it happens in other actions.
In order to pin down a solution, address the filament size by using the correct filament. Use a dehydrator to ensure that the filament contains no moisture. Using correct diameter filament will also cover the slipping extruder.
Once you address these issues and tune the printer appropriately, you may discover that using the smaller diameter filament is going to be a compromise.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: It turns out that it was caused by the filament being ground at regular intervals. I solved it by lowering the printing speed (I did change the bowden tube to a 1.75 mm one though). Still working on fully tuning this printer.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2023/03/17 | 425 | 1,606 | <issue_start>username_0: I have just calibrated my extruder and everything is ok. When I extrude 100 mm of filament, everything is correct, but when I attach the Bowden tube to the nozzle, the length of filament that is extruded is not correct - it is much shorter. Is that normal?
The nozzle is almost new. It was working for only a few hours. How can I fix it? Do I need a new nozzle, or there is some another issue?
I tried some prints and they were just fine. Before calibration, they were terrible.
The method that I used to calibrate is described here, [Stupid Fast Way To Calibrate E Steps On Ender 3 (V2/Pro)](https://makershop.co/how-to-calibrate-esteps-ender-3/), calibrated with and without the Bowden tube - on the another end before nozzle. But when I attach the Bowden tube and extrude, the nozzle is all wrong.
I used the method from the link above. My prints were terrible before calibration. Using this method now my prints are ok. Method is without Bowden tube, printer extrude in the air. But when I extrude from nozzle distance in much shorter. Is that normal? Or is the method used to calibrate correct and enough?<issue_comment>username_1: That calibration test shouldn't be used. You calibrate the extruder at zero load, it is far better to include the Bowden tube and the hot nozzle as these give pressure/resistance to the path. This may result in slightly different values for your steps.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: I am completely new to 3D printing so I followed this calibration with my new Ender 3 v2 NEO:
My prints are really good.
Hope this helps!
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/03/18 | 762 | 2,586 | <issue_start>username_0: I created a box in Blender and exported that into an STL file and it seems to be failing to render the correct walls. The box looks like this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ScTFu.png "Nice looking box")
But when I open it in Cura, it looks like this:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/O8lt1.png "Not so nice looking box")
Is there something I'm exporting incorrectly or something else I'm missing?<issue_comment>username_1: This may be related to a characteristic of the numerous slicers methods of handling single thickness walls. If your model's wall is of insufficient width, it "ceases to exist" in the slicer. [Ultimaker's community forum](https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/21855-how-to-create-single-wall-prints-bug/) has a reference that may be of value, second post to the linked page:
>
> This is known. It's a limitation of how Cura calculates these things:
> Your model outline is inset by half the line width. If anything
> remains, it is printed with the normal line width. If nothing remains,
> only the "Print Thin Walls" option may still save you. If two lines
> overlap a lot, then one of the two will have its extrusion rate
> reduced to prevent overextrusion. You'll ooze some filament there but
> hopefully not too much since there is a backpressure from the earlier
> printed line.
>
>
>
According to that same forum (and likely other locations on the internet), there is a setting for "print thin walls" that may solve the problem. The original poster discovered that it did not, for his model and had to increase wall thickness in the design software.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: To me the resulting print pattern reminds me of a common error with blender: the model contains either no volume, not enough volume [as noted by fred\_dot\_u](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/20705/8884) or the surfaces are inverted.
Further reading to fix your model:
* [Cura messes up my print. How can I make it print what I see in Blender?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15868/cura-messes-up-my-print-how-can-i-make-it-print-what-i-see-in-blender)
* [3D model with errors when exporting to Cura](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/q/15048/8884)
* [Slicer is adding additional floor bed](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/q/11013/8884)
* [Problem in 3D printing of an empty model](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/q/10437/8884)
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/03/25 | 874 | 2,826 | <issue_start>username_0: On my Prusa MK3, I'm trying to make a G-code that only heats up the print bed and moves the Z-axis up and down a little bit every 20 mins to prevent the safety timer going off. This is what I have done:
