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thread-5221 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5221 | How do I use MEGA pin number designations rather than RAMPS pin numbers in marlin | 2018-01-04T23:16:56.747 | # Question
Title: How do I use MEGA pin number designations rather than RAMPS pin numbers in marlin
I am designing my own shield for the MEGA2650 that I will use to control my printer.
When defining pins in the marlin firmware, the pin numbers are the pin numbers of the RAMPS shield and not the Arduino MEGA itself.
How can I define pins so that I could write `#define HEATER1PIN 5` and it will make heater1pin be on *Arduino MEGA's* pin 5 and **NOT** *RAMPS's* pin 5
# Answer
> 3 votes
The pin mapping that Marlin uses is defined in the file fastio\_1280.h:
```
/**
* Pin mapping for the 1280 and 2560
*
* 1280 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 53 52 51 50 10 11 12 13 37 36 35 34 33 32 31 30 21 20 19 18 81 82 83 38 00 01 78 05 02 03 79 80 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 41 40 39 71 70 04 17 16 84 06 07 08 09 85 15 14 72 73 75 76 77 74 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42
* Port A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 B0 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 C0 C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6 C7 D0 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7 E0 E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6 E7 F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 G0 G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 H0 H1 H2 H3 H4 H5 H6 H7 J0 J1 J2 J3 J4 J5 J6 J7 K0 K1 K2 K3 K4 K5 K6 K7 L0 L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7
* Marlin 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85
*/
```
Confusingly, the line labeled "1280" refers to the pin numbers as used by Marlin. The line labeled with "port" gives the corresponding port/pin combination as it applies to the AtMega2560 chip itself. To translate between the port numbers given above, and the Arduino Mega pin numbers, you can use the following pinout diagram:
*Licensed under CC-BY-SA, www.bq.com*
For instance, according to the pin mapping in `fastio_1280.h`, Marlin pin 34 is "port" C3. This corresponds to PC3 in the pinout diagram, which is Arduino Mega A11. Conversely, if we want to find out what PWM pin 9 is in Marlin, we can look at the diagram to find out it corresponds to PH6, which is Marlin pin 09.
If you want to change this numbering, then unfortunately, you have to make quite a few modifications to fastio\_1280.h. For instance, the "reason" pin 5 corresponds to the pin it does, is the following set of definitions:
```
#define DIO5_PIN PINE3
#define DIO5_RPORT PINE
#define DIO5_WPORT PORTE
#define DIO5_DDR DDRE
#define DIO5_PWM &OCR3AL
```
If you wanted to point pin 5 towards another pin, you'd need to change all of these lines to point to the correct registers and pin numbers.
---
Tags: marlin, reprap, firmware, arduino-mega-2650
--- |
thread-5224 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5224 | Problems with feeding the filament into the bowden tube | 2018-01-05T14:54:12.177 | # Question
Title: Problems with feeding the filament into the bowden tube
I just finished building my Anet A6 and I was working on inserting some filament into the extruder. It was very difficult to get the filament to go in the hole (past the gears to go down to the hot-end). What can I do that will make it easier to get the filament into the hole (I tried cutting the tip at a angle)?
# Answer
What you are after is a small common mod called... filament guide (as your question title!).
The first one to pop up in my google search was this one: https://www.thingiverse.com/make:346736 which in turn is a make of this model: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2242903
Also, a couple of tricks that help on my printers (YMMV):
1. manually straighten the first few cm filament before inserting it into the extruder (e.g.: remove the natural bend that is there because the filament came off a round spool by bending it in the opposite direction)
2. when the filament is past the gears/cogs, while still keeping the cogs "open" (i.e.: not yet clamping the filament), twist/roll the filament between your finger.
3. sharpen the tip of your filament with a pencil sharpener. This make so that the tip of it is at the very centre of the hole, rather than at its edge.
> 3 votes
---
Tags: extruder, anet-a6
--- |
thread-5227 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5227 | Getting started: shell passes not fusing in x/y, and a slanted wavy pattern on vertical walls | 2018-01-05T21:42:41.060 | # Question
Title: Getting started: shell passes not fusing in x/y, and a slanted wavy pattern on vertical walls
I'm trying to find the main reason(s) for the imperfections I'm seeing in printouts from my printer. It is an I3 clone from Folger Tech. I got this printer from a friend who used it to print a larger one, so the mechanics are apparently fine to the point that they are capable of producing something of decent quality.
Filament: 1.75 mm black PLA from Janbex, unpacked three days ago, in "normal" appartment air since then.
Nozzle: 0.4 mm, apparently clean enough since I can push filament through the hot nozzle by hand and it comes out straight after some slight initial pigtailing. The nozzle had also been used for ABS earlier.
However, I have some trouble getting a 20x20x5 mm³ cube right. Two imperfections that bug me most are:
* A wavy pattern is visible on all vertical walls, with slanted wave fronts that "wrap" around the edges. If a string is printed along y and ends with a "hill", the following string along x starts with a "hill" as well. The wavelength is pretty much constant throughout the layers.
* Not fully fused shell perimeters. The perimeters do touch at certain spots, which also show a regular distance from each other. These touching spots seem to coincide with "hills" on the outside
I tried a slower print speed and higher temperature. This part has been printed at 40 mm/s for infill and perimeter, external perimeters and first layer at 20 mm/s, 205 °C, and flow rate 110%:
The full *slic3r* settings as they were appended to the generated G-Code:
```
; avoid_crossing_perimeters = 0
; bed_shape = 0x0,200x0,200x200,0x200
; bed_temperature = 60
; before_layer_gcode =
; bridge_acceleration = 0
; bridge_fan_speed = 100
; brim_width = 0
; complete_objects = 0
; cooling = 1
; default_acceleration = 0
; disable_fan_first_layers = 3
; duplicate_distance = 6
; end_gcode = M104 S0 ; turn off temperature\nG28 X0 ; home X axis\nM84 ; disable motors\n\n
; extruder_clearance_height = 20
; extruder_clearance_radius = 20
; extruder_offset = 0x0
; extrusion_axis = E
; extrusion_multiplier = 1.1
; fan_always_on = 0
; fan_below_layer_time = 60
; filament_colour = #FFFFFF
; filament_diameter = 1.75
; first_layer_acceleration = 0
; first_layer_bed_temperature = 65
; first_layer_extrusion_width = 200%
; first_layer_speed = 50%
; first_layer_temperature = 205
; gcode_arcs = 0
; gcode_comments = 0
; gcode_flavor = reprap
; infill_acceleration = 0
; infill_first = 0
; layer_gcode =
; max_fan_speed = 100
; max_print_speed = 80
; max_volumetric_speed = 0
; min_fan_speed = 35
; min_print_speed = 10
; min_skirt_length = 0
; notes =
; nozzle_diameter = 0.4
; only_retract_when_crossing_perimeters = 1
; ooze_prevention = 0
; output_filename_format = [input_filename_base].gcode
; perimeter_acceleration = 0
; post_process =
; pressure_advance = 0
; resolution = 0
; retract_before_travel = 2
; retract_layer_change = 0
; retract_length = 2
; retract_length_toolchange = 10
; retract_lift = 0
; retract_restart_extra = 0
; retract_restart_extra_toolchange = 0
; retract_speed = 40
; skirt_distance = 6
; skirt_height = 2
; skirts = 6
; slowdown_below_layer_time = 5
; spiral_vase = 0
; standby_temperature_delta = -5
; start_gcode = M42 P6 S0 ; enable fan\nG28 ; home all axes\nG1 Z4 F1000 ; lift nozzle\n
; temperature = 205
; threads = 2
; toolchange_gcode =
; travel_speed = 130
; use_firmware_retraction = 0
; use_relative_e_distances = 0
; use_volumetric_e = 0
; vibration_limit = 0
; wipe = 0
; z_offset = -0.05
; dont_support_bridges = 1
; extrusion_width = 0
; first_layer_height = 90%
; infill_only_where_needed = 0
; interface_shells = 0
; layer_height = 0.2
; raft_layers = 0
; seam_position = aligned
; support_material = 0
; support_material_angle = 0
; support_material_contact_distance = 0.2
; support_material_enforce_layers = 0
; support_material_extruder = 1
; support_material_extrusion_width = 0
; support_material_interface_extruder = 1
; support_material_interface_layers = 3
; support_material_interface_spacing = 0
; support_material_interface_speed = 100%
; support_material_pattern = pillars
; support_material_spacing = 2.5
; support_material_speed = 50
; support_material_threshold = 0
; xy_size_compensation = 0
; bottom_solid_layers = 3
; bridge_flow_ratio = 1
; bridge_speed = 50
; external_fill_pattern = rectilinear
; external_perimeter_extrusion_width = 0
; external_perimeter_speed = 50%
; external_perimeters_first = 0
; extra_perimeters = 1
; fill_angle = 45
; fill_density = 30%
; fill_pattern = line
; gap_fill_speed = 20
; infill_every_layers = 1
; infill_extruder = 1
; infill_extrusion_width = 0
; infill_overlap = 15%
; infill_speed = 40
; overhangs = 1
; perimeter_extruder = 1
; perimeter_extrusion_width = 0
; perimeter_speed = 40
; perimeters = 3
; small_perimeter_speed = 20
; solid_infill_below_area = 70
; solid_infill_every_layers = 0
; solid_infill_extruder = 1
; solid_infill_extrusion_width = 0
; solid_infill_speed = 20
; thin_walls = 1
; top_infill_extrusion_width = 0
; top_solid_infill_speed = 15
; top_solid_layers = 0
```
What can cause this wave pattern? What I don't think it is:
* It's not acceleration, because the pattern doesn't start right behind a corner or other feature that requires the printer to de- or accelerate.
* It's not just related to x or y, because the pattern travels around the part without interruptions
* Temperature is probably not too low since the first layer sticks very well above 195 °C, I've even seen some warping now at 205.
* Filament comes in without obstacles, it's not stuck on its way to the extruder.
My guess is that my extruder is somehow extruding in waves, but I have no clue how exactly to nail that down or how it could be fixed.
I gradually raised the temperature until I reached 205 °C, because with my first prints the infill was just a mess of strings. Also note that I'm a beginner - this is the first part I'm printing.
## Edit: hollow print with just one perimeter shell
As suggested by mac I printed a cube with no infill and just one perimeter shell. All other settings were as above. This took a while because I had to build a light box first to create this shot:
What I noted during the print:
* The first layer is really flat. If I had a picture of that, I'd go brag about it.
* I'm not sure about the second layer, but as you can see above the third bottom layer shows a wavy pattern as well. Those waves apparently also occur when the head is moving in 45°, not just x or y. Wave phase seems to be different as the head goes back and forth.
* The perimeter looks a bit grainy.
* Every layer starts at the corner pointing right, where the part has a slight bulge. I don't necessarily interpret that as overextrusion, since the sides with the bulge are closer to the target length than the others (20.00 +- 0.025 vs. about 19.85 +- 0.025. I have mechanical calipers with 0.05 mm resolution and am able to use them appropriately)
* The part was *not* cooled with a fan because I have none.
* I noticed slight vibrations on the extruder, probably coming from the extruder fan. However, the frequency of those vibrations is much higher than that of the wavy pattern I see in the print. I will replace the fan.
* The steppers axes and pulleys seem to run true. Take this with a grain of salt because the pulleys don't even make a full revolution during one perimeter pass!
* The linear bearings fit nicely.
* Side note: since this print has only one perimeter shell, there's no chance for multiple perimeter shells to not fuse completely \[like they did/didn't (? - not a native speaker) in the original print\].
## Edit 2: Cylinder with 100% flow rate (not 110%), 20% concentric infill and 3 perimeter shells
* The outmost infill layer touches the perimeter, so I have 4 perimeters effectively
* There's a wavy pattern around the perimeter, and the concentric infill looks like it's really getting thicker and thinner along the way.
* The part is oriented just like the second cube above, with each layer starting to the right.
* The starting point has a slight dent (not a bulge as before), as if start and end of the circles didn't touch.
* Slight oozing between infill circles, where the head moved from an outer circle to the next. The outmost infill circle was printed first. Infill circles started to the *left*. Temperature might be too high.
## Edit 3: Something useful - stackable trays with slic3r Prusa Edition
I designed this stackable tray (60 x 60 x 15 mm, 2 mm wall thickness) in openSCAD and used slic3r Prusa Edition to process it. The first tray is with 100% extrusion width (200% for the first layer) and 40 mm/s (I can't add the whole set of settings now, but will do so if necessary):
Printing time for the above part: about 90 minutes.
Then I increased both printing speed to 50 mm/s and extrusion width to 105%, and expected a quicker print. This is the result:
I was surprised to see that this tray, despite the 25% increase in "main printing speed", needed about 120 minutes (that's 30 more than with the settings for the first tray).
Both parts are usable (and they stack), but the bottom wall is a bit bumpy from ripped apart infill. Other observations:
* The walls appear to have fused better than with the original slic3r (I don't know why), so that might just be a plus of the Prusa Edition. However, other parts might turn out worse.
* There's still a wavy pattern, especially on the bottom wall.
* The vertical walls still look and feel a bit grainy.
* I had "whiskers" forming where the nozzle approaches the next feature to print (best visible in the first picture of the tray labeled "1"). So where the nozzle is approaching from the right, a whisker formed from bottom left to top right. This is probably a tower that builds up from slight oozing, and easy to remove.
# Answer
First off: thank you for a very well asked question, with lots of data and info to work with. :)
> My guess is that my extruder is somehow extruding in waves, but I have no clue how exactly to nail that down or how it could be fixed.
From the picture is difficult to verify this. If it is an extrusion problem, the thickness of the filament deposed will vary. I would suggest to print the same cube without infill and with single (0.4 mm) shell thickness. to be absolutely sure. If your hypothesis is correct, the wall will thin and fatten, if you are not, it will be just wavy, but its thickness will be constant.
**EDIT:** If it is an extrusion amount problem, the issue may be either with the extruder stepper (see below) or with the filament having an inconsistent diameter (check with a caliper). If this is the case, also check that your hobbed wheel (the "cog" biting into your filament to pull it in the extruder) has consistent diameter and all of its teeth are equally sharp.
In general, this kind of regular, cyclical defects, are linked to rotating parts being misaligned. Off the top of my head, I would suggest to verify in this order:
* that the axis of all the stepper motors (X, Y and extruder) run true (if you place a finger on them while they spin, you will immediately be able to feel if they wobble).
* that the matching pulley on each axis (where the timing belt loops back) runs also true on its axis.
* that the bearings (if any) that allow the extruder and the bed on their axis also runs true, and clamp firmly but not too hard their rail.
**EDIT 2:** I just thought to clarify that the above assumes the problem is mechanical. Another reason for the defects could of course be electronic, for example electromagnetic interference from some other appliance or a defective electronic component may have your stepper driver have a fluctuating output, thus driving the stepper motor even so slightly back and forth... but I'm not that knowledgeable in electronics, so I wouldn't know how to diagnose that without specialised instruments...
> 3 votes
---
Tags: prusa-i3, print-quality, pla, slic3r
--- |
thread-5230 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5230 | My printer is printing a messy ball. CTC prusa from Ebay | 2018-01-06T19:01:30.123 | # Question
Title: My printer is printing a messy ball. CTC prusa from Ebay
I bought this cheap prusa i3 variation from eBay. I setup everything and now I'm trying to print some gcode file from the SD card. Using PLA.
Here is a video of the mess! How can so fix this situation?:
https://youtu.be/Vz46tCcrtMI
I have no clue about how to generate gcode files, so I just took the ones from the manufacturer CD.
Are there any gcode files I can download for correctly tuning and calibrating my printer. I would like to know that my hardware setup is right, before getting into the software stuff
Thanks.
# Answer
Looks like you need to adjust the print bed level. When z=0, the nozzle should be 0.1mm above the printing surface - and that needs to be at *every* point of the printing area. Instructions on how to adjust this should come with your printer.
Essentially, the procedure is as follows (you should be able to issue these commands directly on your printer, so no gcode is needed):
* auto home, i.e. all axes go to 0.
* disable steppers, so you are able to move the print bed and the x-axis
* put a sheet of paper on the print table. The thickness of ordinary paper is around 0.1mm, so that's good for calibrating.
* now move the nozzle around the print bed. There should be a slight (!) friction between the paper and the nozzle and this friction should be the same everywhere. If not, use the screws on the four corners to adjust the level of the print bed. Do not attempt to fully correct any deviation at once, because this might bend the print bed. Make several rounds and adjust the screws by 1/2 turn only on each round. This is a tedious procedure but it is *really* required.
Finally, when the nozzle is at 0.1mm above the print bed in z=0, you should be able to print and the filament should adhere to the bed.
A heated bed also helps.
P.S.: For generating gcode files, you need a slicer. For the very first steps, I found Cura quite easy to use: you feed it with .stl files and it will slice it internally. Currently, I am using slic3r (and pronterface for controlling the printer itself).
> 3 votes
---
Tags: prusa-i3, pla, extrusion
--- |
thread-5234 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5234 | Warping of bottom of print | 2018-01-07T16:24:26.623 | # Question
Title: Warping of bottom of print
The bottom of my prints warp/curve upwards, most often at the corners. This is a very slight curve, only about 1-2 mm.
* I print with a raft all the time.
* I don't have a heated bed.
* I print with PLA at 199 °C (390 °F) with a print speed of approximately 40 mm/s
* I have a Sindoh 3DWOX DP201.
What slicer settings might be the cause of this phenomena? Or could it be 3D printer settings?
# Answer
**The first thing to understand is what causes warping**. Warping is caused by the thermal contraction of the plastic when it cools down.
Simplifying things a fair bit, you can visualise the process like this:
1. hot, expanded plastic gets deposited on cooler, shrunk layers,
2. when the hot plastic cools down, it shrinks and pulls the upper part of the layer below inwards
3. at this point, the layer below has a differential in the compression between its upper and lower parts, and curls up
4. the problem is exacerbated at the very first layer (the one touching the bed) as this is "locked" to a rigid body (the bed) and cannot shrink, while subsequent layers are only attached to the somewhat flexible plastic beneath, and thus can contract.
Also notice that the larger the part being printed, the stronger is the force trying to curl-up your print.
Once one understands all of this, then it is possible to appreciate the many ways the problem can be mitigated.
Here are the common ones:
**USING A MATERIAL WITH LOW SHRINKAGE COEFFICIENT**
This translates in smaller tensions and thus less force "pulling up" the corners of your print. Historically, 3D printing started with ABS because this material was one of the very few, relatively safe ones to source. Nowadays there are materials like PETG which have similar mechanical properties to ABS but are much easier and forgiving to print with, so - unless you need ABS for some very specific reason (e.g.: acetone smoothing) consider never printing with it.
**DECREASING THE THERMAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MOLTEN AND SOLID STATE**
Concretely, this means lowering the "gap" between the ~200°C of the nozzle and the ~20°C of room temperature by using a heated bed and - possibly - an enclosure.
The heated bed not only drastically diminish the shrinkage of the first layer, but because heat radiates, and hot air goes upwards, the entire bottom of the print has shrinkage mitigated.
An enclosure just increase the benefit of the heating bed, by reflecting IR radiation back towards the print and preventing hot air to escape. A heated enclosure just improve things even further.
Some slicers offer a "shroud" option, that encloses the entire print in an enclosed, sacrificial structure, that tries to emulate the benefits of a proper printer enclosure.
**INCREASING ADHESION WITH THE PRINTING BED**
That is the "brutal force" approach: if you face a strong "curl up" force, oppose it with a strong "anchor down" one.
The increase in adhesion can be achieved in a number of ways:
* Lower print speed (more time for the molten plastic to "bond")
* Overextrusion (more pressure, more material)
* Disabling cooling fan (more progressive cooling, more time to "bond")
* Using a brim (more contact surface between print and bed)
* Using "ad hoc" material on the bed (PVA glue for PLA, ABS sludge for ABS, kapton tape, hair spray, blue tape, etc...)
**REDUCING THE CURL-UP FORCE**
This is typically achieved during design. Designing is a vast field and it would be impossible to cover all the possible mitigating strategies one could use, but here are some of the most common ones:
* Prefer assembling smaller parts over printing huge ones. This is self explanatory really, as the curling force increases with the amount of material "pulling", the least material one has, the less force one gets.
* Make relief holes above the first layers in long structures. This will essentially "break" the build-up of tension in the layer, creating many points with a little "curling up force" rather than two with a huge one. Something along the lines of this, for example:
* Avoid extensive overhangs close to the bottom of the print (this is because otherwise you will have considerably more material "pulling up" than you will have "anchoring down". Here is an example of what *not* to do (to be fair: this was specifically taken from a bed adhesion/warping test).
Of course all of the above strategies can/should be combined, when possible. Even if not warped, a part with a lot of internal tension will perform less predictably and possibly worse than a part where such tensions are lower.
> 14 votes
# Answer
If you have a heat bed, heat it up accordingly (for example for PLA 50 °C first layers, 40 °C then can be a good starting point).
If the first layer isn't close enough, then warping can happen (Happened to me when moving from 0.3 mm layers to 0.1 mm).
If you are under extruding / have dirt in the system (the heat chamber) so that extrusion is uneven it can make warps.
And as always, you can try to print slower, it helps not always but often.
Please also do tell what temperatures (heat bed & nozzle) you are using and what material.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: warping
--- |
thread-5236 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5236 | how to get infill on self created stl via onshapes | 2018-01-07T21:32:39.293 | # Question
Title: how to get infill on self created stl via onshapes
I created my model in onshape then exported it to stl file then imported it to simplify 3d to convert to gcode.
