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thread-894 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/894 | Can I increase retraction length on an E3D v6 beyond 2 mm if I have a really long Bowden tube? | 2016-03-29T21:18:42.210 | # Question
Title: Can I increase retraction length on an E3D v6 beyond 2 mm if I have a really long Bowden tube?
E3D mentions on their own wiki:
> Excessively long retractions will cause issues by dragging soft filament into cold areas. \[...\] for bowden systems you might want to go up to 2 mm. Retraction beyond 2 mm is likely to cause issues.
I have retraction set to the recommended maximum of 2 mm, but I still get a lot of stringing and blobs. My printer is set up with a relatively long Bowden tube (500-600 mm). I wonder if I need to push my retraction setting slightly beyond 2 mm to take up some of the slack. Is the 2 mm a conservative rating (I guess they don't want dissatisfied customers with clogging problems) or is it really the maximum? Is there anything else I can do to improve retraction performance? (I already have a small coasting distance of 0.1 mm set.)
# Answer
Yes, you can increase retraction past E3D's max 2 mm recommendation to compensate for Bowden tube stretch and slop. The reason for the recommendation is that jams will occur with most all-metal hot ends if you pull molten filament up into the cold zone. Any molten filament that enters the cold zone rapidly cools and hardens and sticks to the walls, very often forming a jam.
So, the requirement is to keep your retraction distance *at the extruder* less than 2 mm. Additional retraction travel that is absorbed by the Bowden tube and not seen at the extruder is fine. I personally run 2.5 mm retraction on an E3Dv6 Bowden system without any issues.
> 9 votes
# Answer
As pointed out by this article, you can try to:
1. Increase your speed for travel moves
2. Increase retraction length
3. Place objects strategically during print
**1. Calibrating travel speed**
When calibrating travel speed, you can work with:
* Maximum travel speed
* Acceleration
* Jerk
* Z-hop/lift *
I found this acceleration calculator (by RepRap Central) and video (by Thomas Sanladerer) very useful.
\*' *when moving at high speed, your stepper motors are more susceptible to getting de-tracked by nozzle collision from imperfections during print. If this becomes an issue, consider increasing your z-lift setting.*
**2. Adjusting retraction**
You can be fairly certain that your filament will clog if it actually retracts past those 2mm recommended by E3D at the hot end. However - as pointed out about by Ryan - bowden retraction is based on hysteresis, meaning that that the actual retraction distance at the hot end is *lagging behind* the distance retracted at the cold end.
I have been battling this exact issue on my 30cm bowden tube E3D V6 setup recently, and currently use a fairly conservative ~2mm retraction. I am still getting occasional clogs while printing PETG.
**3. Distance between objects**
From the article linked at the top:
> The faster you’re able to move to the next print position, the less time there is for filament to ooze from the hot end
As such, the distance between the printed objects will change the characteristics of the stringing:
---
> 7 votes
# Answer
In addition to the already excellent answers above, I want to mention that maybe a change in hotend temperature (lower) can also help reducing ooze/stringing. That is, if not other parameters prevent that.
> 4 votes
# Answer
To my experience, there is absolutely no problem in increasing retraction in E3D assemblies up to at least 5 mm. Typical retraction distance for my Bowden system is 3.5 mm (ABS). Clogging may occur after a series of retracts when thermal break doesn't have enough time to cool itself down. To avoid clogging when there is a real need in long retracts (printing with filaments like PLA or PETG) you need to:
* keep amount of retracts at possible minimum
* make sure that thermal break is properly cooled. You may want to use thermal grease and extra cooling for that
> 4 votes
---
Tags: bowden, e3d-v6
--- |
thread-5589 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5589 | Lead screws - M8 instead of M5? | 2018-03-05T12:49:58.393 | # Question
Title: Lead screws - M8 instead of M5?
I am building a Prusa i3 MK2S (Dolly). I find it very difficult to find M5 rods for the Z axis, I have an M8 lead screw with 8 mm lead, So I thought since M8 is widely available online I could just use them instead of M5. What do you think about it? What should I keep in mind?
# Answer
> 5 votes
as long as you match the parts that is ok. The m8 rod will give you more stiffness and will be harder to bend. As the result, you will have to calibrate the steps/mm settings in the firmware.
# Answer
> 3 votes
Amazon has a few hundred M5 rods listed for sale, so I don't know where or what you've been looking through.
If you change the lead screw, you'll have to change the threaded parts on the gantry assembly to match.
More important, you'll have to adjust the Z-drive "steps/mm" setting to match the 8mm lead. (with thanks to Professor for pointing out my error)
# Answer
> 1 votes
You can use the screws and rods you can find easily, of course some dimensions will change and is needed to adjust parameters.
I used in my first 3D printer and standard screw of 9.5mm (3/8) the main problem was the coupling available in Mexico that werer none on that time.
You can buy the bearings on Ali Express, they can send from there to Mexico, I guess they can deliver on your country.
**The bearings has these sizes:**
where is Number ID, inner diameter, outter diameter, width.
```
608ZZ 8x22x7
607ZZ 7x19x6
6000 10x26x8
```
Don't try to use 6000 :D is a little complicated to reduce the size for a proper coupling if you don't have a lathe. My 3rd Printer will use this kind of thread because is easily to find with no warpage and now I will use a lathe to reduce the coupling area to 8mm or 5mm since I have on hand the couplers.
---
Tags: prusa-i3, diy-3d-printer, z-axis, printer-building, lead-screw
--- |
thread-5604 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5604 | How to re-program Prusa firmware to accept a taller Z axis? | 2018-03-08T04:29:31.003 | # Question
Title: How to re-program Prusa firmware to accept a taller Z axis?
Machine specs: Prusa MK3, firmware version 3.1.2.
Facts: I have designed a new Z-axis frame for my printer, so I can print models up to 360mm high in stead of the standard 210mm. The plan has worked and the printer is functioning normally with a new, taller z frame.
However... To calibrate, the Z lead screws carry the X carriage all the way up and bump it against the top frame mounts, to make sure the X carriage is level. On the taller frame, the X carriage stops its ascent at 220mm and descends back toward the bed. Because the X carriage goes up farther than it was 'supposed to' and didn't bump into anything, the calibration fails. When the X carriage bumps into something at 210mm (like my fingers) and descends from the 'normal' frame height, the printer calibrates the bed levelling normally.
The Prusa MK3 is so 'smart', it still thinks the frame will only ever be 210mm high. How do I tell it that when calibrating, the X axis must rise to 360mm instead of 210mm? The calibration is an integral part of the firmware... is there any way I can edit it?
I've looked at the .hex firmware file, this is the first line of a huge text file -\> :100000000C947D320C94AE320C94AE320C94AE3221 It means nothing to me, but I'm guessing there's a way. After all, a cap height of 210mm had to be written in there somewhere to begin with...
Any suggestions would be appreciated, fairfarren.
# Answer
A .hex file is of no use to you, because it consists of *compiled* firmware which is very difficult to edit. You need to go to Prusa's GitHub and download the *source code*. Then, find the header file for your model of printer, and change `Z_max_pos` to the correct value. Finally, you need to compile and upload the firmware to your printer following the build instructions (see README.md). You will need to have the Arduino IDE installed to do this.
> 7 votes
---
Tags: calibration, firmware, axis
--- |
thread-5602 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5602 | Adding a filament sensor | 2018-03-07T19:55:51.927 | # Question
Title: Adding a filament sensor
I have the Anet A6 and I was wondering if it is possible to add a filament run-out sensor. I would feel better having something to stop the filament before it runs through and I have to take apart the extruder.
# Answer
With marlin firmware:
source here: filiament sensor config
```
//#define FILAMENT_RUNOUT_SENSOR
#if ENABLED(FILAMENT_RUNOUT_SENSOR)
#define FIL_RUNOUT_INVERTING false // set to true to invert the logic of the sensor.
#define ENDSTOPPULLUP_FIL_RUNOUT // Uncomment to use internal pullup for filament runout pins if the sensor is defined.
#define FILAMENT_RUNOUT_SCRIPT "M600"
#endif
```
> With this feature, a mechanical or opto endstop switch is used to check for the presence of filament in the feeder (usually the switch is closed when filament is present). If the filament runs out, Marlin will run the specified GCode script (by default “M600”). RAMPS-based boards use SERVO3\_PIN. For other boards you may need to define FIL\_RUNOUT\_PIN.
and this is a nice piece of hardware: run out sensor
> 3 votes
---
Tags: anet-a6
--- |
thread-5603 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5603 | What is the difference between STL and OBJ files and which one should I use? | 2018-03-08T02:16:02.417 | # Question
Title: What is the difference between STL and OBJ files and which one should I use?
One of the CAD programs I use is called TinkerCAD, which lets you export your design in either STL or OBJ form. What is the difference between these two file types? And which one is better to use?
# Answer
> 5 votes
**STL is the *de facto* standard in consumer-grade 3D printing**. It is a bare-bone format that describes the shape of the object by defining the coordinates of all the vertices of all triangles that a surface may be subdivided into.
This means that in STL any curved surface is represented with an approximation of many very small faces.
OBJ is also somewhat common, but it was originally developed for computer graphics, not manufacturing, and as such is capaple to store information like the texture images to be applied to the surface, which are of no use in the 3D printing world.
In terms of geometry description, OBJ is more capable than STL, as it can describe "real" curves, without the need to approximate them to a series of polygons. The benefit of this feature is however more theoretic than practical, as:
* most entry-level CAD software don't make use of that feature and create a STL-equivalent OBJ file (so, still with polygons)
* a typical STL model for 3D printing will have enough resolution to give the illusion of perfect curves (the same way a high-res screen gives the illusion of perfect curves, despite its pixels being arranged in a squared matrix),
* the slicer/printer's firmware may themselves approximate an accurate curve to a series of segments
Short said, **I would suggest you use STL unless you have a specific reason not to**.
If you would find yourself in need to accurately describe curves I would rather use the STEP file format, as that has been specifically created for manufacturing, rather than "borrowed" from computer graphics.
# Answer
> 2 votes
While the STL-format can only describe your object aproximatively by those well known triangles, OBJ-files can describe parts of your object parametrically by curves. This can lead to a higher precision and be a huge advance with regard to scalability. Which data format to choose depends, as always, on the application and the processes it contains. E.g. if you want to print large objects, you might consider the OBJ-format if your slicer can translate it to usable g-code.
You might want to read this article on All3DP to get a brief overview.
---
Tags: cad, stl, obj
--- |
thread-5614 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5614 | Understand what CR-10S fans are cooling | 2018-03-10T19:05:08.900 | # Question
Title: Understand what CR-10S fans are cooling
I am designing a fan mount for the CR-10S printer to hold the E3D All-metal v6 HotEnd and BLTouch sensor.
The CR-10S printer has two fans.
One on the front:
and another one on the right:
I need to know what the two fans are actually cooling in order to make a perfect mount.
When powered on, the front fan seems to be on 100 percent of the time. The right fan can only be on via *gcode* when printing.
I removed the fan mount to study it and it looks like the front fan is cooling the *hotend heat sink*.
The right fan is attached to the mount and there no hole there to let the air from the fan go through. It seems to be cooling the metal it is bolted to and that doesn't make sense.
Am I correct about the front fan? What's the right fan cooling?
# Answer
**The function of the front fan is keeping the cold end well... cold**. :) It should be spinning as long as the printer is turned on.
**The right fan is known as "part fan" and its function is to cool down the plastic that has been just extruded**, the idea being to solidify it as soon as possible. As you noticed it is controlled by the gcode and it can be turned on, off and even made spin at any speed in-between still and full throttle. It normally stops spinning at the end of the print (with some plastic like ABS it may be set not to spin at all even during the print).
If you take a closer look at your CR-10, you will see that the receptacle the air is blown into by the part fan has no bottom: that slit is where the air passes through, before being deflected 90° towards the nozzle.
On the CR-10 the standard deflector for the part fan does not do a good job (the air is not blown where it should) and replacing it with a custom part is one of the most common upgrades performed on the printer.
Personally on my CR-10 I used a custom mount with an integrated "fang" that blew the air from both sides and worked really well. It also had the advantage of reusing the hardware from the original assembly (= you don't need to buy anything, just print the part).
> 17 votes
---
Tags: cooling, print-fan, fans
--- |
thread-5616 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5616 | Anet A8 One Z output only moves down (even on up command) | 2018-03-11T00:32:04.610 | # Question
Title: Anet A8 One Z output only moves down (even on up command)
I just finished assembly of Anet A8 (Prusa i3 clone). X any Y work fine, both Z motors move down just fine, when homed.
On Z-stop trigger, right Z moves up, left Z continues to try to move down. When up command is given in Pronterface or RepetierHost, right Z moves up, left Z moves down. Switching cable plugs moves the problem: the down only moves are always on Z-Motor1 output.
I have flashed the firmware with original Anet Omni firmware and problem persists. **How else can I test if the problem is hardware- or firmware- related?**
I am reluctant to change to different firmware entirely, as I have not yet found out what the problem is.
# Answer
From the data you provided **I would postulate that the problem is likely hardware: either with the the general assembly of the motherboard or with the stepper drivers**.
The test you already performed excludes the stepper motors themselves as possible culprits. Common sense suggests that if such a show-stopper bug was present in the original Anet firmware, thousands of users would report it.
Stepper motors are usually controlled by two signals (two cables): `PULSE` and `DIR`. The `PULSE` signal controls how many steps the motor needs to perform and the signal itself is normally a PWM or some other form of square wave. The `DIR` signal controls which direction the motor is supposed to spin (clockwise or counter-clockwise), and the signal itself is just a "high/low" voltage.
Now, electronics is not exactly my cup of tea, but **I would suggest what is happening is that the `DIR` signal of the broken output is stuck on either the high or low voltage** (you can test this easily with a tester).
If I am right, **the likely culprit is either a dry joint** (so a joint that does not let electricity pass and keep the `DIR` signal in its low state), **or a short** (so a place where voltage at "high" level is allowed to get onto the cable carrying the `DIR` signal). These kind of problems are typically related to poor soldering of the connectors, or to bridges between the pins of chips. You can visually inspect your board for such problems.
Another possible culprit is obviously the driver for the stepper motor itself.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: z-axis, anet-a8, stepper, motor
--- |
thread-5402 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5402 | Anet A8 Hot End Spares Quey | 2018-02-05T12:13:25.300 | # Question
Title: Anet A8 Hot End Spares Quey
I saw an extruder mod on Amazon *"EAONE 2 Pcs PTFE Teflon Tube (2 Meters) with 4 Pcs PC4-M6 Fittings for 3D Printer 1.75mm Filament (2.0mm ID/4.0mm OD)"* Anybody know how this is fitted? Is it simply tapping the feed hole on the top?
# Answer
> 2 votes
Is this what you are referring to?
If yes, the cold end of the extruder is nomally already tapped and you simply have to screw the new fitting in it. The PTFE tube itself needs just to be fed through the hole in the fitting **until it cannot go any further**.
Failing to do so will most likely result in a clog and/or leaking.
It is a self-locking mechanism, in order to release the tube you have to press *down* the plastic flange on top of the fitting while pulling *up* the PTFE tube.
# Answer
> 0 votes
that item is for a bowden setup. (the a8 does not come with a bowden setup, but can be modded to have one.) when installing the bowden setup on a a8, the first thing you will need to do is move the motor to somewhere else, there are tons of choices on thingiverse. then the PC4-M6 fitting will screw into the black aluminum piece that the throat used to screw into. and the other end will go into a customised hot end. again tons of choices
now this is oversimplified, because installing a bowden extruder on a anet a8 is a lot more complicated than explained above due to the sheer number of options. just search anet a8 bowden and you will have lots of choices.
but it works as mac said, the PTFE tube slides into self locking fittings, the PC4-M6. to release simply push the top of the fitting down and pull out the tube.
source, my own anet a8 modded to have a bowden setup.
---
Tags: extruder, anet-a8, ptfe-tube
--- |
thread-5610 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5610 | Communication is dropping when printing on my Tevo Tarantula | 2018-03-08T14:56:52.343 | # Question
Title: Communication is dropping when printing on my Tevo Tarantula
I am experiencing communication drops when printing from mp raspberryPI (using octoprint, repetitier server). Moreover when printing from Cura (on Windows), the programs freeze (have to kill the window) and sometimes stops the print job. I was changing the serial0 speed in Marlin from 225k to 9600 and still no luck. Mainboard MKS 1.4 all in one.
please let me know if you need any more details
# Answer
> 1 votes
As per long article Marlin firmware it looks like my system is a victim of closed ground loop via USB connection. It is now clear to me that printing from laptop (connected to different socket) was a ground loop separated case and therefore the connection was stable. Connecting my raspberryPi from same socket using long unshielded cable is the main reason of connection drops.
Will try to run raspberryPi with short shielded cable and also will test raspberryPi powered from power bank.
---
Tags: marlin, firmware
--- |
thread-5609 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5609 | Extruder motor does not turn | 2018-03-08T14:13:23.063 | # Question
Title: Extruder motor does not turn
When printing from Cura on my laptop via USB, my extruder motor does not turn to extrude filament. However, when I use the "move axis" command in the firmware (on the little screen on the printer), it seems to work fine, extruding plastic smoothly. The nozzle temperature is where it should be (230 degrees or so for ABS) while printing and I get no error messages in Cura.
What would cause the extruder to not function when printing even though it seems to be fine electrically, mechanically, and in firmware? Is there g-code from Cura that could be incorrect?
I'm not sure where to look for problems.
This is my first 3D printer. It is a Alunar M508 (a Prusa clone) that I got for free in a partially disassembled state. The firmware seemed to be screwed up when I first started using it. The firmware that came on the SD card with the printer would not compile in my Arduino software, so I used a Marlin firmware from here: https://github.com/camalot/alunar-prusa-i3-marlin-i3-firmware
I had to make one change to the configuration file to reverse the X home direction, but otherwise I have not changed the firmware settings or anything. The new firmware does not recognize the SD card slot at all, but that's a different story.
I'm using Cura to print via USB. The printer is set up as a Prusa I3, using the "Marlin" GCode flavor. Nozzle size: .4mm, Compatible Material diameter: 1.75mm.
Start Gcode:
```
G21 ;metric values
G90 ;absolute positioning
M82 ;set extruder to absolute mode
M107 ;start with the fan off
G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops
G28 Z0 ;move Z to min endstops
G1 Z15.0 F9000 ;move the platform down 15mm
G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length
G1 F200 E3 ;extrude 3mm of feed stock
G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length again
G1 F9000
;Put printing message on LCD screen
M117 Printing...
```
End Gcode:
```
M104 S0 ;extruder heater off
M140 S0 ;heated bed heater off (if you have it)
G91 ;relative positioning
G1 E-1 F300 ;retract the filament a bit before lifting the nozzle, to release some of the pressure
G1 Z+0.5 E-5 X-20 Y-20 F9000 ;move Z up a bit and retract filament even more
G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops, so the head is out of the way
M84 ;steppers off
G90 ;absolute positioning
```
Edit to Add some Gcode from the beginning of the test print:
```
;LAYER_COUNT:127
;LAYER:0
M107
G0 F3600 X86.923 Y86.649 Z0.3
;TYPE:SKIRT
G1 F1800 X87.522 Y86.134 E0.03941
G1 X88.17 Y85.683 E0.0788
G1 X88.861 Y85.299 E0.11824
G1 X89.586 Y84.987 E0.15762
G1 X90.339 Y84.75 E0.197
G1 X91.113 Y84.591 E0.23642
G1 X91.898 Y84.51 E0.27579
G1 X92.3 Y84.5 E0.29586
G1 X117.7 Y84.5 E1.56307
G1 X118.489 Y84.54 E1.60248
G1 X119.269 Y84.659 E1.64185
G1 X120.034 Y84.857 E1.68127
G1 X120.774 Y85.131 E1.72064
G1 X121.483 Y85.479 E1.76004
G1 X122.154 Y85.897 E1.79948
G1 X122.778 Y86.38 E1.83885
```
# Answer
> 2 votes
It turns out the problem was a firmware issue. Using the gcode below (from David Lotts in the comments), I was able to determine that the extruder was running backwards. A flag in the firmware reversed it, solving the problem.
```
M82 ;set extruder to absolute mode
G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length
G1 F200 E20 ;extrude 20mm of feed stock
```
---
Tags: extruder, g-code
--- |
thread-5632 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5632 | Why does the prusa i3 sometimes put the layer more right or left as they should be? | 2018-03-14T20:41:20.770 | # Question
Title: Why does the prusa i3 sometimes put the layer more right or left as they should be?
I often tried to print sth in the prusa i3-mk3 but in most time he prints at the middle of the object more right or left. Can someone please tell me why that comes?
# Answer
> 1 votes
I'm not sure if I read your question correctly, but if I do, **what you are referring to is called "layer shifting"** and looks like this:
This happens when the stepper motors fail to perform a step upon receiving the signal from the firmware. Since stepper motors do not have any way to know their *actual* position (differently, for example, than servos) they will keep on printing as if nothing happened, and thus the subsequent layers will be shifted of the amount of steps they missed to perform.
Moving on to why this happens in `sth`... I don't own a MK3, but I take it that `sth` is short for *stealth mode*, the new silent mode that has been widely showcased in reviews and articles on the printer.
That mode of operation is made possible by the **Trinamic TMC2130 stepper drivers**. Normally these drivers monitor the power consumption of the steppers and are capable of deduce a missed step by sudden changes in that. If they do, the MK3 will actually re-home the X and Y axis to fix the problem and resume printing normally.
However when operating in their StealthChop mode, the TMC drivers provide less energy to the motor themselves (to keep them operating quietly) and - more importantly - are unable to detect missed steps. Less power will make much more likely that any sort of resistance to the print head movement will cause missed steps, the absence of detection will cause the printer to not even notice and cause layer shifting.
Again, I don't own a MK3 and I have no direct experience with it, but **I would suggest updating the firmware to the very last version**: I read in an article some weeks ago that a recent version addressed exactly your problem, by progressively increasing the power output along the Z axis (as the likelihood of layer shifting increases with the height of the print).
---
Tags: prusa-i3
--- |
thread-4915 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4915 | RAMPS 1.4 losing power with more than 3 drivers mounted | 2017-11-08T10:13:57.053 | # Question
Title: RAMPS 1.4 losing power with more than 3 drivers mounted
I am rebuilding the electronics for an old Reprap with a RAMPS 1.4 setup.
If I plug in just the Arduino/RAMPS board into either 12 V or USB then it starts up fine, I can see this when I have the screen plugged in. However, when I start to add driver boards, the screen begins to dim. After I have three boards plugged in the power starts to drop to the point that the Arduino powers off and restarts, even when the screen is not plugged in. I have had this problem with two sets of RAMPS boards and Arduinos and with a combination of 7 different driver boards plugged into different combinations of location.
Has anyone else had any similar issues or have an idea of what might be going on? Any ideas are welcome, I am just about at my wits end with this.
# Answer
Your power supply may not be able to provide enough current. Check it's output voltage, the input at the RAMPS and the supply voltage (both VMOT and VDD) on each driver.
If the supply is good, you can suspect the polyfuses on the RAMPS board. These are yellow rectangles, designed to protect against over-current. They age with stress, and typically fail to pass their full rated current (but you need to understand if there is a fault which damaged them). The link describes how to remove them.
> 4 votes
---
Tags: ramps-1.4
--- |
thread-5638 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5638 | Connect to 3D printer via internet without router | 2018-03-16T06:42:56.157 | # Question
Title: Connect to 3D printer via internet without router
### My problem:
I need to connect to my 3D printer via the internet from an Android app (using IP address and API key).
My 3D printer is based on Marlin firmware latest and connected to a Raspberry Pi running OctoPi. I don't want to use a router and port forward it, because the Raspberry will be connected to internet via a Wi-Fi hotspot.
### My question:
Is it possible to control the printer using a cloud platform or a server (another Raspberry Pi) if my OctoPi Raspberry Pi can access the internet? If it is possible, how can one do it?
Any suggestions or solutions are welcome.
# Answer
> 1 votes
There are a few solutions, but each one needs to match same criteria: an open network socket visible outside the local network.
So from TCP/IP protocol theory, we don't even need to have an IP address to send a packet to another computer as we can use layer One which is just the MAC address to identify the receiver. But things become more complicated when we have to provide a link to two separate endpoints.
Basic requirements:
1. We need to know *public accessible* IP address and port that server is exposed (listening) on
2. We can have a DNS entry that will be translated to public IP, but that assume that public IP is same all the time (or we have a dynDNS service)
Solutions:
1. Have the RPi exposed with public IP address and routed properly;
2. Create a VPN bridge from RPi to your home/cloud network and connect Android to the same VPN;
3. Do a port forwarding to RPi from public IP and expose that in the firewall.
So at this point, if you don't have admin access to network devices then only solution '2' is viable, IMHO.
---
Tags: software, printer-building
--- |
thread-5646 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5646 | How to connect a NEMA 17 stepper to RAMPS 1.4? | 2018-03-17T20:57:46.850 | # Question
Title: How to connect a NEMA 17 stepper to RAMPS 1.4?
I have an `NEMA 17` stepper motor `17HS4401` and a RAMPS 1.4 driver unit.
The motor pinouts are:
```
RED A+
BLUE A-
GREEN B+
BLACK B-
```
while the RAMPS board has the following:
```
2B 2A 1A 1B
```
Could someone point me in the right direction? How can I connect the driver to the motor? I have a feeling I already messed things up.
# Answer
> 6 votes
There are very many combinations that will work. A bipolar stepper has 2 coils. Swapping the coils, or reversing the polarity of a coil, will simply cause the stepper to rotate in the opposite direction.
On RAMPS, one coil should connect to 1A and 1B, whereas the other coil should connect to 2A and 2B.
On the stepper, one coil is A+ and A-, the other coil is B+ and B-.
A possible wiring is A+ to 1A, A- to 1B and B+ to 2A and B- to 2B, but there are 15 other possibilities. The only "wrong" way is one that connects a coil of the stepper to two different coil outputs on the RAMPS (so connecting, for instance, A+ to 1A and A- to 2A wouldn't work).
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Tags: ramps-1.4, stepper, wiring, nema-17
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thread-5639 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5639 | Painting an STL file | 2018-03-16T09:25:15.337 | # Question
Title: Painting an STL file
I have an STL file that I want to add a tribal tattoo to with the end goal of getting it printed in colour sandstone from Shapeways, or in full colour on an Mcor Arke at some point, but I'm not really sure where to go.
