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thread-15650 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15650 | XYZ DaVinci Mini W "jamming" after exactly 5 layers | 2021-02-14T20:45:28.920 | # Question
Title: XYZ DaVinci Mini W "jamming" after exactly 5 layers
I have a DaVinci Mini W that throws a jam error after exactly 5 layers, even if the extruder isn't actually jammed. Is this real jamming, or unethical business practice?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Mini W has both a sensor that checks if there is filament, and a second sensor wheel that checks that the filament is actually moving (so it can deduct available filament length on the NFC tag).
If the moving sensor is not detecting anything for some time, the printing will stop and the LED will go red. I do not know if that will show up as a "jam error" in XYZware or if this is what you experience, but it is my best guess.
I guess the same would happen if you remove the NFC-tag mid-print.
---
Tags: xyz-da-vinci-mini-w
--- |
thread-15645 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15645 | Replacement Z Probe for MP10 | 2021-02-14T01:56:22.100 | # Question
Title: Replacement Z Probe for MP10
Has anyone successfully replaced the inductive Z probe on the Monoprice MP10 (Mini or regular) with a different type, such as BLTouch or IR? I find that the stock inductive probe isn't so accurate, and since it's inductive it only works with the aluminum build plate but not with glass or PEI, which I much prefer.
# Answer
From Thingiverse you can find a BLTouch mount for the MP10 (and MP10 mini):
Note that in order to use the BLTouch sensor you need a different controller board that supports connecting a BLTouch sensor as the MonoPrice controller board doesn't support connecting a BLTouch sensor.
From ref.:
> A BLTouch adapter for the Monoprice MP10 & MP10 Mini. NOTE: you will need an open source control board to get this to work as the stock firmware on the MP10 line of products does not allow for a BLTouch.
> 3 votes
---
Tags: z-probe, monoprice-mp-10
--- |
thread-15649 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15649 | How to programmatically resume a paused print in Marlin | 2021-02-14T19:56:45.323 | # Question
Title: How to programmatically resume a paused print in Marlin
A print that is paused with an `M0` can be unpaused with `M108`. That works with my Chiron running Marlin 2.0.7.2. However, it also has a display that uses its' own serial protocol to communicate with Marlin. I want that display to be able to unpause my printer when it has encountered `M0` in the G-code. I tried `injectCommands_P(PSTR("M108\n"));` in the code, but it did not work. Perhaps I should not have a new-line at the end of it.
What is the correct command to do this?
```
void GcodeSuite::M108() {
TERN_(HAS_RESUME_CONTINUE, wait_for_user = false);
wait_for_heatup = false;
}
```
Above is the Marlin code for `M108`. Would be great if someone could decipher what TERN means.
# Answer
> 2 votes
The correct Marlin-command to unpause seems to be `setUserConfirmed()`. I have tested that it works.
---
Tags: marlin
--- |
thread-15603 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15603 | Confusing stepper motor behavior | 2021-02-09T19:51:06.130 | # Question
Title: Confusing stepper motor behavior
I am trying to control stepper motors for a 3D printer with a RAMPS 1.4 shield connected to an Arduino Mega 2560. I have uploaded Marlin firmware to the board and am currently using Pronterface to test the board's components.
At first, the stepper motors would not move at all when commanded. They would just slightly twitch and them hum, but not rotate. Then, I checked the wiring connections and ensured they were correct, but the problem persisted. Then, I measured the Vref of the stepper drivers, which was 0.79 Volts.
Based on my stepper motors, NEMA 17, the maximum Vref I calculated was 1.36 Volts. After adjusting the potentiometer screw the maximum amount, Vref is 1.19 Volts. Now, the motors WILL rotate when given the 0.1 and 1 command in Pronterface, but return to the twitch and whine behavior when given the 10 or 100 command. What is the cause of this?
# Answer
The described behaviour could happen if, e.g. `X_STEP_PIN`, `X_DIR_PIN` and `X_ENABLE_PIN` are not correctly mapped. I guess you will find them in `pins_RAMPS_144.h`. Make sure the correct file is used.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: ramps-1.4, stepper
--- |
thread-15655 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15655 | Ender 3 + SKR 1.4 + Marlin 2.0.x bugfix - what bed size/min/max positions should I use? | 2021-02-15T19:27:43.737 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 + SKR 1.4 + Marlin 2.0.x bugfix - what bed size/min/max positions should I use?
On my Ender 3, it seems that the Y-axis can only move forward 220 mm after which the carriage will hit the tensioner. This seems repeatable so I don't think it's a hardware issue (unless it's expected that the nozzle can reach all the way to the front edge).
I'm unclear, with this information, how I can center my nozzle properly so that it is 117.5 mm from each edge, and that the corner leveling feature works as expected (by default, configured to be 30 mm from each edge).
# Answer
The Ender 3 has a printable area of 220x220x250 mm according to the specifications. So, there is nothing wrong. Sometimes heated beds are slightly larger than the actual print area. E.g. 235x235 mm or 310x310 mm. For centering the nozzle to the build plate, you should look into "How to center my prints on the build platform? (Re-calibrate homing offset)" or "Recalibrating Home-position.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: marlin, creality-ender-3, homing, y-axis, skr-v1.4
--- |
thread-15659 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15659 | Mixing (closed loop) stepper drivers on MKS main board | 2021-02-16T07:52:25.040 | # Question
Title: Mixing (closed loop) stepper drivers on MKS main board
Can I mix BIGTREETECH S42B closed loop stepper drivers on the MKS Gen L controller board with other drivers?
Are the pins in the same position? Would mixing work?
# Answer
As far as I know, that should work. You need to define the correctly used drivers in your configuration. For the closed loop drivers, the board (via a break out board) has to provide the pulses to the motor driver (on the back of the stepper). If you use such a closed loop driver you need to disable the stepper driver type in your `Configuration.h` file for those you plan to insert a closed loop driver. The firmware will assume the A4988 driver is being used:
Now you need to set high enough values for the `MAXIMUM_STEPPER_RATE` (150000):
and the `MINIMUM_STEPPER_PULSE` (3):
in `Marlin/src/inc/Conditionals_adv.h` under `HAS_DRIVER(4988)`.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: stepper-driver, mks, bigtreetech, closed-loop
--- |
thread-13495 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/13495 | Surface artifacts when formation of object changes (Layer inconsistency) | 2020-04-23T03:33:33.140 | # Question
Title: Surface artifacts when formation of object changes (Layer inconsistency)
When my Ender 3 prints a top or bottom layer, it leaves a line on the layer.
* Slicer Cura
* Linear Advance: 0.57
* Retraction: 3 mm @ 35 mm/s
* Max Speed: 100 mm/s
* Ironing enabled
* Minimum wall flow: 20 %
* Temperatures: 205 °C hotend and 65 °C bed
My belts are tight enough as I push them they spring back up. I bought a support block for my Z lead screw to help with z banding (I also removed it to see if it will fix the issue but it didn't). I tried 50 mm/s, No Infill, swapped out to brand new 0.6 mm nozzle (the picture has 0.4 mm), Minimum wall-flow to 0 % but no improvement. It has to lead me to think its a mechanical issue but I am not sure where to start.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I have found the issue. My extruder gear was deformed after 4 months of continuous use which made the extruder have a difficult time when a rapid change in extrusion happened. I swapped it out to a new stainless steel one and it has been working well so far.
EDIT:
These inconsistencies are mainly caused by the pressure in the nozzle not changing fast enough. So to solve this you should look at the extruder setup as that is where the pressure is being controlled. Get any gunk out of there and make sure the path is clear and make sure nothing is grinding and you have a good grip on the filament.
To reduce the change in pressure you should play with printing speed, hotend temperature, linear advance if applicable and you may tune extruder jerk and acceleration although not necessary.
---
Tags: print-quality, creality-ender-3
--- |
thread-15661 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15661 | Can I use photoelectric sensors to make auto bed leveling on a glass bed? | 2021-02-16T10:57:55.650 | # Question
Title: Can I use photoelectric sensors to make auto bed leveling on a glass bed?
I'm pretty much a noob to the 3D printing community. I got a Creality CR10 V2 as my first 3D printer and I know it's compatible with BLTouch but not included in the package. So I'm dying to add an ABL feature to my 3D printer but I'm on an extremely tight budget right now. However, I found some industrial IR sensors (two Omron E3Z-D82 and five Keyence PZ-M71) in my toolboxes. I know those sensors are pretty expensive and totally overkill for ABV but I want to use what I got in my hands.
So the question, can I use those sensors for auto bed leveling? I should say that my printer has a glass build plate. By the way, I'm also open to different cheap alternatives
Here are the links to the sensors for more information:
# Answer
3D printers like the German Reprap (see image) already uses a photosensor for homing the axes. The trick will be leveling the leveling sensors.
However, if you use an optical sensor measuring distance, you could mount it on the hotend like we do digital indicators (drop gauge). See Bed leveling method? You would want a resolution of about 0.01 mm. That method will keep you planer to the movement of the hotend. For automatic leveling the photosensor needs to input to your software.
If you want to permanently connect the photosensor to the hotend, probably the most practical communication method would be USB, which could supply power as well as communication to eliminate batteries. The USB cable could run in the path of the other hotend cables. Less weight on the hot end is if you could remote the laser and detector from the electronics.
If only attached during leveling, batteries and wireless connection is better.
I'm finding more digital drop gauges (second image below, data in cable is USB) with computer interfaces than photosensors. Many of the photosensors would need to interface with a meter first. Because a drop meter makes physical contact, it's not practical to leave on the hotend during printing.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: bed-leveling, bltouch, creality-cr-10
--- |
thread-15601 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15601 | Marlin firmware: move without auto bed leveling | 2021-02-09T18:12:58.257 | # Question
Title: Marlin firmware: move without auto bed leveling
I am working on a filament unload script. My current problem is that the script always does an auto bed leveling.
I have two scripts to test this issue:
`LevelBed.gcode`:
```
G28 ; Auto home
G29 ; Level bed
M500 ; Save to EEPROM
```
`Move.gcode`:
```
M501 ; Restore from EEPROM (try to eliminate bed leveling)
G21 ; Metric values
G90 ; Absolute positioning
G28 ; Auto home
M420 S1 ; Enable bed leveling
G1 X100 Y100 Z100 F1000 ; Move
M400 ; Finish moves
```
`Move.gcode` does bed leveling (`LevelBed.gcode` was executed before).
How is it possible to do a movement from G-code without doing automatic bed leveling?
---
My intention with `Move.gcode`:
* Do an auto home
* Do a move to `(100, 100, 100)`
The problem:
* Bed leveling happens between the `Auto Home` and the `Move`. (It probes the bed at 9 points)
---
I think `G28` Auto Home is not required for filament load/unload scripts. My donor scripts for this purpose just contained them. I made an example script to just rotate the feeder gear and it seems to be working.
`ColdExtrude.gcode`
```
G21 ; Metric values
M83 ; Extruder relative mode
M302 S5 ; Allow extrusion above 5C
G1 E-10 F200 ; Pull back filament a bit
M400
```
So I cannot eliminate doing an Auto Bed Leveling sequence after `G28`, but maybe I even won't need to do it :)
---
This question remains relevant. I'll need a good print startup code for the `Cura` slicer. It should do something like:
* Heat the bed
* Auto Home
* Auto Bed Level
* Auto Home again
* Lift up the hot-end a bit and heat it up
* Draw a prime line
I am afraid if this problem is not solved, an other Auto Bed Level sequence will be executed between the 2nd Auto Home and the hot-end lift up.
---
I have recently noticed that the my load/unload scripts based on `ColdExtrude.gcode` are not always working. Sometimes the printer starts Auto Bed Leveling without knowing the origin position and badly hits the X/Y movement limits. So I have to do `G28` in my filament load/unload scripts, which involves an implicit Auto Bed Leveling sequence, which is time wasting.
So my question is still active:
How to do extrusion from `.gcode` without implicit execution of an Auto Bed Leveling sequence?
# Answer
> 0 votes
A second `G28` should not be necessary as it can be replaced by a `G0` or `G1` command, but in the end it should work when `RESTORE_LEVELING_AFTER_G28` has been set in firmware weren't it for a bug present in the Marlin 2.0.7.2 and 2.0.x bug-fix release.
---
Tags: marlin, g-code, bed-leveling
--- |
thread-15618 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15618 | How to accurately print a thin piece with a hole pattern | 2021-02-11T12:41:52.187 | # Question
Title: How to accurately print a thin piece with a hole pattern
I'm quite new to 3D-printing. I need to build a curved piece with a hole pattern and I was wondering whether it was possible to print such a hole pattern accurately, with such a thin (3 mm) thickness of the piece. In the past, when I tried printing thinner pieces with holes, the piece warped and holes were not printed properly. Therefore is there any changes to the model I need to make to improve the quality of the print, or add any supports? I am using an Ender 3 Pro, with PLA.
# Answer
People like PLA for dimensional accuracy. It's disadvantage is it becomes brittle, which can be an issue especially with thin prints if the application tends to bend it (applying force). Working with settings and with a 0.4 mm nozzle, typical for most printers using PLA, you can print walls as thin as 1 mm, but strength may be an issue.
To prevent warping, you need the PLA to stick to the build surface; something like a PEI tape surface. glue stick, or hair spray. Slowing down the print speed decreases warping. With a heated bed, you can print you first layer hotter (e.g. 75 °C) so that the PLA sticks well to the build surface, then use a lower temperature for subsequent layers (e.g. 60-65 °C) so that the PLA is stiffer. A level bed is also important to prevent warping. Using a brim also helps prevent warping.
Your print orientation is good for the print accuracy of your curved ends, but not as good for keeping a perfect circular shape of your holes. However, the smaller the holes the better the circular shape as long as they are large enough to print with your printer.
> 1 votes
# Answer
1. Use the smallest nozzle possible to get better rounded edges on holes.
2. Slow down the print speed to increase accuracy and prevent errors.
3. Print it face down against the bed if possible to reduce support requirements for overhangs and increase hole quality.
4. Clean the bed well, increase bed temperature, stick glue, enable brim, or add 'mouse ears' to prevent warping.
5. Make sure the bed is levelled properly to prevent warping and increase finish surface quality.
6. Use a 'stringing tester' to find the best temperature to print at so that you can prevent stringing between holes.
7. Enable z-hop retraction to prevent stringing and errors.
8. You can bore through the holes with a drill to clean them flush.
> 3 votes
# Answer
That depends on the printer, the print material and your experience level (and maybe print orientation, but that depends on the load case), but, the depicted part should be printed very well at a thickness of 3 mm (that is not really "thin"). PLA will be easier than higher temp materials like ABS and PETG, but not impossible.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, 3d-design, support-structures
--- |
thread-15605 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15605 | What are my options if I want to install a bed levelling sensor capable of operating at 100 °C? | 2021-02-09T23:32:32.100 | # Question
Title: What are my options if I want to install a bed levelling sensor capable of operating at 100 °C?
I currently use a BLtouch 3.1, which is known to stop operating at about 35-40 °C. In fact, when I preheat the bed at 100 °C close to the probe, I sometimes get issues with the pin not retracting correctly.
I would like in the future to enclose and heat the printer chamber, therefore I need a probe capable of operating at higher temperature. My target is 100 °C.
As of now, I'm aware of this solution:
https://hightemp3d.com/products/remoteht-bed-level-probe-3d-printer
> This high temperature probe uses a mechanical switch in combination with a servo motor to probe the bed. The servo motor is outside the enclosure and retracts the probe pin by pulling on a steel string inside a spring guide tube.
Microswitches are known to work at high temperatures (that's what the link above uses), but usually need a servo or other mechanism to extend/retract them when needed. Servos typically don't operate at such high temperature, not to mention that they are usually not very accurate.
I saw a Hall filament sensor which uses Hall effect sensors "ss49e" and which could be easily modified to be used as bed probe. Those Hall effect sensors are rated up to 100 °C but at that temperature they have up to 8% shift of the null value and +3/-9% change in sensitivity. The linked project uses two of them in differential mode so the temperature compensation should be much better, but it is not clear how much better. A discussion about it on a Russian forum does not talk about this.
Are there other options operating at 100 °C?
# Answer
> 0 votes
There are various designs which can be made to work at 100 °C.
For example this solenoid probe uses a solenoid to lift a plunger during print, letting it drop during probing. The design uses a rare earth magnet which usually loses strength at 60-80 °C, but there are high temperature versions or a ferrite magnet will do. It also uses an Attiny13, rated 80 °C, but there are higher temperature versions of the chip. It is likely that it would work out of specs at 100 °C too, but it uses an optical endstop, which is the limiting factor with 85 °C typical.
This other design uses a solenoid to push up and down a tactile switch. I see no reason why the solenoid would not work at 100 °C, maybe only the external wires may require replacement to withstand the temperature. There is no electronics limiting the operating temperature.
Other designs with a servo are limited by the temperature range of the servo, which is typically 50-60 °C max. I think they would work fine up to 80 °C since they are not operated continuously and they are loaded with little force, but there is no guarantee.
Another design working perfectly and with an even lower total weight is based on a microswitch and... the user placing the probe in position manually. It can probably be automated by mounting it on a hinge and by using something on the side of the bed to move it in an upright position and in a tilted position, where it could be held by (ferrite) magnets.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Have you considered using or adapting Prusa’s P.I.N.D.A. V2 or SuperPINDA? Seems that within some bounds they’ve solved the temperature compensation issue.
The older P.I.N.D.A. V1 sensor seems to be temperature-sensitive. See more information in P.I.N.D.A./SuperPINDA Sensor testing article of Pruse Knowledge Base.
---
Tags: bed-leveling, bltouch, chamber
--- |
thread-15559 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15559 | Problems with X axis movement | 2021-02-05T03:56:39.133 | # Question
Title: Problems with X axis movement
I have been printing with no problems. I have finished the spool of filament and removed the remaining filament from the Bowden tube and hotend. Before loading the new spool of filament, I decided to level the bed using the installed BLTouch.
Probe grid 3 x 3. Centre point of the build plate, X:135, Y:130.
Homed the bed (`G28`). Leveled the bed (`G29`). The first four probe points worked as expected. When the printhead moved to the fifth probe point, the screen read that the printhead was in the expected position (X:130, Y:130). The printhead had only moved about 20 mm, meaning the true position was X:240, Y:130, I had checked this with a ruler. The sixth probe point also moved about 20 mm on the X-axis. The seventh point moved along the Y-axis correctly. The printhead tried to move correctly to the eighth point and promptly crashed into the side of the printer as it was trying to move 130 mm to the right. The screen had X:0 when in reality it was X:230.
I tried the ABL again. This time I aborted the ABL on the fifth probe point as the previous event had been repeated. Reported position, X:130, Y:130. The true position, X:240, Y:130. I then tried to home the bed (`G28`). The printhead moved a short distance to the left (\<20 mm) on the X-axis, reported on the screen X:0, and started along the Y-axis. When it had reached Y:0 (true position) it then moved diagonally to where it thought would be the center of the bed, but would have crashed into the side of the printer frame if I had not cut the power.
After re-setting the board, I could home the board either by using `G28` or via the screen. I could move the printhead along the X-axis freely, both through Pronterface and the printer screen. If I tried to home the printhead when X\>140, it would only move a short distance to the left, set X:0 on the screen, and head down the Y-axis.
I have checked for loose connections and everything seems tight. The only difference from when I was last able to print is there is no filament loaded.
Anybody any ideas what is wrong?
Printer: Hypercube Evolution (CoreXY) Board: KFB2.0
# Answer
After many hours tinkering, pulling things apart, testing them and re-assembling them, it turned out that the problem was a broken wire for the X\_Min endstop. This has now been replaced and the problem is resolved.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: bed-leveling, homing, corexy
--- |
thread-12046 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/12046 | Cura Filling holes from a model from Blender | 2020-02-21T02:07:04.657 | # Question
Title: Cura Filling holes from a model from Blender
I am Attempting to print this, from Blender But Cura decides to fill in the middle part of the model. I exported and imported the model from an STL file.
If anyone can answer this, that would be greatly appreciated.
# Answer
Try disabling the "Union Overlapping Volumes" option on Mesh Fixes section. Worked for me.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I would recommend using an actual CAD/CAM program, such as Autodesk Fusion 360, instead of using a 3d model program. Not only will this be able to directly export you finished model to Cura, and the models are made in a way that works with a 3d printing slicer, there will be more help around 3D printing for it.
Although it is slightly difficult to use to start with, as you become more proficient, it is a very powerful tool to have. . Fusion 360 is free for hobbyists or students. See this link for help activating: https://www.autodesk.com/campaigns/fusion-360-for-hobbyists.
Another option would be SolidWorks, although you do have to pay for this option, but it is much simpler to work with in my opinion.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, anycubic-i3-mega, blender
--- |
thread-15658 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15658 | Marlin: Why is the extruder stepper jerking? | 2021-02-15T23:24:48.830 | # Question
Title: Marlin: Why is the extruder stepper jerking?
**Environment:**
* Printer: Anycubic Chiron,
* Firmware: Marlin 2.0.7.2,
* Settings: FWRETRACT is not enabled,
* Slicer: Cura 4.8.0.
When I print using the code below (it is longer, but I do not know where to put attachments), I can see that the extruder-gear is jerking, as if it tries to do tiny retractions between every little movement. Real retractions happens where they should and seems fine. If I slow down the printing from `F2400` to `F600`, it is almost gone. I don't say it is a problem, the printer works. I wonder if there are settings that can cause this, if it is as expected or if I can do anything to make my printer work more quietly.
Short film
```
; example G-code for noisy extruder stepper
; PLEASE DO NOT RUN ON YOUR PRINTER unless you know what it does.
M302 P1 ; disable cold extrusion checking
G0 Z5
G0 F2400 X214.8 Y177.1
G1 F600 Z5
G1 F2400 E0.20522
G1 X214.866 Y177.134 E0.20647
G1 X214.934 Y177.161 E0.20890
G1 X214.923 Y177.189 E0.20990
G1 X214.912 Y177.217 E0.21090
G1 X214.907 Y177.229 E0.21133
G1 X214.813 Y177.456 E0.21927
G1 X214.793 Y177.480 E0.22031
G1 X214.540 Y177.791 E0.23364
G1 X213.982 Y178.218 E0.25701
G1 X214.155 Y178.986 E0.28319
G1 X214.757 Y179.315 E0.30601
G1 X214.962 Y179.542 E0.31618
G1 X214.990 Y179.574 E0.31760
G1 X215.109 Y179.775 E0.32537
G1 X215.124 Y179.801 E0.32637
G1 X215.140 Y179.827 E0.32738
G1 X215.105 Y179.848 E0.32874
```
# Answer
> 1 votes
The setting that makes these small retractions is `LIN_ADVANCE`. It is found in `Configuration_adv.h` and is disabled in the vanilla configuration.
I, on the other hand, is using one of the 46 example configurations that has this feature enabled. It shall be said that most of them them has the value 0 set to this, which means that it has no effect.
To disable the effect of this feature, send G-code `M900 K0` to the printer.
More info at marlinfw.org
More info at 3dmakerengineering.com
M900 - If it works, the feature is enabled
Test pattern generator to tune LIN\_ADVANCE
---
Tags: marlin, anycubic-chiron
--- |
thread-15662 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15662 | Z banding issue | 2021-02-16T13:09:02.410 | # Question
Title: Z banding issue
I'm currently facing a Z banding issue that frustrates me more and more.
My printer is a modified Anycubic I3 Mega.
Customizations:
* Mainboard: Bigtreetech SKR 1.4 Turbo
* Stepper Drivers: TMC 2208 v3
* Hotend: E3D Titan Aero
* Hotbed: 5 mm aluminum base plate with a 200 W 12 V silicon heat mat and 3 mm hard paper as print base
* External MOSFETs for the hotbed and hotend each
* Bigtreetech 3.5 inch TFT screen as display
* BL Touch sensor
* Marlin version 2.0.6.1
What I tried to fix this issue:
* check leadscrews for debris
* cleaned leadscrews and applied new grease
* checked Z couplers and hand tightened all screws
* checked tightness of the Y/X axis belts
* increased the driver current
* replaced the 12 V 25 A PSU with a 12 V 30 A PSU
* Extruder steps re-calibration
* PID auto tune for hotend and bed
Pictures of the XYZ calibration cubes I printed:
Used slicer parameters (Prusa Slicer):
* material: PETG
* 240 °C / 100 °C hotend/bed
* Infill 30 % with 60 mm/s
* outer perimeter with 30 mm/s
* 100 mm/s travel speed
* 1 mm retraction with 40 mm/s retraction speed
The number of these horizontal lines and their occurrence is different on each print.
Any ideas?
# Answer
> 1 votes
So it looks like I finally resolved that issue. I compiled a complete new firmware based on the Marlin bugfix branch. Before I was working on the sources provided in the Bigtreetech GitHub. I started from scratch and put all the settings I needed into the Configuration.h and Configuration\_adv.h. Now all rings are gone. Either there was really a bug or something or I messed up something in the firmware I used before and beginning from scratch solved it.
---
Tags: troubleshooting, z-axis, petg, anycubic-i3-mega, bigtreetech
--- |
thread-15684 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15684 | Why are fast printed lines thinner? | 2021-02-18T15:23:18.763 | # Question
Title: Why are fast printed lines thinner?
I have run the K-factor Calibration Pattern generator to tune `LIN_ADVANCE` and found that when `K=0`, the whole middle part of the line is thinner. I was expecting that `LIN_ADVANCE` would only make a difference short after where the speed was increased or decreased, as described by the first picture on this page.
So from this picture, it looks as the best setting is around K=0.8 and that is also what was set as default in `Configuration.h` for Chiron. But when I tried the Printing Direction-setting set to 45 degrees the result was different. Then the best setting was around `K=0.4`.
The picture below shows a second test, where I set `K=0` and just changed the fast speed. The faster the thinner lines were printed. I have tested printing long lines and seen that thickness will not compensate, even after a long time.
So why is my printer printing thinner lines when going fast and not using `LIN_ADVANCE`? Isn't the number of E-steps per mm printed line constant and not depending on the speed?
Here is a zip-file with the files used and pictures. (let me know if not possible to download)
**ADDED 2021-02-22:** To learn more about LIN\_ADVANCE I made a second test today. To rule out most of the uncertainties that can affect the result, I let the bed stay heated between all four tests. Every test started at 210ºC, then 200, 190 and last 185ºC. The printer waited more than one minute between each temperature change. Bed temperature set to 60ºC. The lines are numbered in the order they are printed. Each test started by printing four lines at 20 mm/s to get "normal" nozzle pressure. Each line is 20+40+20=80mm long. Today I had acceleration set to 1200 and jerk to 8, which are higher than before (500,5). I changed because I use these values in Cura. Unfortunately, the bed is not 100% flat.