However my model didn't go any in fill, it just continue to print layer after layer in the same fasion as the 1st layer.
Correct me if am wrong infill is used so that the middle of your model isn't completely solid hence saving on filament.
Is there something special I need to do in onshape or simplify 3d for it to use infill? To me it looked like it was just filling it up with pla
# Answer
I don't use either of the two piece of software, but the first things to pop to mind:
* **Inspect the slicing preview**: it should be self-evident if your GCODE is being generated correctly. In my slicer the infill is red and you can discern the typical pattern within:
* **Check your settings**: your shell thickness should be something reasonable (like 0.8mm / 2 shells) and your infill should also be below 100% if you don't want to print it solid. For maximum strength, it doesn't help go much over 60%, typical values for light-duty parts are 20% and 30%.
* **Check your STL file**: your mesh should be a closed surface, a "shell". Or the slicer won't be able to know what is "inside" and "outside". Many slicers verify this for you automatically and have a built-in utility to attempt to "repair" a broken mesh. I use slic3r Prusa Edition and this information is visualised at the bottom right:
* **Let the print finish**: the wording of your question is ambiguous, but it sounds like you may have stopped the printer before the part finished. Certain combination of settings can be deceitful. For example, a layer height of 0.05mm and a shell thickness of 2mm means you will see the printer making 40 (forty!) layers of solid printing, before starting to create the infill.
* **Try another slicer**: in case your slicer went berserk because of a bug (unlikely but possible), this should fix it.
On an unrelated note: the use of infill has a lot of different reasons besides "saving filament", for example:
* relative to an empty print, even a very light infill (5%) provides a lot of added rigidity,
* relative to a solid print, infill reduces weight and relief the tensions that are trapped in the FDM/FFF printing process
* certain infill patterns allow to provide different responses to stressed in different directions (like for example a crash box that needs to give way in one direction but bear a load in another, or a wing that need to flex on its length but not on its chord)
* infill provide support for top layers and other concave structures that may otherwise be non-printable
* ...
> 1 votes
# Answer
The infill portion of your model is configured during the Simplify3D process. After loading your STL file into S3D, edit the process and examine the Infill tab and Infill slider. You'll see a percentage indicator, as well as an extruder selection (left or right, if you have two) to be used for the infill. There are other options within the configuration that would have little to no effect on the problem you are experiencing.
Once you have checked and corrected the settings as needed, used the prepare-to-print option and press the play button for a preview to see the infill being printed before you send it to the printer.
100% infill is impractical, and one can create strong models with as low as 20% infill.
Infill is used to save filament, as you suggest, but it is also used to provide support for top layers on areas that are not vertical. Sometimes, one would use a higher infill figure to provide for smoother top surfaces although increasing the layer count for top/bottom can accomplish that.
Check your top/bottom layer figure in the layers tab to ensure you have a reasonable figure. Three or four layers are good for cosmetic reasons, more if you need additional strength. Anything higher or absurdly high would cause some of the trouble you describe.
> 0 votes
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Tags: 3d-models
--- |
thread-5215 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5215 | 3D printing references for beginners | 2018-01-03T18:39:38.413 | # Question
Title: 3D printing references for beginners
I have just received a 3D printer for Christmas (Robo R2). I am confused by the sheer amount of settings that I can tweak and I'm hesitant to do so until I know more about them. I was wondering if anybody has any recommendations for literature on:
* 3D printing in general (geared towards beginners);
* Designing parts specifically.
Books are preferred but websites are acceptable as well.
# Answer
Welcome to the fantastic, sometimes frustrating but most often glorious world of 3D printing David! :)
Your question is really very very broad, but here's my contribution to make your first steps a success. First of all: I don't have experience with the Robo R2, but judging from the specs available online, I would say that you got a machine that take care of most of the troubles beginners encounter when starting out (e.g.: levelling the bed) and has a few features that allow you to print more reliably/with better quality (heated bed, enclosure, possibility for a second extruder).
Give a hug to whoever made the gift to you! ;)
I like to think to 3D printing as a process that involves 4 phases (well, normally several iteration of them as *prototyping* is a thing):
* Designing (creating the mesh, i.e. the shape of the object you want to print)
* Slicing (creating GCODE, i.e. the file with the step-by-step instructions for moving your printer nozzle in space, extruding the plastic, controlling temperatures and cooling, etc...)
* Printing (the actual process of having your printer running that GCODE)
* Post-processing (finishing the piece, by for example removing support material, sanding, vapor-smoothing the surface, painting, etc...)
Technology in the 3D printing world is moving so fast that printed information tends to get outdated quickly, and the Internet is often the best source of information. So in the following bits I will mention the the source of information that I use\[d\] for myself, of which many are online rather than in print.
**DESIGN**
Broadly speaking, there are two kind of designs one can do: **decorative** or **functional**. Decorative designs are those in which the final object will essentially sit still on a shelf or be handled very gently (e.g.: a model of the Tour Eiffel, a miniature for RPG gaming), functional designs are those in which the final part will have to bear a load or perform some sort of mechanical work (e.g.: a drone, a shelf bracket, a pipe adapter...).
Both designs need to take into consideration the physical limitations of FDM printers such as the fact that the nozzle is round and with a fixed diameter, or the fact that molten plastic needs to rest onto something, thus the need for support.
Additionally, functional design requires an understanding of the physical properties of 3D MFD printed parts (hint: they are anisotropic, so their properties differs along their axis). If you are interested in functional designing a book that I can highly recommend is Functional Design for 3D Printing by Cliff Smyth. It is concise, accessible and full of information you'll be using from your very first design.
In terms of tools, for decorative, organic forms, you will probably want to use a program like Blender, that manipulate meshes directly, while for functional designs will probably turn to CAD software, like for examaple FreeCAD that operate on a "model" and let you export the finished part as a mesh at the very end.
Both Blender and FreeCAD are free software (like in: "free speech") but commercial versions do exist as well (most notably from Autodesk).
Blender is professional grade software with a very steep learning curve and I would suggest to take an structured online course like this one about it, rather than trying to learn it the DIY way.
FreeCAD belongs to a category of CAD programmes that operate on a well defined, well understood, set of principles (so it works similarly to OnShape and Fusion360 for example) and it is much easier to learn. In my experience CAD modelling is best learnt by understanding the very basic, and then just researching further information as you go, according to the needs of your project as CAD design is full of small specific operations that is useful to know only if you actually need them (e.g.: how to draw a screw thread, or to perform a loft). I started out with this series of video tutorials by the late Roland Frank (a celebrated contributor to the FreeCAD community), but there are tons of other tutorial should you choose to go with a commercial product.
**SLICING**
Slicing is as much an art as it is science. While the actual work of generating the GCODE is automated and requires just the click of a button, there are a myriad of settings that are mutually interdependent in their effect. For example: filament temperature, movement speed, cooling fan, retraction and coasting all affect oozing, but each of them also affect other things (bridging, layer adhesion, curling, nominal overextrusion, etc...).
Also: settings differs for each filament material, each brand, and sometimes even different spools from the same material/brand. Moreover, you may wish to tune them depending to what you are printing (maybe you are printing a finely detailed miniature and want to go slower to reduce vibration, or maybe you are printing a torsion bar and want to increase the temperature for increasing layer adhesion, for example...).
IMO the best way to understand how settings affect your print is playing around with calibration towers (example) and torture tests (example).
Calibration towers work by printing the same thing on top of each other but changing at each repetition a specific setting (like filament temperature, or extrusion multiplier). You will then visually inspect the final piece and evaluate how the print quality changed relative to that parameter.
Torture tests work by putting in the same piece a number of features that are hard for the printer to print correctly (thin walls, bridges, overhangs, to name a few).
A specific model that is sort of gold standard as a basic test is the 3D benchy. The good thing about it is that it comes with a full website that also tell you how you can evaluate the print. However, the benchy - differently than torture tests - is not designed to let you discover the limits of your printer, it is more of a quality-control test. If you can print a 3D benchy, you should be good to go for printing "regular" objects.
Also, at least in the two most common free-as-in-freedom slicers (Cura and slic3r Prusa Edition) each setting comes with some explanatory text while hovering on it, that helps a lot understanding what that setting does).
**PRINTING**
How much you can affect the actual printing process depends from how "open source" is your printer, and if it uses standard components or not. Consumer-grade printers get often upgraded/modded to improve print quality or tweak them for a specific job/material. Typical upgrades are extruder upgrades, stepper motor upgrades, vibration dampeners, different sensors, etc...
Each printer is unique, but normally you can find abundant information wherever the community of owners of a specific model gathers.
I would also advise to subscribe to some good youtube channel about 3D printing like Tom's or Makers Muse or Joel's, and to visit sites like All3dp regularly. As I mentioned, 3D printing tech changes constantly, and it is good to keep tabs on new materials, new software, new components, etc...
**POST-PROCESSING**
This is entirely dependent from the material you used for the print, its size, and its intended use, but I wanted to mention this nonetheless as there are amazing things you can do with acetone on ABS, lot of elbow grease on PLA or the use of an airbrush... so you know 3D printing does not end with the print! ;)
Hope this helps you at least a bit. Again: welcome to the the 3D printing world! :)
> 15 votes
# Answer
I have found that "Troubleshooting and Maintaining your 3d Printer" by Charles Bell has a good overview of:
* 3d Printer Assembly and parts
* 3d Printer Calibration
* 3d Printer Software
* Filament materials
* 3d Printer Maintenance (both preventative and corrective)
* 3d Hardware Troubleshooting
* 3d Print Troubleshooting
> 3 votes
---
Tags: knowledgebase, literature
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thread-5110 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5110 | How to design a worm-gear in FreeCAD? | 2017-12-12T16:40:41.067 | # Question
Title: How to design a worm-gear in FreeCAD?
I want to print worm gears for my robot arm. I would like to design it in FreeCAD. Normally, I would use *involute gear* for regular gears. However, this tool cannot be used for worm gears. I can't find any add-ons for this.
Is it possible to produce a worm gear automatically? If not, how can I make it manually?
# Answer
> 5 votes
As far as I know there is not a workbench capable of producing the design you want with a single click "new worm gear". But it is a rather simple affair to create the part you want from scratch.
What you want to do is to sweep a *sketch* along a *helix*. It is a very similar process to the one you would follow to create a thread documented in the official tutorial (it's the "method #3" on that page). This is how it should look like:
Since helices are subject to a few limitation in FreeCAD, I recommend to read the section called "tricks to success" and the following tips, as it is *very likely* you will incur in problems otherwise.
---
Tags: 3d-models, cad, freecad
--- |
thread-5245 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5245 | Oversized pieces | 2018-01-09T13:23:01.660 | # Question
Title: Oversized pieces
After a long time tweaking my new 3D printer I solved all the unexpected errors and I can print succesful pieces but I am facing a "problem", they are over sized, I found this problem trying to print a Raspberry Pi Case and an smartphone case, the printed pieces are bigger than the objects.
Here some related information
**Printer**: Geeetech Prusa i3 Pro B
**Firmware**: My GitHub (Marlin)
**Software**: Repetier Host with Slic3r
Does somebody know how could I solve it? Thank you very much
# Answer
> 3 votes
You have to know:
* distance between belt teeth (usually 2mm)
* number of teeth on pulley
* motor step angle 1.8 deg?
* microstepping count, probably 16?
Then you can enter all these numbers info the calculator here: https://www.prusaprinters.org/calculator/
# Answer
> 2 votes
I finally solved it by manually adjusting the `steps per unit` in the printer firmware.
The process is easy just move the extruder to one position and draw two marks, one at the extruder position and another one 10 cm in the X axis from the extruder position then with Repetier or with the the printer controls move the X axis 100 mm, if the extruder stops after the mark reduce the `steps per unit` or increase them if the extruder stops before the mark, do until the movement matches both marks. Repeat for the Y axis.
You can see the changes I made to the firmware in my GitHub
---
Tags: 3d-models, marlin, stepper-driver
--- |
thread-5220 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5220 | How to configure Marlin to enable auto-fans with dual extruder | 2018-01-04T13:32:02.013 | # Question
Title: How to configure Marlin to enable auto-fans with dual extruder
I have successfully assembled my custom-built 3D printer and configured Marlin for two extruders and one heated bed. Here is a picture of the printer.
My heated bed runs on a linear axis with ball bearings. When the printer has been running for an hour or so these parts get really hot and I am afraid that the plastic parts will melt if I print any longer or with higher temperatures. So I decided to add fans below the heated bed to keep them cool.
A known problem when using two extruders and a heated bed is that all three power outputs D8, D9, D10 are in use (in my setup D8 belongs to the first extruder, D9 to the bed, and D10 to the second extruder). If you want to have software-controlled fans on top of that, you need to use a workaround. I bought the RRD fan extender which does exactly what I need. You plug it into the RAMPS 1.4 board and get two new outputs D6 and D11.
Previously I had configured the firmware as follows:
```
#define E0_AUTO_FAN_PIN 11
#define E1_AUTO_FAN_PIN 6
```
This automatically enabled the fan of the left extruder E0 when its hotend exceeds 50 °C. The same goes for the right extruder E1. The fans are plugged into the fan extender's outputs D6 and D11. It all worked fine.
Now to add fans to the heated bed, I have modified the firmware so that D11 controls both extruder fans. As long as at least one extruder is hot, both fans are running. For that purpose, I connected both extruder fans in parallel to D11 and modified the firmware as follows:
```
#define E0_AUTO_FAN_PIN 11
#define E1_AUTO_FAN_PIN 11
```
This part works fine and was quite easy to achieve. What I would like to do next is connect the other pin, D6, to the temperature sensor of the heated bed so that the fans underneath it become active when the bed is at 50 °C or more.
I made several attempts to trick the firmware into believing that there are three hotends, registering the heated bed as E2.
```
#define E2_AUTO_FAN_PIN 6
```
I manually defined the temperature sensor of the bed for E2 and commented out some sanity checks and conditionals to enable some parts of the firmware that control the auto-fans. While I get the code to compile, the printer usually halts immediately after it is turned on or as soon as an extruder or the bed is activated. The error messages are not very helpful ("killed, please restart" etc.).
Does anybody know a good way how to achieve my goal? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.
# Answer
After trying many different things, I found out that the solution is quite simple and requires only a few lines of code. I'll answer my own question in the hope that this will help someone.
First, I defined a few constants (macros actually). To keep my own additions separate, I created a new file for them called *myconfig.h*:
```
#define MY_BED_TEMP_THRESHOLD 50
#define MY_BED_AUTO_FAN_PIN 6
#define MY_BED_AUTO_FAN_SPEED 255
```
The pin constant corresponds to D6 which is the green marked output of the RRD Fan Extender where I connected the fans under my bed.
Second, in the file *temperature.cpp* of the Marlin Firmware, I included my file and added four lines of code:
```
#include "myconfig.h"
...
#if HAS_AUTO_FAN
void Temperature::checkExtruderAutoFans() {
...
HOTEND_LOOP() {
if (current_temperature[e] > EXTRUDER_AUTO_FAN_TEMPERATURE)
SBI(fanState, fanBit[e]);
}
// --- start of my code ----------
if (current_temperature_bed > MY_BED_TEMP_THRESHOLD)
digitalWrite(MY_BED_AUTO_FAN_PIN, MY_BED_AUTO_FAN_SPEED);
else
digitalWrite(MY_BED_AUTO_FAN_PIN, 0);
// --- end of my code ------------
...
#endif // HAS_AUTO_FAN
...
```
Now my fans automatically turn on when the bed temperature is above 50 °C, and turn off again when the bed has cooled below that temperature.
> 8 votes
---
Tags: marlin, ramps-1.4, dual-nozzle, print-fan
--- |
thread-5263 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5263 | How to modify 3D model of body? | 2018-01-11T05:47:28.070 | # Question
Title: How to modify 3D model of body?
I'm relatively new in the field of 3D printing and design. By now I've created and printed some technical objects with TinkerCAD, but now I've a task, which I don't know how to solve.
I have the following model as STL-file:
Now I want to "adjust" the arms of the model, as shown in the picture. I want the arms to hang besides the body.
I know that I could cut and rotate the arms and then merge them again with TinkerCAD but the outcome dosn't look good and the workflow feels wrong.
So what is the right tool/way to get this task done?
\*Disclaimer: I'm not Denis Almaral, but he released this model unter CC license. So I kept his name on the image to credit him, as requested via CC.
# Answer
Basically there's no good easy way to do this.
At this point you only have the mesh - a list of triangles - the 3D model you have does not contain the concept of joints or moving parts so it can't regenerate the shoulder after the rotation.
The original author may or may not have the ability to do this, depending on his workflow and software.
If all you have is the STL your only choice is to rotate the arm and then rebuild the shoulder from scratch and manually fix anything that doesn't look good
> 3 votes
# Answer
The correct/good method to achieve this is called "rigging", but it is not an easy feat (as pointed out by others), as it requires plenty of knowledge about the software being used to edit the model, and a good understanding of the theory behind it.
Skeletal animation requires the designer to set up a skeleton (also called "rig", hence the slang term "rigging") for the mesh and define the variables controlling the motion range of the joints and and the geometry and deformation of the mesh.
It's quite some job to perform, so - unless this assignment is the first in a series of assignments having to do mesh movement for this model, or you have a keen interest in the topic - I would suggest you to take a shortcut and edit the mesh directly in a "one off" not reusable fashion.
(Rigging would conversely allow you to create a "rag doll" or at least a "rag arm" to freely and intuitively move around as you please).
The tool I would use for either task is blender. If you want to take the shortcut, maybe a less complex software like meshmixer could also do the job (I don't have direct experience with it, though, so I'm not 100% sure).
The blender foundation have a nice series of videos on the topic, called "humane rigging".
> 5 votes
---
Tags: 3d-models, 3d-design, cad, stl
--- |
thread-5270 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5270 | SerialException: 'WriteFile failed ([Error 22]...' Printrbot Simple Metal using Cura 15.04.6 | 2018-01-12T00:56:30.123 | # Question
Title: SerialException: 'WriteFile failed ([Error 22]...' Printrbot Simple Metal using Cura 15.04.6
**Disclaimer**: I have read about this elsewhere but haven't found a solution.
**Printer**: Printrbot Simple Metal with heated bed
**Slicer**: Cura 15.04.6 (also tried Cura 3.1)
**Printing software**: Whatever Cura 15.04.6 comes with when printing from USB
The print goes well for the first couple layers then just stops. It stays heated, fan keeps blowing, but print has failed. Here is the error:
`...
Send: N19517G1 X47.047 Y59.035 E1574.00486*126
Recv: ok
Send: N19518G1 X68.604 Y74.097 E1574.44219*122
Serial timeout while writing to serial port, trying again.
Unexpected error while writing serial port: SerialException: 'WriteFile failed ([Error 22] The device does not recognize the command.)' @ machineCom.py:_sendCommand:565
Changing monitoring state from 'Printing' to 'Error: SerialException: 'WriteFile failed ...'
Connection closed, closing down monitor`
I have gotten this using Cura 3.1 to slice as well as Cura 15.04.6 (though the error above was using the Cura 15.04.6). I've tried using a different interface for printing, but nothing helps.
Any ideas on solving this? I feel like I am missing a small but simple detail here to making it work.
\[Edit\] Added printing info at top to make it a little more clear what I was using.
# Answer
> 1 votes
From the look of it, and given that you already two different slicers, it look like this may be a hardware issue. I have had very similar error messages with my cheap Chinese printer and this is ultimately why **I ended up always printing via the SD card and stop worrying**.
That said, the error is about the serial connection over your USB cable. I was about to write a list of suggestions, but I found out that your manufacturer already has a troubleshooting guide for your printer here.
Adding my own suggestions to those of Printrbot, this is the final troubleshooting guide (the linked page has detailed instructions for each step but 6 and 7):
1. Cycle power
2. Update your Operating System.
3. \[Windows users only\] run a VCP (Virtual Com Port) driver wizard
4. Check physical connections and swap power and usb cables.
5. Use a standard 2.0 USB input rather than USB 3.0, if applicable
6. Make sure that your printer is away from any potential source of EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference). Microwaves ovens, many types of energy-saving lamps and power bricks/adapters are known offenders.
7. If possible, reduce the serial speed of your connection (revert if this does not solve the issue, as it may effect print speed and quality).
8. Flash your Printrboard
To clarify what these tips are all about:
* Step 1 is about making sure you don't have your computer and printer in "dirty states" (as in: with their serial buffer corrupted or stuck).
* Step 2-3 are about making sure you have as many known software bugs and problems patched as you can, as well as all the latest features. This is especially important if you are asking for help, as nobody is going to downgrade their own machines just to replicate a user' unique state.
* Step 4-7 are about diminishing the possibility that the signal in your cables gets disrupted and mangled along the way between the computer and the printer.
* Step 8 is like 2-3 but for your printer firmware, rather than your computer software.
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, g-code
--- |
thread-5268 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5268 | How to generate gcode only for first layer? | 2018-01-11T22:11:07.633 | # Question
Title: How to generate gcode only for first layer?