I've looked at Microsoft Paint 3D. It's ok, but I cannot get the paint job symmetric. It outputs the .3mf format which the Arke will eventually handle with their Orange software, but it won't export into anything Shapeways will accept.
I've looked at UV unwrapping in Blender, but it seems I have to create the image in another graphics program and then import it... but I can't really work out where the images will be applied to the object, and then when I'm done it seems I cannot export the bits I'm expecting. On the plus side I have the mirror function so I can just paint one side and it's symmetrical.
I've looked briefly at Maya and 3Ds Max, but they are eyewateringly expensive, way out of my league.
Blender with some form of layers for the image might be really useful so I can make the tattoo in bits and then apply them to parts. I've kind of seen how you can split the model into panels but my brain is struggling to get round this as it's really quite hit and miss... and exporting seems to be a problem, although DAE and the texture will go to Shapeways, assuming the DAE has the texture layout embedded. FBX seems to go into Paint 3D and then I can export it to 3MF for the Arke.
Has anyone got any helping pointers for this confused noob?
Thanks
# Answer
> 0 votes
It is indeed more related to the blender forum than the 3d printing one.
You can start by looking at this post from blender.stackexchange.com which explain how to unwrap and paint on a 3d object. You can also paint the texture on a 2d software like Gimp and then put it in the UV Image editor of Blender. Then you should be able to export your project (with the texture) in a suitable format for 3d print.
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Tags: 3d-design
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thread-5483 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5483 | Anet A8 mainboard dimensions and hole offsets | 2018-02-13T11:28:51.037 | # Question
Title: 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.
# Answer
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)
> 5 votes
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Tags: anet-a8
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thread-5645 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5645 | What setting is this defect caused by? | 2018-03-17T19:43:35.993 | # Question
Title: What setting is this defect caused by?
I am attempting to print the Benchy boat but every attempt so far has been unsuccessful. The print has a sort of slope/blob on the nose of the boat, which emerges after the first 30 layers.
Here you can see the front of the boat already arching up:
I have tried decreasing speed to 40 mm/s but the issue remains.
**Printer**: Geetech Prusa I3 Pro B
XY Accelleration: 1000 mm/s<sup>2</sup>
XY Jerk: 20 mm/s
Retraction Accelleration: 2000 mm/s<sup>2</sup>
Extruder Jerk: 5 mm/s
Printing Speed: 50 mm/s
Travel Speed: 120 mm/s
Layer Height: 0.1 mm
Infill: 60% (Lines)
Material: PLA, 200 °C, 1.75mm filament, retraction enabled.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Looks like curling from to much being extruded and no cooling I had the same problem added part cooling and problem was gone
# Answer
> 0 votes
The lines along the length of the boat also appear to be wobbling, can you confirm this? Have you used this material before? The layers should look straight and equal.
I have 2 candidates: If the lines indeed wobble it may be over extrusion. The excess material pushing the extruded line over the edge. (check the diameter of the filament with a caliper and adjust the extrusion rate if needed)
Or it can be shrinking. 60% infill is quite high. You could try 20 or 30% (less material and more air =\> less distortion), or adjusting cooling.
Hope it helps, good luck!
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Tags: prusa-i3, extrusion, speed
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thread-5669 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5669 | Is possible print this level of detail? | 2018-03-21T23:50:50.940 | # Question
Title: Is possible print this level of detail?
I'm new at 3D Printing. I made a model of what I want to print using blender, but it's really small with a little system that must be very precise to work.
What I have is like a hollow cylinder with a diameter of 11mm, and a thickness of 1mm. This goes inside a counter part, that is carve with the cylinder shape, but with a little extra gap so it can rotate like an axis. Maybe this picture explains better:
And this should be the front view of the counter part:
So, I need to know if it's possible to print that cylinder hard enough to work as an axis. And what should be the gap size between the cylinder and the counter part's hole to rotate properly? If it's is like 0.05mm, can I print that level of detail with a 3D printer too?
What hardware and material should I use to do this?
Thanks in advance. Sorry for bad english, I hope you understand!
**EDIT:**
(6mm is the depth of the hole)
# Answer
It is definitively possible to do what you want, but your questions are samewhat problematic:
> So, I need to know if it's possible to print that cylinder hard enough to work as an axis.
"hard enough" is a mysterious quantity. What is the intended application? The load of the axis, the rotation speed, the medium in which the part will be in, its operating temperature... they all affect the answer.
> And what should be the gap size between the cylinder and the counter part's hole to rotate properly?
Reading at the question and the comments, I think you may have the wrong representation model in your mind. There are four different concepts at work here:
* *Accuracy* is the maximum dimensional variation between parts.
* *Tolerance* is the amount of random deviation or variation permitted for a given dimension.
* *Allowance* is a planned difference between a nominal or reference value and an exact value.
* *Clearance* is the intentional space between two parts.
So: what you want to achieve for the object to rotate is to have at least some *clearance* once you have the parts printed. Therefore, you want to design your part with an *allowance* which is at least as much as the *accuracy*.
Note that a machine cannot produce parts with a tighter tolerance than its accuracy. So you must design your part with a *tolerance* equal or greater than your printer *accuracy*.
The correct number will therefore be entirely dependant from the specific printer you will be using. You can find out the specific *accuracy* of a printer by printing a tolerance test (I know, I know... why isn't it called "accuracy test"?)
See this unrelated answer \- from wich I took the above definitions - for learning more about the above and a concrete example.
> If it's is like 0.05mm, can I print that level of detail with a 3D printer too?
I hope it is now clear why this question makes no sense: *clearance* is a variable which depends from *accuracy* (and the application), not the other way around.
> I can't add so much gap because I have really limited space
This comment too is incorrect: the "gap" (clearance) can be very very small. You have to have the correct *allowance* in your design, and allowance will *not* intrinsically make a part larger.
> What hardware and material should I use to do this?
Again: this is entirely dependent from your application (load, operating temperature, orientation, speed...)
A consumer-grade FDM printer (easy accessible, cheap and cheap to operate) will allow you to print a rotating part, a SLA/DLP printer (less common, toxic resins, more expensive to operate) will allow to print the same part with different materials and tighter tolerances...
> I don't worry about breaking, but it cannot be flexible
Again: without an explanaton of the intended use (or the numbers associated to it) it's impossible to answer this comment conclusively. Resins tend to harden to more rigid solids, but you have thrown around tolerances as small as 0.05mm in your writing, and over 12mm of axis, that is a deviation of less than 0.5% from "perfectly straight". I'm hard pressed to think you will find a printable material with such a rigidity.
> 6 votes
# Answer
It is considered good practice to limit your post to one question at a time. The question about hardware and material is too broad to be a good question and I will set that aside.
Equally unfortunate, your drawing is ambiguous. I suppose if English is not your native language, I'm not helping things either.
The drawing has some errors that make it challenging to be certain of a correct answer, but I can provide you with some useful information as a direct result of a test print created today.
The test print for my printer creates a series of spool shapes within retainer shapes. More complex than a simply cylinder making the test that much more difficult.
My printer is able to print without problem parts that are 1.0 mm apart, 0.8 mm apart and 0.6 mm apart. The test failed at the 0.4 mm spacing and the 0.3 mm spacing, telling me that I need to perform some tuning.
Your question asks about 0.05 mm spacing. I think you will not find an FDM printer that will manage such separation without bonding together the individual components. FDM printers use filament.
You may also not find that an SLA or DLP printer can provide such tight tolerances. It is the most likely source of a success, however. I have only minimal exposure to tolerance in this type of printer. SLA/DLP printers use lasers/light and liquid resin. They can accomplish 0.05 mm layer thickness, even as small as 0.025 mm layers, but I do not know the figures for horizontal precision/accuracy/tolerance.
SLS printers use a nylon powder and a laser to fuse the powder together to form the model. My SLS printer uses 0.050 mm powder. To accomplish the separation you require would mean a single layer of powder will separate the individual segments of the model. This is not practical for this type of printer.
Your best bet would be to consult with a 3D printing service that uses SLA printers. SLA is likely to be more precise than DLP due to the method of exposing the resin, although that is not a universal truth.
> 1 votes
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Tags: print-quality, print-material
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thread-5676 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5676 | Plug sdramps module and Anet A8 LCD together into RAMPS smart adapter | 2018-03-23T09:54:50.250 | # Question
Title: Plug sdramps module and Anet A8 LCD together into RAMPS smart adapter
I want to upgrade my Anet A8's motherboard (the stock one is broken anyway, see: Anet A8 reading 739°C from the extruder thermistor!) to the RAMPS 1.4, without having to get a new LCD/microSD module. I am thinking of getting both a smart adapter and sdramps, then maybe plug the sdramps and the stock Anet A8 LCD into the smart adapter, but I am not sure whether the sdramps module has a different pinout than the RAMPS smart controller, which is what the smart adapter is made for.
Can someone confirm whether they have the same pinouts or not, or give me some alternatives to my idea?
# Answer
The Anet A8 uses a simple LCD with 5 buttons, the problem is that the buttons do not use digital pin signals, instead analog pins are used. Based on the pressed button, with corresponding resistance the firmware knows which button is pressed. The RAMPS smart adapter uses digital pins, so **the Anet LCD is not compatible with the smart adapter**, you may wan't to opt for a cheap Chinese 12864 LCD smart controller, they are about $8, they are compatible.
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The topic Connecting (Anet A8) 2004 display to MKS GEN L shows you to hook up the Anet A8 LCD to a RAMPS board. You **do not use the smart adapter**, instead **you use AUX2**. You only have to change 2 wires (interchange them on AUX2) and you will be able to use the display. The reason you cannot use the smart adapter is that the 5 button display requires analog pins, which are not available on the smart adapter, but are available on the AUX2 header.
> 3 votes
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Tags: ramps-1.4, anet-a8, wiring, microsd, sd
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thread-5673 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5673 | TEVO Tarantula under extrusion | 2018-03-22T18:06:39.537 | # Question
Title: TEVO Tarantula under extrusion
I've built and done some simple tests on a TEVO Tarantula but I've noticed some pretty dramatic under extrusions.
My equipment:
* TEVO Tarantula;
* Jim Brown's easy config fork of Marlin;
* Titan extruder (came with printer).
I've updated the firmware with the 400 steps as advised and calibrated the extrusion with the 100 mm method:
* When I run the calibration with the Titan extruder, *only* the 400 steps is fine and works as expected;
* When I connect the Bowden tube to the hotend and calibrate (at 200, 225 and 250°C), I see only ~50 mm of extrusion.
I've disassemble the hot end, changed filament and I can't see any signs of blockage. The Bowden tube in the hotend is not showing any signs of melting etc. and it is pushed all the way down to the hotend, as per the instructions.
So, what's going with this?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Summarizing for correct understanding: you measured 100 mm without the hotend heated and attached and about 50mm attached and at temperature but not hearing any clicks using a pretty long Bowden tube?
Bowden setups require a little more torque to push the filament all the way to the hotend. I've experienced this with my own 2.85 mm setup when I converted a 1.75 mm BullDog extruder to accept 2.85 mm filament. Your problem is most probably caused by filament not being gripped by the extruder gear and causing slipping on the filament (this does not necessarily mean that you hear clicking!). The Titan is a geared extruder so you should get more torque than a direct setup; this is exactly why you don't hear clicking, the gear turns but does not move the filament. Please inspect your filament after the extruder by removing the Bowden tube; ideally this should show you a regular pattern of the extruder gear.
What you can do to prevent this is to put more pressure on the filament by adjusting the pressure of the spring. In my setup I use some screws to get the spring out of the equation and clamp it directly only tightening the screws by hand (when switching filament I need to unscrew these).
You should also PID tune your hotend to be sure that the heater is optimally tuned to keep the hotend at a certain temperature level.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I did a test on 50cm ptf tube, and according to result I had to increase steps/mm to 440. Thet tube have a straight connection between extruder and hotend.
1. Please verify that there is no bends on the the ptf tube as that is huge obstacle to push for extruder
2. If you have a short piece of ptf tube - please calibrate and compare results,
3. Validate electrical connections as a very little loose can lead to missed steps
4. Put a marks on the plastic gear on titan and observe if there is a smooth movement during extrusion
5. Put a marks on the filament in about 5mm and observe how it is consumed
6. Very that filament is easily provided from spool, and spool rotates freely
7. Do a test on prepared piece of filament to validate previous
8. There is a thing on tingverse that is cleaning filament and oiling it to decrease the inner tube tension, or just put some drops kitchen oil on the filament and in the tube
9. Replace stepper motor with one of the axis as there ale all same shiped with tarantula
10. Increase hotend temperature by 5,10, or more
11. Add more tension on the extruder regulator
I think I exhausted my check list, as I was struggling a lot with my tarantula, and found it very brittle to use.
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Tags: calibration
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thread-5684 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5684 | Temperature offset on Wanhao Duplicator i3 Mini | 2018-03-24T12:45:34.063 | # Question
Title: Temperature offset on Wanhao Duplicator i3 Mini
I'm trying to print with PLA on a new Wanhao Duplicator i3 Mini. In regular temperature settings (200-210°C) the printer underextrudes and the extruder motor skips, which led me to suspect low nozzle temperature. Increasing the temperature to 225°C indeed allows the printer to print normally without any problems.
What can be the cause for this? Is it a faulty temperature reading? What is the way to fix it?
# Answer
It's very difficult to diagnose 3D printers without physical access to the machine, but here's a few possibilities that come to mind (several of those may contribute together to the problem).
### The temperature reading is poorly calibrated or defective
This means that the actual temperature is lower than what displayed. You can verify this hypothesis by using an IR thermometer or replacing the probe (on some printers the heat probe on the bed is the same than the one on the hot end, so you don't need to buy a new part).
### The batch/brand of filament you have has a higher melting point than expected
So: the filament is supposed needs to be extruded at 225°C, but the label (or simply your assumption from having used other spools of filament) says otherwise. Just use that temperature and be happy.
### The teeth of the extruder gear are worn
Within limits, the hotter the molten plastic is, the runnier. This means that at 225°C it will be less viscous than at 210°C and will strain the extruder motor less. If the gear of your extruder has worn teeth that won't "bite" deep enough into the filament, they will eventually slip when reaching a certain torque. The teeth of an extruder wheel should feel well defined under your fingers, if you are in doubt about them not being sharp enough, then they probably aren't, as the feeling is quite distinctive. Replacement gears can be purchased online very cheaply. **EDIT**: re-reading your question I realised you wrote that the motor *skips*, so this and the following point may not be the case for you, even if sometimes - but not always - slippage makes a similar noise to skipping.
### The spring of the extruder gear is weak
See above, but here the root cause of the slippage is the extruder gear not being pushed hard enough into the filament. This is caused by the extruder spring being too weak. Most printers have some mechanism to regulate the tension of the spring. A DIY method is that of adding a stack of washers (or a custom printed cylinder) at one end of the spring in order to "pre-tension" it. Otherwise again: spring replacements are extremely cheap.
### Your part fan is blowing on the nozzle
The temperature probe measures temperature at some place in the heat block, not the nozzle. If your part fan is blowing too high, the flow of air may be cooling down the nozzle, instead of the extruder part. You most definitively want to avoid this by repositioning the fan or printing a custom fan deflector (the latter is a classic among mods). This is an easy-to-diagnose problem as most slicers allow you to turn the part fan off.
> 3 votes
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Tags: pla, extrusion, wanhao
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thread-978 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/978 | Can a heatbed PCB (Prusa Mk2) be straightened out? | 2016-04-13T07:30:04.903 | # Question
Title: Can a heatbed PCB (Prusa Mk2) be straightened out?
I have a really bent heatbed PCB, the middle is elevated about 3 mm with respect to all edges.
I have found this thread Warped PCBs, where a heating method is applied by baking a PCB in the oven, as described here: 3.2 Bow and Twist Repair.
Can this help straightening out a Prusa heatbed PCB? If so, can I apply the heat by the heatbed itself, or do I need to utilize an oven? Will the pressure from the strongly clamped glass plate be enough or will the glass break at these temperatures (given that the heatbed can reach them).
# Answer
Baking PCB in an oven is not a good idea, I would say. I know PCBs are resistive to the heat (especially heatbeds) but, still, it sounds odd. But the real question is how baking would help. Let's leave it.
If your heatbed is such bent you can do few things depending on your situation/environment.
You can:
1. Add two glass plates (at the bottom and at the top) and clip them all together;
2. Support your HB with flat aluminium or even wood;
3. Add an aluminium frame, or;
4. If you use glass plate, clip the HB to the glass using stronger (wider) clips.
Ad#1 the thermistor can even stay sandwiched between the PCB and the bottom glass plate.
Ad#2 If your HB is bent up in the middle, you can use the middle thermistor hole. Drill it a bit with fi8mm drill (but not too much, I would say halfway through) and use a cone head screw to screw it flat on to the aluminium/wood support. Of course you will have to install a thermistor into the new place.
The simplest, and less destructive, solution is #1 and I would recommend that.
> 3 votes
# Answer
Electrical engineer here. There is nothing odd about putting a PCB in an oven. Any surface mount PCB is assembled using a **reflow oven** which heats all the components, as well as the PCB itself, several degrees for quite some time up to the 'soak' temperature, which is **150 °C**.
After that, the PCB (and components, still not soldered but held down with solder paste) are heated up to the reflow temperature, which for lead-free processes (i.e., all of them) is **245 °C.** After this point, they are held at that temperature for 60-90 seconds to allow the solder to completely reflow. Note, this is not time spent with the oven temperature that hot - this is time the entire PCB, which edge to edge has reached 245 °C, spends at that temperature.
**There is absolutely nothing wrong with, nor anything odd about putting a PCB in an oven or otherwise getting it hotter than it's glass transition temperature. Doing so is a key part of their commercial assembly into electronics and has already been done to every PCB you own.**
Please ignore the 'accepted' answer - it's incorrect.
PCBs are usually made out of glass epoxy composite (FR4) with a glass transition temperature of 140°C. There are high heat varieties with a glass transition temperature of 170°C. I do not know which variety the Prusa MK2/MK2S uses specifically, but FR4 doesn't have a 'sharp' glass transition anyway, so you want to err on the side of hot regardless of the specific type. Get it nice and cozy at at 190-200 °C, and increase the temperature until it unwarps. The solder's liquidus is about 220°C, so you should try to keep 20 °C shy of this just because kitchen oven thermostats are not to be trusted.
I own a MK2S, and have personally heated my heat bed up to above the glass transition temperature of PEI (don't ask) which is **217°C**, and this was not a problem (well, except for the PEI but again, don't ask). It didn't suffer any ill effects, nor did I expect it too. I'm printing on it right now, as I type this. It's perfectly fine to heat it up that hot. That was the entire reason FR laminate was even made - to be rigid and to tolerate being hot. Solder ain't gonna melt itself.
Note, however, you will need to remove the PEI/Ultem sheet as well as the adhesive before you do this. Prusa has instructions on how, look under replacing the PEI print surface.
Now, as for the actual procedure, the pcb isn't going to magically just become flat. You have to force it to flatness. Flatten it into submission. It will only be as flat as the hopefully flat surface it is resting on. And, given the gradual transition of the material, it isn't going to exactly become super pliable even when a good deal past its glass transition temperature.
What you ideally want is two plates of aluminum large enough to sandwich it between. Or steel, or any metal. They need to be thick enough to not flex so they are very flat. A pizza stone, if you can find one that is flat, or a slab of granite also works. I know none of these are exactly 'just laying around the house' type objects, but really any flat surface that will tolerate the heat that you can rest the pcb on is acceptable. (Kids - ask your parents first)
The only problem is it will likely not unwarp itself under its own weight. You'll need to put a large flat thing on top of it too, and either have it be heavy, or add heavy things on top of your large flat thing. You want to make a heat bed sandwich. Also, it needs to be shielded from the oven heating elements (be they electric or gas), as these will radiate heat a lot hotter than the oven temperature when they turn on. Don't worry - aluminum foil is enough to shield anything from the heat, but again, you should have something very flat and substantial on top.
Oh, and remove the screw hole sockets from the PCB. They just need a hex key and some pliers to unscrew. Don't lose the lock washers.
Anyway, the above procedure, while definitely a pain, will restore (or if it was always warped, imbue for the first time) flatness as good as the flat things it is sandwiched between.
The flatness of kings.
This isn't exactly unknown either. People do it. It works.
> 6 votes
# Answer
Since aluminium has a melting point at 600°C, you're unlikely to get it to a state where it flexes much by heating. I would doubt you even manage to aneal it (release the internal stresses).
Your best option is to construct a jig which allows you to press the distortion out (or pull, using a screw in the existing holes), whilst also taking care not to apply pressure (at least with a sharp edge) to the tracks or coatings.
This will only be a partial fix, but might be worth trying with a glass sheet in addition.
Edit: This might be relevant for a Mk3 heatbed, but not the Mk2 as asked in the question.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Easiest way would be to place a glass sheet on top of the bed and run a calibration... Although, that way you may lose a few millimeters of print height.
> 0 votes
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Tags: electronics, heated-bed, repair
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thread-91 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/91 | Would 3d-printed objects outgas in vacuum? | 2016-01-12T22:10:12.917 | # Question
Title: Would 3d-printed objects outgas in vacuum?
I want to fabricate a sample holder and shadow masks to use in vacuum chambers. The type of printing material is not important to me PLA/ABS/PC-ABS/nylon).
I'm worried that 3d printed objects (FDM) would degas under high vacuum. Is that an actual concern?
# Answer
I found much the same question at Does PLA outgas? An answer there pointed to a NASA outgassing database, Outgassing Data for Selecting Spacecraft Materials, and says that:
> ABS (unknown supplier), MakerGeeks PET and Makerbot PLA have been measured and are listed in the NASA database.
Poster there recommended PLA for lower outgassing, and clear PLA because there would be fewer additives to complicate the problem.
> 13 votes
# Answer
Almost all of the FDM materials outgas even at normal atmospheric pressure, and, in fact, most plastics outgas. Further, FDM and many other printing processes do not guarantee no internal voids - meaning that putting a 3D printed object into a vacuum may result in breakage, cracking, and possible explosion hazards.
For this reason I would focus only on SLA, as the model is printed within the liquid resin pool and should have a reduced possibility of internal voids.
Finding a resin that has a low out-gas rate after curing, though, is still going to be difficult.
For this to be answered more completely, you need to specify your tolerable outgassing rate, and the processes used inside the vacuum chamber. For instance the answer would be completely different if you are discussing an electron microscope vs a sputtering chamber. As a start you might consider companies that specialize in engineered materials intended for vacuum use. They may be able to provide guidance as to which of their materials might be 3D printed and usable in your setup.
> 12 votes
# Answer
This naturally depends on the ultimate pressure you require. I have made a few tests with LEGO pieces (ABS) in vacuum and reached 10<sup>-5</sup> mbar without problems. I did not try to go any lower.
Otherwise, have a look here: A 3D printed beam splitter for polar neutral molecules.
A Formlabs Stereolithography machine was used there, producing a material that basically is PMMA. Pressures in the 10<sup>-8</sup> mbar range are possible with that. Recently, Formlabs has presented a resin that produces heatable plastic up to 280°C, and that can be baked to get into the 10<sup>-10</sup> mbar range (tested here).
> 5 votes
# Answer
At work, I put a 3d ABS part printed via 3d hubs (5\*20\*30), in the chamber at 1 mbar. No signs of breakage what so ever. No signs of sudden leaks.
Going anywhere below 1mbar, i.e., to 10^-infinity mbar, I think should theoretically still not cause any breakage or sudden leaks, as the expected mechanism of failure depends on the pressure difference; i.e., \[1atm-1mbar\] ~=\[1atm-10^-infinity mbar\].
Based on the above I have made some more parts to be put in a chamber at 1E-5 mbar.
> 3 votes
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Tags: abs, material, safety, health
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thread-5689 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5689 | Weird underextrusion in vase mode? | 2018-03-26T03:12:24.313 | # Question
Title: Weird underextrusion in vase mode?
It's my first time printing in vase mode, and I noticed my printer underextruding badly. The settings have not been changed from default vase mode settings in slicer, and earlier I was printing non-vase mode and the prints came out fine. Layer height is 0.2 mm and perimeter width is 0.3 mm.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Finding the cause of under-extrusion is very hard as a lot of parameters of the print process can influence this. There are some nice websites that describe these problems in detail. From your question it is unclear what you have done to solve the problem, or if you have printed products after the vase mode and shown us a picture of that (this eliminates a lot of possible problems).
A nice overview is given by Ultimaker, but other sources may help you to find the root cause, e.g. Simplify3D. If the issue is related to the filament and hot-end, Printrbot, Trideus and Rigid.ink may help you solve the problem.
Important is to isolate your problem! Not knowing what printer you have, your printer has (or potentially has) the folowing modules/elements that may be causing the underextrusion:
* the slicer (highly suspicious),
* the material/filament and the spool holder (suspicious),
* the extruder or feeder (suspicious),
* the hot-end (suspicious),
* the Bowden tube (suspicious if you have one).
Note that to find the root cause you should tackle this by elimination, this way you make sure that certain modules are not causing the problem. Also keep in mind that the vase mode prints a single outline/perimeter shell and won't make any retracts (so the Z axis will continuously rise), in which defects are shown instantly. Please, take a close look at your normal multi perimeter print.
# How to fix under extrusion!
Under extrusion is probably one of the hardest to find the direct cause as there are so many variables to consider. Please find below some of the variables that can affect your printing quality marked in bold face.
* **Material and material settings**
The material you use needs to be resembled correctly, so it is important and easiest thing to check first if your print is suffering from under-extrusion due to incorrect material settings. The material settings in your slicer (or the material profile on your printer for the more fancy printers) should match the material you are printing. So please check the **filament diameter** with a caliper and measure the diameter at various points; take the mean diameter of at least 3 to 5 measurements. Furthermore, **temperature** is also an important factor; **too low temperatures** will cause that the extruder has to push harder as the material is less viscous due to the fact it is not heated properly. Note that this can also happen if the flow of the filament is too high and the heater cannot keep up. It is these high pressures that cause the under extrusion as it may not flow fluidly. In contrast to too low temperatures, **too high temperatures**, can also cause problems. Very high temperatures can change the structure of the material, this is often referred to as carbonization causing **deposits** (clogs) in the nozzle. A word of advice, *Please check your filament spool/box (or sometimes a paper in the box or bag) for the proper temperatures*.
