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thread-15281 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15281 | Are all glue sticks PVA-based? How to find out? | 2021-01-11T09:34:20.120 | # Question
Title: Are all glue sticks PVA-based? How to find out?
I'm struggling with bed adhesion for nylon on a glass bed (122 °C measured) in an enclosed chamber (45 °C near the front, likely more on top of the print bed). I used a glue stick to enhance adhesion, but after around 20 minutes the print comes off the bed.
I tried a no-brand glue stick and a Pritt glue stick.
Now I wonder whether they are suitable for the purpose, because nylon should really be printable in these conditions. Maybe the glue cannot hold those 100+ °C temperatures.
How to find out whether a glue stick is PVA-based and suitable for nylon (or polycarbonate, ABS) printing?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Elmer's apparently doesn't reveal its glue stick contents. Elmer's has at least four different glue sticks without giving the difference in composition. You can find glue sticks that specify use for 3D printers. They contain PVP. Many wood glues have PVA. PVA may be labeled also as PVAc, or as "VA/crotonates/vinyl neodecanoate copolymer" (for example in hairsprays).
It looks like you will need to search patents to find contents of glue sticks. Her are examples.
According to Elmer's patent 6268413, Wood Glue Sticks have PVA, but I haven't seen such a thing:
This Elmer's patent has PVA: High-strength adhesive paste and dispenser Patent number: 6268413 Abstract: The present invention includes a high strength adhesive and includes a dispenser containing a high strength adhesive. The invention is an adhesive composition comprising: (a) water present in an amount of from about 40 percent to about 70 percent by weight; (b) polyvinyl acetate present in an amount of about 15 percent to about 35 percent by weight; (c) dextrin present in an amount from about 5 percent to about 35 percent by weight; and (d) starch present in an amount from about 0 percent to about 5 percent by weight; the adhesive having at least 30% by weight solids, having a paste-like consistency, and having a bond strength greater than about 2000 p.s.i. as measured by ASTM D-905. The adhesive of the present invention has a very workable consistency that is very much like room-temperature butter or shortening used in cooking.
Elmer's patent with PVP: HIGH-STRENGTH GLUE STICK FORMULATION, Publication number: 20110301260, includes water; a defoamer; a bactericide; an oil; polyvinylpyrrolidone; a plurality of polyurethane dispersions; dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether; sodium stearate; casein; sodium hydroxide; and at least one adhesion promoter.
Another Elmer's patent has PVP: Adhesive applicator crayon Patent number: 6066689 Abstract: Adhesive compositions exhibiting fast cure time in solid form, e.g. in the form of an applicator crayon or glue stick. The adhesive exhibiting polymer of the composition is based on a mixture of critical amounts of high molecular weight polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer, with a lower molecular weight polyvinylpyrrolidone polymer, with water, an organic solvent, and a salt of a long-claim fatty acid, e.g. sodium stearate. Color indicators and other optional ingredients, e.g. mildewcide, can be included.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Not all glue sticks work! The working ingredient of a glue stick is Polyvinylpyrrolidone; a more elaborate answer is found here on question: "Why does hairspray work as an adhesive for ABS?".
There are very good alternatives to glue sticks and hair spray nowadays. Specific adhesion sprays exist for several years now (e.g. Dimafix, 3DLAC, Magigoo for PA, Plasticz, PrintaFix, Dr.Mat, etc.; my personal experience is with the first 2 mentioned, both work for nylon: Dimafix has more tack at higher temperatures \> 80 °C, up to 80 °C 3DLAC works perfect).
E.g. Dimafix has a higher temperature application range than e.g. 3DLAC. From the manufacturer can be seen that:
*Source: http://www.dima3d.com/en/home/dimafix/*
This image shows that the spray has its maximum tack/adhesion at about 120 °C and holds this adhesion level at least up to about 145 °C according to the image.
However, not all glues get stronger with temperature! PVA (also called PVAc) glues soften very quickly, making them good only at low temperature. See "Influence of temperature on the strength of bonded joints" which discloses this graph for PVAc Rhenocoll 3W, 4B Plus:
# Answer
> 0 votes
Not all Glues are PVA based. There is one glue manufacturer call CGMaxed that makes an alcohol based PVB glue. Sold on Ebay exclusively for 22 dollars per 6 oz. I use it every day when my supports fail to stick or having levelling issues.
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Tags: adhesion
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thread-21543 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21543 | What does extensive Z-offset processing in Creality 4.8 slicer mean? How does it differ from a simple Z-offset setting? | 2023-10-25T19:23:50.290 | # Question
Title: What does extensive Z-offset processing in Creality 4.8 slicer mean? How does it differ from a simple Z-offset setting?
I am facing a problem where the nozzle begins scrapping **only on one side** of the print as the print thickness builds up on the bed. I am building a skirt comprising 10 rasters as well and over there the bed level appears to be pretty uniform on all sides around the print.
In this context, I wanted to understand what the extensive Z-offset processing means and if this could address the problem I am facing. The Z-offset setting I have is -0.06 mm in the slicer and -3.15 mm on the printer. There is no scrapping on any other side of the printed object.
I also want to understand why the build plate adhesion setting (highlighted in the image) is shown as off while I am building a skirt around the print which is set up from the build plate adhesion setting.
# Answer
TLDR: The **Extensive Z Offset Processing** option changes the G-code for *any/all* Z movement.
According to an answer by fieldofView on the GitHub question Z-Offset incrementing in some situations?:
> You can try setting the "Extensive Z Offset Processing" option. **This will change all the Z coordinates in the gcode instead of manipulating the coordinate system.** \[bold mine\]
I was able to confirm this from an answer by ahoeben on the Ultimaker Community question Cura settings: Improving naming and descriptions:
> This is provided by the Z Offset plugin (which - coincidentally - I wrote). Keeping this setting "off" is much faster, since it only needs to insert a couple of lines of code. **Turning the setting on will need to process the whole gcode file and modify all moves that have a Z value. The option is there because the better, faster way does not work on some specificly broken firmware versions and printers.** \[bold mine\]
> 2 votes
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Tags: bed-leveling, print-axis-offset
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thread-19532 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19532 | Meaning of light prompts on Ender 6 motherboard | 2022-06-09T16:27:35.160 | # Question
Title: Meaning of light prompts on Ender 6 motherboard
What are the meanings of the **red**, **green**, and **blue** light prompts on the Ender 6 motherboard? My Ender 6 is stuck at the boot screen. I followed the instructions provided in the "Creality After-Sale" videos on YouTube and took apart the base of the printer to look if any wiring was loose.
I found that the red light was continuously on at the D2 position on the motherboard. Creality's video showed the light on this location of the motherboard to be blue. I also checked on the internet and it appears some users also have a green light. Users also report the light blinks but in my case, it remains red throughout.
I am wondering if this indicates what is wrong with my printer and why it is stuck on the boot screen.
# Answer
I found out that the motherboard had gotten damaged and the green light indication had to do with showcasing this. The problem was resolved when I bought a new motherboard online and replaced the damaged motherboard with the new one. The printer works fine now.
> 0 votes
# Answer
*This is a bit of a non-answer, and I've posted it only because:*
* *it was too long for a comment, and;*
* *to provide some info in order to save people having to pointlessly search for data that isn't actually available in the manual.*
---
Apparently you aren't the only person with similar issues relating to understanding the meaning of the LEDs - Creality appear to be not very good at providing info about these LEDs... see this page on Reddit, Ender 6 motherboard lights.
The user guide (on manualshelf.com) doesn't mention the LEDs at all. I flicked through all of it and the most useful page was page 29 which showed the motherboard but (again) there was no mention of the LEDs:
For reference, the LEDs at located thusly:
* D2 is on the left hand side of the board to the left of the heatsink.
* D4 is on the right hand side, just behind the USB socket
FWIW, D2 seems to be red when powered on, as mentioned in this post and this post on My Creality Ender-6 is stuck at the boot screen with the white status bar.
---
You may need to issue a service request... if you do so, and get a response, please post an answer as it would probably be of benefit to others.
> 2 votes
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Tags: repair, creality-ender-6
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thread-21534 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21534 | Creality Ender 3 v2 1st layer too high off bed | 2023-10-21T15:01:13.687 | # Question
Title: Creality Ender 3 v2 1st layer too high off bed
On my Creality Ender 3 v2, I have performed bed levelling and am fairly confident that the nozzle height is correct - a piece of paper under the nozzle can be pulled out with a gentle tug. For some reason, the first layer that prints always has the nozzle too far off the bed and so it's not adhering correctly.
I'm not sure if I've missed something with bed levelling, or if there is some other setting I need to tweak.
FYI I'm printing with a 0.8 mm diameter nozzle with 0.5 mm layer height and 0.45 mm initial layer height. When I look at the printer in action, the first pass looks like the nozzle is about 1 mm off the bed.
# Answer
I think there were two things wrong here:
1. I was not levelling the bed correctly - I was manually moving the z-axis down to the lower limit - which can be slightly different to the printer lowering until the limit switch activates (Menu \> Prepare \> Auto home).
2. Looking at the suggested answer Nozzle not level and first print failed I did check the position of my z-axis limit switch and it was pushed all the way downwards. I decided to try filing a bit off the notch which rests on the base rails so that the z-limit would be hit a bit lower.
> 2 votes
# Answer
You can check for offsets to the home positions. M206 will show home offsets. If you have automated bed levelling with probing there is another offset to view with M851. Depending on firmware versions you might have to run M503 to show all the offsets.
> 0 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, bed-leveling
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thread-21489 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21489 | Is it possible to change slicing line direction/type for small geometries? | 2023-10-06T08:11:10.977 | # Question
Title: Is it possible to change slicing line direction/type for small geometries?
Using Cura, I'm trying to change the direction of just a section of my print. I want it to print zig zag instead of straight lines. Just the way my part is intended to be used it'd be much better to do it like that. Is this possible?
I tried using a cutting mesh, and changing the top/bottom line direction, and many other things with the word direction in the name, I also tried rotating the part (not that I thought it would make a difference).
It was requested I add a file to test with. It's not the same model in the picture, but should work just the same for testing purposes. It should be oriented so that there is an overhang.
Test File
# Answer
> 1 votes
Yes this is perfectly possible to do in UltiMaker Cura. The technique to use is described in question Different infill in the same part and explained in this answer for 2 separate slicersm this answer focuses on the Ultimake Cura slicer per the question.
Considering the following example geometry based on the sliced image from the question (disregarding the linked test file to better comply to the question at hand):
In Cura this model can be sliced using a support blocker that has the `Per Model Settings` configured with the `Cutting mesh` option:
It is key to use the `Cutting mesh` option and add properties you can change for `Wall Thickness`, `Wall Line Count`, `Top/Bottom Thickness`, `Infill Density`, `Infill Pattern` and `Infill Line Directions`. If these are not visible, you can add the settings through the `Select settings` button.
* `Wall Thickness`: you don't need to change this option, this is overruled by the `Wall Line Count` setting
* `Wall Line Count`: set to 0 (you do not need walls in the small area)
* `Top/Bottom Thickness`: no top or bottom shells are required
* `Infill Density`: set to 99.9 %! beware to not set this to 100 % as this triggers Cura to use the `Lines` infill pattern while you are interested in the `Zig Zag` line style
* `Infill Pattern`: set to `Zig Zag`
* `Infill Line Directions`: \[90,90\] (or \[0, 0\] depending on the orientation of the print object sliced in Cura); this determines the alternating pattern of the `Zig Zag`, if the values are the same, each layer is sliced equivalent otherwise each other layer is rotated 90°
Upon slicing this print object you will get the requested results:
**So, yes, you can change the direction of the small area you are interested in making clever (mis-)use of the options Cura provides.**
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, slicing, print-orientation
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thread-21552 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21552 | How to maintain 1 mm rounding when I need 3 mm in a single axis? | 2023-10-29T07:12:13.210 | # Question
Title: How to maintain 1 mm rounding when I need 3 mm in a single axis?
I have planned a simple object in TinkerCAD from a *box* with radius set to 1 mm.
However I would need to get a 3 mm rounding on the vertical axis, therefore I have added a quarter circular *eraser*.
Please see both of these in this shot:
Now it's time to round the red one:
Looks good from top-angle:
But it's not rounded properly from other angles:
I wish to maintain the 1 mm rounding on the whole edge, how can I do that?
I tried many things:
1.) Inverse ring eraser: almost good, but I would need 2 mm width, and 3 mm outer radius which is impossible (for a ring).
2.) Inverse half sphere: not good, as it's not the shape I need
## Finally
I succeeded with a "hack": ring with 4 mm width and 6 mm radius, then scaled back to 50 %, making it 3 radius and 2 mm width. Then create variuos inverse-quarters from it (*eraser*) and tune them even further removing unnecessary halves:
Using these erasers I could finally reach my goal:
However this is super-tedious, is there a better software out (I'm sure it is), which can do this "rounding" effect on any object? Now I'm satisfied, but if I need to
* increase the height
* change the size
I'm screwed up: will have to "slice" this object to 3 pieces, increase the size of the middle, and then put them back together. Do this for every single axis. (= scale operation I'll need to slice this object to 9 pieces).
# Answer
TinkerCAD is a fine tool for simple designs, but when you need to fillet or chamfer corners, this involves too many actions where you cut out the parts to get the requested fillet/chamfer. It might be interesting to save time to move to a different design tool.
This geometry is recreated in a few minutes in e.g. Fusion360, considering this is a simple design, you need to change the order of the actions to fillet the object properly. Fillet the corners of the box prior to filetting the box itself:
In case the design is way more complex an alternative solution would be to join a cube in the corner and round that:
> 1 votes
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Tags: tinkercad
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thread-14783 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14783 | What is the best technique to improve removing PETG from the print bed? | 2020-11-12T17:16:41.670 | # Question
Title: What is the best technique to improve removing PETG from the print bed?
What is the best technique to improve removing PETG from the print bed?
PETG is known for sticking well to the bed; so well that it does not need a heated bed. If it weren’t for printing other materials, I would try printing directly on the glass bed instead of a build surface. However, the build surface may help protect the glass from excessive force.
To reduce how strong the PETG sticks to the build surface I’ve reduced the bed temperature to 35 °C. It is easier to remove the skirt and brim by heating the bed up to 90 °C, so that the PETG is soft. However, if one tries to remove the printed object at 90 °C, the printed object is like to distort and ruin.
I did sharpen the putty knife on the top side only. This helps, but it still takes excessive time to remove the print job and clear the bed. The excessive force on the bed from the putty knife seems to increase the need to level the bed. It also seems to affect the flatness of the build surface.
I’m looking for techniques to make it easier and less time consuming to remove the PETG print from the bed.
P.S. Additions after input from answers.
1. Added keeping the initial Z-height high enough to keep adhesion to the bed from being too high. This resolved the adhesion to the bed issue, but seemed to make adhesion between layers worse.
2. Set hot end to 230°C for first layer, then increased hot end temperature to 250°C for better adhesion between layers.
# Answer
> 6 votes
Playing around with the nozzle height will help: back it off until just before you have first layer adhesion issues. Don't jam the filament into the bed as you might for ABS. This helps with small prints. However, my experience has been that if you have a large enough continuous contact area (i.e. more than a few square inches) with the print bed, there will be problems getting the print off. So I still use painter's tape (in case I have to rip the print off with force) and glue sticks (so that I don't often need to) on my aluminum print bed as I've found that makes it much easier to deal with without damaging either the bed or the print.
You can also try dialing back the heated bed temperature a bit (I think I've got mine set to 70-75 °C for PETG) but that also doesn't eliminate the issue with larger prints. Also, if I lowered it too much I had problems with first layer adhesion on any size print.
I also have a glass plate that I use for ABS, which I don't use with PETG. I've read too many accounts of it sticking too well to glass as well (to the point of the plate being destroyed) and didn't want to try using the amount of force on it that I sometimes have to when removing a PETG print. I also considered trying BuildTak but read accounts of similar issues with it and PETG. So I stayed with what's been working for me: tape and glue sticks.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Correctly level your bed. Seriously, that's the answer. PETG does stick well, but it only gets difficult to remove if you're smashing the first layer against the bed with a nozzle that's way too close. With the bed leveled properly - using feeler gauges or test prints and a sub-0.1-mm-precision caliper - I have no trouble taking PETG prints off a buildtak-clone bed. Glass should be easier.
If you already have PETG stuck to a build surface you care about and don't want to risk destroying it, try heat, or alternating heat and cold.
# Answer
> 3 votes
Try to lift the nozzle more than you'd do even for PLA. PETG sticks really well to the heated bed. If your bed is already well leveled you can adjust the nozzle position in Z by using Z offsets directly in your slicing software (AFAIK, Cura needs an extra plugin for it, Prusa Slicer has it built-in).
If you have done everything correctly, the PETG model should come out almost by itself just by letting the bed to cool down naturally to 40ºC approx. Be patient.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Spraying Windex (the original formula blue w/ammonia - not the multisurface, and not the vinegar based) on the build plate and allowing it to dry. I still print PETG on a heated bed, and prints come right off (textured) PEI plate when cooled. Even the skirt lifts right off.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Make sure to use a flexable print bed - when printing is finished wait a few minutes so it can cool down, take the print bed off of the build plate and flex it so the print just pops off for the most part. I also use a laminated PEI sheet over the bed plate
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Tags: petg, bed
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thread-20017 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20017 | Changing filament colors | 2022-10-04T15:00:53.117 | # Question
Title: Changing filament colors
I am new to 3D printing. I have a Longer LK5 Pro. I was making a part that has raised letters, and wanted to have white letters on the black part. I used a Post Processing script on the Cura program called "change filament", which is supposed to stop printing, retract the head, and allow you to change the filament. Mine just keeps on printing. I've tried "pause" and done the filament change, but unsuccessfully so far because of blobs deposited on the letters.
Any suggestions?
# Answer
I've done it a few ways depending on the desired effect I'm after.
Manually pausing the machine is what seems to come out best. If you design for it, you can sometimes have it pause while it's over infill and therefore has no blobs to worry about. I haven't looked into doing it automatically, but perhaps it's possible to pause partway through a layer.
If the design doesn't have to be flat, then I'll do a solid colour and the last top layers another colour with the design cut out. This is to my mind optimal as you get a bit of texture with the design inset as well as different colour and makes for a nice clean method.
The other way was z-hopping which is an idea I got from a Youtube video. Cura has a setting for this. Basically you can make the nozzle lift when it moves. You split the colours into two separate objects and you print in one colour. Then you change filament and print another colour as a separate print right over the top of it and the nozzle hops over the original print.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Manually pause and immediately do an X-home or Y-home so nozzle is not over the work. Swap filament. Repeat an X-home and a Y-home to assure printer knows where the nozzle is (it's possible to disturb the print head position while changing filament). Manually turn on extruder heater if it's off and allow to reach printing temperature. Advance filament to purge old color and assure heating chamber is filled. Resume.
It works pretty reliably for me...
> 1 votes
# Answer
Cura's "Filament change" post-process script relies on the insertion of the G-code `M600`. This only works when your printer manufacturer has activated this in the firmware!
The Marlin default is that the `M600` command is not functional, see e.g. the following line of code of the advanced configuration file:
```
//#define ADVANCED_PAUSE_FEATURE
```
In order to enable the functionality to "add" the `M600` code to the firmware you need to rebuild the firmware by removing the `//` in front of the `#define ADVANCED_PAUSE_FEATURE`. This may require some additional skills to do, downloading firmware, setting the proper settings in the configuration for your specific printer model, compiling and installing the firmware.
The alternative is manual pausing from the display, but this requires you to be present at the printer.
Another alternative is that you alter the G-code yourself to insert a dwell code (`G4`), which can be supplemented by a move away from your print), note this requires you to also sit next to the printer, the dwell command will allow for a pause for a specified amount of time, be sure not the miss the window.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I found that raised letters look and work better when picked-out using paint or permanent marker.
Print your lettering in your part but don't even bother changing filament. Instead carefully use a marker pen or paint brush to colour in the top of the lettering. Depending on the paint you might choose to do several layers.
Nail polish is an excellent paint option - it comes in a plethora of colours and the budget stuff works fine. Gold/silver/metallic "art markers" give a nice look on black or white PLA too.
Note, white/light filament jobs may encourage pigments to track between the layers, giving a shadow look. Test before committing.
When dry, you might chose to do a clearcoat of spray paint on top for durability.
IMO changing filament colour is a feature that doesn't work very reliably.
> 0 votes
# Answer
I have a Longer LK5 Pro. The filament runout sensor provides the perfect functionality for this problem. Insert a switch in the sensor line. I used this 12V 24V Latching Switch, Mini Latching Push Button Switch. Pop the button over infill, the runout routine stops the print nearly instantly, parks the print head and brings up the change filament option screen. Make the change, pop the button, and hit resume. Clunky, but it works.
> 0 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, longer-lk5
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thread-21558 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21558 | Compute failed? Why? | 2023-10-30T16:57:58.700 | # Question
Title: Compute failed? Why?
I'm using (as pure beginner, please be respectful to my little knowledge in this topic) FreeCAD v0.21.1 for a simple design I wish to 3D print.
This is how it looks like from the front (at least partially):
Text is made with *ShapeText* and I applied a small *Pocket* onto it in Part Design:
I have many operations after this text pocket in the tree.
I'm satisfied with my results.
I however wished to make another one, with different text, so I followed a tutorial to copy my whole "Body\_of\_ND32" to a new "Body\_of\_ND16":
After this operation, I have got an error complaining "Recompute failed", and text pocket is containing the original "ND32" pocket, instead my new value.
Of course, I could rebuild the whole thing from scratch adding the text only at the end, to keep everything in shape, but can I somehow detect what's wrong with the recomputation?
# Answer
A "Recompute failed" is not your fault. Freecad is a free CAD software that is maintained by more than 400 volunteers. It is a bug in the software and happens often, for example because of floating point rounding errors. Just moving or changing a shape or body a tiny amount might fix the problem. It could happen when intersecions happen exactly on a line, outlines make a shape self-intersect or beveled objects produce unexpected results or for other unexpected reasons. If you see a pattern in the cause of the error, you might file a bug report
> 2 votes
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Tags: freecad
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thread-21568 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21568 | Ender 3v2 nozzle plunging into bed after finishing mesh (only changed springs) | 2023-11-01T14:56:41.570 | # Question
Title: Ender 3v2 nozzle plunging into bed after finishing mesh (only changed springs)
Yesterday I was printing just fine. Today I put the new springs that I bought from Amazon. Swapped them out, went to level things and my Z-offset was of course way off.
I have the `Ender3V2-422-BLTUBL-MPC-20230904.bin` firmware from mriscoc
I homed and set the probe Z-offset with paper barely grabbing at the tip.
I do the tramming wizard and get it all within limits, do the auto mesh, and it checks out all green (until this last one after several bed digs).
Now when I try to print, it goes through the steps, and when it does the last piece of 25 (back left corner) it just immediately plunges straight down and digs into the bed until I yank the power.
The probe worked fine until that point, and I changed nothing in my settings. The CR Touch triggers every time, until after that 25th square, and then it just dives into the plate and the printer sounds like it's trying to kill itself, and I have to kill the power manually.
Literally, the only thing I did was change the springs. I know I have to figure out how to tighten my arm now and the entire hotend assembly because it's loose after diving into the bed several times.
I hope someone has seen something like this before. I'm at my wits end trying to figure out what is causing this all of a sudden as it doesn't make sense to me. I would maybe understand if it was just digging a little across the board when resetting to start extruding, but the thing just straight-up plunges down and doesn't stop until I kill the power.
# Answer
> 0 votes
It sounds to me like your end-stops positions relative to your new bed level are off or the Z-offset is very off, did you use microsteps and manually checked the Z-offset?
The nozzle crashing into the bed is kind of catastrophic, the bed is maybe much higher than the current end-stops. Could that be the case?
Make sure that the end-stops are high enough to prevent the nozzle from being below bed level and preventing physical damage to the bed. Also make sure that your end-stops are tightly connected to the frame, unable to move to avoid further offsetting issues such as:
As explained in this YouTube video.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I was under the assumption that the 'Z-probe wizard' menu meant when I chose 'auto homing" and it went to the middle, did the probe, finished and went back up, that **that** position was the Z-home of the printer.
So I then chose the manual offset and leveled it. Tests would run and at the end catastrophic bed plunge.
Then I 'noticed' the 'home Z' or 'move Z home' option (not sure of the exact term as I'm at work) and when I chose it, it immediately dove into the plate.
Solution:
**After** doing the auto-homing:
* I manually set the Z stop to like +4.00 mm for safety.
* Chose the 'move Z home' and it ended up above the plate this time.
* Choose the manual offset and level as usual, then save the setting.
Tested this time and things worked fine. I had a spot during a print where it got stuck about 75% through, but I think I didn't have the nozzle quite close enough to start.
So the main takeaway is that the 'auto home' wizard doesn't set the initial/starting Z height like I thought it did.
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Tags: automatic-bed-leveling, ender3, mriscoc
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thread-21583 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21583 | How to change the orientation of an object inside the STL or OBJ file? | 2023-11-05T12:06:54.643 | # Question
Title: How to change the orientation of an object inside the STL or OBJ file?
I have little experience with CAD software, only use Thinkercad and only recently started using the Revoscan app. I know how to rotate files when slicing (in Cura) but that only has an effect on the generated gcode file, not the STL/OBJ file. But as I'm trying to publish a few things I scanned using Kiri Engine (photogrammetry app) where the original rotation is wrong.
I want to know if I have an object in OBJ/STL format how do I rotate the position in those files so I can publish my OBJ/STL files in the proper rotation. I'm fine to use another app or tool, I just don't know how to do it yet.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Many 3D editing programs exist that will accomplish your objective. Tinkercad will do this as well, using the rotate feature, followed by moving it to the build plane and exporting it as an STL as desired.
Fusion 360 is available for free personal use, but has a bit of a learning curve.
Meshmixer from Autodesk will also rotate in the x/y/z axes and also place the model on the build plane.
You've presented your objective well enough. I suggest to pick a single program and ask specifically how to accomplish that which you are unable to achieve.
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Tags: 3d-design, stl, cad, obj, rotation
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thread-21584 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21584 | How to I give my mesh object (STL/OBJ) a flat surface? | 2023-11-05T12:12:20.563 | # Question
Title: How to I give my mesh object (STL/OBJ) a flat surface?
When scanning objects like sculptures using Kiri Engine (photogrammetry) often the bottom is open. What I currently do after exporting to OBJ, is opening it in my RevoScan app and use the "fill holes" feature to select it and fill it. However that's usually not entirely flat and suitable for printing and results in artifacts. What I then do it simply lower the object when slicing to sub-zero/a negative value to have a small part of the object be under the bed, basically cutting it off and leaving a perfectly flat surface in my gcode.
However, I want to really be able to do this in my STL/OBJ file already for publishing to Thingiverse. How do I alter the STL/OBJ file to basically achieve the same, but in my object rather than in the final gcode?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Associated with your other question, Meshmixer (and Fusion 360) will perform plane cuts. I feel that Meshmixer will accomplish easier the plane cut you seek, as one simply imports the model, selects the model by clicking on it, then from the tool bar on the left, selects Edit/Plane Cut. Manipulating the plane which appears with respect to translation and rotation is done with gizmos within the main window. Note the dialog box which should be set to re-mesh in order to properly close the cut.
One of the gizmos will allow you to select which side of the plane remains after the cut. If you make an error (in most programs), Control-Z will allow you to reverse the last few actions to try again.
Tinkercad can be used by creating a cube larger than the object, turning it into a "hole" and placing it to cut in the desired manner. Tinkercad will also glitch with too many triangles/facets, which leaves Meshmixer a better option in my opinion.
Please note that for both questions, you'll find helpful videos with tutorial approaches, to make your objectives that much easier. Too many to link in a practical manner.
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Tags: 3d-models, 3d-design, stl, cad, obj
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thread-21591 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21591 | Anycubic printer gives a "hotend not heating up" error | 2023-11-05T18:44:22.803 | # Question
Title: Anycubic printer gives a "hotend not heating up" error
I just bought an Anycubic 3D printer and after a few uses the screen on the printer would say "hotend not heating up".
The heat bed and hotend would not heat up all the way and would cool faster than heating up when I enabled a print.
What do I do?
# Answer
> 1 votes
As it is brand new, contact the seller.
If it wasn't brand new, but years into service, you could troubleshoot why it is not heating up, e.g. loose contact, bad heater element, thermistor faulty, etc..
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Tags: hotend, temperature
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thread-21567 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21567 | Why are my Cura generated thumbnails showing in one flat color without any depth? | 2023-11-01T10:24:46.457 | # Question
Title: Why are my Cura generated thumbnails showing in one flat color without any depth?
I recently started using this Slicer Thumbnails plugin in OctoPrint and added the steps to my Cura 5.5 slicer. However, my thumbnails are in one color, like this:
And are not showing any depth as shown for example on the plugin page:
Am I missing something here or is there a better way to create and add beautiful thumbnails?
*For reference, I used the model Female Scart Dust Cap for Male Scart Connector*.
# Answer
After a lot of trial and error I figured it out. I thought it was the result of having very small models but it turns out that **simply changing the Filament Color in Cura Filament Profiles** also translates to the Thumbnail color. Using a filament profile with the color black apparently doesn't show depth.
Below is the thumbnail using the original Cura Thumbnail Script and another Filament Color which resulted in the following transparent PNG Thumbnail:
Instead of the original script I also tried using the Cura script Cura JPEG Thumbnail creator as described at How to generate a gcode preview which resulted in the following JPG Thumbnail:
> 1 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, g-code, octoprint
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thread-970 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/970 | Which belt tension gauge do I need? | 2016-04-12T07:13:43.367 | # Question
Title: Which belt tension gauge do I need?
I have a 3D printer that is going crazy with x-axis shift, and I need a tension gauge belt to measure the tension.
I've never used one before, and looking online, I can't tell which one would be the right fit.
Any ideas? What things should I look for?
# Answer
> 6 votes
It's extremely unlikely that belt tension is actually your problem. I've never heard of anyone using a gauge to measure their belt tension. Typically you just pull your belt tight by hand so that it produces a low note when plucked. It's far more likely that you're experiencing shifts due to too high or too low stepper current.
Unless your belt is so loose that it easily skips over the pulley (which should be obvious without using a gauge) or so tight that it completely binds up (it would be impossible to get it that tight without some kind of superhuman force) it's definitely not the problem.
# Answer
> 5 votes
You may not need to adjust the tension, but you may nevertheless want to measure the belt tension, at least to ensure it's not too tight: the shaft on stepper motor has limitations. For example, NEMA 17 may have 30 N maximum tension then the belt is located at 17 mm from the motor face.
In that case, no need to buy a tool, you can use an audio app showing the frequency spectrum and then you pluck the belt. The lowest frequency peak can be related to the tension as explained here:
https://benchtopmachineshop.blogspot.com/2019/04/printer-belt-tension.html
For GT2 belts and 27 N tension, assuming the distance between belt and motor face is 10 mm, the relation is
$$f \[\text{Hz}\] = \frac{28531 \frac{ \text mm}{\text s}}{length \[\text{mm}\]}$$
Be aware that by plucking the belt you will excite the higher harmonics more than the base harmonic, therefore identifying the lowest frequency may take some time and multiple tries. You should display the frequency spectrum as "waterfall". The app "Spectroid" for Android has it.
If the distance between middle of the belt width and motor face is twice the value assumed (for example, 20 mm instead of 10 mm), the belt tension should be halved (based on an inverse relationship).
For those interested in alternative approaches, this page calculates the belt tension based on the datasheet of the belts, but **it completely ignores the maximum load tolerated by the motors**. So you can follow their directions but do not exceed the values recommended by the motors. The calculations mentioned there are discussed also on the following video:
# Answer
> 1 votes
People are using this
to tighten the belt but I would totally agree with @Tom - there is no need to use such devices or gauges and your problem lies in stepsticks current.
It would be also problem with endstops so PCB doesn't know it's time to stop :)
# Answer
> 0 votes
*Added for reference.* To my understanding, especially if you run multiple identical printers, having the same belt tension on all of them is essential to getting accurate and consistent results. The effects of overly loose or overly tight belts have been demonstrated in a YouTube video by CHEP.
