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thread-20480 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20480 | Controlling MOSFET with 12 V from board to heat bed with 24 V PSU | 2023-01-20T18:12:11.107 | # Question
Title: Controlling MOSFET with 12 V from board to heat bed with 24 V PSU
I'm thinking about trying to use a 12 V power supply for the board and 24 V for the hotend and heatbed triggered by some MOSFETs modules like this Power Expansion Board Heating Controller MOSFET High Current Load Module 25A 12V or 24V for 3D Printer Parts.
Has something like this worked for anyone? I'm wondering if for triggering 24 V voltage the module needs also 24 V input or 12 V will do.
Maybe I'll start from RAMPS just to kick off, in the long run I thought about Monster8 (I wanted to check out 3-4 motors autolevelling someday) on 12 V but I have also a spare 24 V PSU but just 300W, so I wanted to try a double PSU build and 24 V only for 310x310 240-260W heated bed.
Note: I intend using a heated bed designed for 24 V.
# Answer
You can certainly use a 24 V PSU for the heatbed, controlled from a 12 V board (i.e. RAMPS) - *assuming that the heatbed is either designed for 24 V or is of a type that accepts dual supply voltage (be sure to use the correct input)*.
You have three choices:
* Modify the RAMPS board, using the built in MOSFET
* Use an external relay
* Use an external MOSFET (as you suggest)
### Modifying the RAMPS
*Assuming that you are actually using a RAMPS board*:
From RepRapWiki - RAMPS 24V:
> ### Modifying for 24v heated bed
>
> You have to replace the 11 amp polyfuse, MF-R1100, with something else. This device is only rated for 16v. It will burn out and catch fire on 24volts. Most simply replace the polyfuse with a thick wire. Then wire in a 24v fuse with a inline fuse holder on the heated bed cables. Wire up 24 volt supply to the top two 11amp power sockets and its completed.
>
> You can also use an external MOSFET with a separate 24v supply without any changes.
Thus, you can use 24 V, for just the heatbed, on a standard RAMPS board directly. However to do so, you need to modify the board and replace the fuse, as the standard fuse is only rated for 16 V *and* the current rating would be too high for a 24 V supply.
Just swap out the 11 amp polyfuse, MF-R1100, and replace it with a more suitably rated fuse. Alternatively, just replace the MF-R1100 with a thick wire and use an additional inline fuse holder with a 12/24 V fuse, and reduce the current rating of the fuse by half, i.e. 5 A.
As a 24 V heatbed will actually use less current than a 12 V heatbed, this is perfectly safe. In addition, the heatbed circuit on the RAMPS is isolated from the rest of the RAMPS control circuit, so there is no need to worry about using the two different voltages on the same board.
### SSR
However, instead of a MOSFET, you might be better off using a relay, such as a *FOTEK SSR-100 DD* (which is a solid state relay module). Using a relay will isolate the two circuits. Nevertheless, you need to be aware that some (a lot?) of these Fostek SSRs are relabelled - that is to say that a 5 A SSR has the label replaced with one that says 10 A of 15 A, and the unscrupulous reseller bumps up the price accordingly. So, maybe choose a different brand of relay.
### MOSFET
*Assuming that you do not have a RAMPS board*:
Wire up an external PCB with an appropriate MOSFET. For instance, you could just use the same MOSFET as the RAMPS board uses, which is one of these three (from RepRapWiki - RAMPS 1.4 \- BOM):
* STP55NF06L (MOSFET N-CH 60V 55A 18mΩ TO-220 @11A=+135\*C )
* IRLB8743PBF (MOSFET N-CH 30V 78A 3.2mΩ TO-220 @11A=+24\*C)
* IRLB3034PBF (MOSFET N-CH 40V 195A 1.7mΩ TO-220 @11A=+13\*C)
From Re: best ramps 1.4 headbed mosfet upgrade:
> IRLB8743pbf and IRLB3034pbf are good choices. IRF3205 and P55NF06 are bad choices, because they don't have guaranteed performance at 4.5V gate drive.
See also RAMPS 1.4 and external mosfets.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: heated-bed, mosfet
--- |
thread-20474 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20474 | Residue inside of heatsink | 2023-01-19T04:35:07.167 | # Question
Title: Residue inside of heatsink
I recently had some filament get stuck in the Bowden tube so much so that I had to remove it from the stock Creality heatsink on my Ender 3 v2. As I was taking the tube out of the heatsink I noticed some residue inside:
Do I have to replace my heatsink or can it be cleaned out? What is this residue? Will this cause problems in the future?
# Answer
> 2 votes
I'm not sure what this gunk is, but it seems to be standard in Creality hotends and is presumably something they used to hold the threads or improve thermal properties or something. In any case it does not seem important. You do not need to replace your heat sink.
If the gunk is making it hard to re-insert the bowden tube and threaded coupler, or if it looks like you're going to push it down where it would get in the interface between the tube and the nozzle and cause a clog (this seems likely from your pic), you can clean it out with a Q-tip and some IPA. Otherwise, in my experience it's fine to ignore it.
# Answer
> 1 votes
That looks burned and rough. It is likely to prevent the bowden tube from properly seating, and if that falls into the nozzle, it could clog it.
That may be plastic that leaked between the hot end and the bowden tube and degraded under heat over time. When my printer was new, I took apart the hot end and didn't find any residue like this, but when I changed my nozzle recently, I did. I think this is buildup over time of either degraded plastic or residue that was on the plastic.
I would recommend removing the nozzle and using a q-tip or a skewer to scrape that out and push it out of the hot end.
Also check the end of your bowden tube and make sure it isn't also charred or contaminated with residue. Clean it and make sure that the end is flat so that it can seat fully into the hot end with no gaps. If the tip looks damaged, you can insert it into a loose coupler and use a sharp blade to cut the tip even with the end of the coupler.
---
Tags: nozzle, maintenance
--- |
thread-20486 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20486 | Auto Homing issue (Z-axis ignores endstop but individually homing each axis there is no problem) | 2023-01-22T00:51:47.217 | # Question
Title: Auto Homing issue (Z-axis ignores endstop but individually homing each axis there is no problem)
I'm experiencing an issue with the auto homing where the Z-axis will ignore the endstop when I use the auto home button in Pronterface. Strangely, homing the axes individually I don't seem to have any issues, but when I use `G28` or home the axes sequentially I observe the Z-axis motors to continue moving the gantry down despite definitely having hit the Z-endstop. Below is a link to a video demonstrating this issue:
Triggering the Z-endstop manually (with my finger) the `M119` command shows "TRIGGERED". I tested, starting from a high Z position and descending towards the endstop, manually triggering the endstop (with my finger) and I observed the Z-axis motors stop.
I used Marlin Bugfix 2.0.9.3.x preconfigured release from BTT's GitHub corresponding to this board (BTT SKR 3 EZ), only changing things like motor direction and build area so as to correspond to the printer.
I am able to copy/paste the `configuration.h` file if that will help.
# Answer
> 2 votes
For anyone looking I figured out what the issue was. Turns out that I had miswired the JST connectors coming from the switch to the board, having not double-checked and proceeding to connect wires to the board from the switch based on the color of the wires and my assumptions (black to ground, red to VCC, other color to signal). Actually for my switches black was VCC, red was signal, and the other color was ground. Thankfully it seems the board isn't worse for wear despite my errors in wiring previously, and now the printer is functional.
---
Tags: marlin, homing, endstop, bug
--- |
thread-16135 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/16135 | Error "TMC2208 or TMC2209 on Z2 requires Z2_HARDWARE_SERIAL or Z2_SERIAL_(RX|TX)_PIN | 2021-04-19T22:10:27.090 | # Question
Title: Error "TMC2208 or TMC2209 on Z2 requires Z2_HARDWARE_SERIAL or Z2_SERIAL_(RX|TX)_PIN
I am getting this error when I try to enable the Z2 driver for MKS Gen L V2.1 Could anyone help?
Error "TMC2208 or TMC2209 on Z2 requires Z2\_HARDWARE\_SERIAL or Z2\_SERIAL\_(RX|TX)\_PIN.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Your question is missing important information, but I can try to figure out something. You didn't say what kind of firmware it is. I assume it is Marlin.
Your problem is that there are no Tx Rx pins specified for Z2 (because there is X, Y, Z, E0, E1 by default on the MKS Gen L board)
I assume you want to use the E1 driver for the Z2 instead of a second extruder. In that case, you have to tell the firmware that you want to use that driver for Z2.
Search the source code for file "pins\_MKS\_GEN\_L\_V21.h" There should be E1\_SERIAL\_TX\_PIN and E1\_SERIAL\_RX\_PIN defined. Rename them to Z2\_SERIAL\_TX\_PIN and Z2\_SERIAL\_RX\_PIN.
In "pins\_RAMPS.h" file, find a block of a few lines that starts "E1\_STEP\_PIN", and rename E1 to Z2 for all those lines.
It may (or may not) work now. If it doesn't, please somehow post those configuration files.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I was getting the same issue/error code, but for my Y2 axis:
`TMC2208 or TMC2209 on Y2 requires Y2_HARDWARE_SERIAL or Y2_SERIAL_(RX|TX)_PIN`
I'm running Marlin 2.0, on an MKS Gen L V2.1 with TMC2209 (BigTreeTech v1.2) drivers. I have X, Y, Y2 (Running on E1 driver) and E0 for a custom scientific instrument (that is not a 3D printer, but it uses the same firmware and G-Code to move about so it is all the same). I initially tried to get this all going on the MKS Gen L V1, however, it only has UART for 4 Drivers (see the video by Teaching Tech). You can not get 5 drivers controlled by UART moving on this V1.0 board. For this reason, I moved over to the MKS Gen L V2.1. If this V1 board is all you have, I guess you could leave one driver as an A4988 or DRV8825 and accept the loss of the upgrade to the TMC2209 for one axis. This was the firmware that won't ask for Serial Pins, which is where most of this issue comes from.
**SOLUTION:**
The above solution by 'Jiří Maier' mostly fixed my problem. There are a few things to note and modify though:
In `configuration.h`, `#define EXTRUDERS 1` defines the number of extruders. This is important here I think (I'm 85% on this). This value will push the 'extruder' down onto the next available stepper driver, which will be E0. Therefore I moved my Y2 driver to E1 as E0 was 'occupied' by the extruder.
In `configuration.h`, make sure the `DRIVER_TYPE` axes are all set correctly to the number of drivers you actually have. For example, I am using a driver for X, Y, Z, Y2, and an extra one E0 (for pumping liquids), so 5 total. Here, Y2 will replace the E1 driver, so E1 is commented out. Therefore, all used drivers have the TMC2209 commented in here. Everything else should be commented out.
After this then you can assign the pins as mentioned by Jiří Maier.
In the `pins_MKS_GEN_L_V21` file I changed all starts of the code for `E1_SERIAL_TX_PIN` to `Y2_SERIAL_TX_PIN`, like below:
```
#ifndef Y2_SERIAL_TX_PIN
#define Y2_SERIAL_TX_PIN 20
#endif
#ifndef Y2_SERIAL_RX_PIN
#define Y2_SERIAL_RX_PIN 12
#endif
```
Similarly, in the `pins_RAMPS` file I changed the `E1_STEP_PIN` to `Y2_STEP_PIN` and so on, see the image below.
```
#define Y2_STEP_PIN 36
#define Y2_DIR_PIN 34
#define Y2_ENABLE_PIN 30
#ifndef Y2_CS_PIN
#define Y2_CS_PIN 44
```
---
Tags: stepper-driver, mks, tmc2209
--- |
thread-20382 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20382 | CR Touch under Marlin for Ender 3 | 2022-12-27T08:00:26.413 | # Question
Title: CR Touch under Marlin for Ender 3
Just came to the 3D printing world and after installing Marlin 2.1.2 firmware in my Ender 3, which took a while and was finally completed following this tutorial:
I cannot get the CR Touch correctly calibrated, but it is correctly installed (physically) and recognized in firmware. The steps I´m following are:
* Auto-homing. Which does a correct measurement from the center of the bed using CR Touch.
* Probing the Z Offset. Which is strange because I got 0.1 mm instead of the -1.x mm or even -2 mm some people are getting in some tutorials I´ve seen so far.
* Bed leveling. By default it takes 9 measurements and the first 6 are okay, but for the 7th the nozzle along with the CR Touch goes to low and pushes against the glass bed. Also, is there a way to make it work taking more measurements of the bed? Just for it to be more accurate and know more the bed it is working on.
Once again, I´m new in this but I have seen many videos about it, not getting a valid configuration in any of them. Is there anything to try out for it to work well? Also, I´m using OctoPrint for it, in case this helps or there is a known plugin I can work with.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Your CR Touch is either installed wrong or broken.
Auto home checks for the X and Y limit switches then goes to the center of the bed and drops the CR probe tip. The probe color should be total blue and the tip of the probe should drop about 5-6 mm, going well past the end of the nozzle.
The Z moves down, the probe tip touches, the probe is pushed into the assembly, and the light turns red. When the light goes red, the nozzle tip should still be somewhere around 1.8 to 2.0 mm above the plate. This is the Z-offset, it’s entered as a negative because that much further the nozzle must move in Z to reach the bed.
Repeat the measurement, retract the tip, move Z +10 mm, and stop. The probe tip when retracted should be above the nozzle tip maybe 1-2 mm.
If Auto home works as described above, the CR Touch is set up and working ok.
The problem is your Z-offset.
Set Z-offset to -5.0 mm. Run Auto Leveling, it should complete without the nozzle hitting the bed.
Run this procedure to set a reasonable Z-offset.
Set Z-offset to -1.72 mm on the display. Run a test print of anything. If you see string coming out of the nozzle and not sticking to the bed at all stop the print. Set Z-offset to -1.74 mm. Repeat.
Continue to move down this way in -0.02 mm steps until something starts to stick, then once or twice more until you can run the test print successfully to the end.
Run Auto Leveling it will work.
Alternatively, the nozzle is not installed or tightened correctly so it extends too low. Lastly, gross mechanical misalignment.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Mine is doing the exact same thing on the latest Marlin Bug Fix, Ender 3 Pro, 4.2.7 board and CR Touch. On the 7th point it pushes super far into the bed and engages the springs. There must be a bug, I am going to compile the standard release and see if the same thing happens.
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, bltouch, octoprint
--- |
thread-18399 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18399 | Do print issues (extrusion, blockage, etc...) become less of a problem with more expensive printers? | 2021-11-20T00:56:26.193 | # Question
Title: Do print issues (extrusion, blockage, etc...) become less of a problem with more expensive printers?
I own an Ender 3, it's about 3 years old and the issues I have with extrusion, leaking and filament blockage are monstrous.
Examples of problems like this are filament flow issues, filament blockage, and filament leaking out of the sides.
Problems like this take all day to fix, and in the end, they are never really fixed. Everything is so overbearingly finicky.
Not only that, but it seems one of its parts breaks down about every week (this may just be due to its age but I thought I would note it.)
It seems I run into the exact same problems every single time I 3D print. Nothing ever seems to go right. I am getting really tired of it, and I'm wondering if these kinds of problems aren't so frequent/ as big of a deal with more expensive (better) 3D printers, or if this is just normal.
# Answer
No not at all. The only way to eliminate issues is to practice and break things and learning how to fix it. I have 2 CR-10s, 1 CR-10S5, 1 CR-10 MINI, and 2 Anycubic Photons. They are all heavily modified, and the one thing i learned is that modifications only add to the problems
> 1 votes
# Answer
I got solved the most problems with my Prusa Mini after a better extruder from Bondtech (Extruder for Prusa Mini or Mini+). Because it has double gear it has enough power to press the filament through the nozzle. Another problem was the filament I ordered. It always got stuck in the Bowden tube because it got too thick. For just one dollar more I got filament that is much more accurate in the diameter and so it never got stuck.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I use a German RepRap printer, which is very expensive compared to many of the printers in the questions on this list. I still see similar printing issues on a RepRap to other printers. The settings often control the issues. The RepRap however has a much larger print area than most of the printers referred to on this list.
> 0 votes
# Answer
More expensive printers from reputable brands generally go hand in hand with better quality, but, there are exceptions. Some more expensive printers are just more expensive and do not offer a higher quality. I'm not going into the details of which brands these are.
I have experience with cheap, self-built and high-end printers and experience that even the higher end machines can have problems. Although the high-end printers generally have better engineered parts and better quality parts (e.g. like branded bearings, good steel, better hot ends) it is unlikely you run into failures more often, but failures do happen. E.g. recently I had a fine thread of filament wedged into the hot end cooling fan of an Ultimaker to fail printing PLA as the hot end becomes too hot and waisted a core on a PETG print that wrapped around the core.
One thing is for sure, when you do run into problems on expensive printers, it is generally also more expensive to fix it.
> 0 votes
# Answer
It would be highly dependant on the printer itself. For example, the Ender 5 is technically a more expensive printer than the Ender 3, but its hot end etc are functionally equivalent for the most part as the price difference is largely due to the large build volume and the Z axis being on the bed rather than the extruder.
Other higher grade printers, such as the Bambu range are significantly more expensive and have higher grade extruders and hot ends, but they can push the hardware much closer to its physical limitations, and so can create more problems.
Unless you are comparing differences between high and low end in the hundreds of dollars with very low end units and mid range units, the biggest single factor is likely to be how the printer is used and how it is maintained.
In some instances, problems may be more likely down to cheap filament, or filament with a high moisture content. Lower end printers may be more susceptible to these kind of issues.
> 0 votes
# Answer
Get a real E3D nozzle/extruder and 90 % of the problems disappear. The problem with cheap printers is that they use copies that are poorly build and low quality materials. After that if you want to improve even more you got to get a dual gear system for your extruder motor or a good gear and a body that you can adjust the tension in small steps. Besides that, just check if your steppers are well calibrated and do a proper extrusion test
> -2 votes
---
Tags: filament, bed-leveling, extrusion, cleaning
--- |
thread-20502 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20502 | Slow down a specific set of extruder moves | 2023-01-26T22:12:44.013 | # Question
Title: Slow down a specific set of extruder moves
I'm printing a keychain. In fact, I'll soon be printing a LOT of these keychains (they'll be available to everyone at a school).
After a couple test prints everything looks good... except for one little issue. During the first layer, there's a problem with the first wall extrusion for the eye hole the metal keyring will eventually pass through. Being so small, it doesn't like to adhere to the bed.
I could probably resolve this by tightening up the bed level. However, I already like the level position for the rest of the print, and from experience I know going much tighter will start to make it difficult to remove items or even leave grooves in the print mat. I could also resolve this by slowing the down the first layer... and if it were just one key chain that's what I'd do. But for a few hundred of these I'd like to see if I can optimize this some more. As it is, it adds 20 seconds or so to a print that's otherwise only 10 minutes long. It's enough to add up.
I've also been through the G-Code in a text editor, but so far I haven't been able to identify the moves in question.
Is there a way I can slow down just one set of extrusion moves?
# Answer
> 1 votes
You can use G-code `M220` (Set Feedrate Percentage).
You need to first identify the part that needs to be printed slowly, an online G-code interpreter can help you visualize this. Once located, insert the G-code to store the current value with `M220 B`, change to a lower speed `M220 S20`, print the key ring part and restore the speed to the stored value `M220 R`.
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura
--- |
thread-18376 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18376 | Want to connect Makerbot Replicator+ to Mac and several to USB hub | 2021-11-15T00:04:26.040 | # Question
Title: Want to connect Makerbot Replicator+ to Mac and several to USB hub
I am at a school with several Makerbot Replicator+ – a total of 9 of them.
So, they seem to print fine and I can hook up to two of them to one laptop (they are some Lenovo models from a few years back) using Makerbot Print. Well and good.
But I wanted to hook them up to my MacBook Pro (2020, OS X Catalina) with the USB cables, and the MacBook doesn't seem to "read" the printers, it's like they aren't even there. Makerbot Print (latest version) doesn't seem to "see" that they are hooked up. I checked the system prefs to see if the Makerbots showed up as connected USB devices and they don't seem to be there either.
Now, I am connecting via the USB cables and then through an adapter that connects the USB-A to USB-C. If I should just use a USB-B to USB-C cable (I ordered one to test it) then fine, I'll do that. I just wanted to check that there wasn't some other problem or if anyone else had this issue.
Next up: USB hubs. Makerbot says they don't recommend it, but sometimes I have to print out lots of stuff at once for student projects and I can't tie up multiple laptops for hours-long prints. I have done the technique of leaving stuff all night but that's hit or miss – if something goes wrong I am not there to stop the print (at least once something got unstuck from the build plate and I ended up with an extruder with the end encased in hard plastic like a stalactite. Unless I basically blowtorch it off... )
So, the question(s) is/are:
Any recommendations for USB hubs? (I would do wireless but that I am less sure of, and it seems easier, faster, and more reliable to link up through USB. The wireless connection always drops).
Any recommendations for the MacBook issue? Is it just a matter of finding the right cable? (it's certainly possible my $10 USB-A to USB-C adapter plugs aren't well designed, and I should just go for direct cabling)
Any recommendations for a good USB hub to link a Mac (or anything else) to Makerbots?
Thanks for your time and help. I do hope I am not duplicating a post but I don't see anything in my searches that addresses the specific issues I have; though it's possible I didn't use the right search terms.
# Answer
> 2 votes
***It would seem that the printer control board doesn't use a CH340 (see bottom of this answer) and therefore this answer should be ignored.***
---
### CH340 and OS X incompatibility
The reason your Mac might not see the printers *could* be down to the USB interface ***on the printer controller board***.
If it is implemented by a CH340 (which is probably is, in order to reduce manufacturing costs) then, historically, MacBooks have a problem with the drivers for this device and its derivatives. That is to say, the OS has a problem - more specifically the device drivers used by the OS X kernel - as opposed to the hardware. There are a number of posts dealing with this problem, it is common on Arduino clones too, see here.
The third party drivers for the CH340(G) written for OS X are often poorly written and/or have shoddy documentation - although this opinion may be hotly debated, and I have no wish to expand upon.
If the USB interface, on the printer controller board, is implemented with an FTDI or a ATmega 16U2 then it will work fine. Unfortunately the solution is probably not to use the Mac and stick with the Lenovos (i.e. PC clone).
See the extensive answers to Can't connect Cura to my Anet A8 on OSX 10.11.6
---
As an aside, I gave up trying to buy/use cheap Arduino clones with a CH340(G), on a Mac long along, as it just wasn't worth the effort in trying to get the Mac to see it. I now ensure that either:
* I purchase a slightly more expensive Arduino which uses a 16U2 (the more pricey FTDI chip is more rarely used on boards these days, but can still be found). Obviously, you don't have that sort of luxury when selecting a 3D printer.
* I will use a PC instead, if the board has a CH340(G), or similar.
### One possible solution
However, having said all of that, this issue **may** have been resolved in newer versions of OS X (post Mountain Lion, or thereabouts). This *might* provide a solution, Connect to ch340 on MacOS Mojave
> remove all old drivers:
>
> ```
> sudo rm -rf /Library/Extensions/usbserial.kext
> sudo rm -rf /System/Library/Extensions/usb.kext
>
> ```
>
> Now reboot the computer.
>
> And then (very important, because it took me 10 cables to find the right one) use a **fully connected** cable ;-)
>
> Now I have these ports:
>
> ```
> /dev/cu.wchusbserial1410
> /dev/cu.usbserial-1410
>
> ```
**Important note**: Clearly, deleting kernel drivers (also known as *kernel extensions*, `.kext`) shouldn't be taken lightly. If you feel uncomfortable doing it, or don't know how to revert the process, by using a saved backup of the drivers, then ***please don't attempt this***.
For completeness:
* To back up the `kext` (***before*** deleting it as shown above):
```
sudo cp /Library/Extensions/usbserial.kext /Library/Extensions/usbserial.kext.bak
sudo cp /System/Library/Extensions/usb.kext /System/Library/Extensions/usb.kext.bak
```
* To restore the `kext` (***after*** having deleted the kernel extension and then finding that it made no difference whatsoever):
```
sudo mv /Library/Extensions/usbserial.kext.bak /Library/Extensions/usbserial.kext
sudo mv /System/Library/Extensions/usb.kext.bak /System/Library/Extensions/usb.kext
```
---
Alternatively, instead of *deleting* the kernel drivers, you could just *rename* them to hide them, by adding `.bak` to the filename, like so
```
sudo mv /Library/Extensions/usbserial.kext /Library/Extensions/usbserial.kext.bak
sudo mv /System/Library/Extensions/usb.kext /System/Library/Extensions/usb.kext.bak
```
Then reboot. Check the printer connects or not. If not, then just *restore* them using the same commands shown above - so you just end up removing the additional `.bak` from the filename.
---
With respect to the quoted answer, I'm not entirely sure what is meant by a **fully connected** cable... There *is* a well-known issue that some USB ***charging*** cables - that look like normal USB cables - have only the power lines connected, and omit the data lines (again for cheapness), and it can be difficult to tell the two apart (usually by thickness, the thicker cables have more lines connected). Obviously, if the data lines are missing then the cable will not transfer data.
*However*, this usually applies only to cables with mini, or micro USB connectors, and usually doesn't apply to standard peripheral cables such as a USB-A to USB-B cable:
So, this issue should only arise for micro/mini USB connectors... it will depend upon your connector type.
---
We can't recommend particular makes or models of USB hubs as that is a shopping question, which is off-topic.
---
### Analysis on the printer board
Makerbot appear to use the Mightyboard for the Replicator. INterestingly from the following two photos it would appear that a CH340(G) is ***not*** used, and the IC is in fact a 16U2.
Here is a photo of the board (image from MakerBot Replicator 2/2X Rev H Mightyboard – Official, OEM Board w/ 4 BotSteps):
The IC closest to the USB-B port would appear to be a 16U2:
* Its form is square like a 16U2 and not elongated like a CH340G
* It would appear to have an Atmel logo printed upon it.
This image (from MightyBoard Motherboard 3D Printer Dashboard), also suggests the a 16U2 is used:
All of which means that, if your printer(s) have this board, then your Mac *should* indeed connect to the printer.
# Answer
> 0 votes
> what do you mean by SD card approach? The Makerbots take flash drives, but my attempts to print off of one were unsuccessful (it seems to be rather hard to make the right kind of file, it won't work with STLs and I gave up figuring out how to make them .makerbot files)
This sounds like you need a better basic understanding of the printing process.
An STL file describes a shape you want to print, but it does not have all the information needed to actually print the object. In order to actually print the file, you need to know things like what material you will use (which will determine temperatures), what the capabilities of the machine are (how fast you can go), how much vertical detail is important to retain (layer thickness vs print time trade-off), and how strong the piece needs to be (trade-off between infill + wall thickness vs print time + material costs). You also need to specify things like how to orient the shape for best print results and what to do when there are steep overhangs or bridges.
To get this information, you must **slice** the STL (or OBJ or 3DS) file.
There are a number of different software packages available to do slicing, many of them freely available: Cura and slic3r come to mind. Makerbot also has their own slicer. I know you can download and install Cura on a Mac.
The output of the slicer is usually a **.gcode** file, and I would expect your Makerbots to be able to handle gcode files that were produced with the appropriate options. In fact, I strongly suspect the ".makerbot" file mentioned in your comment is actually a gcode file in disguise.
Why does this matter?
Print jobs can take hours and even days, and they tend to completely take over the computer while printing. No one wants to leave their laptop sitting next to a printer overnight, not able to do anything else. Newer printers will also have features like automatic resume from power loss, filament out detection, are more, that a are less likely to function properly when printing from a computer.
There's just too much that can go wrong while printing via computer, such that *you're pretty much always better off going with the SD card or USB option.*<sup>*</sup>
In other words, printing directly from your main computer is **waaaaay** down the list. It's not the first, second, or even third of fourth option as the best way to do this.
---
<sub>* A *dedicated* print station can work well, when setup properly, and people often use OctoPrint installed on a Raspberri Pi in this way. However, this also implies a high-end laptop is complete overkill for the task.</sub>
# Answer
> 0 votes
You can use Simplify3D to slice your .STL files into .X3G needed for the Makerbot. You can either connect to the printer via USB or export the .X3G file to an SD card for use in the printer. Hope this helps!
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Tags: makerbot, usb, replicator+
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thread-15456 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15456 | Ender 5 hotend and bed cooling down while auto bed leveling | 2021-01-26T15:09:15.483 | # Question
Title: Ender 5 hotend and bed cooling down while auto bed leveling
I have an Ender 5 with an auto bed leveling sensor (TRU-LEV 600).
It is working fine, however, as the sensor probes the bed, the nozzle and the bed cool down and are not staying heated as it is getting the points, even though they were heated up in the first place.
How do I stop the bed and hotend from cooling down while the bed is being probed?
Here is my start G-code:
```
M75; Start Print Timer and Engage Fil Sensor if USB Printing
G92 E0; Reset Extruder distance to 0
G1 E-2; Retracts filament to prevent blobs during probing
M84 E; Disable E Motor for probe accuracy on direct drive systems
G28; home all axes
G28 Z; home Z to get more accurate Z position
G29; TRULEV mesh generation
G4 S10; wait for heaters to recover
M117 Purge extruder
G92 E0; reset extruder
G1 X0.1 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0; move to start-line position
G1 Z1.0 F3000; move z up little
G1 X0.1 Y100.0 Z0.3 F750.0 E15; draw 1st line
G1 X0.4 Y100.0 Z0.3 F5000.0; move to side a little
G1 X0.4 Y20 Z0.3 F750.0 E30; draw 2nd line
G92 E0; reset extruder
G1 Z1.0 F3000; move z up little
M117 Printing.....
```
# Answer
> 1 votes
For Marlin firmware, you should **check the setting `PROBING_HEATERS_OFF`** in *Configuration.h* file:
```
//#define PROBING_HEATERS_OFF // Turn heaters off when probing
#if ENABLED(PROBING_HEATERS_OFF)
//#define WAIT_FOR_BED_HEATER // Wait for bed to heat back up between probes (to improve accuracy)
#endif
//#define PROBING_FANS_OFF // Turn fans off when probing
//#define PROBING_STEPPERS_OFF // Turn steppers off (unless needed to hold position) when probing
//#define DELAY_BEFORE_PROBING 200 // (ms) To prevent vibrations from triggering piezo sensors
```
It is probably enabled in your case. You may want to switch this off and reinstall firmware to maintain constant heating during probing.
However, you may want to take into account possibility of **electrical or magnetic intereferences during probing** from heaters and their circuits. Disabling them for a while may eliminate these influences and give more reliable measurements. Unless the bed ot hotend are unable to maintain stable temperature for a while and cool down too much (e.g. bed changing shape). So may want to experiment what works the best in your case, maybe including other settings listed in given section.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Eco mode under settings shuts off the bed after a 30 minutes ish maybe an hour. Either way it is probably the issue
# Answer
> 0 votes
I had this problem after installing BLTouch as well, but didn't want to compile the firmware from source to solve it. I'm using the stock firmware for the Ender 3 with BLTouch from Creality's website.
To get around this problem, I added the `M109 S200` instruction to my custom G-code in Cura after the auto-leveling instruction. `M109` resets the nozzle temperature and waits for it to heat up.
ETA: obviously the downside to this is that you have to edit the custom G-code every time you want to print at a different temperature.
---
Tags: g-code, bed-leveling, creality-ender-5
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thread-20446 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20446 | Ender 3 S1 general (beginners) problems | 2023-01-10T13:49:36.100 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 S1 general (beginners) problems
I'm a beginner, so my terminology may be off.
I bought my first 3D printer a while back It's the first Creality Ender 3 S1 series that came out.
**Question**
I'll summarize my observations: Manual and auto bed leveling don't seem to catch all the inconstancies on the bed. The first layer is either too loose or too squished because of these differences. I can't seem to find any visible inconsistencies when using a ruler to check the bed at problematic points manually. I'm constantly adjusting my Z-offset to find the right height, but can't seem to find it.
**Problem 1: Manual and auto bed leveling**
I'm following the following steps:
1. Tighten all springs
2. Auto-home
3. Move the Z-axis to 0
4. Loosen springs to bring the table up and allow the springs to breathe
5. Use Z-offset to bring the nozzle to the table
6. Use a sheet of paper to feel a slight friction between the nozzle and the bed
7. Move the nozzle to four corners (~ spring mount points)
8. Move between each corner until satisfied with friction
Well, I don't really get to step eight, because I'm never happy with the friction. As soon as I move to the next corner, the other corners deform to the point where there is no friction at all. The springs are not too loose, so I don't think that's the problem.
**Problem 2: Build plate deformation**
When I'm finally *kind* of happy with the manual bed leveling, I return to auto-home. To my surprise, the nozzle presses hard against the surface. When I disable steppers, I notice the nozzle is still at the correct height as measured on the four corners.
There is also a small spot on the plate (1x2 cm) where the nozzle seems to press into the plate as well.
**Problem 3: auto bed leveling**
Now I'm thinking to myself... hey! auto bed leveling to the rescue! Well of course not. The 1x2 cm square I'm talking about does not get picked up. And the PLA on most parts of my bed is either too high or too low.
**Problem 4: Z-offset and adhesion**
Finally, as I mentioned, it often prints too high or too loose. But I can't seem to find the right Z-offset at all. When I move it down too far, it squishes, and when I move it back up a bit, the previous PLA loosens and gets pulled off the table on the next past (or even immediately after the first pass)
**Things I've done:**
* Contacted Creality, they're really good at google translate...