Next to the temperature, other important material settings are the **print speed**, the **layer height** and the **nozzle size** as these properties further define the rate at which the **filament volume** is deposited. For instance, a **too high of a volume flow** not only can lead to the previously mentioned cooling of the nozzle, but also is limited by the diameter of the nozzle, you just cannot push more through the nozzle is capable of as the friction will increase (the smallest opening in the system determines the maximum rate of volume flow). If you do, this will lead to under-extrusion. To **find the optimum between speed and temperature**, a good balance between these needs to be found. A typical way to do that is by the use of printing calibration temperature towers, preferably at various speeds. To print faster, you need a higher temperature, but printing at lower temperatures because of overhangs, you might need to decrease the speed to get a proper extrusion (and maybe also part cooling).
Don't just focus on the hot end part, also take a closer look at the filament spool itself, or better, how the spool unrolls. Is the **spool of filament unrolling correctly/freely** without a lot of friction (does it make **sharp bends**, or does it go **through a tube** having friction from its container to the extruder), or is the **filament not correctly wound causing tangled filament** (which create a lot of friction preventing enough material to be transported to the hot end) which could stress the extruder.
For some materials that are hydrophilic (they attract water and trap it in the filament, this happens e.g. with PLA, PVA, Nylon and maybe even more) printing the **filament with contained water, the water will turn into steam causing bubbles** in the deposited filament and interfere with the flow deposition. This effect sometimes makes a distinct sound like popping bubbles. Always store your filament in a sealed container or bag and use desiccants bags. Moisture can cause damage to the printer as the **filament swells when taking up moisture**; this could lead to various jams. Last but not least, filament with moisture in it has less mechanical properties after printing than dry filament (up to 33% less).
* **The extruder/feeder and Bowden tube**
The extruder/feeder pushes or feeds material into the hot end, or into a tube (called Bowden tube). Under-extrusion caused by the extruder is typically characterized by the fact that filament is not properly fed to the hot end as a result of **too much friction in the tube or hot end**, **too less grip on the filament** or **filament grinding** (the extruder gear 'eating away' the filament). **Too much friction could even cause your stepper to tick or click**, basically turning back as the pressure on the filament exerts so much pressure that the stepper is rotated back; **increasing the feeder tension** on the filament (by **adjusting the screw on the extruder/feeder** would fix that). Grinding is easily spotted when removing the filament; it will clearly show that the gear has worn away circle shapes. Furthermore, **filament taken out of the printer should show visible marks on the material** as imprints of the extruder gear, **if completely smooth, the feeder tension is too less**. On the other hand, **too much tension on the feeder could flatten the filament, which leads the previously mentioned grinding effect**. If you encounter grinding, please assure that you **clean the extruder by removing the filament powder and chunks** the grinding produced and recheck the extruder/feeder tension before continuing printing again. Be sure that the **grinding particles have not entered the Bowden tube as it causes friction**. Cleaning them regularly or replacing them once a year is advisable depending on the usage (or once every x kilometers of filament). Furthermore, **larger diameter filament (2.85 or 3 mm) can cause additional friction (in the Bowden tube or the extruder/feeder) as towards the end of the spool**, the filament is wound tight along a small diameter spool center causing strongly bend filament that exerts pressure as it acts like a spring creating friction at the walls of the tubes.
* **The hot-end**
The hot end can also be a culprit for under-extrusion. **Partial blockage of the nozzle as a result of carbonization** (buildup of carbon or carbonized material in the nozzle). Even **left over material from previous prints inside the nozzle** (*unflushed residue*) may change the volume of the nozzle when the material you printed before needed a higher temperature than the current you're printing. Also try to get **good quality filament**, it might be that the **quality is just not constant for the whole spool**. Too clean the inside of the nozzle, a few techniques exist to remove blockage. By **performing a "cold pull" or using the `atomic method`**. Both techniques rely on the mechanism to insert the (cleaning) filament when it's hot and remove it quickly at a lower temperature. E.g. see here or here.
# Answer
> 2 votes
You are printing walls of 0.3 mm with a 0.4 mm nozzle (25% contraction). This might fall in the category of insufficient volume flow. The wall width is less than the nozzle diameter, so it needs to contract. Either way, the volume is too less and may be dragged along until it is flattened. You should increase the wall width, maybe even a little more than 0.4 mm (although that might not be necessary, see edit below).
To support this, the next table shows the volume calculation for the filament (based on extruded cilinder shape), the first row is the volume you need to fill the 0.2 mm layer height (0.025 cubic mm), the second is what you extrude with a 0.3 mm width for a 0.2 mm layer (0.014 cubic mm). From this latter value you can calculate the layer height for a 0.4 mm diameter nozzle to be about 0.11 mm, clearly not filling the gap.
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**Edit:** To further support this, please read this test.
The extrusion width versus strength show the optimum strength when the nozzle extrusion width equals the nozzle size.
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Tags: pla, print-quality, g-code, slic3r
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thread-5699 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5699 | Is there any public and reasonably accurate 3D scan from a Cray-2 computer? | 2018-03-26T21:10:09.050 | # Question
Title: Is there any public and reasonably accurate 3D scan from a Cray-2 computer?
I'm thinking about building a Cray-2 inspired cluster. I'm concerned about the exterior housing modules, proportions and panels.
Has anyone done a good 3D scan of one?
# Answer
> 0 votes
LMGTFY, etc. etc. Depends on the amount of detail you want. A cheap starter: here, or here or irrational fruit
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Tags: 3d-models, 3d-design, scanning
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thread-5695 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5695 | Weird Movement and not homing | 2018-03-26T16:06:20.553 | # Question
Title: Weird Movement and not homing
https://photos.app.goo.gl/O6yPf3sDeV1yhS0C2
I tried to illustrate my problem in the videos above, two of them show the weird movement and the other shows me clicking on the home button repeatedly.
Some Info:
* Marlin 1.1.8 or 2.0.0 (same problem in both)
* Robotdyn RAMPS 1.4
* 0.9 angle stepper motors
* DRV8825 drivers configured at 0.8V Vref
* Anet A2 Plus stock for all the rest
# Answer
> -2 votes
The problem was the logic of the endstops that were reversed
# Answer
> 3 votes
As far as I can see on the attached videos your homing movement is reversed. as per Marlin, the homing for X shall move towards the left side and for Y to the back of the printer.
That could occur when: cable connectors to stepper motors are reversed, or the motor is assembled the other way (you can set reverse direction in Marlin)
The other issue is steps/mm calibration need to be done see source below.
The high pitch in the video could also point that the drv8825 is shutting down the movement as it is overloaded.
please also check that for vref
> Configuring Vref In order to measure Vref you first need to turn on your printer as you normally would. If you only connecct using USB, but not external power, you get a wrong reading.
>
> You need to turn on your multimeter and set it at 2v. Put the red one on the potentiometer and the Black one on the Gnd pin. Both are marked on the images here.
>
> Before starting this I read they come with a very high vref setting, and it is recommended to start around 0.5v Vref. After measuring mine, I can confirm they come with a very high initial setting. Mine both came at 1,65v or so! - Yours might be different, which just underlines the importance of doing this.
>
> Contrary to normal potentiometer usage, the ones on most copies/clones of DRV8825 are lowered by turning clock-wise, so that is what we will do, to we hit 0,5v on each. - A quarter of a full turn lowered it to 0,7v, - after that it goes very, very rapidly down, so aim for the quarter of a turn + a tiny tad more. If you buy your DRV8825 directly from pololu.com the Potentiometer are dialed up by turning it clock-wise:
source
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Tags: marlin, ramps-1.4, motor, stepper-driver, homing
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thread-5086 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5086 | Is Repetier host able to do multi-material printing? | 2017-12-07T19:25:33.140 | # Question
Title: Is Repetier host able to do multi-material printing?
Can Repetier host run a multi-material printer such as the Prusa i3 MK2S?
# Answer
Yes, it can. I have configured it for as many as four extruders. The problem may be in the slicing, as the slicer is responsible for generating the tool change commands.
One problem with the Repetier multi-extruder support is that, although the temperature of each extruder is reported by the RepRap firmware response, only the selected extruder is updated, and only one extruder is shown in the temperature graph.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Yes, you can add a second extruder to it.
> 0 votes
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Tags: repetier-host, multi-material
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thread-5103 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5103 | What else can I use for a 3D Printer frame? | 2017-12-11T16:15:24.397 | # Question
Title: What else can I use for a 3D Printer frame?
I am building a 3d Printer here:
* Build Volume: X:300mm, Y:300mm, Z:400mm
* Mechanism: 1 motor, 2 leadscrew, 4 rod Z-axis; CoreXY head movement
* Belt: GT2 6mm Steel Core
* Pulley & Idler: 20T 6mm, Bore 5mm
* Extruder: E3D Titan, Pancake NEMA 17
* Hotend: E3D V6
* Motors: XYZ: 0.9deg NEMA 17 34mm
* Electronics: Mega2560 + RAMPS 1.4, TMC2100, Opto-endstops min & max
* Electrical: SSR, Silicone Heat-mat 600W 300x300mm
* Bed: 3-point aluminium
Problem is, I can't get V-slots or T-slots easily where I live. I can get Steel Rods or Seamless pipes, and Bearings & Drylin bushings.
What aluminium profiles can I use to construct a rigid frame and accurate movement?
# Answer
Were I to build a frame now, I might use 1" square steel tubing members, welded together. You could also use aluminum, but for the same cross-section, the steel will be stronger. It is also easier to weld. If welding is not available, you are limited to shapes which can be bolted together. This is not impossible, but it requires more thoughtful design.
For the guides for moving or sliding elements, stainless steel drill rod is good. Because it is round, it doesn't constrain rotating motion, so you might need two drill rods, spaced as far apart as your design allows. The twisting force will be harder to manage with rods than it would be with a solid element. If the parts are moving during printing, you could consider stainless steel tube or aluminum rod to keep down the weight.
If you have the machining ability, instead of rods you could use a T cross-section (steel or aluminum) with wheels rolling on the two outside elements of the T. Machine is likely needed to adjust the profile of the edge to more closely match the wheels (which could be /V\ shaped), and to make the separation be accurate enough that you wouldn't need a spring element to clamp to the T.
There are many materials and forms that could work. You are limited only by your fabrication ability and access to materials.
> 1 votes
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Tags: diy-3d-printer, printer-building
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thread-4602 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4602 | Z axis not moving on Prusa i3v 8" | 2017-09-09T21:28:09.990 | # Question
Title: Z axis not moving on Prusa i3v 8"
I have a Maker Farm Prusa i3v 8" i just finished building. Initially when i first homed it, it ran fine, it even ran a test g code for movement. The problem is now the Z axis wont move anymore. First i checked for physical issues such as binding or nuts coming out of traps, everything's OK there. In Pronterface i can move x & y no problem, but Z will not move, there is no noise from the steppers. Also unusual is the the Z axis is not on the endstop, its resting on its own in a spot (the hotend is about 2mm off the bed). I ordered some new end stop switches to try on my Z axis....any thoughts? I'll update after switch install.
# Answer
> 1 votes
If you are using Repetier the code to test the endstops is m119 I think. If your z stop is triggered, you may have to invert it in the config.h file. I had this same issue for days before i figured out the control board was reading the switch as normal close instead of normal open. Hope that helps!
# Answer
> 0 votes
Try sending a motion command manually, such as G1 X20 Z10, to eliminate any bugginess from the software interface as a reason for the Z not moving properly when commanded to. Next you could check the park location in Pronterface, perhaps the extruder head is sitting there waiting for the next command.
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Tags: prusa-i3, z-axis
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thread-5664 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5664 | 1st layer problems with .1 layer height | 2018-03-21T13:07:52.767 | # Question
Title: 1st layer problems with .1 layer height
I re-read my question and realized I made a confusing one, so I am rewording a LOT.
So the software I use is Craftware. When it comes to the first layer I have it set to .25mm, with the following layers being whatever I specify otherwise. And because of this there shouldn't be a difference with the first layer even though I choose different layer heights based on the project. But for some reason it is not the case.
When printing .2mm layer height everything works great. The print adheres amazing, the nozzle is at a really good height. Everything simply works.
When printing .1mm the first layer does not stick. A lot less plastic is coming out the nozzle. And it is a disaster. Have tried increasing the amount of flow a bit, but didn't help (I might need to raise it a lot more)
So I don't understand what is going wrong. The first layer is supposed to be set at .25mm no matter what the layer height is otherwise. What do I need to do or look at?
# Answer
You likely need to re-calibrate the Z-height of your nozzle. The reason that a lot less plastic is coming out of the nozzle at 0.1mm is that the actual gap is likely smaller than 0.1mm. This makes the print bed act essentially like a partial "lid" on the nozzle which occludes the outflow of molten plastic.
Simplify3D has information on their website regarding the issue which can be found here: https://www.simplify3d.com/support/print-quality-troubleshooting/#not-extruding-at-start-of-print. Hope this helps!
> 2 votes
# Answer
Assuming you are using a 0.4mm nozzle, 0.1 layers are very close to the edge of what you can do. As @PR90 said, a Z adjustment will probably help.
My process for this:
* If you have a heated bed, preheat before levelling.
* set a large brim on the print, slow-ish first level (about 40mm/s)
* start with the bed levelled normally, and start the print
* wait for plastic to be extruding, then adjust the bed until it starts bonding
This does require adjusting the bed with the print in progress, so make sure you are safe and don't get your fingers in anything hot or otherwise dangerous.
> 2 votes
# Answer
You have asked several questions here.
"why is first layer set to 0.25" -- check the gcode file, opening it in a text editor, to see what layer values are specified.
"looks like under-extrude" -- please show a picture. If it's purely that the print failing to adhere, you may need to adjust the Z-zero point slightly. Or perhaps When you printed at 0.2mm, for whatever reason the transverse stress on the base layer is less than when printing at 0.1 mm (e.g., linear speed adjustments needed).
Is the second layer somehow not adhering to the first layer? It is possible that the linear speed setting for the first layer is too high and that should be adjusted. Or perhaps the z-height for the second layer is inconsistent with a 0.1mm layer setting, so check the gcode there too.
In general, adherence problems can be dealt with by adding a raft or brim. See if that suffices.
> 0 votes
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Tags: layer-height, anet-a6
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thread-5706 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5706 | Filament clogging just above feeding tube - Duplicator 6 | 2018-03-27T15:30:40.190 | # Question
Title: 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.
# Answer
Sometimes the filament quality itself could be the culprit. Have you tried printing with a different spool of PLA?
> 0 votes
# Answer
that looks like heat creep.
heat creep is the result of in too much heat in the hot end creeping its way into the cold end. and results in a gradual clogs mid print.
to combat heat creep you need to sink that heat elsewhere and dissipate it.
this is where a heatsink and fan come into play.
the heatsink should be in direct contact with the throat mount/clamp, giving the heat more space to dissipate, and that dissipation is aided by the fan.
> 0 votes
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Tags: pla
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thread-5729 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5729 | Anet A6 - First time assembled, won't turn on | 2018-03-29T20:17:44.827 | # Question
Title: Anet A6 - First time assembled, won't turn on
I recently bought an Anet A6 and decided to assemble it today. When I plugged in the power, I don't get any sign of life from the printer. No lights, no bleeps, no fans which are starting to blow.
I checked the motherboard and it receives power from the adapter (I live in Europe, the Netherlands, so the voltage is 220V) but nothing happens.
Can someone help me out?
I added some pictures of the wiring for references. Display cables are correctly set (J3 to J3 and LCD to LCD).
# Answer
Welcome to 3d Printing! as this is a first day of the printer there could be a list of items...
First thing first: disconnect all peripherals, so we can test mainboard.
Before connecting PSU we can connect mainboard via usb and see if it starts (I will probably use a power bank in that case to avoid burning USB (worse case scenario)). Then you can use cura or another host program to connect to the printer and validate firmware. If the printer is not recognized we can reflash the firmware using provided app or ArduinoIDE .
If all looks good we can check PSU.
1. please check output voltage from power supply unit (shall be 12V) (on the terminals, there is a small voltage regulator on the lefthand side)
2. then double check polarity
3. connect power to mainboard
4. check if we have same voltage on mainboard terminals
5. then check if we have 12v on the fan terminal (40 * 10 fan shall run all the time on the hotend)
if that is done and we have power provided to the mainboard then we need to check for 5V that powers the arduino mega2560 (that could indicate a faulty power regulator)
Select one of the available sockets and measure voltage on VCC and GND pins. If we have 5V then we can connect pheriperials one by one, always switching off PSU and disconnecting USB.
If one of the underlying components is faulty then you will see straight after powering the mainboard.
image source
> 3 votes
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Tags: troubleshooting, wiring, anet-a6
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thread-4227 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4227 | Troubleshooting printing layer squashing? | 2017-06-13T13:58:09.573 | # Question
Title: Troubleshooting printing layer squashing?
I am having a strange intermittent printing error specific to one particular object I'm trying to print.
My printer is a BCN3D Sigma R17. I am printing a thin wall (0.6mm) cup object. I'm using:
* Simplify3D with Sigma Progen profiles
* 0.6mm brass nozzle (w/thermal paste)
* 0.1mm layer height
* Spiral (vase mode)
* Filaform PLA.
As you can see in the images, the first few layers print ok, but then the nozzle seems to collide/penetrate the previous layer and grinds against it as it moves around in a circle. The result is a combination of rough textured surface and good quality surface. One half of the print also seems to be thicker, presumably from the increased extrusion width caused by squashing layers in the z-axis. I’ve tried
* changing model's wall thickness,
* disabling spiral mode
* increasing layer height
* changing filament
* upgrading printer (latest stepper drivers)
* changing extrusion width
* performing full calibration
All without success. You can view the gcode and S3D fff profile here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B6SnaYyiYI7vcGU1U3Uxb0RrX3M?usp=sharing
The image shows some filament left hanging from a stopped print. It seemed to be squeezed out from excess pressure, as if it was being blocked during the print due to being pushed against the layers.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Well, for a 0.6 wall thickness using a 0.6 nozzle you should have one line for the whole wall. But I´m seeing in your prints walls of 0.1 and 0.4 as infill, Why? I´m using simplify3D and I can see the results about walls and infill prior to send to the printer. On this kind of parts avoid infill and give priority to walls.
So the main problem with your gcode is that wall thickness, is too much difference between the filament extrusion 0.6 vs 0.1 this is 16.6% of the printing flow, so you need to set print flow to 16.6% or 20%, not 80%. You must need to use retraction to avoid blobs and set a lower temperature.
I saw this video to control Coast issues, but is explained how to set settings on Simplify3D; I hope you can visualize your issues before printing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWpdGY0V-gM
# Answer
> 1 votes
Although this reply is pretty late, there are some issues I would like to point out:
1. In the cup.gcode file there seems to be an issue with the layer height. The height for the second layer is larger than the third layer!
2. If you see that the cup prints good on one side (also thicker on one side), this is a good indication of a bed leveling issue. Although you indicate you did a full calibration, I would still re-check the bed leveling. The extruder head movement in the X-Y should be as closely parallel to the bed as possible.
3. The cooling settings in your Simplify3D profile are low. I would bump up the fan speed to ensure that the strand being laid down is sufficiently cooled to prevent overheating from subsequent loops.
4. Try slowing down the Z-axis speed. Stepping too quickly can cause skipped steps depending on the acceleration settings and mass/inertia of the head.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I'd suggest you change the Flow (%).
It is usually at 100%, but can be adjusted. I'd suggest printing at 80%, and adjusting from there.
Layer height, printing speed or other configurations always change the Extrusion Rate with it, because for example higher layers always require more material extruded at the same printing speed.
How it is done with your specific software, I cannot tell.
# Answer
> 0 votes
if something strange appears after few layers/some time it's usually the issue of overheating steppers
if this is the case i suggest to
* tune up Z stepper current
* add cooling fan which blows on your steppers
see also: this and this
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Tags: fdm, troubleshooting
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thread-5637 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5637 | Prusa i3 MK2 doesn't accept the printing material | 2018-03-15T21:47:08.043 | # Question
Title: Prusa i3 MK2 doesn't accept the printing material
We have a Prusa i3 MK2 and we've changed for a print with another colour material but when I pressed "load filament", it didn't make anything.
Often after five times doing that the printer works. I don't have any pictures but the filament is in the hole and the printer holds it. However, it doesn't push it into the extruder and the remains of the old filament do not come out, so I wonder why the motors just stop and don't work.
Sometimes there are no problems - sometimes more and sometimes less. I hope someone has the reason for this problem.
# Answer
> 2 votes
My 0.02c:
1. Cut the tip of the new filament at an angle so that it is pointed enough. This will ensure that it easily enters the hole leading into the hot end beneath the extruder drive gear. A lot of times the curl in the filament (from being wound on a spool) will cause misalignment and lead to it not entering this hole properly.
2. Check filament debris lodged in the extruder gear teeth. Sometimes this will prevent good grip on the filament.
3. Finally you can try increasing the nozzle temperature. Often times any residue inside the nozzle will be cleared by elevating temperature and pushing in new filament.
# Answer
> 0 votes
First make sure that the hotend is hot enough. Second you need to check your extruder if it is clean. Third try to push the filament by hand and look if it comes out. If yes than the problem should be in the motor. The motor connection wire could be loose.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I would agree with PR90, cutting the filament tip at a 45% angle before inserting might help. If the new material has required a different temperature to the previous, then you could have burnt the old material clogging the nozzle (take nozzle off by unscrewing, if it a brass hex nozzle) - if the new material requires a lower temperature, then it will not melt the materiel old pushing it out.
See if you can go into Move Axis (manually) and then go to 0.01 mm then Extrude and see if that works.
If you hear a slipping or backlash sound coming from the extruder stepper motor, look at motor gear and check for clogging.
*Please check the heat requirements of the new and old materials*
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Tags: extruder, infill
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thread-5743 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5743 | Platform support up to a certain Z height in Ultimaker Cura/G-code | 2018-04-02T21:02:54.000 | # Question
Title: Platform support up to a certain Z height in Ultimaker Cura/G-code
Ultimaker Cura offers a platform support type of “*touching buildplate*” which enables the printer to only make a raft for parts of the object that should be touching the build plate. It also offers “*everywhere*” for any object that might be hanging over the build plate.
I have a need to only offer support for overhangs up to a certain z height, such any overhang located at a z-point of 4 mm or below. Is there a software that will enable this, either as a setting/addition to Ultimaker Cura or just a G-code export for Pronterface?
# Answer
> Is there a software that will enable this?
Yes, as of Ultimaker Cura 3.3 Beta, Ultimaker Cura allows you to specify an area which will not be considered for adding supports. In your case you could define everything above 4 mm to be excluded from building support structures.
You can look here for this very new feature, it might be what you're looking for.
> 3 votes
# Answer
> Is there a software that will enable this?
I don't own a copy of it, but from talking with other 3D printing enthusiasts, I know simplify3d is the slicer out there with the most granular control over support structures.
I'm unaware if it has a setting for *exactly* what you want, but I know it has the possibility to manually add support in selected parts of your model, so - depending on size and complexity of your model, and on the level of accuracy you need - it may well be an option for you.
It is proprietary, commercial software with a "no question asked" refund policy.
> 1 votes
# Answer
As an alternative, look into 3D modelling tools which allow you to add your own support towers to the model itself. Do that, then set your slicing tool to "no support" or equivalent.
> 1 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, g-code, support-structures
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thread-5736 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5736 | Removing protopasta conductive PLA skirt from a bed | 2018-03-31T22:48:49.780 | # Question
Title: Removing protopasta conductive PLA skirt from a bed
I have a simple printer bot metal with a heated bed, the heated bed I am not using. I am using conductive pla by protopasta
The conductive pla is not that strong, so when I take my pieces off the board, sometimes they break. The only time it appears to be invincibly strong is when it sticks to the bed plate! I cannot get the skirt off the bed plate, no matter what I try
* a razor blade does not work, even when the bed isn’t heated and after dumping a bunch of acetone on the board
* using no skirt does not work, as the printer clogs itself
* it is difficult enough to remove to the point that printing itself isn’t fun
* when scratching it off, the pieces only chip, because they stick better to the bed than they do to themselves (unlike PLA)
What’s a good way to remove a conductive pla skirt from one of the beds? The skirt is the initial outline a printer lays down, it is very thin
# Answer
> 2 votes
I have no experience with your printer model nor with protopasta conductive PLA but since your problem is "too much adhesion" I would simply suggest to **follow in reverse all the usual advices on how to make the first layer adhere better** (a far more common problem). The list of suggestion could be:
* Print fast
* Do no squash the first layer (see @fred\_dot\_u answer)
* Make sure the part fan is on
* Reduce the temperature slightly
* ...
The problem could also be due to the chemical interaction between the surface of your plate and the specific material (for example: it is known that glass - a relatively difficult surface to use with PLA - bonds so well to PETG that sometimes it chips off the bed when you remove the print). If this is the case you could for example **cover your bed in painter's tape** and see if the protopasta conductive PLA adhere worse to it than to the bare bed. Worst case scenario, you could remove the tape with the print and scrub it off from it afterwards with a metal brush or a bit of sandpaper.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Based on your description "it is very thin" about the skirt, and by the other characteristics you've provided, I suggest that your z-height for the first layer is suspect of being too small, too close to the bed.
If you have calibration specific to z-height only, re-calibrate and make a test print with skirt. If the test is better, this tells you that the previous setting was at fault. If the test is not better, use a different setting by 0.01 mm or 0.02 mm and run another test.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I think the setting having the most significant effect would be to increase the Z-height by 0.05-0.1mm so that the skirt is not "sandwiched" against the bed like typical first layers in FDM. This should reduce the adhesion enough for you to remove the skirt from the bed without damage.
Alternatively, you could also increase the skirt extrusion width if possible (more material=stronger) and/or print another layer of skirt on top (skirt layers=2).
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Tags: adhesion
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thread-5596 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5596 | Seemingly random lines on the surface | 2018-03-06T20:12:39.740 | # Question
Title: Seemingly random lines on the surface
I'm getting seemingly random lines scattered across the top surface of my prints:
Printer: Anycubic i3 mega
Slicer: Cura 3.2.1
Printer chosen in Cura: Prusa i3, *Gcode flavor* changed to *RepRap*
Cura Profile: *Fine*, "Outer before inner walls" enabled
What might be the reason?