As first layer is so important, I am looking for an easy way to generate the gcode to print just the first layer. I see that with Slic3r you can cut from a Z But for test purposes I prefer just selecting a number of layers to be generated so I can easily generate different "first layer(s) tests" with different first layer(s) settings (width, height, speed, flow....) The only way I achieve it is editing the gcode. Any help? Thanks
# Answer
> 1 votes
I understand your question like this:
> I know I could cut the mesh and just slice the bottom of my model, but since I am interested in a given **number of layers** and the heigh of a layer may change according to settings (e.g.: 0.2mm, 0.1mm, 0.05mm...), I want to find a way to generate an arbitrary number of layers from the full model. I use slic3r.
If my understanding is correct, then you can achieve what you want with a few steps.
**Use verbose GCODE**
The setting is under "Print settings → Output Options". This will output gcode with comments in it.
**Save the finishing gcode of a valid printing job**
Basically, open a valid gcode file, and save the last few lines (comments will help you to understand which ones, it changes from printer to printer) in a separate file (`gcode.tail`). These lines are typically those that move away the nozzle from the print, disable the heating element, the steppers and the part cooling fan.
**Prepare the `first-lines.sh` script**
```
#! /usr/bin/env sh
sed -e '/move to next layer (3)/,$d' $1 > /tmp/gcode.tmp
echo ~/gcode.tail >> /tmp/gcode.tmp
echo /tmp/gcode.tmp
```
What this script does is:
* take a file name from the command line (`$1`) and savie into `gcode.tmp` only the part of it up to and excluding the line saying "move to the next layer (3)" (you should actually use the number of layers you actually want here, `3` is just an example). Again, the presence of such a line depends from you generating "verbose gcode".
* append to `gcode.tmp` the content of the file `gcode.tail` (here replace `~/` with the actual path on your machine.
* output as a stream the full content of `gcode.tmp`
**Set your printer to automatically run the script onto the generated gcode**
This setting is again under "Print settings → Output Options". You have to type in the full path to `first-lines.sh`. Also remember to make the script executable (`chmod +x first-lines.sh`).
You can also hover over the textbox to get additional information of how you can access slic3r variables there (for example you may want to read the layer height from the settings and compute within the script the number of layers you want to keep).
**Profit**
:)
Final notes:
* I tried the sed command and have post-processing scripts running on my gcode myself, so it should work, but I haven't tried the full procedure myself, if you encounter bugs please leave a comment so I can fix the answer for everybody. :)
* I use slic3r Prusa Edition (I believe these settings are the same, but just in case... you may wish to download that version.
* All of the above should work out-of-the-box on all mainstream Linux distributions and OSX. For windows, it has been suggested in the comments to install CygWin.
* Since this procedure still slices the full model and then throw away most of it, you could make it faster by only slicing a reasonably thick "bottom part" of your model. For example: say that you know you will never want to print more than 5 layers and never with a layer height past 0.3mm... in this case you could only keep the bottom 2mm of your model and you'd be safe for all other combinations of layers and layer heights. Don't keep *exactly* 1.5mm though, as this is likely to generate a different top layer than the one in the full model.
Good luck! :)
# Answer
> 0 votes
You could just insert an M30 at the end of layer 1, and the job will end there.
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Tags: slic3r
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thread-5276 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5276 | Combing and Coasting | 2018-01-13T02:59:25.773 | # Question
Title: Combing and Coasting
Here is my understanding of Coasting: Coasting stops extruding early in a move so that the string itself will finish the layer.
Here is my understanding of Combing: Combing reduces the need to retract during travel moves by making sure that the nozzle oozes where you want it to on the way to the next point.
I'm curious as to what types of prints these are good for, and also what types of prints these would be bad for.
So for instance, Coasting is good for prints that have a high propensity to exhibit stringing, but what types of prints would I want coasting to be deselected for?
Similarly for combing, although I know neither the pros nor cons other than it reduces the number of retractions (decreases wear on extruder?)
In short, basically I'm looking for the pros and cons of both of these settings. Also if my understanding of the settings themselves is incorrect please let me know. Any advice would be much appreciated.
# Answer
If anything, combing and coasting allow to **mitigate problems that are printer and filament specific**, rather than dependent on particular STL models.
**Combing helps** \- as you imply in your question - **with materials prone to oozing** (e.g. PETG)
**Coasting is particularly good for printers with a bowden extruders and low jerk/retraction speeds**. This is because in bowden extruders there is a lot of filament compressed between the teeth of the extruder servo and the nozzle, and that pressure doesn't instantly disappears when the printer stop "pushing" (i.e.: turning the extruder servo).
I believe there are **firmware implementations where coasting is also used when approaching sharp corners**. This is to mitigate the problem of "blobs" forming there. The mechanics of this are similar to those explained above: the pressure within the extruder cannot be instantly relieved and coasting accounts for that. The only difference being that - because of the micro-scale of the problem - even non-bowden printers are prone to corner blobs.
In my experience (I look forward to other answers to "compare notes") there are **very few reasons not to use combing**. The only risk with it is that it increases the risk of the nozzle crashing into the print and destroying it. It sound dramatic, but it is in practice it requires everything to work against you: a big blob on the previous layer, the nozzle passing exactly there, poor bed adhesion... for me that has proved problematic only when printing miniatures with a 0.2 mm nozzle and 0.05 mm layer height (on a cheap printer).
**There is of course a** (usually very small) **time penalty in combing**, as it typically requires the nozzle to travel longer paths.
In my experience (again: YMMV, I look forward to more answers!) **the limitations of coasting are related to the way it is implemented**. For example, a given coasting setting may work great for getting rid of oozing, but will create under-extrusion in other parts of the print, as the calculations performed within the firmware may be spot-on for linear motion but inaccurate for corners, or vice-versa.
I believe this is the reason while some popular slicers (like cura) have this setting hidden under "experimental".
> 5 votes
# Answer
Coasting is good for filaments that ooze. The stop/up/start time at the end of a layer can be long enough that a visible seam appears if the layer starts in the same place. Transparent filaments also suffer from the velocity effect at layer shifts (more transparent when extruded slower). The disadvantage is that it becomes another parameter to tune per filament.
Combing is most useful where a part has internal spaces, but might result in longer travel.
> 2 votes
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Tags: slicing
--- |
thread-5280 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5280 | How can I get PLA or PETG to stick to a glass bed permanently without adhesives? | 2018-01-13T19:38:05.523 | # Question
Title: How can I get PLA or PETG to stick to a glass bed permanently without adhesives?
3D printing gurus,
I've read on several forums that people have had issues with printing with PETG or even PLA on glass and it sticks so well to the glass that chunks of glass rip off due to thermal stresses from the glass/plastic bond thermally contracting at different amounts.
I'm looking for a way to actually increase the adhesion to that point (or beyond) so that I could get a watertight seal on a plastic to glass interface. A lot of the forums mention that these problems occur when the extruder head is too close to the glass build plate and thus "bonds" the plastic to the glass somehow. Is this the case or are there other methods (with just the filament and the glass) that could make this happen?
# Answer
> 2 votes
There are seven factors that I can think of, that contribute to the adhesion of the first layer onto **bare** glass:
* **glass cleanliness**: dish soap and hot water, dried by patting down with quality kitchen paper is what seems to work best for me. Beware of fingerprints.
* **glass roughness**: a common way to increase adhesion to glass is to rough-up its surface by scratching with some fine sandpaper. This works best if you take care of sanding in multiple directions (so that you have grooves crossing each other). I suppose an experiment you could try is printing on frosted glass (the side that has been sandblasted or etched of course).
* **tuning of the bed**: your bed should be super-flat and perfectly leveled. Use an indicator gauge if you can.
* **filament chemistry**: that is not only to say that certain plastics, like PLA, stick better than others, but also to say that certain brands work better than others (as the additives each manufacturer adds to the plastic influence how the strength of the interface with glass).
* **printer settings**: typically a slow speed, no active cooling and a bit of overextrusion work best.
* **area of the interface**: the larger the area of the interface, the better. But also: for large *uninterrupted* interfaces, problems with curling begin to appear.
* **temperature**: each filament has it's own sweet spot, but typically some heat make prints stick better. However this is true until the print is in progress, once the print is done and the printing bed cools, prints tend to separate by themselves, so in your case you may want to print with a cold bed (which is totally feasible with PLA).
All that said, this would not be a complete answer without a strong warning: any functional part which integrity depends on this kind of adhesion is bound to catastrophically fail very quickly, if working at all.
For one this "assembly" would be extremely susceptible to change in temperature. While I read too of broken glass due to too good bonding, I only recall this having happened to people using some sort of substance on the glass. Usually the differential in shrinkage is exactly what makes the print come off the glass (a common tip for stuck prints is to put them in a freezer).
Secondly, as soon as some air (or other fluid) will begin seeping between glass and plastic, it will take very little for it to separate the two completely. It's a bit like using a crowbar: as soon as there is a crack you can stick the tip in and use for leverage, it is very easy to pry things open.
Finally, be aware that managing to print watertight shapes with FDM printers is relatively difficult. You can help your luck by extruding at slightly higher temperature than required.
It's difficult to advise on alternatives solutions without knowing what you are trying to achieve, but I would be very surprised if there was not a better alternative. :)
EDIT: the "nozzle too close to the bed" is the wrong way to achieve what you factually achieve with setting the flow rate so as to overextrude during the first layer: you want to increase the pressure of the molten plastic beyond what you normally would do so as to really "squish" it on the glass.
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Tags: pla, extruder, heated-bed
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thread-5279 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5279 | MKS Sbase Probing | 2018-01-13T17:16:51.197 | # Question
Title: MKS Sbase Probing
So I have an MKS Sbase v1.3 that I am trying to use in a delta printer. I am trying to use a PNP inductive sensor with it and it doesn't work. I have tried using a voltage divider with it already (10k ohm and 15k ohm) but it doesn't give any signal when the probe is triggered. Can anyone help me?
P.S Yes, I do know that the board has physical pullups. I am thinking of using NPN MOSFETS but I don't know how I should wire them.
# Answer
> 2 votes
After testing my z-min endstop pins, I found out that I could trigger the probe manually by using a jumper wire between Signal and Ground. I then used a NPN MOSFET to connect the sensor to the endstop by connecting the black wire of the probe to the base, the signal wire of the endstop pins to the collector, and the blue wire from the probe and the ground pin of the endstop connector to the emitter of my MOSFET. Note that my mosfet is a TIP120.
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Tags: z-probe, wiring
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thread-5284 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5284 | 3d Print pops off before complete | 2018-01-15T00:25:03.230 | # Question
Title: 3d Print pops off before complete
I recently got my first 3D printer, however when I print taller objects, sometimes the piece pops off the build plate and moves around before the print is finished, the piece then is missing the top few layers and is burnt from the nozzle, Just wondering why this happens and how to fix it...
Here are some pictures:
# Answer
The issue you are having is with bed adhesion. Basically your print is not sticking well enough to the printer bed for it to resist the mechanical forces the part is being subject to during print.
This the most common issue in FDM 3D printing and you can find a lot of material online on how to mitigate the problem. Just as a "teaser":
* You need to ensure your **printing bed is dead flat and at the right distance** from your nozzle. Search online for: "3D printer bed leveling": the procedure is normally the same for most printers, but if your model is a common one, chances are you will find a video/how-to/blog post for it.
* You should use **print settings that facilitate bonding** of the plastic to the bed (typically: slow speed, no cooling fan, a bit of overextrusion...)
* You can tell the slicer to **add a *brim* or a *raft*** to your part, to increase the amount of material holding down the print.
* You have the option to **cover your printing bed with some material that increases the bonding** of the plastic (this is type-of-plastic specific but typically: PVA glue or painter's tape work well for PLA, and kapton tape or ABS sludge for ABS).
* **If you have a heated bed, use it** (each filament brand has their own recommendations, but typically 50-60°C works well for PLA).
As for *why* your problem is happening towards the end of the print, there are a series of factors contributing to it:
* **The tallest the print, the more mechanical advantage** (leverage) the nozzle has over the adhesion surface.
* **It looks like your top layers are progressively small, so they print very fast and this in turn the does not allow for the plastic to completely cool down** before going to the following layer, so when the nozzle prints on top of it the still-warm layer is "pulled up" by the action of the nozzle, creates a blob that sticks to the nozzle and that only makes situation worse. Snowball effect. Most slicers have an option "minimum layer time" that delays the print of a layer until X seconds have passed from the start of the previous one.
* **It may be possible that the Z axis is inaccurate and the nozzle catches on a previous layer**. Most printer have some kind of accuracy issue with the Z axis the furthest up the head is, especially if the Z-axis has only one threaded rod (as for example in the Creality CR-10). Another source of inaccuracy (see comments below) could be the movement multiplier for the Z being slightly off, causing the nozzle to dig into the print if there's overextrusion and enough cumulative error. Z axis inaccuracies are however unlikely to be the primary source of troubles for you, but it's a "nice to know" thing to know about 3D FDM printers, nevertheless.
> 1 votes
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Tags: adhesion
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thread-5271 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5271 | What is "HDPLA", and why is it so hard to find out more about it? | 2018-01-12T01:45:22.337 | # Question
Title: What is "HDPLA", and why is it so hard to find out more about it?
Googling 'HDPLA' has so far availed me very little.
http://3dinsider.com/what-is-pla/ indicates that /all/ modern PLA is 'high density' compared to 'the early days'. But a fellow at the local makerspace indicated that he was specifically using 'HDPLA', with \[he claimed\] markedly better properties than regular PLA in the final product.
A company named Florion claims to have some secret sauce they add to their PLA, and Maker Filament touts a high temp PLA; but neither seems to use the 'HD' prefix.
I haven't yet been able to track down the fellow to get any more specifics from him. There's no reel of the stuff sitting around so I can't look at its labeling for clues. He claimed to be fabbing lab fittings but I don't know the intended operating situation/requirements.
It's possible he meant something else, like HDPE, which would be quite inert and thus a good choice for lab fittings--but I'd like to think that if it was lab equipment he was making he'd get the name of the polymer right.
Comments, including any regarding the Florion or Maker Filament or any other 'high performance' PLAs, would be most welcome.
# Answer
> 3 votes
So, low-teck, old-style investigative work from my side.... I contacted a company selling HDPLA and they got back to me with the following reply.
> We created HDPLA as an industrial PLA with special additives. As a result, our so called HDPLA has the advantages of ABS, but prints as easy as regular PLA. HDPLA has high impact, high strength and high heat deflection temperature (hdt). You can also print at high speed (max 140mm/s inhouse tests). HDPLA has is own high strength, but is even more strong after annealing. A heated bed is not necessary (50-60˚C recommended), and you can print with HDPLA with a 3D printer with open structure.
This is strikingly similar to the description of what 3Dprima calls "Prima SELECT PRO":
> PrimaSelect™ PLA PRO ist the next generation of high performance PLA for demanding industrial applications. Designed to be able to print fast \>120mm/s so you can save on production time. Very high heat resistance (95°C+) after annealing. Excellent mechanical properties combined with a matte surface finish that helps concealing the printed layers for optimum appearance.
While writing this answer I also found a page that escaped my googling until now, sating an additional property of "their" HDPLA: food safety.
> With our HD PLA you have many more options. You can use this material in two ways. Choose the one you like best. You can use it as a normal PLA and get prints characterized by a very good adhesion between the layers and high precision. You can also make your prints acquire similar properties to that of ABS – better impact resistance and high temperature resistance. All you need is an oven. Yes, an oven! By annealing our HD PLA in an oven, in accordance with the manual, you will avoid all the inconveniences of printing with ABS, such as unpleasant odour or hazardous fumes. But these are not all the advantages of HD PLA. For the production of this material we have chosen raw materials that are approved for food contact in compliance with the EU directive and FDA regulations. HD PLA is also certified by RoHS.
So, it looks like HDPLA is not the shorthand of a polymer molecule, but rather **a trade word indicating that the base PLA has been mixed with additives**. Furthermore, the answer I got via mail seems to indicate that **"HD" refers to the high *Heat Deflection* temperature** of the filament (the heat deflection temperature is the temperature at which a polymer or plastic sample deforms under a specified load).
# Answer
> 0 votes
I doubt that it means very much at all. Filament manufacturers are very tight-lipped about the co-polymers that they add to their base stock in order to improve handling and performance characteristics, so it is impossible to say. The only common attribute that I can see is an advertised diameter tolerance of ±0.02mm. Maybe HD stands for *high-definition*, rather than *high-density*?
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Tags: filament, pla, quality, filament-quality
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thread-5288 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5288 | Ultimaker Original+: print has lumps and small gaps are being filled | 2018-01-15T21:59:36.437 | # Question
Title: Ultimaker Original+: print has lumps and small gaps are being filled
Brand new to 3D printing and have an Ultimaker Original + using PLA (2.85mm). The nozzle/extruder temperature is 200C and the bed/plate is 60C.
I installed the Cura software on my Windows 10 box. I then head on over to tinkercad.com to make a model of a comb. I then exported my .STL file and loaded it up in Cura. I hit the print button. I waited a bit, but noticed that my print was getting lumps in it. Not crazy drastic lumps, but because the object was small, gaps (between the comb teeth) were being filled... not all of them, just some.
I tried adjusting the flow rate from 100% to 90% and it seemed a little better (not perfect, still filling gaps), but when I dropped it lower, it got worse.
I also tried to lower the print speed from the default of 60mm/s to 50mm/s - no change. (travel speed at 120mm/s)
I tried to adjust the bed height multiple times, trying to make sure that it was 100% flat at 180 degrees.
What is wrong here? Is the printer over extruding? Is the temperature too high? Is the flow rate wrong? Am I missing something else?
Check out my prints:
I also tried printing something else:
Any help would be really appreciated.
**Update**
Okay, so thanks to macs answer, I took another look at the nozzle and noticed a massive leak - I actually dismissed this earlier as "glue" - OMG.
Anyways, here is the picture of the leakage:
It's very bad. It leaks down and runs over the nozzle. The nozzle also leaks... Is that normal? All I did was turn the printer on, heat up the nozzle to 200C and it started to leak. I suspect that it should not do this... I'm not ready to change the nozzle just yet - I've no idea which one to buy or even where to buy it from (I'm in the UK), so I'd like to get this one working (if possible).
On another note, I have checked the filament settings - All good. Heat settings all good too:
# Answer
> What is wrong here? Is the printer over extruding? Is the temperature too high? Is the flow rate wrong? Am I missing something else?
It is always difficult to diagnose problems from a set of pictures only, and without the original model to compare it with, but yes, from the pictures it looks like your printer has a severe case of over extrusion, possibly in conjunction with a thermal problem.
The first picture in the set is particularly interesting for a number of reasons:
* **The chequered pattern of the top layer looks like being generated by the nozzle "digging" in the layers below and rising the plastic around it**. A well calibrater printer should have a top surface with a very subtle texture instead.
* **The teeth of the comb and the gap between them are inconsistent**, as are the shape of the tip of the teeth. This let me think your printer actually doesn't operate consistently, over-extruding in some places a lot more than in others. A pinter should be able to accurately replicate its performance along the full length of the comb instead.
* **The plastic has a different finish and colour in different places**. Namely, it looks burnt and glossy where the worse print quality is, white and matte where the problems are not so bad. Both the colour and the finish let me thing the plastic in the dark spots have been heated way over its operational range and/or for too long.
In essence what I think it is happening (mind it: this is just a theory) is that **your printer is over-extruding and in addition your hot end may have issues with keeping its own temperature constant and within the designed limit**. Other factors that may also play a role could be:
* **Wrong settings in the slicer** as for example a nozzle diameter set to 0.5 mm when it really is 0.4 mm instead, or the filament diameter being wrong.
* **Blobs of over-extruded material** forming and sticking to the nozzle, where they take too much heat for too long and burn before "falling" in the print and damaging it.
* **Filament that is old/of bad quality** and that has impurities in it, or has an inconsistent diameter along its length (thus causing over-extrusion in places, but not in other).
* **A nozzle that is not well fixed to the heating block**, thus allowing molten plastic to seep out from the joint and run down on the outside of the nozzle and ultimately on the print itself.
* **A nozzle that got damaged** and whose opening is not circular and/or not matching its nominal diameter.
* **The extruder hobbed gear not e"biting" in the filament** and thus the filament slipping at times, thus being inconsistent in the quality of material being extruded.
So, here's the the trouble-shooting I would go through at this stage:
* **Check your printer setting in the slicer**. Doh! :)
* **Take a close look at how the print works while in operation**. Do you see blobs forming and sticking to the nozzle? Plastic seeping out from places it shouldn't? Is the nozzle round and true? In case of doubts, just change the nozzle with a new one (it is a less-than-1€ part anyways), easily outspent by the cost of filament in a failed print.
* **Calibrate you extrusion** (and thus your flow-rate) by performing accurate measurements over at least 3 length of filament. Matterhackers has a nice how-to that you can follow for this.
* **Manually check the diameter of your filament** (at least 5 measurements at at lest 200 mm distance between them) and adjust the corresponding "filament diameter" setting.
* **Calibrate your temperature** by using a test tower. This one has extensive instructions on how to use it in the thing description, plus is customizable directly from thingiverse.
* **Print again your model and see how/if your changes affected the print quality in any way**.
If the above fails, you could also try to use another slicer, but it's unlikely the problem is with the software.
**UPDATE**
I'm not familiar with your printer model, but the updated pictures seems to show the leakage happening between the heat block and the heat break, rather than between nozzle and "whatever". ;)
This can actually be caused by two different problems (or the two of them compounding).
1. The two parts, which are normally just screwed together have come loose.
2. If your extruder is not "all metal" (which is normally not the case in most printer), the PTFE tube (the whitish plastic tube the filament slides into) may have dislodged upwards, so instead of being a tight fit in the heat block, it leaves room for the molten filament to seep upwards.