They sent me 1x motherboard, 1x print head, 1x print plate, 1x print bed
No real help... just going in circles and some vague instruction video's on their part
* Updated firmware to the latest version from 21 October 2021
* Bought a glass bed and installed it
* Adjusted all wheels on the X- and Z-axis
* Adjusted the belt tension
* Cleaned and greased both T-rods
* Degreased the bed plate
* Printed with bed @ 60 ° and 64 °C
* Printed with nozzle @ 195 °, 200 °, 205 ° and 215 °C
I'm sorry if this question is too broad. I've had this printer for a couple of months now, and tried a lot of things, but I've never been able to start a print and go for a coffee... it always fails.
Greenonline pointed out that this question should be split up into separate questions. But to my beliefs, all four problems mentioned below might be relevant to pinpoint one or two remedies for the issue I'm having with this printer. So my question should be this: Maybe someone with more experience can see a correlation between the problems I'm having.
Help a newbie out, please :)
# Answer
> 2 votes
## Problem 3
Forget about auto bed leveling. Just do it manually.
## Problem 2, Problem 4
Yes, Build plates are completely warped, sometimes up to 1 mm. On very large printers such as the Ender 5 Plus, it can get as bad as 2 mm. Every board has its limits and experience will tell you what you can print and what not, and what difficulties you will get.
A common issue with the Ender 3 printers is that a cable rubs against one of the wheels responsible for bed levelling, misadjusting it, usually the one on the rear left. Make sure that isn't happening.
## Problem 1
Everyone I know incorrectly **levels** AND incorrectly **uses** their build plate. If you only use PLA you might get away with doing it the "ordinary" way, but that won't work for more advanced materials and even with PLA it will severely limit you. Here's what you want to do.
This is a rear view of your Ender 3 S1. You want to make sure that your X-axis is parallel to the rest of the machine. Turn one of the motors (marked red) by hand to make it parallel if it isn't. Use a normal ruler to measure the distances (marked yellow)
Once that is fixed, you level the build plate. The first thing you will want to do is level it along the X-axis.
Every build plate bulge at its center: the red cross (image below) will be the highest point of the build plate. You will want to avoid printing there if you can. Print small parts where the green cross is. Print long, thin parts along the green arrows. Print large round parts (\>10 cm) in the center. Also, you will want to avoid printing long thin parts from the front left to the rear left, or from the front right to the rear right, as it will upset the balance of the build plate the heavier the print becomes, tilting it. If you have a printer that is built like an Ender 5 (not the Ender 5 Plus) you will want to avoid printing at the very front of the build plate, because it will tilt with added weight. That's why it's good practice to **always** print at the rear of the board along the X-axis.
So first you make sure, that the bed is flat and at the correct height along the green line because that's where you'll want to print. That is easy, as you only need to operate two screws instead of all four. Then you do the same for the orange line. You will want to go back to the green line and make light corrections. Forget about the center. The center will always be warped, so never print there, unless you're printing something really large and you have no choice.
Green is good. Red is bad. Avoid orange completely, there is no need to ever print there. I do it as I sometimes print nylon, and cover that area with PA adhesives. Saves me from washing the board between material changes. But don't do it on an Ender 5-style printer, Ender 3 will work fine.
## Cheating
If all else fails, **contact adhesives** can be a lifesaver. You'll want to buy a second glass build plate for this because of the mess. You coat the entire build plate with a thick layer of contact adhesive (or just the parts you need if you know what you're doing) and let it dry for about 1 hour. The glue will dry out. Then you heat the bed up to no more than 80 °C. The adhesive will now soften and is ready to be printed **into**. You start printing directly **into** that layer of glue (a raft can help). It won't really matter how bad the bed levelling is, as you'll be literally printing into the glue. After the first layer has been laid down, you turn off the heated bed. Once the glue cools down, it will harden and create an incredibly strong bond to your print while your printer continues to print. After the print has finished, heat the bed to max 80 °C (50 °C for PLA, or it will soften the material) and sprinkle the build plate with warm water, which will soften the adhesive and enable you to remove your print.
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, bed-leveling, z-axis, adhesion
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thread-3151 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3151 | M4 screw and nut for 3D printing? | 2016-12-08T09:14:27.373 | # Question
Title: M4 screw and nut for 3D printing?
Does anyone know where I can get a free 3D design (STEP or STL) of an M4 Screw and nut? I have found only an M3 on Thingiverse: M3 Bolt by Kaleta.
# Answer
> 7 votes
You can get a model for nearly everything McMaster-Carr sells from their website.
M4 Hex Head Screw - https://www.mcmaster.com/#91280a140/=15dmpx8
M4 Nut - https://www.mcmaster.com/#90592a090/=15dmqjy
The options to download models are to the right of the drawings.
---
NOTE: the site does prohibit use of these models for direct printing.
> You shall not use a CAD model to engage in 3D printing or other fabrication of the object depicted in the CAD model for any other purpose. You shall not otherwise redistribute or make available the CAD models (or any design drawings or prototypes that incorporate them) to any third parties, including third parties in the business of selling products similar to the products sold by us.
# Answer
> 4 votes
The thing you linked to describes itself as being generated from a parametric model: http://www.thingiverse.com/apps/customizer/run?thing\_id=193647
To generate any different bolt or nut, you will need to identify the correct dimensions for not only the thread (where hints exist in the customiser), but also for the hex head. These are obviously less critical to define than the thread.
Once you have generated a custom model, you can share it and answer your own question.
# Answer
> 2 votes
A 3D printer does not have the necessary resolution to create a functioning screw thread. I suggest you print the hole (for the nut) and the shaft (for the screw) in oversize and use a tap and die set to make the threads.
You must print them out of PA12 nylon obviously. Due to the size, warping will not be an issue.
# Answer
> 0 votes
You could also apply a scaling factor in your slicer to make a downloaded object larger or smaller. An M3 model scaled at +1.333 would produce a working thread with a nominal 4 mm OD. As noted in the comments below, a different scale factor might be needed in the axial direction if exactly matching the pitch of an M4 thread is required.
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Tags: 3d-models
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thread-19317 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19317 | Prints on bed are missing parts | 2022-05-01T22:16:48.143 | # Question
Title: Prints on bed are missing parts
I'm new to 3D printing, I have printed the cat that comes on the SD card on my Ender 3 and it's amazing the level of detail. After that, I tried to print another figure and I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I don't even know what to search for troubleshooting images because none of those seems similar to my problem.
I used Ultimaker Cura to generate the G-code, it's the same filament, good (I think) bed leveling with 50 °C and nozzle at 200 °C. Is something wrong with the printer? Or is it the configuration of my G-code and what parameters do I need to check?
The next images are:
1. my first cat (nice print)
2. what I want to print
3. what I actually print
# Answer
> 1 votes
There are two big areas of difference between the successful sample print and the model you're failing to print: geometry and how it's sliced.
First, geometry. The sample print *looks* detailed, but if you actually think about it, each cross section until you get to the ears at the very top is just a single, mostly smooth loop, whose shape differs very subtly from one layer to the next. (And indeed, when you get to the ears, it *doesn't* look good anymore - there's bad stringing from missing or wrong retraction.) This is the easiest type of object to 3D print, and there's a reason they chose it as the sample - it's hard to get wrong, and it looks nice.
The tabletop mini style figure, on the other hand, has *a lot* of (very small!) disconnected components in each cross section once you get past the base. Printing these accurately (or even successfully at all) requires your printer to be able to stop the extrusion, move the print head to a different location, and resume extrusion there, without losing material to oozing on the way or skipping/jamming when it restarts. This is perfectly doable to an Ender 3, but it requires good instructions from the slicer.
That's where we get to the next part of what's different: slicing. The sample print was sliced for you with Creality's preferred options to show off the printer's capabilities (and they didn't do a very good job at that - see the stringing at the top, which a properly sliced print on an Ender 3 should not have). Yours you sliced yourself, with whatever profile came with Cura. Even if the stock slicing profile they provide is fairly good, this is a really difficult print (see geometry above) and will require a good bit of work to figure out how to print it successfully. It probably needs some supports, and needs retraction tuned well, and probably needs combing limited.
I could go into details for how to go about finding the right options for this print, but I think you really need to start with something much simpler. I know I did the same kind of thing (looking for fancy models and trying them) when I first got my Ender 3, but it ended up being frustrating and took a lot longer to figure out what I was doing wrong than it would have if I started out with things like boring cylinders or calibration cubes. Start really simple. That way you can get to know how the slicer works, what options are available and how they affect what the printer does, and most importantly do an overall sanity check that it's slicing right for your printer. (Cura used to have a bug where it always wanted to reset to the wrong filament diameter, 2.85 rather than 1.75, which gave extremely underextruded prints, and parts of your failure look like that may be what happened, but I doubt it is since I think that behavior was fixed a couple years ago.)
In slicing and printing some simple test pieces, you'll probably find you have questions about what's not going the way you expect. Ask those. Then, once you get the problems worked out, start trying more elaborate prints, and ask more questions when you run into problems with them. After getting past very basic checks, a good next stage would be "nontrivial objects that don't need supports".
# Answer
> 0 votes
The Cura Ender 3 profile will not give you that print. It's a very safe profile. And that print was failing from the start long before it had any complexity to speak of.
So it's the printer or the filament. Hard to tell which without more detail. It looks like it was failing from the first layer. So do some research on what a first layer should look like and troubleshoot from there.
Also doublecheck you are using the right Cura profile for your filament type and machine.
I have to say, the cat print doesn't look very good either.
# Answer
> 0 votes
That print is **not** possible on an FDM 3D printer. Period. Only a resin printer can pull off something as complicated as that. Perhaps a dual extruder with water-soluble support material will be able to pull it off, but even then you will have to scale the model up at least 2x, as the details are simply too small.
I'm a 3D printing veteran and I wouldn't even attempt something like that on an Ender 3. It's just not possible.
As for the first print, your retraction speed is too low. If that doesn't help remove the stringing, increase your retraction amount too.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, troubleshooting
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thread-20459 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20459 | Print overhangs from the edges in | 2023-01-14T11:50:38.833 | # Question
Title: Print overhangs from the edges in
I am trying to print an object with this cross section (the full object is just this mirrored):
The problem is that big overhang layer. Cura slices it like this:
This is obviously going to fail. Is there any way to make Cura slice it in a spiral inwards from the outside, something like this (excuse the terrible diagram):
# Answer
I'm pretty new to 3D printing but I was fairly sure I could get this to print nicely without supports and I did it! First here are some things I tried:
1. I tried the manual supports suggested by fred\_dot\_u, unfortunately, it does not really work in this case. It seems like the bridge needs a reasonable width of support at each end to adhere to.
2. I redesigned my model to not have 90° overhangs. Fortunately, in my case I can actually get away with 45° slops and also a 67° slope like this (this is upside down compared to the images in the question).
Unfortunately, this did not print at all well with the default Cura settings. It still insists on doing the "wall" rings first and those have no support.
(The black dots are from wet and dry paper.)
3. I managed to get it to print in the right order - spiraling inwards - by slicing with PrusaSlicer and just setting the wall width really high, like 5. It worked a bit better, but still 67° overhang was too much for my printer, and also I don't really want walls that thick.
4. Finally I realised what I should do. Bridging seems to work well over long distances, as long as both ends are well supported. So all I need to do is manually add some "bridge supports" and convince Cura to print them as actual bridges. Here's my CAD (I've resorted to just a test piece rather than my actual model now):
Essentially I added a 0.2 mm layer extrusion down everywhere except a square in the middle, and then a further 0.2 mm extrusion down in these purple areas:
Then when you slice in Cura set **Top/Bottom Line Directions** to **\[0, 90\]** (or perhaps you could just rotate the square by 45°), and it will slice it like this:
And it prints perfectly!
Ok, in the end, I think I might not do that because I realised I can redesign it to use 45° slopes and a big closed hole at the top... but I'm glad I proved that you *can* do 90° overhangs with holes in them without supports.
> 3 votes
# Answer
Angus of Maker's Muse has a video which may be of value. He suggests to create additional components to the model that become supports. I've used this method with great results. The specific model I created contained counterbores that could not be inverted and would have required supports and also would have become a mess to remove.
The black lines represent a pair of cylinders of nearly matching diameters. The larger cylinder should be the same diameter and the second cut plus one or two nozzle widths, to allow overlap. This creates a bridging circumstance of relatively small dimensions.
This support cylinder could be hollow, but the slicer will have to bridge the top of it in order to create the center cylinder support. One could create a solid cylinder with a cone removed, allowing the print to build a non-supported taper to the top, but it would be easier to create a pair of nested cylinders, both of which could be hollow.
As before, the center cylinder should be the same diameter as the top most cut, plus the nozzle width times to create the bridging feature.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Here are your settings. The ones with the arrows are especially important. Just copy everything I've underlined with red and everything will work fine ;-)
> 0 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, slicing
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thread-11138 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11138 | How to tell if a nozzle is truly stainless steel? | 2019-10-08T23:03:27.653 | # Question
Title: How to tell if a nozzle is truly stainless steel?
Normally stainless steel is magnetic. But whenever i order stainless steel nozzles from Amazon, they are not magnetic. This makes me think they could be brass coated in something like aluminum. However, there are many types of steel.
I've attached an image of someone who reviewed these nozzles. He says they are not stainless steel because they are not magnetic.
But whenever I order "stainless steel" nozzles, even from other sellers, they are not magnetic. i already returned one pack from another seller and just received a nonmagnetic one from a third seller.
So that's it? Amazon just sells junk now? Or is there a way I can easily tell whether these are something other than colored brass / good for abrasive or high temp printing. Here is the product that was reviewed: AUSTOR 13 Pieces Stainless Steel 3D Printer Nozzles 0.2 mm, 0.4 mm, 0.6 mm, 0.8 mm, 1.0 mm Extruder Nozzle Print Head for E3D Makerbot https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07CHZMGRH/ref=cm\_sw\_r\_cp\_apa\_i\_XtrNDbRMVH8SW
# Answer
> 8 votes
Let's preface, that there are a LOT of metal identification methods. For example, I found this guide helpful and I had been at the scrapyard lately, where I have been told that 90+% of the time, steel objects that are non-magnetic are the more valuable stainless steel. The kitchen sink I dropped off? Stainless, non-magnetic steel. That's because about 70% of the made stainless steel is Austenitic Steel, which happens to be generally non-ferromagnetic.
## Magnetic test
A common test in scrapyards is, to check if an item is magnetic, as a lot of stainless steels are non-magnetic and then prove to be iron metals with a short spark test (see below).
## Tempering/Annealing behavior
The very fact that the nozzles do change color to a brassy color that is commonly called straw is proof that it is indeed steel: heating up a piece of steel does alter the steel and also alters the surface color in a process called tempering. The color is only the surface, and the mild straw color would become orange-brown, purple, pale blue teal and yellow if you were to heat it higher. Take a look at the tempering colors of steel here:
In contrast, brass acts differently when heated and tempering is somewhat different. Subjecting the piece of brass to heat you will not temper but anneal it and you get colors differently. Instead of becoming straw before blue, Brass becomes dark, starting with its pale gold to go over a dark "antique" look to before going green, teal, purple-blue, red and then losing its color like this piece of a polished brass plate shows:
## Hardness/Chip
Another test that would be easy to conduct is hardness. The base idea of hardness is: An item can scratch a piece of equal or lower hardness, but not of higher hardness. If you have a chisel handy, then you have a piece of steel at hand. Most chisels are rated as HRC 58-62 - which is the Rockwell hardness scale. Brass could be all over the place, depending on work hardening. But the identification is not by the hardness but by how the chisel - or better a graver - cuts.
We expect Brass to get a smooth cut with saw tooth edges while stainless cuts smoothly and has sharp edges to the cut.
## Sparktest
If you want to scrap one, get an angle grinder or another power tool to grind at the nozzle. Steel sparks red-orange to whitish and depend on the mix, Carbide sparks very short and orange. Stainless creates a HUGE shower of sparks, yellow-white and dense, no burstes and branching. Copper, aluminium and Brass **do not spark**. Titanium is very bright white. It can tell you what kind of steel you have: Stainless steel typically has medium-to-long, non- to low-branching, non- or low-exploding sparks.
## Drilltest
As we are at destroying a pair of nozzles, why not drill them? we should have done that before subjecting it to heat treating and grinding, but alas... Basically, we clamp the piece down and take an HSS drill to drill out the center.
Brass needs a different drill type but can be drilled and machined without coolant. Typical HSS drills from the home depot have a positive rake, brass wants a neutral or negative rake to drill or machine smoothly. If the piece grabs, creates short spials and dusty small flakes with an unmodified, new drill (or under positive rake machining), it drills like brass, as you see here from a Clickspring video on drilling brass:
In contrast, stainless steel doesn't want to be machined **without cooling** at all and using high speed creates smoke quickly and nearly no chips at all. A moment later your tool starts to glow and gets a dull edge. If your drilling experiment turns a new drill blunt on high speeds or uncooled, you have stainless at your hands. To get chips, you need to work *slow* and have some sort of cooling. It is still a painfully slow process that needs a lot of pressure, but it gets larger, nesting chips like seen here from a Wayne Canning steel drilling tutorial:
## Rust test
If you have established it is an iron metal via spark testing, you also have an exposed surface. There are commonly three tests to see the quality of stainless steel, which will show only minimal rusting on such an exposed surface.
* Copper Sulfate Solution will react with most non-stainless steels or contaminated stainless steels quite aggressively, while stainless steels react only minimally.
* A high-humidity warmed chamber at about 30 °C results in a dense rust layer within 24 hours on exposed steel. Just dumping into water will do so too, so into a bucket and wait a day. If it's all over rusted, it's not stainless.
* Saltwater spray is very corrosive on non-stainless steels, resulting in accelerated rust. While this test typically is run as a stress test for days or weeks to test exposure to marine life, a few hours will rule out non-stainless steel.
# Answer
> 3 votes
Stainless steel is created by adding elements (usually Chromium, but also Nickel) to steel. These added elements form an oxide layer with the outside air protecting the steel from corroding.
Whether stainless steel is magnetic or not depends on the added elements and the micro structure of the steel; some are and some aren't magnetic.
From physlink:
> As for whether they (red. stainless steels) are magnetic, the answer is that it depends. There are several families of stainless steels with different physical properties. A basic stainless steel has a 'ferritic' structure and is magnetic. These are formed from the addition of chromium and can be hardened through the addition of carbon (making them 'martensitic') and are often used in cutlery. However, the most common stainless steels are 'austenitic' - these have a higher chromium content and nickel is also added. It is the nickel which modifies the physical structure of the steel and makes it non-magnetic.
So the answer is that you cannot determine by testing for magnetic properties if the nozzle is stainless steel or not. But if it is not magnetic, it can be stainless steel. Note that discoloration is possible, this is the oxide layer.
To identify if the steel is stainless, you could without sacrificing the nozzle (according to this reference):
> **Step 1**
> Stick the magnet on the piece you are testing. If it holds firmly, the metal is possibly stainless steel. If not, it is (red. could be) another metal such as aluminum.
>
> **Step 2**
> Pick a spot on the piece that you don't mind damaging a little.
>
> **Step 3**
> Fill the eye dropper with muriatic acid. Drop a small amount of the acid on the test spot. Wait half an hour.
>
> **Step 4**
> Wipe the acid off the piece. Examine the test spot. If it is discolored, the piece is stainless steel.
---
<sup>Note that the image you posted shows a Zinc plated steel screw, not a stainless steel screw.</sup>
# Answer
> 0 votes
The other answers are good. For a more practical answer:
## Magnet test
As answered by Trish, steel with an austenitic atom structure, which most stainless steels have, are not magnetic. So forget the magnets. Metallurgy is complicated.
## Density test
Brass has a density of 8.5 - 9, stainless steel is below 8. Depends on the alloy. Might be a bit tricky to detect such small differences.
## Hardness test
Better to do a hardness test. Hammer a nail made of mild steel into the nozzle, if the nozzle is softer than the nail, it's brass. If it's harder, it's stainless steel.
There are also HRC hardness scratch tests for that, although more intended for testing hardened steel. Find a chunk of structural steel and scratch the nozzle into it. Stainless steel will scratch the structural steel, brass & aluminium will scratch itself.
## Spark test
Use an angle grinder or a dremel tool: if there are sparks, it's steel. This is probably the easiest method.
---
Tags: metal-parts
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thread-20527 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20527 | Travel path line appeared and I can't make it disappear | 2023-02-02T11:32:24.307 | # Question
Title: Travel path line appeared and I can't make it disappear
This line has started to appear on my prints. I've tried to revert the settings I've changed back to my original settings but the line is still there. The previous prints didn't have this line as far as I can remember. What could possibly cause this problem? I didn't use any supports or build plate adhesion. It is annoying because those lines also appear on the prints.
# Answer
> 3 votes
The line in question is a travel line, so no extrusion is deliberately done there. So, if you see that filament is being deposited, your retraction settings are incorrect.
Generally, a blob is generated at the origin (or the last point after leveling) and proper retraction and travel speed should be in place to prevent filament to leak during the travel to the first printing position.
You should check your start G-code and look for retraction and speed of travel. A larger retraction and higher feed rate for travelling may prevent the deposition of filament.
Remember that the higher the temperature of the filament, the more easy it flows out of the nozzle. If you are printing hotter, or with a different material that is more fluid at the same temperature, you run into these problems.
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, print-quality, ultimaker-cura, speed
--- |
thread-14456 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14456 | While heating, BLTouch mesh data gets worse and worse the more times you probe | 2020-09-19T19:51:13.253 | # Question
Title: While heating, BLTouch mesh data gets worse and worse the more times you probe
The title pretty much sums up the issue. It was happening before moving to an SKR Mini E3 V1.2 and is still happening with the new board. If I run A `G28`, then a `G29` \- while *not* heated - I will get some mesh data (poor mesh data because I haven't levelled the bed but that's not the main issue). If I then repeatedly run `G29` (lets say 5 times) there will be variation between the measurement but only and expected amount and nothing more.
```
Bilinear Leveling Grid:
0 1 2
0 +0.592 +0.270 +0.010
1 +0.082 +0.010 -0.062
2 +0.215 +0.078 -0.065
Bilinear Leveling Grid:
0 1 2
0 +0.597 +0.267 +0.002
1 +0.085 +0.007 -0.065
2 +0.215 +0.078 -0.065
Bilinear Leveling Grid:
0 1 2
0 +0.607 +0.267 -0.002
1 +0.085 +0.010 -0.065
2 +0.212 +0.075 -0.060
```
Although it does continue to climb a bit, it's a BLTouch they're not *the* most accurate things so I'm not worrying about it.
However, if I heat the nozzle (200 °C) and bed (60 °C):
```
Bilinear Leveling Grid:
0 1 2
0 +0.537 +0.252 +0.022
1 +0.057 -0.002 -0.050
2 +0.200 +0.075 -0.087
Bilinear Leveling Grid:
0 1 2
0 +0.495 +0.203 -0.030
1 +0.020 -0.027 -0.097
2 +0.150 +0.027 -0.127
Bilinear Leveling Grid:
0 1 2
0 +0.462 +0.180 -0.067
1 -0.002 -0.072 -0.150
2 +0.122 -0.010 -0.170
Bilinear Leveling Grid:
0 1 2
0 +0.422 +0.132 -0.105
1 -0.057 -0.140 -0.192
2 +0.075 -0.043 -0.215
Bilinear Leveling Grid:
0 1 2
0 +0.367 +0.082 -0.165
1 -0.110 -0.155 -0.233
2 +0.030 -0.102 -0.255
Bilinear Leveling Grid:
0 1 2
0 +0.347 +0.045 -0.190
1 -0.135 -0.180 -0.250
2 +0.002 -0.127 -0.280
Bilinear Leveling Grid:
0 1 2
0 +0.322 +0.032 -0.215
1 -0.155 -0.230 -0.280
2 -0.020 -0.142 -0.315
```
As you can see the variations in the measurements are *very* high. This must be a known issue because Marlin does have a `PROBING_HEATERS_OFF` option but this would take even more time and I'm just curious if there is a reason for this or another fix to it. I don't believe it would be a current issue since the power supply used can deliver many amps so it's probably something like electrical noise. I think it's fine to leave it because you only home and probe once during a print so the measurements would be 'accurate' but it would be reassuring to find out a reason and a possible fix.
I measured the rail with my oscilloscope and it actually isn't very noisy, whether I was heating or not. However, Vmax was 4.6 and Vmin was 4.4 and I'm wondering if that is too low. These voltages didn't change while heating so I think they are always that low.
**Edit**
For completeness, here an image of the printer:
and here graphs about the BLtouch data over time:
# Answer
It looks like the changes are always going in the same direction for a given probe point (each point increases steadily or decreases steadily, there is no oscillation).
This means that the bed is not warm yet and you should wait longer.
In theory the heating of the BLtouch itself may affect the readings, and the air surely gets progressively warmer around it, but since some values increase and other ones decrease, that's not the cause.
The values change because the bed is still adapting to the temperature increase.
For a more systematic and scientific approach, do the following.
With the bed cold, heating off, probe a single point 10 times without any delay, then put the data in a spreadsheet and calculate the standard deviation, to know how accurate the sensor is.
After that probe the whole bed every 5 minutes during heating for half an hour and then plot the values on a graph (each point separately). At a certain point you will see that the values will oscillate about as much as they did when the bed was cold. That is the time you need to wait for proper bee heating. Different parts of the bed may reach the temperature in different times, that's why each probed point has to be graphed separately over time.
If you use an enclosure, as you do, the continuous change of BLtouch output can also be dependent on the overall heating of the printer frame and structure: instead of heating only the bed, in an environment which stays the same, you are heating the whole environment through the bed. It becomes more complex. The BLtouch may be fine, but you may need to keep heating it until the readings stabilise.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Because of thermal expansion, you will not get an accurate mesh result test after test for at least 30-60 minutes or longer, depending on the thickness of the bed plate.
I have 1/4 inch MIC6 plates on both my printers and I have to heat my beds for at least 60 minutes before the thermal expansion stops and I can get an accurate mesh and start printing. The funny thing is, no one tells you this when you buy an Antclab BLTouch. I bought 3 at once and thought they were all defective and garbage until I figured out it was thermal expansion. I couldn't get an accurate mesh twice in a row if my life depended on it. I still can't find this information anywhere to this day.
So for anyone reading this, if you want a perfect first layer using a BLTouch, keep doing a mesh test again and again until they are accurate one after another. Then you will know how long you have to wait before you can get a perfect first layer.
Oh and one more thing, different temps will mean different wait times. It takes longer for thermal expansion to settle at 70 °C or 100 °C than it does at 60 °C, depending on which type of filament you want to print. Happy Printing !!
> 1 votes
---
Tags: bed-leveling, bltouch, skr-mini-e3
--- |
thread-20533 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20533 | Modified cable for Ender 5+ LCD touchscreen | 2023-02-03T18:12:13.617 | # Question
Title: Modified cable for Ender 5+ LCD touchscreen
I wanted to upgrade my Ender 5 plus to a silent board as it makes a lot of noise. So I chose the BTT SKR 3 EZ board and started to configure it. However, in the Marlin configuration, there was a README explaining that the LCD must be flashed, which makes sense. The thing is, it also says:
> The LCD will need the cable modified to fit the SKR 3 motherboard. Four pins, tx2-pa10 rx2-pa9 gnd-g 5v-+5v, (See the boards silkscreens for pin labels)
I found the TX2, RX2, GND, and +5 V on the LCD (as in the picture) but have no clue what is pa10 and pa9...
Note: After flashing the LCD, when I connect it back to the ancient board, it lights up with the Marlin logo for a few seconds and then goes off. When using the SKR 3 EZ (flashed of course) nothing happen as I didn't change the cabbling yet.
# Answer
> but have no clue what is pa10 and pa9...
These are identifiers for the microprocessor pins. You find these two in the TFT header on the right in the image below:
> 1 votes
---
Tags: electronics, creality-ender-5, lcd-screen
--- |
thread-20496 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20496 | Ender 3 Pro not auto homing | 2023-01-25T07:11:18.010 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 Pro not auto homing
I have had my Ender 3 Pro for roughly a year now and have decided to make some upgrades.
I recently upgraded to a BLTouch and silent board. I am having a problem auto homing where the printer does its usual homing process until it gets to the z axis. It simply doesn't move and displays "STOPPED" on the screen.
Any ideas?
# Answer
I would revisit and start again on your firmware. Sounds to me as if the printer is getting confused as to which Z Endstop it should be looking at.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, troubleshooting, bed-leveling, bltouch
--- |
thread-20509 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20509 | Can’t seem to tune out surface zits | 2023-01-29T04:16:54.067 | # Question
Title: Can’t seem to tune out surface zits
I have an Ender 3 that I have been learning for about a month now. I’ve just started to print with PLA silk. I’ve managed to get some quite nice prints out of standard PLA and also PETG. Maybe it’s just the glossiness of the silk that is highlighting these surface zits.
I’ve already tuned my E-steps, and have done temp towers, retraction test towers, and flow tests but just can’t seem to nail what is giving me these blemishes. I’m using a .6 mm nozzle, temp tower showed 195 °C for the nozzle, 60 °C for the bed. Printing at .2 mm layer height and 50 mm feed rate.
Everything is stock except for an all-metal extruder and a BLTouch. There seem to be a lot of profiles for Cura floating around and I tried them but most of them seem to be tailored to the standard .4 mm nozzle.
# Answer
1. Buy a better printer (Sorry, I'm going to be that guy). Judging by the visibility of the horizontal lines on your piece, the print is already painful to look at. This happens due to fluctuating temperatures. Ender 3 is for beginners learning to print who aren't sure if they want to invest in the new hobby, people on a budget who use it once a month, or people who want to mess around with firmware and play around with the code. Ender 3 prints like garbage, sorry, it's just the truth. If you're serious about printing: upgrade.
2. Buy high-quality PLA filament. Stay clear from cheap Amazon stuff, that will only clog your nozzle. This is probably the source of the blobs. Buy black or colorless PLA or live with the problems other colors might and will bring, especially glossy, glittery, fancy stuff.
3. Check **Shell** \> **Outer before Inner Walls** in Cura.
4. Adjust **Speed** \> **Outer Wall Speed**. Anything under 60 mm/s is **fine**.
5. As a last resort: Reduce the flow rate. In Cura under **Material** \> **Flow**, or **Outer Wall Flow**. Not by too much though.
6. If the blobs show up in a certain pattern (it does **not** appear so), indeed turn off \**Power Loss Recovery as the comment suggested. If they appear random (from what I see in the photos), there's **no** need to turn off that feature whatsoever.
Also, you'll want to increase your retraction speed and perhaps also retraction amount (both under **Travel** in Cura) judging by that stringing.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I have added a Satsana fan shroud and direct extruder. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s just this filament. I have done test retraction towers using firmware retraction so I can make adjustments mid print and have tried retraction distances from .5mm to 5mm and still can’t eliminate stringing. It’s better, but still there. I have also tried test temp towers and still can’t eliminate it. I haven’t printed anything that will show surface zits and blobs, so I don’t know if that has improved. It’s a new roll but I still put it in the oven at 45-50 for 4 hours to see if that helped, it didn’t.
> 0 votes
# Answer
Change seam to User defined, then to back right Also Adjust your retraction settings.
> -2 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, ultimaker-cura, surface
--- |
thread-20538 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20538 | Do bevelled corners hold any practical advantages or disadvantages over square ones for blocky functional prints? | 2023-02-04T13:43:35.887 | # Question
Title: Do bevelled corners hold any practical advantages or disadvantages over square ones for blocky functional prints?
I'm producing a series of brackets to allow a laser cutter to be reliably positioned on a waste board\spoil board in that has a measurement grid on it, and to allow a honeycomb bed to be reliably positioned within it in relation to the laser cutter.
Essentially, I'm making 4 large right angle piece with mounting screws and stepped sides. Which will be screwed down to a piece of timber so that things can be fixed to them in the same position each time they're used.
It has a lot of corners, and 90° angles, and it looks like it was designed by a Brutalist architect.
Will bevelling<sup>1)</sup> the corners for purely aesthetic reasons have any practical effect on the print or the printing process. For example will rounder corners make the print stronger or weaker, or will it make warping more or less likely. Will it improve or harm bed adhesion, will it have any substantial effect on print time or quality?
Version 1.0
I'm using an Ender 5 with PLA and a 0.2 layer height. Because that's what I have on my shelf right now, and I don't want to spend any extra money on this.
---
<sup>1)</sup> *I'm using the word "bevel" because I'm using Blender to make the model (Because it's what I'm most familiar with), and you create rounded edges using the Bevel tool in Blender.*
# Answer
Bevel chamfer fillet, whatever. For correct semantics see the other excellent answer.
What are advantages of rounded (or at least, less sharp) edges and corners?
* In FDM, curved xy paths are stronger than sharp corners and if your printer supports acceleration, may print marginally faster.
* Curved surfaces feel nice in general and make the part more professional looking. Sharp corners are...well...pointy and sharp.
* Sharp corners and flat side faces can expose calibration issues with your printer that curved faces can hide, so the results look better.
* Vertically slanted surfaces with bridged inside horizontal curves are difficult to print without good support. The inside perimeter can separate from the infill, severely degrading print quality. Sometimes replacing circles of slanted holes with pentagons or octagons helps this and improves bridging, but good support works better. This could be construed as a slicer bug, but I've yet to see a slicer that does this well.