As mentioned in the comments above, a frequency analyser on a smartphone can be used, a web-based analyser is available at belt.connect.prusa3d.com. Additionally, the article Adjusting belt tension (MK3/MK3S/MK3S+/MK4) explains the concepts and steps that can be taken for belt tensioning.
Also, a simple belt tension measurement tool called Tension Meter for the GT2 belts of i3 MK3S+ or Prusa MINI+ that can easily be printed has been published by Prusament.
There is a similar printable model called True Open source tension meter for GT2 belts by ChipCE.
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Tags: hardware, belt
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thread-21563 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21563 | Is there a (common) way to embed used Slicer settings inside the G-code file? | 2023-11-01T00:26:51.797 | # Question
Title: Is there a (common) way to embed used Slicer settings inside the G-code file?
Non-G-code data can be embedded in G-code files, like embedded base64 encoded thumbnails. I was wondering, is there is a common way to include (at least the most important) slicer settings that were used to generate that particular G-code file?
I have more and more design files and sliced G-code files, in OctoPrint folders and I sometimes really want to know what settings I used to slice it. For example, after the new Cura 5.5 upgrade, I was constantly wondering, which version I used for each independent file.
Also, I sometimes chose a different quality (layer height) or different infill percentage or scale. I now work around it by using a self-made file naming convention that consists of this:
`ObjectName_v55_n06_q028_s100_i20_a1`
```
- v Slicer Version (in my case always Cura)
- n Nozzle size (in mm)
- q Quality (Layer Height without the dot)
- s Scale percentage (0-100)
- i Infill percentage (0-100)
- a Amount (if object is multiplied)
```
But I really would like to see those things back in OctoPrint when opening a G-code file, so I can decide if I need to reslice, is there a plugin for Cura and OctoPrint, or a standardized way to save this info embedded in a G-code file and show it in OctoPrint?
# Answer
Cura already stores all the slicer settings in the G-code file as comments. Install a G-code file viewer or file editor plugin in OctoPrint to view the used slicer settings for that specific G-code in OctoPrint.
The GcodeEditor plugin has the ability to view the actual G-code.
> 1 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, g-code, octoprint
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thread-20589 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20589 | Replacing hotend without replacing extruder assembly? | 2023-02-17T14:21:00.127 | # Question
Title: Replacing hotend without replacing extruder assembly?
I have a Lulzbot TAZ 5, and the hotend is broken. Is there any way for me to replace the hotend without replacing the extruder motor and all surrounding parts?
# Answer
It should be possible to replace the hot end, there are descriptions available that describe how to service or replace the "Mini Hexagon Hot End" or known as "LulzBot LongBlock Hexagon Hot End Kit".
However, it might be a challenge to find these hot ends to be sold separately. You need to search for "Hexagon hotend" and may find a supplier or two to acquire one.
It might be cheaper and more robust for the future to replace the extruder/hot end assembly all together. If you look at the amount of hits you get for the Hexagon extruder it appears as if it is discontinued.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I know this is an old post, but I Stumbled into this while researching new nozzles for my dual extruder: https://www.printyourmind3d.ca/blogs/tutorials/replacing-the-hot-end-on-your-lulzbot-taz-printer
This may do what you need.
> -1 votes
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Tags: lulzbot
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thread-21381 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21381 | What causes no display and no USB connection on my Anycubic Chiron? | 2023-08-30T21:52:25.983 | # Question
Title: What causes no display and no USB connection on my Anycubic Chiron?
I have an Anycubic Chiron with a Trigorilla controller board with a chip labeled **ATmega2560 16U TW 355e3f 1833amw** \- However I could not find a link to the board, and there is no more info than **Trigorilla** on it. The power supply seems to work fine - green LED on, fan on. The middle piece has a red LED labeled "DC" in red.
My problem is that the board seems to not work. I just installed it. You can see all the connections in the photos. The display does not light up. My connected PC does not recognize a USB input either. I have installed the driver of the printer on the official Anycubic website prior to testing. I have not restarted my computer though - but the display should light up anyway, I figured.
# Answer
This is most probably a power issue, no power to the display is an important hint. Note that if the power supply unit (PSU) shows a green LED, it doesn't imply that the PSU is working.
The Trigorilla board can still be found in various online shops, this isn't an uncommon board.
Furthermore, you should look into the fuses and measure them through with a multimeter; although these are recoverable fuses according to the documenttion:
> **Voltage input at super wide range, short-circuit protection:**
>
> TriGorilla adopts DC - DC step-down scheme design and Recoverable fuse for short-circuit protection, improving the MEGA2560 board serious heating problem,
>
> Allowing any power supply from 10 V-30 V.
There are reported issues with the fuses being blown and not recovering.
In order to figure out what the problem is you need to do some troubleshooting. Measure the fuses (note that in case the fuses are unrecoverably blown, you need to find out why; as replacing them without fixing the short will blow them again), use a different power supply, or test the power supply on a different device where several amps are drwan, e.g. directly heat the heated bed from the PSU for a short while.
> 1 votes
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Tags: usb, anycubic-chiron, mightyboard, display
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thread-21413 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21413 | Designing compressible camera mount | 2023-09-10T15:20:19.677 | # Question
Title: Designing compressible camera mount
I am looking for some ideas, I am mounting an OV9281 camera sensor with an M12 lens in a waterproof box. I have designed a mount with snap-fit joints for the camera to fit too. This works successfully at one particular focus range but when I refocus the lens the height of the camera changes and it doesn’t fit in the box. I was hoping someone might have some ideas for a solution that will allow the camera to move up and down in relation to the lid when the camera is refocused and the box closed. I’ve thought of:
* flexible tabs on the camera mount (I am using nylon currently and it seems there might be issues with creep?)
* steel springs (hard to build into the model but should work)
* Rubber washers (easy to build into the model but wouldn’t allow a lot of compression)
Does anyone have any other ideas?
# Answer
> 2 votes
Printed planar 3D springs aren't that difficult to design for print and should work sufficiently well in your case - essentially make two frames, one within the other, "suspended on a labyrinth" - a snaking thread of material that provides a lot of flex. Add more loops for more flexibility, or stack a couple such frames to provide more yield.
# Answer
> 0 votes
## spring actuated slider mounted
Your problem is basically, that the camera will stick out of the allowable space in some configurations. Such is usually due to the mounting point of the camera holder forcing a position of the components in relation to the *backend* of the camera.
This can be solved by mounting the components on some kind of sliding gantry and actuating it upwards with a spring. This will automatically align the camera position to the most lipside place the camera standout allows by pressing the lens protector against the lid. For adjustability of the spring pressure, absolute top position and easy swapping of springs (if needed), a grub screw could be used to adjust the position of the holder to the spring's maximum length - green in the image. By choosing a proper spring and having it at or even in the gantry, you can use somewhat standard parts, like the springs from pens, and don't need to work in as much space *under* the camera but instead can use the more likely more ample space outside of the camera's moving box. Also, the gantry base plate could mount all other components.
For maximum constrained movement and least strain on the parts, it would be advisable to use a pair of guide rails on two opposing sides of the camera plate, and place the springs either on the center of the gantry or use a pair on either side of it.
This can be simplified with the sensor chosen by mounting the whole board on small spring standoffs that allow them to be compressed by the maximum difference, but such a setup might tilt the camera if no guiding is included. That could be facilitated by adding an extension plate bottom or top of the sensor which constrains the tilt of the sensor board. It might be required to shorten springs quite a lot for this.
## mounting point on the camera
Currently, you explain to us, that you hold the camera on the mounting plate of the optical sensor. However, you also could mount the camera by the lens holder. As an Upside, the camera will always be at the same position relative to the lid. As a downside, you will need to account for the whole board of the optical sensor to lift with the lid and if you fix the barrel even to turn the whole board of the optical sensor to adjust focus length. Both in turn will move the whole cabling too - you might need to unplug and re-plug it for some adjustments. Also, adding or removing filters will be more complicated.
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Tags: 3d-design
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thread-21603 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21603 | What is an appropriate layer size for the first layer? | 2023-11-07T06:23:00.757 | # Question
Title: What is an appropriate layer size for the first layer?
What is considered a 'good' layer height for the first layer? Should it be relatively smaller than the other layers, or should it be considered relative to the nozzle diameter? Can the community suggest an appropriate layer height for the first layer with justification?
# Answer
As most answers here: "That depends on your preference and needs"
* If you prioritize bed adhesion you might want to compensate for an uneven bed surface/ level and maximize the layer height, which is around 60/75% of your nozzle width. (typical .3mm layer height for .4 nozzles). Couple this with a 200% initial layer width for optimum stickyness.
* If you prioritize for quality you might just use the same layer height as the other layers, although the layer height difference is hardly ever noticeable.
I can't think of a reason to make the first layer height lower than the other layers. It would just make the bed leveling more difficult and add no detail.
> 1 votes
# Answer
It **all** depends on the bed flatness you can ensure. Do you have a super flat bed? Then you can use the first layer identical to other layers. You don't trust or you can't guarantee flatness? then increase the first layer thickness up to 25%.
Keep in mind that "bed flatness" depends on three elements:
* intrinsic flatness (milled aluminum tooling plate or glass bed, vs rolled and wavy aluminum plate?)
* rigidity of the X and (for coreXY) Y rails/rods plus the weight of the print head (do you have thin rods or a heavy print head, which gets closer to the bed when in the center? or stiff rails and lightweight head which bends only by few microns?)
* availability and accuracy of the bed levelling (are you doing bed levelling? It can compensate for the previous effects if properly done).
Depending on the three factors you may need to print a thicker first layer to ensure that the printed layer is never too thin or too thick, or you may ignore the issue.
Ellis' Print Tuning Guide: First Layer Squish may help as well, **after** you decide which first layer thickness to use.
> 2 votes
# Answer
If the first layer is so thin the bed clearly shows through, your extruder is skipping steps unable to push enough filament, or the nozzle drags over the bed surface, you're too low.
If the cross-section profile of the extruded thread of filament is round, first layer of a print results in separate threads of filament with gaps in between or parts bulging, detached from the bed, filament doesn't form clear sharp corners where it turns 90 degrees, or becomes detached, you're too high.
The right height is when the filament is smeared somewhat flat, but still with noticeable thickness. And considering inaccuracy of printer rails, bed, drive trains, achieving such profile throughout the entire bed surface, never getting into 'too thin' or 'too thick' is what you strive for. Whether it's 0.07 or 0.13mm, doesn't really matter, what matters is it doesn't go below or above the range at any point of the bed.
A typical 0.4mm nozzle with 0.1mm first layer height is most likely to achieve this, but when in doubt, too thin will only result in dimensional inaccuracy and thinner bottom; too high will result in poor adhesion and may end up with the whole print detaching from the bed.
> 0 votes
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Tags: print-quality, layer-height, layer
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thread-21512 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21512 | Need help identifying cause of frequent Y layer shifts | 2023-10-14T06:17:01.367 | # Question
Title: Need help identifying cause of frequent Y layer shifts
I'm getting frequent layer shifts, always in the Y-axis. It's happening on more than one model, at least four to date, and on multiple attempts at the same models. Some of the models are mine (Tinkercad), some from Thingiverse. I can't think of any model that has not failed recently except some very small, simple ones.
The printer is a RepRapGuru I3 clone, from a kit, purchased, built, and put in service in Summer 2018. I've been using it almost daily since. It's gone through at least 50\*1 kg spools of filament in that time so has seen a lot of use.
The printer has a single direct drive extruder, not Bowden. The frame is acrylic/plexiglass. The frame is solid, with no loose fasteners and no cracks that I can detect. There's no "soft foot".
If a model fails, it fails consistently on every attempt to print it. The layer shifts occur often, but not always, at exactly the same point in the print job. In those cases where I've witnessed the shift, there seems to always be a very rapid "jitterbug" motion going on, as in inter-wall infill or while laying down a long narrow section of the model or while building overhang. It happens sometimes, but not exclusively, on the first continuous layer of a "ceiling" above infill and often at or near a corner of the model. I don't believe I've seen it happen on the bottom few layers where the model has a solid "floor" nor during "steady steaming" printing of a large surface.
The magnitude of the shift varies but is typically roughly 5 mm, give or take. One, however, was about 30 mm. When it happens the sound suggests to me that the motor is slipping poles, not that the belt is slipping on the pulley, but that's only an impression. \[NOTE: It's just occurred to me that I can put match marks on the belt and pulley. After a layer shift, if they're still aligned, I can pretty much rule out belt slippage. There's only a 1 in 20 chance they'd still be aligned after a shift. Will do that tonight.\]
The failures I've seen do not occur at the beginning of a layer, i.e. during perimeter printing; they occur somewhere in the middle details of a layer.
The layer shifts began a few months ago. Prior to that, the machine had no chronic problems.
I few months ago (note the coincidence with the above paragraph) I rebuilt the printer with all new guide rods, linear bearings, belts, and pulleys, in stages over several weeks.
Before and after those updates, the Y carriage moved/moves smoothly and freely through its entire range with no tight spots.
Later still, I replaced the original quarter-inch acrylic Y carriage plate with a 3 mm thick (220 X 220 mm) aluminum one, with four linear bearings (new ones again) in new aluminum pillow blocks vice the original three bearings in split plastic pillow blocks on the original. I replaced the original heated bed with a new one that has, unlike the original, a 3 mm aluminum backing plate. The very wimpy original heat bed springs were replaced with new, stiffer ones.
The Y layer shifts started sometime shortly before or during the first series of updates. I'm certain the problem predates the heat bed and Y carriage replacement, but I've included that info above to communicate the current state of the machine.
I'm unsure whether this issue began before, during, or after the guide rod, bearing, belt, and pulley replacement, which were done in phases over several weeks. I can't definitely tie the issue to any particular phase of those upgrades. The layer shifts definitely began before the heat bed and Y carriage plate replacements.
Y belt tension is pretty normal, certainly not loose enough to cause it to jump teeth yet not overly tight. Tension is similar to that of the X belt, but that has a shorter span so maybe apples and oranges.
Speeds slow/fast Settings:
* Print: 40/60 mm/s
* Travel: 65/80 mm/s
* First Layer: 30/30 mm/s
* Outer Perimeter: 40/40 mm/s
* Inner Perimeter: 40/40 mm/s
* Infill: 40/40 mm/s
* Skin Infill: 40/49 mm/s
The only changes to these speeds have been to reduce some of them since the layer shift problems began. None were particularly high to begin with except Travel/High was 150 mm/s vice the current 80 mm/s. Reducing them had no effect on the problem.
I typically run with retraction (2.5 mm; 40 mm/s) and Z-hop (0.5 mm) turned on.
The Marlin firmware on the 2560 main board has never been updated or modified in any way. I don't know the version but it's whatever RepRapGuru shipped with their kits in mid-2018. The shield board is RAMPS; I'm almost sure I remember "Version 1.4" on the box it came in within the kit.
I've never attempted to modify acceleration or jerk settings. They're as they've always been.
I use Repetier V2.3.2 software. I use the embedded "Cura Engine", which I believe is really an older Cura Steam Engine slicer, not the current Cura slicer. I have not tried other slicers.
The machine is controlled directly from a PC using the Repetier software and the embedded CuraEngine slicer; there is no SD card slot, digital display, or rotary encoder control. Gcode comes directly from the Repetier software on the PC to the printer via the USB connection.
Things I've tried:
* I've used the "Cut off Bottom" feature of the slicer to print test versions of some of the problem models at partial height, beginning a few layers before the common failure points. The failures still occur mostly at the same point in the model, indicating height above the bed is not the determining factor.
* Where I can identify a common failure point in a model, I've examined the G-code in the vicinity of the failure point of a couple of models and can't see anything anomalous. I should point out I'm not a G-code expert.
* I sent the G-code output from my slicer for an object that is consistently failing with layer shifts, to a friend. He printed it on his machine without problems (different machine, but still Marlin/RAMPS). This seemed to absolve the slicer/G-code as the culprit.
* I swapped the X and Y stepper motors. The layer shifts continued, still always in the Y-axis. Motor shafts were straight and undamaged, motor mounting screws were tight as found, bearings seemed OK, and pulley set screws were tight. This seemed to absolve the Y stepper motor.
* I swapped the Y stepper driver board with the unused E1 stepper board. The layer shifts continued, still always in the Y-axis. This seemed to absolve the stepper driver. (The motor and driver swaps were performed independently, with a failed test after each. Motors and driver boards are the originals.)
* I rechecked the stepper current limit settings on the driver boards and all were found OK. The largest discrepancy from the target setting (0.50 V) was 0.03 V.
* I had installed "smoothers", i.e. Schottky diode boards, between the drivers and stepper motors on X and Y a few years ago and never had problems but also didn't note any improvement from them at the time. I removed them during these problems without affecting the layer shift issue. They remain out.
* I put an 80 mm muffin fan on the bench, directed toward the stepper drivers. It had no effect on the layer shifts.
* After match marking the Y motor pulley and belt, I ran another test print. I killed the print after a series of Y layer shifts totaling approximately 8 mm in the +Y direction. The belt/pulley match marks were still aligned. This indicates pole slip. The slips I observed were occurring where the printer was beginning to build a small section of overhang, where a brief but rapid series of short moves were made. There was a definite, dull clunk each time the motor slipped. I was monitoring the 2560 Vcc at the time and saw nothing unusual.
# Answer
Thanks to some help from an expert this issue is resolved. The culprit was crosstalk between the X motor cable and the sense line of the Y endstop. Re-routing cables to separate the two has solved the problem. Marlin monitors the endstop switches while printing unless inhibited by an option in the firmware; default is monitoring enabled. If a false low is detected during a move that move is stopped, resulting in a layer shift
> 1 votes
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Tags: layer-shifting, layer
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thread-21597 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21597 | How does Adaptive Mesh Leveling (AML) actually work? | 2023-11-06T10:57:40.443 | # Question
Title: How does Adaptive Mesh Leveling (AML) actually work?
*I recently started using the new mriscoc firmware for my Creality Ender 3 V2 and it is truly performing above expectations. Even considering that Jyers UI was already a step up from the original Creality firmware*.
I'm trying to understand how the new feature, that seems specific to this firmware, called Adaptive Mesh Leveling (AML) actually works in the firmware.
Below is a screenshot of how the Cura Plugin shows AML options:
I have successfully tested AML and I think it's a truly transformative and great way to do fast and more precise bed leveling, only to the relevant print areas on the bed. Also, while probing, the screen shows each probing point in real time being filled in a grid.
However, I noticed that when using the OctoPrint Bed Visualizer instructions to obtain just the mesh data using the following g-code in the OctoPrint Plugin Settings:
```
M155 S30 ; set temperature reporting delay, use a value longer than the time it takes for your leveling command to complete.
@BEDLEVELVISUALIZER ; instruct plugin to start recording responses from printer.
M420 V ; Get bed leveling mesh data.
M155 S3 ; set the temperature reporting delay back to a shorter time span.
```
My previously generated 5x5 of 9x9 **full bed grid** is no longer showing, instead the **mini grid** that was made on the print area is showing, as a full bed. Which makes me wonder, how does the firmware deal with AML? Is it basically tricked into using a subarea of the printer as a virtual 'new bed', the new maximum bed size being only a portion of the full bed?
*Additionally would there be a way for OctoPrints Bed Visualizer plugin to even know if it deals with the full bed grid or the AML 'mini grid' and if so would it be exactly on which part of the full-bed the mini-grid was generated?*
# Answer
> 1 votes
Bed Visualizer shows the mesh leveling area regardless of the bed size, that is good because it provides a good level of detail if the mesh area is very small compared to the bed size.
But it could be a useful addition if displaying the mesh area over set to the bed size were possible through a configurable option.
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Tags: marlin, octoprint, automatic-bed-leveling, aml, mriscoc
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thread-21615 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21615 | Ender3 v2 on Marlin moves head while rotating button | 2023-11-10T18:59:43.917 | # Question
Title: Ender3 v2 on Marlin moves head while rotating button
I updated firmware on my Ender3 v2. Previously I used to have precompiled 2.0.7. Now I compiled 2.0.9 from source. Everything seems to work fine except of Move menu. Previously, I pushed the button to select axis in menu, rotated the button to set move value, and pushed again to confirm and only after confirm my head started to move. Using new firmware, I push the button to select axis, rotate the button - and head starts moving during rotation, not waiting until I push button to confirm move.
Could anyone help me out, which config parameter is responsible for this behavior? Or was it changed inside firmware?
# Answer
> 2 votes
Depending on the firmware you may have the option to disable live motion. Marlin has different UI for the Ender3V2 (DWIN type display), which you can choose in the configuration.h file just after the line:
```
// Ender-3 v2 OEM display. A DWIN display with Rotary Encoder.
```
You can enable the **DWIN\_LCD\_PROUI** to get the option to desactive live motion
```
//#define DWIN_CREALITY_LCD // Creality UI
#define DWIN_LCD_PROUI // Pro UI by MRiscoC
```
You can also look for other Marlin forks with more implemented features, for example:
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, marlin, firmware
--- |
thread-19320 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19320 | 3D Builder: position shifted after auto repair | 2022-05-02T15:45:28.323 | # Question
Title: 3D Builder: position shifted after auto repair
I build and export my model using ZBrush and as STL files.
To fix the mesh for 3D print, I try to use 3D Builder which can automatically repair my parts.
As it saves as a single file, if I import all parts at once,
I import the files one by one, repair them, then save them as a new file.
After all the parts were repaired, I import all parts to see the result
but find some repaired parts' positions shifted.
How should I handle these issues?
# Answer
STL models as exported by software often include their origin in the origin of the design software. However, when using software to fix modeling errors, those origins are not always retained and thus when importing them into a different software their *center of mass* is taken as the new point of reference.
Slicers are notorious in that they ignore the included origin. Even *if* models contain an origin that would, when imported into 3D design environments result in the items lining up correctly, the slicing software will simply not care and take a *lowest point in the projected center of the object* as the coordinate for the item, as this is what is relevant for positioning in the software.
To mitigate that problem, it is best to export models that need to be *joined* after processing a boolean union on them.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I came across this thread as I was facing the exact same issue. I am also using 3D Builder to repair my STLs before 3D printing them.
The previous answers were however not sufficient (for me) so I went on a trial-and-error spree to determine what was happening, I think I found the answer! (hope that you can still use it!)
An STL file has certain characteristics regarding its location (origin point): X, Y, Z and rotational for the same axes. When you import one or multiple STL files in the 3D builder, it keeps all of these origin points except for the z axis, it automatically places the model/models on the bed so that the lowest point in your (combined) model has a point of Z = 0.
To ensure that all your parts have the same "origin point" you should import the model all at once and then remove all parts except for one. Then, auto-repair it and save it under a certain name.
For example: You have a combined file consisting of three parts.
* Import parts 1-3 → remove parts 2 and 3 → repair remaining part 1 → save as part 1
* Import parts 1-3 → remove parts 1 and 3 → repair remaining part 2 → save as part 2
* Import parts 1-3 → remove parts 1 and 2 → repair remaining part 3 → save as part 3
You now have a repaired model for all parts and their origin points should all be the same!
> 2 votes
# Answer
It has moved the object to the ground as close as it could. This is generally best for 3D printing separate objects.
If you need them together, you can reposition them, or combine them.
Alternatively, change the 'Collision' and 'Intersect' settings until you get what you want.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: repair, print-preparation
--- |
thread-21570 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21570 | Is it possible to 3D print plastic straws? | 2023-11-02T07:32:08.690 | # Question
Title: Is it possible to 3D print plastic straws?
Plastic straws are forbidden in the EU so it will get harder to buy them. I wonder if it is possible to 3D print plastic straws? I would likely use them as tools when woodworking, but if you can use them to drink beverages that would be a bonus. I am not familiar with 3D printing so I don't know if it is possible to get them bendable and so on like usual plastic straws.
# Answer
Yes, it's possible to print, you can print almost anything. The question should be if you actually want to.
> From 3 July 2021, single-use plastic plates, cutlery, straws, balloon sticks and cotton buds cannot be placed on the markets of the EU Member States.
> (Source: EU restrictions on certain single-use plastics)
A few things about this, if you use them as a woodworking tool, I suppose that's not a single use. Also, you're not selling them ("placing them on the market"), it's for personal use only. So my guess would be that this use case is allowed.
There are many designs that are about straws or include straws. I'm sure you can find some design or make it yourself since the shape is quite easy (as is tinkercad.com).
However, it's not generally recommended for health reasons to eat or drink from 3D prints. To my understanding, PLA is the most food-safe but it perhaps lacks the flexible properties you asked for. However, even with PLA, there are concerns about the intake of microplastics, which is very concerning in health terms.
If you want truly flexible material you could print with TPU but as far as I know, there isn't a food-safe TPU on the market. There are special "food safe" filaments on the market but the issue with microplastic intake due to the inherent result of (FDM) printing layer on layer remains.
Maybe it is possible to print in a more food-secure way with resin printing but I don't know enough about that.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Yes, you can print functional straws with FDM printing. Most manufactured straws are polypropylene (PP), which is a food-safe plastic you can print, though it's reportedly a little bit difficult due to adhesion and warping issues. While not as common as PLA, ABS, or PETG, PP is readily obtained as filament. Thin-wall PETG or PET would likely also have the flexibility properties you want and may be easier to print.
In terms of printing, orienting the straw along the Z axis is definitely possible, but difficult on bed slingers because the motion of the bed is working hard to deflect or detach it while you're trying to print. It's also very hard to cool sufficiently fast. But it does allow vase mode, which makes water-tightness/air-tightness easier and gives a nice uniform surface.
Printing horizontally will not give a uniform round shape, but if you're happy with a slightly truncated cylinder, it's a much easier option. I have printed straw-like hoses successfully like this.
Another option is orienting the straw diagonally so that you have much larger cross sections than a fully vertical print, but a flat/truncated surface against the bed only at one end, where you can just cut it off. Depending on the angle, this probably requires minor supports, but that's an advantage since it gives you a lot of stability.
Printed straws will be difficult to clean, but in most reasonable materials, including PP, PET, PETG, or PLA, they should be entirely food-safe for single use, **contingent on lack of unsafe pigments**. If you want to use them this way (note: this may be an accessibility need in places where plastic straws are banned), choose uncolored/natural-color filaments and purchase from suppliers with a MSDS and/or other technical documentation that the filament does not contain sketchy additives. I do not see a plausible concern about microplastic ingestion here; if you're concerned, pre-rinse them to get off any dust. But PLA is safely absorbable by the body (used in medical implants, even) and PETG is essentially no different from polyester garment lint which you ingest in much larger quantities.
Update: Somewhat inspired by this question, when I found myself without a suitable straw for bubble tea, I quickly printed one from material that was known to be food-safe (it was formerly a seltzer water bottle) and it worked. Short video showing print orientation/process here:
> 1 votes
# Answer
Yes! I would print in a vertical configuration. So you'd need a 6-8" Z-axis, and I'd definitely check my Z-axis, you'd have a better result if you printed in a continuous mode. Increase the tempemperature for PLA by 5 °C. Turn your cooling fans up to 100 %.
> 0 votes
# Answer
It indeed *is* possible to print a plastic straw via 3D printing, however it requires a considerable amount of precision and supports during 3D printing, modelling and slicing.
This is because as the 3D printers build the plastic straw layer-after-layer, the circular structure could result in instabilities and therefore requires some time to condense.
Overall, these structures are possible to be 3D printed but not as easy as it seems, and way more expensive to print as well.
> 0 votes
# Answer
To be honest: No, straws are long, open structures that don't print well.
1. When printing vertically, the layer lines are horizontal and make the straw structural weak. It will break when bent a little.
2. When printing horizontally, it will have rough sides because of support material or sagged sides.
3. It will probably not be watertight. FDM prints are rarely watertight.
4. When printing vertically, going upwards, the print head will bend the straw and deform the result and maybe even fail, depending on the height.
5. Even though I would drink from PLA material, it is not considered food-safe, especially because the rough edges cause a nice home for bacteria
TPU won't be your friend here as it will bend when printing. having a Prusa i3 derivate will make this even worse as it rapidly moves the printbed back and forth, which makes the straw bend all over the place.
SLA prints won't have as many of above issues, but until cured well, it is pretty toxic. Also it will be even less strong.
You're probably better off importing straws or rolling your own from a thin sheet of plastic. (roll 2 times and secure with a small piece of tape. )
> -2 votes
---
Tags: plastic
--- |
thread-21620 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21620 | Does one has to take into consideration the nozzle diameter while designing something that will be 3D printed? | 2023-11-11T17:51:30.300 | # Question
Title: Does one has to take into consideration the nozzle diameter while designing something that will be 3D printed?
I am really new to 3D printing. I started with downloaded stuff about 2 months ago and now I am starting to do my own "easy" things.
While looking at tutorials I heard one of them talking about doing a chaffer of a specific size/height because he had a 0.40 mm Nozzle (the same as the one I have with an Anycubic Vyper). This got me thinking about if I should also take into consideration my Nozzle size for when I try to design something.
For example, should I think about multiples of 0.40 mm when deciding overall lengths or heights?
If I need to create space between 2 pieces, or joint pieces, should I always have to leave a multiple of 0.40 mm space between those pieces?
I have tried to find out info about this but I just found info about the importance of the Nozzle size at the time of print, but not at design time.
I am using Fusion 360 if that info is needed.
# Answer
> 1 votes
## Nozzle size isn't what matters most time - Line width is
On many printers, it is actually common to print with a line width larger than the nozzle size. This is typical for many i3 style machines, such as Prusa I3 or Ender3. For a 0.4 mm nozzle on those two, the standard line width in Prusaslicer is set to 0.45 mm.
On Ultimaker Machines, the default in several slicers on the other hand is nozzle size to slightly lower (0.4 or 0.38 mm).
In any way, the factor you should remember here is the **line width** set in your slicer, which is dependent on the nozzle diameter. However, that is not the nozzle diameter itself.
## When to use line width in designing
It is generally not advisable to design parts that are less than one wall thick. The slicer will usually drop those sections or, if not outright ignoring those sections, will result in considerable print artifacts. So, as a rule of thumb, the **line width is the *minimum* thickness you should design for.**
If you try to create sturdy walls, such as for containers, using an exact multiple of that line width is very common, which in turn creates very fast layers: two perimeters of 0.45 mm come out as a 0.9 mm wall, three to 1.35 mm, and so on. But that all depends on **your** line width.
## When to ignore line width
If your item isn't structural in any way, forget anything about line width. Just design your aesthetic parts, and only in the end make sure that thin sections are at least one line width thick - by tossing your item into the slicer, check which sections are ignored, then thickening just those areas till you are happy with the approximation of the slicer.
# Answer
> 0 votes
It would depend on what you are printing and the tolerances that you require.
For example, if you are producing engineering parts, and are a skilled designer, then you should take the nozzle size and layer height into consideration. Though the order of wall printing will probably be of more interest to you (If you print the inner walls first then the outer walls might bulge outwards slightly, and vice versa).
If you ware making garage kit style sculptures and busts, then you don't really need to think about the nozzle at all. Your slicing software will automatically adjust the print to fit what is possible and the slight differences won't make much of a difference.
If you're trying to print warhammer size figures, then yes you do need to take the nozzle width into consideration as it will effect the small details that you print. Which is why people mostly choose resin printers for this scale.
If you're only an average skill designer making items that don't require extremely delicate details or high tolerances for practical parts, then don't really need to even think about your nozzle.
I have an Ender 5 that's still using the 0.4 mm nozzle that it shipped with quite happily.
**TLDR**: If you're new to 3D printing and aren't trying to print Warhammer figures or engineering parts, you can largely forget about your nozzle. You won't notice the difference until you're much more skilled at modelling and are looking to do resin quality tollerances.
---
Tags: 3d-design, nozzle, fusion360
--- |
thread-21625 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21625 | How should I restore an old build plate? | 2023-11-12T11:08:14.720 | # Question
Title: How should I restore an old build plate?
I have an Elegoo Saturn with a factory original built plate.
The plate was improperly cleaned and then left out. Causing a thin but uneven layer of cured resin to form on one corner. This effectively makes it impossible to level as one corner will always be a fraction of a MM out.
What is the best way to clean the resin off wile maintaining the surface?
# Answer
Removal of cured resin only works in mechanical ways, as the chemicals that can remove it are very aggressive and will eat at the base plate. Using a scraper or very sharp chisel to very carefully chip off the resin without scratching the surface is the *standard* solution.