In both cases, a reassembly and thorough clean-up of the head is in order. I would suggest trying to find specific documentation for your printer online, but the general process is:
* warm up the head to printing temperature. All subsequent steps will have to be done at this temperature (wearing protective gloves is highly recommended)
* remove the filament
* remove the PTFE tube
* remove the nozzle
* remove the the heating block from the heat break
* wipe as much the plastic as possible (bit drills work well for the hole in the heat block
* increase the temp a further 20-30 degrees
* reassemble everything
* profit
Please note:
* the heat break is relatively fragile: be gentle when unscrewing. When removing/attaching the nozzle is worth keeping the heat block in place with a spanner to prevent twisting the heat break
* if you can't remove the plastic when molted, you can try letting it cool and scrape it
* it essential that the re-assembly be done while hot. Metal expands with heat, so what feels firm while cold will eventually become loose at high temperature
> 1 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, extrusion, ultimaker-original
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thread-5246 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5246 | Z axis stopped part way through print | 2018-01-09T13:40:35.500 | # Question
Title: Z axis stopped part way through print
I got an Anet A8 for Christmas.
I am trying to print a calibration tower and the z axis stops lifting at approximately 100mm.
I checked that the gantry is able to travel along the full length of the threaded rods, and while resetting the bed height I noticed that the LCD display showed the extruder height above the bed. It reads 0 at home (good) but goes back to zero when I manually turn the rods so that the gantry goes above the heigh at which the print stopped.
Any thoughts on what to check? I am double checking all the mechanical bits (connection to stepper coupling, ease of turning, etc...).
My slicer is Cura 3.1.
# Answer
I found two issues:
* While cutting the cables to size, I made the cable for the z-axis too short.
* In Cura the y height reset to 100mm rather than the 240mm I had earlier specified. I assume the G-code I used was sliced with the wrong settings.
> 0 votes
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Tags: marlin, ultimaker-cura, z-axis, anet-a8
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thread-4959 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4959 | Printing with Polycarbonate keeps warping | 2017-11-14T00:43:34.717 | # Question
Title: Printing with Polycarbonate keeps warping
I'm trying to print a large piece with polycarbonate but it keeps warping, I'm using a Taz 5 printer and setting 290 C in the extruder and 145 C in the heating bed.
Other setting I have are:
1. printing speed: 20 mm/s
2. layer height: 2.5mm
3. infil: 20%
4. brim: 15mm
Can anyone tell me any tips or suggestions to avoid warping?
# Answer
> 1 votes
Adjusting the design may also be able to help limit the amount of warping you get.
One of the major causes of warping is upper layers contracting while cooling when laid down over now-cool(er) lower layers which no longer contract so much but are still thin enough to flex when subject to tension along their upper edge. Insertion of strategically placed gaps in upper layers can reduce the tension such layers are able to apply.
I was printing some long thin beams in ABS. I inserted horizontal-axis holes along the beams (making them look a bit like LEGO Technic beams rather than solid pieces). It did the job for me.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I would take a look here and here. Literally the first two results of Google.
To summarize what they say,
You need good bed adhesion to keep the first layer from warping near the edges like you will get normally with ABS or PC(Polycarbonate). Some use hairspray or gluestick. I manage myself with buildtak surface. I would stay away from blue painters tape. Your looking for something very sticky. This of course makes it a nightmare to get the part off the bed but well worth the trouble if it keeps your print on the bed and flat.
Make sure the part receives adequate heat. Like someone wrote in the comments, a enclosure works best to keep the temperature of the entire print warm instead of just the few layers closest to the bed.
More perimeter layers works very well by providing more structural strength to try and combat the warping. I've stumbled upon this solution when I had trouble with ABS.
Lastly, first layer is always the most important part of any print. You want to make sure it is as level as possible and a good tip is to raise your bed just so slightly than usual so the first layer is jammed hard against the bed. This provides better surface area. Just be careful not to clog your printhead cause if you constrict the flow out of the nozzle too much, you'll might end up with plastic trying to flow upwards or maybe grind the filament with the extruder gear.
# Answer
> 0 votes
I had the same problem with ABS. I tried first painters tape and it was a very bad. Double-sided adhesive tape was good at the beginning but there was wrapping after several layers. The best solution was a mixture of acetone and ABS. I applied it onto the surface of the heated bed and there was no wrapping.
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Tags: print-material, warping, support-material
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thread-5297 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5297 | TinkerCAD Align to Odd Shaped Object | 2018-01-17T16:30:23.570 | # Question
Title: TinkerCAD Align to Odd Shaped Object
I have an odd-shaped object (I'll call it "A") that I have imported into a TinkerCAD drawing. Its dimensions do not align to any specific size, and therefore I can't really use the grid lock to help.
However, I need to get some other objects (called "B+") a specific and precise distance from the outside edge of "A". I was trying to get the ruler to lock to the edge of "A", but I can only get close.
Is there a way to do this so that I can get "B" perfectly positioned from the edge of "A"?
# Answer
> 2 votes
Consider to construct an object of any suitable shape that will properly align with the edge of "A."
The attached image is certainly an odd-shaped object (from a previous test project).
Add a regular/symmetrical object such as a cube and size it appropriately for your purpose. It would not have to be a cube, although such a shape provides for convenient alignment in this case:
Use the alignment tools feature in Tinkercad to align the desired edge(s). In this case, alignment is common right side, centered top to bottom.
After clicking on the alignment button, lower right corner:
Group the two objects using the Group feature.
I created a sample alignment reference in this image and placed it in contact with the group.
Move the group or reference item the desired distance:
Select the group and ungroup it. Select the initial alignment item and delete it.
Objective completed.
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Tags: 3d-design
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thread-5294 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5294 | How can I read this 3mf-File | 2018-01-17T07:15:53.417 | # Question
Title: How can I read this 3mf-File
So I am trying to get the XSD-Schema from this object. When I open the File I just get something like this code (snippet):
```
¸†2¡Q·2ºyƒeCã2ï…w ïÀ|¼ðAøä[0Ÿ |>‚|ó‘å2²ºFƒ¼Æò1ùàåcj@Þ`ùиÌ{áÈ;0/|¾
ùÌ'Ÿ„ Á|d½¬¬¯Õ ¯±|l¾…Œo@Þ`ùиÌ{áÈ;0/|¾ùÌ'Ÿ„ Á|d½œ¬¯Ó ¯±|h\æŒo@Þ`ù¸|
ßBs¦5–Œ~ô軣(™c´“Ç£[yp1:æ'Éc4Jó Uâ˜ÍÇ<h—8^'ЯÉ
```
What is this? How can I convert it back? I need to edit the structure manually.
Thank you in advance.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Three likely culprit:
* **The file is compressed but your machine can't detect it**. So for example the 3MF model has been zipped, and what you are trying to do is opening the zip archive in the text editor, rather than the file that is in the zip archive. Solution: try to see if common decompress utilities like zip, gzip, 7z can open the file.
* **The file is a 3MF model but the character encoding in the file being different than the one your editor is expecting** (typically `Unicode/UTF-8`, these days). Solution: read on the rest of this answer.
* **The file is a binary one that is totally unrelated to 3MF**. So in essence: an error, you are trying to open maybe an MP3 or a JPG file believing it to be a 3MF instead.
As for the "wrong encoding" option... Oversimplifying a bit, the story goes like this:
* computers write data to files in bytes,
* a byte can only be set to one of its 256 possible values,
* in the early days of computing, when computers were just glorified calculators, it was enough to have a 1:1 ratio between the byte possible values and the symbols one wanted to use, so ASCII was born (actually ASCII only "mapped" the first 127 values of the byte, but that is a detail). So: value #49 would represent a `1`, value #90 a `Z` and so on...
* shortly afterwards, computers became powerful enough that people wanted to use them to process human languages, so the need for more characters (like accented ones `åáä` or the ones from non-latin alphabets like Cyrillic `язы́к` or arabic `عَرَبِيّ`, or...) came to be and engineers speaking different languages had the "brilliant" idea to each use the other 127 "free slots" in a byte for their favourite languages, thus a plethora of extended ASCII encodings was born, **each using the same byte value, but each mapping to a different symbol**.
* later on, people began to realise the need to combine the use of say Gaelic, English, Japanese and Farsi with mathematical symbols, and thus they came up to way to map symbols to values expressed as the product of more bytes (so for example: 2 bytes encoding could map 256x256=65536 symbols). Again: each system using the same values but different symbols.
* finally after decades of frustrated users and expensive bugs, engineers around the world settled for a multi-byte **standard that has 1,114,112 possible values that could contain all characters one can possibly need**, and Unicode was born.
Back to your question: despite unicode having been around for a few decades now, legacy software and sloppy programming are a thing, and there are still systems that do not use unicode internally but some legacy "special purpose" encoding.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to say with certainty how a file was encoded, so **occasionally you may find yourself opening a file and starting decoding it according to a "conversion table" that is not the one used by the author of the file itself**. This is what it looks like is happening to you.
Onward to what you can try to do to fix this...
First of all: as attentive readers may have already inferred, **you will need the actual file** for this. In fact if you cut-and-paste its "content" from an editor what you are really doing is cutting-and-pasting the *decoding* your computer did of the byte values, and not the byte values themselves.
Then your best bets are:
* **Try one of the online detectors** like this one, using "English" as a language. These detectors work by trying all the decoders they know of until the decoded file will have English (or another language of your choice) words in it. This may not work for you as a 3MF file is mostly numbers, not text, but it is worth a shot.
* **Guesstimate what encoder may have been used**. For example: if you got the file from an old windowsXP machine from Eastern Europe, chances are it may have been encoded with "windows-1251". Use an online converter to see if you were right about it.
* **Use brute force**. For this you will require to write a simple programme or ask somebody to do it for you, but the key idea here is to have a script taking your original file and decoding it using all encoders in that programming language knows of. Then it will be up to you to open each decoded file individually and verify if it worked or not.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Seems to be your are trying to edit a file with the wrong file editor.
If you have Microsoft® Windows® 8.1, you can print directly using the 3MF format included. Simply set the print options in the 3D Print PropertyManager and print to the 3D printer. A preview of the print bed and the model's location within the print bed lets you modify settings before committing to a 3D print job.
To access the 3D print dialog box and specify print options, click File \> 3DPrint. The print dialog box that is available depends on your installed 3D print driver.
If you need to get the STL you may need to use a file conversion, here is a youtube tutorial to makeprintable
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Tags: 3d-models
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thread-5304 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5304 | 24 V heated bed from -12 V and +12 V ATX power supply? | 2018-01-18T17:34:36.383 | # Question
Title: 24 V heated bed from -12 V and +12 V ATX power supply?
As long as there's a MOSFET in between, can I supply 24 V bed/extruder heat from an ATX power supply using -12 V and +12 V and ignoring the common rail?
I assume so, I can't think of a reason why not, but want to check.
# Answer
> 11 votes
No, this is not possible with most ATX power supplies. While in principle you can get a 24V supply by combining the +12V and -12V supplies, the rails are not symmetric, and the negative 12V supply is usually designed for a much lower load than the positive supply. In the example in the following picture, there are two positive 12V rails, capable of sourcing respectively 12A and 15A each, but the -12V rail is only good for sinking 0.5A. If you tried doing what you're proposing, using this supply, you'd be limited to only 0.5A from your "24V" supply.
It is very unlikely that you'll find an ATX power supply with a negative 12V rail capable of sinking significant current since computers don't need such large amounts of current from their negative supplies.
There are also issues with using a MOSFET as you describe. I assume that by MOSFET you are referring to a complete board with various support components, and not just a bare MOSFET by itself. Usually these boards have optocouplers and thus they will probably work correctly, but using just a MOSFET by itself this would not work, as the gate needs to be driven below GND (namely: to below -12V plus the gate threshold) to turn the MOSFET off.
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Tags: heated-bed, switching-power-supply
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thread-5018 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5018 | Prusa I3x and repetier host heat problems | 2017-11-23T10:30:27.347 | # Question
Title: Prusa I3x and repetier host heat problems
I've saved settings in the slicer for pla and abs, set the default bed temp to 90 and extruder to 185. No matter what settings I select to print with, the bed temp sets to 110 and the extruder to 230 when I send a job to print which I don't want. If I then control the heat manually, repetier or the printer seems to ignore my requests. If I try to kill the job I keep getting a box coming up asking me to switch the heats off; I select yes and nothing happens.
If I use the emergency stop the heats switch off.
# Answer
1. You may set the temp in Repetier but when you run the gcode it will send any of the temp settings in the file. So you may set 210 °C first but if 200 °C is in the G-code the printer will take that (as the gcode is sent one instruction at a time). However I also noticed that after the automatic bed leveling any manual settings on the printer are reset to the G-code (I assume the file is re-stating the temp after bed leveling) So I have to override the file temp after the bed leveling is complete.
2. I now use OctoPrint and it has a cool feature : temp offsetting, you can specify an offset for every temperature the OctoPrint server sends to printer; e.g. in your file it is set to bed: 110 °C and extruder: 230 °C you can tell OctoPrint to take 20 °C off all bed temps sent and 45 °C off any extruder tempperatures sent. It's great for tweaking the temperatures of your G-code without editing or re slicing, just change the temperature offset and reprint.
3. I noticed on a previous firmware version for the I3 mk2s Repetier did not connect properly to the printer this problem disappeared in the latest Prusa firmware (v3.1). One of the symptoms I noticed was the temperature settings were not taken by the printer.
4. Some slicers have a setting to have sticky parameters, i.e. set temperature once don't bother re-sending. However if this was turned off, it is possible that the generated G-code repeatedly send the temperature settings with every instruction, continuously resetting and overriding these values. (OctoPrint temperature offsets would correct this)
> 1 votes
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Tags: prusa-i3, g-code, repetier, repetier-host
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thread-5317 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5317 | Supports for dense Voronoi pieces | 2018-01-21T03:42:15.537 | # Question
Title: Supports for dense Voronoi pieces
I have printed 1 voronoi piece before. I was able to get the supports that were inside the structure out with tweezers because the holes were big enough. This one (pic below) I do not think I can do that with. I looked at the proposed support structure preview in my slicer (I use Cura) and it wants to print them inside the torso here as well. Is there a way to force the slicer to not print supports within a hollow piece? I use cura but I can use another slicer if need be. Or any other recommendations for a successful print here would be fine as well.
# Answer
> 2 votes
One feature of Cura is the ability to set supports to build plate only. This would remove any supports internal to the model, as your model has a base that is not considered the build plate or raft. In the image provided, you would have some complications, I believe, as there would be no supports on the outside of the model if it was directly over the base.
As you are not eliminating other options, you can also turn off supports in Cura, load your model into Meshmixer and make use of their support feature, which allows you to adjust placement, size and other parameters in order to get a good result.
The flexibility is limited only by your imagination:
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Tags: slicing, support-structures
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thread-5314 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5314 | Problem With large prints on Lulzbot Taz6 | 2018-01-20T21:42:23.480 | # Question
Title: Problem With large prints on Lulzbot Taz6
I have got a Lulzbot TAZ6 3 days ago. Last night I started a print which is 21 hours long and when I returned check on it this afternoon it was a complete mess. These are the objects that I wanted to print:
I used Cura LUlzbot edition for printing this, the settings I have opted are:
I need to print them with 100% infill for my project. I printed it over USB, and the cura was still running when I checked now, so i guess its not because of the computer shutdown. This used to happen when I tried printing these on Lulzbot KITTAZ i have, but its not working so I got TAZ6. Please let me know where i'm going wrong. This was the state of the print(some of it was sticking to the printbed, this picture was taken after i removed it from the printbed)
**Edit:**
Thanks for the suggestion. I have calibrated the extruder and tried to print only the vertical cylinder. I have changed only one setting, changed the extrusion multiplier to .99. I kept the infill density to 100%(my project needs a cylinder to be completely filled without any air gaps) to see which of those two has greater influence on the print quality. All the other settings were the same here is the result(After I saw this I cancelled the print):
Like you suggested the infill is overflowing. What should I do next, i'm concerned if it is printed with reduced infill percentage its density will decrease. Shall I try to print it with 97% and see what happens?
# Answer
Unluckily - for as much information on your settings you share - it is very **difficult to diagnose the problem without knowing how the print failed**. Did a piece become dislodged? Did the nozzle caught onto a printed piece? Did the head began extrude in mid air? ...?
However this are my guesses:
* From your temp settings it looks like you are printing ABS. If this is the case, **have you placed your printer in an enclosure**? With ABS, It is very very difficult (if not impossible) to print anything above "small", without an enclosure.
* **Printing 100% infill is normally a bad idea**. If you are doing it for strength, then you should know that the strength gains are progressively smaller on anything above 60%. 100% infill also means that unless your extrusion is perfectly calibrated (which I suspect it may not be the case, given that your setting is the default 100%) any amount of overextrusion will likely let the nozzle "catch". Finally, 100% extrusion also increases the warping forces on the piece considerably.
* **Printing a cylinder "laying down" is hard**: you basically have zero adhesion to the printing bed and must rely on the support material to stabilise your part. But the support material is designed *not* to bond securely to the main piece and it will be unable to counterbalance any "curling up" that your part may experience due to thermal contraction.
So, my suggestions:
* **Use an enclosure** (even a simple cardboard box on top of the printer will do for a starter). *Definitively* use an enclosure if you are printing with ABS
* **Calibrate your extruder**. Here is a handy guide. :)
* **Reduce your infill density** to something between 60% and 97%.
* **Print your parts one at a time**, start from the vertical cylinder and - when you have got that right - try the horizontal one.
* If you must print one of the two horizontal...
+ **Increase the support density considerably**, and diminish the Z-distance between support and print to the bare minimum. If your edition of cura has that setting, use support interfaces at full density.
+ Alternatively eliminate the headache completely and **print two semi-cylinders instead** (cut the cylinder in half along its length, printing them with the "cut" as their base) **and glue them together afterwards**. If you are using ABS you can "weld" them with acetone instead.
> 3 votes
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Tags: heated-bed, software, fdm, hotend, lulzbot
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thread-5318 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5318 | What is the best way to print a model with support material in first layer? | 2018-01-21T06:25:47.097 | # Question
Title: What is the best way to print a model with support material in first layer?
I am trying to print a model that requires support material to be on the first layer, what is the best way to accomplish this? I am currently using Cura. It seems that the support material is too flaky. I have the infill for the support at around 8%
# Answer
I had the same problem printing a miniature just recently. As always, settings are somewhat dependent from the object you want to print, but here are some suggestions:
* Increase the support density: 15% (8% is very low!)
* Support pattern: zig-zag with "connect zig-zag" option enabled (add stiffness to the "column" of support)
* Enable support interface (increase adhesion to the plate, and provide a more "beefy" base for the support material)
For reference, here's a screenshot of my settings as I tweaked them for that miniature (printed a 0.1mm layer height).
("Support line distance 1mm" is the same as "Support density 15%", or at least it is the same with my nozzle size)
If your problem was not only with the "flakiness" of the material, but also with it adhesion to the bed, then prepping your printing bed somehow (with a bit of painter tape, glue, etc... can help. Alternatively using a brim or a raft (as also suggested by another responder) could also help.
**EDIT**: all the above still standing true, it turns out the OP had a hardware problem as well, his timing belt being loose (see comments).
> 3 votes
# Answer
I cannot comment on your infill percentage for supports, since I never use them. In any case, increasing the infill may well have little or no effect.
However, you could try two things: If your slicer includes supports when generating brims, then use brims. Otherwise, use a raft.
> 0 votes
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Tags: adhesion, support-structures
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thread-5327 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5327 | Nintendo Cartridge Print? | 2018-01-22T18:33:45.570 | # Question
Title: Nintendo Cartridge Print?
I am trying to make a device with an old NES cartridge. If I were to take an already existing cartridge, I would need to make some precision cuts into the plastic and not sure where to get advice on that.
The flip side, is if I print my own 'NES' cartridge with the cuts built into the print.
So my question is two part. One, if I were to print one on my own, what is the cheapest price point I could obtain a printer that could do enough detail to make it hard to tell the difference from the real thing.
In case you are just curious, I'm needing to cut a perfectly sized rectangle into the case for an LCD panel to fit into. Or print my own.
# Answer
> 2 votes
> If I were to print one on my own, what is the cheapest price point I could obtain a printer that could do enough detail to make it hard to tell the difference from the real thing.
**Around 15.000 US$**.
FDM printers (the most common consumer-grade ones, the ones with the roll of filament beside them) all print with distinctive layer marks. Next are resin printers, but resins tend to have a very peculiar feeling to it, that is difficult to mistake for ABS or other injection-molding plastics, when you hold them, plus they typically struggle with largish objects. So you would probably be looking at a sintering printer, melting nylon powder with a laser. That is expensive to buy and very expensive to operate.
Now, while the above is all technically true, it is only half the story...
In fact **prints done on a cheap FDM printer can be post-processed to look almost indistinguishable from an injection molded model**. That takes probably more work to accomplish than modelling the object in cad and printing it though, so it's a matter of setting your expectations correctly (don't think to your print as "the product" but as the "base material" for your finished product).
I would say that you essentially have two options:
1. if you are looking at picking up a new hobby, and do a lot of sanding and polishing in the process, then: "welcome to the club!". There are plenty of relatively cheap printers that can print acceptably well (more on this below).