# Answer
> 2 votes
Thanks to the answers of *fred\_dot\_u* and *Sean Houlihane*, I did some more research.
There are three features involved here:
* Combing (follow the already printed path when travelling)
* Retraction (pull back the filament while travelling)
* Z-hop (move the nozzle up while travelling)
The relationship between those settings is like this:
* Retraction is only done when not combing\*
* Z-hop is only done when retracting
Therefore to lift the nozzle when travelling, one must disable combing and enable retraction and z-hop. This prevents the nozzle from scratching the surface.
<sub>* it was deemed unnecessary, but that might change in a future version; there is also a plugin that changes this</sub>
# Answer
> 9 votes
This is the result of travel moves passing through/over the top surface. The combing setting can prevent this type of move (for walls, infill or top), and z-hop can avoid making any mark during these travels.
Both settings will affect speed. Z-hop will be active on every layer, for example.
# Answer
> 6 votes
Our local library has a genuine Prusa i3 Mk2.5 that recently had this problem. Because of the number of fingers engaging such a system, it was not immediately discovered that a different profile had been selected in which the Z-hop was turned off.
Z-hop is a feature in which the nozzle lifts slightly (and is height-adjustable) as it moves from one portion of the print to another.
According to my brief research, Cura supports z-hop in the settings. Either it has to be activated or perhaps slightly increased. The aforementioned Prusa works great with 0.5 mm lift.
# Answer
> -3 votes
It seems like the issue may only be that your nozzle has developed a bit of oozing. The g code likes to repeat the same patterns for at least a few layers every time it changes patterns and if it does the same pattern on the top 3-4 layers than by the time it reaches the last layer on the top that pattern will actually be the slightest bit raised above the rest of the layers because of the ooze building up along the same pattern for how many ever layers it followed the same pattern. Your nozzle is than rubbing on that raised pattern when it completes the last layer. This explains the randomness like OP said because the g code may not repeat the same pattern for 3 or more layers at the surface but without reading the gcode it would seemingly be random when and where they occurred. And truthfully if its a small oozing you could reprint this and it could be gone if you changed almost any setting in cura because the g code would be recalculated differently and new patterns would be chosen but so long as the new gcode did not have the same pattern repeat itself on the top 3 or so layers you would not have these raised patterns for the nozzle to rub on when finishing the top last layer.
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Tags: ultimaker-cura
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thread-4854 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4854 | Is it possible to 3D print shapes of atomic orbitals for a regular customer? | 2017-10-31T03:13:12.280 | # Question
Title: Is it possible to 3D print shapes of atomic orbitals for a regular customer?
**Disclaimer:** I am not a professional 3D printer, so I'm not really familiar with how 3D printing works.
I was thinking about trying to make a real life model of the atomic orbitals, to clearly see how the orbitals are really shaped. I thought about trying to 3D print a block, made up of colored transparent "ink", in such a way that the darkness of the color at a point in the block should be proportional to the ψ<sup>2</sup> value (probability of the electron cloud). This would print a block in which high density areas are darker than light intensity areas.
My question is, would it be possible to design an algorithm to print a specific darkness of ink at a specific location based on the computed value of ψ<sup>2</sup>, which is obtained by solving Schrödinger's Equation. Also, would it be possible to have this fullfilled at a reasonable price to be afforded by a regular customer, such as an engineering employee?
# Answer
As Darth pixel mentioned, your best bet would likely be to explore subsurface laser engraving which makes little bubbles inside acrylic to make it translucent (frosted) on the inside in certain places. However, it is expensive, it has no colors, and the resolution isn't usually great (it may look speckled on the edges instead of having a smooth gradient from clear to whitish).
A better option might be to 3d print a probability map of a 2D image an orbital cloud where height corresponds to probability rather than color. (So it will look like a hill or group of hills) This would only run you a few dollars.
> 4 votes
# Answer
**problem definition**
I'm not quite sure if it's really question for this group. Looks like the problem itself is more for programming or physics group. Having requested calculations (electron cloud shape) resolved, there will be something to print but...
**printing probability cloud**
at first, please take a look for example here
it's a review of 3d printing technologies. i think you should have clear picture if your idea is feasible or not.
IMO it's not with todays technologies. in general (and deadly simlified) we have 3 main printing technics
* out of solid (or semi-solid) filaments - can be colorful and semi-transparent but it's not homogenous in terms of your needs
* out of solid powders - can be colorful but it cannot be transparent
* out of liquids - can be really transparent and color but unfortunately not colorful
i'd say rendering but not printing is what you really need
> 2 votes
# Answer
3d printing a gradient like that will take:
1) A program capable of graphing color into your 3D model 2) A 3D printer capable of printing multiple colors (multi nozzle 3D printers) 3) Some way to convert that density function to a change in color.
There are certain types of files called .3mf files that can hold different color information- but I thinking relating the electron density to a change in color may be rather difficult (if possible at all).
I think a better bet is to go with the 3D probability map of a 2D Image, as suggested by Gumbo.
I have come across a neat little project that is half of what you are looking for. These are mathematically accurate, 3D printed atomic orbitals (graphed with their Schrodinger Equations). Link Here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00293
> 2 votes
# Answer
I suggest you look into Polysher: http://www.polymaker.com/shop/polysmoothpolysher/ and e3D cyclops extruder https://e3d-online.com/Cyclops you can make gradients of color.
But there might even be a smarter way to do alpha transparency than 100% infill with a transparent material:
1) making a lattice of opaque material nodes (where bigger or closer together nodes mean more probability), and using air as the transparent medium
2) dunking the 1) in resin
3) making the afore-mentioned lattice with a partially transparent material and dunking it in a resin of the same refractive index as the transparent material.
> 0 votes
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Tags: print-quality
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thread-5765 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5765 | Mains powered heatbed safety | 2018-04-06T11:45:29.320 | # Question
Title: Mains powered heatbed safety
I'm building a 40x40x40cm corexy and I am quite impatient so I want the heated to reach the target temperature as fast as possible, so I ordered a Keenovo silicone heater It is a 220VAC 1200Watt bed, so I really want to make sure that it is safe to use. I also bought a Crydom D2450 SSR.
Could someone tell me if the wiring in the diagram I made below is safe?
Do I need to put a fuse or some other kind of safety?
# Answer
> 1 votes
The most important thing is the following: **make sure that any exposed metal surfaces of your printer are properly grounded**. This includes the frame if it is made of metal, or the aluminium plate you might use as your heated bed. In the event of a fault, having the metal surfaces grounded protects you from getting shocked when you touch the printer. If any surfaces are aluminium, be aware that the oxide layer that forms on aluminium does not conduct very well, so make sure that you get a good connection.
You should consider adding a thermal fuse or bimetallic switch to the heated bed so power gets cut in case the bed overheats (to protect against the relay failing closed or firmware errors).
In principle, if the wires used are thick enough (capable of carrying at least 16A), then there is no need for a fuse. Assuming you are in a normal European household, then the mains line will already have a 16A fuse. If your printer connects to the mains using a IEC C13 connector (kettle lead, very common) then you should have a fuse rated (at most) 10A somewhere because this is the maximum rating of the connector. For a very small amount of added safety, you could use a lower-rated fuse instead (for instance 7A) but this is not required. Your heated bed can draw up to around 5A so you can't use a fuse lower than (or equal to) that. If you are indeed using an IEC socket to connect your printer to the mains, then it might have a fuse holder (or try to find a socket that does).
Your image suggests two possible fuse positions. It would be advisable to place the fuse near the live/hot connection, but as European power sockets are non-polarized, this is essentially a moot point.
# Answer
> 1 votes
The diagram you show is in compliance with the manufacturers' specifications so far as connections go. Make sure any wire you supply is rated for the voltage and current intended for use.
If there is not a safety cover (typically clear plastic) over the junctions where you'll be attaching wires, you should add a cover, or alternatively put the entire relay inside a UL-rated box with stress-release feedthrus for all the wires.
It never hurts to add a fuse or breaker in the source hot feed. I'd recommend slow-blow. **NEVER fuse the return side, since a fault or blown fuse here will leave everything live and floating**
That said, this is more of an electronics question than a 3D printer question, so you might want to wander over to electronics.stackexchange for information on general design safety for high-current systems like this.
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Tags: heated-bed, fdm, safety, wiring
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thread-3554 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3554 | 3D printing problem: waved walls | 2017-02-09T12:20:48.520 | # Question
Title: 3D printing problem: waved walls
## The problem
When I print with my mElephant 3D printer from Makeblock, the prints come out with waved walls like in the picture below. I am using PLA filament from https://makeblock.lt
## What I tried
I tried changing temperatures 190-220, tried to change the flow rate. Also checked if the bolts are not lose. Everything seems good.
## My printer
# Answer
I had the same problem with ABS, but printing different test objects I found out that the distance between the wavy structures depends on the cross sectional area of the object. Printing the testcube in 70.1% (1/sqrt(2) times of the original size) takes half the time per layer and the distance between two grooves doubles. I was printing ABS with 0.1 mm layer height and the simple bang-bang heat bed controller. The temperature is clearly wandering for 4° with a period of aproximately 2.5 minutes, which corresponds to the groove distances. After changing to a PID controller for the heated bed the temperature stayed within 0.1°C and the problem was gone. Several hundredths of a millimeter thermal expansion of the heated bed can have substantial impact at 0.1 mm layer height!
You can enable the PID controller for the heated bed in Marlin or Skynet firmware by enabling (removing the `//`) here:
> `//#define PIDTEMPBED`
and disabling (putting `//` at the beginning of the line) here:
> `#define BED_LIMIT_SWITCHING`
in Configuration.h. Calibration of the PID controller can then be done with the GCODE Command:
> M303 E-1 S90 C8
for 90°C. I had to preheat the heated bed before, otherwise the calibration would run into a timeout. The command will return parameters for the PID algorithm. The values can then be applied by the
> M304 P579.01 I100.87 D586.0
GCODE command (here for example values). Everything can then be saved to the EEPROM with
> M500
Bang-Bang controller:
PID controller:
> 6 votes
# Answer
Repeating patterns like that usually stem from issues in the Z axis. This is likely caused by bent screws which in turn cause the X axis to move around. Are the top of the threaded rods constrained? If they are, an easy fix may just be to let the top of the threaded rods float around by removing the constraint. Most Prusa i3's use 5mm threaded rod for the screws and 8mm smooth rod, does your printer use the same setup?
If your printer has 8mm (or 5/16") threaded rod you could try to get some that are straight or the better solution would be to get the 5mm threaded rods and just print adapters to hold the 5mm nut inside the trap. This would require new couplers (aluminum or rubber/plastic hose), 5mm threaded rods, nuts, adapters (printed) and a small change to the firmware. This works because the 5mm rod is more flexible than the 8mm smooth rod and less likely to force the carriage around.
If you already have the 5mm threaded rod/8mm smooth rod then I would look to make sure your X axis is tight and does not move around on the Z axis smooth rods.
This would be easier to point out if you include a picture of your printer.
Edit:
If your printer is the mElephant from Makeblock then I would try removing the bearings at the top that constrain the threaded rods and try the print again.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I have the same problem with a home made mini extruder. This happens only if the bearing stops rotating together with the extruder gear.
I notice that:
* The gear collects burrs of PLA while feeding, so reducing the traction to feed the PLA
* The bearing stops rotating when the pressure is too high or too low.
* The heat of chamber is too high and starts to smooth the PLA before arrives to the nozzle and needs to regulate the speed of the fan. This creates less force on feeding.
* The PLA has a mixture of ABS
* PLA has part hardened due overcooking, extremely dry, etc.
* The PLA have irregular diameters, for example is nominally 1.75mm but some sections vary 1.8mm or 1.9mm
* The nozzle starts to get cold due direct fan air flow. (maybe your main problem)
:) I've been a Quality Engineer for 20 years for plastic and metal processes, so I've had to analyze why I've had lots of problems, especially in cold weather.
I was thinking on buying a new extruder like you have, but if you have the same problem I do, the Extruder is not the problem. You need to check the points I described above.
This is the extruder I have, http://aprendiendo.laconeccion.com/mini-extrusor-3dp.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Looks like something is catching on the z axis. A bent peice would likely cause much smaller deformations unless it was very obviously bent. Something could be loose, allowing the vertical play, perhaps the motor mounts.
More likely I think is a level-difference between the z-axis worm gears, possibly caused by an obstruction, lack of lubrication, or possibly even the wrong lubrication. That's where I would look. Further, since it's a very consistent pattern, my guess would be your issue can be isolated to the tops and bottoms of the z axis worm gears. Even if it's not the issues I think, the issue most likely located at the top or bottom.
> 0 votes
# Answer
I had a very similar problem once and the culprit was the relative position of the filament spool and the printer. The spool was standing on a coaster next to the printer and it turned out to be enough to create a pulling force on the filament. I have moved the spool to a shelf above the printer and the problem was gone.
However, your printer seems to have a way more rigid Z axis than mine, so it is unlikely the issue here.
> 0 votes
# Answer
Is your printer new?
It could be that the factory settings for the step number per millimeter or inch on the "Z" axis stepper motors. I personally have not had this problem however you might want to check out https://www.simplify3d.com/support/print-quality-troubleshooting/.
Hope this helps :)
> 0 votes
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Tags: pla
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thread-5768 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5768 | Should I print in a well ventilated area? | 2018-04-06T14:59:52.603 | # Question
Title: Should I print in a well ventilated area?
With hot plastic being laid down layer after layer, I am worried about fumes. Should I only print in a well ventilated work space? Should I add additional ventilation?
# Answer
> 4 votes
The short answer is: **yes, it is always a good idea to print in a well-ventilated area**. The longer answer can be articulated as follows:
### Definition of "fumes"
"Fumes" is a fuzzy word that from a chemical/physical perspective includes at least three different things:
* **Vapour** \- the gas phase of a substance
* **Aerosol** \- a airborne suspension of tiny particles of liquid, solid, or both
* **Smoke** \- particles and gases emitted when a material undergoes combustion or pyrolysis (so really: a smoke is a combination of *vapours* and *aerosols* too... but the combustion/pyrolysis will have changed the very nature of the material, so it will be "vapours and aerosols of *a different substance*"
### Interactions with the human body
Each of the above has a different way of interacting with the human body. The list of possible interactions is huge, and out-of-scope for this answer, but just to mention a few obvious ones:
* Vapours tend to enter cells by osmotic pressure and can have carcinogenic effects by either attacking the genome of the cell or by disrupting its metabolic processes (think: benzene in car fuel)
* Aerosols can trigger the immune system, and in return have the body develop allergies or autoimmune reactions.
* Aerosols can deposit their particles on the cellular membrane, making it impossible for it to operate correctly and eventually fail (like neurons failing to transmit electrical impulses, for example)
* ...
### Composition of filaments
Modern filaments are a combination of different substances: the basic plastic (PLA, ABS, PETG...) that gives the name to the filament is almost always mixed with *other plastics* and additives that change its physical characteristics.
In some cases, the filament is host to *particles of other materials* (like wood, metals or phosphorescent compounds).
Each of the different materials have different transition and critical and flash points (the temperatures at which they will become vapour and ignite respectively), and different physical properties which in turn will affect differently the size of the particles in the aerosol coming out of the printer.
### Conclusion
The bottom-line is that it is close to impossible to have a *complete* understanding of how a given "fume" affects human health.
Typically the safety of a substance is tested in a lab by directly observing its effect on cells, or by performing epidemiological studies in a population, if the exposure data to a given substance is known.
When people comment on PLA being "safe" for example, they typically refer to studies that tested inert, cold, chemically pure PLA. But the *fumes* of a PLA filament will probably not be inert, nor cold, nor be exclusively PLA.
Additionally, it has to be observed that it is much easier to rule a filament harmful than safe: for it to be considered harmful it is sufficient to know that one of its components is harmful (for ABS that is typically studies showing the adverse affect of ABS aerosols on health). For it to be deemed safe, one must know that *all* if its components are safe, but most filament do not go through the rigorous testing required to ascertain that.
In conclusion, **it is always a good idea to get rid of the fumes from 3D printing regardless of the type filament being used**. The ideal solution is a printing enclosure maintaining negative pressure, but an enclosure with air filtering or a well ventilated room are also good options (ventilation can have adverse effects on printing quality though, due to drafts and their cooling effect).
# Answer
> 0 votes
There are some contradicting sources out there on whether plastics, especially ABS, have toxic fumes. It is well known that PLA is food safe, as it is an organic, biodegradable polymer being based on a particular cornstarch. This means that PLA *is* safe when printing, although it can produce foul smells from the dyes and other ingredients. As for the other plastics, it is most commonly said that the fumes are toxic, although, as stated earlier, there are some contradicting topics on this.
Here and here are some articles for further reading.
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Tags: ventilation
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thread-5762 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5762 | Arduino and Ramps powering up | 2018-04-06T05:18:29.500 | # Question
Title: Arduino and Ramps powering up
I want to run two stepper motors using Arduino Mega 2560 and RAMPS 1.4. But, somehow I burned the Arduino while I was connecting the motor and plugging the board to the computer.
Can I plug external power supply and USB connection to the computer at the same time?
### Additional info from comments
I am using RAMPS 1.4 with Polulo red stepper drivers and Arduino Mega R3. I am only using two Nema 17 stepper motors and not using any hotbed or anything else other than the two stepper motors for the x and y axes. I am feeding 11.9 V supply to the RAMPS board. When powered on, can I plug the USB to my computer?
Suppose I have connected two motors on the X and Y outputs of the RAMPS, and the external power supply is on, then can I connect my Arduino to my PC using USB? Will it burn my board or not?
My only trouble is that when the board is on load, connecting the USB to computer motors would take power by Arduino pins instead of the RAMPS external supply.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I had a similar issue building my Prusa i3 Mk2s clone. I was constantly hooking & unhooking my Arduino from my PC while the printer was plugged into the mains. At some point it had enough & it released some "magic smoke". Later on I found out this was the power regulator on the Arduino.
You shouldn't **need** to plug in the USB and the external power to the Arduino at the same time, but if you did, it is smart enough to only use one.
That being said, by default the RAMPS passes 12V straight to the Arduino in order to power it (the Vin pin).
# Answer
> 0 votes
The answer is, yes you can, but you need to follow guidelines.
Reversing +/- or otherwise incorrectly connecting power can destroy your electronics and cause fire hazard.
---
From RepRap wiki - RAMPS 1.4
> Maximum Input Voltage Power Supply without diode There are three limiting factors to the maximum voltage that you can put into the RAMPS:
>
> The Arduino Mega maximum input voltage Filtering capacitor maximum voltages PTC fuse maximum voltages First, the 1N4004 diode connects the RAMPS input voltage to the Arduino Mega which has a recommended maximum input voltage of 12 volts. If your board does not have this diode soldered in (or if you cut it), you will need to power the Mega through the USB connector or through a separate 5v line, but this allows a higher RAMPS voltage.
>
> Second, most boards use 25v or 35v aluminum electrolytic capactors (C2, C3, C4, C6, C7, C9, and C10). To be safe, you should only go to half of your rated maximum voltage -- thus if your board has 35v capacitors (code VZA) then you should use a maximum input of 17.5v. The absolute maximum voltage is determined by the pololu servo drivers, which themselves are limited to 35V.
>
> Third, the MF-R500 (5A) PTC fuse is rated to 30V and the MF-R1100 (11A) PTC fuse is rated to 16V. They will need to be replaced with real fuses.
>
> Power Supply with diode If your board has a 1N4004 diode soldered in, do not apply more than 12 V to it. Original flavor Arduino Mega are rated to 12 V input. While Arduino Mega 2560 can take 20 V, it is not recommended.
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Tags: diy-3d-printer, ramps-1.4, power-supply
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thread-5214 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5214 | Jammed extruder. Wanhao duplicator i3 Plus | 2018-01-03T14:10:48.047 | # Question
Title: Jammed extruder. Wanhao duplicator i3 Plus
I am new to 3d printing having only recieved it for christmas. The filament is jammed somewhere in the extruder of my Wanhao Duplicator i3 Plus. I have tried removing it with the included hook but was unsuccessful. Is there anything else I should try before I before I dismantle the extruder, which i very much want to avoid.
# Answer
I follow the techniques spelled out in this video on Tom's 3d: Basics: Cleaning out a clogged nozzle!
Essentially you:
* Heat up the hot end past the point you normally print at.
* Manually (gently) push filament out of the hot end.
* Turn off heat & continue applying pressure to the filament, until it quits extruding (it has cooled off).
* Set the heat on the hot end to normal printing temprature for the filament & immediately start pulling **firmly** on the filament, but not too hard.
* As soon as it melts enough, it will just "slip out" & bring any stuck crud with it.
I went ahead and bought some white nylon filament so I can heat it up hotter (good for cleaning out ABS) and since it's white, I can see the nasty crap it pulls out.
> 4 votes
# Answer
Try to preheat your printer, the temperature should be above 180°C then push the filament to come out from the nozzle just 4 to 7 mm, then take out the filament from the extruder. With this step the plastic lump will get soft and will release the filament.
Then use the tool to clean the nozzle pushing the residue inside the nozzle.
This is a common problem if someone tries to change the filament without feeding a little bit (3-5mm).
> 3 votes
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Tags: extruder, wanhao
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thread-5775 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5775 | Apply X-offset to gcode (re-slicing not possible) | 2018-04-07T17:56:22.463 | # Question
Title: Apply X-offset to gcode (re-slicing not possible)
I am currently printing the QTrainer aircraft from 3DLabPrint on my Anet A8, via the supplied i3-compatible gcode files.
So far, everything has printed fine, but the main undercarriage part tries to print off the left hand side of the bed by about 5mm.
I have tried manually adding an `M206 X-10` line to the gcode file, just after `G28 ; home all`, however this has not had any effect:
`G90
M83
M106 S0
M140 S65
M190 S65
M104 S220 T0
M109 S220 T0
G28 ; home all
M206 X-10 ; added by me
G1 E-0.8000 F1800
G1 Z0.200 F1002
; layer 1, Z = 0.2
T0
; tool H0.200 W0.450
; skirt
G1 X9.382 Y10.533 F6000
G1 E0.8000 F540
G1 X10.536 Y10.537 E0.0388 F1440
...`
However this does not work and I'm not clear on whether I am using this gcode command correctly, or whether my printer simply doesn't support that command.
Is there another way I can apply an X-offset to the gcode file (or printer) to move it a few cm to the right of the print area?
As I do not own Simplify3D and cannot currently afford it, re-slicing the STL files is unfortunately not an option.
Unfortunately there is no X-adjustment on the X limit switch (although I suppose I could temporarily tape something to the print head, so that it activates the switch sooner?).
My Anet A8 currently runs stock firmware, hooked up to OctoPrint and I have access to a Macintosh desktop computer.
# Answer
> 6 votes
You can use `G92` to change the coordinates the machine "thinks" it's at. If just after homing, you apply
```
G92 X-10
```
the machine now thinks it's at X = -10, while in reality it's at X = 0. This results in everything thereafter behaving as if it is shifted in the positive X direction by 10 mm (since if you then commanded a move to X = 1 the machine would move to what is physically X = 11).
---
Tags: g-code, anet-a8
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thread-5760 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5760 | Why is a heated bed important? | 2018-04-06T02:47:24.460 | # Question
Title: Why is a heated bed important?
I hear that heated beds can help with removing finished prints, but not all printers have them!
* Is this a nice to have or must have feature?
* Are there any downsides to heated beds?
# Answer
I'll try to give it a shot as the other answer (perfectly sound answer b.t.w.) does explain **"how"** we use heated beds, but not **"why"** they are actually needed for good prints.
Plastics or polymers are mostly **amorphous** (no macro crystalline structure) and usually relatively hard and brittle at low temperatures (this is referred to as "glassy"). By increasing the temperature of the plastics the state of the material changes as it becomes soft and more ductile (called the viscous or rubbery state). The temperature at which this transition takes place is called the "**glass transition temperature**". It is this temperature where you would heat your bed too (or close to this temperature). Below the glass temperature, the expansion is reduced/low because the polymer chains cannot move easily due to the closer packing and stronger inter-molecular forces; increasing the temperature increases the expansion lowering inter-molecular forces. The difference in stress between the bed and your print is therefore reduced (as of the expansion of the heated polymer).
This explains why we use heated bed to get the prints to stick to the bed. To answer your question why it helps in removing prints is that when the temperature is lowered, the polymer gets back into its "glassy" state, shrinks a bit and automatically loosens the print from the bed.
Indeed for printing PLA you can print without a heated bed, but for materials with a higher glass transition temperature and higher printing temperature it's almost a must to have. Downsides of heated beds are that they require a lot of power and when improperly installed lead to burned wires and connectors. It's usually wise to strain relief the wires from the bed and use proper gauge silicone leads and connectors.
> 7 votes
# Answer
It can help with bed adhesion. However, most 3D printing plastics will warp without a heated bed (since they shrink as they cool). ABS is notorious for this, although PLA is not so bad, and you can get away without a heated bed for small parts. ABS is so sensitive that you may need a heated (or at least draught-proof) enclosure, as well as a heated bed. If you are considering buying a 3D printer, it is best to get one with a heated bed, unless you are on a very restricted budget. If you buy a printer without a heated bed, you will soon realise that you need one.
> 6 votes
# Answer
There is no simple answer. I will only cover the three main filaments: PLA, ABS, and PETG.
* **ABS**:
+ ABS likes to warp, and dislikes breezes and temperature changes. so a heat bed is required, as is some way to keep breezes off and heat in (I use a plastic tarp over my printer).
+ Although there *are* print surfaces that will claim to stop the warp. but a print surface can not change the nature of the filament.
+ A heated bed is pretty much required for ABS
* **PLA**:
+ PLA is currently the most popular filament, it has low warping tendencies and it likes breezes, and prints really easy.
+ PLA does not need a heated bed, but if the part is big it may peel off the print surface.
+ A heated bed is optional but will help with any warping you may encounter.
* **PETG**:
+ PETG is described as combining the printability of PLA and the strength of ABS.
+ PETG is quite stringy and has a higher slightly chance of warping then PLA.
+ A heated bed is recommended, and will help keep it from warping.
Now, for print removal, a heated bed can help as well:
* Most PLA prints, especially *smaller* ones will remove just fine without a heated bed,
* *Medium* prints having a removal tool will get those off
* A heated bed is really helpful for removing *large* prints or prints that won't release using other methods.