1. Sliced a random file with PrusaSlicer.
2. Opened it in TextEdit.
3. Deleted the G-code for:
* the actual print
* heating the nozzle
* waiting for the nozzle to heat up
4. Changed the G-code to heat the bed to 50 °C.
5. Inserted this G-code:
```
G28,
G1 Z190 Y140 F500,
G4 S1200,
G1 Z188,
G1 Z190,
```
6. Copied and pasted `G4 S1200, G1 Z188, G1 Z190` command 11 times - total of 12 instances.
I believe this should last a total of slightly more than 4 hours, right? I Just want to make sure before I possibly break my printer or if there is a better way to do this.<issue_comment>username_1: This may be related to a characteristic of the numerous slicers methods of handling single thickness walls. If your model's wall is of insufficient width, it "ceases to exist" in the slicer. [Ultimaker's community forum](https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/21855-how-to-create-single-wall-prints-bug/) has a reference that may be of value, second post to the linked page:
>
> This is known. It's a limitation of how Cura calculates these things:
> Your model outline is inset by half the line width. If anything
> remains, it is printed with the normal line width. If nothing remains,
> only the "Print Thin Walls" option may still save you. If two lines
> overlap a lot, then one of the two will have its extrusion rate
> reduced to prevent overextrusion. You'll ooze some filament there but
> hopefully not too much since there is a backpressure from the earlier
> printed line.
>
>
>
According to that same forum (and likely other locations on the internet), there is a setting for "print thin walls" that may solve the problem. The original poster discovered that it did not, for his model and had to increase wall thickness in the design software.
Upvotes: 2 <issue_comment>username_2: To me the resulting print pattern reminds me of a common error with blender: the model contains either no volume, not enough volume [as noted by fred\_dot\_u](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/a/20705/8884) or the surfaces are inverted.
Further reading to fix your model:
* [Cura messes up my print. How can I make it print what I see in Blender?](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15868/cura-messes-up-my-print-how-can-i-make-it-print-what-i-see-in-blender)
* [3D model with errors when exporting to Cura](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/q/15048/8884)
* [Slicer is adding additional floor bed](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/q/11013/8884)
* [Problem in 3D printing of an empty model](https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/q/10437/8884)
Upvotes: 0 |
2023/03/26 | 423 | 1,583 | <issue_start>username_0: I'm very new into 3D printing.
I brought an Ender 6 and a cover for ABS printing, but the standard white Bowden tube was too short to pass through the hole of the cover. So I'm replacing the Bowden tube for a Capricorn one.
However, the manufacturer (Captubes.com) only states that their 2 meter [kit](https://www.captubes.com/shop/#!/XS-Creality-Kit-2-Meter/p/123266814/category=23214267) is compatible with CR-10 and Ender 3.
Is this kit also compatible with an Ender 6?<issue_comment>username_1: It sounds like you're trying to move the E motor outside the enclosure. Don't do that. Bowden extruders *already* suffer from severely reduced accuracy and increased difficulty in pushing the filament through the tube length. Making the tube longer makes this a lot worse. Instead, feed the extruder, which remains in its existing place inside the enclosure, with an "reverse bowden tube" bringing filament in from outside the enclosure. Or optionally, at ABS chamber temperatures that should be well under the temperature at which ABS softens, just put the filament spool inside the heated enclosure.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: I ended up getting in contact with the sales team at Captubes.com, and they replied promptly, what I did not expect.
They claim that the Capricorn tube is indeed compatible with the Ender 6 printer, and that they use the same fittings, with the exception of pro printers and ones that use something called a Bondtech extruder.
I'd like to thank everyone that helped to clear this matter.
Upvotes: 2 [selected_answer] |
2023/03/29 | 756 | 3,130 | <issue_start>username_0: I have created an action figure and would like to print it.
Anyway, I am not sure the best way to print it, the action figure can be printed only once but the duration is 10 hours. If I separate the part, the time is concise, but I need to do some changes to my file. What is the best way to print an action figure?
If the second method is the better (separate arm, legs, etc.), does exist a good way to do the join between parts?
My 3d printer is Elegoo Mars, so I use Chitubox.
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/xTWE0.png)<issue_comment>username_1: Printing a complex object like this one from an attached photo requires a few factors to consider, such as print time, quality, ease of printing and eventual post-processing. You have two options: print the entire figure in one piece with supports, or separate the parts and print them individually.
**Printing the entire figure in one piece** can be a good option if you want to save time and reduce the amount of post-processing work. If you decide to go with this option, make sure to orient the model correctly to minimize the need for supports and reduce the risk of failure during printing.
**Separating the parts and printing them individually** can allow you to print each part in the best orientation for quality and reduce the risk of print failure. However, it will require more time for preparing the model for printing and post-processing work to assemble the parts. Bear in mind, that if you decide to separate the parts, it may still be necessary to print them with supports. It is also a better option if the model exceeds the printer's build volume.