If you damage the build plate, it can be re-ground, if you have food intact reference surfaces using a surface grinder.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: resin, repair
--- |
thread-21622 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21622 | Filament settings determination | 2023-11-12T06:26:16.387 | # Question
Title: Filament settings determination
I am currently working on a project that uses multiple 3D models which is to be printed, with a variety of 3D printers.
May I know how should I measure the Filament density of a particular filament. Currently, I am attempting to use the Mass/Volume formula, and am simply measuring the mass by weighing the filament. However, how do I measure the **volume**?
My second query is related to the **'cost'** section in PrusaSlicer. I was told to input a specific value, nonetheless, I do not comprehend what to input.
Finally, for the printing, what should be an appropriate **Idle Temperature**; Nozzle temperature for **1st** and **other** layers, as well as the bed temperatures with the same parameters(1st layer and other layers).
Your expertise and explanation would greatly benefit me!
# Answer
> 1 votes
## Density
Filament has a thickness and length. with those, you can treat it as a long cylinder. The volume of a cylinder is $$V=l\times \pi \left( \frac d 2 \right)^2$$
Measure a length of the filament, measure the thickness, weigh it, and plug in the values.
$$\rho=\frac m V$$
The density of filaments can also be grabbed from the MSDS (Material Safty Data Sheet). A list of common densities:
| Filament | Density |
| --- | --- |
| PLA | $1.24 - 1.25 \frac {\pu g} {\pu{cm^3}}$ |
| ABS | $1.04 \frac {\pu g} {\pu{cm^3}}$ |
| PETG | $1.27 \frac {\pu g} {\pu{cm^3}}$ |
| TPU | $1.21 \frac {\pu g} {\pu{cm^3}}$ |
## Cost
The cost entry depends on the unit: It can be cost per kilogram $C\_\pu{kg}$ or cost per meter $C\_\pu{m}$. In both cases, the density and filament diameter can be used to turn one into the other: $$C\_\pu{m}=C\_\pu{kg}\times \frac {\pi \left( \frac d 2 \right)^2}{\rho}$$
## Idle Temperature
This is a filament dependent temperature, and also called Standby temperature. It should be **lower** than the printing temperature by quite a bit to prevent oozing, and shouldn't be used too much in the first place, as it is a powerhungry operation. It can be used for paus operations in which you insert things into the print, to speed up resuming print, but otherwise... there's little use for it on a single extruder machine unless you swap build plates. On a multi-extruder machine, Idle-temp can speed up printing a lot.
Typically, the idle temperature in a multi-extruder machine is $\pu{20 - 50 °C}$ lower than the print temperature, depending on preferences and material, and set to such a point that the nozzle does not ooze.
## 1st Layer temperature
Generally, the 1st layer is printed at exactly the same print temperature as the rest. However, printing at an elevated temperatures can help solving a couple adhesion problems.
## Print and bed temperature
This is material dependent. Look up your filament manufacturer's recommendations for both print and bed temperature and run a couple tests. There are common ranges
| Filament | Nozzle | Bed |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PLA | $\pu{180-220 °C}$ | $\pu{20-60 °C}$ |
| ABS | $\pu{210-260 °C}$ | $\pu{90-110 °C}$ |
| PETG | $\pu{220-250 °C}$ | $\pu{50-80 °C}$ |
| TPU | $\pu{210-230 °C}$ | $\pu{30-60 °C}$ |
---
Tags: filament, filament-quality
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thread-10551 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/10551 | Stop and continue 3D printing | 2019-07-11T09:47:27.473 | # Question
Title: Stop and continue 3D printing
How to successfully pause 3D printing and turn off the printer and the next day, continue to print the model?
# Answer
> 4 votes
I recommend that you don't turn off the printer and resume the next day. If the heat bed cools down the part could become unstuck. The printer must be kept hot for the entire time that you need to print; unless it's PLA which tends to be more forgiving. Also Turning off the printer and turning it back on will cause it to loose it's position. Each time you home the axis of the printer it could home in a slightly different location. If you resumed the print under those conditions it would leave a clear line on the outer walls that is indicative of the layers not lining up properly. Lastly, if you let the nozzle ooze for period of time, you will have to purge the nozzle before you could print again. In this regard be prepared for some air printing for the first few movements. Depending on what you are printing, this could result in a build failure.
Needless to say, people have been able to recover a print under power off/failure conditions, but that's not a strategy to 3d printing. Those were mitigation efforts to exception cases.
# Answer
> 4 votes
If you enable `M413` in Marlin firmware, the printer will write a resume printing file to SD card e.g. every layer.
From M413 - Power-loss Recovery documentation I quote:
> Enable or disable the Power-loss Recovery feature. When this feature is enabled, the state of the current print job (SD card only) will be saved to a file on the SD card. If the machine crashes or a power outage occurs, the firmware will present an option to Resume the interrupted print job. In Marlin 2.0 the `POWER_LOSS_RECOVERY` option must be enabled.
>
> This feature operates without a power-loss detection circuit by writing to the recovery file periodically (e.g., once per layer), or if a `POWER_LOSS_PIN` is configured then it will write the recovery info only when a power-loss is detected. The latter option is preferred, since constant writing to the SD card can shorten its life, and the print will be resumed where it was interrupted rather than repeating the last layer. (Future implementations may allow use of the EEPROM or the on-board SD card.)
This means if you cut the power you can resume the print layer, the only problem is that the part must remain attached to the plate, if it comes loose it is hard to resume printing. This feature is now commonly found on printers these days.
The regular pause and resume functionality of the printer will not work when the power is cut over night, i.e. no recovery file is written in such a case.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Set up your printer to be controlled by an outside source via USB or other protocol. Now set up a PC / a Pi / a Beaglebone / an Arduino / etc ... to feed GCode to your printer from MicroSD. I personally like the "an Arduino" option here because it's super-low-power and gives you tons of control over what you're doing... so I'll continue along the Arduino vein here.
Power your Arduino from a battery-backed wallwart. That'll give it plenty of guts to hurriedly write a record to a special file on MicroSD maintained for that express purpose. Or heck, write that record to EEPROM, which should be good for a hundred thousand power outages.
Next, rig up something that permits your Arduino to sense a complete power failure at the wall. You'll want a current transformer, perhaps, and little to no filtering so you get notified within 1/50 or 1/60 of a second when you detect a missing power excursion. Your Arduino should stop sending and record that record when it detects a power drop.
At power-up, your Arduino should detect that it wrote a power-off record and offer to resume pumping GCode to your printer after it sends the appropriate warm-up sequence to the printer. It should offer you the option of bagging the print or trying a resume. If you try the resume, it should seek() to the file position corresponding to the first GCode command after the last Z increment that was not a "Z hop". It should then step through all the G1 commands since that position, but traverse only, do not extrude, until it reaches the last command it had sent. It cannot know where along that G1 the printer paused, so it should repeat that one G1 line with extrusion active. You should get exactly one partially extra-fat line of filament at that one point in your print, but otherwise the stitching should be very good.
Provided, of course, that you've been ensuring exceptional print adhesion. The whole nine. Don't risk poor adhesion with a stunt like this, give yourself good adhesion. Really, your print should not pop off the build surface upon cooling. If it does, then you aren't doing enough to keep it there.
# Answer
> 0 votes
1) Cut the model up in several parts and print one each day. Remove each part every day and in the end, glue them all together.
2) Cut the model up in several parts and each day, add a G-code to the file to be printed so it lowers the heat-bed and thus starts to print on top of yesterdays print. This cannot be used when the printer is auto-calibrating as the printer-head would crash into the already printed part. It would probably be tricky.
3) Pause the printer in the evening, then resume next day (don't forget to lower temperatures and rise them again tomorrow).
# Answer
> 0 votes
Some printers have built-in functionality for resume after power-loss. I believe this is a standard part of the Marlin firmware now; I know the Creality Ender 3 has it and I don't believe it was a nonstandard addition (and if it was, their source was released in accordance with the GPL anyway, so it could be merged). So if you printer doesn't already have the functionality, but is amenable to a firmware upgrade/replacement to a version of Marlin that does, it should be possible to get it.
I have an Ender 3, but I haven't tried this feature so I can't speak to how well it actually works.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I already answered once more directly, but I think a better answer might be a frame challenge: design your model to avoid extremely long print times. Even if you didn't have all the problems of pausing and resuming to deal with, which include:
* warping and detachment from bed due to loss of bed heat
* possible motion of stepper motors while unpowered
* extrusion problems due to loss of material to oozing
* ...
you still have the fundamental risk that something goes wrong during the print, which increases significantly with the overall print duration.
There are lots of ways to design your model to be printed in multiple parts that don't amount to just "cut it at height intervals and glue the result". Glue isn't a terribly good solution, at least not by itself; it's hard to ensure perfect alignment, and creates points with different thermal and mechanical properties that are likely to break. Other options include:
* Snap fits, either reversible or permanent.
* Peg/hole press fit.
* Slide-in tension fit.
* Threaded interfaces. These can easily be directly between your parts if the parts are rotationally symmetric or orientation doesn't matter. If it does matter, you can design the threads to stop at the right point but it's more work.
* Threaded holes in one part, metal or 3D-printed bolts through the other to attach it.
In addition to letting you print the object in steps rather than all at once to reduce the chance/cost of failure, these techniques also allow you to print different parts of the object in different orientations, taking advantage of the orientation for ease of printing without supports, or for obtaining stength in the directions your object will be subjected to stresses in.
Most (really all) of the above can also be made permanent with glue, if you desire.
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Tags: print-quality
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thread-21633 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21633 | Anet A8 Auto Bed Levelling - Auto home not centring with new Marlin 1.1.9 config | 2023-11-15T11:45:25.660 | # Question
Title: Anet A8 Auto Bed Levelling - Auto home not centring with new Marlin 1.1.9 config
Recently added a probe to my Anet A8 for auto bed levelling, calculations have been added based on position of probe to hotend as required. I'm using Marlin 1.1.9.
When I go into 'Prepare' in the printer settings to select auto home, it doesn't centre on the bed, seems to go to the back right. I presume this should be to the centre of the bed? I can't find where to change this in the config. Note the LCD screen shows X:153, Y:114. Config below.
```
//============================== Endstop Settings ===========================
// @section homing
// Specify here all the endstop connectors that are connected to any endstop or probe.
// Almost all printers will be using one per axis. Probes will use one or more of the
// extra connectors. Leave undefined any used for non-endstop and non-probe purposes.
#define USE_XMIN_PLUG
#define USE_YMIN_PLUG
#define USE_ZMIN_PLUG
//#define USE_XMAX_PLUG
//#define USE_YMAX_PLUG
//#define USE_ZMAX_PLUG
// Enable pullup for all endstops to prevent a floating state
#define ENDSTOPPULLUPS
#if DISABLED(ENDSTOPPULLUPS)
// Disable ENDSTOPPULLUPS to set pullups individually
//#define ENDSTOPPULLUP_XMAX
//#define ENDSTOPPULLUP_YMAX
//#define ENDSTOPPULLUP_ZMAX
//#define ENDSTOPPULLUP_XMIN
//#define ENDSTOPPULLUP_YMIN
//#define ENDSTOPPULLUP_ZMIN
//#define ENDSTOPPULLUP_ZMIN_PROBE
#endif
// Mechanical endstop with COM to ground and NC to Signal uses "false" here (most common setup).
#define X_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING true // set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Y_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING true // set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Z_MIN_ENDSTOP_INVERTING true // set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define X_MAX_ENDSTOP_INVERTING false // set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Y_MAX_ENDSTOP_INVERTING false // set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Z_MAX_ENDSTOP_INVERTING false // set to true to invert the logic of the endstop.
#define Z_MIN_PROBE_ENDSTOP_INVERTING true // set to true to invert the logic of the probe.
// Enable this feature if all enabled endstop pins are interrupt-capable.
// This will remove the need to poll the interrupt pins, saving many CPU cycles.
//#define ENDSTOP_INTERRUPTS_FEATURE
/**
* Endstop Noise Filter
*
* Enable this option if endstops falsely trigger due to noise.
* NOTE: Enabling this feature means adds an error of +/-0.2mm, so homing
* will end up at a slightly different position on each G28. This will also
* reduce accuracy of some bed probes.
* For mechanical switches, the better approach to reduce noise is to install
* a 100 nanofarads ceramic capacitor in parallel with the switch, making it
* essentially noise-proof without sacrificing accuracy.
* This option also increases MCU load when endstops or the probe are enabled.
* So this is not recommended. USE AT YOUR OWN RISK.
* (This feature is not required for common micro-switches mounted on PCBs
* based on the Makerbot design, since they already include the 100nF capacitor.)
*/
//#define ENDSTOP_NOISE_FILTER
//=============================================================================
//============================== Movement Settings ============================
//=============================================================================
// @section motion
/**
* Default Settings
*
* These settings can be reset by M502
*
* Note that if EEPROM is enabled, saved values will override these.
*/
/**
* With this option each E stepper can have its own factors for the
* following movement settings. If fewer factors are given than the
* total number of extruders, the last value applies to the rest.
*/
//#define DISTINCT_E_FACTORS
/**
* Default Axis Steps Per Unit (steps/mm)
* Override with M92
* X, Y, Z, E0 [, E1[, E2[, E3[, E4]]]]
*/
#define DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT { 100, 100, 400, 100 }
/**
* Default Max Feed Rate (mm/s)
* Override with M203
* X, Y, Z, E0 [, E1[, E2[, E3[, E4]]]]
*/
#define DEFAULT_MAX_FEEDRATE { 400, 400, 8, 50 }
/**
* Default Max Acceleration (change/s) change = mm/s
* (Maximum start speed for accelerated moves)
* Override with M201
* X, Y, Z, E0 [, E1[, E2[, E3[, E4]]]]
*/
#define DEFAULT_MAX_ACCELERATION { 2000, 2000, 100, 10000 }
/**
* Default Acceleration (change/s) change = mm/s
* Override with M204
*
* M204 P Acceleration
* M204 R Retract Acceleration
* M204 T Travel Acceleration
*/
#define DEFAULT_ACCELERATION 400 // X, Y, Z and E acceleration for printing moves
#define DEFAULT_RETRACT_ACCELERATION 1000 // E acceleration for retracts
#define DEFAULT_TRAVEL_ACCELERATION 1000 // X, Y, Z acceleration for travel (non printing) moves
/**
* Default Jerk (mm/s)
* Override with M205 X Y Z E
*
* "Jerk" specifies the minimum speed change that requires acceleration.
* When changing speed and direction, if the difference is less than the
* value set here, it may happen instantaneously.
*/
#define DEFAULT_XJERK 10.0
#define DEFAULT_YJERK 10.0
#define DEFAULT_ZJERK 0.3
#define DEFAULT_EJERK 5.0
/**
* S-Curve Acceleration
*
* This option eliminates vibration during printing by fitting a Bézier
* curve to move acceleration, producing much smoother direction changes.
*
* See https://github.com/synthetos/TinyG/wiki/Jerk-Controlled-Motion-Explained
*/
//#define S_CURVE_ACCELERATION
//===========================================================================
//============================= Z Probe Options =============================
//===========================================================================
// @section probes
//
// See http://marlinfw.org/docs/configuration/probes.html
//
/**
* Z_MIN_PROBE_USES_Z_MIN_ENDSTOP_PIN
*
* Enable this option for a probe connected to the Z Min endstop pin.
*/
#define Z_MIN_PROBE_USES_Z_MIN_ENDSTOP_PIN
/**
* Z_MIN_PROBE_ENDSTOP
*
* Enable this option for a probe connected to any pin except Z-Min.
* (By default Marlin assumes the Z-Max endstop pin.)
* To use a custom Z Probe pin, set Z_MIN_PROBE_PIN below.
*
* - The simplest option is to use a free endstop connector.
* - Use 5V for powered (usually inductive) sensors.
*
* - RAMPS 1.3/1.4 boards may use the 5V, GND, and Aux4->D32 pin:
* - For simple switches connect...
* - normally-closed switches to GND and D32.
* - normally-open switches to 5V and D32.
*
* WARNING: Setting the wrong pin may have unexpected and potentially
* disastrous consequences. Use with caution and do your homework.
*
*/
//#define Z_MIN_PROBE_ENDSTOP
/**
* Probe Type
*
* Allen Key Probes, Servo Probes, Z-Sled Probes, FIX_MOUNTED_PROBE, etc.
* Activate one of these to use Auto Bed Leveling below.
*/
/**
* The "Manual Probe" provides a means to do "Auto" Bed Leveling without a probe.
* Use G29 repeatedly, adjusting the Z height at each point with movement commands
* or (with LCD_BED_LEVELING) the LCD controller.
*/
//#define PROBE_MANUALLY
//#define MANUAL_PROBE_START_Z 0.2
/**
* A Fix-Mounted Probe either doesn't deploy or needs manual deployment.
* (e.g., an inductive probe or a nozzle-based probe-switch.)
*/
#define FIX_MOUNTED_PROBE
/**
* Z Servo Probe, such as an endstop switch on a rotating arm.
*/
//#define Z_PROBE_SERVO_NR 0 // Defaults to SERVO 0 connector.
//#define Z_SERVO_ANGLES {70,0} // Z Servo Deploy and Stow angles
/**
* The BLTouch probe uses a Hall effect sensor and emulates a servo.
*/
//#define BLTOUCH
#if ENABLED(BLTOUCH)
//#define BLTOUCH_DELAY 375 // (ms) Enable and increase if needed
#endif
/**
* Enable one or more of the following if probing seems unreliable.
* Heaters and/or fans can be disabled during probing to minimize electrical
* noise. A delay can also be added to allow noise and vibration to settle.
* These options are most useful for the BLTouch probe, but may also improve
* readings with inductive probes and piezo sensors.
*/
//#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 DELAY_BEFORE_PROBING 200 // (ms) To prevent vibrations from triggering piezo sensors
// A probe that is deployed and stowed with a solenoid pin (SOL1_PIN)
//#define SOLENOID_PROBE
// A sled-mounted probe like those designed by Charles Bell.
//#define Z_PROBE_SLED
//#define SLED_DOCKING_OFFSET 5 // The extra distance the X axis must travel to pickup the sled. 0 should be fine but you can push it further if you'd like.
//
// For Z_PROBE_ALLEN_KEY see the Delta example configurations.
//
/**
* Z Probe to nozzle (X,Y) offset, relative to (0, 0).
* X and Y offsets must be integers.
*
* In the following example the X and Y offsets are both positive:
* #define X_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER 10
* #define Y_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER 10
*
* +-- BACK ---+
* | |
* L | (+) P | R <-- probe (20,20)
* E | | I
* F | (-) N (+) | G <-- nozzle (10,10)
* T | | H
* | (-) | T
* | |
* O-- FRONT --+
* (0,0)
*/
#define X_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER -43
#define Y_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER -4
#define Z_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER 0
// X offset: -left +right [of the nozzle]
// Y offset: -front +behind [the nozzle]
// Z offset: -below +above [the nozzle]
// Certain types of probes need to stay away from edges
#define MIN_PROBE_EDGE 10
// X and Y axis travel speed (mm/m) between probes
#define XY_PROBE_SPEED 6000
// Feedrate (mm/m) for the first approach when double-probing (MULTIPLE_PROBING == 2)
#define Z_PROBE_SPEED_FAST HOMING_FEEDRATE_Z
// Feedrate (mm/m) for the "accurate" probe of each point
#define Z_PROBE_SPEED_SLOW (Z_PROBE_SPEED_FAST / 2)
// The number of probes to perform at each point.
// Set to 2 for a fast/slow probe, using the second probe result.
// Set to 3 or more for slow probes, averaging the results.
#define MULTIPLE_PROBING 3
/**
* Z probes require clearance when deploying, stowing, and moving between
* probe points to avoid hitting the bed and other hardware.
* Servo-mounted probes require extra space for the arm to rotate.
* Inductive probes need space to keep from triggering early.
*
* Use these settings to specify the distance (mm) to raise the probe (or
* lower the bed). The values set here apply over and above any (negative)
* probe Z Offset set with Z_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER, M851, or the LCD.
* Only integer values >= 1 are valid here.
*
* Example: `M851 Z-5` with a CLEARANCE of 4 => 9mm from bed to nozzle.
* But: `M851 Z+1` with a CLEARANCE of 2 => 2mm from bed to nozzle.
*/
#define Z_CLEARANCE_DEPLOY_PROBE 10 // Z Clearance for Deploy/Stow
#define Z_CLEARANCE_BETWEEN_PROBES 5 // Z Clearance between probe points
#define Z_CLEARANCE_MULTI_PROBE 5 // Z Clearance between multiple probes
//#define Z_AFTER_PROBING 5 // Z position after probing is done
#define Z_PROBE_LOW_POINT -2 // Farthest distance below the trigger-point to go before stopping
// For M851 give a range for adjusting the Z probe offset
#define Z_PROBE_OFFSET_RANGE_MIN -20
#define Z_PROBE_OFFSET_RANGE_MAX 20
// Enable the M48 repeatability test to test probe accuracy
//#define Z_MIN_PROBE_REPEATABILITY_TEST
// For Inverting Stepper Enable Pins (Active Low) use 0, Non Inverting (Active High) use 1
// :{ 0:'Low', 1:'High' }
#define X_ENABLE_ON 0
#define Y_ENABLE_ON 0
#define Z_ENABLE_ON 0
#define E_ENABLE_ON 0 // For all extruders
// Disables axis stepper immediately when it's not being used.
// WARNING: When motors turn off there is a chance of losing position accuracy!
#define DISABLE_X false
#define DISABLE_Y false
#define DISABLE_Z false
// Warn on display about possibly reduced accuracy
//#define DISABLE_REDUCED_ACCURACY_WARNING
// @section extruder
#define DISABLE_E false // For all extruders
#define DISABLE_INACTIVE_EXTRUDER true // Keep only the active extruder enabled.
// @section machine
// Invert the stepper direction. Change (or reverse the motor connector) if an axis goes the wrong way.
#define INVERT_X_DIR false
#define INVERT_Y_DIR false
#define INVERT_Z_DIR true
// @section extruder
// For direct drive extruder v9 set to true, for geared extruder set to false.
#define INVERT_E0_DIR false
#define INVERT_E1_DIR false
#define INVERT_E2_DIR false
#define INVERT_E3_DIR false
#define INVERT_E4_DIR false
// @section homing
//#define NO_MOTION_BEFORE_HOMING // Inhibit movement until all axes have been homed
//#define UNKNOWN_Z_NO_RAISE // Don't raise Z (lower the bed) if Z is "unknown." For beds that fall when Z is powered off.
//#define Z_HOMING_HEIGHT 4 // (in mm) Minimal z height before homing (G28) for Z clearance above the bed, clamps, ...
// Be sure you have this distance over your Z_MAX_POS in case.
// Direction of endstops when homing; 1=MAX, -1=MIN
// :[-1,1]
#define X_HOME_DIR -1
#define Y_HOME_DIR -1
#define Z_HOME_DIR -1
// @section machine
// The size of the print bed
#define X_BED_SIZE 220
#define Y_BED_SIZE 220
// Travel limits (mm) after homing, corresponding to endstop positions.
#define X_MIN_POS -33
#define Y_MIN_POS -10
#define Z_MIN_POS 0
#define X_MAX_POS X_BED_SIZE
#define Y_MAX_POS Y_BED_SIZE
#define Z_MAX_POS 240
/**
* Software Endstops
*
* - Prevent moves outside the set machine bounds.
* - Individual axes can be disabled, if desired.
* - X and Y only apply to Cartesian robots.
* - Use 'M211' to set software endstops on/off or report current state
*/
// Min software endstops constrain movement within minimum coordinate bounds
#define MIN_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOPS
#if ENABLED(MIN_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOPS)
#define MIN_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOP_X
#define MIN_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOP_Y
#define MIN_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOP_Z
#endif
// Max software endstops constrain movement within maximum coordinate bounds
#define MAX_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOPS
#if ENABLED(MAX_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOPS)
#define MAX_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOP_X
#define MAX_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOP_Y
#define MAX_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOP_Z
#endif
#if ENABLED(MIN_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOPS) || ENABLED(MAX_SOFTWARE_ENDSTOPS)
//#define SOFT_ENDSTOPS_MENU_ITEM // Enable/Disable software endstops from the LCD
#endif
/**
* Filament Runout Sensors
* Mechanical or opto endstops are used to check for the presence of filament.
*
* RAMPS-based boards use SERVO3_PIN for the first runout sensor.
* For other boards you may need to define FIL_RUNOUT_PIN, FIL_RUNOUT2_PIN, etc.
* By default the firmware assumes HIGH=FILAMENT PRESENT.
*/
//#define FILAMENT_RUNOUT_SENSOR
#if ENABLED(FILAMENT_RUNOUT_SENSOR)
#define NUM_RUNOUT_SENSORS 1 // Number of sensors, up to one per extruder. Define a FIL_RUNOUT#_PIN for each.
#define FIL_RUNOUT_INVERTING false // set to true to invert the logic of the sensor.
#define FIL_RUNOUT_PULLUP // Use internal pullup for filament runout pins.
#define FILAMENT_RUNOUT_SCRIPT "M600"
#endif
//===========================================================================
//=============================== Bed Leveling ==============================
//===========================================================================
// @section calibrate
/**
* Choose one of the options below to enable G29 Bed Leveling. The parameters
* and behavior of G29 will change depending on your selection.
*
* If using a Probe for Z Homing, enable Z_SAFE_HOMING also!
*
* - AUTO_BED_LEVELING_3POINT
* Probe 3 arbitrary points on the bed (that aren't collinear)
* You specify the XY coordinates of all 3 points.
* The result is a single tilted plane. Best for a flat bed.
*
* - AUTO_BED_LEVELING_LINEAR
* Probe several points in a grid.
* You specify the rectangle and the density of sample points.
* The result is a single tilted plane. Best for a flat bed.
*
* - AUTO_BED_LEVELING_BILINEAR
* Probe several points in a grid.
* You specify the rectangle and the density of sample points.
* The result is a mesh, best for large or uneven beds.
*
* - AUTO_BED_LEVELING_UBL (Unified Bed Leveling)
* A comprehensive bed leveling system combining the features and benefits
* of other systems. UBL also includes integrated Mesh Generation, Mesh
* Validation and Mesh Editing systems.
*
* - MESH_BED_LEVELING
* Probe a grid manually
* The result is a mesh, suitable for large or uneven beds. (See BILINEAR.)
* For machines without a probe, Mesh Bed Leveling provides a method to perform
* leveling in steps so you can manually adjust the Z height at each grid-point.
With an LCD controller the process is guided step-by-step.
*/
//#define AUTO_BED_LEVELING_3POINT
//#define AUTO_BED_LEVELING_LINEAR
#define AUTO_BED_LEVELING_BILINEAR
//#define AUTO_BED_LEVELING_UBL
//#define MESH_BED_LEVELING
/**
* Normally G28 leaves leveling disabled on completion. Enable
* this option to have G28 restore the prior leveling state.
*/
//#define RESTORE_LEVELING_AFTER_G28
/**
* Enable detailed logging of G28, G29, M48, etc.
* Turn on with the command 'M111 S32'.
* NOTE: Requires a lot of PROGMEM!
*/
//#define DEBUG_LEVELING_FEATURE
#if ENABLED(MESH_BED_LEVELING) || ENABLED(AUTO_BED_LEVELING_BILINEAR) || ENABLED(AUTO_BED_LEVELING_UBL)
// Gradually reduce leveling correction until a set height is reached,
// at which point movement will be level to the machine's XY plane.
// The height can be set with M420 Z<height>
#define ENABLE_LEVELING_FADE_HEIGHT
// For Cartesian machines, instead of dividing moves on mesh boundaries,
// split up moves into short segments like a Delta. This follows the
// contours of the bed more closely than edge-to-edge straight moves.
#define SEGMENT_LEVELED_MOVES
#define LEVELED_SEGMENT_LENGTH 5.0 // (mm) Length of all segments (except the last one)
/**
* Enable the G26 Mesh Validation Pattern tool.
*/
//#define G26_MESH_VALIDATION
#if ENABLED(G26_MESH_VALIDATION)
#define MESH_TEST_NOZZLE_SIZE 0.4 // (mm) Diameter of primary nozzle.
#define MESH_TEST_LAYER_HEIGHT 0.2 // (mm) Default layer height for the G26 Mesh Validation Tool.
#define MESH_TEST_HOTEND_TEMP 205.0 // (°C) Default nozzle temperature for the G26 Mesh Validation Tool.
#define MESH_TEST_BED_TEMP 60.0 // (°C) Default bed temperature for the G26 Mesh Validation Tool.
#endif
#endif
#if ENABLED(AUTO_BED_LEVELING_LINEAR) || ENABLED(AUTO_BED_LEVELING_BILINEAR)
// Set the number of grid points per dimension.
#define GRID_MAX_POINTS_X 3
#define GRID_MAX_POINTS_Y GRID_MAX_POINTS_X
// Set the boundaries for probing (where the probe can reach).
//#define LEFT_PROBE_BED_POSITION MIN_PROBE_EDGE 10
//#define RIGHT_PROBE_BED_POSITION (X_BED_SIZE - MIN_PROBE_EDGE) 167
//#define FRONT_PROBE_BED_POSITION MIN_PROBE_EDGE 10
//#define BACK_PROBE_BED_POSITION (Y_BED_SIZE - MIN_PROBE_EDGE) 202
#define LEFT_PROBE_BED_POSITION 10
#define RIGHT_PROBE_BED_POSITION 167
#define FRONT_PROBE_BED_POSITION 10
#define BACK_PROBE_BED_POSITION 206
// Probe along the Y axis, advancing X after each column
//#define PROBE_Y_FIRST
#if ENABLED(AUTO_BED_LEVELING_BILINEAR)
// Beyond the probed grid, continue the implied tilt?
// Default is to maintain the height of the nearest edge.
//#define EXTRAPOLATE_BEYOND_GRID
//
// Experimental Subdivision of the grid by Catmull-Rom method.
// Synthesizes intermediate points to produce a more detailed mesh.
//
//#define ABL_BILINEAR_SUBDIVISION
#if ENABLED(ABL_BILINEAR_SUBDIVISION)
// Number of subdivisions between probe points
#define BILINEAR_SUBDIVISIONS 3
#endif
#endif
#elif ENABLED(AUTO_BED_LEVELING_UBL)
//===========================================================================
//========================= Unified Bed Leveling ============================
//===========================================================================
//#define MESH_EDIT_GFX_OVERLAY // Display a graphics overlay while editing the mesh
#define MESH_INSET 1 // Set Mesh bounds as an inset region of the bed
#define GRID_MAX_POINTS_X 10 // Don't use more than 15 points per axis, implementation limited.
#define GRID_MAX_POINTS_Y GRID_MAX_POINTS_X
#define UBL_MESH_EDIT_MOVES_Z // Sophisticated users prefer no movement of nozzle
#define UBL_SAVE_ACTIVE_ON_M500 // Save the currently active mesh in the current slot on M500
//#define UBL_Z_RAISE_WHEN_OFF_MESH 2.5 // When the nozzle is off the mesh, this value is used
// as the Z-Height correction value.
#elif ENABLED(MESH_BED_LEVELING)
//===========================================================================
//=================================== Mesh ==================================
//===========================================================================
#define MESH_INSET 10 // Set Mesh bounds as an inset region of the bed
#define GRID_MAX_POINTS_X 3 // Don't use more than 7 points per axis, implementation limited.
#define GRID_MAX_POINTS_Y GRID_MAX_POINTS_X
//#define MESH_G28_REST_ORIGIN // After homing all axes ('G28' or 'G28 XYZ') rest Z at Z_MIN_POS
#endif // BED_LEVELING
/**
* Points to probe for all 3-point Leveling procedures.
* Override if the automatically selected points are inadequate.
*/
#if ENABLED(AUTO_BED_LEVELING_3POINT) || ENABLED(AUTO_BED_LEVELING_UBL)
#define PROBE_PT_1_X 20
#define PROBE_PT_1_Y 160
#define PROBE_PT_2_X 20
#define PROBE_PT_2_Y 10
#define PROBE_PT_3_X 180
#define PROBE_PT_3_Y 10
#endif
/**
* Add a bed leveling sub-menu for ABL or MBL.
* Include a guided procedure if manual probing is enabled.