> 4 votes
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Tags: heated-bed
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thread-5757 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5757 | Threads for nozzle (Anet A6 extruder) | 2018-04-05T17:17:46.723 | # Question
Title: Threads for nozzle (Anet A6 extruder)
How do I know what nozzle to get for my Anet A6 printer? I want to get some hardened nozzles because I would love to print with some glow in the dark filament, but I know that eats up brass nozzles fast. But there is so many thread differences so I don't know which one to get, or even what thread the Anet A6 is. Could I have some help finding the thread type and what hardened nozzles would be recommended?
# Answer
The Anet A6 uses the mk8 extruder (also used by the Anet A8). Please search for mk8 nozzles (for 1.75 mm filament). These nozzles use M6 threads. Standard nozzle size is 0.4 mm.
> 3 votes
# Answer
look for MK8 or V6 nozzles that are for 1.75mm filament.
but to answer your question the exact threading is M6 x 1mm thread pitch
both MK8 and e3d v6 nozzles use m6 x 1mm pitch
Source: manual measurement of both my brass mk8 and stainless steel v6 nozzle
> 3 votes
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Tags: nozzle, anet-a6
--- |
thread-5782 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5782 | Can I use external stepper motor power and USB connection | 2018-04-09T06:13:29.317 | # Question
Title: Can I use external stepper motor power and USB connection
I have a RAMPS 1.4 with Arduino Mega 2560 with 2 steppers connected to an external power supply using Polulo stepper drivers. The steppers are for X and Y axis movement. This external power supply is set to 12 volts and power is applied. I have configured the marlin firmware also.
Can I connect my setup to my PC using USB when the external power is also on? If i connect the USB while the external power is off, do the motors take power from USB? Will this will burn my board?
# Answer
The motors are powered from 12/24V external power supply, so the motors will not be powered. the ramps Schematics shows the connection diagram and the power is provided via the VMot pin/12V.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: ramps-1.4, stepper-driver, usb
--- |
thread-4755 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4755 | Small part bed adhesion | 2017-10-18T02:44:17.407 | # Question
Title: Small part bed adhesion
I am trying to print a model that has (at the start of the print) several small parts attached to the bed. Some of these parts have bed contact 2.5mm x 20mm.
After a few layers, if there are any imperfections in the previous layer, the hotend is bumping the imperfection and knocking the part loose.
I am using a genuine Prusa i3 Mk2s with Filaform PLA. I am slicing with PrusaControl and using the "Generic PLA" settings, which is giving me 215/210 degree hot end (first/other layers), and 55 degree bed. I have the fan enabled. The print bed is clean and dust free
How can I improve bed adhesion for these small parts, ideally without adding brims etc?
Thanks
# Answer
One technique is to add your own custom brims to the model. A couple of "Mickey Mouse ears", attached to each end of the piece, may be enough to keep it in place (and will also be easy to remove).
> 3 votes
# Answer
First off, in my experience 215 °C printing temperature is very high for PLA. Try using 200 - 205 °C.
And whatever you are printing, I can't see why brims would be a problem. Use a sharp knife to remove them afterwards. As you described the parts are thin and long, which increases heat contraction. Brims are essential for this.
> 2 votes
# Answer
My low-tech solution is to smear on some school/craft glue-stick. This is so quick and so easy yet it has saved me so many times from going any further troubleshooting adhesion problems.
My answer to a similar question describes this in full.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: prusa-i3, pla, heated-bed
--- |
thread-3925 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3925 | How to switch motor outputs and use E1 as X, in Marlin firmware? | 2017-04-26T09:12:27.487 | # Question
Title: How to switch motor outputs and use E1 as X, in Marlin firmware?
I broke up my electronics and now the output for X is not working. The stepper is OK.
There is any simple solution to remap the output pins? I want the E1 output to act as the X output.
# Answer
When using Marlin firmware you could easily change the pin layout of the extra extruder (E1) with the broken X stepper pins by changing the pins\_RAMPS.h file.
Download the firmware and open the firmware project in Arduino IDE. Navigate to the "Steppers" section of the pins\_RAMPS.h file and replace:
```
#define X_STEP_PIN 54
#define X_DIR_PIN 55
#define X_ENABLE_PIN 38
#define X_CS_PIN 53
```
for:
```
#define X_STEP_PIN 36
#define X_DIR_PIN 34
#define X_ENABLE_PIN 30
#define X_CS_PIN 44
```
and also change:
```
#define E1_STEP_PIN 36
#define E1_DIR_PIN 34
#define E1_ENABLE_PIN 30
#define E1_CS_PIN 44
```
to:
```
#define E1_STEP_PIN 54
#define E1_DIR_PIN 55
#define E1_ENABLE_PIN 38
#define E1_CS_PIN 53
```
When the file is changed an saved, build and upload code to your board and plug the connector of the X stepper into the E1 header.
> 6 votes
# Answer
you can find pin.h in marlin directory and in pin.h file change # define pinout of z motor and extruder motor
> -1 votes
---
Tags: marlin, reprap
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thread-5778 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5778 | How to determine real printing speed (TEVO Tarantula/Cura)? | 2018-04-07T22:06:33.297 | # Question
Title: How to determine real printing speed (TEVO Tarantula/Cura)?
Recently I noticed that Cura always is giving me less printing time than the print itself takes on my TEVO Tarantula with Marlin firmware.
The time difference is about 15 %, at requested 50 mm/s printing speed.
**How could I verify real printing speed?**
# Answer
**Printing speed is dependent by the firmware and physical properties of your printer**.
Slicers typically compute the expected time by assuming the printer will execute *exactly* what it is instructed to do, but a printer is a real object, with mass and momentum, and stepper motors that have an upper limit for their power output and rotation speed.
So for example, the GCODE may say "extrude 200mm at 100mm/s" and the slicer will compute that operation as taking 2 seconds. However the printer will need to accelerate and decelerate at the extremes of the movement, and it may even be incapable of reaching speeds over 70mm/s, so the *actual* operation will likely take 3 seconds or more.
Accelerations and decelerations account for most of the difference between ideal time and real one, and since the number and intensity of those is totally dependent by the GCODE/model being printed, **it is not possible to simply multiply the computed time for a given factor** (for example `1.15`, as your question seems to imply). A large cylinder printed in vase mode will have a printing time much more similar to the computed one that an intricate model with a very complex surface, for example.
In recent years, slicers that are maintained by a printer manufacturer (cura, slic3r PE) have become better at estimating printing times for their own printers, as the settings of the firmware are accounted for in the actual estimating algorithm.
If you use Octoprint, you may have noticed that the time estimate octoprint gives improves over time, as **octoprint will analyse the GCODE and measure the elapsed time, and will be able to guesstimate the real time with an increasingly degree of accuracy**.
> 4 votes
# Answer
I use a Anet A8 which has a system acceleration and jerk of 400 and 20 When i slice with Cura, then I use a gcode without acceleration control, because the printer does this by its own and a combination with the gcode acceleration/jerk control gets me some strange behavior (e.g. sometimes some ultra slow movement in fine detail sections, or random nearly stopped movement) But to get a realistic approximation for the print time, i enable the acceleration/jerk control in cura and then I get a really good result, that is really close to the real values.
And to be more specific to your question: It is e.g. 50mm/s \>\>maximum\<\< speed you can set, not a exactly and absolut speed. If you know your printer you can also experiment with the following approach: Set the max speed really high, so that the max material volume per time is the limiting factor and set the acceleration and jerk as low as needed for good results. So that your printer will accelerate on long lines as long as it can up to the point it has to deaccelerate for the next corner.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, slicing, tevo-tarantula
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thread-599 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/599 | Are the Makerbot 5th generation's initial issues resolved | 2016-02-18T02:52:21.660 | # Question
Title: Are the Makerbot 5th generation's initial issues resolved
I am considering buying a 3D printer for work (scientific research). On paper, the Makerbot 5th generation seems to be the best option, because the price is right for my budget, and also because I'm generally pretty busy, so I want something that's as close to "plug and play" as reasonably possible. This will be my first 3D printer and I have no prior experience with the technology.
However, any search for "Makerbot" brings up a raft of negative reviews from around the time of the 5th generation's first release, which mostly focus on issues with the smart extruder constantly failing and needing to be replaced under warranty. Many of these reviews point out that this may be an initial "teething" issue which might be fixed in later versions of the model, but now, one year later, I'm unable to find any information about whether this was indeed the case.
So: are the initial issues with the Makerbot 5th generation's smart extruder generally considered resolved, or is it an underlying flaw of the model that won't be fixed until the next generation?
<sub>I imagine that people might want to suggest alternative models in the same price range. That would be welcome, but I have an extra constraint, which is that I can only buy models that are available in Japan without a long delivery time - this probably limits my options quite a bit.</sub>
# Answer
> 9 votes
Makerbot claims the problems are fixed. I have heard from a number of resellers that the problems are fixed. Unfortunately, both of those are somewhat biased sources. It's surprisingly hard to get good info on the subject -- very few credible people are talking about recent experiences with the product line.
**Issue #1:** The main surviving user forum (https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/makerbot-users) has had the torrent of people reporting 5th gen issues more or less dry up. There ARE still people posting issues, but at a fairly low level that is not far outside what you would expect for an average hobbyist printer. What we DON'T know is whether the flood of complaints has slowed because they're working better, or because very few people are actually buying them any more.
**Issue #2:** The power-users and community leaders that typically evaluate and review 3d printers are all avoiding the 5th gen line like the plague. Makerbot burned up a lot of community good-will by going closed source with the Replicator 2, and lost more good-will through a series of misunderstandings over patent applications and the Thingiverse terms of service (Takerbot scandals), and put the nail in the coffin by **knowingly** releasing a non-functional 5th gen product line. Very few credible people are willing to give them a chance at this point, so there is a severe shortage of unbiased reviews.
**Issue #3:** Makerbot has a proven history of buying off journalists and reviewers to get positive 5th gen press. Some verifiable examples:
* Hundreds of fake 5-star Amazon reviews from paid review accounts. A relevant analysis: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2JI8LRRXZYNX1/ (Not verified, but related: a widely-believed rumor states that the German Amazon site actually wiped all of Makerbot's 5th Gen reviews because of blatant tampering: http://www.amazon.de/MakerBot-MP05825-Replicator-5th-H%C3%B6he/dp/B0183TP806/)
* The CES awards initially given to the 5th Gen line were given before Makerbot had functional firmware. None of the 5th Gens at the CES launch were functional. All demo prints shown were made on Replicator 2s. How could a non-functional product win awards? Not hard to figure that one out.
* Historical positive press in the 3DP journalism media (3ders, Make Magazine, etc) has been directly proportional to the volume of ad-buys from Makerbot or the parent company Stratasys.
I could keep going, but you get the idea.
So it's hard to evaluate the reality of the situation. **But even IF the Smart Extruder issues are truly all fixed** (jams, leveling issues, thermocouple connection, filament encoder failures, etc), **there are still meaningful problems with the product line.**
* The print quality is not impressive. The motion mechanics, which have not been appreciably changed to my knowledge, are not great. The Smart Extruder is basically a giant pendulum wobbling off the side of a non-optimal gantry selection of an H-bot architecture. Makerbot has addressed the floppy construction via firmware tweaks to significantly slow down the machine to give marginally-acceptable print quality. According to most reports I have seen, a Replicator 5th Gen will print significantly slower than a Replicator 2, for example. Expect in the neighborhood of perhaps 30-40% longer print times than comparable printers.
* The price tag is roughly double or even triple the current market price for the size and print quality output of the machine. There are so many great printers on the market now for significantly less money that it's kind of nuts to drop the cash on a Makerbot.
* It is marketed as a PLA-only machine. That's fine if you're printing art and trinkets, but it's not a great option for mechanical parts. While you CAN print other materials, this is not technically supported.
* The support plan structure has quite frankly become abusive. Makerbot used to have really helpful phone tech support, but the crushingly massive volume of 5th gen troubleshooting requests forced them into a paid tech support model. Around the same time, Makerbot shut down their user community forum and deleted links to external technical resources off their website. So unless you know the right places to go, support is scarce. For official tech support you must buy "Makercare" or pay for each help ticket. This is completely out of line with industry norms for a hobbyist/consumer 3d printer. They essentially took their biggest liability -- unreliable printers -- and tried to twist it into a profit center. I personally think this is a significant reason to avoid the company entirely.
Is it possible to get good results from a Replicator 5th Gen? Sure. But it's a poor value for the cost, from a company that has spent the last few years systematically driving away its former loyal user base. I would recommend staying away until there's some significant change in the product line at minimum.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I got (with no prior experience) a 5th generation model soon after its release and indeed had painful troubles with the extruder and had it replaced under warranty. Firmware from late 2014 on has produced much better results. It still needs far more work than -- say -- a laser printer, but that might be simply part of the technology.
Overall thus my answer is "yes".
I also just noted this week that Makerbot is about to rebase an improved Extruder+ that claims to further reduce clogging problems.
# Answer
> 3 votes
**TL;DR** \- Save your money and look elsewhere.
---
We purchased two Replicator 5<sup>th</sup> generation for use on two different campuses. They were purchased at the same time.
One of the units was defective out of the box and was sent back and replaced. Then the extruders became clogged again and again - on both campuses - through lighter than average use, I would say. We bought two new extruders, after we got as much use as possible out of the originals. Then of course they became useless.
Tech support recommended purchasing the Smart Extruder+ at a premium price, with a promise that this would solve all of our problems. They did for a short while. I must point out that these printers were not under heavy use situations. Now, we have suffered a catastrophic failure with one of the printers. Possibly a power supply issue, or main board. Time will tell...
# Answer
> 3 votes
Realizing this question is somewhat old, I'd like to add an update from the perspective of an owner.
I've used/tested the Smart Extruder+ on my Replicator+ for about a year now and have had great success!
I jumped from a Replicator Dual (balsa wood version) to the Replicator+, so I don't know first hand what the issues were with the original Smart Extruder.
Regardless, here are some of my impressions on the machine's Smart Extruder+:
* Swapping material is a breeze
* Calibrating the z-offset is much easier with the automatic adjustment (over older machines)
* Filament detection has saved me a few times when the filament got kinked or wrapped around the spindle. As well as I'm able to actually fully use a spool of filament now (over older machines)
* Temperature control seems to be much more consistent than older machines, but that typically stemmed from motherboard issues in the past
* While others may complain about separating extruders based on material type (ie one for PLA, one for Tough PLA, etc.), I find it a great way of ensuring quality. This ensures that there is no "cross-contamination" of materials and the wear on the hardware is a more standard rate.
# Answer
> 2 votes
I do not think the 5<sup>th</sup> generation is a reliable product. I think you are best going with the older Rep 2 - that printer is by far the best.
Makerbot jumped the ship and released the 5<sup>th</sup> generation before it was ready due to pressure from the board. Love the Rep 2 - by far the best printer out there. This is because if the extruder gets clogged you can easily fix it. With the 5<sup>th</sup> generation you will either have to send in the extruder for repairs or buy a new one completely.
# Answer
> -1 votes
I own a 5th gen printer and after teaching myself how to dismantle and clear the smart extruder of jammed filament I can attest to the machine working better than any other 3D printer I have used. I run the 3D printing section at Tampa Hakerspace and the MakerBot is much more reliable than the prusa or wanhao which we use at the space. I had problems with the machine initially but now it works like a champ
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Tags: makerbot, extruder
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thread-5790 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5790 | What's the best way to clean PETG residue from a magnetic steel sheet PEI? | 2018-04-10T14:44:26.957 | # Question
Title: 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?
# Answer
> 3 votes
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.
---
Tags: prusa-i3, maintenance
--- |
thread-5791 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5791 | Monoprice Select Mini v2 reattach boden tube to feeder head | 2018-04-10T15:46:15.637 | # Question
Title: Monoprice Select Mini v2 reattach boden tube to feeder head
I have a Monoprice Select Mini v2.
The Bowden tube has detached from the filament feeder head... it was actually pushed out by the filament (175 PLA) as it fed. It appears to have been held in place by a compression fitting inside the feeder head. I think the blue plastic collar provides the compression but I hesitate to attempt to remove it for fear of making matters worse.
Looking for advice on getting the Bowden tube and compression fitting back together without wrecking the feed
# Answer
I had a similar issue with my bowden feed system, those could be the reasons:
1. the pneumatic connector is not keeping the pressure on the pipe -\> replace
2. the Teflon pipe is faded/worn -\> try to cut the end of the pipe
3. the hotend/nozzle is clogged -\> clean/replace
4. the pipe is excessively bent and gives a lot of resistance -\> that usualy needs pipe/tube replacement.
5. the nozzle temp is to low -\> increase printing temperature
In some cases I had to cut the tube above the pneumatic connector and push it down to get it out as there was no way to pull it back from the collar.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: ptfe-tube, monoprice-select-mini
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thread-5788 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5788 | Using ramps on-load | 2018-04-10T05:35:41.457 | # Question
Title: Using ramps on-load
I have a RAMPS 1.4 with Arduino Mega 2560 with 2 steppers connected to an external power supply using Polulo stepper drivers. The steppers are for X and Y axis movement. This external power supply is set to 12 volts and power is applied. I have configured the marlin firmware also.
Can I connect my setup to my PC using USB when the external power is also on? If i connect the USB while the external power is off, do the motors take power from USB? Will this will burn my board?
# Answer
*Can I connect my setup to my PC using USB when the external power is also on?* As long as you are connecting the external power to the correct pins, yes you can.
*If i connect the USB while the external power is off, do the motors take power from USB?* No, the motors need an external power supply.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: ramps-1.4
--- |
thread-5795 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5795 | Can I use Bowden hotend instead of Wade for a direct extrusion? | 2018-04-11T10:22:31.987 | # Question
Title: Can I use Bowden hotend instead of Wade for a direct extrusion?
I am planning to buy 4 hotends (e3d clones I assume), but I am wondering if **the Bowden (long distance) be able to be used as Wade (direct extruder)?**. When the pneumatic fitting is removed there is a very similar filament drive to the throat/heat-brak and the collar size is same as wade. As per attached pictures, I think that could be possible.
# Answer
> 1 votes
You can use any of them, however the adaptor will be different to make it fit on your printer. I´m using the J-head on direct drive by removing the pneumatic connector; the distance from top to filament hole is close to 4mm, but does not affect the feeding. If the cylinder hasn't the pneumatic connector is possible to print a cap to mount the connector and make it remote drive
---
Tags: extruder, bowden, wade
--- |
thread-5804 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5804 | Print slipped away | 2018-04-12T21:40:23.060 | # Question
Title: Print slipped away
I try to configure my 3D Printer properly.
I printed this boat model https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2763854 (with a scaling of 0.6):The quality of the print looks nice but at the last roof the entire print slipped away. (e.g. no adhesion between bed and print)
Here are some printing configuration
* Printer: prusa i3
* Layer Height: 0.2mm
* Top/Bottom Tickness: 0.8
* Material: PLA
* Bed adhesion: 10mm Brim
* Printing Temperature: 200°C
* Bed Temperature: 60°C
* Travel Speed: 120mm/s
* Print Speed: 60mm
* Top/Bottom Line Width: 0.4mm
Is this common that the print can slip away? Is e.g. the raft bed adhesion a better option? I have read that glue could prevent the print to slip away. What kind of glue I should use? Could a hotter/colder heating bed prevent the print to slip away?
Thanks in advance
Edit: Added Pictures after extruder calibration (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb7lit5ZRq4):
# Answer
If your printer is a genuine Prusa i3, MK2 or MK2.5, it will have a PEI bed which requires no additional adhesive for a model to remain properly attached during the print.
The PEI should be cleaned with denatured alcohol prior to a print. If your bed has had many prints in one location, the PEI will lose adhesion. I've recently assisted a Prusa owner to change the PEI sheet which improved print adhesion greatly. The strange aspect of that is the problem was getting the print to release, not that it would not remain attached. The user now knows to move the print location around the bed and not always in the center.
In your case, all the parameters look good, although 60mm per second is rather fast, that should not have a big effect on adhesion.
Prusa printers have the ability to perform a live-z adjustment. The first layer being printed should have a slightly squished or squashed appearance. When you begin the print, use a skirt or brim to force the printer to outline the model. During that period, use the live-z adjustment to flatten the first layer, but use caution to not drive the nozzle into the print surface.
For testing purposes, consider to create a model of only 1 mm thick using the same settings. This will give you faster results on testing the live-z and getting a good bond to the bed.
I use 70°C for printing PLA, but the measured temperature on my glass bed is 60°C which leads me to believe that you have a good number. The printing temperature is reasonable too.
10mm brim is wide and further indicates that your adhesion may be related to first-layer nozzle height.
Post-photo edit: I can see in the image provided that the first layer has large air gaps. This is directly related to either the extrusion factor or the z-height. The remainder of the model looks too good to be extrusion factor, returning my first assessment of z-height problems as more likely.
Yet another edit:
As best as I can determine from your printer name, you do not have a genuine Prusa i3, but rather a Geeetech prusa clone i3. As such, many things are different. My suggestion about z-height is no longer valid, as the firmware is likely to be different for your printer.
I'm not a cura user, but my quick research shows that it's probably called flow percentage. Other posts on the 'net suggest that below 100% would be underextrusion. I've found a video that shows how to make your extruder match the 100% flow setting in the software. It's smarter to have the firmware represent accurate figures and the video will allow you to perform this calibration.
The z-height for your printer is related to print bed calibration. I was unable to locate anything useful to me with respect to that aspect of your printer. It appears that the bed has four leveling screws, although I'm not certain of that. If your bed leveling involves adjusting those screws, it is possible that all four (or three?) of them are too tight and have to be released a bit.
If you have bed calibration instructions, consider to perform them again, especially if you are going to adjust the extruder settings as per the previous video.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: prusa-i3, heated-bed, adhesion
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thread-5800 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5800 | Homing a stepper motor as an extruder using E0/E1 with an limit switch and end stop | 2018-04-12T05:36:23.263 | # Question
Title: Homing a stepper motor as an extruder using E0/E1 with an limit switch and end stop
Note: I have extended my question as some of you mentioned that the question is not clear.
I am using a RAMPS 1.4 board with an Arduino mega 2560. I need to drive a stepper motor as an extruder using either E0 or E1. I am using Repetier-Firmware and can drive the extruder (stepper motor) using the E0 (RAMPS 1.4). Now for my application, I need to make sure that the extruder is in home position before it starts to drive for the very first time. I am trying to use a switch to connect to the end stop and perform this homing operation. I can do this for X, Y, and Z axes. I was wondering how (h/w connections and firmware modification) can I do it for the extruder?
# Answer
> 2 votes
**The edited question** appears to mention that **the actual extruders of the print head need to home / limit themselves**. The answer is that this is not required. When operating direct or Bowden driven extruder setups, you know (or you can measure or find out experimentally) the distance that the filament has to travel from extruder entry to hot end (e.g. to load new filament). If already loaded, because you have printed before, you also know where the filament is (filament could stop after printing, personally I retract the filament en few mm after a print). When a new print starts you usually reverse the retraction at temperature and extrude some extra filament to prime the nozzle to counteract oozed out filament for instance. At that point, the nozzle is primed and the gcode G92 E0 is then used to tell the extruder this is the start at zero length, sort of the home position of the filament. All this is usually done in the start code of your slicer, similar to disabling bed and hot end temperature or final retract is done in the end code of your slicer.
**This answer below addresses the initial question**, this question was not quite clear. It was **phrased as of the head containing the extruders needed to be homed correctly**. The normal end-stops (can be mechanical or optical switches) already ensure that the printer head (containing the extruder or extruders) is homed correctly (if correctly configured in your printer firmware). The home offsets you define in the firmware define that you start at the origin (0,0,0).
Your question does not state what firmware you use, but e.g. in Marlin firmware these settings are found in the firmware configuration file.
In this file the following is defined:
```
// Travel limits (mm) after homing, corresponding to endstop positions.
#define X_MIN_POS 0
#define Y_MIN_POS 0
```
These values must be changed according to the offset between your switch and the origin of the heat bed (e.g. Prusa style printers have the origin at the front left).
For my Prusa clone printer I have defined:
```
// Travel limits (mm) after homing, corresponding to endstop positions.
#define X_MIN_POS -35
#define Y_MIN_POS -12
```
What this says is that the homing switch for the X axis is 35 mm left of the origin, etc.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I think the question has already been answered(if at all possible because the question is still not clear exactly what you mean), but let me try putting this a different way.
You have to ask yourself what is homing and why are you doing it. The purpose of homing your axes is to set their 0 position in space. This then means that any subsequent movements will be relative to these 0 positions and assuming the motors skip no steps should allow accurate positioning of the head inside the build volume throughout the print. In other words their relative position should match their absolute position. As has already been stated the extruder axis does not work like this.
Now I think some of the confusion from your question comes around what you mean by homing the extruder. The extruder position is defined by the previously mentioned X, Y and Z axis. The extruder axis however controls the position of the filament inside the hotend and therefore how much filament is extruded into the build volume. This axis is arbitrarily set to 0 using G92 at the beginning of the print because unlike the spacial axes the absolute position of this axis is not particularly important. Strictly speaking if you were to care about the extruder axis’ absolute position, home would probably be the start of the roll. This however is irrelevant. All that you care about during a print is that the extruder axis remains consistent throughout the print to allow accurate extrusion.
So typically at the beginning of a print you will prime the nozzle to ensure plastic is ready to be extruded as ooze from the previous print may create a delay between moving the extruder axis and plastic actually being extruded. Once the nozzle is primed however the axis position will just be set to 0 and then all future positions of that axis will be relative to where it started on the roll.
Hopefully that helps but if it doesn’t I think we still need more clarification of what you are actually trying to accomplish.
---
Tags: extruder, ramps-1.4, firmware, repetier, endstop
--- |
thread-5807 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5807 | Run custom code between G-code commands? | 2018-04-13T05:11:06.943 | # Question
Title: Run custom code between G-code commands?
I would like to be able to add custom commands/script to be executed during a print.
For example I would like to write some software to take a picture check the print hasn't moved off the bead between layers.
Does anyone know if any of the available software/firmware allows custom scripts or calling back to the computer before continuing printing?
I am happy to build/buy a new printer if anyone knows a control board that has this sort of feature.
# Answer
> 4 votes
A solution I use involves a 3D print server. I have defined shell scripts that address the GPIO ports of the Raspberry Pi that runs OctoPrint. OctoPrint is a 3D print server that can be accessed over your home network.
