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Can I use a pin header in a breadboard to wire up the z-axis motors in parallel? Can I use a pin header with the molex on my Nema 17 motors and a bread board to wire up the z-axis motors in series?
Also, do breadboards and pin headers have ratings, the way that wires do? | You could absolutely do that.
Ultimately, the amount of current you can push through a wire/breadboard/connector depends on its resistance: for a given current I, a component with a resistance of R will have a voltage drop of V = I x R across it, resulting in a power dissipation of I^2 x R watts.
I measured the resistance of breadboard traces to be around 7 Ohm/meter (measurement subject to some error, but this is the value I got testing over a 300mm stretch at 0.2A). This is quite high, the wires that came with your stepper motor are probably in the range of 0.1 Ohm/meter. If you had a stepper running at 2A, you'd waste 28W of power in a meter of breadboard rails.
Thankfully you're only going to be dealing with a very short stretch of breadboard (wasting "only" 0.8W for 4 wires over a 3 pin stretch each). It would probably be OK, but it's not ideal. Make sure the connection is good (and keep an eye on it initially) as a bad connection can result in significantly higher resistance and that might generate enough to melt your breadboard and short things out.
A better way of doing this would be to simply solder the wires together, or (if you don't want to permanently connect the steppers) use the pin headers you mentioned, and solder them together directly (for example on a piece of perfboard or perhaps just link them up directly with a few pieces of thick wire). |
is possible to send printing with mach3? I was wondering if is possible to send printing using the software MACH3 for CNC since this software can handle up to 3 axes: X,Y,Z,A,B and C.
Of course the CNC needs an extra control for temperature which I already have it; My CNC handle a Z axis with 150mm height, so I could print higher parts than normal CNC. | Well, few years ago I could set the software Mach3 for printing doing the next:
Set a profile for 3D printing for the faster movements that your CNC can support; for example some CNC uses standard threads, others ACME threads and other GT2 belts like the 3D printers. If we try to use a feed rate too high the motors will shake. For this profile is not needed the torque for machining or routing, so we will sacrifice force to gain speed.
Create the proper gcode. Mostly Gcode maker generate the code to send pulses to Extruder E but Mach3 takes as invalid E instructions, so the extruder will never move. To avoid this there are 2 modes:
a) Find and replace all E instruction with A to enable Motor A or
b) Create the Gcode with an interpreter to output A instead E
like Slicer 0.71 as you can see in the image below. I haven't tried with other software
3.For controlling the extruder temperature is possible with any other controller like REX-C100/C400 any PIC or Arduino. The accuracy will depend on your design. |
Strategy to stream large gcode file from serial port I'm connecting to a printer that's using Marlin 1.0.3 dev firmware through the pyserial Python package.
I want to stream large gcode files into the printer and I guess that the buffer has a limited size. How do I know when the buffer is full, so I can wait until a command is processed to send a new one?
I've tried reading a big file, sending all the commands and checking for the printer responses in another thread. I didn't get an error or something that indicates that the buffer is full. I've also didn't found anything about this in the official docs.
It's my approach correct? Is there something I'm missing?
Some of the code:
def check_for_responses():
while(True):
response = printer_connection.serial.readline()
print(response)
async def stream_gcode():
await printer_connection.open_connection('COM7')
Thread(target=check_for_responses).start()
asyncio.sleep(2) # wait to initialize
file = open("test.gcode", 'r')
for line in file:
command= printer_connection.format_command(line)
printer_connection.serial.write(command.encode())
asyncio.new_event_loop().run_until_complete(stream_gcode()) | Well, after some research I found something about Buffering on the RepRap documentation. I didn't see it before.
Works like this:
You send a command. An "ok" response it's received immediatly, that means that the command was successsfuly added to the buffer.
Then you can send another command. When the buffer is full, the "ok" response will be delayed until a new command it's received.
Some commands, for example M190: Wait for bed temperature to reach target temp will cause that the "ok" response will be delayed until the command finish his execution. That means that the printer won't accept more commands in the meantime.
I still have to check how many commands the buffer can save approximately, and if it's convenient to fill it entirely. I guess not, because let's say you want to pause the print. If you added a lot of commands to the buffer, you'll not able to pause it until all of them finished.
This thread on the RepRap forum was also useful. |
3D printing with blender I have an object that I want to print in 3D. But I have a few questions about it. What are the things that I have to watch out for when 3D printing?
I know how to change the metric size etc. Some people said that it's best to set the thickness to a low amount and not make the object solid (to leave the inside empty/hollow) in order to save money when printing.
Is this true or does it not matter?
Also what if I want two parts of an object to be separate colours or materials? Do I have to change this in Blender?
Any advice and information would be helpful, thanks. | You are correct about the walls. Using a Solidify object modifier is probably your best bet. A low Thickness: value (0.1 is probably good) helps keep the walls thin but strong. You can monitor the thickness while you adjust the value from Wireframe view.
Additionally, and this is probably the most important thing to know, your mesh must be clean. By clean, I mean it must all be one piece. No separate cubes, cylinders, etc. that you added while modeling, just one solid piece. Think about it this way. If you have added a cube and part of that cube is inside the rest, it might look good from the outside. But the 3D Printer isn't printing the outside, it's printing everything. So that wall, albeit hidden, that is present on the inside of your mesh will be printed.
Bad:
Good:
Lastly, if you have parts of your mesh that can't be printed from the bottom up, or wouldn't stand by itself, consider adding supports. You can always cut these off later.
Leg added because it wouldn't stand by itself: |
Constrain by surface area in Fusion 360 I'm trying to create a sketch that is constrained by surface area.
In my model I have a relatively irregular, flat area that I would like to constrain by area so that it never exceeds a certain number.
There are a lot of other constraints for angles, lengths, points, lines and the area of a surface is also always available in the properties. As a rather new person to Fusion 360, it feels logical a constraint by surface area should be possible.
Am I missing something or is there a good reason why this constraint doesn't exist? | After some testing, Fusion does have a category to put in an Area parameter [edit -> Parameters ->] for Area that takes measurements in acres and circular mil but no useful measurements such as square centimeters or square inch. One circular mil is defined as a circle with a radius of 1/1000 inch, or 0.0254 mm, for an area of $5.067×10^{−4}\text{ mm}^2$.
However, defining the area of an item isn't (currently) straightforwardly possible: areas are not defineable, and with the obvious lack of possible parameters (square metrics and anything but super tiny or super huge) it doesn't seem to be planned. The best you can do is for bodies that you know the formula for the area in the following fashion:
Here, the left measurement (d2) is 1 mm. The parameter area is 10000 circular mil. Since we know A=d1*d2, we can go A/d2=d1 for a rectangle. |
Will a glass bed warp as it is heated? I purchased a glass bed to use with my still-in-transit Ender 3. Since the bed came in before the printer, I pulled it out and used a flat edge ruler to see how flat the glass surface is.
It appears the glass is slightly "dished" in the center from one side and "raised" in the center on the other side. I am wondering if this is a sign of a defective glass, or if it is likely that the glass may change shape slightly as it is heated?
If it does change shape, should it be put with the dish side up or down?
Logic would say that if it does change shape, the bottom would probably get hotter since it is against the heater while the top is slightly cooler, so in theory the bottom may expand more "pulling" the center down?
I guess the bottom line is, should I send the glass back as defective or wait until the printer arrives and see what happens when I heat it up? | TL;DR
Yes, glass warps when hot. Use a physical touch sensor and calibrate it out, or swap glass if it's "bad".
The further you go into mechanical studies like 3d printing, mills, and lathes, you will find out that nothing is perfectly flat. Everything has a tolerance to it, whether the manufacturer provided it or not. Better manufacturers provide the tolerance data.
As you have or will find out, yes, glass does warp when heated. That is because you are not warming the glass evenly. When hot and cold spots form in glass, the glass tends to warp up or down, depending how the heat travels.
It's common for 0.01 mm warp when a glass bed is brought to printing temps (60-100 °C). If one has a larger format bed, like my Vulcanus at 500x500, 0.03 mm changes are possible.
One can remediate this warping, as it usually appears in the same place during the heat cycle. So if you calibrate after the bed is heated, you should reduce said errors. Another more comprehensive way to fix this, is with a physical touch sensor and create a grid map of the bed geometry. |
Filament Length too short for extruder to push filament When filament is too short for the extruder to push will there be a stop in printing on the Ender 3, meaning that I should replace the filament when the end of the filament is near the extruder? | The extruder can't push anymore when the filament is past the extruder gear. If your filament has run out to that point, the print will not halt but print without a filament, meaning that the print will fail. You need to pause the print in time and then put fresh filament into the printer.
If the end of the filament is cut flat at the end and the new one is flat too, the new filament can push the old one out to the nozzle, reducing the waste to a minimum, if you can live without retraction for the amount of length that has to be used up. You could friction weld the two parts together to alleviate this. |
Can I use a 0 mm top layer thickness in Ultimaker Cura to create an open box? Let's say I'm modeling a simple open-top rectangular box to slice via Cura for printing. Normally I would set up a solid box of the size I want in the modeler, and then subtract a slightly smaller box to create the final result.
Is it possible to get the same results with Cura by instead only modeling the simpler solid box if set my wall lines and thickness for the base and sides, set the infill to 0 %, and then set the Top Layers to 0 and/or Top Thickness to 0 mm?
How might that change the resulting print?
How will that impact the total height of the print? | Yes that will work in Ultimaker Cura exactly as you say.
So if you have a solid model of a cube, you select wall thickness, bottom thickness, 0 % infill, and no top layers or top layer size of 0 mm. You will then end up with a box without a top layer, but with walls reaching up to the height of your model. |
How does 3D printing over USB work? In Cura, if you plug your favourite 3D Printer you will most likely get an option to Print via USB. If you have never heard of what I'm talking about, please see this video:
I wanted to know some information on how this works:
Is the communication through UART or through Serial?
How can I establish a connection to the 3D Printer?
Is there a list of commands I am able to send?
What is the default baudrate for 3D printers?
How is the G-Code of the print sent to the 3D Printer? | This is just a stub answer. I will try to expand on it later.
The 8-bit microcontrollers used on many 3D printers do not have a USB interface, and so a USB to serial interface chip is used to allow a computer to communicate with the serial port (UART) on the microcontroller. In order for the computer to communicate with the printer, a device driver is needed to allow the operating system to communicate with the interface chip.
The appropriate device drivers should be supplied with your printer, and you should install these drivers before you try to do anything else. The drivers will make the printer look as if it has a serial interface, and the highest speed that most 8-bit microcontrollers can manage is 112800bps.
If the software that you are using has a terminal interface, you can send any G-code commands to the printer. For a list of G-code commands, see here. Note that this list includes commands for CNC machines as well as 3D printers.
For normal printing, G-code commands are sent to the printer using a print manager, such as Repetier-Host. Some slicers may have built-in print managers. |
What is the best build surface for PETG? This question doesn't necessarily have one answer. I'm looking for a build surface that doesn't tear up when removing the PETG print, but still holds the PETG down and keeps it from warping. I am printing PETG with the z-height almost too high. Higher causes the PETG not to stick and warp or even release during printing. But, I still have trouble with PETG prints tearing my build surface. I've tried PEI and black build surfaces that don't identify the material. The build plate on my hot bed is glass. | Removable steel spring sheet with PEI textured coatings
I have been using textured PEI string sheet for most of my prints, just love it.
Prints attach so good but not hard to remove(with proper nozzole Z-offset).
If the prints are small and seems hard to remove,heating up the bed helps a lot.
Almost never used the smooth side, even with proper z-offset, it still damages the surface quite fast.
Here's the link i bought before:
Removal Spring Steel Sheet Pre-Applied PEI+Magnetic Base
This is my setup on a ender3pro: |
Are 3D printers efficient for printing a detailed iris to bypass iris identification system? A 3D printer can either print layer by layer or carve an object layer by layer to obtain an object. I heard somewhere that 3D printing technology isn't that accurate for printing minute details like fingerprints and iris patterns. Printing an iris pattern using a 3D printer would be a nice test to find this out. Can it print the iris pattern accurately? If not, then to what extent would be the accuracy of the 3D printed model of iris? Many commercial iris scanners can be easily fooled by high quality images of iris. Can a 3D printer print the these minute iris patterns with as much detail? | I take lectures in university and was asked to read a review paper on 3D printed organs by Anthony Atala (the most famous paper in printed organs research). The paper discussed about using several techniques to print the tissue we need at functional resolution. The review also cites detailed procedures to 3D print lung and skin tissues.
Coming back to your question, we have reached a point in time where we can scan a real Iris and print them! Yes. And people use this technique called self assembly to achieve this (Other design approaches like Biomimicry and MiniTissue assembly is also being used right now). To do this we first extract cells from the donor. Or We do a functional high res scan of the extracted cell/part that we want to replicate. This is done via FMT-CT-Fluorescence Imaging, etc. And we cultivate the cells in bio incubators (we can also print cells btw - If the exact environment and operational conditions are maintained, we can print cell-replicas that will later self assemble to form the Iris with the same resolution and functional properties as that of the real one). The cultivated/printed cell is used as the tissue forming material. Forming is done by the cells themselves and is thus christened Self assembly.
Although this may sound futuristic, Autonomous Self Assembly is something that's already being done in Labs! The method works by studying embryonic organ development. For instance, Early stage cellular components of a developing tissue makes their own ECM. Like mentioned before, if we use proper signalling, and environmental manipulation, we can create autonomous organization and patterning to make something we want. Advantage of this method is that we can work without scaffolds. This method relies on cell as primary driver of histogenesis. Knowledge of how an embryo grows into tissue (embroyo tissue genesis and organogenesis) is applied to achieve "real" cell dimensions/properties.
I would recommend you to read the paper for detailed information. The method I mentioned in this post is only one among three other methods that are being used currently in this domain.
So yeah. My answer is yes. You can print an Iris and fool the system.
--
Updates
S. V. Murphy and A. Atala, “3D bioprinting of tissues and organs,” Nature Biotechnology, vol. 32, no. 8, pp. 773–785, Aug. 2014. DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2958
Withdrew my claim "any given resolution"
Details of the process |
PLA chemical resistances? Especially HCl, other acids I'm interested in 3d printed reaction chambers, but can't find any good information on chemical resistances of PLA, just vague claims that it "might not be" "because it's biodegradable" or that it depends on additives (likely true, but it would be nice to know if there's hope of finding PLA without problematic additives if the PLA itself is okay). Is there any published research or even anecdotes (which could suggest it's worth spending effort to investigate further) on this topic? | As @T. M. notes in his comment, there are many good charts of chemical compatibility with various agents. Very few (I found none) include information about PLA. By all means, use search engines to find some information.
But, no data source is as true to your specific needs as is testing your candidate materials with your agents.
As a first test put the agent in a tall thin jar or test tube. Use a few test filaments so that the ends are dipping into the agent. Check for signs of dissolution, swelling, softening, or any relevant change in the material's characteristics. Examine the candidate filaments right away, then after minutes, then hours, and if any material survives, perhaps in days.
Print test objects. Test them with your agent. Try until you find something that works.
The online material compatibility tables will help you eliminate materials before testing them. If it says a material is incompatible, it probably is incompatible. If rated as highly compatible, it should be tested because the formulation of a filament may not match the material tested for the compatibility tables. If you are running out of options, try the intermediate compatibility plastics.
Bottom line, use the online information to help direct your search, but you should do your own tests. |
Wanhao i3 PLUS restarts when connecting USB I just received my Wanhao Duplicator i3 PLUS. Everything prints and functions fine via SD card and the display but when connecting to my Mac computer the printer seems to restart.
Baud Rate: 115200
Serial Port: /dev/tty.wchusbserial1420
Any ideas what it could be? | I don't know that printer. But Arduino has a feature that a USB connection causes a reset. The Idea is that this helps when doing software update as the Arduino Boot loader will be active for one second after that reset.
This can be disabled, but needs hardware modification. |
What is the correct Marlin firmware setting for Tevo Tarantula with MKS Base V1.2 board I am trying to correct the x&y offsets in the Tevo Tarantula that I got from a friend in order that my printer is not printing over the end.
What I got so far is that I need to measure and then enter the offsets into my configuration.h file, build the firmware and flash it to the board.
Because I do not have and can not find the original firmware I found the repository from Jim Brown for the Tarantula.
Looking into the top section of the config file provided by the repo, the board configured is
#define MOTHERBOARD BOARD_MKS_GEN_13 // Original controller board with built in stepper drivers. Works with MKS BASE 1.3, 1.4
However since the board in my Tarantula has 1.2 on it I checked the boards.h file for MKS but could not find the v1.2 :
#define BOARD_MKS_BASE 40 // MKS BASE v1.0
#define BOARD_MKS_BASE_15 405 // MKS v1.5 with Allegro A4982 stepper drivers
#define BOARD_MKS_BASE_HEROIC 41 // MKS BASE 1.0 with Heroic HR4982 stepper drivers
#define BOARD_MKS_GEN_13 47 // MKS GEN v1.3 or 1.4
#define BOARD_MKS_GEN_L 53 // MKS GEN L
#define BOARD_MKS_GEN_L_V2 54 // MKS GEN L V2
#define BOARD_ZRIB_V20 504 // zrib V2.0 control b
Any idea, what board configuration would be compatible for 1.2? Or is there any other way to correct the x&y offsets other then compiling them into the firmware? | The MKS Base v1.2 is basically an Arduino MEGA2560 and a RAMPS1.4 on a single board.
You can use the RAMPS pin designation.
Note that the endstop to origin distances is explained in question How to center my prints on the build platform? (Re-calibrate homing offset).
In Jims Marlin fork you can find this at:
#define X_MIN_POS 0 - XTRA_BED_LEFT
and
#define Y_MIN_POS 0 - XTRA_BED_BACK
Unfortunately, XTRA_BED_LEFT and XTRA_BED_BACK are defined as zero; this implies that the endstops define the origin (not likely) or it is left as an excercise for you to find out. This answer explains how you figure that out. |
Can I 3D-print a PET bottle? I want to print a transparent PET bottle for my homemade lemonades and thought about 3D-printing them.
I would like the printed bottle's quality to be as fine as a Coca-Cola PET bottle for coke and the printing substrate or material be something that's cheap or readily available. I thought I might recycle some old PET bottles to print the custom one for my lemonades as I don't want something that would require me buying new materials or re-exporting from the manufacturer.
Is it possible to recycle PET and print it into food-certified containers? | No, due to 3 reasons
PET is not (easily) printable.
There is a lot of confusion on what Filaments you can buy: most times filament branded PET is actually PETG, sometimes PETT.