To make the assembly easier, you can add alignment pins and holes to the parts to ensure they fit together correctly. Here is a very good tutorial on how to do it - [**How to cut STL models for 3D printing in Meshmixer**](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgc66TvEke4). You can also add alignment pins and holes right in Chitubox.
Both printing options have their pros and cons, and you should choose the one that best suits your needs.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer]<issue_comment>username_2: STL print speed is determined by height in Z
--------------------------------------------
So to print your project, you should reduce Z height. In this case, your figurine can be placed with its height along the XY plane - lying on the back - and then drops its print time by roughly a factor of 8.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_3: In my experience, you should never print a figure like that upright as it A) takes too long and B) can cause problems with supports.
I would recommend that you cut it on two pieces. One with the legs and one with the body. This will cut your print time almost in half.
Next, tilt both parts backwards by at least 45 degrees. This will further reduce print time and will give you better supports as you can spread them out across a larger surface area while having a smaller surface area in contact with the FEP for each layer.
My printer ins an Elegoo Saturn. I use Chitubox.
Upvotes: 1 |
2023/03/30 | 1,015 | 3,616 | <issue_start>username_0: My printer's hot end heats up way faster than the bed. Still, it takes its sweet time, and Cura's default startup sequence: heat the bed, wait for bed to reach target temperature, heat hot-end, wait to reach hot-end temperature, proceed - takes considerably more that it should.
```
M140 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ;Start heating bed
M190 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ;Wait for bed to reach temp
M104 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ;Start heating extruder
M109 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ;Wait for extruder to reach temp
```
Sure I could start heating both to target temperature simultaneously and then wait for both, but then I'll be baking unmoving filament in the nozzle for much longer than necessary. What I'd like to do is to start heating the nozzle when the bed is about 20 °C short of its target temperature - that causes them to reach their target temperatures nearly simultaneously. Something along the lines of:
```
M140 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ;Start heating bed
M190 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0 - 20} ;Wait for bed to be 20 degrees before target
M104 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ;Start heating extruder
M190 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ;Wait for bed to reach temp
M109 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ;Wait for extruder to reach temp
```
Except `S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0 - 20}` isn't recognized as a valid substitution.
How can I achieve the desired effect?<issue_comment>username_1: Cura doesn't allow math operations in G-code scripts, if you want to do that you should use Slic3r or PrusaSlicer.
See e.g. [this question](https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/26539-keywords-arithmetic-in-cura/#comment-232352) or [this question](https://community.ultimaker.com/topic/28652-g-code-custom-formula-in-the-cura-start-code/#comment-242497) asked on the UltiMaker community.
Upvotes: 1 <issue_comment>username_2: You can't do this entirely in start gcode templates, but you **can** do it by first adding a custom setting to the json file for your printer profile or the base `fdmprinter.def.json` file most profiles derive from. It would look something like (copied from my copy of `fdmprinter.def.json`'s `material_bed_temperature_layer_0` definition:
```
"material_bed_temperature_preheat":
{
"label": "Build Plate Preheat Temperature",
"description": "The temperature used for preheating the heated build plate.",
"unit": "°C",
"type": "float",
"resolve": "max(extruderValues('material_bed_temperature_layer_0'))",
"default_value": 40,
"value": "resolveOrValue('material_bed_temperature_layer_0 - 20')",
"minimum_value": "-273.15",
"minimum_value_warning": "max(build_volume_temperature, max(extruderValues('material_bed_temperature')))",
"maximum_value_warning": "130",
"maximum_value": "200",
"enabled": "machine_heated_bed and machine_gcode_flavor != \"UltiGCode\"",
"settable_per_mesh": false,
"settable_per_extruder": false,
"settable_per_meshgroup": false
},
```
Alternatively, you could set `enabled` for it to `false` so it won't show up in settings, avoid the nice description and stuff, and name it something like `material_bed_temperature_layer_0_minus_20`.
In either case you can then use the new setting in your start gcode.
Upvotes: 3 [selected_answer] |
2023/04/02 | 950 | 3,547 | <issue_start>username_0: Everywhere you can read how to **try** to "hide" the seam, but nowhere there is an attempt to eliminate this problem.
And the proof that it is possible is the prepared G-code added to the Ender printer on the SD card. (the exact name of the file is [`3-Cat.gcode`](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cnv37A2r_2v_kqtlao5ZksMwqx6ZEsPO/view?usp=sharing))
This little figurine has no seam at all! The print is so perfect that I can't believe it.
The question is why slicers don't create such G-codes so that the seam is hidden inside the printed object, not on its wall.
I have printed this figurine six times already, in different colors and different brands of filament.