From the OctoPrint homepage:
> OctoPrint is the snappy web interface for your 3D printer that allows you to control and monitor all aspects of your printer and print jobs, right from your browser.
This print server application allows for specification of custom G-code commands (linked to system commands/scripts for instance; note this is a plug-in called "GCODE Systems Commands", see image below).
As an example, e.g. `OCTO100` is scheduled to run `fan_on.sh` shell script. This script in its turn drives a relay to switch the annoying extruder cooling fan that is always on when the printer is powered. These codes can then be used throughout your sliced file to do stuff you want (e.g. by using the TweakAtZ plugin of Cura). E.g. my extruder fan will stay on several minutes before it is scheduled off after a successful print through `OCTO110` which in itself runs the script `fan_off.sh`.
The scripts from the figure could be setup to schedule to do something, e.g. `fan_on.sh` controls a relay using port 22 of the GPIO of the Raspberry PI:
```
#!/bin/bash
gpio export 22 out
gpio -g write 22 0
```
So to disable the fan you would need `fan_off.sh` to be:
```
#!/bin/bash
gpio export 22 out
gpio -g write 22 1
```
# Answer
> 2 votes
One of the solutions could be adding a layer change script (simplifi3d has that out of the box) and then using marlin firmware you could set a value to digital pin that could triger external actions.
> Layer Change G-Code: I personally haven't had to use this, but I'm sure that there are some excellent reasons/ideas to use for this. If you'd like for a G-Code script to be inserted in-between each layer, than you can simply place it in this tab. One interesting use of this, is for the FlashForge Dreamer, to have the lights blink in between each layer, however that can be a bit too much at times!
The syntax for the M42 command is: M42 S(value to be written to pin) P (pin number) e.g. To set digital pin 30 high, you would use M42 S1 P30
> The MARLIN firmware will not enable you to change the status / write values to any of the pins in use for things such as the heaters, thermistors, end stops etc. The command will let you send values other than 0 and 1 to any pins which can output analogue values. (0-255)
# Answer
> 1 votes
I saw this 3 years ago, this is a closed loop control, I think is better that taking a photo then analyze it with a kind of optical recognition software which needs some of possible failures.
The video has also the link for the additional resources the 3d printer will need according his author.
---
Tags: g-code
--- |
thread-5815 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5815 | Filament being pushed back out the filament hole | 2018-04-14T01:52:18.217 | # Question
Title: Filament being pushed back out the filament hole
I just got a Monoprice Maker Select v2 off eBay for $200 and I'm very happy with it (so far). I'm learning a lot, but I've run into this problem that I cannot solve:
When I put filament into the extruder (it's a direct drive extruder), it works well for a minute or two and then the extruder pushes it back out the entrance hole where it should be inserted.
I have no idea why it's doing this. The weird thing is when it's being pushed back out it curls up, maybe from being pushed back up and being hot? It is unclear to me why it curls.
What I have tried:
* Multiple brands of filament but nothing is working (I'm not sure what type of nozzle is on the Maker Select v2 but I have printed a Benchy once before this with no problems);
* Unclogging - I took the cold end off and nothing looks jammed in it;
* Pushed a guitar string through the hot end and no jams.
I cannot figure out why it's doing this.
# Answer
Change the retraction distance, maybe you have a too long distance, that pushes the filament the whole way out.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: filament, extruder, hotend
--- |
thread-3732 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3732 | Cura 2.4 missing "split object into parts" | 2017-03-12T20:45:20.317 | # Question
Title: Cura 2.4 missing "split object into parts"
I have an stl with multiple parts that I want to split up. Cura 15 had an option to "split object into parts" but I can't find that in cura 2.4. Did it get removed?
# Answer
> 8 votes
I don't think this feature was implemented at all with Cura v2.x.
As the developers say on the v2.1 release, "Cura has been completely reengineered".
Finding proper changelog documentation appears to be pretty hard because they have not posted any actual changelogs except the "user friendly viewable" changelogs which only list additions of new features but don't display what everything they changed between each version of their application.
Here is the most complete changelog I could find. I do not see any mention of this feature. https://ultimaker.com/en/products/cura-software/release-notes
Going through the Cura 2 manual or the Cura 2.1 FAQ, also does not mention this feature. https://ultimaker.com/en/resources/20406-installation-cura-2-1
Furthermore, searching around for version 2 "split objects" lead to forum posts of people suggesting to use some other software to achieve this specific task. If you decide to go this route, I recommend Meshmixer from Autodesk to manipulate your models and then export to STL and import them to Cura either as a whole new position set up or separate model files where you can change them there as you need to (meshmixer allows for object repositioning around a defined build plate so you can just import the whole assembly into cura and then print).
It might also be worth to put in a feature request on the UM forums.
# Answer
> -1 votes
I think they removed it because it was inefficient (pretty slow). Still, I just started 3D printing and was a bit disappointed a seemingly easy task needed an other software (Meshmixer) to be achieved.
# Answer
> -1 votes
Nope, not in my version 2.4+
Seems like something so useful and silly to have to get yet another program to make it work. Like that is somehow faster? I have no problem with slow.
Can't believe it would be slower than hopping into another program, opening file, dividing file, saving stl file, then reloading into Cura again... Cura slicing it would need to be awfully slow for that to be faster.
# Answer
> -2 votes
You can split STL files in Cura 2.4 Just open your STL file in Cura and right click it. Select "Split object into parts"
---
Tags: slicing, ultimaker-cura
--- |
thread-4049 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4049 | Uses for PLA scraps | 2017-05-12T16:21:31.593 | # Question
Title: Uses for PLA scraps
I recently got a 3D printer and have been experimenting with it a lot, resulting in a lot of failed prints (as well as successes, fortunately).
I'd like to, if possible, find a way to reuse the material from these failed prints. I am thinking about two methods:
1. The obvious thing to do with the material is to chuck it in an old toaster oven and reuse it for injection molding. Is this something that is reasonably easy to do? If so, what temperature would be reasonable to use? What materials would be good to use for the mold? (off the top of my head, silicone or printed ABS with some kind of sealant seem the most promising)
2. Are there other ways to easily reuse the material? I've noticed that when PLA is heated to somewhere around 50-60 degrees C (120-150 F) it becomes somewhat soft and malleable. Does anyone have experience molding hot PLA?
EDIT:
To be clear, I'm specifically asking about ways to reuse scrap PLA material, not just leftover filament, and not ways to turn it back into filament or to just recycle it. I'm particularly interested in the viability of the two methods I suggested, and if anyone has experience (positive or negative) with either I'd like to hear about it.
# Answer
Here is a great article on the subject, How to make your own filament by recycling old 3D prints | Part 1.
At $20/kg for new material, it is going to be hard for recycling to break even; but, if the cost is not your concern, there are some options.
Here is another creative option that I just saw... Cue amazing electric guitar riff:
* Guitar Picks (and jewelry)
Here is the video: Failed Print Recycling Revisited // Guitar Picks, Earrings, and More.
> 7 votes
# Answer
I ended up buying a little handheld 3D pen. It comes in handy when printing models that require assembly. You can use the leftover filament in the 3D pen. If you don't have a 3D pen, you can use a soldering iron (as long as you can control the temp) to weld items together. I works well for part repairs and assembly.
The 3D pens is also handy for quick simple prints, as mentioned above. A guitar pick is a good idea and very easy to make with the 3D pen.
As for making your own filament, there are a couple of machines I would recommend looking into.
First you will need something to prep the material. This shredder will help.
To make your own filament, here are a couple of options
1. DIY
2. Off the shelf
Regarding Injection Molding, I have never done it, however found some good info on molding PLA.
> 4 votes
# Answer
https://preciousplastic.com/ Is a fantastic project that promotes plastic recycling into useful objects. They offer free blueprints, videos on how to build the recycling equipment, and offer suggestions on what to make of your recycled goods.
Personally, I am looking into making garden bricks or paver stones. I have not found the ideal temperatures or heating methods just yet.
> 3 votes
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Tags: pla, recycling, molds
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thread-5821 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5821 | Printing .stl file using ObJetPro 3D Printer | 2018-04-17T03:03:47.340 | # Question
Title: Printing .stl file using ObJetPro 3D Printer
I am trying to 3D print some shells for a project, and would like them to be about 5 cm long.
I created the shells in Blender and converted them to `.stl` files which the printer requires, but it tries to print them as 0.02 mm long. I am not printing them myself, so I have to rescale the files without access to the actual printer. I have tried scaling the object both in Blender, and when exporting them to `.stl` files, but can't figure out how to tell what size the printer will interpret the shells as.
Is there a way to make sure I have the objects scaled properly before printing them?
# Answer
> 3 votes
the best way is to install slicer on your pc and open the .stl file. Most slicers will tell you the size of an object and there is an option to rescale resize.
Using `Slic3r` you will have object details in the corner
Using CURA you will have a detailed view in scale mode
Also you can use online services CLICK
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Tags: software, scaling
--- |
thread-5817 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5817 | Print quality problem with M3D FDM printer | 2018-04-15T09:20:36.067 | # Question
Title: Print quality problem with M3D FDM printer
My model looks like this, does anyone know what's going wrong?
I'm thinking that if the small object looks like that, it's probably because of the slicer? And how about the bottom part of the cube... ummmm... I really don't know
I'm using an M3D printer, its own slicer and PLA at 205°C
Settings:
* Layer thickness: 0.200 mm
* Extrusion width: 0.375 mm
* Filament flow: 100% --\>98%
* Print speed: 30mm/s --\>42 mm/s
* Retraction amount: 2 mm
* Retraction speed: 6 mm/s
* Minimal travel before retraction: 1 mm
* Retraction z-hop: 0.150 mm
### Update:
The smaller object is using the same file but resized.
Here's the calibration cube. After I've changed the filament flow to 98%, it seems that the situation became better. But, it might also be the problem of the slicer as the two object isn't the same.
### Update :
Here are the settings
### STL Files
# Answer
> 1 votes
It appears that there are several issues with the prints.
* First layer too far from bed
The picture showing the bottom of the print clearly shows the deposited lines and gaps in between the lines. Please re-level the bed to get the print nozzle closer to the bed (usually a sheet of paper should fit between nozzle and bed without too much friction when pulled). **Edit after new information:** Your initial layer is definitely incorrect, a 0.4 (assuming you have a 0.4 nozzle) is too high, a rule of thumb is to not exceed about 75% of the nozzle diameter, so this should be max 0.3; this is a strong indication that your bed level is indeed to far from the nozzle. Also 1.5 mm line width for the first layer is way too high for correctly leveled bed to nozzle distance; this should be close to 0.4.
* Too much flow
Various pictures show zits and blobs that stick out of the print. The best solution is to calibrate your extruder.
* Too high temperature possibly/too few cooling flow
The deposited filament is not sharp, it looks like the filament it pretty fluid during the deposition. Please lower the temperature to 195 and or increase the part cooling flow.
* Z banding or wobble
The wavy walls show that the printer suffers from X-Y movement (eccentric movement) when the Z lead screws advance. This cannot be fixed easily as this involves the mechanics and the design of the printer.
To determine to improve the print quality you first should look at the bed leveling issue, second calibrate the extruder (see if you ask it to spit out 100 mm of filament it actually is 100 mm rather than randomly lowering the extrusion flow parameter) before you print some calibration cubes at reduced temperature and or increased part cooling flow.
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Tags: print-quality, 3d-models, fdm, m3d
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thread-3955 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3955 | Is there a way to print on a 3D printed surface? | 2017-04-27T10:03:51.680 | # Question
Title: Is there a way to print on a 3D printed surface?
I have a 3D printed object that I'd like to print on. Adhesive stickers are an option, but as the surface is rounded it's difficult to get a good film to stick well.
Is there any system to print on a 3D object (e.g. ink jet). I need at least 300dpi. Black in the first instance, but color would be nice for future projects.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Rather than post a series of links for various services and vendors, consider to use as a search term "hydrographic film at home" to find results to suit your purpose. The first search results I found excluded "at home" and indicated it was not suited for home/hobbyist use, but the modification resulted in vendors supportive of home users.
In advanced circumstances, the image printed on the film is topographically matched to the model to which it is to be applied. For home users, I suspect that is somewhat out of reach. Most of the products aimed at the home user are patterns or solid colors, although with care, one could combine films in sequential applications.
Effectively, the process involves a colored film floating on a water filled container. Certain products are applied to the film and to the prepared model to ensure bonding. Additional processes are required to protect the graphic-coated model after removal from the bath/container.
As with the other responses, it's not likely one will achieve 300 dpi resolution without resorting to the topographically matched commercial methods.
# Answer
> 0 votes
There are printer types that can print images into the material as it's being printed. SLA and SLS type printers are capable of this but I believe Polyjet printers are the best suited.
At 300 dpi though you might be pushing the edge of what is capable. to get that fine of detail your best option may be to look into getting a vinyl wrap for your part that is applied after it's printed. If you've seen cars with really high detail images on them, a vinyl wrap is typically how they're done.
### Note
I should state that the SLA and SLS embedded images are still in the R&D phases and being experimented with. Possible now, but not in production phase. The SLS version essentially ran another print head over that worked similar to an ink jet before sintering the layers. The SLA version I saw worked somewhat similarly, but had some 'unique' clearing processes.
# Answer
> 0 votes
A possible alternative, depending on the resolution limit of your 3Dprinter, is to embed the text into your design so the final result has the text raised a mm or so above the surface. You can then easily (!!) paint just the raised surface to highlight the lettering.
This is not going to work for 300dpi, though.
# Answer
> 0 votes
One option is to hire a painter to paint the image onto the surface. With a skilled painter, you could have a very photorealistic finish. Not sure if this would cost more or less than other routes.
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Tags: surface, color, graphics
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thread-5829 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5829 | Why is my filament pressed together at the nozzle | 2018-04-18T13:34:18.830 | # Question
Title: Why is my filament pressed together at the nozzle
When I wanted to take out the filament from the extruder, it didn't wanna come out, it was stuck (even when I heated up the nozzle). So I unscrewed the nozzle and it looks like the filament is all pressed together at the top of the nozzle (see picture). What does this mean? I am heaving issues extruding filament from the nozzle, the filament barely comes out and the extruder motor is clicking. Can someone help, please.
# Answer
As per attached picture I can see that the issue source could be:
1. the ptf tube is not inserted to the end of heat-break, or it is not straight-cut at the end - see this video for help
2. the cooler on the hotend is not working properly/not installed and heat goes up to the throttle and melts the material
3. an object in the nozzle that blocks the flow (usually a ptf tube particle that probably melted) - clean/replace the nozzle
> 3 votes
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Tags: filament, nozzle
--- |
thread-5827 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5827 | Software for 3d model to arc/curve gcode? | 2018-04-17T23:01:46.637 | # Question
Title: Software for 3d model to arc/curve gcode?
Is there software that can take a solid model, e.g. in STEP format, and generate gcode that includes arc/curve commands (G2, G3, G5) when possible?
# Answer
I have been looking at this also. But I can't find a STEP to GCODE software. So the answer to your question is no, not that I'm aware of.
Using STL files, which are approximations of the actual model using triangular shapes, slicers will generate GCODE not including arc codes. I understand that either the printer controller should take care of creating the arc gcode by reading multiple lines in advance and calculate if certain consecutive "straight gcodes" could be replaced by "arc gcodes" or the generated gcode file needs to be pre-processed off-line by separate software, or post processing scripts of slicers.
With respect to reading multiple lines in advance, the 8-bit controller boards are not powerful enough to do all these extra calculations as the different firmwares already utilize the full potential of these boards.
> 1 votes
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Tags: g-code
--- |
thread-5055 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5055 | Nema Stepper used in Flashforge 3D printer | 2017-12-01T05:53:46.393 | # Question
Title: Nema Stepper used in Flashforge 3D printer
I am using **Flashforge Creator Pro** and a **Flashforge Finder**
I want to know which NEMA stepper model is used in each of these two printers, or is it NEMA 17 for both?
Their model numbers are:
* `42HB40F08AB-04 [W-42MM, L-40MM]`, and;
* `42HD4027-01[W-42MM, L-40MM]`
# Answer
> 3 votes
Nema 17 is about the physical size of the motor, ie screw hole placement. It doesn't specify anything about the power of the motor. If you are looking to replace the motor, you need quite a bit more info than that it is Nema 17, such as the steps/rotation and the holding torque.
# Answer
> 1 votes
If you can access the stepper motors within the printers, then you should be able to obtain some basic measurements of its dimensions, in particular, the mounting holes. Then compare it with the dimensions of a NEMA 17 stepper motor:
Image from RepRapWiki - NEMA 17 Stepper Motor
The dimensions of other stepper motors, NEMA 11/14/17/23, can be found here: RepRapWiki - Nema Motor. The emphasis is mine:
> * Some (all?) NEMA 11 motors (is this specified in the standard?) have blind mounting holes about 4.5 mm deep, tapped to accept M2.5x0.45 metric bolts. **The 4 mounting holes are in a square 23 mm** (0.905 inch) center-to-center.
> * Some (all?) NEMA 14 motors (is this specified in the standard?) have blind mounting holes about ???? mm deep, tapped to accept M4 metric bolts. **The 4 mounting holes are in a square 26 mm** (1.024 inch) center-to-center.
> * Some (all?) NEMA 17 motors (is this specified in the standard?) have blind mounting holes 4.5 mm deep, tapped to accept M3x.50 metric bolts. **The 4 mounting holes are in a square 31.0 mm** (1.220 inch, about 7/32) center-to-center. The holes in the part that needs to be bolted to the NEMA 17 motor typically need to be reamed out with a 1/8" drill bit to allow the M3 bolt to pass through. The drive shaft is typically 5 mm dia.
> * Some (all?) NEMA 23 motors (is this specified in the standard?) have through mounting holes, a smooth 5 mm (0.2 inch) diameter. **The 4 mounting holes are in a square 47.1 mm** (1.856 inch, about 1+7/8 inch) center-to-center. The drive shaft is typically 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) dia.
However, knowing whether the stepper is a NEMA 17 or not may not be sufficient as there are very many variations of the NEMA 17, w.r.t. manufacturer and model. Again, please refer to RepRapWiki - NEMA 17 Stepper Motor to see a list of some of the NEMA 17 steppers available, and in common use in 3D printing.
The characteristics (Torque, Steps per revolution, Inductance Resistance, Voltage, Rated Current, etc.) vary greatly between models (*even* with the same NEMA type - 11/14/17/23), and some are more suited for particular applications than others.
---
With respect to your comment, why is NEMA 17 most common? Well, NEMA 23 steppers were used in some of the early \[desktop-sized\] printers, but then it was found that NEMA 17 steppers, which are smaller (leading to more compact, slightly less power hungry and lighter designs), offered less vibration whilst still providing *sufficient* torque. Smaller steppers (NEMA 14) *can* be used, but probably lack the torque to power a standard sized printer and can be only really used with very light-weight small printers.
NEMA 23 steppers are still used in larger \[industrial\] scale printer designs.
Again, from RepRapWiki - Nema Motor
> The first working RepRap used NEMA 23 Stepper motors for positioning and a different kind of motor for the extruder. As of 2013, most RepRap designs call for NEMA 17 Stepper motors or NEMA 14 Stepper motors for both positioning and extruding.
# Answer
> 0 votes
It most likely uses a nema 17 stepper motor. These are the most commonly used stepper motors. Since it is also the same company there is good reason to believe it uses the same steppers. Why must you know, anyways?
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Tags: stepper, flashforge-creator, flashforge, flashforge-finder
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thread-5848 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5848 | How to upload firmware to reprap printer? | 2018-04-20T08:25:09.537 | # Question
Title: How to upload firmware to reprap printer?
When trying to upload firmware I get the following errors:
1. `timeout - cannot sync`, or
2. `port is in use`
What can be the possible sources of these errors?
# Answer
There are mainly three reasons for that:
1. Arduino studio settings should be:
* Board: Mega 2560 and
* Programmer: AVR ISP
* **and valid COM port**, please see below:
2. Please close all slicer's instances (Cura, Slic3r, Repetiter) and host servers and other software that communicate with the printer as they lock the COM port;
3. Please check that the appropriate usb2serial drivers are installed and working - the best way is to start the serial monitor from the Arduino Studio Tools menu and see if there are any.
> 6 votes
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Tags: firmware
--- |
thread-5835 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5835 | Connecting disconnected pieces in Fusion360 Stencil. Sketch entire model then extrude | 2018-04-19T03:18:03.183 | # Question
Title: Connecting disconnected pieces in Fusion360 Stencil. Sketch entire model then extrude
I am trying to make stencils of Japanese Kanji characters with my 3D Printer.
I am very new to Autodesk Fusion360 so I am running into some barriers:
1. I am having trouble sketching a rectangle and then a text character and extruding them separately. If I extrude one they both disappear. Therefore I have to sketch one, then extrude, then create the next sketch object. How can I create both sketches and select different ones to extrude?
2. I am having this basic problem where my stencil has parts that are disconnected (see example below). I've tried sketching lines and thin rectangles to connect the pieces but they both didn't work. I once again can't extrude after it's created.
How can I connect the pieces after extruding? How can I connect them inside a text object?
# Answer
> 1 votes
As I see it, for a stencil you want the brown part with the white part(s) cut out.
This is easily doable. You can do this one sketch at a time, extrude it, and cut it out of the brown part.
To connect the inner brown parts to the rest of the brown, you'll need to cut a thin rectangle in the white character so that the inner brown pieces are connected to the outer brown pieces.
# Answer
> 1 votes
To answer your question about the disappearing sketch check out this answer: forums.autodesk.com - sketch disappears after creating body
The default behavior in fusion is that sketches are hidden after the first time they are used in an operation such as an extrude. You can just unhide the sketch by expanding the sketches group in the tree and clicking the light bulb.
# Answer
> 0 votes
May I suggest an alternative? Create your characters in a document editor (such as Word or OpenOffice), using a very large font size. Save the characters to an image file. Go to one of many converter sites, such as embossify or sculpteo, and let them make a 3-D model of your character.
---
Tags: 3d-models, 3d-design
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thread-5819 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5819 | Lead screw holder - shall I buy metal or just use a printed one? | 2018-04-16T12:47:45.427 | # Question
Title: Lead screw holder - shall I buy metal or just use a printed one?
I am on the way to building my own printer using 2020 profiles, TR8 * 500mm lead screw for the Z-axis. Still thinking if that will be a h-bot or coreXY, but this is another story.
As the printing table shall be mounted in a stable condition I am using this Tevo TornadoCube transformation as a base for the Z-axis. The guys are using metal housing for the lead-screws, but I am wondering if I just print this housing, lead screw mount, from thingiverse and add a 608 bearing - would that be acceptable?
---
### Update:
As per Oscar's comment, my bed will have a set of linear guides next to the lead screw, for stabilization.
This is also a nice solution for the Z-axis. In that case, I have same question: Can I print bearing housing and rely on it, or it is better to use metal ones?
# Answer
*Update:*
To answer your question, you could use either metal ones or printed ones. Metal housings are way more heavy that printed parts. The housing you refer to is not attached to the platform, but a static part connected to the frame. Weight is not an issue, stiffnes, strength and temperature stability should be of higher importance.
For metal housings attached to the Z platform weight may be an issue (if have many microsteps where the incremental torque may not be enough to raise the Z platform). Printed parts can be made stiff enough to house the linear bearings. In my experience printed bearing housings can be just as effective, I use those on my platform for my CoreXY printer as well as using leadscrew and linear guide rails brackets made of printed parts.
---
*Old answer, before question update:*
With platform movement (or printer head Z movement for Prusa designs) you face a few challenges related to the quality of the parts you buy. Note you want smooth operation of the platform (or head) without wobbling. It is customary to add linear rods or rails to guide the platform up and down, this is their sole purpose, therefore these rods need to be very straight and bought from a local trustworthy vendor (the Eastern oversea specimens are usually of less quality as I know from experience). Securing these linear guide rods could be done with printed parts, the plastic is stiff enough to hold the rods in place, and temperatures are usually not that high to play a large role (if so like in boxed up printers, print in high temperature resistance material), personally I use black PETG.
Secondly, the drive of the platform. Note that leadscrews are not perfectly round, nor is the coupling 100% in the center of the screw. From a mechanics point of view you should never constrain the leadscrews at both ends. This results in an over-constrained (indeterminate) system (of forces) that can induce even more problems. Optimally you fix one end close to the stepper, or the drive of the belt), it is arbitrary whether you use a metal or a plastic part for that unless there are constrains on size and thickness for a requested rigidity and leave the opposite side free. For Prusa clones I use lifting parts that house the lead screw nut rather than embedding the nut in the x-y idler coupler (this separates eccentric x-y movement from z movement and a handy advantage is that if something goes wrong in z min direction, the head will not destroy the glass or bed as it is not fixed to the lead screws). Something similar can be done for your platform. For my CoreXY however, I have not done so, it uses 4 linear rails of 12 mm and 2 leadscrews. PETG stepper mounts at the bottom drive the leadscrews using plum, not spring, couplers (the springy types should be avoided or a ("fixate-able") bearing or KFL08 mount should be placed at the other side of the driven side of the coupler and correctly mounted to the frame). Furthermore, I use Delrin or POM anti backlash nuts on a mount connected to the platform. All tall prints I make are perfectly straight, no wavy or wobbly vertical walls.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: printer-building, build-plate, lead-screw
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thread-5850 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5850 | Can I have a glass bed with only the center heated? | 2018-04-20T09:18:40.610 | # Question
Title: Can I have a glass bed with only the center heated?
I have a 15x15 cm heating resistor from my current printer (printing area: 12x12 cm).
I would like to switch to a glass bed and to rework my printer to increase the printing area to 20 cm (22x22 cm glass plate).
Would it be possible to use the old heating resistor placed only in the centre? this way I would have a smaller heated bed for ABS and a bigger one for PLA.
Would the glass crack due to non uniform heating? This is because glass has a conductivity of less than 5 W/mK, therefore the hot area will stay hot and basically never really spread the heat to the surrounding area. So the frame will be cold and the center hot, causing stresses.
Related: https://engineering.stackexchange.com/questions/31842/how-much-an-unevenly-heated-glass-plate-bows
# Answer
> 0 votes
The glass will be taking up the heat to slowly cover its full area. That means two things:
1. it will not crack as there is no thermal shock
2. it will put more pressure on the heater as there will be bigger heat absorption, so in an edge case, you could end-up with not getting a required temperature on the glass surface and/or the heating process will be very slow.