PET is not an easily printable material at all. With expert knowledge and the right machine settings it can be printed, but even then, it is not as easily recyclable into a useable 3D-printer-filament as you might think. You need full reprocessing capabilities, which means the need for machinery to allow thorough cleaning, grinding to dust, melting it up, pelletizing and finally extrusion as a fresh filament.
The closest related material that is easily printable is PETG, a modified PET that also contains glycol. You can't convert PET into PETG with home or hobbyist applications at all - they are totally different in their chemical behavior, even as just one material was added in production. PETG is not brittle like PET, it does not haze on heating, but it ages in UV light, scratches easily and can't be autoclaved like PET. But the chemical modification has to be done during the initial manufacturing of the material, and it is a huge mess to try to recycle the two together, which can and will happen if you try to work with material you source from recycling.
“When they’re processed together, PETG melts and becomes sticky while PET remains solid. PETG sticks to PET chips and forms large clumps that pose processing problems.” Resource Recycling (magazine/blog)
3D printed objects are very unlikely to become food certified.
You can't easily manufacture (certified) food-rated printed products, like food containers due to the requirements that a machine that manufactures food-certified products needs to comply to. I advise looking at this answer regarding food rating for more elaboration.
It is hard to print really transparent with FDM.
Due to the method how FDM works - extruding lines next to each other - it is often impossible to print fully transparent objects right of the bat - there is almost always air inside a printed object, and there are so many boundaries between the extrusion paths that refract and change the photon paths that the best one can achieve somewhat easily is translucent (=semi-transparent). Read this answer for further information.
But if you manage to get the object really solid, you might get some near-transparent, icy results from some orientations while looking in others still will look matte.
To get them fully transparent you then will have to post-process them to become fully transparent by grinding the surface up to 4000 grit, but that is very labor intensive and most likely not possible for the inside of a bottle. To be clear, you spend hours polishing one surface.
Could it be economic in the slightest?
On a side tangent, the viability of printing a bottle via buying new ones will need to be expored. Shapped PET Bottles with caps start at \$0.01 per piece and top out at \$1 per piece - you get the better prices if you order in larger quantities. You will have to compete with getting under \$1 per bottle, or rather with what the price of a typical bottle you want is.alibaba.com
A typical PET bottle ordered from China weighs 30 g for a 300 ml bottle, and the particular example I looked at comes \$0.22 to \$0.28, depending on the bottle cap, with a minimum order of one parcel with something around 300 items. That seems to be in the average range.
A roll of 1 kg of PET(G?) filament starts at ~\$30 at the moment. That is the weight of 33 shaped bottles per roll. Your print will most likely be heavier than the blown up bottle to get it watertight, but let's just assume you might manage the same weight. Then it's about \$0.90 in the material alone - so we are at more than 300% of a bought product with cap already!
Atop that comes the running cost of the printer, which depends on your print time, printer and electricity price. I know my hobbyist machine comes, maintenance and electricity combined, down to 0.21€/h, so roughly \$0.25. Printing a bottle will take several hours.
PET preforms that can be blown up to almost any bottle shape, type and size and ship much cheaper come to prices due to better density. Which means you compete against \$0.015 to \0.15 per bottle in material costs.
Conclusion
It is not economically viable to even attempt to print bottles beyond a prototyping stage. |
Material for autoclave-able part I’m designing a part that will need to be autoclaved—it will be under steam at 121°C for about 15 min per job and I will want it to be able to go through the autoclave repeatedly. I ran a test PLA part through the autoclave and it warped noticeably; based on their glass transition temperatures, ABS (105ºC) and PETG (80ºC) would probably also not hold up. For a consumer-grade FDM printer, what filament materials that could be used for parts that could be autoclaved? | It might seem that common 3D printer materials such as PLA and ABS should be capable of being autoclaved—unfortunately. However, although their melting temperatures are higher than autoclave temperature (typically 121ºC), their glass transition temperatures are below that limit so they can warp or undergo creep deformation.
Sterilization of numerous plastics is described here, with PLA, ABS, and PET all being described as "poor" for autoclaving. For each "good" material on that list, I looked for filament by Googling and consulting material guides from Prusa and Matter Hackers.
Polypropylene (PP) or acetal (POM, also known as Delrin) are the best choices. Filament is available for PEEK, PEI (ULTEM), FEP, PPSU, and PPS but these filaments are expensive (>$100/kg) and require high extruder temperatures (>300ºC).
In contrast, PP is about $50/kg and uses an extruder temperature of 254ºC; POM is similarly priced and uses an extruder temperature of 210ºC. Nylon (depending on the exact type) and HT-PLA may also be worth considering.
"High temperature" filaments are not worthwhile for this application. Again, they're expensive and, more significantly, do not work well with consumer-grade 3D printers. For example, the upper limit for a Prusa i3 MK3s is about 280ºC—the thermistor only is good up to that temperature. Higher temperatures would require swapping out sensors and modifying firmware and building an enclosure. It's been done. Printers designed for high-temperature filaments easily cost thousands of dollars.
This question was previously asked on Reddit a few times but this analysis is more comprehensive. |
Prints falling off the bed towards the end of the print I have been trying to print an object that is 4 inches tall. About at 3 inches it falls off the bed. I am using tape on the heated bed and right before the print I am wiping the bed with rubbing alcohol. After the first time I tried hot gluing it to the bed when it was mid way through so that it wouldn't fall off but that didn't work. I am printing at 185°C and the bed is 55°C. I am using PLA to print. Should I increase the temperature of the bed or is there something else that is wrong? | Even though knowing the model of printer is slightly helpful, it's not critical to making your print work. Your PLA manufacturer should have recommendations for both the bed temperature and the nozzle temperature. Is your print bed glass or metal?
As an example, my bed is glass and I set the temperature to 70°C for PLA, but the real temperature at the bed is slightly lower than that.
I'm using 3M brand blue painters tape. What type of tape are you using? It will make a difference. I originally used cleaner on the tape, but found it was not needed. Blue tape means parts stick so well that you have to get them free before the bed cools too much, or you'll have to remove the tape to get the part free.
My PLA nozzle temperature settings range from 190°C to 230°C, depending on the filament. I use the manufacturer's figures and vary them five to ten degrees depending on the results.
Too hot at the nozzle will burn the filament possibly causing a clog, while too cold will cause extruder feeding problems. You did not reference having feeding problems, which implies your nozzle settings are acceptable.
Consider to change your tape and to increase the bed temperature. At a 55°C starting point, you could jump five degrees at a time until you get a good bond.
Also be certain that your bed is level and properly calibrated. The first layer should apply in a slightly "squashed" manner. Too close and the nozzle tears up the tape, but too far and the filament will sit on top and not properly adhere. |
I am experiencing some severe under extrusion I did calibrate the extruder to extrude exactly 50/100 mm and it is fine.
I have replaced the old (prehistorical) extruder that was giving me the problem with a new one.
The issue does not go away. It is severely under extruded.
The nozzle is a 0.4 mm, if I extrude manually the extrusion is nice and clean but when printing its a mess.
I have the following setting in Slic3:
Layer height: 0,16
First layer height: 0,16
Filament diameter: 2,94
Extruder temperature: 184°C
Extrusion multiplier: 1
Fill density: 15%
In Marlin I have the following setting for the extruder:
Steps per unit: 1450 (I use micro steps)
Default acceleration: 3000
Default retract acceleration: 3000
Default Ejerk: 5
How can I solve this problem?
This is a 20 mm cube I stopped after 15 layers!
Here is another 20 mm cube, the dimensions are perfect but is absolutely a mess. | Assuming your filament dimension settings are correct and your extruder is correctly calibrated...
Your extruder temperature may be too low. While 184C can be hot enough, it is very near the bottom of the range for PLA and it appears your filament isn't melting quickly enough to keep up with your other settings. Your extruder may even be running slightly cooler than you think so your 184C setting may actually be printing at 180C or less.
To solve this:
Raise your extruder temperature. I suggest raising your print temperature to 220 degrees and then gradually lower it until other aspects of your print quality are acceptable (bridging, oozing, etc).
Slow down your print. Slowing down reduces the volume of melted plastic your extruder has to deliver in a given amount of time. This allows more time for the plastic to melt and allows you to use a lower print temperature
Your filament feed mechanism may be slipping. Even if you have adequate temperature and perfectly calibrated firmware and print settings, if your filament feed mechanism (the thing that pushes filament into your extruder) is slipping, you will have under-extruded parts.
To solve this:
Make sure you have adequate tension on your filament feed mechanism. If your feed mechanism is too loose, filament may slip and cause under extrusion. The part to check is the part the pushes the filament into the rotating hobbed bolt or friction wheel...make sure it applies adequate pressure. "Adequate pressure" or "adequate tension" will vary depending you your printer's design, but it should be enough to provide a firm grip on the filament.
Verify your feed mechanism is clean. A hobbed bolt or similar filament drive mechanism that has become clogged or otherwise contaminated may cause filament to slip and under-extrude.
Ensure the end of your filament is not damaged from slipping. Once your filament has slipped, it may be damaged with a worn spot, a bulge, or some other defect that can prevent proper feeding even after you fix the root cause of your problem. So, as tbm0115 pointed out, be sure to clip off the damaged end to make sure you have good filament feeding into your extruder.
I hope this helps! |
How to print at low temperatures (filament melting at about 70 °C)? I'm using Cura to slice prints from a biodegradable polyester called PCL (Polycaprolactone).
I need to print @ ~70 °C but extruder does not run until nozzle reaches 175 °C.
Which setting to change so extruder will turn on when nozzle temperature has reached 70 °C?
Here are my settings for the material: | 70 °C is a specialty filament. It is well below the MIN_TEMP defined in any sane firmware. In Marlin, you can't turn on the extruder in any way, while this is online.
You do need to define your firmware to allow such a print - either by dropping the value in the firmware or disabling Mintemp-protection and then flashing that firmware. That is quite invasive.
To temporarily disable the MIN_TEMP, you need to run the G-code M302 P1 or M302 S0 - M302 on its own does nothing. However, some firmware distributions might explicitly prevent these two commands of turning off the check.
In that case, you might use M302 S65 or similar to drop the MIN_TEMP. |
Why do 3D Printers Suck? Please share your user experience I'm working with a group at the MIT Launch startup accelerator for high school and I was hoping to do some market research regarding some of the current problems with desktop 3D printers. I was hoping to get some feedback from all your experience with 3D printing and the hours of troubleshooting you've likely encountered.
What workarounds and aftermarket modifications are the most useful? If you could change one thing about your printer what would it be? How do you troubleshoot issues and how long does it take? What would make you more likely to 3d print more often (ie never clogged, didn't have to watch first layer, etc)? In your opinion, what are the biggest issues the desktop 3D printing industry faces? Just share any wishes, thoughts, hopes, dreams, etc about 3D printing
Thank you so much for your time and sharing your experience! | First, regarding "Why do 3D Printers Suck?" - The answer is They Don't!
Every tool has its limitations and you need to work withing the limitations of the tool.
Second, there are A LOT of different types/technologies, manufacturers, and price points and all of these have specific limitations.
I live in Tigard, OR and both my boys are in High School. Our High School has a pretty advanced Technologies Department. We have had a 3D printer for a several years and use it for printing parts for our after school programs (we have three FTC teams, one FRC team, and one (underwater) MATE team). This last year the school introduced a CAD class and added about 15-20 new Afina printers so that the students can print what they design.
I talked to my sons (they have both used the printers) and they said the only problems they ran into were mistakes they made. Two examples of that are:
Printing with ABS and having it warp (probably bed temp)
Trying to print a design with too thin a wall
I think there is a BIG opportunity for improvement here. Having a "Slicing" program that doesn't require tweaking and would warn of likely print problems would help A LOT. I like the idea of the new PrusaControl. If this idea could be extended further as Thomas Sanladerer suggested in his video review
I know the Head of Technologies Department (I help mentor several of the after school programs). He has been responsible for getting printers and I recall he was concerned about more high-level things:
Service, Maintenance and Repair
Fumes (this is a lot of printers in one place with students in the same room)
Network interface and driver compatibility with school computer/network standards.
I believe there is another opportunity here. If you could provide some sort of a "printer farm" where the students could send their print to the "farm" and then have a highly visible indicator on the selected printer would their name/ID when their print starts. That way you can get more efficient use of the printers and the space they consume. |
Ringing with Ultimakers, what is the cause? At my work, we have 3x Ultimaker 2+, 1x Ultimaker 3 and 1x PRUSA i3 mk3s. The Ultimakers have been used quite a lot for the past three years, but the belts and bearings seem ok.
I got heavy ringing with all Ultimakers, but the print on the PRUSA is neat even at a higher speed.
I have a Ultimaker 2+ which I use together with CURA. I print in PLA at 210°C. The print bed is set to 60 °C. I use a print cooling fan at 60 %. The layer height I set to 0.2 mm, the line width 0.8 from the 0.4 mm nozzle. The Printing Speed is set to 30 mm/s for walls and 50 mm/s for infill.
Is this a known issue with Ultimakers?
How can I fix it?
The comparison with what I get with the PRUSA is uncanny:
EDIT
I have tighten the screws on the extruding head and cleaned the machine, but I still notice a mechanical play. Therefore, the result is not satisfying...
. | have been used quite a lot for the past three years
The problem, even if belts and such seem ok, might be that other parts start to wear out. The part that contributes te most to ringing is the motion system. Grooves in rails or worn out bearings are a classic way that introduces some freedom in the system that can result in rattle and ringing. A photo of the rails and bearings might help to identify wear. Remember that most bearings need some sort of lubricant to work properly and reduce the wear in them, which should be part of the maintenance cycle!
Another source for the errors could be found in the extrusion system. For example, there might be an increased play in the gearing as springs under constant pressure can lose some tension, resulting in too little pressure on the filament, which typically would show up as under extrusion if the pressure is lost completely. On the other side, the hobbled gear that pushes the filament might be worn, resulting in a lack of responsiveness of the filament movement, again resulting in under extrusion after some point. Once more, photos of this area could help to indicate wear and tear.
Another source might be the mounting of the printer - it has been shown beneficial to put printers on a slab of concrete that itself is dampened on a medium density foam, resulting in even dampening that is usually better than the rubber feet of many printers. |
Need help to only print one small part I'm in dire need to reprint a small chunk of a print that got messed up during print because the support for it broke which I cannot explain whatsoever.
Anyway. I need to edit the STL file and I don't know what tool to use since Blender is definitely not user friendly for just a simple cut and past.
Anyone got an idea on what I should try to do? Reprinting is definitely out of question since that would take at least another 20 hours, that I haven't got, to reprint the whole thing and I would also just waste a lot of PLA. | Alright so I asked in my facebook group and a friendly fellow game me the tip to use Meshmixer from AutoCAD and then check a video on Plane cut. I only needed 3 simple cuts and the piece I needed was all ready to print. :) 40 Minutes to print and only 3g of PLA to spend :) |
How to wire 5 V proximity sensor Ender 3 V2? I’ve got this proximity sensor which is a 5 V, it doesn’t say it can be used over 5 V. Can I use a buck converter or is it possible to wire it up direct to a 5 V source on the Ender 3 V2?
What I don’t understand is where to wire it direct to 5 V on the printer or if I use a buck converter then where does the 3rd wire go to on the printer?
If it goes to the signal wire on the Z endstop then which one is the signal wire? | That part seems dubious
Your part is labeled LJ18A3-8-Z/BX. That is a Z/BX type sensor of the LJ18A3-8 series - that first part dictates an M18 outer thread and thus dimensions and a triggering distance of 8mm. Z/BX indicates NPN NO, so a normally open sensor of the NPN type. However, that labeling indicates an inductive sensor with a required supply voltage of 6 to 36 V and a power draw of 10 mA between the supply and ground line and a digital output signal of 300 mA.
There is a variant in existence, that has a 5 V supply voltage, but its part number is different by 3 characters: LJ18A3-8-Z/BX-5V - the appended -5V is crucial to show it differs from the standard!
The Ender-3 Board
The Ender-3 board has a 24 V input from the power supply and runs its end-stops on 5 V logic. That would suffice to connect the output of a LJ18A3-8-Z/BX-5V sensor directly to a sensor pin. |
Sizing belts and rods for a Cartesian printer Assuming a Cartesian printer with a belt and smooth rod design in which one axis moves another (i.e. the X-axis rails 'sit' on the Y-axis rails), what are the main considerations in sizing the rods and belts? For example, given a base design using 8 mm diameter rods and 6 mm belts (assume these are the limiting factors of the printer and that the frame, etc. can handle whatever you throw at it), what is roughly the maximum load, print speed and build size that this should be expected to support? If you were to increase the rod diameters to 10 mm or even 12 mm on one or both axes (assume the steppers could handle the increased load), what would the increased rigidity buy you in terms of maximum speed and/or build size and would 6 mm belts still be appropriate? Ballpark calculations or rules of thumb are fine as I understand the variables are likely not trivial and am looking more for a rough range of guidance to understand the trade-offs involved. | 8 mm rods and 6 mm GT2 belts are generally accepted as a good tradeoff between price and performance, an exact calculation is possible but might not be very relevant if another part is flexing. Also, generally speaking, the smaller the part the sooner it will wear out of specification. Thus your service interval might be higher compared to an over-engineered printer.
In short, it depends on what your goal is, if you desire low maintenance and accurate machine, you might be better off with heavier gauge parts. Obviously, this will also affect the speed of printing.
A 6 mm GT2 belt might have a higher stretch factor compared to a 10 mm belt, but can be mitigated by adjusting the acceleration. In addition, a 10 mm belt has a larger pulley reducing the number of steps per mm, lowering precision. As such you might be better of using two 6 mm belts.
Increased rod size for the print bed will not affect printing speed much but might help with accuracy since the bending modulus is lower. Play around with the calculators below to get an idea of the force your beam will have to withstand. That said, there are a lot of other factors that will flex under load, for example, the bed leveling springs. You can replace them with solid spacers, but that might warp the bed when it heats up.
https://www.engineering.com/calculators/beams.htm
https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/acceleration
To conclude, I would use the calculators to figure out if the 8 mm rods are within tolerance for the intended speeds and load, but don't forget to look at the overall picture. The quality of parts you choose is one such thing. |
Small Z axis step: Repetier-Firmware Z axis length for my printer equals 120 mm. When I manually pass this length, from display controller menu, it's about few millimeters. Then I set the resolution (ZAXIS_STEPS_PER_MM) at 1600 steps per mm. And nothing changed, step still very small.
I use Repetier-Firmware, Arduino Mega+RAMPS 1.4, standard Nema 17 steppers and Prusa i3 like cartesian printer.
This is hardware or software problem? I checked the steppers, they're fine. | I solved this problem by change EEPROM value to "2" in Configuration.h:
#define EEPROM_MODE 2
Now ZAXIS_STEPS_PER_MM value load from firmware, not EEPROM.