* For bottom layers, round corners (or just circles in general) can increase bed adhesion and reduce peel up where sharp corners make that worse. This is more of an issue with plastics with a shrink factor (like ABS) and nearly not an issue with PLA.
* In general (and fillets in particular), rounded corners anywhere are stronger. Inside fillets reduce stress concentrations, spreading it over the whole curve instead of concentrating it at the intersection. For outside corners, a sharp corner is a target for chipping and direct impacts on the corner can transmit concentrated forces into the part where a curved surface would spread them.
* As already stated, curved surfaces in the xy plane are stronger and higher quality with FDM, but even vertical curves can be stronger, as most slicers add extra material around them. However, if you have a buggy slicer that doesn't do this, an upper curved surface with too steep of an angle, like a sphere, may have holes and could collapse. On the other hand, a buggy slicer might not add solid layers under the corner and only have infill support under sharp vertical corners, creating a delamination risk, where a gradual curve or slant would at least have overlapping perimeters. Lower curved surfaces can have support issues.
* Curved or beveled edges can increase passive compliance for parts that have to slide to join with other parts, making them easier to fit. However, inappropriate use of this can add unwanted gaps at the edges of joined parts, in which case a gradual taper (or just a square corner) might be better than a bevel or round.
* Curved surfaces are harder to draw, and depending on your cad package, may require extra design planning.
> 2 votes
# Answer
> Will bevelling the corners for purely aesthetic reasons have any practical effect on the print or the printing process.
No, not necessarily in this model. If one positive reason for using a chamfer<sup>1)</sup> or a fillet<sup>2)</sup> would have in this design is that it may make it easier to insert the honeycomb plate in the recess of the corner model cutout.
But, fillets and chamfers can have more useful effects. E.g. a bottom fillet is usually harder to print well, on the other hand, a chamfer prints fine. See e.g. this answer or this answer.
A fillet can also be very useful in preventing stress concentrations in corners (of structurally loaded parts), preventing prints to fail prematurely (like a weld does between 2 perpendicular plates).
The effect on printing time and filament saving is negligible, there is usually not much volume involved.
One of the biggest advantages is that parts look more professional!
---
<sup>1)</sup> from Wikipedia: *In machining the word bevel is not used to refer to a chamfer. Machinists use chamfers to "ease" otherwise sharp edges, both for safety and to prevent damage to the edges.<br><br>A chamfer may sometimes be regarded as a type of bevel, and the terms are often used interchangeably.*
<sup>2)</sup> from Wikipedia: *In mechanical engineering, a fillet is a rounding of an interior or exterior corner of a part design.*
> 2 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, 3d-models, 3d-design
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thread-20539 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20539 | How to see BLTouch probing results? | 2023-02-04T15:35:47.020 | # Question
Title: How to see BLTouch probing results?
How do I view the results from the BLTouch probing on my Ender 3?
I have set up all the firmware and installed the BLTouch fine and it works as expected. But how am I able to see the results of the `G29` 9-step probes so I can view them in a mesh visualiser?
I don’t have an OctoPrint print server, as I know this comes with a Plug-in.
# Answer
> 0 votes
G-code `M420 V` will show the mesh heights of the currently loaded mesh.
You can use a console to send the command and retrieve the values.
# Answer
> -1 votes
I used Pronterface terminal emulator and connected the printer via USB! Simple really when you figure out how!
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, bed-leveling, bltouch
--- |
thread-20546 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20546 | Is it possible to have very high resolution 3D scan with not too expensive scanners? | 2023-02-05T17:03:44.717 | # Question
Title: Is it possible to have very high resolution 3D scan with not too expensive scanners?
I don't really know much about 3D scans and so on, so I'm just curious about it. I need to scan objects with different forms and I want to know which level of details I can reach during the scan. For example, if the object has a small (0.1 mm) black point on it, will this be detected? Or if the object has a really small scratch (barely eye-visible), will this be reproduced as a 3D model? So how many details deep can I go and at which price? (More or less)
Or do you know if there is any other technology that can do such things? For example, I can see those small scratches or defects on a good camera, the problem is that camera does not scan the entire 3D object, but I would need to shoot each angle of it manually. What can I do to scan the entire object and get deep details of it?
# Answer
Structured Light Scanning uses a turntable and a dedicated light source that creates patterns on the scanned object. The patterns are interpreted by the software to generate a 3D model. Photogrammetry uses a series of photographs, sometimes on a turntable, sometimes not. The software that does not support turntable use tends to use the apparent background movement to assist in creating reference points to generate the model.
The resolution aspect of your question is dependent on the resolution of the camera and the ability to detect and determine any variations in height/depth/width, etc. If there is insufficient camera resolution (Macro lens), the feature you desire to appear will not appear.
Photogrammetry and SLS are susceptible to specularity and "invisible blacks." The former is the result of a reflection of light, causing a bright spot that interferes with the calculations and dimensional determination. Transparent objects also have a similar problem. Blacks on an object are easy to detect by the human eye, often because they contain specularity as well. The dark sections are erroneously detected by the software as depth or detected as gaps/chasms/open sections. Spray-on powders provide a more uniform surface to remove these problems, but may not be suitable to your purposes.
Multiple cameras is one method used to deal with the necessary angles of captures. President Obama was the subject of a fairly complex photogrammetry construction as well as the subject of a series of hand-held structured light scanning image.
Image below from linked site:
> 1 votes
---
Tags: 3d-models, scanning
--- |
thread-20483 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20483 | Inserting steel dowel pin into hole with interference fit | 2023-01-20T22:26:56.053 | # Question
Title: Inserting steel dowel pin into hole with interference fit
I'm building a product which requires a dowel pin inserted into a plastic piece. I'm planning to 3D print the plastic piece with nylon (must be nylon for biocompatibility), but the tolerances won't be sufficient to ensure a consistent press-fit for the pin. To get around this, I plan to undersize the hole, and then ream it out with a reamer on the drill press. There will be 1000 pieces on this run. Any flaws you can see with this design?
# Answer
It is not possible to insert a steel dowel into a hole of a plastic workpiece with a press fit: at least not for long. Tremendous force is exerted on the plastic by the steel, and the plastic will soon begin to deform in a process called cold flow or creep.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: 3d-design
--- |
thread-20551 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20551 | How to set up Octoprint with Motion as camera streaming service? | 2023-02-06T15:46:08.877 | # Question
Title: How to set up Octoprint with Motion as camera streaming service?
I spent way too much time trying to get webcam working with Octoprint. Since my webcam is not supported by `mjpegstream` and similar streamers, I had to use Motion. Finding the URL for the video stream was quite fast, but it seems no-one in the world except for the Motion's author themselves knows the URL for the stills for timelapse.
All the attempts in several places of the net canter around trying to connect to `http://octopi.local:8080/0/action/snapshot` which correctly produces a still jpg of the camera, places it in `/var/lib/motion` and returns a confirmation that the image was produced to web UI, with no image itself in sight. There are workarounds - python scripts, cgi for webserver, and so on. No-one seems to have found Motion's URL that would return a still jpg.
# Answer
> 1 votes
For camera 0, if the hostname of your Octopi is `octopi.local` the default stream URI is `http://octopi.local:8081/` (or whatever address your Octopi has). If you use a higher-number camera, use `8081+cam number` as the port.
The snapshot uri for camera 0 is `http://octopi.local:8081/0/current`
If you use camera numbered higher, use whatever camera number you use in place of this `0` in the URL. It's especially tricky because literally every "special" URI of this format sits on 8080, the control port. This one is attached to the port of the first camera stream, regardless of which camera number you want.
---
Tags: octoprint
--- |
thread-20510 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20510 | Stringing on Anycubic Vyper | 2023-01-29T11:19:52.507 | # Question
Title: Stringing on Anycubic Vyper
I recently bought a Anycubic Vyper which prints overall not bad but has a real nasty issue with stringing.
I tried out several temperatures, settings for retract distances and retraction speed but nothing seems to really work. All of my filament is new and stringing occurs with different brands so it does not seem to be caused by the filament.
When the nozzle heats up there is molten filament coming out of the nozzle even the extruder is not doing anything at all.
Is there something I can try to fix the stringing apart from taking the hotend apart?
Retraction tower with different retract-values:
Retract test which shows the stringing:
# Answer
Thanks for the answers. In this special case the printer had a hardware-defect,so I had to send it back.
I don't know which part in detail was defect but the hotend was switched off in the middle of the print, so either the hotend or something at the mainboard.
> 2 votes
# Answer
You have a retraction test tower, but consider that a temperature tower is also a useful reference. Your nozzle temperatures may be excessive, especially if you have a substantial oozing from the nozzle when idle.
Consider also that your filament may need drying despite being "fresh out of the box." There are quite a few anecdotes with supporting photos of users printing tests with fresh filament, along with a matching photo of the same test printed after drying the filament in a food dehydrator.
> 1 votes
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Tags: stringing, anycubic-vyper
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thread-20470 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20470 | raft balling up | 2023-01-18T00:21:41.403 | # Question
Title: raft balling up
Suddenly, I can't seem to print anything on my Flashforge Adventurer 4. No matter what I try, the raft looks like this. I'm re-calibrated and tried all kinds of different heat/speed settings. What am I doing wrong?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Thank you for all the suggestions. My problem ended up being that the filament tube was loose (not screwed in all the way) into the extruder head. Eventually, the printer started giving me errors about irregular printhead readings and to check it. The print head was loose so I took the whole thing apart and put it back together tightly. My next print was perfect.
---
Tags: print-quality, rafts, flashforge-adventurer-4
--- |
thread-20555 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20555 | The FEP bend/wears out/scratching after 4-6 prints | 2023-02-06T19:13:51.830 | # Question
Title: The FEP bend/wears out/scratching after 4-6 prints
I recently run into some problems with my FEP on my Anycubic Mono X, but not in terms of failing off the prints, but rather in the really short lifespan of the sheet.
It frequently wears out and leaves clear dents of the prints behind, like in the photo. The problem I mentioned repeated itself 3 times straight and happened similarly to one another.
The first prints are really nice and clear, but after some (2-3!) prints, the FEP is starting to get some dents from the previous prints.
The models I print after getting a light skin over them, which affects the quality and clearance of the prints and couldn't be washed away easily (even with a standard hand wash and/or a wash station). Only with rubbing under hot water/IPA, but that's only possible with the larger surface models.
That wouldn't be much of a problem if the FEP were used to 20-30 prints like it is suggested, but in my case, the FEP gets useless after only 4-6 prints!
As the build plate gets cleaned too, I leveled it frequently after the instructions. Also, the lift speeds were different on the 3 FEP sheets I put on (at 240, 180, ~60 mm/min)
# Answer
I have an Elegoo Saturn, so my experience may be slightly different. I don't think that the lift or exposure settings will have an effect like you are suggesting, so you can probably ignore them as a red herring.
The first thing that I would do would be home the Z axis. It may be that it's trying to push the build plate past where your FEP is, rather than pushing against it and stopping. You may also want to double check your leveling method, you may be unwittingly doing something wrong. Though I think that this is the least likely of the two options.
Next I would check your slicer settings. I had problems with a skin forming on some of my prints and I eventually traced it back to two things.
One was me having supported several models individually and then combined the files together file that was corrupt but still printed.
The other was sometimes Chitubox would corrupt the raft at the bottom of the print. I noticed that if I zoomed in on the raft some parts of it would seem to overlap with each other or pass through each other. This also generated a skin when printing. I solved this by reducing or increasing the size of the raft so that different parts wouldn't intersect with each other (Some of my prints have really complicated outlines).
I also notice that you have some scuffing on your FEP, probably from cleaning, are you using paper towels to clean your FEP?
I was advised to stop using paper towels and instead to use either a microfiber cloth or to pour about 1mm of resin in the vat and then to use the auto clean function to solidify it.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: resin
--- |
thread-19890 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19890 | What could be the reason of under extrusion on some areas? | 2022-09-09T16:31:57.257 | # Question
Title: What could be the reason of under extrusion on some areas?
When I print the gcode repeatly, under extrusion happens at the same place.
The under extrusion not only occurs on first layer. I noticed the second layer also has some part under extruded, but not at the same place as first layer, because the infill line direction is rotated 90 degrees.
I have tried the following but could not solve the problem:
1. Delta calibration (leveling)
2. z=0 gap adjustment
3. Filament flow calibration
It's a delta printer running Marlin 2.1. Slice with SuperSlicer.
The top layer doesn't seem to have under extrusion. There is even a bit over extrusion at the corner.
# Answer
The most likely cause is that your bed just isn't flat. At least as I understand it, delta calibration is not mesh leveling, and is not there to correct for a non-flat bed, just for skew from the bed not being square with the towers or possibly other errors in the tower configuration.
Without knowing more about your printer, it's hard to know if you could add mesh leveling, but it's really a tradeoff anyway. You may be better to just adjust your Z offset so that the low points are sufficiently extruded, leaving the high points slightly overextruded.
> 3 votes
# Answer
## low-spots in the bed
If the bed is lower in some areas, the line is not squished there and more rounded. As a result, a line appears to be "under extruded"
## High-spots in the bed
In other areas, the bed might be too high and block the nozzle - the line looks under extruded because it is too thin.
## Uneven filament
When filament is uneven and below nominal diameter, those areas create a real under extrusion in the area when that area is fed.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, troubleshooting, delta, underextrusion
--- |
thread-20484 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20484 | Adding a TMC2209 driver to BIGTREETECH SKR mini E3 V3.0 control board using Marlin | 2023-01-21T21:56:30.633 | # Question
Title: Adding a TMC2209 driver to BIGTREETECH SKR mini E3 V3.0 control board using Marlin
I haven't started on the hardware for this project yet as I'm still waiting for delivery, but I would just like to sense-check my current software mods and hardware plans to see if I'm along the right lines. I am going to take the BIGTREETECH SKR mini E3 V3.0 board and add a 5th stepper driver to get independent control of the Z axes on my printer. Having studied the pins on the board and the schematics of the various ICs, my plan is to connect the TMC2209 to some spare pins on the board.
Using the BIGTREETECH PCB version of the driver:
I plan to attach the enable pin to PD0 on the SKR, MS1, and MS2 to ground, UART Tx/Rx to the first PDN as detailed in the manual, VM to the power supply, GND to the power supply, A2/A1/B1/B2 to the motor, VDD to a 3.3V pin from the SPI 1 block of pins on the SKR, and GND to ground.
I think this makes sense as the driver runs in UART mode - it is set to 0x0 by tying MS1 and MS2 to ground - and my present understanding is that in UART mode the CLK, STP, and DIR pins are not needed. I am not 100% on that point so I could be wrong there. If I do need to add it then STP and DIR are easy, CLK would be a bit more challenging but I believe UART does not require a clock signal.
As far as software changes are concerned, the main additions are in `pins.h` of Marlin 2.1.x where I have added:
```
#define Z2_ENABLE_PIN PD0
#define Z2_STEP_PIN PD2 // not needed in uart mode?
#define Z2_DIR_PIN PD3 // not needed in uart mode?
```
And then to hijack some hardware serial pins:
```
#define X_HARDWARE_SERIAL MSerial4 // original code
#define Y_HARDWARE_SERIAL MSerial4 // original code
#define Z_HARDWARE_SERIAL MSerial4 // original code
#define Z2_HARDWARE_SERIAL MSerial1 // my addition
#define E0_HARDWARE_SERIAL MSerial4 // original code
```
Here is where I have the most doubt, I'm assuming that `MSerial1` corresponds to the Rx1 and Tx1 pins in the EXP1 block on the board.
In summary, my main questions are: do I need the CLK, STP, and DIR pins (maybe just STP and DIR?), and does using `MSerial1` correspond to the Rx1 and Tx1 pins?
# Answer
I have the same idea on the same board, but I think to stay with the DIR/STEP mode first. The CLK is useless for the DIR/STEP mode, then I suppose that it is useful for UART mode. But this datasheet is very strange, often there is Rx and Tx UART close to STEP pin
When I read the Bigtreetech documentation from your link, only one wire is used for the UART (Rx/Tx). This is strange, or it is to be compatible with other driver and the CLK is useless.
I never used the TMC2209 with the uart, only in STEP/DIR mode and directly drove with a Raspberry Pico.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: marlin, stepper-driver, bigtreetech, serial-connection, tmc2209
--- |
thread-11684 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/11684 | How Do I Speed up The BLTouch Auto Bed Leveling In TH3D's Unified Firmware? | 2020-01-05T16:07:19.403 | # Question
Title: How Do I Speed up The BLTouch Auto Bed Leveling In TH3D's Unified Firmware?
I have just upgraded my board to TH3D's EZBoard Lite with their Unified Firmware (U2.R1.15) and whilst dialling in all the setting I have found that using the BlTouch each time to be frustrating because of the time it takes to complete the Auto Bed Leveling, however, I cannot find the settings to increase the speed as shown in Teaching Tech's video:
```
#define DEFAULT_MAX_FEEDRATE { 500, 500, 5, 25 }
```
is changed to
```
#define DEFAULT_MAX_FEEDRATE { 500, 500, 20, 25 }
```
and
```
#define BLTOUCH_DELAY 375 // (ms) Enable and increase if needed
```
is changed to
```
#define BLTOUCH_DELAY 100 // (ms) Enable and increase if needed
```
and
```
// X and Y axis travel speed (mm/m) between probes
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 8000
```
is changed to
```
// X and Y axis travel speed (mm/m) between probes
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 10000
```
I am not quite sure which parts to change as the two builds are organised and worded differently.
In the online firmware configurator, it does list an option to speed up the probing of their own EZABL but says not to do so for the BLTouch in the manual configuration editor
```
// Super fast probing - VERY EXPERIMENTAL AND ONLY TESTED WITH EZABL PRO SENSORS
// Do NOT use with EZABL_FASTPROBE (comment out above) or BL Touch Sensors
//#define EZABL_SUPERFASTPROBE
```
Would enabling this be the same as making the changes listed in Teaching Tech's video?
Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.
# Answer
> 2 votes
This has been changed in newer builds of Marlin.
Previous code:
```
// X and Y axis travel speed (mm/m) between probes
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 8000
```
Current code:
```
// X and Y axis travel speed (mm/min) between probes
#define XY_PROBE_FEEDRATE (200*60) //define feedrate as a multiple of 60.
```
# Answer
> 1 votes
There are multiple ways to achieve this:
## In G-code
You don't necessarily need to do that in firmware, TH3D is based on Marlin firmware and is just a monolithic implementation for most popular printers and boards that helps novice users to easily configure their printer, but in the meantime it hides other options from plain sight.
Being a derivative fro Marlin firmware, the bed leveling speed in between probes can also be easily set in G-code. G-code `G29` has a speed parameter:
`S` : *Set the XY travel speed between probe points (in units/min)*
From below (TH3D firmware) can be seen that a value of 12000 mm/min will speed up and is generally safe to use.
## In Marlin firmware
In Marlin firmware, the speed setting in between probes is found in Configuration.h:
```
// X and Y axis travel speed (mm/min) between probes
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 8000
```
## In TH3D firmware
In TH3D firmware this speed is buried in the Configuration\_backend.h:
```
#if ENABLED(PROBING_MOTORS_OFF)
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 8000
#else
#if ENABLED(SLOWER_PROBE_MOVES) || ENABLED(TH3D_EZ300) || ENABLED(TIM_AM8)
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 8000
#else
#if ENABLED(EZABL_SUPERFASTPROBE)
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 16000
#else
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 12000
#endif
#endif
#endif
```
The speed is depending on setting of the `PROBING_MOTORS_OFF` in Configuration.h:
```
// This will disable the XYE motors during probing. Can be useful if you have stepper motors causing interference issues with the EZABL sensor.
#define PROBING_MOTORS_OFF
```
or depending on the speed settings for specific setting/sensors `(ENABLED(SLOWER_PROBE_MOVES) || ENABLED(TH3D_EZ300) || ENABLED(TIM_AM8)`:
```
// If you have issues with your machine running the faster probe setting disable the #define EZABL_FASTPROBE below.
// DO NOTE: Most machines will work with the fast probe enabled. Use M48 to verify accuracy.
#define EZABL_FASTPROBE
// Superfast probing - Only works with the EZABL Pro Sensors
// DO NOTE: Not all machines will work with the fast probe enabled. Use M48 to verify accuracy and make sure the Z isn't binding with the high speeds.
//#define EZABL_SUPERFASTPROBE
```
Basically, if you have not defined one of the following: `PROBING_MOTORS_OFF`, `SLOWER_PROBE_MOVES`, `TH3D_EZ300` or `TIM_AM8`, the `XY_PROBE_SPEED` will default to a value of 4000 (depending of the definition of `HOMING_FEEDRATE_XY`) since the constant is not defined, see Conditionals\_post.h):
```
#ifndef XY_PROBE_SPEED
#ifdef HOMING_FEEDRATE_XY
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED HOMING_FEEDRATE_XY
#else
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 4000
#endif
#endif
```
In Marlin you would simply change the value of the travel between probing speed whilst in TH3D you need to sort out if one of all those conditions are met. For advanced users with a slightly different printer setup, the TH3D software might be less optimal. Do note that forks of the Marlin firmware that are heavily modified always (like TH3D) lack behind the original sources; you are dependent on the implementation schedule of the fork maintainer. But, for people that have not modified their printer, have a limited knowledge of software (C/C++ development) and firmware flashing, or their modification falls in the supported options of TH3D, the monolithic TH3D might be very helpful!
Most probably, your setting is overruled later.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I dont know if you managed to solve this but if not I was facing the same issue and managed to do it just by searching all sketches for those parameters in Arduino IDE. They are not all in configuration.h like shown in the Teaching Tech video. Most of them are in configuration\_backend.h and some in conditionals\_LCD.h I used the values suggested in TT's video and it has speeded up levelling vastly.
p.s. I am using the most recent version of the TH3D unified firmware on a Creality CR-10 mini
# Answer
> 0 votes
I was successfull in getting my ender 5 pro bltouch to work faster. I still have some tweaking to do, and I'm a noob. I did the following in configuration\_backend.h:
**I changed #define HOMING\_FEEDRATE\_Z 4 times 60 to 20 times 60:**
```
#if ENABLED(EZABL_SUPERFASTPROBE) && DISABLED(BLTOUCH)
#define HOMING_FEEDRATE_Z (15*60)
#elif ENABLED(EZABL_FASTPROBE) && DISABLED(BLTOUCH)
#define HOMING_FEEDRATE_Z (8*60)
#else
#define HOMING_FEEDRATE_Z (20*60)
#endif
```
**XY probe speed looks good, didn't have to change:**
```
#if ENABLED(PROBING_MOTORS_OFF)
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 8000
#else
#if ENABLED(SLOWER_PROBE_MOVES) || ENABLED(TH3D_EZ300) || ENABLED(TIM_AM8)
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 8000
#else
#if ENABLED(EZABL_SUPERFASTPROBE)
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 16000
#else
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 12000
#endif
#endif
#endif
```
**I commented (deactivated) this, so it probes only one time:**
```
//#define MULTIPLE_PROBING 2
```
**I changed the folowing from 15, 10, 10**:
```
#if ENABLED(BLTOUCH)
#define Z_CLEARANCE_DEPLOY_PROBE 10
#define Z_CLEARANCE_BETWEEN_PROBES 5
#define Z_CLEARANCE_MULTI_PROBE 5
```
Hope this helps. Work in progress.
Andy
# Answer
> 0 votes
There's also the option to save the mesh so that you don't have to level each time you print.
First of all, using Cura or whatever you use to send commands, send:
```
M502; Reset to factory settings
M500; Saves (so that you may start with a clean slate)
G28; Home All
G29; Autolevel
```
After running your auto bed leveling, add
`M500`
And you're done.
P.S. don't forget to do this after bringing both extruder and bed up to temperature
---
Tags: bed-leveling, bltouch, th3d
--- |
thread-19089 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19089 | How do you fix an "invalid mesh" on a CR-10 Smart 3D printer? | 2022-03-12T17:24:23.667 | # Question
Title: How do you fix an "invalid mesh" on a CR-10 Smart 3D printer?
My Creality CR-10 Smart 3D printer has built-in auto bed levelling (ABL). It appears that it is cannot do anything if ABL is not set up properly. Setting up ABL entails creating a valid *mesh*.
I am using the latest firmware from Creality (v1.0.13), which I believe is Marlin. To set up a valid mesh in Marlin you have to execute the g-code `G29` with appropriate parameters. This begs a lot of questions, including whether you should use *unified* or *bilinear* bed levelling (whatever they are).
However, when you issue any `G29` command, you get the following error message:
In other words, you need to issue a `G28` command first. I did that, and the following happened:
i.e. `G28` complains about the invalid mesh that executing `G29` is supposed to fix. In addition the printer seizes up and has to be rebooted.
How do I escape this vicious circle? The CR-10 Smart does not seem to offer any explicit controls to completely reinitialise the machine from the LED control panel, other than an `M502`, which does not change the behaviour of a subsequent `G28`.
Can anyone help with this please?
# Answer
> 3 votes
This post was the only place on the internet, that described the issue I was having, and it was very frustrating that it was unanswered. I know this thread is old, but just in case someone else wants to know the answer to this in the future, here it is...
He asked about unified or bilinear for bed leveling, just wanted to let you know, after going thru the source code for the CR10, I can confirm that they are using bilinear leveling if that helps anyone.
I had the same issue and took me a very long time to get past it. I had installed a new motherboard, and on boot up, I am getting the same, cant level due to must home XYZ first, when homing XYZ first everything reboots. Well not really, will get into that in a minute.
Also, I should mention that due to the lack of features on the CR10, I use Octoprint as a front end, for my CR10 Smart Pro, and I do not have an LCD hooked up to it *(it got fried while replacing the motherboard)*, it's possible the stock LCD firmware has some code that gets around this loop, or better yet it just ignores the invalid mesh error, as you will see below, that is what we need to get past this.
He says he runs `G28`, but gets an invalid mesh error, then the printer reboots. Sounds the same, to me, but my printer is not rebooting, what is happening here is Octoprint is closing the serial connection to the CR10. Octoprint has a bad habit of doing this on **any** error that is echoed in the console.
Ok, so on any **error**, Octoprint disconnects from the printer, what we all need to understand here, is this: neither the CR10 nor Octoprint reboots when this happens. Octoprint disconnects from the printer due to an error being echoed in the serial console, and the CR10 takes no action and is now just sitting there.
Depending on your PC, or Pi hardware, you can just reconnect to the printer by selecting connect again from Octoprint, now this doesn't always work, and you might have to reboot the PC or Pi that is running Octoprint. After reboot, you should be able to reconnect and this is all without the CR10 rebooting at all unless you're also rebooting it along with the Pi or PC. \<-- **Don't do that!!**
As far as the CR10 Smart Pro knows, the last thing you tried was a `G28` command, it then homed the printer. After homing, it tried to turn on bed leveling, causing it to report an invalid mesh error, but that is all it did. What's important is that it did home and unless you reboot it or let it timeout, that home is still valid.
I believe at this point you can run `G29`, and it will do the auto level, creating a new mesh that can be saved with `M500` after it completes. I say believe because I have no way to test that now because I did something a little different to fix mine to get rid of the invalid mesh message.
I ran `G28 L0`, that command is supposed to do a normal auto home, but not enable bed leveling at the end. We don't want to try turning it on, because that is what kicks off the mesh error because there is no mesh yet.
First off, I used Pronterface instead of Octoprint, due to the error above, but don't think you really need to use it, but just wanted to put it out there; I did not do this from Octoprint.
First I tried this, with debug turned on
```
>>> G29
SENDING:G29
echo:G29
echo:Home XYZ First
```
So then tried to home it, and this happens, basically the root of the problem.
```
>>> G28
SENDING:G28
echo:G28
echo:Invalid mesh.
```
After reading the Marlin G-code docs on `G28`, I found the `L0` option. It is supposed to turn off bed leveling, at the end of homing, instead of the default turning it on.
```
>>> G28 L0
SENDING:G28 L0
echo:G28 L0
echo:Invalid mesh.
Error:Failed to enable Bed Leveling
Error:Failed to enable Bed Leveling
echo:Bed Leveling OFF
echo:Fade Height OFF
```
As you can see, it still gives an invalid mesh error. This is where people using Octoprint will be disconnected, causing them to reboot everything to get back in, and if they reboot their printer, well, then the last home command means nothing then.
However with Pronterface it does not disconnect, so I issued this right after...
```
>>> G29
SENDING:G29
echo:G29
Bilinear Leveling Grid:
0 1 2 3 4
0 +0.106 +0.114 +0.094 +0.039 -0.047
1 +0.025 +0.056 +0.063 +0.043 +0.036
2 -0.160 -0.040 +0.035 +0.074 +0.111
3 -0.237 -0.117 -0.007 +0.078 +0.171
4 -0.384 -0.257 -0.144 -0.034 +0.094
Subdivided with CATMULL ROM Leveling Grid:
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
0 +0.10650 +0.11002 +0.11354 +0.11400 +0.11067 +0.10428 +0.09400 +0.07941 +0.06093 +0.03900 +0.01263 -0.01719 =======
1 +0.08337 +0.08846 +0.09354 +0.09587 +0.09479 +0.09096 +0.08356 +0.07163 +0.05613 +0.03913 +0.02082 +0.00100 =======
2 +0.06024 +0.06689 +0.07355 +0.07774 +0.07892 +0.07764 +0.07311 +0.06384 +0.05133 +0.03926 +0.02900 +0.01919 =======
3 +0.02550 +0.03633 +0.04717 +0.05550 +0.06070 +0.06341 +0.06300 +0.05770 +0.04930 +0.04250 +0.03943 +0.03796 =======
4 -0.03259 -0.01203 +0.00853 +0.02574 +0.03850 +0.04792 +0.05398 +0.05509 +0.05284 +0.05196 +0.05451 +0.05843 =======
5 -0.10230 -0.06940 -0.03650 -0.00813 +0.01396 +0.03153 +0.04530 +0.05412 +0.05914 +0.06454 +0.07182 +0.07949 =======
6 -0.16000 -0.11833 -0.07667 -0.04000 -0.01033 +0.01433 +0.03500 +0.05076 +0.06252 +0.07400 +0.08635 +0.09843 =======
7 -0.19126 -0.14779 -0.10432 -0.06487 -0.03085 -0.00084 +0.02537 +0.04663 +0.06409 +0.08148 +0.10001 +0.11847 =======
8 -0.21052 -0.16882 -0.12712 -0.08774 -0.05112 -0.01682 +0.01413 +0.04011 +0.06274 +0.08585 +0.11088 +0.13640 =======
9 -0.23750 -0.19713 -0.15676 -0.11750 -0.07917 -0.04194 -0.00750 +0.02235 +0.04943 +0.07750 +0.10817 +0.13983 +0.17150
10 -0.28135 -0.24039 -0.19943 -0.15941 -0.12026 -0.08205 -0.04591 -0.01335 +0.01715 +0.04898 +0.08374 +0.11983 +0.15593
11 -0.33293 -0.29094 -0.24895 -0.20820 -0.16913 -0.13130 -0.09470 -0.06028 -0.02709 +0.00774 +0.04572 +0.08534 +0.12496
12 -0.38450 -0.34148 -0.29846 -0.25700 -0.21800 -0.18056 -0.14350 -0.10722 -0.07133 -0.03350 +0.00770 +0.05085 +0.09400
echo:Settings Stored (724 bytes; crc 46126)
```
---
Tags: g-code, bed-leveling, creality-cr-10
--- |
thread-20557 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20557 | Finding specifics on generic motors; probably 200 steps per revolution | 2023-02-08T19:09:45.083 | # Question
Title: Finding specifics on generic motors; probably 200 steps per revolution
I have been reading the Klipper docs and currently, I am trying to attain a theory on why my T8 leadscrew is not moving the Z-axis gantry.
I used to have a "T7" or 7 mm rod that my gantry was handled by at the time...
1. Since the "upgrade," I have noticed that my gantry does not move.
2. I have a cartesian style printer w/ T8 leadscrew for the gantry/Z-axis movement.
3. Since the upgrade, I have also noticed a slight hum that has been resolved w/ `rotation_distance` from the klipper docs.
4. I erased my config, had to start over, and have a new OS.
5. The motors for X and Y move just fine, i.e. exactly like they are supposed to move.
```
[probe]
pin: ar100:PH4
x_offset: 0.0
y_offset: 0.0
z_offset: 1.1
speed: 3
lift_speed: 6
[stepper_z]
step_pin: ar100:PL6
dir_pin: ar100:PE10
endstop_pin: probe:z_virtual_endstop
rotation_distance: 8
microsteps: 16
position_min: 0
position_max: 152.0
homing_speed: 8.0
```
In the above snippet, this is part of my main config reference, I have a `[probe]` and this `[probe]` has `speed` and `lift_speed` which require specific options.
My notes are gone. I cannot calculate lift speed any longer due to lack of instruction and I am thinking, from what I can remember, `speed` is traversing the XY plane.
# Answer
> 0 votes
The Klipper documentation and configurations were not at fault as I figured.
I went through the documentation, set up instances of different configuration options, and readjusted `printer.cfg` options.
Anyway, it turns out the lead screw was faulty and bent. Calculating Klipper configurations will NOT prove useful with a bent lead screw.
Also, because of the rotation of the lead screw per one turn, I had to adjust the `rotation_distance` in the `printer.cfg` file.
Also...rotation\_distance for XY, Z, and E all need separate-real values that are configured and this set of examples can be found in many places online like w/ the Klipper docs, https://all3dp.com/, and the reprap wiki.