In that case, I personally will try that out and then if I have an issue with getting proper temperature, then I will buy a new heater.
---
A comment regarding heat expansion:
my glass is about 20mm longer than the bed and it is warm during the printing process. The 'breaking' stress is connected with temperature shock (an immediate temp change), not a relatively slow heating process. However, borosilicate glass also known as Pyrex (TM) expands very little. Much less than most metals. This is why it doesn't break when exposed to sudden hot and cold changes. So in short words - check tea lighter under your tea-pot and see how te heat is comming out from the centre
source
# Answer
> 5 votes
If you're using borosilicate glass (aka pyrex) then it won't crack. You can get squares of ~20x20 cheaply off aliexpress.
If you're using window glass, picture frame class etc then you might have issues with cracking, it will depend on lots of factors like the wattage of your heater and the temperature of the room.
Your biggest problem will be that the bed heats very non-uniformly, which is unlike to give good print adhesion. I'd suggest a sheet of aluminium underneath the glass if possible, it will allow much more even heating.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I purchased some very, very cheap thin glass from walmart (or home depot, cant remember for sure). Probably the thinnest kind available. Went through dozens of prints heating it up to 85C only at the center and never experienced issues with cracking. Personally I believe you’ll be fine. I can look for specifics if you need them.
---
Tags: heated-bed, glass-bed
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thread-5859 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5859 | How to create an accurate mask for a UV 3D resin DLP printer | 2018-04-22T18:45:17.527 | # Question
Title: How to create an accurate mask for a UV 3D resin DLP printer
The light of the build area of a DLP UV printer isn't evenly spread. The source of light is a 9 LED UV array. The light mainly falls of to the sides. This results in objects curing too much in the center, or not enough on the outer sides of the build area. One can compensate for this, making the LCD build area have a homogeneous intensity of light, using a mask. But it needs to be specifically created for each physically unique printer. Having a homogeneous illuminated build area results in better quality prints.
How can I create such an mask accurately for a UV 3D resin printer that uses DLP technique, like for example for a Wanhao Duplicator D7?
# Answer
I've created software to do just that. See the project on Github: CreateMask. It has a wiki page that explains what to do.
To summarize: you measure the LCD build area using a multi-meter and a light dependent resistor. You do this with low and high intensity masks. You feed the numbers in CSV files to the software, and the software will generate a mask for you by polynomial curve fitting. See this page that explains in detail how the mask is created, if you are interested.
You can download a release here.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, dlp, uv-printer
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thread-5863 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5863 | Monoprice i3 clone heat shuts off printing abs | 2018-04-23T18:33:31.267 | # Question
Title: Monoprice i3 clone heat shuts off printing abs
I have the Monoprice Select 3D Printer (i3 clone). I'm trying to print ABS. I set the temperature to 230°C for the extruder and 110°C for the bed. I can see the printer warming up to those temperatures and then when it gets there the bed and extruder set temperatures reset to 0, and the print does not start.
I pulled the ABS out and went back to PLA and printed a part without any issues.
Any thoughts on what the issue might be?
# Answer
> 1 votes
this could be connected to a thermal shutdown protection. Most firmwares requires a decent increase in temperature every few seconds.
if you use Marlin then in the source code you can extend thermal shutdown timings.
what to check: **check every single connector to eliminate any fiddling or play - risk of fire !!!**
**if any of wires goes hot - double check connections, replace wires/connectors**
1. note temperature change (how many seconds/degree) on the hotbead
2. then increase voltage on psu (probably you have a led psu - so there is a small regulator next to the connectors)
3. validate if that help
---
Tags: extruder, heated-bed, abs
--- |
thread-5865 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5865 | How can I stop the flare out of the bottom layers? | 2018-04-24T02:51:26.850 | # Question
Title: How can I stop the flare out of the bottom layers?
On nearly all of my prints, my first few layers are flared out slightly. I'm using painter's tape for the bed, and the bed temperature is at 60 °C while the extruder is at 205 °C. This seems to happen regardless of print quality settings.
Here's one example below:
That extruded rectangle shape is 19.50 x 19.30 mm on the outside on the straight part. On the flared part, it measures 19.92 x 19.70 mm.
Is there a way to fix this? If so, how can I improve it?
# Answer
> 6 votes
The picture is not very clear so this can be related to either:
* Overextrusion at the bottom layer (slicer setting) or an incorrect bed leveling (bed to nozzle distance too small), or
* this could be the effect called "elephant foot" that is primarily caused by printers with a heated bed. This issue is related to unbalanced printing parameters: heat bed temperature (too high) in combination with insufficient part cooling.
The general remedy for these problems is to level the bed (e.g. nozzle can be too close to the bed). "Elephant foot" can be reduced by reducing the heat bed temperature, re-positioning the cooling nozzle and/or start cooling at a lower height. Please experiment with the print parameters by printing XYZ 20 mm test cubes till you find the correct settings.
---
Tags: prusa-i3, pla, print-quality, anet-a8, simplify3d
--- |
thread-5874 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5874 | How do you program a 3D printer? | 2018-04-25T18:16:37.863 | # Question
Title: How do you program a 3D printer?
I'm thinking about building my own 3D printer/Laser Engraver/CNC. Since all use a standard Cartesian axis I wanted to be able to swap out tool heads depending on the purpose. I have everything thought out except the coding aspect of the project.
I currently own a 3D printer and am familiar with some of the coding aspects, gcode, stepper motor moment, axis zeroing, etc; but if I am to build a 3 axis system how do you go about coding it? Are there programs that automatically calibrate all the motors? Can I take existing 3D printer programs and adjust the stepper motor values and build plate area? or do I have to code a new printing program from scratch that can read gcode? For simplicity lets just talk about the printing aspect of the build as I realize that CNC's and laser engravers work on different vector systems. Thanks :)
# Answer
The foundation of any 3D printer is the controller and the firmware. Many devices are based on Arduino type controllers, with stepper motor driver boards either integrated or added as a plug-in component.
Some manufacturers will use in-house or outside resources and develop their own boards and firmware.
You can search for 3D printer controllers and get a pretty comprehensive list of the various devices available for purchase. Smoothieboard is one device, Raspberry Pi and Arduino as noted above, and others.
There can be found varying "flavors" of firmware to load onto these controllers as well.
The field is exhaustive.
To address your focus regarding the printing aspect, that's one stepper motor per print head/nozzle (usually) and involves calibrating the amount of filament dispensed from the nozzle per unit steps, or more easily understood, amount of steps per unit of filament movement. My stepper motor for the extruder has a planetary gear and moves 100 mm of filament for about 5000 steps.
All of the parameters you've noted are integrated with the firmware. Motor calibration requires movement per step or steps per millimeter to be entered, unless you purchase a turnkey system with the values loaded.
You can adjust many of the parameters from the slicing software, but it's more practical to determine the calibration settings, enter that information into your slicer and proceed with model management.
Look into instructables for others' build projects to see what they've accomplished and the steps involved in such a build. This can give you a starting point for your efforts.
> 3 votes
# Answer
this is an extension to fred\_dot\_u answer. As I am in the process of building my own printer, I decided to use RAMPS Arduino shield for electronics and Marlin firmware + Arduino mega2560 as a logic controller.
As above are battle-tested, I don't need to discover wheel again, but rather focus on the mechanics. The RAMPS mainboard will provide you with the ability to connect 5 steppers and 3 PWM regulated devices (that can be heat-bed, nozzle and fan or combination) and there is still possibility to connect more as a bunch of IO pins are ready to alocate.
MarlinFirmware is avalible on github, so you can download it and then provide all mechanical parameters that are needed to properly drive your printer -so that is:
1. Mainboard type
2. type coreXY, XZ ....
3. bed size (x,y)
4. gantry size (z)
5. steps / mm for steppers
6. thermal protection parameters
7. LCD display (if in use)
The main benefit of using Marlin for me is that printer configuration is extremely customizable.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: 3d-models, g-code
--- |
thread-5866 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5866 | How to change the voltage on a FLSUN QQ | 2018-04-24T05:03:01.530 | # Question
Title: How to change the voltage on a FLSUN QQ
I just bought a FLSUN QQ and the instructions say I need to change the voltage from 220 to 110. Sadly the instructions don't say how to do that. Can anyone tell me how to do it?
# Answer
I don't know if this is the case with all FLSUN QQ printers, but mine was indeed set to 220v as the instructions/user manual indicated. First I needed to remove the bottom of the printer. Then there was a switch on the side of the power supply with the following label:
I know the picture is terrible, but the lighting inside the base of the printer was less than optimal. It should be pretty easy to find once you know what you're looking for.
> 9 votes
---
Tags: delta, flsun-qq, power-supply
--- |
thread-5878 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5878 | Change Slic3r settings for left handed coordinate system | 2018-04-26T00:15:37.847 | # Question
Title: 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.
# Answer
> 3 votes
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.
---
Tags: slic3r, axis
--- |
thread-5822 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5822 | Is this banding? | 2018-04-17T03:29:28.043 | # Question
Title: Is this banding?
Are these vertical lines described as "banding"?
Would the most likely culprit be the extruder?
FWIW, this was printed in "vase mode".
# Answer
Ok, so it turns out that this was caused by a problem in my stepper motor drivers, which results in missed steps, as described on this guy's blog
The fix was to hook up these "TL Smoother" modules (I got these particular ones from amazon but there are a bazillion clones)
After hooking up TL Smoother, this is what the print looks like:
> 3 votes
# Answer
Banding usually refers to Z banding and manifests itself in a wavy/non-straight wall in Z direction:
This sort of banding is related to mechanical or design issues of the printer (lead screw (nuts), belts, play, etc.)
Your print, however, shows local thicker walls. It appears that these local thicker parts are related to the change in direction of the print head. A 3D printer does not print curved lines or arcs (although G-codes do exist for arc movement), all movements are straight lines. So the cylinder consists of straight lines. By rendering the cylinder with more triangels you could increase the amount of straight lines to form a better approximation of the cylinder circumference. You could also try to lower the printing speed, but since you did not post any printing parameters that will be a guess.
> 9 votes
---
Tags: troubleshooting
--- |
thread-5886 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5886 | How do I create a STL file from a 2 dimensional grid of data | 2018-04-26T23:32:47.440 | # Question
Title: How do I create a STL file from a 2 dimensional grid of data
Given a large set of data, I was able to create a 3D graph in Microsoft Excel. How can I create a STL file similar to this graph to create a physical model of this graph?
# Answer
> 1 votes
for that you can use openSCAD. Data can be represented as a multi-array and we can iterate on it via for loop
```
// data structure is x,y,z where z is value
arrayOfData=[[0,10,4],[0,21,9],[0,13,8],[0,41,2],[1,0,4],[2,0,180],[7,0,90]];
for(a=[0:1:6]) translate([arrayOfData[a][0], arrayOfData[a][1],0]) cylinder(arrayOfData[a][2],2,.5,false);
```
And where you get the model it can be intersected with a cube to get the desired shape.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I was able to solve this using the openSCAD using the surface command.
From the openSCAD documentation:
```
//surface.scad
surface(file = "surface.dat", center = true, convexity = 5);
%translate([0, 0,5])cube([10,10,10], center =true);
```
And creating a space separated data file:
```
#surface.dat
10 9 8 7 6 5 5 5 5 5
9 8 7 6 6 4 3 2 1 0
8 7 6 6 4 3 2 1 0 0
7 6 6 4 3 2 1 0 0 0
6 6 4 3 2 1 1 0 0 0
6 6 3 2 1 1 1 0 0 0
6 6 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 0
6 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
```
Then a STL can be exported of the data in openSCAD.
---
Tags: 3d-models, stl
--- |
thread-203 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/203 | How can I calculate volumetric speed for Slic3r auto speed? | 2016-01-13T17:57:10.633 | # Question
Title: How can I calculate volumetric speed for Slic3r auto speed?
I have noticed that Slic3r offers a speed setting called "auto speed" meant to give a constant filament pressure at the extruder, which I believe could eliminate filament grinding issues at higher printing speeds.
According to the tooltip in Slic3r, auto speed is calculated from two parameters:
* Maximum speed
* Maximum volumetric speed
Maximum speed speaks for itself, but how can I calculate the maximum volumetric speed of my print?
# Answer
> 6 votes
Auto speed is calculated from maximum volumetric speed in mm<sup>3</sup> per second. If you normally print at 80 mm/s, your extrusion width is 0.5 mm and you are printing 0.2mm high layers, your volumetric speed would be 80 * 0.5 * 0.2 = 8 mm<sup>3</sup>/s, which is the volume of plastic extruded by your printer every second when printing at that speed (not accounting for any die swell).
# Answer
> 2 votes
There's no fixed maximum volumetric speed that works for everyone, there's simply too much variables to account for. By using @Ian Williams explanation you can convert from volumetric to regular speeds but you still need to test what speed works best for your setup.
Just a few of the other variables affecting how fast material can come out consistently: temperature (nozzle & heat brake), extruder motor power, path friction between extruder and hotend, material compressibility, fluidity and glass transition temperature, ..
There are interesting topics on RepRap forums, like this one:
http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?262,654085
---
Tags: slic3r, print-preparation
--- |
thread-5164 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5164 | How to switch E0 to E1 for extruder? | 2017-12-21T15:14:44.507 | # Question
Title: How to switch E0 to E1 for extruder?
I have a K280 3D printer with a MKS V1.5 and Repetier firmware.
I’ve damaged the transistor associated with E0 (3rd one on the right) and so that means I need to avoid that. I’ve decided to switch to E1 for the extruder but I have a feeling I need to go in the firmware or Repetier host and manipulate that.
I don’t know how and any help would be great.
The only info I can access for the firmware is the EEPROM and it seems that I can’t edit the pins. Also, do I need to edit the pin for the sensor or just where the extruder goes?
# Answer
If you go through the Repetier-Firmware configuration tool for version 1.0.2 you can select the E1 stepper for the E0 extruder (or whatever stepper you want to use for it) in the tools tab sheet. I'm not familiar with Repetier, but if that does not work you would have to switch pin numbers.
If you already have a Configuration.h, you can use that one (by loading it into the configuration tool) and alter the E1 afterwards so that you do not have to enter all the other options by yourself.
**Edit:** After some investigation, you can find your configuration file here as described here, so the only thing you would have to do is to load the file in the online tool and adjust the E1 stepper for E0 extruder.
> 2 votes
# Answer
You can try editing the gcodes by searching and replacing E0 for E1, so this way the extruder E1 will be enabled.
Other way is setting the Slicer to use 2 extruders but everything for printing on E1 like: Perimeter, Infill, Solid, Support/raft/skirt, Support / raft interface.
The third one, Switch the transistor from E1 to E0 (your Q2 for Q1) or Q3 if you are not using the FAN output.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: firmware, repetier
--- |
thread-5666 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5666 | Music from the printer? | 2018-03-21T14:30:39.123 | # Question
Title: Music from the printer?
Harking back to the days of "singing disk drives," I am wondering if anyone's written music to be performed on a 3D printer. Most of us have noticed in passing that the servo motors for X and Y drive generate a different pitch depending on motion speed. With some care and experimentation, one could write g-code to produce not only a tone but even a 2-tone chord. So -- has this been done? Does anyone want to do so? (Note that there's no need to simultaneously produce a print, but that would be even classier).
# Answer
> 11 votes
Yes, it has been done before, see here and here.
The README file of the first repository linked above contains a detailed explanation of the basic idea/calculations involved. A short excerpt:
> As you can set the parameters of G1 in such a way as to precisely control the velocity and the distance of a movement along a certain axis, you can control the operation frequency of the stepper motors as well as the actual time to complete a movement.
On another note (pun intended), you can also play music by using the code `M300`.
# Answer
> 7 votes
I actually did this, on my Malyan M150.
After not that much experimentation at all it turned out that the frequency of the produced tone scales linearly with the speed of the motors. Due to the nature of the way humans perceive music, the actual frequencies do not matter at all, just the relative difference in frequency between the tones. This means that it is actually really easy to let a 3D printer play a tune, you just have to make sure that when the next tone needs to have a frequency that is for example 20% higher than the last one, the motor needs to move 20% faster, no need to actually measure at which speeds the printer produces which tones.
One of the main issues turned out to be the maximum speed of the motors, which wasn't high enough for some of the higher notes, but this issue could be solved by multiplying all the speeds by a number lower than 1, thereby lowering the required speeds while still maintaining the original melody. Playing two tones at the same time proved to be a bit too difficult for my not that great programming skills, while not being worth the effort because somehow there was quite a large difference in volume between the motors.
In the end, I made a MATLAB script that converts MIDI files to G-code with the following result: 3D-printer playing popcorn song
---
Tags: g-code
--- |
thread-5868 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5868 | Any family of plastics / filaments that bend and keep their shape? | 2018-04-24T16:40:29.547 | # Question
Title: Any family of plastics / filaments that bend and keep their shape?
Not asking for a product recommendation, unless there's only one product out there like this...
I have a need for a flexible filament that retains its deformation, kind of like silly putty. Are there any filaments out there that, after you bend or stretch them, they keep their shape?
I'm sure to some degree flexible filaments do this -- Which filament might be best? Commenters -- what's the scientific term for this?
Actually, metals exhibit this type of flexibility. Do any of the 3D printable metal filaments flex, bend, and keep their shape?
# Answer
To have a material be "flexible" and retain the shape after the "flexing", you need to apply a stress in excess of the elastic deformation stress. You will want a material that has the elastic deformation limit that is much lower than the ultimate tensile strength. Unfortunately, for plastics, this is difficult to find.
Most plastics are made up of tightly bound, long-chain molecules. Flexing beyond the elastic limit requires breaking these bonds, which introduces weak points in the plastic. You can see this by bending almost any plastic. Either it will snap in two, or you will see a light or white colored line along the fold. The lighter color comes from light scattering from the broken bonds.
"Flexible" structural plastics such as ABS are a copolymer (more than one type of molecule) in which one of the polymers is rubbery. The rubbery bits provide places within the bulk material where the stress can create strain that doesn't require breaking bonds.
I doubt that any 3D-printer FDM compatible filaments will satisfy your needs. A filament must keep its shape during printing, if for no other reason than to permit the extruder drive mechanism to apply pressure to the filament. There are 3D-printable filaments, but they are very elastic and return to their shape when the stress is released.
Some metals can respond to stress with by flowing rather than by elastic strain. Lead comes to mind. Someone suggested copper. There are several degrees of hardness of copper depending on the alloy and the annealing schedule after it was formed. Copper also work-hardens, becoming harder and more likely break under stress the more the copper flows under stress.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: fdm, print-material, lulzbot
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thread-5901 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5901 | Auger Paste extruder | 2018-05-02T15:59:01.423 | # Question
Title: Auger Paste extruder
I've made a paste extruder(plunger type), in which a plunger will push the syringe to extrude. Plunger movement is controlled by a stepper motor. In that arrangement, for g-code generation I've used inside dia of syringe as the filament diameter and inside dia of needle as nozzle diameter and to calculate extruder steps per mm, I"ve used the lead of threaded rod which controls the movement of plunger.
But it had several issues like air bubbles and unable to print thick pastes.
Later I've seen this video on Youtube. In which he later changed to a Auger bit mechanism and I've seen WASP LDM already made a successful one.
I'm trying to make one of these. But in this mechanism how to calculate the steps per mm for Extruder?
Is it same as the lead of Auger bit?? What about the filament diameter in slic3r settings?? Anyone have any idea??
Thanks
# Answer
To be precise we shall have all physical parameters of extruded material to calculate extrusion parameters. In that case, my approach will be to use try and check approach, as that will give a systematic problem-solving.
To set the steps/mm, we will focus only on the measured length after extrusion.
1. let's set the extrusion length to 10 cm, extrude and check the extruded length.
2. if we measure a different value, then we can use a formula to fix that `newStepsPermm = currentStepsPermm*(requestedExtrusionLength / measuredLength )` That need to be repeated as long as we will get requested length and this is a standard calibration procedure.
The minimal layer thickness will be connected with the way how the pasta behaves (how it is sticky, water amount etc) - so for that there is a need for a patience. My approach will be to create a sheet where I would store the ingredients ratio and a note about extruded material behavior.
To remove bubbles in the extruded material - the syringe shall be filled with caution and continuously to avoid material stacking as that produces air pockets.
---
Addon: To calibrate clay you can print a single line using manually prepared gcode. Amount of extruded material could be estimated by weighting conteiner/bottle or extruded material and that will give you an orientation of flow like gramms/mm or mm3/mm.
let's try this:
1. we have our steps//mm untouched
2. try to set printing speed for single line, so the clay will looks nice
3. if we have over/under extrusion - change feedrate by 5% up/down.
4. when the extrusion looks ok, then note all printed parameters
so if we end-up with printing speed 10mm/s and feedrate 140%, then we know that the steps/mm need to be multiplied by feedrate factor (1.4 in this case).
> 2 votes
---
Tags: extruder
--- |
thread-5903 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5903 | Anet A8 bad/inconsistent extrusion after changing nozzle | 2018-05-02T19:06:06.223 | # Question
Title: Anet A8 bad/inconsistent extrusion after changing nozzle
I just changed my nozzle on my Anet A8 after it was fully used up. When I started printing with my new 0.4 mm nozzle (same as before) my extrusion was VERY bad and inconsistent, even so bad I couldn't continue printing because it would pull the first layer off.
If I compare it to my extrusion before the nozzle switch, it is really bad, even though I tightened everything as before. I am quite sure it doesn't have to do with adhesion to the heated bed since I use tape with PVA glue.
Any advice on how to remove this under extrusion so I can continue printing?
All the specs:
* 25 mm/s first layer print speed
* 200 °C nozzle
* 60 °C bed
* PLA filament;
* 0.4 mm nozzle size
Let me know if there is anything else you need to know.
# Answer
> 3 votes
To be sure it's from your nozzle / extrusion mecanism, you could check calibration by extruding (in the air) 100mm of filament, and check how much it really uses. If it uses 100mm (or so), then the problem comes from any other parts (bed, filament feeding...).
If this is really an extrusion problem, first you can check again your extrusion step motor gear. If it's ok, then you could put back your old nozzle to ensure the new one is the problem... If all is ok with the old one, then yous should have something in your new one, or it's not a .4mm ?
# Answer
> 2 votes
Your good extrusion look also a little bad , and the bad extrusion looks like a big feeding problem. for this you need:
Feeding.- try to tight the presure of the feeder thread, the one that press the filament on the extruder.
Bed Adhesion.- Use between 32° and 38°C if you are using masking tape, on higher temperatures the masking tape becomes to peel off if any border of the printing part is close to the edge of the tape.
Sand the masking tape surface and clean it to be free of dust (eliminate shiny surface) with this is enough to get a good adhesion; I recommend TUK and 3D brands, they are sticky. If you need more adhesion you can spray a little hair spray, just one pass.
Clogged Nozzle.- you need to clean it, on your kitchen stove heat the nozzle until melt the filament, then use some cooper wire (some phone wiring has it) to remove residues inside the nozzle. If posible you can buy a drill bit with 0.4mm diameter to ensure a complete cleaning.
# Answer
> 0 votes
In the nozzle assembled properly? As I assumed that there were no other changes during the nozzle exchange process, then there is a risk of a gap inside throat and nozzle that just builds up and blocks the extrusion.
Please see this answer for an assembly hints.
---
Tags: extrusion, anet-a8, nozzle
--- |
thread-5913 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5913 | Zonestar Extruder motor does not work - what can I check? | 2018-05-04T09:36:39.083 | # Question
Title: Zonestar Extruder motor does not work - what can I check?
While this may seem like terribly noobish question, I'm sure one day someone will have same problem.
I own a ZONESTAR P802QSU (Bowden extruder) and all of sudden my extruder motor stopped working. What I did:
1. I check whether or not motor is moving freely - I can rotate it without any problems manually.
2. I checked out cable and plugs - everything seems OK.
3. I checked whether motor is working after plugging it into another slot in motherboard - motor works fine.
4. I checked if another motor works after plugging it into same slot on mainboard - and it does not.
It would seem that there is something wrong with E0-mot driver module, or with socket. I'm however totally at loss about what can I do with any of those. I do not have any electronic equipment except multimeter, and voltage on motor seems fine(11.3V between red and black, I guess V+ and ground). It sometimes seemed to get lower, but I'm almost sure it is my trembling hands.
After some googling, I started checking A4988 stepper driver with my multimeter. VDD was ~5V and VMOT around 12V, so it seems to work at least in this way.
What can I do, to see what is broken? Visually nothing looks like it burned out, but I'm fully aware it may not be visible.
# Answer
As this is not an obvious case, most printers' firmware has a **cold extrusion prevention**. That is usually set at 170C, so the nozzle need to be over 170 to allow stepper to move. I experienced that when I was assembling my TT and doing a cold run, to validate all mechanical movements and clearance.
In Marlin firmware, the extruder stepper is switched off after extrusion, so we can freely move it, but not other motors and that could give us a thought that something is bad with the driver.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Good investigation there! You are almost certainly correct that a driver chip has gone blooey. Personally I doubt it's worth the effort to locate and repair, rather than buying a new, trustworthy board.
I recommend this approach because one blown chip may well have caused (or been caused by) unrecognized damage elsewhere, which might then lead to future failures.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: extruder
--- |
thread-4970 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4970 | FEA in 3d printed solids | 2017-11-14T16:16:49.117 | # Question
Title: FEA in 3d printed solids
I would like to get a pretty accurate method to do finite element analysis (FEA) on my 3d designs considering the infill. I use *Autodesk Inventor* to design parts but the FEA can only be applied to a solid body (100% infill). Does anyone know software that can convert a 3d design to another but considering the infill so I can use FEA more accurately?
# Answer
Rhino will let you create a custom lattice structure inside the solid object, this can in turn be used to create infill using grasshopper (an inbuilt scripting tool):
* create a standard cell size and apply the lattice,
* convert the whole thing to solid,
* reimport into inventor
> 1 votes
# Answer
Check out Hypermesh Optistruct, which lets you perform topology optimization to identify the optimal distribution of material within any matrix in order to satisfy desired performance criteria.
https://altairhyperworks.com/solution/Additive-Manufacturing
Similarly Scott Hollister's work describes the procedure to design a porous scaffold to meet conflicting requirements such as mechanical properties for strength and porosity % for material diffusion etc.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16003400
> 1 votes
# Answer
In Tymrak, B. M., M. Kreiger, and Joshua M. Pearce. "Mechanical properties of components fabricated with open-source 3-D printers under realistic environmental conditions." Materials & Design 58 (2014): 242-246., the authors suggest that one of the strongest factors influencing simple tensile strength of a 3D printed part was the ratio of its measured mass compared to its expected mass calculated by the slicer. Given that many printers under-extrude (especially when used with manufacturer's calibration settings) the accuracy of your model may be moot if your model isn't as solid as you'd expect it to be. The authors also suggest that the presence of fillers and pigments affected overall part strength.