LIN\_ADVANCE = **0.0**
LIN\_ADVANCE = **0.4**
LIN\_ADVANCE = **0.8**
LIN\_ADVANCE = **1.2**
What I learned from these today's test:
1. Very little ooze when going from 190 to 185ºC. (#46 is good)
2. At higher temperatures after pausing for a minute, the printer needed some 10 to 15cm of printing distance to get the pressure back. (#16, #17)
3. Next time I will print every second line as a reference and test fewer speed changes.
4. Next time I will also test higher temperatures.
5. The lines are printed thinner at higher speed, independent of temperature when K=0. (I thought it only happened at (too) low temperature).
6. `LIN_ADVANCE` setting shall probably be lower when printing at higher temperatures (affected by filament viscosity).
7. It might be different behaviour between the grey and the orange filament. Orange looks better, but the grey one sticks better to the bed.
8. It is fun to do testing. :)
I did another test the first day, where I tested K=0 to K=0.8 and where the speed was 20+50+20 mm/s and the length was 60+180+60mm. Temp was 190ºC. It seems to show that even after 180mm of fast printing, the thickness is not recovered:
The pictures above are uploaded at a lower resolution. Original pictures and the G-code can be downloaded from here.
# Answer
In your case, since linear advance makes the issue disappear, the reason of the thinner lines is the same as explained in the link you provided:
The section (2) simply is very long because you probably have a Bowden setup which takes more than the length of the middle section to recover. However it does recover, see the first line (k=0) in the first image.
At higher (constant) speed the flowrate decreases further due to pressure in the nozzle causing a reduced supply of filament, but this effect cannot be corrected by linear advance because linear advance assumes a linear relationship between pressure in the nozzle and extrusion.
> 3 votes
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Tags: marlin, print-quality, anycubic-chiron
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thread-15614 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15614 | Marlin Z-probe Failure! | 2021-02-10T20:47:04.303 | # Question
Title: Marlin Z-probe Failure!
I'm using Marlin. Recently my Z-probing randomly doesn't work. Sometimes during Z-Homing **it goes up** instead of going down to sense the Bed! In Bed Leveling it goes higher and higher every time. It got frustrating so I ignored Bed-leveling.
Sometimes I get a fine Z-homing but it always **starts printing in the air!!!** I have no Idea why it happens. All home and axis offsets and setting are fine. I had no problem last time I used my printer. Why my printer starts printing **5 mm** in the air?
# Answer
I found the problem. I'm using an aluminum structure for my gantry. My Chinese power supply was in contact with this structure. There was a current leak from my power supply that was messing with the Z-probe signal.
I detached the power supply, everything's gotten back to normal, except it had my board and TMC2100 drivers fried a week ago.
> 1 votes
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Tags: bed-leveling, z-probe, homing
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thread-15161 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15161 | My nozzle on my Ender3 V2 is higher when it is printing than it is when I auto home it | 2020-12-31T01:47:12.290 | # Question
Title: My nozzle on my Ender3 V2 is higher when it is printing than it is when I auto home it
I just got a new Ender3 version two for Christmas and was very excited to use it so I put it together and used the sample filament that came with the printer and everything worked okay for a bit.
That was until I switched something in the settings, or in Cura, or something happened, because the nozzle is too far away from the bed when printing. I will use the auto home feature to level my bed with a piece of paper and once I get that pretty close I try and start my print, and it starts a few millimetres further away from the bed than when levelling it.
Any ideas to solve this?
# Answer
> 1 votes
From my experience Auto Home procedure rearly leaves Z position at 0. By default Marlin raises it to 4 mm above the bed as far as I remember. The same might be with Z offset.
Also, could you please check "Initial Layer Height" in Cura?
Could you check the machine's "Start G-Code" for presence of `G91` code (this would be bed sign) and confirm it contains line `G90`?
There are valuable basic tips in this discussion about printing too low, so you may want to go through these hints.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I think I had a similar problem once when my hand bumped the gantry rail and I was at a loss.
At the time I took out the rail that the gantry runs on and tried aligning it so it was completely horizontal during the reinstallation.
I leveled out the print bed by turning them all in one direction (tightening) and then counting the turns I took to unwind each one. I then manually homed the bed and then did an auto home.
Finally, I adjusted the initial printing height to where I wanted and I've been printing fine.
For reference, I have the ANET ET4. This is kind of an overkill but if all else fails, nothing wrong with taking it apart and putting it together again.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, pla, nozzle
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thread-5474 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5474 | The bottom of the printed objects has waves after replacing the nozzle | 2018-02-12T09:25:07.363 | # Question
Title: The bottom of the printed objects has waves after replacing the nozzle
I had a problem with my nozzle on my homemade printer. The problem was that the nozzle with a 0.4 mm diameter wasn't putting out any plastic. I replaced the nozzle with a 0.2 mm one and now the bottom of my model is looking like this: I tried to change flow,temperatures and speed. But nothing helped it keeps making this waves. At the old 0.4 mm nozzle there everything was okay.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Okay, there are a few potential issues here: 1: your belts are not tight enough. This will cause your bed to shake during printing, giving you wavy first layers.
2: your filament is bad. If you have an inconsistent filament diameter, thus can lead to inconsistent extrusion rates, and cause a wavy appearance.
3: your nozzle is jammed. The nozzle you bought may have something stuck inside of it, leading to underextrusion, which, in some cases, can lead to a wavy appearance.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Without more detail is difficult to say with certainty what the *root* cause of the problem is, but it looks like **too much material is being deposited on the bed**.
A few things to try/check:
* **Make sure the nozzle is not leaking**. If it is, you should see fused plastic coming out from the seal nozzle/hot-end and/or hot-end/heat break and trickling down. This is often the case when the nozzle hasn't been tightened enough, or it has been changed with the hot-end being cold, or if the internal PTFE tube has been dislodged upwards (does not apply to all-metal hot-ends).
* **Make sure you changed the appropriate setting for the nozzle diameter**. This is *not* "flow" it is a separate setting. If you haven't, your printer is now extruding ~4 times as much filament as it ought.
* **Recalibrate your nozzle height**. This should be done at each nozzle change, as each nozzle is slightly different from the other, and it is possible your new nozzle now sits too close to the bed.
**EDIT**: also, the picture is too low-res to be sure, but looking at the skirt, **it looks like the extruded plastic comes out in blobs**. If it is not due to leakage, then I would suggest to also check that the filament is not slipping through the gears of the extruder. If you have access to a suitable thermometer, you could also check that the hot-end temperature is stable at the level it should.
Final thought: have you ever succeeded printing with that filament spool? It is unlikely, but it may be for example a defective one, or a mis-labelled one (so your printing temperature may be wrong).
# Answer
> 2 votes
The layer thickness should not be more that 75% of your nozzle diameter: Wavy lines on 1st layer only
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Tags: print-quality, nozzle
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thread-15637 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15637 | Is there an easy way to add rounded edges to semicircle in OpenSCAD? | 2021-02-13T14:04:25.790 | # Question
Title: Is there an easy way to add rounded edges to semicircle in OpenSCAD?
I've put together a flashlight mount for a camera coldshoe in OpenSCAD. I originally modeled it in FreeCAD and it was easy to round the edges of the clamp with a fillet and that makes it a little easier to get the light in and out of the mount.
I'm not sure how to do it in OpenSCAD. Naively, I'm sure I could calculate where on my semicircle I would need to add some cylinders in order to round the sharp corners, but it seems like there'd be something a little easier than that.
Am I missing something?
Here's the coldshoe light mount SCAD file and this is what it looks like:
# Answer
I'm far from a wizard with OpenSCAD, but enjoy using the program, learning something new every time. In your case, it's likely that you can use the roundanything library to accomplish your objective.
The library will present various implementations in the samples, making it an exercise for the reader to determine which module calls will present the solution.
The image below shows a part which has had the radii applied in a manner similar to your image:
> 1 votes
# Answer
If you're modeling as a 2D object and extruding with `linear_extrude`, you can use the `offset` tranformation with positive `r` on the (initially undersized) 2D object to smooth corners.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I ended up taking a third option I suppose. I decided I was cutting the gap wrong. I was using `difference` to take a rectangle out of the ring.
I decided I'd simplify that and take out an extruded triangle.
```
ringRadius = radius + thickness;
verticalOffset = tan(gapAngle / 2) * ringRadius;
linear_extrude(height = height)
polygon(points = [[0, 0], [ringRadius, verticalOffset], [ringRadius, -verticalOffset]]);
```
That way, the thickness of the plane that needed rounding is uniformely the thickness of the ring. Then, it was just a matter of adding cylinders, centering them in the ring, and rotating them into position.
```
for(side = [-1, 1]) {
cornerRadius = radius + thickness / 2;
rotate([0, 0, gapAngle / 2 * side])
translate([cornerRadius, 0, 0])
color("blue") cylinder(r = thickness / 2, h = height);
}
```
Eventually I'd like to make it a little more complex and help accommodate a light better, but for now it gets me the rounded ends I was looking for.
I'm still going to accept the round everything answer because, though I decided it was more complexity than it was worth on this model, it looks like it would solve other rounding issues too.
> 0 votes
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Tags: openscad
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thread-15695 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15695 | Direct vs Bowden Extrusion when printing in temperature fluctuating environment | 2021-02-19T17:19:50.553 | # Question
Title: Direct vs Bowden Extrusion when printing in temperature fluctuating environment
I have a Bowden extrusion printer in my garage. (Printing PLA is smelly and is nothing I want to be exposed to for an extended period of time!)
I enclosed the printer within a plastic sheet housing to reduce the energy consumption of keeping the hot bed tempered. I noticed that a strong temperature fluctuation influence how the PLA part turns out.
If I start printing in the morning a print that takes 2 hours to print -- in a cold garage, cold filament, cold tube, I end up with a solid first 4 layers and lacy last 4 layers. The last 4 layer are so thin that they end up to be almost see through.
last layer
first layer
I am assuming that the PLA and tubing heat expansion difference is the reasoning for that undesired under extrusion phenomenon.
The cold Bowden tube is perhaps expanding more then the PLA filament and the tubing is warming up more quickly being directly exposed to the heat during the heating up of the unit; obviously, the PLA filament is inside the tube and is kept colder for much longer.
How can I solve this -- keeping the printer in the garage? And, would a direct extrusion mod remedy this under extrusion?
Most likely preheating the printer would help, but that would call for an insulation upgrade from plastic sheet to Styrofoam. Insulating the Bowden tube may also be worth trying. (Happy printing.)
# Answer
> 2 votes
I don't think your temperature based explanation makes sense. This looks to me just like a first layer smashed against the bed, possibly too much due to nozzle being too low, followed by underextrusion when there's actually the right amount of space to extrude into. If you have fewer than 3 top layers or less than 0.6 mm of top layer thickness, you will almost certainly have an underextruded top like this just from the first top layer sagging into the space between the infill lines. Since the walls look okay, this is my best guess; if the walls looked bad too I would suspect poorly tuned filament diameter/E-steps-per-mm. Also check that your infill is not too sparse; more than 4 mm or so between infill lines gives a lot of room for top layers to sag into and may increase the number of top layers you need.
I see you added in the comments that your layer height is 0.1 mm. At such thin layers, you probably need at least 5 or 6 top layers; the first 2-3 are expected to sag and not fill the space.
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Tags: underextrusion, bowden, temperature, direct-drive
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thread-15702 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15702 | how to control fine details from overhanging part to not build upwards | 2021-02-20T04:19:08.337 | # Question
Title: how to control fine details from overhanging part to not build upwards
I noticed that when printing small teeth on a pulley that the angle is not matching the design angle. I am printing without any support structure.
Overview:
Detail:
Printed:
The printed overhang incline angle under the tooth looks good (maybe not quite steep enough;) but the top angle of the reclining section looks too flat. It is as if the tooth is too perky.
(I have observed a similar behavior when printing overhanging corners. They build upward more quickly.)
What is causing this, and how to prevent it?
I reduced the speed for the outer layer to 30 mm/s, the infill is set to 40 mm/s. Layer (Z) is set to 0.1 mm. Material PLA 1.75 mm, nozzle 0.4 mm.
Cura layer detail:
Cura Prepare
Cura Preview
# Answer
> 3 votes
I think the issue is unsupported overhangs. There is not enough material to support the first layer of each small tooth. Have a look at how your slicer slices the first couple layers at the bottom. It might be that it tries to reduce the angle to 45°, so that it can print overhangs, or the overhangs are drooping before the next layer can assist with support.
Looking at your first two images, I think the printed top part of the tooth is actually quite similar to your 3D design.
You can fix this by making the tooth profile from the side have a 45° slope to maximum height, and the same on the top if you want the teeth to appear symmetrical.
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Tags: print-quality, support-structures
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thread-15691 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15691 | Acetone making white stains on heat bed | 2021-02-19T08:12:05.683 | # Question
Title: Acetone making white stains on heat bed
I recently tried cleaning my CR-10S Pro heat bed with acetone and it made this white stain on it.
Anyone have any solutions to this?
# Answer
Acetone is quite an aggressive solvent, so white residue could be part of your heatbed print surface that is dissolved, and then when the acetone evaporates the dissolved part crystalise on the heatbed again.
Acetone should only be used on PEI sparingly, not at all on powder coated surfaces. Use IPA (Isopropyl Alcohol) to clean of residue between prints. If you have problems with adhesion, you can also start by washing the build plate or surface with water and dish soap (with no other additives). The surfactant in the soap traps oils and other impurities and flush them away, instead of dissolving them temporarily and then depositing it on the build surface again when the solvent evaporates.
Like mentioned in other comments, use IPA or water/dish soap to clean off any residue.
> 3 votes
# Answer
If you use a build surface such as PEI, acetone frosts your surface, leaving a white film appearance. If you have no additional surface on a glass or metal bed, it is incomplete cleaning. If incomplete cleaning, you could try isopropyl alcohol (IPA) immediately after acetone, followed immediately by a water based cleaner or DI/distilled water. (IPA dissolves acetone and water dissolves IPA. Once the film dries the next step may not work.)
You can't clean off a frosted surface. The black surface of the hot bed in images of the CR-10S Pro appears to indicate that the steel bed has a build surface with a plastic material such as PEI. Reviews of the build surface being difficult to remove prints also implies a plastic build surface on the steel. Thus, it appears that the white film after cleaning with acetone is actually a frosted surface.
If you use an Elmer's washable glue stick or one with PWP, it will form a barrier between your print and the build surface, that not only will protect your build surface, but will make it easier to clean your build surface with IPA or water based cleaners.
> 2 votes
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Tags: heated-bed, cleaning
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thread-15712 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15712 | Problem with the first layers on the print | 2021-02-21T09:56:38.980 | # Question
Title: Problem with the first layers on the print
I ran out of ideas on what could cause my problem.
* Ender 3 Pro
* Nozzle temp 200 °C
* Bed temp 60 °C
* PLA filament
Please look at the pictures. The first layers don't look nice. The top and the sides are perfect. This happens in every print. With and without raft or brim. The strange thing is that raft and brim looks very good on the bedside. Is there some settings I am missing out on here? Tried with Creality Slicer that came with the printer, and the Ultimaker Cura slicer.
# Answer
The filament is not flattened, it looks like the nozzle deposits round filament strings while in fact they should be flattened more. This usually indicates that the nozzle to bed distance is too large. A perfect distance is obtained with plain A4 or US letter paper (usually 0.1 mm thick; or 0.004") during levelling where there is a slight drag/friction force observed when the paper is pulled between bed and nozzle. Alternatively, you can use feeler gauges:
Considering that the raft is printer well, it could well be that the initial nozzle to bed distance is correct, but the distance between the raft and the first layer of the product is too large.
> 3 votes
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Tags: print-quality
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thread-15706 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15706 | Why does a raft adhere to the bed while skirt does not? | 2021-02-20T23:04:47.373 | # Question
Title: Why does a raft adhere to the bed while skirt does not?
I'm experimenting with my new Ender 3 V2 using PETG filament on the textured side of the included glass bed without any additional adhesives.
I'm been having trouble with adhesion until I found out that enabling raft on my prints helps solve the problem. However, I can't help to wonder whether skirts work any different than rafts.
In my test prints, all settings are identical except for the raft vs. skirt setting (using Cura as my slicer). However, the outer line of a raft adheres perfectly to the glass, while the outer line of a skirt fails to stick completely and moves around when the nozzle goes "around the corner".
Is there any difference between the outer border of a raft and a skirt as produced by Cura?
EDIT: I've managed to upload a video comparison of raft and skirt in the same project.
# Answer
> 1 votes
The raft base (initial layer) is usually printed with **very wide** lines. Cura's default is double the nozzle diameter, so 0.8 mm with standard 0.4 mm nozzle. This is ridiculously high flow, especially with the default 0.3 mm thickness, which is why the raft base lines are (and must be, unless you have a seriously overpowered hotend) printed so slowly. So, each line has significantly increased (double) surface contact, more pressure against the bed, more forgiveness if the bed clearance is too high (since it will still smash against the bed, just spreading out less than the whole 0.8 mm width), comes out slower (giving it better opportunity to adhere), and does not involve any curves (where the nozzle may "pull" just-extruded material that's not yet adhering).
You may be able to get a lot of the same benefit with skirts (or brims) by increasing the "Skirt/Brim Line Width" setting and slowing down its speed.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, ultimaker-cura, glass-bed, rafts
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thread-15697 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15697 | What is cause of blob when layer area reduces by 50%? | 2021-02-19T22:13:56.300 | # Question
Title: What is cause of blob when layer area reduces by 50%?
This is printing PETG extruding at 250 °C, 1st layer bed at 80 °C then 60 °C on other layers. Nozzle is 0.4 mm; printer is German Reprap X400. The all metal extruder is clean with no oozing. The print gets a blob when the wall width changes from 2 mm to 1 mm. The extruder squishes the blob out the sides of the wall with subsequent layers. Images below show both sides of wall. I'm looking for the cause to come up with a fix. I consistently get the same results in the same location when printing this file. The reduced area of the layer does cause reduced speed to increase the print time for the layer (speed reduced when layer would print in less than 30 seconds; minimum speed 15 mm/s).
When I printed two, there was only one blob on one of two. Below shows the speed settings. The perimeters are three vertical shells, so the walls are all perimeters. My understanding of the setting is the 2 mm wall printed at 20 mm/s and the 1 mm wall at 15 mm/s.
Printing similarly with 2 mm walls only and the same settings, the print is nearly perfect with only a few stringers. Printing with only 1 mm walls does not have the blob, but does have stringers.
See solution at the end.
**Solution:**
Speeding up the print speeds and using thicker walls not only eliminated the blogs, but also completely eliminated stringers, and gave a near perfect print. Apparently, the actual temperature that PETG extrudes is highly dependent on how fast it extrudes. Printing too fast clogs the nozzle because the filament doesn't have time to melt. Printing too slow causes the hotend to stop extruding from heat creep. Here, the actual temperature of the extruded PETG was decreased by speeding up the extrusion.
s://i.stack.imgur.com/Uhv61.png
# Answer
Try lowering your extruder flow rate and maybe temperature as well.
I had this problem once and I thought it was just a bit of gunk that had been hanging onto the outside of the extruder. That is usually not the case and instead it is probably build-up from over-pressure inside the nozzle.
Also note that 250 °C will start degrading your PTFE tube unless you have an all-metal extruder. Lowering temperature can also reduce the stringing visible in the picture, however to fully, get rid of stringing, you may have to adjust your retraction and acceleration.
> 1 votes
# Answer
In my experience, when you see mysterious blobs on PETG (especially if they don't appear with other materials and comparable slicing settings), the cause is almost always this: PETG sticks **really well**, to itself and other surfaces. This means when you move the hot nozzle over already-printed PETG, *especially if it's unretracted* so that there's still molten PETG in the nozzle orifice, it will tend to "dig up" the material that's already there as a blob and deposit it somewhere it doesn't belong. Not only is this ugly and messy to clean up in postprocessing, but since the material was moved away from the place it actually belonged, it harms layer adhesion and makes your part brittle.
The best mitigations I know are:
* Disable combing (either entirely or effectively, e.g. by setting max combing move distance to 0.5 mm or so; the latter avoids slowing down printing of top/bottom skins). This will avoid unretracted moves over already printed material.
* Disable slicer features that omit retractions when there are "too many". In Cura this is "Minimum Extrusion Distance Window". Set it to 0. Otherwise retractions will start getting skipped at geometry-dependent points in the print, which may very well be what you're hitting.
* Keep travel speed reasonable. Above 80 mm/s is probably too fast and in my experience may dig up already-deposited PETG even if you retracted.
* Set "Minimum Wall Flow" (or your slicer's equivalent) to something like 20%, bounded away from 0. If the slicer emits near-zero-width wall lines because they're all that fit due to overlap, the move to print them is essentially a combing move (unretracted travel) because the flow is so low, and the same problems with digging up blobs arise. Better to just omit these lines and leave a small gap.
> 1 votes
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Tags: troubleshooting, extrusion
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thread-11285 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11285 | Why doesn't PLA stick to heated bed? | 2019-11-03T15:41:37.627 | # Question
Title: Why doesn't PLA stick to heated bed?
I have a basic Creality Ender-3 with a black rough bed cover. I'm printing with PLA.
After assembly, I printed 3 or 4 small toys sliced by Cura with basic settings. All were printed very well!
However, after that, extruded filament would not stick to the bed. I tried the following:
* Bed calibration with A4 paper (each corner with a tight nozzle to paper and repeated calibration again)
* Once raised up the bed temperature from stock 50 to 60 °C
* Washed the bed with a soap and water (and dried)
* Sprayed with a hair spray
* Changed the filament
Nothing helped so far.
What else can I try?
# Answer
> 11 votes
I think you may have used the wrong substance to clean your bed. Try using Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA). You may have left some residue behind from the soap, which is now interfering with adhesion. When that is done, ensure you've gone through the steps for bed leveling again. It's amazing how much of a difference proper bed leveling makes in adhesion. If it still doesn't work, post some pictures up of your results, which will help tremendously in getting you a better answer.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Soap and water are absolutely the wrong stuff for cleaning the print bed. It's a base, and bases are slippery. This helps things like dirt slip off when we clean, but will also make it harder for filament to adhere to the bed. Instead, use rubbing alcohol, which is slightly acidic.
Additionally, not all hairsprays are good for this. There is a certain ingredient you need, and some don't have it. Others do have it, but also have other things that interfere. AquaNet is known to be good for this. You can also buy made-for-purpose spray for 3d printing beds.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Set the bed temperature to the glass transition temperature, around 80 °C for PLA:
* Filament is slippery and non-adhesive at room temperature
* Filament becomes sticky when near its melting temperature
* Printed items can pop off of the bed by themselves when cool. This shows that they become less sticky when cool
I was told about this and have been successfully printing PLA without rafts, brims, skirts, etc.
Try a tiny print such as a small temperature tower to start.
Note: I've only been using PETG recently and continue using 80 °C; perhaps a bit of 'elephant foot' occurs. However I'm primarily doing structural prints (tools, cord hangers, etc.) and strength and print reliability (tall prints not coming loose during printing) are my highest priorities.
I appreciate the suggestion of dropping to 75 °C for later layers and will try that.
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Tags: pla, heated-bed, creality-ender-3, adhesion
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thread-15644 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15644 | BLTouch error causing bed and nozzle temp setpoints to change to zero | 2021-02-14T01:27:43.870 | # Question
Title: BLTouch error causing bed and nozzle temp setpoints to change to zero
I replaced my CR-10 motherboard with no problems and ran fine for a few weeks, then decided to add a BLTouch. BLTouch was enabled from the `config.h` during compile.
I had heating issues at first but eventually figured out I had the thermistors plugs swapped on the motherboard. In the past, I never used start and stop G-codes because I only printed printer upgrades off of Thingiverse while learning to print. My prints weren't starting until I learned more about G-codes and added `G29` and `G29` to my Cura start codes.
I tried a piece that I've printed before because I knew it worked ok. I preheated the bed and nozzle first, then started the print. The `G28` initiates and homes, then the `G29` does the 9 point bed leveling, then just sits there and does nothing.
## BLTouch behavior during the process
* BLTouch moves to "home" from center, with probe up and red light
* With the light still remaining red, BLTouch goes back to the center
* The BLTouch light turns blue once at the center, and drops the probe and lowers until probe touches and the light turns red
* Then raises again and the light turns blue, lowers again until probe touches bed then the light turns red again
* The light stays red and raises Z axis a little - and stays at center, still red
* The probe stays at center and red **until reaching preheating temps**
* **After selecting file** the probe moves to 9/9 points, with probe raised and blue light (drops probe and lowers until touching and turns red, then raises and turns blue)
* Once the **last probe location is checked**, BLTouch is still red and temperature settings from project file are set and heating starts
* The setpoints of bed and nozzle are reached (**successfully heated**)
* After heating, the setpoints switch to zero and temps start dropping towards the zero set point (**cooldown**) and never moves after that and shows status "Stopped"
## Pronterface - manual attempts
I connected through Pronterface so I could see the exact details. When I run a `G28`, from Pronterface:
* It goes to lower corner and is still red
* Returns to the center, probe drops and turns blue
* A few seconds later it drops until touching the bed and turns red
* Raises up again and turns blue, then drops BLTouch again until it touches the bed and turns red
* Then raises up again, but stays red this time
* I get an error in Pronterface *"Stop called because of BLTouch error - restart with M999"*.
After it levels 9/9 points<sup>1</sup>, Pronterface shows a BLTouch error, the printer display shows print stopped, and the bed and nozzle setpoints had changed to zero. They both had already started cooling. I kept the start code simple just enough to get the print going.
I have no idea what the BLTouch error is but just that it caused two temperature settings to go to zero. Any help would be great!
---
<sup>1</sup> The 9/9 points I'm referring to is when I run `G29` and my config has 3x3 grid option selected so the `G29` probes 9 points total with the BLTouch.
# Answer
I was wondering if it had something to do with my Z-axis and BLTouch. When I unplugged the Z-axis on the printer, the extruder wouldn't lower, only raise; so I plugged it back in, and it moves in the right direction. The motherboard I'm using is a SKR E3 Mini V2 and the BLTouch is 3.1 On that version motherboard, the BLTouch plug has all 5 wires combined in one plug, whereas on other versions it has a three-wire plug for the BLTouch, and the wires for the Z-axis from the BLTouch have a separate two-wire plug with its own plug-in spot. But I've read about instances where users had to plug those two wires into the motherboard's default plug for the printer's Z axis which is usually unplugged. I decided to unpin the BLTouch Z-axis wires from the 5-wire plug and unpin the printer's Z-axis two wires and repin that plug with the Z-axis from the BLTouch and plug into the spot on the motherboard that is normally used by the printer's wires, and that fixed the problem. There's information on GitHub that the board manufacturer posted about the issue, and thankfully that was my exact problem.