2. if your interest is not towards 3d printing in general but is really limited to getting project done, than you could consider having a printing service doing that for you instead (basically you send them the file with your design and choose what kind of printer and material you want them to use, and they send you back the end result). It will be cheaper and probably of a higher quality than what you could achieve yourself. Certainly it will require less time investment from your side.
If you go with option one, an affordable printer that got very good reviews from trustworthy reviewers is the cetus. It is 299 US$, have quality components and is very very silent. The build volume is not huge but should be more than enough for your project.
However don't take my suggestion as "this is the best you can buy for your money": there are plenty of models out there that will get the job done in the price range 300-500 US$, and if you are wishing to spend a bit more, you could get an Original Prusa MKIIs (the printer that topped the charts last year) for 600US$ as a kit or slightly more fully assembled.
Should you go for using a printing service instead, there are a lot of them. Two among the most well known are 3dhubs and shapeways.
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Tags: filament, print-quality
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thread-5308 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5308 | Z axis Stepper motors not working correctly | 2018-01-20T06:40:23.790 | # Question
Title: Z axis Stepper motors not working correctly
I have been searching around the internet for the last 3 days trying to figure this out. My Z axis motors for a pursa-i3 3d printer are not working correctly. I have marlin firmware and using repetier host. I send a command to move the z axis and I get it to move, however I if I send the same command again the motors will sometimes spin the other way. feel like They almost randomly choose which direction they turn.
As I said I have been trouble shooting this for a while now. What I am suspecting is the firmware feedrates and acceleration or some setting is not correct.
Here is my code:
```
//// MOVEMENT SETTINGS
#define NUM_AXIS 4 // The axis order in all axis related arrays is X, Y, Z, E
#define HOMING_FEEDRATE {50*60, 50*60, 2*60, 0} // set the homing speeds (mm/min)
#define DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT {80,80,4000,590}
#define DEFAULT_MAX_FEEDRATE {300, 300, 3, 45} // (mm/sec)
#define DEFAULT_MAX_ACCELERATION {1000,1000,50,500} // X, Y, Z, E maximum start speed for accelerated moves. E default values are good for Skeinforge 40+, for older versions raise them a lot.
#define DEFAULT_ACCELERATION 1000 // X, Y, Z and E max acceleration in mm/s^2 for printing moves
#define DEFAULT_RETRACT_ACCELERATION 1000 // X, Y, Z and E max acceleration in mm/s^2 for retracts
#define DEFAULT_XYJERK 10 // (mm/sec)
#define DEFAULT_ZJERK 0.3 // (mm/sec)
#define DEFAULT_EJERK 5.0 // (mm/sec)
```
I tried swapping the drivers around and the motors will work perfectly on another axis so I don't suspect it to be a driver issue. I have been turning the pots ontop of the drivers to make them work but can't make them to go the same direction i want them to.
I've checked the wires and I almost sure they are wired up correctly. (could be wrong but have checked it over with a multimeter.)
I am new to this and it's my first time building one of these would appreciate any help I can get and and maybe I have over looked something I have tested. Just really want the axis to move in the direction That I say it to move in.
---
More details about my setup is: A Robocraze 3D Printer Controller Board RAMPS 1.4 using A4988 stepper motors drivers and my motors are the nema 17 stepper motors. I currently have the two z axis motors wired in parallel but have tried before using series, however the problem of being unable to control the direction of the Z motors still arises (can easily switch back to series).
currently trying with no load just to get the motors turn in the correct direction when I send a G-code command. I am using Repetier host on ubuntu 14.04.5.
I have also check the endstops and they are working perfectly, so they ain't a problem (I don't think :p)
Thank you, Bobby
# Answer
So after 5 days of trouble shooting, Bob-the-Kuhn over on the marlin github forum solved it for, anyone else who faces the same issue can head over to github for my solutions.
https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/issues/9287#issuecomment-359428147
Conversation from link:
> **Bob-the-Kun:** Problem does not follow the driver. Problem does not follow the steppers.
>
> I'm thinking that the Z socket has a problem. Sounds like an open/poor contact.
>
> Try bending the DIRECTION lead on the Z driver a little and see if the problem disappears. It's one of the corner pins. Sometimes it's called DIR. If your driver's pins aren't labeled then bend all four corner pins a little.
>
> Another option is to move the Z function to the E1 socket. Replace your pins\_RAMPS.h file with this one. pins\_RAMPS.zip
>
> FYI - if this really is a hardware problem then it's the second RAMPS hardware problem within a week. Most unusual.
>
> **Post reply:**
>
> Yes the socket I am now assuming is just broken (not sure what exactly but possibly one of the connections), After using for pins\_RAMPS file and changed the motors back to series and connected to the E1 slot I successful got the printer to work!!! Thank you very much Z axis is working as I would expect! I am now calibrating the printer as it definitely needs it.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: diy-3d-printer, reprap, ramps-1.4, z-axis
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thread-5329 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5329 | How to improve resolution using 0.3mm nozzle? | 2018-01-23T06:00:57.730 | # Question
Title: How to improve resolution using 0.3mm nozzle?
What are the best settings for a Simple Metal printer using a 0.3mm nozzle, knowing that the min layer height can be 1/4 the size of the nozzle?
I posted some photos on the link below and the STL file.
Thank you for your advice.
https://www.reddit.com/r/3Dprinting/comments/7scdug/how\_to\_improve\_print\_quality\_using\_a\_03mm\_nozzle/
# Answer
> 1 votes
> knowing that the min layer height can be 1/4 the size of the nozzle?
I'm not sure if that is a limitation of your printer specifically, but **going "down" there is really no hard limitation to the layer thickness *ratio*** that I know of or have experienced myself. At least not on modern printers using standard stepper motors and 1.75mm filament (older 3mm printers were more limited on this).
Going "up" you will hit a hard limit at around 3/4 of your nozzle diameter, as layers will have a hard time bonding to each other past that, and the wall surface will be very corrugated (but I take your question about "best settings" is about making the print better, so with thinner layers...)
If you print at reasonable (as in: not too fast) speed and have calibrated your extrusion properly, you should be able to print at any layer height your printer supports, the limiting factor normally being the mechanical precision of your printer / the gearing of your stepper motor.
In particular, **you should try to print at layer heights that are multiple of the distance your printer will travel upwards for each step** of your stepper motor.
Simplifying a bit how stepper motors work: say that your screw raises 8mm for each revolution of the stepper motor, and your stepper does 200 steps per revolution... your printer will raise 8mm/200 = 0.04mm per step. If you print at 0.05mm, most layers will be 0.04mm, with 1 in 4 being 0.08mm to compensate for the lost 0.01mm at each layer. This will produce noticeable defects in the print.
The information on how your Z axis is geared is seldom available in the official specification sheet, but usually there is always somebody knowing it on the printer user forums.
As for "best settings", those depends typically from the type and brand of filament being used, as well as from the 3D model geometry. **Printing slowly is always a good idea** though, as it limits the "noise" on the print due to vibration.
In your particular example, threads (which are substantially a very long overhang) will actually benefit from a **high ratio between nozzle width and layer height** (so a larger nozzle or a lower layer height). This is because, the overhang angle being the same, higher ratios will give more material to extrude onto at each layer. You can visualise this by thinking to how easier is to offset a stack of books compared to offsetting a stack of dice.
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Tags: nozzle, quality
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thread-5332 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5332 | Quality drop in vertical axis printing | 2018-01-23T13:12:31.620 | # Question
Title: Quality drop in vertical axis printing
Dear experts and 3D printer users;
I am a beginner in 3D printing field. I read couple of answers in forums and i cannot find exact answer to my problem.
Printing quality dropped when i try to write vertical axis (i mean, columns). There is no problem in horizontal axis.
My column width must be 0.5 mm, and printer nozzle diameter is 0.4 mm. I think I should write 0.5 mm column with 0.4 mm nozzle with ease.
I added messy structure to this post and you can find writing details below. What do you think? What is your suggestion to overcome this problem?
Printer:Ultimaker 3, Slicer:Cura,
Printing Details; Nozzle diameter:0.4 mm, Profile:Fine 0.1 mm, Layer height:0.1 mm, Wall thickness:1 mm, Top bottom thickness:1 mm, Infill density: 100 %, Gradual infill steps:0, Printing Temp:240 C, Build plate Temp:65 C, Diameter: 2.85 mm, Dimensions of the material:10X10X5 mm
# Answer
**The main problem with your setup is the nozzle width**. It is simply too big to accurately print a structure that tiny. An integral part of the filament deposition is the "smearing" of the molted plastic, that clearly can't happen if the structure is about the same size of the nozzle bore. Also the printed structure is too flimsy to resist the "suction" of such a big nozzle moving away.
**I would suggest to use a smaller nozzle and/or increase the size of your pillars**. A good combo would be 0.2mm nozzle with 0.6mm or 0.8mm pillars. For these small details, it would be best to have a pillar size that is a perfect multiple of your nozzle diameter.
Other settings that will help you:
* reduce the print dramatically (try 20 or 30 mm/s)
* use retraction (or increase its amount/speed)
* make sure your cooling fan is 100%
* use a sensible "minimum layer time" (try 10 seconds for a start)
The first two settings should reduce the force/impulse applied by the nozzle on the pillar.
The latter two should make sure your pillar is "solid" when extruding a new layer on top of it.
> 2 votes
# Answer
You cannot hope to print 0.5mm columns with a 0.4mm print head successfully using an FDM printer. Basically, you are asking the printer to lay down tiny blobs of filament, one of top of another. You have two options:
1. Use a finer nozzle (e.g. 0.1mm). However, such nozzles are reported as being very difficult to use.
2. Switch to a different printing technology (e.g. SLA). Resin and powder-based printers have much finer resolutions, and will have no difficulty printing the model that you describe.
> 1 votes
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Tags: z-axis
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thread-5346 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5346 | Anet A8 extruder motor moves back and forth | 2018-01-25T04:12:41.133 | # Question
Title: Anet A8 extruder motor moves back and forth
This is what is happening to my motor. Any suggestions would help. 1. I have tried adjusting the trimpot. 2. Rewire the connector to match the one on the motherboard. 3. Anything else I found on the internet.
# Answer
> 3 votes
Check the continuity of the wires on the cable. Sometimes, they are not crimped correctly. Another common fault is crossed wires. In either case, the easiest diagnostic test is to substitute another cable, but please note the color coding of this replacement wire to match the cable you replace.
# Answer
> 3 votes
The Anet A8 stepper motor 4 lead cable need to be correct in colour arrangement:
* mother board end: black-green-blue-red and extrauder
* stepper motor end: black-red-green-blue.
I bought DIY RepRap Anet A8 3d printer which came with one of the red lead end not attached, so in order to complete the build I used another lead from the Kossel delta 3D printer which has a different colour arrangement from the Anet A8 and made the motor rock back and forth as in your video.
It seems each colour lead carries a specific current and there are many different 4 colour cables out there.
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Tags: extruder, stepper, anet-a8
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thread-5338 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5338 | Adhesion problems with masking tape | 2018-01-24T16:43:57.137 | # Question
Title: Adhesion problems with masking tape
I have been playing around with the bed for a while and I still can't get the first layer to stick properly. I think I am getting the bed leveled good, I use the paper method. But yet I find myself with the filament lifting off and getting pulled away with the nozzle or some balling in rare situations.
I use masking tape, which I found for $3 at Dollar general. I heard something about shine being a factor, but why is that important? And is more expensive masking tape worth it? I don't want to buy it because I would hate for it to tear when I take off a print.
I also use some glue stick, which seems to sometimes not help, almost like it doesn't allow the filament to stick. I don't think I was adding too much, maybe I was. But is glue stick needed? Does it really make that much of a difference?
So other than that I don't know what to try. I can't get the first layer to work properly. Maybe it is my speed, what is a good speed to print at for the first layer, I am doing 60 mm/s, just like the rest of my print.
Any advice from there with first layers would be great. I am tired of wasting time and filament over failed first layers. But when I do get the first layer done, the second+ layers all work fine, no issues.
Here are the specs of my printer, that should be helpful for people:
* Printer --\> Anet A6
* Print area --\> 220 x 220 mm
* Heated bed? --\> Yes
* Bed temp --\> 50°C
* I use masking tape on bed
* nozzle dia. --\> 0.4mm
* Nozzle temp --\> 210°C
* Print speed --\> 60 mm
* Material of choice --\> PLA
* Fan is on after 3 layers
I think that covers everything, Let me know if I need to add anything else.
# Answer
> 8 votes
Masking tape (and blue painter's tape) is coated with a wax-based release agent in order to prevent the tape sticking to itself on the roll. This release agent must be removed with an organic solvent in order to obtain good adhesion. Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol is good for this. Acetone will also work, but it is a much stronger solvent (which is not necessarily a good thing).
For blue painter's tape, rub freshly applied tape with solvent until the blue dye starts coming off. Then give it a quick wipe between prints to remove any fingerprints, etc.
# Answer
> 6 votes
Instead of masking tape, I would use BuildTac or some other similar surface. These are self-adhesive and come in various sizes. You can cut them down if they are too large for your bed.
I'm using it on my Monoprice Select Mini with a heated bed and it works fine.
I did have to experiment with the PLA I'm using in order to make sure it didn't adhere *too* well.
And yes, I use alcohol prep pads to clean the surface. You can get these at the first aid or diabetes section of any pharmacy.
# Answer
> 5 votes
Mick (other answerer) is spot-on with his advice on how to prep the masking tape to work well as an adhesion enhancer.
Additionally: what material is the surface of your printing bed, and is the bed heated? If it is, just know that **you may want to try with both heat on and off if you are using tape** (it works worse for me and at least a friend of mine with heat on, but down in the comment others report it working better...).
As for general advice on bed adhesion strategies: in case your bed is glass and heated, then the best, fastest, cleanest and cheapest method is to just print on it without anything else. The secrets to success here are:
* A **clean glass**, without contamination from solvents or additives to solvents that are often used (like many types of alcohol). Use dish soap and warm water only, and be extremely careful not to touch the printing surface with your skin, as your skin contains natural oils that *will* make plastic not to stick to the glass.
* A **dead flat glass**. This should sound obvious, but most cheap printers have glasses that are not flat enough (CR-10, I am looking at you!). The best tip here is: use mirrors. They are very cheap at home improvement stores, can be easily cut to size and - most importantly - they are normally *extremely* flat, as otherwise they would deform the image they reflect.
* A **perfectly levelled glass**. You can achieve this with the paper method and some patient, but if you want to make your life easier, and have better first layers, do yourself a favour and buy an indicator. Thingiverse is full of user-made mounts to attach them to all sort of printers.
The last point is good advice even if your bed is not glass, although you won't benefit from it as much.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I'll go out on a limb and suggest that, while your bed may be well-levelled, the Z-axis zero might be off. A difference of 10-20 microns can be the difference between strong adhesion to the bed/tape and having your print float away. If your first layer doesn't get "squashed flat" a bit by the nozzle, your extruder head is slightly higher than optimal.
# Answer
> 2 votes
I'm Using Masking tape with no problems, your parameters are OK and just need to sand the surface before sending to print, use sand paper #120 or #150. The first layer height is 0.18 mm to 0.25 mm. The masking tape can be used for a lot of prints, you can change it every week to keep a good adhesion.
I found that not all brands works fine, for example **TUK** has a good adhesion and can be used for several prints. **3M** has an stronger adhesion but is needed to sand on 100 % area and can be used only for one printing. **Jevelin** has a good adhesion but, if the heat bed is above 40 °C this masking tape starts to peel off. and the other ones might have the same issue near to 50 °C or more.
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Tags: adhesion, masking-tape
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thread-5355 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5355 | Z height incorrect on calibration cube | 2018-01-27T14:19:34.450 | # Question
Title: Z height incorrect on calibration cube
I tried to print 30mm calibration cube with my TEVO Tarantula. I found that a few bottom layers was missing as shown in picture. I noticed that a few bottom layers looks thin during printing. Anyone know how can I solve this ?
# Answer
> 0 votes
> Anyone know how can I solve this ?
In order to know how to fix it, you must first diagnose what the problem is.
Two things you should verify in Slic3r:
1. **Check that under "printer settings" the Z offset is really what you want it to be** (if you don't know what that is, you want it at zero).
2. **Check that in the preview** (Plater plane, the "preview" tab is on the bottom), **you can actually see the bottom layers being generated** by the slicer (you can verify this by moving up and down the slider on the right of the main window).
If both of these checks are positive, then the problem is probably not with the slicer but with the printer or printer setup. The ultimate proof of this would be to try another slicer like for example cura.
If the problem is with the printer, the only obvious one I can think of, is that **the bed is too high, the nozzle touches is, and the plastic cannot be extruded for the first few layers**.
**You can confirm or refuse this hypothesis by simply observing the printer while in operation**. If it is the case:
* you should observe the nozzle moving "as if" it was extruding the first layers
* the nozzle should be touching the bed
* very little plastic should remain onto the bed
* you should hear some grinding or clicking noise from the stepper motor of the extruder (as the printer will try to push the filament, but the filament will have nowhere to go)
**If you realise this is the problem, stop the print immediately**: this is the typical situation in which you could generate a clog in the cold end of your extruder, which is not a permanent damage, but fixing it is a somewhat complex and tedious procedure.
**The good news is that if this is the problem, the solution is trivial**: you should simply set the nozzle height correctly. How to do this changes from printer to printer and you should refer to the user manual of your printer. Here is a video showing a few of the most common method to achieve that.
---
Tags: calibration, z-axis, axis
--- |
thread-5357 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5357 | How do Repetier coordinates setup work | 2018-01-27T21:48:56.823 | # Question
Title: How do Repetier coordinates setup work
I am using Repetier Host and Slic3r Prusa 1.36.2 - (the website says 1.2.9 is the latest version - however I don't believe this is the problem) . The printer is a Anet A3
With my current setup I am printing mirrored - I can mirror the objects in Repetier before slicing , however then the preview picture is wrong, and worse I have to remember.
I have a Anet A3, the connectors for the motors are polarized and if I swap the X and Y cables when I home the X and Y motors move in the wrong direction.
I believe the problem is the coordinates and I don't fully understand the Repetier coordinates. This is how I believe it is setup (these are Slic3r screen shots )
Which I will call "Front Left" however my home position is Front Right - ie I believe it should look like this
However these two screen shots are from the slicer - and these settings do not get used. In the Repetier they use a different system for setup. I tried these settings shown in Repetier
Then everything printed in a line along the left most edge. That is the head was moved to the very right , never moved again then the platform just moved
Can someone explain what settings I should be using for Repetier for a platform setup as I have.
If I've misunderstood the Slic3r/Repetier interface then you can point that out as well.
# Answer
I'm not sure exactly sure if you have one problem or two distinctive ones. However a few notes:
The **latest version of Slic3r PE** can always be fetched on their GitHub release page. At the time of writing that would be version 1.38.5, but I concur with you that that is unlikely to be the problem.
**Mirrored objects are a clear indication that one of the Cartesian axis is swapped** (not that it is translated). Any of the axis can be swapped, but since the peculiarity of your printer is that the homing point is at the front RIGHT, I would guess the axis that got messed up is the X one.
I have no way to test the following, but if I got the meaning of your first two pictures, then I guess the correct settings in Repetier may probably be these:
If even that fail, **check the handedness of the coordinate system of the software generating the model** you are trying to slice. Modelling software like Blender and others are typically right-handed, but many tools for processing those model for on-screen application (movies, videogames) are left-handed. That means that even if the model display correctly in the native editor, it may be rendered mirrored in another software.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: slic3r, repetier-host
--- |
thread-5366 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5366 | Anet A6 fan issues | 2018-01-29T03:03:15.337 | # Question
Title: Anet A6 fan issues
I just noticed, and I KNOW it was not a problem before. But recently the fan that blows over the nozzle has been acting funny. I have it set to start blowing after 3 layers, and then turn on at 100%. I decided to watch so I can give more information and what I found...
After 3 layers, it does seem to start, very slow, barely moves. After a little bit it stops moving all together. After a short amount of time (I was elsewhere for a min) it got really warm. So I think it is putting current through the fan. I gave it a small turn and it started to speed up like it should have. And this is every time.
Do I need to replace the fan or something else wrong with this? What kind of fan do I replace this with?
# Answer
It is impossible to say with certainty without a tester, but **my educated guess is that some of the induction coils in the motor are broken**.
Electrical motors that need to spin in a defined direction have multiple sets of coils (thing "magnets"), so that at any given moment the rotor will be pulled (more strongly) in one direction than the opposite one, thus determining the direction the motor will spin.
From the description of your symptoms, it seems that one or more of these coils have broken, and now the fan can stall in one specific point, as it misses the "pulling" force that should move the motor past that point.
If you spin the fan manually, the momentum of the fan will allow the blades to move past that static equilibrium point and reach the next position where the working set(s) of coils will begin to pull it again.
While theoretically it is possible to open the motor, do some testing and fixing this, to all practical effects is much more effective to just replace the part (which is a regular fan for computer CPUs).
I don't own an Anet A6, but from a quick googling it seems the correct one would be a **40mm one rated for 5v** (albeit I found a link suggesting a 12v instead). My suggestion is to simply **look at the specifications of the fan you have now**. The specifications are normally on a sticker at the very centre of it (the side with the sticker may be facing the extruder, so you may need to unscrew the fan first).