---
Tags: z-axis, klipper, linux
--- |
thread-20573 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20573 | What are these effects caused by? And can I get rid of them? | 2023-02-13T18:23:55.857 | # Question
Title: What are these effects caused by? And can I get rid of them?
I am using a Cobra Max to print PLA. I am trying to print a computer / tablet case.
There are some "defects" in it which look like the print head dragged something.
I have used a magnification lense to inspect what is going on. It was hard to take a photo of it, but you can still see that all lines are diagonal (which gives an even appearance), but then there is one "drag" line. It looks like the print head went to a new position and melted the lines it met on its way.
That line is not raised.
How do I get rid of that?
Here I have drawn lines to indicate what is regular and what causes the irregular look (a line).
# Answer
Are you using Cura? If so, this is almost surely *combing*, where it performs travel moves across already-printed material without retracting in order to avoid the time cost of retraction and work around problems some low-quality and poorly-tuned printers have with large numbers of retractions.
To avoid marring surfaces like this with combing, either find the "Combing Mode" setting and switch it from "All" to "Not in Skin" or "Within Infill", or leave it on "All" but set "Max Comb Distance With No Retract" to around 1 mm.
If you're not using Cura, if combing is already off, or the above does not help, it's possible that you have sufficient overextrusion that the surface is bulging up above the nominal layer height, so that even an unretracted move over it digs through material. In this case you'd need to tune extrusion so as not to over-extrude.
Some people might also suggest Z-hop as a solution to your problem, and indeed it may help, but it usually introduces bad stringing that's hard to get rid of, so I would not try it except perhaps as a last resort.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, pla
--- |
thread-20570 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20570 | How would this OLED be mounted if in a commercial device? | 2023-02-13T01:01:40.950 | # Question
Title: How would this OLED be mounted if in a commercial device?
I am making homebrew electronic items and I'm using this OLED, a 0.96" SSD1306 Module; very common in the Arduino world:
If someone were making a commercial device with this and designing a case, how would they mount this? We obviously see the 4 screw holes at the corners, but if you looked at this device from the side, you'll notice the glass is only about 1.2 mm proud of the PCB. In addition, if you solder headers to the 4 terminals, which is the common use, the end of the headers are actually flush with the glass.
Should the screws be coming through the case from the outside, through the PCB holes, with a nut on the other side? Would the glass normally be covered with acrylic rather than flush with the outside of the case?
So what's typical in this situation? This is a 3D-printed enclosure, so I'm also limited by that aspect of the design.
# Answer
> 1 votes
When I printed the case for my Arduino test setup, I used the screen measurements for the opening. Then I added stand-offs for the screw holes to rest on so that the glass was against the wall. I gently filed the solder flush to just below the plane of the glass. I used 2 mm by 3 mm screws to attach it. Make sure your wall thickness is enough so the screw doesn't penetrate, just for appearance. I will check my CAD file to try to get you the measurements if you like. I hope this helped some.
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Tags: 3d-design
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thread-20577 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20577 | QiDi i-Fast print in parallel | 2023-02-14T14:21:49.730 | # Question
Title: QiDi i-Fast print in parallel
I'm playing with the QiDi Print software to compare the slicing results with mine (Dremel 3D45). One of the reasons I'm going to buy it is the printing in parallel using the two nozzles:
But I'm not able to set up the slicer correctly. As an example I set both extruders with the same PLA. I did the following steps:
1. load the objects (two instances of the same or even two different objects)
2. select the left one and press "print with extruder 2"
3. select the right one and press "print with extruder 1"
4. in the slicer parameters window, if I try to set the extruder for build plate adhesion it is set for *both* extruders:
So I cannot set Extruder 1 for object printed with extruder 1 and the same for the other. Hence I tried to select one object to enable the "per model settings". But, looking at the settings to customize, the Dual extrusion panel shows nothing:
I enabled the visibility of *all* settings. In any case, trying to slice with these settings, it add a weird wall around all the objects:
I never seen such a wall and I don't understand why is there and how to avoid it.
Finally, how to set up the slicer in order to print two objects in parallel?
# Answer
The question regarding the wall is covered in the advanced settings for Additions. In the screen capture above, you can see that it is turned on. Ostensibly, it's used to scrub off the previous filament oozing as it sits idle.
I don't have an i-fast and cannot identify the setting you require for duplication printing. Terminology is tricky; my IDEX printer slicer calls it duplication printing and mirror printing.
As an aside, you should have a contact email for QIDI tech support. My experience with the email system is next-day response.
> 1 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, slicing, dual-nozzle
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thread-20578 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20578 | Ender 3 S1 printing issue - round bottom | 2023-02-14T15:08:09.887 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 S1 printing issue - round bottom
I got myself an Ender 3 S1 printer a couple of days ago and I tried printing the following headset stand.
The printing is still in progress. The top doesn't look too bad (unless you know how it could get better). The problem is the "round bottom" part. The layers are really messy and looks like melted (see pictures below).
I tried multiple configurations with Cura and Creality Slicer. The best result, up to now, where with the following settings in Cura (it is worst with default profiles in Creality Slicer):
* Eryone PLA+
* Layer height: 0.12 mm
* Initial Layer height: 0.16 mm
* Initial Layer speed: 15 mm/s
* Print speed: 60 mm/s
* Wall speed: 30 mm/s
* Travel speed: 110 mm/s
* Initial Bed temp (otherwise there is not enough adhesion): 70 °C
* Print Bed temp: 60 °C
* Nozzle temp: 195 °C (tried with 200 and 210, 195 gives the best result so far)
* Retraction distance: 0.8 mm
* Retraction speed: 45 mm/s
* Adhesion: Brim 3 mm (cannot be bigger because of the size of the model)
Doed someone know what caused this and how to prevent it?
# Answer
> 1 votes
So it ended up being a combination of multiple things. To obtain the proper settings in the slicer, I started with the "standard" Ender S1 preset in Creality Slicer and then I changed the profile one at a time (from standard to super quality) doing small adjustments for each of the profiles. I was then able to get an "OK" print of the 3DBenchy with the following settings:
* 0.12 mm Layer height
* 0.2 mm Initial Layer height (instead of 0.16 mm)
* Nozzle temp: 195 °C
* Bed temp: 60 °C (instead of 70 °C - I can use 60 °C because of the 0.2 mm initial layer height)
* Retraction 1 mm - 40 mm/s
I then imported the profile into Cura, which has a bit more options.
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Tags: print-quality, troubleshooting, heated-bed
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thread-20581 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20581 | Cura deleting parts of model | 2023-02-15T17:58:52.247 | # Question
Title: Cura deleting parts of model
So the base model isn't mine, I just added hair and stuff. I'm new to Blender and 3D printing so bear with me, please.
So this is the model before slicing:
And this is after:
I tried changing the size of the model, supports, and quality but nothing makes a difference. So I check the model on Blender and see the eye plate is thin and the head is hollow:
So I thought that might be the problem. So I tried to replace the thin eye plate with a ball (I don't like how it looks at all but I have no idea what else to do) But then I encounter this problem from slicing:
I've run out of ideas as I just don't have enough experience or knowledge with Blender etc. I'd really love to be able to print it with the original eyes if possible, and honestly don't really see why it'd be an issue printing as is anyway since the printer fills the insides and has plenty of support, right?
# Answer
> 1 votes
I figured it out so thought I'd share it with anyone with a similar problem.
I used the solidify mod on the eye plate and made it thicker. Then it appeared fine when slicing but the head had a similar problem as my last photo. So, with a joined sphere inside, I did the same thing (solidify and make it thicker), and now it's perfect! :) Hope that helps someone!
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Tags: ultimaker-cura
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thread-20513 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20513 | Conical scaling in OpenSCAD or Blender | 2023-01-29T23:14:59.240 | # Question
Title: Conical scaling in OpenSCAD or Blender
Looking for a way to taper an imported STL model off toward the bottom (or top, if easier). The same transformation would turn a straight cylinder into a cone.
The intent is to make a vase like the model in the image that tapers off so it will fit as an outer layer to my clay pots.
The model is symmetric around the XZ and YZ plane and only has positive z values.
I assume this would require some non-linear transformation, but I'm unable to find results when googling.
# Answer
To install Blender go to Blender.org and download the version for your platform.
No need to install just extract and run "Blender"
to enable importing stl files go to edit -\> preferences
in the addons tab search for stl, check the box.
Now import your stl: File -\> Import -\> STL(.stl)(experimental)
and select your file
You may need to zoom out quite a bit because of the scale.
Do this with the mouse wheel, while the pointer is over the view where the part is. Or with View -\> frame all
If the part is not selected (it has no orange outline) select it by clicking on it.
And go into "edit mode" by hitting TAB
Now rotate the model so you can see the bottom plane.
Hold the middle mouse button and drag.
If all vertices are selected when you open the model, hit "a" twice quickly to deselect all.
Select the bottom vertices by shift clicking them.
Now comes the actual conical scaling
Activate "proportional editing" By hitting "o" or clicking the icon, and select linear in the drop-down menu.
Scale by hitting "s" and moving the mouse but do not click yet
Now hit "Shift z" This will constrain scaling to the xy plane.
You will see a circle that indicates the region of influence of the proportional edit. Adjust it to your linking with the mouse wheel, and click to confirm. Or if you want a precise ratio type for instance 0.8 and hit enter to confirm.
TAB to exit edit mode.
Check that only your object is selected. If other objects are orange, hit "a" twice to deselect all and select your object bay clicking.
And finally File -\> Export -\> STL
Give it a different name than the original check "Selection Only" and "Export stl"
> 2 votes
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Tags: openscad
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thread-20591 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20591 | How to clean / remove frosting from build-surface | 2023-02-17T19:27:11.943 | # Question
Title: How to clean / remove frosting from build-surface
I recently got into 3D printing.
**Printer Setup**
* Model: Ender-3
* Board: 4.2.2
* Firmware: Manufacture version of Marlin with BLTouch (Aug 2022 update)
* Auto-level: CR-Touch
* Bed Type: Stock --- Textured PEI or are they BuildTak ??
After doing some test prints and figuring out my leveling and z-offset. I had some print residue on the bed, where you could clearly see the first layer fails.
This morning, I decided to clean the print bed with acetone after reading several other forums and watching some reputable youtubers.
After wiping the bed down with a cloth, I know have frosting on my bed. I found this out from some other posts, but no post on how to properly clean the frosting.
I've added a picture, so hopefully that helps too.
Is this bed surface trashed??
# Answer
> 1 votes
Acetone should not be used for cleaning build surfaces. It attacks most plastics, probably including whatever Buildtak-clone is made of. It probably won't immediately ruin it, but it will degrade the surface texture.
The right agent for cleaning bed surfaces is IPA (isopropyl alcohol). If you have print material stuck to the bed texture from printing with the nozzle way too close to the bed, your best best for removing it is printing more of the same material on top of it, and hoping it adheres to the new print and pulls off with it. Not using aggressive solvents.
Is the bed surface ruined? Probably not *ruined*, but likely somewhat degraded. I've seen much worse though, so I'd expect it's still good for a few months of moderate use, if you take good care of it and don't keep using inappropriate cleaners or printing with the nozzle scraping the bed.
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Tags: build-plate, cleaning, build-surface, acetone, pei
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thread-20588 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20588 | Printing with minimal supports | 2023-02-17T09:58:56.443 | # Question
Title: Printing with minimal supports
I'm trying to print this item with as few supports as possible due to difficulties with removing the supports afterward in very small places. I set the support angle to be at 70° since that covers the area which was a problem before. When the printer starts, however, it stops right at the first layer, 2-3 seconds into printing, and then complains of a power crash. I tested it out and it's not happening on other prints, just on this one.
Any suggestions on why is it stopping and how I could print it with minimal supports?
The issue I had was that the supports that were inside the moving parts ended up being printed as strong as the actual infill and I can't remove it now.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Your image is difficult to use to be certain of a specific answer, but a generic answer may be found in Angus of Maker's Muse on YouTube.
His suggestion, which I've used with quite good results is to add primitives manually to the locations that will eliminate the need for supports. Typically, the new primitives will convert an overhang to a bridging, or will provide support with a smaller impact.
If your part is not proprietary, consider to edit your question with a link to download the STL file, as it will provide a better viewpoint of the troublesome areas.
As an example of Angus' solution, I added thin wall hollow cylinders to a part that contained a double counterbore. With traditional support implemented, the mass of plastic would have been nearly impossible to remove. The new primitives were sized to overlap the unsupported centers of each counterbore by only one nozzle width and were two nozzle widths thick. Picture the stereotypical archery target.
The result on printing was that the created support cylinders remained attached to the bed when the part was cleanly removed.
In Angus' video, he shows the addition of a vertical panel creating a support for an orthogonal overhang, using approximately the same nozzle width reference. A thin vertical wall attached to the side of the model, extending outward to the end of the overhang, creates a bridging in place of a massive support structure.
From the linked video, these screen captures show one extreme example that accomplishes the objective with reduced material use, time and post processing:
This method does not require "ground-up" design, as one needs only to have a resource to create primitives in an editor. PrusaSlicer provides for adding primitives, Meshmixer allows for a wide variety of features in this manner and even Tinkercad can be used to add thin rectangular prisms or cylinders as needed.
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Tags: ultimaker-cura
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thread-20595 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20595 | Does the Creality Ender-3 v2 come with a threaded rod or a lead screw? | 2023-02-19T07:24:50.197 | # Question
Title: Does the Creality Ender-3 v2 come with a threaded rod or a lead screw?
For the benefit of a novice friend who wants to get into 3D printing, I am following an excellent YouTube course by Paul McWhorter, on Fusion 360 (playlist) which uses a Creality Ender-3 v2 to process the resulting designs.
However, the esteemed Mr McWhorter often refers to the "threaded rod" during the video that covers the assembly of the printer (Fusion 360 for 3D Printing LESSON 2: Assembling the Creality Ender 3 Version 2 3D Printer).
Is this just a slip of the tongue, or does the Ender-3 v2 actually come with a threaded rod, and *not* a lead screw?
Looking at the official dual Z-axis upgrade kit for the Ender-3 v2 on Amazon, Creality Official Ender 3 Dual Z-Axis Upgrade Kit ( 42-34 Stepper Motor Included ) for Ender-3, Ender-3S, Ender 3 Pro, Ender 3 V2 3D Printer, it would seem that the kit comes with a lead screw:
Therefore it would seem logical that the base printer also comes with a lead screw. However, I've not really been able to find a clear enough image of the printer's component parts in order to ascertain whether that is true or not.
I don't want to recommend that my friend purchases an Ender-3 v2, only to realise that it is supplied with a threaded rod, when it arrives.
Can anyone, who either owns an Ender-3 v2, or who has seen one "in-the-flesh", confirm whether it comes with a lead screw?
Also, without wishing to broaden the scope of this question, do *all* Creality printers come with lead screws? Are there any Creality printer models that do actually come with a dreaded threaded rod (which, IMHO, should be avoided, as that would require an immediate upgrade to lead screw)?
Note: I'm not looking for a (shopping) recommendation, I just need a simple yes or no confirmation.
# Answer
The Ender 3 v2 does have a lead screw.
These are the main differences:
* Threaded rods have a single V-shaped thread
* Lead screws have multiple trapezoidal threads
> 2 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3
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thread-20598 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20598 | Entire Print Shifted | 2023-02-19T15:24:34.780 | # Question
Title: Entire Print Shifted
Can anyone tell me what would cause an entire print to be shifted about 8mm? I have a new Elegoo Neptune 3 Pro (which is doing an awesome job so far!). I started printing this Treasure Chest Puzzle Box overnight, and this morning it looked pretty good until I noticed that after approximately 3 layers, the print shifted by about 8mm. I think it shifted again by about 1mm after 1 layer. The rest of the print is perfect. Unfortunately, I pulled the print off and closed my Cura file before I took note of which direction the print was on the bed, so I don't know which dimension was shifted - the direction the bed slides or the direction the extruder head moves. I printed on the normal Cura profile. Thanks.
# Answer
> 1 votes
One of the following might be the case:
* Your X or Y belt may be loose. Are the belts under enough tension?
* The speed / acceleration / deceleration of your head may be so high that the belt slips. Can you try to move the bed or the head and see if the belt slips?
* The head of the extruder might have got caught in an extruded part that somehow got lifted up or fell over. Can you see any sign of a part that got bumped by the extruder head?
* Your cat might have gotten a little too interested and whacked the printer's bed with its paw.
# Answer
> 1 votes
## Classic layer shift
The whole print shifted. This means that for some reason, the bed moved more than the printer thought it did. This is typically happening in the following situations:
* The bed was prevented from moving, usually due to the cable snagging somewhere
* The bed moved too much, usually due to being hit
* The bed moved when not told to, usually due to the operator bumping into it.
* The Printhead did anything that resulted in the bed moving, but on the printhead.
* The belt was loose and skipped a few steps.
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Tags: troubleshooting, elegoo-neptune-3
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thread-20597 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20597 | Ender 3 V2 Neo upgraded with Biqu H2 V2 not extruding | 2023-02-19T15:04:52.847 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 V2 Neo upgraded with Biqu H2 V2 not extruding
I'm doing something special with my Ender 3 V2 Neo these days. Gotten to upgrade to the direct extruder Biqu H2 V2. Nothing is out for the Neo version yet - like adapters and such - so I have modified an Ender 3 Pro mount to make things work.
Everything is now mounted and looks awesome. But, the new extruder won't extrude. I have set the Vrefs to around 1.05 V. The E-steps are set to 932 using Pronterface. I am using Marlin firmware.
My mainboard is marked with T8 and it is using the TMC2208 driver. I have checked my stepper cable and there is good connection with the main board.
I took out my stepper motor cable from the Biqu and tried with the stepper motor cable from my X-axis, and then the Biqu finally started extruding when I adjusted the X value.
So I'm kind of puzzled of this issue?!
Is my mainboard toasted? Or could the E-stepper driver be possibly dead?
Anyone with good ideas?
After a good question on if i had worked on the board with the power ON i went into myself and thought; damn, i actually just have done that. And by trying to move the x-axis with the steppermotor just to have NOTHING happen... i think my steppermotor driver is dead by my own doing... I will buy a new one and let you guys know!!
# Answer
> 2 votes
I think that you need to continue through the process of elimination. You have proved that your x-axis driver works, by connecting it to the extruder stepper motor. Now you need to prove that your extruder driver works.
I would suggest to test whether your extruder driver is at fault or damaged, by connecting the x-axis stepper to the extruder driver and then trying to move the x-axis, in much the same way as you did with your extruder stepper motor connected to the x-axis stepper driver.
Whilst this isn't an actual solution to your issue, at least this way you can hopefully narrow down precisely where your issue is.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Although not the answer, but more a step into solving the issue, when you swap cables, always un-power the board, never hot-swap cables as this can destroy the drivers. You could possibly be dealing with a dead driver.
You proved by swapping the X-axis for the extruder that the extruder works on the X-axis driver (now you now that the extruder stepper works), so you either did something wrong in your config file or the driver is dead.
You could look into what differences you have configured with respect to the Marlin config for the Ender 3 V2 Neo to look for possible problems with your config file.
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*Furthermore, in order to extrude, your nozzle need to be at least 170 °C, else it will not extrude.*
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Tags: creality-ender-3, marlin, extruder
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thread-20575 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20575 | Define PrusaSlicer infill modifiers in STL/3MF? | 2023-02-14T01:52:43.267 | # Question
Title: Define PrusaSlicer infill modifiers in STL/3MF?
I use a procedural 3D animation package (SideFX Houdini) for my 3D object design. After exporting my design to STL then importing to PrusaSlicer, I manually place modifier objects to adjust the infill percent on certain areas. I'd like the ability to procedurally designate the infill percentage in certain areas in my design.
Is there a way to flag an object in STL/3MF/Other file format so it's interpreted as an infill adjustment modifier in PrusaSlicer?
# Answer
So worked out you can't directly do this with metadata, however you can add modifiers to objects in PrusaSlicer, and you can use external STLs as the geometry for the modifier. Then you can add an infill property to the modifier and set different parameters there.
> 1 votes
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Tags: 3d-design, stl, infill, prusaslicer, cad
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thread-20608 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20608 | Recommendation for 3D-Resin | 2023-02-22T19:33:05.387 | # Question
Title: Recommendation for 3D-Resin
I am looking for a resin to use with my Phrozen Sonic Mini 4K.
I am trying to print useable plastic connector shells for an industrial use-case.
**My requirements are:**
* Layer heights of approx. 50 µm or smaller possible in a reliable way
* Feature resolution is comparable to standard resins
* Minimal material wall-thickness of 0.15 mm in a reliable way
* Resistant to solvents commonly used in industrial environments
Used for cleaning and so on, e.g. brake-cleaner.
* Somewhat comparable mechanical properties compared to PBT plastic datasheet
* Temperature range of -20 to 85 °C without major losses in mechanical properties
* Is dimensionally long-term stable
Price and vendor are, as long as reasonable, not an issue.
# Answer
Your question contains mostly two important things, 1° Solvent resistance: Brake cleaner is mostly Acetone (90% and aroma compounds 10% in my experience) You need a resin that resists Acetone then. There are not a lot according to the tests by Formlabs.
| Solvent | Grey Pro<br>Resin V1<br>(FLPRGR01) | High Temp<br>Resin V2<br>(FLHTAM02) | Rigid 4000<br>Resin<br>(FLRGWH01) | Rigid 10K<br>Resin<br>(FLRG1001) | Tough<br>Resin V5<br>(FlTOTL05) | Tough 1500<br>Resin V1<br>(FLTO1501) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Acetic acid<br>(5%) | 0.8 | \<1.0 | 0.8 | \<0.1 | 2.8 | 0.8 |
| Acetone | 10.8 | \<0.1 | 3.3 | \<0.1 | sample<br>cracked | 19.1 |
We can see that there are not a lot of resins that resist this solvent. Only one seems suitable: "Resin (FLRGWH01) Rigid 10K Resin (FLRG1001)"
2° long-lasting mechanical stress : the phenomenon is called "to creep" : (slowly deform) under constant pressure. Exerted by the bolts or clamping on the parts for example. Please be careful as most of the resins can be prone to failure due to continuous use.
As the Voron Materials Selection explains.
> While on paper resin printed parts could work for heat resistance depending on the resin type, resin parts typically continue to shrink over time putting them outside of dimensional tolerances. Resin prints also typically exhibit long term creeping under bolt pressure and have a tendency to catastrophically fail after just a few months of use.
Maybe you can try this one out from the seller eSUN? It has good mechanical properties. Hard-Tough Resin
The brand is good but I don't think the solvent resistance is acceptable for you, but in the end, you should try it out and tell us here as this is an interesting topic to all of us here!
But frankly, as you can read on the links I posted... Resin is probably not a solution for you.
> 1 votes
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Tags: resin, material
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thread-20596 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20596 | Black eSUN PLA+ has moisture damage straight out of the box. Is this normal? | 2023-02-19T09:44:51.160 | # Question
Title: Black eSUN PLA+ has moisture damage straight out of the box. Is this normal?
I just recieved a roll of eSUN black PLA+ and I have found out it has moisture damage after using it for 2 days. I was previously using a roll of eSUN orange PLA+ and it worked really well. So I ran a stringing test just to make sure the settings were right for the black roll and the result was terrible. So I spent a full day messing with slicer settings as moisture damage was last on my list for the issue since the roll was brand new. But with no improvement I decided to dry out a sample of filament just to try and this was the result.
Left is filament straight from the roll, middle is dried out filament and orange as a control. So now I know the problem is this normal for eSUN filaments? Should I dry out filaments as soon as I take them out of the box? I didn't have this issue with my orange roll.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Yes this is plausible. Please weight your bobin and dry it then weight it again to know how much water you extracted.
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Tags: filament, stringing
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thread-19246 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19246 | Can't get rid of horizontal layer lines? | 2022-04-16T19:06:18.417 | # Question
Title: Can't get rid of horizontal layer lines?
I have an Ender 3 V1 3D printer. When I first got the printer and assembled it, I was able to get very good prints. My post is specifically about horizontal layer lines, and initially with my printer, I didn't see any horizontal layer lines.
Here are some pics of my last good print:
Then, I introduced some changes to my printer. Namely, I got the SKR mini e3 V3.0 and added some other things like a rear electronics box, Octoprint with a Raspberry Pi, an LED light strip, and more. During the time of these upgrades, my printer was down until I completed all of the upgrades, which also included the disassembly of some parts of the printer.
Ever since completing those upgrades, I've had uneven horizontal lines on my prints.
I've tried so many things, it's unbelievable. I've printed hundreds of calibration cubes and have adjusted many things.
My upgrades:
* Yellow bed springs
* Metal extruder
* Glass bed
* SKR mini e3 V3.0
* BLTouch
* Octoprint
* LED light strip
* Flexible Z-rod coupler
* Anti-backlash nut
Things I've tried:
* Lowering flow rate, including dramatic changes
* Bed PID autotune
* Hotend PID autotune
* E-steps calibration
* Flow rate calibration
* Acceleration calibration
* Cleaned the Z-rod many times and re-lubed it to varying degrees
* Tried a different Z-rod
* Printed a Z-motor spacer
* Checked alignment of the Z-rod in terms of distance
* Tightened the belts many times, to varying degrees to test what produced the best results. Everything from very tight to loose
* Adjusted the eccentric nuts in many ways, from less tight to more tight
* Changes the wheels on the X and Y axes
* Tried Prusa Slicer and Cura Slicer
* Tried multiple different rolls of PLA filament
* Tried some different slicer settings, like increasing the minimum layer time
* Tried different hotend printing temperatures
* Levelled my bed many times
* Put my 4.2.2 board back, and produced horizontal lines as well
* Increased stepper currents
* Changed the extruder tensioner spring
* Changed the nozzle many times
* Changed the PTFE tube
* Made sure to the best of my ability that the PTFE tube was well seated with the nozzle
* Linear advance calibration
* Tried turning off linear advance
* Rebuilt my printer twice using CHEP's video
* I've followed Teaching Tech's calibration guide
* Tried printing from the SD card instead of Octoprint
* Use my own custom Marlin. But also tried BTT's pre-compiled firmware
And probably many other things that I just don't immediately recall.
Another thing to note is that I really haven't printed much with this printer. I got it a few months ago, and I haven't printed much with it. So there are not many hours on it.
I'm at a point where I don't really know what to do. I have some parts on the way to do the following:
* Dual Z-Axis upgrade
* Petsfang V2 cooling duct upgrade
I really don't know what to do at this point. I've been genuinely considering buying a brand new printer and throwing the one I have out the window. I'm really frustrated that I can't get a good print anymore.
I've posted multiple times on some other places, and I've gotten good advice that I've applied. That did not fix the problem.
I would appreciate any insight into the problem. If I can't find a solution here, and the above two upgrades don't do anything, then I'm not sure what I'll do with the printer and hobby in general.
# Answer
I had the exact same-looking layer lines, and the problem was multi-factorial, but mainly in the Y-axis concentric nuts being too loose. In the Ender 3, the Y-axis wobbles very easily because it only has the thinner rail, the Ender 3 pro has the wider 40x40 aluminum rail on the Y-axis and it makes a world of difference. It sounds like you have dealt with this, just make sure to double-check that they are indeed as tight as recommended by CHEP.
The other issue was the extruder motor shaft/brass geared wheel that is on the shaft. If the motor shaft is slightly warped or the brass gears are worn or some of the gears are full of filament, etc., you will get a consistently uneven extrusion that gives weird layer lines; I had to replace the gear.
Finally, the end of the X-axis that does **not** contain the lead screw came way too tight from the manufacturer, which leads to uneven lines. This was not apparent from simply moving the gantry up and down. It required taking apart the X-axis gantry so that the wheels on that right side were independent of the lead screw side and then adjusting those concentric nuts so that the little 3-wheel part would glide up and down the rail with no resistance at all, and then reattaching it to the rest of the gantry. It is a different technique than tightening the other concentric nuts because you don’t care if a wheel seems too loose, just that it flows up and down the rail (I wish I had the time to find the YouTube video that explained this technique because it solved the last of my problems). I know you are waiting for a second lead screw but could try this adjustment while waiting.
Finally, you said that you have changed nozzles, but where are they all from the same company and batch? I got a batch from Amazon that all seemed to give me gimped prints so changing the nozzle to one from a different company might still help.
Good luck.
BTW, I am also using the skr V3 with no problems, in one Ender 3 printer (other upgrades are just Capricorn tube and filament runout sensor) and the other Ender 3 has the original 8-bit board and they both print about the same quality with regards to layer lines - which is similar to your original pictures.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, print-quality, calibration
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thread-20626 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20626 | Underextrusion Cause | 2023-02-25T21:57:16.077 | # Question
Title: Underextrusion Cause
Printer: Ender 3 with a metal extruder - PLA
After a long break from printing anything, I started printing again, but the results had obvious underextrusion issues:
But after I tweaked temp, flow, and speed for multiple test prints, the issues disappeared - *even if the settings were returned to default*.
Sadly, after a couple good prints, it started having issues again.
Why is my printer having these issues?
EDIT: The cause was that I didn't install the spring in the tension arm correctly-it was not compressed enough to deliver the necessary force to grip the filament.
Since my printer was working fine until recently, it leads me to believe that the spring must have weakened. So new question: is that the case? And do you recommend I unscrew the arm and release the spring when I'm not using the printer to improve lifetime?
# Answer
This is unlikely to be a settings issue. It's almost surely a physical issue with the extruder.
Usually on an Ender 3, this is a problem with the tension arm. The stock one is made of plastic and the arm, or mount that's holding the arm can crack.
It's also possible you have a weak spring tensioning it.
Aside from issues with the arm, the teeth of the extruder gear can get gummed up with chewed-up plastic, or worn down from printing abrasive materials, to the point they're no longer able to dig into the filament and push it effectively.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, pla, underextrusion
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thread-20618 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20618 | PLA temperature tower failed | 2023-02-24T15:44:11.757 | # Question
Title: PLA temperature tower failed
I'm using the eSun Silk PLA and I printed a temperature tower to find out the best settings. For print speed, the default speed of 50 mm/s and 25 mm/s for walls and surfaces are used.
The problem is none of the temperature levels seem to be the best! As you can see from the following pictures:
The 195 °C step is the "less worse" but still far from good. Are there any other parameters I should tune?
I have a Dremel 3D45 and I use Cura.
# Answer
For the most part, a well dialed-in printer should be able to print PLA just fine along that entire range of temperatures. You seem to have various other problems going on which make a temperature tower a poor place to start with tuning. Also, this test makes heavy use of bridging, which is really hard to get right because it involves things like suddenly disappearing backpressure against the extrusion, lack of surface to squish the material against, and how you deal with that. Cura has a lot of settings to tune this, but getting it right is an advanced topic, and hard even then. Judging that you have the wrong temperature because bridging had problems, when you haven't done anything to get bridging to work, doesn't make sense.
The catastrophic stringing at the bottom indicates to me that the filament is fairly wet. I would suggest drying it before doing anything else, because **so many** of the common print problems folks hit have wet filament as the root cause or at least a contributing cause, and you can waste **so much** time chasing other things like tuning retraction, temperatures, etc. when the problem was just water all along. Silk filaments are particularly sensitive to moisture, by the way.
You also have a severe ripple artifact in the surface of your print. This could be ringing from having your acceleration set too high for your printer. Probably any more than 500 is way too much for outer walls on this printer; inner and other parts could perhaps go a bit higher. But it's possible you already have acceleration plenty low and that the issue here is poor belt tensioning or a loose screw somewhere in the toolhead or motion system assembly.
It looks like you have some places where the material didn't stay in the right place at corners. This might indicate poor cooling, either something wrong with the fan (filled with dust, broken blade, bad bearing with too much friction) or just that the printer lacks good cooling to begin with. This would also contribute a lot to bridging not working well.
> 2 votes
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Tags: pla, calibration, temperature
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thread-15077 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15077 | File size limit in 3D printing software | 2020-12-21T19:26:53.303 | # Question
Title: File size limit in 3D printing software
Odd question for everyone, hope it has a distinct answer. I'm often printing bone models derived from CT scans (I work in a hospital) and they often have something on the order of 5 million faces +/-. Now, I know from experience that I can decimate them down to 10-20 % of the original faces and they still pretty much look the same, so I often do that to help my computer run faster. I also know that "GrabCad" (the software for my j750) can handle these face counts and the limiting factor is more so the actual physical print resolution. But it got me curious:
Lets say I was using other software. Lets say more universally available software such as PrusaSlicer or Cura. Now obviously if I'm printing on a Prusa I probably don't need to worry about capturing all the detail from 5 million faces because I doubt I can print that intricately, but lets take the actual printing out of it (and I guess even before it gets to the G-code stage).
Can Cura/PrusaSlicer handle that many faces? Is there a limit? Do files get "dumbed down" at all when they come in? What I'm trying to ask exactly is outside of the G-code and actual printing step, can the software side of things handle something with 10 million faces? 20 million? Is there a limit?
# Answer
> 1 votes
As a software developer and 3D printing enthusiast I can tell you that indeed, as Trish said, the limit is your memory (RAM) and loading/slicing time depends on the CPU power.
**RAM**: keep an eye on the memory usage in the task manager/performance/memory tab. When it reaches the top of the graph, the application will suddenly crash and disappear.
**CPU**: The application (Cura/3D Slicer/Prusaslicer) can become "not responsive". This does not always mean that the process hangs. It just means that the CPU is very busy and the program is not reporting the progress to windows. Most probably the application will recover from this if you just choose to wait.