> 1 votes
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Tags: nozzle, bltouch, bed, temperature
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thread-15725 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15725 | Mid-print issue, extruder issue? | 2021-02-22T18:29:29.243 | # Question
Title: Mid-print issue, extruder issue?
I have succumbed to asking the community for assistance. I've been scratching my head and lost many late nights and time trying to figure out what is going on with my 3D printer.
Please see the image of what's going on with it.
Sometimes my printer doesn't even get this far, most of the time it fails at the 5th layer or so because it stops extruding is what I suspect.
I've replaced the hot end entirely, a new thermistor inside the hot end, replaced the PTFE tube, upgraded the extruder feeder to aluminum. Replaced the extruder gear, and for some reason, the filament just stops feeding.
I've tried several retraction settings from 80 mm/s and 2 mm of filament, to 20 mm/s and 6 mm of filament.
Initial Layer Height: 0.25 mm
I hope the community can help me out here.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Do the two loose pieces go where the fill shows up on the larger piece? If so, you may have internal surfaces there that need deleting in your drawing so that they don't mess up your slice program. Otherwise, the slice program may leave a gap in the gcode where you have no extrusion.
If you retract too much, it can cause the filament to jam in the hotend, but you wouldn't be getting all the mid-air extrusion, not connecting to anything.
We need more information to give you a more precise answer. I suspect you have a settings or gcode/drawing issue rather than a hardware issue.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, creality-ender-5, prusaslicer, creality
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thread-15727 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15727 | Is it better use Nylon fillement for cold pull even if I have been using PLA? | 2021-02-23T05:24:53.203 | # Question
Title: Is it better use Nylon fillement for cold pull even if I have been using PLA?
Using Prusa I3 MK3S
I am using PLA fillement and I need to do cold pull from time to time.
I noticed many people on Internet suggestusing Nylon fillement for clod pull.
I wanted to reach out to this community and ask if it is better using Nylon fillement for cold pull even if I have been using PLA?
# Answer
> 4 votes
Nylon holds better when pulled, PLA may snap.
Also it can grab particles around it, but it keeps low friction so the force you use to pull goes to detaching the dirt instead of rubbing against the walls.
By getting solid and by maintaining strength at higher temperatures, you can pull when it's hotter (with PLA you should pull at what? 40 °C?) and by being hotter can grab particles and remains of other filaments which are potentially softer. It's pulled at around 140-150 °C so that ABS and PLA at that temperature are very sticky and soft.
By holding easily higher temperatures (250-260 °C easily) you can also extrude it and it will melt any other filament in the nozzle.
Try doing some cold pulls with a light colour PLA to be able to see what it grabs. After a couple of pulls it should be clean. Then do nylon and check how much more stuff it will remove. If it's nothing, no need of using nylon. If it's dirty, it's the proof it can clean everything better than PLA.
A sample of nylon (50 g usually) will be sufficient for a long time so no need to get a full spool.
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Tags: print-quality, pla, prusa-i3, nozzle, nylon
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thread-15731 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15731 | How should I connect a separated 5 V source to an Arduino connected to a RAMPS board | 2021-02-23T13:04:44.800 | # Question
Title: How should I connect a separated 5 V source to an Arduino connected to a RAMPS board
I'm going to add a Raspberry Pi to my printer, which requires a 5 V source. I want to take this opportunity to also power the Arduino with that same source, as dropping 12 V -\> 5 V is a quite big waste. I know the electronics don't consume much power, and the regulator can handle the heat, but why not?
I want to know how can I safely do this. Is it sufficient to just bent the pin from the RAMPS to the Arduino's VIN?
I'm also using TMC2209 stepper drivers. According to this: https://learn.watterott.com/silentstepstick/pinconfig/, these requires the 12 V line to turn on before and turn off after the 5 V. I wonder if this is true, as I haven't seen this anywhere else.
# Answer
I would not recommend changing Arduino powering. You can either do as you say and power Arduino by giving it regulated 5V to Vin, but then the ATMEGA2560 still will be powered through the 5V voltage regulator. The voltage regulator (NCP1117ST50T3G) needs to be supplied with 6.5V to give out regulated 5V. So you will be powering the Arduino with some 4V, which might work, but it will be less reliable. But it is electrically safe.
Second option is to power Arduino through it's 5V pin. That is less safe, because the voltage regulator might have an over output-over-voltage-protection that will to load or short-circuit the 5V until it is 5.000V.
Regarding TMC2209. I have not seen any documentation that has any opinion on what order it shall be powered up and down.
> 1 votes
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Tags: electronics, arduino-mega-2650, switching-power-supply, raspberry-pi, ramps-1.6
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thread-4778 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4778 | Temperature problems after switching to RAMPS 1.4 | 2017-10-21T11:01:56.663 | # Question
Title: Temperature problems after switching to RAMPS 1.4
I recently switched to a RAMPS 1.4 on an Arduino Mega 2560. Ever since I have extruder temperature swings a couple of minutes into the print, but it looks like a problem reading the temp rather than actual fluctuations in the temperature (as can be seen in the attached pic). Also, I've noticed that the MOSFET is getting really hot when I heat the heated bed.
What is the problem and how can I fix it?
# Answer
> 1 votes
For the overheating, you may need to turn the juice down a little on your Power Supply. Typically, there is a potentiometer inside that trims the voltage level coming from there. Some things can heat up if it's over-volting and needing to drop more voltage for the board.
For the temperature reading stuff, make sure the thermistor is plugged in all way and not possibly dangling near the hot-end block. I have had that happen before and it will report improper temperatures as it goes along, and often results in the hot-end getting too hot and messing with the filament. If it's properly secured it might be just crappy or broken in some other way and you would need to replace it. It's reasonable practice to have a few extra thermistors lying around as having them go out at lousy times will bum you out.
# Answer
> 0 votes
For the really hot mosfet I would say it might be a good idea to get one of those external mosfet module boards. It just seems like a good idea to me, to not have the huge current of the bed-heater flowing through the ramps board. And for the thermistor wires, do you have them twisted together? If not, try tightly twisting the pair (of + & -) together to ensure there is no interference from other signals. Careful not to put stress on where the wires are attached to the actual thermistor-head. Honestly, all of your wiring should be in twisted-pair configuration. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twisted\_pair
# Answer
> 0 votes
I saw that you said you switched to a RAMPS 1.4 . I'll warn you that the componetry for the cheap $20 RAMPS 1.4's have significant issues, including under-speccing parts, using wrong part, not including enough copper for traces on the boards, and other quality concerns that can equal "FIRE" (not a euphemism).
You've noticed temperature fluctuations as well, as seen in the graph. This could be the result of a few different things.
1. You din't PID tune the Hotend. Read M303 for the full way to do this. Then either using EEPROM or by compiling the Kp, Ki, Kd variables, and store them in your configuration.h (assuming you're using Marlin).
2. Your thermistor is loose. When it heats, it loosens and creates a 'not great' contact against the hotend, giving spotty results.
**HOWEVER** the really concerning thing is that the power MOSFET isn't specced high enough for you board. If you've noticed it very hot to the touch, and also collaborated by a really 'squirrely' heated bed graph, then you have some significant problems with this part.
There is a solution. But you ever hear the adage "If you buy cheap, prepare to buy thrice." ? It applies in your situation. Because in order to route around the crappy MOSFET, you need an external MOSFET board.
THIS is a good place to see what part I'm talking about, common places to buy them (Amazon and eBay are good for quicker, and Aliexpress is cheaper and longer). The aforementioned link also includes wiring diagrams and setup.
So, it looks like a set of problems, with only 1 actually costing money. And ideally, those MOSFET boards are around $10 from Amazon(Prime), or up to $20 for the really nice TriGorilla ones.
**IF/WHEN you buy a Power MOSFET board**, make sure to EXCEED the amount of watts when compared to your heating solution. If you're using 12v, then you need an ohmmeter to get the resistance of the board.
Solve for amps:
```
Amperage = volts/resistance
```
Then once you have amps, take:
```
amps*volts = watts
```
This is how much watts your heated bed uses. **MAKE SURE TO EXCEED THIS BY 10%**
# Answer
> 0 votes
By my mistake 12v in heatbed Vout plug and then the temperature shows(ramps 1.6) Plase help me
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Tags: ramps-1.4
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thread-13923 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/13923 | Creatorbot-3D Kickstarter assembly instructions | 2020-06-22T16:10:13.667 | # Question
Title: Creatorbot-3D Kickstarter assembly instructions
I disassembled my printer a couple of years ago for a move and now I'm getting back to it and can't find the manual detailing the assembly anywhere and the google drive link is gone. Does anyone have a copy of the PDF somewhere?
# Answer
In the comments for the Kickstarter, there is a Google Drive link that is still active here.
> 2 votes
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Tags: diy-3d-printer, 3d-printerworks
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thread-15742 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15742 | How to 3D print a shopping cart | 2021-02-24T20:38:49.417 | # Question
Title: How to 3D print a shopping cart
I need to find a way to design and build a real shopping cart for my project. I have not idea where to start from but I'm thinking maybe I can 3D print the shopping cart which will allow me to quickly iterate on the design. How could go about with 3D printing a project like this?
Please I will appreciate other suggestions better than 3D printing
# Answer
If you need a real shopping cart, please think about **actual requirements**.
Carts are sturdy devices, build on **very consistent frame**, because they are meant to carry heavy loads. The built must be focused on **good jonts** and **durable wheels**, otherwise forces from load or streatching would quickly damage the construction. Some parts of frame are normally under strain, and a direction of load forces is not always downwards, therefore frame has to be robust.
Cheap **additive manufacturing** technologies of standard printers are not suitable to produce objects of this size in one piece. If to follow this idea, one chellange would be to design pieces of the print, which could be connected or glued into a ready cart. 3d prints have tendency to snap along layers of print, therefore frame would need to be carefuly built from parts designed to be printed horizontally, rather than vertically. Construction of wheels carrying the cart with assumed load could be not possible, because load forces could mangle them very quickly.
Only the amount of material needed to print the whole thing could **exceed cost of the cart**. And the same would be about more expensive printing techniques, like printing of metal. The shopping cart is a good example of thing which is **not worth printing** (at least in 2021).
BTW: Shopping carts have some plastic parts, and printing these could be indeed possible. I suppose they are only **protectors**, not a part of cart construction frame.
I would advice to look to **get a ready cart**. Check locally for used, worn out or reconditioned shopping cart for your project. Maybe even try to rent it somewhere. It would be much easier and quicker then trying to 3d print the cart, even if it is possible to do it within some reduced requirements.
> 6 votes
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Tags: diy-3d-printer, 3d-design
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thread-15748 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15748 | Irregular adhesion on Creality glass bed | 2021-02-26T13:19:13.390 | # Question
Title: Irregular adhesion on Creality glass bed
I have an Ender 5 pro and upgraded from the magnetic bed to the glass version. I print with Prusament PLA on 65 °C bed temp and 220 °C extruder temp. I measured that the glass surface has ~58 °C in the center and ~56 °C on the corners. That should be in the specs of the spool which has a printed recommendation of 50 +- 10 °C for bed and 215 +- 10 °C for extruder temps.
Now I also have a BLTouch and use the TH3D firmware so Z offsets should work correctly and are done with the Z offset wizard present (nozzle touching the bed).
The problem I currently have is that the first layers have "lifts" in them. Also, it seems that the layer itself is not 0.2 mm everywhere. It's close to 0.23 mm on the edges but on the inner there are variances up to 0.36 mm.
Currently, I slice with Cura 4.8.0 on Standard Quality 0.2 mm
How do I get rid of the lifts and irregularity in the layer? Is it a problem with the bed?
# Answer
The only time I've seen lifting, away from the edges of the part like this, is when the bed is contaminated with something which will stop the print sticking, like fingerprints and such.
A thorough wipe-down with IPA on the heated bed is usually enough to stop it.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I haven't seen lifts that aren't on the edge of the print, such as warping, or the entire printed surface lifts. When I get something like in your photograph, it's because the print surface isn't flat and the first layer matches the surface topology. If the second image shows the print surface, it looks like blobs on the surface that may be keeping it from being flat.
The first layer thickness greatly depends on how high the nozzle is above the print surface. If this distance varies, the first layer thickness will vary. Also make sure your print surface is free of any substances that the hot extruded material might cause to boil.
Any chance you are removing the print from the bed before it cools down. This can distort the print if the material is still soft.
> 0 votes
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Tags: adhesion, temperature
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thread-14745 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14745 | Sizing belts and rods for a Cartesian printer | 2020-11-07T23:55:52.110 | # Question
Title: Sizing belts and rods for a Cartesian printer
Assuming a Cartesian printer with a belt and smooth rod design in which one axis moves another (i.e. the X-axis rails 'sit' on the Y-axis rails), what are the main considerations in sizing the rods and belts? For example, given a base design using 8 mm diameter rods and 6 mm belts (assume these are the limiting factors of the printer and that the frame, etc. can handle whatever you throw at it), what is roughly the maximum load, print speed and build size that this should be expected to support? If you were to increase the rod diameters to 10 mm or even 12 mm on one or both axes (assume the steppers could handle the increased load), what would the increased rigidity buy you in terms of maximum speed and/or build size and would 6 mm belts still be appropriate? Ballpark calculations or rules of thumb are fine as I understand the variables are likely not trivial and am looking more for a rough range of guidance to understand the trade-offs involved.
# Answer
> 1 votes
8 mm rods and 6 mm GT2 belts are generally accepted as a good tradeoff between price and performance, an exact calculation is possible but might not be very relevant if another part is flexing. Also, generally speaking, the smaller the part the sooner it will wear out of specification. Thus your service interval might be higher compared to an over-engineered printer.
In short, it depends on what your goal is, if you desire low maintenance and accurate machine, you might be better off with heavier gauge parts. Obviously, this will also affect the speed of printing. A 6 mm GT2 belt might have a higher stretch factor compared to a 10 mm belt, but can be mitigated by adjusting the acceleration. In addition, a 10 mm belt has a larger pulley reducing the number of steps per mm, lowering precision. As such you might be better of using two 6 mm belts.
Increased rod size for the print bed will not affect printing speed much but might help with accuracy since the bending modulus is lower. Play around with the calculators below to get an idea of the force your beam will have to withstand. That said, there are a lot of other factors that will flex under load, for example, the bed leveling springs. You can replace them with solid spacers, but that might warp the bed when it heats up.
https://www.engineering.com/calculators/beams.htm
https://www.omnicalculator.com/physics/acceleration
To conclude, I would use the calculators to figure out if the 8 mm rods are within tolerance for the intended speeds and load, but don't forget to look at the overall picture. The quality of parts you choose is one such thing.
# Answer
> 0 votes
The 3D printing revolution started out with the idea/community project to build self-replicating machines:
> RepRap was the first of the low-cost 3D printers, and the RepRap Project started the open-source 3D printer revolution. It has become the most widely-used 3D printer among the global members of the Maker Community. *(From RepRap.org)*
The main aspects for this project was to build self-replicating machines from cheap and "simple" available materials and making them freely available for the benefit of everyone. The rod solution is a simple and affordable solution for linear motion with fair tolerances.
As far as the rigidity of the X carriage, rods aren't the best solution, increasing rod diameter will surely increase the stiffness, but it will be smaller than a design that uses a (quality) linear rail, these are much stiffer. Note that instead of steel, carbon rods can be used, these are stiff and light and reduce the weight of the carriage, allowing for higher acceleration and speed. The solution of using rods is mainly based on availability and being a cheap solution.
Do note that rods flex much more than linear rails, even when you increase the diameter, this will limit the length of the X-axis.
From all3Dp:
> Any decent rail will have far less give. In terms of 3D printing, this leads to greatly reduced backlash and ringing artifacts, yielding cleaner print surfaces and edges.
Belts allow the rotational motion to be transferred into a linear motion. Belt width depends on the force (carriage weight) you need to move. Same as for rods, an increased height will allow for a larger load to be driven/moved, but for a fixed load, the increasing height allows for less stretch and thus less printing defects. Note the different types of belts are available, all having their own stiffness and load bearing capacity.
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Tags: diy-3d-printer
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thread-15111 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15111 | Are there quantitative means of measuring nozzle wear? | 2020-12-26T12:34:09.387 | # Question
Title: Are there quantitative means of measuring nozzle wear?
Are there quantitative means of measuring nozzle wear? What steps do you perform to measure this? If so?
I have some digital calipers, but I don't have much confidence in the measurements taken, as it's almost impossible to ensure the nozzle aperture is entirely free of filament residue.
The context here is I've recently been trying out some carbon-fiber-infused PLA filament, but I would like to keep an eye on how much it wears the nozzle and get an idea of nozzle wear rates. I can then work out if the mechanical and aesthetic qualities of the CF filament are worthwhile.
# Answer
Based on CNC Kitchen measurements,
the wear can be initially estimated by judging the overall length of the nozzle. Abrasive particles wear the nozzle very little on the channel (so the diameter doesn't change, for a while) but they wear out the outer surface in contact with the printed part, resulting in a shortening.
Of course, once the shortening gets severe, the diameter will increase because you reach the inner chamber.
> 4 votes
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Tags: nozzle, fdm, maintenance
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thread-15769 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15769 | OpenSCAD render (F6) fails with "ERROR: CGAL error in CGAL_Nef_polyhedron3()" | 2021-03-01T15:42:07.717 | # Question
Title: OpenSCAD render (F6) fails with "ERROR: CGAL error in CGAL_Nef_polyhedron3()"
I built a model and it previewed correctly. When rendering for STL export (F6), I got an assertion error:
> ERROR: CGAL error in CGAL\_Nef\_polyhedron3(): CGAL ERROR: assertion violation! Expr: e-\>incident\_sface() != SFace\_const\_handle() File: /mxe/usr/x86\_64-w64-mingw32.static.posix/include/CGAL/Nef\_S2/SM\_const\_decorator.h Line: 329
Most of the model rendered correctly, but one component disappeared.
Moving the object didn't change the problem, but isolating just the disappearing part gave me a correct render of that part.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Reading between the lines on other forums, I found that the GCAL renderer will render a malformed object, but it will fail when a binary operator, such as union or intersection, is applied to that object.
There was a discussion about degenerate points (two points in a polygon list that were the (nearly) the same values. I had this situation, but fixing it did not solve the problem.
I rederived the face lists, and found that for one face the vertices were listed in the opposite order from the others. Rather then using right-hand-rule, I had used left-hand-rule.
Reordering the vertices for the one face fixed the problem. There was no way to see the problem from the preview.
A more useful diagnostic message would have been helpful, or a tool for checking polyhedra for being manifolds could have saved me hours of experimenting and failing.
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Tags: 3d-models, 3d-design, cad, openscad
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thread-15771 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15771 | What type of 3D printer is this? | 2021-03-01T16:03:20.437 | # Question
Title: What type of 3D printer is this?
I have found a video about Invisalign. I saw a 3D printer in the video but I did not understand its type. Can you help me? Do you share a brief piece of information about its type?
Below is the video on YouTube.
# Answer
In the video, there is this still from 0:32:
The labeling is iPro 8000, which is a 3dSystems resin printer using SLA technology.
> 3 votes
# Answer
If you look at the video at 37 seconds, it appears to be SLA or DLP.
Further reading: https://www.solidprint3d.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/SLA\_vs\_DLP.pdf
> 1 votes
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Tags: resin, part-identification
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thread-15775 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15775 | Cura Sequential Printing | 2021-03-01T20:35:48.233 | # Question
Title: Cura Sequential Printing
I'm trying to get a sequential print going (first time trying this) and Cura won't slice due to build volume issues. From the graphic shown, it looks like this should be sufficiently spaced out but I'm not sure what the problem is. Any tips? I've moved the objects around all over the build volume and it never changes back to "allowable".
# Answer
If the height of the object is larger than the free space between the gantry and the top of the first printed object, you will not be able to slice the object. The maximum printing height will reduce to the maximum available distance between the gantry rods and nozzle.
Note that the correct `Gantry Height` needs to be set in the printer properties. For instance, the UM3 I use has 60 mm free space between the gantry and the nozzle:
If you have a smaller height specified, or a taller print object os depicted in the image below, you will not be able to slice the prints (note that a 100 x100 x100 mm is scaled to 20 x20 x70 mm prints, which exceed the 60 mm):
When properly scaled below the 60 mm, i.e. to 20 x20 x50 mm print objects, you'll see that you are able to slice the objects:
Slice preview:
> 3 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura
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thread-15757 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15757 | Can 3D printer models be used in video game engines and vs versa? | 2021-02-28T01:07:19.693 | # Question
Title: Can 3D printer models be used in video game engines and vs versa?
If someone creates a 3D model of a character for 3D printing can I import that model into Unreal engine or Unity 3D for use in a video game? Also is the inverse true? Can I get 3D model of Mario and send that to a 3D printer?
Specifically, it’s more important to know if I can pull a 3D printer model into an unreal game project
# Answer
Yes. You can import it into Blender, but it will need "bones" and "armature" if you want it to move at all. In Blender, you can manually add armature and "Rig" it, if you want animations.
You can probably convert whatever file type the 3D model is (probably STL) to fbx with Blender
For animating, start with a super basic 2-bone rig YouTube tutorial, then learn about vertex weights or automatic weighting.
But you'll have to UV map it too. The UV map tells textures where to go on the model, STL doesn't have those.
Your time is 100% better spent finding a model that's ready and moving on with your project.
Check Unreal Marketplace.
Also,
https://www.turbosquid.com/3d-model/free/low-poly/character
https://www.cgtrader.com/free-3d-models/character?polygons=lt\_5k
> 1 votes
# Answer
Regarding the second question: "Can I get 3D model of Mario and send that to a 3D printer?" meaning successful print, the answer depends on the model and the printer. Basically you can send any model to print, but each technology has its limitations of quality, size, physics. For figurines, resin printers (SLA or DLP technologies) seem best choice.
Printed figurines would be non-movable and empty inside (to some extent), unless are specifically designed as mechanical toys. I think this is the key difference between mechanical movement ability and modern 3d object animations.
As you already noticed, the mesh files could be reused here or there. So static objects like furniture pieces could be suitable for both purposes.
> 1 votes
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Tags: 3d-models, 3d-design, file-formats
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thread-15785 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15785 | UV degradation of UV curable resins | 2021-03-03T16:50:57.653 | # Question
Title: UV degradation of UV curable resins
I needed to know if typical UV curing resins, such as the ones from Anycubic, can withstand solar radiation over extended periods of time with little to no degradation. It has been quite difficult to find information about the subject online, so I'm wondering whether anyone here has experience here to share.
# Answer
Yes, it is actually pretty hard to find that information. First thing is that the resin never stops curing. Additional exposure to UV will continue to degrade the material over time. This is true of even plastics (and human flesh), however, in the case of UV resins we're talking about years not weeks. Each manufacturer of resin, even from different batches, will exhibit different performance characteristics with their formulation. As a general rule of thumb resin prints should not be used as an end product. They are used to either create a mould for the final object or used as a fitness test where the dimensions and tolerances are tight. The cured resin is typically not 100% safe to handle, and as such should not be used on bare skin or inside the human body or as any form of eating or cooking utensil. Colour degradation of resins (they become cloudy) will also occur for resins that were once colourless.
EDIT: (Didn't want to expand this but it seems I have to) Companies that release 3d printed with branded resins have custom formulas to match their printers. This is perhaps to ensure that the customer keeps coming back for the consumables. These custom formulations are most undoubtedly patented, however, it seems that they are keeping the formula a secret (until you reproduce it and they claim you've breached their patent). Due to the fact that the formula is unknown to the end-user no one can certify that the cured resin is 100% non-toxic and safe for contact with skin; either on the outside of the body or the inside ;) Speciality dental adhesives have different formulas (and are perhaps more expensive than) 3d printing resins.
> 0 votes
# Answer
What seems to be a difficulty is the stabilizers for plastic absorb UV. So if added to UV resin, they probably greatly increase the exposure time needed.
The following show characteristics of some plastics, taken from https://www.coleparmer.com/tech-article/uv-properties-of-plastics
> Unmodified types of plastics that are regarded as having unacceptable resistance to UV are POM (Acetal), PC, ABS and PA6/6. Other plastics such as PET, PP, HDPE, PA12, PA11, PA6, PES, PPO, PBT and PPO are regarded as fair. Note that a PC/ABS alloy is also graded as fair. Good resistance to ultraviolet rays can be achieved from polymers extruded by Zeus such as PTFE, PVDF, FEP, and PEEKTM. The only plastics found with excellent resistance are the imides, Polyimide (PI) as used in the Hubble Space Telescope and Polyetherimide (PEI).
> PTFE has particularly good UV resistance because of its very strong carbon- fluorine (C-F) bond \[almost 30% higher than the carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bond\], which is the common side bond that surrounds the carbon (C-C) backbone in a helix and protects it. Most fluoropolymers also do not have the light absorbing chromophore impurities in their structure that can act as an initiator for photo-oxidation.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Sunlight contains the full spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, including the wavelength to photoinitiate your resin. Most UV-curable materials are kept in opaque containers for this reason. The extent to which your material is crosslinked will depend on your material and how much sunlight it receives.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: resin
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thread-15768 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15768 | Why is support printed over shell if layer preview doesn't show it? | 2021-03-01T14:04:21.360 | # Question
Title: Why is support printed over shell if layer preview doesn't show it?
When I check the Cura preview, then there isn't support over the shell, but when the part is printed, then there is support over the shell and it makes it look ugly. It happens only for front and back but the left and right sides are without support over the shell.
When you open the .gcode file in Cura then you also can't see support over the shell.
What could cause this problem?
Added view from "Line Type"
# Answer
The picture of the line types and the accompanying comment helps to clear this up:
> they are "Travel" lines, but why material is printed during travel?
Yes, the dark blue is travel. But if material is deposited during them, then that is not *printing*, that is material oozing out of the nozzle - which is called stringing most often. Usually, this is an issue with retraction: your length is possibly a little short. However, retraction also only is turned on for moves over a given length, so there might be no retraction happening. And, in Cura support structure generally is printed without retraction due to toggle `Limit Support Retractions`. Toggling that off can help.
You might also turn on one of the two *Avoid* modes in the movement (`Avoid Printed Parts when Traveling` & `Avoid Supports When Traveling`) to get the movement paths in a way so they don't go over the model and prevent any stringing/oozing onto it or knocking off delicate parts. Possibly increasing retraction a little might help, and so might `Z-hop` to try to "rip" the strings.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, support-structures
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thread-15776 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15776 | How to get less Z-seam? | 2021-03-01T22:01:28.157 | # Question
Title: How to get less Z-seam?
I printed this Curvy vase from Thingiverse and it came out pretty well on my Chiron.
However, I am not happy with the Z-seam that is very large. When I look at other people's problems with this, they often seem to have too little filament at the seam, but I have too much. What setting should I change to make it less visible?