*/
//#define LCD_BED_LEVELING
#if ENABLED(LCD_BED_LEVELING)
#define MBL_Z_STEP 0.025 // Step size while manually probing Z axis.
#define LCD_PROBE_Z_RANGE 4 // Z Range centered on Z_MIN_POS for LCD Z adjustment
#endif
// Add a menu item to move between bed corners for manual bed adjustment
//#define LEVEL_BED_CORNERS
#if ENABLED(LEVEL_BED_CORNERS)
#define LEVEL_CORNERS_INSET 30 // (mm) An inset for corner leveling
//#define LEVEL_CENTER_TOO // Move to the center after the last corner
#endif
/**
* Commands to execute at the end of G29 probing.
* Useful to retract or move the Z probe out of the way.
*/
//#define Z_PROBE_END_SCRIPT "G1 Z10 F12000\nG1 X15 Y330\nG1 Z0.5\nG1 Z10"
// @section homing
// The center of the bed is at (X=0, Y=0)
//#define BED_CENTER_AT_0_0
// Manually set the home position. Leave these undefined for automatic settings.
// For DELTA this is the top-center of the Cartesian print volume.
//#define MANUAL_X_HOME_POS 0
//#define MANUAL_Y_HOME_POS 0
//#define MANUAL_Z_HOME_POS 0
// Use "Z Safe Homing" to avoid homing with a Z probe outside the bed area.
//
// With this feature enabled:
//
// - Allow Z homing only after X and Y homing AND stepper drivers still enabled.
// - If stepper drivers time out, it will need X and Y homing again before Z homing.
// - Move the Z probe (or nozzle) to a defined XY point before Z Homing when homing all axes (G28).
// - Prevent Z homing when the Z probe is outside bed area.
//
#define Z_SAFE_HOMING
#if ENABLED(Z_SAFE_HOMING)
#define Z_SAFE_HOMING_X_POINT ((X_BED_SIZE) / 2) // X point for Z homing when homing all axes (G28).
#define Z_SAFE_HOMING_Y_POINT ((Y_BED_SIZE) / 2) // Y point for Z homing when homing all axes (G28).
#endif
// Homing speeds (mm/m)
#define HOMING_FEEDRATE_XY (100*60)
#define HOMING_FEEDRATE_Z (4*60)
// @section calibrate
/**
* Bed Skew Compensation
*
* This feature corrects for misalignment in the XYZ axes.
*
* Take the following steps to get the bed skew in the XY plane:
* 1. Print a test square (e.g., https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2563185)
* 2. For XY_DIAG_AC measure the diagonal A to C
* 3. For XY_DIAG_BD measure the diagonal B to D
* 4. For XY_SIDE_AD measure the edge A to D
*
* Marlin automatically computes skew factors from these measurements.
* Skew factors may also be computed and set manually:
*
* - Compute AB : SQRT(2*AC*AC+2*BD*BD-4*AD*AD)/2
* - XY_SKEW_FACTOR : TAN(PI/2-ACOS((AC*AC-AB*AB-AD*AD)/(2*AB*AD)))
*
* If desired, follow the same procedure for XZ and YZ.
* Use these diagrams for reference:
*
* Y Z Z
* ^ B-------C ^ B-------C ^ B-------C
* | / / | / / | / /
* | / / | / / | / /
* | A-------D | A-------D | A-------D
* +-------------->X +-------------->X +-------------->Y
* XY_SKEW_FACTOR XZ_SKEW_FACTOR YZ_SKEW_FACTOR
*/
//#define SKEW_CORRECTION
#if ENABLED(SKEW_CORRECTION)
// Input all length measurements here:
#define XY_DIAG_AC 282.8427124746
#define XY_DIAG_BD 282.8427124746
#define XY_SIDE_AD 200
// Or, set the default skew factors directly here
// to override the above measurements:
#define XY_SKEW_FACTOR 0.0
//#define SKEW_CORRECTION_FOR_Z
#if ENABLED(SKEW_CORRECTION_FOR_Z)
#define XZ_DIAG_AC 282.8427124746
#define XZ_DIAG_BD 282.8427124746
#define YZ_DIAG_AC 282.8427124746
#define YZ_DIAG_BD 282.8427124746
#define YZ_SIDE_AD 200
#define XZ_SKEW_FACTOR 0.0
#define YZ_SKEW_FACTOR 0.0
#endif
// Enable this option for M852 to set skew at runtime
//#define SKEW_CORRECTION_GCODE
#endif
```
# Answer
Your config looks fine for the most of the definitions that have been compared to the known settings when using a probe.
You should be aware that with `#define Z_SAFE_HOMING` you define that the sensor is in the middle of the bed, however, the nozzle is then offset from the middle of the bed per the `#define X_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER -43` and `#define Y_PROBE_OFFSET_FROM_EXTRUDER -4` defined offsets.
So, when `G28` is commanded, the carriage will move to (110, 110) for the probe which is displayed as (110 - -43, 110 - -4) = (153, 114) for the nozzle.
So there is nothing wrong with the configuration, it works as it should.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: marlin, anet-a8, automatic-bed-leveling
--- |
thread-21588 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21588 | Ability to O-ring seal SLM 3D printed part | 2023-11-05T17:18:54.077 | # Question
Title: Ability to O-ring seal SLM 3D printed part
I am thinking of 3D printing a metal part from JLC PCB's metal 3D printing service. The part will be used in a compressed air application. I need to be able to statically seal the part using an O-ring.
Will the part be smooth enough to seal with an O-ring or is there any post-processing I need to do? If I do need to post-process the part, what steps should I take?
# Answer
## It depends
You will get a metal printed part. Typically, the process to create these is either laser sintering or laser smelting. In both applications, the powder is heated by a laser in a very small area, and by the application of heat forms a little half-sphere of connected material. By moving the work zone of the laser, the object is created in layers.
As a direct result of slight inhomogeneities in heating behavior due to particle size, the surface will have certain irregularities and a certain roughness. For example, the Manifold shown by 3dspro on their website shows this section, followed by a paragraph I will quote:
> Additionally, SLM may produce parts with residual stresses and distortion in the final part, which can affect its mechanical properties and dimensional accuracy. This can be mitigated by carefully selecting process parameters and performing post-processing operations such as stress relieving or machining. **SLM may also produce parts with a rough surface finish that requires additional post-processing to achieve the desired surface quality**.
Depending on the tolerances you planned for and the required air tightness, you may or may not require post-processing. If you are in doubt, contact your print shop, and if you determine that you need post-processing, make sure to have extra material in the affected areas. SLM prints can be machined if you remember that your print contains possible stresses. As such, turning or milling the surfaces for the O-rings should be possible, if you are careful.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, smoothing, metal-parts, slm
--- |
thread-21631 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21631 | Connecting 12 V Laser Module to 24 V Control Board | 2023-11-13T18:55:40.017 | # Question
Title: Connecting 12 V Laser Module to 24 V Control Board
I have a 3D printer (Artillery Genius Pro) with a 24 V motherboard. I want to connect this motherboard a 12 V laser engraver module. If my motherboard was 12 V (with 12 V, GND, and PWM pins), I believe I could do it. In that case, I would connect 12 V, GND, and PWM of the laser module to 12 V, GND and Blower Fan (as PWM) of the motherboard. But my 3D printer has a 24 V board. How can I connect my 12 V laser module to my 24 V motherboard?
Your guidance in this direction will be highly appreciated.
# Answer
## Get a proper module
The most straightforward solution would be to get a 24 V rated laser module. However, that boat already departed (unless you can send it back and get a proper one in return).
The fan could be a 5 V signal, a 12 V, or a 24 V one, so make sure your laser module uses *that* as a trigger.
Often, laser modules line their output directly to their power supply and have no extra switch wires - using the main heater cartridge connectors as the power supply and switch will certainly work on its own, once you get the proper voltage set.
## Buck Converter
To get from 24 V to 12 V, you can use a Buck converter, in this application also known as a Step-Down-Converter. This will turn the 24 V output of the mainboard's heater wires into useable 12 V power. Often, these items have quick-connect plugs, possibly allowing you to quickly swap the laser module in, provided you have everything else set up similarly.
Please keep in mind that these modules, depending on setup, can shed quite some heat, and might require a suitable cooling setup. Heating can also indicate bad manufacture.
## Voltage divider
If you can be **really** sure that you get 24 V Output max, you could use a beefy 1:1 voltage divider by using two same-sized resistors and taking the supply voltage between the two before going back to the ground. To alleviate heating problems (you'll shed **loads** of heat) you should use resistors that have cooling planned in.
## Optocoupler
If you want to run the laser from an external 12V, you could run that though an appropriate optocoupler and use any output from the printer as your "signal" to allow power to flow.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I have converted a 3D printer to a laser printer using the fan port. Although it is possible, I would not suggest to use the fan port for this.
First, make sure what your laser module uses as input. E.g. my laser module could be run from a 12 V power connection, so I did not power it from the printer controller board. Second, make sure the TTL (the PWM signal for scheduling the laser intensity) is able to handle the voltage you send to it. If you use a 24 V controller board, it could be that the fan (as well as the heater cartridge and the bed) run at 24 V. If so, you need to step down the voltage so that the laser module can use this.
Note that when using the fan port as the PWM signal for the laser, you introduce a lag. The controller board chip sends out a signal to the MOSFET to schedule the fan as this is drawing more amperes than could have been supplied over the controller chip. This creates a lag in between the actual controller board pin and the fan signal causing the actual laser engraving to be less accurate (started too late, stopped too late). It was that much that I had to create an application in Python that read created G-code and introduced very small pauses to give the laser time to start and have it stop on time because of the delay. This has led me to directly use the PWM signal (that drives the MOSFET) instead of the fan PWM signal for controlling the laser.
> 3 votes
# Answer
You'll need a 12 V step-down regulator to convert your 24 V to 12V, or a separate power supply for the laser module (make sure to connect each PSU's ground terminals).
It also depends on what sort of PWM your module expects. The fan control on 3D printer boards is done by turning on and off the ground connection to the fan, while the positive supply (12/24 V) is on constantly. This may not be what your module requires.
Maybe it's fine with a 5 V PWM signal (usually called "TTL signal"), in which case you could use any available digital pin (e.g. from the endstop connectors) and set your firmware up to use that pin as the "fan". Depending on the firmware, there may be delays between the change in "fan speed" / laser power being scheduled and it actually being applied. If it needs 12 V PWM, I like using L298N-based "motor drivers" to drive loads like this. Hook up the inputs to the motor driver to the output of the step-down regulator and connect the corresponding input to one of your motherboard's PWM pins.
> 3 votes
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Tags: electronics, laser
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thread-19198 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19198 | How can cyanoacrylate haze be removed from PLA? | 2022-04-06T01:36:46.673 | # Question
Title: How can cyanoacrylate haze be removed from PLA?
Using cyanoacrylate to glue PLA parts sometimes leaves a white residue or haze near the glue locations. Is there an easy way to remove it?
I've tried water and alcohol swabs but after drying the haze remains.
# Answer
Doing a Google search turned up the article "How To Prevent/Remove White Superglue Residue" on MyCustomHotwheels.com.
According to the article, the haze is caused "by trace amounts of moisture on the substrate surfaces". Of course, the author does talk about how to prevent this haze beforehand by using quality Superglue.
Towards the bottom of the article, there are two solutions to removing the haze: a heat gun and petroleum jelly. Two YouTube videos provide live demonstrations of the removal of the haze (provided below).
The heat gun method uses 100 ° air. The narrator of the video does not specify Celsius or Fahrenheit but he does have an accent so I would guess that he's not American and therefore the temperature is probably Celsius.
The petroleum jelly is used in the second video. The narrator doesn't have great success at first until he cleans the plastic a second time.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Incidentally, this whitish "haze" is exactly what I've found happens when objects printed with certain "PLA" filaments (likely containing additives other than PLA, since PLA isn't supposed to be affected by it) are exposed to acetone. CA glue is soluble in acetone and likely contains acetone or similar solvents, and it seems a plausible explanation is that the solvent is leeching whatever part of the material is soluble out of the part, then depositing it back on the surface after it dries. The pigments are likely not soluble and remain below.
I've had some success just rubbing the "haze" material off with a cloth while it's not entirely dry, but that's without the CA adhesive which would make rubbing it while wet... inadvisible.
If the part is amenable to sanding, sanding lightly once it's fully dry may be a good option.
For what it's worth, I don't get this effect using CA glue on PLA, but I always use the extremely low-viscosity, fast-drying type (Loctite 420 and other brand equivalents), so using one of these might be a solution for the future (although not for any part already affected).
> 1 votes
# Answer
Acetone or alcohol hasn't worked at all for me, if anything it made it worse by stripping the PLA of the sheen its supposed to have. I have tried various types of Acetone as well, all with similar results.
I know this will sound crazy, but I have been doing this for about 6 months. I use Sesame Oil, applied generously with a Q-tip, and then I "rub it in/dry it off" with a paper towel. This has worked on various sheens of PLA and PLA+ and completely removes any evidence of super glue. I haven't seen the oil dry out yet either. At first I thought the oil would wear off or dry out, but it has not yet and its been 6 months since I've been doing this.
> 1 votes
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Tags: pla, glue
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thread-15022 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/15022 | How to get superglue off PLA filament? | 2020-12-12T18:30:52.740 | # Question
Title: How to get superglue off PLA filament?
So I'm making my friend a Monado sword replica and I've printed the handle in 2 pieces as to fill it with electronics and then superglue the 2 halves together.
I seem to have put too much on and it's leaked out and spread as shown in the picture..
Does anyone know how to get the dried glue off?
Thanks,
(PS. The glue is called "NO NONSENSE SUPERGLUE")
# Answer
> 5 votes
In agreement with what Akriss said, pretty much all "super" glue is CA (cyanoacrylate) glue, which is soluble in acetone. PLA itself is does not dissolve in or react with acetone, but the pigments, additives, etc. likely do, so you should wipe with a paper towel or cloth (the latter might be better to avoid getting fibers stuck on the glue) soaked in acetone rather than pouring it over the piece or submerging it, to limit the effects. Also, test first on a scrap piece printed with the same filament to ensure the results aren't unacceptably bad.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I've used Acetone before. However that said I've not had the need to remove it from PLA. Not sure how PLA reacts to Acetone.
A link that may be of use. https://www.art-us.com/how-to-get-super-glue-off-almost-anything/
# Answer
> 0 votes
Acetone hasn't worked at all for me, if anything it made it worse by stripping the PLA of the sheen its supposed to have. I have tried various types of Acetone as well, all with similar results.
I know this will sound crazy, but I have been doing this for about 6 months. I use Sesame Oil, applied generously with a Q-tip, and then I "rub it in/dry it off" with a paper towel. This has worked on various sheens of PLA and PLA+ and completely removes any evidence of super glue. I haven't seen the oil dry out yet either. At first I thought the oil would wear off or dry out, but it has not yet and its been 6 months since I've been doing this.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Try wiping with Vaseline petroleum jelly. It effectively removes the white haze that sometimes forms around a joint glued with cyanoacrylate. It may remove or diminish the color of the glue residue, though will not remove the glue itself.
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Tags: pla, post-processing
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thread-20845 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20845 | Ender 3 S1 Pro – Z offset keeps changing | 2023-04-19T15:47:57.607 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 S1 Pro – Z offset keeps changing
I have recently bought an Ender 3 S1 Pro and it has been a bit of a hit and miss so far. My main problem has been the Z offset. It keeps changing between prints. The first print turns out okay and then when I print the same thing again it just breaks.
I followed the steps for method one from
to level the X axis gantry which made things much better. For a while. But just recently a print failed after about half an hour. It seemed like the printer got the Z-offset wrong because the layers just wouldn't stick any more. I aborted the print and did a height map calibration: And this how it went. The printer also made some stuttering sounds when probing the plate at the far right.
I'm using Klipper with MainsailOS instead of the stock firmware. I have updated everything to the latest available version.
It seems like I need to make some adjustments, but I'm not sure what to do. Should I try to adjust the X-gantry again? I have levelled the bed and the four corners are pretty much level. I'm also using this model to get a good enough first layer. And that works, but only for one print. Then I have to redo the Z-offset calibration as well as perform the height map calibration. I don't think I should have to do that every time? The printer is placed in a stable location and I'm not moving it between prints. I also clean the bed with IPA before each print. And I have a PEI plate.
So I'm wondering what I should try to to adjust/tweak/calibrate to get the printer to work reliably?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Try tightening the eccentric nuts on the Y carriage, they were lose on mine from factory which was causing it to rock side-to-side so made bed leveling impossible.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, z-axis, klipper
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thread-21648 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21648 | Are there specific advantages in using ball bearings on the extruder drive bearings | 2023-11-18T12:52:20.810 | # Question
Title: Are there specific advantages in using ball bearings on the extruder drive bearings
I'm probably going to answer my own question because I ordered a set of ball bearings to repair the extruder and then walked passed my lathe and realised all I had to do was turn some brass bushes the same 10 mm OD and 6 mm ID to replace the ball bearings. Thirty minutes later the printer was back online.
Now thinking about it, I wonder why ball bearings are used. There is no critical clearance between the filament and the drive cog as the filament is spring-loaded against the drive. Thus as the bearing wears a little over time it's only a matter of increasing the tension. There would be no sudden collapse in the middle of a print job. Of course, there might be good reason to once every 100 operational hours to re-grease the bearings. There would be plenty of warning of impending drive failure and plenty of time to figure in a new bearing. I expect however the brass bush to last the lifetime of the printer.
Has anyone been down this path with any sort of success?
# Answer
> 2 votes
## Standard parts.
The idler wheels of an extruder are all standard parts. While a bushing is a suitable replacement for a ball bearing in the specific application, the bearing has some benefits over it:
* Mass availability. Buying them in bulk is cheap for the manufacturer.
* Harder to seize up the mechanism. A ball bearing that is slightly out of spec (e.g. too tall central boss) will not block up the mechanism for the inside and outside of the bearing are decoupled.
* More compatible with screws. Unless the bearing is seized up, the screw that goes through the part does not need to be smooth but can be threaded everywhere - so the bolt is a cheaper standard part than one with a straight shaft for a bushing.
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Tags: extruder, bearing
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thread-21528 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21528 | Changing axial fan on CR-10 smart caused temp fluctuation/heat creep | 2023-10-18T12:35:11.527 | # Question
Title: Changing axial fan on CR-10 smart caused temp fluctuation/heat creep
Printer: Creality CR-10 Smart
Slicer: Cura
My axial fan, which cools the heatsink, broke down. I replaced it with a cheap knock-off fan, as it was the only option available. However, this replacement caused temperature fluctuations that went beyond the acceptable range.
Here's what I tried to fix the issue:
1. I initially tried flipping the direction of the axial fan to make it blow hot air instead of surrounding air. This seemed to work for a while, but it caused heat to build up, and my 3D printer's filament stopped extruding from the nozzle.
2. I attempted to lower the current supplied to the fan, thinking it might help. However, this turned out to be a bad idea, as I wasn't sure how much current the main board could safely supply through this port. The result was that the resistor I used got fried.
3. I then decided to mount a 740 Ω resistor in series to create a voltage drop, leaving about 10 volts for the fan. Unfortunately, this also led to heat build-up.
4. Finally, I tried mounting a 320 Ω resistor, leaving about 14.5 volts for the fan, and this seemed to work fine.
I'm concerned about heat dissipation and the overall reliability of this solution. What are your thoughts on this?
The issue stems from the small size of the heatsink and the large size of the axial fan, which directly faces the heat block. I'm now considering the option of mounting a 24 V, 3x3 cm fan and creating a custom mount for it.
# Answer
After encountering issues with an unknown brand fan overpowering the Creality fan, I experimented with resistors. Initially, a 330-ohm resistor resolved the thermal runaway warning but led to under-extrusion due to inadequate cooling.
A 100-ohm resistor addressed under-extrusion but triggered thermal runaway.
The optimal solution was a 220-ohm resistor, resolving both issues.
I've tested this setup for approximately 1 day, 11 hours, and 7 minutes with successful results.
> 2 votes
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Tags: hotend, creality-cr-10, creality, fans, heat-creep
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thread-10026 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/10026 | Three-phase stepper motors? | 2019-05-25T16:09:00.487 | # Question
Title: Three-phase stepper motors?
Can I use three-phase stepper motors with pololu style stepper drivers? If not, what kind of drivers support three-phase motors?
# Answer
> 5 votes
Three phase stepper motors are superior in several ways: see this product sales literature. To summarize: they have a higher stall torque, smoother operation, and smaller step size than equivalent 2-phase hybrid stepper motors.
Unfortunately for using this with simple stepper drivers, they have an extra coil of wire that simple drivers have no way to control. Two phase motors have two isolated coils, while three phase motors have three coils connected in a star configuration.
Texas Instruments offers this design suggestion for using three-phase motors: TI White Paper. Ultimately, it is driven by three synchronized PWM signals connected to three H-bridges, each driving one of the three motor wires. One could build a board with a micro-controller that accepted step and direction pulses and output the three-phase drive. At that level, you could substitute the micro-control-plus-H-bridge board for the Pololu-style driver in an existing 3D printer framework. You would need to configure the steps-per-mm correctly for the new drive system.
If you did this, and the sales literature is correct, you should get quieter operation with higher torque. How that would affect operation would depend on the torque of the motor, the rotating mass of the motor, and the gearing or belt drive you use.
Like two-phase motors, high torque at high speed requires driving the motor with a voltage much higher than the "specified" steady-state motor voltage.
# Answer
> 3 votes
3D printers typically use bipolar two-phase stepper motors, and it is possible that Pololu-style carriers for stepper-motor drivers only support such motors.
Certainly, drivers for three-phase stepper motors exist, for example, the Trinamic TMC5062, but I cannot find any Pololu-style carriers for this chip. Even if a Pololu-style carrier can be sourced, it is not certain that existing 3D-printer firmware can be configured to control it.
If you are thinking about re-purposing some three-phase motors, I would advise that you purchase standard bipolar motors, instead. Bipolar two-phase motors suitable for 3D printing are not that expensive.
Trinamic TMC5062
# Answer
> 3 votes
You can use 3 phase stepper motors for 3D printers but I have not seen a Pololu-style driver. You can use an external driver like the 3DM580S. Many 3D printer control boards offer external connections to send steps(or pulses)/direction/enable/ground connection to an external driver. The 3-phase motors that I have seen tend to be bigger, which means that you'll need bigger belts. Also, they move 1.2 degrees per whole step, as opposed to the typical 1.8 degrees per step with bipolar stepper motors (0.9 degrees/step bi-polar motors are common as well). This means you'll need to make some slight adjustments to the steps/mm on your firmware but that's not too difficult.
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Tags: stepper-driver
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thread-21650 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21650 | I own a Aquila box 3D printer and I'm trying to remove the tube, but the bolt is stuck | 2023-11-18T23:04:16.060 | # Question
Title: I own a Aquila box 3D printer and I'm trying to remove the tube, but the bolt is stuck
I finally decided to go to the Internet with this question, recently I used a very bad filament and it broke inside of my Bowden tube. I'm trying to replace the tube in order to get the filament out but the bolt keeping it down just won't seem to unscrew. I really really need help
# Answer
It looks like Aquila X3 uses the same standard pneumatic fittings as most printers for its bowden tubes. In that case you don't need to unscrew anything. You push the plastic collar on the fitting into the metal part of the fitting, and while holding it pushed in you pull the bowden tube out. There are small teeth in there that will disengage allowing the tube to be pulled out. There are small teeth inside the fitting that grip the tube, and retract when pushed by the collar.
If you repeat this a couple times, trim a couple mm off the end of the tube as the damage from the teeth will accumulate. Also, these fittings and their teeth mechanism are rather flimsy so they break easily. In this case you'll need a more destructive approach (likely cut the bowden then use force to unscrew the fitting, praying not to break the extruder, then replace it with a new one, they cost pennies.)
> 0 votes
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Tags: aquila-x3
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thread-20900 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20900 | Ender 3 S1 Pro Nozzle too high | 2023-05-04T02:08:11.170 | # Question
Title: Ender 3 S1 Pro Nozzle too high
I replaced the nozzle on my S1 Pro with a Tungsten nozzle, but the issue is that the nozzle is too high. I think the nozzle I bought is a tad shorter than the stock nozzles. The CR touch sensor touches the bed before the nozzle does. The bed is level, and the gantry isn't quite square (different issue I need to fix), but the left side is higher than the right so that should have helped me in this situation. Is it possible to lower the heat break to bring the nozzle down a millimeter or so?
# Answer
You should first fix that the gantry is straight and level (not bubble level, but square with respect to X, Y and Z).
In order to adjust for a shorter nozzle when using a touch sensor you need to re-calibrate the Z-offset. See e.g. Automatic Bed Leveling (ABL) with a sensor (BLTouch, inductive, capacitive), how does it work?. With a shorter nozzle, your offset will increase. You shouldn't lower the heatbreak, this may have adverse effects in feeding the filament into the heatbreak.
> 0 votes
# Answer
My nozzle was 2 mm too high. When the limit switch reach the bed nozzle was 2 mm up. My solution was to lower the hotend 2 mm, and that has worked so far. So try adjustment of the hotend.
> 0 votes
# Answer
> The CR touch sensor touches the bed before the nozzle does.
The nozzle isn't too high. The sensor is too low. Unless you mean the probe touches the bed first while in extended state which I doubt you mean because where's the problem in that? - that's how the probe is supposed to work!
First check how the probe is mounted on its mounting bracket. If it's mounted on its underside, shift it to its top side. If it's already on top, either add some washers/distancers to the probe mounting screws or adjust the 3D project of the bracket and reprint it. Afterwards perform standard Z probe offset calibration.
> 0 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, nozzle
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thread-21661 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21661 | Does an accelerometer in a Marlin-based Input Shaping setup compensate in real-time (during print) for vibration? | 2023-11-21T13:03:28.320 | # Question
Title: Does an accelerometer in a Marlin-based Input Shaping setup compensate in real-time (during print) for vibration?
In addition to my question How to physically wire a (ADXL345) accelerometer for Input Shaping (Resonance Compensation) support on for a Ender 3 V2 printer?.
Does an accelerometer in a Marlin-based Input Shaping setup compensate in real-time (during print) for vibration? Or is it a one time (for example before print) measurement to determine a level of vibration and use that as the compensation scheme during a print, as in "not adapting to unexpected vibration"? Similar to how bed leveling is used.
If it does not do real-time compensation, what is the benefit of having an accelerometer compared to doing Input Shaping test prints instead?
# Answer
> 2 votes
Input shaping in 3D printers is typically implemented prior to the actual printing operation, not in real-time. It's based on the known characteristics of the printer rather than dynamic adjustments made during printing. This requires to be set-up and determined before printing. The printer's firmware is where you can define input-shaping.
### 3D printer firmware based input shaping
The resonant frequencies of the printer are determined through test prints and input into the firmware. The firmware then automatically applies the necessary adjustments to the motion commands during the printing process (it reads the G-code and applies the algorithms on motion changes). This is still not real-time adjustment; it's a predefined modification based on the printer's known characteristics.
### Real-time or not?
Input shaping is not a real-time control system that dynamically adjusts to changing conditions during a print. Instead, it's a method of optimizing the printer's motion commands based on its known mechanical properties and behavior (hardware determined). Why not real-time? Real-time control for input shaping in 3D printing would be complex and would require additional sensors and processing capabilities (controller board). The printer would need to continuously monitor its own vibrations and adjust its movements on the fly, which is not typically feasible with current consumer level 3D printing technology.
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Tags: marlin, input-shaping, resonance-compensation, vibration-compensation
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thread-21553 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21553 | Is there a possibility to print supports that have overhang themselves? | 2023-10-29T12:17:01.513 | # Question
Title: Is there a possibility to print supports that have overhang themselves?
I've been looking for various ways to cut down on material costs in my 3D prints. One of them is reducing material in supports, or trying to get rid of supports completely. I do not have a question on how to reduce by changing settings regarding the supports but rather the shape of the supports.
I have an old Creality Ender 3, but it has no issues with printing +/-45° overhangs. Cura generates pretty much vertical supports for anything above a 45° angle, which makes sense. but would it be possible to have a slicer generate support where the walls of said support have overhangs themselves? Another way of putting it, the bottom of the support has a small surface and slowly expands upwards to the size of the roof that it is supporting. As long as the angle is under 45° this should be sturdy, but cut down significantly on support material.
I tried the other support option Cura offers (tree) but it's nowhere near what I mean. I feel like I'm on to something I just wouldn't know how to approach it.
# Answer
It sounds like you're looking for Cura's "Conical Support" option, which I believe is still classified as "experimental" and not shown by default, but works great in my experience. Search for it and make it visible if it's not visible by default in your version of Cura.
The other option is using tree supports. These will naturally have overhangs (up to "Support Tree Angle"), but differ in lots of other ways that can make them a lot better or some what worse than "classic" supports depending on what you're trying to print.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I have successfully printed several things on a Creality Ender 3 V2 with Marlin 2.x firmware using the newly supported Tree Supports using the free Ultimaker Cura Slicer 5.5 as shown below:
Those supports are basically all overhangs and very easy to remove afterwards.
> 0 votes
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Tags: support-structures
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thread-21668 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21668 | Issues with slicer creating gaps with surfaces that are not in the model | 2023-11-22T22:49:02.310 | # Question
Title: Issues with slicer creating gaps with surfaces that are not in the model
I have an odd issue with Creality Slicer 4.8 (Cura slicer?)
It wants to cut up my model and add surfaces that do not exist in the model.
These screenshots are without infill or support:
Wire mesh view from behind and to the left (Blender)
I assume that since this model is a base 3D model from a game with the body, clothes, hairstyle, etc put on top, that I have overlooked something which is being interpreted as a surface break. I had a similar problem with the dress and boots, which I solved by tediously removing the inner details.
I have removed the back part of the "skull" and the top of the neck, trying to closed any gaps.
STL
How do I fix this issue?
I am printing on a Creality Ender 2.
# Answer
## Some Surfaces are likely inverted - which needs to be made visible.
To see that in blender, you need to turn on "surface normals". The blue spikes should go out of the surfaces, showing the item is properly aligned.
To flip those surfaces and make all show into the same direction, follow for example this answer Slicer is adding additional floor bed \- the relevant part for it here:
> * Enter Edit mode
> * `A` to select everything
> * `ALT` \+ `N` to recalculate normals
Another way to get the normals displayed is:
> * `N` then under `Mesh Display > Normals` hook `Faces`
> 5 votes
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Tags: 3d-models, slicing, creality-ender-2
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thread-21292 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21292 | Bad adhesion only when printing many small parts "all at once" - can't use Brim | 2023-08-08T09:46:29.647 | # Question
Title: Bad adhesion only when printing many small parts "all at once" - can't use Brim
There is a similar question First layer prints just fine, then at second or third layer the printer just unsticks the small parts and makes a mess. But the solution is "Use brim". And it sure works where brim can be used, but it can't be used in some situations.
I can print single parts of any size just fine, from small to big. I can print a lot of small parts using the "one at a time" option (complete one part before starting another) just fine, and it will be usually faster than the "all at once" (layer 0 of all parts, then layer 1 of all parts...).
Adding a bunch of brim helps, but it's not always viable. Recently I made a bunch of button caps, with manual material replacement mid-way, for labels on them. I managed by adding so much brim they all merged into one big surface at layer 0.
But if I wanted to print an articulated "chainmail" material, or similar print-in-place articulated prints, brim will be next to impossible to remove without breaking the fragile joints merging the pieces. How to solve this problem?
Material: PLA, Printer: Longer LK5 Pro (a close Ender 3s derivative, just big). Ceramic-coated glass bed. 60C bed temp, 200C nozzle temp, Octoprint. Tried both clean bed (water+detergent then isopropyl), and coating it with glue stick, problem persists.
# Answer
Having your printer properly calibrated, trammed and leveled and your bed perfectly cleaned is perhaps the most important, as well as using the proper z-offset, rods lubricated, relatively stable room temperature, for example not printing in front of an open window where wind at a different outdoor temperature can blow directly on your printer.
Some other potential solutions and considerations:
1. **Bed Temperature**: Slightly increase the bed temperature for the first few layers (up to 60°C for PLA) to enhance adhesion, then reduce it to the standard temperature for the subsequent layers. This can make a significant difference in the initial adhesion of small parts.