#define EEPROM_MODE 0
— does not result in my case. |
Why are my layers messy and curling off the print bed? I use an Ender 3, with cheap Amazon "Eryone PLA", which states a range from 190-220 °C, 1.75 mm dia. I have had this for about a year.
I use the rough build plate, not the glass. I have tried my best to level the bed but I am an amateur
I was originally getting poor adhesion so I cleaned the bed, levelled it, increased filament temp to 196 °C and heated the bed to 40 °C, with no fans in a house around 20 °C with not much airflow.
This helped adhesion, but my layers are very messy - the first perimeter may adhere correctly, but subsequent layers curl off, meaning the inner passes lift off the build plate. Attempting to persevere, pulling out these regions causes the blobby, ridged mess shown below. This is still the first layer.
I have noticed the extruder makes a knocking noise every so often, and the edges of prints can be so thin they are translucent.
I've browsed the web for common 3D printing errors but nothing I've found or tried has helped. | This is clearly overextrusion relative to the volume the material is being deposited into, but that doesn't necessarily mean your extrusion rate is wrong. It could be:
Nozzle smashed down into the bed (bed way too high) but somehow still extruding
Problem in Z axis movement preventing the head from moving up the right amount for each layer (possibly not moving up at all?)
Extrusion (flow) increased significantly above 100% in slicer
Wrong extruder steps/mm setting (usually controlled on printer not slicer, though you can send a setting in the start gcode)
Misconfigued filament diameter (unlikely since there's no common setting smaller than 1.75 mm; larger setting would under-extrude) |
3d Print pops off before complete I recently got my first 3D printer, however when I print taller objects, sometimes the piece pops off the build plate and moves around before the print is finished, the piece then is missing the top few layers and is burnt from the nozzle, Just wondering why this happens and how to fix it...
Here are some pictures: | The issue you are having is with bed adhesion. Basically your print is not sticking well enough to the printer bed for it to resist the mechanical forces the part is being subject to during print.
This the most common issue in FDM 3D printing and you can find a lot of material online on how to mitigate the problem. Just as a "teaser":
You need to ensure your printing bed is dead flat and at the right distance from your nozzle. Search online for: "3D printer bed leveling": the procedure is normally the same for most printers, but if your model is a common one, chances are you will find a video/how-to/blog post for it.
You should use print settings that facilitate bonding of the plastic to the bed (typically: slow speed, no cooling fan, a bit of overextrusion...)
You can tell the slicer to add a brim or a raft to your part, to increase the amount of material holding down the print.
You have the option to cover your printing bed with some material that increases the bonding of the plastic (this is type-of-plastic specific but typically: PVA glue or painter's tape work well for PLA, and kapton tape or ABS sludge for ABS).
If you have a heated bed, use it (each filament brand has their own recommendations, but typically 50-60°C works well for PLA).
As for why your problem is happening towards the end of the print, there are a series of factors contributing to it:
The tallest the print, the more mechanical advantage (leverage) the nozzle has over the adhesion surface.
It looks like your top layers are progressively small, so they print very fast and this in turn the does not allow for the plastic to completely cool down before going to the following layer, so when the nozzle prints on top of it the still-warm layer is "pulled up" by the action of the nozzle, creates a blob that sticks to the nozzle and that only makes situation worse. Snowball effect. Most slicers have an option "minimum layer time" that delays the print of a layer until X seconds have passed from the start of the previous one.
It may be possible that the Z axis is inaccurate and the nozzle catches on a previous layer. Most printer have some kind of accuracy issue with the Z axis the furthest up the head is, especially if the Z-axis has only one threaded rod (as for example in the Creality CR-10). Another source of inaccuracy (see comments below) could be the movement multiplier for the Z being slightly off, causing the nozzle to dig into the print if there's overextrusion and enough cumulative error. Z axis inaccuracies are however unlikely to be the primary source of troubles for you, but it's a "nice to know" thing to know about 3D FDM printers, nevertheless. |
how to get infill on self created stl via onshapes I created my model in onshape then exported it to stl file then imported it to simplify 3d to convert to gcode.
However my model didn't go any in fill, it just continue to print layer after layer in the same fasion as the 1st layer.
Correct me if am wrong infill is used so that the middle of your model isn't completely solid hence saving on filament.
Is there something special I need to do in onshape or simplify 3d for it to use infill? To me it looked like it was just filling it up with pla | I don't use either of the two piece of software, but the first things to pop to mind:
Inspect the slicing preview: it should be self-evident if your GCODE is being generated correctly. In my slicer the infill is red and you can discern the typical pattern within:
Check your settings: your shell thickness should be something reasonable (like 0.8mm / 2 shells) and your infill should also be below 100% if you don't want to print it solid. For maximum strength, it doesn't help go much over 60%, typical values for light-duty parts are 20% and 30%.
Check your STL file: your mesh should be a closed surface, a "shell". Or the slicer won't be able to know what is "inside" and "outside". Many slicers verify this for you automatically and have a built-in utility to attempt to "repair" a broken mesh. I use slic3r Prusa Edition and this information is visualised at the bottom right:
Let the print finish: the wording of your question is ambiguous, but it sounds like you may have stopped the printer before the part finished. Certain combination of settings can be deceitful. For example, a layer height of 0.05mm and a shell thickness of 2mm means you will see the printer making 40 (forty!) layers of solid printing, before starting to create the infill.
Try another slicer: in case your slicer went berserk because of a bug (unlikely but possible), this should fix it.
On an unrelated note: the use of infill has a lot of different reasons besides "saving filament", for example:
relative to an empty print, even a very light infill (5%) provides a lot of added rigidity,
relative to a solid print, infill reduces weight and relief the tensions that are trapped in the FDM/FFF printing process
certain infill patterns allow to provide different responses to stressed in different directions (like for example a crash box that needs to give way in one direction but bear a load in another, or a wing that need to flex on its length but not on its chord)
infill provide support for top layers and other concave structures that may otherwise be non-printable
... |
No extrusion when trying to resume failed print with manually edited gcode I was in the process of printing a 16 hour print, but I must have failed to copy the G-code correctly, because the print stopped after 107 of 223 layers. Looking at the G-code, It also stops there.
However, I had the full G-code on my computer, and decided to try and resume the print from layer 108. It seemed to work, with the exception of a little excess extrusion at a single point in the beginning, but after three layers, i noticed that it wasn't extruding anymore. I am not completely positive that it isn't due to nozzle jamming, but I have a strong feeling that the problem is the G-code itself, as it does extrude some plastic just before printing starts.
Here are the first lines of my manually edited G-code. Can anyone see why I get the blob in the beginning, or why I don't get anything at all later on? Or does it look good, and my problem is probably the nozzle?
;FLAVOR:UltiGCode
;TIME:60308
;MATERIAL:119047
;MATERIAL2:0
;NOZZLE_DIAMETER:0.400000
;NOZZLE_DIAMETER2:0.400000
;MTYPE:PLA
;Layer count: 222
;LAYER:109
G0 F9000 X208.213 Y107.948 Z16.610
;TYPE:FILL
G1 F3600 X210.390 Y105.771 E4104.65185
G0 F9000 X210.390 Y103.170
G1 F3600 X168.331 Y61.111 E4107.77457
G0 F9000 X167.074 Y61.111
G1 F3600 X120.237 Y107.949 E4111.25208
G0 F9000 X121.695 Y107.949
G1 F3600 X74.857 Y61.111 E4114.72962
G0 F9000 X73.600 Y61.111
G1 F3600 X26.763 Y107.948 E4118.20709 | According to the RepRap.org list of G-Code commands, see G0 & G1: Move:
The Ennn command is The amount to extrude between the starting point and ending point.
However, according to this a discussion, that is now deleted from GitHub, about the Cura slicing engine:
The E values are in absolute mode, so perhaps the firmware is attempting to move the stepper motor to the absolute position (which is almost 50% through your print). This may lead to clogging or skipping depending on how hot your extruder is at that point.
As a last resort, you can perform a Boolean subtract on your model of the section that's already printed and re-slice the model to print the remaining bit. Then glue, or ABS weld, the remaining piece to the main print. I've done this in the past, it's not super glamorous, but it gets the job done if the part doesn't require a lot of structural integrity.
I was incorrect with the following statements with regard to the Cura slicing engine:
It's been a while since I've looked at 3D printer G-Code, but from what I remember, E values can be the bane of any manually written G-Code. Usually the slicing engine generates the E value as an incremental step value throughout the G-Code (at least this was true for Skeinforge and early MakerWare, please verify this). So, if the value is incremental and depending on the controller, this value could be lost or corrupt if a new print is initialized.
I would hope, that if you're using a slicing engine's custom G-Code input, that the software would be able to compensate situations like this and reformat your provided G-Code to match the value of E or any similar command. |
Ender 3 under extrusion I have a new Ender 3, it was printing fine using the Ultimaker Cura 4.1 slicer. I printed about 1/2 a roll of blue 1.75 mm filament through a 0.4 mm nozzle. All my prints were Ender 3 mods (plus one cover for a device I had).
Then it stopped printing 1/2 way through printing a bracket for the Y-axis to allow for a damper.
After several days of under extruded parts that I aborted I discovered that the extruder motor was stopping intermittently and that turned out to be a bind in the motor. I replaced the motor, but it continued to under extrude. I replaced the stock extruder feed with Anpro Upgrade, MK8 Extruder Aluminum Alloy Block Bowden Extruder 1.75 mm Filament for Creality 3D. The same problem remained.
I did the extruder test with 120 mm marked on the filament and only about 60 mm went through.
By increasing the flow to 150 % I can print usable parts, but that seems like a bandaid covering up the real problem. Of course, I have cleaned the hotend, changed the nozzle and the feed tube.
I have assumed that during the feed test of 100 mm you should preheat the nozzle before the gcode G1 E100 F100 ; Extrude 100 mm at 100 mm a minute is issued.
Is there any point in removing the nozzle or the feed tube and issuing this 100 mm/100 mm command?
I have ordered a new hot end, but I'm beginning to suspect the board itself is not feeding correctly. Help?
I removed the Bowden tube from the hot end and issued the 'G1 E100 F100` and it feeds exactly 40 mm. Do I possibly have a second bad motor? I currently have no way of modifying the code on the board. Is there a factory reset for the Ender 3? | OK, I have my Ender 3 back to printing nice looking objects. It turns out at some point since the original bad E-stepper I must have pushed the "load settings" menu item. I set my E steps to 98 from 93. and then did a "save settings". I have no idea why going from 93 to 98.03 increased my extrusion from 40mm to 100mm (trial and error, because the formula said I needed to go to 232.5!).
For those that don't know, the "save settings" stores the current settings in EEPROM. These setting override the factory configuration setting when you reboot. If while you are messing with setting and you lose track of things you can do a "load settings" to get your previous settings back to start again. The "initialize EEPROM" reloads the stored configuration settings including the settings that you saved.
More intelligent explanation here: |
How to control 3d printer printing in metal? I have a question. Home printers are controlled via open-source software such as Pronterface. These printers print mostly in plastic, but how to control the "metal" printer. The principle of the printing here is a little different. Is it possible to use, for example, Pronterface for this task or the completely different software is needed? | Pronterface would control the printer, but you would need a slicer that could give you g-code that works with said metal printer. Being it would be using metal, most of those are powder based, using a laser to sinter. The slicers for FDM based machines would not create the correct g-code for the application. I know there has been some effort around powder based printers (both metal and plastic) but I do not know of any software that has resulted from these efforts.
This wiki index for powder printers may be of some help to find out what software they are working on, most likely a custom solution.
http://reprap.org/wiki/Powder |
What's the best way to clean PETG residue from a magnetic steel sheet PEI? I have the MK3 with a magnetic PEI and some PETG residue is stuck on the surface. How can I remove it? Does acetone work?
Thanks | First you will want to verify that what you are seeing is remaining PETG and not a loss of PEI on your bed. In many cases, when PETG is used without a separating agent (window cleaner or glue stick), the PETG forms a stronger bond to the PEI than the PEI has to the bed. This causes the PEI to lift off the bed. You can often recognize this by seeing a spot of higher smoothness where the print was stuck rather than the more matte look elsewhere on the print bed.
If it is truly PETG left on the sheet, first try a firm use of a fingernail. If that does not work, you can attempt to use acetone or 1000 grit sandpaper (which also work to restore PEI). A careful use of a spatula can also be used to remove the material.
In subsequent prints of PETG, you will want to add a separator when printing PETG. |
Which endstops are most precise? I have seen mechanical (micro switch), optical and magnetic(magnet + hall sensor) end stops.
Are there any differences in how exact they switch at the right location? If so which are the most precise? | There are some different criteria that we should use to select a switch type:
Precision / repeatability: does the switch trigger at the same place every time? How much spread is there in the trigger position? Do environmental changes or machine setting changes affect the trigger position?
Contact distance: does the switch register with enough clearance to its hard-stop that the homing axis can stop before colliding with something?
Noise-rejection: does the switch ONLY trigger when it is supposed to?
It's important to ask, how much switch precision do we actually need? A typical 3d printer drivetrain using a microstepping stepper motor can only accurately position the moving load within +/- one 1/16th microstep (even if using finer microstepping than that) due to error-inducing effects like friction torque and magnetic detent angle error. That's around +/-0.01mm for most printers. The homing switch only needs to be as precise as the motor's positioning! Nothing is gained by having, say, 0.001mm precision endstops.
This precision of +/-0.01mm is achievable for all types of endstop switches, with proper switch selection and configuration.
Then there are three "standard" switching types in use in consumer/hobbyist 3d printers:
Mechanical switches, typically dual NO/NC limit switches, which either pull up or pull down a signal pin by connecting an electrical circuit when triggered
Optical switches, which use transistors to detect when an obstacle ("flag") is blocking the window between the emitter and sensor
Hall effect switches, which use transistors to detect when a magnetic field exceeds a particular field strength cutoff
Mechanical Switches
Precision/repeatability depends on the switch quality, length of lever arm attached (longer increases contact distance but is worse for precision), and impact speed of the carriage with the switch. It's possible to have a good mechanical switch or a bad mechanical switch. This is typically a reasonable default choice because it is simple and cheap.
A small mechanical switch with a short lever arm (or the lever arm removed) will generally achieve the required +/-0.01mm switching precision. Very cheap switches, high contact speeds, and long lever arms may provide inadequate resolution for Z homing or probing, but will still be adequate for low-precision X and Y homing purposes.
Where mechanical switches tend to cause issues is in noise rejection. Different controller boards use different ways of wiring the switch: some use two wires and only send a signal when triggered. When not triggered, the signal wire is left floating or weakly pulled up by the microcontroller, while attached to a long wire that acts as an antenna to pick up EM noise. It is VERY common for heater or stepper wiring to emit nasty EMR due to the PWM current control. Two-wire endstop cables should always be run away from stepper and heater wiring. Shielding and twisting the conductors is a good idea too.
A more robust approach is to use three-wire switches that actively pull the signal line high or low depending on the switch position. These will tend to reject noise better.
Very cheap mechanical switches may fail within the life of the printer. However, most limit switches are rated for millions of cycles, which is unlikely to occur over any normal printer's lifespan.
Mechanical switches are easy to align and easy to trigger by hand during troubleshooting.
Optical Switches
These rely on a flag blocking a window between a light emitter and a detector. This is non-contact and can be quite reliable, but introduces some challenges. The exact trigger position (and thus precision) may depend on ambient light levels in the room, because the sensor is monitoring for light to decrease below a specific intensity. So it may be very repeatable/precise in the short term but have some drift if the sensor moves in and out of the sun through the day.
Switching tends to be more consistent and reliable if the flag enters the window from the side, rather than the top.
Optical switches will actively pull the signal line high or low, and thus have good electrical noise rejection.
Hall Effect Switches
These measure the intensity of the nearby magnetic field and trigger when it exceeds a certain amount in a certain polarity. This is highly precise/repeatable (better than +/-0.01mm) and extremely resistant to noise and environmental conditions. (Unless your printer is next to something that emits large magnetic fields, anyway.)
The hall switches I've seen have an adjustable trim pot to tune the trigger distance. That's a nice feature when trying to manually calibrate a Delta or a Z-bed for first layer height.
The primary downside to hall switches is that they need a magnet to trigger the switch. This can be difficult to trigger by hand during troubleshooting, and requires attaching a magnet somewhere on the moving carriage. Glue works fine... but don't glue the magnet in place backwards! |
How do I do multi-colour printing? Printer: FDM printer (FDM == Fusion Deposition Modelling).
Raw Material: Thermoplastics.
How do I do multicolor printing? What changes should I make to the printing process/to the raw material used?
(Answer in the context of printing a basic 3X3 Rubix cube)
Bonus: What are the best practises while doing multi-colour printing? (<-- This is opinion based and/or broad, so pl add an answer to this point as an extra to your answers if you can. It would greatly help people getting started/practising with multi-colour printing) | There are a few different approaches I've seen which you could look into.
The easiest and most common is multiple extruders, each with a different color of thermoplastic. Tools like Pronterface and Slic3r have built-in support for multiple extruders. With multiple extruders you can get one color per extruder; there's no clear way to mix colors and get a color between the input materials' colors.
Another, more complicated approach is to use a single extruder with three inputs, like this one, where thermoplastic from the three inputs can be mixed in varying amounts to get color gradients between the input colors. With red, yellow, and blue filament, you could get a rainbow of colors...albeit without any control over value (white to black) or saturation (bright vs dull color). |
What setting do I need to change to get rid of this gap between the shells and the inside? I've noticed that some of my prints (mostly square-ish objects) are coming out with gaps between the outside shells and the inner parts. This gap is visible even in the 2D sliced preview of the layers so I think it must have something to do with slicing settings, but I'm at a loss for what I need to change to fix it.
See below for images of the issue. On the orange piece near the right hand side you can see light shining through the gap. The black cube has it at the top, though it's not deep enough to let light through like with the orange one. There is also an image of the layer preview which shows the same gap.
I have a Rostock Max v2 (stock hot end). I am using Matter control using mostly stock settings, I've tweaked around layer height, speed, and temp but I don't think those are the cause.
.
Images of the issue: | It's generally called infill overlap.
In terms of first layer it's good to set extrude rate to 120% or even more so infill will overlap perimeters and itself. There is also the issue of "overlapping" layers which is not managed by any specific parameter. it's the issue of layer thickness and HE temperature.
Unfortunately Matter Control has kinda bug or at least an issue with extrude rate. If you set higher extrude rate then overlap will be automatically reduced in some way. So it's good to increase extrude rate manually during printing and then set it back to normal. this will cheat slicer. |
What type of kinamatics is 3D Gence One using? I was looking at some end high 3D printers (drooling just a little bit) when I found this.