* Printer: Anycubic Chiron with Marlin 2.0.7
* Material: PLA
* Slicer: Cura 4.8.0.
* Nozzle: 0.4 mm
All Cura settings are here (except that I lowered printing temperature to 200 ºC while printing).
All files used and some pictures are here.
---
2021-03-07 **Addendum** after I made 19 test-prints of a small portion of the vase's neck. Below are some of my notes:
8. Combing Mode=All is better than Off
9. Speed=60 is worse than 40
10. Retract Before Outer Wall=On is worse than Off
11. Outer Wall Line Width 0.45 to 0.35 gave a Z-seam on the outside with more build-up
12. Inner Wall(s) Line Width 0.45 to 0.35. Some places has less contact between layers, so less appealing and less robust. Also less material use.
13. Outer Wall Wipe Distance 2.0 spread ot the seam (too much), and also made a ditch before the Z-seam (on the outside of the ring).
14. Coasting tripled to Vol=0.588 and Wipe Distance 5.0 is more appealing. Two changes at once make it impossible to know which one helped. 5 mm is not enough to completely wipe.
15. 50% printing speed improved Z-seam and surface smoothness
In the future I will use slower speed for Outer Walls, test Wipe distance=2\*Line Width, use Combing (turned Off because of some advice to do so when LIN\_ADVANCE is used) and experiment with faster retractions and Z-movement. Pictures and complete notes are available here.
# Answer
> 3 votes
A bulging seam is caused by a mix of factors, especially:
1. Material oozing while dwelling too long at the point of layer change (including the time spent in the Z move). This can be mitigated by ramping up the max Z speed and acceleration and/or enabling retract at layer change *with a very fast retract and unretract speed* (without doing it very fast, the time spent retracting has the same effect as the time spent on Z move).
2. Excess extrusion due to pressure remaining at the nozzle when decelerating. This can be mitigated by enabling Linear Advance and tuning the K factor for your printer's bowden tube and material properties. A value around 0.5 is probably needed for PLA on your printer. Increasing your acceleration limit to reduce the time spent accelerating/decelerating can also go a long way to mitigate this.
# Answer
> 6 votes
There is a Cura option to choose a random seam alignment in the shell menu:
> ## Z-seam alignment
>
> This setting allows you to choose where each new layer in the Z direction starts and affects where the seam of the model will be. This is useful for models with consecutive equal layers as the seam can be visible. By changing the Z-seam alignment you can decrease the visibility of the seam. The options available are:
>
> * **User-specified:** Set a coordinate for the X and Y direction of the Z-seam. This coordinate is absolute by default. Example: X 100, Y 200 will move the seam to the center back of the model.
> * **Shortest:** The next layer starts at the endpoint of the previous layer. This is the fastest way of printing, but also creates the most visible seam.
> * **Random:** The next layer starts at a random point of the previous layer, which eliminates the chance of a seam. Print time will increase due to the necessary travel moves.
> * **Sharpest corner:** This puts the seam in the sharpest inward or outward corner of the model, when available. This is the best method to completely hide the seam.
# Answer
> 4 votes
This Cura support page lists the options for Shell settings, specifically:
> ## Seam corner preference
>
> The Z-seam is hidden as much as possible by default. However, for some projects, specifically those that require post-processing, exposing the seam can be necessary for the post-print processing. To do so, you can adjust the following settings:
>
> * **None:** The seam will remain on the Z-seam alignment location.
> * **Hide seam:** The seam will be hidden as much as possible.
> * **Expose seam:** The seam will be exposed as much as possible.
> * **Hide or expose:** The seam will be hidden when possible and exposed when there is no other option.
In your setting, you have "None". You may need to set it to "Hide seam".
# Answer
> 2 votes
Use Cura's "Vase Mode" (known as `Spiralize Outer Contour`) for seamless printing.
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, anycubic-chiron
--- |
thread-15699 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15699 | Y-axis movement error | 2021-02-19T23:45:38.477 | # Question
Title: Y-axis movement error
I have a used Creality CR-10S and I have been using it for one day. I seem to be having problems with my Y-axis. Several times when I selected "Auto home", the bed only moved part of the distance it should have for the head to get to the bottom left corner. It is only the bed movement that has the problem; the head successfully goes to the extreme left each time.
It does not always happen and when it does, it seems to usually go half as far as it should, but once the bed did not move back at all. I am having a similar problem on "Bed Auto Leveling". Once when it was supposed to go to the back left corner, the nozzle went past the bed by about 5mm. I tried to reposition it with "Move axis" but it thinks it is at 0.00 and it won't let me go negative. One way I can fix it is to "Disable steppers" and then move the bed by hand.
I have done two prints and in both cases there was no Y-axis drift during the print. After first print, "Auto home" only went half way but I was not paying attention to other details. After the second print the machine was off and I moved the bed by hand in response to @octopus8. Then I turned it on and selected "Auto home". The head descended and moved all the way to the left but the Y-axis did not move at all.
When I move the bed by hand through its entire range, either with the machine off or after choosing "Disable steppers", it is pretty smooth. It has some resistance to movement, about the same as the X-axis resistance. I can feel very small "steps" if I move it very slowly. These are both consistent throughout its entire range. There are no individual spots where it behaves differently.
I have made sure that the bed's belt is tight. I check the wheels.under the bed. I cleaned them with a rag. When I turned them by hand, several were slipping against the rail (not causing the bed to move when I turned the wheel.) I tightened their bolts and that tightened some of them against the rail but a couple others still slip against the rail. Is this important? After these adjustments and turning printer on, "Auto home" worked and the steps on "Bed Auto Leveling" also did the correct things. I will report on more post-adjust experience as I get it.
Ever since I tightened the Y-axis belt and wheels I have not had the problem happen again having done 10+ prints. I tried the gcode that @octopus8 suggested at various speeds and the print head always ended up back where it started.
I will keep printing and if I experience the problem again I will investigate more then.
# Answer
octopus8 recommended doing a series of tests to determine the cause of the problem.
I started with moving the bed by hand (remember to have machine off or choose "Disable steppers" from "Prepare" menu) and the movement was relatively smooth with some resistance, the same as when moving the X-axis. If you move very slowly you can feel slight, small "steps", this is normal. The movement was consistent across the range of movement.
Since this did not indicate a problem, I moved on to checking the drive belt and the bearing wheels. The belt had a small amount of slack which I tightened. Several of the wheels under the bed slipped against the rail they run along. I tightened these. This improved the movement of a couple of them but a couple still slipped a bit.
After this I did not have the problem anymore. For 10+ prints over a week or so, there was no incorrect Y-axis movement and "Auto home" always worked. Nevertheless I continued with the next test suggestion which was to send some simple gcode to the printer via USB. I used both Ultimaker Cura 4.8.0's Monitor mode as well as \[sending the commands from the linux terminal\]\[1\]. I sent the commands
```
G28
G0 F<speed>
G0 X200 Y0
G0 X200 Y200
G0 X0 Y200
G0 X0 Y0
```
with values of 900,1800,2700,3600 and 4500 for and everytime the print head returned to the same place.
This is evidence that the tightening of the belt and wheels likely fixed the problem. \[1\]: How to directly send G-code to printer from a Linux terminal?
> 1 votes
---
Tags: creality-cr-10, y-axis
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thread-15772 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15772 | Stringy first layer (possible extruder issue?) | 2021-03-01T16:26:21.943 | # Question
Title: Stringy first layer (possible extruder issue?)
This is my first 3D printer so I'm not entirely sure what could be the cause of this issue.
I recently got a SUNLU S8 3D printer and have been trying to print the first test file, however, the layers end up stringy (for lack of a better word -- if anyone knows whether this is called something else, I'd appreciate the knowledge because Google searching for stringy layers does not yield similar results).
Anyway, I tried to increase the nozzle temperature from 205 °C to 215 °C and that seems to help slightly (filament is PLA and came with the printer). I also noticed that the extruder's feeder gear is grinding on the filament so I suspect that may be part of the problem.
Before I purchase an extruder kit, I figured I'd reach out and ask this community what they think could be the problem.
Does anyone know what might be causing this issue?
**Edit**
I cleaned the tubing and nozzle, and then releveled the bed. The filament was still stringy and whispy, however, I decided to let it print for a while. Although the picture is a top-down view, the walls of the print are also holey.
# Answer
> 2 votes
0scar and Trish both had correct solutions to my problem.
0scar suggested that I clean the nozzle, which I thought I had because the needle that came with the printer was able to slide through the hot end and out the nozzle without any issue. Turns out the hot end was clogged though. This particular hot end has a bowden tube that's separate from the actual bowden tube connected to the extruder gear, and that separate tube was clogged.
Trish was correct about the slicing profile being incorrect and that the problem was under extrusion. The filament provided by Sunlu with the printer seems to be fine. I let the printer run for 25 minutes and only had a slight issue with the filament on the spool not being tight enough when printing the raft. I'm currently running another print and haven't had any issues -- only 15 minutes in.
Anyway, here's the 25 minutes print I was referring to (in the bottom left there's a glob of PLA because that's where the nozzle was when I stopped the print):
# Answer
> 1 votes
The first photo shows under extrusion. This could indicate either a bad filament, a massive clog or the wrong filament diameter in the slicer.
I have experienced, that small demo-reels of filament that come with printers come damaged from the shipping: I have experienced some of them having been exposed to moisture in their zip-lock bags and one time I had no clue what kind of filament that was supposed to be, but it was not PLA, as it didn't properly melt at 200 °C. That might not be the case with your printer, but it leads me to caution towards those 20 g demo reels, so I always test with a known good reel of filament with a known melting point. If it was the wrong material (e.g. ABS), under extrusion due to a too low temperature would be normal. Damaged or bad filament can create several problems: non-uniform thickness can result in random stops in the extruder or underextrusion, waterlogged ("wet") filament can print stringy, hissing, or even with underextrusion, brittle filament might break and result in aborted lines.
A clog in the nozzle could lead to under extrusion but should also show clicking in the extruder (the motor moving the filament). Checking the whole filament path (nozzle, heat break, liner & Bowden tube) for clogs should be done. However, that would be a massive clog to get your depicted prints. It might be a factor impacting it though.
Sometimes, setting up a printer in a slicer is not perfect: You need to make sure the filament diameter fits! 1.75 mm might be the *de facto* standard, but most slicers are set up with 2.75 mm as filament diameter in the presets for a self-configured printer! That means you only extrude about a third of the filament you actually want! That would be super consistent with your picture but doesn't need to be the only factor.
---
Tags: extruder, troubleshooting, underextrusion, stringing
--- |
thread-15667 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15667 | Why would all of the Ender 5 Pro's axis motors (X, Y and Z) stop being able to move (all at once)? | 2021-02-17T07:32:48.363 | # Question
Title: Why would all of the Ender 5 Pro's axis motors (X, Y and Z) stop being able to move (all at once)?
I have a Creality Ender 5 Pro which has been working properly for some time. During my last print, the axis motors just suddenly stopped working while the extruder motor continued to work properly.
In fact, when I connect the extruder motor wire to any of the axis motors, they respond correctly (mimicking the extruder motor) but neither works or moves when connected to its own wire(s). As a result the printer does not print anymore.
Here's what I've tried:
* Switching the wires around to check if any motors are damaged (none are).
* Restarting the Creality
* Checking the output on the power source (which is 24 V and about 14 A)
* Checking to make sure all motor wires are connected correctly on the SKR MINI CONTROLLER (all seem fine) and checking that the board is powered.
* All external connections also seem fine.
I'm quite confused why the axis motors would not be working all of a sudden. I'll appreciate your help if you've faced this problem before.
# Answer
The Creality V1.1.5 board was fried. I replaced it with a BIGTREETECH SKR MINI E3 V2.0 32BIT CONTROLLER. After struggling to find a corresponding firmware for the Ender 5 pro, the axis motors worked correctly.
> 3 votes
# Answer
Usually, steppers not working can be found when the lines are broken. Often this is an unplugged Stepper, but OP checked that.
That 3 steppers at once failed could indicate a bad firmware update, which OP didn't do. So it is sadly a case of blue smoke from the board. Most likely the stepper drivers are either shortened out or get no signal.
I am sorry, but replacement seems necessary.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: troubleshooting, creality-ender-5, bigtreetech, skr-mini-e3, 3d-printerworks
--- |
thread-15760 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15760 | How to make it so that multiple motors respond to | 2021-02-28T09:49:24.987 | # Question
Title: How to make it so that multiple motors respond to
I want to make it so that the E1 and E0 do exactly the same as the Y motor and I was wondering if anyone here knew how to do that?
I basically just want to make it so that when the Y motor is triggered, so is the E1 and E0.
I'd really appreciate any help, thanks!
# Answer
One way to have two E-steppers to do the same work should be to enable `MIXING_EXTRUDER` in `Configuration.h`. I have no experience in this myself, but it is a good starting point.
A second way is to actually connect the two *identical* steppers in parallel. That trick is sometimes used for Z-steppers. I don't expect the current consumption to be an issue. This will require soldering, unless your mainboard has two Z-stepper outputs and you only use one of them. Then move connectors and reconfigure pins.h (or similar file) to use the correct steppers for `Z` and `E`.
A third way is possible if your mainboard has removable stepper driver modules. Remove the `E1` stepper driver from the socket and cut off the `EN`, `DIR` and `STEP` pins. Solder thin but insulated wires between the solder-pads on this one to the `E0` stepper. These are all inputs, so now the second stepper will follow the first perfectly. Soldering shall be done while the stepper driver modules are removed, otherwise the heat might ruin the sockets. (There are more precautions)
> 1 votes
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Tags: marlin
--- |
thread-15808 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15808 | Printer thermistors read completely wrong after changing firmware | 2021-03-06T21:44:42.007 | # Question
Title: Printer thermistors read completely wrong after changing firmware
I recently installed Marlin 1.1.9.1 onto my Creality CR-10S. After doing so, the temperatures for both the bed and hotend now read -14 °C. I have changed the setting in the Marlin `configurations.h` to several different thermistors, and it either reads 0 or -14 °C.
I have now installed several different versions of Marlin and with each one I experience the same problem.
Is there some tuning setting that I am missing or has installing the firmware somehow fried something on my board?
# Answer
Okay, to anyone who is looking at this post, I am an idiot. I have spent the last 4 or more hours sifting through youtube videos and forum posts to figure out this problem. I have reinstalled firmware modifications dozens of times. All of this, to just now discover that I never had the bed or hotend cables connected. That's right, I never even considered the fact that I had yet to plug in those cables after transporting my printer to a new location.
Don't be like me. Check the simplest solutions first.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: marlin, firmware, creality-cr-10, thermistor
--- |
thread-15811 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15811 | Issue crashing Z-axis when I home X or Y axes | 2021-03-07T05:20:56.823 | # Question
Title: Issue crashing Z-axis when I home X or Y axes
I'm just getting started in 3D printing by rebuilding an old machine from scratch updating firmware etc. It is all wired up and I am calibrating and completing tuning before a first print.
I am having a weird problem in that when I click "home X" button in Pronterface, my dual Z axes steppers move in the +Z direction and crash. If I home Z via Pronterface, the Z-axis behaves correctly (moves in -Z direction until it bumps off the limit switch). I am using an MKS GEN L V1.0 board and Marlin v1.1.9
If I move thr Z-axis via Pronterface in the +Z direction, it moves as expected. Both Y and X axes also seem to work okay and respond to commands normally via Pronterface.
Sending a `G28 X` command also results in a Z-axis activation and crash. Sending a `G28 Y` command has the same result.
Any ideas on how to resolve this?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Found the issue with help here! My Z-axis homing height was not set - I set it to 4 mm but found that the Z movement is way off (actual Z movement is more like 15 cm!).
I will update to the latest firmware as suggested.
---
Tags: homing
--- |
thread-15816 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15816 | How to setup Marlin to use a moving bed (up-down)? | 2021-03-08T05:49:16.207 | # Question
Title: How to setup Marlin to use a moving bed (up-down)?
I am building a 3D printer from scratch, the bed will only move on Z and the head will stay at the top of the printer and move X and Y.
How do I modify the Marlin firmware to have the bed lower as it prints instead of lift like most printers.
# Answer
> 1 votes
You can control in Marlin what the direction of the stepper motor is, e.g. my Hypercube CoreXY printer (which has a similar setup like you described) has the following set (in the Marlin `Configuration.h` file) to ensure the platform raises when it has to decrease height:
```
// Invert the stepper direction. Change (or reverse the motor connector)
// if an axis goes the wrong way.
#define INVERT_Z_DIR true
```
Furthermore, it matters where the Z endstop is located, e.g. using a bed probe sensor or a min Z endstop, you need to home towards a decreasing height (in the direction of your probe/endstop):
```
// Direction of endstops when homing; 1=MAX, -1=MIN
#define Z_HOME_DIR -1
```
Don't forget to set a max Z height that falls within the printer volume, e.g.:
```
#define Z_MAX_POS 345
```
If the bed is heavy, you should also prevent the steppers to lose power when not being used, so at least set Z to `false`:
```
// Disables axis stepper immediately when it's not being used.
// WARNING: When motors turn off there is a chance of losing position accuracy!
#define DISABLE_Z false
```
# Answer
> 0 votes
To understand normal commands from a basic printer slicer, all movement commands in g-code are written to be away from the base layer as positive. Note that *technically* a "lower the bed" printer does violate Orthonormal coordinates unless you either swap X and Y while retaining 0 in the front-left corner or put 0 in the front-right corner, going left for +X (e.g. inverting that motor axis too) and back for -Y.
# Hardware
To *invert* the movement direction of an axis without rewriting the firmware there are two main ways, from mos invasive to easiest:
* Mount the actuator "upside-down" as that flips the rotational normal vector.
* use a left-hand-threaded rod and nut. This does not flip rotation but how rotation affects the bed.
* alter the stepper cables by "crossing" one of the phases leads. The motor rotates reversed to its commands now.
# Firmware
In Marlin, you can also just flip the direction of the motor via `configuration.h` by altering the line from `false` to `true`:
```
#define INVERT_Z_DIR true
```
---
Tags: marlin, z-axis
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thread-15673 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15673 | Klipper BED_SCREWS_ADJUST and SKEW_PROFILE interaction | 2021-02-17T21:28:33.593 | # Question
Title: Klipper BED_SCREWS_ADJUST and SKEW_PROFILE interaction
Klipper lets you define a skew profile that is loaded / unloaded on demand during START\_PRINT / END\_PRINT macros called during printing of a sliced file. This seems to be the recommended way to apply the skew in Klipper, in fact it is in the documentation this way: https://www.klipper3d.org/skew\_correction.html.
My question is, should I also manually load the skew profile prior to executing the BED\_SCREWS\_ADJUST built-in command in Klipper?
Or does BED\_SCREWS\_ADJUST ignore the skew entirely so it doesn't matter?
# Answer
> 1 votes
The skew correction works in X/Y axis while bed screws helps you correct the ax axis. Since they don’t work in the same axis, I don’t see why they would interfere with each other.
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Tags: calibration, klipper
--- |
thread-15439 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15439 | Is a slower outer perimeter speed still meaningful? | 2021-01-25T17:07:16.080 | # Question
Title: Is a slower outer perimeter speed still meaningful?
In the past we had printers with poor mechanics and with primitive software algorithms, therefore we used to print inner perimeters faster than the outermost one. See for example (generic, found online):
However now we have pressure/linear advance which reduces extra oozing/extrusion in corners or areas with variable speed, and in Klipper we also have resonance compensation which takes care of imperfect mechanics allowing printers to be pushed to higher acceleration without visible artifacts (in my case from 2000 to 6000 mm/s^2), see (generic) photo:
However printing slower has a clear disadvantage: E steps calibration is speed dependent with more filament being pushed out at lower speed, see
Is there any reason left to print outer perimeters at a lower speed? Using one speed only except for specific areas (small perimeters, bridges, support) seems to make more sense to me to improve quality and reduce printing times.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Lowering speed on outer perimeter has always been mostly wrong, but possibly useful. Usually, it's a poor approximation for what you really want to do, which is lowering *acceleration* on the outer perimeter, to avoid surface quality and dimensional accuracy errors due to ringing and backlash. However, on bowden printers without compensation for pressure ("linear advance" in Marlin, aka "pressure advance" in some other firmware), slow acceleration and high speeds give really bad error in extrusion consistency, so you're better off just lowering the max speed too whenever you lower acceleration.
It's also possible that you may want to print at extremely high speeds for inner walls and infill - speeds so high that you get a lot of extrusion consistency problems. If so, it would make sense to retain a sensible max speed on the outer wall. This won't avoid the part strength problems from printing too fast, but if your models are just decorative, it might be worth it.
Generally, though, I'd recommend solving these problems right (using linear advance if your printer needs it, lowering outer perimeter acceleration to get rid of artifacts, printing at a speed your hotend can handle, etc.) and deem "slower outer perimeter" an idea whose time has passed.
Also, note that if you're using a bowden printer *without* linear advance, sticking to the *same speed* for all extrusion will largely paper over the problem. This is probably the source of your observation that it "improves print quality" for you.
# Answer
> -1 votes
Thanks to Input Shaper, you can print faster, sometimes to the point of reaching your speed limit on the max nozzle flow speed. At that point, if all speeds are hitting that threshold without any changes in quality, you could print every part at the same maximum speed.
---
Tags: slicing, calibration, speed
--- |
thread-15815 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15815 | Noise cancelling Chiron Y-axis | 2021-03-08T05:46:33.910 | # Question
Title: Noise cancelling Chiron Y-axis
I want to be able to run my Chiron during night-time, but my neighbours tries to sleep at that time of day. I have put a lot of effort into making the printer silent. The controller-fan and power-supply-fan now run slower and only when needed, I have put the printer on those damper feet found on Thingiverse, I have added rods to stabilize the gantry and I have switched to TMC2209 for X, Y and Z. I have made sure the TMCs are tuned for 24V and are using 'stealth chop' below 225 rpm (120 mm/s). The result is impressive compared to how noisy the printer was when I bought it.
One problem was not solved, when Y-axis moves at between 35 and 45 mm/s, the printer starts to loudly vibrate at 220 to 280 Hz. To mitigate that, I first tried to slow down printing, but then print quality was hurt by oozing. Now I have reverted back to my desired print speed, but limited Y-axis feed-rate in Marlin to 32 mm/s using `M203 Y 32`. It is quiet enough, but many movements are slowed down, affecting quality.
What can I do to stop or mute these vibrations?
**ADDED 2021-03-30** I have no proper accelerometer, so I used a MPU6050 accelerometer and some code in an ESP8266. It samples roughly 400 times per second and gives a vibration-value that can be used to *estimate* the level of vibrations. It is not frequency-compensated, but gives a hint of what is happening. And it can be used to compare settings.
I also made a program based on an example in TMCStepper so I could run the stepper and see/change all settings. This program also relays the measurements from my accelerometer so I can make graphs.
To do this I removed the stepper from the chassis, as I need to be somewhat quiet when doing these tests. It looks like this:
This graph sums up my findings pretty well: X-axis shows motor-speed in full steps per second, fsps. fsps corresponds to the frequency of the noises I want to conceal. 200 fsps = 1 revolution per second = 60 rpm. On Chiron Y-axis 60 rpm = 32 mm/s = F1920.
Y-axis is shown with the scale log10(accelerometer values).
Here are the TMC-settings I used during the tests, which are same/or close to what Marlin use for 24V Chiron: (TPWMTHRS was set to 0 when I tested StealthChop)
What I read from this chart (and my many measurements): TMC2209 is much quieter below 120 fsps. StealthChop is fantastic at low speeds. StealthChop shall ONLY be used at really low speeds in a 3D printer. If at all, since switching mode also is noisy. SpreadCycle use 256 usteps/fstep. A4988 use 16 usteps/fstep. I think that is the reason for TMC to be more quiet at low speeds.
**What I do not understand:** Why is TMC2209 seems to be more loud at higher speeds. It might make different vibrations that my makeshift accelerometer rates worse, of course. But can I have a defective TMC2209? Or are the BigTreeTech boards bad? Or have I got fake TMC2209 with worse performance?
# Answer
Have you tried a concrete tile for garden with foam below it?
Check https://www.cnckitchen.com/blog/reduce-your-3d-printing-noise-with-a-concrete-paver
The same is on
Frequencies at 200+ Hz should not get to the neighbours, the walls and floor will absorb them. Lower frequencies are transmitted much more (see the video).
Try that, it's super cheap, and if not enough let us know for further help.
> 6 votes
# Answer
I noticed that my TMC drivers make a loud KLANK sound when switching from stealthchop to spreadcycle. The solution is to keep the in stealthchop at all time by butting the threshold really high (I set mine to 1000 mm/s). You may also look for resonance in your frame. If you’re using Klipper, you can use input Shaper with an accelerometer to lower ringing, it will improve your print ans make your printer quieter at the same time.
> 0 votes
# Answer
Since you have already invested in reducing the noise of you printer:
1. Move it away from the wall shared with your neighbor, or better a different room.
2. Reduce sound transmitted through the floor. Set the printer on some type of isolation table. This can be from an elaborate marble table to some type of homemade setup. You can put cushioning under the printer. The heavier the furniture the better.
3. Add an acoustical barrier to the wall, from a blanket to shaped acoustical foam.
4. Invest in noise cancelling equipment. Some are as low as $50.
> 0 votes
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Tags: bigtreetech, anycubic-chiron
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thread-15803 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15803 | Prints fail to adhere to build plate | 2021-03-06T05:01:19.493 | # Question
Title: Prints fail to adhere to build plate
I have been using an Anycubic i3 Mega for about a month now and it worked fine. But when I designed a simple model in Fusion 360 and sliced it with Cura it started to have issues sticking to the bed. I thought the problem was the model so I tried to print a Benchy, but the same problem occurred. I readjusted the bed but it's still not working. I'm not sure how I can trouble shoot this.
# Answer
The proper answer could be not related to Fusion, as you already noticed.
I suppose the issue is that the Ultrabase surface (or any other glass surface you have installed) was **not cleaned during the first month**? So it should be cleaned from grease and possibly dust. The general cleaning method is to use isopropyl alcohol (IPA) from time to time (btw. I am curious if it is advised in a printer's manual). If it does not fully help, I suppose using a dish soap with hot water prior to IPA is good step. Though I do not own this bed, so could not be 100 % sure of impact. (Definitely do not use any extra adhesion helpers for Ultrabed, because it has some specific microstructure which will get stuffed.)
You could want review other threads like this How to get Sunlu PLA to adhere to the printing bed? to get other hints and supplement your checklist. One thing to check first (and regularly) is proper bed levelling at current moment - and compare to initial layer settings in Cura (thickness, width, flow percentage).