Files do not get dumbed down when imported, as far as I am aware, in Cura. They are shown exactly like in the STL. Don't know about other software though, but I doubt this happens.
As you noted, this has nothing to do with G-code, which is loaded serially.
# Answer
> 1 votes
As a new Cura UltiMaker user, I found that when I tried to load a very detailed STL file, I received a message that it had too many faces. On checking the Cura site, it said that the limit was 30K faces. That may be a limitation only of the version of Cura that I have (it is for a Fokoos Odin-5 printer).
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Tags: slicing, prusaslicer
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thread-20634 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20634 | How center the nozzle before start printing | 2023-02-28T22:00:27.500 | # Question
Title: How center the nozzle before start printing
I have a BLV Core XY, I'm trying to print different models, but the machine moves the center once it goes to start the process.
This is my G-code of the beginning:
```
G21
G90
M82
M107
G28
M413 S1 ;Power-loss recovery
;M190 S60 ;bed heat on
G34 ;Auto Z Level
G29 ;Bed Levelling
G28 Z
G1 Z2 F240
G1 X2 Y10 F1200
G1 Z0.2 F240
G92 E0.0
G1 Y150 E15.0 F1000.0 ; intro line
G1 X2.3 F5000
G1 Y10 E30 F1200.0 ; intro line
G92 E0.0
M117 Printing...
```
However, if I do a simple command like, to send the `(0,0)` on Z axis, it happens fine.
# Answer
> 1 votes
You have defined your bed incorrectly in the firmware.
First line you print is at X=2, while it is printed a couple of centimeters from the edge. Second the final cube is not in the center of the bed while it presumably is sliced in the center.
You should look into the definition of the bed size, the end stop offsets and the probe offsets to fix this. A detailed question and answer is found in How to set Z-probe boundary limits in firmware when using automatic bed leveling?.
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, g-code, corexy
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thread-20640 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20640 | I am getting an error when trying to slice an STL object into multiple vector files | 2023-03-01T11:20:46.197 | # Question
Title: I am getting an error when trying to slice an STL object into multiple vector files
I am following the tutorial Slicing a 3D object to SVG.
My code looks like so:
```
import("/Users/petarivcec/Desktop/art/king of sun/1.stl");
z_min = 0;
z_max = 100;
x_max = 50;
y_max = 55;
slice = 1;
n = floor(sqrt((z_max - z_min)/slice)+1);
for(z = [-z_max:slice:z_min]) {
i = (z + z_max) / slice;
x = x_max * (i % n);
y = Y_max * floor(i / n);
translate([x,y,0]) {
projection(cut=true)
translate([0,0,z]) thing();
};
};
```
When I hit **Render**, then I get warnings like:
`WARNING: Ignoring unknown module 'thing' in file , line 16`
I guess that I just need to figure out how to run the loop on my imported stl instead of the non-existent `thing` module which exists in the example code but I'm not really sure.
# Answer
According to the linked site, it appears that you are missing the "identifier" module for the item to be cut into layers, aka thing();
> module thing() // a random object, in this case a hollow sphere on top of a hollow cube.
I suspect that if you encase your STL import in a module named thing() you will have a solution. An alternative to naming the module would be to remove the thing() call and use the import at that specific location.
The second sample in the linked site is a failure similar to your for the same reason.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: openscad
--- |
thread-20181 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20181 | Ender 3 v2 temp fluctuations every 10 minutes or so | 2022-11-06T07:19:42.163 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 v2 temp fluctuations every 10 minutes or so
I have an Ender 3 v2 that will fluctuate the hotend temperature every 10 minutes or so and eventually causing thermal runaway. I have tried the PID auto-tune a few times and it seems to solve it for a couple of days. Any idea what’s going on?
Today I ran the PID auto-tune again a few times trying to figure out the issue. Now when I heat the hotend to 220 °C it holds perfectly for about 15 minutes then drops and goes into thermal runaway shutdown. I heated the hotend while the printer was not printing to eliminate a bad electrical connection as the issue. Is this maybe a thermistor issue?
# Answer
> 1 votes
It turns out this was the beginning of the hot end thermistor failing. I took the opportunity to upgrade to an all metal hot end. That was the start of a nightmare that lead to the failure of my mainboard. But it is working now and no temp issues after several months and many prints.
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, temperature, thermal-runaway
--- |
thread-20647 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20647 | What should one do to ensure ABS sticks to bed? | 2023-03-02T11:56:17.853 | # Question
Title: What should one do to ensure ABS sticks to bed?
I'm trying to print with ABS plastic. I've only used PLA before. I'm using Anycubic Kobra Neo (Heated, PEI-coated bed). Originally, I just changed my plastic to ABS and tried printing with manufacturer-provided profile (80/230 degrees), without changing Z-offset or any other details. However, plastic just didn't stick to the bed. Since then, I've tried:
* Increasing temperatures to 90/240
* Increasing and decreasing extrusion force
* Increasing and decresing Z-offset
* Performing autolevelling
* Checking that it extrudes properly without print (using filament loading procedure)
Nothing seems to help. Every time, it starts printing the "border" (not sure how it is called) more or less fine:
But then it either leaves peaces of plastic on the bed, or they just stick to the extruder:
Are there any other steps I should check to ensure proper adhesion? I'm aware that it is recommended to use things like glue to increase adhesion when printing ABS, but I thought it is possible to print without them if the bed is heated and has PEI (or other) special coating.
# Answer
I use glue sticks around the footprint of what you will be printing. Never had a problem after that. Another alternative is to use some masking tape.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: extrusion, abs
--- |
thread-7756 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7756 | Makerbot Replicator (5th generation) poor print quality | 2018-12-22T14:54:24.457 | # Question
Title: Makerbot Replicator (5th generation) poor print quality
Current main problem is that at various points during a print, one layer doesn’t attach well to the layer below it. That is what appears to be causing the artifacts in the second picture below, but the picture may not show it clearly.
## Background
I have a Makerbot Replicator 5th generation printer. This is the one that is very locked down. As far as I know it can only use the slicer it comes with, Makerbot print, but I'd be happy to be told otherwise. It only prints in PLA and @Trish gave some good advice on drying out the filament. I've also leveled the print bed. Prints have improved from where they couldn't even finish to now where they just aren't very good quality.
The issue I'm having now seems to be primarily that one build layer sometimes doesn't stick to the one below it very well. Then they peel up and the nozzle pulls them and re-melts them into a blob. I've attached two pictures. It's worse in the first one, then I lowered the first model layer fan setting from 50% to 45% and it improved and I was able to get the print in the second picture.
Any help on what settings I can change would be great. Is this because it is underextruding? I think I'm stuck with whatever setting options are available in the Makerbot.print software.
## Print settings
The default print temp for this printer is 215. This is at 210 degrees, but those blobs aren't actually burned they are a mix of the previous red filament that was on the outside of the nozzle. The travel speed is 150 mm/s, First model layer print speed is 30mm/s, Raft to model shell vertical offset is 0.26mm, Raft to model vertical offset is 0.33mm (I can't tell what the different between those is), z-offset is 0 (default), Layer height is 0.14mm. In the second picture the print was attached but separated easily from the raft.
A couple more settings that might matter is the Print speed: Outlines is 20mm/s, and the Print Speed: Infill is 90mm/s
## Update 3/15/19
I made several of the changes suggested including lowering the temperature, leveling the bed, adjusting the Z-offset, and lowering the infill speed. I also continued to dry the filament in a dry box with a lot of desicant that I dry periodically. The desicant seemed to make much more difference than drying the filament at 50C for a couple hours. Print quality has improved a lot, but isn't great. I'm coming to the conclusion that the filament has been damaged by poor storage. It has been left in a drawer in a humid, hot room over the past summer or more.
I'm still using a raft because prints fail completely without it and work reasonably well with one so I have no problem using a raft. Now most of my problem is blobs of filament that I think are running down the nozzle from the heater core. I may have to take some timelapse video to figure that part out. I'm also having some stringing which may be a filament quality issue and some layer shifting.
# Answer
Your printer is improperly leveled with respect to the distance of the nozzle to the bed. This, and a high raft to print part distance, causes consecutive layers to not adhere well.
PLA should not need that high temperatures to print nor does it need a raft. Rafts are interesting when printing filaments that have high shrinkage. Furthermore, a 90 mm/s infill speed is pretty high, and do not use the part cooling fan for the first few layers (if you cool too much it can curl up).
You need to re-level the bed and make sure that the nozzle to build plate distance is the thickness of a sheet of A4 paper when `Z = 0`.
> 3 votes
# Answer
Reading your print settings, I noticed some oddities:
* 215 °C
* raft
These are settings one does not expect for PLA but seem reasonable for ABS. The 215 °C could be reasonable if
* the melt zone is extremely short and partially insulated (Makerbot Mk 10 style)
* the PLA is a blend with a particularly high melting temperature
Common PLA is printed with
* 190-200°C nozzle temperature in most e3d-v6 derivates and "Mk 8"<sup>*</sup>
* 60 °C bed temperature, when available
* no raft but possibly a brim to aid in getting a spatula under the print
* cleaning the build platform of residual fingerprints with Isopropyic alcohol or acetone is always adviseable
* a glass or metal print surface might get better adhesion from priming it with:
+ PVA-Gluestick/3dLac/Hairspray
+ a fresh painters tape, but you **need** to re-level to include it!
* a BuildTak (or clone) surface does *not* need additional settings
<sup>* As far as I know, that Mk 8 does not reference which manufacturer designed this thing, which makes it a kinda nonsensical naming. Mk 8 is short for Mark 8, so by definition the 8th iteration of a specific product.</sup>
> 2 votes
# Answer
You can use other slicers with a Makerbot Replicator 5th gen. Simplify works pretty well so I'd look into that. It's not free but a good program.
*All* the slicer needs to be able to do is export in `.makerbot` so Simplify is the only other slicer I have found.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, pla, makerbot
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thread-20652 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20652 | Science/engineering journals with high impact factor | 2023-03-03T16:20:03.610 | # Question
Title: Science/engineering journals with high impact factor
What are some science/engineering journals on the topic of 3D printing with high impact factor? To publish a paper about the analysis of 3D models before printing them.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I think this one is acceptable: Additive Manufacturing
It has an `11.632` Impact Factor.
Also, it has the *preprint* feature mentioned here:
> In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service. Preprints provide early registration and dissemination of your research, which facilitates early citations and collaboration.
>
> During submission to Editorial Manager, you can choose to release your manuscript publicly as a preprint on the preprint server SSRN once it enters peer-review with the journal. Your choice will have no effect on the editorial process or outcome with the journal. ...
>
> You will be notified via email when your preprint is posted online and a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is assigned. Your preprint will remain globally available free to read whether the journal accepts or rejects your manuscript.
---
Tags: 3d-models
--- |
thread-20650 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20650 | Is it possible to stack multiple models on each other using Cura if the top of the model is not flat? | 2023-03-03T05:48:31.963 | # Question
Title: Is it possible to stack multiple models on each other using Cura if the top of the model is not flat?
I'm using a Creality Ender 3 printer with 1.75 mm PLA filament. The print model has a 0.8 mm thick rectangular base. The design contains a couple of shapes (mainly circles and a cross) that stick out an otherwise flat rectangle. The circles and the cross stick out by 0.8 mm. The bottom of the model is flat.
Is it possible to stack multiple models on each other using Cura if the top of the model is not flat (as shown in the image below)?
# Answer
> 2 votes
Although theoretically it should be possible to stack objects vertically, Cura does not support it out of the box. You will need to change the following configuration under the \[Preferences\] menu to allow objects to be placed on top of each other:
* Automatically drop models to the build plate
* Ensure models are kept apart
This is a bit tedious, but it works.
A different approach would be to make a single model of stacked elements in your 3D modeling software. stacked elements would simply fuse the elements to 1 model, so leave some space between them for the slicer to be able to generate supports. This solution would work, but produce a lot of support material and a terrible rough surface on both sides of the cards.
This solution screams "laser-engraved plywood" by the way. Maybe someone nearby can cheaply help you out?
# Answer
> 0 votes
This print will not stack reasonably, unless you have a multi-material printer that can use a separate material and zero gap supports.
Flat bottom surfaces are particularly bad for printing on top of supports; they will not squish right, producing inaccurate thickness and a surface finish that's very visibly made from strands of filament, possibly not even bonded fully to one another. On top of that, supports will mar the surface of the object below them. You can avoid that with tree supports that come in from the sides, but that requires a large vertical gap between objects.
For this particular print, have you considered printing them all on their sides, stacked horizontally? It will give a different finish and less strength but would make it easy to print lots on a plate.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Consider changing the model by having the top surface features as shallow depressions instead of raised areas.
Adding a series of small raised nubs to the top surfaces would make for easier separation of the pieces and would be fairly easily removed from the top surfaces after separating the layers. The bottoms would likely be pretty ugly from sagging, however.
---
Tags: print-quality, ultimaker-cura, 3d-models, slicing
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thread-20636 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20636 | I have one print that's underextruding, what settings should I change? | 2023-03-01T03:01:15.377 | # Question
Title: I have one print that's underextruding, what settings should I change?
I've got one particular print which is causing me problems. I've printed other things without changing the filament or printer, so the problem is at least partially the print itself, which has a lot of supports and unconnected sections. What sorts of things can I do to fix this? I'm printing on an Ender 3 Pro and using Ultimaker Cura for slicing.
I print in PLA at 200 °C. The print bed is set to 40 °C. I use a print cooling fan at 100%. The layer height I set to 0.2 mm, the line width 0.4 mm from the 0.4 mm nozzle. I'm not positive what my print speed was set to, but I think I tried it at the default (50 mm/s infill) and then a second time slower (20-30 mm/s, probably). Regardless, the wall speed was set to half whatever the infill speed is. My retraction is 6.5 mm/off at 25 mm/s.
# Answer
> 2 votes
I have noticed issues like this to happen for me due to what I mention below. I would check each of these and attempt to further narrow down the problem. It is the nature of 3D printing with how different each print shape, machine, and filament being used are, so it is difficult to provide exact settings advice to fix an issue.
1. **Retraction speed & distance** \- with the incorrect combination you can cause your printer over time to extrude less at certain layers. The problem compounds over time and becomes apparent on prints that have a lot more retraction steps than others. It is important that any time you change to a new brand or type of filament, you run certain temperature and speed test prints. There are certain models that can be downloaded online on Thingiverse or Printables websites that test for print quality based on differences of retraction speeds, temperature, overhang angle, cooling settings, etc. Teaching Tech (YouTube link), for example, offers a very comprehensive array of tests and procedures for calibrating your printer. I suggest visiting his website.
2. **Bowden tube lubrication** \- Something like a Capricorn™ tube offers less resistance as the filament is sliding through the tube as compared to the Bowden tube that comes with your printer. Increased friction in the Bowden tube will cause inconsistent extrusion of the filament due to impeding the acceleration and speed as the filament is moving back and forth in the tube. Furthermore, it will exhibit different resistance based on how the filament is resting within the Bowden tube while it is flexing as the print head is moving. Lubricating your filament with a little bit of olive oil every few prints will help in this regard in addition to purchasing a higher quality Bowden tube.
3. **Extruder drive gear tension** \- the point where your filament is biting into the cogs of the extruder needs to be very tight. The spring on the extruder pulley clamp needs to constantly exert enough pressure for the cogs to really dig into the filament. This is important because if the bite is not good enough, it will cause inconsistent extrusion when rapid accelerations happen such as when retractions occur. It is good practice that every few prints to manually push on the pulleys together as over time the spring will degrade and become weaker.
# Answer
> 0 votes
6.5 mm retraction seems to be way too high. Try lowering it to 3 mm or even 2 mm. (I have my Ender set to 2 mm).
---
<sub>**Disclaimer**: My knowledge of this topic is not extensive. Nonetheless, below is what I currently know. Make sure to read the comments below for more info.</sub>
One of the most important parameters when deciding on the retraction value is the length of the Bowden tube. The longer the tube, the higher the retraction value should be set. It has to do filament compression as the extruder is pushing filament into a nozzle. The longer the distance between the extruder and nozzle, the more filament there is that can be compressed, therefore, the higher the retraction value you need to set to avoid too much filament coming out of the nozzle.
With all that said, based on my personal experience and the experience of my friends who own this printer, for a stock Ender 3 the value of 5-6 mm retraction is too high. Some of my friends' printers make good prints with retraction set to 3 mm. My printer likes the value of 2 mm better, for whatever reason (I modified the extruder and hot end on my printer, maybe that has to do with it).
3D printers kind of "have personalities" and require tinkering around for you to find out the correct values for your prints. Modifications, filament type, filament brand, and many other things/parameters can and do cause requiring changes to your printing values.
So tinker around and see if lowering retraction values gives you better prints.
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, print-quality, ultimaker-cura, underextrusion
--- |
thread-20660 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20660 | G28 X does not home the hotend | 2023-03-08T16:28:14.613 | # Question
Title: G28 X does not home the hotend
I have a classic Ender 3 running Marlin-2.1.1 on a BTT SKR v1.3 board with TMC 2130 drivers. Wifi is connected with ESP3D on an ESP32-CAM board connected to a TFT port. The X endstop is on the left side.
When I send `G28` or `G28 X`, the hotend does not home properly. Rather the hotend just moves a little to the right side (like 3 mm) and stops. So if I keep on sending `G28 X`, the hotend just moves little by little to the right side.
configuration files
# Answer
This indicates that the printer thinks the endstop is already triggered and is trying to back off to untrigger it, so that it can probe. If a minimal move to the right does not untrigger it, it gives up, assuming something is wrong with the endstop. Either your endstop switch is broken or it's not connected. A disconnected endstop switch will behave identically to one that's stuck down (open circuit).
> 2 votes
---
Tags: marlin, homing, axis, ender3
--- |
thread-12033 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/12033 | What causes my Bowden tube to melt on the side? | 2020-02-19T18:26:15.833 | # Question
Title: What causes my Bowden tube to melt on the side?
I run a 3D printer farm and I have to replace my Bowden tubes on the printers after about a month or two of use(roughly 1000 hours of use). The Bowden tubes continually melt on the side of the tube very near to where it pushes against the nozzle. I am running Ender 3 Pros and I run at about 205 °C with PLA. The Bowden tubes I have are some I found on Amazon and they are not Capricorn tubes.
EDIT1: I have added more pictures below of a new failure. This time you can see the marks of the teeth of the coupler a good inch below the failure point.
# Answer
> 1 votes
After a lot of hard work and months of replacing and inspecting this issue I realized what's going on. The bowden tube gets soft as it gets hotter and hotter which allows the filament which is being extruded and retracted at a high speed to wear down the side of the tube. After some time the tube gets stretched out and it will eventually tear and that is seens as the hole in the pictures I provided. The solution to this problem is to upgrade to an all metal hotend, instate less aggressive retraction settings (which is what I did), or closely monitor your prints and replace your bowden tubing when it does eventually get damaged (which I also do).
# Answer
> 2 votes
If the tube is PTFE, the tube is not likely to be melting unless your hotend temperature is out of control. You would probably notice the PLA cooking.
So, perhaps they aren't PTFE, or perhaps it is wear.
If it wasn't PTFE, you should be able to tell by the texture, slipperiness, and bending force.
The four thinned faces look like they would correspond to four of the barbs in the connector. The thinned ring below the four thinned faces look like a wear line where the tube is pressing against the exit of the connector. It looks to me as if the tube is moving or flexing in the connector. The barbs act as little chisels cutting into the tube, which is how they restrain such a slippery material as PTFE.
It might work better if the tube were a little longer. This might reduce the forces at the limits of movement which may be placing strain on the tubes. If you can, you might also fashion a strain relief for the tube so that it doesn't bend right as it exist from the connector. If you can cut down on the movement, you will help with the external wear.
It is also possible that the tubes are being strained by a high filament pressure. All the drive to push filament into the hot end is matched by an equivalent reverse pressure from the tube onto the connector. If you can stand a higher print temperature, the life of the tube may be increased.
@towe added a comment:
> I don't think those are marks from the teeth of the pneumatic coupler. The questions states "where it pushes against the nozzle", and the Ender 3 Pro seems to have a hot-end where the Bowden tube reaches all the way through the cold end and heat break to the nozzle.
A mechanical drawing of what may be a MK-10 hot-end as used on the Ender 3 Pro also suggests that the Ender 3 Pro has a PTFE lined hot end. Lets accept that drawing as confirming that @towe is right. Never-the-less, the marks you show in the photo look like the types of cuts I have seen from a pneumatic coupler. How can we reconcile this contradiction?
The most direct answer would be that the tube is not reaching through to the nozzle. In the photo you don't show enough of the blue tube to show the coupler scars which should be a little further up the tube. Suppose that, in fact, the tube is not pressing against the nozzle. This might not be the case if any of these are true:
1. There is a separate piece of PTFE that is permanently in hot end. The Creality Ender 3 Pro looks as if it is not configured for a Bowden feed. A PTFE lined hot-end for a direct extruder would have a piece of PTFE cut to length in the hot-end. A simple mod to make that a Bowden would leave that sculpted PTFE tube in place.
2. The pneumatic couplers have been replaced. Many couplers do not permit the tube to pass through them, although the hole in the end can be drilled to 4mm diameter. In fact, preventing the tube from passing through a pneumatic coupler is a feature in the intended application of coupling to air tubes in moderate pressure applications.
3. There is a bump in the path that is catching the tube and preventing it from extending through to the cold end and onward.
# Answer
> 0 votes
This isn't melting, it is wear.
And it isn't typical wear you would expect due to abrasion. It is wear caused by retraction. As your filament retracts (usually between parts of the model to reduce stringing), the semi-molten filament is sucked back into the tube.
Then, when the filament is unretracted, the filament is pushed back into the nozzle. However, in the meantime, a little of the filament solidified on the PTFE wall. PTFE is very slippery, so the solidified chunk is peeled off the wall no problems - but it takes with it a tiny bit of the inside of the tube.
Do that hundreds of thousands of times, and the wall of the tube gets thinned at that point until it fails.
One solution to this is to reduce retraction. Notice how the distance between the worn bit and the end of the tube is always the retraction distance in millimeters?
Another solution is an all metal hotend.
Or just trim your bowden tube shorter by a few mm every hundred hours of printing or so.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, bowden
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thread-4527 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4527 | Heated Bed vs Heated enclosure for large scale printer | 2017-08-22T11:58:52.227 | # Question
Title: Heated Bed vs Heated enclosure for large scale printer
I'm /relatively/ new to 3d printing (I'm getting pretty good prints from my Wanhao di3 plus, but haven't done any DIY kits or anything) and materials engineering is probably the furthest thing from my area of expertise so I thought I would pose this to more experienced makers:
If I'm building a large scale printer (probably a similar size to substation33 - sub33D's 1200x1200 printer) that I'm only going to print in PLA and MAYBE ABS occasionally, can I substitute the heated bed for simply heating the entire enclosure? The idea would be to have a thermistor measuring the ambient air temp inside the enclosure with a heat gun or two to hear the entire enclosure as necessary. I want to do this to try and reduce the cost (significantly as far as I can tell) as it seems 400\*400 silicone heat pads tend to go for about 80 bucks a pop. An alternate idea I had was to use two or three heat pads and space them evenly under a glass bed, although I feel that this won't work as well because the heating won't be homogenous...
Any input is appreciated :)
# Answer
I tend to agree with Davo, that you might want *both*. But I'd probably try the enclosure first. My printer is about 1200 by 400. I looked at options, and found some difficult trade-offs:
First, the big heatbed approach:
* as you know, getting a single heatbed that big will be expensive (and if it ever breaks or fails, you have to replace it all).
* a big heatbed also draws far more power than a RAMPS board can switch, so you'll have to use the on-board control to control a power relay (solid state or mechanical).
* a big heatbed will also waste a great deal of power when you're doing small things.
Second, the heated enclosure approach:
* more costly to heat up at the beginning, but if insulated it may be cheaper for long prints (with a bed that large, your prints might take really long, too) because it can retain the heat better.
* if you keep the air circulating inside, you'll get much more uniform heat, rather than hot first layers and cooler higher layers.
* consider the effect of the heat on all the other components: motors, electronics, pre-heating the fibers, thinning any lubricants,....
* you could save some heating cost and time by providing a way to shrink the space to be heated: perhaps just a partition you can insert when doing smaller prints. It wouldn't have to be nearly airtight to make a big difference.
A third option is several small heatbeds:
* this lets you turn on just the ones you need for any given print
* still expensive, but cheaper than one big one, especially when any of them fails.
* there will be uneven heat at the seams, but if you place the boards tight together I doubt it's enough to matter. You could also carefully trim the boards' edges to get the spacing closer to uniform.
* temperature regulation will be tricky. If you want to support a temperature sensor for each board, you'll have to start hacking at the control software, because (as far as I can tell) there's no provision for multiple heaters. Probably easier to create a completely separate unit with a big power supply, and a simple thermostat for each of the beds, that you just set manually before starting a print.
Overall, I think the heated enclosure may be best. I like the hair dryer idea or heat gun idea, of course you'll need a little extra circuitry to switch it, but you can use the usual software for temperature regulation by installing thermistor or thermocouple in the case (just be careful about circulating the air well enough to avoid "hot spots").
You may want to add an extra cutoff to protect against runaway heating -- I had that happen once when a thermistor literally fell out of the mounting hole in the hotend. Something like https://www.grainger.com/product/SUPCO-Thermostat-407L11.
Let us know how it turns out.
> 4 votes
# Answer
With a well-insulated and well distributed (or perhaps well-mixed is a better term - even heating) enclosure you should have a veritable heated bed by dint of heating the enclosure (with the bed in it), unless the bed needs to be hotter than the enclosure. I think that would be bit more elaborate than "a couple of heat guns" and involve several fans to distribute and mix air continuously.
But - heated enclosures are not a freebie - everything inside the heated enclosure needs to be happy running at the sort of temperatures the enclosure is running at, and that can be hard on some electronic parts, shortening their lifetimes at least. Likewise, your calibration needs to be done on the hot enclosure - mechanical parts (particularly on a large scale printer) will change size due to the temperature.
Insulation will both reduce your running cost (the more heat you keep, the less you have to add) and help keep the temperatures even, by slowing the cooling at the edges of the enclosure.
> 2 votes
# Answer
If you want to print ABS at even one third of that scale, you will want a heated bed **and** a heated enclosure. Posts here (and my personal experience) support this; unfortunately, I can't find an impartial, non-anecdotal source to cite.
> 1 votes
# Answer
The point of using a heated bed it's to keep the part within a certain range of temperature while printing.
So, it's all about thermodynamic. It will be easier to keep the part at the desired temperature if the contact surface with the hot environment is larger, so, it might reduce warping and other related problems.
Anyway, it might be enough to have just the heated bed in contact with the part and not the whole environment to reduce the problems of abs printing.
You can check Tom3D's post, 3D printing with ABS: Hotter nozzle or hotter ambient? #Filaween, and video, YouTube - 3D printing with ABS: Hotter nozzle or hotter ambient? #Filaween, it might help you choose what to do.
> 0 votes
# Answer
The Stratasys Uprint is a professional ABS 3D printer and it does not use a heated bed. If you get the enclosure hot enough it should not matter if you have a heated bed.
> 0 votes
# Answer
If it is yours first DIY 3D printer try building smaller version first with just one silicone heat pad. 400x400 mm is good enough.
From my experience:
1. I used 500 W silicon heater with SSR (AC mains) and it heats as fast as hotend (on DC 12 V).
2. I also recommend tooling plate (CNC machined Aluminum plate), it is better for heat transmission (Al) and it is more flat (machined to +-50 µm).
3. You might consider thermal insulation under the silicone heater and also some foil on build plate itself - to minimize thermal losses. Cork might be useful for bottom. For top I use blue foil (in which it was originally wrapped).
Enclosure I think it is also necessary, combined with heater, but then you must also have tubes for cooling of printed part, motors, fridge on hot end, etc.
Word of caution: You must realize that you will be probably using 1.0mm nozzle or even more, since on 1200x1200 mm you will just wait for weeks for part to complete. For reference: I print on 340 mm diameter (delta) with 0.3 mm nozzle and works just fine. But if I use just 0.1 mm instead of 0.2 mm layers it takes more time, but at the end it looks fantastic. So in your case even layer height must be big to reduce printing time. So you can increase speed, but then there could emerge some artifacts on printed object and also consider heater on hot end, which might be lagging behind.
There are a lot of problems when you go this big and all are not even closely to be considered solved, but if you have time..
> -1 votes
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Tags: heated-bed, heat-management
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thread-20524 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20524 | Square gaps and overlapping grid infill artillery sidewinder x1 | 2023-01-31T13:36:26.923 | # Question
Title: Square gaps and overlapping grid infill artillery sidewinder x1
I'm trying to print something that's very wide and flat, like a board that covers the entire build plate (300x300) but is only 15 layers high. I've chosen grid infill and it works at the front left corner of the printer, but at the back right corner, some of the infill lines get all squashed together and overlap.
At first I thought it was skipping infill lines, but I realized those same lines that are smashed at the top right corner even out at the bottom left and print as expected. It's as if the angle isn't quite right in the G-code and as the nozzle progresses along the plate it gets just a fraction of a degree off, which makes an exacerbated effect when the line it needs to print is so long. But why only on those parts of the print? The printer seems to think that one line is right next to the other line, when in reality there's almost a 1 cm gap!
How do I eliminate those square gaps and make the gridlines straight?
I'm on an Artillery Sidewinder x1.
# Answer
> 2 votes
I think I may have found part of the problem. I had been messing with the settings in my slicer to let me print using the entire bed and I had accidentally shifted the model and it allowed it to be sliced which told the printer to print too far off to the right of the bed. The machine had to interpret how to print locations that its hardware wasn't capable of and this was what it decided to do.
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Tags: build-plate, infill, mechanics, print-axis-offset, artillery-sidewinder-x1
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thread-20678 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20678 | Replacement Extruder for CR10 Pro Smart | 2023-03-13T02:04:53.707 | # Question
Title: Replacement Extruder for CR10 Pro Smart
Is the Sprite Extruder Pro Kit the correct kit to replace my extruder on my CR 10 Pro Smart or is there another option from Creality?
# Answer
> 2 votes
It does seem so. Both the Creality Official site and Amazon product page list the CR 10 Smart Pro as compatible printers for this extruder.
As far as another option from Creality, to my knowledge, the Sprite Extruder is the only extruder that Creality makes/sells. (If there is another, I will update)
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Tags: extruder, creality-cr-10
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thread-20676 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20676 | Help to find out all the failures in first IDEX test | 2023-03-12T08:28:14.137 | # Question
Title: Help to find out all the failures in first IDEX test
I've just got a brand new Sovol SV04 IDEX printer. After struggling for days on bed levelling, I came out with an almost decent alignment. So I printed the well-known boat to test a dual print.
Here the results:
As you can see it's a complete mess. There are tons of failures. I used all the default settings for SV04 and the PLA they put inside the pack. Here what I see:
* the only thing that worked almost flawlessly is the first layer (!)
* there are a mis-alignment (wrong offset?) between the two nozzles
* the layers are not "glued" together
* little oozing (inside the cabin)
* stringing and, I don't know how to name it, a lot of "filaments" floating around, I guess when one of the nozzle start/end printing (switch color)
* again, not sure how to name it, very poor precision (over extruding?) for example in the blue part of the chimney
When I bought my Dremel 3D45 it worked out at the first try. Now I'm pretty lost among all these failures.
My questions are simple:
1. help to confirm all the above issues and to find out others
2. please, give me an idea about the most useful approach to fix them (I mean the order, then I can read tutorials out there)
I don't know which ones should be addressed first, in order to avoid to follow the wrong way.
# Answer
My experience with dual color printing comes from Ultimaker printers, which are very well tuned, for an IDEX design I'm working on I have been thinking how to solve these issues.
The poor print quality is caused by various issues:
* Positioning, geometry To get the positioning correct you can make use of the G-code M218 where you can specify the X and Y offset for the other nozzles. Your first/default tool/nozzle is `T0`, the generic G-code is `M218 T<index> X<offset> Y<offset> Z<offset>` where you substitute the strings including the angle brackets (omit options you don't want to change) for the respective value you find from test prints (printing directional lines with multiple tools, X and Y) or finding the correct Z-offset for each nozzle. See also Z-Offset Multiple Heads on Tool Change.
* "Strings" Technically this is not the well known defect called "stringing", your strings are rather thick and hint to incorrect handling of the filament retraction/extrusion (e.g. oozing due to prolonged exposure to high temperature when in idle state?) in your tool change script. It also may be very beneficial to print a sacrificial color changing (priming) tower.
> 2 votes
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Tags: print-quality, pla, bed-leveling, dual-nozzle
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thread-14168 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14168 | Printer crashes at the beginning of a print | 2020-08-03T00:01:29.970 | # Question
Title: Printer crashes at the beginning of a print
I am converting an old Makerbot Replicator 2 to Marlin Firmware and everything works. The printer heats up, auto bed levels, and starts the print. However, after a couple minutes (usually after the 1<sup>st</sup> or 2<sup>nd</sup> layer), the printer crashes and stops. It does not continue printing and I have to restart it again. It crashed for every single print, I have not had any successful prints yet.
Here is a video showing the issue:
The camera was started right when the print started. After about 1.5 minutes, the printer crashes, and the LCD screen freezes.