Now, this was a 3500 \$ printer when new back in 2016. I'm relatively to the 3D printing (well... kind of) and have not seen this type of design before. What is it? Cartesian? CoreXY? This style, from my limited knowledge, looks like a best of both worlds kind of scenario because if you look at it - it has that traditional simple Cartesian design, but with a light head of a CoreXY type printer (Exclude the circuitry behind the stepper, that is something else). This was designed to be used in a mechanical application, so it has to be precise. Is this a good configuration and does Marlin support it? | I'm can't say for sure, since this is my first time seeing this type of 3D printer configuration too, but I think this is a cartesian style printer. If you think about it, it is similar to a Prusa-style printer, but instead of an x-gantry being raised and lowered by a leadscrew, the heated bed is being lowered and raised with two leadscrews. Software-wise, the printer you mentioned should be configured exactly like a Prusa-style printer, but with a reversed Z-axis, since to make the heated bed move closer to the hotend, it must be raised instead of lowered.
I personally do not think this printer is a CoreXY configuration since a CoreXY printer relies on two motors that work simultaneously to move the X and Y axis, while the printer you showed has the X and Y-axis moving independently of each other (as can be seen by the belt under the heated bed and the belt that moves the hotend left and right). At least, in my opinion, the way the X and Y-axis operate on a CoreXY is what makes the CoreXY unique, instead of the raising and lowering of the heated bed.
You can read about the variations of Cartesian 3D printers here. If you are interested in other styles of 3D printers, you can check the Delta and Polar style printer section of this article.
Hope I piqued your interest in 3D printing :D
Feel free to comment on this if you have more things to ask, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can :) |
How important is the minimum layer height on a 3d printer? I know the minimum layer height will effect how detailed of an item you can print and the amount of time it takes to print something, but is it necessary to have an extremely low minimum layer height if you plan to print only larger objects? | I believe the Slic3r Manual summarizes this quite nicely:
A thicker layer height will provide more flow, and consequently more heat, making the extrusion adhere to the bed more. It also gives the benefit of giving more tolerance for the levelness of the bed. It is recommended to raise the first layer height to match the diameter of the nozzle, e.g. a first layer height of 0.35mm for a 0.35mm nozzle.
In other words, larger layer heights for the first layer typically gives better adhesion, and makes inaccurate bed leveling (and auto leveling) still work. |
Nail polish remover that won't dissolve ABS? In Finishing sunken text in 3D prints, I found that nail polish works great for filling sunken lettering in 3D-printed parts, but the procedure for using it requires removing the excess from the non-sunken surface using nail polish remover. For PLA, acetone works fine, but with ABS the acetone will obviously dissolve the ABS too (and from my experience trying to get polish off plastic toys made of ABS, it mixes the polish with the ABS really nastily in the process).
Is there an alternate nail polish remover that's suitable for use on ABS? Ethyl acetate based ones, maybe? | First of all, Nail Polish comes in 2 types: Acetone based, and acetone-free. The latter is based on Ethyl Acetate filled up with alcohol and water. Sadly, Ethyl Acetate also dissolves ABS, so it is not an option. However, the acetone-free nail polish remover can be used to smooth PLA to some degree. Anyhow, we look for something that is putting Nail polish into solution but not ABS, so it can neither be among the able ketones (like acetone), nor an acetate ester, nor be aniline.
Next up, Turpentine. Turpentine is a crazy mix of chemicals that we know to be able to turn most glues to goop and remove nail polish too. Sadly, Turpentine too can dissolve ABS, and it has been used in this fashion to create ABS Slurry/Cement as a bonding agent.
But what do we actually have in nail polish that needs to be put in solution? Well, to a good part, most nail polishes are a Nitrocellulose lacquer. To keep it in solution, Ethyl Acetate (already ruled out) and Butyl Acetate are used. Sadly, that is an acetate ester, so nope, no gains here.
So, we are left with one way: Mechanical removal. Nail polish is known to bond quite ok, but conventional nail polish lacquer (not the gel stuff) also is known to chip, and we can use that. Letting the lacquer harden and then using a sharp knife o remove most of the surplus, then polishing it up to very fine 1000 grit sandpaper is a possible way to go without needing to open the chemical toolbox. For the last postprocessing step, very short exposure to acetone vapor should restore the surface and put it to shine, including the lacquer.
Other fillers?
An alternative might be other filler materials. For a white filling, white Valejo putty might work, which is an acrylic bound marble dust filler, which can be wiped away with a wet cloth. It doesn't shrink, so gives flat surfaces. It could be colored with other acrylic paints, but the base color is marble-white.
Tamiya Basic Putty is based on Ethylbenzene and often used with ABS models as a gap filler. It is available in several colors. As a downside, it does shrink a little during bonding. Ethylbenzene is not a solvent but incidentally, the same stuff that is used for making ABS so should be safe for the model. |
How should I clean my extruder when changing materials? I often switch my print material, i.e. ABS / PLA / Wood / Flex,
How can I best clean out my extruder between them to ensure I don't contaminate my next print? | If you feel you need to clean the nozzle the best approach is a cold pull. You can perform this procedure with many printers, however, you should seek advice from your printer manufacturer before attempting this process if you have any doubts.
With the previously filament still loaded and the tool head cold:
Begin to raise the temperature of the tool to the printing temperature of the next filament you intend to load
As it begins to warm up perform any tasks you normally perform during filament unloading (open the idler, for example). You should not be fighting against the extruder drive gear or any other part of the tool during this process!
With a fair amount of pressure begin pulling on the filament
The old filament should eventually release from inside of the tool leaving the end of the filament roughly in a nice molded shape of the inside of the tool. Begin loading the next filament you intend to print and manually feed some filament through as the tool finishes heating
Anything left over from the previous filament including pigment or other residue should be stuck to the end of the filament.
You can perform cold pulls as many times as you wish by loading new filament, extruding a small amount, letting it completely cool and repeating the steps. |
Cura G-code Printer G-code settings vs. Extruder G-code settings I am configuring my Cura G-code settings, and I'm not sure if the Printer G-code settings (printer tab of Machine Settings) should be the same as the Extruder G-code settings (extruder tab of Machine Settings). Does one set of settings override the other? Should they be different?
I'm using the following for Printer Start G-code:
M140 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ;Start heating bed
M104 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ;Start heating extruder
G28 ;home
G90 ;absolute positioning
G1 X-10 Y-10 F3000
G1 Z0 F1800
G92 E0
G1 E20 F200
G92 E0
Printer End G-code:
M104 S0 ;extruder heater off
M140 S0 ;heated bed heater off (if you have it)
G90 ;absolute positioning
G92 E0
G1 E-1 F300 ;retract the filament a bit before lifting the nozzle, to release some of the pressure
G28 X0 Y0
M84 ;steppers off | If your printer has only one extruder, leave the Extruder G-Code empty. This setting is useful for multi-extruder printing (e.g. multicolor). The extruder G-Code runs each time you switch to and away from that extruder, and can be used for stuff such as retracting a filament when switching. |
Ultimaker Cura is not always retracting in exported G-Code TL;DR: Upper layers of a stringing pyramid test are missing retractions in the G-code.
Edit 1: added printer info and additional settings.
Edit 2: Clearing up confusing wording.
Update:
I wrote a program to parse the G-code and count the retraction-extension pairs between layers. The first 17 layers (base) and 18-95 (pyramid start) have the appropriate number of extruder calls. I expect an extension at the start of the layer, retraction before moving to the second tower, extension to print the second tower, and a retraction before moving back to the first tower.
After layer 95 of 391 the number of retraction pairs starts to decrease from missing a pair every other layer to eventually almost no retraction pairs. The last 70-ish layers have a retraction pair every dozen or so layers.
Perhaps this is related somehow to the shrinking width of the pyramid since the missing retraction-extension pairs increase as the pyramid comes to a point
Disabling Z-Hop shows no difference in this behavior
Original question:
After switching to a 0.2 mm nozzle I starting printing some calibration tests to find my stringing pyramids end up looking like a pair of trees. I suspect I've always had this issue, but it's much more evident now with a smaller nozzle that likes to ooze.
This is on an Ender 3, so using a Bowden tube, with a MicroSwiss all metal hot end and the extruder mechanism is aluminum with a pair of toothed drive gears. I'm seeing the problem in 1.75mm PLA of multiple well regarded manufacturers.
Relevant Settings (let me know of other settings I should list):
enabled retraction
combing mode 'off'
enabled z-hop when retracted
retraction distance 3.5mm
retraction speed 50mm
retraction minimum travel 1.5mm
Infil 100%
Looking at the G-code, sometimes I see a retraction paired with the Z-hop, but sometimes it's missing. It seems pretty random for when it's missing, but the first quarter or so of the layers do not show the problem. Originally I thought it had something to do with extruder drift over time, or something crazy, until I looked at the G-code and saw it was missing commands.
Snippit of retracting for Z-hop:
G1 F1200 X204.632 Y161.781 E77.9224
G1 F3000 E74.4224
G1 F300 Z7.08
;MESH:NONMESH
G0 F9000 X190.179 Y161.901 Z7.08
;TIME_ELAPSED:2354.891407
;LAYER:171
;MESH:string_test_fast_pyramid.stl
G0 X190.179 Y161.901 Z7.12
;TYPE:WALL-INNER
G1 F300 Z6.92
G1 F3000 E77.9224
G1 F600 X190.179 Y161.555 E77.92356
Snippit of not retracting for z-hop:
G1 F1200 X204.473 Y161.666 E78.0239
G1 F300 Z7.12
;MESH:NONMESH
G0 F9000 X190.182 Y161.898 Z7.12
;TIME_ELAPSED:2359.620803
;LAYER:172
;MESH:string_test_fast_pyramid.stl
G0 X190.182 Y161.898 Z7.16
;TYPE:WALL-INNER
G1 F300 Z6.96
G1 F600 X190.182 Y161.558 E78.02503
Test on the left is done with 'Equalize filament rate' enabled, on the right side is done with the option disabled.
Any advice you can give as to what settings I am missing or misconfigured would be much appreciated. | It's likely that you're hitting Cura's Maximum Retraction Count (retraction_count_max) within the Minimum Extrusion Distance Window (retraction_extrusion_window). This is a misfeature supposedly designed to avoid grinding/flattening the filament, but of course acting on it will ruin your print in exactly the same way you're seeing. I think setting the window to 0 or the maximum count to some ridiculously high number like 1000000 will fix the problem.
Note that it's exacerbated by the thin nozzle making the number of retractions needed take place over a much smaller extruder-axis move distance than what you'd have with a normal 0.4 mm nozzle. This is probably why nobody has noticed and complained about the badness of Cura's defaults here. |
Is iron oxide a suitable material for use in SLS/SLM 3d printing? I recently asked a question in the space section of stackexchange as to if Martian soil, with its decent iron oxide content, could be mined (with magnets) for its iron oxide and the iron oxide used as building material for an SLS/SLM 3d printer.
Is this possible? The final result doesn't have to be pure iron, I'm just looking to see if iron oxide is a suitable building material for a SLS/SLM 3d printer. | First of all, let's start with the basics:
Iron oxide aka rust
The University of Illinois hosts a "Ask the Van", where the question "is rust magnetic" has been asked, and I will quote from Tom J. and Mike W.:
There are several different oxides of iron, with different fractions of oxygen. They are Fe0, Fe2O3, and Fe3O4. Rust consists mostly of Fe2O3, with additional water molecules attached. There are several forms of Fe2O3, and a common mineral composed of Fe2O3 is called hematite, which is a shiny-blackish mineral. Hematite is not ferromagnetic, but it does still respond to a magnetic field and will be attracted to the poles of a permanent magnet.[...] FeO is also not ferromagnetic, but it is pulled about twice as much as Fe2O3 towards the poles of a magnet. Magnetite, Fe3O4, is ferromagnetic, and is about 1/4 as strong as pure iron.
In a followup answer by Mike W., it gets more explicit:
Rust (a collection of some iron oxides) is virtually non-magnetic, unlike plain iron or most types of steel.
This means pretty much, that unlike pure iron, you can't pick up (most) rust particles with a magnet. From all that we know about the Martian soil, we know for sure that it has a very fine grain, so the particles in itself are tiny. This again hints that any exposed iron on Mars has been thoroughly rusted through over the last million years, leaving only non-magnetic rust dust on the surface - dust that is not suitable to be mined with magnets.
We have an analysis of the chemical composition of Mars from some landers, hinting that Martian regolith indeed is colored from its high content of iron in various bonds. So, what we do with that data? We create Maritan regolith simulant, which has been checked back against the findings of the probes. And low and behold: there is not a single percentile of iron in either the findings or the probes or the regolith simulants. Just about 16-18 % rust.
Regolith for SLS?
Now, we have regolith with a somewhat even distribution of rust in it. And we have a stimulant that can be acquired from Huston. To my knowledge, it has not yet been tested for SLM, but it has been used in powder based extruders, as explored in How does this Martian habitat 3D printer built for NASA work?
With the lack of testing and the relatively low iron oxide content, I am hesitant to say that it will work to print in the usual way. However, with the addition of some polymer, one could create a fast regolith-plastic compound that shows similar behavior to concrete. This material could be made suitable for 3D printing in SLS machines. Another idea might be to go from SLM (selective laser melting) to the older SLS (selective laser sintering) or even simple sintering, in which a compound is pretty much "baked" into shape without fully melting it. We understand well how to sinter materials we have trouble with melting otherwise, and one of the prime examples is tungsten carbide.
Conclusion
While I see problems with mining iron from Martian regolith without a chemical refining process or refining it akin to iron sand, I don't see how martian regolith can't be refined into a suitable SLM or SLS material by addition of some kind of polymer or a thermal and mechanical process to achieve sinterable material. Instead of a polymer, a pure metal (magnesium or aluminium) could be added as a binder too. With the availability of regolith simulant for research, it only takes a research group that is interested in researching the suitability of this material for such applications. |
BLTouch Stopped Working I was five hours into a six hour print and got a 28 mm X direction layer shift. No idea what caused it. I stopped the print cleaned the bed and (via Pronterface) went to home the bed (G28). The gantry homed X and Y and then I got the following message:
Error:Printer stopped due to errors. Fix the error and use M999 to restart. (Temperature is reset. >Set it after restarting)
[ERROR] Error:Printer stopped due to errors. Fix the error and use M999 to restart. (Temperature is >reset. Set it after restarting)
Error:!! STOP called because of BLTouch error - restart with M999
[ERROR] Error:!! STOP called because of BLTouch error - restart with M999
Entering M999 followed by G28 just reproduced the error. I powered down and then checked the BLTouch connections. The white signal wire seemed a bit loose, so I tightened that. All other wires are secure. Powering back up, the BLTouch did not do its normal probe up and down routine. The main red light flickered for about three seconds, it then flashed 7 times and then came on fully. At the end of the flashing, the blue LED on the circuit board also came on. Testing, the black and white signal wires gave a reading of 0.975 kΩ.
I had homed and levelled the bed (G28, G29) then saved the data (M500) prior to starting to the six hour print print earlier with no problem.
Printer: Hypercube Evolution (CoreXY) with KFB2.0 board running 24 V.
Genuine Antclab BLTouch v1.0.
Anybody any idea what has happened? | Turned out that the BL Touch had packed it in. Replaced with a new BL Touch v3.1 and everything works. |
Bad layers in otherwise good prints I can print a reasonably high quality print, but then there will be a millimetre or two of rubbish.
This can happen at the start of a print, in the middle or at the end.
It doesn't seem to be bad G-code as I can reprint with good results.
There seems to be a correlation between the bad layers and walls. They seem to occurs when there is a transition to printing a horizontal wall.
The latter if there two images if the tail end of a thirteen hour print.
What's causing this?
Is it something I can fix or is it that the (new) printer is failing? | This can be caused by various problems, of which an aforementioned filament diameter is only one of multiple possible causes.
The observed phenomenon is called under-extrusion. Temporary under-extrusion can also be caused by filament friction on the spool, too low or too high filament extruder gear friction (pressure on the filament by the roller), or friction in a Bowden tube (dust particles).
Please ensure your spool unrolls freely (not entangled; entangled filament is audible like "ker-chunk" when the filament is rearranged on the spool by force of the extruder pulling) and check the extruder for friction or slip. If the extruder gear slips, this is also accompanied by an audible "click" that is called clicking. This generally implies that there is too much friction in the hot end, or an obstruction/clog.
Considering that your print recovers from the problem, and that it occurs randomly, the best guess is that your filament in entangled now and then. |
What is a good way to estimate the impact on material strength different printing methods will have? I'm going to 3D print a part that needs to meet certain strength requirements, due to its usages. I know how strong a particular plastic (eg. comrpessive/tensile/shear strength) is when dealt with in a solid chunk, but not when it is 3D printed. What is a good way to estimate the change? | It's hard to tell without actually testing the part. There are many ways you can 3D print a part, even on the same machine, that can yield different results.
Here are some tips to help uphold strength requirements:
Identify where your stresses are and avoid allowing the natural "grain" of the print (i.e. each layer) to coincide with the stresses of the part. For example, I just printed a part with hinges today. I set my part up to ensure that the circular profile of the hinge on each layer, instead of having the machine "bridge" the circular profile.
Make your part more solid by increasing the infill. Note that somewhere around 35% won't really provide much more strength than say 50% with a standard infill pattern (i.e. hexagonal, diamond, catfill). However, I would imagine that if a spherical infill pattern was ever designed, that would be the strongest.
An easy way to beef up small areas of a part is to increase your shell variable (how many profile layers for each layer). Again, referencing my hinge design, I made sure that my hinges were completely printed using shell instead of shell/infill.
Don't be afraid to do some post-processing such as adding epoxy/epoxies in high-stress areas.
If it's not an expensive part to print, I would suggest playing with some of these ideas yourself and conduct controlled tests to see what setups work best for your application(s). |
How to edit STL model files The slicer included with my printers (ChituBox) has no STL editing capabilities. How to edit STL models? | I think it depends on your use case.
As Bobt already commented, Meshmixer is a common tool for editing STLs.
But also a lot of CAD-Tools should be able to import STLs.
Then there is also of course Blender.
As you didn't specify what you want to use it for, I would guess you just want to do some quick fixes to the mesh.
The tool I use is Meshmixer. It's pretty powerful, but I personally never really used a lot of it's capabilities. |
OctoPi (Octoprint) time lapse quality issues I'm trying to squeeze a little better quality out of my time lapses generated by OctoPrint.