2. **Adhesion Enhancers**: Use adhesives such as glue stick or hairspray on the bed.
3. **Print Speed and Cooling Adjustments**: Reduce the printing speed for the first few layers to allow better adhesion. Simultaneously, minimize or turn off cooling fans for these initial layers. This ensures that the material has adequate time to bond to the bed before cooling and solidifying.
These methods are focused on enhancing the initial layer's adhesion to the bed, which is critical when printing multiple small parts. You probably need to experiment with these adjustments to find the optimal balance for your specific printer, filament and environment.
> 0 votes
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Tags: heated-bed, adhesion
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thread-20778 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20778 | Ultimaker 2 Go - Converting to Use 1.75 mm Filament | 2023-04-03T21:12:10.720 | # Question
Title: Ultimaker 2 Go - Converting to Use 1.75 mm Filament
I'm working on converting an Ultimaker 2 Go to use 1.75 mm filament. So far, I have replaced the bowden tube, replaced the feeder with this one: https://www.youmagine.com/designs/alternative-feeder-1-75mm-version#information, and changed slicer/machine settings.
An issue I am having is grinding at regular intervals, causing severe inconsistent extrusion. Messing with the feeder tension does not do anything. So, I am wondering if upgrading the hotend to an e3D V6 will solve it. Is there anything else to consider? I also wonder if the problem has to do with the knurled drivegear. Would this work fine with 1.75 mm filament?
\`
# Answer
Figured this out a while ago, but I thought I might as well update this.
So the issue was simply there was not enough tension, and that pretty much solved all the problems. I also did end up using an E3D v6 1.75 mm hotend.
Right now, I'm working on making it print faster. I am using klipper on a Raspberry Pi Zero W, and I'm playing with different fan ducts to improve part cooling.
> 1 votes
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Tags: extruder, hotend, e3d-v6, ultimaker-2
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thread-21589 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21589 | What is the lifespan of nozzles, and does the nozzle diameter affect the lifespan? | 2023-11-05T17:33:55.923 | # Question
Title: What is the lifespan of nozzles, and does the nozzle diameter affect the lifespan?
What is the average or recommended lifespan for standard Creality printer nozzles used with non-abrasive standard PLA only? What is a proper metric for that, time used, time heated, filament meters that passed through?
Does the nozzle diameter affect the lifespan?
*I know nozzles are cheap, but I'm asking because I'm thinking of writing a maintenance tracking plugin for printer parts in OctoPrint.*
# Answer
> 1 votes
## Print material matters more
Non-abrasive materials can leave a soft brass nozzle live for dozens of filament spools without noticeable degradation, especially if the nozzle tip is hot enough to keep it above melting point and does not scrape over cooler areas. However, abrasive filaments can eat a nozzle within just a couple gross meters. One of the worst offenders is Carbon-Fiber or Glass-Fiber infused material, requiring, for example, ruby-tipped nozzles, or glass-nozzles to withstand more than about 300 meters (~2 Gross).
Note that any filled filament is abrasive to some degree, and nobody advertises with the fact that the filament is abrasive.
## Nozzle formfactor impact
A larger nozzle allows the extrusion of more plastic per time. The plastic itself, as it cools, can act as an abrasive itself. So to a degree, nozzle geometry will have an impact on the print. A flat around the nozzle orifice such as with the venerable e3D v6 nozzle design can help in keeping the orifice intact a little longer (as the nozzle has more thermal mass and can press down the filament further away from the orifice), but a thinner tip has other benefits (such as reacting faster to temperature change) at the cost of longevity in this one regard.
## Nozzle diameter impact?
Typically, nozzles wear much faster and lose their tip from grinding on the printed material than that the material getting pushed through them starts to bore out the nozzle. This can be seen very well in the experiments Stefan/CNC Kitchen conducted. Also here.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, nozzle, maintenance
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thread-21598 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21598 | Does additional thermal runaway in OctoPrint add anything and shouldn't it use a smart plug to kill power instead? | 2023-11-06T11:07:55.847 | # Question
Title: Does additional thermal runaway in OctoPrint add anything and shouldn't it use a smart plug to kill power instead?
With the following thought in mind: 'Two eyes are better than one' does additional Thermal Runaway detection in OctoPrint add any benefit?
This OctoPrint-ThermalRunaway Plugin seems to add a basic ThermalRunaway detection in OctoPrint. I understand all the smart disclaimers he makes. Security-wise, of course, we should prefer mechanical over firmware, and firmware over external software (OctoPrint). And I think printers that don't have at least any kind of firmware runaway protection should be trashed instantly.
However, assuming you already have a printer running firmware runaway protection would this OctoPlugin add any value, 'in case firmware runaway protection' somehow fails?
**Related**: Firmware runaway detection as well as the mentioned 'solution' in OctoPrint are based on sending an emergency gcode to the board and performing an emergency shutdown.
> Wouldn't it be better, more secure if the power was cut from the printer entirely? Eg. instead of an OctoPrint plugin sending an emergency g-code, it sending an power disable command to a smart plug (API)?
> <sub>Source: Octoprint-ThermalRunaway issue</sub>
# Answer
It can save prints in specific situations. If you set maximum temperature lower than the one configured in the firmware, and configure the command set to cause printer to stop heating instead of stopping altogether, it is possible that plugin will stop printer from overheating before printer will panic and stop mid-print.
This, of course, does not replace other protections, but I recently lost a couple of hours of printing due to stupid error on my part, and this plugin might have prevented it.
It shouldn't be used instead of firmware protection. But I can see how it can be use to supplement it.
> 2 votes
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Tags: firmware, octoprint, thermal-runaway
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thread-21686 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21686 | How can I split at line at an already existing point? | 2023-11-27T23:30:23.550 | # Question
Title: How can I split at line at an already existing point?
I've got a line with a point constrained to it. I would like to split my line at the point. The "Split Edge" tool will allow me to split the line anywhere but at that point. How can I split at line at an existing point?
# Answer
> 2 votes
I figured it out. Splitting at that specific point makes no sense because the split wouldn't be constrained to it at all. It would just be confusing.
The way to do this is to split somewhere else on the line, then constrain the split point to the existing point.
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Tags: freecad
--- |
thread-21683 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21683 | Is there a way to send a thumbnail to the printer LCD screen when printing over USB from OctoPrint? | 2023-11-27T19:22:34.770 | # Question
Title: Is there a way to send a thumbnail to the printer LCD screen when printing over USB from OctoPrint?
I'm using Cura Thumbnails using a plugin in Cura 5.5. Also, I use the Marlin-based mriscoc firmware on a Creality Ender 3 V2 with OctoPrint using OctoPi on a Raspberry Pi 4.
The firmware supposedly supports Thumbnail's preview when printed from an SD card, although I never tried. I can also view the Thumbnail in the OctoPrint UI. I print only using USB, controlled by OctoPrint on my Raspberry Pi.
Is it possible to send the Thumbnail to the printer LCD when a print is started from OctoPrint? In a similar way to how I have to add 'Show Progress on printer LCD' using a Cura plugin to follow the progress on the printer LCD when OctoPrint controls it.
# Answer
No, it is currently not possible to see the thumbnail in the printer screen if the G-code is being printed from a host like Octoprint. It is technically possible if the same G-code exists on the SD card or if the user can wait about 5 to 10 minutes for the binary jpeg image to be transferred to the SD card using the serial protocol. But I don't think it's worth the effort.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: marlin, octoprint, usb, mriscoc, octopi
--- |
thread-21660 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21660 | How to physically wire a (ADXL345) accelerometer for Input Shaping (Resonance Compensation) support on for a Ender 3 V2 printer? | 2023-11-21T12:53:22.077 | # Question
Title: How to physically wire a (ADXL345) accelerometer for Input Shaping (Resonance Compensation) support on for a Ender 3 V2 printer?
I'm looking into Input Shaping (Resonance Compensation) to compensate for vibration on an Ender 3 V2. I found the "Official Creality G-Sensor ADXL345 Vibration Compensation Sensor for Sonic Pad 3D Printed Smart Pad" which I guess, unlike the name suggests, can work on more than just the Sonic Pad.
I have a fairly stock Creality Ender 3 V2 printer running the Marlin based mriscoc firmware. Marlin Firmware supports Input Shaping (M593) and so does the mriscoc firmware.
The Marlin documentation states:
> It’s not always easy to attach an accelerometer to most printer boards, so Marlin doesn’t provide accelerator-based tuning. If you have that information you can use it.
The mriscoc firmware documentation, which is specifically for Ender 3 V2 and Marlin based, states:
> The IS parameters are the resonance frequencies of your printer’s X and Y axes, which **can be measured using an accelerometer** or a test print
I'm thinking to buy the bare ADXL345 accelerometer. Is it possible to wire this up, and if so, how do I wire this accelerometer to my 4.2.2 board? I guess I can than continue by simply flashing the IS enabled firmware of mriscoc to get it supported in the firmware.
# Answer
Currently Marlin does not provide a way to get the resonance frequencies by using an accelerometer and possibly never will because of the lack of resources in current printer boards. You can get those values by other medium and save them as Marlin IS parameters. It is possible to estimate the resonance frequencies by test prints.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: creality-ender-3, input-shaping, resonance-compensation, mriscoc, vibration-compensation
--- |
thread-18610 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/18610 | Using the BLTouch to assist with manual bed levelling? | 2021-12-21T05:26:24.230 | # Question
Title: Using the BLTouch to assist with manual bed levelling?
I struggle with paper levelling and find it to be excessively coarse and unspecific. I bought a 3DTouch, but I still need to make the bed generally level using the knobs. Otherwise, the print will be uneven.
Is there some method that would allow me to probe an area with the BLTouch, see the value, adjust the knob, and repeat? And do this at each corner?
I thought the G30 command in Marlin would achieve this, but I consistently get slanted prints when using G30 at each corner.
I thought this would be a very good approach, since the BLTouch is directly on the carriage, and I would be able see the height of each corner to a hundredth of a milimeter.
I tried searching for this online, but I couldn't find specific resources and what I am proposing seems to be very rare or doesn't even exist.
Is there a way I can use my BLTouch to assist with manually adjusting the knobs of my 3D printer bed?
# Answer
> 2 votes
Yes, you can use your BLTouch to assist with 'manual leveling', if your firmware supports it. To avoid confusion, the proper term for 'manually leveling' is 'bed tramming'. Some firmware has a 'Bed Tramming Wizard' like the Marlin-based mriscoc firmware. The mriscoc's Bed Tramming Wizard is well documented.
Below is an example of how it would look on an Ender 3 V2 or S1.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, marlin, bed-leveling, calibration, bltouch
--- |
thread-3098 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3098 | How can I determine whether my borosilicate glass is fake or not? | 2016-11-27T21:38:22.680 | # Question
Title: How can I determine whether my borosilicate glass is fake or not?
Is there actually a way to determine whether the sheet of glass that one has received from a Chinese supplier on eBay is actually a sheet of Borosilicate glass, and not just a piece of normal glass intended for glazing purposes?
Are there any laminations, or markings/features, visible under a certain light or if the sheet is viewed at a particular angle?
I ask because most of the 200 x 300 mm sheets on eBay are priced at around £16 - £26, but there are a few priced at just £10, which still claim to be toughened glass, although they do not mention the word Borosilicate, such as this one, 300x200x3mm 3D Printer Heated Bed Toughened Glass Clear Build Plate UK STOCK.
To paraphrase, "Usually if things seem to good to be true, then they are probably fake." However, I wondered whether it was worth a punt as it is only £10, and then if I would be able to verify its veracity once it was in my hands.
# Answer
Google turned up this thread: http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?t=96214
There don't seem to be any easy, definitive tests. You have two main options, both of which seem to require a fairly high level of laboratory skill (but nothing fancy in terms of equipment).
The refractive index of Borosilicate glass is very similar to vegetable oil (implying no reflection from a boundary if you have a pool of oil on the glass).
The density of the glass can be measured too, using a water bath. This should also be able to give a fairly accurate answer.
Stress testing seems the most reliable way to determine if you have a 'good' sample, but may be more expensive.
> 3 votes
# Answer
All you have to do is submerge your sample of glass into mineral oil. If it seems to disappear, it's borosilicate.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Some more details about a suggestion made to the answer on How can I determine whether my borosilicate glass is fake or not?.
Submerging the glass in mineral oil should make it disappear if it is borosilicate glass, as demonstrated below. This phenomenon is known as the "index matching" effect. The index of refraction of borosilicate glass is n=1.47, and that of mineral oil is also around n=1.47, depending on the type of mineral oil used. However, as mentioned in this comment, other types of glass might have a similar or close refraction index, making it hard to distinguish borosilicate from non-borosilicate using this test alone.
> The borosilicate glass and the oil have roughly the same index of refraction. When this beaker is immersed into a container of oil, the beaker becomes invisible.
<sup>Source: The Disappearing Beaker Experiment</sup>
> 1 votes
# Answer
> "toughened" glass,
Lead, cadmium and barium would have that effect. It goes without saying that you wouldn't want that kind of glass anywhere near your neighborhood.
Even those items that mention borosilicate glass in the product description may have never seen any boron.
Some studies have found that more than 90% of items sourced from China are fraudulently labeled. There is no enforcement.
While stats say nothing about any particular sample, I'd certainly keep them in mind.
> -4 votes
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Tags: build-plate
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thread-19087 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19087 | How to encrypt the WiFi password in the OctoPi config file? | 2022-03-12T17:05:17.807 | # Question
Title: How to encrypt the WiFi password in the OctoPi config file?
I recently changed the password of my WiFi and updated the file in the `/boot` folder of the OctoPrint's OS running on my Raspberry Pi.
Yet, it is now in plain text, and I would like to avoid storing it that way. What can I do to make the file more secure?
The automatic configuration from the Raspberry Pi imager generated an encrypted version of the password. But I'm not planning to flash everything again, so that's not an option.
# Answer
> 3 votes
There is no way to store it that's "more secure". In order to connect to the network, a device needs the password. The configuration tool you used likely just stored an encoded (which means roughly the *opposite* of encrypted, despite many people not understanding the difference) form of the password. To store it encrypted would require also storing a decryption key to decrypt and use it, but then whoever reads the SD card could just read the key too.
There is nothing special about a Raspberry Pi in this. Your PCs, phones, etc. all store wifi passwords in a form that can be read back, and that is read back every time they use them to connect to a network. If they don't make it easy for you the human user to read back the password, that's simply a user interface choice they've made to give you a false sense of safety, not any actual security boundary.
# Answer
> 1 votes
It's not a direct answer to the question but rather an alternative worth mentioning in this context. Avoid saving your password in plain text on the SD card of the Raspberry Pi by not to use WiFi and using an ethernet cable instead.
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Tags: octoprint, raspberry-pi, wi-fi, octopi
--- |
thread-21679 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21679 | What material is Prusa mk3s+ hotend heaterblock made of? | 2023-11-27T10:27:04.893 | # Question
Title: What material is Prusa mk3s+ hotend heaterblock made of?
My heaterblock is in a poor state after the heater malfunction. Before I'll buy a spare, I want to ask what material is the original block made of? I don't see it on the product page.
Available spares and replacements are made of aluminum, brass, and copper, the latter two in plated and not plated versions. Original is, obviously, aluminum or plated something. Aluminum 3rd party replacements are 10 times cheaper than brass or copper ones. So, before I'll buy expensive one, I want to know if I really have to.
If original is aluminum, the supplemental question would be why to buy plated copper despite the price difference.
# Answer
> 5 votes
## Aluminum
At 9.20 grams (around 0.32 ounces) including screws and some soot I wasn't able to clean out, it can't be anything but aluminum.
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Tags: prusa-i3, hotend, replacement-parts
--- |
thread-21703 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21703 | How to add a 2x2 mm hole to a SCAD file? | 2023-11-29T21:19:31.243 | # Question
Title: How to add a 2x2 mm hole to a SCAD file?
I'm trying to modify this code to create a small 2 mm x 2 mm hole on the short side of the box (to fit 2 wires coming out of a battery):
```
// Which one would you like to see?
part = "both"; // [box:Box only, top: Top cover only, both: Box and top cover]
// Size of your printer's nozzle in mm
nozzle_size = 0.35;
// Number of walls the print should have
number_of_walls = 3; // [1:5]
// Tolerance (use 0.2 for FDM)
tolerance = 0.2; // [0.1:0.1:0.4]
// Interior dimension X in mm
interior_x=70;
// Interior dimension Y in mm
interior_y=21;
// Interior dimension Z in mm
interior_z=17;
// interior corner radius in mm
radius=0; // [0:20]
// What fraction of the flat X side should the hook take up? (0 for no hook)
x_hook_fraction = 0.5; // [0:0.1:1.0]
// What fraction of the flat Y side should the hook take up? (0 for no hook)
y_hook_fraction = 0.5; // [0:0.1:1.0]
// What fraction of the hooks should have a slot behind them? (0 for no slot)
slot_length = 0.7; // [0:0.1:1]
/* Hidden */
$fn=100;
wall_thickness=nozzle_size*number_of_walls;
// Outer dimensions
x = interior_x + 2 * wall_thickness;
y = interior_y + 2 * wall_thickness;
z = interior_z + 2 * wall_thickness;
hook_thickness = 3 * nozzle_size;
top_cover_wall_thickness = hook_thickness + wall_thickness;
y_hook_length = (y - 2 * radius) * y_hook_fraction;
x_hook_length = (x - 2 * radius) * x_hook_fraction;
module box_interior () {
offset(r=radius) {
square([interior_x-2*radius, interior_y-2*radius], center=true);
}
}
module box_exterior () {
offset(r=wall_thickness) {
box_interior();
}
}
module bottom_box () {
difference(){
// Solid box
linear_extrude(z-wall_thickness){
box_exterior();
}
// Hollow out
translate([0,0,wall_thickness]) linear_extrude(z){
box_interior();
}
left_slot();
rotate([180,180,0]) left_slot(); // right slot
front_slot();
rotate([180,180,0]) front_slot(); // back slot
}
left_hook(); // left hook
rotate([180,180,0]) left_hook(); // right hook
front_hook(); // front hook
rotate([180,180,0]) front_hook(); // back hook
}
module left_hook () {
translate([(x-2*wall_thickness)/2,-y_hook_length/2,z-wall_thickness]) rotate([0,90,90]) {
base_hook(y_hook_length);
}
}
module front_hook () {
translate([-x_hook_length/2,-y/2+wall_thickness,z-wall_thickness]) rotate([90,90,90]) {
base_hook(x_hook_length);
}
}
module base_hook (hook_length) {
difference(){
linear_extrude(hook_length){
polygon(points=[[0,0],[2*hook_thickness,0],[hook_thickness,hook_thickness]]);
}
translate([hook_thickness, hook_thickness, 0]) rotate([45,0,0]) cube(2*hook_thickness, center=true);
translate([hook_thickness, hook_thickness, hook_length]) rotate([45,0,0]) cube(2*hook_thickness, center=true);
}
}
module left_slot () {
slot_length = y_hook_length*slot_length;
epsilon=2; // ensure it definitely protrudes
translate([x/2+epsilon,-slot_length/2,z]) rotate([0,90,90]) {
cube([2*hook_thickness, wall_thickness+epsilon, slot_length]);
}
}
module front_slot () {
slot_length = x_hook_length*slot_length;
epsilon=2; // ensure it definitely protrudes
translate([-slot_length/2,-y/2-epsilon,z]) rotate([90,90,90]) {
cube([2*hook_thickness, wall_thickness+epsilon, slot_length]);
}
}
module right_groove () {
translate([-tolerance/2+(x-2*wall_thickness)/2,-y_hook_length/2,wall_thickness+hook_thickness*2]) rotate([0,90,90]) linear_extrude(y_hook_length) {
base_groove();
}
}
module front_groove () {
translate([-x_hook_length/2,-y/2+wall_thickness+tolerance/2,wall_thickness+hook_thickness*2]) rotate([90,90,90]) linear_extrude(x_hook_length){
base_groove();
}
}
module base_groove () {
polygon(points=[[0,0],[0, -1], [2*hook_thickness, -1],[2*hook_thickness,0],[hook_thickness,hook_thickness]]);
}
module top_cover () {
// Top face
linear_extrude(wall_thickness) {
box_exterior();
}
difference(){
// Wall of top cover
inset = wall_thickness + tolerance/2;
linear_extrude(wall_thickness+hook_thickness*2){
offset(r=-inset) {
box_exterior();
}
}
// Hollow out
translate([0,0,wall_thickness]) linear_extrude(z){
offset(r=-wall_thickness*2) {
offset(r=-inset) {
box_exterior();
}
}
}
right_groove();
rotate([180,180,0]) right_groove();
front_groove();
rotate([180,180,0]) front_groove();
}
}
// left_hook();
print_part();
module print_part() {
if (part == "box") {
bottom_box();
} else if (part == "top") {
top_cover();
} else if (part == "both") {
both();
} else {
both();
}
}
module both() {
translate([0,-(y/2+wall_thickness),0]) bottom_box();
translate([0,+(y/2+wall_thickness),0]) top_cover();
}
```
I've tried something like this but it doesn't work:
```
// Adding a hole to the short side of the box
translate([interior_x / 2, interior_y - hole_size / 2, interior_z / 2])
cube([hole_size, hole_size, interior_z], center=true);
```
# Answer
> 1 votes
You can use the `difference()` function in OpenSCAD to subtract one or more 3D shapes from another. Source: The documentation for the difference() function.
For reference, your code already does that several times. Something like this:
```
module bottom_box () {
difference(){
// Existing code ...
// Subtract the hole
translate([hole_position_x, hole_position_y, hole_position_z])
cube([hole_size, hole_depth, hole_size], center=true);
}
// Rest of the code ...
}
```
### Two cube examples
Below are two examples of a cube with and without a hole (in the bottom) that, for testing, can be rendered in your browser on openscad.cloud:
#### 1. Model without a hole
```
cube_size = 20;
module simple_cube() {
cube(cube_size);
}
simple_cube();
```
Example of a model without a hole on openscad. cloud.
#### 2. Model with a hole
```
cube_size = 20;
hole_size = 2;
module cube_with_hole() {
difference() {
cube(cube_size);
translate([cube_size / 2, cube_size / 2, 0])
cube([hole_size, hole_size, cube_size], center=true);
}
}
cube_with_hole();
```
Example of a model with a hole in the bottom on openscad. cloud.
---
Tags: 3d-models, 3d-design, openscad
--- |
thread-21705 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21705 | Are there any slicers that use anti-aliasing (such as FXAA) for higher quality thumbnail generation? | 2023-11-30T09:30:55.337 | # Question
Title: Are there any slicers that use anti-aliasing (such as FXAA) for higher quality thumbnail generation?
I use the Cura Thumbnails plugin to create and embed thumbnails in my G-code to view them using OctoPrint or my printer LCD. However, I recently found much higher quality Thumbnails that were generated using fast approximate anti-aliasing (FXAA). I was wondering if there is a way to enable or use another tool (slicer) to embed higher-quality thumbnails that were generated using anti-aliasing methods such as FXAA. For example, as generated by the tool unlimitedbacon/stl-thumb as shown below:
### An example of thumbnails generated with that tool:
### An example of a thumbnail generated without and with FXAA:
# Answer
> 0 votes
As of May 2023, Cura is working on it as described in this Github issue Ultimaker/Cura/issues/7447. One user suggests the use of the spatial anti-aliasing method supersampling anti-aliasing (SSAA) instead.
---
Tags: slicing, thumbnail
--- |
thread-21701 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21701 | Processes & Materials for Part | 2023-11-29T17:36:04.277 | # Question
Title: Processes & Materials for Part
I have a large part, a chute that measures 638.54 × 152 × 369.05 mm, with a 2 or 3 mm wall thickness. This part was originally was ABS that was injection molded. Smoothness is required on the inside of the chute and rigidity is important as it could be removed several times per week. I can have it printed in Nylon PA12 with either MJF or SLS or in ABS with the FDM process with 100 % infill.
I had one printed in Somos Evolve material and it was much too weak and could break easily.
What is the best recommendation for material/process that could replace this ABS injection molded part?
# Answer
## This shape wasn't designed for 3D printing
Some of your requirements are contradictory in 3D printing context.
1. Smoothness inside indicates that you need SLA or DLP process.
2. 2mm walls will be too brittle using SLA/DLP.
3. Being able to be removed and reinstalled couple of times per week pretty much requires FDM with great layer adhesion.
4. Sharp 90° angles we see on the picture exclude FDM print if you want it to be sturdy.
If you want to print it, you need to redesign it in a way that will remove issues above - make walls thicker, chamfer or round all the 90° angles, and forgo the smoothness requirement on the inside, or figure a way to line it with something like automotive filling primer.
**ABS Injection** is the only way to replicate it exactly and keep its functional parameters.
**Alternatively**, print a mold, and remake the item using carbon or glass fiber pre-pregs. It will be light (carbon variant), extraordinarily sturdy and stiff, and you can use gelcoat or polishing to get it smoother than prints will ever be. You will still need to decide where shape of the internal surface is important, and where the outside takes precedence, and I still strongly recommend to round out all 90° angles, but rounding radius can be smaller, as long as you are comfortable with forcing pre-preg to follow it. It'll just make your life easier to have them larger.
There is a lot of tutorials on the Internet on how to do it, but I believe specific issue with this method belong to a follow-up question, not here.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: fdm, abs, nylon, sls
--- |
thread-21708 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21708 | How can a force sensor automatically determine the Z-offset? | 2023-11-30T12:56:20.580 | # Question
Title: How can a force sensor automatically determine the Z-offset?
The Creality Ender 3 V3 SE, apart from auto bed leveling (ABL), also has a way to calculate the Z-offset automatically. A feature I didn't hear about before.
According to a Maker's Muse video, it's based on a force sensor as shown below.
How does this concept work? How can a force sensor automatically determine the Z-offset?
# Answer
The Z-offset is the distance between the nozzle and the triggerpoint, see e.g. this answer of question Automatic Bed Leveling (ABL) with a sensor (BLTouch, inductive, capacitive), how does it work?.
A "force sensor" as called in the question is actually a strain guage; deflection will cause a different electrical resistance which is a measure for the applied stress. These sensors are frequently found in aircraft to measure the strains (as a measure for the stresses) in the structure, e.g. wing spars, (pressure) bulkheads or frames, as part of structural health monitoring (e.g. to compare to the design spectrum of the OEM).
In theory the Z-offset with a strain gauge is non existent if you use such a sensor for ABL except that you may need to corect for possible flexing of the bed or the hot end assembly and a paper offset (default distance to allow better flow and adhesion).
However, the system referenced in the question is an Ender 3 V3 SE with an ABL system and a strain gauge.
> **Relax, Let Auto Leveling Do It**
> Leveling is the basis of print quality. Ender-3 V3 SE features a CR Touch sensor for auto leveling and a strain sensor for auto Z offset. No need to turn screws or pull a paper. Just lie back and enjoy the print success.
This implies that the strain gauge is not used to determine the level of the bed, instead the surface of the build plate is scanned/mapped by the CR Touch (BLTouch clone) sensor. In order to map this scanned surface to the correct height, a test point with the nozzle hitting the buildplate (and as such causing the strain gauge to measure that the nozzle touches the surface) is used to set the Z-offset based on this measurement. Without such a strain gauge, the printer user needs to do that manually; this is the process where you set the offset using the `M851` G-code command. Instead of the user lowering the nozzle until a piece of paper can be dragged with a little resistance to determine the "true zero position" of the Z-axis, the triggering of the strain gauge and the automatic handling by the Creality software will do that for you.
To explain the automatic calculation of the Z-offset in this printer is that the Creality Ender 3 V3 SE first calibrates the Z-offset with the help of a pressure of strain-gauge sensor mounted under the front left corner of the print bed, there is a strain-gauge sensor which can detects deformation on the structure that is mounted on.
Knowing the exact position of the nozzle and the position (height) of the trigger point of the leveling sensor, the Z-offset can be calculated and set. That height is then put into the `M851` G-code command to set the Z-offset. This is exactly how you would do this manually other than you usually use a sheet of paper or a feeler gauge between the nozzle and the bed. The automatic calculation will surely make a correction for that (e.g. there could be play in the nozzle assembly).
> 2 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, automatic-bed-leveling, z-offset, sensors
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thread-21717 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21717 | Is there a distribution of OctoPrint for Raspberry Pi 4b that's not headless? | 2023-12-01T15:14:35.783 | # Question
Title: Is there a distribution of OctoPrint for Raspberry Pi 4b that's not headless?
I finally managed to get my Raspberry Pi 4b and make it work with a touchscreen. Previously I was using Pi 400 but I want to move to the touchscreen setup.
Is there a distro of Octoprint for Raspberry that is not headless, and instead uses the screen? I'm OK with a fullscreen browser with https://localhost.local open on it, I don't fancy trying to add everything from scratch.
# Answer
I assume you're using OctoPi. There is no such version that I'm aware of. However, you could relatively quickly run a OctoPrint container using Docker on the Raspberry Pi or install it on the without a Docker container on the Pi, for example, using Debian OS or maybe even on Raspbian.
This way, you have an OS with GUI and can open the browser and access the local OctoPrint GUI in the local browser. I don't know if this will cause much overhead in terms of performance, which could affect your prints if it's lagging too much. It probably will need active cooling or at least a heatsink.
*Nice display. I agree that it would be nice to see an OctoPi version with a local GUI, preferably optimized for a small (touch) screen; perhaps you can request that feature on GitHub and refer to this question.*
> 1 votes
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Tags: octoprint, raspberry-pi, octopi
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thread-21720 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21720 | How to recover forgotten SSH password in OctoPi? | 2023-12-01T20:29:12.197 | # Question
Title: How to recover forgotten SSH password in OctoPi?
I have forgotten my OctoPi SSH password. Now I want to install X server and browser for touch UI. How can I recover that password without deleting it all to the ground and reinstalling it?
# Answer
> 1 votes
foosel, Project Leader of OctoPrint, helpfully provided a solution just for us:
Turn off the Raspberry Pi and then:
> Take the SD card out, put it in a card reader. Create a file octopi-password.txt on it, containing a new password as it's only line. Unmount, boot, login with the new password.
You can do it in Windows, because you need to put it on the Boot partition, the only one that mounts.
---
Tags: octopi
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thread-21712 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21712 | Are there any electrically-conductive SLA resins? | 2023-12-01T03:34:02.990 | # Question
Title: Are there any electrically-conductive SLA resins?
I'm looking for an SLA resin that's electrically conductive. But, there don't seem to be any DIY or cheap formulations for electrically conductive resin.
If it were easy to do, we'd all be making circuits with electrically conductive resin. So I think that level of conductivity is probably not going to be available for a while. And I guess beyond the scope of this question. Likewise, a resin that was conductive enough for electroplating is also beyond the scope of this question.
A guy on YouTube mixed 5% graphite with resin and got 1.4 MΩ on his multimeter when the electrodes were placed about 2 cm apart. This is useful for electrostatic discharge but not much else. I'd like something more conductive than that.
I would like something similar to ProtoPasta conductive PLA, which has about 400-2000 Ω of resistance when you measure it 2 cm apart on a multimeter. It's not that good, but it's enough for a touch screen or button, for example. Someone on Reddit mentioned that people had formulated this before, but I can't find any evidence of that. At least, not with SLA resin - just that FDM stuff.
I even tried my hand at this a few months ago. I mixed some kind of generic resin with chopped carbon fibers, but it was kind of weird. The chopped fibers stuck out the edges of the final print, and were never really spread around that well. It was conductive but highly **ansiotropic**. It also looked horrible. The fibers clumped together in the uncured (and cured) resin, and it was not possible to keep them well-dispersed in the mixture throughout the print.
Does anyone have a good 1) cheap supplier or 2) cheap & simple DIY formulation for creating this kind of resin?
# Answer
> 1 votes
## There are.
You will find them under the name "conductive UV resins and additives" and you can mix and match resins and additives to get desired properties. Of course the better conductivity, the worse printability most of the time.
From the first manufacturer I was able to find (emphasis mine):
> Our innovative Conductive 3Dresyns have been designed to have excellent dispersibility and stability, without agglomeration issues, of pre and/ or post added metallic, inorganic and organic conductive and semiconductive materials for ultra fast additive **manufacturing of high-performance electronic devices such as OLEDs, OPVs, OTFTs, PCBs, etc** 3D printed at micron resolution (\<20-30 microns) with SLA, DLP, LCD and Inkjet 3D printing.
