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thread-13821 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/13821 | Mesh bed levelling does not update any more after MemoryError | 2020-06-06T13:17:22.703 | # Question
Title: Mesh bed levelling does not update any more after MemoryError
I have had issues with printing on my i3 MK3, especially when it came to the first layer. In March 2020, I have installed the Prusa Mesh Leveling plugin for Octoprint. With that plugin and a Nylock nut modification, I was able to reduce the bed variance from 0.6 mm down to 0.014 mm and prints were great. That took about 25 rounds of calibration and I didn't have any issues with the graphics not updating.
Shortly after that, my filament sensor stopped working and I ordered a replacement, which I installed yesterday. But today, my prints are bad again, especially the first layer. So I thought I would simply run through the calibration and mesh bed leveling again.
First, I turned the screws in the wrong direction, so the result became worse and I needed several attempts until the results went into the correct direction. I'm currently at ~1.0 mm bed variance, which is very bad and I need to continue leveling the bed.
Now, the graphics does not update any longer. It always shows the same picture.
I also noticed some different behavior of the mesh bed levelling procedure. Usually, after running the mesh bed levelling, the printer needs some time (~5 secs) before it will react to other commands like a move on the Z axis. I used the following technique to find out when to reload the graphics:
* run mesh bed levelling
* tell the printer to move up 10 mm on the Z axis
* as soon as the print head moves up, it was possible to reload the graphics
Now, the print head moves up immediately after the mesh bed levelling, without the ~5 secs delay and the graphics does not update.
I have already tried:
* click the "reload heat map" button
* run mesh bed leveling again
* restarting Octoprint
* resetting the printer using the X button
* looking for disk space via SSH
.
```
pi@octopi:~ $ df -h
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/root 7.3G 1.9G 5.1G 27% /
devtmpfs 182M 0 182M 0% /dev
tmpfs 186M 0 186M 0% /dev/shm
tmpfs 186M 2.7M 183M 2% /run
tmpfs 5.0M 4.0K 5.0M 1% /run/lock
tmpfs 186M 0 186M 0% /sys/fs/cgroup
/dev/mmcblk0p1 42M 21M 21M 51% /boot
tmpfs 38M 0 38M 0% /run/user/1000
```
In the log file (`octoprint.log`) with output level set to `DEBUG`, I could see an entry:
```
2020-06-06 12:19:52,261 - octoprint.plugins.PrusaMeshMap - INFO - Generating heatmap
2020-06-06 12:19:52,288 - py.warnings - WARNING -
/home/pi/oprint/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/matplotlib/pyplot.py:522:
RuntimeWarning: More than 20 figures have been opened.
Figures created through the pyplot interface (`matplotlib.pyplot.figure`) are
retained until explicitly closed and may consume too much memory.
(To control this warning, see the rcParam `figure.max_open_warning`).
max_open_warning, RuntimeWarning)
```
As you can see, this was at 12:19. The last graphics I saw is from 12:37.
The logs also contain a message on 12:40:
```
2020-06-06 12:40:39,262 - octoprint.util.comm - ERROR - Error while processing hook PrusaMeshMap:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/home/pi/oprint/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/octoprint/util/comm.py", line 2849, in _readline
ret = hook(self, ret)
File "/home/pi/oprint/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/octoprint_PrusaMeshMap/__init__.py", line 90, in mesh_level_check
self.mesh_level_generate()
File "/home/pi/oprint/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/octoprint_PrusaMeshMap/__init__.py", line 236, in mesh_level_generate
fig.savefig(self.get_asset_folder() + '/img/heatmap.png', bbox_inches="tight")
[...]
File "/home/pi/oprint/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/matplotlib/image.py", line 512, in _make_image
output = self.to_rgba(output, bytes=True, norm=False)
File "/home/pi/oprint/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/matplotlib/cm.py", line 259, in to_rgba
xx = (xx * 255).astype(np.uint8)
MemoryError
```
On 12:46 I rebooted the system
```
2020-06-06 12:46:08,761 - octoprint.server.api.system - INFO - Performing command for core:reboot: sudo shutdown -r now
```
but of course that graphics is still missing and the last available graphics is the one from 12:37. So, after the reboot one needs to run the mesh bed leveling again.
Still, no luck...
OctoPrint version is 1.4.0, OctoPi version 0.15.0PE, Prusameshmap Plugin: 0.3.0. As far as I can tell, that's the latest version available.
What can I do to make mesh bed leveling work again?
# Answer
I have formatted the SD card and installed Octoprint from scratch. That's nasty, because I lost all the models I uploaded.
It seems to be a bug in \__init\__.py of OctoPrint-PrusaMeshMap (archived Github repository).
That code saves the heatmap in this line:
```
fig.savefig(self.get_asset_folder() + '/img/heatmap.png', bbox_inches="tight")
```
It uses Pyplot
```
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
```
and thus the code should probably use (untested!)
```
plt.close(fig)
del fig
```
to free the resources. Unfortunately it's not possible to file this as an issue because the Github repository is in archived mode and thus readonly.
> 1 votes
# Answer
You have found a bug in the OctoPrint plugin. As you noticed, not more than 20 graphs can be created/open at a time. This implies that the developer has not implemented pyplot correctly, this is a common mistake that I have ran into myself once or twice. You should notify the developer.
The problem is that the old graph is not destroyed or not properly updated (I think it is intended to update the graph). The code passes the create plot multiple times and after 20 graphs it will drop the error message.
If you reset the Pi or reload the Octoprint server you are probably good to go for another 20 graphs.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: prusa-i3, bed-leveling, octoprint
--- |
thread-14563 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14563 | How to print spiral(spring) static? | 2020-10-10T19:46:37.463 | # Question
Title: How to print spiral(spring) static?
I have designed this model:
My goal is to make it static, no vulnarable to shakes. The pitch is 40 mm with 4 revolutions. The dimensions of the 'wire' are 5x5 mm. Which settings for printing should I use to archieve hardness? I plan to make the wire 5x10 mm height, 4 walls, 0.28 layer height, 0.5 nozzle size. PLA. I don't know if this is overkill or it will be useless.
I hope you can give me suggestions about printing settings and model dimensions. I know that's spring design, which is made to be springy but I need it for other use.
Second design. Less springy, but not by much. My last hope is to print it horizontaly.
# Answer
> 1 votes
If you want an helicoidal object which acts relatively rigid, you should pick a plastic which is very rigid to begin with. In the case of 3D printing, probably PLA is the best choice. Make it as thick as you can in all the directions where you have no constraints.
Still, it's an object which will be hardly printable without dissolving support material. You need a two material 3D printer if you want to get good results.
---
Tags: 3d-models
--- |
thread-14558 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14558 | Why does my Anycubic Predator print backwards? | 2020-10-09T20:49:52.050 | # Question
Title: Why does my Anycubic Predator print backwards?
My Anycubic Predator prints really well except for everything being backwards. Text and anything that is right or left handed comes out mirrored. The same files print correctly on other printers.
Is this a software issue or hardware?
# Answer
> 1 votes
The right-hand coordinate system is the most used system on printers. So, when facing the front of the printer, the most common arrangement using a is:
* X+ will move the print head to the right
* Y+ will move the print head away from you (towards the back of the printer)
For a Delta printer, when facing the printer, the Z pillar/tower should be at the back, the X tower on the left and the Y tower on the right. Do note that these tower are not corresponding to the axes movement, but are simply named as such so that you can use the designated stepper axes as indicated on your controller board. If you position the printer this way you have access between the X and Y pillars.
If the prints are mirrored in X direction, you need to swap X and Y steppers. X is the left column, Y the right.
---
Tags: delta, anycubic-predator
--- |
thread-14562 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14562 | Vertical 5 mm diameter hole comes out fine, but diagonal 3 mm holes keep collapsing | 2020-10-10T18:33:50.613 | # Question
Title: Vertical 5 mm diameter hole comes out fine, but diagonal 3 mm holes keep collapsing
I am trying to 3D print an object from Shapeways. Confidentiality prevents me from sharing the actual STL files publicly, but what I can say is that it's a shape about 2 cm tall x 4 cm wide x 4 cm deep, and where the design specifies a vertical hole 5 mm in diameter, the hole comes out fine, but where the design specifies multiple holes 3 mm in diameter, passing diagonally through the shape (at a 45° angle with the ground), the holes seem to collapse (i.e. I can't see through them, and if I push a straightened paper clip through the hole, it's blocked). This has happened repeatedly (e.g. Shapeways offered to re-print some shapes for free when they came out defective, but this happened the second time too).
I am new to 3D printing and trying to figure out:
* Is the hole more likely to "collapse" if it's diagonal rather than straight up and down? Is this because when the shape is being 3D printed, it's oriented exactly as shown in the design, and so before the 3D printing materials have fully solidified, the holes are more likely to be collapsed by gravity? Or does it have more to do with the diameter of the holes, and if I made the shape with 5 mm diagonal holes, they might not collapse?
* The material I'm picking from Shapeways's options is "Black Natural Versatile Plastic". Are there other materials that are less likely to have this problem?
# Answer
A member of the public on Stack Exchange's forum gave me the answer:
"The problem is not the hole 'collapsing' in and of itself. The problem is the material. Versatile Plastic is a layered powder fused together with a laser in multiple layers, so the unused power has to come out from the various holes in the model once printing is completed. However, these layers are also very thin and compact. Therefore, if you make a small enough hole, the powder simply won't flow through it and it becomes stuck. Due to the small dimensions you listed (of said hole) it's gonna be difficult to free it due to the sheer compressing forces involved. When working with such fine details Versatile Plastic is not the most indicated material.
The only correction you can make to rectify the problem is changing material. Fine Detail Plastic would be a good choice for a new test, although it is not cheap compared to Versatile, is certainly cheaper than metals.
Fine Detail Plastic should provide you with a good result if you feel like trying it out."
ShapeWays technical support told me basically the same thing, and added that ordering the shape in black might also exacerbate the problem:
He said that when a model has holes in it, a human actually pokes the holes to get residual material out if possible. Then he adds: "The last issue would be that Black indeed causes additional issues. If the production team isn't able to clean the model properly, or didn't do their work right, this could become and issue when we dye your model. All Versatile Plastic is printed in White, when selecting a colored finish such as black, we dye the model using a bath of regular RIT DYE. If the hole still has trapped powder, the bath will make the loose powder wet and make it become sticky, in combination with the dye this causes it to become chunky on the inside."
TL;DR: I can try to fix it by using Fine Detail Plastic, or I could try ordering in white and then painting it black myself to avoid gunking up the holes (the insides of the holes don't need to be painted black).
> 1 votes
---
Tags: troubleshooting, 3d-design
--- |
thread-14570 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14570 | Useless head movements in PrusaSlicer | 2020-10-12T11:27:14.187 | # Question
Title: Useless head movements in PrusaSlicer
I love PrusaSlicer but I am having a problem. As you can see in the picture the head makes movements that seem useless
(blue lines that come out of the print in the corners and go back instantly in the object) and these make damages to the object during the print.
How to configure PrusaSlicer so that doesn't happen again ? Thank you.
Edit : Thank you for your answers but I think we have a misunderstanding. I already have z-hop activated, the real problem is that the slicer makes the head move outside the print (that's what you can see on the first screenshot, every blue line crossing the print shouldn't exist). I actually don't have this problem with curaengine on repetierhost as you can see in the following screenshot :
# Answer
I found the solution : It was the option "avoid crossing perimeters" that seems to do exactly the contrary of what it means. Thank you all for your answers.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Enable Z-Hop. I don't know what the actual parameter is called but it should say something like "Z-Hop".
> 0 votes
# Answer
In PrusaSlicer 2.0, use the Filament Settings Tab, Filament Overrides entry.
Look for Lift Z, click the box, enter a suitable figure. 0.2 is a good place to start. You can raise it if needed, lower it to decrease (minimally) the overall print time.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: slic3r, prusaslicer
--- |
thread-14580 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14580 | Order in a line command in G-code | 2020-10-13T19:10:24.833 | # Question
Title: Order in a line command in G-code
I've started learning G-code for 3D printing and I'm quite confused.
I'm using an Ultimaker S5 printer and the firmware is : 5.5.12 - 20200226-UltiBot
1. Is there a difference between `G1 F1200 X188 Y92 E0.01` and `G1 X188 Y92 F1200 E0.01`?
2. Most of my code looks like: `G1 X[coordinate] Y[coordinate] E[num]` without Z! How is this possible?! My model is a 3D-model so how come the letter Z appears about 5 times in tens of papers?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
# Answer
I haven't used every flavor of gcode or firmware, but I've never seen the parameter order be important, provided that:
1. The **G** or **M** code was the initial entry; and
2. Each parameter was clearly listed with one or more spaces between parameters; and
3. No spaces were in between the parameter letter and the value.
We use a custom version of Repetier firmware to run 3D printers and Fadal CNC machines, and in every use `G1 F1200 X188 Y92 E0.01` would be evaluated and executed completely identically to `G1 X188 Y92 F1200 E0.01`
Nearly all gocde variable values are persistent, so if Z remains unchanged because it is only specified once per layer, or if Z remains unchanged because it is explicitly specified (with the same value) on every line, there should be no difference in the behavior of the printer.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: g-code, 3d-printerworks
--- |
thread-12168 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/12168 | How to have double extruder and double Z motor on a 5-driver board? | 2020-03-12T01:16:56.140 | # Question
Title: How to have double extruder and double Z motor on a 5-driver board?
We are using the Board SKR 1.3 with the following pins:
```
/**
* Trinamic Stallguard pins
*/
#define X_DIAG_PIN P1_29 // X-
#define Y_DIAG_PIN P1_27 // Y-
#define Z_DIAG_PIN P1_25 // Z-
#define E0_DIAG_PIN P1_28 // X+
#define E1_DIAG_PIN P1_26 // Y+
```
We need a double Z motor, so We have defined the number of stepper drivers to 2 and it works like a charm:
```
#define NUM_Z_STEPPER_DRIVERS 2
```
Here is the problem, We need to have a single extruder with **two heating zones**, not a real second extruder. We have defined the number of extruders to 2:
```
#define EXTRUDERS 2
```
We want to reinforce that the second extruder does not exist, we only need the **second heating zone**. It's a big hotend with two different heating cartridges, that is, two different temperatures. So we do not need the stepper driver, only the temperature. Then we get the following error messages:
We have thought of enabling the chamber and use it's pin, but we got stuck with all the structure for it:
```
#define TEMP_SENSOR_CHAMBER 5
```
```
#define CHAMBER_MAXTEMP 250 // Extruder first temperature zone
```
```
#define HEATER_CHAMBER_PIN 24
```
# Answer
I second the previous answer if running second Z motor in parallel, just split wires or buy adapter consisting of two females to one male, Z motor on most printers don't draw huge current (or at least in smaller less frequent intervals to give things time to cool).
Erm I extruder with two temperature zones, hmmm buy a larger heating element, like a E3D Volcano or I believe they have an extreme version now, mine is rated for 40 W+.
Or you could use external MOSFET with separate Arduino PID.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Unfortunately, I faced the same problem. The heated chamber will not be accurate enough due to lack of PID tuning. As a result, the temp will differ up to 10 degrees celsius when the heater is on. Is a big difference that will either not dry your filament enough or in the worst scenario will melt it. You will need to enable other features in order to bypass the issue. Find below how I enabled the 2nd heater element with the exact same setup as yours. You need to define the following:
```
#define EXTRUDERS 2
```
---
On the following part you must change the `SERVO_NR` to `-1` otherwise you will face issues in case you are using a BLTouch, for example:
```
// A dual extruder that uses a single stepper motor
#define SWITCHING_EXTRUDER
#if ENABLED(SWITCHING_EXTRUDER)
#define SWITCHING_EXTRUDER_SERVO_NR -1
#define SWITCHING_EXTRUDER_SERVO_ANGLES { 0, 90 } // Angles for E0, E1[, E2, E3]
#if EXTRUDERS > 3
#define SWITCHING_EXTRUDER_E23_SERVO_NR 1
#endif
#endif
// A dual-nozzle that uses a servomotor to raise/lower one (or both) of the nozzles
#define SWITCHING_NOZZLE
#if ENABLED(SWITCHING_NOZZLE)
#define SWITCHING_NOZZLE_SERVO_NR -1
//#define SWITCHING_NOZZLE_E1_SERVO_NR 1 // If two servos are used, the index of the second
#define SWITCHING_NOZZLE_SERVO_ANGLES { 0, 90 } // Angles for E0, E1 (single servo) or lowered/raised (dual servo)
#endif
-----------------------------
#define TEMP_SENSOR_1 1
-----------------------------
```
And finally, you must `#define PID_PARAMS_PER_HOTEND` in order to be able to PID tuning the 2nd heater which will be used for your inline filament dryer.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: skr-v1.3, extruder-driver, chamber
--- |
thread-14349 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14349 | How does G-code for belt bed printers work? | 2020-08-31T03:28:16.337 | # Question
Title: How does G-code for belt bed printers work?
Are there any good resources on understanding how G-code/slicing for belt bed printers works? I'm told the upcoming Creality 3DPrintMill is being used with Blackbelt Cura, which seems to be a fork of a really old Cura modified in some way for belt bed printers, but I didn't find much information on how it actually works.
In particular, do these printers use normal gcode? What is the coordinate system like? Conceptually the axes are not orthogonal but skew (e.g. 45°) to the belt axis, and part of my question is whether the coordinate system is in this skew basis, or somehow transformed in firmware to an orthogonal basis.
In asking this, I'm partly aiming to determine how hard it would be to use existing/unmodified software (e.g. upstream Cura) to slice for such a machine, possibly with postprocessing of the gcode.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Belt printers use existing 3d printer hardware, including controllers and steppers. The Z axis is tilted at 45 degrees (usually). So to answer the first part of your question: yes, you can use G-Code to control the printer, just as you would with an upright printer.
I don't know a good resource that describes everything, but I will try my best here: it's not enough to just skew everything. Basically, you need to rotate all you models at 45 degrees along the x axis, using an imaginary 45 degree plane as the "build plate". Then, the model needs to be skewed, so that everything that would otherwise be on the build plate is now at y=0. Z needs to be scaled by sqrt(2) to make up for the diagonal belt. The result should be a working G-Code.
But if that's not enough, the issues are in the details. Supports will not work as expected at all. Supports in positive y need to start at 0 degrees, whereas in negative y, you need no support at all. Rafts need to be placed quite counterintuitively on zero y instead of zero x. And giving the build plate/belt a different extrusion temperature is also difficult, because *every* build plane touches the belt at some point unless it is a bridge. Oh, yeah, and bridges work perpendicular to the build plate instead of parallel to it.
So, yeah, it's not easy at all to generate good G-Code for a belt printer.
---
Tags: g-code, slicing
--- |
thread-13905 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/13905 | Bumps in outer wall | 2020-06-18T15:31:39.737 | # Question
Title: Bumps in outer wall
First of all, I'm quite new to 3D printing. After printing some temperature towers, stringing and bridging tests, I wanted to print the Bechys to see everything working together. I'm getting some strange "bumps" in the outer walls. It looks like for 2-3 layers, the filament gets lifted up.
I first thought, the infill is printed too far in the outer shell, so I unchecked "Infill Before Walls" in Cura. Surprisingly the outcome did not change and the "bumps" where in the exact same spots as before.
I am aware of a part cooling problem, but my stock cooler already sits at 100 %. I don't think, the extruder temperature is too hot, with it being only 200 °C. As you can see, the printer only has a one sided cooling solution with a very small fan conduct.
Print settings:
* Printer: Anycubic I3 Mega S
* Slicer: Cura
* Material: PLA
* Extruder Temp: 200 °C
* Bed Temp: 60 °C
* Print speed: 45 mm/s
* Travel speed: 100mm/s
* Layer height: 0.2 mm
* Layer width: 0.4 mm
* Nozzle: 0.4 mm
* Infill: 10 %
* Retraction distance: 4.5 mm
Retraction speed: 40 mm/s
So I am suspecting it must have something to do with the way, it is sliced. Does anyone have an idea?
Update: I started the print again with aligned seams. Now you can clearly see the artifact. At the point of the seam the print is warped inwards and upwards.
I did some more prints and tried to increase retraction distance up to 10 mm and retraction speed up to 60 mm/s, but I also did not manage to improve the print. I also tried to enable the "retract at layer change" option and to disable "Z Hop When Retracted" but without success.
I set the travel speed down to 45 mm/s with no change in print quality.
# Answer
There are a few issues that could cause this. Roughness in your z-axis lead screw as pointed out by @TheLamestUsername is a leading contender I would say. I'd also extended that answer to include checking the belts for your X and Y axes as well as making sure that the rods the gantry slide on are smooth since the fault appears to be in about the same X-Y location as well in the one image.
However, there are a few alternatives as well. Check/confirm that the material that you're using doesn't have a lot of absorbed moisture in it. This can cause little bits of steam to 'pop' when they're extruded causing some bubbles
Because of how the material is folding at the location in the "updated" image this looks to be an issue with the starting and stopping. All of the layer's problems appear to be happening when the gantry moves up to the next layer. Essentially more material is coming out of the nozzle there (I think) than is what should be. Confirming material diameter with some calipers can help if there's just an offset (not too unlikely I don't think).
If the diameters are dead on I'd suggest reducing the nozzle temperature by a few degrees. The sensors used to measure the temperature aren't usually all that accurate, though their precision is often pretty good. While you may have it set at 200C that might not be the actual temperature. Calibration of the thermal sensors can drift over time, so while it might have been good on the last roll it may have drifted slightly. Or the material might be of slightly different composition. Try lowering the nozzle temp by 2-5 degrees and see if that has any effect.
You may also have a retraction setting that can be modified. Pulling the material back ever so slightly when it finishes the one layer as it moves to the next could alos reduce some of the extra material that's coming out.
> 2 votes
# Answer
The fact that the bumps were in the same spots on multiple occasions points to z-axis problems. Turn your printer off and manually turn the z-axis all the way from bottom to top. If there are any tight spots, there is some *z-axis binding*. If there are no tight spots, skip to the last paragraph.
Try taking off the z-axis by removing the set screws (pictured below). Remember which side was pointing up for a later step.
Once you do that, clean the screw thoroughly with a brush, cloth, solution, or a combination of those. Put the screw back in the opposite way this time.
If you get no bumps, then it was indeed the z-axis
If the bumps are still there, try lowering your temperature some more(200 is still a little high compared to what I do for PLA), and calibrate your e-steps if you haven't already.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, pla, troubleshooting, anycubic-i3-mega
--- |
thread-14587 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14587 | What is the best way in SketchUp to align the bottoms of all objects to the x-y origin plane? | 2020-10-14T14:30:35.850 | # Question
Title: What is the best way in SketchUp to align the bottoms of all objects to the x-y origin plane?
A single object slices OK in Slic3r. However, when I copy the objects and paste onto a guide point on the y axis to put five objects in the drawing, the slicing leaves out parts. The worst object is below the y-axis by 0.01 mm, but SketchUp is not allowing me to move the object to the y-axis alignment. I've tried decreasing the snapping length to 0.000001 mm, and even unchecking *Enable length snapping*. I'm looking for the best way to align the bottoms of all objects to the x-y origin plane.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I would like a better answer involving automatic alignment, but this was my solution.
1. Make the object a single component.
2. Make sure the guide points are accurately located.
3. Cut and copy the first component to the origin.
4. Copy the component to the guide points.
What also worked better was to break the grouping of components into building blocks that could be put together to make the whole. Once the building block sliced correctly, it could be made into a component.
Note: the more complex the first layer, the more this accuracy seems to be an issue.
---
Tags: sketchup
--- |
thread-14601 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14601 | Connecting (Anet A8) 2004 display to MKS GEN L V2.0 | 2020-10-17T06:32:00.370 | # Question
Title: Connecting (Anet A8) 2004 display to MKS GEN L V2.0
Although it seems this question has been answered before Connecting (Anet A8) 2004 display to MKS GEN L this one differs because the v2.0 board has no obvious AUX-2 connector.
So the question is, how can I connect the Anet A8 LCD Panel (with buttons) to the MKS Gen L V2.0 board? Or where can I find the schematics?
# Answer
It probably can be done, but, it requires some splicing of your LCD cables (or using some Dupont male-female cables) and altering of the firmware pins header files.
The MKS GEN L v2.0 lacks the AUX-2 port that is present on the v1.0 controller boards. The reason for this is that they implemented support for more modern stepper drivers like the trinamic drivers that are capable of using UART to set stepper options.
The old v1.0 pin layout is displayed below:
The new v2.0 pin layout is dislayed below:
The Anet A8 2004 graphical display (so-called ZONESTAR\_LCD) uses (at least one as the buttons are suited with different resistors) analog pin that is used to detect which buttons are pushed.
```
#elif ENABLED(ZONESTAR_LCD)
#define ADC_KEYPAD_PIN 12
```
Pins `A5` and `A9-12`, `D40`, `D42` and `D44` are used according to the pin layout.
In the `pins_RAMPS.h` header file the display usage is coded as:
```
#elif ENABLED(ZONESTAR_LCD)
#define LCD_PINS_RS 64
#define LCD_PINS_ENABLE 44
#define LCD_PINS_D4 63
#define LCD_PINS_D5 40
#define LCD_PINS_D6 42
#define LCD_PINS_D7 65
```
In order for this to work on the MKS GEN L v2.0, you need to source for free pins that can mimic these pins and alter the header file and create a spliced LCD cable.
It might be much easier to buy a new reprap discount display controller for about 10 bucks/euros and connect it to the dedicated EXP1/2 headers. Stay away from the Anet A6 graphical display.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: lcd-screen, mks, display
--- |
thread-14599 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14599 | How to slice rounded corners in thin walls with Cura | 2020-10-16T09:08:05.743 | # Question
Title: How to slice rounded corners in thin walls with Cura
I'm trying to print a small box with 1 mm thick walls. The box has rounded corners.
Cura slices the rounded corners with straight internal lines instead of rounded lines:
The reason for these straight lines is that Cura is using infill to fill the walls, because it determines that there's not enough space in a 1 mm wall for three 0.4 mm passes.
This causes the walls to have small imperfections in the final print. I was able to solve this by increasing the model wall thickness to 1.2 mm (to allow for 3 0.4 mm lines), but even then it wasn't doing it as a single continuous line, but instead breaking it into short lines at the corner:
Is there a way to avoid this issue without increasing the wall thickness, and have 3 continuous lines?
# Answer
# Fixing the model
My solution to this problem is, to increase the thickness in such corners by 0.05 mm by pushing the inner wall's radius towards its center. This allows some *extra* space as a round corner is not actually saved *round* but as a pattern of straight wall facets, and those can get squished together just enough to make the slicer believe the wall is too thin for a proper wall. As you see, the new corner rounding starts a little bit before the outer one - in this exaggerated model I use 1 millimeter *extra* \- violet are the *normal* corners 10 mm apart, black is the *new* inner corner, the light blue area between them is the *extra* bulk that will massively reduce the problem.
## origin of the error
As an example, let's put the number of facets to 1 and 2 when we form them from the rounded corner. The more facets there are, the closer the distance between the walls will get to the full wall thickness, but it will always stay a fraction below.
## How does the model fix work?
Well, we shifted the inner corner away, and with 2 facets we get a fidelity to the intended wall thickness of 96.21 % instead of 92.39 % for the non-modified wall - and with even more facets the fidelity gets better more quickly. However, there is a point where your gaps will start to diverge in the corner, so just using a tiny alteration is advisable - in our model case, 9 facets (a 10°) is the point where the inner wall will start to become more distant to the outer wall. That's why I only need such a tiny bit of extra space if I export the model with the most fidelity in the `.stl` generation my CAD has available.
# *making it work* in the slicer
Another thing I do when I can't alter the model is, knowing that I usually slice width a line width of 0.45 mm. In case such a corner appears, I can then alter my line width in the slicer down to 0.44\[5\] mm (or more) and get pretty much the same result at the cost of possibly needing to account for errors in other areas.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Contrary to the other answer, this is not (exclusively) a model / geometry issue.
Frame challenge: There's no good / easy solution to this when using Cura, at least that I know of. Better slicers can easily handle this situation though.
I replicated all the tests in SuperSlicer, which is a PrusaSlicer branch. All tests were done with models with relatively high resolution:
As well as a model which I created to replicate a *horrible* quality .stl:
I checked the continuity of the added internal line with Simplify3D's g-code preview.
For a 0.4 mm extrusion width and a 1 mm wall thickness, PrusaSlicer simply adds a 0.2 mm line in the middle. This line is completely uninterrupted:
The same happens with the very rough .stl:
The same thing happens when using a 1.2 mm wall thickness:
Conclusion: You should not be adding esoteric "fixes" to your models to prop up terrible slicer performance.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, slicing
--- |
thread-14614 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14614 | What is the maximum length of the TMC drivers signal wires? | 2020-10-19T18:01:44.177 | # Question
Title: What is the maximum length of the TMC drivers signal wires?
I would like to place the TMC drivers (the stepsticks modules, in fact) on the side of my controller board for easier cooling.
What is the maximum length of the data wires? Specifically, Step and UART, the other ones should not pose any problem.
In my case I would extend them by about 10 cm.