All prints are **perfect**!
What do you think about it? Can this be done in a slicer? (I can add this file somewhere but I don't know where.)
Seam in diferent retraction distance (retract on layer change turned on):
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/lSuBG.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: It's done by tweaking the retraction setting in your slicer.
In Cura the main setting affecting this is under 'Travel'.
In the 'Travel' settings is 'Enable retraction', and 'Retract at layer change'.
This will retract the filament and you won't get a seam.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Getting a seam that's not ugly is a matter of having proper retraction and Z-travel settings that don't let the nozzle ooze when starting/stopping an extrusion. These differ for every printer, but the settings in the Creality-sliced file are 0.8 mm retraction length, and 40 mm/s retraction (and unretraction) speed. These are a very good baseline to start tuning from for a direct drive extruder. Otherwise I don't see anything remarkable about their slicing. You can open it up in a gcode analyzer like <https://gcode.ws> or <https://gcodeanalyser.com> to see where their seams are and check if anything else looks special to you.
Faster Z moves will also help and let you turn off "retract at layer change" if you like, which can help. They have not done this in their file; it's sliced with a painfully slow 5 mm/s Z travel speed. Cura doesn't let you access this directly but it reuses the Z-hop speed, even if Z-hop isn't enabled, as the Z travel speed for layer changes. Increasing it won't help much without also increasing the Z acceleration in the printer firmware, though, since the moves are so short they don't have significant time to accelerate. I use 80 mm/s with 750 mm/s² for Z on my Ender, but I'm not sure if that's achievable without TMC 2209s stepper drivers in Spreadcycle mode. In any case, you can get completely acceptable seams without fast Z travel as long as you have "retract at layer change" on.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: This answer adresses the seam in the cat model. While it appears that there is no seam printed in this model, it most certainly is printed, but it is cleverly hidden in a sharp corner for you not to see the seam. Furthermore, by clever use of printing the infill first and then the outer perimeter, it appears that there is no seam. There isn't a definite start and stop (no retraction from infill to outer perimeter) and continues inner perimeter printing after the outer perimeter.
You can load the model in an online G-code visualizer to see for yourself. The Creality Cat is a specific showcase to show it's capabilities, but cannot simply be applied to all geometries, a sphere is difficult to print perfectly.
Upvotes: 1 |
2023/04/03 | 1,150 | 4,472 | <issue_start>username_0: I just swapped out my MicroSwiss direct-drive extruder and hotend for a Creality Sprite Pro on my Ender 3 with an upgraded mother board to the BigTreeTech Octopus v1.1 and I'm experiencing thermal runaway on power-on.
Previous (working) configuration:
* Ender 3 pro
* BigTreeTech Octopus v1.1 loaded with Klipper firmware
* MicroSwiss direct-drive
New configuration:
* Ender 3 pro
* BigTreeTech Octopus v1.1 loaded with klipper firmware
* Creality Sprite Pro
Steps that I'm taking to hit thermal runaway:
1. Turn on power switch for the Ender 3 Pro.
NOTE: Thermal Runaway Protection does not work here. The TRP detects and triggers, but Klipper doesn't seem to have any ability to control the heating tube. Instead, Klipper shuts down and the heating tube keeps running away. Each time I've had to cut the power manually.
Additional things that I've tried:
* **Powering on using the power from the Raspberry Pi's USB port** - this powers on the printer but will error on any attempt to drive motors or run the extruder. RESULT: thermal runaway to the best that it can, plateauing around 60 °C.
* **Powering on using the power from the Raspberry Pi's USB port, then disconnecting and powering on without the Raspberry Pi connected, then powering down and reconnecting the Raspberry Pi** - this confirms for me that in the absence of the Raspberry Pi, it still reaches a runaway state; RESULT: monitoring before and after powering manually showed a jump of 100 °C in 30 seconds, meaning if the printer has power, it will power the heating tube with as much as it can.
* **Reversing the + and - wires** - this is the recommendation in the instruction manual, *"If 3D printer restarts during hotend heating up, please reverse the heating tube connectors on mainboard"*; RESULT: prevents the printer from powering on - everything appears dead and returning the cables to the correct polarities returns it to a runaway state.<issue_comment>username_1: It's done by tweaking the retraction setting in your slicer.
In Cura the main setting affecting this is under 'Travel'.
In the 'Travel' settings is 'Enable retraction', and 'Retract at layer change'.