I do not endorse this manufacturer or their products. I'm only using them as a proof of existence of the materials in question.
# Answer
> -1 votes
You could just use conductive paint, it's under $20 usually for the basics.
Bareconductive is the only one I've used, worked well enough for my simple project. Other products might be better.
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Tags: resin, sla
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thread-20748 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20748 | Math in Cura start G-code expressions? | 2023-03-30T13:42:11.850 | # Question
Title: Math in Cura start G-code expressions?
My printer's hot end heats up way faster than the bed. Still, it takes its sweet time, and Cura's default startup sequence: heat the bed, wait for bed to reach target temperature, heat hot-end, wait to reach hot-end temperature, proceed - takes considerably more that it should.
```
M140 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ;Start heating bed
M190 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ;Wait for bed to reach temp
M104 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ;Start heating extruder
M109 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ;Wait for extruder to reach temp
```
Sure I could start heating both to target temperature simultaneously and then wait for both, but then I'll be baking unmoving filament in the nozzle for much longer than necessary. What I'd like to do is to start heating the nozzle when the bed is about 20 °C short of its target temperature - that causes them to reach their target temperatures nearly simultaneously. Something along the lines of:
```
M140 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ;Start heating bed
M190 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0 - 20} ;Wait for bed to be 20 degrees before target
M104 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ;Start heating extruder
M190 S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0} ;Wait for bed to reach temp
M109 S{material_print_temperature_layer_0} ;Wait for extruder to reach temp
```
Except `S{material_bed_temperature_layer_0 - 20}` isn't recognized as a valid substitution.
How can I achieve the desired effect?
# Answer
You can't do this entirely in start gcode templates, but you **can** do it by first adding a custom setting to the json file for your printer profile or the base `fdmprinter.def.json` file most profiles derive from. It would look something like (copied from my copy of `fdmprinter.def.json`'s `material_bed_temperature_layer_0` definition:
```
"material_bed_temperature_preheat":
{
"label": "Build Plate Preheat Temperature",
"description": "The temperature used for preheating the heated build plate.",
"unit": "°C",
"type": "float",
"resolve": "max(extruderValues('material_bed_temperature_layer_0'))",
"default_value": 40,
"value": "resolveOrValue('material_bed_temperature_layer_0 - 20')",
"minimum_value": "-273.15",
"minimum_value_warning": "max(build_volume_temperature, max(extruderValues('material_bed_temperature')))",
"maximum_value_warning": "130",
"maximum_value": "200",
"enabled": "machine_heated_bed and machine_gcode_flavor != \"UltiGCode\"",
"settable_per_mesh": false,
"settable_per_extruder": false,
"settable_per_meshgroup": false
},
```
Alternatively, you could set `enabled` for it to `false` so it won't show up in settings, avoid the nice description and stuff, and name it something like `material_bed_temperature_layer_0_minus_20`.
In either case you can then use the new setting in your start gcode.
> 3 votes
# Answer
None of the above examples work, because the settings parser is more complex than that.
So you can achieve preheated temperatures by adding the following modification to the `fdmprinter.def.json` file:
```
"material_bed_temperature_pre":
{
"label": "Build Plate Preheat Temperature",
"description": "The temperature used for preheating the heated build plate.",
"unit": "°C",
"type": "float",
"resolve": "material_bed_temperature_pre",
"default_value": "material_bed_temperature_layer_0 - 8",
"value": "material_bed_temperature_layer_0 - 8",
"minimum_value": "0",
"minimum_value_warning": "max(build_volume_temperature, max(extruderValues('material_bed_temperature')))",
"maximum_value_warning": "130",
"maximum_value": "200",
"enabled": "false",
"settable_per_mesh": false,
"settable_per_extruder": false,
"settable_per_meshgroup": false
},
```
A probable reason why the previous suggestions fail is that the code completion will see the inclusion as some sort of conflict/default as it is not listed in the settings ("enabled = false"). When there is conflict, it attempts to resolve it based on the "resolve" field, equating to the layer\_0 setting in an incorrect example.
So the value can be something else than what is listed in the "value" category depending on circumstances. With this addition, the value has no other choice than to compute the preheated temperature based on layer\_0 temperature.
For nozzle temperatures, I use fixed value which does not yet cause oozing of most materials during the small mismatch of sync period.
The setting in the G-code generator is as follows:
```
M190 S{material_bed_temperature_pre} ;Initial bed temperature, wait
M140 S{material_bed_temperature} ; start heating the bed
M104 S180 ;Hotend initial target, no wait
G28 ;Home
G1 Z15.0 F1200 ;Move the platform down 15mm
M104 S{material_print_temperature} ;Hotend actual target, no wait
M190 S{material_bed_temperature} ;Target bed temperature, wait
M109 S{material_print_temperature} T0 ; wait for hotend
```
So first we wait for the bed to reach preheat temperatures, which takes some time. Then, the bed temperature is set to target and the nozzle is to preheat levels, but in the background.
During this, we moved to the home position.
Finally, in sequence ultimate target for the nozzle is no wait, and then we stay until the bed temperature is final. To make sure the nozzle is at the final temperature (if it was not reached during bed heat up), we wait for it until it goes to actual printing.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Cura doesn't allow math operations in G-code scripts, if you want to do that you should use Slic3r or PrusaSlicer.
See e.g. this question or this question asked on the UltiMaker community.
> 1 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, g-code, heated-bed
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thread-21713 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21713 | Can you identify filament type by filament burn test (and additional observations)? | 2023-12-01T05:47:14.780 | # Question
Title: Can you identify filament type by filament burn test (and additional observations)?
I read some pages about 3D filament burn test.
I have a white filament and made the burn test and not only it caught fire immediately and crackled (noise), but also I burned just 1 cm of it and it speckled black spots on the entire surface and furniture in my kitchen, just by burning a centimeter.
I've no idea of what type of filament this is.
It's white, not very elastic, it doesn't get too mechanically damaged when I fold it. On the other hand, it is a little translucent (just a little) but becomes opaque with the slightest fold.
In the picture, the dark parts are in reality white opaque parts, the the back light show then dark. The clear parts are part and slightly transparents.
When I bend this filament, it doesn't look anything like PLA or ABS, it's much more flexible and remembers the folds better.
This filament is not soluble at all.
What kind of filament could this be?
# Answer
It's impossible to judge based on the photos alone; the properties you describe and the photos, to me, look similar to the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) I've recently been testing. But my reference is only PLA and DHA, and it's a relatively new type of filament so, that is unlikely. Knowing when and where you got it, is perhaps relevant for context. Perhaps adding information about the smell when extruded, or colors of smoke or flame when burned, the observed melting point could help narrow it down too.
Generally for plastic identification. Preciousplastic.com Academy has good and free content about distinguishing different types of plastic such as in this YouTube video but I've never seen such floating tests for buoyancy be performed for filament specifically. The Brothers Make YouTube channel also has good content about plastic identification.
If you want a total overkill solution to test this tiny piece of plastic you could perhaps consider something like PlasTell by Matoha.com, which I believe used spectroscopy, as shown below. However, I have not seen this being applied on 3D printer filaments (PLA, PETG, ABS, TPU, PHA) as well.
<sup>Source: Oceaninsight.com</sup>
> 1 votes
# Answer
10 years ago, we bought a spool of White HIPS, and one of White Rubber, and one of Wood and one of Nylon. I never used them ! Funny...
Surely I burned the HIPS one (I don't think it's a rubber one).
Now we know that burning 1 cm of HIPS can stain several square meters with small greasy black spots. In the air nothing is visible but after just 1 cm, it's a misery to clean... So do not do the burn test with HIPS !
> -1 votes
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Tags: filament
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thread-21662 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21662 | Does Marlin input shaping compensate vibration on all X, Y and Z axes? | 2023-11-21T13:28:42.003 | # Question
Title: Does Marlin input shaping compensate vibration on all X, Y and Z axes?
The Marlin Firmware supports Input Shaping (M593) as described in the Marlin documentation writing:
> Set the Input Shaping damping factor and/or frequency (in Hertz) **for axes that support it.**
But the parameters shown under the Usage section suggest only axis X and Y are supported? It is possible to use input shaping (in Marlin) to compensate vibration on all X, Y and Z axes?
# Answer
No, as of December 2023, Z-axis Input Shaping is not possible in Marlin firmware. Marlin only supports Input Shaping on the X and Y axes.
There is a feature request on GitHub to implement Z-axis Input Shaping on Marlin.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: marlin, input-shaping, resonance-compensation, vibration-compensation
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thread-16595 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/16595 | Perimeters/shells not properly fusing - delamination | 2021-06-22T19:07:59.220 | # Question
Title: Perimeters/shells not properly fusing - delamination
I come to you all in my time of need, as I have nowhere else to turn. I’ve been a 3D printer for about two years now. I have an Ender 5 Plus.
Up to this point, all of my prints were fine straight out of the box; no need to calibrate anything besides the bed.
I have just recently upgraded to an all-metal dual gear extruder. Before I did anything, I made sure to calibrate my extruder E-steps and my material flow. After that, all my calibrations said that my printer was ready to go.
Let me preface this with: I have been struggling with this issue for about a month. I looked up all the information I could but to no avail. I could not fix the walls of my print delaminating from one another.
As far as exterior appearances go the prints seem structurally “fine“. But the moment I try and give them a nice sanding to post-process them, the top layers begin to come off. Similarly, if I print a regular calibration cube or something like it all I need to do is put my fingernail in between the walls and the outermost layer will start to peel away from the body after all my test prints.
It feels like the material wants to bond together, but it never does. I have done everything from leveling my bed as close as possible to the nozzle, slowing down the print speed to about half of what I normally print at (mind you I’ve never had this problem even when printing at my original speed), even disable compensate for wall overlaps, and not to mention I’m printing pretty hot with my PLA at about 230 °C and even that doesn’t seem to work.
I could increase the material flow slightly, but then my walls would not be calibrated anymore; increasing the possibility for over-extrusion.
I figured this all out by printing a mask that would take 2 to 3 days to print. It took me a while to model all the miles, so you could imagine my dismay as I begin to process the mask for painting. When I was sanding, the layers kept lifting up. It’s not like I was putting excessive pressure or anything. I figured I could put somebody filler on the affected areas, but it quickly grew out of control.
As I’m sure some of you could relate, I bought a new roll of filament just for that project; to have it wasted.
During printing, I’ve noticed a type of “salmon skin” effect going on. It seemed like those areas suffered the worst delamination.
I’ve also noticed on some larger prints, that the consistency of the outermost perimeter is rather non-uniform at certain layers. What I mean by non-uniform is that it seems like the type of “banding” is going on.
If it’s any help, I am using Cura slicer.
Here are some links to the pictures of a print I just started to test if I fixed the issue, unfortunately, I have not.
As you can see in the pictures, it was delaminating. Unfortunately, it was just from some gentle pressure I applied with the edge of my fingernail.
I’m at my wit's end right now and have no other ideas of what to try to rectify this issue.
Edit: 6/23/2021- So after a test print, for some reason the perimeters I have not delaminated, at least yet, but I have found other oddities that I have not seen before. Do you have any suggestions?
I calibrated my E steps by following this video tutorial
I did it hot and with the nozzle on
# Answer
I also swapped my Ender 5 plus hotend with the all metal swiss one and I am having the same issue.
I increased my wall overlap in increments of .04 until I got to .20. I increased my print temp from 210 to 220, and I increased my wall flow rate by 30 %. I believe my walls are sticking on a bit better now but not quite as well as they should.
> 1 votes
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Tags: print-quality, troubleshooting, post-processing, creality-ender-5, delamination
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thread-21729 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21729 | How to successfully flash a DACAI LCD screen of a Creality Ender 3 V2? | 2023-12-02T18:50:09.257 | # Question
Title: How to successfully flash a DACAI LCD screen of a Creality Ender 3 V2?
I thought I had two identical Ender 3 V2 printers, the main board in both is v4.2.2 but it turns out they came with a different LCD screen.
I flashed the firmware on both printers to mriscoc firmware and tried to also flash both LCD screens.
### DWIN
The printer with the DWIN screen worked fine, everything went smooth and instead of the original blue, flat GUI, I now look at a colorful GUI something like this:
### DACAI
On the other printer that I identified as a DACAI LCD as per mriscoc instructions documented.
I then flashed the firmware and the `private` folder separately, as shown below, in the end you can see it fails to load. Not shown on the video but if I rotate the knob, the buttons appear on top of the load screen:
After rebooting I see this:
I am able to view a test thumbnail on screen, as provided in the documentation and shown below:
But I expect the same colors and icons as on my DWIN screen, did I miss something?
I made sure the right cluster size was used when formatting, I tried three different SD cards and two different SD card readers, as well as unmounting from PC before removing it.
How to successfully flash a DACAI LCD screen of an Ender 3 V2 to achieve the same as on the DWIN LCD?
# Answer
The process as shown in the question was all performed correctly and successfully however, simply the wrong icon set was used. The documentation isn't very clear and I should have personally documented this better when I did it months ago.
*For flashing the LCD screen, the SD card will be placed in the SD card slot on the back of the LCD screen, not the printer slot.*
This is what fixed it:
* Clone the mriscoc Git repository or download latest the zip.
* Open the folder `display assets`
* Open the folder `Giadej compilation` for the icons I intended to use and utilize the color LCD instead
* Depending on the screen type, follow the instructions as documented here:
+ For DWIN LCD copy only the folder `DWIN_SET` to the root of the SD
+ For DACAI LCD copy only the folder `private` to the root of the SD
Also, it's required to have micro SD card of 8GB or smaller formatted explicitly as MBR, FAT32, and **with a 4 KB sector size**.
For the DACAI screen specifically, I also flashed another DACAI screen firmware, also available in mrisoc Git repo: dacai\_update.zip. Place the `firmware.zlib` file in the root of the SD card and flash.
Repower the printer after flashing both firmware and private folder. To test if the firmware and screen work correctly you can place this test gcode on *the printer SD card* to check if the thumbnail preview on the printer LCD is shown.
Result shown below:
> 0 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, firmware, lcd-screen, mriscoc
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thread-19569 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/19569 | Where do I find the specifications of the FLSUN 42BYGH stepper motor? | 2022-06-19T21:52:37.300 | # Question
Title: Where do I find the specifications of the FLSUN 42BYGH stepper motor?
I would like to replace a NEMA 17 stepper motor for my FLSun SR (it clicks and the rotor eventually slides forward, causing it to offset layers). How do I find the specs for this motor? They aren't listed on FLSun's website and I tried their contact us form. The back of the motor has this written on it:
FLSUN STEP MOTOR
42BYGH718-B-28Q
LOT NO.210711
The total length of the motor is 47 mm.
# Answer
As mentioned in the comments by Mick. The full datasheet can be found on promoco-motors.com. Below is a table with electrical specifications from the mentioned datasheet.
> 1 votes
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Tags: stepper, replacement-parts, flsun
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thread-21735 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21735 | Does FreeCAD produce a wrong stl for slicer software? | 2023-12-03T14:57:17.473 | # Question
Title: Does FreeCAD produce a wrong stl for slicer software?
I designed a basic structure with FreeCAD. For the base, I started with a 40x40 mm square:
And I extruded it with 6.5 mm:
Then, I added a circle sketch with a radius of 19 mm:
And applied 5.5 mm pocket:
The end result looks good:
However, **any** slicer I know will produce a strange shape around the middle of the sides both inside and outside:
There is a 1 mm thickness there, so I don't understand why are those shapes presented.
I'm looking for:
1. The reason for those failed shapes
2. The solution to eliminate them (preferably without resizing either the square or the circle)
I have provided the STL file for analysis.
# Answer
> 3 votes
It's not FreeCad, it is the shape you want to create. The wall has 1.0 mm thickness. I assume that you are using 0.4 mm nozzle. With default extrusion width of 0.45, you can get either 0.9 or 1.35 mm thickness, 0.9 obviously being closer to desired.
The other issue is, there's no space for four perimeters. So, at the point where internal perimeters end, slicer need to move external perimeters closer together, to make them fuse properly. Thus, even at 0.5 mm extrusion width you will see this collapse. To prevent this effect, you need to either use smaller nozzle that would allow for internal and external perimeters to be continuous, or change your geometry to make it compatible with FDM process.
Note that, if you want consistent prints, you shouldn't set extrusion width (or wall thickness, or however it's called in your slicer) to the value lower than the diameter of your nozzle. Even making it equal is risky. For this situation, I'd suggest 0.2 mm extrusion width on 0.15 or 0.18 nozzle. Or redesign.
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Tags: slicing, freecad
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thread-21396 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21396 | Anycubic Kobra Go bed leveling | 2023-09-03T20:23:58.453 | # Question
Title: Anycubic Kobra Go bed leveling
I can’t figure out what the issue is. The far side of the bed (Y-axis) print won’t adhere because the extruder is too far off while on the near side is too thin. I have tried all the troubleshooting tips I can find online and nothing worked. Even as a last resort, I tried shimming the far-side bed screws and still have the same results after auto bed leveling.
# Answer
If you did not resolve this, you can try a couple of things: You'd need OctoPrint and the "bedvisualizer" plugin installed. I've had a similar problem with my Kobra standard and found out that it was totally off-level. If the issues persist, please download/install both and send a screen capture of the bed level so we can go from there!
> 0 votes
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Tags: bed-leveling, anycubic-kobra
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thread-21714 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21714 | Is there any well-documented 'auto z-offset' (DIY) upgrade available for 3D printers? | 2023-12-01T10:34:34.347 | # Question
Title: Is there any well-documented 'auto z-offset' (DIY) upgrade available for 3D printers?
In addition to the question How can a force sensor automatically determine the Z-offset?.
Is there any well-documented 'auto z-offset' (DIY) upgrade available for 3D printers? I'm particularly interested in using a strain gauge and upgrading the Creality Ender 3 V2. But examples for adding this capability, using other methods or to other printers are also welcome because I can modify it.
# Answer
It's not a common thing because it's usually something you do once and then it works for years without need to touch it, and I don't know of generic *upgrades* that provide *just* that in conjunction with whichever probe you have.
Bambu X-1 Carbon does it automatically with a piezzo sensor for a rough estimate and then using its lidar to analyze baby-stepped lines on the build plate to find the perfect Z height. This is not something to implement in any printer though.
The Prusa Mk4 approach is much more viable: it uses a load cell sensor in the extruder to find the moment the nozzle presses into the bed. I'm pretty sure this can be done with a strain gauge just as well, thing is they don't produce a neat binary on/off, just analog signal in form of varying resistance. You'd likely need a small microcontroller with an ADC input to read the gauge and convert that to binary On/Off on the Z axis input. And you'd still need to add (small, fixed) Z offset to get the height of the nozzle touching the bed as opposed to pressing into it.
I'm not aware of any ready-made solutions that do this, but it should be a project well within skill range of a hobbyist.
> 2 votes
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Tags: diy-3d-printer, automation, z-offset
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thread-21738 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21738 | Can stepper motor skipping or stalling be detected automatically? | 2023-12-03T17:21:58.550 | # Question
Title: Can stepper motor skipping or stalling be detected automatically?
Is there a method such as fetching data from to stepper motor drivers, that can **automatically** detect or count stepper motor skips or stepper motor stalling?
Preferably for a Creality Ender 3 V2 board v4.2.2, but any related information is welcome. If something like this exists, how does it work and what are common use cases or implementation of it?
The reason I am asking is because it is a performance indicator that could help to track or measure print consistency and quality.
# Answer
## You seem to be looking for closed-loop stepper motors.
Detection of stalling and skipping on open-loop (aka regular) steppers is possible - that's how Prusa mk3s+ finds home position without endstops\*. But it is not reliable and precise - that's why Prusa firmware tests every axis a couple of times.
If quality matters, and you want to reliably detect stalls and skips during print, closed-loop motors are what you need. Per one of the manufacturers description, they signal back to the controller what they are doing, so that controller can correct for skips and stalls:
> On the contrary, NEMA17 closed loop stepper motor feedback signal, according to the signal stepper motor driver to take the corresponding action measures or signal feedback to PLC, by PLC to determine the next step of the program.
Open-loop steppers are much cheaper, so most manufacturers just massively over-spec their open-loop steppers to make them force their way thorough any obstacles like blobs of plastic, and not need to care about feedback signal, and pay for it. As far as I know, closed-loop steppers are not used in hobby or even entry business machines, cost of motors and controllers being prohibitive.
---
* When the motor stalls, power draw changes. If your driver can monitor power draw, firmware can make educated guess about the stall.
> 1 votes
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Tags: stepper-driver, stepper, sensors
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thread-21748 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21748 | Does rPLA stand for Recycled PLA, or is it a different type of material? | 2023-12-04T22:50:22.197 | # Question
Title: Does rPLA stand for Recycled PLA, or is it a different type of material?
I see mixed terms such as 'rPLA, Recycled PLA, Recycled rPLA' used by different filament producers without a clear explanation or a standard definition.
Does it all mean Recycled PLA, or is rPLA a different material?
# Answer
All brands and shops that I know of use rPLA name for recycled PLA. However, this is neither a chemical name abbreviation, like PLA, nor a naming standard that's enforced by any agency. Thus, every time you want to buy rPLA, you must check if it really means recycled PLA. Because it *can* mean something else and manufacturer won't break any laws by doing it.
Hopefully the name will solidify soon, and anyone who sells anything but recycled PLA as rPLA will risk getting sued for false advertising. But we'll have to wait for that.
Be aware that "up to 100% recycled material" means any non-zero number equal or lower than 100%. So 1% of recycled materials meets this declaration as well as 90%. Only when manufacturer gives straight number, or "at least" number, we can be sure that amount of recycled material is what we expect it to.
> 2 votes
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Tags: pla, filament, recycling, terminology, rpla
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thread-21755 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21755 | How to distinguish filament runout and filament jam using a microswitch-based filament sensor in Marlin? | 2023-12-05T23:30:33.407 | # Question
Title: How to distinguish filament runout and filament jam using a microswitch-based filament sensor in Marlin?
I found two great designs for a DIY sensor that achieve both **filament runout** and **filament jam** detection in one unit.
A clever design that only uses one microswitch as follows:
<sup>Source: Thingiverse.com</sup>
Another design using two microswitches, as follows:
<sup>Source: Thingiverse.com</sup>
I am not sure about the reliability of either yet, and I initially liked the design with one more switch. Then I realized there was no way to distinguish what event occurred (runout **or** jam), so I plan to make the second two microswitch versions instead. However, how would I wire this in a way so that my Ender 3 V2 running Marlin, specifically mriscoc firmware, would be able to interpret both signals separately and interpret them as two distinguishable events so that the exact event is reported (runout or jam)?
Alternatively, I could wire it to my Raspberry Pi, since I always print from OctoPrint only, and implement it there instead. However, I'd prefer to wire it to the printer board and have the firmware handle it.
Lastly, in comparison to these two specific designs, would an encoder wheel approach add benefits other than runout and jam detection?
Suggestions for better designs or approaches are also welcome.
# Answer
> 2 votes
## Blue design
The blue design can only detect a lack of filament. It is boolean: Filament or No Filament.
## Pink design
The pink design can have multiple states, combining two boolean values.
The right of the sensors is "Filament there".
The left is using a ramp. On pull along the ramp, the sensor is triggered once a certain amount of pull is overcome, either by pulling up, left or right. As a result of passing through the hole in the lever of known diameter. Any tangle or over thickness will act on the lever to the right and trigger the sensor, and so will strong yanking up or left, through those might self reset. As a result, this sensor will trigger a signal that could be called Tangle or No Tangle, or of course No Jam/Jam.
Your interpretation that there is no way to distinguish the results depends on one thing: that you put the sensors through a single loop back, for the effect of an AND gate.
| Filament | Jam | Output of the Series |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Filament in | No Jam | Run |
| Filament in | Jam | Stop |
| no Filament | No Jam | Stop |
| no Filament | Jam | Stop |
The design is set up such, that the filament sensor shows connectivity on being pressed, while the jam sensor is connected in reverse: triggering it opens the loop. While the designer wired the two in parallel, they could also be connected in series for the same effect.
To overcome this design deficiency of only sending a stop message, you need to route the signal to your control board and distinguish the two signals. However, for all but the error message, the practical effect should be the same: the machine shall stop if either of the Stop conditions is triggered.
If you have other sensory equipment on the printer, you might quickly run into problems in that the number of free pins is usually extremely limited, so you might not have enough pins to route the signals separately.
### is tangle trigger separate a good idea?
Now, is the additional requirement of pins and wiring a **good** idea when it comes to error handling? No.
In either detected case - no more filament or tangled filament - you need to stop printing and access the very same area to deal with the lack of feeding filament. Only in large operations, there is any reason to try and detect the two separately for logging purposes.
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Tags: marlin, electronics, filament-jam, sensors, runout-sensor
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thread-16311 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/16311 | How to determine width of the nozzle, that is already installed on the printer? | 2021-05-18T16:01:02.990 | # Question
Title: How to determine width of the nozzle, that is already installed on the printer?
I have a 3D printer, which wasn't used for a longer time. There is a nozzle, but don't know what diameter is it. I used several widths - from 0.2 to 0.8, switched them depending on my needs, but don't remember which one was used lately. The nozzle is a little bit worn down, so the diameter on the side is not visible.
How to get the nozzle diameter, without taking it off the printer?
This is more of a theoretical question, because I can simply swap the nozzle, but still - eager to know.
# Answer
The best method is to have a scale on your microscope that looks like a ruler drawn in the optical path. However I usually visually compare an unknown nozzle with known nozzles under a microscope. If you don't have a microscope, you can get USB otoscope cameras (15mm focal length for looking in ears) for under $20.
You can get a fairly good idea of the size by telling the printer to extrude in air then measure the extrusion diameter with calipers. Of course, it's better if you can compare with a known nozzle. If you push the filament through by hand, the extrusion will be too thick. With the stepper motor extruding, I measure the extrusion diameters between 0.3 and 0.5 mm on a 0.4 mm nozzle. Low cost calipers are less than $20. The main different with the low cost calipers is the slides are not smooth, reducing the accuracy in the 0.01 mm place.
> 3 votes
# Answer
If your nozzle is worn enough that you can't read the size stamped on one of the hex flats, you need to replace it anyway.
That said, the best ways I know to measure the aperture are with either a pin gage (known diameter high precision wire, find the largest that will enter the nozzle aperture), or optically -- take off the nozzle or hot end and put it on a scanner bed; use the scanner to image the nozzle at highest available resolution, then count the pixels across the opening in the image and multiply by the pixel size (for instance, if 6400 ppi, you'd multiply your pixel count by 1/6400 in/px * 25.4 mm/in).
I've used the optical method to measure photographic pinholes (drilled in delicate, .001" thick brass shim stock) that were smaller than 0.5 mm, so I know it works in this size range.
Measuring the extruded filament may not give an accurate diameter, for two reasons -- the hot, freshly extruded material may either swell or stretch after extrusion (and may well do both in a short length of extrusion, giving varying diameter), and it's difficult to accurately measure small round samples (especially of plastic) with either micrometer or dial/digital caliper -- it's too easy to compress the sample and obtain an artificially undersize result.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I got interested in the question and did some research. I found PCB drill bits from 0.1-1 mm in 0.1 mm steps for around 7€ and believe they are an interesting option. They should help clean the nozzle (or quickly break in the process?) and I think one could experiment with revitalizing worn nozzles by drilling them up a bit (as they are carbide, they should work well with brass nozzle, hardened steel ones might be too much). Having them (and a Dremel-style tool and proper clamping) could open up a world of nozzle hacking, see e.g. CNC Kitchen on YouTube for what happens if you solder a copper wire into the nozzle.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I would find some wires (piano wire, CAT5 copper, paperclip, nozzle unclogger, etc. ) and choose one that should fit the nozzle (eg. a 0.5 mm copper wire will fit a 0.8 mm nozzle) and push them into the nozzle. Heat them up a bit to soften the filament in the nozzle and brush with a metal wire brush to easily clean it up.
> 0 votes
# Answer
Extrude some filament, let it hit the desk or whatever surface the printer is resting on; but not the bed as it may be too close. The initial filament will form a coil. After extrusion stops measure the straight part of the extruded filament as close to the coil as possible. This will give you the true current nozzle diameter. (Edit: I mean measure with a micrometer)
Just as ancillary info, the nozzle diameter increases as the filament is passed through it. This is called nozzle wear, and since the diameter is changing the quality of your prints is going to drift. If you have a brass nozzle then after every spool of filament, you should reverify your nozzle diameter. Steel or other hardened nozzles would be much more resilient.
> 0 votes
# Answer
Majority of nozzles have a .4 or a .3 on it, that indicates how big it is in millimeters. If yours doesn't, take one of these digital rulers (the ones that have the prongs that stick out on the side and slides, I don't know the name off of the top of my head), extrude some filament and measure the filament, make sure that you find a piece that was extruded after the bottom hit the ground and make sure that you find one that isn't bending that way its not stretched or compressed. (Your measurements won't be exact due to things cooling off and shrinking)
> -1 votes
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Tags: nozzle
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thread-21760 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21760 | How does Marlin firmware use filament width sensor data for flow control? | 2023-12-06T10:35:51.380 | # Question
Title: How does Marlin firmware use filament width sensor data for flow control?
I found this great DIY '**filament diameter sensor**' or '**filament width sensor**'. It is called **In**line **Fi**lament **D**iameter **E**stimator **L**owcost (InFiDEL), as shown below. The GitHub project states:
> A cheap, yet precise filament diameter sensor, intended to compensate for filament diameter deviations in real-time.
<sup>Model source: Printables.com or Youmagine.com</sup>
It can essentially be used for flow control. In a YouTube video the maker (Thomas Sanladerer) says:
> ... the firmware can then compensate for any differences in filament diameter and filament cross-sectional area essentially by adjusting the extrusion multiplier ...
The video also explains how three different sized drill bits are used to calibrate the measurement.
To my understanding, it uses a principle where a hall effect sensor measures magnetic strength that is translated into a voltage that reflects the diameter, such as 1.78 Volt for 1.78 mm. I plan to implement something like this, however, I don't know how Marlin implements this and I'd like to understand it first. The Marlin documentation does contain several G-codes for a filament width sensor, such as M405, M406, and M407, but I cannot find anything about how Marlin implements this. Also, shouldn't the firmware know the distance between the nozzle and the filament width sensor to know when to compensate? The distance seems to be not implemented by Marlin entirely.
*Lastly, I think that this sensor could also serve as a filament runout sensor by noting that the diameter is simply close to 0 mm.*
# Answer
The Marlin firmware is ready for connecting such a filament sensor. You need to adjust the configuration (Configuration\_adv.h) to enable the `FILAMENT_WIDTH_SENSOR` definition (remove the `//` before `#define FILAMENT_WIDTH_SENSOR`):
The distance from measurement to melting chamber should and is taken into account.
> shouldn't the firmware know the distance between the nozzle and the filament width sensor to know when to compensate
The firmware does do that. You can either set the distance inside the firmware compile-time (which is pretty safe as the distance doesn't change much unless you have a Bowden setup where you exchange the tube for a different length tube or use a tool changer/multiple tool heads with different tube lengths) or through G-code:
`M405 D<cm>` specifies that distance through G-code, otherwise the firmware set value is used:
> 1 votes
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Tags: filament-sensor, sensors, filament-width, filament-diameter, width-sensor
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thread-21681 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21681 | Why is MPC better than PID for 3D printers, and (why) is it more useful for 'high-power heaters'? | 2023-11-27T14:06:30.703 | # Question
Title: Why is MPC better than PID for 3D printers, and (why) is it more useful for 'high-power heaters'?
The YouTube video 'PID vs MPC' from Mark Misin Engineering Ltd perfectly demonstrates that Model Predictive Temperature Control (MPC) is more powerful than Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID). Marlin implemented MPC as described in Marlin's MPC documentation. The Marlin-based firmware version I use also describes MPC in the mriscoc MPC documentation and as follows:
> In the latest releases, MPC is being incorporated in all versions. MPC has proven to be a better algorithm for keeping the nozzle temperature stable, and it is also very useful for high-power heaters.