I'm using the Raspberry Pi Camera Module V2 with a Pi 3. I've already edited the Octopi config to get 720p resolution, but the encoding during time lapse rendering is horrific. Blocky as hell.
Right now the encoding is set up at 5000k.
What am I doing wrong here? | That bitrate is pretty low, which might explain the blockiness (is that a word?).
From YouTube's upload guidelines, you are encoding at the minimum recommended bitrate for standard 720P video. Maybe you should boost to 7500K (7.5 Mbps) and see if that helps.
Also, it appears that Octopi is merely calling ffmpeg locally and returning the video. The encoding that is being used might be resulting in blockiness. If you have access to the raw photos, you could just dump them into a directory on another machine and generate a video using a less-lossy video codec. Of course, this would only work if the photos you are taking are high quality. Assuming that they are, here is a nice resource for producing videos from image sequences in ffmpeg.
Good luck!
P.S. Alternatively, if you prefer a lightweight video tool with a GUI, you could use ImageJ. |
How to switch firmware from 12 V heated bed to 110 V SSR heated bed? According to the instructions I have read, you use the same output on the printers mainboard to control a 110 V heated bed with a solid state relay, as you do to power the 12/24 V heated bed that comes with the printer.
The relay's datasheet states that its max input current is 25 mA, obviously a 12/24 V heated bed would draw a lot more than that.
How does Marlin know that the heated bed pins are controlling a relay now instead of a bed directly, and therefore should limit their current output?
In other words: I am worried that if I just drop in the relay, it will burn up since the board still thinks it needs to supply high current to the bed. | How does Marlin know that the heated bed pins are controlling a relay now instead of a bed directly, and therefore should limit their current output?
Marlin does not (need to) know this. Simply put, all Marlin does is switch on/off the voltage at the heated bed output. The amount of current that will flow is a function of the voltage and the device connected. If you connect a heated bed to a 12 V voltage, a high current will flow. If you connect your relay to 12 V, only a small current will flow.
In other words- I am worried that if I just drop in the relay, it will burn up since the board still thinks it needs to supply high current to the bed.
You do not need to worry about this. Your question is essentially equivalent to this: "if I replace my 100W incandescent lightbulb with a 1W LED one, do I need to replace the light switch in the wall?" The switch (i.e., your printer board/Marlin) does not care what load is connected to it, so long as it does not exceed the maximum rated current. |
Z axis Control of Prusa i3 I have modified my Prusa i3 MK2 printer so that the existing extruder motor has now been attached to a 5mm lead screw with a 1mm pitch. What is the easiest way to control the extruding of the printer now.
For example is it possible to change the settings in slic3er at all for the extruder? or would I have to download and edit the marlin firmware? | The firmware of the printer reads the g-code, in this instance, for z-axis movement. The g-code provides only (primarily) millimeters of movement and direction, along with speed.
The firmware reads those figures, figuratively speaking, and knows from the values stored in the firmware, how many steps to rotate the motor, in what direction and at what rate.
I suppose if you were a glutton for punishment, you could write some code to convert the existing measurements to ones that are adjusted for the new screw, but that's just crazy. Imagine that your new screw provides for 3.729 times the movement that the old screw did per unit of rotation. You'd have to find all the z-movements in the code and apply that factor to those numbers. I suspect rounding errors might make for a less-than-satisfactory print.
As you've mentioned in your question about editing the firmware, one may expect that you have an idea what is involved. If not, that may be the topic of another post. |
Basic Spinning Top Prints Fail in Same Location My attempted prints on my Creative Ender3 of model:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:23686
The print uses support structures (generated by Ultimaker Cura) failed in the same location twice. It is printed in PLA (1.75 mm) first print at 200 °C, second print at 196 °C. | To me, it looks like your G-code induces an incomplete layer of support on the still standing piece, which later down leads to the print failing.
Re-slice the whole thing.
As a matter of fact, I would cut the model in its widest place and print both with the large face flat on the surface and glue the two pieces together after printing. That way I can achieve:
no need for support material
maximum adhesion
no surface problems on the transition from the support to the print |
Are there many differences between Ultimaker Cura and FlashForge FlashPrint slicers? I recently bought a 3D printer called Dreamer NX from FlashForge. The dealer told me to use FlashPrint software that belongs to the FlashForge printer manufacturer. But, many people advise me to use Ultimaker Cura. Are there many differences between these two software packages? | The commonality of the 2 slicers is that both are developed and maintained by a printer manufacturer. The largest difference is that FlashPrint is closed/proprietary software, while Ultimaker Cura is released in source (so-called open source project) to the public; this is valid for both the frontend (Cura) (Graphical User Interface) as for the slicing core (CuraEngine). Basically this implies that there is a larger community developing and bug fixing the software. Also, FlashPrint is exclusively available for the FlashForge printers while Ultimaker Cura can be used for different brands as well.
Statement from www.3dprms.com:
The Flashpoint software is an in-house software program developed by FlashForge for use exclusively with the FlashForge 3D Printers
Statement from the Cura wikipedia:
Cura is an open source 3D printer slicing application. It was created by David Braam who was later employed by Ultimaker, a 3D printer manufacturing company, to maintain the software.
As FlashPrint is proprietary, it has no shared source repository and can therefore not be based on existing forks of software that are released under e.g. some version of the LGPL license as this implies that you need to share the amendments you made to the software, otherwise you would be in violation:
...any developer who modifies an LGPL-covered component is required to make their modified version available under the same LGPL license..
Note that discussing the exact differences in features between the 2 software packages (e.g. implementation differences of model support structures) would be more fit in a forum style discussion board rather than on a Stack Exchange site. |
Problems with Z step Recently I bought a Prusa i3 pro W (from Geeetech) and I've been struggling with something that is ruining all my printings. I attach a photo with what was supposed to be little "boxes":
As you can see the Z distance is doing weird things, I think may can be fixed through this configurations, as it seems the Z axis is moving too much:
On the other hand, the form the printer is doing the skirt is also bothering me, I've tried a lot of configurations and I think it's a problem of over extrusion, but I'm a newbie and I don't really know what more could I do...
I'll really thank you for every answer because I've been a lot of days with this and I begin to feel really disappointed with all.. Thank you! | as per base of the pink printout it looks like the bed is far below the nozzle (level the bed)
to check the Z steps/mm setting, the best way will be to home it, then from menu move Z by 50mm and check with a ruler or meter traveled distance.
then using a formula (requestedMove/measuredMove) * currentSteps set new value in to Z steps/mm setting. After that repeat the exercise until you will get no difference. |
Aggressive resin solvent For the purpose of cleaning, I need an aggressive solvent for cured or partially cured resin that will degrade resin down to its liquid state. I'm looking for one that would eat out specifically resin (I'm using regular Anycubic green resin) in a rapid fashion but would leave painted / metallic parts and screen of my 3D printer without damage. | Wear Gloves.
Returning is impossible
Resin does not just harden, it polymerizes into shape from monomers in a chemical reaction. That means to break it down, you need to destroy the whole chemistry. There is no solvent that can simply reverse it.
Wiping is easy
As long as the rein is still liquid, you can wipe it off. Then clean the parts with Isopropylic alcohol.
Manual work
Destroying Resin-Polymers is incredibly hard for most solvents. The most simple solution is usually oddly enough to use physical force. Resins are super brittle and chip off, but might damage the paint coat in the worst case.
Thermal shock
If you can, you might put your printer in a cold environment and see the resin gaining cracks, as it shrinks slower and less than the metal. Then, putting it back into the heat adds more. |
ABS prints consistently splitting in the same place I am printing ABS in an enclosure and most of the prints have worked out well with minor tweaking. However, the top layer always seems to split or skip a step (not sure which).
The cube is sliced in Ultimaker Cura 4.3.0 with 0.2 mm layer height, 0.4 mm nozzle, 80 °C bed on lexan and a 235 °C hotend.
The G-code to the calibration cube/chep's calibration cube is attached: PI3XL_CHEPCalibrationCube.gcode.
While I'm on the subject of slicing and calibration my calibration angle is coming out as before in Simplify3D, this time the layers look great but the onion skinning within the print itself so I could actually separate the calibration angle like an onion. | Personally, I have dealt with this problem myself! I messed around with the slicer a little bit, and I found that if you make the print layer height 0.15 or 0.10 mm, it will be better. The image you attached looks as though the printer was splitting a step and only printing that part. I can't think of a reason why it would do that. I also can't find anything online, so I would just play with the print settings or change the layer height until it comes out how you want it. |
Good alternative to HDPE for FDM A while back, I had worked on building a Yostwerks Sea Cruiser. Now I'm thinking of trying to create a 3D printable (or 3D millable) version of the plans.
The original design uses cross-sections cut from a half-inch thick HDPE sheet. However, I am considering changing this out for one of the easier to print materials, but I cannot find any comparative information about stiffness HDPE versus other 3D printing materials.
Can I get a suggestion for a alternative to HDPE that is as stiff or stiffer as well as same density or lighter. The Kayak frame is expected to be compressing the cross-sections.
An example set of cross-sections is as below:
Please note that I have also considering changing the shape of the cross-sections to make stiffer yet lighter cross sections, but that will require some trade-off between portable sized cross-sections versus the stiffness of the cross-sections. | According to the chart on this page HDPE has a flexural modulus of between 0.75 and 1.575 Gpa; meanwhile PETG has a flexural modulus of 2.20 Gpa, meaning PETG is the stiffer material.
HDPE, by definition, has a density greater than 0.941g/cc. PETG has a density of about 1.25g/cc.
So while PETG may be denser (depending on the HDPE used), it is more rigid, while not being too rigid.
PETG is quite printable using FDM. If you were printing at a higher temperature and high % infill, I could see it holding up well enough. I've printed heavy duty parts with it using a 0.8mm nozzle. |
Why is the center of my glass print bed lower than the corners? I have a new Creality Ender 3.
I suspect that I have not adjusted the eccentric nuts correctly, on the X-axis head carriage mounts.
Even after a glass bed upgrade, using the Level Corners routine of the TH3D firmware, I can get the head to scrape a sheet of paper all 4 corners but that same sheet of paper does not then scrape the head in the center, unless I fold that paper in half.
I could understand this if the rail on which the hot end travels is very slightly higher at the side opposite the extruder. I have tried turning the eccentric nut on that side until the head does trap the paper, but when I then repeat the Level Corners routine, the gap at the center has come right back.
I already adjusted the eccentric nut on the extruder end because the wheels on the hot end carriage were showing an accumulation of brown dust in a ring around each wheel, which I heard was likely a sign that the carriage was "too tight."
So basically, I am messing around with the eccentric nuts at both ends of the X-axis rail, chasing two problems at the same time, but I don't really know what I am doing.
Recommendations? | This seems to be a common problem with ender-3 and cr-10 printers from Creality. Mine is the same way but not enough to keep prints from adhering.
Typically the aluminum bed is not perfectly flat. If it’s not the glass may be able to flex enough that it can make a difference. There are a few ways to try to fix it.
Shim the low spots in the aluminum bed with aluminum foil or another thin material. Then the glass will sit on a flatter more well supported surface.
Bend the aluminum bed until it is flat.
Add a 5th leveling point under the middle of the bed. You could either make it adjustable which would be tricky to get to or create a support piece accurately or get one close and shim it.
The shimming process is probably the easiest and the one I may end up doing. But whether you shim it or do the other trick you need to measure for points that are out of flat.
If you get a decent straightedge and some feeler gauges and/or or shine a bright light from the other side and look for spots of light between the straightedge and the aluminum bed you can see where you need to shim or otherwise adjust it. You’ll need to move it at various angles through the center and other spots on the bed. That way you can see whether it is just the middle or if the edges are an issue too.
Also, once you check the aluminum bed, check the glass as it may not be flat either.
There was a YouTube video on the cr-10 I think that showed part of the shimming process and checking for level. I’ll try to see if I can find it to add a link here.
I still didn't find the video I was looking for, but here is a useful related one that talks about tramming the bed (what 3d printing people call leveling)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcAmZqb-ZEE
And here's a reddit thread about the issue. Someone incorrectly says the glass plate can't flex that much but it certainly can. We're talking small tolerances. Even granite slabs flex small amounts.
https://www.reddit.com/r/CR10/comments/7d7gyh/aluminum_bed_warped_cant_get_it_to_do_anything/ |
Top layers failing/underextruding on Creality CR-10 For some reason the only the top layers keep failing or underextruding on my prints, for no clear reason. Here are my settings:
Slicer: Simplify3D
Filament: 1.75 mm Black PLA from Filamentive
Resolution: 0.1 mm on a 0.4 mm nozzle
Temperature: 200 °C nozzle and 50 °C bed
Speed: 45 mm/s and 50% outline speed
Infill: 15%
The prints were going perfectly fine on a 0.2 mm resolution and only seemed to fail when I changed to 0.1 mm; which is strange considering the rest of the print goes fine, apart from the top layers (which I have 3 of).
My only thought is that it could be a bridging issue and is somehow underextruding, and getting caught on the infill as that it where it is centred around. I wouldn't know how to fix this.
If anyone could give me any information or tips I would be very appreciative, thanks.
The pictures are taken after some light sanding. | If you decrease layer thickness, you should increase bottom and top layer amount, or set it to a fixed shell thickness. The thinner the layers the more difficult to span over the infill (there is much less filament extruded).
You could try extra part cooling, higher percentage infill, reduced hotend temperature and slower top layer printing. But, best results are reached with more top layers and higher infill percentage.
See e.g. this answer by user "dnewman":
That said, with very low layer heights (e.g., 0.1 mm), there's a tendency to use very sparse infill to speed up printing time. However, very low layer heights bridge over voids very, very poorly. So poorly that you can have the print nearly finished only to find that the top won't close up. Thus, don't make the infill too sparse when doing low layer heights. MOREVER, you definitely need more top layers to get the final finished top to look acceptable. The thin layer heights will take many more layers (many more in physical height, not just layer count) to give a nice top. At issue (again) is how poorly low layer heights will bridge voids. With 0.2 mm on up, you generally get a nice, thin strand extruded which can stretch across voids. But at 0.1 mm layer heights the printer is just doing tiny, discrete squirts of plastic which it spreads like cake icing across the lower layer. There's not a single, fine strand extruded and instead tiny little beads. When there's a solid layer below, these squirts have something to be spread against by the extruder nozzle. But when there's a void, the squirts just build up on the nozzle and then come off in a big blob when the nozzle next brushes over a non-void space. |
Anet A8 mainboard dimensions and hole offsets I'm trying to get a clean set of measurements of the Anet A8 mainboard and determine the exact positioning of the holes in both the board and frame.
The frame and the board are cut to accommodate an M3 bolt.
Here are the measurements I have currently:
Mainboard
Overall Width 100 mm
Overall Height 95 mm
Frame (main board holes)
Lateral (measured with calipers)
Hole (3.4 mm) Distance +
Inner edge hole to hole (83.07 mm)
= ~86.4 mm
Vertical ~90 mm (not measured 100 % correctly)
I was hoping to just find a PCB layout for this board with the measurements and offsets but have found nothing.
I am attempting to provide a mount adapter frame for a PSU with a 50 mm x 150 mm mounting footprint. | Why don't you download one of the many casings that are found on Thingiverse that house the Anet electronics board and take measurements from those cases.
I measured it from my own casing I designed a while ago:
Hole distances are 86.3 mm and 91.3 mm (center to center) |
Printing files over USB drive (Ender 3 Pro) Is this possible? I know that the controller board of the printer is normally controlled (when using USB) by an active computer sending data, but I was wondering if it could be reversed so that the board retrieves files from a USB flash drive? My SD card keeps failing and is overall frustrating to work with, so USB would be a nice option. | Unfortunately, no.
There are two types of USB devices: host, such as a PC, and device, such as a thumb drive. (Actually, there is a third type, on-the-go, which can act as either.)
The Ender 3 mainboard is a USB device which means that it can only connect to a USB host. You cannot directly connect two USB devices, such as the Ender 3 and a thumb drive) and have them work.
One option would be to set up OctoPrint software on a Raspberry PI single-board computer and connect that by USB to the printer. |
Why did my power supply fuse blew out on my Anet A8? So yesterday I got my power supply in the mail and I thought, let's check it out!
I put all the wires in correctly (as shown in this YouTube video, Anet A8 power supply unit fuse blown, I just searched really quickly, this person has the same problem as me) and "BANG", it blew.
Luckily the only thing broken on it is the fuse, for which I can get a new one, but my main question is .. why? why did it blow out? Did I wire it up wrong? The 12 V output goes to a RAMPS 1.4 board which is working correctly.
It worked the first time I plugged it in; the little green light went on. The second time a nice "big bang". When I tested it the first time, I didn't add the 12 V wires to the RAMPS board yet. When I did, the fuse of the PSU blew out.
The board is a RepRap RAMPS 1.4, which works fine when connected via USB to laptop.
Upon closer inspection I found a burned out resistor in the circuit of the power supply, maybe this caused the bang?
BIG update!
I opened it up and flipped the board, and noticed that there was a big ol' blob of tin connected to one of the pins I connected my wires to. I am very sure that this blob shouldn't connect to that pin at all, hence shorting my board.
Is this the cause?
Here is a link to the webpage I bought it from: Anet® 12 V 20 A 240 W Power Supply Dual-input Centralized Power Monitoring For 3D Printer
Here is how I wired it up at the PSU side:
At the RAMPS side:
This shows the internals of the PSU, it clearly shows burn marks: | You need to closely look at how to connect to the output connectors. In this case it appears that you have wired it correctly according to the stamped in markings above the connectors. You have chosen not to connect the earth, this is strongly advised.
Did you check if the power switch matches the voltage of your country? If you are in Europe the switch should be set to 230 V, not 115 V (which is used in America).
E.g. for the following power supply you see such a switch on the side:
If a PSU is connected without load and works, and short circuits when externals are connected there are a few options:
there is a short in the connected printer board,
the load that the board takes is too large for the PSU,
the PSU cannot deliver the load,
the PSU was faulty to begin with. |
Short circuit on RAMPS 1.6 board? I have a RAMPS 1.6 board. After soldering my stepper drivers, I probed them for bridging and found a short where none should be. Digging deaper into it, my multimeter shows continuity between the 12V +/- connectors (on occasion).
I have scanned the whole board repeatedly for solder bridges, but could not find any. Are there any known weaknesses that I should look for or any specific place I should look at to repair it? | Your multimeter showing continuity doesn't necessarily mean there is a short.
All your multimeter is doing is applying a small voltage and then, if the current that flows is over a certain threshold, reporting that there is continuity.
The components (stepper drivers, microprocessor) on the board, draw current. That's normal. The current draw might be enough for your multimeter to report continuity. Because the multimeter is only using a small voltage to test (and not the required 12V), the current draw may be intermittent (not enough voltage for the microprocessor to actually start working), and capacitors getting (dis-)charged may also affect things.