> 4 votes
# Answer
Keeping the print bed clean as mention in other answers is key. Dish soap (without any additives) and water to wash away oils from your hands the printer itself is the first step. Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) is also good to keep the bed clean between prints, but when you run into adhesion problems, wash with soap first. IPA in many cases just move the oils around the bed instead of removing them. Also, always wipe from the centre of your bed to the outside.
The next step is to also ensure the bed is level (unless you have auto-levelling). If the bed is level, then you need to make sure your z-offset is correct. The first layer must be printed with the nozzle low enough to press the first layer into an oval shape onto the bed so that the surface area in contact with the bed is increased. If the z-offset is too high the first layer filament is going to have a round shape which means the printer is basically printing in the air.
Be careful not to decrease the z-offset too drastically because the nozzle should never come in contact with the bed because damage to the bed, nozzle or heat-break is possible.
Image source
> 3 votes
# Answer
A "hack" I used was to print with a raft. I decreased the width of the raft in Cura so I'm not printing with excess plastic and the raft ensures my print always sticks.
Another thing to look at is to look at the print speed, a slightly slower speed might help with the build plate adhesion. This is something I noticed from printing with a raft
For reference, I print with a glass bed and the plastic failed to adhere to the bed even after washing it and using sanitizer to clean it off. IPA is the real deal though but I didn't give it a try.
> 1 votes
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Tags: adhesion, anycubic-i3-mega
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thread-15247 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15247 | Proper belt tension for Ender 3 v2 | 2021-01-07T23:24:09.293 | # Question
Title: Proper belt tension for Ender 3 v2
The Y-axis belt just broke on my Ender 3 v2. I believe that it was over tensioned from the factory. When I initially assembled the printer, I noticed that the Y-axis tensioner was tightened almost all the way. The belt itself felt very stiff. The X-axis belt, which I installed upon assembly, didn't require a lot of tightening. I have ordered replacement belt material and clips to make new belts.
What is the proper tension for both the X- and Y-axis belts?
# Answer
> 3 votes
Generally, a timing belt is a complicated device and many things depend on its internal construction and materials (it may be damaged when bound in wrong direction, or when cut, and when overtighten of course, etc.). There is also physics and math applicable, based on Mersenne's laws.
Some vendors provide calculators (online or as phone apps), which can calculate tension (force in Newtons or lbs) or the frequency (Hz). Therefore often the advice is to tension the belt until some (bass) sound is present - and professionals would tune belts with a sound tuner. There are also hints that belts should be possible to connect with fingers with slight or significant pressure (so not consistent). There is also visual guideline: when you slowly move the carriage with hand, the belt should remain straight. (Slowly, because belt is elastic and may behave different when moving carriage stronger and faster against friction of pulley.)
I would suggest to read this article on 3dprintingspot.com for many practical suggestions.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Mine came from the factory tight enough that it doesn't sag at all, but not so tight that it feels hard or stiff or difficult to deflect a bit with gentle pressure. With the bed pushed all the way to the back, I can push the y-axis belt to the side about 1/8" with gentle pressure, and it feels like that's about as far as it's going to go even if I were to push harder. Seems to work really well without a lot of unnecessary force.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, maintenance, belt
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thread-13466 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/13466 | Filament that is resistant to ozone | 2020-04-20T04:34:04.407 | # Question
Title: Filament that is resistant to ozone
Does a filament exist that can resist ozone (like certain silicone tubing's can). Most glass bottles come with tin or plastic screw hard tops and I would like to replace the screw caps with something that is more resistant to ozone.
The reason for this is I make my own homemade ozonated oil in glass bottles and I would like to print out different hard screw top caps for some of the bottles.
# Answer
> 4 votes
If making your own caps ends up being the best solution, TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) is probably your best bet. I don't have specific information on printed TPU filament and ozone, but TPU is widely regarded as one of the most chemical-resistant materials you can easily print with, and this page by Ozone Solutions rates polyurethane (no mention of specific types) A/Excellent described as:
> Ozone has **no effect** on these materials. They will last indefinitely.
Being at least slightly flexible, TPU will also yield a good seal without any additional gasket. You should probably choose an unpigmented "natural/clear" TPU filament in case the pigments do react.
It might (probably would) also work to coat an existing cap with polyurethane. I'm not sure how you'd best get it to adhere, but lightly sanding the plastic then using a spray in multiple coats is what I'd try first.
# Answer
> 2 votes
This is highly relevant: PETG is very resistant to Ozone.
https://www.plasticsintl.com/chemical-resistance-chart
# Answer
> 0 votes
According to https://www.calpaclab.com/polyetherether-ketone-peek-chemical-compatibility-chart/ and https://www.polyfluor.nl/en/chemical-resistance/peek/ PEEK is very resistant to ozone.
PEEK does cost about as much per gram as silver.
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Tags: filament, fdm, filament-choice
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thread-15392 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15392 | CR-6 SE glass build plate - no lifting possible | 2021-01-21T21:49:53.873 | # Question
Title: CR-6 SE glass build plate - no lifting possible
I've been dealing with 3D printing for 1.5 years, but now own a CR-6 SE myself since the beginning of 2021. Most things are already quite clear but for 2 days I have had a problem with the adhesion of the prints.
Nearly all prints I have done so far used the filament shipped with the printer (PLA 1.75) and they came off the building plate after some cooling time by themselves. I used the default printer settings for PLA: 200 °C nozzle temperature, 60 °C printing bed.
Then 2 days ago the prints began to not stick to the bed anymore and I thought this could be because of dust and from touching the bed. So I cleaned the bed with IPA. The microfiber towel was yellowish afterward - so I thought that this must have been printing residues. Since then every print is kind of "welded" to the bed. There is no chance of loosening it without more IPA or way too much force.
I already tried:
* cleaning the bed with clean water - unfortunately, didn't work
* setting the Z-offset from 0.1 back to 0.2 mm - also no success
Today I also tried a spool of brand new PETG, with the following recommended settings: 240 °C nozzle temperature, 80 °C print bed - but the problem stayed the same.
Am I doing something wrong? Did I destroy the "Carborundum" coating (silicon carbide) of the glass plate?
# Answer
It is likely the surface was damaged by the chemical cleaning, based on your description and octopus8's comment. If you are unable to mechanically release the print, there is a chemical method that has worked for me (and at least one other SE user) in the past.
Bring the bed up to about 40 °C and turn off the heat to the bed. Apply with a dropper or swab a 50/50 mixture of denatured alcohol and water. It will seep under the part as well as evaporate. Attempt the mechanical release. If it fails, apply additional mixture and repeat. Continue to do this until the mixture does not evaporate as quickly.
If the part has not released, it may be necessary to repeat the heating and application.
If you wish to return to "normal" circumstances, a bed replacement is indicated.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I have had similar issues, and I have learned three tricks:
1. Some slicers (i.e. Cura) let you specify the height of your first layer, and I have found that slowly incrementing up from 0.16 mm by 0.2 mm to find the sweet spot of adhesion without warping. Every brand/type is different. But, usually, for me, fall between 0.18-0.22 mm.
2. Blue painters tape. If you don't need the glass flat finish of printing directly to glass, I always use blue tape. It makes for great adhesion, and also easy removal of super stuck prints, and you can just peel it off the build plate. With blue tape, I tend to add 2-3 °C to the bed temp.
3. Glue sticks (instead of hairspray). But, Elmer's glue sticks that go on purple and dry clear. When you use these, if a print is stuck, you just need to spritz some water around the print. The print and the glue will wick the water under the print, and reconstitute the glue. Once the glue is tacky again, the print will pop right off. The only downside is a slight texture to the print and not glossy glass flat.
The reason I like the colored glue, as it reconstitutes it activates the cobalt chloride and turns purple again. This is great for knowing when it is good to start printing again. And also tends to become less of a sticky mess than hairspray.
> 2 votes
# Answer
> Am I doing something wrong? Did I destroy the "Carborundum" coating (silicon carbide) of the glass plate?
I doubt it. Silicon carbide is tough stuff: it's a 9.5 on the Mohs hardness scale, just half a notch below diamond. They make router bits and end mills and the teeth of table saw blades out of it, and people clean all of those with much stronger solvents than isopropyl alcohol. I don't know what other ingredients Creality uses in their carborundum coating or whether they might be susceptible to solvents, but I'd be surprised if the alcohol you used did any real damage.
> So I cleaned the bed with IPA. The microfiber towel was yellowish afterward - so I thought that this must have been printing residues. Since then every print is kind of "welded" to the bed.
I had a similar experience, except that I cleaned with acetone instead of alcohol. My impression, too, is that the yellow stuff is some sort of residue left by PLA. If you print the same object several times in the same spot on the bed, you can begin to see a slightly shiny footprint of the object on the bed. You'll eventually notice a loss of adhesion in that spot, and the bed will feel a bit slick there. A small amount of acetone on a paper towel removes the footprint entirely, but you end up with a yellow spot on the towel that doesn't appear if you use the same procedure in a spot where there's been no printing.
I've also had object stick so strongly to the bed that they seem like they won't ever come off, and I think it's just a sign that a clean carborundum bed does its job very well. The best way to get them off, at least for me, is to apply a liberal dose of patience. I usually want to remove the part right away, but I find that if I let the bed cool down even to 50 °C, it's much easier to pop the part off.
**Update:** With the carborundum bed, adhesion is very sensitive to the height of the nozzle above the bed. If you have the bed set a bit too close to the nozzle, the PLA seems to really smoosh into the bed and grab on making the print hard to remove. If the bed is set lower, the PLA lines sit on top and don't smoosh in at all, and you don't get enough adhesion. There's a sweet spot in between the two, where the print sticks well enough that it takes a little effort to remove, but pops off with some coaxing. For me, using a sheet of printer paper as a gauge, it's about where I can feel the vibrations of the fan through the paper, but just barely, and the paper still slides easily between nozzle and bed. Your results may be different depending on the paper you use. Another way to tell you're on the right track is that the individual lines in the skirt should fuse together, but you want to be close to the point where they don't.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Sounds like the bed came with a coating on it. If you can't find out what the coating is, but believe you already removed it, you could try glue sticks or hair spray. You can also find glue sticks specified for 3D printing. Elmer's glue sticks work. I'm yet to try glue sticks specified for a 3D printer. You can Search on 3D Printing for answers where people used adhesive sprays. The link in octopus8's comment mentions a resin coating. There are resin coatings being sold for a bed adhesive.
> 0 votes
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Tags: adhesion, build-plate, creality-cr-6
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thread-15827 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15827 | Strange vertical lines on X-axis direction of parts | 2021-03-08T17:38:25.180 | # Question
Title: Strange vertical lines on X-axis direction of parts
This one is turning out to be a real head-scratcher. I'm running a stock Creality CR-10S and there seems to be a single line approx 45° across the print on the X-axis direction.
I have attached images to better explain. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
# Answer
> 1 votes
In your slicer check your z-seam overlap. Lines like that are what happens when a slicer is systematically trying to hide a seam while not adding a ton of time onto the print by adding in a bunch of additional time for travel.
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Tags: print-quality, fdm, creality-cr-10, x-axis
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thread-15842 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15842 | What kind of thermal paste do I need for a heatbed thermistor? | 2021-03-11T09:56:25.923 | # Question
Title: What kind of thermal paste do I need for a heatbed thermistor?
I've got a new heatbed. The current heatbed has a screw in the middle of the bed with some kind of thermal paste (feels like silicone). Somebody on reddit said that it is very unlikely silicone, because the curing process of silicone corrodes the electronics. But what is it and should I use just normal CPU thermal paste?
# Answer
If you need it to hold the thermistor in place, there are thermally conductive electrically insulating potting compounds, such as Appli-Thane® 7300 Urethane that have a temperature range of -100 to 160 °C.
The newest CPU thermal pastes contain silver particles and will conduct electricity. So, it needs to stay away from leads and pads that don't want to be shorted
> 1 votes
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Tags: repair, creality, creality-cr-6
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thread-11787 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11787 | Extruder motor making a knocking sound, nozzle is not clogged | 2020-01-17T02:32:45.040 | # Question
Title: Extruder motor making a knocking sound, nozzle is not clogged
I've been trying to print anything for the past few days. Every time I go to print something the printer stops pushing plastic out and usually the motor makes a knocking sound.
My original thought was that my E-steps were off (because they were) but I solved that and I still have a problem. Then I noticed that I was struggling with getting the PLA filament to feed into the nozzle. I assumed it was a clogged nozzle and possibly heat creep (because I was a dummy and used my old, bowden retraction settings on my new, direct extruder). I cleared out the clog and I'm able to feed plastic through after disengaging the idler arm. Though, I do struggle getting the filament into the nozzle. Maybe it's due to the Hemera's tight tolerances or due to a misalignment in the hot end, I'm not sure yet. Once I do get the plastic in, it quickly and easily pushes through and spits out of the nozzle so I think that my nozzle isn't clogged. I did do a cold pull the other day.
But I've noticed that my extruder is making a knocking sound, as if someone was gently rapping on my chamber door. I also see that the gears move one step back and forth. It looks to me that the motor is stuck or frozen. I'm pretty sure that it's not skipping steps. The sound happens at varying heights and not just the first layer. The first time I noticed it, it was printing the cabin of Benchy. Z \> 1 mm when I finally decided to ask this question. The sound is kind of loud, but that's most likely the resonance in the machine than a symptom, stating it nonetheless.
## My setup:
* **Printer:** Creality CR-10S
* **Extruder:** E3D Hemera
* **Nozzle temp:** 205-220 °C
* **Retraction:** Initially 5 mm at 40 mm/s, then 0.3 mm, then most recently none
* **Motor Vref:** just north of 800 mA. (I've read somewhere that the Hemera motor wants 800 to 1000 mA)
I'm just not sure what could be wrong here. I feel like I checked all the steps and I'm just missing something.
# Answer
I'm still not sure what happened but here's what I did.
I ended up buying a replacement since I thought the motor was seized up somehow. (I had some other issues too that required a replacement anyway.) Removing the heat sink and gear assembly from the old motor was extremely difficult so I assume that the gears somehow didn't link up.
After switching out motors, I was able to print a cube mostly successful.
> 1 votes
# Answer
A knocking or clicking sound does not imply you **have a problem**, it implies that you **could have a problem**; it can be the characteristic of the extruder.
---
*My own designed 2.85 mm filament, 1:4 speed reducing belt driven extruders make clicking sounds while extruding (independent of the layer height), I have verified that no steps are lost and the printer extrudes exactly the requested amount of filament (2.85 mm filament requires a lot more pressure for the same nozzle size, the noise is coming from inside of the metal Bulldog housing, not the stepper adjacent, it is not stepper nor filament skipping noise).*
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A clicking sound in combination with gears losing position as you describe (or filament skipping back) does mean that the pressure in the nozzle is too big for the extruder to push it through. If the gears loose position, this means that the stepper is not powerful enough to push it through, this means that more current or a more powerful stepper is required (the latter option is due to the design of the extruder not possible). If the filament skips back while the gears are in place the tension/grip to the filament needs to be increased.
In troubleshooting this problem it is best to increase the current to the stepper close to the upper side of the specifications of the stepper and see if the knocking sounds disappear. This should not be a problem for such a priced and tested extruder system, i.e. considering the reputation and quality of E3D this extruder must work out of the box unless you have received damaged components.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I had a bad connection at my motor that was causing the problem. I soldered direct to the motor and no more problems.
> 0 votes
# Answer
I have had the exact same problem on my Ender 3 Pro. I fixed it by adjusting the amount of pressure on the filament by the motor. I did replace the motor too for other problems.
> 0 votes
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Tags: troubleshooting, creality-cr-10, e3d-hemera
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thread-15847 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15847 | Does the Creality Ender 3 allow variable layer thickness? | 2021-03-11T22:43:48.540 | # Question
Title: Does the Creality Ender 3 allow variable layer thickness?
I'm new to the 3D printing world but I've been using some of the 3D printers at my local library, and am now interested in purchasing my own! One thing that's important for my projects is being able to use variable layer thickness (for example, the first 50 layers are 0.3 mm, the next 50 are 0.1 mm, and the last 50 layers are 0.3 mm).
I know the Prusa printers can do this, but I've been trying to understand whether the Creality Ender 3 allows you to use variable layer thickness. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find this information online so I would like to ask here!
# Answer
Variable layer height is a setting of the slicer, not an ability of the printer itself.
However, the printer must be able to print at such layer heights. Any FDM (Fused deposition modeling ) or FFF (fused filament fabrication) printer, which is the type you describe in the question, is able to print at 0.1 to 0.3 mm with at least a 0.4 mm nozzle diameter.
There is also notion of optimal layer heights. Optimal hight depend on full steps of Z motor correlated with a leadscrew type. It is especially important when microstepping for Z is disabled or when printer disconnects a Z motor during long printing of single layer, otherwise positioning may get imprecise. Prusa calculator helps to determine these values. For 8 mm/revolution lead of screw (standard T8 in Ender 3) the step for optimal heights would be 0.04 mm.
> 7 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, slicing, layer-height
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thread-15840 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15840 | Bed is leveled and not warped but still uneven printing? | 2021-03-11T05:07:13.857 | # Question
Title: Bed is leveled and not warped but still uneven printing?
I have the Creality CR-10S. I replaced the glass it originally came with as it was warped and I wasn't getting any material out on 2 of the sides.
I switched to a PEI sheet and got the same results after only a few prints.
I then switched to a mirror I had cut previously, and it worked for maybe 2 days. I scrapped a print off that warped, and then the leveling was off on that. My gantry is level, my beds aren't warped, I'm leveling it to allow a standard piece of paper to have friction by the head. It's either to close and no filament is extruded or it doesn't stick at all and drags filament everywhere. If I can get good extrusion on one side, it's horrible off on the other or all corners.
*Note that I have checked my gantry and it is straight as well and my the bed. Not sure what issues I have left.*
# Answer
> 1 votes
Be sure that you have no previous bed meshes saved and automatically applied: use the commands M502, M500.
Once you have done that, try this technique:
It's about using a ruler to detect areas which are lower, and then use stickers below the glass to thicken those areas only, resulting in a much flatter surface.
If you don't want to use the blue tape (which will worsen the heat transfer, but not so much after all) you could use 0.3 mm silicone thermal tape, which is more heat conductive but it's also quite thicker than blue tape.
This other alternative consists of flattening the plate itself, but it's inevitably performed when cold, while the tape technique above can be performed at the desired temperature (since the warping may not be constant).
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Tags: bed-leveling, extrusion, creality-cr-10
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thread-15740 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15740 | What is the difference between tuning the speed on the Ender 3 panel, and the Cura Print Speed setting? | 2021-02-24T16:57:35.127 | # Question
Title: What is the difference between tuning the speed on the Ender 3 panel, and the Cura Print Speed setting?
I'm printing a lot of draft parts so I don't care if they fall apart in my fingers, I just need the shape. I can scroll to the Tune menu on my Ender 3 Pro console and set the speed to 200% and it doubles the speed. But when I set the Print Speed setting to 100 instead of 50 mm/s in Cura, it doesn't save much time, even if I adjust the individual first layer speed, wall speed, top layer speed, etc. What is the difference?
Ideally, I would like the first layer to print normally, and then print at 2x speed.
# Answer
I figured it out.
Feed rate, in general, is the speed of a single print move, from point A to point B. It is specified with every G1 command that commands a move. Setting the feed rate on the printer console will scale the feed rate of every move the printer makes. The Cura "Print speed" setting is used as a basis to set the print speed (Feed rate) of different line types. Eg. Infil is 100% of this speed, walls are 50% of this speed, etc.
There are several other settings that will make Cura will decide not to use the speed that you set.
* Minimum layer time. In my case, this prevented the walls of the calibration cube from reaching the maximum speed. They were slowed down until so that each layer took at least 10 seconds.
* Lines that overhangs are scaled to a percentage of what they would normally print at.
* Bridge speed settings are found in the experimental settings, and if enabled they will override the speed for bridges.
In addition, the printer's acceleration setting may prevent it from reaching the maximum speed. You can see this if you issue this command during printing:
```
M201 X50 Y50 ; Set max acceleration
```
The print will slow down a lot until you set it back to the default. The printer will accelerate and decelerate slowly and simply never reach the maximum speed over short distances. The default in the Marlin firmware (for Ender) seems to be:
```
M201 X500 Y500 ; Set max acceleration
```
> 0 votes
# Answer
You can look under Cura setting to set ' Initial Layer Print Speed ' and ' Initial Layer Travel speed ', you may appropriately set you print speed as you required
> 0 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, ultimaker-cura
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thread-10888 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/10888 | Export STL as ASCII or binary? | 2019-08-28T19:18:51.963 | # Question
Title: Export STL as ASCII or binary?
When go to export a model using Fusion 360 or Meshmixer, I see that there are two options. Could the final model be affected by the format chosen at the time of saving?
# Answer
> 6 votes
The two formats contain the same information about the model, but the binary format is **much more compact**, so it will produce smaller files from the same part but they should work the same. That's to say, if you take the exact same model, save it as a binary STL and as an ASCII STL, the binary STL file will take up **fewer bytes** on disk. The number of triangles and the dimensions of the printed model will **stay the same**.
There are a couple of important exceptions here:
1. I don't know about Meshmixer specifically, but some tools will have completely different code paths for exporting the two formats. One exporter may have a bug that the other exporter doesn't. The same is true of the slicer, which may have a bug reading one of the two kinds of STL but not the other. In this case, it'll make a huge difference which one you use, but you'll only find out when one goes wrong. This is what fred\_dot\_u experienced in his answer.
2. Some tools have a way of putting colour information into the binary STL format, which isn't possible with the ASCII format. If your model has coloured triangles, you might find that the binary STL preserves the colours, while the ASCII STL loses the colours. Whether this matters to you depends on what printing technology you'll be using. Most slicers can't use these colours anyway - and subsequently, ignore color information on import.
The ASCII STL format is older than the binary format, so you may find some very old software can only understand the ASCII STL files, but unless you're working with such old software, it's usually better to use the binary format. Smaller files don't just save disk space: they're also faster to process and transfer via e-mail or on servers.
# Answer
> 4 votes
You should always pick the *binary* option. ASCII files are larger and slower to save and load. There's no reason to ever use ASCII unless you are using software that is incompatible with binary files.
> Could the final model be affected by the format chosen at the time of saving?
In practice, the model will not be affected by either choice. There are some subtle differences between the two formats, such as binary being able to store an attribute per triangle (which is sometimes used to represent colour), ASCII being able to store a "name" for the solid in a file while binary can store an 80-byte header containing metadata, binary being limited to 32 bits of precision while ASCII theoretically has the option to use arbitrary precision. However, for 99.9% of all use cases there is no difference, so it is preferable to use binary for its smaller file size.
# Answer
> 2 votes
I have experienced problems on occasion when using a binary exported Meshmixer model. The slicers used have been Simplify3D and Prusa Slicer 2.0 and possibly an earlier version. I've not attempted to resolve the problem other than to change that specific model to export to ASCII which then solves the problem. ASCII files will be larger but that's not a significant factor, in my opinion.
If you are using a program which fails to properly process a binary export, it's simple enough to overwrite the model in ASCII form.
# Answer
> 2 votes
The other answers on this thread seem kind of hand-wavy, so I'll give my input.
At its simplest, all we're dealing with here is two different formats of encoding the same data. The 3D file is identical, just described by the file data in different terms.
That being said, there is a multitude of different reasons that 3D prints can fail. Fusion 360 is notorious for having issues with slicers because of fillets, lofts, smooth-curvy type patterns, or intersecting planes.
Binary is a smaller encoding. It almost always works for me. ASCII has never failed me as a backup when binary did.
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Tags: 3d-models, stl
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thread-15859 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15859 | Is it possible to get higher resolutions by using high resolution encoders and custom firmware? | 2021-03-14T06:32:03.637 | # Question
Title: Is it possible to get higher resolutions by using high resolution encoders and custom firmware?
So I was thinking about is it possible to reach higher resolutions with encoders and DC motors? I found a cheap high-resolution magnetic encoder that can be used along with a DC motor to access higher resolutions. The encoder has 8192 PPR meaning that it can measure up to 0.04 degrees if I have correctly calculated. So if for a stepper with 0.9 step angle and no micro-stepping with 20 tooth pulley and 2mm belt, the steps/mm is 10, it means every 9 degrees with this pulley and belt setup makes 1mm and so 0.04 degree makes 0.004mm movement that is about 4 microns. Is this correct and possible? If so, why don't big companies use this method?
Link to the encoder: RLS RMB20 rotary magnetic encoder module
# Answer
The mistake in your reasoning is assuming no microstepping. Most 3D printers use 16 microsteps, and in my experience with both cheap A4988 drivers and nice TMC2209 drivers, microstepping is quite accurate. As part of an answer to a question I asked, you can see a test print showing single-microstep features. My motors have 1.8° step angle, yielding 3200 steps per rotation at 16 microsteps, or 12.5 microns of linear movement per microstep. With 0.9° step angle you could get it down to half that, and you could probably halve it again going to 32 microsteps.
Even if you can't get it as good as your 4 microns with stepper motors though, at 12.5 micron positioning resolution you're already to the point where extrusion error is going to play a much bigger role in dimensional accuracy than toolhead positioning error does. Going past that with FDM requires high resolution extruder axis movement, closed-loop control with a precise filament diameter sensor, direct drive with minimal distance between the extruder gear and nozzle, etc.
> 2 votes
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Tags: resolution, closed-loop, servo
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thread-15857 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15857 | What is the best way to build a closed loop continuous rotation servo for 3D printer? | 2021-03-13T18:16:21.717 | # Question
Title: What is the best way to build a closed loop continuous rotation servo for 3D printer?
So I was thinking of using a closed-loop motor in my 3D printer for better accuracy and high-speed printing without losing steps. I have analyzed options available including just tweaking stepper current and firmware changes to prevent step losses but I want to find the best way to do it with encoders. The problem is I need a pretty high resolution for a 3d printer and usually, high-resolution servo motors use potentiometers that are limited and not suitable for a 3d printer. I am thinking of building my own closed-loop continuous rotation servo using stepper/DC motors and encoders but I can't find any high-resolution encoder at a reasonable price. So is there any way to somehow use low-resolution encoders (like 36 pulse every full turn) or is there any encoder type that I can use for better accuracy at a reasonable price other than optical ones? Also is there any other solution for closed-loop systems at a reasonable price?
Note that I am aware that I may need to modify firmware or write my own code for motors and program them from scratch.
**Note:** You might consider this question Closed-loop stepper motors a possible duplicate but I have read that and my main problem is not being able to find any cheap high-resolution encoder for this purpose.
Also for some reason, I can't use products like BTT S42B closed-loop stepper drives, my only option is to build them myself.
**TL;DR:**
Is there any type of encoder with high resolution and cheap price for use in 3D printers? (I don't mean brand, I mean technology)
# Answer
You can use a magnetic position encoder.