Here are photos of a couple of prints that crashed:
I have all of my code here: RosalieWessels / **Marlin\_MakerbotReplicator2**
My models are sliced with Cura and printed in PLA.
I tried hotend temperatures of 200, 210, and 220 degrees C. My print speed is around 50 or 60 mm/s.
Here is a sample sliced file that was used: https://filebin.net/df33a3jjwgemz0m8
# Answer
Few things to try,
**Check G-Code** \- Verify that the slicer is not the problem, slice using some other program / make a new default profile and re-slice.
**3D File** \- Also In parallel with the above point, I would get a standard test cube STL to start with. This will be a simple quick print to get a solid reference.
**Voltages** \- Get a Multi-meter on the Regulated Voltage rails, 5V Rail, 12V rail / 24V rail. See if at the moment of crash a voltage rail collapse, the most likely one would be the microcontroller rail, but you may be able to see the problem somewhere else.
**Current** \- If possible, measure the current draw of the printer either from the mains or after the AC/DC regulator. Its possible something is going horribly wrong and current limiting.
**Serial Port** \- Possibly connect the printer to a PC via its serial port and open a com port. See if the printer spits out an error code at the time of crash?
**End Stops** \- Double check that none of the End Stops are accidently being triggered (Although this should not crash the system, it might be part of the problem)
**Verify Sensor Readings** \- Check all end stops, check the bed temperature readings, check the nozzle temperature reading. Maybe a sensor has failed and is causing the controller to crash out.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I see a couple likely culprits for a hardcrash like this
* problems with the power supply. If the power supply does not provide enough voltage an/or current to the board, this can lead to a lockup of the board.
* temperature issues of the board. If the board overheats, it could fail to execute properly, leading to abort. make sure that the board is not overheating.
* faulty firmware. recompile your firmware and reflash it.
* faulty board.
> 1 votes
# Answer
If you compiled your own firmware using visual studio code, use platformio's inspector found on the platformio homepage to make sure there are no memory overrun issues. You must read the whole prompt because sometimes it will not explicitly state that there is an issue
> 0 votes
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Tags: marlin
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thread-20693 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20693 | How to make constant raster angle on Flashprint 5? | 2023-03-17T06:40:20.603 | # Question
Title: How to make constant raster angle on Flashprint 5?
I use "Flashprint 5" as a 3D print pre-processing software. I want to have a 0-degree raster angle for all its layers (100 % infill density), in the attached object below. But what I found is that each layer always alternates to 90 degrees. Any solution for this case?
# Answer
Looking at Flashprint expert mode, I don't seem to find options to change this.
> Any solution for this case?
Yes there is by using a different slicer, e.g. Ultimaker Cura. In Cura you will be able to specify the directions of the infill layers as you want them to be using the `Infill Line Directions` printing property. Default the property is empty (`[ ]`), but could be changed to `[90, 90]` or `[0, 0]` (or any other arbitrary angle).
Print option is found under `Infill`:
Layer 60:
Layer 61:
You can take this even further in Cura by specifying directions for more than 2 layers, e.g. `[-45, 0, 45, 90]` will give you an alternating pattern of 4 layers.
> 2 votes
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Tags: diy-3d-printer, flashforge-creator, flashprint
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thread-20024 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20024 | A vertical scar on the print surface, what is the name of this problem? | 2022-10-06T03:14:25.903 | # Question
Title: A vertical scar on the print surface, what is the name of this problem?
* Printer: Kobra Max
* Nozzle: 0.4 mm
* Material: PLA
* Slicer :Cura
I have printed 1 model 3 times with different settings (different temperatures and different bed temperatures).
* Try 1: 190 °C / 50 °C
* Try 2: 210 °C / 70 °C
* Try 3: 230 °C / 50 °C
All 3 models show 1 "line" at some point. The models are smooth all around, but then there is this 1 line on each model.
What is this error called, please?
# Answer
> 13 votes
This is the Z-seam, or just "seam". It's a consequence of the fact that the extrusion of each layer has to start and stop at some point rather than being a continuous path for the whole print (like it would be in "vase mode").
Depending on your retraction speed and distance, travel speed, linear advance/pressure advance tuning, and various slicer-level knobs, the seam can range from mild and nearly imperceptible to a giant bulge to a gaping hole in your print. Yours doesn't look terribly bad.
Most slicers (you didn't mention which you're using; knowing that could help get better answers) have options to control where they position the seam, letting you hide it in corners where possible or put it consistently along one edge of the model you don't care about.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I had the same concern to make mechanical connections where we tolerate a distance of 0.1 mm and these so-called "sewing points" making it impossible. I started to compare between the preview before printing in the slicer and the part printed before.
The problem is recurrent along a vertical line and always repeats itself at the same point. So by looking to the layer settings, there is a junction between the outer and the first inter shell. This junction could be avoided by modifying the "shell print order" parameter.
Here is a video shows the difference abd before / after picture. The line remains visible but the points disappear completely. You can set the layer height to 1.2 mm for better results.
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Tags: print-quality, ultimaker-cura, pla, filament, anycubic-kobra-max
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thread-20704 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20704 | Printer stops extruding at same point on each pass | 2023-03-18T23:17:25.910 | # Question
Title: Printer stops extruding at same point on each pass
## Issue:
I realized that the filament extrusion always stops at the same spot for a couple seconds then starts back, I know it's the printer and not the filament, I can see the gear literally stop for a couple seconds. The fan also stops during that time, I suspect it has caused the printer to activate it's thermal runaway protection shutdown a couple times. I have no idea what to google to fix it. Here is a picture:
As you can see it's like it stops before the curve, but to be clear, unlike all the questions I have read here, it starts back a couple seconds after.
## For context:
* Printer: Ender S1 Pro
* Slicer: Cura 5.2.2
## Maybe related?
I've had my printer for maybe 2 months, and I thought I finally had it setup, prints were consistent and never failing, then yesterday it's like every single setting fell apart at the same time.
The print is no longer sticking to the bed, and I constantly get a "AB Temp." shutdown. I switched the nozzle, no success. I always level it with a sheet of paper, but now I see that after the bed probe hits (as it does before every print), it causes it to raise the nozzle a couple tenth of a millimeter, which explains why it's not sticking. I fixed that by changing the Z-Index, but it's weird that it randomly changed? (by 0.3mm which is significant)
I have no idea how to fix the extrusion stopping randomly though, but I think when the extrusion and fan stop together, it suddenly changes the nozzle thermal properties, so its temperature shoots up, I think that's what's causing the "AB Temp." shutdown.
I print via USB-C so it's not a corrupt file, I have been printing this way many times, no issues. I'm stumped, thank you for your help!
## Update:
This time I got quite far before thermal shutdown, it doesn't look random so I think the problem might be in the G-Code, at the same time, I don't get the pattern. Here are the pictures:
# Answer
The error you encounter is related to a partly broken wire or problem with the seating of connector plugs in their sockets. The fact that the fan also stops hints to this. You need to check all cables and connectors, especially the thermistor.
Such problems arise after a few months of usage.
> 3 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, ultimaker-cura, extrusion, thermal-runaway
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thread-20709 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20709 | If you had good enough motors could you print at 1000 mm/s with good quality? | 2023-03-20T14:33:16.890 | # Question
Title: If you had good enough motors could you print at 1000 mm/s with good quality?
Alright, a few assumptions about the printer.
1. It can handle the momentum of the nozzle moving so fast.
2. I have good enough bed adhesion to do this.
3. The nozzle can handle the amount of filament going through it.
4. Im using PLA filament.
5. I have the thing anchored to my desk with 10 foot long 3 inch wide bolts so it wont achieve liftoff.
I am somewhat interested in building this printer so that why im wondering. Would it be possible that the filament will move so fast as it exits the nozzle that is doesn't attach the the model itself, just fly off of it? Thanks for any help!
# Answer
Yes you can print at 1000 mm/s with good quality, but motors really have nothing to do with it. The cheap motors you get on an Ender 3 can go at 1000 mm/s if you have a controller board supporting 48V power supply for the stepper drivers. In general, max motor RPM before you hit pullout (the speed at which torque rapidly falls off because you don't have enough voltage to drive a reversal of the magnetic field for the next step in time) is proportional to voltage. With 24V these motors can take you up to 500 mm/s or higher, so at 48V I'd expect to hit 1000 mm/s without much problem.
However, to reach 1000 mm/s, you need enough acceleration to reach that speed before you have to start slowing back down to stop or change direction. High acceleration, not high speed, is what has tradeoffs with quality, because no physical system is perfectly rigid, and under high forces (F=ma), there will be significant physical stresses on the printer frame, belts, motor shafts, bearings, etc. affecting the accuracy of your print. But fortunately, the accelerations you need to reach 1000 mm/s aren't all that high. You can reach it on 20 mm lines with just 50000 mm/s², which, although 100x the default on typical bedslingers like an Ender 3, is well within the capabilities of good CoreXY, CrossXY, or delta printers, especially with input shaping available on modern firmware. You can find plenty of videos on YouTube of the K3 (by Annex Engineering), VzBot, etc., as well as some RatRigs and Vorons, doing this kind of acceleration at pretty much perfect quality.
Now, the hard part of getting really high speeds is pushing and melting the plastic that fast. Fortunately, you didn't specify a layer height, so if by 1000 mm/s, you mean 1000 mm/s at 0.05 mm layer height, that's only 20 mm³/s, and doable even for a very standard hotend, and easy if it has a CHT nozzle. But if you want to do 1000 mm/s at 0.2 mm layers by 0.4 line width, that's 80 mm³/s. There are very few hotends which can achieve that kind of flow, but the Goliath by VzBot can do nearly twice that, and various hybrid volcano approaches like the Volcomosq can probably reach 60-80 mm³/s.
People don't make high-end gear like this to print ugly boats (well, they do that sometimes for fun, but if you're putting the effort into making it, you almost surely want it to be useful too). The printers that can print at this kind of speed absolutely do it at high quality.
Here's one example I just found of printing at 50k acceleration, 1500 mm/s:
> 5 votes
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Tags: diy-3d-printer, speed
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thread-20697 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20697 | Adjust E-step on Ender 3 v2 Neo | 2023-03-17T18:22:11.790 | # Question
Title: Adjust E-step on Ender 3 v2 Neo
I have just calibrated my extruder and everything is ok. When I extrude 100 mm of filament, everything is correct, but when I attach the Bowden tube to the nozzle, the length of filament that is extruded is not correct - it is much shorter. Is that normal?
The nozzle is almost new. It was working for only a few hours. How can I fix it? Do I need a new nozzle, or there is some another issue? I tried some prints and they were just fine. Before calibration, they were terrible.
The method that I used to calibrate is described here, Stupid Fast Way To Calibrate E Steps On Ender 3 (V2/Pro), calibrated with and without the Bowden tube - on the another end before nozzle. But when I attach the Bowden tube and extrude, the nozzle is all wrong.
I used the method from the link above. My prints were terrible before calibration. Using this method now my prints are ok. Method is without Bowden tube, printer extrude in the air. But when I extrude from nozzle distance in much shorter. Is that normal? Or is the method used to calibrate correct and enough?
# Answer
That calibration test shouldn't be used. You calibrate the extruder at zero load, it is far better to include the Bowden tube and the hot nozzle as these give pressure/resistance to the path. This may result in slightly different values for your steps.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I am completely new to 3D printing so I followed this calibration with my new Ender 3 v2 NEO:
My prints are really good. Hope this helps!
> 0 votes
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Tags: print-quality, extruder, diy-3d-printer
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thread-10680 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/10680 | Under extrusion when starting outer wall | 2019-07-25T01:21:10.733 | # Question
Title: Under extrusion when starting outer wall
See the pictures below. I have a severe under extrusion when the printer starts the outer wall, which is resolved by the time it finishes the outer wall. It starts the layer in the same place every time, so it results in this vertical line, on one side of which is fine (where it finishes the layer) and the other side has bad gaps and the wall is much thinner.
In this picture, the problem is on the outer wall (see red outer line, the print head is moving counter clockwise.
And here is the print showing the issue. Just fine on one side, but terrible on the other, precisely where it starts the layer. Strangely, this only occurs on the layers with infill. The top layers seem fine (despite starting in the same place). I have disabled retraction with no effect.
Here you can see it start at the tip and get gradually better as it progresses.
Here you can see that by the time it finishes, it's just fine, and also what a contrast is between the start and end. That should be a flush edge, there.
Another view
Is there some setting that I should be tweaking? I've exhausted my own ideas of different tweaks to no avail.
The printer is a Monoprice Maker Select V2. I'm using Ultimaker Cura 4.1.0.
---
* Material: PLA
* Layer height: 0.24 mm (in the pictures, but replicated with 0.16 mm also)
* Temp: 205 °C, here (but tweaking this hasn't had any effect)
* Retraction: Disabled
This doesn't happen on layer changes. Although it does line up with the Z seam, you can see from the G-code visualization below that the outer wall is the very last thing it does. The issue occurs at the start of the outer wall (still on the same layer) that it has the issue, but by the time it ends the wall (just before switching layers) it is fine.
I've tweaked a few other settings, one by one, and seeing if any have any effect. So far, not really:
* Outer Wall Wipe: 0.2 (default), 0.8, 0.0
* Jerk Control - Wall Jerk max velocity change, 5 mm/s
* Outer Wall before inner (Yes instead of No)
* Wall Line Count (3 instead of 2): This improves it some, but I suspect just by making it a little more difficult to see
## What have I done since...
I reset all settings in Cura to a default "Draft" setting and then set layer height to 0.24 mm, and turned off Infill. Then I have tried prints with different settings for "Retract Before Outer Wall" and printing temperature.
Here are those results:
These pics seem to suggest a very clear lag in extrusion. 1 and 2 are different temps. 2 and 3 are different retraction.
205 °C, 0 % Infill, Retract Before Outer Wall: Off
195 °C, 0 % Infill, Retract Before Outer Wall: Off
195 °C, 0 % Infill, Retract Before Outer Wall: On Note: the retraction setting resulted in a noticeable pause before printing the outer wall. Retraction distance is 6.5 mm, and this is not a Bowden fed device.
There doesn't seem to be anything strange about the G-code, either. Here are the `G0` travels just before the outer wall followed by the wall.
```
...
G0 F7200 X106.319 Y93.413
G0 X106.26 Y93.909
G0 X107.213 Y93.658
G0 X107.8 Y92.542
G0 X107.286 Y90.844
G0 X107.509 Y90.394
; (outer wall of outside)
G1 F1328 X107.985 Y90.707 E116.98713
G1 X108.38 Y91.128 E117.01098
G1 X108.658 Y91.623 E117.03444
G1 X108.813 Y92.18 E117.05833
G1 X108.832 Y92.751 E117.08193
G1 X108.713 Y93.315 E117.10575
G1 X108.463 Y93.837 E117.12966
; (first curve complete, on to straightaway)
G1 X99.631 Y107.716 E117.80936
G1 X98.912 Y108.59 E117.85612
...
```
## Even more done...
These are retraction off, and 205 °C
If I set the "print speed" in Cura to 20 mm/s (normally 60 mm/s), the outer wall speed is reduced from 30 mm/s to 10 mm/s. The result is quite good.
If I leave the "print speed" at 60 mm/s and adjust only the outer wall to 10 mm/s, it's still quite good.
So it seems like an acceleration thing. If I can figure out how to get it to slow down in just the right spots or compensate in some way, then perhaps I can make this problem go away with minimal sacrifice in total speed.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Based on other comments, answers, and question edits so far, in addition to your original question, I believe there are possibly two things going on here: incorrect retraction settings, including a misunderstanding of which settings are relevant and what they do, and issues related to slow acceleration. Both relate to misdepositing/loss of material.
First, some basics. When the filament is advanced to the point needed to extrude material and print at the intended volumetric rate, it's under significant pressure, compressed between the extruder gear and the nozzle. My understanding is that your printer has a direct drive extruder, not a bowden, so there's far less compression than with a bowden setup but it's still there. This means that, if you try to stop extruding, it's material will continue to come out of the nozzle, just at a decreasing rate, until the pressure dissipates. This effect is reduced but still present if the nozzle is held-against/moving-over already printed material, and heavy if moving over empty space, even moreso if moving across sparsely-filled space like infill where it will bond with the already-deposited material and get "stretched"/"pulled" out.
The idea of retraction is to pull the filament back when the print head is moving to a new location without trying to deposit material, to relieve this pressure and prevent unwanted misdepositing/loss of material, and to reverse the process, putting the filament back exactly where it was when the last printed line ended, the next time it starts trying to deposit material.
The relevant options in Cura are:
* Enable Retraction - must be on
* Retraction Distance - should be at least 5-6 mm for bowden setups, probably more like 0.5-2 mm for direct drive.
* Retraction Minimum Travel - should be 0
* Combing Mode - try different settings. Off is probably the best relative to your issues, but hurts your print time a lot for certain models, and can hurt quality in other ways.
Everything else related to retraction is fairly irrelevant, especially "Retract at Layer Change" is a niche option and not typically useful. As I understand it, turning just "Retract at Layer Change" on does not mean retraction is on.
Now, your other issue may be acceleration. Extrusion works best as acceleration speed approaches infinity, because the extrusion rate and pressure needed to extrude will be fairly constant for the entire line/curve. If acceleration is very slow, pressure will be wrong during the start and end of lines. It's likely that, due to high pressure, excess material will get deposited at the end of one line while slowing down, then after moving to start the next line, even if you retract the filament, you'll have insufficient pressure at the nozzle after reversing the retraction to start the next line.
A jerk limit of 5 mm/s is really low. I'm used to more like 20-30 mm/s. You don't say what your acceleration limit is, but it's probably also low. Slow acceleration has minimal impact if your max speed is slow, because you quickly reach the max speed and most of the print speed (and thus extrusion rate) is steady. But if you want to print at high speeds, you need high acceleration. Try and see if you can increase it. Or accept printing at slow speeds.
Another option, if you're open to hacking on your printer, is replacing the stock firmware with a recent version of Marlin with the Linear Advance feature. It does the math to model the filament pressure as a spring, with a spring constant you can tweak, so that it can compensate for varying print speed and end lines with approximately no pressure remaining.
# Answer
> 1 votes
As @user77232 points out, you may have a general flow rate issue which can be adjusted in your slicer.
However, it looks like your machine might be retracting during some of the center layers. Notice the first few layers extrude relatively normal, then it under extrudes, then it goes back to relatively normal a few layers before a ceiling. Also note that the under extrusion seems to stop exactly where the z-step occurs (see the z-step seam).
This link shows that it's possible it could be your retraction settings before each layer. I'm not sure what it is with Cura, but in MakerWare and older slicers you could specify a retract distance before each layer. I would try reducing this. Also, these older slicers had different retract rates/distances for bases, floors, main wall, supports, bridges, top layers and more. So, this could be why you have different results throughout Z in your part.
# Answer
> 1 votes
From the sliced image you it appears as if long travels are present. High temperature (205 °C is on the upper side for PLA) slow travel moves and long moved allows filament to leak out into the infill region. Once it reaches the outer perimeter, there is not enough of liquid filament available and it will start under extruded.
Lower temperature with 5 °C increments (down to 195 °C) and increase travel speed with increments of 10 mm/s.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I experienced almost the exact issue printing PETG, where severe under extrusion happens at the start of a new layer.
After going though the tool path in Cura I determined that the root cause of this is because the last printing step at each layer is to fill the small gaps. The extruder would extrude very little material while going though the small gaps in the printed layer. The melted plastic in the print head would get dragged out, therefore more material would be lost than what was accounted for in Cura.
Because of the uncertainty of how much material would be lost in the process, there is almost no way to compensate for it. The best "solution" I came up with is to add a small sacrificial cylinder to the model. The printer will fill the small gaps in the main object, then print the dummy cylinder and then print the next layer. This completely eliminated the under extrusion problem at the expense of a bit more material usage. Of course the printed sacrificial cylinder would look really bad with severe under extrusion at the z-seam.
I believe the same solution will also fix your problem: just enable printing outside wall first, and add a dummy cylinder to your model.
# Answer
> 0 votes
The problem seems to occur in the same area; along the z axis. You also seem to have an elephant's foot from the first layer being squashed. Change the flow rate in the slicer. Re tram (level) the bed and clean your nozzle.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I was experiencing exactly the same problem (CR-10S, Cura 4.5, all mechanical issues fixed, new nozzle, new fans, good quality PLA), I would like to add one observation that might contribute to a solution (yes, I know this thread is old but many people are still experiencing this issue (a lot actually) any everybody seems to be stuck in the "you need to level your bed" loop) but this discussion here is going beyond this and is by far the most constructive I have seen so far:
Ok, here goes: when measuring my hotend with a thermocouple probe (Uni-T UT320D) right behind the nozzle (after removing the Bowden tube), I can observe a significant deviation between the displayed temp (= the same one I entered in Cura) and the temperature the filament gets to see. This is around 20 °C in difference @ 200 °C, meaning a setting of 205 °C is actually closer to 185 °C. For the bed the offset is only 1-2 °C. After swapping the glass bead NTC just for fun (Ohms were OK) ...nothing changed. Others have observed this offset in CR10 machines as well (original firmware).
Combined with the fact that we CAN produce nice prints at insanely slow speeds (10 - 20 mm/s), this somehow gives me the feeling that some bug (somewhere) has reduced the heating capacity of the hotend in the affected machines / set-ups... Now this could be a parasitic loss due to a bad connection somewhere but this would quickly lead to other problems (fire) as well (which it didn't - at least in my case).
# Answer
> 0 votes
What worked for me was enabling `outer wall wipe distance` to around 3 mm, that's all that I enabled and it instantly fixed it, no prime amount or anything, just outer wall wipe distance
# Answer
> -1 votes
try retract before outer wall off.
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Tags: print-quality
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thread-20714 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20714 | What's the deal with speed Benchys and how can I get started attempting them? | 2023-03-21T17:56:18.787 | # Question
Title: What's the deal with speed Benchys and how can I get started attempting them?
There are lots of videos out there of 3D printers printing 3D Benchy ridiculously fast. Some of them come out really ugly, but others are very high quality at speeds that look like they should be impossible. And some of them are even done on fairly "normal looking" printers.
What speeds are they actually being printed at, and how is this possible?
What is involved in printing a Benchy at really high speed?
What aspects of the printer actually matter, and how do you select a printer or modify a printer to be able to do it?
# Answer
> 5 votes
Speed Benchys were a trend that took off with the #speedboatrace challenge announcement by Annex Engineering in December 2020:
While anyone can try to print a fast Benchy any way they like, most people who've taken up the hobby use the "regulation" settings from the above: 10% infill, 3 top and bottom layers, 0.25 mm layer height, and 0.4-0.5 mm line width/nozzle size. There is a list of "official" entries maintained on the Annex Engineering Discord server, also accessible by this direct link to the Google doc.
At least as of this writing, almost all speed Benchys are printed at a nominal print speed under 400 mm/s, most probably even under 300 mm/s. The "speed" you see when watching videos is not actually the absolute velocity the printer's toolhead (and/or bed) is zipping around at, but the velocity *relative to the size of the space it's moving in*, and the speed at which it changes direction. **Benchy is an acceleration-bound print.**
When a 3D printer (or any kind of machine positioning a tool) performs a move, it doesn't simply go from a stop to motion at the requested speed instantaneously. It doesn't go from moving in the X direction to moving in the Y direction instantaneously. Because the toolhead (and possibly bed), and all the individual parts of the motion system moving it have momentum (some linear, some angular, some even electromagnetic), it takes time to change their velocities. As this acceleration/deceleration is taking place, the various parts of the motion system will resist changes in velocity, causing one or another to deflect from the intended path. The faster you try to accelerate, the more severe this deflection can be. In a worst case, this happens in the mesh of belt teeth with a pulley, or the alignment of the magnets in the motor with the field generated by the coils, and you get a layer shift. More commonly, you just get severe vibrations at resonant frequencies, showing up as ripples (ringing) in the surface of the print.
When I say Benchy is acceleration-bound, I mean it's very difficult to get a 3D printer toolhead to accelerate fast enough, without compromising quality, to make use of the full requested print speed the printer is capable of. This is because its layers are made up mostly of small segments, many of them on the order of (offhand guess looking at a boat on my desk) 1-8 mm.
To understand the relationship between attainable speeds and acceleration, you can use the formula `velocity²/2 = accel*distance`, or use the classic RepRap calculator (now hosted by Prusa). If you play around with it, you can see how, at the 500 mm/s² acceleration common on profiles for bed slingers like the Ender 3, you'll basically never reach speeds above 60 mm/s, and average much lower than that, on the majority of the Benchy. "Competitive" (or rather, perhaps "exciting" is a better word, since there's no actual ranking or rewards) speedboat entries generally run accelerations in the range 7000-50000 mm/s².
To achieve this kind of acceleration without compromising on quality, you need either a printer with an extremely rigid frame and motion system, or firmware with input shaper (aka resonance compensation) - preferably, both. Up until recently, input shaping was only available with Klipper firmware, but RepRap Firmware and now Marlin also have it, if you're using sufficiently new versions (note: as of Spring 2023 I'm not aware of any printers shipping Marlin with input shaping enabled, but this will eventually change). Bambu Labs' proprietary firmware also has this functionality.
Most people doing high-speed speedboats choose to use 0.25 mm layer height and 0.5 mm line width, rather than the more standard 0.2 by 0.4, and to combine every 2 layers of infill. All of these choices help alleviate the degree to which Benchy is "acceleration-bound", by making use of the flow the extruder and hotend can deliver without reaching high kinematic speeds. At 0.25 by 0.5, 300 mm/s takes 37.5 mm³/s of flow. This is considerably more than what most standard hotends can delivery (typically, 12-20 mm³/s with a normal nozzle, 25-30 mm³/s with a CHT) but very doable for high-flow ones.
At speedboat speeds, most layers of the Benchy take less than 5 seconds to print, and half or more take less than 3 seconds. If you have a minimum layer time configured in your slicer, it will override that, and you'll end up with a slow boat, no matter what speed and acceleration you request. Fast layers like this, however, require some extreme cooling, so that the previous layer isn't still soft when the printer goes to lay down the next one. Speedboat entries have a lot of different approaches to this, ranging from whole-layer fans mounted on the sides of the print to CPAP hoses to the toolhead to high power 40mm x 28 mm axial server fans or more standard 5015 or 5020 radial blower fans mounted on the toolhead. Many of the fastest entries use combinations of different types of cooling.
For anyone attempting to get started in speedboating, a checklist of things your printer needs would include:
* Firmware with input shaper, properly calibrated.
* Upgraded cooling. You can't have too much cooling.
* A decent extruder that can push at least 15 mm³/s or so without skipping.
Beyond that, things you should ideally have:
* Low moving mass.
* A CHT or other high-flow nozzle, and/or high-flow hotend.
* Decent stepper drivers with ability to control max current and put them in modes that won't compromise torque for quietness (so, TMCs you can put in Spreadcycle mode).
* Firmware with pressure advance/linear advance, properly calibrated, if you want your high speed prints not to look ugly.
* More cooling.
And to go really extreme:
* Multiple motors per axis.
* Wider/premium belts, etc. to deal with extreme forces on motion system.
* 48V stepper drivers and high current motors.
* High temperature hotend so you can run at higher temperature to get more flow.
* Further increasing flow with extruder and hotend upgrades.
* Still more cooling.
Really, though, you do not need a ridiculously expensive printer to do this. An Ender 3 with less than $150 of upgrades can do a high quality Benchy in under 20 minutes and and ugly (maybe even decent) one in 10. Looking at the official entry list is a really good way to get an idea what kinds of printers have been able to achieve what times.
---
Tags: speed
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thread-14645 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14645 | How can I clean out internal channels in an SLS polypropylene print? | 2020-10-22T14:29:24.790 | # Question
Title: How can I clean out internal channels in an SLS polypropylene print?
After SLS printing any internal spaces retain the un-fused but packed powder that was in the bed. I am hoping to add channels as wire raceways internal to the part.
Any experiences with this - is it worth the trouble?
More specifically, any recommendations for "flexible-auger" type tools to clean out around the bends? The residual powder is of a consistency where I expect an appropriately shaped wire could dislodge it.
(Concept, this is polypropylene. Scale: raceways are currently 1.5mm - 2mm in diameter.)
# Answer
Since this was asked more than 2 years ago I don't expect an answer is still necessary but it might help someone else.
We recently had a PA print with 5 mm internal channels, mostly straight but one was opened up near a 90° bend yet still reachable with a bit of flexible wire. It was possible but difficult to get the powder out. We used a combination of 5 mm drill for the long straight channel and welding wire's in multiples sizes and bent to multiple shapes to get poke it out. A thin bent wire helps to get the last bits out by rotating it in the channels but with a circular channel like you mentioned with 1.5-2 mm diameter I don't see this working as easily.
Compressed air was used at the end to clean it out more, but it does require loosening it up physically because it can still stick to the walls. If you have any small exits (which we did, 0.5 mm) you might get a clogg if it dislodges from air later during use.
Took about 30 minutes to clean up 3 prints with about 1 meter of (mostly straight) channel.
> 2 votes
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Tags: sls, cleaning, wire-type
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thread-20720 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20720 | How to adjust vase mode thickness | 2023-03-22T10:08:26.133 | # Question
Title: How to adjust vase mode thickness
I am new to 3D printing, and are having a problem with wall thickness in vase mode. I would like to print this vase model: https://www.printables.com/model/60696-blossom-vase
As seen in the "Makes & comments" section, people have printed the model with quite thick walls, and I would like this as well, maybe thicker.
I have a Prusa i3 MK3S+ printer, and are using the Prusa Slicer software. When I import the .stl model and select vase mode in print options, I cannot alter the layer height, solid layers etc. options to increase wall thickness. This means that the 3D print is almost paper thin.
So how can I make a print of this model, with thick walls?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Vase mode implies a single wall, so if you need to have a thicker wall you need to set an extrusion width larger than the nozzle width (you cannot do that unlimited), but usually a 0.4 mm nozzle can print at 0.8 mm width (twice the nozzle diameter), or you could replace the nozzle for a wider nozzle, e.g. a 0.8 mm nozzle (and also print at larger diameter). Note that when using larger nozzles/diameters, the extrusion volume increases, so you need to print slower.
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Tags: prusa-i3, prusaslicer
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thread-20672 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20672 | Weird Pattern First Layer Extrusion | 2023-03-11T08:38:11.530 | # Question
Title: Weird Pattern First Layer Extrusion
I'm working on tuning an old Ultimaker 2 Go, and I'm having some weird extrusion issues. The printer uses a Bowden extruder. Extrusion seems to increase and decrease. I don't think it is the filament quality, as I am using Prusament PLA that I am storing in a dark closet inside a sealed bag with silica gel. I also did multiple cold pulls until no debris. I do notice that sometimes the filament appears to bubble. The extruding motor also sometimes slips/snaps back while changing filament, but not during prints.
However, I am using 1.75 mm filament while the printer is designed for 2.85 mm. In order to do this, I followed some steps I found from All3D.
I also have a small PVC jig to hold the filament, but I think it turns pretty well and shouldn't be the issue.
Filament: PLA, Temp: 215 °C, Slicer: Cura
\*Update: I calibrated the e-steps and all of the axes, but the problem still remains.
I also printed an XYZ cube, and there is a line right under the letters X and Y. It also appears that the extrusion is more inconsistent outside of the letters. I'm pretty sure this issue is related to the weird first-layer pattern, or this is just a cooling issue due to varying cooling %.
Filament: PLA, Temp: 215 °C, Slicer: PrusaSlicer
# Answer
> 2 votes
It turns out that it was caused by the filament being ground at regular intervals. I solved it by lowering the printing speed (I did change the bowden tube to a 1.75 mm one though). Still working on fully tuning this printer.
# Answer
> 0 votes
You have a number of "red flags" in your process. Using filament of a size different from the design's filament specification would be one of them. Bubbles in the filament may mean moisture, regardless of the storage method. Reddit contains a number of posts from users who have presented before and after (dehydration) photos of parts created from new-from-the-box filament. You suggest that the motor does not slip during prints, but there's also reference that it happens in other actions.
In order to pin down a solution, address the filament size by using the correct filament. Use a dehydrator to ensure that the filament contains no moisture. Using correct diameter filament will also cover the slipping extruder.
Once you address these issues and tune the printer appropriately, you may discover that using the smaller diameter filament is going to be a compromise.
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Tags: extrusion, bowden, ultimaker
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thread-14926 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14926 | UBL Marlin settings to cover whole bed | 2020-12-02T18:17:18.167 | # Question
Title: UBL Marlin settings to cover whole bed
This question is related to: How to set Z-probe boundary limits in firmware when using automatic bed leveling?
I am trying to figure out how to set UBL In Marlin to cover as much bed as possible. So My bed is size of 300x255 mm `#define NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET { -34, -1, -2 }` My Probe can physically cover 255 mm (whole Y) and 272 mm (of X size) Let's give it a bit of margin of the 0Y -\> 3 mm and from 0X -3 mm So idea is to cover X from 3 mm to 269 mm and Y from 3 mm -\> 252 mm
How should I set `#define PROBING_MARGIN` and `#define MESH_INSET` so it covers my bed and probes 100 points ?
I tried different options, most of the time it stops at 57/100 and printer HALTs.
Only setting I got it working with was: `#define PROBING_MARGIN 30` `#define MESH_INSET 50` But that does not cover whole bed. I am struggling to understand how it's calculated. Other settings I found was commented as below.