> 1 votes
---
Tags: anet-a6
--- |
thread-5333 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5333 | Anet A8 Calibrated but print sizes are wrong | 2018-01-23T13:23:15.080 | # Question
Title: Anet A8 Calibrated but print sizes are wrong
Anet A8 printer, Github Marlin, Repetier Host, Cura slicer
Just setting up printer and printed 20mm calibration cube from Thingiverse. X,Y,Z & E not too far off but not quite right (centre hole was oval not round) X19.5mm, Y19.5mm & Z20mm.
Followed Youtube calibration help and updated firmware to Marlin. I ran several iterations of request travel, measure result and tweek stepper settings (M501,M92xxxx, M500) Live Die Repeat...
When I now print the calibration cube I get X25mm, Y20mm & Z19.5mm.
Could the issue be with the firmare being upgraded to Marlin? The cube was sliced by Cura and I have used the same file for all of the prints. When I stop the print and ask Repetier to move the steppers the distance is as they should be for a 100mm travel.
# Answer
If you have a stock printer, your calibration values should be stock - i.e. 100 steps/mm for X/Y. Also, as an extra hint, X and Y steps should be identical since the mechanics are identical (unless you swapped out one of the motors or drive gears).
It sounds like you have Y correct, but something wrong with X. This could be the belt being damaged, or slipping (or having slipped during your initial cal, and not later). Try increasing/decreasing print speed, this might show up some dynamic problems with the movement.
If you print something bigger (like this) you don't need to worry so much about measurement precision and under/over-extrusion (which adds to the error, but doesn't scale with size).
You don't make it clear if you've started by calibrating your extruder. This is the most important first step, and ensures that you extrude the right length of filament during the print. All this requires is that you mark out 10cm of filament and extrude it into free space.
> 1 votes
# Answer
There could be a number of issues causing this.
Since you just set it up here is a list of questions for you to go through:
* Are your belts tightened? (With an additional belt tightener)
* Are your carriages are sliding smoothly?
Both might cause some irregular movements explaining the results being off.
Having said that, I wouldn't worry too much if you're \<0.5 mm off. This is still a cheap DIY printer (I have the same one, by the way).
This video actually goes into some details why you shouldn't worry so much about 100% accuracy and what you should actually care for when tuning your printer: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Mbn1ckR86Z8
Also Not sure how you measured the cube but callipers are often also not that reliable.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: marlin, ultimaker-cura, repetier-host, anet-a8
--- |
thread-5292 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5292 | Delta printer misalignment at first few layers | 2018-01-16T14:39:45.943 | # Question
Title: Delta printer misalignment at first few layers
At first few layers, each layer has offset to -X/-Y direction base on previous layer. But above ~2mm, it is vertical.
I've checked the printer build that there is no noticeable error in towers. Tried both manual calibration and Marlin auto calibration `G33` with z probe.
No idea what's the cause and don't know which part I need to check with.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Finally I found out that it was caused by not enough torque output by B tower stepper motor. Increasing current didn't work. I replaced the stepper motor and it prints perfectly.
---
Tags: delta, kossel
--- |
thread-5351 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5351 | Over-hangs in prints | 2018-01-26T20:34:01.747 | # Question
Title: Over-hangs in prints
I would like to ask this in more of a general sense than anything, just for people to make note.
I am printing out things for people and some files have some edges hanging out the side. I always worry, since it is printing in mid air, that it would screw up the print. But I was able to go, maybe 1mm(I am not to good with metric when it comes to guessing). My question is, how far at 90\* from a wall can a printer pull off before it is necessary to have support? This would help me when slicing up files.
# Answer
If I understand correctly, your question is specifically for **overhangs at 90°** (so an horizontal plane that has no support under it.
The first to notice is that **you can only pull this off if the extrusion happens perpendicular to the surface from which the overhang is coming off** (the closest to 90° the better) as effectively what is happening is that you are building a cantilever structure as you extrude.
If you think about it in terms of a *cantilever structure* you will quickly realise that the stiffer the structure, the furthest you can go without it drooping. The main parameters you can tweak to increase the stiffness are:
* **Cooling**. The cooler the plastic, the stiffer it is, so crank the cooling part fan up to 100%!
* **Speed**. Plastic need time to cool off, so the slower you print (within reasonable limits), the more time you will allow for plastic to cool under the fan. On my rig I seem to get the best result between 15 and 20mm/s, but your mileage may vary, obviously.
* **Layer height**. The thicker the layer, the more weight it will bear before drooping, so higher layers work best. A slicer that is very convenient to use for prints that have a couple of overhangs like these is slic3r PE, as you can vary the height of the layers at specific points in the print.
* **Material**. Some materials are more rigid than others. PLA is probably the one that works best for overhangs. PETG and Nylon are somewhat more problematic, and flexible filaments are the ones being more difficult to use.
**For bridges** (unsupported filament extruded between two supported structures) the considerations are identical but for speed: in my experience having the **speed not too low** helps the nozzle keep tension in the extruded filament by "pulling" it and keeping it horizontal. But again: each printer, firmware and slicer is different, and you should experiment yourself to see what works for you.
To sum this up: **"how far you can go before needing support" is a question that cannot be answered with a fixed number** as the answer depends from a lot of factors that vary from printer to printer and material to material. Without mentioning: how many defects you are happy to tolerate before calling the print a failure.
> 2 votes
# Answer
It is typical for a 3D printer to be able to manage one-half the width of the nozzle for unsupported layer printing. This frequently calculates out to a realistic 45° from the start point.
If you are getting 1 mm extension from a 0.4 mm nozzle you are doing well. It's possible that the layers are not strongly bonded at the point of extension from the vertical wall, but are then strengthened by the layers printed above, if they do not extend excessively.
If your part is designed well, the extension will be distributed gradually over more than one layer, allowing that 1 mm extension over 2.5-3 layers without impacting the appearance of the model in an excessive manner.
The above does not apply to bridges, as it involves a different dynamic for the printer/slicer software.
> 3 votes
# Answer
To add to what mac described, there are small detail effects which sometimes change the behaviour of an overhang (and not necessarily in a predictable manner).
Concave overhangs might sag (rather than turn out like a bridge). Convex overhangs might pull tight. Cooling plastic tends to shrink,so might sag less.
I'm often surprised how well overhangs turn out, but equally often see failures which I don't anticipate.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: slicing, support-structures
--- |
thread-5322 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5322 | 3d printing of which plastic out of polyurethane, e-glass, and PTFE is easiest? | 2018-01-21T19:32:52.630 | # Question
Title: 3d printing of which plastic out of polyurethane, e-glass, and PTFE is easiest?
I am looking for a plastic which is transparent to radio waves. I want to place my transmitter in a cylinder. That cylinder would be placed in a big RC plane ( whose body is made up of cardboard). I want the plane to be both telemetry, and RC controlled. That cylinder should allow the signals, should be strong and light.
So which material would you suggest and is that material easy to do 3d print?
# Answer
For the kind of application you are looking for, transparency to radio signal shouldn't really be an issue, so you are more or less free to choose whatever suits your taste better.
Looking at the 3d printed drone community, the 3 most common materials I see being used there are:
* impact-resistent PLA
* PETG
* ABS
This order also match their "ease of use", with PLA being very easy to print even without heated bed, behaving well with glues in the assembly and being easy to paint on. The impact resistance of "though PLA" still doesn't match that of - say - ABS, but is typically considered "good enough" for anything but the propellers.
PETG is tougher. Print relatively easy (stringing and oozing being the typical problems) but it is known to be somewhat difficult to glue and paint. It is also quite dense, so - dimensions being the same - it will weight more than PLA.
Finally, ABS is a classic. It is strong, durable, easy to finish (with acetone) but it is the most finicky material to print with, requiring an enclosure and proper ventilation (the fumes being toxic).
> 2 votes
# Answer
To second @mac,
For drone usage, ABS will be your pal\*. Both tough-PLA and PETG are relatively heavy, which is a disadvantage for flying saucers. Unless you power up and don't care!
* And I say this as someone who does not recommend ABS for general printing and I don't like printing ABS myself because of the smell, how much it warps, and most importantly the harmful nano particles it releases when printing (yes, all filaments do this, but ABS is on the very bad side of the spectrum).
Note that tough-PLA differs manufacturer to manufacturer - basically it's not supposed to behave like PLA, so you get proprietary blends. PETG is traditionally tougher than PLA, but with the modified PLA, who knows. I have not personally met tough PLA tougher than regular PETG.
---
SO:
* PETG if weight is not an issue. It prints well and it's tough.
* ABS if weight is an issue. It's not easy to print; and make sure it's well well ventilated area (while venting during the print would mess up your print.)
* Tough PLA if you only have cold bed.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: 3d-models
--- |
thread-4677 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4677 | Solidworks: Coincident or interfering geometry when saving assembly to STL | 2017-09-30T09:36:41.353 | # Question
Title: Solidworks: Coincident or interfering geometry when saving assembly to STL
I'm using Solidworks to design parts to be 3d-printed.
I've noticed that if I'm making an assembly, where one part has features that touch other parts, then when I try to save that assembly as an STL for printing, I'll get a dialog from Solidworks saying "This assembly has coincident or interfering geometry that may be unsuitable for some rapid prototyping systems." If I save it, then this STL later causes problems when trying to print it.
What can I do? I'd like to be able to print my assemblies.
Here is a very simple example assembly where you can see this phenomenon. Part 1 is just a simple cube, and part 2 is another simple cube that is flush with part 1.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Solidworks has means for detection and eradication of these errors. If there's unwanted intersection, then you can either separate the parts or merge them (by saving assembly as a part). If you work with SLDPRTs, then use mating options correctly, avoid manual mating, make sure that the design of your components actually allows them to mate without intersections and you'll have no problems. If you work with parts that are loaded from STLs though, then you'll probably have a lot of these errors when trying to align parts. Solidworks can't work smoothly with STL models, alas, you'll need some other tool, MeshLab or something.
# Answer
> 0 votes
When saving assembly as part, do not use the save external faces option. Exterior components is best option to use to try an aviod these problems.
*btw I dont have soldiworks, this is just some reseacrch I did*
---
Tags: 3d-models, software
--- |
thread-109 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/109 | What is a good way to estimate the impact on material strength different printing methods will have? | 2016-01-13T01:18:42.313 | # Question
Title: What is a good way to estimate the impact on material strength different printing methods will have?
I'm going to 3D print a part that needs to meet certain strength requirements, due to its usages. I know how strong a particular plastic (eg. comrpessive/tensile/shear strength) is when dealt with in a solid chunk, but not when it is 3D printed. What is a good way to estimate the change?
# Answer
It's hard to tell without actually testing the part. There are many ways you can 3D print a part, even on the same machine, that can yield different results.
Here are some tips to help uphold strength requirements:
* Identify where your stresses are and avoid allowing the natural "grain" of the print (i.e. each layer) to coincide with the stresses of the part. For example, I just printed a part with hinges today. I set my part up to ensure that the circular profile of the hinge on each layer, instead of having the machine "bridge" the circular profile.
* Make your part more solid by increasing the infill. Note that somewhere around 35% won't really provide much more strength than say 50% with a standard infill pattern (i.e. hexagonal, diamond, catfill). However, I would imagine that if a spherical infill pattern was ever designed, that would be the strongest.
* An easy way to beef up small areas of a part is to increase your shell variable (how many profile layers for each layer). Again, referencing my hinge design, I made sure that my hinges were completely printed using shell instead of shell/infill.
* Don't be afraid to do some post-processing such as adding epoxy/epoxies in high-stress areas.
If it's not an expensive part to print, I would suggest playing with some of these ideas yourself and conduct controlled tests to see what setups work best for your application(s).
> 3 votes
# Answer
This is a good question, which hadn't received enough researchers' attention. People regularly print different objects, some of them with strength requirements and the need for a method of strength estimation is high.
Good experimental way to estimate the change would be to find a COTS cast plastic object, be it ABS or PLA or whatever, buy 3-5 pieces, then reverse engineer it, copy the design and print it 3-5 times in different orientations. Then you need to start destroying your objects in a manner that coincides with your needs. If your parts would be experiencing compression - crush them, if stretching - tear them apart, and measure the required strength. Then compare and get relative strength, that you can further use in your calculations. You'll notice that adhesion between FDM layers is much weaker than strength of bonds in the layer plane, so you'll have two coefficients - one for Z axis, one for XY (note, that printer settings can heavily affect the result, so every coefficient will be a function of printing parameters). Can't tell 100% reliably, but SLA may have just one coefficient - I hadn't noticed any difference between parts' strength in Z and XY directions.
If you're not a fan of thorough scientific approach, then you can just print your part and test it under your target conditions as much times as necessary. Or make a casting mold, then a solid object.
> 3 votes
---
Tags: print-strength
--- |
thread-5377 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5377 | Making a plunger | 2018-02-01T23:07:55.763 | # Question
Title: Making a plunger
Help, I know how to print simple cookie cutter style molds, but I need to know how to turn that open shape into a closed smaller version that can be used as a plunger. Reason being, is I make bath bombs, so it would be so much easier to get bombs out of molds if I could make a plunger. Thank you so much for any help!!
# Answer
> 1 votes
It's important to provide information regarding the program you are using to model your molds. Even without that information, there are general methods to produce the portion you require.
Consider that you already have the outer portion, what you describe reasonably well as a cookie cutter style. If you are using someone else's model cookie cutter shape, the following will still apply.
Most programs have a subtractive feature. An easy program that provides this feature would be Tinkercad. Running with that program, the steps would be as follows:
* import the current cookie cutter shape
* scale up the shape to ensure that the inner portion is decreased, by increasing the wall thickness. It is expected that scaling up the shape will enlarge both the outside wall and inside wall of the cookie cutter shape create a block that will encompass the cookie cutter, circular or rectangular as desired.
* use the subtractive feature to remove the cookie cutter shape from the block
* this should also segment the outer portion of the block, which would be removed, leaving the inside cookie shape.
---
Tags: molds
--- |
thread-5380 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5380 | Cooling time query ABS | 2018-02-02T13:10:08.097 | # Question
Title: Cooling time query ABS
I printed Thingiverse "Benchy" at the default Anet settings for ABS, hot end and bed, as a first test. The result was fair but needs a bit of tweeking. The model was removed from the "hot bed" and set aside to cool (room temp 23degC). However when I took the model to work next day (to show off obviously) the poor wee soul looked more like the wreck of the Hesparus with cracking across many of the layers. Any thoughts? Splitting was on the side closest to the fan.
# Answer
> 1 votes
As you may already know, ABS is one of the trickiest materials to print with, partly because of its high thermal coefficient, which in turns leads with warping and cracks when not dealt with properly.
**The keys to successfully deal with this aspect of ABS are two: cooling it *slowly* and cooling it *uniformly*. Typically you achieve this by using an enclosure.**
Enclosures can range in quality and price dramatically: there are professional grade ones that are fire and sound proof, maintain a negative pressure, filter the exhaust air and cost a few thousands euros... or you could get away with something as simple as using a cardboard box. Probably, one of the most common solutions is to use an IKEA lack table and some acrylic or wooden panes as it provides a durable, effective solution at a very low cost.
Anyway: **the *reason* why an enclosure works is because it traps the air that has been heated by your heating bed, thus "immersing" the full print (not just the bottom layer) in it**. In turn, this means that:
* The difference between the extruded temperature and the final one is less.
* The gradient of temperatures across the height of the printer volume is also less.
* The print is shielded by random air drafts, like the one you would generate by approaching the printer to check it
* When you stop applying heat (print is over, heating bed off) the print will cool very gently.
Now, about that fan... Using a fan actually *increases* the speed at which your part cools, so - intuitively - one may believe a fan is a bad idea with ABS. However a fan is essential if your print has any type of non-trivial overhangs, and - in general - prints done using a fan (in any material) have better details. Again, **with an enclosure, using a fan is seldom a problem** as your fan will cool the ABS rapidly but *only down to the temperature of the air in the enclosure* (most commonly somewhere between 50°C and 80°C).
If your print is very small (like a benchy) and you don't want to try with an enclosure, you could still try to improve your situation by:
* simply **reducing the speed of the fan** (so to only "partially cool" the part)
* using a **fan duct that distributes the air jet more heavenly** around the extruded filament. Typically these are 3D printable parts that you find in forums and groups of a given printer model users. Here's a semi-circular one for the Anet A8, for example.
---
Tags: abs, extrusion, anet-a8
--- |
thread-5382 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5382 | Issues with direct g-code transmission via serial port | 2018-02-02T19:45:53.627 | # Question
Title: Issues with direct g-code transmission via serial port
Model of the printer is unknown, got it as present, probably something generic cartesian on arduino mega and ramps boards stitched together and with marlin firmware.
I've used accepted answer from here to try moving this thing from terminal. How to directly send G-code to printer from a Linux terminal?
My first attempt to get access to low-level printer interface looked like that:
```
./baud.py <> /dev/ttyACM0 250000
tail -f /dev/ttyACM0 &
cat > /dev/ttyACM0
```
First it was fine: i've entered g-code, printer executed it and returned an ok message into my terminal.
Then i've turned the printer off and on again and repeated the whole process, but now `tail -f` didn't output anything and printer LCD displayed garbage in the status line after I ran the command.
I've also noticed that printer controller reboots every time the serial port is accessed, not sure if it happened in the first time when everything worked well.
The output of `cat /dev/ttyACM0` after baud setting is a bit weird too - and there's garbage in the status line instead of standard "%printername% ready" as well:
```
start
echo:Marlin1.0.0
echo: Last Updated: May 20 2017 18:12:04 | Author: (none, default config)
Compiled: May 20 2017
echo: Free Memory: 3763 PlannerBufferBytes: 1232
echo:Hardcoded Default Settings Loaded
echo:Steps per unit:
echo: M92 X80.00 Y80.00 Z3200.00 E97.94
echo:Maximum feedrates (mm/s):
echo: M203 X50.00 Y50.00 Z2.50 E25.00
echo:Maximum Acceleration (mm/s2):
echo: M201 X750 Y750 Z100 E10000
echo:Acceleration: S=acceleration, T=retract acceleration
echo: M204 S500.00 T500.00
echo:Advanced variables: S=Min feedrate (mm/s), T=Min travel feedrate (mm/s), B=minimum segment time (ms), X=maximum XY jerk (mm/s), Z=maximum Z jerk (mm/s), E=maximum E jerk (mm/s)
echo: M205 S0.00 T0.00 B20000 X20.00 Z1.00 E5.00
echo:Home offset (mm):
echo: M206 X0.00 Y0.00 Z0.00
echo:PID settings:
echo: M301 P22.20 I1.08 D114.00
echo:SD init fail
echo:Unknown command: "starto"
ok
echo:Unknown command: "SD init failstartuthor"
ok
echo:Unknown command: " (none, default config)50.00 Z2.50 E2rBy00.00 Y0.00 Z0.00echo"
ok
echo:Unknown command: "Unknown command"
ok
echo:Unknown command: " "starto"own comm"
ok
echo:Unknown command: "aximum XY jerk (mm/s), Z=maximum Z jerk (mm/s), E=maximum E jerk (mm/s)echo"
ok
echo:Unknown command: "PID settings"
ok
echo:Unknown command: "okechecho"
ok
```
The "SD init fail" line and everything after it appears when sensor data appears on the LCD, there's a delay before that during which the LCD is empty.
If you send commands to printer using something like `echo "G0 X10" > /dev/ttyACM0`, it executes them only on next serial port accessing (and therefore reboot) - or doesn't execute at all.
The interesting part is that Cura "Monitor" tab can actually manipulate the caret and the Cura itself can print things in general - but i want to be able to do it manually.
# Answer
> 0 votes
That's weird but i've got some code from here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/6947413/how-to-open-read-and-write-from-serial-port-in-c , changed it a little, removed few lines, ran it - and my port started working just fine. Here's the complete code (for Linux of course).
I guess that was the c\_lflag line that solved the problem.
```
#include <asm/termios.h>
#include <stropts.h>
#include <unistd.h>
#include <fcntl.h>
#include <string.h>
int set_interface_attribs (int fd) {
struct termios2 tty;
memset (&tty, 0, sizeof tty);
ioctl(fd, TCGETS2, &tty);
tty.c_cflag&=~CBAUD;
tty.c_cflag|=BOTHER;
tty.c_ispeed=tty.c_ospeed=250000;
tty.c_cflag = (tty.c_cflag & ~CSIZE) | CS8;
tty.c_iflag &= ~IGNBRK;
tty.c_lflag = 0;
tty.c_oflag = 0;
tty.c_cc[VMIN] = 0;
tty.c_cc[VTIME] = 5;
tty.c_iflag &= ~(IXON | IXOFF | IXANY);
tty.c_cflag |= (CLOCAL | CREAD);
tty.c_cflag &= ~(PARENB | PARODD);
tty.c_cflag &= ~CSTOPB;
tty.c_cflag &= ~CRTSCTS;
ioctl(fd, TCSETS2, &tty);
return 0;
}
int main() {
int fd=open("/dev/ttyACM0",O_RDWR|O_NOCTTY|O_SYNC);
set_interface_attribs(fd);
close(fd);
return 0;
}
```
# Answer
> 1 votes
Mine is a wild guess, but judging from:
```
echo:Unknown command: "starto"
ok
echo:Unknown command: "SD init failstartuthor"
ok
echo:Unknown command: " (none, default config)50.00 Z2.50 E2rBy00.00 Y0.00 Z0.00echo"
ok
echo:Unknown command: "Unknown command"
ok
echo:Unknown command: " "starto"own comm"
ok
echo:Unknown command: "aximum XY jerk (mm/s), Z=maximum Z jerk (mm/s), E=maximum E jerk (mm/s)echo"
ok
echo:Unknown command: "PID settings"
ok
```
**It looks like you may be looping back the output of your printer as an input to itself**. I am very suspicious of your line: `tail -f /dev/ttyACM0 &` as that seems to indicate your are trying to perform other actions in the same terminal window after you started to monitor the serial connection.