The researchers at the not-for-profit Nia Technologies develop technologies for 3D-printed prostheses. They have some published research, but I'm not aware if it includes their FEA technique or tools. From an informal discussion with one of their staff, it seems that material variability and even environmental conditions while printing have measurable effects on final strength.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: cad, infill, analysis
--- |
thread-5710 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5710 | Prusa i3 PLA fails to stick to first layer on curves | 2018-03-27T21:08:41.993 | # Question
Title: Prusa i3 PLA fails to stick to first layer on curves
I have been searching around on google and not found any answers to this dilemma. I am using a Prusa I3 printer with PLA, trying to print horseshoes for the company I work for. They are for model horses, so quality is fairly important. I seem to have gotten all the settings dialed in just the way I want them and for the most part, the prints come out fine. There is however one annoying thing that keeps happening. When the filament is going around the curve of the top of the horseshoe on layers beyond the first, the filament does not follow the curves of the first layer. But its not every time. It seems like it is just the 2nd or 3rd Layers that are doing it. I have adjusted the flow rate, the speed, the layer height, temperature, and nothing seems to get rid of this irksome issues. I can of course provide more in depth details, and am including a pic of what i am getting. Any Ideas?
# Answer
It could very well be that your print speed is too high (starting from the 2nd layer) for the motors to keep up comfortably. Try reducing the print speed to perhaps 75-80% of what you are using to see if it addresses the issue. You should also check you model to make sure there are errors in the STL. Sometimes such mesh errors can cause funny things to happen. Do you see the irregularities in the print preview at all?
> 2 votes
# Answer
I got the same problem on a Ultimaker 3 with Cura. The problem was, that there is a hidden option for the initial layer. By default the first layer is set to something around 130-150 % of the normal layer height.
So if you set up 0.2 mm the initial layer will be printed with 0.27 mm and this can cause problems. After setting this initial layer height to also 0.2 mm the print stuck really good at the bed.
I also made similar observations on my own Anet A8.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Is that printed on to tape? It looks *very* uneven. I'm guessing this is general bad adhesion and its just showing up best when going around curves. If you print onto tape, try putting it down with a squeegee, so it's absolutely flat and level with no creases or bubbles.
I've personally had very little luck printing onto masking tape.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Using a combination of external and small perimeter speed settings (Slic3r), as well as slowing down the overall print speed on the printer itself, I was able to get reliable curves on the horseshoes. I have also downloaded Cura and am playing with the advanced print options that it comes with.
> 1 votes
# Answer
possible solutions
1) try and increase the extruder temp by 5 degrees for the first layer and see if that helps
2) disable coolign for the first few layers.
3) try adding some PVA glue (washable school glue or elmers washable gluestick) to the masking tape
if the above failed set a z offset (in slic3r the z offset is in the printer tab)
3a) if you manually level with paper and have access to a caliper. change the z offset in your slicer, to a negative of whatever you used to level.
3b) if you manually level and you don't have a caliper set the z offset to -.1, if you used something thicker like a business card try -.15 or -.2
> 1 votes
---
Tags: prusa-i3, pla
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thread-5922 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5922 | How to execute firmware command from gcode | 2018-05-06T15:25:28.050 | # Question
Title: How to execute firmware command from gcode
I wrote a command in Marlin firmware which changes Neopixel color based on extruder temperature.
In my start G-code for I set the color to white. How to execute my above command from the end G-code so that the the color changes per request?
# Answer
As your color is based on the temp reading, as far as I know, there is no G-code to read a temperature and push that value to another command. The way you can do it is:
1. Static color change - use same method as you are setting to white
2. Intercept firmware temperature reading function and push that value to led module
> 1 votes
---
Tags: marlin, g-code, firmware
--- |
thread-5920 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5920 | What are various types of supports required in slicing the CAD model? | 2018-05-06T07:17:43.817 | # Question
Title: What are various types of supports required in slicing the CAD model?
Also, a visualization of the various types of supports required in slicing the CAD model is a plus.
I'm just getting started with Rapid prototyping and I had no idea about that. Is there any type of support we can select in the software settings or will it always get generated automatically?
# Answer
Support structure generation depends on the type of slicer you use to convert your model (STL model file) into printable code (G-code) for the 3D printer. Different options and solutions exist to add support depending on the slicer software applications. Alternatively, you could add your own supports to your models in 3D CAD programs.
Without giving an opinion on the slicer applications, the most commonly used slicers are Cura and Slic3r (both free) and Simplifi3d (paid license). Please choose your software and do some more investigations on setting up these applications for slicing and address your question with a more specific question.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, support-structures
--- |
thread-5929 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5929 | Stuck getting ANet A8 Printer to build layers | 2018-05-07T09:49:16.743 | # Question
Title: Stuck getting ANet A8 Printer to build layers
I have excitedly decided to get my feet wet in the 3D printing world, and being that budget is fairly small got myself an ANet A8 3D printer. I have it all assembled and am able to 'print' however I don't really have any luck getting a successful print to actually occur.
At the moment I am printing with PLA (start easy(er) is my logic) and had a few issues with getting the print to adhere to the print bed so found a plastic-like print surface that seems to adhere fairly well but I am still having issues :(.
When the first layers are being deposited onto the bed (extruded at 215, to a bed temperature of 60) they appear to adhere fairly well to the surface, and the layers start to be built up. However, after a random period of time, the layers lost adhesion to the print bed and start to move around the bed which stuffs up all the prints.
in terms of the extruder, the range for the PLA is 190 - 215. I tried lower tempertures but it did not really work in terms of properly melting the filiment unless it was around the 215 range.
To give you an example of how the prints come out, i have attached two images (front and back) of a set of prints. I stopped these printing as they lost grip on the bed.
*Bottom Layer (on the bed)*
*Top Layer*
---
Thanks heaps for helping a newbie out. I had tried changing speeds (faster and slower), changing temperatures and so on but i have no real idea what i am doing and was hoping someone far more knowledgable than me could give me some idea on where i may be going wrong and how to fix the issue.
---
My Cura profile;
```
[profile]
layer_height = 0.2
wall_thickness = 1.6
retraction_enable = True
solid_layer_thickness = 1.6
fill_density = 20
nozzle_size = 0.4
print_speed = 30
print_temperature = 215
print_temperature2 = 0
print_temperature3 = 0
print_temperature4 = 0
print_bed_temperature = 60
support = None
platform_adhesion = None
support_dual_extrusion = Both
wipe_tower = False
wipe_tower_volume = 15
ooze_shield = False
filament_diameter = 1.75
filament_diameter2 = 0
filament_diameter3 = 0
filament_diameter4 = 0
filament_flow = 100
retraction_speed = 45
retraction_amount = 4.5
retraction_dual_amount = 16.5
retraction_min_travel = 1.5
retraction_combing = True
retraction_minimal_extrusion = 0.02
retraction_hop = 0.0
bottom_thickness = 0.2
layer0_width_factor = 100
object_sink = 0.0
overlap_dual = 0.15
travel_speed = 50
bottom_layer_speed = 20
infill_speed = 0
inset0_speed = 0.0
insetx_speed = 0.0
cool_min_layer_time = 5
fan_enabled = True
skirt_line_count = 1
skirt_gap = 3.0
skirt_minimal_length = 150.0
fan_full_height = 0.5
fan_speed = 30
fan_speed_max = 70
cool_min_feedrate = 10
cool_head_lift = False
solid_top = True
solid_bottom = True
fill_overlap = 15
support_type = Lines
support_angle = 60
support_fill_rate = 10
support_xy_distance = 1.2
support_z_distance = 0.45
spiralize = False
simple_mode = False
brim_line_count = 4
raft_margin = 5
raft_line_spacing = 1.0
raft_base_thickness = 0.3
raft_base_linewidth = 0.7
raft_interface_thickness = 0.2
raft_interface_linewidth = 0.2
raft_airgap = 0.22
raft_surface_layers = 2
fix_horrible_union_all_type_a = True
fix_horrible_union_all_type_b = False
fix_horrible_use_open_bits = False
fix_horrible_extensive_stitching = False
plugin_config = (lp1
.
object_center_x = -1
object_center_y = -1
```
# Answer
> 1 votes
Your nozzle is way too far from the bed for the first layer. You should adjust the bed leveling screws to bring the nozzle closer to the bed, to the point where a piece of paper just barely fits between the nozzle and the bed. You should closely watch the first layer as it is being put down, the plastic should get squished slightly and there should be no gaps between adjacent lines.
---
Tags: extrusion, anet-a8
--- |
thread-5931 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5931 | Adding extra Z-offset to bed for PETG in Slic3r | 2018-05-07T12:01:12.850 | # Question
Title: Adding extra Z-offset to bed for PETG in Slic3r
Having printed exclusively in PLA for the past year, I'm now looking at trying out PETG in order to print a set of spare parts for my new Prusa i3 mk3.
I have bought a roll of PETG from Rigid.ink and their recommendation is to leave an extra 0.2mm gap between the nozzle and bed.
Can I achieve this extra Z offset in gcode using Slic3r PE, or would I need to do it using Live Z Adjust on the printer? How would I go about doing this if so?
Or is there some other way of doing it, so whenever I select my PETG filament profile in Slic3r, the extra Z-offset gets added?
# Answer
> 6 votes
An extra gap of 0.2 mm on top of your existing gap seems rather illogical as the filament is not squished at the build plate anymore. Furthermore 0.2 mm plus something you already have will soon result in a gap over 75% of your nozzle diameter (including your first layer; note that 75% is considered to be the max for good adhesion). The filament will then drop down to the plate... Possible effects/results can be seen in this recent question.
Having printed about 8 kg's of PETG, I have never had to add an additional gap. I have printed on various machines; Prusa clone, Ultimaker 3E and self build CoreXY. I use a 0.2 to 0.25 mm first layer thickness (for a 0.4 mm nozzle) while printing on glass or directly onto the aluminium bed using a PVA based spray glue (3DLAC). Beds are always leveled with the nozzle to bed distance of a sheet A4 printing paper. I have zero adhesion problems.
I would recommend you to try print as you would normally do and, when that does not work, increase the first layer in your slicer slightly. Printing temperature/speed towers is also recommended to find the best settings for your brand of PETG.
**Now to address your specific question how to change the offset in your slicer;** an additional offset can be added into your start code script by adding a move to a certain height and redefining the zero Z level. This should be typically done after auto leveling of the bed (if used). So before the first layer is being printed you could add:
```
; start code contains homing, pre-heating, auto-leveling, nozzle priming, etc.
G1 Z0.2 F500 ; Go to the level of 0.2 mm + your paper thickness
G92 Z0 ; This redefines the zero Z level
```
You can create custom startcode profiles in Slic3r (requires setting the Printer Settings) and store them with a specific name so you can have different printer profiles.
---
Tags: slicing, slic3r, bed-leveling, pet
--- |
thread-5940 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5940 | Linking an Arduino Mega with RAMPS and an Arduino Uno with CNC Shield to control more stepper motors using Marlin firmware | 2018-05-08T08:48:12.413 | # Question
Title: Linking an Arduino Mega with RAMPS and an Arduino Uno with CNC Shield to control more stepper motors using Marlin firmware
I've been looking for this for a while, and it looks like no one has tried it before.
Does anyone know if there is a way to link an Arduino Mega with RAMPS as master, with an Arduino Uno with a CNC Shield as slave, and get it to work on Marlin firmware?
Why do I want to do this? I'm planning to build a DIY heavy duty 3d printer that will use a lot more stepper motors than the typical prusa style machines, and I want to use Arduino to control it instead of custom CNC/stepper/3d printer controller boards.
Thank you!
Regards.
# Answer
> 2 votes
so points to that case:
1. how are you going to sync master/slave?
2. adding more steppers to master (even only for pushing control to slave) will limit speed in the whole system (this is mainly one of the reasons why we shall go to 32-bit platforms to print faster).
As marlin will give you a good grasp to convert g-code into steppers movement, then if you are willing to double or triple steppers number per axis, you can grab `dir` and `step` signal and forward it to other steppers drivers without the mess of syncing movement in time and board. If you are going to add a special tooling - then you shall add your mods to firmware as well.
---
Tags: diy-3d-printer, arduino-mega-2650, stepper-driver
--- |
thread-4745 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4745 | Cura: set z-offset | 2017-10-16T14:39:31.857 | # Question
Title: Cura: set z-offset
I'm having a Prusa i3 derivative printer with a capacitive sensor for the z-axis. It switches a tiny bit before the nozzle hits the print bed and hence needs a z-offset to be configured.
In Slic3r I have configured the z-offset to `-0.1` on the *General* page of the *Printer Settings*, but currently I'm evaluating Cura and can't find such a setting. Slic3r seems to apply this setting directly to the generated z-values in the g-code, so it does not use a short version at the beginning of the g-code. My current (except of the auto-bed-leveling part default) g-code:
```
G28 ;Home
G29 ; auto-bed-leveling
G1 Z15.0 F6000 ;Move the platform down 15mm
G92 E0
G1 F200 E3
G92 E0
```
Is there a way to configure Cura, e.g. using the *Start Gcode* options, to apply the z-offset?
# Answer
> 12 votes
You can trick the printer into applying an offset using the `G92` command:
```
G0 Z0
G92 Z0.1
```
First, we move the nozzle to `Z=0`. Next, through the `G92` command, we tell the printer to, from now on, treat the current position as `Z=0.1`. This effectively applies an offset of `-0.1` to the Z-axis, since if we now executed `G0 Z0` again, the nozzle would move down `0.1mm`.
Note that this needs to be done after homing and leveling to be effective.
Of course, you don't necessarily need to move the nozzle to `Z=0` for this to work. You could also just insert `G92 Z15.1` after `G0 Z15` to get the same effect.
# Answer
> 7 votes
# For Cura 3.1(?)+:
1. Install the plugin: Menu / Plugins / Browse Plugins... / scroll to "Z Offset plugin" **\<-- Install**
2. Configure the setting: `Printer Profile / Print Setup / Build Plate Adhesion / Z Offset`
* set positive value for nozzle liftup
* **set negative value** to bring nozzle lower for first layer (like -0.1 for your wanted scenario)
# Answer
> -1 votes
I built my printer five years ago with a similar issue and I strongly suggest that the physical 0 will be the actual 0 instead of tweeking it into the system. Especially if you are exploring and testing new methods, i.e. Cura vs Slic3r settings. In Marlin, you can insert a z adjustment for the endstops but it can create future complications if you decide to upgrade the machine.
Keep it as simple as possible, if a sensor is misplaced don't try to reverse calculate it, the pressure of the motors will nudge it and after a while you'll have the same problem...
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, g-code
--- |
thread-5947 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5947 | Large 3D printer 10'x10'x4' - Need G-code to tell when it stops extruding and to stop machine | 2018-05-08T18:08:12.410 | # Question
Title: Large 3D printer 10'x10'x4' - Need G-code to tell when it stops extruding and to stop machine
We use Simplify and have a large 10’x10’x4’ printer. We need G-code that when the extrusion stops the machine will stop and raise 10 mm as to not to burn the print, so we know where the extrusion stopped.
We are using beads instead of filament, which work great. We have a mechanical pusher of beads that once it stops spinning, we need a G-code to recognize it is not spinning anymore and to stop the printer at that point and to lift up 10 mm. Printer might go 3-4 days sometimes a week with no problems and all of a sudden no extrusion and machine keeps thinking its printing. We have to start all over.
Any suggestions?
# Answer
> 5 votes
G-code is likely not the solution to your problem. G-code are simple commands that are executed by the printer (e.g. "heat up the hotend to this temperature" or "move the extruder to this position") but there is no G-code for "detect whether the pusher is still running" (and besides, how could the printer possibly detect whether the pusher is running without hardware to do so?
You'll likely want to configure your pusher to somehow act as a filament runout sensor. This is a feature in Marlin (smoothieware has something similar) that allows you to pause the print by making an input on one of the control board's pins. You'll need to build hardware that detects the motion of the pusher, and if the motion is interrupted, pulls the `FIL_RUNOUT_PIN` low (in the case of Marlin). You can then configure what should happen next (e.g. raising the head and stopping the print) using `FILAMENT_RUNOUT_SCRIPT` (again, only if you're using Marlin).
---
Tags: extruder, software, g-code
--- |
thread-4603 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4603 | Anet A6 Firmware | 2017-09-10T18:14:23.907 | # Question
Title: Anet A6 Firmware
I've just finished putting my new Anet A6 together. Very nice build all together as everything fits really well.
I've tried a test print and I noticed something weird: as I try to home ONLY the Z axis to level the bed, the printer automatically moves the nozzle to the X0 Y0 after doing the Z0 first. It doesn't make a difference whether I do it on Octoprint Control or sending the G-Code, so it appears to be a Firmware thing. Why is the Firmware programmed like this is something I'd like to know because it makes the levelling of the bed a nightmare.
That's why I wanted to update the Firmware and here is where I got confused... seems that the Firmware used for this boards is something called Skynet3d. I went to their Github page and all they have are 3 section as follows:
1. A board profile for the Arduino IDE
2. What looks like the normal Marlin Firmware
3. Skynet3d Firmware, which is empty.
Inside section 2, all I see is a normal group of files corresponding to the Marlin Firmware and some configuration.h examples: they have one for the Anet A8 but not for the Anet A6
So, summing up my question is: *Where do I find the A6 Firmware?* I've seen a Youtube video of a guy with the A6 profiles, but I don't know the official source of them...
Does somebody know?
# Answer
> 5 votes
Skynet3D is an obsolete fork of Marlin Firmware that was created because the displays of the Anet printers have a different layout in terms of pin assignment. When the code stabilized, the fork of Marlin merged into the main code base. Configuration files for the Anet A8 and A6 have been added, see here for the A6, so when you flash Marlin to your board, be sure to copy these configuration files to the root code directory.
An overview of all active printer firmwares is given by *www.reprap.org* at List of Firmware.
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Tags: marlin, firmware, anet-a6
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thread-5959 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5959 | Only generate supports between object and bed (for a brain model) | 2018-05-11T17:53:10.460 | # Question
Title: Only generate supports between object and bed (for a brain model)
I would like to print a model of my brain (figure 1), it requires supports (figure 2). The supports also get generated between the brain folds/wrinkles of the brain by Slic3r. I only want the supports to be generated between the bed an the object, not within the object itself. I thought of writing a script to edit the g-code, is there an easier way out?
**Figure 1:** **Figure 2:**
# Answer
Within Slic3r, there are settings for support, which can be enabled to create support only from the build plate. This would still generate supports under the brain, but not within the hollow sections.
> 3 votes
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Tags: slicing, slic3r, support-structures
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thread-5963 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5963 | Nozzle heats while autoleveling (or before) | 2018-05-13T15:20:46.027 | # Question
Title: Nozzle heats while autoleveling (or before)
When I'm auto-leveling my Anet A8 with Marlin firmware, the nozzle heats to 195°C during the leveling process, which leaves drops of filament. I checked the resulting G-code but makes no sense to me:
```
M107
M190 S55 ; set bed temperature and wait for it to be reached
M117 Homing Axes
G28 ; Home axis
M117 Autoleveling
G29
M117 Cleaning Nozzle ; Indicate nozzle clean in progress on LCD
M109 S200 ; Uncomment to set your own temp run warmer to clean out nozzle
M107 ; Turn layer fan off
G21 ; Set to metric change to G20 if you want Imperial
G90 ; Force coordinates to be absolute relative to the origin
G0 X10 Y0 Z0.15 F9000 ; Move in 1mm from edge and up z 0.15mm
G92 E0 ; Set extruder to 0 zero
G1 Y190 E50 F500 ; Extrude 100mm filiment along Y axis 190mm long to prime and clean the nozzle
G92 E0 ; Reset extruder to 0 zero end of cleaning run
G1 E-3 F500 ; Retract filiment by 3 mm to reduce string effect
G1 X3 Y190 Z15 F9000 ; Move over and rise to safe Z height
G1 X3 Y0 Z15 F9000 ; Move back to front of bed at safe Z height to shear strings
```
My printer heats the bed, then homes axes while setting the nozzle temperature to 195°C.
Then autolevels and finally `M109 S200` does its job.
How can I prevent the nozzle from heating when there is no G-code for it (except the `M109 S200`)?
# Answer
> 1 votes
I am using CURA as my slicer, and it sets the bed and nozzle temp before printer start code is executed. You can easily check that by opening a file in a notepad and see, that there will be a few lines describing the job, nozzle and bed setting temperature and `the user code` that is inserted in printer properties screen.
To change that behavior - you need to open the file and move the M commands down after leveling is executed.
```
;FLAVOR:Marlin
;TIME:45
;Filament used: 0.0187665m
;Layer height: 0.2
;Generated with Cura_SteamEngine 3.3.1
M190 S60
M104 S200
M109 S200M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
```
**lines above are added by slicer so temperature is set before instritions from START G-Code section:**
```
G21 ;metric values
G90 ;absolute positioning
M82 ;set extruder to absolute mode
M107 ;start with the fan off
G28;
G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length
G1 F20 E3 ;extrude 3mm of feed stock
G92 E0 ;zero the extruded length again
```
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Tags: g-code, hotend, nozzle, anet-a8
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thread-5971 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5971 | What is wrong with my "disable sensor" gcode? | 2018-05-15T10:53:34.563 | # Question
Title: What is wrong with my "disable sensor" gcode?
I have a spool of translucent PLA filament that doesn't work well with the filament sensor on my Prusa i3 MK3. The translucency trips up the sensor, making it think the filament ran out. I thought I'd create a filament profile in Slic3r and disable the sensor in the "Start G-code" block that gets inserted at the beginning of the exported gcode file.
I've got the following code:
```
M900 K{if printer_notes=~/.*PRINTER_HAS_BOWDEN.*/}200{else}30{endif}; Filament gcode
M406 ; Disable filament sensor
M117 Filament sensor OFF
```
The first line is provided by Prusa's default PLA profile. The second line should disable the sensor, and the third line should print the "Filament sensor OFF" message. If I look in the gcode, it's there:
```
G92 E0.0
M221 S95
M900 K30; Filament gcode
M406 ; Disable filament sensor
M117 Filament sensor OFF
G21 ; set units to millimeters
G90 ; use absolute coordinates
M83 ; use relative distances for extrusion
;BEFORE_LAYER_CHANGE
```
But if I print this gcode file, I see no message, and when checking the sensor in the "Tune" menu while printing, the sensor is still on.
I thought I might have a problem with line endings, but looking at the file in a hex editor, all the lines seem to end with a `0A` line feed character, including mine.
Why isn't my printer doing anything with the M406 and M117 messages? Full gcode file here.
# Answer
> 1 votes
When you download the latest version of your firmware you find the implementation of all the codes in `Marlin_main.cpp`. Here you see that the M406 is not implemented! Hence it does not work.
# Answer
> 1 votes
As per github PR this is not implemented - see this PR for details Please check if your printer is processing M406 by issuing it manually.
In meantime, a sticker on the sensor will help you to print :)
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Tags: prusa-i3, g-code, slic3r
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thread-5796 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5796 | Full steps mode for Z axis stepper controller | 2018-04-11T11:44:13.350 | # Question
Title: Full steps mode for Z axis stepper controller
I have a Cartesian style 3D printer (FLSUN Cube), with two Z-axis stepper motors (1.8°, 200 steps/revolution) with T8x8 lead screw (8mm / 2mm pitch with 4 starts), and currently they are using 1/16 microstepping.
As I know, microstepping is an unstable state and can affect accuracy of the Z-axis. But many of modern 3D printers (like CR-10, Prusa i3 Mk2s and others) use similar microstepping for the Z-axis.
* Is it possible to use full steps?
* Does it improve accuracy if I use compatible layer height (like 0.04mm, 0.08mm, 0.16mm, etc) for my printer with 0.04mm per full step on Z axis?
# Answer
> 8 votes
Focussing on the questions at hand:
> Is it possible to use full steps?
This depends on your printer board. Many boards use dip switches to select the (micro) stepping mode of the stepper driver. E.g. a RUMBA board has dip switches located underneath the stepper driver boards (e.g. DRV8825 or A4988). Sometimes you also see jumper caps. **The answer is both yes as is no** as it depends on the board you are using.
> Does it improve accuracy if I use compatible layer height (like 0.04mm, 0.08mm, 0.16mm, etc) for my printer with 0.04mm per full step on Z axis?
Increasing the number of microsteps results in reduced *incremental* torque (for full step this is 100%, for 16 micro steps this drops to about 10%; this implies that a micro step requested by the controller may not effectively lead to an actual step as it cannot overcome the torque to turn the shaft). So highly loaded steppers could result in positioning errors. Resolution increases but accuracy will actually suffer. Furthermore, `Few, if any, stepper motors have a pure sinusoidal torque vs. shaft position and all have higher order harmonics that in fact distort the curve and affect accuracy.` according to this source. On the other hand micro stepping makes rotation go smoother (major advantage, see source). Interesting literature (must read) is this test and this paper.
**The answer to this question also depends on the situation;** when you load the steppers very highly, using micro stepping may result in more inaccurate movement compared to full stepping. When you use the lead screws native resolution for your setup, only when the stepper is actually at the full step position, you would benefit as in this position it will not dwell to the next full step as it is already in the stable position.
---
As a side remark I've added the correct calculation of the native resolution of your lead screws. From your question I deduce that you have Tr8x8(p2) lead screws. "Tr" for trapezoidal thread, followed by the nominal diameter in mm. The digit after the "x" tells you how much the nut advances per revolution, this is called the lead of the screw. The value between the brackets "p2" denotes the pitch. This means that the screw has 8 (lead)/2 (pitch) = 4 starts. So with every revolution of the stepper (200 steps) the nut advances 8 mm which translates to 8/200 = 0.04 mm per step of 1.8°.
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Tags: z-axis, stepper, microstepping
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