AS5048B High Resolution Position Sensor
14-bit rotary position sensor with digital angle (interface) and PWM output
14 bit means 16k steps/rotation. With a stepper which does 200 steps/rotation and 16x microstepping, you will need only 11 bit, so you have plenty of extra accuracy you can use to filter noise.
You may use AS5600 Positioning Sensor instead, which is 12 bits, since you don't need to track each microsteps in a closed loop, 4x is enough.
AS5600 in PWM mode does up to 920 Hz, AS5048 1 kHz. I'm not sure in I2C mode but surely more. Of course you have to take into account delay between measuring the position and transmission of the position.
> 2 votes
# Answer
The gearbox approach is solid, but it will be 100x slower, and you said you wanted speed.
> 1 votes
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Tags: resolution, closed-loop, servo
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thread-15861 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15861 | Identify 3D scan technolgoy | 2021-03-14T11:22:48.400 | # Question
Title: Identify 3D scan technolgoy
I'm curious what is the technology category for this 3D scanner device:
Does the device fit into any technology category listed by Wikipedia?
Could it be structured light approach?
# Answer
That's not Structured light, it is a camera. The camera makes a series of photos - one with each flash. Then, the photos are stitched to create a 3D model using a code that is similar to one I was shown in an informatics class in my uni once:
* the software identifies structures that are identical.
* By tracking the difference between the pictures, distances away from the camera between the different photos are estimated. As a result, several passes in different angles give us a complete 3D scan.
* Motion of the scanner probably is included in the metadata, allowing to calculate the angles more precisely.
So, it's **Photogrammetry**.
> 1 votes
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Tags: scanning
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thread-13915 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/13915 | 3D Printed Sphere, How to Remove Roughness | 2020-06-21T09:35:34.383 | # Question
Title: 3D Printed Sphere, How to Remove Roughness
I have a model of an eye that I custom made in **Blender 2.83** that when printed only creates **roughness** on the printed object near where I had the supports. **The supports are not the cause of the roughness** (at least not completely) since the supports don't even touch the parts of the print where the majority of the roughness and bumps are (**refer to my photos** of the print)
**The roughness is only near the bottom part of the sphere as it prints upwards (refer to photos)**
What I'm looking for is a technique or any suggestions for printing this without the roughness so it's smooth like in the rest of the print. I'm also curious *what* is causing the roughness.
---
**Eye Model in Blender**
**Blender Scale Ratio:** 0.001
**Blender Units:** mm
---
**Eye Model in Prusa Slicer**
Layer Gif
Prusa Slicer Main Settings (Higher Res)
Variable Layer Heights For Smoothness
---
**Eye Model Prints Photos**
Eye Model Small Version 3D Print (Notice it's **smooth** on top of print)
Eye Model Small Version 3D Print **Trouble Area**
Eye Model Small & Large Version With Support (Notice **roughness** on the sphere)
Example of Support Used On Small Print
Smooth on inside of print
---
**--------- Print Details ---------**
**Printer:** Prusa i3 MK3s
**Filament:** PLA Galaxy Silver (Prusa Reserach)
**Slicer Software:** Prusa Slicer
**Print Temperature First Layer**: 205 degrees
**Print Temperature Other Layers**: 190 degrees
**Notes:** The suggested temperature for the filament is 205-215, I've adjusted after careful calibration given my environment to a lower temperature to reduce stringing. I created a tower at different temperatures and discovered 190 was the perfect setting to reduce stringing in my case with this material. Refer to my screenshot below. **I do not think temperature has anything to do with this since the print is smooth inside and near the top without any issues**.
**Temperature Tower Test For Filament Photo**:
(Note stringing in the cone test areas at 225 to 205)
---
--------- **Prusa Slicer Settings Photos** ---------
Filament settings
Extruder Settings
Support Settings
# Answer
While Trish is completely right that the roughness can't be completely eliminated (you can't print a perfect spherical surface with discrete layers), the situation can be improved dramatically. The most telling photo in your question is the one of the removed support structure.
The part of your sphere that's seriously rough is all severe overhang. In this region, the outer wall of layer N+1 barely overlaps the outer wall of layer N, if at all, and without support would be printed mostly or entirely over thin air, failing to attach to anything and sagging/curling down randomly according to tensions in the extruded material, air currents, etc.
Now, with support material that's not entirely the case. Every so often (looks like a 2 mm grid) there are support lines under the overhanging outer wall. These will anchor it every so often and keep it from curling or sagging too much, but they don't actually constrain it to the place the slicer wanted the wall to go, and they don't provide a surface for the extruded material to press against to get the desired (e.g. 0.4 mm wide by 0.1 mm thick) extrusion cross section; instead the cross section will tend to be circular as a result of tensions within the molten material.
In order to get a decent surface over support material, you need what slicers call "Support Interface" or "Support Roof" (these are the names Cura uses; I suspect it's similar in Prusa Slicer). This feature builds a top surface as part of the support material itself for the supported part of the model to rest upon and press against. Of course that can make support harder (potentially a lot harder) to remove, and depends on tuning the Z distance between the model and the support as a tradeoff between quality and difficulty of removal, but it should get you much better results.
> 5 votes
# Answer
## You can't print them smooth
The short answer is: with FDM you can't make curves that go into the Z-direction. The better question is: Why?
Let's look at why it is rough: the roughness is from the layer height and the thickness of the perimeters (walls). At some point, perimeters of the given thickness have to be placed in a way that does not cover up fully anymore. Let's look at this example of stacking. At first, how looks a sphere close to the equator? well, the stacking is rather easy there. Think of each printed wall as a rectangular crossection and you get this pattern:
As we move further up along the print, the overlap between each subsequent layer gets less and less. Somewhere in the middle we are at this situation:
Till at the top of the dome this happens: The steps appear coarser and coarser and in the end create a very visible and feelable stepping pattern. Also, the top layer might get skipped because it is not a full layer height, depending on the slicer settings..
# Mitigating?
But there are ways to mitigate the sphere problem to some degree.
* reduce layer height a lot on the areas that are curved such heavily, though this has a direct effect on print time and can impact the quality.
* Don't use an FDM printer but an SLS printer with layer heights that are fractions of the layer heights possible with FDM
* Cut up your sphere. An example cut up is here, but there are other options. If your print orientation is not mandatory, you can even cut your sphere up and reorient it to achieve this, mitigating both the layer problem as well as making support use 0:
# Post-Processing
The only true way to get rid of the layer lines is post processing. In this case I strongly suggest to use a filler and then sand off the excess material.
> 4 votes
# Answer
I’ve noticed the best way to get it smooth without support is to make the printer print the inner parts of the model first. That way it gives the hanging layer something to hold on to. I turn my window ac unit up to high aim it at the printer so it cools the filament quickly. Next you’re going to want to mess around with the extruder heat. Try to get it as low as possible but watch out for the good gooey bad gooey range. If the first overhanging layer is close to the bed turn the bed heat off. Then tinker with the flow try to get it low but not super low I go as low as 70
> 0 votes
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Tags: prusa-i3, troubleshooting, prusaslicer
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thread-15875 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15875 | How do I add an emergency stop button over Micro USB? | 2021-03-16T11:10:46.617 | # Question
Title: How do I add an emergency stop button over Micro USB?
I have an Ender 3. I want to add an emergency stop button. Ideally it’ll plug in to the printer’s micro USB port and run the `M112`. I use default firmware and don’t plan to change it thanks.
# Answer
> 3 votes
The most effective way to effectuate an emergency stop is to pull the plug or turn the printer off. An alternative is a software stop using a print server program like e.g. OctoPrint.
Indeed `M112` is capable of stopping the printer:
> `M112` is the fastest way to shut down the machine using a host, but it may need to wait for a space to open up in the command queue. Enable `EMERGENCY_PARSER` for an instantaneous `M112` command.
In order to use emergency stop functionality, you need a firmware capable of doing an emergency stop by having this enabled in the Configuration\_adv.h printer configuration file, otherwise it will have to await the queue to be emptied first. I doubt if this is standard enabled in your default firmware (the Marlin default is disabled).
From Marlin's Configuration\_adv.h:
```
/**
* Emergency Command Parser
*
* Add a low-level parser to intercept certain commands as they
* enter the serial receive buffer, so they cannot be blocked.
* Currently handles M108, M112, M410, M876
* NOTE: Not yet implemented for all platforms.
*/
//#define EMERGENCY_PARSER
```
Please note that this might not be implemented; it has not been implemented for all platforms.
An earlier question "Can G-code scripts be run automatically on inserting an SD card when using Marlin Firmware?" has an answer that hints to changing the sources on SD card insertion. In your case the USB needs to be monitored, and it a signal is detected the printer stopped.
So, since:
> I use default firmware and don’t plan to change it
without modification of your firmware it is not possible to do what you want. But, there are perfectly viable options mentioned and available to do what you want (executing an emergency stop). Alternatively you could even use a (n Arduino powered) relay to cut the power based on the signal you want to send.
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Tags: safety
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thread-15872 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15872 | Able to compile, but not upload | 2021-03-15T22:15:14.960 | # Question
Title: Able to compile, but not upload
The board is BTT SKR v1.1.
I know the board is connected with COM3. I get the Avrdude 500 timeout.
I am using VS Code, and am close, but need to know exactly what changes to make in config/adv.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I have both the BTT SKR PRO v1.1 and the BTT SKR mini v1.1 (it is unclear which is meant by the OP), and for both you do not upload over the USB, you compile the software into a `firmware.bin` file which you place onto the microSD card. Once you power the board, the new firmware file will be installed onto your board.
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Tags: troubleshooting
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thread-15868 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15868 | Cura messes up my print. How can I make it print what I see in Blender? | 2021-03-15T19:02:23.567 | # Question
Title: Cura messes up my print. How can I make it print what I see in Blender?
I'm using Cura and it removes my holes and deletes sections of the print and disconnects parts. In Blender it looks as it should be, as I designed it. I know there are a few mishaps inside (not manifold) but is there a way to fill in everything on the inside. I only care about the externally facing faces. This is extremely infuriating I hope someone can tell me how to force Cura to print what is originally seen in the .stl.
These are photos of how it should look.
Now these next photos are how Cura previews it. Not only does it fill in the holes (no, fill holes isn't enabled) it adds huge gaps in the side and bottom of the print as can be seen.
How can I force Cura to print what I see in blender in the original .stl?
I am exporting in Blender to .stl and opening that in Cura.
---
I was able to fix it partially by fixing normals in Blender but there is still this:
# Answer
> 6 votes
It's common for modeling software to flip normals, causing what you describe. You said,
> I only care about the externally facing faces.
But are you sure they are truly externally facing? Turn on normals in Blender and ensure that all the arrows/pointers are external.
Another problem that can generate the results you're seeing are self-intersecting surfaces, non-manifold edges, and a couple others that are explained in a 3dhubs article. Correcting those problems involve a bit more examination and trouble shooting.
The slicing software prefers to have clean, well defined triangular surfaces in order to create a print file. When something is amiss, you get results you've presented.
With the STL in hand, I opened it in Meshmixer (free) and immediately was given a clue.
The zebra-stripes are reversed normals.
Here's another error point, difficult to see clearly in flat 2D image, but panning and zooming and orbiting and all those 3D manipulating things shows there's nothing there:
The other end of this not-joined area shows a bit better:
After selecting all I could find/locate, I did the reverse normals and here's a slightly improved result:
Unfortunately, the other borked up portions prevented meshmixer from performing a suitable auto-repair, completely destroying the model in the process.
Those joint corners and any other colored lines have to be addressed individually.
# Answer
> 6 votes
There are several problems at work here:
* Internal Geometry & unjoined parts
* Missing Surfaces
* Generally inverted surfaces: every surface is inside out!
# Fixing it!
## Step 1: add missing surfaces.
Select the vertices around the hole that has no bottom surface and then pres `F` to create a surface. Use several steps, making roughly triangle surfaces. For example: select the red marked vertices, then `F` and then the next set.
## Step 2: Internal Geometry
Let's now hunt for purely internal surfaces. Select them and delete them with `Del`, and select `Delete Face`.
## Step 3: Superflous surface geometry
Some areas have remnants from areas where you worked. Merge those vertices to prevent new artifacts from cropping up. Select the vertices, `M` and then `collapse` for each circle, like the red one. Some might need to be collapsed at a specific vertex to prevent surfaces from getting ripped or intersecting badly - in the lower picture the green circled one.
## Step 4: Normals
Last but not least: `Alt`+`N` and then `Recalculate Outside`
## Export to look for other errors...
Everything should look much better now: The "checkered" areas are gaps are gaps in the walls... which stem from bad geometry in the big walls I selected in the lower picture.
So, I select one of these areas - then change to vertex mode, deselect the vertex I **don't** want the face to connect to (red) but the ones that should define the edge instead (green) and then press `F` to make a new face. Then I select the old one and delete it.
# DONE!
# Answer
> 5 votes
Rhino gives the following output for `MeshRepair`
* Mesh has 3 degenerate faces. (a face that's actually a line or a point)
* Mesh has 42 non manifold edges. (a line where 3 or more faces meet, possibly caused by degenerate faces)
* Mesh has 6 duplicate faces. (faces that share the same coordinates)
* Mesh has 148 naked edges (edges that have only one face)
All of these things are indicators that it might be difficult to distinguish inside from outside.
I have encountered these problems after changing a model a lot during it's lifetime (adding/removing stuff). Since there are 200 errors and it's a relatively simple model, I advice you to fix these kind of problems by starting with a new clean model, using some of the coordinates of the old model as reference.
Also: be sure to check out blender's 3d printing wiki, they seem to have quite some tools similar to rhino's meshrepair
# Answer
> 3 votes
Okay, so like suggested I put it into 3D Builder (A free Windows 3D modeling program). I imported it as an stl, then exported it as an stl and imported that stl into Cura. And lo and behold all problems were gone! If you are having a similar issue give that a try! The 3D Builder program and similar ones are designed to export for the sole purpose of 3D printing so it automatically fixes these issues! If this doesn't work try editing yours in edit mode (Blender) a bit so it makes it easier for 3D Builder to fix it.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, ultimaker-cura, 3d-design, slicing, stl
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thread-15884 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15884 | Can OctoPrint web interface be turned off during a print? | 2021-03-17T16:41:51.110 | # Question
Title: Can OctoPrint web interface be turned off during a print?
Can I turn off the web interface (i.e. shutting down my computer) during a print? The Raspberry is online still.
Am I correct to say that G-code has already been uploaded via WiFi to my OctoPi, and so turning off my computer now (web interface) will not disrupt the print?
# Answer
> 5 votes
Assuming the OctoPrint server is running on your Raspberry Pi, which is the usual "OctoPi" setup, then yes, once you have uploaded the G-code to OctoPrint, you no longer need to leave the web interface open.
For example, one could upload code from their desktop running the slicing software to OctoPrint, walk to the printer to turn it on, then use a different device (a phone, for example) to connect OctoPrint to the printer and begin the print. At no point does the device accessing the web interface matter. The Raspberry Pi is in control of the printer, not the device that started the print.
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Tags: octoprint
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thread-3968 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3968 | ABS or PLA for structural printed parts? | 2017-04-30T13:12:33.240 | # Question
Title: ABS or PLA for structural printed parts?
### TL;DR
Is ABS a better material to use for structural parts of a 3D printer, as opposed to PLA?
---
I have been looking at various suppliers of printed parts for a Wilson II, on eBay.
One supplier supplies all of the parts printed in ABS, whereas another supplier provides the structural parts, which form part of the frame, in PLA, and the remaining (non-structural) parts in ABS. The second supplier states the following:
> This kit is printed in two materials, the structural parts are printed on high-quality PLA to provide the necessary rigidity, and the others in premium ABS.
MJRice, who developed the printer, also supplies the printed parts, which are made of PLA.
Is PLA really a better choice for structural components? A quick google lead me to ABS or PLA: Which 3D printing filament should you use?
> **ABS is going to give your projects better structural integrity and will be more suited to mechanical use** given the material can better withstand the elements, but it will also require specific types of printers and printing surfaces. On the flip side, PLA will give you more precise prints and better aesthetic quality, as well as more flexibility with printing conditions if you can do without the **strength and resilience of ABS**.
Another link, What's stronger? PLA or ABS?, also implies that ABS is stronger than PLA:
> The strongest ABS is stronger than the strongest PLA
and
> ABS is much less brittle than PLA
although warpage could be an issue...
> I choose ABS for it's strength over PLA. *I would love to avoid the warpage/shrinkage problems of ABS*.
Heat seems to affect PLA more than ABS (obviously, due to the lower melting point),
> FWIW, I know a guy who had a reprap using PLA-printed parts. He was taking his machine around to do demos and he left it in the car mid-day once. It melted the parts enough that prints were coming out very poorly even after his best effort at recalibrating the machine.
and as I am in Thailand, my room gets up to 50°C some days (it is unbearable), I wonder if that would be cause for concern?
So, from the above nuggets of information, wouldn't ABS be a better choice? I am surely missing something, as both the second supplier, *and* MJRice, use PLA.
# Answer
> 6 votes
To answer the main question "Is ABS better for structural parts of a 3D printer as opposed to PLA".
The answer, unfortunately is it depends.
ABS has lower yield and ultimate strengths compared to PLA. This means that at room temperatures, ABS is weaker than PLA. However the difference between yield and ultimate for ABS is much larger than PLA, meaning that ABS parts will deform, noticeably so before breaking. This *can* be a good thing. If your ABS part is highly loaded, you may want to be able to inspect it for overloading. The plastic deformation that occurs in ABS may be sufficient for you to identify, and modify your parts before a catastrophic failure. With PLA though since the two strengths are quite close, your part would more than likely fail completely without any warning or deformation before it. So in terms of strength, it's a design consideration. Would you rather have a slightly weaker part that shows signs of load failure, or is a catastrophic failure acceptable. There are use cases where either may be better.
As Ecnerwal pointed out, PLA has a lower Tg (glass transition temperature) compared to ABS. If your printed parts are going on a 3D printer and aren't sufficiently isolated from the hot parts (print bed or extruder) then you may end up having some localized deformation. That being said, the extruder is generally pretty localized and likely won't cause you too many issues assuming you're using any of the already available 3D printer designs out there, same for the print bed. However by the sounds of it your 'room' temperature is a fair bit higher than here in North America, by a factor of almost 2! This *could* cause you some issues if you're printing parts in the high heat with PLA. Your best option would be ABS, but even with it's higher Tg (roughly 90C if I remember correctly) you may still run into issues.
The warping and shrinkage issues mentioned in the question seem to be more about parts being built by a 3D printer. Once the parts are built warpage and shrinkage are essentially a non-issue unless you've heated parts back to within their melting temperatures.
Depending on where you're getting your plastic parts, there may be a third option. By the sounds of it you're looking at building your own printer. You may be able to get the STL files of the printed parts you need and then have someone print them for you in a stronger material such as Nylon.
Assuming alternative materials aren't an option I would personally suggest going with ABS for your use case. My reasoning is purely due to the potential operating temperatures. While 50C is below the Tg for PLA it's getting very close.
# Answer
> 4 votes
To answer your question, ABS is better than PLA for parts however I wouldn't use ABS for that, I would use PETG for structural parts.
PETG is more durable than ABS or PLA. PETG is more flexible than PLA and it not brittle like ABS. What makes PETG so good is the G! G stands for Glycol, this is added to prevent the material from crystallizing when over heated. While some companies say it is "Food Grade" you really need to be careful as note every factory produce it the same.
When I started printing I only used ABS, I thought it was better because it was stronger than PLA, so I just put up with the smell of ABS.
It wasn't until I bought my second printer that I found out about PETG. They guy that makes my printer used to work in the plastics industry, so he gave me some info on the filaments on the market.
Now I use PLA and PETG. PLA for testing and playing with different models and PETG for anything I want to last or will be used in hot environments (like in the car).
**Printing with PETG** is very easy, a lot easier than ABS. It sticks to the bed very well (I still use Glue stick though) and no smell. Temp depends on your printer. I use an ExtraBot, I run the Extruder at **220°C** and the glass bed at **80°C**
There are a lot of write ups on PETG, many different settings/temps they recommend. Honestly, watch while you print. Start off at 220°C and if you see bubbles, drop the temp in increments, if you see it not sticking to the bed or the nozzle is clogging up, increase the temp.
# Answer
> 3 votes
50°C is hot for you. PLA's glass transition temperature is 65°C. A car in the mid-day sun can get very hot indeed.
As to the question of "stronger" - if the part is designed to be *strong enough* for its use in PLA, it will be no better in "stronger" ABS. If the PLA part will be "more precise" and "less warped" - that may well make it better for its use. Other than a widespread community dedication to self-replication, (or mostly self-replicating with some metal parts) there's plenty of arguments for making most printer parts out of machined metal, for that matter - much stronger than ABS or PLA.
Brittleness likewise might matter if you were planning to drop the printer; but should not matter in use if the part is designed for the forces it will see in the material it's designed for. Looking at older technology, many machine tools are made of cast iron, which is quite brittle, rather than steel, which can be less brittle depending on how it's processed. If the part is designed for the job and used/handled in a reasonable way, "brittle" is not an inherently bad thing, and a thin steel part that flexes is a worse thing than a thick cast iron part that flexes less.
As for
> withstand the elements
that appears to be a reference to outdoor use where PLA will break down - but if you are not leaving your printer out in the rain (which will be bad for many other parts unless you do a lot of engineering to protect them) that should be of little concern.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Actually, Both PLA and ABS could use for structural parts. PLA has high strength and is brittleness. ABS has better thermal resistance and durable. PLA and ABS are the main types of 3D printing material, each has cons and pros.
If you want to choose which type, you need to know the detailed application.
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Tags: pla, abs, printer-building, diy-3d-printer
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thread-15895 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15895 | Why does OpenSCAD fail to cut holes in polygon sides that are exactly the width of the wall? | 2021-03-18T14:21:53.377 | # Question
Title: Why does OpenSCAD fail to cut holes in polygon sides that are exactly the width of the wall?
I'm trying to make a frame for a lithograph that I plan to 3D print for my wife for Mother's Day. I typically will have my differences be exactly the right size (rather than oversizing it for the sake of the preview) because it gives me a good feel for how accurate my math is (particularly when I'm accounting for the horizontal margin created by the compressed filament coming out of the nozzle).
In this case, however, it came back to bite me. I debugged this issue for quite a while assuming I had miscalculated something or that I had confused my order of rotations somehow.
Eventually, I oversized my cutout and sure enough, the holes appeared correctly. After poking at it, I realized I only need `0.000005 mm` on either side of my cutout for it to render correctly!
I've created a minimal reproducible example of my issue here:
```
outerRadius = 100;
height = 40;
wallWidth = 2;
innerRadius = outerRadius - wallWidth / sin(60);
apothem = innerRadius * cos(180 / 6);
// change this to 0 and see what happens!!
holeSizeCorrection = 0.00001;
module holes() {
for (face = [0:5]) {
rotate([0, 0, face * 60 + 30])
translate([apothem - holeSizeCorrection / 2, 0, height / 2])
rotate([0, 90, 0])
cylinder(h = wallWidth + holeSizeCorrection, r = height / 4, $fn = 4);
}
}
color("orange") difference() {
$fn = 6;
cylinder(h = height, r = outerRadius);
translate([0, 0, -height/4]) // because if it's exactly right, you can't see inside
cylinder(h = height * 2, r = innerRadius);
color("blue") holes();
}
```
When the holes I'm trying to cut in the polygon are exactly the width of the wall, it renders the preview correctly but the rendered output is incorrect. To verify that the shape was correct, I moved the holes out of the difference and it looks like this:
The preview (aside from the strange exact cut issue that usually happens) is correct as well. But, when I render it, it looks like this:
But, if I have the hole shape stick out `0.000005 mm` on either side, it renders just fine!
Now that I know to look for this kind of thing, it'll probably save me debugging time in the future. :) But, it would be nice to know if I've done something wrong as well.
# Answer
openSCAD simply allows having surface solutions that result in a wall of 0 thickness. The walls appear to *clip* in those areas and can at times be seen from both sides, like in your example:
A 0 thickness wall is also exportable into an STL as a set of triangles spun up by vertices that are in each other's plane but have inverted normal vectors for the two sides - which means that the construct *exists* for the computer - and I have used this in 3D designs for a hologram-effect, even if it does not result in a physically possible property set.
An example of that effect is this cube (made in blender), that has the back wall purple, all others are grey - and the internal wall is at the same X-value as the back wall. You see the grey wall clipping *despite* the normal of it pointing to +X while the normal of the purple wall is into -X.
By having your *cookie-cutter* extrude not just to but *through* the back wall, you force a solution that disallows the 0-surface solution and thus solves the problem of creating those *artifact* walls.
Note that the 0-surface wall persists in the slicer preview:
But rest assured: almost all slicers ignore walls that are too thin to be printed, and a 0 thickness wall especially is ignored:
> 4 votes
---
Tags: openscad
--- |
thread-15898 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15898 | What does the velocity profile of the motors look like when they change direction? | 2021-03-18T19:23:02.220 | # Question
Title: What does the velocity profile of the motors look like when they change direction?
The stepper motors usually have a constant acceleration profile (trapezoidal profile) of an even jerk limit profile (S-curve profile). In linear motion, it seems possible to conserve proportion between x and y speed as shown My confusion starts when the direction of motion changed so the proportion of speed must change too.
That impossible to join two velocity profiles except we decrease the speed of both axis down to zero then start ramping up with a new profile which means the 3D printer will stop and move for every G-Code segment that apparently not true. So my question is how does the firmware deal with these problems joining velocity profile?
# Answer
> 1 votes
The answer depends on the kinematics model in use. In Marlin there are at least:
## Classic jerk
The "jerk", in units of mm/s not the expected mm/s³, is actually a "maximum instantaneous change" in velocity. Without any jerk (set to 0), your analysis would be correct, and all changes in direction would require slowing down to 0 velocity. However, with jerk, it's only necessary to slow down enough to make the necessary instantaneous change in velocity components less than the jerk limit. For a very slight change in direction (e.g. going around a curve approximated by line segments) this amounts to no slowdown at all. However, in this naive model, arbitrarily many bounded instantaneous velocity changes can happen in an arbitrarily small amount of time, essentially requiring unbounded acceleration capability and leading to missed steps/layer shifts.
## Junction deviation
At each junction between segments where direction changes, the acceleration profile is executed *as if* the motion were cutting the corner in an arc, deviating from the exact corner by a distance of the configured junction deviation parameter. The actual step path still follows the sharp corner.
## Others
I'm not really familiar with S-curve acceleration, but as I understand it it's a more advanced model fitting smooth curves to the travel path so that velocity can vary continuously, with bounded acceleration, rather than having jump discontinuities.