# Answer
> 2 votes
10 cm would be fine. That's the short answer, the real answer is that it depends on the UART speed and the exact conditions that you will be extending them. If you expect noise feedback from the motor coils inducing voltages into the UART lines, then perhaps they should be shorter. Keep the high current wires and the signal (UART) in separate places if possible. Also if you can use a shielded cable (e.g. and old shielded USB cable) then you could get away with a meter thereabout.
---
Tags: wiring, tmc2208
--- |
thread-14620 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14620 | G2 / G3 command in Cura | 2020-10-20T12:15:07.433 | # Question
Title: G2 / G3 command in Cura
I'm using Cura for my 3D printing (an ultimaker S5 printer) and in order to understand 3D printing I'm trying to learn G-code.
I've noticed that even when the model is full of circles, the G-code is full with the `G1` command. I haven't seen the `G2` or `G3` command at all! How could this be?
# Answer
> 2 votes
The `.stl` files most commonly used for printing do not have any circles in them at all!
`.stl` files describe the surface of the things they represent with lots and lots of triangles:
That also means that your slicer doesn't really know which parts of the model are supposed to be round (where `G2` and `G3` might be applicable).
And, another consideration, though historical: Most 3D printers were (and are) based on relatively weak 8-bit microcontrollers. It's much easier for those microcontrollers to calculate the movements needed for the print if it's just straight lines, rather than elaborate curves.
One issue that can arise with this is when your model is of high quality, and your slicers uses all of that quality - a simple circle can then become hundreds or thousands of tiny segments, which all need to be transmitted, parsed and executed - which may lead to stuttering.
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, diy-3d-printer, g-code
--- |
thread-14616 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14616 | Water does not flow through 4 mm hole when there is a small amount, how to let water flow through small hole even when there is low pressure? | 2020-10-19T20:12:14.943 | # Question
Title: Water does not flow through 4 mm hole when there is a small amount, how to let water flow through small hole even when there is low pressure?
I have a 3D print where there are 5 holes with a diameter of 4 mm in a cup, and I would like liquid to flow through all 5 holes at once while slowly draining the cup (by slowly I mean: just take a few seconds and not drain instantly). Therefore the holes can not be very large.
When I fill water in the cup it drains fine until there is a small amount of water left, and then it just stops with a small layer of water flowing over the holes.
I'm guessing it is due to surface tension and not enough pressure from water above to push the water through...
Is there a hole design that fixes this problem? I don't know what to Google or if this is the right place to ask the question. It just takes too long to guess my way through and print every attempt at the right size or shape of hole (which I have done so far and still got nothing).
# Answer
> 12 votes
What you encounter there is a combination of Adhesion, Cohesion, and Capillary Force.
Cohesion is what holds the water together. Adhesion is the force to retain water against a wall or hanging from a pen's end, it is proportional to the surface wetted. Capillary Force is the resulting effect where water moves up through a thin tube, it is anti-proportional to the diameter and in the opposite direction of the weight (force). Their relation can be shown in this picture, where a droplet hangs on the end of a glass rod, which has a capillary in it:
How to reduce the water sticking in the cup then?
* Make the straight part of the bore as short as possible. This can be done by having a thin cup. The shorter the hole, the less surface there is the water can adhere to vertically, and you might overcome capillary force.
* Smooth the hole. Maybe print it 3.5 mm and drill it up to your 4 mm diameter. This reduces adhesion.
* Smooth the inside surface. Reducing the adhesion to the inside by having less steps.
* Chamfer the inside of the holes. This alters the whole geometry and flow setup in the very low water level case, especially when the surface separates into several areas, above each hole. Then the larger volume belonging to each hole on the inner side means there is a little more pressure and you can get out some more water - and it also shortens the distance the hole has to bridge.
* make sure there is some slope everywhere inside so that the water will collect in one of the holes.
An example for a (non measured) design which relies heavily on chamfering to guide the water to the already chamfered holes and then keeps the straight section as short as possible could look like this: the central hole has a very wide chamfer, the whole plate directs water to the center and each of the other holes has a chamfer to guide out water.
However, there is a lower limit to where just tweaking the design will workd, which is based on cohesion. Cohesion is what results in surface tension and viscosity. You can only shift those limiting factors by altering the properties of the liquid, for example by adding an agent that lowers the surface tension and viscosity (soap).
# Answer
> 0 votes
If it is possible to add a downward pointing thin needle (hair, AWG-40 wire etc.) to the edge of (each) hole, do it. The droplets will smoothly glide along it to its end, where the needle circumference becomes so tiny that surface tension cannot hold the droplet anymore. Surface tension won't have a chance!
With a very thin needle and funnel-like hydrophobic surface of the vessel, you may get rid of virtually any (microliter) amount of water. It can be hard to make it by 3D-printing, though.
---
Tags: 3d-design, post-processing
--- |
thread-14622 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14622 | Problem with Marlin 2.0.5.3 / BLTouch upgrade with Sovol SV01 | 2020-10-20T14:24:56.203 | # Question
Title: Problem with Marlin 2.0.5.3 / BLTouch upgrade with Sovol SV01
I have just fitted a BLTouch to a Sovol SV01, and flashed Marlin 2.0.5.3 firmware. Bed leveling etc and building the bed mesh all went OK. Slicer is Cura 4.7.1.
However, it won't print.
The Gcode created by Cura after macro expansion etc is as follow
```
;FLAVOR:Marlin
;TIME:246
;Filament used: 0.14214m
;MINY:115.791
;MINZ:0.3
;MAXX:159.709
;MAXY:144.209
;MAXZ:1.5
;Generated with Cura_SteamEngine 4.7.1
M82 ;absolute extrusion mode
M501;Load settings from EEPROM (necessary for Z offset)
; Following settings from Sovol
M201 X500.00 Y500.00 Z100.00 E5000.00 ;Setup machine max acceleration
M203 X500.00 Y500.00 Z10.00 E50.00 ;Setup machine max feedrate
M204 P500.00 R1000.00 T500.00 ;Setup Print/Retract/Travel acceleration
M205 X8.00 Y8.00 Z0.40 E5.00 ;Setup Jerk
M220 S100 ;Reset Feedrate
M221 S100 ;Reset Flowrate
M190 S60 ;Heat bed - wait
M104 S200 ;Heat extruder - no wait
G28 ;Home
M420 S ; Turn leveling back on after G28 (why is this needed?)
G29 L0 ;Load mesh
G29 J ;Three point level
M109 S200 ;Heat extruder - wait
G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
G1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to start position
G1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15 ;Draw the first line
G1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to side a little
G1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30 ;Draw the second line
G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
G92 E0
G92 E0
G1 F3000 E-3
;LAYER_COUNT:7
;LAYER:0
.... and so on
```
It heats up the bed OK, and it starts heating the nozzle. It then does the three point level OK, then waits for the nozzle to get up to temperature (200) - the M109 S200.
But that is as far as it gets. The nozzle comes up to 200 and generally moves between about 197 and 203 degrees. The bed sits at around 60/61. I can hear a fan keep speeding up and slowing down, and the info display just says 'E heating ...'. That's it.
It cannot seem to get past waiting for the nozzle to heat - but it has, and M109 S200 should wait for it to reach temp, and continue.
Can anyone advise what has gone wrong here?
# Answer
I think I might have found it - PID problem (heater has a PID loop). Standard values are 32/3/85 (P/I/D). Just watching the temperature, I noticed there was a lot of overshoot.
It appears that to continue after a temp wait, it must stay within some limit for a period - don't know either number. But, presumably, it wasn't.
There is an autotune PID gcode - `M303 E0 S200 C8` says 'autotune extruder 0, at 200 °V, looping 8 times. Ran that and I could see it getting better on each iteration. Unfortunately, didn't manage to find a way of seeing what it came up with, and could not get the result written back to E2P either (`M500`).
So, resorted to tried and trusted techniques - fiddled with it. In the end reduced P to 20.0 and I to 2.0 - and it started printing.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: marlin, ultimaker-cura
--- |
thread-14626 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14626 | Printer with two extruders but one as a backup | 2020-10-20T21:52:53.203 | # Question
Title: Printer with two extruders but one as a backup
I'm trying to make a printer that will have a second extruder as backup for when the primary one clogs or runs out of filament. It is an ongoing project I'm doing to make a 3D printer as reliable as possible. How could you implement this.
# Answer
You could use a "filament runout sensor" and combine it with a "filament running sensor". If either fails the controller needs to be notified by a signal. If you configure the Configuration.h filament runout setup such that it doesn't call `M600` but instead a series of codes to park tool 0, activate tool 1, home tool 1, prime tool 1, and commence printing, you are near a solution.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: diy-3d-printer
--- |
thread-14633 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14633 | Compressed corner in my prints | 2020-10-21T11:47:45.510 | # Question
Title: Compressed corner in my prints
I'm getting issues with any print in the specific corner throughout different and unrelated prints. The specific corner comes out compressed.
I have tried to take pictures to illustrate the issue:
Any ideas on what to look at?
Printer: Creality CR-10
# Answer
> 2 votes
This is a very well known issue that is caused by insufficient adhesion. The corners curl up during printing.
You should increase the adhesion by:
* cleaning the bed (I use water and soap, others use isopropyl alcohol)
* better leveling,
* correct nozzle to build plate distance (dragging paper method),
* using a brim or so-called mouse ears in your design,
* increased the heated bed temperature, or
* use of an adhesive like hair spray or glue stick (not any type will work) or specific sprays that are created for this purpose (e.g. 3DLAC, Dimafix, etc.)
---
*Some people used tape on the build plate for adhesion, but I'm **not a fan of tape**. Not all tapes work. Tape needs to be applied correctly, prepared (sanded), etc. This is much more cumbersome than applying a little spray over the build plate. It can be successfully used on PEI, Buildtak (clones), glass and on the bare aluminium bed.*
---
Tags: print-quality, troubleshooting, calibration
--- |
thread-14638 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14638 | Are there differences in filament consumption between ABS and PLA | 2020-10-21T19:45:02.617 | # Question
Title: Are there differences in filament consumption between ABS and PLA
I have been printing the same model once with Verbatim PLA and once with an ABS material from Switzerland. For both I was using two brand new 1 kg spools of filament. I was printing both at the same speed, same additions, same infill percentage, solid layers, solid wall count, etc. Literally everything the same except temperature.
Simplify3D indicated 300 g for each print, however I already realized that all of Simplify3Ds estimates for time and material are - unlike Cura - very poor. However I was still kinda surprised when I checked the two spools after printing. Originally they had the same diameter of material and same depth. After the print the ABS spool looked almost the same as before the print, in terms of diameter it shrank less than 5 mm, however the PLA roll was definitely at least 1/3 empty. The difference was also confirmed by a scale. ABS only consumed like 220 g, while PLA was using a bit over 300 g. ABS surely did not look like more than 20 %, but maybe its inner diameter is larger than the PLA spool.
Since I can order ABS considerably cheaper than PLA I was wondering if this is a common phenomenon. Googling for that leads to a million of pages outlining the differences between ABS and PLA where 999'999 of times it says that ABS is more prone to warping than PLA and the other one is about dimensional accuracy, but I could not find anything about material usage.
# Answer
> 5 votes
I’ve never actually printed anything other than PLA, but...
Searching the web for filament density, I found this article, among others, that indicate that PLA is nearly 20 % denser than ABS, on average (1.24 vs 1.04 g/cm<sup>3</sup>). This indicates that a 1 kg reel of ABS will have 20 % more volume (therefore length) than a 1 kg reel of PLA.
This does not quite explain the difference you see as 300 g vs 220 g is 36 % but maybe your measurement is off or the particular PLA mix you’re using is slightly denser.
---
Tags: pla, print-material, abs
--- |
thread-14639 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14639 | How to set Home Offsets and Manual Home definitions in Marlin correctly? | 2020-10-21T21:06:31.103 | # Question
Title: How to set Home Offsets and Manual Home definitions in Marlin correctly?
I am using an Ender 3 and I have just upgraded to the Hero Me Gen 5 fan duct adapter. This has shifted the nozzle position. I also flashed some new Marlin 2 firmware and in the Hero Me manual it says to uncomment and change `#define MANUAL_Y_HOME_POS -9` to suit this change in nozzle position.
This has, however, not given me the right results. It did not center my prints but actually let the Y-axis grind upon going to `Y235`. Additionally, I noticed, that my printer must have been off-center from the beginning, because the X position of the nozzle has not changed due to the installation, but the printer homes to a point 5 mm inside the bed perimeters.
**So, if my printers endstops dictate an original home position of 3 mm *inside* the bed area for X and 15 mm outside the bed area for Y, how do I set this up correctly in Marlin 2?**
I think the relevant parts are
```
// The size of the print bed
#define X_BED_SIZE 235
#define Y_BED_SIZE 235
// Travel limits (mm) after homing, corresponding to endstop positions.
#define X_MIN_POS 5
#define Y_MIN_POS -15
#define Z_MIN_POS 0
#define X_MAX_POS 250
#define Y_MAX_POS 240
#define Z_MAX_POS 230
...
// Manually set the home position. Leave these undefined for automatic settings.
// For DELTA this is the top-center of the Cartesian print volume.
//#define MANUAL_X_HOME_POS 0
//#define MANUAL_Y_HOME_POS -9
//#define MANUAL_Z_HOME_POS 0
```
This is my idea, I would let the manual home pos be commented out as I do not know what it does. However, I also want the software endstops to correcly work as to not let the printer destroy it *aaaaand* my BLTouch to probe the bed and not the air or my bed clips using UBL when doing 3-point probing. Would this be correct? Where do I have to look to let the printer consider my bed clips(only 10 mm on both ends of the y-axis side of the bed)?
# Answer
> 3 votes
Normally you wouldn't use the `MANUAL_xyz_HOME_POS` at all.
Home your machine. Use a caliper or ruler to measure the distance between the nozzle and the edges of the print bed in both the X and Y direction. If the nozzle was *off* the bed in both directions, input these measurements as *negative* `X_MIN_POS` and `Y_MIN_POS` values. If it was *over* the bed in either of those directions, you'll need to input them as *positive* positions.
That should result in your nozzle to be exactly on the edge of the bed after a
```
G28 X Y
G1 X0 Y0
```
movement.
---
Tags: marlin, firmware, homing, endstop
--- |
thread-14649 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14649 | How to wire an LJ18A3-8-Z/BX sensor with an optocoupler to a stock Ender 3? | 2020-10-23T21:40:56.030 | # Question
Title: How to wire an LJ18A3-8-Z/BX sensor with an optocoupler to a stock Ender 3?
I have this optocoupler.
and this sensor.
I want to wire them together and use them for auto bed leveling. Note, stock Ender 3 board (Creality v1) has 2 pins for its endstop, not 3, so this: won't work
However, I found this diagram:
My optocoupler is rated for 12 V so I definitely wont attach 24 V to it. However, everything else seems good. So I could only replace the 24 V to 12 V and it would work?
# Answer
Both diagrams are exactly the same, the difference is the +5 V that is not connected on the bottom diagram (displayed in white, labelled "not used"), but since your endstops do not have a +5 V pin in the socket (only ground, GND, and signal, SIG or S) you don't need to attach it. You should source the +5 V from elsewhere from your board. As the left and right side of the module are separated circuits, you need to power the board with +5 V.
Read this answer for applying 24 V.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, bed-leveling, electronics, wiring, inductive-sensor
--- |
thread-14646 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14646 | Ender 2 LCD replacement | 2020-10-22T14:57:19.637 | # Question
Title: Ender 2 LCD replacement
My Ender 2 LCD is suddenly not lighting up.
Is it possible to replace it with an Ender 3 LCD?
# Answer
Not easily. Some folks have been messing with both 2 and 3 LCDs and based on their posts, the pinout is different between the two.
Ender 2 display pinout from when one GuzLightyear figured it out for Marlin (MKS MINI 12864 LCD):
```
-----
5V | · · | GND
MOSI | · · | LCD_RS
LCD_A0 | · · || BTN_EN2
RESET | · · | BTN_EN1
BTN_ENC | · · | SCK
-----
```
From a user called arnd13, the Ender 3 equivalent would be:
```
-----
5V | · · | GND
MOSI | · · | LCD_A0
SCK | · · || BTN_EN2
CS | · · | BTN_EN1
BTN_ENC | · · | Buzzer
-----
```
Maybe you have some luck in debugging your screen (sometimes with these LCD screens, a contrast adjustment resolves the issue).
> 4 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, lcd-screen
--- |
thread-14655 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14655 | How to correct XY mirroring? | 2020-10-24T21:56:01.723 | # Question
Title: How to correct XY mirroring?
So I made a 3D printer from scratch. It is a RepStrap based on a Prusa i3 running Marlin 2.0.x.
It prints fine and accurate, but, The trouble is that the XY plane is mirrored and I don't know how to solve this.
I'm using Marlin 2.0.x on an SKR 1.4 controller board.
Any pointers would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
# Answer
> 2 votes
First of all, make sure that you have correctly identified the X and Y axes, and that the stepper motors (and end-stop switches) are connected to the correct ports. The hot end moves on the X-axis, and the bed moves on the Y-axis. If you connect the X and Y motors the wrong way round, you will get reversed text.
If the X and Y motors are connected to the correct ports, you may need to invert the motor directions in firmware. There are `#define` statements to allow you to do this.
---
Tags: marlin, skr-v1.4
--- |
thread-14656 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14656 | Is SD2209 the same as TMC2209 stepper drivers? | 2020-10-25T01:06:43.827 | # Question
Title: Is SD2209 the same as TMC2209 stepper drivers?
While shopping for TMC2209 stepper drivers I found advertisements "SD2209". Is this the same thing?
# Answer
> 2 votes
From what I can tell, the SD2209 is not a clone of or another name for the TMC2209, but is a board with a TMC2209 on it setup to be used as a drop-in replacement for other stepper drivers. See e.g. this SD2209 a drop-in replacement for Pololu style drivers:
---
Tags: stepper-driver, tmc2209
--- |
thread-14607 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14607 | Anycubic i3 MEGA not heating past 140 ºC | 2020-10-18T18:20:00.700 | # Question
Title: Anycubic i3 MEGA not heating past 140 ºC
**\[SOLVED\]** on \[EDIT 3\]
I just finished changing my i3 Mega's PTFE tube and brass nozzle, reassembled it, always taking care not to damage the heating element and thermistor wires. Then I check the temperature and it was cooling down, despite the set temperature being higher (210 ºC). I turned it off, let it cool down and turned it back on. I set it again to 210 ºC and it only reaches about 135 ºC-140 ºC, not going over it. So I change the heating element and thermistor for fresh new ones (original ones, that came with the printer) and the same behavior takes place: not heating up beyond 140 ºC.
Any ideas on why this is happening or how to fix it? I checked the connectors and they all seem to be fine. Cooling fans run normally as well.
Printer: Anycubic i3 MEGA. All stock parts, except the new nozzle (standard brass nozzle) and the PTFE tube (a blue one with 1.9 mm internal diameter). I'm setting the temperatures through the printer's interface, as I have always done.
**\[EDIT\]**
I did check some stuff with the multimeter and what I got is that:
* The cables leading to the print head are fine;
* The heating element's voltage is correct and the MOSFET seems to be working fine both by checking the voltage and from the LED that lights up when it is sending current to the HE;
* The resistance of the HE is correct as well;
Form that, I am guessing the problem is the current fed to the HE. Later today I will try to heat both the nozzle and the bed to the (safe) max temperatures and see if the bed heating is problematic too. If so, the problem should be related to current.
If anyone has any other ideas, they are appreciated! :)
**\[EDIT2\]**
Heating up the print bed and the hotend at the same time didn't affect the bed at all. It heated up at the same pace as usual. Since the cables are fine, it shouldn't be a problem related to the power supply.
So I'm gessing the problem is the motherboard (Trigorilla 1.1). It didn't seem to have any burned components at a glance but I'm gonna check with a multimeter.
**\[EDIT3\]**
Turns out I messed up the heatbreaker, so the heatsink was cooling the hotend way too much... This is one way of learning I need to be careful with the heatbreaker, I guess. I'll leave a solution here for the newbies like me that end up in a similar situation.
# Answer
> 0 votes
There is a part of the extrusion ensemble called heatbreaker, responsible for sepparating the hot- and cold-ends. The problem is that I screwed the heatbreak up into the cold-end heatsinks and the heated block was now touching it. This made it cool off way too hard.
The solution was switching to a new, undamaged cold+hotend.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I recently had similar problem with my Prusa i3 MK2.5. It was not able to maintain the set tempereature. I measured the heater catridge (which was new) and its resistance was correct (about 4 ohms). So I changed the hotend MOSFET on the stock board with no result. So I changed the heater catridge for the older one and the issue was gone.
Since you have changed the heater, it is unlikely that you have multiple bad ones. Thus the only thing that remains is the MOSFET and the power supply. Make sure your power supply is stable under load and can deliver enough current.
More likely it is the MOSFET. It behaves like a resistor in the path for the current. If it is swithced off, it is like a large resistor (units or tens of megaohms) in series therefore no or very little current can flow. If it is switched on (units or tens of milliohms) the resistance is very small allowing the current to flow through the heater. If a MOSFET is bad, when it is switched on it can have higher resistance (units of ohms) and thus limiting the current and creating a voltage divider. Which you can measure.
You have to get to the bare wires that lead to the heater. Turn on the heater. Place your voltmeter lead on one wire and the other lead on the otehr wire. The voltemeter should show voltage close to your power supply voltage. If it is showing less, the MOSFET is bad and needs replacing.
For that you will need soldering tools and skills. You probably have an SMD MOSFET soldered directly to the board. I suggest removing it and replacing it with a THT MOSFET that you would place separately from the board with its own heatsink. When on the board, the board acts as a heatsink.
If you cannot do that yourself, ask someone to do it for you.
Before replacing the MOSFET, find whether it is a n-channel or p-channel MOSFET. It will most likely be an n-channel MOSFET but make sure it is.
If you replace it with THT MOSFET I would suggest these two: IRFZ44N (n-channel) or IRF4905 (p-channel). They are general purpose MOSFETs and should work well enough for drop-in replacement.
If it is not the MOSFET, power supply or the heater, then I have no idea.
You should be able to trace one of these loops: power supply -\> (fuse -\>) heater -\> n-channel MOSFET -\> power supply power supply -\> (fuse -\>) p-channel MOSFET -\> heater -\> power supply
Most likely will be the first loop.
NOTE: Checking the heater resistance might help but does not have to. At room temperature the resistance might be within limits (as with mine example) and when heated up the resistance increases with temperature and thus limiting the current. You would have to measure the resistance when heated up and disconnected from all circuits. (Heat up -\> disconnect heater -\> measure -\> cooldown).
Hope that helps and good luck.
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Tags: hotend, anycubic-i3-mega
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thread-14668 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14668 | Details of Marlin's feedrate calculation | 2020-10-26T20:55:36.993 | # Question
Title: Details of Marlin's feedrate calculation
I want to programatically generate G-code for a (Marlin-based) Ultimaker 2+ printer, and I have been looking at the Marlin documentation and working G-code examples generated by Cura.
This has left me confused about exactly how Marlin interprets the feedrate (F) parameter in G-code commands.
If I move on a single axis (e.g. `G1 F7000 X10` or `G1 F200 E50`), then I assume F simply says how fast that axis should move (ignoring acceleration).
On CNC milling machines I've worked with, the same is true when moving on multiple axes – for instance, `G1 F1000 X10 Y10 Z10` would mean the *tool* moves at 1000mm/min, and therefore the *individual* axes are each moving at 693mm/min. Which is good, because it means the feedrate doesn't depend on the direction of movement.
But a 3D printer has four axes (E, X, Y, Z), and Marlin only uses a single feedrate parameter. So do I need to calculate that in four-dimensional space? In other words,
$F = \sqrt\[4\]{F\_E^4 + F\_X^4 + F\_Y^4 + F\_Z^4} ?$
If that is not correct, how **is** the feedrate related to the feedrates for the individual axes?.
# Answer
Feedrates are not 4-dimensional, and yes this makes them a bit inconsistent. But physically the 4-dimensional speed would not make any sense - for example, slowing down the E axis while speeding up the X axis would not maintain the same "overall speed" in any meaningful sense.
So, feedrates work differently for:
* Moves with a nonzero X, Y, or Z component: the feedrate is an ideal, desired speed in 3 dimensions, possibly limited by the max feedrates of each axis (including E) individually, as well as their acceleration profiles.
* Extruder-only moves where X, Y, and Z components are all zero: the feedrate is an ideal, desired speed in one dimension: the E axis, and may be limited by the max feedrate and acceleration profile for the E axis.
> 1 votes
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Tags: marlin, g-code
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thread-14660 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14660 | Is it possible to create a completely sealed box? | 2020-10-25T20:46:17.717 | # Question
Title: Is it possible to create a completely sealed box?
I would like to create a case or a box which has two holes for incoming and exiting water. I want the box to be opened and closed. Therefore it is good to be something like a treasure box.
Is there a way to design the lid of the box to prevent water from leaking around the areas where the box and the lid are meeting without using glue?
# Answer
> 1 votes
"Completely" is always relative, but for water at the pressures involved it's probably achievable. Normally you need some sort of *gasket* (material that can bend/compress to slight imperfections in the mating surfaces), and a means of holding the two surfaces tight against the gasket, to get such a seal.
With 3D printing, it's plausible that the print itself could be sufficiently non-rigid to achieve this, if you have a way of keeping the lid and box pressed tightly against each other - bolts through the lid, clips around the edges, etc. But it's unlikely to work well.
I would either print I suitable gasket in TPU, or cut one from some suitable material if you don't have the capability to print with TPU. Either way you still need to design your box and lid so that they're pressed tightly against the gasket.
One possible frame challenge would be doing a round box instead, with a circular threaded lid. It's likely that you could achieve a decent seal for your purposes without any gasket just by tightening the threads, and if not, you still have a really good setup for use with an added gasket.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I know this sounds obvious, but given the box has holes in the top – does it only need to be watertight when it's the right way up? If not, you could just do something like:
Assuming that won't work, I think a really good seal would be hard with just something like PLA, because the printing texture alone means there will always be tiny gaps between the mating surfaces. In some cases, those grooves will actually act as capillaries (if you've ever tried to use a sharpie marker on a print, you can imagine what I mean).
If the lid fits snugly, then just lining it with something like plumber's thread tape would probably do a good job.
If it needs to work straight out of the printer, then I would try something like this (obviously I've exaggerated the detail):
The idea being something like the plastic seal you see on some types of refrigerator door, which has a thin wall with a free edge that allows it to flex.
NB in all these cases, sharp corners will cause problems – it will be easier to get a seal if you put a radius (say, 5mm) on the vertical edges of the box.
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Tags: water-resistance
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thread-14516 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14516 | Has anyone applied four 200 x 200 mm PEI sheets to a 400 x 400 mm bed? | 2020-09-28T16:00:06.823 | # Question
Title: Has anyone applied four 200 x 200 mm PEI sheets to a 400 x 400 mm bed?
Of course I'm referring to side by side and not stacking or overlapping. 200 x 200 mm PEI and Kapton sheets are more readily available than 400 x 400 sheets. I'm wondering if anyone has tried this and if the edges of the sheets cause a problem.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Aligning build surfaces isn't the main issue with 1 mm thick surfaces when aligning four 200 x 200 mm surfaces to make one 400 x 400 surface. The main issue is slight bucking at the seams from thermal mismatch. Using this with PETG tends to tear up the build surface at the seams. The image shows aligned surfaces.
The above was a poor design because prints tended to always print on the seams, which are more susceptible to damage when removing the print.
More reliable was to put one 200 x 200 mm surface in the center of the bed, cut the other three in half, and tile them along the sides. Glue stice helps fill the seams.
The center of the surface tends to wear out first. In that case only the center surface would need changing.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I haven't tried such a thing, but a speculative answer covering the constraints and expected failure modes may suffice here.
Unless the sheets have squared (rather than rounded) corners, the corners will almost certainly be a problem. In particular you'd end up with a hole right at the middle of the bed.
If the sides aren't entirely square (perpendicular) with each other then you'll have large gaps at one end or another.
As Trish noted in a comment, it's also possible that you may hit problems due to mismatch in thickness between the different sheets, although I'd expect these are fairly well-controlled in the manufacturing process; otherwise I'd expect bed leveling issues even with just a single sheet. If you do hit this kind of issue, it may be possible to avoid it with shimming of some sort.
Assuming you can avoid all of the above potential problems, I would expect what you've proposed to work reasonably well, especially if you're ok with very minor surface defects at the seams.
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Tags: heated-bed, adhesion
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thread-14678 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14678 | How do you send G-code from a USB port with Python? | 2020-10-27T12:38:11.140 | # Question
Title: How do you send G-code from a USB port with Python?
I'm working on a project for my masters where I'm trying to detect print errors using object detection and I want to be able to pause the printer when a potential fault is detected. However I can't seem to figure out the correct way to send G-code to my printer from a Python script. Does anyone happen to know how this works?
# Answer
The process is pretty straightforward, you open a serial connection and send the instructions over the serial connection. The printer reports "`OK`" when **received** (*not* when the command has been executed).
You can use pySerial to connect to a USB port with the correct speed, then send the command you want to execute (include the newline char).