> <sub>Source: GitHub mriscoc repository for Ender 3 V2/S1</sub>
Since 3D printers, especially the heated parts (bed and nozzle), are relatively simple, with only simple control and sensor readings, why **exactly** is MPC a better choice than PID? And why is it more useful for 'high-power heaters'?
# Answer
> 2 votes
### Short answer
PID reacts only **after** the temperature changes are registered by the sensor. MPC instead calculates the expected heat loss **before** the temperature actually changes and then applies heat to **prevent** those changes.
Here's a graph comparing PID and MPC, created by Reddit user yelleck:
### Slightly derogatory answer
PID and its modifications<sup>1</sup> is the duct-tape solution to the hotend temperature regulation problem<sup>2</sup>, and MPC is the engineering-PhD solution.
### Slightly longer answer
MPC is a **predictive** model that compensates **before the temperature actually changes**. It calculates a physical heat model (effectively a Thermal Resistance Circuit). Using this, it figures out how much heat energy (in Joules) will leave the hotend in a given time—through radiation, convection, and extruded molten plastic—and thus it knows exactly how much heat energy (again in Joules, or "Watts times Seconds") it has to put in to keep the temperature the same or move to a new temperature. The properties of this physical model (heat capacity, emissivity, etc.) can be obtained automatically with fairly good accuracy or looked up in a table (filament heat capacity per mm).
PID on the other hand is a **reactive** model that can only work **after the temperature has already changed**. It is more like a vigilant operator who stares **only** at the measured difference between the actual and desired temperature. If this temperature difference changes by just a tiny bit, or by a large step, it will immediately try to counteract that error by applying its three rules: P, I, and D.
The three PID coefficients can also be auto-tuned, but the results are... well, let's say there is a reason that there are dozens if not hundreds of PID tuning guides and forum questions out there. The coefficients are not linked to any distinct physical property of your hotend: The geometry, fan, heater power, silicone sock, and filament are all mushed together into three abstract numbers. So far I have tried a handful of times to get a deep, intuitive understanding of PID behavior and tuning, but have failed each time, and honestly, I don't consider it worth my time anymore. MPC just makes so much more sense.
The PID controller does not know or care why the temperature difference changed. It could be due to faster extrusion speed, switching on the fan, or a changed temperature setpoint (`M104`), for example. A PID controller has to react to any changes using the same rigid 3-rules-system<sup>1</sup>, although the three situations will in practice require different reactions. The MPC model, on the other hand, can figure out precisely how much each of those changes would influence the temperature and how it must react to prevent that.
So in a PID-based system, the temperature will always fluctuate a little **by design**. It **needs** those temperature changes in order to know how to react (unless you assume a completely static situation), because it is the only measurement it has. Consequently, a noisy temperature measurement, which looks like a lot of tiny, very fast changes, will force the PID controller to react to them, which leads to even more noticeable fluctuations because the system reacts to a change that isn't really there, since it's just noise. Alternatively, you could make it react slower to ignore these fast noise fluctuations, but that will make it... well... slower.
> And why is it more useful for 'high-power heaters'?
As explained above, the PID controller must react to noise. With a high-power heater, even a tiny adjustment in the PWM can lead to a large increase in temperature. So the controller must react more slowly and carefully so as not to overshoot or oscillate. But by going more slowly, you are throwing away the main benefit of your high-power heater, namely: faster heating. Since MPC largely ignores noise, it won't oscillate. And since it knows your heater power in Watts and the exact amount of energy needed in Joules, it can just go "full throttle" when a higher temperature is needed<sup>3</sup>, stopping just in time to avoid overshooting. With a lower-powered heater, this problem is not so apparent, because it can only go slowly **anyways**.
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<sup>1</sup> Yes, Marlin has `PID_FUNCTIONAL_RANGE`, `PID_EXTRUSION_SCALING`, and `PID_FAN_SCALING` to work around these issues. Those are hacky, ad-hoc solutions that try to do the same thing as MPC, but without a correct and complete physical model underneath. It's rather like adding more duct tape to the problem instead of stepping back, understanding the situation, and engineering a proper solution. Also, each of these functions has its own configuration parameters, which require separate tuning, while the auto-tuning in MPC can take care of all of them together (except filament heat capacity, which you can look up or calculate using physics instead). So if you consider using those additional PID features, you are essentially using MPC, but without a solid theoretical foundation, so you could as well go all the way and just use MPC instead.
<sup>2</sup> Don't get me wrong: PID control is a flexible and well-established tool that is for many, many different tasks everywhere. Just like duct tape. But it is not the best tool for every job. A well-tuned PID can control the hotend temperature within a few degrees with little overshoot. It just wasn't specifically **designed** for this case, and thus it is outperformed by tools that **were**.
<sup>3</sup> Marlin PID tries to do the same thing with `PID_FUNCTIONAL_RANGE`: it goes full power when the temperature difference is greater than this configured value. But with a high-power heater, this is an additional value that you have to tune. And after the PID kicks in, it needs some time to "wind up", which is another time during which the heater is not using its full potential. Also, the PID coefficients have to be tuned for different, partially conflicting goals: heating up quickly, avoiding overshoots, and avoiding oscillations. Again, all are lumped together into three abstract numbers with no physical meaning.
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Tags: marlin, temperature, pid, mriscoc, mpc
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thread-20797 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/20797 | Why are the options for PID control commented out in Klipper config file? | 2023-04-07T16:35:22.380 | # Question
Title: Why are the options for PID control commented out in Klipper config file?
I have a Tronxy VEHO-600 I'm currently vamping up with Klipper. I have a config file I got from a friend for a modified VEHO-600. My question is regarding the heater bed code block seen below:
```
[heater_bed]
heater_pin: PE2
sensor_type: EPCOS 100K B57560G104F
sensor_pin: PC2
min_temp: 0
max_temp: 150
#control: pid
#pid_Kp: 73.932
#pid_Ki: 1.521
#pid_Kd: 898.279
```
Why are all the options for PID commented out? Is this only active when PID tuning? Also, what are the numerical values?
# Answer
When you save the PID values after auto-tuning, Klipper will put the new values in a special section **at the end of the config file** that looks like this:
```
#*# <---------------------- SAVE_CONFIG ---------------------->
#*# DO NOT EDIT THIS BLOCK OR BELOW. The contents are auto-generated.
#*#
#*#
#*# [extruder]
#*# control = pid
#*# pid_kp = 25.957
#*# pid_ki = 1.466
#*# pid_kd = 114.858
```
While these lines look like comments, Klipper will actually load and use them, as described in the issue PID Tuning values not stored correctly?.
> 2 votes
# Answer
This PID options are commented out, because they are not currently being used. Klipper allows for different heating algorithms, and PID control is just one of them. If no control option is specified in the config file, Klipper will use Bang-Bang control as the default heating algorithm for the heated bed.
The numerical values in the commented out lines (`pid_Kp`, `pid_Ki`, `pid_Kd`) are the PID tuning parameters, which are specific to each printer and must be tuned to achieve stable temperature control.
If you were to uncomment these lines, Klipper would use PID control to manage the temperature of the heated bed, and the numerical values would need to be adjusted through a tuning process to optimize the performance of the PID controller for your printer.
> 1 votes
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Tags: klipper, pid, tronxy
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thread-21732 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21732 | How to secure silicone sleeve to my heater block? | 2023-12-03T11:39:03.463 | # Question
Title: How to secure silicone sleeve to my heater block?
My silicone sleeve dislodged from the heater block. Surprisingly, Prusa firmware correctly detected crash, pushed it out of the way and resumed print.
I can just print without it, but I would prefer to have it on as it speeds up heating noticeably. What can I use to secure it in place? I don't want to risk failed prints in the future, so unless I know it's not coming off, I'm not putting it back on.
# Answer
> 4 votes
## Mechanical
As agarza correctly noted, glue is a nogo for it will be permanent. But mechanical fixing is a way too. Don't forget the simple mechanical way to make sure the silicone sock won't get lost: a simple wire around it will keep it in place.
If unbroken, the silicone will clamp that way itself, but if cut or broken, that clamping might not happen.
## Kapton Tape
High-temperature tape, usually from Kapton, is often used to secure things to the heater block, and can be used to wrap around a broken or damaged silicone sock to keep it stable. It also can, on itself or with a high-temperature resistant insulator, be used to make a sock, because **Polyimide is temperature resistant to up to 400 °C**. For a high-temperature printer, you even might want to replace your sock with several layers of polyimide tape, acting as a decent (but not perfect) insulator on its own.
At times, Kapton tape and fiberglass weave are used in very high-temperature applications to create isolation layers. Generally, in this form a woven fiberglass mat is preferable. However, wrapping the heater block can be... quite fiddly and looks not very pretty.
## don't ruin your sleeves!
However, OP also mentioned that they printed ASA at 250 °C. Silicones start to break down at 230 °C, so cooking the sock will harden it, then it will break and lost. That can not be prevented.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Since the Prusa MK3S+ does not come with a silicone sock then it is a third-party item. That said, some third-party manufacturers either don't have the actual specifications to make a proper silicone sock or they decided not to put a lot of effort into the design/creation of the sock. Therefore, the silicone sock is not a "perfect fit" on the Prusa MK3S+ and is/will be prone to falling off.
As to how to keep it from falling off, therein lies the problem. Any adhesive that can withstand the high temperatures of the heat block will probably make the connection nearly permanent.
It may just be a matter of trial and error to find a silicone sock that will fit snugly on the heat block.
# Answer
> 1 votes
You can buy metal zip ties. For example, Harbor Freight has a package of 25 12" stainless steel ties for $5. With a 115 lb load capacity, these are massive overkill for your application, but they're cheap and they'd give a nice clean look.
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Tags: hotend
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thread-21768 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21768 | What defines the 'straightness' of linear rods and how to measure it? | 2023-12-06T20:34:15.807 | # Question
Title: What defines the 'straightness' of linear rods and how to measure it?
A few closely related questions about the straightness of linear rods. The 'straightness' of linear rods is vital for a 3D printer to function correctly and prevent things like Z-Banding or Z-Wobble. So, how do we measure the 'straightness' of linear rods? What measurement method or metric can be used?
I can imagine using some reference material (a piece of wood or a table), but then again, how would we know the reference material is perfectly straight? Lastly, how straight does it even have to be? What's a standard or acceptable range they should be in, and is there a standard that defines, classifies, and indicates this?
# Answer
A common metric for straightness of shafts in industrial equipment is Total Indicated Runout (TIR). The shaft is placed in V-blocks or ball bearing rollers at its bearing journals. Runout is checked at various positions along its length with a dial indicator as the shaft is rotated.
This method could be easily applied to guide rods supported at the same axial locations where they are held in the printer.
> 3 votes
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Tags: z-axis, linear-motion, axis, linear-rod
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thread-21770 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21770 | Is it safe to use 230 V AC, 10 A relay shield to turn my Prusa MK3S+ on/off using OctoPrint? | 2023-12-07T12:55:05.390 | # Question
Title: Is it safe to use 230 V AC, 10 A relay shield to turn my Prusa MK3S+ on/off using OctoPrint?
Prusa says the MK3S+ draws up to 120 W. So let's say 150 W of inrush current.
$$150 W \div 230 V ≈ 0.65 A$$
An order of magnitude less than a typical Raspberry Pi optically isolated relay shield can do.
Is there anything I should be aware of when choosing the board? Anything I'm missing here?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Yes it is safe to use such relay modules. Note that the printer will use less power than the specified power, when in idle it nearly doesn't use any power at all, the inrush current will be ver low when switching the relay. Furthermore, the relay is capable of handling the current according to its specification. Do note that you are using mains power, which can be dangerous, please make precautions working on mains (pull the plug from the socket) and shield the wires and use proper crimping tools, no solder.
I have done this with 2 printers, one where I cut the 230 V, but the latest one uses a computer 12 V PSU which has a separate wire (I think this is 5 V) which you can short to start the PSU; this is much safer. I used and use OctoPrint with custom shell scripts to turn on the printer and the hot end cooler fan as described in this answer.
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Tags: prusa-i3, power-supply, raspberry-pi, octopi
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thread-21751 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21751 | Bottom layers print fine, then infill and wall layers instantly fail | 2023-12-05T03:23:42.020 | # Question
Title: Bottom layers print fine, then infill and wall layers instantly fail
I have an Ender 3 V2 which I use together with Creality slicer. I print in PLA at 200 °C. The print bed is set to 60 °C. The layer height I set to 0.2 mm. Print speed is set to 50 mm/s.
Printing on an Ender 3 V2, the bottom layers of the print I am attempting work fine, but as soon as the printer starts printing the infill it starts printing little balls of filament instead of the infill. Not sure what the issue is as this has never been an issue before, but this started happening after replacing my empty filament roll with a new one, the same PLA as before. Using the same print settings as I have for many successful previous prints.
How can I fix this?
The image is the bottom of a print
I printed a Benchy, but it looks pretty ugly.
Also noticed an erratic squeaking from the motor, not sure if that’s the cause or what I would do if it is.
After cleaning the bed and getting a perfect bottom print, the infills still won’t come out right.
Also tried doing some cold pulls to clean the nozzle and slow the print speed down to 30 mm/s but it still will not print infills well. Would love to hear some input.
After tightening the screw giving tension to the filament, the squeaking turned into thumping. I attached the youtube link where you can hear it in the first 15 seconds of the video on an extrusion. https://youtube.com/shorts/pIZ7TYW5NlU?feature=share
# Answer
> 1 votes
These sort of questions are hard to answer without having the hardware present. As such, this answer focusses on the observations posted in the question. A troubleshooting could help find the actual problem, and could be put into an answer as well.
### Observations
By looking at the supplied images (one image in the first post), your printer is underextruding, even the bottom layers do not look good, they also are underextruded. You can see the layer under the top layer:
Your cold-pull actions have helped a little, the effect is less seriously present:
Quoting:
> Also noticed an erratic squeaking from the motor, not sure if that’s the cause or what I would do if it is.
### Troubleshooting aid
You should troubleshoot the extruder. It looks as if the frame is littered with small pieces of filament debris that could potentially be grinding debris. Grinding will reduce the amount of filament being extruded with under extrusion as result. Furthermore, check the whole extrusion path if filament can be extruded without too much force. You could decouple/bypass the extruder and feed the Bowden tube manually with a hotend at the correct temperature for your filament. If there is a lot of friction, investigate where this comes from.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, print-quality, creality-slicer
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thread-21752 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21752 | Does PLA lose mechanical properties when recycled, and if so, how often can it be recycled? | 2023-12-05T09:08:56.660 | # Question
Title: Does PLA lose mechanical properties when recycled, and if so, how often can it be recycled?
In addition to the question Does rPLA stand for Recycled PLA, or is it a different type of material?.
Does PLA lose mechanical properties when it is being recycled into rPLA? If so, **how often** can it be recycled before being unusable for recycling? And how would filament manufacturers know or account for this? How would they know if I returned the new PLA or rPLA waste? What if, in theory, the same rPLA batch is sent back repeatedly for recycling?
# Answer
Yes, recycled PLA loses mechanical properties.
According to Dr. D-Flo's excellent video on Recycling 3D Prints and Waste plastic into Filament (PET & PLA) it loses mechanical strength during every thermal cycle - i.e. when it is printed, when it is melted down for recycling, when it is next printed, etc.
Manufacturers account for this by mixing in "virgin" PLA. So "recycled PLA" is really a mix of recycled and new PLA. This will lessen the extent to which the recycled portion will affect overall strength of the result.
I do not know if/how manufacturers would account for how many thermal cycles the PLA you supply has been through.
If the mix of virgin/recycled PLA has more virgin than recycled, then it may not matter. If the mix favoured recycled then each batch would be worse than the one before. I suppose manufacturers can test a sample from the beginning of their re-extrusion, and if they find it too brittle (etc.) they can change the mix before continuing.
> 2 votes
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Tags: pla, material, recycling, filament-production, rpla
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thread-21781 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21781 | Bottom messing up | 2023-12-08T17:33:26.433 | # Question
Title: Bottom messing up
We are having an issue where the bottom of every print is not sticking to the bed but the brim is great but when it starts the print it start in the corner and the filament does not lay flat.
# Answer
I assume that's a photo of the bottom of a print?
To my eyes that looks like the filament is being squished into the bed way too much, which may result in it being dragged along with the nozzle, which causes it to curl up behind the nozzle a detach.
Try increasing your Z-offset, so the nozzle is slightly **higher** than it is now.
... it also looks like the filament is not sticking to itself at all. What type of filament is that, what print settings did you use, and what sort of bed surface do you use (PEI? Is it heated?)? Make sure the bed is clean - I recommend using soap and water to clean it like you would your hands, and **then** isopropyl alcohol to remove any oils your fingers (or moisturiser in the soap) may have left.
The usual steps for poor bed adhesion are:
* Clean the bed properly
* Slow down the print
* Increase the temperature of the bed (~60 °C for PLA is usual)
If none of that worked, you can try putting down a layer of gluestick (like you used as a child, i.e. PVA glue). It is water soluble, so you can just wash it off the part and bed when you are done.
You can also buy specialist glues like 3Dlac if nothing else seems to work.
> 2 votes
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Tags: troubleshooting
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thread-21767 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21767 | Is it required to use a data-only USB cable to keep the LCD screen off, when a 3D printer has no other power provided? | 2023-12-06T20:22:26.407 | # Question
Title: Is it required to use a data-only USB cable to keep the LCD screen off, when a 3D printer has no other power provided?
I've noticed before that when I use a standard USB-cable to connect my Creality Ender 3 V2 printer using its USB port to a Raspberry Pi 4 and powered off the printer, that the LCD screen of the printer stays turned on. Even when the power cable is removed from the power supply of the printer, conclusion: the LCD screen draws power from the Pi over USB.
Although that seems like a horrible design for the v4.2.2 Creality board in my opinion I bought a simple PortaPow Power Blocker USB connector as shown below:
I could imagine there are other solutions to this but my question is: Is cutting the power over USB indeed the right approach? Is it common to do that for this type of printer and is it indeed the result of bad design by Creality?
# Answer
> 1 votes
If your question is whether a data-only USB cable is required in order to keep the LCD screen off until 12 V power is applied, then the answer is yes. However, then realize that you won't be able to flash new firmware onto your 3D printer board nor upload new 3D prints until 12 V power is applied again. Every time you want to upload a new 3D print to your printer, you'll have to turn on the heavy power supply attached to the wall. In the long run, this may use more energy, if for example, you forget to turn off your printer.
Ultimately, I think that I agree with you though, that this is a questionable design choice. On the other hand, 3D printers emit a ton of microplastic, and you probably shouldn't be using them in an environment where the light from an LCD screen would bother you. (Not in a bedroom, for example.)
On most 3D printer boards, everything 5 V and below is powered by the USB cable, **or** the 12 V power supply. If one is active, they will be powered. If you had relays attached to 5 V pins, for example, they would be "on" when the USB cable is attached, just like the LCD screen, and just like all the "thinking" parts of the 3D printer board. The "muscle" like the motors and heaters rely on 12 V and obviously aren't powered by USB. Everything 5 V and below is flexible in that way, it can be powered by USB or 12 V, but 12 V can only be powered by 12 V. (This is only within the context of 3D printer boards... there are other things called boost converters that can convert 5 V to 12 V, but there is not enough power from USB to do that to power a 3D printer.)
Some boards like the SKR mini v1.1 have a movable jumper that you can use to choose whether things like the LCD screen are powered by the 5 V USB input or the buck converter attached to the 12 V power supply. (However, this is a really cheap board.) With this board, you wouldn't need a data-only USB cable. I don't recommend this board, however.
It might also be possible to turn off the power provided to all USB ports using software on the Raspberry Pi.
You don't need a special adapter like that, either. You can use a small and removable piece of masking/duct tape, and some tweezers, to turn any USB cable into a data-only USB cable.
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Tags: creality-ender-3, electronics, raspberry-pi, lcd-screen
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thread-21774 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21774 | What's the accuracy and reliability difference between BLTouch, CRTouch and 3D touch? | 2023-12-07T21:35:16.313 | # Question
Title: What's the accuracy and reliability difference between BLTouch, CRTouch and 3D touch?
What are the differences between the bed leveling probes BLTouch, CRTouch and 3DTouch in terms of reliability and accuracy?
Is there some kind of benchmark available? Also, how often should the plastic 'probes' in the BL and 3D touch be replaced? As that problem is solved in CRTouch.
# Answer
This answer goes into the **reliability aspects** of the often-discussed *"Touch sensors"* within the 3D printing community based on experience with the BLTouch and the 3D Touch..
Throughout my journey in 3D printing, I've had the opportunity to experiment with various iterations of clones (from metal pins to plastic pins), referred to as the "3D Touch", attempting to emulate the renowned BLTouch sensor. One undeniable allure of these clones is their significantly lower price point, which tricked me into buying them being a budget-conscious 3D print enthusiast. However, it's essential to describe my experiences with these clones, which spanned up until 2019.
At first glance, these clones seemed promising, operating as expected and demonstrating competence in their initial usage. However, this initial phase was short-lived, as many of them eventually caved in to issues that severely impacted their reliability. These problems typically manifested in one of two ways: they either ceased to function altogether or exhibited erratic behavior by unpredictably deploying and retracting the probing pin during critical operations such as `G28` and `G29` G-code executions. The latter issue, characterized by premature pin deployment when the print bed was not adequately lowered (CoreXY), often resulted in disrupted Auto Bed Leveling (ABL, What is ABL or UBL? Is this the same?) sessions, leading to subpar print outcomes (actually no print at all...) and frustration.
In contrast, after making the switch to a genuine BLTouch sensor, the transformation in reliability was remarkable. It has faithfully served its purpose on my CoreXY printer for a continuous span of approximately five years, without a hint of trouble. The consistent and error-free performance of the authentic BLTouch has not only elevated the quality of my 3D prints but has also instilled confidence in the reliability of my 3D printing endeavors.
In essence, while cost-effective alternatives may initially appear enticing, investing in a genuine BLTouch sensor can undoubtedly pay itself in terms of frustration, reliability and long-term satisfaction. In hindsight, buying a genuine BLTouch would have actually saved me; "Penny wise, pound foolish" comes directly to mind.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I found Teaching Tech's comparison of probes quite thorough and informative: Six popular ABL probes compared: Accuracy, price, wiring and more! - YouTube
My take away was that all the ones he tested were more accurate than a hobbyist 3D printer needs, so it really comes down to convenience: which is the easier / cheaper option for your situation. He has this great infographic in his video's conclusion:
He also published a Google Doc with his results: TT testing - Google Sheets
> 1 votes
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Tags: bltouch, automatic-bed-leveling, crtouch
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thread-21789 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21789 | Why does Cura remove a part of a model when slicing? | 2023-12-10T21:00:49.320 | # Question
Title: Why does Cura remove a part of a model when slicing?
Some parts of this model when slicing in Cura are just being deleted.
Here is the part of the model before slicing; notice how there is a wall between the threads and the inside
And after slicing, that wall is just gone, and this wouldn't be practical to print.
And turning on supports doesn't fix the problem in the slightest.
# Answer
> 3 votes
As mentioned in the comments. Probably the model contains too little space for the slicer to be able to slice for that nozzle size and resolution.
You have a few options:
* Scale up the model
* Use a smaller nozzle and a higher resolution
* Change the model to include thicker walls
Maybe you can increase wall thickness in slicer settings and achieve the same, although I am not sure of it.
As mentioned by you, apparently PrusaSlicer did work. It's interesting to figure out what the actual difference is. Isn't it just the wrong visualization in Cura? Did you try to print that Cura-sliced model or preview it top-down layer for layer?
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, slicing
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thread-21788 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21788 | Is an unlevel bed the reason I have trouble getting prints off a SpiderSheet? | 2023-12-10T20:34:09.427 | # Question
Title: Is an unlevel bed the reason I have trouble getting prints off a SpiderSheet?
I've had a lot of trouble getting prints off of my build plate. So much so that I ripped off the SpiderSheet, cleaned the glass thoroughly, and applied a new one.
I ended up stopping the 1st print I did because it looked like the nozzle was digging into the bed. I had to go to 220 °C with this PLA because otherwise, it's all fluff. Is my issue perhaps an unlevel bed?
I run a Creality Ender-2 with an older firmware.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Well, if the nozzle digs into the bed, then that means the nozzle is too close to the bed. That has nothing to do with the Spider Sheet or whatever other surface you are using. Two reasons come to mind:
1. Your bed is uneven/warped. While glass plates are normally pretty flat, you can bend them by clamping them down to a warped heated aluminum base.
2. Your X/Y axes (the guide rods) might be bent a little. If the bed or head is higher/lower in some positions than others, then the nozzle will touch the bed in some positions. Even if your bed were perfectly flat.
Possible solutions:
1. Re-level your bed (hopefully you have already done this before asking this question).
2. Add mesh bed leveling to your printer (don't know if your printer supports it though).
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Tags: print-quality, creality-ender-2
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thread-21565 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21565 | What are the pros and cons of automatically turning off stepper motors after a print? Does it increase the stepper motor's lifetime? | 2023-11-01T09:28:38.737 | # Question
Title: What are the pros and cons of automatically turning off stepper motors after a print? Does it increase the stepper motor's lifetime?
I've noticed several times that one of my stepper motors is making a slight noise after a print is finished, indicating it's still enabled; also, the axes are still statically positioned and unmovable.
I meant that the stepper motors are still powered. Usually, after a print, the extruder moves up and away, and the bed moves to the front. However, some X seconds after that, I would like to automatically turn off the steppers because it could potentially preserve the lifetime of my stepper motors.
* Is this a common practice, and if so, does this method have a name?
* Does it indeed potentially increase lifetime?
* How to do it? (By simply adding `M18/M84` at the end of my G-code using a Cura script or using an OctoPi plugin?)
* Are there any other pros or cons to powering off stepper motors after the print has finished?
# Answer
While it's plausible that it might increase lifetime, I doubt it. Unless you're driving them out of spec and allowing them to overheat, motor coils should last pretty much indefinitely. The main wear component in a stepper motor is the bearings, not the coils, and the bearings do not get any additional wear from having the coils energized, only from actually turning.
The advantage you **do** get from turning off the steppers is energy savings. As long as the stepper is energized, you're burning roughly $I^2R$ watts, where $I$ is the current you're driving the motor at and $R$ is the coil resistance. You also eliminate the stepper hum, which can be really infuriating to some people's ears, and if your board has properly firmware-switchable fans, you let the fans power down too, which also saves energy and cuts noise.
Another aspect that can be an advantage or a disadvantage is that, once steppers are powered off, you can move the motion components by hand. This can be nice for adjusting the toolhead and bed to remove the completed print, but it can also cause the toolhead or bed to fall due to gravity, which can lead to damage to the printed part or the printer. If this is an issue, on most kinematic systems (pretty much anything but delta or corexz) you can leave the Z stepper(s) energized between prints, and only disable the X/Y ones. The reduction gearing/leadscrew lead on most printers makes it so Z doesn't need anywhere near the current of X/Y, so turning off X/Y and just leaving Z engaged still gets you most of the power conservation.
> 2 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, marlin, ultimaker-cura, stepper, octoprint
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thread-14130 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/14130 | Is there a way to save a multi part print if one fails? | 2020-07-23T12:23:04.443 | # Question
Title: Is there a way to save a multi part print if one fails?
I'm printing 6 separate parts in one go, after 4 hours of printing one part failed, but the other 5 are printing nicely.
Is there a way to prevent the print from printing the failed part and continue printing the other 5 parts.
I'm using Cura and an Ender 3 printer.
# Answer
> 14 votes
If you use the OctoPrint print manager, you can exclude regions to be printed using the Exclude Region plugin. The description states that it can be used to rescue partially-failed prints:
> The intent of this plugin is to provide a means to salvage multi-part prints where one (or more) of the parts has broken loose from the build plate or has otherwise become a worthless piece of failure. Instead of cancelling an entire job when only a portion is messed up, use this plugin to instruct OctoPrint to ignore any gcode commands executed within the area around the failure.
Other print managers may provide similar facilities.
I'm not sure if it will enable you to rescue your current print job.
# Answer
> 4 votes
Mick is right that you can do this with OctoPrint and maybe other print managers, and 0scar is right that there's no way to get the printer to stop printing the no-longer-wanted part when printing without a print manager (since it doesn't know about objects). However there is a way to recover and keep the non-failed parts if you're willing to waste material printing the rest of the failed part. It involved having a recovery tool built in advance, though.
Basically, you need an adjustable-height platform you can temporarily glue to the bed where the failed part would have been, small enough not to interfere with other parts but large enough to cover at least most of the area the failed part should have been in. The surface of the platform needs to be something your material will adhere to, ideally the same material you're printing with.
With the print paused and the head parked to the side, glue the platform to the bed and adjust its height using the depth-measurement function of a caliper to match the current layer height. Alternatively, you could use a straight-edge resting on two adjacent printed parts to match the layer height, but that risks dislodging them.
After it's attached and adjusted properly, resume printing.
I have not tested this with tall parts, but I have successfully made such "platforms" with layers of blue tape for small parts, and see no reason the concept should not scale to arbitrary height as long as you can get sufficient adhesion and match the layer height sufficiently well. Designing a sufficiently adjustable and reusable one (with adjustment mechanism that doesn't interfere above the desired height) would be an interesting project.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Considering your setup, you don't have reported using an external print server like OctoPrint, so the other answers hinting to OctoPrint are a solution if you are upgrading to a print server.
> I'm using Cura and an Ender 3 printer.
Your prints are coming from an SD card from a pre-sliced file (note that the OtoPrint solutions require you to pre-process the file after slicing before printing, also if you have a single mesh file with multiple parts you need to pre-process the file prior to printing).
So, **no**, once you sliced the 6 parts on the build plate in your slicer, the G-code is fixed and the printer will print as the sliced instructions from the SD-card. During printing it cannot skip the code of a part that failed along the way; there is no way to interfere with the printing other than stopping the print during printing.
For that reason, many people don't pack the build plate too full, the more parts, the higher the chance it fails. You could print the part one after each other. Packing the plate with multiple parts is usually not faster than printing one at a time (if it fails you have nothing, otherwise a single failed print).
Depending on the size of the parts you can also tell the printer to print each part on the plate one after another in a single job; note that the printhead dimensions limit this. If one fails you stop the job, but the already printed parts are saved. You can then commence a new print of cut the G-code and reprint the shortened file.
# Answer
> 2 votes
In addition to the previously answered "Exclude Region" plugin for OctoPrint, the "Cancel Object" plugin for OctoPrint also works excellently.
> **Cancel single objects during a print based on code comment lines**
>
> This plugin allows the user to cancel single objects during a print while allowing the remaining objects to print normally. Instructions for use with compatible slicers are provided on the plugin’s GitHub Homepage.
<sup>Source: OctoPrint-Cancelobject</sup>
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, creality-ender-3, pla
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thread-21787 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21787 | How to reduce vibration on a camera arm connected to the printer bed? | 2023-12-10T17:26:25.967 | # Question
Title: How to reduce vibration on a camera arm connected to the printer bed?
I printed a Raspberry Pi camera arm for my Ender 3 V2 as a second camera that's not connected statically to the printer frame but to the printer bed instead. I now have two cameras, both from different angles, each with advantages.
However, the moving bed results in severe vibration. I need anti-vibration or stabilization methods for my very light Raspberry Pi camera. I was thinking about doing something with some rubber bands somehow or making a mold to make a silicon block(s) that I will use to replace some part(s) in the middle of the arm, disconnecting the plastic so it can potentially absorb some vibration.
Below is an example of the vibration viewed from my Raspberry Pi camera. The image is cropped, speed up and compressed to fit in an animated GIF under 2 MB for this site. The original is in higher resolution but the vibration is visible.
# Answer
Looking at the project you linked, there is a couple of things you should consider to reduce vibration:
1. More points of contact. One point gives your arm a lot of freedom left-right, and not insignificant amount of up-down flex. For a 3D construction, ideally you would have N+1 = 4 mounting points.
2. Camera mount **not** on rotating axis. This, again, is a point of freedom that can vibrate very well. Glue it up or redesign,
3. Make it as light as possible. This arm looks way heavier than it needs to, especially at the end. It can very well narrow down towards the end significantly without significant stiffness reduction.