```
#if PROBE_SELECTED && !IS_KINEMATIC
// #define PROBING_MARGIN_LEFT PROBING_MARGIN
// #define PROBING_MARGIN_RIGHT PROBING_MARGIN
// #define PROBING_MARGIN_FRONT PROBING_MARGIN
// #define PROBING_MARGIN_BACK PROBING_MARGIN
#endif
```
Any suggestions ?
# Answer
`PROBING_MARGIN` and `MESH_INSET` make the effective probing area smaller, so if you want to have more area, you should reduce the value of these constants.
As of Marlin 2.x, the probing area isn't defined directly by the firmware configuration settings, but calculated, based on the probe offset settings. The constants you mention are reducing the probing area to keep the carriage/nozzle on the build surface.
If you have enough space on your printer to accommodate probing the whole bed, you could minimize the marging and define edges:
```
#if PROBE_SELECTED && !IS_KINEMATIC
#define PROBING_MARGIN_LEFT PROBING_MARGIN
#define PROBING_MARGIN_RIGHT PROBING_MARGIN
#define PROBING_MARGIN_FRONT PROBING_MARGIN
#define PROBING_MARGIN_BACK PROBING_MARGIN
#endif
```
> 1 votes
# Answer
As far as I understand, this is how the limits are calculated:
1. The probing size is first calculated from `X_MAX_POS` and `Y_MAX_POS` and your `NOZZLE_TO_PROBE_OFFSET` values. If you changed the extruder or part cooling system or added a BLTouch you will have to update these.
2. This calculated area is reduced by `MESH_INSET` if you want to make the probing area smaller. I don't really know why you'd do this so I always just set it to 0, and also it seems totally redundant with `PROBING_MARGIN`. I don't know if they are calculated any differently, it would be great if the comments in Marlin were a bit clearer here
3. This area is further reduced by the `PROBING_MARGIN` for situations like if you have bed clips around the edges, or if you're using a contactless probe which can get bad values near the edges.
So basically, if you're using a contact probe like BLTouch and you don't have any clips or obstructions around the edges, you can just set both `MESH_INSET` and `PROBING_MARGIN` to 0 then provided your X and Y axis max positions have enough extra room compared to the nozzle to probe offsets, you should be able to probe all points without issue.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: marlin, bed-leveling, bltouch
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thread-20734 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20734 | Can I run a 15 AMP heatbed behind a 5 AMP IEC Receptacle? | 2023-03-26T17:44:31.027 | # Question
Title: Can I run a 15 AMP heatbed behind a 5 AMP IEC Receptacle?
I'm trying to build a cover for my Hypercube Evo's Meanwell LRS 350W power supply.
The power supply input is 120V AC and it provides 24V DC output to a Einsy Rambo 1.2 board.
I want to protect the Meanwell mains with a cover and a rocker switch with IEC receptacle like this one.
The receptacle has a 5 AMP Fuse between mains and switch. The Einsy also has three fuses, one for Hotend 5 AMP and one for Fans, etc. 5 AMP, and also a 15 AMP fuse for the heatbed. And there is a dedicated power input for the bed on the board. I plan to run a MK2a heatbed, which I think will draw about 13 AMPS at least.
My question is, will the receptacle fuse blow when I use the heatbed, or does the amperage come from the power supply (after the receptacle)?
Any other thing I should worry about in this configuration?
# Answer
The fuses on the board are for current pulled from the 24V DC. 15 amps of 24V DC is 3 amps of 120V AC, plus a little lost in conversion inefficiency in the power supply. If all of them were maxxed out, you'd be right at the 5 amp from mains, and inefficiency could perhaps throw you over. But presumably they're not supposed to be maxxed out, so you're probably okay.
> 3 votes
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Tags: power-supply
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thread-83 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/83 | How to automate printing of multiple parts continuously? | 2016-01-12T21:55:29.397 | # Question
Title: How to automate printing of multiple parts continuously?
I would like to print multiple parts continuously (non-interactively), so I can leave the printer alone for a longer time. So after finish, parts could be moved somehow out from the printing area, so the next can start.
Are there any methods of achieving that with standard desktop printers without having to use multiple printers?
# Answer
The only thing I can think of off hand is an old mod for the early MakerBot machines. It first was released for the Thing-O'-Matic I believe, but is compatible with Replicator 1 machines (and its knock-offs). Here's the Thingiverse page, but look up Automatic Build Plate.
Essentially, you can use the Replicator G slicing program and there is a setting for "ABP" or Automatic Build Plate. This will basically tell the ABP to run its routine after the controller receives the response that the printing program is done and roll the finished part off the edge of the build plate, then start the same program over again.
Drawbacks:
* I don't think it's easily compatible with newer machines/slicers. But, it's open source
* Pretty sure you have to use Replicator G, which is outdated now and may make your machine sound like it's going to fall apart (I know from experience)
Going off of @Pete's answer about solenoids. It reminded me that someone integrated a solenoid "ejector" (aka Boxing Glove) for their machine.
Update (06/08/2016):
Forgot to mention that if you choose to create your own "Boxing Glove" or conveyor belt, some software such as Octo-Pi and Repetier-Host allow plugins. So, you could interface with your hardware via customized code and integrate the functionality directly into the slicing application for the full closed loop operation.
> 13 votes
# Answer
An option that might be feasible for some situations (depending on your setup) is **Sequential Printing** \- a feature provided by some slicing software, for instance Slic3r.
In short, this allows you to print multiple objects **one at a time** rather than simultaneously. This has some obvious benefits, but also some downsides:
**Benefits:**
* Each object is finished individually, and you will therefore not have multiple half-finished prints *when* something goes wrong.
* No particular printer or bed swapping mechanic is needed.
**Downsides:**
* With most consumer printer, print area is somewhat limited, and sequential printing requires you to place objects so that the hot end can move freely between the finished objects, potentially restricting the effective usage of your print volume.
* By printing objects one at a time, you limit the natural print cooling that happens when printing multiple objects at the same time. In particular for smaller prints, you might not want to print sequentially unless your print cooling solution is up for it.
* Requires some setup
You specifically mention that you would like the finished prints to be moved outside the print area. In it self, sequential printing does not do this for you; however, if you fit your printer with a large, motorized print bed, you might achieve the same effect without moving into unfamiliar technology!
> 6 votes
# Answer
It would be possible and not too terribly difficult to rig a servo or solenoid with a push plate like a plow, on top of your build plate.
However this would require another processor via raspberry pi or arduino to control it. Scripting execution when the print has completed wouldn't be terribly difficult either, but it isn't readily available and certainly isn't part of a mass produced printer.
My issue with the concept is if you push a bunch of prints off the build plate, what guarantee do you have they wont become damaged in the process?
> 2 votes
# Answer
I've recently seen a video of this being done successfully with almost no hardware modifications to the printer.
Unfortunately I can't find the video itself any more, but the basic idea is to use the print head/gantry to knock the finished prints off the table, likely by adding some custom commands to the end of the sliced G-code. After the print is finished, the bed moves to the Y endstop (this was done on a bedslinger printer), the head is lowered to about half of the parts' height, then the bed is slowly moved so that the part crashes into the head, gets detached and knocked off the table, then the head is lowered even further and sweeps the part away.
The only mechanical modification, namely a sheet of paper stuck to the table's edge, ensures that the part will roll clear of the bed rails, and pushes the pile of finished parts further from the printer once it's off. In the case of that video there were three parts being printed at a time, so the motion was repeated for each of them, even though most of the time all three got successfully detached by the gantry.
This approach is likely far from universal, and probably only works with parts that are tall enough and have a small enough footprint to easily detach from the bed; I certainly wouldn't try it if the parts have really good bed adhesion and require more than a slight force to pop off. But it looks like if the requirements are satisfied it should be quite effective.
Also it's likely to be problematic on printers with box frames where it's the bed that moves in the Z direction, as the printed parts are likely to get trapped between the bed, print head and printer frame. CoreXY designs where the bed is static and the head moves in all three axes should be fine, however.
> 0 votes
# Answer
I Don't really think that it is possible without hardware modifications, or maybe some small parts that will fit in the bed of the printer all on the same time
> -1 votes
---
Tags: desktop-printer, automation
--- |
thread-18071 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18071 | Is it possible to store skew correction values in printer.cfg file in Klipper? | 2021-09-14T08:32:48.307 | # Question
Title: Is it possible to store skew correction values in printer.cfg file in Klipper?
The Klipper documentation describes how I should apply skew correction:
1. Print the test model (I printed this 100x100x100 3-dimensional model)
2. Make the measurements (I have got about 0.5...0.6 mm errors at all of the axes)
3. Send skew correction G-code at the beginning of the print
This does not look like the most convenient way for me. I'd like to add these values to the Klipper configuration file to make all my prints more straight. However, I did not get the idea of how to edit `printer.cfg` file properly.
I'm aware of the possibility of going beyond the printing zone. I suppose that for my case (only half a millimeter on a 100 mm model) can not lead to any issues with my printer mechanics.
In the documentation, this part is not adding any details.
Can someone post some examples or short instructions to make this possible?
If you need this information: I have the original Ender 3 (3 y.o. or so) with no kinematics or electronics improvements. Only head modification: V6 with BMG direct extruder.
**UPDATE**
I tried to append the following to `printer.cfg` file:
However after restart I see error message:
# Answer
> 2 votes
You need to enable skew correction in the printer.cfg
```
[skew_correction]
```
You need to enter your skew numbers into the console and save it. This will save your skew profile to the bottom of printer.cfg.
```
SET_SKEW XY=141.22,141.15,100 XZ=140.87,141.34,99.84 YZ=141.12,141.26,99.94
```
```
SKEW_PROFILE SAVE=my_skew
```
Also, Klipper docs warns about skew correction causing problems: https://www.klipper3d.org/Skew\_Correction.html#caveats
You need to add SKEW\_PROFILE LOAD to your START\_PRINT macro and SET\_SKEW CLEAR=1 to your END\_PRINT macro. You can either add this to your macros in Klipper or slicer program.
My skew parameters may be different from yours. I recommend you to perform your own measurements. My printer is an Ender3 S1 with linear rails.
START\_PRINT macro. Skew profile is loaded before the print starts.
```
SKEW_PROFILE LOAD=<your_skew_profile_name>
```
END\_PRINT macro. Skew profile is disabled before the print is presented.
```
SET_SKEW CLEAR=1
```
---
Tags: klipper
--- |
thread-20737 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20737 | Ender 3 Pro: X-axis moves too much during printing | 2023-03-27T09:38:03.233 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 Pro: X-axis moves too much during printing
I got an Ender 3 Pro yesterday and have been having a problem with all of my prints. Whenever the extrusion stops and the X-axis moves, it moves too far. For example, I tried printing a Benchy with 2 skirt lines, and the lines were the right size but too far apart *(I measured it and they turned out to be 5 mm apart)*.
To be clear, this issue only occurs when I'm printing something. When I use the 'move axis' function on the X-axis, it moves appropriately.
* Is this a problem with the G-code/slicer or the printer?
* What is causing this and how do I fix it?
Update: I've attached a picture of this. I threw the original Benchy in the trash so I made another one. I'll keep experimenting and see if I can fix it.
# Answer
> 4 votes
> * Is this a problem with the G-code/slicer or the printer?
The issue came from the way I assembled my printer, not from the G-code or slicer that I was using.
> * What is causing this and how do I fix it?
It turns out that I put the belt on the X-axis upside down, and that was causing it to move incorrectly. I detached the belt from the 2 points that it was clipped onto, then re-applied it correctly and tightly, and now I can print things properly.
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, ultimaker-cura, axis, x-axis, ender3
--- |
thread-20723 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20723 | Weird bed movement when doing ABL (G29) | 2023-03-23T12:29:37.680 | # Question
Title: Weird bed movement when doing ABL (G29)
My printer recently started lowering the bed an additional step for every measurement on the `G29` procedure. The only change I did, at least purposely is, adjusting the nozzle offset and MIN/MAX positions for X and Y because I installed the "Hero Me" parts.
Here's a video of what happens:
# Answer
> 6 votes
As it turned out, it is actually a bug: https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/issues/25565
---
Tags: automatic-bed-leveling
--- |
thread-20730 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20730 | Upgrading Bowden Tube on Ender 6 to Capricorn | 2023-03-26T00:11:18.273 | # Question
Title: Upgrading Bowden Tube on Ender 6 to Capricorn
I'm very new into 3D printing.
I brought an Ender 6 and a cover for ABS printing, but the standard white Bowden tube was too short to pass through the hole of the cover. So I'm replacing the Bowden tube for a Capricorn one.
However, the manufacturer (Captubes.com) only states that their 2 meter kit is compatible with CR-10 and Ender 3.
Is this kit also compatible with an Ender 6?
# Answer
> 1 votes
I ended up getting in contact with the sales team at Captubes.com, and they replied promptly, what I did not expect. They claim that the Capricorn tube is indeed compatible with the Ender 6 printer, and that they use the same fittings, with the exception of pro printers and ones that use something called a Bondtech extruder. I'd like to thank everyone that helped to clear this matter.
# Answer
> 0 votes
It sounds like you're trying to move the E motor outside the enclosure. Don't do that. Bowden extruders *already* suffer from severely reduced accuracy and increased difficulty in pushing the filament through the tube length. Making the tube longer makes this a lot worse. Instead, feed the extruder, which remains in its existing place inside the enclosure, with an "reverse bowden tube" bringing filament in from outside the enclosure. Or optionally, at ABS chamber temperatures that should be well under the temperature at which ABS softens, just put the filament spool inside the heated enclosure.
---
Tags: bowden, creality-ender-6
--- |
thread-20733 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20733 | Are delta ball cup ends available as standalone part? | 2023-03-26T15:16:17.310 | # Question
Title: Are delta ball cup ends available as standalone part?
I'm in the process of building a custom delta printer, and based on discussions with folks who do this about the pros and cons of different types of joints, and on this article I'd really like to get spring-tensioned ball cup joints. The article cites a company called Trick Laser as the source for the ball cup ends used in some such arms, apparently including the ones SeeMeCNC sells as complete parts, but Trick Laser does not seem to still be in business or at least doesn't seem to have a website, and I've been completely unable to locate anyone selling just the ball cup ends. Short of printing my own in nylon or POM (this is scarily doable and I might actually do it) or buying SeeMeCNC's arms with the wrong length and carefully cutting them off and drilling out the epoxy or whatever, is there any way to get these kinds of ends?
Note that the FLSUN SR uses these kinds of joints, and since its arms are almost a perfect match for what I need, I have another question about the possibility of using them. But I'd really like to know where to get the parts, since I'll probably be doing at least one more build that will need different lengths, and I'd like to be able to publish the design and BOM for others to build.
# Answer
> 3 votes
Well, they're available now as a printable part! Not yet tested on a real printer, but they move smoothly on metal delta joint balls (tested with Hayden's). I'll follow up with more details on how suitable they are once I've built this.
Apparently printed ball cup ends are a thing other people building deltas do, too:
---
Tags: printer-building, delta, part-identification
--- |
thread-20664 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20664 | Replacing (and identification) of a broken piece of the extruder | 2023-03-09T04:33:35.677 | # Question
Title: Replacing (and identification) of a broken piece of the extruder
I've an Ender 3 and a piece broke.
The part that is broken is on top of the Z stepper motor that guides the filament to the extruder.
The metal "guide wheel" that hugs the filament as its pushed through, the plate beneath it broke. I dropped a socket wrench on it. -- it's just sitting there in the photo, but it's not doing it job.
Do I have to replace the whole stepper motor or can I just get the feeder thing that sits on top of the motor?
I don't know what it's called so it's tough to search for
# Answer
> 4 votes
#### Replacing the broken part
You certainly don't need to buy a *whole* new extruder assembly, including a stepper motor.
You could just buy a new extruder mechanism, and upgrade from the plastic<sup>1</sup> extruder, to a metal (aluminium(?)) extruder, such as the one (apparently) sold by Creality themselves, such as this<sup>2</sup>, Metal Extruder Kit (Red):
However, if you just need a certain piece of the extruder (from your photo, I can't tell which part is broken), you could search for that, although, it would probably be cheaper just to buy the whole thing.
As to the name of the particular part that is broken, again, it is difficult to tell from the photo which part is actually broken. If you could add an annotated photo or more explicitly show the broken part, then it would be easier to provide a name of the actual part.
That said, after re-reading your question, I *think* that you may be referring to the whole black assembly - along with the spring, brass knurled nut, pulley/bearing, and associated bolts - that sits on the stepper motor... if so, then that is the **extruder**.
#### Identifying the parts of an extruder
It can be confusing knowing exactly what the names of the *various parts of the extruder* are - seeing as the entire extruder assembly (including the hotend and stepper motor) is often referred to as the extruder, either individually or as a whole.
Here are a couple of images that map out the various parts of the extruder assembly:
From the excellent RepRapWiki - Extruders
From Extruders 101: A crash course on an essential component of your 3D printer
Note that:
* The *hobbed bolt*, is sometimes referred to as the *knurled bolt* or *knurled nut*
* The idler wheel is (generally) just a bearing
---
#### Footnotes
<sup>1</sup> As confirmed in the comments, the extruder that comes with the non-pro version of the Ender 3 is plastic.
<sup>2</sup> I'm not recommending this seller, nor am I sure that they are genuine Creality parts... this is just an example for what you need to be looking for.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Sadly this is a known-weak part on all Creality extruders of this design.
The tension arm is ABS plastic and will work fine for a few months, maybe a year and will then break around where the bearing is secured to the arm.
That equates to 5-10 kg of printing before the arm breaks. Since its a higher pressure point, gluing will not succeed.
Your best option is to buy a replacement tension arm, in Aluminium. There are many options on Aliexpess, though fit and finish can be a mixed bag. I had to swipe some bolts from my original extruder-motor mount because the new one was short.
It is telling that Creality offer a metal one and not a plastic one, but sells new printers with just plastic ones.
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, extruder
--- |
thread-20749 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20749 | How should I implement the Z-axis in a fixed build plate 3D printer? | 2023-03-30T13:58:22.317 | # Question
Title: How should I implement the Z-axis in a fixed build plate 3D printer?
I'm working on a project where I have to design a Cartesian 3D concrete paste printer, in which I aim to make the build plate fixed with a 500 mm × 500 mm build area. But I'm confused as to how I should implement the motion of the Z-axis. I am thinking between:
1. Using a Z-axis that moves the entire X and Y frame.
2. Using an independent Z-axis that moves by itself only without the X and Y frame.
What are the differences between the two methods in terms of:
1. Performance
2. Ease of design & assembly
3. Cost
What design is more reasonable from a mechanical design point of view?
An example of the first method is the TITANXY (Fixed Build Plate, Quad Z Screw, CoreXY)
An example of the second is the Maximus 3D Printer
# Answer
Both are viable.
There are classic CoreXY printers where the extruder is moving along a gantry that slides along two rails which are moved up and down by four vertical lead screws in the corners. It's a lightweight construction suitable for very fast printers - with bowden tube feed (extruder far away from the hot end) the print head can be very light; some smart belt management allows to keep both X and Y motors only move up and down, which allows for extreme accelerations in X,Y directions, only Z is slow - and it rarely needs to be fast.
Then there's the design where a fixed gantry - be it a bridge over the table, or a beam moving on fixed rails up above the table - moves horizontally, and you have a carrier attached to it, which can move along the gantry, and move a Z slide - a vertical beam with the head at the end. This is used more frequently in CNC mills, as the construction can be made much more sturdy and rigid, but since the carrier hauls two stepper motors and a heavy spindle around, the accelerations achievable aren't as high.
The two are fairly similar in terms of ease of design and assembly. As for performance, the former performs great for lightweight, fast work. The latter is great where you need force, torque, e.g. you use a specialized material with a heavyweight extruder - like for the concrete paste maybe?
> 1 votes
---
Tags: z-axis, build-plate, linear-motion, concrete-printers
--- |
thread-20756 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20756 | Splicing G-code issue | 2023-04-01T01:15:32.677 | # Question
Title: Splicing G-code issue
I'm trying to combine two different G-code files into one. The reason I'm doing this is that I'd like to print my part with different layer heights. I've managed to combine the two G-codes together, but when it gets to the layer where the layer height changes, it stops moving and keeps extruding for 10-15 seconds, creating a blob of plastic, then moves on destroying the print.
I've tried using with PrusaSlicer's manual layer height feature, but their normal supports are unusable on my part and their organic supports are not compatible with the variable layer heights. Cura simply does not have this capability, and their adaptive layer height feature is not the answer. Here is what I'm trying to do:
1. Create G-code with layer height set to 0.3 mm
2. Change layer height to 0.1 mm and create G-code from that
3. Load 0.1 mm G-code into Notepad++ and find the layer I want to change it at
4. Delete all G-code past that layer
5. Load 0.3 mm G-code into Notepad++ and find where that layer would start based on Z height
6. Copy/Paste the rest of the G-code into the 0.1 mm file
7. Save and run on the printer
It mostly works but the layer height change stops. Does anyone know what is happening?
Here are a bunch of lines from the g-code before and after where the transition happens. I have it marked in the g-code exactly where:
```
G1 F2400 E2234.44369
G1 F3600 X105.992 Y179.63 E2234.66835
M204 S2000
G1 F2400 E2233.86835
G1 F300 Z5.8
G0 F9000 X106.068 Y183.796 Z5.8
M204 S500
G1 F300 Z5.4
G1 F2400 E2234.66835
G1 F3600 X99.843 Y190.022 E2234.8704
M204 S2000
G1 F2400 E2234.0704
G1 F300 Z5.8
G0 F9000 X101.42 Y192.688 Z5.8
M204 S500
G1 F300 Z5.4
G1 F2400 E2234.8704
G1 F3600 X106.635 Y187.472 E2235.03967
M204 S2000
G1 F2400 E2234.23967
G1 F300 Z5.8
G0 F9000 X107.871 Y190.479 Z5.8
M204 S500
G1 F300 Z5.4
G1 F2400 E2235.03967
G1 F3600 X104.311 Y194.039 E2235.15521
M204 S2000
G1 F2400 E2234.35521
G1 F300 Z5.8
G0 F9000 X108.544 Y194.049 Z5.8
M204 S500
G1 F300 Z5.4
G1 F2400 E2235.15521
G1 F3600 X109.947 Y192.646 E2235.20075
M204 S2000
G1 F2400 E2234.40075
G1 F300 Z5.8
G0 F9000 X120.783 Y90.912 Z5.8
M204 S500
;TYPE:WALL-OUTER
G1 F300 Z5.4
G1 F2400 E2235.20075
G1 F1978 X120.784 Y92.216 E2235.22798
G1 F1939 X120.794 Y92.736 E2235.23906
G1 F1901.4 X120.794 Y122.763 E2235.89141
G1 F1939 X120.783 Y123.279 E2235.90241
G1 F1978 X120.784 Y124.585 E2235.92968
G1 X120.974 Y124.314 E2235.93659
G1 X121.199 Y123.844 E2235.94748
G1 X121.327 Y123.323 E2235.95868
G1 F1939 X121.362 Y122.774 E2235.9704
G1 F1901.4 X121.362 Y92.736 E2236.62299
G1 F1939 X121.327 Y92.172 E2236.63503
G1 F1978 X121.201 Y91.663 E2236.64598
G1 X120.97 Y91.177 E2236.65722
G1 X120.819 Y90.963 E2236.66269
G0 F1620 X120.783 Y90.912
M204 S2000
G1 F2400 E2235.86269
G1 F300 Z5.8
;MESH:NONMESH
G0 F9000 X100 Y39.255 Z5.8
;TIME_ELAPSED:4586.593663
;-------------------------------------------------------------
;-----------------Transition Happens Here---------------------
;-------------------------------------------------------------
;LAYER:18
G0 X100 Y40.153 Z6.1
G1 F300 Z6.1
G0 F9000 X97.297 Y34.468
M204 S500
;TYPE:SUPPORT
G1 F300 Z5.7
G1 F2400 E2715.82188
G1 F1800 X97.297 Y34.468
G1 X97.47 Y35.08 E2715.86566
G1 X97.834 Y36.138 E2715.9427
G1 X98.102 Y36.794 E2715.99148
G1 X98.421 Y37.518 E2716.04595
G1 X98.79 Y38.243 E2716.10196
G1 X98.96 Y38.555 E2716.12642
G1 X99.366 Y39.232 E2716.18077
G1 X99.605 Y39.602 E2716.2111
G1 X100 Y40.153 E2716.25778
G1 X100.057 Y40.232 E2716.26448
G1 X100.343 Y40.609 E2716.29706
G1 X100.73 Y41.147 E2716.34269
G1 X100.934 Y41.458 E2716.3683
G1 X101.342 Y42.136 E2716.42278
G1 X101.476 Y42.382 E2716.44206
G1 X101.861 Y43.147 E2716.50103
G1 X102.193 Y43.913 E2716.55851
G1 X102.303 Y44.19 E2716.57903
G1 X102.602 Y45.029 E2716.64035
G1 X102.687 Y45.297 E2716.65971
G1 X102.939 Y46.186 E2716.72332
G1 X103.19 Y47.204 E2716.79551
G1 X103.692 Y47.104 E2716.83075
G1 X103.724 Y47.394 E2716.85084
G1 X103.799 Y48.272 E2716.91151
G1 X103.818 Y48.652 E2716.9377
G1 X103.839 Y49.553 E2716.99975
G1 X103.839 Y56.239 E2717.46007
G1 X100 Y56.239 E2717.72438
G1 X97.297 Y56.239 E2717.91048
G1 X97.297 Y34.823 E2719.38494
G0 F1620 X97.297 Y34.468
M204 S2000
G1 F2400 E2718.58494
G1 F300 Z6.1
G0 F9000 X100 Y40.153 Z6.1
M204 S500
G1 F300 Z5.7
G1 F2400 E2719.38494
G1 F1800 X100 Y56.239 E2720.49244
M204 S2000
G1 F2400 E2719.69244
G1 F300 Z6.1
G0 F9000 X130 Y89.241 Z6.1
M204 S500
G1 F300 Z5.7
G1 F2400 E2720.49244
G1 F1800 X130 Y125.641 E2722.99852
G1 X127.425 Y125.641 E2723.1758
G1 X127.425 Y89.241 E2725.68189
G1 X135 Y89.241 E2726.20342
G1 X135 Y125.641 E2728.7095
G1 X142.825 Y125.641 E2729.24824
G1 X142.825 Y89.241 E2731.75433
G1 X140 Y89.241 E2731.94882
G1 X140 Y125.286 E2734.43047
G0 F1620 X140 Y125.641
M204 S2000
G1 F2400 E2733.63047
G1 F300 Z6.1
G0 F9000 X100 Y175.345 Z6.1
G1 F300 Z6.1
G0 F9000 X97.278 Y181.097
```
# Answer
This is completely expected from your description. You just cannot bluntly paste a different section of a G-code file into another without tweaking the interface layer (unless the extruder length is reset at every layer).
You need to make sure that the extruder distance is set to the right value. Usually the extruder length is reset to zero once in a while or at layer change to prevent too large E values (`G92 E0`), but when you paste a layer with a mismatch in E value between the two, the extruder will extrude (or retract, this is equally valid, but in this case extrude) first before it will move further.
What you need to check for is the E value, look if it is reset or not and set the value by defining the correct value with `G92 Exxx`, where `xxx` is the correct value from the pasted layer (this will be the starting point for E extrusion).
From the updated question with the G-code snippet we see that the above described is actually happening, layer 17 has a final move laying down filament in
`G1 F2400 E2235.86269`
and layer 18 has the first filament deposition with
`G1 F2400 E2715.82188`.
You can see that almost 500 mm of filament is wasted (2235 -\> 2715). This means that you need add
`G92 E2715.82188`
before
`G1 F2400 E2715.82188`.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: g-code, prusaslicer
--- |
thread-10417 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/10417 | Is having 4 bed leveling adjustment points rather than 3 problematic? | 2019-06-28T15:22:54.970 | # Question
Title: Is having 4 bed leveling adjustment points rather than 3 problematic?
My Ender 3, and I think lots of printers, have 4 bed leveling adjusstments, one at each corner. It seems to me that having 4 points produces an over-determined system, making it confusing to get the leveling right - adjusting one of the four may have little or no effect, but then cause a later adjustment elsewhere to have effects that violate a least-surprise principle.
Would it be better to have only three points? Or is the fourth necessary/useful with non-completely-rigid bed structures to add rigidity?
# Answer
Similar reasoning as for question *"3 vs 4 bearings for y axis travel"*" holds. If you introduce a fourth point, it is more difficult to make a flat plane.
Provided that your bed is stiff, e.g. a flat piece of glass, or a thick metal plate is used, you do not need more than 3 screws. Both my custom built printers use pieces of glass on aluminium heated beds that use three screws for levelling, the third screw is located in the middle of 2 corner points.
If your bed is thin (e.g. thin heated bed with tape, so no glass) and flexible or warped, an extra screw might be handy to deform the bed to a more flat plane, but it is more difficult to level.
> 4 votes
# Answer
If the movements of those points for an axis are perfectly synchronized, there shouldn’t be a problem. However, in the physical world, inertia and elasticity come into play and hinder synchronization of such points. One of the points could move earlier than the others if they are not properly synchronized. In a 4-points-for-an-axis system, that means bending.
I *guess* that’s why printers that have a 4-point Z axis usually have a dedicated motor for each point to synchronize electronically, rather than trying to synchronizing them with a single motor and a timing belt.
Despite the difficulty in synchronization, having 4 points for an axis has an advantage over having three: it adds rigidity.
## Related articles
> 0 votes
---
Tags: printer-building, bed-leveling
--- |
thread-15855 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15855 | Y-axis limit switch adjustment is way off on new Ender 3 V2 causing motor grinding noise and system lockup | 2021-03-13T15:52:34.330 | # Question
Title: Y-axis limit switch adjustment is way off on new Ender 3 V2 causing motor grinding noise and system lockup
Just received my new Ender 3 v2. When using the Auto Home feature, the Y-axis motor drives the bed as far back as possible then the motor grinds for about 10-15 seconds. The Y-axis limit switch is not being depressed and the limit stop is about .5 inches away from the switch. The control unit locks at this point and must be power cycled to regain control. If I manually depress the limit switch then it appears to act normally.
Clearly either the limit switch is way out of adjustment or the bed is not positioned properly. Can this be fixed or should I send it back as defective?
# Answer
> 1 votes
It is possible that the **buildplate is too low**, and cannot travel all way down the Y axis, but is hitting into the Y motor enclosure.
If you have screwed the Z-stop to printer's vertical frame, shifting the endstop all the way down, there is even bigger chance for this. So one advice is to **raise the Z-stop** by about a width of wrench key included to the set. Ender 3 V2 has a bit taller glass plate comparing to previous model.
That is not my idea, I just repeat that after the author of "Tomb of 3D Printed Horrors" youtube tutorials. The author also presented quick method Ender 3 easy bed leveling, including **fine tuning** of the Z-stop position.
Please also note, that there are wires with thermistor taped below the bed with crackling tape (probably capton). So if you raise it too few, you will regularly hear scraping and crackling sounds. Therefore before builtplate leveling, I would advice first to **check the initial height** if it is already safe.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I was able to just bend the brass piece on the switch toward the front of the printer. Be careful of course, breaking it would be very bad. That worked for me.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I just replaced my Y-axis belt, I returned everything to its regular place and it started grinding. This was because the build plate is symmetrical but the wheels are a little lower on one side, so flipping around the build plate fixed this for me.
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Tags: y-axis
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thread-20762 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20762 | Sovol SV06 sensorless homing is not functional | 2023-04-01T19:39:01.747 | # Question
Title: Sovol SV06 sensorless homing is not functional
I just unboxed my Sovol SV06, and it does not appear to home correctly. When issuing the `G28` command through both the screen and Pronterface, it will crash against the X-axis limit switch until I turn off the machine, as shown in the video below.
I have attempted to use Pronterface to issue new `M914` commands, which is the StallGuard sensitivity setting. I have lowered both the X and Y values to 10, sent the `M500` command, verified the settings were correct with `M503`, and then ran `G28`. The same thing occurred and it does not appear to function any differently.