You need to be aware that commands are buffered, if the buffer is full, the printer sends "OK" when there is a spot free in the buffer.
See this question on a sister SE.
> 1 votes
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Tags: g-code, usb, python
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thread-3738 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3738 | Can a 3D model of a copyrighted work be rendered legally without infringement? | 2017-03-13T14:45:29.847 | # Question
Title: Can a 3D model of a copyrighted work be rendered legally without infringement?
I know this is still gray territory and it is asked so many times within the 3D printing and maker community but I'm curious about the limits of 3D models and were it touches on Free Use and infringement. I'm not trying to push the envelope, I just want to be clear on the matter.
Is it legal if a design is rendered in a CAD program of a copyrighted material for **no** purpose of using, distributing, creating, mixing, internalizing, re-licensing under GPL/CC, or any unauthorized use outlined by the owner of the original work? For instance, if someone is demonstrating the abilities of a particular CAD and makes a mock-up of Mickey Mouse just to show the limits of said CAD and the STL/OBJ isn't released or distributed and a letter of intent is given along with the demonstration regarding the original work (in this case, Mickey), is that infringement? In this example, no loss of revenue or sales will affect the original owner, no claims of ownership is implied or stated, and no physical model will be created.
While considering all of this, I figured that it wasn't very much different than if an artist sat down and drew a picture of Mickey Mouse. As long as the picture isn't sold, distributed, or released, in my mind, that is the same thing as a 3D render.
To further the details of the 3D model, the render would be made from scratch and not imported, copied, or reverse engineered from any other work. Bottom line, it will be a likeness that is created but it will be as close to the real thing as possible to demonstrate capabilities of a particular program (such as organic shapes, stitching, grouping, layering, or any other facet and characterization of 3D modeling).
I already understand that it is recommended to err on the side of caution and steer clear of things like this but it is more of a curiosity than a request for legal advice regarding a specific case.
Can this be covered under Fair Use?
Since there is nothing to be made from creating the render, it isn't released or distributed to others, isn't re-licensed, and no ownership is implied/credit to the original owner is given, is this Free Use or copyright infringement?
# Answer
First, copyright laws are complex and depend heavily on the specific details. IMO, your question is really too broad to answer.
An interesting example of how details and interpretation affect whether something is a violation or not is Kienitz v Sconnie Nation. In this case a copyrighted photo was clearly copied, modified, and used to make a t-shirt that was sold; but, it was not deemed a copyright violation. On the surface it seems like a violation; but, the court ruled it was not a copyright violation because of the specific details of the case. Using something as a starting point for a unique creative work that is clearly your own creation is not copying. I am sure you can tell the difference.
Second, in your description you mention "Free Use". If the owner has granted "Free Use" of their product; but, they are still wanting to declare the item copyrighted, I would hope that they have granted that "Free Use" under a defined agreement. In that case, it would seem likely that the creator may just be trying to protect his design from being plagiarized and/or sold/used in a way that is against his intent.
If you have a way to contact the owner, why not just contact them and ask their permission for what you want to do. If they have put it out for public use, they would probably be excited to have other people see their creation. Just make sure they gets the credit for the design. If it is a creation they are intending to protect (like Disney does with Mickey Mouse); then, the answer will be an unequivocal no. Note that one weird exception is that Disney has granted use rights for Donald Duck to the University of Oregon "Ducks".
Finally, you state that that your intent is "for no purpose of using, distributing, creating, mixing, ..." and you list almost every way of making it public. If your intent is for what you make/copy to never make it into the public domain; then, how will your question ever be anything other than hypothetical? I know that there is presently no "private use" exclusion for copyrighted material. It isn't legal to copy someone's DVD for you to watch privately; but, in reality, no one gets prosecuted for a single private instance. It is abuse that gets prosecuted.
In what you intend, it would seem that you be best suited to seek out first what would be the "right" thing to do rather than just focusing on what would be "legal". If you are concerned what you want to do may be wrong and/or illegal, it is probably best to not do it.
> 4 votes
# Answer
Whether or not you sell, distribute, release, license, profit from, claim ownership, etc... of something does not matter for copyright law. Copyright prohibits the very act of well, *copying*. Specifically, if a work is protected by copyright, you can't (among other things)
> * make adaptations and arrangements of the work
> * make reproductions in any manner or form
without permission (or a license) from the copyright holder. Just because you do something privately, don't distribute or profit from it, does not make you exempt from this rule.
In some cases though, a fair use exception may apply. In the United States, uses that may be (but not necessarily are) fair are limited to:
> criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, or research
Note that in Europe, teaching is usually not considered fair use.
So no, it would not in general be permitted to make a 3D model of a copyrighted work, even if you don't plan to do any of the things you listed with it. An artist would not be allowed to draw the picture of Mickey Mouse as you describe either. However, in the United States, your use could be construed as fair use for educational purposes. However, considering that you could equally as well have used some non-copyrighted work to demonstrate the limits of CAD (there's nothing specific to Mickey Mouse that makes him more suitable than any other model) I would recommend against this. An important argument in fair use is usually that there is no other option but to use the copyrighted work (e.g. in a class discussing pop music you have no option but to use excerpts of copyrighted lyrics).
> 2 votes
# Answer
> Can a 3D model of a copyrighted work be rendered legally without infringement?
The answer is yes, but only if you have the copyright holder's permission. Copyright covers intellectual property; the intangible. Patent covers material things; things you can build or invent. Trademark covers a logo, stamp, flag or other means by which an entity can be distinguished from others. If an artist draws mickey mouse because the design of that character is also use as the trademark of a corporation that could be a trademark violation. If you produce a physical form of a 3d model with a 3d printer, the process leaves marks on the output that would make is visually dissimilar to the original. However if it functions like the original was intended, then you could have a patent violation (as opposed to copyright).
In short creating a "sculpture" of from a copyrighted work would be infringing, just as taking a photo of a sculpture would be infringing.
http://cjam.info/en/copyright-and-taking-pictures-of-sculptures-2/
> 2 votes
# Answer
Well I think it's a good question, but like what was already stated this question is extremely broad. I am however curious as well. If I take what has already been said literally and apply it to a 3D model of a palm tree, for example. From what y'all are saying, everyone that has ever made a 3D model after the first person in history made one is now in violation of copyright infringement... Not sure how that makes sense but I am going by what was said in the answers. Because if something is copyrighted and you make something that is similar in nature then I take it all foliage made in a 3D modelling program must be in violation of copyright infringement.
Unless y'all are referring to unique cases where someone was to make a unique piece of art and then someone else was to come along and reproduce it?
Tom said above that these would be copyright violations:
> make adaptations and arrangements of the work
>
> make reproductions in any manner or form
Well, reproducing a palm tree someone else has made or a blade of grass would then technically be a copyright violation, since someone has claimed a copyright on it and sold it in landscape packages for example.
> 0 votes
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Tags: 3d-models, cad
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thread-14682 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14682 | What are the dimensions of the FlashForge Creator Pro heating block? | 2020-10-27T22:38:13.310 | # Question
Title: What are the dimensions of the FlashForge Creator Pro heating block?
I have a FlashForge Creator Pro, couple of years old. I'm looking to replace one or both of the heating blocks, as they're getting old and pretty gunked up. Instead of buying two blocks at \\$30 each, I thought I could take some aluminum and make two on my CNC mill. The only thing - are there any manufacturer provided dimensions? I could probably get by measuring with calipers, but I'd prefer the exact specifications.
# Answer
> 2 votes
The FlashForge Creator Pro uses a MK10 hotend:
The Micro Swiss MK10 All Metal Hotend Kit for instance is reported to be a drop-in replacement for the FlashForge Creator Pro, it uses M7 threads.
The heater block for an MK10 has a threaded hole for the thermistor (M4), but some use a machined hole for PT100/3 mm thermistor cartridges. The block measures around 20 x 20 13 mm. The images below should give you enough information to create your custom blocks. However, there appear to be 3<sup>rd</sup> supplier after-market blocks available on on-line webshops and market places
The Flashforge original spare part heater blocks show that they are slightly different (the top image shows symmetrical heater blocks while the spare parts are not symmetrical), so above drawings and caliper measurements should give you enough information to reproduce the heater block.
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*It would be a great addition if you added your own answer once you measured your blocks and created some drawings!*
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Tags: flashforge-creator, flashforge
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thread-14687 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14687 | New RepRap Discount Smart Controller blinks and beeps, but doesn't display | 2020-10-28T19:22:02.847 | # Question
Title: New RepRap Discount Smart Controller blinks and beeps, but doesn't display
Main board: MKS GEN L V1.4
The SD card reader on the original controller LCD (from four years ago, or so) went out, so I replaced it with a touch screen. I found, however, that I don't like the touchscreen interface as much as the LCD home screen, so I ordered what I thought was an identical LCD controller. They certainly look the same.
The original controller is plugged in now and working. It should just be a matter of the EXP1 and EXP2 cables between new and old, but when I plug it in and fire up the printer, the beeper starts a constant, weak beeping, the screen sort of flashes on/off, on/off... Is there something I'm missing? Some fundamental difference between the old LCDs and the new? Is there firmware I'm missing?
EDIT: I saw this post that talks about turning the slots, but they don't move and I'm afraid of applying too much pressure. How hard should it be? Can I accomplish the same thing by reversing the connector on one end of the ribbon cable?
# Answer
So, the answer in the other referenced post was correct, the slots were turned opposite how they should have been. AND YES: you can create a "crossover" ribbon cable and everything works great, so physically turning the slots is not necessary.
> 0 votes
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Tags: reprap
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thread-3160 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3160 | Printing screws - is the output usable? (M3 or M4) | 2016-12-09T00:31:53.750 | # Question
Title: Printing screws - is the output usable? (M3 or M4)
I just want to ask if anyone has successfully printed a screw (M3 or M4). Is the printed output usable as a screw? What printer is capable of printing screws? I am using an M3D printer - is there a configuration to successfully print a screw that is usable?
Can anyone share a picture of the best 3D printed screw?
# Answer
well... it's hard to imagine printing M3 or even M4 I haven't try but I haven't because I'm pretty sure it's not possible (on my printer of course)
but some time ago I've tried M8 which is of course way from your needs it was printed on 0.1mm layer height
it went ok into the nut without any problems but the strength is not very high I suppose
I know the quality is poor but even such bad photo shows issues
> 12 votes
# Answer
Yes. This question and most of the answers are old, and 3D printing has come a long way in the past 4 years or so. Alexandre Strube's bumping with one up-to-date answer inspired me to take another try at it, and my first attempt was an overwhelming success.
* Bolt printed in horizontal orientation (with support), nut vertical.
* Wall line width reduced from 0.4 mm to 0.3 mm (still 0.4 mm nozzle) - most important for the bolt or the thread profile is not achievable.
* Layer height 0.12 for bolt, 0.08 for nut (to give nearly 10 layer per revolution)
* Both offset 0.045 mm from ideal thread profile (at M6-M8 this is about the maximum allowable by ISO standard; at M4 it's surely excess but extrusion roundness of FDM probably compensates entirely anyway).
* 100% infill, achieved with high wall line count rather than zigzag fill
The nut and bolt fit tightly but can be turned by hand (if your fingers are small enough) with some force.
These were printed in cheap PLA on an Ender 3 with entirely stock hardware, but upgraded controller board (SKR mini E3 V2.0) and firmware (presently using Klipper).
As for whether they're usable, My Tech Fun has a video testing the strength of 3D-printed bolts in different orientations. His tests were of M10, but the horizontally-printed one was able to hold over 140 kg in a pulling test, making it (especially with multiple bolts) suitable for serious applications.
Since the question mentioned M3, I went back later and figured I'd go even smaller and give M2.5 a try... and it worked! This is pretty surprising considering the pitch is just over the nozzle size, but with 0.2 mm extrusion widths and 0.08 mm layers it came out usable:
> 8 votes
# Answer
I just did.
I printed a 4 screws at .2mm and 20% infill. surprisingly, all screws worked with a plastic m4 nut I had from china (not 3d printed). The project itself tells to print at 100% and 0.1.
When I started screwing the 4th one, I pushed the tool badly, and the screw head popped off.
After reading this thread, and experiencing what I just said above about the screw's head, I'm printing one more, this time at the maximum resolution and maximum infill. I'm also printing a nut to compare to this.
Even the ones with plastic flying around them worked well (see picture).
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2591857
Ps: apparently the person can't make hexagons. I will redo the heads in proper hexagons, as well as the little wrench when I have time.
> 4 votes
# Answer
I've had success printing pins at that size, but not screws. At that size the pins were also exciedingly suceptible to stress, ie easy to break. At that scale the tolerances are a bit tight when printing that small and there will be small variances in precision with most printers. The best example of this is to try to print a lego piece, they dont snap together, some are slightly to big, and some are slightly to small and sometimes they will break.
> 3 votes
# Answer
Its just not possible on a FDM machine. for example using a layer thickness of 0.1 which is standard there would only be 5 layers of material between each peak (the pitch) for a coarse M3 and a fine M3 would not even have four layers (wikipedia on ISO thread) which is just not enough layers to resolve the required shape. The tensile strength of such a bolt even if you could print it would be abysmal.
> 3 votes
# Answer
Not very likely unfortunately.
M3D nozzle diameter is too wide to be able to print something that would print reliably, not to mention any FDM machine won't have the precision to build good threads. even 0.05mm layer heights won't run very well.
I've tried on a Form1 (SLA style printer) and even that set at it's max resolution wasn't able to print clean threads.
> 0 votes
# Answer
Vertically printed threaded bolts generally work better than you might expect, because (1) the layers are nearly parallel to the direction in which they have to slide, so the bolt can turn smoothly, and (2) when a typical bolt is sliced, the resulting layers are just circles, which are about the least problematic shape you could print.
Also note that, especially if you're printing a bolt to use with a metal nut (or vice versa), then as long as the thread is close enough, it will end up being crushed / sheared into the right profile; it's a bit like how you can drive a screw into timber without having to tap a thread.
In principle, the pitch of a printed bolt could be very fine; as long as the layer height is less than half the pitch (i.e. the Nyquist limit), and the spacing is correct, then the threads will engage. So if you can print 0.1mm layers, you have enough detail for M1 or smaller. Of course you're not going to print a bolt that small, but the point is, the limit is not resolution, it's the strength of the print.
The horizontally-printed bolt in `@R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE`'s answer is impressive – if you can print that, then that's the answer. But even if you can't, you could definitely print a horizontal 3mm diameter cylinder, and then use a die to cut the thread on the finished part. It's not a "pure" printed solution, but you can get a cheap tap-and-die set from any auto parts store for less than the cost of a spool of filament.
> 0 votes
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Tags: fdm, quality
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thread-14686 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14686 | What are the effects of backlash from a geared stepper motor used to drive a filament extruder? | 2020-10-28T14:44:58.450 | # Question
Title: What are the effects of backlash from a geared stepper motor used to drive a filament extruder?
**Question background:**
I am building an extruder / hotend combination to be used with 2.85 mm filaments.
The extruder I chose is QR Extruder from Bondtech which comes with a stepper motor, with an integrated planetary gear system and a reduction of 5.18 to 1.
The motor's specification states that it has a backlash of less than 1 degree.
I have contacted the manufacturer but I could not get a more specific number.
**Here is what I'd like to know (i.e., my question clarified) :**
* How does this \< 1 degree backlash translate to pushing filament through the hot end?
* Once the extruder steps are calibrated, can it cause artifacts on the prints?
* Can linear advance (Marlin) or pressure advance (Klipper/Duet) make up for this \< 1 degree backlash of the planetary gear system?
# Answer
During normal extrusion backlash has no effect.
During retraction you can perfectly compensate by increasing retraction length slightly.
Backlash cannot be taken into account for pressure advance, but unless it's a lot, it should not cause issues: pressure compensation is a second order effect and does not need to be tuned super accurately to produce results.
One degree does not seem to be enough to cause problems.
> 1 votes
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Tags: extruder, stepper, motor, extruder-driver, drive-gear
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thread-14695 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14695 | Drop in temperature after couple layers | 2020-10-29T14:01:14.193 | # Question
Title: Drop in temperature after couple layers
I'm printing basically a large flat square pane. This goes fine for 3 layers, after which the temperature suddenly drops by about ten degrees. After a while, my printer goes into thermal runaway protection.
I restarted my print, and as soon as the temperature drops, I pause the print. I wait for it to go up again, and resume. It starts dropping again, so I decide to see about continuing this part at 200 degrees (which worked quite fine, so I think I'll stick at 200 for now.)
I have tested running the printer at 210 and turning on the fan, thinking maybe it's simply related to that. That does not give a thermal runaway, and a drop of 2 degrees max. My assumption is that it's the PID.
How do I fix this?
My printer is a heavily modified Anet a8, running Marlin.
# Answer
I had a similar problem with an Anet A8 once. The problem was, that the thermistor wasn't mounted right **in** the heat block, so the air flow cooled it while the print head was moving. You can check, whether this is a problem at your printer.
> 1 votes
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Tags: temperature, thermal-runaway
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thread-13739 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/13739 | Deltaprinter scratches print | 2020-05-24T16:17:20.553 | # Question
Title: Deltaprinter scratches print
About a year a go I bought a Tevo Little Monster second hand. It was a little dirty but (as far as I could see) unmodified. I put away that noisy "MKS SBASE"-board with smoothieware and installed a nice Duet 2 Ethernet board. I tried for weeks to get it going but without success, then decided to try it again later. Now I am on it again and already put a lot more effort in it than last time. Anyway, the problem persists and it is really driving me nuts!
Out there on the internet are several people who succeeded with a duet board on the same printer, so it must be possible. For Example this one.
# My Background
I am doing 3D printing for a while now. Besides the Little Monster I own a Makerbot Replicator 2X (running latest Sailfish), a Anycubic Delta Linear Plus (running self-compiled Marlin 1.1.9) and – for two weeks now – a Two Trees Sapphire Pro (running self-compiled Marlin 2.0.x). All these printers are running absolutely fine.
---
# Problem
As far as I can tell, my problem boils down to inaccurate z positioning of the nozzle. This makes the nozzle (heavily) scratch on printed parts of the same layer. Small parts are often ripped of the bed by the nozzle before the print is finished. Practically I cannot use the printer in its current state.
Here is a video of the Problem.
---
# Test setup
My usual test scenario is a 100 x 100 x 20 mm box with two walls, two top/bottom-layers and 50% Infill. Maximum Speed 90 mm/s. The speed should be fine, as the printer is advertised with 300 mm/s.
---
# What I changed from stock:
* Install genuine BL Touch
* Changed controller board from stock "MKS SBASE" to Duet 2 Ethernet
* Removed sticker from printbed and placed a UltraBase (310 x 310 mm) on top of the stock glas plate
* Replaced stock titan-ish extruder by cloned BMG dual drive Extruder (same extruder as on all of my other printers)
* Replaced full-metal hotend by a hotend with PTFE liner
---
# What I already tried to solve the problem:
## Hypothesis: Bad config of duet board
Actions: see separate section
## Hypothesis: Narrow nosed nozzle does not smooth the printed line enough
Actions: replaced narrow-nosed nozzle (0.6mm) by broad-nosed nozzle (0.4mm) and adjusted cura accordingly
Result: No difference
## Hytothesis: There is something wrong with the firmware
Action: Upgraded duet board from RepRap 2.0 to 3.0
Result: No difference
## Hyptothesis: Geometrical inaccurate build
Actions: Measured arm space on effector and carriages (by caliper), "measured" rod lengths by eye (b/c my caliper can only measure about 150mm), checked towers by eye for bending.
Result: Arm spacing on effector and carriage is the same down to 0.19mm. Rod lengths have no noticeable difference, towers seem to be straight.
## Hypothesis: Joints on delta Rods have play
Actions: Tried to shake/move/wiggle the effector by hand
Result: No noticeable play
## Hypothesis: Overextrusion
Action: Intentionally underextruded (80% flow) for testing
Result: Printed lines became noticable more narrow (not even touch each other), but scratching persists.
## Hypothesis: Rubber wheels of the carriages running too rough and are worn out
Action: Replaced rubber wheels by linear Rails. (Thingiverse)
Result: Carriages run much smoother, but this change does not help with my problem
## Hypothesis: Belt tension is bad
Action: Tensioned the belts thoroughly
Result: No noticable difference
## Hypothesis: Tooth belts are worn out
Action: Replaced tooth-belt with new GT-2 Belt
Result: Belts look more regular when moving, does not help with my problem
## Hypothesis: Pulleys and Idlers are worn out or not sufficiently round
Action: Replaced Pulleys and Idlers
Result: No noticable difference
## Hypothesis: One or more of the stepper motors are not working properly
Action: Replaced all tower motors (incl. wiring) with new ones
Result: No noticable difference
## Hypothesis: One of the stepper drivers is not working correctly
Action1: Investigation of signals on the motor-wires by oscilloscope
Result1: They all looked about the same (short square pulses), in principal no difference between all motor wires. (I do not know how these signals *should* look like. I just tried to spot differences.)
Action2: Changed the drivers for the tower motors one by one with the unused E1-driver
Result2: No noticable difference
## Hypothesis: Leveling is bad due bad probing
Action1: Checked leveling manually (with feeler gauge) and checked BL-Touch repeatability.
Result1: Found deviation of 0.2mm on some points between automated and manual leveling. Repeatability is good (accurate to 0.02mm)
Action2: Leveling is now done by a DF9-40 weight-resistor (and a voltage divider). This sensor is mounted (manually every time) directly under the nozzle.
Result2: The first layer is next to perfect. To my understanding that means a correct calibration.
## Hypothesis: Flying extruder is too heavy and impacts the accuracy of the carriage movement
Action: changed extruder from flying to remote, mounted on one of the towers
Result: Problem seems to hit maybe a little less. I am not entirely sure about this.
## Hypothesis: My problem is no problem, a little scratching is nothing unusual
Action: Tried the same print on my smaller Delta printer
Result: No scratching on the other printer. Hence it seems not to be usual.
## Hypothesis: Scratching is related partial overextrusion due to "extrusion delay" caused by bowden system
Action: Tested linear advance between 0 to 1.2
Result: linear advance seems to work as intended (watching the extruder), but does not change anything on my problem
---
# Configuration
I tried to transfer the settings from the original smoothieware config-files as good as possible. Original smoothieware files can be found here on github
To have a consistent config, I used the RRF Browser Config Tool.
**Motor Current:** There is no advice printed on the original motors concerning the current. Smoothieware config file says 1.5 Amp. Thats what I configured. (The Replacement-Motors came with a data sheet, they can take 2 Amp. So they got 2 Amp)
**Steps per mm:** On all tower motors there are 20-tooth-GT2-pulleys. RRF Config tool suggests 80 steps/mm (with 16x microstepping). I tried it with and without interpolation from 16x to 256x and with "native" 256x microstepping (1280 steps/mm). Also tried native 32x microstepping with 159.53 steps/mm (like in the smoothieware config) and 160 steps/mm. Does not change anything on the problem.
**Delta Parameters:** Original Smoothieware config suggests:
```
arm_length 397.1900 # This is the length of an arm from hinge to hinge
arm_radius 157.0741 # This is the horizontal distance from hinge to hinge when the effector is centered
```
That seems to be (roughly) consistent with what I measure by folding ruler. So that is what I put in my config right away.
**Auto Calibration:** Tried 4,6,7,8 and 9 factors (using the force-sensor, not BL Touch) and put the results into splunk. Each data point is averaged over 3 calibration runs with exactly the same settings, every time starting from the smoothieware stock-values. (First run was with 159.53 steps/mm, second with 160 steps/mm)
Surprisingly the auto calibration finds reliably the same parameters, which differ from the stock-config ones. I have no Idea why, but similar things happen on my smaller delta printer. Hence I do not consider this a problem.
**Speed and acceleration:** Lowering acceleration (down to 300 mm/s) does not change anything. Lowering speed makes scratching less loud, but still hearable/feelable rumble from the nozzle on the print. Prints are still ripped of the print bed.
```
; Configuration file for Duet WiFi (firmware version 3)
; executed by the firmware on start-up
;
; generated by RepRapFirmware Configuration Tool v2.1.8 on Fri Apr 24 2020 17:00:42 GMT+0200 (CEST)
; General preferences
G90 ; send absolute coordinates...
M83 ; ...but relative extruder moves
M550 P"jKossel19" ; set printer name
;M665 R157.0741 L397.19 B155 H522 ;
M665 R170 L397.19 B155 H525 ; from forum.duet3d.com with modified hight 520 ==> 525
M666 X0 Y0 Z0 ; put your endstop adjustments here, or let auto calibration find them
; Network
M552 S1 ; enable network
M586 P0 S1 ; enable HTTP
M586 P1 S0 ; disable FTP
M586 P2 S0 ; disable Telnet
; Drives
M569 P0 S0 ; physical drive 0 goes backwards
M569 P1 S0 ; physical drive 1 goes backwards
M569 P2 S0 ; physical drive 2 goes backwards
M569 P3 S0 ; physical drive 3 goes backwards
M584 X0 Y1 Z2 E3 ; set drive mapping
M350 X16 Y16 Z16 E16 I1 ; configure microstepping with interpolation
M92 X80 Y80 Z80 E418.00 ; set steps per mm
M566 X480.00 Y480.00 Z480.00 E1200.00 ; set maximum instantaneous speed changes (mm/min)
M203 X240000.00 Y240000.00 Z240000.00 E1800.00 ; set maximum speeds (mm/min)
M201 X1000.00 Y1000.00 Z1000.00 E1000.00 ; set accelerations (mm/s^2)
M906 X2000 Y2000 Z2000 E800 I30 ; set motor currents (mA) and motor idle factor in per cent
M84 S30 ; Set idle timeout
; Axis Limits
M208 Z0 S1 ; set minimum Z
; Endstops
M574 X2 S1 P"xstop" ; configure active-high endstop for high end on X via pin xstop
M574 Y2 S1 P"ystop" ; configure active-high endstop for high end on Y via pin ystop
M574 Z2 S1 P"zstop" ; configure active-high endstop for high end on Z via pin zstop
; Z-Probe BLTouch
;M950 S0 C"exp.heater3" ; create servo pin 0 for BLTouch
;M558 P9 C"zprobe.in+zprobe.mod" H5 F120 T6000 ; set Z probe type to bltouch and the dive height + speeds
;G31 P500 X0 Y20 Z0.45 ; set Z probe trigger value, offset and trigger height
;M557 R140 S45 ; define mesh grid
; Z-Probe MANUAL
;M558 P0 H5 F120 T6000 ; disable Z probe but set dive height, probe speed and travel speed
; Z-Probe weight resistor
M558 P1 C"zprobe.in" H5 F60 T6000 ; set Z probe type to unmodulated and the dive height + speeds
G31 P500 X0 Y0 Z0.05 ; set Z probe trigger value, offset and trigger height
; Heaters
M308 S0 P"bedtemp" Y"thermistor" T100000 B4092 ; configure sensor 0 as thermistor on pin bedtemp
M950 H0 C"bedheat" T0 Q10 ; create bed heater output on bedheat and map it to sensor 0
M143 H0 S120 ; set temperature limit for heater 0 to 120C
M307 H0 B0 S1.00 ; disable bang-bang mode for the bed heater and set PWM limit
M140 H0 ; map heated bed to heater 0
M308 S1 P"e0temp" Y"thermistor" T100000 B4092 ; configure sensor 1 as thermistor on pin e0temp
M950 H1 C"e0heat" T1 ; create nozzle heater output on e0heat and map it to sensor 1
M143 H1 S280 ; set temperature limit for heater 1 to 280C
M307 H1 B0 S1.00 ; disable bang-bang mode for heater and set PWM limit
; Fans
M950 F0 C"fan0" Q500 ; create fan 0 on pin fan0 and set its frequency
M106 P0 S1 H1 T50 ; set fan 0 value. Thermostatic control is turned on
M950 F1 C"fan1" Q500 ; create fan 1 on pin fan1 and set its frequency
M106 P1 S0 H-1 ; set fan 1 value. Thermostatic control is turned off
; Tools
M563 P0 S"Vulcan" D0 H1 F0:2:1 ; define tool 0
G10 P0 X0 Y0 Z0 ; set tool 0 axis offsets
G10 P0 R0 S0 ; set initial tool 0 active and standby temperatures to 0C
; Custom settings
; set heater parameters
M307 H0 A213.8 C593.5 D3.3 S1.00 V24.6 B0
M307 H1 A513.6 C184.3 D8.4 S1.00 V24.4 B0
M572 D0 S0.5 ; pressure advance
; Miscellaneous
M501 ; load saved parameters from non-volatile memory
```
---
# Workarounds:
* Yes Z-hop helps, but only with travel moves. That is no solution, only a partly working workaround.
* No infill with crossing lines: Yes possible, but no: i want a sturdy infill.
---
# What I still do not understand:
* Measurements are subject to statistical errors. Marlin (on my anycubic delta-printer) fights this by probing the same point multiple times and taking the average for calibration. As far as I could find out, RepRap firmware does not support this. Is that correct? Is there any good reason? I am quite sure, calibration accuracy would get a little better with this.
* Does a perfect first layer really mean accurate calibration of the delta-parameters? Is there any other way i can be sure?