Klipper firmware also has a model very close to junction deviation, which its documentation explains clearly.
---
Tags: firmware, acceleration
--- |
thread-15166 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15166 | alternative to Mic-6 bed plate | 2020-12-31T14:01:46.243 | # Question
Title: alternative to Mic-6 bed plate
I am building a toolchanger CoreXY 3D printer. I am in big trouble to find mic-6 aluminium toolplate in my country. Can you suggest me an alternative to mic-6? In my country, I can find easily 5083, 6082, 7005, etc. I don't think, that theese aluminium plates are suitable as heated bed. The design of the bed is the same as the jubilee 3D printer, so it will be best to have minimum warpage.
# Answer
I'm not sure what your country is, but You can also use Aludur Plus which has the same properties as 'mic 6' through www.aluminyumburada.com They are based in Turkey and service the general region.
Will you build your own heated with the tooling plate or were you planning on using it instead?
> 1 votes
# Answer
Most of the aluminium alloys are fine.
When they say that a certain aluminium is not suitable to certain temperature range they usually mean "under stress"... your bed has no stress at all, it's just staying there with basically no weight on top of it.
Also, you don't need the single micron accuracy either...
Just pick a "cast" and milled aluminium and not a rolled one.
If you can choose among different ones, pick the one with the highest thermal conductivity, and that's it. For example, I can easily find milled plates out of 5083 or 7021. 7021 has a better thermal conductivity, which is good to have a more uniform temperature.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: diy-3d-printer, heated-bed, build-plate
--- |
thread-15616 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15616 | Minor stringing issue, only happens in helpers & infill areas | 2021-02-11T06:23:46.643 | # Question
Title: Minor stringing issue, only happens in helpers & infill areas
I'm having a "minor" stringing issue, where I'm only getting stringing in helpers/support and infill area.
Background: Calibrating printer with 1 roll of PLA. Still getting minimal stringing, but mainly, stringing in helpers/support and infill areas. Tried different temps, but didn't seem to affect this.
Suspect some kind of slicer optimization settings? I mean, it's logical to not care about how pretty supports & infill look.
I would like to understand why this is happening. Please point me to the right direction. Thanks in advance.
Example photo: Outside in: brim, shell/wall, support, brim. From Thingiverse.
# Answer
If the problem occurs in or immediately following printing of support material, it's probably Cura's *Limit Support Retractions* option, which defaults to on. This is probably the single worst default Cura has, and it causes all sorts of problems - surface defects, difficult-to-remove support, underextrusion, etc. - due to basically skipping all (necessary!) retractions while printing support.
If the problem occurs in infill area, it's probably *Combing*. Lowering *Max Comb Distance With No Retract* to something very low (150-200% of the nozzle width, so like 0.8 mm) should make this problem go away, but at some nontrivial cost to print time. If you make this change, you almost surely need *Zig-zaggify Infill* enabled if you want to avoid very high cost to print time and excessive retractions.
> 1 votes
# Answer
It would be great if you could add an image showing the stringing that occurs on the filled and helper/support part of the print. It's quite difficult to visualise what is happening/your problem.
I would assume that the density/fill of the print will be different for infill versus helper/support parts of the print. As a result, there are more gaps in the helper/support parts and stringing can more easily occur between them.
Have you tried enabling z-hop/retraction to prevent further stringing?
> 0 votes
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, stringing
--- |
thread-15906 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15906 | How to identify, use, and replace the Copperhead Bowden coupler? | 2021-03-20T09:32:38.403 | # Question
Title: How to identify, use, and replace the Copperhead Bowden coupler?
After attempting to remove my Bowden tube for maintenance I have managed to break the coupler used to secure the Bowden tube in my Slice Engineering Copperhead heat sink. I'm having significant trouble identifying the proper name of and source for a replacement coupler. I've located others which seem to be similar in design but not the same size. I'm finding conflicting name and type information and am unsure which is correct. It's a small black plastic coupler with a blue ring clip used to secure it.
To prevent future issue I also would like to know the proper procedure for use... i.e. the methods for securing and removing the Bowden tube without damage.
# Answer
> 2 votes
It's an *embedded Bowden collet*. Also called a Bowden clip which is a much more vague and overloeaded term.
E3D (UK) and MicroSwiss (US) have their own branded versions but they're likely not made in house, they're prbably reselling what they buy in.
Youtubers appear to pronounce this Bowden colle**c**t which does not help.
---
Tags: bowden, ptfe-tube
--- |
thread-15878 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15878 | TMC2100 stepper motor drivers not detected on SKR 1.4 turbo with RepRap firmware | 2021-03-16T14:52:35.783 | # Question
Title: TMC2100 stepper motor drivers not detected on SKR 1.4 turbo with RepRap firmware
I've upgraded my board to SKR1.4 turbo with RepRap firmware. Heated bed and heated nozzle work, but motors do not move. OctoPrint reports them as 'no-driver-detected'.
```
Send: M122
...
Recv: Driver 0: position 67347, no-driver-detected
Recv: Driver 1: position 67347, no-driver-detected
Recv: Driver 2: position 67347, no-driver-detected
Recv: Driver 3: position 0, no-driver-detected
...
```
I tried to figure out what is wrong, but did not find good documentation for this combination of hardware.
This is how I setup the drivers.
1. I removed all *four* jumpers from the board below each driver (MS0, MS1, MS2, RST).
2. Plugged each driver to the board making sure that the corresponding pins match (GND to GND etc.)
3. Checked voltage between ground pin of the board and VREF pin of the driver. The voltage was 1.365 V (same for each driver). This is a bit higher than some guides suggest, but the drivers worked perfectly with the old board.
Some guides suggest modifying driver timings if the motors do not move, but I was unable to find the right timings for my drivers. What could be wrong in my setup?
# Answer
As @towe mentioned, 'no-driver-detected' messages in Octoprint log are harmless if you have TMC2100 motors. After experimenting with RepRap settings I found the correct configuration that works with my hardware. Here is the relevant part of the configuration.
```
; Drives
M569 P0 S1 ; physical drive 0 goes forwards
M569 P1 S1 ; physical drive 1 goes forwards
M569 P2 S1 ; physical drive 2 goes forwards
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 X100.00 Y100.00 Z100.00 E100.00 ; set steps per mm
M566 X1200.00 Y1200.00 Z1200.00 E300.00 ; set maximum instantaneous speed changes (mm/min)
M203 X48000.00 Y48000.00 Z48000.00 E1500.00 ; set maximum speeds (mm/min)
M201 X1500.00 Y1500.00 Z1500.00 E1000.00 ; set accelerations (mm/s^2)
M906 X1000 Y1000 Z1000 E800 I30 ; set motor currents (mA) and motor idle factor in per cent
M84 S30 ; Set idle timeout
```
> 1 votes
---
Tags: reprap, skr-v1.4, tmc2100
--- |
thread-15904 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15904 | New Ender 3 power supply turns on but the controller board does not | 2021-03-20T07:05:28.037 | # Question
Title: New Ender 3 power supply turns on but the controller board does not
I just got an Ender 3 a day or two ago and was really excited being that it was my first 3D printer.
I got to work putting it together with little issue. I go to turn it on and the power supply starts up just fine (the fan on, the internal light on) but the mainboard fan isn't running and the screen isn't turning on. I wait a few minutes thinking that it needed to boot up but nothing. I tried reconnecting the red and black power cables and still nothing.
I'm not set up for tearing the thing apart and checking every socket with a voltmeter or something. I've checked the voltage switch and have it set for 115 V for North America. I remember now that when I was moving the bed and it lurched (because the wheels were too tight) the screen might have lit up.
I'm worried that the board might be fried. I don't feel like taking this thing apart and sending it back.
# Answer
I prefer to check basic power connections with multimeter. But indeed if you are not in an emergency, it would be better to send it back. The wires may come loose, I mean on the main board.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3
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thread-15902 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15902 | Which material should I use to print a mounting adapter for the y-carriage? | 2021-03-19T12:29:57.563 | # Question
Title: Which material should I use to print a mounting adapter for the y-carriage?
I have purchased a replacement bed for my 3D printer. I wish to have it mounted on a single linear rail.
Currently I am unable to drill properly into aluminum (due to problems with my drill).
Therefore, I'd like to print and use an adapter piece/plate to fasten the Y-carriage to the linear rail block. The bed has a thermal insulation foam so the area around the bottom of the Y-carriage plate/bed assembly doesn't seem to go over 60 °C.
My question is:
* Which material should I use for this adapter piece, and why? *(I have access to PLA, PETG and ABS.)*
* Should I use threaded inserts or fasten the Y-carriage with nuts?
Please see the image below to have an idea as to what I mean by an adapter.
# Answer
Any thermoplastic is a bad choice to carry a heated bed. For an **unheated** bed, monolithic (cast, not printed) acrylic plate of sufficient thickness can be used.
To get the needed stiffness and temperature resistance, steel plate of about 2+mm is the best choice, followed by aluminium of a higher thickness. The latter can be sawed with woodworking equipment, if done slowly.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: heated-bed, y-axis, linear-motion, carriage
--- |
thread-15919 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15919 | How can you prevent the build plate from slipping? | 2021-03-21T22:40:06.427 | # Question
Title: How can you prevent the build plate from slipping?
I have just set up my new 3D printer. However, the build plate keeps slipping while printing. I tried to use binder clips to keep the plate in place, but this makes the build plate unlevel, messing up my prints. What are some other ways to prevent the build plate from slipping. I was considering using duct tape, but am not sure whether this would work.
# Answer
> 5 votes
I use kapton tape to fixate the glass plates to the heated beds on two of my printers, one a Prusa i3 clone, the other a CoreXY. The tape is able to withstand higher temperatures, and is very thin, so it doesn't have the drawbacks of limiting the print area or high chance the nozzle hitting the clips.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I'm not sure what "the build plate keeps slipping while printing. I tried to use binder clips to keep the plate in place" means, but if you have a build surface and a bottom heated bed, you can look for "silicone thermal pad 0.5mm".
You can put it between build surface and lower bed, so that it will increase friction and there won't be any slipping, even without clips.
You can also look for "thermal conductive rubber silicone cloth 0.3mm" which is fiberglass reinforced and thinner, but with a maybe worse thermal conductivity. It is however more tear resistant, which helps when you remove the build surface.
# Answer
> 2 votes
**Build Plate**
If your clips aren't holding down your build plate, make sure your nozzle isn't crashing into the plate and moving it. A build surface between the clip and surface or adhesive might help keep the clip from slipping on the top surface. A rubbery gasket material that can withstand you heated bed temperatures, such as the silicon FarO mentions, can keep the bottom of the plate from slipping. This is the most important surface not to slip.
Apparently, Oscar's option is to tape down the edges of the build plate. I have used Kapton tape to cover torn build surfaces. As Oscar mentioned, it is thin enough for the nozzle to pass over. Kapton tape can be a challenge to adhere at high bed temperatures, such as 110 °C. For that option it's probably worth checking the adhesive specs if they vary for different Kapton tapes.
Those two options aren't mutually exclusive and could be used together. You could even put clips over the Kapton tape at higher bed temperatures if it is an issue.
**Build Surfaces**
PEI sheets are the most common build surfaces and already have an adhesive surface. Kapton tape seems to be the surface most resistant to damage, but a sheet that covers the entire build surface is expensive. Kapton seems to do a better job of releasing PETG. Otherwise, I use Elmer's glue sticks to protect the build surface.
---
Tags: build-plate, bed, build-surface
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thread-15908 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15908 | 3D Printed Lead Screw | 2021-03-20T17:01:11.223 | # Question
Title: 3D Printed Lead Screw
I want to build a mini CNC machine and need some lead screws. I was wondering I can simply 3D print some. There are a few 3D models out there but I want to know if printing it in PLA+ has enough strength for a small CNC. Is it possible?
# Answer
Expanding on some previous comments which are probably enough to warrant an answer:
What Trish said is completely right. Leadscrews are readily available parts and any dimensional errors in the leadscrews will be reflected in the output of your CNC machine unless you have some sort of compensation for them. Moreover, if the material is not highly rigid, the dimensions are subject to change over time, so any compensation would have to be ongoing manual adjustment or closed-loop rather than a one-time calibration. "PLA+" is an especially bad choice because it usually means PLA that's been modified with additives to make it less brittle, deforming under stress instead of holding its shape until it breaks catastrophically. CNC Kitchen's video on PLA+ elaborates on this.
With that said, if you don't need a high level of precision, or if you're in a situation where you're unable to obtain manufactured components, I think 3D printed leadscrews would work ok if you print them in the XY plane rather than along the Z axis. While nozzle width and discrete layers produce a sort of "stairstep" quantization of printed threads in the Z direction, that doesn't happen with the threads in the XY plane; the nozzle width limits feature resolution (oscillations per unit length) but the positioning of the threads is quantized only to the X and Y (micro)step size, which is typically on the order of 10 microns. Moreover, the strength and rigidity of the part printed in this direction can be very high, due to the offset-layered zigzag structure.
Back to accuracy of the part, though, it's important to note that whatever flaws your printer might have in XY positioning accuracy will be reflected in the resulting leadscrew. This includes *non-linear effects* such as belt paths being slightly trapezoidal instead of having perfectly colinear points of attachment to the carriage. In general, when manufacturing parts that will affect the accuracy of the resulting machine, you want to use processes that amplify the precision your tooling was manufactured with rather than processes that reproduce or amplify its flaws.
> 4 votes
# Answer
Is it possible? Yes. Is it advisable? **No**
Lead screws need to be smooth and have little to no stretch and there can be a lot of tension on them. However, 3D prints are quite rough by the way they are made and super weak on tension forces - and not have a good compression withstanding either.
a 3D printed leadscrew is therefore **not adviseable**, especially since ready-made leadscrews and fitting nuts are cheap in the shape of nuts and threaded rods for the crudest setup.
> 3 votes
---
Tags: print-strength, lead-screw, cnc
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thread-15916 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15916 | Printing issue on Ender 3V2 | 2021-03-21T19:08:00.333 | # Question
Title: Printing issue on Ender 3V2
I am trying to print a fairly simple object yet I keep getting the same issue.
As you can see in the picture the print quality is bad with all the blobs on the vertical part of the print.
I have leveled the bed many times and I keep getting this issue. I have also calibrated the E-steps. I have replaced the PTFE tube as well.
I am printing with Sunlu PLA+. I was printing at 220 °C but now that I set it at 200 °C the result is a little bit better but it has not gone away.
Please advise on how to fix this.
Note: I have 2 Ender 3 V2's and the other printer is printing the same files pretty much perfect.
# Answer
1. Print the same file, with the same settings, on both machines.
2. If the problem persists, try swapping the filament between the two printers. If the problem now occurs on the other printer, that suggests that the filament is the issue. Label the bad one "For lumpy prints" and put it away.
3. If the problem persists on the printer where it first occurred, despite swapping filament reels, the issue probably has something to do with the printer. Remove and examine the nozzle, and consider replacing it even if it looks OK. Nozzles are cheap and easy to replace, so this is an easy early step.
4. If a new nozzle doesn't fix it, other parts related to the extruder like the hot end thermistor, fans, heater block, etc. could be to blame. If the thermistor is just positioned a little differently than on the "good" printer, for example, it might be reading a little low and causing the nozzle to heat up more to get to the target reading. That doesn't necessarily mean that you have to replace those parts; you just need to recognize the difference and compensate for it when you use that printer. Just as a baker might think "the recipe says 400 °F, but I know my oven runs hot, so I'll use 375 °F instead," you may need to adjust the nozzle temperature to compensate for the hardware differences when you use this printer.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Maybe it's only about the slicer settings, it's over extruding problem. I recommend lowering the extrusion multiplier.
> 0 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3
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thread-4469 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4469 | How thick does an aluminum print bed need to be | 2017-08-08T01:13:11.997 | # Question
Title: How thick does an aluminum print bed need to be
I am extending the bed of my TronXY X3 FDM RepRap printer.
I am extending the bed from 220 mm x 220 mm to 220 mm x 300 mm. For now, I will keep the existing bed and add and aluminum sheet on top. That leaves 40mm on front and back of the original bed.
Right now I only plan on running PLA; but, I do plan on heating the bed.
How thick does the aluminum sheet need to be?
# Answer
> 7 votes
Main factors that control the process of the print bed selection are
* weight: too thick plate increases inertial force, limiting maximum acceleration/jerk (decreased print speed)
* stiffness: too thin plate will warp when heated or bend during calibration (decreased print quality/printer reliability)
For table sizes around 400x400mm I would think of 4mm plate, but it still can warp if heated unevenly.
Sometimes it makes sense to use a sandwich-type table: lower level is MDF, cork panel for heat insulation and thin (1.5-2mm) aluminum heated bed on top.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I build an 18.5" diameter delta printer. The bed was 3/8" thick 6061 aluminum. It is plenty stiff, but it takes an hour to heat to 100°C. When I rebuild it, I'll probably drop down to 1/4" and increase the heater from about 250 Watts to 750 Watts. That should heat the bed in 15 minutes, which is still a long time. Waiting for the bed to heat for ABS is one of the greatest frustrations with that machine.
For your machine, how much the 1/8" plate bends will depend a great deal on which aluminum alloy and temper you use. From OnlineMetals.com, 6061-T6 and 7075-T6 are available. 7075 is slightly stiffer, but both should be good enough. 6061 is half the price.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I highly recommend aluminium tooling plates. They have a +/- 0.1 mm flatness tolerance on 1 meter. It's alloy 5083 offers a great stability. You can purchase such for example at aluminyumburada, which offers custom cut piecees.. They have a minimum thickness of 5 mm, though the prices get lower the thicker the piece is.
---
Tags: heated-bed, reprap, tronxy-x3
--- |
thread-15932 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15932 | What am I doing wrong with my M3D Micro? | 2021-03-23T16:17:56.473 | # Question
Title: What am I doing wrong with my M3D Micro?
So I recently got an M3D Micro+ and have had 2 years of experience in 3D printing. I've had some issues with the printer and the prints produced and would like to know how I can fix them.
The issues include:
* Thick layer lines
* Bad first layers / adhesion
* wobbly extruder head
Here is a screenshot of one of the prints:
The tolerances are also pretty bad. I would like to know recommended settings and such to help me get to actually printing. As of yet, I have not yet gotten a successful print.
# Answer
> 4 votes
# It's not you - it's the printer!
The M3D Micro is not a very sturdy setup. The X-axis is a single pair of thin rods, hung up on a pair of similarly thin rods in Y and mounted on 3 very thin pillars in Z. While the idea is good, the execution is not particularly well: The rods are too thin and the design is virtually unchanged since 2015 and thus this review from 2016 still applies. As does this from 2018:
* The extruder having problems to extrude reliable and steadily was not fixed since at least 2015.
* The mounting of the motion system is not very sturdy and the system itself is under-designed. This means it is particularly vulnerable to oscillation - which your print shows.
+ The extruder is mounted flexibly on the motion system, which amplifies all those errors. But that is designed for bed leveling - so there is little you can do to gett the needed stiffness
* The motors are underpowered. This leads especially to trouble with movement accuracy unless you print super slow. And that print you showed shows that you print with more normal print settings for a 2021 machine. This also shows in your print.
* If a professional in 2018 can spend 2 days calibrating and get no results with the owner's proprietary slicer, then that slicer is not worth the disk space it uses. If you need to hack Cura to get the proprietary g-code derivate *and* you need to do that to get even decent prints, it's a bad design.
All in all, you might squeak out better prints with a lot of calibration work, but the printer suffers so heavy from the design flaws that it would be a labor of love.
---
Tags: troubleshooting, layer-shifting, m3d
--- |
thread-11081 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11081 | Printing straight from the browser | 2019-09-26T16:26:34.587 | # Question
Title: Printing straight from the browser
Are there any browser extensions or printers with OctoPrint built in that would allow me to print straight from the browser?
Thinking of a workflow like this:
1. Make something with Tinkercad (or other online service)
2. download stl or obj
3. select print from bookmark or dropdown menu
4. print is sent to printer and starts printing
# Answer
> 2 votes
There was the CuraEngine plugin, but it's not really maintained anymore. It should still work though
# Answer
> 1 votes
This works for OctoPI (OctoPrint on a Raspberry Pi).
1. Add the Samba package to your OctoPrint machine.
2. open an SMB connection to that machine from your browser machine
3. Save your STL to `/home/pi/.octoprint/uploads` on the Raspberry Pi.
You can save directly from your slicer the same way.
---
Tags: desktop-printer, octoprint
--- |
thread-15806 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15806 | What happened around 2012~2013 in 3D printing field | 2021-03-06T11:28:04.237 | # Question
Title: What happened around 2012~2013 in 3D printing field
Comparing trends show that 3D printing stepped over to another level around 2012~2013. Why?
# Answer
A great story on the history of 3D printing is published by 3DSOURCED. It shows that the patents for FDM and SLA expired a few years earlier and the RepRap 3D printer self replicating project became very popular. Also, 3D printer manufacturers emerged and electronics, software and parts became available at a larger scale, so that it was more affordable for a hobbyist to dive in.
> 15 votes
# Answer
Another opinion received:
> That’s the result of MakerBot and others promoting the tech to the general public for the first time after the patents expired. They were just running up stock prices to make a lot of money
> 0 votes
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Tags: history
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thread-15863 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15863 | Are Fusion 360 drawings sufficient to design and enforce tolerance in a hole of a solid? | 2021-03-14T20:56:29.137 | # Question
Title: Are Fusion 360 drawings sufficient to design and enforce tolerance in a hole of a solid?
I uploaded a 3D object for this project to Fusion 360 and printed it out straightforward:
Yet its middle hole is too small for the stepper motor (Nema 17 Stepper-M) I am using so I wanted to increase its tolerance before reprinting it.
So, I followed the tutorial by Tyler Beck of Tech who lead me to drawings:
I was wondering if doing a drawing (sketch in Fusion 360) was sufficient to expect the shaft of the step motor to go through?
Here are the gear and the shaft before I add the drawing constraints:
# Answer
> 2 votes
Besides offsetting the **clearances** you want into models, you can and should also calibrate your printer to **compensate for included holes** \- because often inner holes are solved to be smaller than actually designed out of necessity.
However, the option can *also* be used to fix problems that stem from the slicing and printing itself, and thus offers to fix some problems that are endemic to your setup or where you can't easily fix the model by setting an offset to create the wanted clearances in it.
In Ultimaker **Cura**, the option for this fix is called `Hole horizontal expansion` since 4.6 in April 2020, which only affects internal perimeters as I know from testing.
**SuperSlicer**, a PrusaSlicer branch offers `hole_XY_compensation`, though I can't quite pinpoint the time when it was added. I guesstimate sometime before October 2020.
**PrusaSlicer** offers `XY size compensation`, which does affect outer perimeters. A hole-only is requested almost since that option was available the first time. An attempt to implement a hole-only compensation again appears to be worked on since mid-2020. It seems that in the beginning of March some implementation has been tested.
The first work for such a function was tried by **Slic3r** before PrusaSlicer was started on, using an Arc-compensation formula in at latest 2009, but the function proved to be overcompensating. As Prusa-Slicer is a *fork* of Slic3r, some of this work might remain in the code.
# Answer
> 1 votes
This seems like a tolerance press fit problem and similar to what you will find if you try the same using normal machining operations on a lathe or milling machine.
I print 3 mm clearance fit holes on my Prusa MK3S, meant to fit on 3.00 mm (measured with a digital caliper) stainless steel shafts. The printed parts are from Fusion 360 models, with 3 mm holes by design, converted to STL and then sliced and printed with 0.2 mm layer height. The holes are very close to 3.0 mm and out by 0.05-0.1 mm.
The solution was to make adjustments in Fusion. I left the model with the hole size as 3 mm but then use the Offset Face command on the inside of the extruded hole to make it slightly larger with the required tolerance.
In my case, an offset of 0.05 provided a nice press fit, and 0.1 offset allowed the shaft to closely fit in the hole but loose enough to rotate.
I suggest you create a simple model with a number of holes designed to be the same size and then use different Offset Face numbers to dial in what you need. That way you get to learn what to expect from your printer and its accuracy.
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Tags: fusion360, dimensional-accuracy, press-fit
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thread-2644 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/2644 | First layer - not even infill | 2016-08-14T14:14:45.807 | # Question
Title: First layer - not even infill
I'm using Repetier and Slic3r and it is printing a gap between the perimeter and infill on the first layer. Also, the infill is lifting (as in photo). Any advise?
# Answer
You're not sticking to your bed. Adjust your bed height. You are too far. Otherwise you are going too fast and or too hot.
Calibrate the bed. Reduce speed. Then adjust temps.
Also could be material contamination
See this link for a visual troubleshooting.
http://reprap.org/wiki/Print\_Troubleshooting\_Pictorial\_Guide
http://support.3dverkstan.se/article/23-a-visual-ultimaker-troubleshooting-guide
In addition use some gluestick. That will often solve these issues. Last but not least add a raft if it continues. Or just ignore it. My bet is temp is too hot. I also like to smash my first layer, but not everyone likes that technique as it causes elephant footing.
> 3 votes
# Answer
I found a solution that works for me.
I have increased my first layer extrusion width to 250 %, reduced the print speed of perimeters to 30 mm/s, reduced the brim width to 1 and increased the infill/perimeter overlap to 30 %.
This was PLA with heat bed off (no heating), printing on glass and using hairspray as an adhesive. Most of my settings were on default. (Repetier & Slic3r).
> 1 votes
# Answer
I was having these issues too on a CR-10S and I worked on it for months and the only thing that would fix it was the spread, overlap, and width of the extrusion, this may also be caused by the fact that I haven't really tried to use glue stick or anything to get my prints to stick better.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: slic3r, repetier, infill
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thread-2862 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/2862 | Keeping my filament spools from getting knotted? | 2016-10-08T05:46:41.747 | # Question
Title: Keeping my filament spools from getting knotted?
This is something I've ignored for awhile, but it keeps cropping up, and occasionally, if the filament snags real good, it can mess up a great print half way through, etc.
Basically I have my filament spools hanging on a PVC pipe mounted directly above the printer, and the printer just sucks it in from the spool, but occasionally it becomes knotted at the spool, or becomes otherwise tangled.
I'm thinking even if I completely unwrapped and rewrapped all of my spools so there was no trace of a tangle, what's to stop it from happening again? -- What's a good strategy for managing this kind of issue?
**Edit:** From some of the answers below, it seems that maybe the travel of my X carriage back and forth could be why my spools keep getting tangled. -- It looks like many people have their spools at about 90 degrees from mine (rotated relative to the Z axis of the printer), so that the travel of the X carriage won't have that affect. -- Also guides, etc are probably a good idea.
Here's my current setup for reference (filament removed):
# Answer
> 2 votes
I had the same problem with my FFC dual.