I have verified that all of the steppers are plugged in, but I have limited functionality to test anything because the machine cannot home correctly. Is there something I am missing? Included below are the results of running `M503`
```
m503
SENDING:M503
echo:; Linear Units:
G21 ; (mm)
echo:; Temperature Units:
echo: M149 C ; Units in Celsius
echo:; Filament settings (Disabled):
echo: M200 S0 D1.75
echo:; Steps per unit:
echo: M92 X80.00 Y80.00 Z800.00 E691.50
echo:; Max feedrates (units/s):
echo: M203 X500.00 Y500.00 Z10.00 E30.00
echo:; Max Acceleration (units/s2):
echo: M201 X500.00 Y500.00 Z100.00 E5000.00
echo:; Acceleration (units/s2) (P<print-accel> R<retract-accel> T<travel-accel>):
echo: M204 P500.00 R500.00 T1000.00
echo:; Advanced (B<min_segment_time_us> S<min_feedrate> T<min_travel_feedrate> X<max_x_jerk> Y<max_y_jerk> Z<max_z_jerk> E<max_e_jerk>):
echo: M205 B20000.00 S0.00 T0.00 X8.00 Y8.00 Z0.40 E5.00
echo:; Home offset:
echo: M206 X0.00 Y0.00 Z0.00
echo:; Auto Bed Leveling:
echo: M420 S0 Z10.00 ; Leveling OFF
echo:; Material heatup parameters:
echo: M145 S0 H185.00 B60.00 F255
echo: M145 S1 H240.00 B80.00 F255
echo:; Hotend PID:
echo: M301 P15.95 I1.30 D48.96
echo:; Bed PID:
echo:echo: M304 P110.38 I6.12 D497.30
echo:; User thermistors:
echo: M305 P0 R4700.0 T94162.0 B4160.0 C0.000000000 ; HOTEND 0
echo:; Power-loss recovery:
echo: M413 S1 ; ON
echo:; Z-Probe Offset:
echo: M851 X25.00 Y-25.00 Z0.00 ; (mm)
echo:; Stepper driver current:
echo: M906 X860 Y900 Z1000
echo: M906 T0 E550
echo:; Hybrid Threshold:
echo: M913 X183 Y183 Z41
echo: M913 T0 E60
echo:; StallGuard threshold:
echo: M914 X10 Y10
echo:; Driver stepping mode:
echo: M569 S1 X Y Z
echo: M569 S1 T0 E
echo:; Linear Advance:
echo: M900 K0.04
echo:; Filament load/unload:
echo: M603 L0.00 U50.00 ; (mm)
```
# Answer
It turns out that the previous post I had found suggested that the sensitivity setting be lowered when it actually needed to be raised. Setting the two `M914` values to 75 works perfectly.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: troubleshooting
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thread-6119 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/6119 | Can you put PLA parts in your car (in the sun)? | 2018-06-07T19:31:09.973 | # Question
Title: Can you put PLA parts in your car (in the sun)?
I'm in the process of building my own head unit / stereo prototype for a car, which will have a 3D-printed enclosure.
My concern is that cars can get quite hot in the sun, and even more so if you live in hot climates. Some estimations put the interior of cars getting up to 50-60 °C, sometimes even in only 20 °C weather due to the 'greenhouse' effect created in the car. I live in a fairly temperate climate, but the summers can still get up to 20-29 °C (80-85 °F), and my car might get up to 60 °C/150 °F on a hot day.
The part won't be exposed *directly* to the sun, but will obviously be exposed to heat both from the interior of the car when in the sun, and potentially from the engine radiating heat through the firewall, though the latter factor will differ from car to car.
Should I be concerned using PLA for my part? If not, what material, if any, would be better suited for these possible temperatures (other than metal)?
# Answer
No, PLA cannot be used in cars standing in the sun. Temperatures can locally get over 50 °C (122 °F).
I have printed sun visor hinge pins from PLA for a car (not exposed to direct sunlight either), but after one day in the sun (it usually doesn't get over 29 °C or about 85 ˚F here too) the pin deformed (only printed it for form fitting). The actual pin was eventually printed in PETG, and even with PETG the part deformed a little when it got really hot in the car.
Your part might not get that hot as it is lower in the car, but you could best print parts in Nylon (Polyamide, PA), ABS or any other high temperature resistant Co-Polymer (e.g. made from Amphora HT5300), there are lots to choose from nowadays.
If it is a non load bearing component that is not stressed (e.g. a cover or a bushing) it could be printed in PLA, but I would not take a change and would print it directly in a more temperature resistant material.
---
Downloading some of the technical data sheets from various filaments will give you for PLA:
> **Not suitable for** long term outdoor usage or applications where the printed part is exposed to temperatures higher than 50 °C (122 °F).
similar for Nylon:
> **Not suitable for** applications where the printed part is exposed to temperatures higher than 80 °C (176 °F).
To complete the overview, generally, materials should not be exposed prolonged periods of time above (give or take):
* 70 °C (158 °F) for basic Co-Polymers
* 85 °C (185 °F) for ABS
* 100 °C (212 °F) for enhanced Co-Polymers and ASA
* 105 °C (221 °F) for Polypropylene (PP)
* 110 °C (230 °F) for Polycarbonate (PC)
> 18 votes
# Answer
If you put PLA parts in a sealed plastic bag (or two to keep it dry) and simmer in water (212 °F or 100 °C), the part "anneals". The time taken varies with the part shape, but for small parts should be about 15-30 minutes. You can simmer longer if unsure, but it provides no additional benefit once the part is annealed. When you remove and cool the annealed part, it will feel harder and more compact. You may also notice a slight hazing or color change.
Annealed parts become a bit more resistant to heat warp. The annealing process shrinks and hardens your part (I've annealed gears) so you need to account for the shrinkage by making the unannealed part slightly larger. I do this for stepper mounts or gears as needed. Putting your part in the passenger compartment of a car can work depending on your climate. My daughter-in-law has a camera mount on her dashboard showing significant warp, but she still uses it.
Here's more information and I'm sure you can find more...
> 9 votes
# Answer
The sun will rot most, if not all plastics, with PLA, ABS and PETG rotting to varying degrees and at differing rates. So, if even part of your enclosure, such as the edges, are visible, they will invariably be exposed to the sun at some point (although maybe not sufficiently enough) which will make them brittle.
However, as you say, your main concern here is not direct sunlight, but heat. As this informative article, Using PLA for Long-Term Outdoor Applications, suggests:
> PLA is great as the warping is less than with ABS.
Interestingly, it also notes (again related to sunlight, not a concern in your case):
> As a side note, PLA is referenced as considerably UV resistant.
---
### Similar Questions
Whilst your question is not a duplicate, as such, there are already a number of questions (and answers) on this topic, that I remember having seen and being relevant.
Whilst I have quoted *some* of the relevant parts below, it might also be worth taking a look at the *other* posts on these links:
> Keep in mind that PLA has a much lower temperature point, where is starts getting flexible. I once had PLA-printed parts in my car in the summer for 3 hours and when I came back, they where bent.
>
> I don't know about the weather conditions in your local environment, but if you experience hot temperatures and your sign is hanging in direct sunlight, I would suggest to make sure you secure the letters against bending (e.g. cover them with a coat of epoxy or something like this).
> The property you're looking for in the thermoplastic (which will determine the continuous operating temperature) is glass transition temperature. This is the point at which the plastic begins to flow, and becomes deformable as EvilTeach described. PLA reaches this state at around 60 °C, whereas ABS is around 105°C, just suiting your specifications. To go a bit further, polycarbonate offers a glass transition temperature of around 150 °C, and Ultem at 217 °C.
> 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.
>
> ... 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.
> PLA also will slowly melt in direct sunlight. I have seen this one firsthand, having left a print on my windowsill and watching it slowly morph with the weight of objects on top of it.
Also related, temperature wise, although not *strictly* in-car related (although that is where you would most likely find a travel mug), is the most informative answer by Ryan Carlyle, which makes mention of *annealing* as suggested by OyaMist Aeroponics's answer:
> It is possible to anneal PLA to survive higher temperatures, as this increases the crystallinity of the polymer and thus makes it more heat-stable. However, that is highly experimental and results will vary considerably with filament provider, color/pigment, and annealing process used.
> PLA would be a non-starter for outdoor use as it's biodegradable and can breakdown in sunlight. Albeit slowly, but won't be useful for long term project.
> 7 votes
# Answer
Just minutes ago, I took a PLA part from my car that is parked in the sun, it is warped and bloated. It was wrapped in a towel, not in direct sunlight. The temperature in the car was near 60°C. I would not recommend using PLA on parts that may be left in a vehicle.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Just for completeness sake, one can print a casting mould and then cast UV resilient resins from the mould.
The mould would be made of PLA. Because it is quite brittle, you would need to make a multi-part mould if you want it to be re-usable. Otherwise, if you are using something heat-resistant then you can melt or break the mould once you are done.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: pla, filament-choice, stability
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thread-20758 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20758 | Why does my print have this unusual pattern? | 2023-04-01T09:31:04.370 | # Question
Title: Why does my print have this unusual pattern?
Just started 3D printing. Switched from a 0.4 mm nozzle to a 0.2 mm nozzle and am printing my first object. It has this pattern/inconsistency. Thinking it might be temperature variation but not sure. Anyone know what it is?
I changed the speed to 60 % cause not enough was coming out at a time, it improved the results. Layer height 0.2 mm but it may be a little off from because of the leveling. I increased flow 15 % just now and seems to be printing better with more adhesion.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Layer height should be max. 3/4 of the nozzle width, so you should print at max. 0.15 mm layer height with a 0.2 mm nozzle. So the problem is that you are using a too large of a layer height (0.2 mm). If you push more flow it appears to work, but, for the wrong reasons.
With a layer height as large as the nozzle width, you extrude cylinders/tubes with much space between the perimeters, by increasing the flow percentage you somewhat flatten the tubes, but it is better to lower the layer height.
---
Tags: print-quality
--- |
thread-20768 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20768 | Cura slicer setting to make the printer fill the transition layer between two layer structure | 2023-04-03T02:24:29.843 | # Question
Title: Cura slicer setting to make the printer fill the transition layer between two layer structure
Not sure if this question is asked before, I am pretty new to 3D printing and not sure how people name this sort of problems.
So my problem is, when I have a structure that have some protruding parts on a base structure, something like this (from https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3754366):
In the slicer, between the bottom base and those "pillars", the slicer will place the outline of those "pillars", like this, directly on top of the base infill:
Because those lines are place on top of the infill lines rather than a solid surface, it tends to get messed up, like this:
Is there a setting in Cura that can tell the slicer to build a solid surface on the top of the "base" first, and then draw those outlines on the solid surface instead of putting them down directly on the infill line? if not, any other way to address this issue?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Important information for this problem is top/bottom layer settings, which seems a bit sparse (but may be an incomplete print) as well as infill percentage. It appears that your infill is fairly low, causing the layers distress as the model continues to print.
I suggest to increase the top/bottom layer count and raise the infill percentage to twenty percent or greater.
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura
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thread-20773 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20773 | What is the practical difference between different nozzle tip shapes? | 2023-04-03T13:11:18.740 | # Question
Title: What is the practical difference between different nozzle tip shapes?
Sooooo, I'm shopping for nozzles (E3Dv6 flavor), and there seems to be several shapes available, differing mainly (or even exclusively) in the size and shape of the cone coming down to the exit orifice.
The original E3D design has a flat step with an approximately 40 deg cone sitting on top of it, the cone's diameter being roughly half of the nut size.
This design seems to be labelled by chinese manufacturers as **E-V6**.
The other common design is what they call **T-V6**, with an approximately 60 degree cone that does not end in a step but instead widens right up to the nut diameter:
And then there are variations on the theme, with some nozzles having a sharper full-width cone (also seemingly an extremely common chinese design), others having a sharper/shallower/wider/narrower stepped design, and sometimes other slightly differing shapes.
Further, there are those weird nozzles that actually have an airbrush nozzle screwed into the brass body, and ones with carbide/ruby/etc insets, which can also have either a full-cone or a stepped overall shape.
My question would be, *assuming identical material, quality of fabrication, etc*, how would this difference in shape affect the nozzle thermally, mechanically, and in other aspects that have a practical impact on how it actually prints? How does it affect the print settings? If I change, say, from an E-V6 to a T-V6 nozzle, would I have to change my printing temperature or retune my heater PID? Would there be a noticeable difference between a sharper and a shallower full-width cone design?
Finally, while it isn't relevant to me right now, since I included the hard-tipped nozzles for completeness, what about them? What diference does that bring? And what about that airbrush tip thingamajig?
# Answer
The differences are mainly thermal.
Long nozzles that keep the large thermal mass as far as possible from the print are theoretically good for very small scale printing at very low speeds, where the radiant and convective heating from the block (even with silicone sock) and large part of the nozzle will tend to soften the already-printed material. Think DnD-mini scale or smaller, with 0.2 mm nozzles or finer, etc. However, you have to keep the material inside the nozzle hot all the way to the tip, and you also have to cool the printed part, so controlling exactly where the cooling airflow goes with this sort of setup is really important and precludes high airflow.
For normal-scale and high-speed printing though, you need the opposite. High air flow, untargeted, blowing over as much as possible of the recently-laid material, and thus necessarily also hitting the nozzle tip. If the nozzle is long and pointy, it has a high surface area to thermal mass ratio, and the tip will end up being a lot cooler than the heater block due to air flow, impacting rate and consistency of flow, layer adhesion, etc. Thus, nozzles that are as wide as possible until near the very tip are appealing.
Another consideration not really used in practice is clearance. A nozzle with a sharp tip allows the tool to descend somewhat below the current layer height without colliding with the print, which could be used in advanced slicing, but is not used by any general-purpose present-day (as of early 2023) slicing software.
> 1 votes
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Tags: hotend, nozzle
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thread-7844 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/7844 | E3D V6 nozzle vs MK8 nozzle, first layer adhesion | 2019-01-01T19:49:47.637 | # Question
Title: E3D V6 nozzle vs MK8 nozzle, first layer adhesion
Does anyone notice that when they upgrade from an MK8<sup>Makerbot(?)</sup> to a E3D V6 hotend that when using the same settings and bed-leveling/z-distance-setting procedures, that the filament is much more likely to be pulled up and bunch up around the nozzle while printing the first layer?
It occurs mostly when printing small details, such as 3 mm bolt holes, and not so much when laying down long lines.
Is this due to the shape of the nozzle, which on the V6 is much more flat when compared to the MK8 which is more sharp, or is it due to something else that can be easily fixed?
# Answer
> 0 votes
So many things wrong with that last statement. First off, lets get the first layer adhesion out of the way... ANY time you work on your hotend, you need to adjust your Z offset because things rarely go back to the exact same. Even just a different torque spec (your hand is not a torque wrench nor is it as consistent as one) changes it. 10 degrees more turn on the thread from harder cranking and now youre higher off the bed. Believe it or not metal does actually flex when you tighten, especially aluminium and soft copper alloys like brass and bronze.
Secondly, the E3D V6 head is shorter than the mark 8. Thus you will need to adjust offset closer, by default, when switching to a V6.
That will fix bed adhesion in most cases. Follow procedure and recalibrate when you make changes and youll be fine. Now, as for temps... raising bed that high is a bandaid setting. We dont use bandaids. Fix the root, stated above, not a symptom of it. This prevents other problems. In this case your bed temp (assuming you're on PLA) is above glass transition. Thats a no-no. Even with proper offset, that causes other issues like the "other" type of elephant's foot. From the bottom layers being fluid and having a taller and more diffuse heat gradient. Basically the bed layer stays put and then layers above it shrink. Till about 5 or 10 layers up. Giving it a bow at the base of the print. You want it hot. But not melted. In regular PLA, thats 55c. 60c is glass transition. You can go to 59c with disgression, but generally you wanna keep 5c away from GT. Be careful with forums and FB posts, people say "do 75c" etc... these are beginners. Be careful taking advice from someone in their first few years of printint. FDM is tricky. It will fool you and teach you bad habits, and you wont realize its hurting you till much later on when you start moving out of the box.
Now all metal temps... who told you +30c? Thats not a thing. If you are having to heat up another 30c to print with all metal, you have a throat clog. Fix your throat cooling system. This can also be from incorrectly installing or assembling it. Same with steel nozzles needing to be hotter. This is a myth. They will equalize just as any other nozzle. The difference is steel has a lower rate of heat absorbtion, and thus takes longer to heat up. It also drops faster than brass as you get into speed printing. Think pouring water on red hot steel. The filament is the water. So * *when* * printing at very high rates of flow, which most people wont reach anyway, then yes, you run it hotter. But this is true for all hotends and nozzles during speed printing, not just because its steel. Speed printing often has nozzle temps above thermal breakdown of a material because it never has a chance to reach that due to rate of flow and time to heat, but still needs that abnormally high temp so the rapidly flowing filament can grab enough energy to melt in time. Larger bore nozzles also need a small bump because the core of the extrusion is farther from the walls of the nozzle.
But no, V6 and/or all metal hotends absolutely do not need extra temps under normal use (like 0.2 layers at 60mm/s). The run at the same temps. And so does the bed. If it still doesn't stick and you know for sure your z offset is good, and you preheated and all the stuff youre supposed to do when setting that offset, then your bed is dirty, wipe with alcohol. Or the coating is worn out. Or, on bare glass and large base prints, you need an adhesive like 3D Lac or gluestick (not regular white, or gel, you need Xtreme or extra strength, or purple). If you have to heat up the hotend to extrude on an all metal or nozzle change, figure out why youre having throat clogs, because thats not a normal thing for a well-functioning hotend and extruder. That indicates a problem somewhere. Either user error or poor throat cooling. It can even happen with really cheap and poorly made nozzles. V6 does not mean its genuine E3D. If you see V6 and its not directly from E3D or a company in a contract with them, then its a Chineese clone. Yes, it matters... Their geometry inside the hotend needs to be machined properly, not rushed out cheaply. Thats why genuine ones cost more, and its how they got their reputation for being amazing hotends. They take care with machining, and they test and refine stuff, in house, daily.
-The guy that started on a Cupcake back in 2008-2009 and now teaches it.
# Answer
> -2 votes
Turns out this can be fixed by increasing the bed temp to 65-70 °C and of course increasing the extruder temp by 30 °C or so, which is standard for the all metal hotends (no idea why)
---
Tags: filament, nozzle, e3d, makerbot-mk8
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thread-20743 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20743 | What is the best way to print an action figure? | 2023-03-29T13:59:46.777 | # Question
Title: What is the best way to print an action figure?
I have created an action figure and would like to print it. Anyway, I am not sure the best way to print it, the action figure can be printed only once but the duration is 10 hours. If I separate the part, the time is concise, but I need to do some changes to my file. What is the best way to print an action figure? If the second method is the better (separate arm, legs, etc.), does exist a good way to do the join between parts?
My 3d printer is Elegoo Mars, so I use Chitubox.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Printing a complex object like this one from an attached photo requires a few factors to consider, such as print time, quality, ease of printing and eventual post-processing. You have two options: print the entire figure in one piece with supports, or separate the parts and print them individually.
**Printing the entire figure in one piece** can be a good option if you want to save time and reduce the amount of post-processing work. If you decide to go with this option, make sure to orient the model correctly to minimize the need for supports and reduce the risk of failure during printing.
**Separating the parts and printing them individually** can allow you to print each part in the best orientation for quality and reduce the risk of print failure. However, it will require more time for preparing the model for printing and post-processing work to assemble the parts. Bear in mind, that if you decide to separate the parts, it may still be necessary to print them with supports. It is also a better option if the model exceeds the printer's build volume.
To make the assembly easier, you can add alignment pins and holes to the parts to ensure they fit together correctly. Here is a very good tutorial on how to do it - **How to cut STL models for 3D printing in Meshmixer**. You can also add alignment pins and holes right in Chitubox.
Both printing options have their pros and cons, and you should choose the one that best suits your needs.
# Answer
> 1 votes
## STL print speed is determined by height in Z
So to print your project, you should reduce Z height. In this case, your figurine can be placed with its height along the XY plane - lying on the back - and then drops its print time by roughly a factor of 8.
# Answer
> 1 votes
In my experience, you should never print a figure like that upright as it A) takes too long and B) can cause problems with supports.
I would recommend that you cut it on two pieces. One with the legs and one with the body. This will cut your print time almost in half.
Next, tilt both parts backwards by at least 45 degrees. This will further reduce print time and will give you better supports as you can spread them out across a larger surface area while having a smaller surface area in contact with the FEP for each layer.
My printer ins an Elegoo Saturn. I use Chitubox.
---
Tags: 3d-models, 3d-design
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thread-14691 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14691 | Why aren't fixed build platform 3D printers popular? | 2020-10-29T07:16:15.560 | # Question
Title: Why aren't fixed build platform 3D printers popular?
I'm trying to build a DIY 3D printer for myself. I've been exploring many different styles of printers and found this type of printer that has a fixed bed that stays fixed in one place and the whole gantry moves which includes all axes.
* Why is this so rare?
* Are there flaws in this design?
* Will print quality be affected by using this approach?
Check out this video for reference and skip to 10:50:
# Answer
> 10 votes
> Why is this so rare?
Such kind of printers usually harder to assembles, calibrate, and maintain because 3 axes machine is a bit more complex than 2 axes. For instance, it's can be tricky to move an entire extruder among all 3 axis and some of such printer's designs may require even dedicated exruder's design like Bowden Extruders.
> Are there flaws in this design?
The key disadvantage of such kind designs is complexity with moving of an extruder among all 3 axes. Moving platform by at least one axis simplifies that.
> Will print quality be affected by using this approach?
It depends on the exact printer's design, so, potentially you can have issues with ease of assembling and maintenance due to more complicated construction and as a consequence higher risk of low printing quality due design, assembly or configuration mistakes.
On the other hand, if you already have some device with precise enough 3 axis machine, like CNC milling machine, you can upgrade it to 3D printer by installing an extruder, however, it would also require update of software and, probably, electronics.
# Answer
> 7 votes
As a frame challenge, they kind of are. It's just that the optimal, and in some sense only reasonable, design for a fixed build platform that doesn't move on any axis is the delta robot geometry. This design is not the most popular, but it's far from obscure - there are lots of cheap entry-level delta printers available as well as higher-end ones.
What makes delta optimal? Keeping a single gantry (like the Ender 3 has) square with a fixed bed height is hard enough; it requires a very rigid frame and perfect rails/rods. If you want to have a multi-axis motion system over a completely fixed bed, you have a whole extra dimension in which it can be non-square. Mechanically (at least for a plain cartesian configuration) it's like having a gantry that moves between two other gantries, each of which already has concerns about remaining square, and the resulting system might not even end up being planar.
The delta configuration avoids this by not having a 2-axis motion system that's constrained to a particular movable Z height relative to the bed, but instead calibrating the transformation between a constrained motion system with free degrees of freedom and normal cartesian coordinates. Any error can just get calibrated out.
On top of that, delta has an extremely low toolhead mass, allowing extreme speeds and accelerations.
# Answer
> 5 votes
Within the realm of Cartesian machines (eg having orthogonal X, Y, Z axis) consider the sort of design you do see: the Ultimaker-like X-Y stage over a build platform which can drop.
The question is then, why drop the build rather than raise the mechanism?
Likely the reason is mechanical simplicity. The X-Y gantry is the part that moves around quickly and may vibrate. It's also the part that is rather complex and has lots of electrical cables. Making that fixed in the housing is generally a simplicity. In contrast, the built object in a typical consumer printer has lower mass, and the build platform only moves slowly so variation in dynamics from its increasing mass isn't really an issue (increasing build mass typically isn't even really taken into account in designs where the build rides on a rapidly moving Y axis either).
You might ask, what would a machine like this look like if instead of dropping the build you raised the mechanism?
It turns out such a thing does exist, in the form of a clever hack where you run a linear rail up the wall of your hackerspace, mount your entire Ultimaker-style printer on it (less build platform and bottom panel), and tap out the Z control signals such that the printer climbs itself up the wall leaving some towering sort of build on a fixed platform below. Conceivably if you wanted to start there you could also saw off all but the top third or so of the cabinet to leave the X-Y gantry with some rigid frame. But it's a bigger, more expensive product that doesn't work simply by lifting it out out of the shipping box. Apart from very unusual or "proof of concept" builds, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
The thing about the 3d printer realm is that you're free to try anything you like. Some ideas work. Some ideas don't. Some that go a little bit against orthodox mechanical design as taught in Mech E. departments turn out to work a bit better than they should fairly be expected to, and make it into products. But generally what is on the market is what has proven to present a good balance between cost and utility.
# Answer
> 4 votes
> Why is this so rare?
This is rare because machine designers basically copy the designs that work, without trying to innovate too much. As a result of this, Adrian Bowyer's original RepRap design (a travelling type) is currently the most prominent desktop 3D printer design around.
> Are there flaws in this design?
There aren't any flaws in the concept for a static bed, after all, it is just a design concept; there are advantages and disadvantages for each type (static, floating and travelling).
> Will print quality be affected by using this approach?
The individual implementations will have varying levels of success. Certain designs provide more quality than most due to the rigidity of the frame that is required (e.g. CoreXY) which in turn provides better print quality. Any printer design can produce a good print quality when the machine is well designed and well maintained.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Now that I learned the truth about supporting the XY gantry, I can answer this. No, **it’s not about complexity**, it’s about stability. There’s nothing complex about 3-axis movement. However, **moving the gantry has more requirement** than moving the bed, and this additional requirement is the reason why many implementations stick to moving the bed instead.
# Why moving the bed instead is easier
The XY gantry moves around quickly, horizontally. Which means that it *must* be supported by at least 4 points of supports forming a square, otherwise, it’ll wobble. Yes, 3 points define a plane, yet the XY gantry cannot be stably supported with just 3 points, which is why this is challenging. Synchronizing the movements of those four supports is not as easy as linking them all together with a single belt. This introduces another challenge. To do this correctly, typically, it requires multiple motors for the Z axis (e.g. Voron 2.4 has four Z-axis motors.). And even with 4 points of supports, they can still fail to stably support the rapidly-horizontally-moving gantry.
On the other hand, the stuff on the bed does not move around. The weight does not move around. Meaning, the bed is absolutely fine with less than 4 supporting points (e.g. 1, 2, or 3 leadscrews).
Now you should see why moving the bed is considered as easier and more stable.
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Tags: diy-3d-printer, z-axis, carriage
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thread-20788 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20788 | CURA prints some primer lines, but they don't seem to respect bed automatic bed leveling | 2023-04-06T17:38:22.200 | # Question
Title: CURA prints some primer lines, but they don't seem to respect bed automatic bed leveling
So, the G-code preppended to my slicer output (by Cura itself) looks like this:
```
; Ender 3 Custom Start G-code
G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
G28 ; Home all axes
M104 S{material_standby_temperature} ; Start heating up the nozzle most of the way
M190 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ; Start heating the bed, wait until target temperature reached
M109 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ; Finish heating the nozzle
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed
;G1 X0.1 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to start position
;G1 X0.1 Y200.0 Z0.3 F1500.0 E15 ; Draw the first line
;G1 X0.4 Y200.0 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move to side a little
;G1 X0.4 Y20 Z0.3 F1500.0 E30 ; Draw the second line
;G92 E0 ; Reset Extruder
;G1 Z2.0 F3000 ; Move Z Axis up little to prevent scratching of Heat Bed
;G1 X5 Y20 Z0.3 F5000.0 ; Move over to prevent blob squish
```
But this code seems to be causing issues where it ignores the ABL (auto bed leveling.)
In my case, this means that the extruder starts clicking, and I suspect that with the particular hotend I have, this causes issues. For now, I have commented out all the code to draw the primer lines, as you can see.
Is there a way to make them respect auto-leveling?
# Answer
You should add `M420 S` command after `G28` to Start G-code.
According to Marlin docs, `G28` command disables bed leveling by default.
> `G28` disables bed leveling. Follow with `M420 S` to turn leveling on, or use `RESTORE_LEVELING_AFTER_G28` to automatically keep leveling on after `G28`.
Alternatively, you can change the `RESTORE_LEVELING_AFTER_G28` value to `true` in firmware.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, bed-leveling, g-code, automatic-bed-leveling
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thread-20767 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20767 | Perfect, no seam print on original sample "3-cat.gcode" from SD card added to Ender 3 S1 Pro. How does Creality do this? | 2023-04-02T23:01:32.927 | # Question
Title: Perfect, no seam print on original sample "3-cat.gcode" from SD card added to Ender 3 S1 Pro. How does Creality do this?
Everywhere you can read how to **try** to "hide" the seam, but nowhere there is an attempt to eliminate this problem. And the proof that it is possible is the prepared G-code added to the Ender printer on the SD card. (the exact name of the file is `3-Cat.gcode`)
This little figurine has no seam at all! The print is so perfect that I can't believe it.
The question is why slicers don't create such G-codes so that the seam is hidden inside the printed object, not on its wall.
I have printed this figurine six times already, in different colors and different brands of filament. All prints are **perfect**!
What do you think about it? Can this be done in a slicer? (I can add this file somewhere but I don't know where.)
Seam in diferent retraction distance (retract on layer change turned on):
# Answer
> 1 votes
This answer adresses the seam in the cat model. While it appears that there is no seam printed in this model, it most certainly is printed, but it is cleverly hidden in a sharp corner for you not to see the seam. Furthermore, by clever use of printing the infill first and then the outer perimeter, it appears that there is no seam. There isn't a definite start and stop (no retraction from infill to outer perimeter) and continues inner perimeter printing after the outer perimeter.
You can load the model in an online G-code visualizer to see for yourself. The Creality Cat is a specific showcase to show it's capabilities, but cannot simply be applied to all geometries, a sphere is difficult to print perfectly.
# Answer
> 0 votes
It's done by tweaking the retraction setting in your slicer.
In Cura the main setting affecting this is under 'Travel'.
In the 'Travel' settings is 'Enable retraction', and 'Retract at layer change'.
This will retract the filament and you won't get a seam.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Getting a seam that's not ugly is a matter of having proper retraction and Z-travel settings that don't let the nozzle ooze when starting/stopping an extrusion. These differ for every printer, but the settings in the Creality-sliced file are 0.8 mm retraction length, and 40 mm/s retraction (and unretraction) speed. These are a very good baseline to start tuning from for a direct drive extruder. Otherwise I don't see anything remarkable about their slicing. You can open it up in a gcode analyzer like https://gcode.ws or https://gcodeanalyser.com to see where their seams are and check if anything else looks special to you.
Faster Z moves will also help and let you turn off "retract at layer change" if you like, which can help. They have not done this in their file; it's sliced with a painfully slow 5 mm/s Z travel speed. Cura doesn't let you access this directly but it reuses the Z-hop speed, even if Z-hop isn't enabled, as the Z travel speed for layer changes. Increasing it won't help much without also increasing the Z acceleration in the printer firmware, though, since the moves are so short they don't have significant time to accelerate. I use 80 mm/s with 750 mm/s² for Z on my Ender, but I'm not sure if that's achievable without TMC 2209s stepper drivers in Spreadcycle mode. In any case, you can get completely acceptable seams without fast Z travel as long as you have "retract at layer change" on.
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Tags: seam
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thread-20791 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20791 | What is recovery velocity in klipper firmware? | 2023-04-07T11:36:26.677 | # Question
Title: What is recovery velocity in klipper firmware?
I am currently writing a `printer.cfg` Klipper file for my Tronxy VEHO-600. It is quite a challenge as there is not much info regarding this printer online.
Is recovery velocity something that I have to tune while the printer is operational, or can I give it an arbitrary value?
I have a CFG file for a VEHO-600 that a friend of mine put together, and he has it set to 300, but his printer is modified, so I'm unsure if this value would be the same for my standard VEHO-600. Hoping someone can advise me of what the feature is, so I can tune it myself.
# Answer
> 1 votes
**Recovery velocity** refers to the maximum speed at which the printer's extruder can move while recovering from a pause or filament change. When the printer is paused or filament is changed, the filament is retracted to prevent oozing and to ensure a clean start. Recovery velocity determines the speed at which the extruder moves during the priming process.
It should be set based on the capabilities of your printer's extruder and the speed at which it can reliably prime itself. If the value is set too high, the extruder may not be able to keep up, resulting in under-extrusion or other issues. If the value is set too low, the priming process may take too long, resulting in wasted time during the print. Typically, it is set higher than the normal printing speed.
# Answer
> 0 votes
The only "recover velocity" I'm aware of is the one for pause\_resume functionality and should just be a reasonable travel velocity for your printer (probably the same as your max velocity if that's set correctly). 300 is quite low, probably fine for the X and Y axes of any printer that's running 24V motors or higher. The only potential problem might be if your max\_z\_velocity isn't set to limit Z; if it's not, resuming after pause where the toolhead is parked near the point where it was paused would put nearly the entire 300 mm/s on the Z axis. That's fine if you have a Z limit set to limit it, but if you don't, it would fail on most printers. So just make sure your Z velocity limit is set right and you should be fine.
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Tags: klipper
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thread-20803 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20803 | What is the difference between position_min and position_endstop parameters in Klipper config file? | 2023-04-08T18:42:49.523 | # Question
Title: What is the difference between position_min and position_endstop parameters in Klipper config file?
I have a Tronxy VEHO-600 and I have a config file, which I got from a friend. My question is regarding the following code block:
```
[stepper_x]
step_pin: PE5
dir_pin: !PF1
enable_pin: !PF0
microsteps: 16
rotation_distance: 60
endstop_pin: !PC15
position_endstop: -5
position_min: -5
position_max: 600 # for bed mesh
homing_speed: 200
homing_retract_dist: 10
second_homing_speed: 10.0
[stepper_y]
step_pin: PF9
dir_pin: PF3
enable_pin: !PF5
microsteps: 16
rotation_distance: 60
endstop_pin: !PC14
position_endstop: -10
position_min: -10
position_max: 600
homing_retract_dist: 10
homing_speed: 100.0
second_homing_speed: 10.0
```
Is `position_min` how far off the bed the axis needs to go to hit the end stop? I think it is not, as there is a `position_endstop` declaration just above it, so what is the difference?
# Answer
These parameters are related to the minimum position of the axis, but they have slightly different usages.
The **`position_min`** parameter refers to the lowest possible position of the axis, regardless of the endstop position. It is used to prevent the axis from going too far in one direction, which could cause damage to the printer. It specifies the minimum physical position that the motor can be set to, regardless of the endstop position.
The **`position_endstop`** parameter specifies the physical position of the endstop switch relative to the axis, which is used during homing operations to determine the actual position of the axis. When the motor reaches this position, it will trigger the endstop switch and stop the motor from moving any further in that direction.
> 2 votes
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Tags: klipper
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