4. Use wider lenses and shorter arm. Shorter arm will vibrate less.
5. Make sure your cable is not an issue - it should move easily with the camera. Secure it along the arm so it cannot pull on the camera at all. Make sure it is short enough not to hook on anything. Make sure it's long enough not to pull on anything in any position. If these are contradictory, redesign for them to not be.
> 1 votes
# Answer
Every object or structure has one or more criticals, i.e. frequencies at which it will resonate if excited by a source of kinetic energy vibrating near one of the criticals. A relatively small vibration close to a critical frequency can excite a very large vibration in an object whose physical properties cause it to resonate at that frequency. Resonance occurs when the vibration cycles are in phase and reinforce themselves.
3D printers, with pulsed motors and moving parts operating across a wide spectrum of speeds, will certainly produce a broad range of vibration frequencies. Some of those might excite an object or structure physically connected to them. Common engineering practice for suppressing vibration at or near criticals consists of **making changes to one or more of these - excitation frequency, mass or stiffness.** Nothing else will be effective.
It's probably impractical to try to change or dampen the myriad vibrations that a 3D printer produces. You'll most likely have more success trying to change the mass or stiffness of whatever is experiencing unacceptable levels of vibration. It should be noted that in some cases reducing mass or stiffness can be as effective as increasing them. The objective is to move the object's critical frequencies away from the frequency of whatever is exciting it. This is often a trial and error process.
> 1 votes
# Answer
I mounted my Pi camera for Octoprint to the table, rather than the frame of the printer; works fine for me.
If you have a long lever arm it will vibrate. So try for more points of contact with the frame. Three would be ideal, nit one is definitely insufficient.
Another option is to mount the camera directly to the printer head - that seems to be common for super-short focus endoscope-style cameras.
> 0 votes
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Tags: creality-ender-3, raspberry-pi, stability, camera, vibration
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thread-21807 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21807 | What could be the underlying reasons for the spaces or voids between the layers? | 2023-12-13T03:51:49.457 | # Question
Title: What could be the underlying reasons for the spaces or voids between the layers?
I've been attempting to 3D print a hollow cube, but I'm encountering issues with noticeable gaps between the walls. Despite adjusting the Extrusion multiplier and width settings, the results remain unchanged. Can someone provide guidance on how to address this issue or suggest alternative parameters to tweak for a more solid print?
* Filament Used: eSun ePLA-HS High-Speed Filament 1.75 mm
* Bed Temp: 60 °C
* Nozzle Temp: 220 °C
# Answer
> 6 votes
> What could be the underlying reasons for the spaces or voids between the layers?
**Underextrusion** is what is called the phenomenon you see.
For a calibrated printer, which is pretty much how you get them delivered, there should not be any fiddling with the extrusion multiplier parameter necessary to get reasonable prints.
When underextrusion appears in your prints, this usually suggests that something is wrong in the extruder to spool to nozzle path.
Many of the underextrusion can be related to e.g. (this is an example list and may not be complete, but, given the question it is hard to pinpoint to a specific issue):
* Too much friction on the spool,
+ Entangled, or tight winded filament
+ Too much friction in unrolling/turning the spool
* Obstructions in the nozzle
+ Carbonized debris in the nozzle
+ Problems with the PTFE tube in the heat break
* Problems with the extruder
+ Slipping/skipping filament; not enoungh force to move the filament
+ Grinding filament; too much force to move the filament
* etc.
You need to do some troubleshooting, inspecting and cleaning of the complete extrusion path and address any problem you encounter.
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Tags: print-quality, creatbot-f430
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thread-21801 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21801 | Nozzle hitting bed corner before it stars printing | 2023-12-12T16:21:12.240 | # Question
Title: Nozzle hitting bed corner before it stars printing
I just got this Artillery Hornet printer. I am new to the 3D printing but the printer is not new.
The glass bed was leveled from the Marlin firmware menu (**Motion \> Bed leveling \> Level corners**) and I manually adjusted the distance of all corners to be exactly 0.1 mm from the nozzle.
The printer works fine but I am not satisfied with the glass bed which does have adhesion problems with PLA, it is difficult to print the first layer with a reasonably low temperature for the bed and filament.
What I wanted to do was to install a new PEI bed, but faced the following problem: before the printer started printing from G-code, the head would go to the bottom right corner and hit the glass bed with the nozzle once. Then it continues on the appropriate level. Since the nozzle is made of brass and the bed is glass it won't do any noticeable damage to the bed surface.
However, I am not entirely sure if it is safe for the nozzle or PEI that I am about to install. Is it normal that the printer would do something like this or does it need to be adjusted/fixed somehow?
Is this common or is this on purpose?
My understanding is that before printing, the head is parked at the home position. Therefore, the Z-axis limit sensor needs to be reached. This is the moment when it happens. This printer is not equipped with Automatic Bed Leveling (ABL).
# Answer
I'm not familiar with your printer but I've had that happen as part of a filament heating routine where the nozzle touches the bed while the extruder heats up. The intention was to stop the filament from leaking out. In my case, it was part of the start G-code set up in my slicer.
You don't mention the slicer you are using so here is where you find it in the two I use:
Prusa Slicer: **Printer settings tab \> Left panel Custom G-code**
Cura: **Settings menu \> Printer \> Manage printers \> Machine settings \> Start G-code.**
> 0 votes
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Tags: bed-leveling, homing, artillery-hornet
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thread-21803 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21803 | Overlapping filament after increasing speeds Prusa Slicer | 2023-12-12T18:14:40.173 | # Question
Title: Overlapping filament after increasing speeds Prusa Slicer
I'm trying to tweak my speeds to see what I can get out of my printer.
I have an Ender 3 v2 with dual Z steppers, E3D Hemera XS and Klipper with a 0.4 nozzle printing PETG Filament.
After changing the speeds I started getting this at the end of the lines:
It is where the nozzle turns back for the next line. I'm trying to find out if there is a setting to fix this but I'm struggling with what to search for.
What would this be called and is there a settings that can change this?
Speeds:
Perimeters = 60 mm/s
Small perimeters = 15 mm/s
External perimeters = 50%
Infill = 80 mm/s
Solid infill = 40 mm/s
Top solid infill = 15 mm/s
Layer height = 0.2mm
# Answer
> 1 votes
This looks like your Pressure Advance might not be tuned correctly. At higher speeds, PA is practically a necessity. I found that Ellis' PA Pattern is quite good for this purpose (it's also integrated into OrcaSlicer, if you use that).
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Tags: prusaslicer, speed
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thread-21759 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21759 | How can I get Cura's slicer settings to save into the G-code in a way that Moonraker/Klipper can read them? | 2023-12-06T09:01:12.307 | # Question
Title: How can I get Cura's slicer settings to save into the G-code in a way that Moonraker/Klipper can read them?
I've been using Klipper and Cura for a while now (somewhat new to 3D printing), and I notice whenever I import a new G-code file to Klipper, none of the Slicer settings from Cura display in the G-code files in Klipper. However, when I imported a G-code file from my friend (the PETG one) I noticed it showed up right away:
I looked at the difference in the G-code formats, and I noticed that the file sliced with Prusa had the settings in the bottom of the file in the below (truncated) format:
```
;TYPE:Custom
; Filament-specific end gcode
; filament used [mm] = 5342.18
; filament used [cm3] = 12.85
; filament used [g] = 16.32
; filament cost = 0.45
; total filament used [g] = 16.32
; total filament cost = 0.45
; estimated printing time (normal mode) = 2h 49m 42s
; estimated printing time (silent mode) = 2h 50m 36s
; prusaslicer_config = begin
; avoid_crossing_perimeters = 0
; avoid_crossing_perimeters_max_detour = 0
; bed_custom_model =
; bed_custom_texture =
; bed_shape = 0x0,250x0,250x210,0x210
; bed_temperature = 90
; before_layer_gcode = ;BEFORE_LAYER_CHANGE\nG92 E0.0\n;[layer_z]\n\n
; between_objects_gcode =
; bottom_fill_pattern = monotonic
; bottom_solid_layers = 5
; bottom_solid_min_thickness = 0.5
; bridge_acceleration = 1000
; bridge_angle = 0
; bridge_fan_speed = 50
; bridge_flow_ratio = 1
; bridge_speed = 25
; cooling = 1
; cooling_tube_length = 5
; elefant_foot_compensation = 0.2
; external_perimeter_extrusion_width = 0.45
; external_perimeter_speed = 25
; external_perimeters_first = 0
; extra_loading_move = -2
; extra_perimeters = 0
; extrusion_multiplier = 1
; extrusion_width = 0.45
; fan_always_on = 1
; fan_below_layer_time = 20
; filament_colour = #FF8000
; filament_cooling_final_speed = 3.4
; filament_cooling_initial_speed = 2.2
; filament_cooling_moves = 4
; filament_cost = 27.82
```
Whereas the G-code generated by cura has them in the below format:
```
;End of Gcode
;SETTING_3 {"global_quality": "[general]\\nversion = 4\\nname = Filament_Sample-
;SETTING_3 PET-dev.1\\ndefinition = creality_ender3pro\\n\\n[metadata]\\ntype =
;SETTING_3 quality_changes\\nquality_type = standard\\nsetting_version = 22\\n\\
;SETTING_3 n[values]\\nadhesion_type = skirt\\nklipper_experimental_enable = Tru
;SETTING_3 e\\nklipper_ui_temp_support_enable = True\\nretraction_combing = nosk
;SETTING_3 in\\nsupport_enable = False\\nsupport_type = buildplate\\n\\n", "extr
;SETTING_3 uder_quality": ["[general]\\nversion = 4\\nname = Filament_Sample-PET
;SETTING_3 -dev.1\\ndefinition = creality_ender3pro\\n\\n[metadata]\\ntype = qua
;SETTING_3 lity_changes\\nquality_type = standard\\nintent_category = default\\n
;SETTING_3 position = 0\\nsetting_version = 22\\n\\n[values]\\nbrim_gap = 0.17\\
;SETTING_3 nbrim_line_count = 14\\ninfill_enable_travel_optimization = True\\nin
;SETTING_3 fill_sparse_density = 100\\ninset_direction = outside_in\\nironing_en
;SETTING_3 abled = True\\nironing_flow = 5.0\\nironing_inset = 0.2\\nironing_mon
;SETTING_3 otonic = True\\nironing_pattern = zigzag\\nmaterial_flow = 90.0\\nret
;SETTING_3 raction_amount = 3.0\\nretraction_hop = 1.0\\nretraction_hop_enabled
;SETTING_3 = True\\nretraction_hop_only_when_collides = True\\nroofing_layer_cou
;SETTING_3 nt = 1\\nroofing_line_width = 0.2\\nroofing_material_flow = 75.0\\nro
;SETTING_3 ofing_pattern = lines\\nskin_monotonic = True\\nskin_overlap = 4.0\\n
;SETTING_3 speed_print = 100.0\\nsupport_angle = 65.0\\nsupport_conical_enabled
;SETTING_3 = True\\nsupport_interface_density = 20\\nsupport_skip_some_zags = Tr
;SETTING_3 ue\\ntop_bottom_pattern_0 = lines\\ntop_layers = 1\\nwall_line_count
;SETTING_3 = 4\\nwall_overhang_angle = 55.0\\nwall_overhang_speed_factor = 80.0\
;SETTING_3 \n\\n"]}
```
Prusa has them in a more sensible format, whereas Cura stores them in INI format, stored as strings in a JSON object, which is then stored as a G-code comment (which seems ridiculously overcomplicated)
I already have a bash/jq function I use to parse those comments from the Cura sliced G-code and display it to me, but I'm trying to find a way to have it done automatically while the G-code file is getting generated. I have looked at some plugins for Cura, but I didn't see one that applied to this.
I know I could possibly modify the `metadata.py` (Moonraker) to have it parse for the Cura style G-code comments, or even write a Cura plugin, but it occurred to me that I can't be the first one to have this issue. And I didn't find anything for it upon Googling it.
**The question**: Does anyone have a simple workaround for this that doesn't require writing plugins or modifying existing Moonraker files?
And a bonus question: Why in the world would they store slicer settings nested in three different formats? Why?!
**TL;DR:** Cura stores the print config in the G-code comments, but Klipper/Moonraker can't parse them due to the format. Is there a simple way around this? (aside from writing a plugin or modifying Moonraker files)
P.S. I do see that some plugins seem related to this but I don't see one that formats and saves the settings to the G-code file. They either just extract them from the G-code, or require you to execute a script every time (or even launch a Node server..)
## Update (Answer... Kinda)
So after looking into the Moonraker python, I can see that there actually is a *Cura* class that extends `BaseSlicer` class, and it's what handles the comment parsing:
```
class Cura(BaseSlicer):
def check_identity(self, data: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, str]]:
match = re.search(r"Cura_SteamEngine\s(.*)", data)
if match:
return {
'slicer': "Cura",
'slicer_version': match.group(1)
}
return None
# .. Truncated some rows..
def has_objects(self) -> bool:
return self._check_has_objects(self.header_data, r"\n;MESH:")
def parse_filament_weight_total(self) -> Optional[float]:
return regex_find_float(r";Filament\sweight\s=\s.(%F).", self.header_data)
def parse_filament_type(self) -> Optional[str]:
return regex_find_string(r";Filament\stype\s=\s(%S)", self.header_data)
def parse_filament_name(self) -> Optional[str]:
return regex_find_string(r";Filament\sname\s=\s(%S)", self.header_data)
# .. Truncated some rows..
def parse_nozzle_diameter(self) -> Optional[float]:
return regex_find_float(r";Nozzle\sdiameter\s=\s(%F)", self.header_data)
```
And if you look at the regex, it's looking for some config names like **Filament weight**, **Filament name**, **Filament type**, etc. But Cura stores it as just **name**, **weight**, and **type**, but puts it under a `[metadata]` section.
Also, the Cura-style metadata is all just concatenated into one string, which has a line return injected every 80 characters. This means that depending on the values, some of the ***names*** of the metadata items get truncated halfway through, and have another `;SETTING_3` injected as the prefix, which makes it somewhat of a nightmare to simply parse with RegEx.
I was trying to avoid having to modify any Moonraker code, but it looks like I'll just have to alter the Cura class to extract all lines that start with `;SETTING_3` , then concatenate \> JSON Parse \> INI Parse.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Not sure why I wasn't able to find this initially, but here's a list of replacement strings that can be used in the Start/End G-code settings of the machine/printer profile.
In my Machine profile settings, I inserted the below text at the top of the Start G-code section:
```
; Cura/Material/Profile settings
;Layer Height: {layer_height}
;MINZ: {layer_height_0}
;Print Speed: {speed_print}
;first_layer_bed_temp: {material_print_temperature_layer_0}
;Nozzle diameter = {machine_nozzle_size}
;Filament id = {material_id}
;Filament type = {material_type}
;Filament name = {material_name}
;Filament brand = {material_brand}
;Filament amount = {filament_amount}
;Filament weight = {filament_weight}
;Filament cost = {filament_cost}
;Jobname = {jobname}
; Ender 3 Custom Start G-code
; ... Rest of my start G-code was here
```
And now, when I generate a new G-code file, it has the below data in the file:
```
; Cura/Material/Profile settings
;Layer Height: 0.2
;MINZ: 0.2
;Print Speed: 30.0
;first_layer_bed_temp: 260.0
;Nozzle diameter = 0.4
;Filament id = generic_abs_175 #2
;Filament type = ABS
;Filament name = ASA
;Filament brand = iSANGHU
;Filament amount = [1.01]
;Filament weight = [3.013193642578125]
;Filament cost = [0.05423748556640625]
;Jobname = TN1-148_SHAFT_ADAPTOR
; Ender 3 Custom Start G-code
```
(Note: I had to save an ASA material as ABS because apparently, Cura thinks my printer profile isn't compatible with ASA, so it's saved as ABS. but that value is accurate to what's in the configs)
And it works fine in MoonRaker as well
Source: How to access material type (eg PLA, PETG etc) from Cura post-processing plugin?
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, g-code, prusaslicer, klipper
--- |
thread-21724 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21724 | How is it possible for (PHA) prints to warp on an unheated bed? | 2023-12-02T11:07:46.907 | # Question
Title: How is it possible for (PHA) prints to warp on an unheated bed?
I'm experimenting with a new type of filament, 100 % polyhydroxyalkanoates (**PHA**). However, per the manufacturer's instructions I'm using a **PLA** profile in Cura and with the only change being a 200 °C nozzle on a cold, **unheated carborundum glass bed** using a well-calibrated Creality Ender 3 V2. Fan speed at 100 % from the first layer.
The whole setup works flawlessly with PLA at 210 °C with a heated bed at 35 °C. My PLA prints are generally hard to remove, even after cooling down the bed, sticking too well, despite not using glue sticks or adhesives. So, I assume that adhesion cannot be the issue.
For PHA, the first layers look excellent, but after some time, the result is extreme warping as shown below:
How is it possible for a print to warp on an unheated bed in a room with a stable room temperature of 19 °C and humidity of 45 %?
The model used (although print canceled) was Filament Swatch from Thingiverse.com.
Example of the same model, printed on the same machine, with the same settings but **using recycled PLA and a heated bed**:
# Answer
The technical datasheet for ColorFabb's "allPHA" filament \[original\] says the following:
> Contrary to most 3D printing materials allPHA is best printed on a cold plate, so no active heating is required. A heated plate will induce crystallization, which will lead to warping of the bottom layers.
>
> We advise using 100% cooling starting on the second layer. This helps set the model by slowing down crystallization of the allPHA matrix.
So apparently, you have to cool it down quickly to freeze it in its amorphous form. Cooling too slowly will give it time to form a crystal lattice, shrinking in the process. This shrinking of the upper layers then exerts a force that pulls the corners of the lower layers upwards, which manifests as warping.
So my guess would be: **Add more cooling.** As mentioned in the comments, printing slower might help, because it gives the part cooling fan more time to blow on the printed lines, thus cooling them faster.
PS: Additionally, different materials require different bed materials. The fact that PLA sticks to your plate does not mean that other materials will stick just as well. The datasheet linked above suggests "3DLac / Diluted wood glue" for treating the bed, so that might be worth a try. Wood glue is often PVA-based, the same as many glue sticks, so that might be a good idea as well.
> 4 votes
---
Tags: pla, filament, warping, pha, cold-bed
--- |
thread-21804 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21804 | Experiencing Under-Extrusion and Print Instability on CReality CR6 SE with Various PLA Filaments | 2023-12-12T18:41:39.027 | # Question
Title: Experiencing Under-Extrusion and Print Instability on CReality CR6 SE with Various PLA Filaments
I am facing persistent issues with under-extrusion and print instability on my Creality CR6 SE 3D printer. Despite using different PLA filaments from various manufacturers such as Eryone, Jayo, Prusament, Redline, and Amazon Basic, I consistently encounter problems with thin lines and unreliable prints.
Notably, the same filaments perform well on my Prusa Mini, ruling out filament quality as the sole culprit.
Here are the key details:
* Running the latest Community Firmware.
* PLA filaments are stored adequately, ranging from a few weeks to several years old.
* Hotend temperature settings range from 205-215 °C with a 60 °C heated bed.
* Standard settings slightly modified for wider inner perimeters (0.6 mm) and higher temperature for stability.
* Occasional difficulties during filament changes, even with the extruder released and the nozzle adequately heated.
I have performed some troubleshooting steps, including changing filaments, adjusting Z offset, and ensuring proper storage conditions. However, the issue persists. I also cleaned the extruder. Could it helb to replace the PTFE tube with a Capricorn tube?
Are there additional steps I should consider or specific settings that could be impacting my print quality? Any insights or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
I have checked other questions on this site, but with no helpfull result for me.
# Answer
Try following a guide on debugging under-extrusion all the way through.
The most obvious point you did not list in your question are: checking the mechanics of the extruder and cleaning the nozzle:
* Making sure the extruder gear theeth are clean and sharp
* Ensure proper spring tension is pressing the filament to the extruder gear
* Check if the motor has enough force/current to push the filament through your fingers if you press them together
* Calibrate the E-Steps
* Check that volumetric E is not enabled in your slicer settings.
* Make sure you can manually push filament through the heated nozzle without too much force
* Perform a cold pull or several
* etc.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: troubleshooting, underextrusion, creality-cr-6
--- |
thread-21802 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21802 | How do I add a custom motor driver to Marlin? | 2023-12-12T18:07:27.893 | # Question
Title: How do I add a custom motor driver to Marlin?
I've been digging through the Marlin code from GitHub, and I'm hoping that someone could direct me where to add a custom motor driver. I figure someone here already is familiar with the code and it would save me a lot of time digging.
I know someone will ask why I'm asking how I can add my own drivers...
1. To find out if what I'm trying to do has already been done by someone else, or if there is something close I could tweak (code reuse).
2. I am attempting to make an absolutely minimal controller board that drives really small steppers. I can easily drive the steppers directly with four TTL outputs (with some output protection of course). I have already experimentally shown it works and is solid.
3. More important than the above, I'd like to give it a try just for the learning experience. As they say, "the journey is the destination".
# Answer
It is actually difficult to answer this question as the code is written to handle likely over a hundred different types of hardware, and multiple types of stepper hardware.
Starting from where the pins are actually defined up to the code that drives them, here's a quick breakdown.
The header files in `src/pins/pins_*.h` define the actual pins that are talking to the hardware. E.g. these files contain lots of `#define` preprocessor directive such as this `#define` that defines what pin on a certain processor controls the direction of the Z stepper motor;
```
#define Z_DIR_PIN 10
```
The header file `indirection.h` defines "higher level" #define's. Building on the above example, this macro is defined in `indirection.h` used to actually set the stepper motor direction.
```
#define Z_DIR_WRITE(STATE) WRITE(Z_DIR_PIN,INVERT_DIR(Z, STATE))
```
Finally, `stepper.cpp` will use the above macros to actually write to the hardware. As noted above the bulk of this code is `#if`/`#else`/`#define` preprocessor directives to support all of the many hardware/processor configurations. `Stepper.h` does have some even higher level macros, e.g.,
```
#define Z_APPLY_DIR(FWD,Q) do{ \
Z_DIR_WRITE(FWD); Z2_DIR_WRITE(INVERT_DIR(Z2_VS_Z, FWD)); \
Z3_DIR_WRITE(INVERT_DIR(Z3_VS_Z, FWD)); Z4_DIR_WRITE(INVERT_DIR(Z4_VS_Z, FWD)); \
}while(0)
```
I suspect that the code is heavily optimized (some written in assembly) ending up with very high-level concepts such as Bezier curve following tied directly with writing to the actual stepper.
Maybe I have stepped into a big problem with this code. It's difficult for someone who hasn't worked with it a lot to make simple changes. Maybe there is a need for a "simple stepper" driver that does not have a gazillion hardware dependencies that can be used for people like myself who just wish to do a quick experiment.
> 2 votes
# Answer
I suggest reading the existing Marlin documentation that's available regarding stepper drivers or trinamic drivers.
It's probably also advisable to familiarize yourself with the modular files `src/module/stepper.h`, `src/module/stepper.cpp` files, or from the Voxel8 repository for example the `stepper_indirection.h` file, as they handle the stepper motor interface.
Understanding the existing code or even modifying an existing driver could help to achieve your objectives.
Also depending on your experience and requirements you might find some inspiration in several YouTube videos such as DIY Stepper Motor Driver From Scratch or EasyDriver A3967 Stepper Motor Driver Tutorial with Arduino Code.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: marlin, g-code, firmware, software, stepper-driver
--- |
thread-21674 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21674 | How do I 3D print an object inside another object? | 2023-11-24T17:58:45.553 | # Question
Title: How do I 3D print an object inside another object?
I have a tooth and a nerve inside it as two different objects.
The first picture is a molar tooth and the second image is a nerve inside the molar tooth.
My question is; how to generate supports so that the nerve inside the molar tooth will be printed out? (3D printing object inside another object)
The purpose of the aim is to use the printed object as patient education material. (Not for sale)
# Answer
## With great difficulty
### Problems
From your tags, it looks like you want to use FDM process. Unless you have mastered How To Print Glass technique, you can forget about the inside model being visible in the outside one. Even if you did, I have never seen anyone manage to make it work with multicolor / multimaterial printers. That is, if you even have one, most of the people do not.
The best translucency I was able to get using FDM is this:
Printing two models separately and making them fit perfectly is another can of worms. Printers have limited accuracy. Materials have shrinkage that *is* different in different colors, if ever so slightly.
### My solution
Print one transparent part, with a hole in the shape of the inside part. Then, fill it with UV resin or paint. If possible, use transparent resin instead of FDM - you will get good enough transparency without a need to tune your printer and polish surfaces.
That's not something I have tried, but indeed something I planned\*.
---
* printing `TransparentTestPart_0.12mm_PETG_MK3S_50m.gcode` now, as I write this answer.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Similar to the answer above, but with a bit of a twist, it may be simpler to print both parts out as molds, and then to cast the parts that you want in two-part casting resin.
There are various tutorials on the internet that go into detail on how to do this.
For example: 3D Printed Molds Tutorial: How to DIY Your Own
Cura slicer even has a function for this. Mold mode though I've never used it.
Use a Boolean function to create a cavity inside the tooth using the nerve as a cutter, and then export it. Then use Cura's mold function to create a mold of the tooth with the cavity inside it.
Create a resin tooth using clear resin, and then once that is set mix up some red resin and pour it into the cavity.
It's still using 3D printing, just not as you originally thought. IT may be easiest to do the tooth mold in two parts and then join them together.
> 2 votes
# Answer
Transparency is interesting, but maybe one of the following options, for the purpose of inspiration, is more achievable:
### An anatomical model
A model consisting of different parts that can be taken apart for demonstration. Printed or painted in multiple colors. Such as:
<sup>Source: Mentone Educational</sup>
### A cross-sectional model
A model that is cut in half, showing the insides. If printed in the right orientation, multi-color prints can, to some extent, be achieved by changing the colors at a certain layer, or by painting. Such as:
<sup>Source: Free3D</sup>
> 1 votes
# Answer
You can accomplish this with a multiple extruder 3D printer.
You'll have one extruder print in transparent and another in red. However, you'll also need a third extruder to print "soluble" supports.
When you print with soluble supports, there are extra columns used to secure partly "floating" objects like the red nerve during the 3D printing process. After the print is done, you drop the 3D print in water. The soluble supports dissolve away, leaving just the nerve and the tooth.
Soluble supports and multi-extrusion printing are how you would print something like this. I'm not sure if you'll go through the effort to do it, but it can be done.
I have no experience with transparent filament though, it looks like by the other answers it's not very good.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: 3d-design, support-structures, prusaslicer
--- |
thread-22818 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/22818 | Convert rotation movement to a linear movement, in the same axis | 2023-12-14T20:07:22.750 | # Question
Title: Convert rotation movement to a linear movement, in the same axis
I need to convert the rotation movement of a motor to a linear movement (it has to be in the same axis of the motor).
I made a 3D model in Tinkercad consisting of two parts:
* the first part will mount on the motor and has a shape like screw inside
* the second part is a plunger that should move in linear direction when the motor rotate with the first part
I printed this model but the plunger gets stuck inside the first part and do not move.
So it fails.
I want a simple way to convert the rotary move to linear in the same axis of motor.
I broke part #1 ("the first part") from behind to see what happened inside. I found it sticks as part #2 jumps above the screw shape.
I think this mechanism is hard to be done.
So I switched to scotch yokes mechanism.
Hope it works!!
The vertical gear will pull the horizontal gears to move the articulator in a linear movement.
# Answer
## Simple Machines
We got a circular motion, and need a linear one. The most simple set up for this is known from steam engines:
The downside is, that this is a 90° turn from the motor. But to turn a circular motion by 90° is easy: Gears.
There are many options of gear types that would work to drive the transmission disk in a right angle from the motor:
* Helical Gears engage in a 90° to one another. McMaster Carr describes them as "For smooth, quiet operation at high speeds under heavy loads, helical gears have curved teeth that engage gradually and stay in contact longer than straight teeth. Because the curved teeth create thrust loads (loads that are parallel to the shaft), helical gear systems often require thrust bearings to prevent wear from misalignment."
* Miter Gears have their teeth mounted on a cone. There are 2 types (normal and spiraled), and McMaster Carr describes them as "Miter gears have straight teeth and a conical profile for transmitting motion at a right angle without changing shaft speed or torque. They're more efficient than spiral miter gears, which means they require less power to do the same work; however, they are noisier when run at high speeds and under heavy loads."
* Very similar are Beveled Gears, but the tooth geometry is simpler. McMaster Carr says: "Similar to miter gears, bevel gears have straight teeth and a conical profile for transmitting motion at a right angle. Unlike miter gears, one of the gears (sometimes called a pinion) is smaller than the other."
* The outside of the disk is connected to a worm gear. The linear motion will be slow but VERY powerful, and the machine can't drive the motor. McMaster Carr says: "Worm gears use screw threads to reduce shaft speed by ratios of 18:1 and greater while transmitting motion at a right angle. Unlike bevel gears, worm gears operate in one direction only; they transmit motion from worm to gear and cannot be reversed."
## Redesigning the original part: the Angled plane in motion
Your basic idea **works** but your design had two large problems:
* The alignment feature for the pushrod is way underdesigned
* The Pushrod is missing a secondary alignment feature
That is easy to solve, and reduced to the working areas, this is what might appear in your construction, approximating the actually very complex surface to an angled face:
The rotating angled plane is good to act. To prevent rotation of the green pushrod, I made the retainment lugs **much** beefier and part of the whole shaft, not an addition onto the shaft. That made it a large rectangle, which prevents any rotation in the grey housing part.
Do note that the rendition as a simple ramped cylinder is just a very rough approximation of the actual body you need, which would be the rotational cut of a rotating and sliding cylinder. The required cam track can be quite tricky to design in CAD.
The shaft **also** protrudes through the bottom angled surface in the most forward position, which prevents the shaft from misaligning at that critical point and not hitting the bore it has to get back into. This protrusion can be much shorter than shown, but it is very much aiding in reliability and preventing the misalignment you saw.
As an additional factor, the turning disk might need to be made from two halves that are connected, so it can be put around the shaft and not contain an insert-slot that would result in misalignment. You might need interlocking pegs between the parts of the rotating barrel to force alignment.
However, there's one problem with the design in itself: the setup has very large contact areas and will induce lots of friction.
> 3 votes
# Answer
The following might seem obvious, but it shouldn't be overlooked either.
Unless you have one of those Wire EDM cutting machines, with very precise tolerances<sup>1</sup>, that can seamlessly cut a shape out of blocks of metal that then, seemingly, *glide* out of the surrounding block, with little to no *stiction*<sup>2</sup>, then your printed surfaces of the screw will have imperfections that may cause the binding. The first step would be to shave, sand and smooth the surfaces. Maybe even treat with another chemical, such as acetone (depending upon your printing material) to smooth the surfaces even further.
However, in addition to that, some lubricant may be in order. Every gear box or mechanism contains a little oil or grease.
So, your original design *may* still work, with a little help from smoothing and lubricating any mating surfaces. As Trish states, your design has a lot of surface friction, so every bit of polishing of the surfaces will help.
---
<sup>1</sup> Approaching $\frac{5}{1000}$ (i.e. five thousandths) of a millimetre
<sup>2</sup> Such as the objects shown at the start of this video: How these impossibly thin cuts are made
> 3 votes
---
Tags: rotation
--- |
thread-21805 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/21805 | Can you use Power-loss Recovery when printing from OctoPrint? | 2023-12-12T22:00:38.703 | # Question
Title: Can you use Power-loss Recovery when printing from OctoPrint?
As per the Marlin documentation for G-code M413 - Power-loss Recovery:
> When Power-loss Recovery is enabled, and Marlin runs a print job **from the SD Card or Flash Drive**, it periodically saves the print job state to the SD Card / Flash Drive. If the machine crashes or a power outage occurs, Marlin presents the option to resume the interrupted print job.
If the printer is controlled by a host over USB instead (such as OctoPrint), can you still use Power-loss Recovery?
# Answer
> 1 votes
There is an OctoPrint plugin that attempts to achieve exactly that. The plugin is called OctoPrint-PowerFailure and it's page describes:
> OctoPrint-PowerFailure attempts to recover a print after a power failure or printer disconnect. It is intended as a last resort and does not replace the use of proper power backup and appropriate communication setups. Recovered parts are certain to show small defects, but this may be acceptable in some cases.
---
Tags: marlin, octoprint, power-loss-recovery
--- |
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