Consider using some kind of retaing clip to hold the spool in place, so it doesn't move back and forth on the post. This spool holder worked for me:
Another thing that can help is to make sure you are pulling the filament from the middle of the spool. This worked for me:
# Answer
> 5 votes
When I first set up my printer, the spool was able to spin freely. Filament was making loose coils on the outer layer of the spool. Snags happened frequently. I decided that not allowing the spool to spin faster than the rate draw of the filament might improve the way the filament was feeding.
I put more physical distance between the spool and the machine. The filament stopped bunching up in loose coils on the surface of the spool, and the snags went away. The increased amount of slack between the machine and the spool seemed to absorb the "overshoot" of the filament draw and the spools became much better behaved. I also was able to run the spool down to the end more consistently than before.
Not everyone has extra room to use, and not all extruders are conveniently oriented, so moving the spool further away from the machine won't work for everyone. I believe a guide or some sort of dampener would serve the same function, if the underlying problem is the spool loosening up enough to where loops of filament get caught under others and then snag. What worked for me was to stop the spool from "racing ahead" of the rate of draw and loosening up enough to snag.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Always keep track of the loose end of the filament. It's either in your extruder, or fixed to the spool (either with a clip or clothespin or just by threading it through the holes which are usually in the rim of the spool, provided for just this purpose). The only way a spool can get tangled is if you let go of the loose end of filament.
Though not technically *tangled* your filament can also get stuck if the spool does not properly unwind (and the filament gets wrapped around the axle that supports your spool). Make sure your spool can rotate on its holder easily (ball bearings are not needed, a simple round axle is enough). Make sure that your printer pulls on the middle of the spool, and not sideways. If necessary, could build a guide (such as a small ring or tube for the filament to pass through) to keep it centered.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I used this solution, it makes a lot of sense, because I store the filament back in a box and the tip endup getting knotted.
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Tags: filament
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thread-15323 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15323 | How to tell if PLA temp is too hot/cold | 2021-01-14T22:32:30.443 | # Question
Title: How to tell if PLA temp is too hot/cold
I was having an issue with flat sheets raising up during initial layers. I had my bed at 80 °C and kept raising it thinking it was an issue with cold. After reducing the temperature to 50 °C the sheets sit flat now but sometimes sections come loose. I ended up using masking tape and a glue stick and everything finally seems to print flat and keep adhesion. I am using 210 °C hotend but I might try lowering it to 205 °C.
How do you check if your printing temperature is too hot/cold or if your bed temperature is too hot/cold? None of the articles I read ever said that a bed too hot would cause PLA to rise but that's what happened.
# Answer
> 13 votes
# Too Hot
If you're printing too hot (with any filament, not just PLA) you're going to see stringing and blobs/oozing because the material is getting runny and exiting the nozzle in an uncontrolled manner. Because it's uncontrolled, you will also likely see artifacts showing up in your prints.
You might also see your filament burning. Instead of coming out of the nozzle as whatever color it should be, it will look brown or discolored because it was overcooked.
If your bed is too hot, you might start to see "elephant's feet" where the lowest layer(s) are being heated to the point of becoming soft and the weight of layers on top of them are pushing down, causing that layer to "pooch out."
You might also have problems removing the print from the print bed's surface because the plastic has seeped into the details of the print surface and hardened, essentially welding the part to the surface.
# Too Cold
If you're printing filament that is too cold, you're going to run into an issue where the material being pushed into the hot end is not getting melted sufficiently. This means that pressure will build up in the hot end that can't be released through extruding material through the nozzle. If you've ever tried to pipe frosting using a bag/tip and the frosting was too thick, you'll know what I'm talking about.
When material is being fed into the hot end but not being allowed to flow out of it, something has to give. That thing is your extruder. It has a wheel with little teeth on it to grip the filament and feed it into the hot end (or bowden tube which leads to the hot end). It can exert a certain amount of force on that filament. When the hot end's back pressure builds to the point that it becomes greater than the extruder's force, it will start skipping.
Imagine trying to push a large, heavy object. Your feet will begin to slip as your the force of your exertion overcomes the friction between your feet and the ground. That's what will happen to your extruder. It will make clicking/clunking noises as the extruder unsuccessfully tries to push the filament through and the friction between the teeth of the gear and the filament is overcome. This is called grinding.
If your bed is too cold, you simply just end up with problems getting the print to adhere to the surface.
---
# Warping
In your particular case, you're describing warping. Remember from physics 101 that cold things contract and warm things expand. Your print bed is warm, and so, too, are the first layers that are near it because the bed's heat is transferring up into them and keeping them warm.
Obviously, your active (topmost) layer will also be a bit warmer as it as just come out of the hot end. However, in general as you move higher up away from the printed bed, the printed layers get colder. Because they are getting colder, they are undergoing thermal contraction.
This creates a thermal gradient where layers go from greater thermal expansion to greater thermal contraction. The combination means that the bottom of the print will start to curl up (away from the expansion and towards the contraction).
**This is not an issue with your printing temperature. It's a problem with your ambient temperature.**
The easiest way to fix this issue is to put your printer in an enclosure. This isolates the air immediately around the printer from the rest of the air in the room. Because your heater's bed and nozzle are throwing out a lot of heat, they will heat up the print chamber quite a bit (mine typically runs over 30 degrees celsius, even in the dead of winter).
Because the ambient temperature in the print chamber is so much warmer than the outside air, that temperature gradient is much, much smaller. As a result, warping will stop becoming a problem.
---
Tags: pla, build-plate, temperature
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thread-15952 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15952 | Using auto-bed leveling, do I need to initiate G29 before every print? | 2021-03-26T11:08:20.213 | # Question
Title: Using auto-bed leveling, do I need to initiate G29 before every print?
Various methods to scan the top surface exist to improve the bed adhesion to prevent prints to come loose from the bed during printing: e.g. BLTouch and clones or inductive and capacitive sensors/probes.
In order, for the print head, to use this so-called auto-bed leveling (ABL) you need to add the `G29` command in your start G-code of your slicer.
Is it necessary to call `G29` before every print?
---
*The rationale behind this is that scanning the surface takes up some time, certainly on very short prints, it would be great if the surface geometry could be saved.*
# Answer
> 10 votes
No, it is not necessary to call `G29` before every print to "auto level the bed"<sup> *1)*</sup> provided that:
* the bed surface has not changed (e.g. large load or force has been exerted on the build platform, leveling screws are accidentally adjusted, a substantial different bed temperature is used causing different thermal stresses, etc.),
* the carriage of the hotend is stable (some printers, e.g. the cantilever type, or single side Z lead screw driven printers are more prone to an unstable or level axis), and
* the scanned surface geometry is saved in the controller board memory.
There are several solutions to solve this. You could manually run the `G29` command once in a while storing the scanned surface with an `M500` command to save the mesh to the EEPROM (memory) of the controller board (this can be done from the printer controller display for Marlin operated printers, an interface like a terminal or a print server application, or from pre-stored `.g`/G-code files on an SD card). If you use the SD-card, note that it is possible to auto-launch G-code files from the root of the SD-card upon inserting.
Do note to remove the `G29` command in the start code of the slicer. The `G29` command needs to be replaced with `M420 S1` for Marlin firmware operated printers. This command will load the saved mesh at the start of the print from memory. This is especially useful when using a large amount of probing points (e.g. a large bed mesh using a 10 x 10 mesh of 100 probing points, to ensure the mesh is up-to-date, once in a while initiate the scanning sequence to store an updated mesh).
---
<sup>*1)*</sup> *Please note that auto-bed leveling might be confusingly indicating that some magic leveling of the build platform/surface itself is taking place (this is also possible in Marlin when there are multiple Z steppers and lead screws used), but, that is not actually what is meant with this phrasing. The process of the auto-bed leveling actually scans the surface of the build surface and compensates the height of the print head/nozzle during a predefined printing height (usually 10 mm, set in the firmware or through G-code: `M420 Z10 ; Gradually reduce compensation until Z=10`), during this printing process the nozzle gradually be less and less compensated until there is no compensation and the print nozzle will print parallel to the guide axis (e.g. the X-axis in i3 style printers and X-Y axes in CoreXY kinematics printers.*
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Tags: g-code, bed-leveling, z-probe, knowledgebase, inductive-sensor
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thread-15690 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15690 | Can't get Y-Axis to move with Marlin firmware | 2021-02-19T00:53:54.340 | # Question
Title: Can't get Y-Axis to move with Marlin firmware
Just as the title says. I feel like I have tried everything. I am compiling the firmware for Marlin on a Megatronics board from RepRap. That shouldn't be relevant, because I have validated that it is a firmware issue (and not a pin assignment/hardware issue).
When I turn it on, the Y-axis is active and just constantly holding. The stepper driver on Y-axis gets pretty warm constantly holding (as does the stepper motor).
When I swap the pin assignments for Y and X then the physical Y-axis moves fine when I manually change the X-axis so I know all the hardware and pin assignments are correct.
All the endstops are correctly reporting open (Z is BLTouch but that is also working).
Relevant software endstops are currently disabled, and default homing position is set to 50 to make sure it doesn't think it is at the bounds on boot.
I have a test firmware that checks all the endstops, temperature, and servos, and all servos work fine. As a sanity check, pin assignments match what is in the pins file.
Does anyone have any idea of what in the latest Marlin firmware would cause a software condition to just hold the y axis and not move? I should note that when I try to manually move it in Repetier-Host it shows that it is moving. When I try to give the home command, no movement on the Y but Repetier changes from red to black indicating it received confirmation of homing.
I am completely out of ideas at this point.
# Answer
> 1 votes
There is a problem in the Megatronics default config file. I used an other default config file and it worked!
# Answer
> 1 votes
I ran into the same problem. After looking into the pin layout for the board I saw the following:
```
#elif EXTRUDERS <= 2
// Hijack the last extruder so that we can get the PWM signal off the Y breakout
// Move Y to the E2 plug. This makes dual Y steppers harder
```
This prompted me to move the stepper driver and the motor cable to the E2 connector on the board. (The one on the other side of the X connector, Order is Z,Y,X,E2,E1,E0) That worked for me.
So, you could move the stepper driver and motor cable. Or you could commment/remove that code from the pins\_MEGATRONICS\_3.h file
---
Tags: marlin, firmware, y-axis
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thread-15274 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15274 | Ender 3 V2 Layer Shifting, No Apparent Reason, Desperate | 2021-01-10T22:31:08.937 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 V2 Layer Shifting, No Apparent Reason, Desperate
I first want to say **thank you** for taking the time to read this. I've been trying to print out some parts for another project of mine. These parts use up around 70% of the bed so they are fairly large, unlike the smaller trinkets and things I normally print.
However, I have yet been able to print one of these larger parts without any layer shifting. The part I've been trying to print is a lid to the bottom of a case. It's square, with rounded corners, about 160mm x 160mm.
It will print the first layer without shifting most of the time. However, upon starting the second layer it will almost have at least one layer shift. I have tried a number of things to remedy this, which I will list further down this post.
The layer shifting seems to be unrelated to jerk, acceleration, bed shifting, and z offset at the very least. There is an audible clunk sound that can be heard when it does this. In the image I've linked, you can see the correct path of the print head through the green arrows. However, upon a layer shift, it follows the path of the red arrows. It never shifts during a direction change, only when it is following a straight path. It's almost as if one of the motors gives up for a second. I am aware the print is under extruded, this is one of my trials hoping it was merely the nozzle clipping against the print.
Allow me to share with you my setup:
* I have an Ender 3 V2, with the stock mainboard, stock glass bed, and stock hotend.
* I've replaced the extruder assembly with an all-metal one from Creality.
* I have the stiffer bed springs. As well as the better PTFE tube fittings and Capricorn tubes.
* I've put together a cooling pack on Thingiverse. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4644985 The mainboard and hotend fans were replaced with Noctua performance fans that I'll talk more about later.
* The hotend assembly is a hero me gen 5 with dual 4010 fans and a BLTouch.
* I'm using Smith3D's 5x5 high-speed firmware (Previously the 4x4 high speed).
---
Now let me share my tried solutions.
* I firstly, disassembled the printer, checking all belt teeth and motor gears (which are pressed onto their shafts without a grub screw). Afterward, I readjusted all eccentric nuts to get the perfect amount of tension while maintaining smooth operation on both X and Y axes. I've used brake cleaner and dish soap to remove the grease on the Z-axis lead screw and replaced it with WD-40 dry lubricant.
* Continuing, I've releveled the bed and checked all axis operation to ensure it was smooth and without any bumps, hitches, or anything of the sort.
1. I tightened all the frame screws, hotend screws, fan screws, grub screws. Nothing moves even a millimeter.
2. The belts were tensioned so that they can be strummed like a guitar string when I move either the hotend or bed to its end stop.
3. I checked my aftermarket fans to ensure they are working. The mainboard and hotend fan run nonstop at their optimal 12V. The PSU fan turns on and off as it needs to cool the PSU...
4. The cables are nicely managed in the mainboard compartment and I'm sure that the larger fans provide it plenty of airflow. Not to mention the printer was raised by the use of squash-ball feet.
5. I have slowed my print speed from 75mm/s to 60mm/s with this print. This means a 30mm/s inner/outer wall along with 60mm/s infill speed and 150mm/s travel speed. Acceleration and jerk are at their defaults: 500mm/s^2 and 10mm/s.
6. I've adjusted my Z offset so that it slightly under extrudes to prevent the filament from bunching up.
7. I've calibrated my e steps.
8. I've formatted the SD card and changed my firmware from Smith 3D's 4x4 high speed to 5x5 high speed.
9. I've updated Cura to the latest version 4.8 and ensured my hero me home offset is correct.
10. I've tried moving the model to different corners in Cura and ensured the software's jerk and acceleration control are disabled.
11. I've checked the bed movement with its clips, it doesn't move easily and both clips have very good tension.
12. I've checked the stepper driver voltages (I did not change them). E: 1.34V Z: 1.16V Y: 0.99V X: 1.15V.
13. I have Z hop enabled with a 0.2mm hop, no issues or noises when it moves across the print.
14. I've purchased a filament dry-box from SUNLU along with a new spool of SUNLU black filament. The dry box has Capricorn PTFE tubing that leads the filament straight into the extruder. There is very little friction inside the tube.
15. I've slightly tightened the tension on the extruder although I didn't have problems with it skipping.
---
Again, I'd like to reiterate, nothing is loose on this printer, it doesn't skip when it rapidly changes directions, only when following either a straight or diagonal line. The printer movement is very smooth and near-silent with all of my modifications. It's frustrating to me that I can't solve this problem. I feel like the printer has a mind of its own. I have begun to suspect either the mainboard or something else hardware related is amiss. However, I have chosen not to mess with it until posting this. If you've read through this, **I thank you for your patience and time reading it**.
---
Any advice or possible causes to this problem are welcomed. I am at a complete loss and am desperate for a solution.
# Answer
> 1 votes
**SOLUTION**
Unscrewing the mainboard enclosure and tilting it to allow better airflow like in the picture shown below. This is the same issue as many others.
---
---
https://forums.creality3dofficial.com/community/ender-3-v2/layer-shift-ender-3-v2/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ender3v2/comments/kn8u72/layer\_shift\_investigation\_data\_and\_video/
I appreciate the assistance.
# Answer
> 2 votes
You mentioned a noticeable 'clunk' when it shifts, are you sure it isn't a physical obstruction? You said you checked that all axis run smoothly but are you sure you checked the full extents of the printable area?
Watch carefully when the issue happens, are any of the cables getting snagged on the machine or surrounding workspace? Check under the bed in particular, I've noticed on my Ender 3 V2 the bed will sometimes bump into part of the base if the leveling screws are tightened too far.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Not sure if you're still actively working on this but my setup mirrors yours almost perfectly, I added an all metal extruder, Micro Swiss hotend, a BLTouch, yellow bed springs and Capricorn tube and got great results but needed more cooling so I changed to the Hero Me Gen 5 using 2 5015 blowers and a Noctua 40x20 fan with a buck converter set to 12 V and noticed I had shifting so I printed 35 mm standoffs and wired another Noctua fan, 80x25. It helped reduce shifting but still not perfect and I as well has combed through every possible issue.
---
Tags: print-quality, creality-ender-3, layer-shifting
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thread-15939 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15939 | Vary line with Z-axis for imported SVG file | 2021-03-24T22:46:00.393 | # Question
Title: Vary line with Z-axis for imported SVG file
I have an SVG file of a line drawing. When I import it into Tinkercad it generates a 3D version with the width of the lines remaining constant along the Z-axis (as expected). I would like to generate a similar STL but with the line width narrowing for increasing values of Z. (Similar to the Bevel option in some of the Tinkercad Text shapes).
Can anyone point me at a tutorial on how to do this in Tinkercad, Blender, Meshmixer or Open SCAD?
# Answer
In OpenSCAD you could create a bevel using the minkowski transformation by transforming the curve using tapered shape such as a pyramid or as I do below a tapered cylinder:
```
minkowski() {
linear_extrude(1)
import("drawing.svg");
cylinder(h = 20, r1 = 10, r2 = 1);
}
```
> 1 votes
---
Tags: openscad, blender, meshmixer, tinkercad
--- |
thread-15935 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15935 | Query advantages of OctoPrint | 2021-03-24T10:59:32.870 | # Question
Title: Query advantages of OctoPrint
I have read that if I disconnect OctoPrint when printing, the print will stop. Since I thought the advantage of OctoPrint over, say, printing from Cura, was that it didn't tie up the computer while the print was taking place, what are the advantages of OctoPrint?
# Answer
> I have read that if I disconnect OctoPrint when printing, the print will stop.
You can disconnect your computer from the OctoPrint server while printing and the print will continue just fine. You cannot disconnect the OctoPrint server from the printer without interrupting the print, of course.
> Since I thought the advantage of OctoPrint over, say, printing from Cura, was that it didn't tie up the computer while the print was taking place, what are the advantages of OctoPrint?
The advantage (the one you're talking about, anyway) of printing via OctoPrint (which you can also do via Cura, btw) is that you don't have to tie up the computer that you're using for other things. You run OctoPrint on some *other* computer that can stay connected to the printer. Typically, a Raspberry Pi is used; they're cheap (~$30), and there's an OctoPi distribution that's practically a turnkey solution.
Other advantages of OctoPrint include:
* stores your .stl files, either on the print server or on the printer's SD card
* enables remote monitoring, including a webcam feed
* lets you control your printer from any device with a web browser
* provides a plugin mechanism (and a large variety of plugins) to extend its capabilities
> 4 votes
# Answer
The benefit of using OctoPrint as a printserver lies in the fact that it can be used on a stable computer platform. E.g. when you install OctoPrint on a Raspberry Pi, you are ensured that the "computer" stays online. Other platforms, such as Windows are much prone to interrupt the printing process (user actions during printing, sleep mode, Windows updates, etc.). Furthermore, the power consumption of the Raspberry Pi is also much lower than a full computer or laptop running OctoPrint.
An advantage of running OctoPrint on a dedicated Raspberry Pi is that you can access it from anywhere within your network through a browser interface (or even from the outside) as it is always online. Other advantages of OctoPrint over e.g. Cura is that there are numerous plugins available to tailor the printing process to your needs.
> 2 votes
# Answer
The advantage to OctoPrint is that 3D prints take a long time, and Windows needs reboots.
**The moment (or 4 days into it) you start a 5-day print job, there *will* be an urgent need to reboot your Windows computer.**
Then your print job will be lost, and you will have to start all over.
Applications crash, windows update needs to reboot, and a host of dozens of other reasons all surface when you start printing.
Eventually, Windows will force a reboot or you will get a blue screen of death from Windows, etc.
**The OctoPi and/or OctoPrint run on a Linux-based OS that just works.**
It never crashes, or at least I have never had it crash.
When you have a 5-day print, reliability is *king*.
Also, it should be noted with a Cura plugin you can send the print directly to OctoPrint. I do this *all* the time.
Plus they're a number of handy community support plug-ins for OctoPrint.
In addition, because it's not attached to my computer directly there is one less cable to trip on.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Printer Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCADA
In the context of 3d printing, SCADA is useful because it is important to have a redundant method of monitoring (and control) of a system. The 3d printer's µController is typically busy with doing the important task of controlling the steppers and monitoring the heating elements. It is important to the print job that these functions occur in a way that is uninterruptible. We know all too well of the consequences of letting the hot end go into thermal runaway. As it stands most 3d printers have simple µControllers that are not powerful enough to handle TCP/IP responses AND monitor the 3d printer's machinery. To that end, being able to notify a Supervisor of the status of the machine and any failure conditions that may be occurring becomes important in the management of the machine. This is where a Supervisory system like Octoprint comes in. With its myriad of plugins and other connectivity, it extends the abilities of an inexpensive printer (e.g. like my Anet A8) with advanced capabilities for notification (e.g. the Octoprint Android/IOS apps) and control; such as automatically powering off the printer with a wifi-enabled smart plug. These are safety features that should be considered when operating a 3d printer. The temptation to leave the machine running unattended has resulted in problems in the past. With a supervisory system, the machine's operator can give at least some attention to the print process at all times.
Further, sometimes the print fails without actually being a result of some sort of electromechanical fault. Having optical inspection equipment (e.g. a camera) attached to the supervisory system can help determine if there are problems with the process so that fine-tuning can be performed. Without such data, it is usually very difficult to diagnose those problems.
> 1 votes
# Answer
There are some answers here talking about reliability of an OctoPrint installation vs Windows, but they only tell part of the story. These days, Windows can be pretty reliable, too. If I *really* cared about reliability, I'd use the SD card method, which takes other computers out of the equation completely.
Instead, the advantage of OctoPrint comes down to two things:
1. You set it up on a **dedicated computer** that is *not used for other things*. Something like a cheap Raspberry Pi. This is what is really responsible for improving reliability over printing from your desktop/laptop. It's not about using linux over Windows as much as making sure *absolutely nothing else* will interfere with the computer for the duration of the print.
2. OctoPrint is designed explicitly for printing and managing prints. It's not just an add-on or feature of another product whose main purpose is slicing, as when you print from Cura, but a platform in its own right with support for plug-ins and extra tools for managing and monitoring your print, to extend the experience beyond what you could otherwise achieve.
For example, OctoPrint makes it possible to check on your progress over the web, without needing to setup a dedicated web server on your day-to-day computer. Or you can manage your printer by installing an app on your phone. Or you can use OctoPrint to create time-lapse videos of your print. Or get an alert when reaching a certain layer. Or a hundred other ways you can use plug-ins to customize OctoPrint to work the way you want.
Personally, I use OctoPrint mainly to add wifi capability to the printer (it's not built-in for my printer), so I can start printing directly from my desk without also needing to keep the printer close enough to the computer to connect a usb cable.
> 1 votes
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Tags: octoprint
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thread-15955 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15955 | Nozzle height adjusting for every print | 2021-03-26T14:42:01.453 | # Question
Title: Nozzle height adjusting for every print
I'm new to the 3D printing world and got my first Ender 3 (with the 32-bit controller board).
I have a problem with every single print. I've upgraded to the newest Marlin firmware, did the mesh leveling then started printing and fix the Z bed option in "Tune - Z bed" during the print (so the first layer is perfect). Please note that I save all the data of the mesh before end of the print. Then, when I start the same print again, the nozzle height is wrong. This happens every single print. The strange thing is that I need to adjust the height differently after every print. Like, the first print was -0.055 mm, second print was 0.30 mm, then it was +0.25 mm somehow.
I really like to print without these constant adjustments.
# Answer
Thanks everybody for their help, but apparently it was a slicer/software/gcode (i don't really know :D) issue...
So i just added this line M420 S1 after the G28 command to my Cura printer settings and now the nozzle height is always at the point i set before, no changing every print.
Hope my solve will help somebody who is struggling with this too!
> 0 votes
# Answer
It sounds like your bed is unstable. This is what I had to do with my Tronxy X1, and I fixed it by installing a decent bed stabiliser. Now that I have a stable bed, I only have to re-level it occasionally. However, the Tronxy X1 is a cantilever printer with a single rail for the bed, not an Ender 3.
I would suggest that you tighten the bed-levelling springs as far as they will go whilst still leaving sufficient movement for bed levelling, and re-position the end-stop switch. Then re-level the bed. If that doesn't work, try fitting stiffer springs. Upgrades are available for the Ender 3. If that still doesn't work, look for bed stabilisation solutions for your printer.
Note also that the bed-levelling knobs have a reputation for coming loose on the Ender 3. Tightening the springs (or fitting stiffer springs) may cure this, but some users fit locking nuts to stop the knobs moving.
> 3 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, bed-leveling, z-axis
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thread-15974 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15974 | Use external sensor | 2021-03-29T20:05:42.060 | # Question
Title: Use external sensor
I'd like to buy a 3D printer and use it as a "platform" for an **external** optical sensor. The idea is to mount an optical sensor on the Z-axis and to put a workpiece on the X-Y table. Now, I'd like to move the sensor across the workpiece and trigger the measurement of the optical sensor. Hence, the 3D printer is not actually printing, but only used as a motion and trigger device for the optical sensors.
I have never used a 3D printer, but I'm afraid that I'll run into several problems:
1. The standard G-code of "wait one second" is `G04 X1` on many CNC machines. Does this code exist on 3D printers as well?
2. Is it possible to extract a trigger signal (e.g. 5 V) from the 3D printer? Are printers available which provide a G-code for an external trigger? Could anybody suggest a model? I'm happy to pay some extra dollars if I don't have to solder by myself. Of course, a second option would be to use the voltage, which is used to heat the filament.
# Answer
> 3 votes
G4 is the "Dwell" command in Marlin, so you could specify a wait duration using it. Note that the time parameter is designated using S for seconds and/or P for milliseconds:
```
G4 S1 ; Wait for 1 second
```
I think you could use the M43 T code to set a pin high/low and act as a trigger signal. This would be coded for and not something that is done as a result of something detected, however:
```
M43 T S3 R1 W1000 ; Toggle pin 3 once and then wait for a second
```
# Answer
> 3 votes
> The standard G code of "wait one second" is G04 X1 on many CNC machines. Does this code exists on 3D printers as well?
**Yes.** The exact set of commands supported by a given printer will depend on the firmware, so you should check the documentation for the particular printer you're looking at. But the `G04` "Dwell" command is a common one. A list of all the G-code commands for the Marlin firmware, which is widely used, can be found at https://marlinfw.org/meta/gcode/.
> Is it possible to extract a trigger signal (e.g. 5V) from the 3D printer? Are printers available which provide a G code for an external trigger?
Marlin supports an `M240` command that means "trigger camera," which could probably be used to trigger other sorts of devices too. See: https://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M240.html You might also want to look into using OctoPrint to control your printer; there's a plugin (OctoLapse) for making time-lapse photos that might prove useful.
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Tags: g-code, linear-motion
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