This will retract the filament and you won't get a seam.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Getting a seam that's not ugly is a matter of having proper retraction and Z-travel settings that don't let the nozzle ooze when starting/stopping an extrusion. These differ for every printer, but the settings in the Creality-sliced file are 0.8 mm retraction length, and 40 mm/s retraction (and unretraction) speed. These are a very good baseline to start tuning from for a direct drive extruder. Otherwise I don't see anything remarkable about their slicing. You can open it up in a gcode analyzer like <https://gcode.ws> or <https://gcodeanalyser.com> to see where their seams are and check if anything else looks special to you.
Faster Z moves will also help and let you turn off "retract at layer change" if you like, which can help. They have not done this in their file; it's sliced with a painfully slow 5 mm/s Z travel speed. Cura doesn't let you access this directly but it reuses the Z-hop speed, even if Z-hop isn't enabled, as the Z travel speed for layer changes. Increasing it won't help much without also increasing the Z acceleration in the printer firmware, though, since the moves are so short they don't have significant time to accelerate. I use 80 mm/s with 750 mm/s² for Z on my Ender, but I'm not sure if that's achievable without TMC 2209s stepper drivers in Spreadcycle mode. In any case, you can get completely acceptable seams without fast Z travel as long as you have "retract at layer change" on.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: This answer adresses the seam in the cat model. While it appears that there is no seam printed in this model, it most certainly is printed, but it is cleverly hidden in a sharp corner for you not to see the seam. Furthermore, by clever use of printing the infill first and then the outer perimeter, it appears that there is no seam. There isn't a definite start and stop (no retraction from infill to outer perimeter) and continues inner perimeter printing after the outer perimeter.
You can load the model in an online G-code visualizer to see for yourself. The Creality Cat is a specific showcase to show it's capabilities, but cannot simply be applied to all geometries, a sphere is difficult to print perfectly.
Upvotes: 1 |
2023/04/05 | 823 | 3,181 | <issue_start>username_0: After fiddling with the settings on my Cura profile, my Ender 3 S1 is now messing up my prints in a weird way. While printing, it just pauses at a corner on all the layers of the print for a second or so, leading to large blobs of material building up there. **What setting(s), if any could be causing this?**
As a note, my Cura settings are anything but default. I mess around with a lot of different options to try to optimize my prints. I could reset the profile to default, but I'd rather keep most of my settings.
Here is a picture of the issue:
[](https://i.stack.imgur.com/cJude.jpg)<issue_comment>username_1: It's done by tweaking the retraction setting in your slicer.
In Cura the main setting affecting this is under 'Travel'.
In the 'Travel' settings is 'Enable retraction', and 'Retract at layer change'.
This will retract the filament and you won't get a seam.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_2: Getting a seam that's not ugly is a matter of having proper retraction and Z-travel settings that don't let the nozzle ooze when starting/stopping an extrusion. These differ for every printer, but the settings in the Creality-sliced file are 0.8 mm retraction length, and 40 mm/s retraction (and unretraction) speed. These are a very good baseline to start tuning from for a direct drive extruder. Otherwise I don't see anything remarkable about their slicing. You can open it up in a gcode analyzer like <https://gcode.ws> or <https://gcodeanalyser.com> to see where their seams are and check if anything else looks special to you.
Faster Z moves will also help and let you turn off "retract at layer change" if you like, which can help. They have not done this in their file; it's sliced with a painfully slow 5 mm/s Z travel speed. Cura doesn't let you access this directly but it reuses the Z-hop speed, even if Z-hop isn't enabled, as the Z travel speed for layer changes. Increasing it won't help much without also increasing the Z acceleration in the printer firmware, though, since the moves are so short they don't have significant time to accelerate. I use 80 mm/s with 750 mm/s² for Z on my Ender, but I'm not sure if that's achievable without TMC 2209s stepper drivers in Spreadcycle mode. In any case, you can get completely acceptable seams without fast Z travel as long as you have "retract at layer change" on.
Upvotes: 0 <issue_comment>username_3: This answer adresses the seam in the cat model. While it appears that there is no seam printed in this model, it most certainly is printed, but it is cleverly hidden in a sharp corner for you not to see the seam. Furthermore, by clever use of printing the infill first and then the outer perimeter, it appears that there is no seam. There isn't a definite start and stop (no retraction from infill to outer perimeter) and continues inner perimeter printing after the outer perimeter.
You can load the model in an online G-code visualizer to see for yourself. The Creality Cat is a specific showcase to show it's capabilities, but cannot simply be applied to all geometries, a sphere is difficult to print perfectly.
Upvotes: 1 |
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