The multimeter not reporting continuity is a guarantee of no short. However, the multimeter reporting continuity does not mean there is a short. The only way to find out is to apply 12V. If you use a current-limited power supply the possibility of damage if there is a short circuit is limited. |
Beginner FreeCAD question on axes when sketching I am a raw beginner at FreeCAD and 3D draughting. Watched some tutorials and designed 2-3 simple items. Aiming to use it for 3D printing.
My question relates to 2D sketching. As I understand the workflow, one draws 2D items that one can then extrude, cut etc. So one picks the drawing axes (eg X and Y), and the sketch is then at Z axis zero. After extruding, one can place another sketch on a face for further extruding etc.
But the sketch is always at relative Z/3rd axis zero.
Consider a fairly large block extruded 10 mm thick. Say I want (example only, never mind why) to cut a 20 mm disk from the interior, 3 mm deep, 5 mm from the bottom surface therefore 2 mm from the top.
If I place a sketch on the top surface, make a 20 mm circle and use that to cut a hole, the cut will always start at the top surface - but I want it to start 2 mm down. I.e. it seems to me I need to be able to offset the sketch from local Z/3rd axis zero, in this case to -2 mm.
Can one do that, or have I missed the point somewhere? | This answer assumes you're working in the Part Design workbench.
So you want to adjust the starting height of a pad or pocket. There are two ways I can think of to do this easily.
Adjust the Z attachment value of the sketch to lower the sketch below the surface.
Use the "two dimensions" option in the pad/pocket operation and set the second value negative.
By the way, it is highly suggested not to attach a sketch to a surface. The current development version (0.19) and previous versions have an issue ("topographical naming") where editing a previous feature can change the internal name of a face causing the attachment to break. There is a solution under development but it doesn't loom like it will get in earlier than 0.20. You should instead simply adjust the Z attachment value to match the face you want.
Also, there is a very active (and very helpful) forum here. I'd suggest asking further FreeCAD questions there. |
Trouble uploading Skynet3D to my Anet A8 via Arduino program I'm in distress here fellow people. I'm a noob to 3d printers and want to become an expert. Everybody has to start at the bottom right? Like the title says I'm trying to upload Skynet to my printer and for the board, I'm selecting V.1 even though my arduino board says V.1-5. And for port I'm selecting COM3, which is information I found in device manager, and the file I'm selecting to upload is SkynetV.1.?alfa.ino. After all of that is selected I click upload and I get the following error messages:
Sketch uses 114,230 bytes (87%) of program storage space. Maximum is 131,072 bytes.
Global variables use 4,470 bytes of dynamic memory.
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 1 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xd6
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 2 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x6f
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 3 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x80
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 4 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xbf
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 5 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xae
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 6 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xd6
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 7 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x02
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 8 of 10: not in sync: resp=0x21
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 9 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xcc
avrdude: stk500_getsync() attempt 10 of 10: not in sync: resp=0xd6
Please help me. | Skynet3D was a very old fork from Marlin firmware, all functionality (more specifically for the odd LCD screens used by Anet) have been merged into Marlin firmware. Just get the latest version of Marlin. The current and final release of branch 1.1.x is 1.1.9 further development will be done in 2.0.x. Version 1.1.9 works perfectly fine for the Anet A8.
These error messages are displayed when you have either selected the wrong COM port or wrong Arduino board or have faulty or no drivers installed. |
Bigtreetech upload stalled after uncommented REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER I recently bought a BigTreeTech SKR V1.3 and uncommented REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER and clicked the upload button but faced an error that says:
Marlin\src\lcd\ultralcd.cpp:767:9: error: 'touch_buttons' was not declared in this scope
if (touch_buttons) {
^~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marlin\src\lcd\ultralcd.cpp:767:9: note: suggested alternative: 'buttons'
if (touch_buttons) {
^~~~~~~~~~~~~
buttons
Marlin\src\lcd\ultralcd.cpp:805:5: error: 'else' without a previous 'if'
else wait_for_unclick = false;
^~~~
*** [.pio\build\LPC1768\src\src\lcd\ultralcd.cpp.o] Error 1
I am not sure what above message means, but can anyone else shed some light on why I am receiving these errors?
FWIW, I am using Marlin 2. | There is a temporary solution which I have found here, on the reprap forums, Re: Upload to the board failed after LCD enabled:
An official fix has been posted. Grab the new ultralcd.cpp from [github.com]
Apparently the sources contained a bug which was fixed later, a new version download fixed the problem. |
Is there an engineering/physics foundation for application of airbrush nozzles? Lately I noticed that there is a new type of nozzles (called airbrush nozzles?!?) available; typically found on those online overseas vendor sites. The nozzles are advertised for usage in E3D hardware, but are not found amongst the E3D genuine nozzles.
These nozzles look like this:
What are the basic physics principles or what is the engineering relevance for application of airbrush nozzles? (Gimmick or actual product improvement?) | An obvious drawback is the lack of a flat surface around the opening, resulting in a severe limitation of the extrusion width to exactly the nozzle width (plus some percent). This nozzle cannot efficiently push the filament against the nearby perimeters because it cannot constrain its height and it cannot flatten the top of the already extruded one. So layer adhesion may not be a big problem, but perimeter-to-perimeter likely is.
Also, the thinner wall and extended length will reduce the filament temperature, however I don't know whether a simple compensation would do, since cooling will depend on filament speed and travel speed.
Regarding the cooling, you can check also the original designer's goal:
A big problem with small. hot and slow prints is the heat radiation of
the hotend and nozzle itself. To get as little as possible heat into
the print, the nozzle needs to be as long and pointy as possible. The
longer the nozzle, the bigger the distance between heater block and the
print. And the more pointy it is, the less heat radiation can affect
the print. A nice side benefit: the cooling fan can blow better onto
the print and "around" the nozzle. |
Horizontal faces not generated in Cura I've never used a 3D printer before. I'm trying to print the calibration cube found on Thingiverse. After the process finished, I noticed that the face pointing up that forms the inset at the base of the letters Y and X was not printed and I could see a hole. The same for the faces pointing down at the top of the letters. At first I thought that it was a printer issue, then I checked the relevant slices and I found out that those faces are not built at all in Cura:
If I do the same in the Prusa slicer, I get the necessary base:
How do I get the same in Cura?
How is this setting called? | Cura has several settings that can cause it to erroneously omit small top/bottom surface "skins". Look for preshrink ("Skin Removal Width"), expansion ("Skin Expand Distance"), and particularly the limits on when expansion takes place ("Maximum Skin Angle/Minimum Skin Width for Expansion").
Normally Cura shrinks then expands skins by the same amount, proportional to line width, to avoid generating skin (which is slow to print and harms layer adhesion when mixed with walls) in places where the walls will already cover it. But the recently added max-angle/min-width settings cause the expansion to be skipped in certain places, leaving just the shrinking, and thereby serious gaps in the surface. This feature is just misguided and should be disabled by setting the min width to 0.
If you still have problems after that, you can try lowering both the shrink and expand, possibly even all the way to 0, but this will harm print quality and shouldn't be necessary. |
Change Slic3r settings for left handed coordinate system I made my printer to have a left handed coordinate system (it homes to the back left corner of the heatbed), I did this because it happens to make working on the printer easier for me. This, however, causes the objects to be printed mirrored. In Slic3r I manually mirror objects every time I load a new objects. From time to time I forget doing this which is really annoying. I was wondering if there is a setting in Slic3r to automatically do this. Something like mirroring on import, or changing the axis in Slic3r itself. | The direction of the end stop is set in the firmware of the printer. Even with different setup end stops, you should be able to get a correct coordinate system without mirroring axes in slicers. This would be the preferred method to fix your problem!
E.g. my Ultimaker 3 Extended homes the Z on Z max having the platform at the bottom of the machine, a calibrated offset determines the actual Z=0.
Not knowing which firmware you are using, in e.g. Marlin Firmware this is set by code lines in the file Configuration.h:
// Direction of endstops when homing; 1=MAX, -1=MIN
// :[-1,1]
#define X_HOME_DIR -1
#define Y_HOME_DIR -1
#define Z_HOME_DIR -1
Your end stop triggers at the maximum of the Y axis, so you need to configure it as a MAX end stop, i.e. use the Y_MAX pins by defining (search for the Endstop Settings section, note to also disable the YMIN endstop):
//#define USE_YMIN_PLUG // This disables the YMIN endstop
#define USE_YMAX_PLUG // This enables the YMAX endstop
and change the homing direction (Y_HOME_DIR) to 1:
#define Y_HOME_DIR 1 // This tells the printer where the endstop is located: positive for YMAX direction
Otherwise when used at Y_MIN endstop and the homing direction set to -1, the axis is reversed as you experienced. |
Extruder is running backwards? I have a (HIC) version of the Prusa i3. I have recently installed the E3D v6 hotend and titan extruder. After fixing some other issues, I noticed that there is no filament being extruded. In addition, the gear looked like it was going in the wrong direction. How can I fix this? | You can either flip the connector for the motor around (i.e. plug it in backwards) or (if you are using Marlin firmware) look for the following line in configuration.h: (using the Arduino editor open the Marlin file For your 3D Printer, one of the tabs is labelled "configuration.h" click on that tab to bring it to the front for editing. use the Edit, Find and put E0 in the find box, click find. When you find the line below
#define INVERT_E0_DIR false
change false to true (or vice-versa). Note that if you go for the connector-flipping route, make sure that you only do this when the printer is turned off. |
How can I have a large 3D printed object? I have a concept that's roughly 18"x30" (about 457x762 mm), and I just realized that the Makerbot and similar printers only allow dimensions around the size of a piece of paper. What are other options? Are there large 3D printers I just don't know about? I looked up TMC injection mold, but couldn't find anything on size (most links go to PDFs with printer images).
Is injection even in the same "world" as 3D..? Sorry for confusing the two. | As Trish states, a print service would appear to be your best bet. Building a printer large enough may work out costing more than the print service, especially if it is only for one print of a proof of concept.
Anecdotally, I visited a 3D Printing shop in Bangkok, JWH High tech Garden, that had a huge Delta printer that had, reputably, cost a million baht (~£20000) if my memory serves me correctly, and was capable of producing prints up to 1000 mm x 600 mm (39.37" x 23.62"):
However, the print service was not cheap at all. In May 2017, I was quoted 68000-100000 baht (~£1360-2000) for some printed parts (the proteins) for a Wilson II 3D printer, which are about only £70 on eBay!
However, it is worth taking into consideration that, at the moment, Thailand is very expensive for 3D printing in general, as it is relatively new there, and so prices for both printers and print services are high. |
Connecting OLED 128x64 LCD; dogm_lcd_implementation.h is missing for patching I'm trying to install a MKS 12864 0.96 OLED for my DIY 3D printer (see this other question).
It's not listed in Marlin's LCD section of configuration.h and according to some instructions, I need to do some modification to a file named dogm_lcd_implementation.h which is missing in Marlin 1.1.9!
Where is it? How can I install my LCD module? | Question History
An answer on your previous question discusses patches for installing the LCD module in your Marlin printer firmware. Note that these patches are very old (around 2015). Many things have changed since then (as is acknowledged there). That answer does not work for recent versions of Marlin source code!
Answer
Yes, your observation of the dogm_lcd_implementation.h file being missing in the 1.1.9 version of Marlin is correct. But, I believe it is not lost, all code and further development can be found in ultralcd_impl_DOGM.h. There are some older versions of the file wondering over internet, e.g. here or from this older Marlin cloned repository.
I believe that your 2nd patch:
/*---------------MKS OLED patch_2-----------------------*/
#elif defined(U8GLIB_SSD1306)
U8GLIB_SSD1306_128X64 u8g(23, 17, 16, 25); // SW SPI Com: SCK = 23, MOSI = 17, CS = 16, A0 = 25
/*---------------MKS OLED patch_2-----------------------*/
should be placed in ultralcd_impl_DOGM.h just under:
#elif ENABLED(MINIPANEL)
// The MINIPanel display
//U8GLIB_MINI12864 u8g(DOGLCD_CS, DOGLCD_A0); // 8 stripes
U8GLIB_MINI12864_2X u8g(DOGLCD_CS, DOGLCD_A0); // 4 stripes
and before:
#else
// for regular DOGM128 display with HW-SPI
//U8GLIB_DOGM128 u8g(DOGLCD_CS, DOGLCD_A0); // HW-SPI Com: CS, A0 // 8 stripes
U8GLIB_DOGM128_2X u8g(DOGLCD_CS, DOGLCD_A0); // HW-SPI Com: CS, A0 // 4 stripes
#endif
to create:
#elif ENABLED(MINIPANEL)
// The MINIPanel display
//U8GLIB_MINI12864 u8g(DOGLCD_CS, DOGLCD_A0); // 8 stripes
U8GLIB_MINI12864_2X u8g(DOGLCD_CS, DOGLCD_A0); // 4 stripes
#elif ENABLED(U8GLIB_SSD1306)
// SW SPI Com: SCK = 23, MOSI = 17, CS = 16, A0 = 25
U8GLIB_SSD1306_128X64 u8g(23, 17, 16, 25);
#else
// for regular DOGM128 display with HW-SPI
//U8GLIB_DOGM128 u8g(DOGLCD_CS, DOGLCD_A0); // HW-SPI Com: CS, A0 // 8 stripes
U8GLIB_DOGM128_2X u8g(DOGLCD_CS, DOGLCD_A0); // HW-SPI Com: CS, A0 // 4 stripes
#endif
Do note that there already exists an entry for U8GLIB_SSD1306! This has to be deleted, or you need to put the code in that section (un-commenting existing code)!
E.g.
#elif ENABLED(U8GLIB_SSD1306)
// Generic support for SSD1306 OLED I2C LCDs
//U8GLIB_SSD1306_128X64 u8g(U8G_I2C_OPT_NONE | U8G_I2C_OPT_FAST); // 8 stripes
U8GLIB_SSD1306_128X64_2X u8g(U8G_I2C_OPT_NONE | U8G_I2C_OPT_FAST); // 4 stripes
could be altered to:
#elif ENABLED(U8GLIB_SSD1306)
// Generic support for SSD1306 OLED I2C LCDs
//U8GLIB_SSD1306_128X64 u8g(U8G_I2C_OPT_NONE | U8G_I2C_OPT_FAST); // 8 stripes
//U8GLIB_SSD1306_128X64_2X u8g(U8G_I2C_OPT_NONE | U8G_I2C_OPT_FAST); // 4 stripes
// SW SPI Com: SCK = 23, MOSI = 17, CS = 16, A0 = 25
U8GLIB_SSD1306_128X64 u8g(23, 17, 16, 25); |
How to 3D print an object with variable printing speed? I have a object to print for which I want the base to be printed very rapidly because it's just a cube but as the print reached around 70 % a complex circular structure needs to be printed at a slower speed. Is there any way I could control the speed at the given percentage of job done?
I want the cube to be printed at 50 mm/s and the complex circular structure at 40 mm/s.
Printer Type - FDM | As @fred_dot_u mentions, Simplify3D has the capability to do this, but you can achieve the same effect by slicing the file twice, once at 40 mm/s and once at 50 mm/s, and then manually combining the generated G-code using a text editor. You should be able to find the point where it transitions from printing the cube to printing the circular structure by looking at the Z-height, and you can simply copy-paste the G-code from that point onward from the 40 mm/s file into the 50 mm/s file.
For instance, you might look for a point like this in the G-code (Cura):
G1 F3600 X113.543 Y94.098 E105.96969
;LAYER:25
G0 F7800 X113.743 Y91.369 Z2.700
or this (Simplify3D)
G1 X175.981 Y74.019 F2880
; layer 25, Z = 1.869
; inner perimeter
G1 X162.982 Y57.870 F7500
G1 Z2.069 F900
Note that the both include a comment line (a line that starts with ;) to indicate the layer. Everything before that you should copy from one file, everything afterwards from the other. |
Filament clogging just above feeding tube - Duplicator 6 I have this clogging problem on my 3D printer that I am having a really hard time to solve. I am a hobbiest so in no way am I a professional with regards to 3D printers. I also know that this is a popular issue and I have tried a lot of the proposed solutions (going through a lot of PLA filament and failed prints) to no avail. I will try to describe the problem and what I have tried to solve it.
First the issue:
This shows how the filament clogs. The next image shows the assembled printer head for reference.:
This is how the print looks when it fails:
I have tried the following:
- Adjusting the temperate between 190 up to 220 for the PLA filament. Everything trying a print with it.
- Doing a thorough cleaning of the nozzle (Acetone soak, wire brush, guitar string etc.)
- Checking the Teflon pipe inside the tube if it is clear and ensuring that the edges allow the filament to pass through.
- Check if the cooling fans work well to ensure cooling of the whole assembly (they work, they aren't jammed etc.)
- Dissambling the printer head and putting it back together.
I have printed with the printer before without a problem. I printed PETG a few times to get that working and the results were decent. When I returned to PLA this issue started and no matter what I change on the profile it won't work. I have tried adjusting feedrate, flow rate, retraction amount and speed, temperature, fan speeds to name but a few things.
I have a Cura profile I can upload if that will help. Any advise would be much appreciated. I have been struggling with this for a while now and really need some options. | Sometimes the filament quality itself could be the culprit. Have you tried printing with a different spool of PLA? |
Makerbot Replicator 2 restarts after preheating the hbp I've recently upgraded my Replicator 2 with a heatbed and the more powerful power brick (9.2A). The problem I'm having right now is that the Replicator restarts right after the preheat of the bedplate finishes. It does not matter which temperature I set as threshold - it restarts either way.
So it restarts even in very low temperatures on the HBP. Tried upgrading the firmware and even switch firmware to Sailfish, but it's still the same issue. I would really love if someone could help me with this.
Edit: I've checked my cables and it seems okay. Themistor is connected via pin 1 and 3 and the power should be fine.
Edit2: Found the problem. It was a faulty hotend that caused all of this. It works to print with , but togheter with the heated bed it makes the Replicator to restart. | Clues so far:
You changed your hardware to add a heated bed.
You've had the same symptoms with three different firmware versions.
Your Replicator 2 reboots right after preheat, regardless of temp set.
My Assumptions
You have not tweaked firmware or other settings that could cause both the heated bed and hot end to draw high loads simultaneously. (By default Makerbot handles this in firmware, avoiding situations that could over-tax the 9.2A power supply which isn't really enough to handle preheating both at the same time.)
Potential Problems: Listed starting with the easiest to fix...