* I really would like to know more about the effector tilt. But a bubble level does not offer enough accuracy. Is there any good way to measure this?
* I am absolutely not sure about this, but I remember very faintly not to have this problem when printing with the original smoothie board on a completely unmodified printer. But I only made one or two test prints with it. Sadly I cannot test it anymore, because I do not have the smoothie board anymore.
* In the very first place I made a mistake with wiring of the motors to the duet board and shorted at least one motor output. (Duet board told me so, I corrected my mistake. Afterwards everything seemed fine.) Might I have damaged my duet board in a way that might cause my problem?
* There are parameters in the smoothie config that I cannot find in the duet config. Neither could I find why the duet config does not need these parameters.
+ mm\_max\_arc\_error
+ mm\_per\_arc\_segment
* Auto calibration finds (repeatable) delta parameters that do not match the smoothieware config, mainly rod length and delta radius. Is there any difference in definition? The numbers from the original smoothieware definition seem to be more consistent with my (quite unprecise) measurements (down to 1-2 mm). I actually know this behavior of "too long" calibrated push rods from my Anycubic Delta. But it does not seem to cause any problems there.
---
**EDIT**
*Recently tried:*
* changed duet board for a new one (yes I bought a brand new one)
* used different slicer (Slic3r instead of cura)
* started from scratch with a new config
*Result:* problem persists and has not changed noticeably.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Finally I found an solution. But I still don't know what exactly the problem was.
In my case the problem vanished after the following steps:
---
Tags: delta
--- |
thread-14181 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14181 | How important is it to move the printer's controller board outside of an enclosure? | 2020-08-04T14:06:28.320 | # Question
Title: How important is it to move the printer's controller board outside of an enclosure?
I am building an enclosure for an Ender 3 Pro printer, and am planning on the power supply and LCD unit being outside the enclosure. How important is it to move the printer controller (where the SD card is inserted) outside the enclosure? Would leaving it in place affect its longevity?
Answers to the first round of comments/questions:
* I expect to be primarily printing in the 200C-270C range.
* I'm not worried about losing heat from opening the doors - I'll be putting the SD card in prior to initiating printing.
* I'm thinking the stepper motors are somewhat of a moot point, there's no way I could move them outside of the enclosure.
* My printer is all stock.
# Answer
> 2 votes
It depends on what kinds of prints you make, and especially what kind of materials you want to use.
Certain materials (ABS especially, but also PETG to some degree) will print *much better* if the entire build area, which usually includes the printer chassis and controls, is enclosed to protect from drafts and allow a much higher ambient temperature.
If you print often with these materials, and the control board is included in that enclosed area, you ***will*** significantly reduce the life of the electronic components, especially the capacitors on the board<sup>1</sup>.
On the other hand, if you print mainly with PLA, which is not as susceptible to issues requiring an enclosure, and prints better with an ambient temperature closer to room temperature, you can put the electronic controls wherever you want.
---
<sub>1 See especially this excerpt from the section on "Premature Failure":</sub>
> Electrolytic capacitors that operate at a lower temperature can have a considerably longer lifespan.
# Answer
> 0 votes
This guy placed the whole Ender in a 100C environment but he emphasises how important it is to leave the electronics cool:
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, electronics, enclosure
--- |
thread-14576 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14576 | Thermal Runaway E1 | 2020-10-12T21:23:57.327 | # Question
Title: Thermal Runaway E1
I am currently building a Hypercube Evolution from a kit that was passed on to me. It uses a BIQU KFB2.0 control board and a 24 volt power supply. I have no prior experience in 3D printing.
I was getting to the end of the build. Everything was working. I was testing every component as I added it using Pronterface. I have not covered the aluminium heated bed with anything as I did not want to cause problems for the induction sensor (used as Z Min endstop). The induction sensor has a 4 mm range for ferrous metal and less for aluminium. I was intending to print on blue tape.
One website I visited suggested using feeler gauges as a better choice when levelling the bed. So I did. What I did not know is that both the hotend and the bed have power running to the outer surface. I found out when a feeler gauge touched the bed and the hotend at the same time. Since then, my LCD display gives the message "Thermal Runaway E1 press reset". I have pressed reset on the control board to no avail. Short press, long (5 and 10 seconds) and double press. None of which work. I have disconnected the hotend and it's thermistor from the control board. I have tried using another thermistor, but to no avail. Pronterface, when trying to connect, gives the following two lines:
"Error: Thermal Runaway, system stopped! Heater\_ID: 0 Error: Printer halted, kill() called!"
I have disconnected all wires from the control board other than those leading to the LCD screen. The only power coming from the PSU. Still have the Thermal Runaway E1 error.
I have also re-compiled Marlin 2.0.6.1 using Auto Build Marlin and uploaded to the board, still the error persists. Anybody any idea how to fix this problem?
# Answer
> 1 votes
I found the solution. Controller board was broken, I had to order a new one.
---
Tags: troubleshooting, printer-building, hypercube
--- |
thread-14708 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14708 | Identifying this ATmega1284P board | 2020-11-01T10:30:21.040 | # Question
Title: Identifying this ATmega1284P board
I recently bought what I am told is an Ender 3 clone. It is a CTC model and has v1-5 written in the bottom corner and comes with a Marlin v1 firmware. But I have no idea what board it is.
When I send command `M115`, I get
```
FIRMWARE_NAME:Marlin V1; Sprinter/grbl mashup for gen6
FIRMWARE_URL:http://www.mendel-parts.com
PROTOCOL_VERSION:1.0
MACHINE_TYPE:CTC 3D
EXTRUDER_COUNT:1
UUID:00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000"
```
Can anybody help me identify this board so I can upgrade the firmware to Marlin 2 in the hopes of getting it to work with Octoprint, and all the safety features that come with the new firmware (such as thermal runaway protection).
# Answer
This printer controller board looks exactly like an Anet controller board. These also have a v1.5 version:
Your board misses the "Anet" branding, but includes the 1.5 version designation. Your board is probably customized with a different silkscreen (ink layer that identifies components and other information) on PCBs (printed circuit boars). Rebranding is pretty common in electronics.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: marlin, creality-ender-3, firmware
--- |
thread-14705 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14705 | Do I need linear rails on a corexy printer's z-axis while already having quality lead screws at hand? | 2020-11-01T06:05:29.457 | # Question
Title: Do I need linear rails on a corexy printer's z-axis while already having quality lead screws at hand?
I'm currently working on a CoreXY printer, my build platform will be 220 x 220 mm I've chosen to go with linear rails on X and Y axes. I have some nice straight machined 12 mm diameter lead screws on hand which I'm thinking of using in the Z-axis, both of them will be supported on each end with pillow blocks, is it necessary to support them with rails? Or will it be overkill?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Using rails for Z is overkill. They are stiffer than smooth rods, but for Z axis that's not needed.
Using only the leadscrew may be enough, especially in designs with three of them, but if you have only two you may be able to still twist the bed around the Z axis. Also, the bed would be supported only in the center by the "nut" on the leadscrew. This means that the bed could wiggle around the X axis (the axis along the line between the two nuts).
Some additional support for the bed, or using two "nuts" per leadscrew, properly spaced apart, is usually needed.
This in general. Since you mention now that the bed is 220x220 mm, maybe you can get away with the two leadscrews alone, especially if you can find "long" leadscrew nuts, so that the wiggling is not excessive.
---
Tags: diy-3d-printer, corexy
--- |
thread-14702 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14702 | Prusa MK3S Y-skewed prints | 2020-10-31T15:18:29.957 | # Question
Title: Prusa MK3S Y-skewed prints
My prints have recently started to come out with a serious skew along the Y axis. This occurs regardless of printing parameters such as speed/acceleration. I don't know the exact cause yet, can someone help me resolve this? What could have caused this?
Please don't mind the stringing/blobs, I'm currently running out of filament and I was forced to use an old PET-G spool damaged by moisture.
# Answer
Apparently, the possible cause mentioned by @R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE turned out to be true. The frame was noticeably skewed in the Y-axis, which is why the prints were leaning in that direction.
I replaced the Z-axis top parts with a 3D printed modified version of them (what came with the printer is orange, what I printed is yellow.) The modified version is slightly longer so as to move the steel rods (ones that hold the X-axis) slightly towards the front of the printer (in the opposite direction to the skew)
This turned out to work perfectly, the skew is still slightly present, but it has been substantially mitigated and I can fix it completely by adjusting the length of the printed parts.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, prusa-i3
--- |
thread-8022 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/8022 | First 3 mm prints poorly, then fine after that | 2019-01-20T20:07:06.073 | # Question
Title: First 3 mm prints poorly, then fine after that
I have an Ender 3 that I have been pretty happy with so far, however it recently started an odd behavior and I can't figure out what's causing it.
What happens is that the first ~3 mm of the print comes out "sloppy". After that, everything clears up and it prints fine for the rest of the print. (Although it perhaps looks a little under extruded on the top layer)
It looks almost like it's over extruding. But if that's the case, why would it only be for the first 3 mm? Then the top layer looking under extruded makes that possibility even more unlikely.
This is consistently happening regardless of what I am printing, the brand of filament (I only print PLA), or the bed temp or hot end temp. I've tried tweaking with the bed leveling and giving a little more gap on the first layer, but that doesn't seem to change anything either. I also calibrated the extrusion multiplier and it's spot on now.
I use Ultimaker Cura 3.6 as my slicer. I tried resetting back to defaults to see if maybe I had inadvertently changed something but that didn't help either.
I have done a few upgrades - Marlin firmware, Capricorn tubing, glass bed, replaced the (broken) plastic extruder with one of the metal ones, new PTFE fittings. I didn't notice the problem until recently so I can't say if it started corresponding with any of those upgrades.
When I first got it, the prints came out beautifully from the first layer, so this is really frustrating me. I'd like to get it back the way it was.
Any suggestions on where to look?
Update: I did some slightly more controlled experimemts and I did get it looking a little better. It does seem related mostly to bed tempurature. The cooler I make the bed, the better it looks. However as it gets cooler, the prints are also starting to warp and break loose, so the print ends up failing completely. I had a hard time getting a successful print below about 45 degrees, and even at that temperature it still isn't completely clean. I'm using glue stick for adhesion and it just doesn't seem able to hold it without some heat. I traditionally have run around 50 degrees before this problem started though, so it seems odd I have to drop below that now.
Also, for more info, the cube dimensions are pretty close in the X and Y, but were about .5mm short in the Z. So the layers do seem to be settling.
I did check the bed temp with a non-contact thermometer and it was consistent with what the printer reported, so it doesnt seem to be a bad thermostat throwing things off.
# Answer
> 16 votes
After much trial and error, I think I finally figured out the solution.
Even though I could get better prints by tweaking with the temperatures, I could never totally eliminate the problem. The better I made it look by cooling down the bed, the more likely it would break free and the print would fail completely.
At one point though I happened to print something taller, and interestingly enough a similar band of ugly layers appeared higher up in the print as well.
So I started a closer inspection of the Z axis rollers. The Ender 3 has a funky setup where there are 3 rollers at each end of the X axis. Two are fixed and one can be adjusted to change the tension of the rollers against the Z rails. What I discovered was that a couple of the non-adjustable rollers weren't terribly tight and could be turned by fairly easily with my fingers. At the same time, the adjustable rollers are starting to wear a groove.
On a hunch, I decided to try re-adjusting the tension so that I could no longer turn any of them with my fingers. It definitely had an effect...now the bed was too high and it would no longer extrude the first layer because the nozzle was too close. This required going through the complete bed leveling process to get it back in spec.
Once I got it re-leveled, low and behold it's printing like new! The height is coming out spot-on too.
I suspect what was happening is that the rollers were too loose and at certain heights they we allowing movement in the Z axis. Perhaps there is a flat spot that was allowing the X rail to droop, then once it got past the flat spot it would print cleanly again.
I haven't printed anything tall enough yet to see if the bad layers still show up higher in the print, if they do, I think it is probably a sign that I need to replace some rollers. In the mean time, I'm thrilled to be getting decent prints again!
Update: This ended up NOT being the solution to my problem. However it does seem to be related. As I mentioned in the comments, the problem returned after a few days of the printer sitting unused. I have since been able to get it printing better by going the opposite route - loosening up the Z axis bearings. At the moment it is printing somewhat better, but still not perfect. I am also having under extrusion issues when may or may not be related. I have ordered some new rollers to see if that helps since some of them had a pretty good groove worn in them.
Another Update: I replaced several of the Z rollers that had become grooved with some that claimed to be a little harder material. So far this seems to have mostly cleared up the issue. I have now completed several large print jobs and the first layers have been coming out pretty good.
I also ended up taking out the Capricorn tubing on the extruder. The extruder skips were becoming quite bad and causing under extrusion issues throughout the print. The Capricorn has a little smaller inside diameter than the stock tubing and I wondered if it was too tight on some filaments. I went back to some plain white cheap PTFE and that problem mostly went away as well. I still hear the "click" once in a while, but it is fairly rare. I may try tweaking the motor current a little to see if I can get rid of that. All in all though, the printer seems to be printing about as good as it ever has.
# Answer
> 8 votes
I had the exact same problem as you. And after trying all of your ideas (Thanks so much for the amound of information!!!), I discovered that in my case, the problem was actually the printer skipping a step every other layer (at the beginning), which lead to the exact same thing, the bottom layers being "compressed", leading to a lower height in general (and overextrusion at the bottom). In my case the solution was to tighten the screws that hold the Z-Motor in place (as well as printing a spacer for the motor, so that the axis-screw (no idea how that thing is called) wouldn't bend: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2925230) as the Z-Motor would push itself down and lift itself up every other step, resulting in a loss of a layer.
# Answer
> 6 votes
I had this problem as well, the problem is not *too much* give on the Z axis, it's that there is not *enough* give, so loosen the Z-axis wheels on both sides till you can freely move one of the wheels with your hands.
This solved it for me.
# Answer
> 4 votes
I had trouble with the first few layers looking like over extruding (they were just compressed). Turns out the X axis was loose. On zeroing for a new print the arm would be sloped like this |/| as the Z axis lifted it would slowly end up |\\| over the duration of the print.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Same problem with my Ender 3, although not as severe as the OP, its about 0.5 mm over the first 1 mm that is lost.
After checking my motor as suggested, it was solid. However as with the OP, one of my adjustable wheels was loose on the Z axis, and could be turned by hand. Tightening the eccentric wheels on both sides to remove any slop has resolved the issue. Multiple test cubes have come out perfectly.
# Answer
> 1 votes
It looks like you need to calibrate your Z0 by adjusting your endstop height. It's starting too low.
I think you are printing your first layer too low, and underextruding to compensate. Do the paper test with your Z at 0, confirm it's good. Do the 100 mm extrude test and confirm it's pulling in exactly 100 mm. Measure your filament diameter in several places and make sure the slicer value matches.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I solved the problem by adding a second Z-axis leadscrew. The problem was that I could have either too tight Z-axis rollers or a sagging gantry. Both of this lead to the nozzle rubbing over the print. In case of sagging, rubbing on the right hand side of the print and a too large distance on the left. In case of too tight rollers, rubbing on the whole print or on whichever side had the tight rollers.
If you don't want to invest in a dual leadscrew setup, turn the excentric nuts that fix the rollers of the gantry to the Z-axis; making sure that they are tight enough but not overtight.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I had similar problem with my Tevo Tarantula. Tried all the options mentioned above as well. It seemed to be Z-axis height related. Changed my Z-axis flexible coupling to a solid coupling which solved it for me.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I too have a TEVO Tarantula Pro, two infact, the both did this out of the box (so to say). I think I just solved it for me. The comment above from Robet made me remember there was a small O-ring washer placed inside the flexi coupler when I built the printers.
The O-ring is the exact height of my first layer issues. I removed it and made sure that the motor shaft and the lead screw made hard contact. (Yes, I know thats not how they are meant to be, but all my previous printers are like that and they are fine). Even stretching the flexi coupler a few mm before clamping it to the lead screw.
And now my issue is completely fixed!
---
Tags: print-quality, extrusion, troubleshooting, creality-ender-3
--- |
thread-14703 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14703 | Ender 3 Extruder Speed / Upgrade | 2020-11-01T04:34:50.413 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 Extruder Speed / Upgrade
I am attempting to make my Ender 3 Pro print significantly faster than it is intended it I fear.
I hear a clicking noise coming from the extruder above 130 mm/s in Cura when it is going in long straight lines (I think my acceleration settings prevent it on shorter lines). I have seen this before when the bed is too close to the nozzle but I have auto bed leveling now and it is happening on all layers.
I have a standard extruder + Bowden tube setup. What can I do to make things go faster? I am less concerned about the quality of the print and more concerned about the speed.
# Answer
I am still somewhat of a noob, but I have heard that your problem may be because the extruder is not getting the filament out fast enough. You are trying to extrude filament before it is sufficiently fluid. Try increasing your hotend temperature by 5 degrees.
> 2 votes
# Answer
You're likely hitting the thermal limit of your hot end.
The standard Creality hotend used in your printers maxes out at around 8-12 mm³/s. To calculate your current volumetric speed, you can simply calculate
`speed * layer height * extrusion width`
With an 0.45 mm extrusion width and 0.2 mm layer heights, printing at 130 mm/s would put you at around 11,7 mm³/s - very high for the standard hot end.
Increasing temperatures as suggested in the other answer will help, but might reduce print quality on other layers / intricate structures.
The "proper" solution would be a Volcano or SuperVolcano hot end, or any of the other "high flow" alternatives.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, extruder, speed, bowden
--- |
thread-14666 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14666 | SKR 1.4 Turbo - Withhout SD-card reader, bricked? | 2020-10-26T20:27:10.047 | # Question
Title: SKR 1.4 Turbo - Withhout SD-card reader, bricked?
Unfortunately and regrettably.
Whilst trying to install and fit an SKR Turbo 1.4 Turbo Motherboard into 3D printer body, I managed to break the SKR 1.4 Turbo Motherboard SD-card reader. The card reader is not flush and protrudes from the board. It peeled the reader from the PCB.
I attempted to fix it without success. I have since removed it from the controller board (the original SD-Card Reader PCB pads are not intact so connecting a new SD-Card Reader in place is not possible)
**Have I bricked my brand new controller board?**
Please can anyone suggest (If possible):
1. Is there a way that this could be rectified in respect to uploading/flashing the Marlin 2 firmware to the SKR 1.4 Turbo without the original SD-Card Reader Module?
*I am under the impression I may be able to use a programmer of some description to upload the firmware?*
2. Installation of a new SD-Card Reader that could be used instead of the built in default SD-Card Reader?
*I think I would be required to first modify Marlin and then flash the motherboard firmware? Then perhaps be able to connect another SD-Card reader to the motherboard via SPI or alternative e.g wires to the respective pins on the reverse of the board?*
Could somebody kindly point me in the right direction? I would appreciate some guidance if this indeed possible?
# Answer
> 2 votes
You may get lucky flashing firmware with the STM Cube Programmer, though I haven't tried that.
The schematic for the SKR 1.4 Turbo shows that the relevant pins for the SD card are also accessible via the 2x3 SPI header - except for the P0.27 pin used for "SD DETECT", which you may have to circumvent.
I believe you should be able to use an "SDRamps" module and connect that to the SPI header via jumper cables.
# Answer
> 2 votes
If you are skilled with soldering, you can connect the pins of the SD card reader directly to the pins of the CPU with thin wires. They are small, but it's doable.
Then hot glue all in place to avoid stress on the wires.
Whatever you decide to do, be sure that it will be less convenient than getting a new board, assuming you value your time at least around 10 Euro/dollars per hour...
---
Tags: marlin, sd, skr-v1.4
--- |
thread-14706 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14706 | New Build. Hotend Overheating. Not Printing Yet | 2020-11-01T06:25:00.680 | # Question
Title: New Build. Hotend Overheating. Not Printing Yet
My build with the Hypercube Evolution continues with a replacement BIQI KFB2.0 board. I am not at the printing stage yet. This is due to my latest problem.
The kit contains a “no-name” hotend, complete with round finned heatsink and nozzle. Looks a bit like a V5 J Head Hot End.
Everything is wired up. A 24 V power supply is being used. The printer is connected to Pronterface via USB. Using Pronterface, I set the hotend temperature to 70 °C. The KFB2.0 board lights a bright red LED when power is being sent to the hotend (and/or the heated bed). On initial heating, the red LED is on until the hotend temperature reaches around 65 °C and then turns off. The temperature continues to climb to around 120 to 125 °C, then starts falling. At 69/70 °C the red LED comes on again for about two seconds, the temperature continues to climb after the red LED is off to around 86 °C. It then cycles around the 69/70 to 86 °C position.
I have removed the thermistor to check its resistance. Reads greater than 100 kΩ. When in situ in the hotend, it was reading around 85 k&ohm, but a bit of Kapton tape sorted that. I was now reading 100 k&ohm with the thermistor in place. I then used Pronterface to set the temperature again. This time with a multimeter hooked up to the hotend terminals on the board. It confirmed that the bright red LED was sending 24 V and nothing when not on, so the hotend is recording a temperature increase from around 65 to 125 °C with no power. But, I now got something different when the temperature fell back to 69/70 °C. The red LED flickered for about two seconds and the multimeter showed readings fluctuating between 0.1 and 4.2 V. From this point the hotend kept the correct temperature, even after I had removed the multimeter.
Has anybody any idea why the temperature is going so high and what can I do to fix it?
# Answer
3.9 ohms is a 12V heater. It won't work on 24V.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: hotend, temperature
--- |
thread-14719 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14719 | Post-processing and filaments for weather-proof electronic enclosure | 2020-11-03T13:56:33.820 | # Question
Title: Post-processing and filaments for weather-proof electronic enclosure
I'm building a weather-proof enclosure for some electronics. It's expected to stay exposed outside all the time so I'm worried about its resistance:
* What would recommend me for 3D filament? I was thinking about ApolloX ASA but I don't have an enclosure.
* What post-processing should I go with without being overkill? I was thinking about:
+ Resin coating *(was thinking about XTC-3D)*
+ Filler/Primer spray
+ UV-resistant spray paint
+ Water-proofing spray
* The enclosure have some moving parts exposed, how do I make the junction between them water-tight?
# Answer
> 2 votes
There are already some questions about the choice of filaments for outdoor use:
Which is more durable to sunlight/weather - PLA, ABS or PETG
3d printing for outdoor use: what types of filament are most weather resistant?
PLA use outdoors?
It may very well be that if you print in PETG you won't need any postprocessing.
If you still want to, you could try to paint or spray the outside with some bitumen spray for car underbody.
I think that the only part which actually needs postprocessing is the spot with exposed moving parts.
It's difficult or impossible to find a solution without having an idea of what we are talking about when you say "some moving parts exposed", but in general this is solved first of all by adapting the design so that water wont' be an issue: rain should flow away without getting inside, and spatwater should be reduced so that it will evaporate when rain stops.
If you only have an exposed pin for rotating parts which are inside, you could also pour some wax: it will seal it while allowing movement. The same bitumen spray may help.
---
Tags: post-processing, filament-choice, water-resistance
--- |
thread-14725 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14725 | What are the changes between BLtouch 3.0 and 3.1? | 2020-11-04T09:12:15.110 | # Question
Title: What are the changes between BLtouch 3.0 and 3.1?
I couldn't find a reliable source listing the improvements of BLtouch 3.1 vs 3.0.
I can see that BLtouch 3.0 is sold (original) for about 20 Euro, while 3.1 costs about 30 Euro. The difference is significant.
What are the improvements?
# Answer
> 0 votes
Best reference would be the original equipment manufacturer (Antclabs). It appears their sensor has had many versions:
So, from 3.0 to 3.1 is a software upgrade. Reported highlights are:
> ★ Smart V3.0 (Mar. 2019 ~ ) : S10, S60, S90, S120, S140, S150, S160, PWM Wiring defect indication(Blue LED), QR, Molex 1.25, Plastic Push-pin(PC), Power Wiring defect indication(Red LED)
>
> ★ Smart V3.1 (Mar. 2019 ~ ) : S10, S60, S90, S120, S130, S140, S150, S160, PWM Wiring defect indication(Blue LED), QR, Molex 1.25, Plastic Push-pin(PC), Power Wiring defect indication(Red LED)
If you look at the manuals you will see the differences:
V3.0
V3.1
As can be seen, timings are different and more PWM position G-code options are available in the V3.1.
---
Tags: bltouch
--- |
thread-14726 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14726 | Wiring BLTouch V3.1 on Anet A6 and the JST connector polarity | 2020-11-04T09:13:31.417 | # Question
Title: Wiring BLTouch V3.1 on Anet A6 and the JST connector polarity
I have looked at many tutorials already but I am not sure about how I should wire this properly. I bought a BLTouch V3.1 together with an extension cable
Now, the thing is, with that extension cable you get one set of wires for the servo in a Dupont connection (brown, red, yellow) and one for the Z-min in a JST connection (black, white).
The JST connection actually has room for three cables, and when holding it the way you can plug it into the Anet A6 you have the following order: Empty, Black, White. However, IIRC the input Z-min input on the Anet wants the following order: GND, VCC, Z-min.
So if I would use the cable like this. then I would connect the black wire of the BLTouch to the VCC. Will this cause any trouble with my BLtouch? Because I think it does, but then again, why would you sell such a wire.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Black is GND and should not be connected to VCC.
Note that you can simply pop out the metal parts (use a pin to press a small clip) from the connector and rearrange how you want them to be.
Note that most printer controller boards have the GND of all the endstops connected, so technically you don't need the black wire at all. I make my own extension cables (from 4 wire cable) where the brown and black are connected at the sensor side and a single white wire is used for the Z-min endstop.
---
Tags: bltouch, anet-a6
--- |
thread-11844 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11844 | Anet A6, Marlin 1.1.x, bed leveling with sensor probe | 2020-01-24T10:20:39.367 | # Question
Title: Anet A6, Marlin 1.1.x, bed leveling with sensor probe
I have an Anet A6, an SN04 sensor for the Z-axis, and Marlin 1.1.x software that has automatic bed leveling enabled.
My question is (looking at the image below): "It seems my bed leveling is not working correctly. What can I do to improve it?"
You can see several things below:
* I tried to use glue to make the first layer adhere better.. works only for small prints;
* the middle part of the print is being done quite okay;
* the outer part are either too low or too high.
I used the following procedure to get my leveling "right":
First I set the z-offset with the `M851` command, followed by `M500`. Then I performed the bed leveling with `G29 T`, followed by `M500`. Then I started my print.
Maybe I need more grid points for my bed leveling, even though I have this interpolation method on. Or do I need to check the implementation of the bed leveling, maybe something is just plain wrong in the software.
What is your recommendation?
Current bed level status (`M420 V`)
```
Send: M420 V
Recv: Bilinear Leveling Grid:
Recv: 0 1 2 3 4 5
Recv: 0 +0.709 +0.609 +0.519 +0.456 +0.448 +0.404
Recv: 1 +0.525 +0.440 +0.370 +0.325 +0.304 +0.298
Recv: 2 +0.368 +0.282 +0.222 +0.177 +0.189 +0.182
Recv: 3 +0.221 +0.152 +0.100 +0.055 +0.069 +0.082
Recv: 4 +0.086 +0.020 -0.028 -0.060 -0.050 -0.020
Recv: 5 -0.027 -0.093 -0.138 -0.187 -0.163 -0.146
```
# Answer
Eventually it was a mixture of things that sort of solved this.
* Setting the Z-offset a bit more tight helped some
* Probing with more gridpoints helped
* Instead of using glue, I used painterstape. Way easier to refresh and easier to take prints off. I wanted to try kapton tape, but painterstape was good enough for now.
* Manually leveling the bed to a better position also helped.
* (After edit) recalibrating my two z-axis motors.
In the end, I think my bed has become a bit curved over time. So a final solution would be to print on a glass bed, but that was not really an option when using the SN04 sensor. I am moving now to a BLTouch sensor + glass bed to make everything perfect again.
EDIT: important note, I also put off bed heating. Since I am working with PLA, it was not really necessary. Doing this allowed me to use painterstape, otherwise it would 'fall off' eventually.
EDIT2: I think I have thought of a better explanation. I am using an Anet A6 and it might be because the x-axis was not parallel to the plate. Meaning that my two z-axis stepper motors were not calibrated properly.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: marlin, bed-leveling, anet-a6
--- |
thread-14730 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14730 | What are the pros and cons of Painters tape? | 2020-11-04T14:59:36.520 | # Question
Title: What are the pros and cons of Painters tape?
Painters tape is a common quick fix to adhesion problems, and we know it doesn't need to be blue, but it is often recommended not to do. Why? When is painters tape best used or skipped upon?
# Answer
# Read First
* Painters Tape does lift the print surface upwards by its thickness. This has to be accounted for in leveling the bed. Different Brands do have different thicknesses and thus need different leveling!
* Easy-peel tapes need to be **avoided** as they don't stick to the surface!
# Pro
* Painters tape is cheap and easily available.
* Laying down a painters tape without overlap is easy.
* It is one of the best print surfaces for **unheated** printers.
# Cons
* Painter Tape needs to be refreshed regularly.
* Weak glue on a painters tape might come off the bed.
* Rough-textured tape might stick to the print too good to be easily removed.
* Some tapes do leave coloration on the prints.