If this is the case, you should definitively **open the monitor in a *separate* terminal** (`tail -f /dev/ttyACM0`) and feed the input in a different one (note that yo must not use the final `&`).
Finally, you probably want to use `cat >> /dev/ttyACM0` instead of `cat > /dev/ttyACM0` as you want to append your commands without truncating the existing stream.
---
Tags: marlin, g-code
--- |
thread-5387 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5387 | Wrong temperature on extruder 2 | 2018-02-03T16:28:11.317 | # Question
Title: Wrong temperature on extruder 2
Firstly, I just bought a G2S mini pro from Geeetech and it is my first 3D printer (therefore I'm 100% newbie in this area).
The first extruder seems to be ok, the temperature varies from 23°C to 201°C and if you touch it you can see that it is hot. However, for the second extruder, the temperature is shown with more than 400°C:
The cables are connected correctly and the firmware is updated.
Do I have to return the printer? Or is there another solution?
# Answer
If you have access to an IR thermometer, it would be interesting to verify what the actual temperature is. I doubt the hot end actually reaches that temperature, but:
* **if it actually does**, then it could actually be dangerous, as most extruders are designed for temperatures well below 300°C. The problem would likely be in the firmware in this case.
* **if it stays cold**, then probably is a problem with the temperature probe or its cables/connectors being broken. Most printers use thermistors as temperature probes, and thermistors let less and less current pass through the higher the temperature is, so: no current would be interpreted as the hot end being "extremely hot" and the firmware would not heat the hot end further.
* **if it is hot but at another temperature** than the one displayed, then it could either be a problem with the probe over-reading or a firmware bug (e.g.: the temperature is shown in Fahrenheit, or the firmware mis-process the signal from the probe).
Either way: thermistors and cables are cheap to replace, while problems with the firmware may be fixed only if you have access to the code.
If you just bought the printer in a physical store, I would simply swap it with another unit, rather than fiddling with it, though.
> 3 votes
---
Tags: extruder
--- |
thread-2904 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/2904 | true color printing with CMYK+White (not 3-in-1 diamond head RGB) | 2016-10-17T06:18:24.220 | # Question
Title: true color printing with CMYK+White (not 3-in-1 diamond head RGB)
There is this great hotend called a diamond hotend, which can be used to print in 3 colors and mix them into hundreds? of colors. This can for example be used with Red, Green and Blue filament to mix a RGB palette. They don't have to be these colors, but I believe RGB would give the maximum range of colors when constrained to 3.
However true RGB in physical printing would use separate colored voxels to create the appearance of a color, just like monitors display colors. As far as I know only HP Jet Fusion 3D printer uses this process, but it uses a process vastly different from normal diy 3D FDM printers.
CMYK is mixed physically like you would mix watercolors together to make new colors. It is used for printing on paper by **all** laserjet and inkjet printers (and in printing presses). So that means even the 3 input diamond hotend is actually mixed like CMYK. Repetier firmware v92.9 has this built in with support up to 16 inputs for a nozzle, but Marlin firmware v1.0.x only supports 4 inputs per nozzle at this time.
Using RGB for the 3 inputs of a hotend, means the printing color palette lacks White and also it seems that CMYK would give a bigger range of colors. That brings our tally to 4 inputs. It still needs a white filament to print white, so that means 5 inputs. And while we are at it, probably a 6th input would be useful: like for printing black infill (to save using CMYK to mix into black) or for using transparent filament or elastic filament.
So why isn't there a nozzle with 5-6 inputs already? Could it be done? Are there such hotends already?
P.S These are just theoretical assumptions. I just discovered 3D printing and I am in the planning phase of building my first 3D printer, so I am a total n00b in this. Please correct any assumptions I got wrong.
# Answer
You can find a full color hot end with CMYK+White if you look here https://www.reprap.me/diamond-fullcolor-hotend.html
> 1 votes
# Answer
You may be a bit misled here. First of all, you do **not** want "RGB" , as those are additive colors such as used when combining light sources. You **do** want "RYB" (red-yellow-blue) or the more accurate CMY(plus K just to get a 'truer' black) for subtractive colors.
Next, there's really no reason to attempt pixel-mixing. What should happen, ideally, is that pigments get fully mixed upon extrusion so that the desired color is actually in place. Pretty much any pixel-based setup will not "blend" into the desired visual perception. And as you propose, you really need a White and a Black to adjust the saturation (take a look at the Wikipedia pages on Hue and Saturation color maps).
So I'm not convinced that separate extrusion heads will ever get you a decent color continuum. I don't know if anyone has, or is planning, a multi-input, single-output head but I'd sure like one.
> 2 votes
# Answer
So whilst this is not quite what you were talking about I think this is the closest to the effect you’re looking for that I’ve seen.
https://www.xyzprinting.com/en-US/product/da-vinci-color
This da Vinci printer uses a CMYK inkjet to colour a white filament as its being extruded. This allows for very quick changes in colour as well a nearly infinite combination of colours.
This means it only needs a single extruder and hotend but obviously the hotend needs to be built to allow the injection of pigment from the inkjet.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: printer-building, hotend, nozzle, extrusion, color
--- |
thread-5151 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5151 | Are there any "best" or at least "common" practices to handle allowances in OpenSCAD code? | 2017-12-20T02:26:21.183 | # Question
Title: Are there any "best" or at least "common" practices to handle allowances in OpenSCAD code?
I'm designing a few mechanisms with OpenSCAD, and one of the parameters that need adjustment between printers/filaments is allowances between pieces that need to be assembled together (for example, if I want a "5 mm diameter pin" to fasten two pieces together, how much larger than 5 mm will the holes / how much smaller than 5 mm will the pin need to be).
Currently I approach the problem by setting a global variable `allowance` and manually using it in the code, something like:
```
module pin(radius) {
cylinder(r = radius + allowance)
}
module hole(radius) {
cylinder(r = radius - allowance)
}
```
I have no real world experience with design though, so I wonder if there are common or **coding** best practices to account for allowances when designing parts like for example:
* specific modules to be used,
* conventional names for variables
* specific techniques to be used (scaling? vectors?)
* conventions (like only use tolerances on the fastener, not the fastened object)
* ...?
To clarify: I'm not looking on advice on how to plan the dimensions of my designs. Rather, I am looking for advice on how to organise the OpenSCAD code generating them.
# Answer
> 6 votes
It helps to understand the different aspects of dimensions, so you can use the terminology correctly. This will help you define your variables in OpenSCAD with correct names. (Tolerance is the wrong term to use.) And once you have correct names, you'll understand how to specify the dimensions in OpenSCAD.
* *Tolerance* is the amount of random deviation or variation permitted for a given dimension.
* *Allowance* is a planned difference between a nominal or reference value and an exact value.
* *Clearance* is the intentional space between two parts.
* *Interference* is the intentional overlap between two parts.
Two other terms
* *Accuracy* is the maximum dimensional variation between parts. A machine cannot produce parts with a tighter tolerance than its accuracy.
* *Precision* is the size of the steps your machine is capable of. It is often confused with accuracy.
In your case you need to define the *allowance* in order to create the *clearance* you desire.
To design your 5 mm pin and 5 mm hole, you need to understand your machine's accuracy. The printer could print the pin larger than 5 mm or smaller than 5 mm. Or it could print the hole larger than 5 mm or smaller than 5 mm. You'll need to print some pins and holes and measure the differences between what you defined and what you printed. The difference between the largest and smallest measurements you take is your machine's accuracy. And be sure to check the accuracy in your X, Y, and Z dimensions; your printer might have a difference between them that would impact the roundness of the parts.
Let's say that your printer's measured accuracy is ± 0.2 mm.
Then, we move to clearance. What is the minimum gap between parts you are looking for, and what is the maximum you can accept?
Let's say you want a clearance of at least 0.2 mm between the pin and hole, but no more than 1.0 mm. Since your accuracy is ± 0.2 mm, your pin will be 5.0 ± 0.2 mm, so the hole must therefore be 5.6 mm ± 0.2 mm. The minimum tolerance condition would be an minimum sized hole (5.4 mm) and a maximum sized pin (5.2 mm); the maximum tolerance would be a maximum sized hole (5.8 mm) and a minimum sized pin (4.8 mm).
Note that a clearance of 1.0 mm might be too sloppy for your application. You might think to tighten the tolerances to 0.05 mm in order to reduce the clearance. But if your printer can't produce a part that meets your specified tolerances, you would need to find a different way to manufacture or finish the parts.
# Answer
> 2 votes
I’m not aware of a standard in Openscad but I can share what I have done in the past.
```
cutoutActualDiameter = 10;
cutoutDiameterClearance = 0.1;
cutoutDiameter = cutoutActualDiameter + cutoutDiameterClearance;
```
I know this is verbose but unfortunately in my experience that is a necessity if you want your code to be maintainable in Openscad. The benefit of this is that up until you need any clearance added you can just use the variable `cutoutDiameter`and then if and when you do need clearance added you can rename that variable and you don’t have to change any of the code where the variable is consumed.
Would love to hear how others manage this though.
# Answer
> -2 votes
Well, the tolerances will depend on material to be used for fabrication of the required part and also where the part will go and fit. Remember the all parts need some clearance to fit properly.
Few years ago (10 years) I was working as Quality Engineer and some Design Engineers were complaining about a Dupont pin was not fitting on the PCB so they told me that I need to force the PCB manufacturing to increase the holes to the higher tolerance. Which I had to ask him firstly the pin size and told me 0.70 mm and hole size 0.80 and maximum 0.90 \- hmmm and maximum size of the pin? I asked, and they told me proudly 0.78mm so the part will fit perfectly. \- Oh, so one square pin of 0.78mm will fit on one hole of 0.9mm, but what about the diagonal dimension? if the pin on the higher dimension is close to 1.2mm.
Imagine what happened later, engineering changes and modifying other designs due improper tolerances. pro-engineer software was unable to calculate what the designers needed.
Material has shrinkage, warpage, and other conditions that is needed to know like malleability and hardness and some of this data is on the specification material or the part specification.
---
Tags: 3d-design, openscad, knowledgebase
--- |
thread-5383 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5383 | Printing Chocolate with Ramps 1.4 | 2018-02-02T23:01:23.743 | # Question
Title: Printing Chocolate with Ramps 1.4
Is it possible to print chocolate or food using Ramps 1.4? I have seen printers that are capable of printing food. But I am not sure if there is one that is open source. Does any of you have any experience printing food? Thanks
# Answer
> 3 votes
The controller interface board (that being the RAMPS 1.4 you ask about) should be up to the task and not care WHAT it's printing. You'll probably be creating your own hotend design to pull this off, and if you make it open source, then it will be. I'm envisioning stainless steel, careful temperature control, lots of mixing, perhaps some sort of screw-feed extruder (or batch-fed plunger with the melting and filling under close control on a separate machine, then the hotend on the printer doing a fine and careful job keeping the temperature right at 91.7 °F around the plunger.) You'll have design work to do on the mechanical hardware side, but the electronics and software should be easily adapted.
Read up some on food equipment design to make sure whatever you come up with can be cleaned appropriately for food handling, and uses only food-safe contact surfaces and lubricants/bearings.
---
Tags: ramps-1.4, food
--- |
thread-5401 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5401 | Can the `render` function be used to speed up rendering? | 2018-02-05T04:09:08.453 | # Question
Title: Can the `render` function be used to speed up rendering?
I am designing a moderately complicated piece in OpenScad.
It renders fast enough in preview mode (1s). But when i do a full render so I can export to STL, it takes ages (In the 10s of minutes)
I have read that sometimes the function `render` is useful to speed up overall rendering.
* Is this correct, or have I misunderstood?
+ If I have misunderstood, what is the `render` function useful for?
* How does this work?
* In what circumstances can I apply it?
# Answer
> 7 votes
First a disclaimer: I am far from an expert on the subject, I'm just a regular Joe who happens to use OpenSCAD and have done some experimentation with it. I believe the answer below to be correct, but I will be very grateful if errors or misconceptions were brought to my attention in the comments. :)
> I have read that sometimes the function render is useful to speed up overall rendering. Is this correct, or have I misunderstood?
I'm unaware if it is possible to use `render()` to speed up the "overall rendering", but **I'm rather confident that the *intended purpose* of `render()` is to simplify the in-memory representation of the model and thus the responsiveness of the preview window**, rather than speed-up its final rendering.
> How does this work?
In order to understand how this work, one has to understand how Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG) works.
The entire premise of CSG is that using boolean operations between primitive solid shapes, it is possible to represent complex shapes.
However, while the human operator may see *subtractive* operations like difference and intersection as something that makes the model smaller in volume and thus possibly easier to handle, the computer sees each and every operation as *adding* geometry and complexity to the part, as the following image aptly illustrates:
When manipulating the model in the CAD viewer, OpenSCAD is in the *preview mode* and all that "invisible geometry" needs to be processed for each adjustment of the viewport. It is easy to reach a level at which the OpenSCAD viewer will become jittery or unresponsive.
**What the `render()` function does, is telling OpenSCAD to compute the mesh resulting from the boolean operations enclosed in the `render()` call, and use that single mesh instead of the underlying boolean-combined primitives when handling the model in the viewer.** Meshes are what is normally used in the *render mode* of OpenSCAD (F6) rather than in the preview one, but here their advantage is not better visual quality, but the fact that OpenSCAD needs to handle a lot less geometry.
> In what circumstances can I apply it?
**You can apply it any time you like, really, but it is a trade-off**: a model that uses the `render()` function internally, will take longer to display its initial preview (because generating the mesh is an expensive operation) but it will behave very well in the viewer. Conversely, a large model that does not leverage `render()` will be jittery to handle in the viewer, but it will render to screen in a fraction of the time. It has to be noted that OpenSCAD make heavy use of caching, so the first preview is the one that will take the longest, while successive ones may be a lot faster.
For reference, the code at the bottom of this answer (which generates the image above) behaved like this:
* With `render()`: 15s for the preview, 1m29s more for the proper rendering (**TOTAL: 1m44s**).
* Without `render()`: 0s for the preview, 1m45s more for the proper rendering (**TOTAL: 1m45s**).
**I don't know if the fact that the totals resemble each other is a coincidence peculiar to my model or a general rule of thumb** (the `render()` function effectively creating part of the final rendering during preview), but you are free to play with the code and if you find out a pattern, please leave a comment.
In the following code, you may need to increase the grid size to 20x20 if you want to see the difference in responsiveness between vanilla code and `render()` function.
Also remember to close and reopen OpenSCAD between tests, in order to flush the cache.
---
```
$fn = 30;
module shape() {
render() difference() {
sphere();
cylinder(r=0.3, h=3, center=true);
rotate([90, 0, 0]) cylinder(r=0.3, h=3, center=true);
rotate([0, 90, 0]) cylinder(r=0.3, h=3, center=true);
rotate([45, 0, 0]) cylinder(r=0.3, h=3, center=true);
rotate([-45, 0, 0]) cylinder(r=0.3, h=3, center=true);
rotate([0, 45, 0]) cylinder(r=0.3, h=3, center=true);
rotate([0, -45, 0]) cylinder(r=0.3, h=3, center=true);
rotate([90, 0, 45]) cylinder(r=0.3, h=3, center=true);
rotate([90, 0, -45]) cylinder(r=0.3, h=3, center=true);
}
}
module line(x, y) {
translate([x * 2, y, 0]) shape();
if (x > 0) line(x - 1, y);
}
module grid(x, y) {
line(x, y * 2);
if (y > 0) grid(x, y - 1);
}
grid(3, 3);
```
---
Tags: 3d-design, cad, openscad
--- |
thread-5372 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5372 | What is causing 'droplets' on first layer? | 2018-01-30T19:38:08.313 | # Question
Title: What is causing 'droplets' on first layer?
I recently changed filament and for starters it worked perfectly well, but quickly I got some problems with my first layer. It's like droplets are forming on the surface (finished item + 3 undersides):
The final part is (for me) okay but I'd like to get rid of those pesky 'drops'.
**As the defect is quite stable and quite recognizable and it happens all the time, I bet somebody more experienced than me knows what's going on!**
Info:
I'm using a 1 week old eSun filament, a E3D V6 Hotend 1.75mm on my scratch CoreXY printer, short Bowden direct drive, Repetier, Marlin, Linear advance (M900 K60 so quite low).
The print is done using a 0.4mm diameter nozzle at 0.2mm height at:
50°C(122°F) heat-bed and 214°C(417°C) hot-end for first layer, then lower a bit to
40°C(104°F) heat-bed and 211°C(412°F) hot-end.
I use Blue-painter tape.
Worked perfectly well with my black eSun and my white eSun.
**What's my problem?**
Thank you all!
\[Edit\]
Tried about everything (more temp, less temp, fan on item, more / less bed temp, underextrude, moving around z delta, removing linear advance, radically lowering speed) but the only thing that worked about okay (problem was quite reduced but didn't go away totally) was to bump up the layer thickness to 0.3mm
\[Edit 2\] Finally it seems it was, as it usually is, a conjuncture of several problems that I will list here:
* The bed was not perfectly flat
* The heatbed moved/bended when going from a hot first layer to a colder second (and on) layer
* Maybe the speed was a bit high for the first layer (25mm/s)
I fixed this by installing a borosilicate glass bed on top of the heat bed which ensures a perfect flatness.
I had to change my inductive sensor to an 8mm one (insteéad of the 4mm I had previously added) to make this function. I think it is not as good as it can be as it detects the heatbed under the glass (which is not perfectly flat), but it's enough for now. I'm thinking about how to make the glass conductive, like aluminium or something, but that's for another day/post.
I also put blue tape on the glass because the first layer was tricky. This might be because the inductive sensor doesn't do its job that well (see above).
Heatbed temperature for first layer: 70°C
Extruder temperature anywhere from 190°C to 220°C works fine, that was not the problem, or it is no longer a problem.
I also lowered the first layer speed to 20mm/s because the first layer didn't stick easily directly onto the glass, with blue painters tape it sticks even too much so I'll try higher speeds. It did mitigate problems though so it might be a path to try if you run into similar problems.
And now it seems that it works even amazingly well, I just have to print something really big to see!
---------------Old:
Moving z up made spaghetti :-) and different temperatures made quite extreme warping:
# Answer
> 3 votes
First of all, thanks for all the help, it really is a nice community!
But none of them actually helped and I finally find out what to actually do to fix the problem so here it goes:
* Extruder temperature didn't change anything (made it worse under 190°C/374°F)
* Speed didn't change anything (tried as low as 10mm/s)
* Z tuning didn't change anything
* Using 0.3mm layers instead of 0.2mm made it slightly better but still completely unusable
**So, what did the trick?**
I figured that it was extreme warping, so heating up the heatbed to 80°C/176°F and the first layer comes down really good, for the rest of the print I use normal temperatures and it works okay. For overhangs I bump some degrees and point a small squirrel cage fan on the overhang.
I think the filament is damaged or that this particular color might be a bit different than other colors, but well, now it works!
\[Edit\] From a recent firmware upgrade the heatbed PID was disabled, re-enabling it really made it simpler too.
# Answer
> 5 votes
Mine is more of an educated guess than a definitive diagnosis, but **it looks to me like if your printer may be overextruding** (it's difficult to say with certainty with this particular picture, but your top layers too do not look as good as they should).
**I wonder if you have calibrated your extrusion for this particular spool of filament**? This is something that you should do for each and every new spool of filament, regardless of whether you have already used the same brand and material, as different batches and colours may differ slightly in diameter or hardness, and both factors can lead to a different overall flow out of your nozzle (I just checked eSun website, and they state "Accuracy:1.7-1.8mm", and 6% variance is quite a lot).
Possibly unrelated, but **211+°C is also quite on the high end of the correct temperature for printing PLA** (if that is what you are using). Still in the range recommended by the manufacturer - so it should be ok - but you may wish to try bringing it down a notch (205°C perhaps?).
---
Tags: print-quality, filament-quality
--- |
thread-5414 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5414 | Filament starts extruding as soon as hotend reaches melting point | 2018-02-06T13:48:19.880 | # Question
Title: Filament starts extruding as soon as hotend reaches melting point
I have a homemade 3D printer running on ramps 1.4 When i start a new print and the hotend reaches melting point of PLA, the PLA start coming out of the hotend.
This goes on for as long as the temperature is kept above melting point, without moving the extrusion gear.
The extruder is a bowden type.
Hotend is a J-head.
I am currently using simplify if that makes any difference regarding configuration.
Any ideas what to do to prevent this from happening?
# Answer
> Any ideas what to do to prevent this from happening?
You cannot prevent it entirely, but **you can probably mitigate the problem by depressing the lever that squashes the filament against the hobbed gear of the extruder** before starting to heat the nozzle.
In bowden extruders, the long portion of filament between the stepper motor and the nozzle is subject to compression during the print. Because of the hysteresis in the filament, and of the slack between filament and PTFE tube, this filament acts like a slow-releasing compression spring. When the nozzle cools down, the potential energy stored in the filament is "frozen" in place.