No problem, carry on: If you are printing from the USB cable, a restart after preheat could be a normal condition. The Replicator 2 reboots to reset inputs when you start a print over USB...this is normal. So, if you're preheating with the buttons and then you start a print, this would be expected behavior. Try printing from SD card and it shouldn't reboot.
Power Supply voltage switch: Make sure your power supply voltage input switch is on the correct voltage, either 110 or 220. Having it set to 220 when you're using 110 can cause reboots due to insufficient power. (brown-out)
Wrong heated bed: If your heated bed draws too much power (it is higher power than the Replicator 2 can support with that power supply), you may get reboots due to insufficient power. (brown-out)
Short somewhere: A short somewhere in your system could cause too much power draw. This could be somewhere in your heated bed, your hot end, or other. Inspect carefully around the areas where you moved wires. You could have a frayed wire contacting the frame, a screw shorting between two wires, or a little stray "hair" of copper wire sticking somewhere it shouldn't. This too will cause a reboot due to insufficient power. (brown-out)
I hope this helps. For further reference, read this thread as I believe it has some relevant info. :-) |
Minimum material deposit threshold in slic3r I've been using Slic3r for a while now, and for the most part am happy with the results it produces. I mostly use the standard profiles provided by Prusa for my i3 mk3.
However, when watching the 3D printer at work, executing GCODE produced by Slic3r, I notice that frequently the printer makes large travel moves, deposits an absolutely tiny amount of material and does this several times in a row. Sometimes this is so small, barely any material actually comes out of the extruder. I'm convinced the end result would be no different if these operations were simply skipped. In some instances it might even improve print quality, due to reduced stringing.
It strikes me that print time and printer wear-and-tear could be significantly reduced if there was an option to simply skip deposits of material below a certain threshold of volume.
Despite having gone through all the Slic3r options, I've never found something which does this, unless there is a way to achieve it with some combination of settings which I have not understood.
My question is therefore: how can I tell Slic3r not to make individual material deposit moves, below a certain volume? | It does this in small corners.
For example, this model, when sliced has this on layer ~7:
Tiny tiny bit of blue infill.
There seems to be no feature to explicitely disable this.
But sometimes an additional perimeter solves it. |
Anycubic Kossel Plus raises the Printhead around the corners of the bed too High if the print is too close to the corners Hi guys I am quite new to 3D printing. I am having this problem with the printhead rising too high during printing when it gets near to the beds' borders. It isn't a problem with smaller prints but it gets very frustrating with bigger ones. I am thinking I am doing something wrong with the calibration but don't know exactly what. I am not calibrating by hand rather using auto calibrate.
I am using Cura 15.04.03 as slicer. | It is a common problem with "delta"-style circular parallel kinematics machines. It is called Bowling. It can lead to the presumed Z=0 plane having a bowl-like shape. The actual error shape can be more complex. The job of "bed-leveling" is to make the realized z=0 plane to be identical with the bed.
If you can, use a multi-point (like 40+ points) interpolation. It builds an error map, and adjusts every point based on that map. |
Can I use a material other than PTFE to print PETG? Because of the crazy shipping prices, I want to find a cheaper alternative to ordering a 600$ all-metal hot-end.
Is there a material like that which does what PTFE does but till higher temperatures? | PETG does not need an all-metal hotend or alternate bowden/lining material. Unless you're trying to print at #speedboatrace-competitive speeds, the recommended print temperature range for PETG is 230-250 °C, and the temperature above which you should not use a PTFE-lined hotend is 250 °C. |
Slicer for "metal" 3d printer In my last topic I learned that Pronterface can control powder 3D printer provided that the slicer generate g-code for printer which is printing from metal. My question is as follows. Is there a slicer (open-source or other easily accessible), which will generate g-code that will be able to command the printer which operates on the following principle? | Laser SLS printers (3D Metal Printer) software requirements are very similar to SLA printers specially laser ones.
There are lots of different tools which you can use together.
You can use Lasershark 3D together with creationworkshop.
Also you can convert your source file to SVG or image files, using Slic3r, nanoDLP SLC2PNG or Asiga Stomp/Sleece. And convert SVG or Image files to toolpaths using cad.py, gcodeplot or any other freely available softwares. |
What are my options if I want to install a bed levelling sensor capable of operating at 100 °C? I currently use a BLtouch 3.1, which is known to stop operating at about 35-40 °C. In fact, when I preheat the bed at 100 °C close to the probe, I sometimes get issues with the pin not retracting correctly.
I would like in the future to enclose and heat the printer chamber, therefore I need a probe capable of operating at higher temperature. My target is 100 °C.
As of now, I'm aware of this solution:
https://hightemp3d.com/products/remoteht-bed-level-probe-3d-printer
This high temperature probe uses a mechanical switch in combination
with a servo motor to probe the bed. The servo motor is outside the
enclosure and retracts the probe pin by pulling on a steel string
inside a spring guide tube.
Microswitches are known to work at high temperatures (that's what the link above uses), but usually need a servo or other mechanism to extend/retract them when needed. Servos typically don't operate at such high temperature, not to mention that they are usually not very accurate.
I saw a Hall filament sensor which uses Hall effect sensors "ss49e" and which could be easily modified to be used as bed probe. Those Hall effect sensors are rated up to 100 °C but at that temperature they have up to 8% shift of the null value and +3/-9% change in sensitivity. The linked project uses two of them in differential mode so the temperature compensation should be much better, but it is not clear how much better. A discussion about it on a Russian forum does not talk about this.
Are there other options operating at 100 °C? | Have you considered using or adapting Prusa’s P.I.N.D.A. V2 or SuperPINDA? Seems that within some bounds they’ve solved the temperature compensation issue.
The older P.I.N.D.A. V1 sensor seems to be temperature-sensitive. See more information in P.I.N.D.A./SuperPINDA Sensor testing article of Pruse Knowledge Base. |
What causes bubbles in extruded filament? I've noticed this on almost ever print I've ever had. On the initial first line that clears the extruder nozzle tiny little bubbles/craters seem to form on the line. While I don't think these are causing any issue with my prints I'm curious to know the reason why they form at all.
Is this due to water absorption in my filament that turns to steam, which then bursts through the molten plastic? Is it due to air bubbles in the filament that are cause by the manufacturing process of the filament? Or is this more an indication that my nozzle is damaged or clogged in some way?
This image was made using ABS plastic and a heated build plate. I've noticed these same 'bubbles' appearing using PLA, and Nylon.
Edit: Nozzle temperature 240°C, build plate temperature 150°C, Nozzle diameter 0.4 mm, filament diameter (measured 1.75 mm) retraction distance 1.7 mm. Using the Makerbot Desktop Slicer.
The first line that my printer extrudes, where I'm seeing these 'bubbles' is a nearly full line. Makerbot starts from the right side of the image, extruding to the left. | Oh yeah, that's simple. You are printing too hot and are literally boiling the plastic. Else you have water. However if it was water you would hear Crackling as it printed. If it is too hot you will not hear nearly as much. I am 87.341% sure you are printing too hot.
Looking at your printing temps you are without a doubt printing too hot.
From this link on 3d hubs.
PLA (Only on Replicator 2) Print temp: 210°C (at 100m/s) Notes: heated
bed optional between 40 and 60°C
ABS (Only on Replicator 2X) Print
temp: 230°C (at 100m/s) Notes: heated bed at 110°C |
How should I connect a separated 5 V source to an Arduino connected to a RAMPS board I'm going to add a Raspberry Pi to my printer, which requires a 5 V source. I want to take this opportunity to also power the Arduino with that same source, as dropping 12 V -> 5 V is a quite big waste. I know the electronics don't consume much power, and the regulator can handle the heat, but why not?
I want to know how can I safely do this. Is it sufficient to just bent the pin from the RAMPS to the Arduino's VIN?
I'm also using TMC2209 stepper drivers. According to this: https://learn.watterott.com/silentstepstick/pinconfig/, these requires the 12 V line to turn on before and turn off after the 5 V.
I wonder if this is true, as I haven't seen this anywhere else. | I would not recommend changing Arduino powering.
You can either do as you say and power Arduino by giving it regulated 5V to Vin, but then the ATMEGA2560 still will be powered through the 5V voltage regulator. The voltage regulator (NCP1117ST50T3G) needs to be supplied with 6.5V to give out regulated 5V. So you will be powering the Arduino with some 4V, which might work, but it will be less reliable. But it is electrically safe.
Second option is to power Arduino through it's 5V pin. That is less safe, because the voltage regulator might have an over output-over-voltage-protection that will to load or short-circuit the 5V until it is 5.000V.
Regarding TMC2209. I have not seen any documentation that has any opinion on what order it shall be powered up and down. |
Ender 5 Slant or Leaning when printing multiple parts Getting slanted or leaning prints when printing multiple parts.
I checked the eccentric nuts and belts aren't rubbing anything. All works well when printing a single part. But multiple parts:
What am I missing? | If you want a more detailed answer, you need to give more details, e.g.; "What filament are you using?" "How old is the printer?" "What mods have you made to it?"
I can tell you two possibilities. Either your x or y axis is slipping which could be because of worn out belts, belts that need to be tightened, or because of too much jerk. The other is overheating of the stepper drivers so make sure the board is getting enough air over it. |
What are the effects of the elements on 3D printed objects made with "infused" PLA I came across a new Steel infused PLA from Colorfabb. On the store page someone had asked, what happens if it was exposed to water, would it rust. I am actually, not sure what would happen. I am interested what the effects of leaving in the elements a 3D printed object made of the 2 most common type of fused materials.
Wood Infill
Metal Infill (not stainless steel)
Would it be preserved by the PLA coating it, or would, over time, rust and dissolve? Would the wood last forever, or will the print get discolored and become mulch? | If you use filaments filled with metal particles, some particles will be exposed to the environment. Depending on the corrosion resistance of those metals, yes the environmental conditions will weather the print object. So if it contains iron (and does not contain elements that prevent oxidation like used in stainless steel) and it is subjected to water and oxides, the print will rust.
This is e.g. also valid for copper filled filament, which you can polish to get a gold shine surface (removing the copper oxides), or bronze filled filament, that if correctly subjected to weathering environments, will give the looks of a very old statue. In both cases this implies that the metal particles have undergone a(n) (de-)oxidation process. |
Increase hotend temperature on Monoprice Ultimate 2 I'm fairly new to 3D printing and I have a Monoprice Ultimate 2. The Monoprice website says it can reach 250 °C with a 100 °C bed temperature.
I want to print some projects using Matterhacks Nylonx, its recommended printing temperature is 250 °C to 265 °C.
Could I print it on the stock max setting of 250 °C or will it not adhere correctly?
Can I increase the print temperature by replacing the hotend with an E3D hotend?
If so how hot could I get the hotend and how would I go about doing that?
There is not many resources about Monoprice products. Any help is greatly appreciated. | Ok, first of all you need to understand why the limit is given at 250 °C: that's when the hotend design chosen by the Monoprice starts to destroy its PETG liner. To print hotter, you'd need an unlined hotend, which means you'd need a proper all metal hotend.
A proper all metal hodend is a tradeoff, not an upgrade: you sacrifice some ease of printing and risk some clogs in the lower temperature band for being able to print higher temperatures.
When you want to buy an e3D hotend, you should go for a genuine one, as many clones are actually not all metal. Also note, that there are other all-metal hotends around.
If you get an e3D v6, you should make sure to buy the right variant for your machine! Monoprice tells us, that this is a 24 V Machine, so you'll need to get the 24 V Variant! As you also will swap the temperature sensor, you might need to update your firmware according to the e3D installation manual. Since a genuine hotend comes with all the cabling and a new thermosensor, you'll need to rewire the whole machine - and you might need to make new fittings before installing. The standard e3D Thermistor that comes with the hotend is good up to 285 °C, which will be your new ceiling temperature. Take careful note of these two parts that appear in the before assembly notes section of the manual:
The standard V6 is capable of printing up to 285°C, do not exceed these temperatures unless you have replaced the Thermistor cartridge with a PT100, the Aluminium heater block with a Plated copper heater block, and the Brass nozzle for a Plated copper, Hardened steel or Nozzle X.
Firmware modification is not optional it is a mandatory step. |
Printed part auto-eject (automatic part removal) What are the methods to auto eject parts (into a collection area/box/basket) in order for the 3D printer to continue printing?
For some reason this feature isn't common (yet?). Is there a hidden reason why?
Will using the print head to ram the part off the build plate into a basket nearby cause the print head to misalign (if using belts).
I am planning to use a Cartesian XY-Head type (like CoreXY) printer, where the build plate moves along the Z axis and XY axes are on the ceiling of the printer using belts to move the print head. | While the "best" method is probably unanswerable since it would be based on very specific requirements and subject to change as soon as a better method were devised, here are some feasible methods to auto-eject 3d printed parts.
Some of these are methods that I've considered for my personal use, others have been mentioned by others and added for helpful reference. Some have been done, others have not (I think), but all of them are feasible.
Scrolling Conveyor-type Bed:
In this concept, parts become dislodged from the print surface as it is deformed around a roller in the process of scrolling to the next position. Scrolling bed designs must make allowances to prevent parts from lifting up the bed material which becomes an issue especially with warp-prone materials. Note: This is the basis of the Automated Build Platform (ABP) originally designed (as far as I can tell) by Charles Pax and later covered in several patents by Makerbot Industries.
Deforming Bed:
In this concept, the bed is mechanically deformed when the part removal temperature has been reached. This deformation dislodges the part which can then be easily swept off of the bed by an arm or similar mechanism. (As far as I know, this concept has not yet been demonstrated.)
Articulated Segmented Bed:
In this concept, the bed is comprised of several strips. Slightly lowering a portion (let's say half) of the strips would separate them from the part, then slightly raising that portion would separate the part from the remaining strips. (As far as I know, this concept has not yet been demonstrated.)
Eject and Replace Bed:
This method ejects the entire bed surface along with the finished parts and then receives a fresh print surface for the next print. This method would likely still require intervention to remove parts from used print surfaces and then return them to the clean stack. (As far as I know, this concept has not yet been demonstrated.)
Plow:
This method mentioned by Fred_dot_u and AllanL uses a specially designed plow arm to sweep parts off the bed between prints. This method has been effectively demonstrated in this video by New Valance Robotics Corporation that was mentioned by AllanL (thanks!).
Issues using print head to eject parts: While this method has been tried, and demonstrated (see below), it has some challenges/drawbacks.
Typical FDM/FFF 3d printers are not designed to apply significant force behind print head movements. While a printer designed specifically for this purpose could be built, using a typical printer in this way is extremely likely to cause the stepper motors to loose steps and result in loss of position accuracy unless parts separate very easily. (however, position could easily be regained by zeroing via limit switches between prints.)
In addition to skipping steps, mechanical issues such as ratcheting/skipping belts or unwanted frame movement could result from even moderately stuck prints.
Examples of pushing or ramming parts off of bed:
While using various parts of the printer to push parts off of the bed may not be an ideal solution, it may be an adequate solution for specific circumstances. Here are a few demonstrations of the "ramming" method.
Ramming parts off with frame and moving bed like this.
Ramming part with robust print head like this.
Ramming easy to remove part with print head like this.
Interesting question. I hope this helps! |
How to print TPU material with 3D printer Is there anything special for printing TPU material e.g extruder or temperature?
It's my first time printing TPU material, so if you have any photos, it would be great if you can share them. | Elastomers do much better on direct-drive heads (pulled to the head by the motor) than on Bowden designs (where the material is pushed to the head by a motor). This is because the flexible TPU or TPE can bend in the guide tube, causing lag during advance/retract changes, and sometimes even bind up during delivery.
Look for equipment which explicitly states that it is compatible with, and designed for, flexible filaments. |
Why is my 3D printer over extruding when I have set the flow rate very low Hello I am using Cura to slice my prints, and despite turning the flow rate to the minimum value of 5%, my prints are still hugely over extruding.
I have calibrated the extruder stepper perfectly, using Pronterface, so I do not understand why this is occurring. I have also timed how long it took to extrude a certain length and compared it to the length of time it was meant to extrude and it was exactly the same. Therefore, I have concluded it is not a problem with the calibration of the stepper.
So, I think there is a problem with the settings on Cura. Orginally, I had the flow rate at 100% and this was really, really terrible. Then I turned it down as far as possible and the print got better but there was still over extrusion. I can't down it down any further.
I can not figure out what the problem could possibly be and as you would imagine it is very, very frustrating.
Here is the print profile:
Edit - Some extra information
So the printer is not of any model, as it is homemade CD drive 3D printer. It shares many similarities with the Curiosity3D printer, so if you want more information on how it works, then their website will be of much value.
Link
The extruder is a bowden style one. It uses a cheap e3d hotend Link to amazon and a RepRap extruder kit as the motor Link to amazon.
Here are the Machine settings:
This is a photo of two failed prints. On the left is a G and on the right is a heart.
This is what it was the G was meant to look like:
Edit 2 - More information
So here is a link to the configuration.h file which I previously modified for my 3D printer.Dropbox link
Also the filament I use is "Robox PLA SmartReel Cornflower Blue" link
Any help would be much appreciated. | First of all: Can you tell us, what kind of printer do you use and which material? Please give us some pictures of some prints as well.. Also the type of the Extruder setup is relevant. Is it a Bowden or Direct Driven extruder?
For an FDM machine like the Prusa styled printers with PLA:
Flow of 5 % is totally wrong, normally PLA should be run between 90 % and 105 % flawlessly. The problem is elsewhere but not with the Flow settings, nor the Temp is the faulty one.
Temp between 185 °C and 210 °C should be fine for most PLAs
Did you set up your printer correct in Cura (Preferences -> Printers -> Machine Settings)? Material Diameter, Nozzle size and G-Code flavour are correct?
If you give us some more information, I will be glad to get this solved. |
White PLA prints frequently have rough sidewalls near top of the print This has happened a few times whenever I print with the white PLA (Hatchbox 1.75 mm). It seems that the print job produces smooth sidewalls for most of the part but at a certain point and above, the walls become rough as if the alignment is off or something. I've attached a picture to show the issue. Does anybody have any insight?
I'm using a Printrbot Simple Metal and some of the print settings are listed below:
Slicer: Slic3r
[First] Layer height: 0.2 mm
Perimeters: 2
Solid Layers [top/bottom]: 3
Infill: 25%
Fill pattern: Rectilinear
Top/Bottom Fill pattern: Concentric
Perimeter speed: 30 mm/s
Infill speed: 80 mm/s
Travel speed: 150 mm/s
Acceleration (perimeters): 1000 mm/s2
Acceleration (default): 3000mm/s2
Default extrusion width: Slic3r chosen
Print temperature: 220°C
I've noticed in the Slic3r rendering that the affected area seems to be the point where the infill switches from 25% to solid as seen in the included picture. If this is the problem, is there any way to enforce solid infill a few layers below this to eliminate the awkward transition, or specify a smaller extrusion width at this point? | If you want to change settings on some area of your part check out modifier meshes in Slic3r.