* Cheap painter tapes can be hit-and-miss.
* Heating painters tape degrades the glue on it, leading to adhesion failure and staining the actual print surface with residue. It is **not advised** to use it **with heated beds**.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: adhesion, knowledgebase
--- |
thread-14642 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14642 | Extreme under extrusion Ender 3 Pro | 2020-10-22T08:26:32.430 | # Question
Title: Extreme under extrusion Ender 3 Pro
I'm having some severe under extrusion and I cannot figure out what's going on I replaced the extruder with the all metal one I've also replaced all the Bowen fittings and the tube with Capricorn tubing replaced the nozzle made sure everything was butted up tight can't figure out what's going on at all can someone please help I've only had the printer for 4 months and I've never had a problem like this before
# Answer
> 1 votes
I had a similar problem to you with my Ender-3 but now it is fine. There are so many causes of under-extrusion that I doubt I can tell you what is specifically wrong in your case but perhaps I can give you some pointers. In addition to what you have done, check if you can manually extrude the filament by releasing the grip on the filament (depress the lever on the feeder mechanism) and push the filament through with your hand (while the nozzle is heated to the correct temperature for your filament). If that works well without too much force then it suggests one of two things:
1. an issue with the feeder mechanism (e.g. worn or clogged up teeth on cogs, spring too tight or too weak) or
2. extrusion settings on your slicer need modification (e.g. your slicer made G-code with too frequent retractions and this causes the filament to wear down thin preventing the extruder feeder cogs from gripping it. A solution is to reduce the maximum number of retractions possible by altering your slicer settings - this was an important factor for getting my machine to work again). I found the following YouTube video helpful in giving me pointer of where to start - perhaps it will help you too:
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, underextrusion
--- |
thread-12009 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/12009 | How to convert png to stl? | 2020-02-14T19:37:22.153 | # Question
Title: How to convert png to stl?
Is it possible to convert an image image to STL file format?
E.g. I don't need the coloring, I need the lines.
# Answer
> 2 votes
I suggest your objective can best be accomplished by converting the image to a single color vector file. You can do this with Inkscape (free, Linux, Windows, Mac) by combining the built-in bitmap tracing feature with some manual editing. I attempted to do so, but the coarseness of the image would result in excessive manual edit time. It may even be faster to reduce the opacity of the image and create a manual tracing on a second layer.
Once you have a vector file, you can use any number of 3D modeling programs to convert the file to a 3D STL. Fusion 360, Tinkercad and OpenSCAD allow import of SVG files to be extruded to user-specified thickness.
# Answer
> 1 votes
PNGs are 2-dimensional picture data files. STL however is a 3-dimensinal surface data files. The two are not inherently transformable into one another, as there simply is no 3rd dimension encoded in the PNG.
However, there are ways to generate a 3rd dimension from a color picture:
* Lithophanes take color information and use that as a degree of deviation from a base plane.
* Using 3D design software that supports importing image data, one can trace the areas in 2D and *extrude* them to different heights or *emboss* the patterns into a block, even with different depths for each color.
# Answer
> 1 votes
First you need a single color png image, you can do this by opening the file in any image editor (even Paint included with Windows) and painting white over all the colored pixels (more advanced image editors maybe able to do this automatically).
Then you can use OpenSCAD (free download from openscad.org), enter the following code: (obviously, replace the file path with your own)
```
surface("C:\\Users\\Nir\\Documents\\test.png",center=true);
```
Now press F5 (at this point you'll see a low quality preview), then F6 (to do a full render and view an high quality preview), then F7 to save the STL
The resulting model will be higher then you want but you can scale the result STL in your slicer (or use the OpenSCAD scale command if you prefer code)
# Answer
> -1 votes
For things like a coat of arms, you do not require a full 3D conversion, essentially all you need is a lithograph-like effect. The best program I've found for such conversions is 3D Builder which is a free Microsoft download for windows users (yes, I was surprised too). It can use either color or degrees of greyscale shading to determine the z-axis depth of each region in the picture. Makes the cleanest conversion I've found so far. Exports as a .3mf file but can be readily converted to an .stl for 3D printing (using something like SwiftConverter for example). Also has an option to invert the conversion which I've found quite useful.
---
Tags: stl
--- |
thread-14733 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14733 | Can I adjust print speed on the fly? | 2020-11-05T16:43:57.317 | # Question
Title: Can I adjust print speed on the fly?
I am running an Ender 3 pro with an Octoprint connected. I accidentally set the print speed too slow in Cura and the print will take very long. Is there a Marlin command I can issue to the printer to speed it up without stopping the print?
# Answer
> 5 votes
You can use the `M220` g-code like
`M220 S200`
to speed up your print speed to 200%.
You can simply enter this g-code command in OctoPrints "Terminal" tab at any time.
# Answer
> 3 votes
# yes
Print speed is a setting that can be altered by just turning the click-wheel of the Ender 3. You don't need to push it to gain access to menus. A turn to the right does increase the speed, left lowers it. It is applied only some moments after stopping the turning - then the firmware does inject a `M220` command as the next line. This means the current running movement is ended with the last set speed, the new speed is set and the following command will be done with the new speed.
As towe correctly states, one can also send a `M220` command to the printer via a terminal, but then you need to have one set up *before* the print starts, as plugging in a terminal will **reset** your printer and abort the print!
---
Tags: marlin, creality-ender-3, octoprint, speed, skr-v1.4
--- |
thread-3112 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3112 | How to directly send G-code to printer from a Linux terminal? | 2016-12-01T14:32:21.223 | # Question
Title: How to directly send G-code to printer from a Linux terminal?
Should it be possible to directly send G-code to the printer serial connection using pipes under Linux?
Example:
```
echo M106 > /dev/ttyUSB0
```
My controller runs at 250000 baud, I have tried setting the TTY baud rate to 250 kBd with:
```
stty -F /dev/ttyUSB0 250000
```
But, unfortunately, this particular baud rate appears to be unsupported under Ubuntu, giving the error:
```
stty: invalid argument ‘250000’
```
# Answer
For direct low-level printer control from a terminal, without specific software, I found the following solution with full credit thanks to user: http://stackexchange.com/users/6463673/meuh
Sharing here as may be of use to other users in the 3d Printing community, and I was unable to source a "complete" solution to this elsewhere.
---
Step 1) Create a custom python script that allows you to set arbitrary baud rates (make executable with `chmod u+x`).
```
#!/usr/bin/python
# set nonstandard baudrate. Original Question: http://unix.stackexchange.com/a/327366/119298
import sys,array,fcntl
# from /usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/serial/serialposix.py
# /usr/include/asm-generic/termbits.h for struct termios2
# [2]c_cflag [9]c_ispeed [10]c_ospeed
def set_special_baudrate(fd, baudrate):
TCGETS2 = 0x802C542A
TCSETS2 = 0x402C542B
BOTHER = 0o010000
CBAUD = 0o010017
buf = array.array('i', [0] * 64) # is 44 really
fcntl.ioctl(fd, TCGETS2, buf)
buf[2] &= ~CBAUD
buf[2] |= BOTHER
buf[9] = buf[10] = baudrate
assert(fcntl.ioctl(fd, TCSETS2, buf)==0)
fcntl.ioctl(fd, TCGETS2, buf)
if buf[9]!=baudrate or buf[10]!=baudrate:
print("failed. speed is %d %d" % (buf[9],buf[10]))
sys.exit(1)
set_special_baudrate(0, int(sys.argv[1]))
```
---
Step 2) Run the script to set your baud rate.
`./set_custom_baud_rate.py <> /dev/ttyUSB0 250000`
---
Step 3) You can now monitor your printer output in a terminal window simply with:
`tail -f /dev/ttyUSB0`
---
Step 4) And finally, open up a new terminal window, and you can directly send M or Gcode to your printer; example:
`echo "M115" >> /dev/ttyUSB0`
> 7 votes
# Answer
you can use screen for that. Open a terminal window and type `screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200` The general form is `screen serialdevice baudrate` You will then see everything that the printer sends. Everything you type will be send to the printer.
> 6 votes
# Answer
The accepted answer didn't work for me. Everything received on the serial port was repeated back to the serial port, sending the printer into a confusing loop. There is more information about that in this answer: https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/42964/unexpected-results-testing-serial-loopback-using-echo-and-cat
The key is to use a command like this to prevent certain line termination characters from repeating themselves: `stty 115200 -F /dev/ttyUSB0 -echo -onlcr` , where 115200 is your baud rate.
Here is what I did:
```
# 1. plug in printer
sudo chmod +777 /dev/ttyUSB0 # 2. allow access to printer USB permissions, add user to dialout or tty is better
stty 115200 -F /dev/ttyUSB0 -echo -onlcr # 3. set serial port baud rate, might be 250000 for you
cat -v < /dev/ttyUSB0 # 4. get printer output
```
Then in a new terminal:
```
echo "M119" >> /dev/ttyUSB0
```
This will give you a real console.
> 4 votes
# Answer
I spent a number of hours trying to work out why my Creality Ender Pro was ignoring me when I sent it serial data over USB from a Python app. Google searches trying to find a solution that were not talking about `encode()` and `decode()` all seemed to lead me to this thread.
I installed Minicom as per the video link, and all worked as it should, but I still failed to receive a reply in my Python implementation, I could connect and read the serial sent from the printer but nothing append when sending back to it.
After a few hours scratching my head I realised that the printer reacted to input as it received each new line `\n` character that I was failing to add to the end of each command sent so the printer was just sitting waiting for me to finish transmitting my line end that never came.
```
self.serialPort = serial.Serial('/dev/ttyUSB0', 115200, exclusive = True)
lines = self.serialPort.read(self.serialPort.in_waiting).decode().splitlines(False)
line = line + "\n"
self.serialPort.write(line.encode())
```
Hopefully no one else is as stupid but to save anyone else like me time, I would like to point this out here.
> 3 votes
# Answer
This forum page strongly suggests you should be using `setserial` for a port, not `stty` , which is for terminals. I'd give the code snippets there a try. Alternatively, stackoverflow has a similar discussion, with somewhat more complicated modifications.
Are you sure you can't talk with your printer at a lower baud rate than the maximum capability of the printer-end?
> 1 votes
# Answer
That's work solution:
you need 2 terminal, one for in and another for out flows
> -2 votes
---
Tags: firmware, arduino-mega-2650
--- |
thread-5641 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5641 | Does anyone know the thread size (pitch and lead) of the Anet A8's lead screw? | 2018-03-17T08:28:28.860 | # Question
Title: Does anyone know the thread size (pitch and lead) of the Anet A8's lead screw?
I bought a new printer, and unfortunately the left nut for the lead screw isn't tapped.
Does anyone know the thread size, w.r.t. both pitch and lead, of the lead screws?
# Answer
I have the Anet A8, I confirm the threads are Tr8x8(p2). This is explained as "Tr" for trapezoidal thread followed by the nominal diameter in mm. The digits after the "x" denotes the lead of the screw (how much does the nut advance per revolution). The value between the brackets "p2" denotes the pitch. This means that the screw has 8 (lead) / 2 (pitch) = 4 starts.
More information on threads is found on Wikipedia.
> 5 votes
# Answer
I don't own the printer, but the intertubes identify it as a "TR8X8 T" (8mm diameter / 8mm offset per revolution).
> 2 votes
# Answer
The pitch no matter the screw is the distance between the threads. The lead can be different based on a one or two start threads.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: prusa-i3, z-axis, hardware, lead-screw, anet-a8
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thread-14748 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14748 | X axis doesn't lift after levelling | 2020-11-08T02:14:33.557 | # Question
Title: X axis doesn't lift after levelling
So, I recently installed an inductive sensor to my 3D printer for auto bed levelling and now I'm stuck on Z probe offset as it doesn't seem to do much apart from changing number is given on display for the Z-axis. On tutorials that I watched, after Z homing, the print head lifted and allowed to set Z offset but my 3D printer doesn't do the same thing as in the tutorial. I'm not sure if its a problem in Marlin or a physical issue with my 3D printer. If anyone can help me I will be thankful as I'm stuck on this issue for a few days now. Also how far above the nozzle should the sensor be for it to work and not wipe off the 3D prints.
My 3D printer is a Creality Ender 3, glass bed, SKR 1.4 with Marlin 2.0.x firmware and an inductive sensor (LJ18A3-8-Z/BX-5V).
# Answer
> 1 votes
I discovered something which could be the answer to the problem, in Marlin compiling there is: `//#define Z_AFTER_PROBING 2 // Z position after probing is done`
You have to uncomment it and change number 2 to how many millimeters you want it to be above the 3D printer bed.
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Tags: marlin, creality-ender-3, z-probe, inductive-sensor, skr-v1.4
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thread-14742 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14742 | Which digipot is this with the markings "AAJU" | 2020-11-07T15:37:46.803 | # Question
Title: Which digipot is this with the markings "AAJU"
I'm porting Marlin to my Qidi Tech 1 and I'm trying to figure out what part this is. The markings on it read "AAJU". I'm pretty sure its the digital pot to adjust the stepper drivers as there isn't a small adjustable pot on them.
# Answer
> 0 votes
The picture shows, that the marked chip is next to the letters `U8` to `U12`. U is commonly used for Ineparable Assembies, but there are several meanings possible according to the ANSI/IEEE Std 315 (1975). So, let's assume for the moment that this is `Assembly 8` to 12.
Note that the X-pot is marked to be down on the right side of each section, right under the sockets, and next to `R103` to `R107`.
The Marking AAJU might belong, according to this reference, to two chips. Both are *Voltage uP Supervisory Circuit*
```
AAJU MAX6339AUT MAX6339 SOT23-6 Quad Voltage uP Supervisory Circuit
AAJU MAX6726KASYD3 MAX6726 SOT23-8 Triple Ultra-Low-Voltage uP Supervisory Circuit
```
The pinout and look of the first chip is very much in line with what I see from the photo:
Sadly, neither a user manual for the board nor the pinout of it seems to be available at the time. My best guess based on these facts is, that it is the Quad Voltage supervisory chip, as the MAX6726 has 8 legs, as the `-8` in the entry `SOT23-8` indicates.
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Tags: marlin, firmware, stepper-driver
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thread-14738 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14738 | Wave shift pattern on the Z axis | 2020-11-06T20:23:45.707 | # Question
Title: Wave shift pattern on the Z axis
I have a Creality CR-10S Pro V2, I've been printing regularly for one month and then, suddenly, I started to notice *waves* on the Z axis. They're already noticeable with the test cube but deviation increases with the height and objects are ruined (eSUN Gray PETG 20 mm test cube, printed at VERY low speed):
It was my first attempt to print with PETG then I thought that could be the problem, I cleaned the nozzle (also using eSUN cleaning filament) and switched back to PLA+. The problem is even more evident (eSUN cold white PLA+):
Note how the "wave" pattern matches between the two test cubes. Even if I was printing from less than a month (and "just" 5/6 hours per day, not every day) I thought it might be time for some maintenance:
* I fully cleaned the printer.
* I checked all the belts.
* I checked all the nuts & bolts. A few were loose, including those 4 that "attaches" the horizontal rail (the one that holds the extruder) to the Z axis threaded rods. Loose enough I could screw them with my bare hands (including those two at the left side which are hidden deep inside and they're a pain to reach with tools even removing a the cover).
* I fully cleaned the rods and applied lubricant again.
I've got this:
I then moved the printer to the ground and tried again, it helped (possibly a lot) and printing PLA I get a cube almost like the PETG one in the first picture.
I noticed the both threaded rods have some freedom of movement in the Y direction (not the rod itself but the bearing ball they go through at the very top of the printer can move within its plastic enclosure); 0.5/1 mm for the left rod and 1.5/2 mm for the right rod. I don't know if it's an allowed tolerance or the sign that something is wrong (and what).
Searching on-line I read as many opinions as many posts I can find; I wouldn't go and buy replacement parts until I randomly solve the problem. It's frustrating enough to have to deal with it (and a huge amount of material wasted in failed prints and tests) after less than one month of activity...
**Update**: I *secured* the two rods using two 0.2 metallic *feelers* and nothing changed. I still have this shift within the first centimetre (it *changes* position but it does not go away).
**Update 2**: everything seems perfectly square (I can't swear this for the rods), cleaned and tight. Everything moves smoothly, and both bed and horizontal bar are fairly leveled. Effect is slightly less noticeable but obviously present.
One concerning point: travel speed was 150 mm/s, if I slow down to 130 mm/s then I can see a slightly less sloped shift; that makes me think that something could be vibrating when moving: top and bottom seem straight and they're printed at a much lower speed (20 mm/s vs 50 mm/s for PLA+, 20 mm/s - 15 mm/s for first layer - vs 30 mm/s for the test cube in PETG; travel speed was 150 mm/s for all of them). I guess that to reduce the printing speed to 10 mm/s for the entire object might help but I wouldn't call it a solution...
# Answer
> 1 votes
This is classic Layer Shift in the Y plane. This happens in one of three cases:
* Belt too loose
* Belt too tight
* Bed movement hindered
The belt should ring and resonate when tapped, giving a nice tune. I haven't really *tuned* mines, but my ender3 (250 mm bed movement in total) has about a G major.
The bed movement should be, with motors off, easy and smooth. If there are spots where it hangs, you might need to rearrange cabling or check if there is a bad spot on the linear motion system. If the movement is hard, you might need to lessen the pressure. Since the CR10 is pretty much the same as the ender3, the eccentric nuts should be turned so the bed does not wobble or move side to side but not to a degree the friction slows the movement. Carefully tweak here, use increments of about 10° till the layer shift vanishes.
Be careful where you place your printer: cabling can snag on other items or things can brush onto the bed. That should not happen. On the Z-axis it can unplug the X-axis motors and extruder, or in worst case, yank at the heater cartridge and damage it.
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Tags: z-axis, creality-cr-10, layer-shifting
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thread-14737 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14737 | Layer Shift with a new CoreXY printer | 2020-11-06T14:43:31.293 | # Question
Title: Layer Shift with a new CoreXY printer
I've started assembling a Sapphire Plus CoreXY printer and produced a nice calibration cube (no layer shift, although a bit of over extrusion in the corner). Then, I started printing a 3D benchy, and got this:
I've checked belt tension and it seems correct (I've printed this belt gauge with another printer and checked that both belts are tensionned the same), with a bass sound when pluked.
I've checked both Z-axis lead screw and it's not 100% perfect (one lead screw has a 1mm deviation on one side when rolled over my desk). When the bed goes down, the effect of the lead screw is only visible when the bed is half the height or more, so it shouldn't matter here.
Also, I had multiple filament breaking before entering the extruder in other prints, so I'm not 100% confident with the extruder.
The machine is a Core XY printer with a Bowden extruder, with linear rails for all axis, and 2 lead screws for Z axis (and 2 stepper motors attached by the same belt). It's level, on a concrete base.
# Answer
Shifts in a diagonal direction in CoreXY indicate loss of synch between the two belts.
If it's the belt very loose skipping, you may not hear much but such a loose belt is easy to notice.
If it's the belt a bit loose skipping, you would hear relatively loud noises which make very clear what's happening.
If there are no particular noises, it's the motor skipping steps. One motor move along the X+Y diagonal, one along the X-Y diagonal, so you know which one it is.
If you have missed steps it could be because of excessive friction (maybe one motor is mounted tilted, or it is damaged), or because of excessive acceleration setting, which the motor cannot handle, or because of too low current.
If you decide to increase the current be aware that it may work on simple tests, but during longer prints the stepper driver may overheat and lose steps for self protection.
To check what acceleration and/or current you actually need per each motor and to compare whether motors are significantly different from each other, try this.
Without printing, you set the maximum acceleration relatively high (5000 mm/s^2).
Place a paper square (relatively big) on the printing area, parallel to the axes and tape it.
Align the printing head to one corner of the paper square.
Give a G0 command to move the printing head to the opposite corner of the square (G0 F600 X... Y...) and check that the alignment is correct. Also, only one motor should be moving.
Bring back the head to the opposite corner.
Set the feed rate to high values, like F9000 (150 mm/s) and move the head again. If it reaches the correct spot, the current of the motor is sufficient for that acceleration.
Try for the other diagonal of the square you taped to test the other motor.
You can now reduce the current of the motors which successfully passed the test. If you have Klipper it's super easy and requires only the command "SET\_TMC\_CURRENT STEPPER=name CURRENT=amps", with Marlin I don't know.
See at what current each stepper fails the test, then decide whether to reduce the acceleration (5000 mm/s^2 is anyway probably too high for your printer frame, you would get artifacts like ringing) or to dial back up the current. I would say that 20% above the current required to pass the test is enough. More than that and you are just overheating the TMC2008.
> 1 votes
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Tags: print-quality, corexy
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thread-14762 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14762 | Ender 3 PRO BLTouch V2 perfect on center with small prints but fails on corners or big prints | 2020-11-10T05:02:00.617 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 PRO BLTouch V2 perfect on center with small prints but fails on corners or big prints
For my Ender 3 Pro I bought this touch sensor set Chinese clone BLTouch set and changed the printer's firmware to the latest TH3D firmware (first I tried with Creality's original BLTouch firmware but after 4 hours, I never managed to set a correct Z offset, I believe there is a bug or this BLTouch clone isn't compatible with Creality firmware).
After installing TH3D, found the right Z offset, when I print items like this one which stays at the center everything just perfect it sticks well, no strings, strong lines.
But if I try to print something like this which is using almost all the printing table from corner to corner (I need to rotate the print 45° to fit onto the build platform), it's good on center or near to center but not sticking on the corners and first lines are sticking to nozzle (because at the far corners, the nozzle is too far or too close) and makes a mess.
I powered off the printer and adjusted the good old way (with a paper) and re-setted the Z offset accordingly but the result is the same.
According to my research some peoples advised you need to add `G29` after `G28` to your G-code to get proper solution, I added the code in Cura. When I try adding `G29`, the printer starts leveling after starting printing, but the "not sticking problem at the corners" still continues.
I tried with both magnetic bed & glass bed, but nothing helped. I was using 200 °C for the nozzle and 60nbsp;°C for the bed, printing speed is 50nbsp;mm/s with Standart quality 0.2nbsp;mm, retraction enabled, mostly using 10nbsp;% infill on my models.
I thougt maybe filament causes this problem, changed filament to another roll but not helped, I also have an Ender 3 V2 (no BLTouch) and tried same model, same filament, same settings on V2 printed perfectly.
This is how my bed looks like according to OctoPrint bed visualizer plugin;
I've watched many tutorial videos and some said you need to adjust your bed with spirit level to make sure it's flat, I even did that and it is just perfectly flat.
I've installed the BLTouch clone 1 week ago and I'm struggling with this problem since then, I believe I'm missing something very obvious or making a realy simple mistake because many people use touch sensors and they are all happy with auto bed leveling.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Following Nathan's answer, I've solved my problem with Nathan's suggestions and the method in this video.
What I did?
1. Flashed Creality's original BLTouch firmware to printer
2. Heated up bed to 60 °C
3. Leveled bed the old fashion way first, but with slight resistance (you don't have to level perfectly)
4. Followed the youtube method to find proper Z offset
5. Opened Cura, Settings-\>Printer-\>Manage Printers: and added `G29; ABL` after `G28`
Voilâ, now your printer prints perfectly! Enjoying the relieving after 1 week of struggling.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I would suggest you read this, even tho it's a different mainboard it may help.
Next to that you should level the bed the old fashion way first with a paper on the 4 outer corners, it is essential that you do this because ABL can only compensate so much when printing. After that set the Z-offset using a paper and run some bed adhesion test prints and use babysteps.
Level and probe your bed with it being heated up to 60 °C for PLA and 80 °C for PETG, the thermal expansion of the bed can easily mess up the probe data you already have!
Also make sure your ABL functions as Z-endstop; it solved all the issues for me.
---
*If you ever want to upgrade your mainboard for some reason I can highly recommend the SKR mini E3 V2 it has great support for additional sensors.*
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Tags: creality-ender-3, bed
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thread-14769 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14769 | How is the extrusion rate matched to the movement speed? | 2020-11-10T18:44:42.233 | # Question
Title: How is the extrusion rate matched to the movement speed?
A typical line of (depositing) G-code seems to set a maximum speed (`F`), a new position to move to (`X`, `Y`, `Z`) and a new extrusion distance (giving a filament distance for the move). The `F` is common for the line of code, and I understand gives a maximum for the `XYZE` combined speed.
My question is: "How is the extrusion rate synchronised to the movement distance and speed?"
The G-code doesn't seem to have enough information to deal with this, but I've tried looking at a Marlin configuration file and don't see anything obvious there.
To take a really basic example: A 30 mm long single filament, layer height 0.2 mm and width 0.4 mm. A basic slicer will assume 0.2x0.4x30 mm³ total volume, but for each mm of travel you want 0.2x0.4x1 mm³ to be extruded. How is it ensured that this happens regardless of travel speed, without say more being extruded in the first half of travel than the second or vice versa?
It feels like this is dealt with somewhere in the firmware but I don't know where to look. A 'worked' example for a desktop printer or as much detail as you dare would be absolutely perfect. If it helps, I am generally using either an ANet A8 or Ultimaker 3 with the CURA slicer using Marlin-based firmware.
# Answer
I'm not sure what you mean by "XYZE combined speed", but I wonder if it's the same misconception as in Details of Marlin's feedrate calculation. The feedrate is a regular 3-dimensional velocity in XYZ space which is the maximum rate the printer will attempt to achieve, subject to individual axis feedrate limits (including E) and acceleration profiles.
In any case, the simple answer your question of how the E-axis motion is synchronized with motion in space is no different from how motion along the X-axis is synchronized with motion along the Y-axis. If X and Y motion were just allowed to take place independently up to the desired speed, with no constraint that they happen in step with one another, then the path the print head traveled would not be a straight line but (ideally) the junction of one horizontal or vertical line with one diagonal one or (with acceleration profiles applied) some approximation of that by curves. But of course the X and Y motions do take place in sync with one another. Each spatial coordinate during the move is a function of time computed by the "planner" logic in the printer firmware based (essentially) on the ratio of the magnitude of individual components of the move to the overall length of the move and speed.
In traditional firmware prior to Linear Advance, the E axis is synchronized exactly the same, according to the ratio of the move completed to the whole and the total amount to be extruded. With Linear Advance, that's adjusted by an offset proportional to the current baseline (before applying LA) extrusion speed, to compensate for the filament being compressible and/or its travel path (e.g. a bowden tube) being elastic.
> 2 votes
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Tags: marlin, ultimaker-cura, firmware, extrusion, fdm
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thread-14767 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14767 | Measuring Z positioning accuracy | 2020-11-10T18:14:44.253 | # Question
Title: Measuring Z positioning accuracy
I'm looking for a methodology to easily measure/evaluate Z positioning accuracy, using equipment on hand or easily obtainable such as a high-precision digital caliper. In particular I want to be able to evaluate whether steps (actual motor steps, or some other chosen unit of increment) are uniformly the nominal step height, or whether some are larger than others, and if so whether the irregularity is reproducible. Has anyone worked out a way to attach a caliper or equivalent measurement device sufficiently rigidly to both a fixed point and a moving-in-Z point (e.g. the bed and the gantry on a typical cartesian machine) that the magnitude of individual steps can be read off? Or maybe a high precision laser range finder/interferometer solution is more appropriate, but I'm not sure about cost/availability.
I ask this in the context of recurring concerns about a common overconstained Z axis design (Ender 3 and nearly everything else with V rollers), but this question is intended to be about measuring not mitigations/fixes.
I'd also be interested in opinions on the necessary measurement precision for this measurement to be meaningful. Almost surely errors as small as 5% of the layer height will lead to some visual surface inconsistency, XY dimensional accuracy problems, and weak points for part to break at, which you'd need 10 micro resolution for 0.2 mm layers to see, but I suspect the reality is much worse for lots of printers and even 20 micron resolution or worse might aid in making serious improvements.
# Answer
In the world of hobbyist milling machines, a DRO accessory is extremely valuable for improving work flow and accuracy of project builds. The Digital Read Out devices run the gamut from affordable to astonishingly expensive and cover one, two and three axis readouts.
For single axis purposes, some hobbyists will simply find a means to attach a digital caliper, as you've suggested, to the machine with appropriately fabricated brackets. That's one option. For a few dollars more, there are off-the-shelf digital read-outs, such as this one from Amazon:
Six, twelve and twenty-four inch travel options are available with the pictured six inch unit priced at US$39.95, a reasonable figure for 0.01 mm accuracy.
One can purchase pricier models with higher resolution if required.
Brackets included with the device may not fit well to your application and may require modification.
Some DRO devices, such as the one installed on my mini-mill, use physical contact (gears) to read the position information, which means friction and loading of your printer. Other models use micro-engraved glass scales and have minimal friction, but will likely be a bit more expensive.
> 2 votes
# Answer
What you ask is probably not easily doable: you want to measure distances with no more than 1 micron error!
1 micron because assuming 2 mm leadscrew pitch and full steps only, you have 100 full steps per mm (10 microns per step). With 10% error at most you need to measure 1 micron.
What you can do is avoiding measuring distances and rather measure angles to verify that angles are at least equally spaced.
Place a mirror on the shaft of the stepper motor and align a laser and a paper sheet so that the laser reflects on the mirror and reaches a known position on the paper.
Then mark the position of the spot after each step and, with trigonometry, you can calculate the real angle movement per step.
You will need to repeat the alignment every time the laser gets outside the surface of the paper, but you can also use a wall if you prefer. In any case, to cover 360° you need at least 200 measurements...
And obviously take into account measurement errors.
> 0 votes
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Tags: z-axis, dimensional-accuracy
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thread-7786 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7786 | Can I print and sell 3D models licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 | 2018-12-26T15:09:40.060 | # Question
Title: Can I print and sell 3D models licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
Can I Print models from Sources like Thingiverse and sell them ? I will be only charging the print costs and will provide full credits and attributes to the original creator of the model (with links to their profiles) in my web-page.
There are websites like 3dhubs where the seller will print any file the user uploads. Similarly I want to charge only for the printing services.
# Answer
> 4 votes
I am not an attorney, so this isn't legal advice. Like any legal question, you should consult with an actual attorney, who can consider all the gory details.
That said, it seems like you've got the BY and SA parts covered. "Non-commercial" is more difficult: does a sale that's not for profit count as "commercial"?
The Creative Commons site (https://creativecommons.org/faq/#does-my-use-violate-the-noncommercial-clause-of-the-licenses) explains it a bit more, as pasted below. But perhaps the best thing is to just drop an email to the originator and ask. Probably you'll get an email back saying it's fine; and who knows, maybe you'll make a new friend, too. I've been on both ends of exchanges like that, and it's generally worked just fine.
> Does my use violate the NonCommercial clause of the licenses?
>
> CC's NonCommercial (NC) licenses prohibit uses that are "primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or monetary compensation." This is intended to capture the intention of the NC-using community without placing detailed restrictions that are either too broad or too narrow. Please note that CC's definition does not turn on the type of user: if you are a nonprofit or charitable organization, your use of an NC-licensed work could still run afoul of the NC restriction, and if you are a for-profit entity, your use of an NC-licensed work does not necessarily mean you have violated the term. Whether a use is commercial will depend on the specifics of the situation and the intentions of the user.
>
> In CC's experience, it is usually relatively easy to determine whether a use is permitted, and known conflicts are relatively few considering the popularity of the NC licenses. However, there will always be uses that are challenging to categorize as commercial or noncommercial. CC cannot advise you on what is and is not commercial use. If you are unsure, you should either contact the rights holder for clarification, or search for works that permit commercial uses.
>
> CC has a brief guide to interpretation of the NC license that goes into more detail about the meaning of the NC license and some key points to pay attention to. Additionally, in 2008, Creative Commons published results from a survey on meanings of commercial and noncommercial use generally. Note that the results of the study are not intended to serve as CC's official interpretation of what is and is not commercial use under our licenses, and the results should not be relied upon as such.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I've informed myself a bit about this and found out the following:
**It is good that you state the Name/Website or any Reference about original creator** Creative Commons absolutely requires this, even if you don't charge anything for your prints. So, whether you are trying selling your print or not, you should still always do this.
**You are not allowed to sell your prints** Creative Commons License dictates that you are not allowed to commercialize products that are based on any of their sources. This means, even if you are only charging the printing costs, you are not allowed to sell them, as you are profiting of their sources because you did not design the prints yourself.
For further information on this, you should probably check out the official page for this, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/
I hope this helps, Max
# Answer
> 3 votes
# Preface
**I am Not a Lawyer, the stack does not give legal advice, consult a licensing lawyer and the maker to check your use is within the licensing agreeming or make a seperate one**
# Read your license
The license CreativeCommons specifies BY-NC-SA as:
* BY = Attribute. You may share and modifiy it, as long as you **tell who made it**.
* NC = **Non Commercial**
* SA = Share Alike. You may **not change the license**
# Non Commercial
The Non Commercial clause explained in the FAQ says:
> CC's NonCommercial (NC) licenses prohibit uses that are "primarily intended for or directed toward commercial advantage or monetary compensation." \[...\] Whether a use is commercial will depend on the specifics of the situation and the intentions of the user.
>
> \[...\] If you are unsure, you should either contact the rights holder for clarification, or search for works that permit commercial uses.
It also provides a CC-Wiki entry what NC is meant to be (pretty much the same as the FAQ), and a survey on it.
# What is NC?
Ok, let's look at the NC part of the CC... When is something breaking the NC license? As soon as it is "primarily intended toward monetary gain" it is commercial (short version), and any commercial use is prhibited. What is this? well, let's read the report...
> Specifically excluded from the prohibition against noncommercial use in the NC licenses is the exchange of a CC-licensed work for any other copyrighted work, whether by means of peer-to-peer digital file-sharing or otherwise, provided no monetary compensation is involved.<sup>p.17</sup>
>
> Most<sup>\[significantly\>50%\]</sup> participants thought that “noncommercial use” had no legal definition, or were not sure. Some<sup>\[\<50%\]</sup> participants believed noncommercial use to be more likely a fair use than not, and some conflated noncommercial use and fair use. Some participants also mentioned personal or private use as being both legally and pragmatically a noncommercial use, though they were not certain of any law defining “personal use.”<sup>p.30</sup>
>
> When asked to share their understandings of noncommercial use, no participant could provide a definition of noncommercial use that worked for everyone in their particular group, although there was much agreement on elements of many of the definitions. Through discussion, it emerged that creators take a variety of factors into account when determining what constitutes noncommercial use. These factors are often considered on a case-by-case basis\[...\]<sup>p.30</sup>
>
> However, participants across communities were able to articulate a list of factors they generally agreed as a group were relevant to creators’ understanding of whether a use of a work is commercial or noncommercial.<sup>p.31</sup>
>
> Qualitative Research Consideration Factors<sup>p.31</sup>
>
> * Perceived economic value of the content
> * The status of the user as an individual, an amateur or professional, a for-profit or not-for-profit organization, etc.
> * Whether the use makes money (and if so, whether revenues are profit or recovery of costs associated with use)
> * Whether the use generates promotional value for the creator or the user
> * Whether the use is personal or private
> * Whether the use is for a charitable purpose or other social or public good
> * Whether the use is supported by advertising or not
> * Whether the content is used in part or in whole
> * Whether the use has an impact on the market or is by a competitor
Of particular interest are these paragraphs:
> Creators in the groups recognized that they consider some factors more important than others, and they also weigh the factors differently. Some consider certain factors to be “gatekeeping” questions, the answer to which settles the matter. Some creators consider a use commercial if there is any advertising in connection with it, for example. Others consider certain factors to be questions of degree. For example, **some creators consider recovery of costs to distribute a work a noncommercial use, but not if salaries or other overhead are calculated as part of cost recovery**. Rather than constituting a simple checklist, for many creators the factors exist within a matrix in which the type of use (for example, promotional or advertising use) and the context or community-based nature of the use (for example, charitable use, or use in a public school) are important vectors. In sum, the decision-making process is not clear-cut.<sup>p.32</sup>
>
> In the quantitative surveys for both Phase 2 (creators) and Phase 3 (users), the first mention of “noncommercial use” appears in an open-ended question asking respondents how they would define the difference between a commercial use and a noncommercial use of a work, in their own words and without consulting other sources. Creators and users provided an answer in the same ratio – approximately 7 in 10 from each group.<sup>p.49</sup>
>
> A large majority of both creators and users define a commercial use as one in which money is made (73% of creators, 76% of users). \[...\] Neither group expresses a majority consensus on an understanding of noncommercial use. \[...\] the most common mention of a noncommercial use by both creators and users is some use by an individual (19% of creators, 33% of users), including personal and private uses.<sup>p.50</sup>
>
> **Gatekeeping Factors**<sup>p.54</sup>
>
> **Making Money**
>
> The figure below provides a visual summary of the anchor point exercise measuring responses to uses that make money.
>
> On the question of making money for cost recovery, creators think covering distribution costs only is slightly more commercial than covering operating costs, or raising money for an endowment fund. Users tend to agree, but overall see these uses as rather more commercial than creators.<sup>p.60</sup>
# Conclusion
**Contakt the maker that designed the part what is OK with them**. But be warned: The broad idea the report gives is that around 3 of 4 of the makers and 4 of 5 users deem a "For Profit-Company selling \[a thing\] to cover distribution costs" as breaking the NC clause, as they deem it *commercial use*
# Answer
> 2 votes
According to Weinberg, 2013, artistic works are copyrightable: if you're printing an action figure or such a useless pretty piece of art, it's protected by copyright.
For utilitarian things, the copyrightable portion must be severable: if you're printing a video game controller with an artistic design drawn upon its case—not an artistic shape, but a design that could be lifted from the surface and applied as a separate artistic display—then that design is protected, and the controller that happens to be an aesthetically-pleasing shape is not (i.e. you could wipe away the design details and have the blunt shape of the thing and that would not be protected).
Purely-utilitarian things are not copyrightable. If you're printing a lamp or a cup holder or whatnot, there are no rights to extend over that.
This is important: copyright allows you to make decisions about what rights you will extend. If you don't have the right to copyright, you can't simply slap a license on something and assert you do in fact have that right. CC-NC licensing prevents you from making a derivative or a collection *and selling it*, but there is no right to the printed object upon which to extend to the user the right to sell the printed object. That means, conversely, that there is no right to the printed object to prohibit the user from selling it.
That actually creates some odd situations, e.g. CC-BY doesn't apply, either. You can't strip the author's name off the file and pass it off as your own, but you don't have to credit them for the physical object. It is, however, potentially asinine to do that. Even that can be a judgment call: it's likely socially-acceptable to print e.g. an ABS gear for a particular machine that strips its ABS gears and sell a repair kit without crediting whoever posted it on Thingaverse; but if somebody made a more unique object, such as a fancy planter for house plants, it might not be copyrightable as an *object*, but it's certainly not a copy of a gear that goes into a machine and is instead a *unique* creation of the user who created it.
---
Tags: legal
--- |
thread-14771 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14771 | Unable to upload firmware to a new motherboard | 2020-11-10T21:39:52.270 | # Question
Title: Unable to upload firmware to a new motherboard
I bricked my Tevo Tarantula's controller board, and I've decided to just replace it rather than unbrick it because they are relatively cheap. I recently bought a new MKS GEN L v1.0 board, but I've been unable to flash new firmware onto it. Every time I go to upload the firmware, I get an error just as it begins to upload, saying:
```
"failed to send command to serial port does not exist or is not connected"
avrdude: stk500v2_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
avrdude: ser_send(): write error: sorry no info avail
avrdude: stk500_send(): failed to send command to serial port
avrdude: ser_recv(): read error: The handle is invalid.
```
avrdude: stk500v2\_ReceiveMessage(): timeout
```
avrdude: stk500v2_getsync(): timeout communicating with programmer
```
Any ideas of what the issue could be? I've tried both the USB ports on my computer and using a USB 2.0 hub (I believe my computer ports are both USB 3.0). I've also made sure that I had the correct port selected in Marlin (1.1.8.13).
I also think that its worth mentioning that my bricked board and new board seem to appear differently in the device manager
Bricked:
While my new board appears as this:
The new board also seems to "cut-out" when I first connect it to my computer as well. In the device manager, my computer will indicate that an unknown device is connected, then it will quickly disconnect and disappear, only to reconnect and reappear as pictured above.
Do you guys think there is a hardware issue with the motherboard? Thanks for your help, this is giving me quite the headache!
# Answer
> 2 votes
Your motherboard is not an MKS GEN L v1.0, it's a MKS SGEN L \- unfortunately, a very very naming scheme.
Your board is actually a **32-bit board**, and must therefore be flashed with Marlin 2.0, built for the 32-bit board. The firmware is then updated by placing it on the SD card and restarting the board, as explained in the documentation for Marlin here
# Answer
> 1 votes
Your new board may have a counterfeit FT232R USB-to-serial interface chip, and the Windows update channel has installed hobbled FTDI drivers that won't work with counterfeit chips. The use of counterfeit FT232R chips is very common with budget 3D printer controllers, and FTDI are trying to discourage their use. Because of this, a lot of manufacturers have switched to using the CH340 chip, which does not suffer from this problem, and it looks like your old board used a CH340 chip. Try deleting the device and its drivers, and then installing the Windows setup executable from the following website:
https://www.ftdichip.com/Drivers/VCP.htm
The 2.12.28 drivers will work with counterfeit chips.
---
Tags: diy-3d-printer, firmware, usb
--- |
thread-11261 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11261 | Setting Junction Deviation in firmware has no effect | 2019-10-29T20:55:07.047 | # Question
Title: Setting Junction Deviation in firmware has no effect
I have built a 3D printer with Marlin bugfix-2.0.x forked from github.
I am attempting to set the default value for junction deviation so that I don't have to change it through the printer's screen/interface every time I power cycle the printer, but what I thought would set it properly isn't doing the trick.
My thought was that uncommenting this in Configuration\_adv.h would work:
```
#define JUNCTION_DEVIATION_MM 0.02
```
I have tried setting this define inside of and outside of the default `if` block in which it appears, just to make sure the issue wasn't because I didn't have something else set, and I get the same behavior when this `define` statement is either protected or unprotected by an `if`
Also, the default `if` block is this:
```
#if ENABLED( JUNCTION_DEVIATION )
#define JUNCTION_DEVIATION_MM 0.02
#endif
```
Uncommenting `#define JUNCTION_DEVIATION` leaves me with a compiler error telling me that I don't need to do that, so I'm not seeing anything that I am supposed to enable to get it to use the JUNCTION\_DEVIATION\_MM setting. In other words, I can't actually enable "JUNCTION\_DEVIATION" any more, so I HAVE to break the JUNCTION\_DEVIATION\_MM setting out of the `if` but it still has no effect.
After setting this parameter, when I power cycle the printer, the junction deviation is set to 0 (although one touch of the adjustment knob makes it jump to 0.010, so I think that what is displayed as "0" may actually mean "unset"), which is causing a significant stop/start jerk on every angle change until I manually set the junction deviation.
My current Configuration.h and Configuration\_adv.h are taken from this Marlin fork.
In case it matters, I'm running this on an SKR V1.3 with TMC2208 drivers at 24V.
Any ideas what I'm missing? I'm sure it's something simple, I just haven't found it.
**UPDATE:** Still no solution after 10 days. Here is additional information from another forum where I posted this request:
> Did you run `M502` and `M500` after updating your firmware?
I dug into this a little more, and I am either running into a bug, or I'm simply not understanding what I'm supposed to be seeing.
I send this command:
`M205 J0.020`
Then verify that junction deviation is set correctly (it is) Then this:
`M500`
And that responds with:
`Settings Stored (616 bytes; crc 51371)`
Then I send this:
`M503`
And the report for M205 is missing the setting I just confirmed to have changed and been working:
`...
M205 B20000.00 S0.00 T0.00
...`
And power cycling or resetting the controller leads to the same result: Junction Deviation is reset to 0.
Shouldn't I see "J0.020" in the M205 line immediately after changing the setting, and verifying that it works?
# Answer
> 1 votes
I've bought an SKR Pro V1.1 which is suffering from the same problem. It has actually to do with a shortcoming or design flaw (of the "HAL" or "Hardware Abstraction Layer" addressing of SPI devices) of Marlin and access to the SD card; I quote:
> The problem: On board SD-Card on SKR-PRO 1.1 can't be used.
After the SD card has been inserted, the firmware binary is loaded into memory, and all access to the SD card is gone. The initial connection is by hardware design of the SKR boards.
Basically, there is a bug in the Marlin code/SKR boards preventing storing (to the SD card) any alterations after the firmware is loaded. There is a PR on Marlin that fixes it, but it has not been merged into Marlin yet.
There are 2 options,
1. Every change to the firmware has to be compiled and uploaded to the board by placing a hex (firmware.bin) on the SD card;
2. Compile a firmware version from the sources from the fore mentioned PR.
# Answer
> 0 votes
For the SKR, to store the new Marlin definitions it is necessary to send the comand `M502` to restore to the factory settings (will use the configuration on the SD card) and send the comand `M500` to save the configurations.
---
Tags: marlin, diy-3d-printer, skr-v1.3
--- |
thread-14797 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14797 | Long Print with Lotmaxx SC-10 | 2020-11-13T15:36:17.320 | # Question
Title: Long Print with Lotmaxx SC-10
I am trying to print something that might take 15 hours. I don't want to risk my printer so if I print for 15 hours, what is the worst that can happen? So far, I haven't printed anything for more than 5 hours.
# Answer
> 0 votes
As long as your printer is well designed as far as safety and you didn't get one without thermal runaway protection you should be fine. Worse case scenario: you have a big mess to clean up and a lot of wasted filament.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I've printed jobs taking as long as 50 hours over a weekend using a German Reprap x400.
1. Used a large enough UPS to support the printer and the computer.
2. Printed the gcode file from a USB card instead of the computer, so that a computer update or reboot doesn't interfere with the print. \[If you can't print from media independent of the computer, you can disconnect your computer from the network and/or internet.\]
Overnight prints still fail sometimes, probably from power issues the UPS doesn't filter out. Often this means the filament material melts all over the hot end instead of sticking to the print on the bed and leaves a mess to clean up.
Other than that, I'm not sure of the risk for your particular printer model.
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, safety
--- |
thread-11218 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11218 | How does slipping Bowden tube affect retraction or does it at all? | 2019-10-21T16:41:55.947 | # Question
Title: How does slipping Bowden tube affect retraction or does it at all?
I have an Ender 3 Pro with upgraded Bowden capricorn tube. The tube will move approximately 1-2 mm during normal operation, though it will not come out of the coupler at all. I have read that the movement if unchanging (constant movement of 1-2 mm) can be compensated for with settings adjustment to avoid retraction issues such that it will extrude or retract "that much less"... I do not understand how this is possible...
Im confused by comments that a slipping Bowden tube on the extruder side *only*, say by up to 2 mm, is "lost retraction"... I have this problem too with the Bowden tube *only* at the extruder end, not the hotend, and wonder if it is really an issue at all. Here's why...
The filament is in direct contact with the gear and wheel of the extruder. *If* the Bowden tube is *only* moving in/out of the extruder end of the coupler, there are no "gaps" being created to cause leakage of the filament, etc on the hot end...As the extruder is either pushing or retracting, the filament *inside* the tube is still moving as much as intended regardless of the amount of play of the Bowden tube... no? therefore, retracting will not be affected at all, nor would the extruding process. Am I wrong and if so, can someone explain to me how this would be?
Note, I can see that this movement may cause under-extrusion on the feeding side process, as the machine is expecting say, 0.5 mm extrusion, but then has to compensate (unknowingly) for the slipping *out* tube during the "push", so not enough gets "out", but should not affect the retraction amount as the filament is still being *pulled* directly from the gears/roller.
Am I wrong and if so, can someone explain to me how this would affect the *retraction* along with the under-extrusion?
# Answer
> 3 votes
The slipping does result in lost retraction distance. It does not result in underextrusion, lost material (except possibly via having insufficient retraction after the reduction), or anything like that.
If your retraction is set to 6 mm, but the bowden pulls 2 mm into the coupler when you retract, those first 2 mm of filament motion do not pull the filament out of the hotend at all. The position of the filament relative to the tube (and thus relative to the nozzle) remains constant. After the tube can be pulled back no further into the coupler, the remaining retraction pulls the filament back through the bowden tube, for 4 mm of retraction at the hotend/nozzle.
When unretracting, the reverse happens. The first 2 mm of extruder motion push the bowden tube out of the coupler, and don't move the filament relative to the tube (or the hotend). After that the next 4 mm push the filament through the tube and back to the nozzle orifice.
The result is the filament ending up back exactly where it started, but having backed out only 4 mm from the nozzle, not the requested 6 mm.
These numbers are just examples but probably about right. If you put the plastic clip on the pneumatic coupler, the slipping should stop, but you can also just increase retraction if the amount after the loss to slipping is not sufficient.
# Answer
> 0 votes
This is happening to my E3 pro. When the Bowden tube slips back filament fills up the gap causing a heat creep issue. This of course causes clogged nozzle. If retracting I have had the swollen filament lodge in the tube to the point I had to remove tube and heat high enough with heat gun to soften filament for a reverse pull as there was nothing left on the hotend side to pull.
My solution after a week of frustration was to replace the coupling.
---
Tags: extruder, creality-ender-3, bowden, retraction
--- |
thread-14807 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14807 | Specifications of Prusa Mini X-Axis Belt | 2020-11-14T14:45:07.150 | # Question
Title: Specifications of Prusa Mini X-Axis Belt
My Prusa Mini arrived with a defective X axis belt. I can order a replacement and it is covered by warranty. But I would also like to know its specifications. This information is available on the store page for the MK3 but not the Mini.
# Answer
> 1 votes
To be sure you could measure the width and the tooth spacing (pitch). The most probable and used belt in 3D printers is the GT2 6 mm belt. The teeth are spaced 2 mm and the width is 6 mm.
---
Tags: replacement-parts, part-identification, belt, prusa-mini
--- |
thread-14803 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14803 | preventing my printer nozzle from getting too dull, from nothing but PLA filament | 2020-11-14T03:05:16.560 | # Question
Title: preventing my printer nozzle from getting too dull, from nothing but PLA filament
I had a new Extruder tip on my Ender 3 3D printer. the tip looked like the left tip in the below image. After I have been using it for about 5 months, the tip got dull/flat, like the tip on the right in the below image.
The only filament I have used is a spool of PLA (from hatchbox) and a spool of PETG (from sain-smart)
## About the Filament
From the time that I replaced the tip, to now, i have only used my 1 spool of PLA filament.
I don't believe it has any carbon-fiber in it, the only other things I can think of, are that the filament has a tough time sticking to the bed, so I have to print pretty close to the bed.
**3D prints using my PLA filament**
**my PLA filament**
---
I don't 3D print a terribly large amount, Is it normal to have to be replacing the pen this often?
How do I prevent my extruder tip from getting dull so soon? Is there a way to prevent the pen tip from getting dull at all?
**Images:**
# Answer
Your extruder nozzle will wear from the inside out if you are using abrasive filaments, which include carbon fiber, wood type filaments, glow-in-the-dark and many other types.
Because they are abrasive, removing material from the inside also thins the cone shape of the outside (point) of the nozzle.
The solution is to not use abrasive filaments, or to use a hardened nozzle specifically manufactured for abrasive filaments, or to change the nozzle frequently.
If this is a 3D printing pen as your post suggests, please clarify, as the answer is likely to change but only slightly. If this is a nozzle for a 3D printer, consider to edit your question to reflect thusly.
> 2 votes
# Answer
# in a printer
## abrasive filament
You probably are using an abrasive filament. The most loss on abrasive filament happens when the nozzle runs over the printed material as it extrudes and less from the bore itself. As a result, the nozzles get ground up from the tip. How carbon-fiber filled PLA grinds away nozzles can be seen on this page of the Olsson Ruby webpage (no affiliation), where they printed circles till the nozzles were ground away half a millimeter: it took just 300 grams for brass, a kilo for stainless steel and 4 kg for hardened steel.
To reduce the wear of the nozzle, one can swap to such from harder material (as seen above), for example, stainless steel or hardened steel, which then needs to get replaced less often. On the flipside, the machining of these materials is harder and thus the nozzle costs more.
The only way to get virtually no nozzle grind-up from printing abrasive material - especially PC filled - would be to go for a ruby nozzle.
## mechanical damage
In case you have misleveled your bed and print too close, you might also ram your nozzle into the bed to a point that the mechanical impact dulls your nozzle. Make sure your bed is leveled properly.
# in a 3D-pen
3D pens often come with really soft nozzles and mishandling - as in pushing against a surface - can grind their tips faster than a normal printer would. The other things still apply.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, extruder, heat-management
--- |
thread-14809 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14809 | Horizontal faces not generated in Cura | 2020-11-14T21:23:40.500 | # Question
Title: Horizontal faces not generated in Cura
I've never used a 3D printer before. I'm trying to print the calibration cube found on Thingiverse. After the process finished, I noticed that the face pointing up that forms the inset at the base of the letters Y and X was not printed and I could see a hole. The same for the faces pointing down at the top of the letters. At first I thought that it was a printer issue, then I checked the relevant slices and I found out that those faces are not built at all in Cura: If I do the same in the Prusa slicer, I get the necessary base:
How do I get the same in Cura? How is this setting called?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Cura has several settings that can cause it to erroneously omit small top/bottom surface "skins". Look for preshrink ("Skin Removal Width"), expansion ("Skin Expand Distance"), and particularly the limits on when expansion takes place ("Maximum Skin Angle/Minimum Skin Width for Expansion").
Normally Cura shrinks then expands skins by the same amount, proportional to line width, to avoid generating skin (which is slow to print and harms layer adhesion when mixed with walls) in places where the walls will already cover it. But the recently added max-angle/min-width settings cause the expansion to be skipped in certain places, leaving just the shrinking, and thereby serious gaps in the surface. This feature is just misguided and should be disabled by setting the min width to 0.
If you still have problems after that, you can try lowering both the shrink and expand, possibly even all the way to 0, but this will harm print quality and shouldn't be necessary.
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, slicing
--- |
thread-14815 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14815 | How to remove a resin print stuck to the FEP tray bottom | 2020-11-16T02:43:06.180 | # Question
Title: How to remove a resin print stuck to the FEP tray bottom
With a resin printer, the print will occasionally adhere to the bottom sheet of the resin tray (the FEP transparent sheet), instead of the stainless print plate.
How does one remove the failed print from the FEP sheet without causing damage?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Wash the resin tray in the normal way, with hot water and dish soap. Once the FEP sheet is warm, run a finger alongside the bottom of the sheet, opposite the side where the failed print is stuck. The slight warping of the FEP sheet will cause the print to come loose. If this does not occur the first time, try again. Proceed patiently and delicately, making sure to wait for the FEP sheet to be sufficiently warm.
---
Tags: resin
--- |
thread-14818 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14818 | Ender 3 unknown (maybe bed leveling) issue | 2020-11-16T03:23:26.357 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 unknown (maybe bed leveling) issue
I halfway feel like I walked into a landmine, neighbor's kid saved up and bought an Ender 3 base model printer. Just before it was given to me he installed a BL touch I bought him in exchange for him printing some parts I was modeling and so our story starts...don't think I can go into my full sob story so I'm going try and cut to the chase but I have little knowledge of how this is put together and coming in in the middle and backpaddling whether is was put together correctly.
As a 3D modeler I attempted to print a demo file or two in preparation to print a case for a raspberry pi camera I've been working on during COVID. At some point during the print while I wasn't around the bed flew off, and there was an inch of plastic melted around the head. Long story short I spent the last week finding, buying and replacing the whole hot end assembly as it was cheaper then repairing it. So now I believe I'm back to square one.
While watching something print, I noticed the PLA wasn't getting bunched off on one part of the print so I stopped it before a repeat of earlier in the month happened. While sitting on the floor I began to notice the right side of the bar where the hot end/nozzle attaches is about 1 cm or so higher then the right. As I have no frame of reference I'm hoping someone can confirm whether that should be the case. Raising the Z to the top and measuring to that cross bar I don't know that it's the bed but I don't have a small enough level to put on the bed.
I'm seeing if I print something like a calibration cube it's printing OK, but if I go for something wider like 3D Benchy or my camera case the filament only touches on one part of the bed. This is occurring on both the original bed and the glass bed I installed and readjusted the Z for.
Sorry...Hope that's not TMI, there's a lot going on. Also I'm using a spool of Hatchbox PLA if that matters and the new hot end is a Creality one from Microcenter as I didn't trust what was on Amazon to be 'authentic'.
# Answer
Non-square gantry is a common problem with the Ender 3. You should be able to compensate by adjusting the bed leveling screws so that the nozzle at Z=0 is touching the bed at each of the four adjustment points. This will leave some skew, which you may or may not care about. But the right thing to do is leveling the gantry.
Both sides' Z carriages have some play in how the gantry mounts to them - the holes are larger than the machine screws that go through them - so after loosening the screws you can make adjustments. The screws on the side with the Z motor are hidden between the carriage and Z axis extrusion it rolls on, so to adjust it you need to roll the whole assembly off the top of the printer (with the cross beam at the top removed). Since you can't tighten it in-place, you just have to do your best to get it straight before putting it back on. The unpowered side, however, has screws that are reachable with the whole assembly in place, so you can square the gantry with the Z extrusions before tightening them.
Keep in mind that the whole Z axis system is severely over-constrained, with 6 wheels where 3 should suffice to constrain it. People have a lot of different ideas about how you should deal with this, and I'm still not sure what's best, but I think you want to get each of the V-roller sets tight (using the eccentric nuts to adjust the inner wheels) *before* leveling and tightening down the gantry. Otherwise the wheels may have uneven tension, causing the assembly to want to twist.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, bed-leveling
--- |
thread-14799 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14799 | Output of G29 bed leveling, Marlin 2.0 | 2020-11-13T18:20:19.687 | # Question
Title: Output of G29 bed leveling, Marlin 2.0
I want to check how stable the output of the bedleveling protocol `G29` was by running it multiple times. When running it four times, I got this as subsequent output
```
Recv: Bilinear Leveling Grid:
Recv: 0 1 2
Recv: 0 -0.056 -0.475 -0.605
Recv: 1 +0.124 -0.349 -0.595
Recv: 2 -0.023 -0.344 -0.673
Recv:
Recv: 0 1 2
Recv: 0 +0.218 -0.183 -0.325
Recv: 1 +0.399 -0.073 -0.328
Recv: 2 +0.251 -0.072 -0.399
Recv:
Recv: 0 1 2
Recv: 0 +0.498 +0.090 -0.049
Recv: 1 +0.677 +0.211 -0.038
Recv: 2 +0.531 +0.217 -0.117
Recv: Bilinear Leveling Grid:
Recv: 0 1 2
Recv: 0 +0.772 +0.368 +0.222
Recv: 1 +0.949 +0.482 +0.231
Recv: 2 +0.806 +0.495 +0.154
```
Which are quite unstable, and strange results. It seems as if there is an increment of around +0.27/0.28 for each probe point in the next iteration. How can this happen? What are the right bed level settings right now?