It looks like to0 much heat is delivered when solid infill starts and some melting occurs. See 3D Printing Problems #22: Extrusion Temperature Too High.
You can try:
Lower extrusion temperature
Lower filament flow
Improve part cooling
Lower print speed |
What printer is this? I've been watching this video 3D printing guides: Calibration and why you might be doing it wrong and at the start (at 0:30) three of the first Reprap printers are mentioned (and shown):
Darwin;
Prusa Mendel, and;
what sounds to be "Cells".
Here is a screenshot:
which, to me, looks like a Mendel.
However, after having looked at:
RepRapWiki - RepRap project, and;
All3DP - The Official History of the RepRap Project
... I can not see the "Cells" printer listed or mentioned.
Am I hearing it correctly?
Or is it "Sells", in reference to Edward Sells, one of the four authors of RepRap – the replicating rapid prototyper? However, this paper only mentions/shows the Darwin and Mendel printers. | Yes, it is a "Sells Mendel" in reference to Edward Sells. As noted on the RepRap wiki:
Ed Sells, a student of Dr. Adrian Bowyer, designed and built the first Mendel printer, sometimes called a "Sells Mendel" to distinguish the original design from later tweaks. |
How should I test filament samples? I have just ordered some filament samples (each sample is 10m x 1.75mm). How should I test the samples, given that there is only 10 metres of each to play with? Just printing a benchy will use about 4 metres. I would probably want to print a benchy, so that leaves 6 metres to play with. I am mostly interested in producing functional (not decorative) pieces. I do not have a heated bed. | Select an STL that exhibits characteristics you want to test (bridging, resistance to various pressures) and print it with each material. Preferably, run the same exact gcode, only changing temperatures, so that you get an apples-to-apples comparison. |
Prusa i3 MK3S keeps clogging during print. Ugly streaks sometimes, and complete clog when printing with lower layer lines The extruder on my Prusa i3 MK3S keeps clogging while printing. Loading is fine, and each time it clogs, unloading and loading the filament seems to work.
The filament extruded just after resolving a clog looks like it has small bubbled on it.
The problem only seems to happen when printing certain models. Printing the Batman symbol at 0.15 mm works every time. But the model I'm trying to print always fails at most a few minutes in.
I've tried cleaning the nozzle. Cold pull twice, and taken it out and heated it with my airgun and trying to work on it with the acupuncture needle.
The print that fails is this "Small Pill Container" with 0.1 mm layer height and 100 % infill, but printing a simple cylinder shape (25 mm outer diameter, 2.5 mm walls) creates the same problem. Trying to print them both at the same slicer settings with 0.15 mm layer height still fails.
The model was sliced using the newest version of PrusaSlicer 2.1.0 and printed with Prusament PLA at the factory recommended 215±10 °C, and tried 220 °C.
Any ideas what could be happening? Anybody experienced a similar issue?
Printing the bundled TreeFrog 50 μm sliced by Prusa for the Prusa I3 MK3S cased the same problem. Jam happened about 30 min in. I guess this rules out slicer problems as the root cause.
After a lot of research, it seems a lot of people have problems with the MK3 clogging, especially with PLA, and especially with prints with a lot of retractions. The issue seems to be the design of the heat-break, which has a throat between 2.2 mm and 2 mm, where the PLA can get stuck. I've ordered a new heatbreak. Please read this answer of my findings. | My problem was 2 things. The heatbreak, which was switched out for the MK2 version(Explantation below). And the Teflon Tube that runs down the heatsink.
Heatbreak
Change the heat-break to a generic E3D one. You can order the heatbreak for the MK2 from prusa, or any generic heat break for the E3D hot-end assembly.
On the Prusa i3 MK3(s), this component has been given a 45° taper in the middle, between 2.2 and 2 mm. This is done to ease filament retraction for the MMU, and will be nothing but problematic if you are not using the multi-material upgrade. Especially with higher nozzle pressures(eq. with lower layer lines), the filament may be squeezed into this taper, clogging the hot-end.
You may not experience full clogs, but partial ones that will show themselves as streaks in certain layers on the print.
Heatsink Teflon Tube
There is a teflon tube that runs down the heatsink. It's crucial that this is mounted correctly and it is not entirely intuative how.
First, press the teflon tube into the heatsink all the way to the bottom. Then, try to pull it out slightly. You'll notice that the small plastic ring at the top of the heatsink will pull out slightly along with it. Now, hold this black plastic part at it's current position with your fingernail, and push the teflon tube in the extra amount. When done, there should be no play in the tube. |
Strange layer separation issues on Ender 3 I got my Ender 3 a couple weeks ago. Within a couple days of test prints, I was able to get it working pretty well. Prints looked great. However, I installed a more permanent solution to my X-Gantry binding issues and now print quality is down again.
The bottom .25" of the calibration part looks absolutely terrible, with hideous layer separation issues, while the upper .75" looks flawless. I have little idea what could be causing this issue.
The only possible failure mode I can think of is that the bed isn't the right distance from the print head, but even fiddling with the knobs doesn't yield any better print quality than the print on the right of the first image. What can I do?
I slice with Cura and can make my profile available if it would be useful. | Well, you have several problems with your print. One that could be affecting your print is the nozzle temperature. The print looks wavy and has a lack of adhesion, so the filament is not flowing properly, causing under extrusion and will provoke a clogged nozzle.
Try to increase the temperature by 5°C and do a small test, don't wait to waste material and try another 2-3°C more.
Try to reduce the printing sped; try reducing the feed rate on your printer to 90% or less. While printing you can reduce the feed rate to see which speed works better at your printing temperature. I prefer to do this first rather than change the temperature; If you notice that your print gets better at lower feed rate then change your temperature higher to print a higher speed. |
How to accurately print a thin piece with a hole pattern I'm quite new to 3D-printing. I need to build a curved piece with a hole pattern and I was wondering whether it was possible to print such a hole pattern accurately, with such a thin (3 mm) thickness of the piece. In the past, when I tried printing thinner pieces with holes, the piece warped and holes were not printed properly. Therefore is there any changes to the model I need to make to improve the quality of the print, or add any supports?
I am using an Ender 3 Pro, with PLA. | Use the smallest nozzle possible to get better rounded edges on holes.
Slow down the print speed to increase accuracy and prevent errors.
Print it face down against the bed if possible to reduce support requirements for overhangs and increase hole quality.
Clean the bed well, increase bed temperature, stick glue, enable brim, or add 'mouse ears' to prevent warping.
Make sure the bed is levelled properly to prevent warping and increase finish surface quality.
Use a 'stringing tester' to find the best temperature to print at so that you can prevent stringing between holes.
Enable z-hop retraction to prevent stringing and errors.
You can bore through the holes with a drill to clean them flush. |
Diamond hotend with single extruder motor Today I started to google the idea of multimaterial printing. I checked out prusa multimaterial upgrade and while it looks nice, it is expensive and will not probably work with my non-prusa printer.
I discovered there is Diamond hotend, which allows for 3 (or even more) colors at the same time. But everywhere I checked, one extruder motor was used for each color. Since my MKS Gen L motor connections are already all used, I was thinking if it would be possible to handle all of the filaments with single extruder motor.
Basically the motor would have long shaft which will cover all filaments, and I would add some servo that would push a pulley against the selected filament.
I think I would slice it as a multiple hotend setup and then postprocess the gcode in a way, that when tool is changed I would add custom command that would push the pulley against appropriate filament.
I would either need a servo for each of the filemants, or maybe with some clever mechanics one servo in different positions could do all of them.
I am just curious if you think this would be possible to do, since I did not find anyone discussing this idea. Probably because it will require adding custom commands to the firmware. | You might save yourself a lot of engineering by copying the Prusa MMU2. Here is a github project for someone doing exactly that: https://github.com/cskozlowski/mmu2
If you look on Prusa's web site, you can find printable parts for the MMU2. |
Adding support when generating g-code from Cura Engine (command line)? Is it possible to use Cura Engine (the command line tool) to generate a gcode with support?
Here is what I do now:
CuraEngine slice -j /usr/share/cura/resources/definitions/ultimaker2.def.json -l my.stl -o my.gcode | I found this in the fdrmprinter.def.json which you could might make a copy of and use instead for the -j option:
"support":
{
"label": "Support",
"type": "category",
"icon": "category_support",
"description": "Support",
"children":
{
"support_enable":
{
"label": "Enable Support",
"description": "Enable support structures. These structures support$
"type": "bool",
"default_value": false,
"settable_per_mesh": true,
"settable_per_extruder": false
}
}
}
Change the "default_value" under "support_enable" to true and that could work. |
How can we control the airflow in a fan which can be 3D printed? I am new to 3D Printing and I have taken up a summer project. The project requires a fan 3D Printed, If I use a normal fan the airflow will make my project (i.e. a air-propelled car) go backward. Can we modify a fan so that when the fans spin my car goes forward? If yes, how? | Look at your fan: it spins in one direction, and the blades push the air from one air to the other side. In fact, the fan is nothing but a propeller! There are ways to optimize them. The Rotation goes for example clockwise, the leading edge grabs the air and the trailing edge releases it on the other side, and if the leading edge is towards you, then the air is pushed away. In the simplest way, it would suffice to physically flip the fan around.
A 3D printed new fan would need to have the whole geometry of the fan blades "flipped" (mirrored around a non-rotational axis). Now the leading edge of the fan is away from you, the trailing edge on your side, the airstream is again from the leading to the trailing edge, and the air comes out on your side.
cave!
Not all fans can be made to reverse the airflow by flipping the fan geometry: Radial fans just because less efficient.
Other fans can be made spinning backwards by swapping the polarity, but others use a simple diode setup and always spin their way. Also note that fans spinning backwards often suffer from reduced efficiency, as the blade geometry is optimized for one direction of spinning. |
Building a pivot linkage for servo steering with 3d printed parts. This question is more of a mechanical rather than 3d printing, but I am assuming 3d Printing communty have already come accross this issue, therefore this is a good place to ask.
I am building a simple RWD vehicle using 3d printer parts. See the picture below.
As you can see from the picture, I am using 3d printed linkages for steering mechanism and I used regular bolt and lock nuts to secure them together (thats what I had laying around the house at the moment). The problem here is that, holes in the linkages are not exactly the size of the bolt, and because the bolts are threaded, it generates a lot of friction. Other than that, the bolt seems to sit loose inside the hole and creates an unstable pivot.
If I tighten the nut more, it just presses them together making it hard for the servo to operate. I am looking for a solution that will use simple bolts, nuts and washers which can be bought easily off the shelf (or even with the bolts and screws everyone has around there house). What can be done to make this joint stable in xy plane, rotating freely around the bolt, or whatever the connection could be. By the way, even though I used nylon lock nuts, it seems to loosen after couple of repetitive rotations.
Thanks for your help in advance and I hope ya'll have a great day. | A correct length shoulder screw would work great in this application. They have a shoulder that is held to a precise diameter and a length. You can thread a nut on and tighten it against the shoulder to prevent clamping your pieces. They may be hard to find locally in stores but are readily available at places like MSC, McMaster-Carr, and Bolt Depot. |
Updating firmware on Monoprice Architect printer I just received this printer and while it seems to talk to Makerbot Desktop software I'm not sure if I should be trying to update the firmware.
The printer comes with firmware v7.2 and while Makerbot Desktop offers an upgrade to v7.5 I'm not sure if it's a good idea with this non-Makerbot branded printer.
I've also seen information on upgrading this printer to Sailfish v7.5, is this the same thing as Makerbot firmware v7.5? | The Monoprice Architect is is a bare-bones FlashForge Creator that has been re-badged for Monoprice. The Creator line is a very popular set of printers, so there is lots of good advice out there. The FlashForge Google Group is a good community to join: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/flashforge
The entire FF Creator line, in turn, is cloned from the original Makerbot Replicator 1. So you can use Makerbot slicing profiles for the Replicator 1. Just keep in mind that Makerbot does not generally test new software revs with their older printers, and DEFINITELY does not test new software revs with competitor knock-offs. Sometimes they appear to break functionality for non-Makerbot machines on purpose. So recent versions of Makerbot Desktop may not "play nice" with your FlashForge. The most recent "known good" free slicer you should use with this printer is Makerware 2.4.x. You can find links by searching the FF Google Group.
On that note, you may have received instructions to use ReplicatorG with your printer. But RepG is abandonware: development stopped years ago. It should only be used for firmware updates, not as a slicer. You should also only use the most recent version posted on the Sailfish page on Thingiverse:
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:32084
Using older versions of RepG with newer firmware revs will corrupt your EEPROM! Only use the version downloaded from the link above.
The firmware that comes with the printer is FlashForge's slightly-customized build of either Sailfish or Makerbot's Replicator 1/2/2x firmware. But here's the trick: Makerbot's Rep1/2/2x firmware is just an old, out-of-date, slightly customized version of Sailfish. Makerbot stopped keeping up with bug-fixes and feature additions a long time ago. Everything is Sailfish: just different versions. You should use the most recent official release version listed at:
http://www.sailfishfirmware.com/
Follow the instructions in the Sailfish manual from the link above, and RepG will automatically pull the right builds from the official mirror and populate a list of printer options to choose. The trick here is which build to download. As of 1-21-16, there is not an official Monoprice Architect build yet. Which would mean editing a machine xml profile to avoid the firmware throwing warnings. I STRONGLY recommend getting used to the printer using factory firmware before trying to fight with custom machine profiles... But here is the basic process to pick a Sailfish firmware build when you're ready:
First: which Atmega processor version do you have? The large chip in the middle of the control board will either say 1280 or 2560. You need to know which version you have. Bad things happen if you load the wrong version.
Second: What is the tooth count on the X and Y drivetrain pulleys? To my knowledge, FF always uses 17-tooth pulleys, which matches the Replicator 1 and FF Creator profiles. The Rep2 and 2x use 18t pulleys, so only use those builds if you have those pulleys. People often mess this up and their prints end up with dimensions ~5% off in X and Y.
Third: The Architect has one extruder and no heatbed, so firmware builds that expect those to be connected (Rep 1 Dual, Creator, etc) will throw errors if loaded. You can fix this from the LCD screen or RepG, but that's a whole separate question. Do some printing and learn about the printer before attempting any firmware update so you'll know what to do if you pick a build with the wrong parts.
Fourth: This one is just for the sake of completeness. Some FF models were shipped with off-spec heatbeds that require special firmware builds to prevent drawing too much current and overheating / overloading the power supply. The Architect doesn't have that, but firmware builds for those printer models (eg I believe the FF Creator 2560) will under-power regular heatbeds. This is just something you need to know with the Architect if you decide to install a heatbed later. But it's a really critical safety warning for people with those off-spec heatbeds.
If this all seems complicated, that's because FlashForge (and in turn Monoprice) relies heavily on the open source Sailfish project to maintain the software ecosystem behind this line of printers. FlashForge has some internal builds that they use for flashing new bots, but these are not kept particularly up-to-date. Nor does FlashForge release the source files, so it's quite opaque where exactly the stock firmware differs from mainstream Sailfish. In the long run, you should install mainline Sailfish. But it's ok to stick with the factory firmware until you get used to the printer.
To summarize: Because there is not an existing Sailfish build, you're going to need to do some investigating and some experimenting to figure out which build will work. Don't try that until you're familiar with the printer. Post on the FlashForge Google Group when you're ready for help. |
Rough surface when printing Is there a specific name for that problem? What causes this, and is there a way how to solve it?
Printed with PLA, 2 mm nozzle diameter, 0.2 mm layer height, 20-60 mm/s, 200 °C extruder, 60 °C bed. | I have experienced this problem. This picture is one that I could have taken.
It has always been because I was putting too much plastic into the available space.
This has been caused two things: overextrusion -- squirting out too much plastic for the intended layer height, and the bed being too "high" so that the gap between the nozzle and the bed is too thin.
In both cases, too much plastic is trying to be placed in too small a volume. The plastic has to go somewhere, and ripples follow. Because the nozzle rubs against the adjacent lines which have already been deposited, an up-bump pushes up the nozzle on the line beside the bump, and a coherent pattern of ripples can form.
The "bump up" is a real effect from the elasticity of the Z-axis, including all the resulting strains of twisting and lifting the nozzle. |
Online APIs for 3D printing services I'm interested in finding online APIs where you could perform a call to some third party service with some print preparation request with my model (i.e. "heal a model" or "set up support") and get in return GCODE file I can send to a 3D printer.
My input will be :
The 3d model (obj, stl)
My printer (makerbot, ultimaker, whatever) or a printer profile
A printing profile
This is opposed to all the classical 3D printing processes we have right now. Currently when printing in a 3D printer you would need to go through these phases:
Create/Download a model
Prepare the model for printing with some 3rd party desktop software
Export the model as gcode
Save the file to some flash drive
Plug the flash drive into the printer
Print the model with the printer interface
I would like to know if this process can be simplified to a point where you can just print your model directly from your web browser without going through all these steps.
I know I'm over simplifying things here, but I would still want to see if solutions like I suggested exist?
Thanks | There are a few methods to simplify your workflow. Two solutions are outlined below and both feature a documented API you can use to further customize your workflow.
OctoPrint was mentioned by other users. OctoPrint will allow you to configure your printer, print profiles and upload STLs for printing from a web interface. You can configure profiles, slicers and slicer profiles for OctoPrint to use to complete your workflow.
Astroprint offers cloud slicing services in addition to features allowing you to manage printers and print profiles. |
Is it possible to convert a Las /Laz file into an STL or OBJ file? I would like to know if there is any tool/library (preferably python based) that could be used in parsing a Laz file to extract info that is normally found in 3d object files such as vertices. Which could be used to create printable 3d mesh.
I already tried Laspy and I could get the x,y,z data from it but it is not a vertices info but rather a scale info. So I would either need a tool to give that or an algorithm for getting vertices from the data from laspy. | Given that LAS/LAZ is LiDAR point cloud data, there is a GIS tool called las2tin to convert these files to a triangle based mesh called Triangular irregular networks or TIN by the GIS community. Other GIS tools should be able to do the same, for example ArcGIS.
Once you have the mesh, Google should be able to help you find a way to convert the TIN to an STL. You will need to scale down the STL after creation, as the TIN will probably be at 100% scale.
One example workflow for converting LAS data into an STL is:
Using ArcScene: open DEM > convert to TIN > export to VRML
Using MeshLab: open VRML > export to STL
Using Meshmixer: extrude base > scale to fit standard printing parameters > save as finished STL
More details for the process that I got from Google are available here |
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