* Printer: Anet A6
* Probe: BLTouch
* Software: Marlin 2.0
* Bed level mode: Bilinear
* Amount of probe points: 3x3
* Probe surface: glass bed
---
For reference, here are the Configuration.h and the Configuration\_adv.h.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Actually the sensor reads the bed correctly in terms of shape, not in actual reproducible distance.
Plotting the grids:
Results in pretty much the same shapes, so, when correcting for the maximum displacement and plotting all results in a single graph gives:
So the sensor does seem to produce reproducible bed geometry, but not the actual values.
Misinterpreting your initial question I assumed a default Anet sensor, this official ROKO SN04-N sensor is reported to not be very accurate and has a maximum hysteresis of 10 % error of the detecting distance, which is 10 % of 5 mm (so ± 0.5 mm). The overall maximum measurement is in grid 4 with a value of 0.949 mm and in grid 1 with a value of 0.124 mm; 0.949 mm - 0.124 mm = 0.825 mm is well within the ± 0.5 mm. This seems odd as the hysteresis should be in play on all measurements as the probe goes up and down. I've used this sensor myself, but replaced it for a more reliable sensor like the LJ18A3-8-Z/BX.
Now that it is clear that an accurate sensor is being used, there might be some play/backlash present in your printer. You should check the probe mount and the Z-axis.
---
Tags: bed-leveling, bltouch, anet-a6
--- |
thread-14652 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14652 | Ender 3 ignores signal from optocoupler | 2020-10-24T18:00:02.597 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 ignores signal from optocoupler
Optocoupler used in conjuction with an inductive sensor on a stock Ender 3, wired like this:
Except I also wired a switch to the Z endstop signal and ground.
I don't know the switch pin layout so I had to guess.
I guess `S` stands for signal, but I don't know why the other pin isn't `G`, but rather `V`. So we have signal and voltage? that doesn't make sense so I guess its the reason for the problem.
When I do auto home all axes, it completely ignores signal from the optocoupler. It only stops when hitting the switch.
The optocoupler is connected to an inductive sensor. When the sensor detects metal, it sends a signal to the optocoupler, the optocoupler to Z limit pins on the mainboard (or so it should).
Video of whats happening is found here.
Should I connect optocoupler VCC to switch V (keep switch S to optocoupler OUT)?
---
U (not V) is +5V, so should I connect the optocoupler VCC to it?
# Answer
Not knowing the type of inductive sensor you are using, the most common, an NPN type sensor (like the LJ18A3-8-Z/BX) is assumed (in relation to your previous question). NPN type sensors imply that the signal is held high at a certain voltage (the supply voltage ranges from 6 V-36 V, but are reported to work on 5 V also) and is actively switched down to 0 V when triggered.
Basically the sensor always produces a high signal until triggered. Why is this the preferred option? If somehow the wires break or some issue occurs that triggers the sensor, movement is stopped to prevent damage to occur.
The signal from the sensor needs to be "high" and the switch needs to cut the power by opening the circuit. So make sure what your sensor signal is outputting in the first place. The depicted switch is a powered switch as it uses an LED, but the switching component on the circuit board itself has three pins, COM (COMmon), NO (Normally Open) and NC (Normally Closed). You need to put +5 V on the white wire to power the right side of the optocoupler and connect the switch as such that the COM and the NC are connected (most probably S and U in the depicted switch).
> 1 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, bed-leveling, electronics, wiring, inductive-sensor
--- |
thread-14831 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14831 | Cura: How to prevent my 3D printer from auto cooling after prints | 2020-11-18T23:34:54.517 | # Question
Title: Cura: How to prevent my 3D printer from auto cooling after prints
Is there a setting or G-code, to prevent Ultimaker Cura from setting the nozzle and build plate temperatures to 0? I have looked and have not found anything in the printer beginning/ending G-code, print settings, etc...
**Would this have something to do with it?**
# Answer
In CuraEngine's `FffGcodeWriter::finalize` method, G-code to zero the bed and enclosure temperature is only written if the machine profile defines a heated bed/enclosure, so you could in theory avoid the cooldown by telling Cura your machine doesn't and putting the heatup commands in your custom start gcode instead of letting Cura emit them itself. However it unconditionally zeros all of the hotend temperatures, and does this after emitting your custom end G-code, so you can't even turn the hotend back on from there. The only way to undo Cura's insistence on turning it off is with some sort of postprocessing.
Update: There's actually a way to fix this purely at the configuration/profile level! Set `machine_nozzle_temp_enabled` ("Enable Nozzle Temperature Control") to false (off) and Cura will not emit *any* M104/M109 temperature commands. You can then put whatever temperature commands you do or don't want in your start/end gcode.
> 1 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, nozzle, cooling, bed, temperature
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thread-5989 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5989 | Print only part (fraction) of a model | 2018-05-19T08:44:57.100 | # Question
Title: Print only part (fraction) of a model
I've made a 9H-printing model tonight, and only a little part of it failed (because a support dropped off). I want to reprint only that little part.
How can I do that in Cura? **How can I tell Cura to generate a gcode file so only that little part (inside the transparent cube below) will be printed?**
I've placed the model upside-down on the Cura plate to "cut off" what was well printed. I've made a simple 3D cube model in Blender and placed it so it intersect with the part I want to print (I've set the "mesh type" of that cube to "don't support overlaps" for that). I've tried using "Mesh fixes: disable Union Overlapping Volumes" and the "Merge meshes" option, but the merge aligns the cube origin and the model origin (which I don't want).
What's the proper way to do such partial printing?
# Answer
The latest version of Ultimaker Cura can do that (version 3.6).
I have built models made of different material in the same model.
How to do this is:
1. Select your CUBE and select the icon "Per Model Setting" in left side menu.
2. choice "Normal model", select the following settings: Top/bottom thickness, wall thickness and infill percentage
3. Very Important: all above settings must be set to 0!
4. Select the model you desire to print and select the icon "Per Model Setting" in left side menu
5. choice "Modify settings for overlap with other model" and select the following settings: Top/bottom thickness, wall thickness and infill percentage
6. Select the desired infill percentage and the wall top/bottom thickness for the portion you want print
7. slice the model
Note: If you need to print supports, then in step 2 select "Modify settings for infill of other models" (instead of "Normal Model"), and in step 6 also select "Add Support" and any other support related parameters you may need. However, Cura needs at least one "Normal Model" to slice, so to fool it you need to also another Cube as "Normal Model" with the parameters of step 4 somewhere else in your build plate (it won't really print).
> 10 votes
# Answer
The most recent versions of Cura cannot do that for you. This is a removed feature (or better said: not ported from the old application to the new application), so installing an older version of Cura may work for you.
Alternatively there are many more pieces of (free) software that can do that for you. E.g. MeshMixer or the Slic3r application can do that for you. This video shows a demonstration how to do that.
> 6 votes
# Answer
On Tinkercad, you can import your stl and add "subtraction" cubes, and merge them with the parts you don't want printed.
> 4 votes
# Answer
I don't know if this helps but download blender 3d, install expoert your models as stl import as stl file enter into edit mode with tab key and delete everything else export as stl (maybe would have to set the scale to 100)
> 2 votes
# Answer
What you can also try is to separate the part from the rest of the model within your CAD software. In FreeCAD for example, you can use the mesh design workbench to cut the small part away from the rest, then you slice this small piece and print it.
> 1 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, replacement-parts
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thread-14782 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14782 | What is the purpose of partial (<100%) backlash correction? | 2020-11-12T12:36:01.050 | # Question
Title: What is the purpose of partial (<100%) backlash correction?
Marlin has an option to fade out the amount of backlash correction, given as `BACKLASH_CORRECTION`. It is also available in GCode as `M425 [F<value>]`, where 0.0 = none and 1.0 = 100%.
Assuming backlash correction is otherwise well tuned at 100%, when is useful to reduce its effect? Why not always keep it at 100%?
# Answer
The developers explained the use of the M425 code themselves.
> We devised a routine for measuring Z backlash automatically during G29 and found that software backlash compensation does wonders for the first layer. However, this comes at the expense of artifacts on the rest of the print. In particular, any rapid motions of the motor to try to take up any backlash will inevitably create a small pause and vibration, leading to a seam in the print. We devised a smoothing algorithm that allowed backlash correction to be gradually applied over a distance, this eliminated any harsh transitions, which again lead to a huge improvement. Alas, we learned that the feature was very sensitive to the variances in the printer build, working amazingly well in some cases, but leading to a degraded quality other printers. This perhaps is a feature that could be used by someone who wished to hand tune the algorithm, but not something we could use in a mass produced printer.
>
> ...
>
> **"M425 F" sets a value from 0 to 1 which is multiplied by the backlash distance. This command is meant for use by the slicer, and allows it to "fade" away the backlash compensation gradually over several layers, or to turn it off completely after the first layer (with a "M425 F0")**.
> 1 votes
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Tags: marlin, calibration
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thread-14834 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14834 | Limit X axis due to direct drive | 2020-11-19T03:41:17.850 | # Question
Title: Limit X axis due to direct drive
Recently I printed this direct drive mod and installed into my Ender 3.
After installation, the stepper motor constantly bangs into the right Z frame of the printer. I have already set the bed X axis size to 190 mm within Cura slicer and my OctoPi printer profile but when homing, it will home to left and move towards right at a fairly fast speed and "BANG", I can hear the motor skipping a few steps, not sure how to proceed from here...
# Answer
Try using a pancake stepper I heard those work quite well, they do have less torque but you can overcome that with gear ratio's like on the bondtech extruders. It should be thin enough so you can use the full volume again. If you dont think that's worth it you should move you X-axis endstop since the homing is where it goes wrong, as far as firmware goes I can't help you in that aspect as well as other would be able too. I hope this helps.
> 1 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, direct-drive
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thread-14843 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14843 | BLTouch Fails & Scraping at the Left Side of the Table | 2020-11-20T05:15:26.737 | # Question
Title: BLTouch Fails & Scraping at the Left Side of the Table
Using the following:
* Printer : Ender 3 PRO - 2019 1.1.4 non-silent board
* Firmware : Official Creality Ender 3 PRO - BLTouch version
* Bed : Original Creality Glass Bed
* Nozzle : Original Stock - there isn't any upgrade
* Filament : Porima PLA Red
* Hotend : 210 °C
* Bed : 60 °C
* BLTouch : Official Creality V3.1 Smart
* Z Offset : -3.50 mm which keeps nozzle's distance as 0.2 mm from bed while printing first layers
* Test Model : Ender 3 Damping Feets 100 % infill - 105 % flow rate - 60 mm/s printing speed
This morning I realized that my nozzle is scraping to bed while it's printing left side to the table, I'm using a BLTouch and this shouldn't be happening right?
Any ideas what could cause this and how I can fix it?
# Answer
> 1 votes
This left bed side issue could be caused by the poor design of the Ender 3 (portal printer single side Z lead screw and counter rolling guide post) in conjunction with the way the bed is probed and the hysteresis of the gantry. The second photo issue could well a result of an imperfection of the bed, a local bump, which cannot be filtered out with insufficient probing points or the firmware bed leveling option.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, bed-leveling, bltouch
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thread-14850 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14850 | How to edit STL model files | 2020-11-20T19:04:25.383 | # Question
Title: How to edit STL model files
The slicer included with my printers (ChituBox) has no STL editing capabilities. How to edit STL models?
# Answer
I think it depends on your use case.
As Bobt already commented, Meshmixer is a common tool for editing STLs. But also a lot of CAD-Tools should be able to import STLs. Then there is also of course Blender.
As you didn't specify what you want to use it for, I would guess you just want to do some quick fixes to the mesh. The tool I use is Meshmixer. It's pretty powerful, but I personally never really used a lot of it's capabilities.
> 4 votes
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Tags: 3d-models, stl
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thread-14855 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14855 | Cleaning IPA with the help of Mercury wash-and-cure? | 2020-11-21T13:18:07.073 | # Question
Title: Cleaning IPA with the help of Mercury wash-and-cure?
I have seen that you can clean used IPA from resin by putting it in the sun a while, making the resin dissolved in the IPA cure. Could I do the same thing just using the cure-mode in with the Elegoo Mercury wash-and-cure-station?
# Answer
Based on the frequencies of most UV cure resins, your suggestion has merit. Other factors come into consideration, however.
These illumination devices have a limited life span. Running the UV diodes for the purpose of curing out the resin from the IPA will "use up" the portion of time otherwise useful for curing models.
Additionally, the UV light which would otherwise be "applied" to the surface of a printed model now has to pass through the IPA. While the IPA is perfectly transparent to the 405 nm used to cure resins, there could be attenuation and refraction by impurities in the liquid.
Sunlight is mostly free, broad-spectrum, and (on a sunny day) far more powerful than most affordable UV illumination systems.
In a pinch, sure, use the curing feature, but the sun is your cheap friend.
> 3 votes
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Tags: resin, cleaning, recycling
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thread-14863 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14863 | Is it an issue when X-axis rods are able to slide in their mounting bracket? | 2020-11-23T02:12:31.570 | # Question
Title: Is it an issue when X-axis rods are able to slide in their mounting bracket?
While disassembling my printer, I found that the X-axis rods were able to be slide back and forth within their mounting bracket. This seems like it could lead to this axis shifting from vibration alone.
But, it might not matter, I think, because the extruder carriage is tensioned by a belt and it simply uses the rails as a guide to slide across. Even if the rods were to move, it wouldn't take the carriage along with it.
Will the X-axis rods sliding in their mounting bracket have an affect in print quality?
Here is a video:
# Answer
> 1 votes
If the x-axis rods only move in the x axis then there’s no problem, but if they aren’t firmly secured in the other axes then there could be issues. If they’re able to move then presumably they aren’t secured that well. Given the relatively small forces involved in 3D printing though, you may well be fine.
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Tags: linear-motion, x-axis
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thread-13393 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/13393 | Looking for files for printed parts for my Kossel XL kit from Builda3Dprinter.eu | 2020-04-11T16:53:48.833 | # Question
Title: Looking for files for printed parts for my Kossel XL kit from Builda3Dprinter.eu
A couple years back I received a Kossel XL kit from builda3dprinter.eu as a gift, but I stopped building it because multiple parts were missing, including printed parts. Now that I'm building a Prusa MK3S, I'm considering buying some of the parts and finding the stl files to print the printed parts. However I'm having a bit of trouble finding the files for the exact model, and finding the printed parts for the XL, rather than the mini. Any help would be greatly appreciated, and advice from people who built the same printer would be incredible. Thanks!
# Answer
I bought 2 of these kits 4 years ago, and I have been really pleased with the quality of the kits and the results. Sadly this supplier is no longer trading, as he could not compete with low cost imports from the far east.
I have the STL files for the printer kit, so you should be able to print any parts you need.
I have created a Github repository with a ZIP file of the parts files I downloaded from the builda3dprinter.eu website.
> 3 votes
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Tags: printer-building, delta, kossel
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thread-936 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/936 | Is there a lubricant that can be used for linear bearings, bronze sinter bushings and threaded rods alike? | 2016-04-05T08:00:56.557 | # Question
Title: Is there a lubricant that can be used for linear bearings, bronze sinter bushings and threaded rods alike?
My printer will feature LM8UU bearings/threaded rods for the z-axis and bronze sinter bushings on the x- and y-Axis.
As also, but not only, written here http://reprap.org/wiki/Lubrication, I know that one should:
\- use machine oil for sinter bearings, if anything at all,
\- grease on the 'more fluid' side for the linear bearings so that the lubricant stays eqally with balls on the upper and lower side
\- and probably PTFE grease for the threaded rods (as for example provided by the Ultimaker UM2)
Is there a way to unify this or at least only use two lubricants?
I do not have the slightest idea about lubricants, I would not know what to actually buy if the combination would e.g. be machine oil and low viscosity grease. Do you have specific recommendations of what to avoid?
# Answer
> 3 votes
A mid-weight PTFE grease like the popular Superlube will work in all the cases you mention (bearings, screws, and sintered bushings). 3D printer service conditions are quite light-duty as far as lubricants are concerned. You really just need to keep everything a little bit "wet" with oil or grease and performance will be adequate.
The main downside to using grease with sintered bushings is that they will likely stop being "self-lubricating" after the first exposure. The grease tends to clog the pores that allow the sintered bushings' factory oil impregnation to maintain a nice oil film on the sliding surfaces. So the bushings will forever-after require regular re-greasing, just like the ball bearings and threaded rod.
In comparison, a light machine oil like 3-in-one will maintain the sintered bushings' self-lubricating properties, but if used in ball bearings and screws will require very frequent replenishment. And that is certainly an option -- oil DOES work on bearings and screws -- but odds are good that you'll eventually over-oil the bearings, get drips on the build plate, and bang your head against a wall trying to figure out why your prints won't stick all of a sudden. Grease doesn't need to be applied as often, and it tends to stay where you put it rather than dripping. So grease is generally preferred to oil if you have to pick just one lubricant.
Again, the most important thing is to keep sliding and rolling surfaces wet with *something*. You'll just have various maintenance trade-offs with different options.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I needed to grease up my machine and had no access to specialist materials. So I researched, and ended up using Vaseline.
I now have a small tub of it as part of my machine maintenance kit.
# Answer
> 0 votes
As for me... I used the oil I use to lubricate my Trombone slide!
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Tags: reprap, life-expectancy, mechanics
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thread-7987 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7987 | Are black filaments more brittle? | 2019-01-16T09:20:42.000 | # Question
Title: Are black filaments more brittle?
I've been 3D printing for a while and I've noticed that, when printing small parts, my colored plastics (PLA, PLA+ and ABS) have better layer adhesion than black ones.
Did you notice this?
What could be the cause?
# Answer
> 1 votes
I have some experience in the textile industry and it is known that items, whether piece goods or yarn, which are black (for most fibers) it is likely an over-dye; colors that failed to match the color that was intended, goes into a pile for black re-dye. It is easy for most fibers to over-dye something black. I imagine that for filaments it is something similar. My experience with black filaments is generally one where black breaks easier, and generally you can find PLA on sale if it is black.
# Answer
> 3 votes
Not inherently.
There are two things at work that might cause one color to test weaker than others even as its properties otherwise are functionally identical:
1. A bad print among good ones.
2. A bad roll among good ones.
Let's take a look at both, then do a little excursus into plastics and color.
## A bad print
There are probably thousands of reasons a print might fail, but bad layer bonding and squish-ability under torsion strongly hint to under extrusion. Now, under extrusion itself can be caused by a plethora of reasons: a clogged nozzle is equally as possible as too thinner diameter as is just a bad temperature. The last one is, in my opinion, the most likely culprit: filaments may look the same and feel the same and bond the same, but in different colors, they sometimes demand different print settings.
As an example, I print most of my Kaisertech PLAs at 200°C, as that offers a quite good result for all of them. Yet when I started I had a white China PLA and a crystal clear PLA from the same manufacturer, both came from the same warehouse in the same shipment. The clear one is quite more brittle on the roll, but their starting-to-print temperature differs by 5°C - the white started to extrude at 180°C decently and printed ok at 195°C-200°C, while the clear needed only 175°C to start to be extrudeable and was really printable at 190°C. Yet recently I tried the same roll again to achieve fully clear prints, and with 210°C and lots of overextrusion, I managed to go almost solid-clear. Because of such experience, I suggest tweaking the settings.
## A Bad Filament
There are several reasons why one roll might resulting in bad prints, but the most prominent are that the roll has *gone* bad over bad storage. It might be stored too hot or too humid, making it brittle or bubble in the hotend. Aging under UV plays a role (it degrades PLA). And dimensional accuracy plays a role because it affects the whole roll of filament. This is why tests should always be performed with equally treated and measured samples to achieve comparability.
## Excursus: Plastics and color
What gives a plastic its color? Pigments added to it. Now, pigments can be of varied kinds. Usually, they are embedded in the plastic (=not bonded to the carrier plastic), and the plastic polymer is often either inherently transparent(ish) or white. Let's take some examples to look at...
* **Yellow**. Yellow can be made from a lot of stuff but many yellow pigments react to UV light by decay more than other colors, leading to yellow to fade quickly in comparison to other colors. It has varied chemical compositions, often they can become quite complex.
* **Black**. Black pigment is typically the most simplistic coloration to achieve: pure powdered carbon is one of our most potent black pigments, and also one of the cheapest, making black plastic one of the most common plastics. In contrast to other colors, carbon can't fade. But the plastic around it decomposes and turns white, fading the color this way.
Now, most colorings are - in physical terms - sizeable. Some few to a couple dozen atoms, making them range in the *Angström* (~Atom diameter) to *few nanometer* area overall. However, even something as complex as $C\_{22}H\_{20}O\_{13}$ (Carmine) is relatively small compared to the $(C\_3H\_4O\_2)\_n$ of **Poly**LacticAcid, aka PLA. Poly tells us that n is at least 100, because shorter chains are *oligo*mers, not *poly*mers. In comparison, our red carmine pigment is more dense, much more compact in fact. As a result, a 100-chain of PLA is not just in the *Angstöm* area but in the *dozen nanometer* to *micrometer* range - a magnitude of at least 2 larger. Unless we have a huge excess of pigment or a pigment that reacts with the plastic under heat, then the impact of it on the strength should be neglectible to the other fillers often used.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Your heading is about how brittle the material is, but the question is asking about layer adhesion. I'll go ahead and tackle the layer adhesion portion. There are many variables at play here but unless you are using two filaments fresh out of the box, I would guess moisture might be the issue.
### Moisture
The filaments pick up moisture as they are left out or even just store. I've tried to prevent it, but nothing seems to work. When this happens you generally need to run the same filament a bit hotter to get the same results as a new roll. Comparing a new roll to an old roll, or even two rolls of questionable quality, will result in slight changes.
### Bad Quality
Filament quality goes a long ways to making sure the print comes out consistently. Dimensional sizing is the main one the gets thrown around, but once again, moisture may creep in if the manufacturer is questionable. I use Hatchbox mainly and have not had an issue on either of these fronts. Poor dimensional quality will cause either under or over extrusion which can make the layers appear worse and is impossible to fix without buying a new roll as the filament itself is the issue.
### Color
Can color make a difference? Perhaps. I've wondered if black heats up quicker than white filament. I have gone through quite a bit of white and black PLA from the same manufacturer and so far have notice no major difference between the two.
### Brittleness and Layer Adhesion
I don't see how these two would have much to do with each other. There are too many variables between the heating and the cooling of the material for brittleness to have a major effect. For example, PLA is brittle but prints well. TPU is very flexible and prints well - it all depends on what your setup is.
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Tags: filament, filament-quality
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thread-14881 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14881 | Is this the correct motherboard for my Creality CR-10S Pro V2? | 2020-11-25T21:22:11.817 | # Question
Title: Is this the correct motherboard for my Creality CR-10S Pro V2?
When trying to solve the issue described in this post I followed the advice in the accepted answer and I found that the timing pulley holes for the Y axis (to "secure" the pulley to the motor shaft) were only half drilled (!!!). I suppose that everything worked fine (even without blind screws) for the first month (probably because the belt was extremely tight) but just a bit of wearing and it started to slip.
While I already replaced the pulley I also contacted the Creality technical support to obtain (at lest! funny...) a reassurance that it didn't possibly stressed the belt or the bearing balls. My experience with their technical support has been **horrible** and I am still waiting (after weeks) my answer (probably it's easier for them to try to ignore their sloppy assembly and QA) but they sent me a procedure to follow to "debug" any issue with my printer.
One of the pictures in that procedure is this:
To my surprise this is the motherboard I have:
Now I am puzzled. Which one is the correct motherboard for the Creality CR-10S Pro V2 (not the *old* version but the *newer* V2)? Is this just \[another\] sloppy mistake from the technical support or I do have the *wrong* motherboard? Differences with V1 are not many then I suppose it could even work with the old one...
# Answer
The board that's installed in your machine appears to be the Creality v2.4 / v2.4.1 board, which is the correct board for your printer. It is distinguishable by the 30-pin ribbon connector, which is used to connect to the rest of the printer.
The board in the tech support pictures is the v2.5.2 "silent board", designed for printers such as the non-Pro CR-10 series. It features two 10-pin connectors for the LCD screen. It also uses individual connectors for all functions, so, contrary to the "Pro" boards, is also easily swappable with aftermarket boards.
A third type of board (e.g. v1.1.5) exists, mostly for the Ender 3 series of printers, which features only one 10-pin connector for the display.
> 1 votes
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Tags: creality-cr-10, part-identification
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thread-6982 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6982 | Which filaments actually do need to be stored in a drybox? | 2018-09-24T19:19:10.437 | # Question
Title: Which filaments actually do need to be stored in a drybox?
As I started to learn about 3D printing, the gist I learned was "it's better to store the filaments in a drybox." As I rechecked these notes, they were to a good degree from an era when PLA was rather new to the market and ABS was the goTo.
Then I learned "PLA is not really hygroscopic and can be stored freely."<sup>1</sup>
Now, I know some materials are pretty hygroscopic, but not all. So, let's try to pin it down:
**Which materials are hygroscopic enough to demand a drybox?**
I know that it is good practice to store all filament in a somewhat dehumidified or airtight box, but there are some materials out there that become **unprintable** and need drying before printing if improperly stored. ***This question is to point out these "special storage mandatory" filaments only.*** If a material can't be printed without dry storage it belongs here. If it is a nice to have, it doesn't.
This is a **Back It Up** question: answers need to provide one of two:
* explain personal experience, marked as such.
* provide an authoritative source (scientific paper/videos, manufacturer papers, quote from an experienced maker).
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<sup>1 - For some time (month?). I do store my PLA in a closed but unsealed IKEA container with all the desiccant bags I can find as it is clearly *benefitial*.</sup>
# Answer
> 6 votes
# PVA
From experience I can tell that PVA filaments need to be stored with silica beads in a plastic bag or in a specific dry-box. PVA is soluble in water and is very hygroscopic. With moisture it gets soft and swells. My Ultimaker came with an open spool of PVA which popped when heated (steam bubbles popping) resulting in very poor quality supports and clogging of the nozzle. A newly bought spool which was properly packed did not have these issues.
# Nylon
Some Nylon filament brands require to be stored dry or need to be dried before printing. I have a spool of Nylon that has taken up some moisture although carefully packed, the only time it was out is when it was being printed. This experience applies to Ultimaker Nylon; I've learned now that not all Nylon filaments are behaving the same, it is suggested to look-up the specifics from the manufacturer or from reviews prior to buying.
# Answer
> 4 votes
All filaments should be kept in a low-humidity, dry environment. The OP suggests that PLA doesn't need to be dried. My experience says otherwise. I had miserable trouble printing with a PLA spool until I dried it in an oven at about 60 C for a couple of hours. It then printed well.
A comment was made, and then refuted, about FDM being the same as injection molding. I agree that, for this purpose, it is. Both involve heating the plastic so that it softens, and neither process will work well if the filament is outgassing steam. They both have a confined melt chamber, and steam will be pressurized with the plastic. When the pressure is released, the expanding steam creates defects in the object.
It is true that some filaments are more hygroscopic than others, but all filaments should be treated as if they are moisture sensitive and should be stored in a dry container.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Necessary:
* PVA otherwise it will become unprintable, because it is VERY hydrophilic and becomes soft, but it is dryable
Better to store boxed:
* PLA otherwise it can became brittle, I have some of such PLA, it brakes from time to time if it is just loaded, but luckily it doesn't broke while printing so far.
* Nylon is also hydrophilic
Generally you should google for the material you want to use and look for hydrophilic properties or other, e.g. gas releasing, properties and so on.
# Answer
> 2 votes
PEEK (polyetheretherketone) will print better if has less moisture, and should be used at under 1%.
PPSU (polyphenylsulfone) prints terribly unless it is extremely low humidity (under 0.1%), and is really only reliable when run from a drier to the print head without any exposure to "normal" humidity from the air in the room.
The point at which you have visible cosmetic issues comes at a different point than that at which you have visible structural issues, but even when no cosmetic issues are visible, there are still potential structural issues at a microscopic level.
# Answer
> 2 votes
You should ask the maker or supplier of the filament which ones really need to be stored in dryboxes and which ones are safe.
Technically, they can all benefit from being stored in dryboxes, but some can handle being left in the open more than others, so it also depends on how fast you go through your rolls of filament. If you use one roll of PLA a month, using a drybox for it is not necessary, if you use it in a year, then a drybox becomes useful.
Though, as a rule of thumb and as was pointed in previous answers, PVA absolutely needs a drybox and Nylon also benefit greatly from being stored in one.
# Answer
> 1 votes
All filaments need a drybox. Before any kind of plastic is injection molded, it has to be dry. I'd advocate a vacuum sealer. If they are not free of moisture then the water will turn to steam and cause little steam explosions inside of the nozzle. This blows the molten filament out of the nozzle causing blobs, gaps and other z scaring artifacts. This is the same thing that happens in injection molding machines. Before the plastic can be placed into the hopper the plastic pellets (of any kind) must be thoroughly dry.
I have personally noticed surface condensation on my PETG filament on a rainy day; here in the tropics. A spool of nylon filament that I have would not stop crackling and poping during the printing process. Its moisture absorption was so high that just having it outside while printing was enough to cause printing problems. The resulting part that I printed was also hydroscopic; so much so that it expands if you place it in water and shrinks after is is allowed to dry out. I had tried to make a cover for a water container with the nylon and foolishly turned the container upside down on the counter just to prove that it was a good seal. I came back a few hours later to find water all over my counter and the floor. The cap expanded, let go of the container, and all the water leaked out. It then dryed and shrunk back to the original size. This caused me much confusion as to why the water leaked out, as the cap was still fitting snugly on the top of the container when I came back to it.
The following link from "CNC Kitchen" highlights these issues in more detail.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAXUjZZER5E
In short the video says that:
* Wet filament will have stringing, bubbles and substantial oozing.
* Moisture can break up the long chains of the polymer changing the mechanical properties of the plastic, resulting in embrittlement.
* Air bubbles end up in the printed part and result in delamination.
* The surface finish of wet filament will be rough and inconsistent, requiring post processing (sanding, filling etc).
# Answer
> 0 votes
Some brands of PLA+ and colors of filament seem to have issues if left in the open air for too long a period. These then need to be dried back out in a dry box. The filament seems to be softer and the hobb seems to strip it out more easily causing print failures. The colors I have had the most troubles with are transparent Blue, Dark Green, and silky Copper.
---
Tags: filament
--- |
thread-14892 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14892 | OpenSCAD not rendering polyhedron | 2020-11-28T01:47:25.993 | # Question
Title: OpenSCAD not rendering polyhedron
I'm trying to subtract a polyhedron from a cube, but it is not working (the cube remains solid). However, I can see the cut-out poly in preview mode (but not after a full render).
**Preview** -- poly cutout shows on the top (and bottom).
**Rendered** -- poly cutout not visible.
**Poly Exploded** -- pulled the poly to the right to show its shape.
**Code**
```
size = 30;
wall = 3;
wall_x2 = wall * 2;
nubGap = .125;
nubHeight = 8;
nubOffset = wall + nubGap;
xCutoutSize = size - wall_x2;
yCutoutSize = size - wall_x2;
cutoutLowerY = nubHeight + nubGap;
cutoutUpperOffset = nubOffset + wall;
difference() {
cube([size, size, size]);
translate([wall, wall, 0]) {
polyhedron(
points = [
[0, 0, -10],
[xCutoutSize, 0, -10],
[xCutoutSize, yCutoutSize, -10],
[0, yCutoutSize, -10],
[0, 0, cutoutLowerY],
[xCutoutSize, 0, cutoutLowerY],
[xCutoutSize, yCutoutSize, cutoutLowerY],
[0, yCutoutSize, cutoutLowerY],
[cutoutUpperOffset, cutoutUpperOffset, size],
[xCutoutSize - cutoutUpperOffset, cutoutUpperOffset, size],
[xCutoutSize - cutoutUpperOffset, yCutoutSize - cutoutUpperOffset, size],
[cutoutUpperOffset, yCutoutSize - cutoutUpperOffset, size]
],
faces = [
[0, 1, 2], [2, 3, 0], // bottom
[0, 1, 4], [1, 4, 5], // side A
[1, 2, 5], [2, 5, 6], // side B
[2, 3, 6], [3, 6, 7], // side C
[3, 0, 7], [0, 7, 4], // side D
[4, 5, 8], [5, 8, 9], // slope A
[5, 6, 9], [6, 9, 10], // slope B
[6, 7, 10], [7, 10, 11], // slope C
[7, 4, 11], [4, 11, 8], // slope D
[8, 9, 10], [10, 11, 8] // top
]
);
};
};
```
# Answer
> 4 votes
Usually when there's an overlap in two objects during a difference action, F6 render will resolve the problem. There's something more than that involved here, as reducing the height of the cube creates a non-manifold object from the difference. user R..'s answer has merit but is not going to solve the problem.
Isolating the cube from the code and exporting the result as an STL allows me to determine that the faces are generated in a manner preventing a proper difference action:
This image from meshmixer shows the faces have inverted normals. The order of the points are critical when describing a polyhedron. From the wiki page for OpenSCAD:
> It is arbitrary which point you start with, but all faces must have points ordered in the same direction . OpenSCAD prefers clockwise when looking at each face from outside inward. The back is viewed from the back, the bottom from the bottom, etc. Another way to remember this ordering requirement is to use the right-hand rule. Using your right-hand, stick your thumb up and curl your fingers as if giving the thumbs-up sign, point your thumb into the face, and order the points in the direction your fingers curl.
EDIT: I reversed some of the points, haphazardly and luckily picked the correct ones:
```
faces = [
[0, 1, 2], [2, 3, 0], // bottom
[4, 1, 0], [1, 4, 5], // side A
[5, 2, 1], [2, 5, 6], // side B
[6, 3, 2], [3, 6, 7], // side C
[7, 0, 3], [0, 7, 4], // side D
[8, 5, 4], [5, 8, 9], // slope A
[9, 6, 5], [6, 9, 10], // slope B
[10, 7, 6], [7, 10, 11], // slope C
[11, 4, 7], [4, 11, 8], // slope D
[10, 9, 8], [8, 11, 10] // top
```
# Answer
> 2 votes
If the polyhedron surface and top surface of the cube are exactly coplanar, which they seem to be, it won't work; OpenSCAD operates numerically rather than analytically and which is "inside" or "outside" the other is subject to numerical instability. Whenever using differences you need to make the object being subtracted extend by at least some small epsilon outside the surfact of the object you're subtracting from.
---
Tags: 3d-design, openscad
--- |
thread-14896 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14896 | What material should I upgrade the teflon tube to? | 2020-11-29T00:55:11.990 | # Question
Title: What material should I upgrade the teflon tube to?
I'd like to print PET on an Ender 3 v2, but I see that some people recommend upgrading the hotend because it will melt the teflon filament feeder tube. I'm not sure if the hotend will even get hot enough to use PET, even though it's listed in the specs for the printer. I didn't know Teflon could melt, if that's the case, should I get rid of my teflon cooking pans?
1. What is the max temp range for a stock Ender 3 V2?
2. What material tube should I upgrade to?
3. What are the benefits of an all metal hotend as far as hotter temps? Why is that the recommended solution for PETG printing?
# Answer
> 2 votes
The Ender 3 (original, pro, or v2) does not need any modifications/upgrades to print PETG. Temperatures of 230-235 °C are sufficient for PETG and well under the 250 °C that's not recommended to be exceeded on a machine with PTFE lining all the way to the hotend. PTFE doesn't melt above these temperatures, but it does start to break down and release chemicals that can be harmful. Note that teflon pans achieve temperatures comparable to or exceeding what you'd print PETG at all the time while cooking, and especially if you burn food. The smoke point of peanut oil is roughly the same as the temperature you print PETG at.
If you did want to change it (I wouldn't recommend this) there is no different tube you can "upgrade" to. Instead, users who want to be able to print higher temperatures switch to an "all metal" hotend, which means the tube doesn't extend through the heatbreak to the hotend, but instead stops in the cold part, with a metal passageway for the rest of the filament's path to the hotend/nozzle. You still use the same PTFE before that, though. All-metal hotends are not necessarily an upgrade; they're a tradeoff. The PTFE tube all the way through is a highly desirable feature because it has very low friction and no ridge/boundary between materials for semi-molten filament to get caught on when retracting and unretracting.
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, hotend, petg
--- |
thread-1505 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/1505 | What is the influence of a lower BAUDrate? | 2016-07-12T10:31:05.890 | # Question
Title: What is the influence of a lower BAUDrate?
I am using a BAUDrate of 115200 since I cannot make a connection to my printer with the advised 250000 rate. Are there any downsides or limits I reach earlier given by the lower BAUDrate?
# Answer
> 4 votes
Baud rate is the rate at which information is transferred in a communication channel, given as a number of bits per second (bps). So a baud rate of 250000 is capable of transferring a *maximum* of 250000 bits per second (31250 bytes/s). When working with serial ports, both ends of the communication line will have to "talk" with the same speed \- the same baud rate - to understand each other.
So when using a baud rate of 11520 you will theoretically be limited to transfer data with about half the speed of 25000. If you are transferring large amounts of data, this might be a limiting factor for your application, but if you are not pushing the limits of your serial port, it probably won't matter at all.
# Answer
> 2 votes
If your printer doesn't have an SD card then the whole communication between computer and arduino is performed "live". There is kinda buffer of data which arduino can swallow. Then it needs to process it (and then can send some reports to your app) and then arduino is ready to get new "set" of instructions to work on.
Now. If a baudrate is to low then there could be a situation when arduino finishes its job and has to wait for new bite of data. In such a situation you can see the printer pauses printing as it waits for signals from arduino as it waits for data from computer. That's more or less a downside of a low baudrate.
If you have a SD card then the data is sucked from it but reports are still send by port to show results on screen. In such situation you can see sligtly late screen update.
A screen means just a fun of live preview but breaking printing process (caused by late data send) means your hot nozzle stays over the same position which can destruct a surface or even fry up a plastic a bit. It also oozes and therefore creates lasting artifacts.
Resuming - low baudrate is evil ;)
# Answer
> 2 votes
If a GCODE line is about 30 characters (which is about the norm), you can send at most 420 of them per second at 115200 bps.
If each GCODE prints 0.15 mm (for example in arcs), you would be limited to 63 mm/s in arcs/circles (straight lines are not an issue).
If that's limiting for you, then you should find a way to set 250 kbps.
You don't mention the firmware you use, but if you use Klipper, which compresses data over the serial line, connection speed is not an issue.
---
Tags: electronics
--- |
thread-14901 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14901 | Retuning a very delicate and tricky print after print failure | 2020-11-29T21:54:55.390 | # Question
Title: Retuning a very delicate and tricky print after print failure
I recently leveled my bed on my Monoprice Select Mini v2 and tried printing this object with family:
Pentagonal Hexacontahedron Bracelet by mathgrrl - Thingiverse
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:288182
The symptoms were as follows:
* the print footings did not stick to the bed
* during the print some of the footings looked misshapen
* Eventually everything lost cohesion and looked like a mess of silly string
* the insulating tape on the heating block started to come off
Immediately after the insulating tape came off we aborted the print.
Here are the steps we followed to convert, slice and print the object.
* We loaded the STL file into Ultimaker Cura 4.8.0, using a preset in the wizard for the Monoprice Select Mini v2
* We opened the STL for the small bracelet, chose ‘Slice’, and copied the resulting .gcode to a microSD.
* We popped the SD into the printer, preheated the nozzle and extruded a small amount of PLA (we used the PLA for a demo print of a cat hours earlier and it worked great for the demo)
* We went to print and chose the .gcode for the small bracelet and let it start to operate.
* The heating settings for the bracelet .gcode from Cura were a bit different different than those used for the demo cat .gcode that came with the machine. Both had the nozzle heated to 190 °C. The bed heating setting for the bracelet was 5 degrees hotter than the cat at 65 °C.
Any tips are appreciated. I don’t know what happened or if it possible to print this object successfully with the Monoprice Select Mini v2.
# Answer
The print is extremely challenging, as it has a lot of thin diameter items growing up, a lot of overhangs and a rather small surface to hold to the bed. So you need a Brim and support:
As OP found, a Brim is a setting that adds extra material in the first layer around the print to increase adhesion.
Support Structures are to give an overhang something to rest upon. Removing them can be tricky, but they make some things printable at all. Like this bracelet. You'll have to finetune your settings, best by learning with less complex models first or mimicking the settings of others that made the bracelet.
The thin vertical parts can make the print fail nevertheless - you can possibly fix some of the vertical adhesion issues by printing slower. If these parts are too thin, you might be unable to print them at all with a 0.4 mm nozzle! As a rule of thumb, it is *really* tricky to print pillars slimmer than 2.5 nozzle diameters and almost impossible to print them nicely under 2 nozzle diameters.
## My settings
I print my PLA at 200 °C, the bed at 60 °C, but then again I don't have a glass bed.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, heated-bed, heat-management, monoprice-select-mini
--- |
thread-7931 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7931 | What causes burnt corners? | 2019-01-09T03:35:54.493 | # Question
Title: What causes burnt corners?
Today I was printing some parts and I got these burn marks at the corners:
This is the first time I see this on this printer (Anycubic I3 Mega). I was using more or less the same settings (in Cura) as always, although I was using a new roll of PLA from a brand I haven't used before.
I was printing several parts in one job:
Most of them are somewhat affected:
```
Printing temperature: 200 °C
Build Plate Temperature: 60 °C
Printing Speed: 60 mm/s
Travel speed: 200 mm/s
```
# Answer
In addition to this answer which addresses ***what*** is actually the cause (*but doesn't explain where the burnt corners come from*), I've added some information ***why*** this is showing burnt corners.
You are printing PLA at a too high of a temperature and do not have sufficient print part cooling enabled (either in the slicer or limited by the fan duct design). The ***higher the temperature the larger the shrinkage*** of the filament is. When printing overhangs like the slanted models you print, the last deposited layer has less surface contact area with the previous layer and therefore the shrink stresses may overcome the adhering stresses (it is also more easily weakened by the heat input of the last layer). This results in curling up, especially in corners as the heat input comes from two sides. When the corners curl up, the change of hitting the sides of the nozzle increases. When the outside of the nozzle is covered in burnt filament, the curling corners may pick that up. This results as if the corners are actually burnt.
> 4 votes
# Answer
Looks like overheating and insufficient airflow at the same time.
Try to reduce the temperature of the nozzle by 5-10 °C and increase print part cooling.
> 4 votes
# Answer
There are several possibilities:
* Could be burnt material on the extruder getting dislodged when the head changes orientation on the corners,
* Could be that the extruder stays a bit too long on the corner,
* Could be that you have a bit of overextrusion and the material get burned as it stay in contact with the extruder for a bit too long.
> 1 votes
# Answer
There are two problems here. One as was mentioned earlier is that your temperature is too high and the cooling is not sufficient. The fact that one corener is affected more than the other can point to non uniform cooling (try using a cooling shroud like: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2004629 for more uniform cooling)
Another problem could be that your flow multiplier is off, this is often more noticeable in the corners. Try reducing the flow multiplier in your slicer settings.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Could be a dirty nozzle and temperature too high. When the head changes direction on the corner, the nozzle wipes off burnt PLA. This might explain why there are no dark marks on the long runs and only the corners.
Heat nozzle up and clean with acetone and then see if the problem persists.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, pla
--- |
thread-14923 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14923 | What effects does the non-carthesian coordinate system have on the Part-design process for printing with a belt printer? | 2020-12-02T11:53:44.957 | # Question
Title: What effects does the non-carthesian coordinate system have on the Part-design process for printing with a belt printer?
# Background: What's a Belt Printer's Coordinate system?
For "normal" Cartesian (Portal, Cube) or Cylindrical (Delta) coordinate printers, the same Design Consideratons are to be kept in mind. But on a Belt Printer aka Printer Mill, the conversion from cartesian design space to cartesian or cylindrical printer coordinates is not applied in the same fashion, and as such some considerations based on subsequent laying down of full levels do not apply the same: While there is a common alignment of two axis, the third axis is tilted forward and the printhead does move in the angled X'Y'-Plane. While the Belt moves only in one direction, never backwards, there is a component of negative movement in that direction by lifting the printhead...
The formula for how the new coordinate system is translated to is thus as follows $$X'=-X$$ $$Y'=\cos(\alpha)Z$$ $$Z'=Y-\sin(\alpha)Z$$ To Illustrate this: The Red-Green-Blue is the orthonormal cartesian coordinate system. and the Magenta-Yellow-Cyan is the coordinate system the printer moves in:
The most common angle for currently available designs is 45° as in the Blackbelt or the coming Creality Belt Printer (pre-production in December 2020), making the math for the slicer somewhat easier as $\sin(45°)=\cos(45°)$. As a result of all the math, there is a Cura Derivate, the BB Cura 3.6.2.
# Question
What impact does this movement pattern of laying down in an angle upwards have on considerations that have to be taken **in the design stage** of a model for 3D printing?
# Answer
1. The first and most important design consideration is the **overhang**. Normally, when designing a part, you would make considerations based on the fact that gravity will act on the part from the "bottom" towards the top. As a result, when I am designing a part, I am always mindful of the fact that anything which protrudes outside of the intended printing base will be subject to "overhang" forces. Therefore, based on the layer height and nozzle diameter, there is a limit to the maximum overhang angle that can be serviced by the printer. Just as a side note, printers that co-extrude dissolvable supports, do not have overhang problems.
2. Additionally there are structural considerations with the laminations being at an angle, especially with holes that are intended to have **heat-set inserts**. Normally, when applying an insert the pressure is perpendicular to the layers. However, depending on where the hole is needed and how the part was printed, the inserting process could promote delamination of the layers and early part failure. It could be even worse with holes that are being threaded subsequent to printing.
3. Because the first few layers are going down at an angle, the **layer adhesion** will be unknown.
At design time, all you would need to do is keep an eye on those overhangs. I'd start all models on a plane that was at a 45degree angle. That way I can see the effect of having it being printed on its side rather than perpendicular to the bed.
"The first 3D-printed boat, 'built' by the world's largest 3D printer" was also printed with the nozzle at an angle to the bed; and that seems to have worked out well.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: 3d-design, belt-printer
--- |
thread-3904 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3904 | What are the "magic numbers" on a Monoprice Select Mini? | 2017-04-21T21:01:33.690 | # Question
Title: What are the "magic numbers" on a Monoprice Select Mini?
What are the "magic numbers" people refer to regarding print resolution on the Monoprice Select Mini?
# Answer
> 8 votes
The "magic numbers" are optimal values that work particularly well for the layer height. Michael O'Brien derived these numbers by reverse engineering the mechanics of the Z-axis stepper motor.
Using these values as your layer height will generally improve your print quality over using round layer heights such as 0.15, 0.2, or 0.25 by eliminating quantization errors.
To see an example of this, print a copy of 3DBenchy at 0.15 and 0.175. On the 0.15, you will see some wavy patterns on the curved bow portion compared to the 0.175. This is the result of inexact rounding.
```
Layer Height (mm)
0.04375 (results may vary)*
0.0875
0.13125
0.175
0.21875
0.2625
0.30625
```
# Answer
> 0 votes
Though this approach is logical on paper, in the real world it doesnt work as well. Even if you do choose a magic number for the layer height, you cant gurentee that your print head, once homed at the beginning of a print, is using a full step of the motor. Its more common to be on a half step than a full step with a motor
# Answer
> 0 votes
This is an issue with homing. It is not synced to the stepper motor so it may occur on something other than a full or half or even quarter step. That said, it always does this so moving up from there, the first little bit may be off but I would expect once the motor runs freely, the error will go away. Also keep in mind with microstepping, you can have 1/16 or 1/32 steps as well. Using the magic number ensures the new position you request is within the limits of the stepper/controller to reach. Its like rounding numbers. if you don't, as you increment, the numbers will always be consistant. If you round, the numbers will dither around. At least thats my $45 (inflation) and stickin to it. Good luck everyone and have fun.
---
Tags: monoprice-select-mini
--- |
thread-10003 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/10003 | Ender 3 stock Bowden tube inner diameter? Worth upgrading? | 2019-05-22T16:38:32.120 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 stock Bowden tube inner diameter? Worth upgrading?
I recall hearing claims that the Ender 3 (maybe only newer units?) has a narrower Bowden tube than some printers that helps with flexible materials, but I can't find any authoritative figures. Does it come with a standard 2 mm ID tube that would likely benefit from replacement with a 1.9 mm or smaller (Capricorn one seems popular), or is the stock tube already comparable with these lower-clearance ones? I'm looking to improve speed and quality with flexible filaments and trying to determine if upgrading (and at the same time, shortening) the Bowden tube is a worthwhile direction.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I disassembled the hotend side of the Bowden setup to check for deterioration (and found an actual *hole* in the tube!) for the first time since getting a decent caliper, and after making a clean cut to remove the damaged part, measured the inner diameter at 2.19-2.21 mm. I'm not sure if that's enlarged from wear or the original size it was manufactured as, but either way this suggests that upgrade to Capricorn at 1.95 mm (±0.05 mm) inner diameter should make a significant difference vs my current Bowden tube.
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, bowden
--- |
thread-14912 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14912 | Can closed loop steppers be used for extruders? | 2020-12-01T03:29:08.103 | # Question
Title: Can closed loop steppers be used for extruders?
I am relatively new to 3D printing, but have some background in industrial equipment and test machines.
An important part of printer setup is getting the extruder mm/step rate configured correctly.
I was wondering if anybody has done any research into closed loop drive of the filament where the feedback to close the loop comes from a knurled idler on the filament.
This would mean factors such as drive slippage and different material stiffness could be automatically compensated for.
Going one step further the feedback wheel could be placed at the hotend of Bowden extruder systems negating the need to tune in retract settings for different materials as the closed loop system can just pull back however much material is required to get 1-2 mm as measured at the hot end.
I have seen there are readily available steppers with drive boards built in for closed loop control, I would imagine it would be a relatively simple task to remove the hall effect sensor from one of these boards and mount it remotely to read off a measuring wheel instead of the drive shaft.
I had a bit of a search but couldn't find anything on this topic online, is this something that has already been looked into and if it hasn't are there any significant reasons why this shouldn't work to improve performance and/or reduce manual tweaking and calibration required.
# Answer
Closed loop steppers like S42B are becoming popular for the spatial axes because compensating for skipped steps is the correct way to recover for those axes. For example, if the nozzle knocks into a warped corner of a print and skips, the right thing to do is compensate, commanding additional steps necessary to get to the commanded location.
This is less valuable for extruder, since displacement is not necessarily the target we want to recover, but nozzle pressure. Extruder skip usually occurs when nozzle pressure exceeds the motors ability to drive the filament. Correcting for the skipped steps may result in overcompensating, attempting to drive nozzle pressure up over a longer period of time, since the problem won't clear itself as quickly as it does for the spatial axes. Compensating for skipped steps doesn't recover E errors like they do for X,Y, or Z, since skipped E steps tend to be driven by persistent problems, like low nozzle temp or hotend restrictions, where spatial errors tend to be transient, e.g. hitting a 'speed bump' on the print.
An alternative is filament flow sensors like this BTT Smart Filament Sensor. It uses a similar feedback mechanism like you suggest. It uses a driven wheel and encoder to send pulses to mainboard. When mainboard stopped getting pulses during commanded moves, it pauses print. Instead of trying to correct in a closed loop fashion, its a human-in-the-loop solution
> 4 votes
---
Tags: extruder, stepper-driver, stepper, closed-loop
--- |
thread-14933 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14933 | After print failure cant extrude PLA | 2020-12-03T19:21:09.300 | # Question
Title: After print failure cant extrude PLA
I had a failed print lastnight and a glob of pla surrounded the hotend. After heating it up and removing the glob the extruder does not release any significant material. I checked with OctoPrint and the extruder stepper does push filament without the hot end on.
After fully heating the hot end I was able to remove the nozzle.
I then pushed the previously melted PLA out of the tube and heater. It was discolored in the heater. I then tried to put the nozzle back on and pull the old PLA out of the nozzle but no success there.
Should the nozzle be left in acetone for a few days before trying again or how should this be dealt with. The nozzle appears to be blocked.
# Answer
> 5 votes
If the hotend is okay, consider yourself lucky and consider the nozzle a loss. Aside from specialty items like ruby tip ones, nozzles are a consumable anyway. Even if you can clean it out well enough to get it working again, it's unlikely to extrude as well as a new clean nozzle. Acetone is probably not going to help; PLA does not dissolve in acetone, and while the pigments/additives might be affected by it enough to weaken and deform PLA in a way that could get it to detach, what's clogging your nozzle is likely *burnt*/carbonized PLA that's unlikely to be removable by anything that won't also destroy the brass.
If you don't already have replacements on hand, get yourself a pack of 10-20 for $10 or so and be ready to replace when needed. You can also go for a mixed-size pack if you want to try printing fine details with a smaller (0.1-0.3 mm) nozzle or super-fast but rough with a large (0.8-1.0 mm) nozzle.
---
Tags: all-metal-hotend
--- |
thread-14894 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14894 | Ender 5 Pro bent/curved print on base | 2020-11-28T09:08:53.427 | # Question
Title: Ender 5 Pro bent/curved print on base
Ender 5 Pro prints are very uneven on base of the model.
In this example I printed an SD card dummy but it is not even flat.
Having a glass bed it is super strange to see this kind of behaviour.
Here are parameters in Cura.
```
M92 X80.00 Y80.00 Z800.00 E94.5 ;Setup step mm
M201 X500.00 Y500.00 Z100.00 E5000.00 ;Setup machine max acceleration
M203 X500.00 Y500.00 Z10.00 E50.00 ;Setup machine max feedrate
M204 P500.00 R1000.00 T500.00 ;Setup Print/Retract/Travel acceleration
M205 X8.00 Y8.00 Z0.40 E5.00 ;Setup Jerk
```
Thanks in advance, I tried quite a few calibrations but nothing helped so far.
# Answer
> 0 votes
This is a classic example of not enough adhesion. Tune bed temperature (usually hotter), use a brim or add an adhesive layer like glue stick or hair spray or a dedicated print adhesion spray.
The question "Warping of bottom of print" has an accepted answer that explains in detail how and why this occurs.
---
Tags: creality-ender-5
--- |
thread-9956 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/9956 | BL-Touch bed leveling seems to produce tilted bed level around Y-axis | 2019-05-16T02:35:43.567 | # Question
Title: BL-Touch bed leveling seems to produce tilted bed level around Y-axis
I have a Tevo Tornado that I've outfitted with an official BL-Touch auto level sensor. I can see the bed probing run, and I can see the Z axis slowly adjust during x/y moves, so it's doing *something*. However, you can see that there appears to be a systematic tilt:
Any ideas what could be causing this? The bed, gantry and print head is tight, no wobble. Here's my start code:
```
G28 ; home all axes
G29
G1 Z5 F5000 ; lift nozzle
```
I have mesh leveling enabled with a 5x5 grid and correct probe offsets. The bed itself is on PETG printed standoffs instead of springs to eliminate any jitter.
# Answer
> 3 votes
The problem with the Tevo Tornado design is that the design is as such that the Z-axis is powered by a single stepper (under the assumption that you have not added a second Z stepper).
This means that the level relies on the rigidity of the X-axis assembly, more specific the play on the guide wheels. Apparently the BL-Touch level determination suffers (the up and down movement while probing) from this design as can be seen from the tilt around the Y-axis direction. This effect causing the tilted level plane is called hysteresis. Now that the Z-axis moves up and down you experience much more problems than using a mechanical switch. The effect is more pronounced when the mass of the hot end carriage is furthest from the Z-axis lead screw.
Note that an extra stepper can also cause tilted level when the second stepper does not move in sync (e.g. missing steps). In such designs, a single stepper (geared) belt driven 2 lead screw has better performance in that respect.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I know this is incredibly old at this point, but in case anyone stumbles upon this post like I did, I wanted to point out that there is no semicolon behind your G29 code, so it's not being read properly
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Tags: bed-leveling, bltouch
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thread-14943 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14943 | Is there a way to make a watertight model? Is there a spray that may work? | 2020-12-04T21:09:01.207 | # Question
Title: Is there a way to make a watertight model? Is there a spray that may work?
This is a specific model for a specific reason. It's shaped like a cylinder and has a recessed bottom. I'm using a Flashforge Adventurer 3 with Flashforge filament. I tried Sunlu silver/silk PLA+ but my Flashforge didn't like it, so I took the recommendation to use Flashforge filament. It worked just fine, but when I put water in it, it has leaks.
I was printing at 210 with a plate temp at 50. Like I stated, I was excited except for the fact that it's not watertight.
Since I'm new at this process, my first thought was there must be a food grade spray, or close to food grade, that could seal the model after I touch it up.
Does anyone know if there is one available? Or are there settings that I need to address?
Thanks in advance for any comments.
# Answer
> 1 votes
There are several ways to ensure water tightness:
# Thicker walls
I have experienced that 3 walls and 5 tops/bottoms with an outer shell of Concentric while the core is lines become watertight enough that leakage is almost none.
# Lacquer
The oldest known method to seal a piece of porous material is a lacquer, followed by glaze. Glazes require to be burned at some thousand degrees, so are out, but lacquers are simple and easy. Basic clear acrylic lacquer can be used to seep into all the cracks and crannies and then harden out. It's easy to apply and cheap from home depot. Polyurethane lacquers also work. If you look to use it for food, ask if the lacquer is food rated in home depot.
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Tags: water-resistance
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