By depressing the lever, you allow the spring to extend "backward" towards the spool, rather than "forward" through the nozzle.
Some oozing is still bound to happen because of gravity and - as highlighted by others - thermal expansion, but it should be significantly less.
**If you adopt the lever trick, remember to print with a skirt**, as you will want the printer to recreate that "compression" in the filament before the model proper begins.
**Another way to address the issue would be to add a little bit of retraction** in the closing stanza of your GCODE (the part where you also tell the printer to unpower the steppers and stop heating). This will prevent any "compression" to be "frozen" in the first place.
This anwer is based on the assumption that the stepper motor is not actively spinning (i.e.: yours is not a hardware/firmware issue).
> 3 votes
# Answer
Does it really go on for more than a minute or so? You can't get filament from nowhere, so if the feed gear isn't moving, sooner or later all the material in the reservoir inside the nozzle & hotend will be melted and gone. Leakage like this is normal, and probably a lot more noticeable if you have a larger diameter nozzle.
I would recommend checking to see if your gcode includes a large retraction at the end of the print. That would reduce the pressure and the amount of material left inside the hotend.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: pla, ramps-1.4, extrusion, simplify3d
--- |
thread-5409 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5409 | How can I rotate a 3D model to be parallel with the build plate? | 2018-02-06T04:36:59.403 | # Question
Title: How can I rotate a 3D model to be parallel with the build plate?
I have an STL that has a flat surface which should contact the build place when 3D printing. The model has an unknown rotation. How can I rotate the 3D model to be flush with the build plate?
I am very comfortable with OpenSCAD, and I can use it to rotate the STL if I know the correct angle. Is there a tool that will let me analyze a single face (triangle) of a model to determine it's normal? If I can even get the coordinates from 3 points from the desired face I can calculate the normal and use that to calculate the rotation vector.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Some tools like Cura or Repetier Host have slicers that analyses and tell you if it is ok to print or not. Both of them allow rotations.
---
Tags: 3d-models, software, file-formats, analysis, stl
--- |
thread-5422 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5422 | Heat bed troubles | 2018-02-07T08:03:25.533 | # Question
Title: Heat bed troubles
I am currently building my own 3D printer, it is all set and ready to go but I seem to be having issues with the silicone heat bed I purchased. The motherboard I use is from the Flashforge Creator Pro for it allows me to use dual print heads.
The silicone heater bed I purchased has 3 leads with the capabilities to be run three phase which was something I did not ask for nor did I expect. Now I've noticed that when I plug it into my board, the board says that it is sending power to the bed but it doesn't seem to heat up. Also when I wire its thermistor, in it keeps reading around 110°C at initial startup and would not recognize room temperature.
One last thing, my power supply is a 24v rather than the standard 12v. I'm stuck because I have no idea how to resolve these issues. Do I need a different heat bed altogether or should I make it 3 phase and if I do how would I go about doing so? The pictures are too large so here are the links:
# Answer
What you purchased is probably a bed that can be configured for either 110V or for 220V, depending on how you hook up the wires: the bed contains two heating elements, hooking these up in parallel gives you the 110V version, hooking them up in series gives you the 220V one.
If you attempt to use this bed with a 24V supply it won't work. The power dissipated by a heater is proportional to the voltage squared. Depending on which way you hook up this bed, you'd either get 1.2% of the designed power (220V mode hooked up to 24V), 4.8% (110V mode hooked up to 24V) or 2.4% (one half of the 110V circuit hooked up to 24V).
If my assumptions are correct (which you could verify using a multimeter to measure the resistance between the various pairs of wires), then the only way to use this bed is to connect it to mains power and use a (solid-state) relay to control it. However, please get advice from somebody experienced in working with mains electronics before doing this. Do not attempt this on your own.
> 8 votes
---
Tags: heated-bed, diy-3d-printer
--- |
thread-5419 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5419 | Extra data appended to the Y values when issuing `M92` & `M500` | 2018-02-06T19:34:20.393 | # Question
Title: Extra data appended to the Y values when issuing `M92` & `M500`
I am still trying to dial in my Anet A8.
The Marlin firmware takes too long to scroll through the axis settings when I change them, so I use Repetier Host instead issuing `M92` followed by `M500`.
I noticed in the log window that X goes in as typed but that Y has a `*75` after the value i input. Can anybody tell me why/what it is for? I suspect I know what it does just no idea why it is doing it.
# Answer
`*75` is the checksum value, (a method for verifying the integrity of the transmitted information).
RepRap wiki gcode : checksum
There is probably an option to not use/disable checksum generation in repetier/slicers, however this may only be advantageous for use with code run from the sdcard as it is extra processing (and probably less relevant when not being transmitted over serial connection. )
> 4 votes
---
Tags: g-code, calibration, repetier-host, anet-a8
--- |
thread-5405 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5405 | Marlin's bed leveling Mesh Validation Pattern ignoring home offset | 2018-02-05T17:38:06.503 | # Question
Title: Marlin's bed leveling Mesh Validation Pattern ignoring home offset
I'm using a Prusa clone with Ramps 1.4, Marlin 1.1.5 and an inductive proximity sensor Z-probe. Due to the design of the printer, the X and Y end-stops and the Z-probe are not exactly aligned with the heated bed, so I must use Marlin's Home Offset feature to align the coordinate space to the print area, using the G-code command `M206 X-18.5 Y-2.5 Z1.1`.
I am now attempting to use Marlin's Unified Bed Leveling feature to compensate for a slight but significant curvature of the bed.
Unfortunately, it appears that the Mesh Validation Pattern command (G26) is not taking the Home Offset into account when printing a test pattern. The printed pattern hangs off the left side of the bed and the center printed circle is clearly misaligned with the center of the print bed by the bed offset amount.
Does this suggest that my firmware is misconfigured? Or is there an alternative method for aligning the mesh validation test pattern with an offset print bed?
# Answer
A Marlin developer confirmed that bed-leveling and probing are now performed entirely in the machine coordinate space.
To clarify further, if one has a non-zero home offset enabled, the following commands refer to different physical locations despite the supplied parameters being the same:
```
M206 X10 Y10 ; Set a home offset in X and Y
G30 X100 Y100 ; Probe (100, 100) in machine space
G0 X100 Y100 ; Move to (100, 100) in print space, ie. (90, 90) in machine coordinate space
```
I was able to correctly align the bed-leveling grid by altering header files in the source code. I defined the XY offset using two new macros `BED_OFFSET_X` and `BED_OFFSET_Y` in `Configuraion.h` and altered the following lines in `Conditionals_post.h`.
```
#define X_CENTER ((X_BED_SIZE) / 2) + BED_OFFSET_X
#define Y_CENTER ((Y_BED_SIZE) / 2) + BED_OFFSET_Y
```
The mesh is now physically aligned with the bed and I have not observed any adverse effects.
> 5 votes
---
Tags: prusa-i3, marlin, calibration, z-probe, bed-leveling
--- |
thread-5434 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5434 | Which is the difference between MK6 and MK8 and even MK10? | 2018-02-08T06:55:21.307 | # Question
Title: Which is the difference between MK6 and MK8 and even MK10?
I made and assembled my own 3D printer two years ago and I notice that some extruders are MK6 and MK(\*whatever). Some of them has the block fuser horizontal and others vertical, then uses a nozzle longer.
The block heater that I made was an aluminum block 20x20x10 mm using the M6 short nozzle. Then adapted the radiator to upgrade to Jhead heater.
So I wanted to know to which group belongs my printer, as base is a prusa clone with direct extrusion.
# Answer
> 19 votes
All credits for the following go to user "vermon" who posted in this thread.
The following is a **heavily amended** version from his longer answer there.
---
Makerbot did start its hotend series using MK as iteration designator (for Mark). The first commercially available version was the \[Makerbot\] MK4 on the *Cupcake* circa 2009. MK4 was hand built with nichrome wire heaters and prone to all kinds of failures. They only worked with ABS and 3 mm filament.
<sup>Following here, Makerbot was skipped as a manufacturer and that it is the hotend we talk about. The correct nomenclature would be *Makerbot Hotend MK#*</sup>
MK5 was a complete redesign and had huge nozzles and a thick PTFE liner. It used 2 large power resistors in parallel for heating and was also prone to failure.
MK6 was the first hotend sold as a kit that I know of (however Repraps had also started using them probably before).
Mk6+ was the first cartridge heater hotend sold in kit form. The MK5/MK6 heater block was stainless steel, where MK6+ upgrade kit was an aluminum block that was slightly smaller, a lot lighter, and had the now standard 1/4 inch heater cartridge.
MK7 was the first hotend you folks would think looks familiar. It was the first move to 1.75 mm filament dedicated extruders. While a MK6+kit had parts to adapt to 1.75 mm filament, it never worked well at all and was really a failure.
Again, this is all Thing-O-Matic and Cupcake era. Other than a few clones, there really was no third party market in the US at this time. You either had a MakerBot or some other Reprap based kit. Wanhao, FlashForge- they didn't even exist and if they did, weren't talked about like now.
MK8 was the all new dual extruder hotend setup on the MakerBot Replicator. The cooling bar was thicker than the MK7 but the same all metal thermal barrier and supposedly, the MK8 has slightly different nozzle geometry internally and externally.
MK9 was a MK8 hotend, cooling bar, thermal barrier, and nozzle, but the new feeder with spring lever we know on all current models. This is why it's confusing, MK9 was a feeder upgrade, not a hotend change.
MK10 was a complete change of the hotend. MK10 uses smooth OD thermal barriers with a larger 4 mm OD 2 mm ID PTFE liner. MK10 also uses M7 threads, vs the M6 of all previous models. This is because a 4 mm PTFE liner is barely enough metal to make the outer tube with M6 threads. MK10 is completely incompatible with all previous hotend parts. Every part is different. MK10 still uses MK9 feeder parts.
MK11 on the D6 is just an MK10 nozzle and thermal barrier, but a different heater block and the cooling bar is part of the D6 central cross. Again, the only real difference is MK11 is a different heater block, and that's to adapt a different and longer heater cartridge and slide in the thermocouple. MK11 still uses MK9 plastic feeder parts.
---
> I wanted to know to which group belongs my printer, as base is a Prusa clone with direct extrusion.
**This question seem difficult to answer concretely**, as the number in the series seem to be assigned based on a combination of heating block technology and format, the feeder geometry and the nozzle shape and thread that was adopted on the MakerBot printers. **Your actual combination of those three may not exist in the MakerBot universe.**
I suggest you read the full, unabridged version of the post linked above though, as more details relevant to your inquiry may be disclosed there.
---
Tags: extruder, hotend, nozzle
--- |
thread-5432 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5432 | reducing cross-sectional area | 2018-02-08T03:09:25.973 | # Question
Title: reducing cross-sectional area
Some filaments suggest "reducing cross-sectional area" of the print. Is this referring to the vertical plane or horizontal plane? In other words, if I were to print a rectangular prism, would I want the long side of it printed in the vertical direction or parallel to the print bed?
# Answer
Based on your link in the comment, **the cross-sectional area is the one on the X-Y axis** (horizontal). The least area, the least material there is "pulling up" (curling) the layer when the plastic cools down.
When it comes to your specific question:
> if I were to print a rectangular prism, would I want the long side of it printed in the vertical direction or parallel to the print bed?
...**the answer is not as simple as "long side vertical"**, as you want both little warping *and* strong parts and the two may be better achieved by differen orientations.
Personally I **would base my choice on the intended application**: as the difference between the Z and the X+Y axis is their behaviour under load is *substantial*. FDM artefacts are anisotropic: they resist very well to compression along the Z or tension along the X & Y axis, but are weak along the same axis if you invert the direction of the force applied. Again: this difference is not marginal but *substantial*.
Keep in mind that "area" is actually "printed area", so you could have a model with a large footprint but a small printed area (think to the bottom of a Tour Eiffel model, or to a pipe standing up).
Were I to experience warping or poor adhesion with a specific model, I would reduce the cross-sectional area in the model (by adding relief cuts and/or cavities) or in the slicer (by decreasing the density of the infill) or would tackle the issue fror another angle, for example by switching the bed material (some specialised surface with good adhesion for the type of filament in use) or creating the object I wanted with an assembly rather than in a solid piece... But again: it would be a second-order consideration for me, and I would worry about it only if the problem were *actually* manifesting for that specific model.
For example: say that I were to print the head of a hammer. I would print it with the surface that hits the nail parallel to the printing bed so that the *compression* force resulting from hitting a nail would be along the *Z axis*. The link of a chain? Flat on the bed, so that the *pulling* forces from stretching the chain would be aligned with the *X and Y axis*.
> 1 votes
# Answer
My guess is, based on the fact that this is ABS and the same paragraph recommends an heated bed, that they mean you should avoid layers with large continuous areas because those can be problematic with ABS if your heat is not very well controlled.
Basically while you are printing the upper part the lower part is cooling, and ABS shrinks as it cools, short strands shrink by a little and apply little force to the print while long strands shrink by a lot (same percentage, but more length - because they are longer to begin with) apply a lot of force and pull the edges of the print of the bed
so they suggest the shorter sides be on the X and Y and the longer side be on the Z axis.
Note that this will make materials with high shrinkage and low bed adhesion like ABS easier to print - this will not make the resulting part stronger or in any way better
> 1 votes
---
Tags: print-quality
--- |
thread-5389 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5389 | What causes "ghosting"? | 2018-02-03T19:58:11.527 | # Question
Title: What causes "ghosting"?
I am printing some minion chess pieces for my teacher at school and on every model I have found something called "ghosting", or at least I heard that is what it is called. For example there is a strap on the model for the pants. And going left and right there is very shallow "straps" or something happening.
I am interested to know what causes this to happen and how to fix it. It is not super bad, but would be nice to fix.
# Answer
**Ghosting is an artefact in the print due to the vibrations in the printer that are induced by rapid changes of direction**. It is important not to confuse them with inherent vibrations in the printer due for example to the belts being loose or the bearings not being in perfect order.
The good news is that it is relatively easy to tell them apart: **ghosting** (also known as "ringing" or "ripples" or "waves" or a number of other names...) **is always downstream of a change of direction, and fades rapidly**.
Inherent vibrations - on the other hand - tend to be consistently present when printing along a given direction, and do not fade.
Mechanically, ghosting works like this:
1. The moving part is travelling along - for example - the x-axis, when suddenly the direction of movement becomes the y-axis.
2. At that moment, the stepper motor of the x-axis stop rotating, but the momentum of the moving part stretches the belt even so slightly past the intended stop point.
3. At this moment the belt becomes like a rubber bend / spring, absorbs the kinetic energy of the moving mass and releases it by "throwing" it past the intended stop point in the other direction.
4. This keeps on repeating a number of times, but at each pass, some of the energy is dissipated, and the moving mass moves less end less away from the ideal stopping point.
5. While all of the above is happening, the object has also begun to move along the y-axis, so the extruded plastic looks "weavey" along the y-axis.
Understanding how this process works, makes it possible to understan why the three main factors affecting ghosting are:
* The **amount of mass** being moved
* The **speed, acceleration and jerk** settings
* The **elasticity of the mechanical components**
Namely, **mass and speed are important because their product is the momentum**. That in turn means that diminishing either one of the two will reduce the amount of "overshooting" past the stopping point.
Elasticity of the mechanical components is important as **the more flex/stretch the part can take for a given amount of force, the more overshooting** a given momentum will result in.
Finally, **acceleration and jerk are important because** \- simplifying things a bit - **the faster the change of direction happens, the less time the system has to adjust** without vibrating.
So, concretely... what can you do to fix/reduce ghosting? Three things, of course! :)
1. **Reduce the mass being moved**. Depending on the geometry of your printer, the mass being moved could be the bed+print, the printing head, or an entire gantry. These are normally considerations done when designing the printer itself, and engineers normally mitigate problems by using lighter materials (plastic over metal, aluminium or carbon fiber over steel, etc...), or adopting different designs (like using a Bowden extruder instead of a direct one, to save the weight of the stepper motor).
2. **Reduce speed, acceleration and/or jerk**. Speed is normally the safest bet, as - besides your prints taking longer - there is really no penalty for it. Acceleration and jerk - on the other hand - can cause overestrusion at sharp corners.
3. **Reduce the elasticity of the system**. This is commonly achieved by tightening the belts and eventually switching to more rigid rods / tracks / rails.
A couple of resources that may come in handy for you to understand and solve the problem better:
* A really nice article with illustrations (two of which I "stole" for this post)
* A test model specifically designed to highlight any possible ringing problem with the printer.
* A video showing lots of different test prints done with various settings (very useful to understand how changing the above parameters affects the print).
> 10 votes
# Answer
To expand on the #3 solution: reducing the elasticity of the system, if you have your filament mounted on the top of your printer, placing the filament elsewhere on a separate spool holder can also reduce ghosting. Tightening the belts and moving my filament got rid of ghosting for me on my MP Maker Select.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, ghosting, knowledgebase
--- |
thread-5430 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5430 | Removing pla from extruder | 2018-02-07T23:27:02.397 | # Question
Title: Removing pla from extruder
I read that the best way of removing ABS was to let the temperature at the hot end to drop to around 190deg c then a sharp pull. This worked really well. I am trying to print with PLA but no matter what temperature I drop the hot end to I get left with a length of PLA in the feeder tube. OK I can heat the hot end and poke the excess down with a wire but that is a pain. I think the technique is right but the temperature is wrong. Any help great fully appreciated.
# Answer
Looks like I had a gap between the hot end and the screwed rod. A gap filled with cool pla. A sort of washer for want of a better description. Will let you know if heating above temp is the answer
> 1 votes
# Answer
One resource you can use is called the nylon cleaning method. It works by setting nylon filament temperatures, pushing nylon filament into the nozzle until only nylon is extruding, then cooling the hot end to a specific temperature. The page linked suggests a hard yank, but I disagree. Brutality is not a recommended action for 3D printers, in my opinion. When I use the NCM and the hot end reaches the correct cooler temperature, I use pliers and lever them against a suitable surface. The lever action is slower, yet the mechanical advantage is increased, making removal easier.
Some 3D printer users disagree with the expense of nylon, which is, on the surface, excessive. I've found that I am able to see light through the hot-end after using this method, however, so I find the expense justified by a completely clean filament path.
The above linked page also includes the modification of this method for use with the same type of filament to be cleaned, in your case PLA.
Consider that you should be able to use ABS to pull PLA from the nozzle. Heat the nozzle to the lower end of your ABS filament temperature and push or extrude until you get the ABS color. Allow the hot end to cool to the low end of PLA temperatures and reverse the extruder/pull out the filament.
If you use contrasting color filament (for example, white PLA, black ABS) you should be able to see the ABS collecting the other color as you remove it. Eventually, you would have no contrasting color, indicating that the previous filament has been removed.
> 2 votes
# Answer
In line w/ Fred.U's answer, I've been pretty comfortable with the following sequence. Assume a cold start with a filament in the feeder (and cold gunk in the hotend).
1) bring the hotend up to 5 degreesC over your usual extrusion temp for the filament currently in place.
2) If the filament doesn't pull out easily (possible clump at the end), push the filament down and hold it there so the end fully softens/melts. Then remove the filament.
3) Load the new filament desired and push it down until the new material flows freely out of the nozzle.
> 1 votes
# Answer
So with my PLA I heat the nozzle to 180\*C, just enough to get it to melt. Push the filament through a little, maybe until a half-inch or so comes through. Once I got that I pull it out as quick as I can. It should not be forceful, meaning no resistance, should just come right out. I have never had a issue doing this and I can switch to a new color or plastic without problems, only having to extrude 4" to get the leftover PLA out of the nozzle.
Hopefully this will help you out a little with this issue.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: pla, extruder, anet-a8
--- |
thread-5447 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5447 | E axis vs Z axis | 2018-02-09T10:44:18.653 | # Question
Title: E axis vs Z axis
When using `G1` command in G-code, what is the difference between `Z`\- axis and `E`\- axis?
I see all `E`, `F` and `Z` in
```
G1 Z0.350 F7800.000
G1 E-2.00000 F2400.00000
G92 E0
G1 X96.753 Y95.367 F7800.000
G1 E2.00000 F2400.00000
```
# Answer
> 11 votes
G-CODE can be confusing as historically it was developed for machining tools rather than FDM printers, and thus:
* not all available commands make sense for a 3D printer
* some of the command do slightly different things than those one may intuitively think they do.
Typically, Cartesian printers use 4 "axis": `X`, `Y` and `Z` for moving the printhead in space and `E` for "extruder". The "extruder axis" is not in fact at all an axis in the geometrical sense of the word: it refers to the amount of filament to be moved into (extruded) or out of (retracted) the printing head. The reason why it is considered an "axis" is that it is used in conjunction with the codes `G0` and `G1` which are for movement.
Confusingly, the letter `E` is used for the precision feedrate of lathes but in the 3D printing world we rather use `F` to that purpose. As a non-native English speaker, I was further confused, because for the longest time I thought "feedrate" was referring to the amount of filament *fed* to the printing head, while in fact it is the speed at which the printing head moves (in mm/minute).
So to summarise, your example code "translated" would look like this:
```
G1 Z0.350 F7800.000 ; move up 350 microns at 7.8 m/min
G1 E-2.00000 F2400.00000 ; retract 2mm of filament at 2.4 m/min
G92 E0 ; reset the extruder position
G1 X96.753 Y95.367 F7800.000 ; move to X,Y (without changing Z) at 7.8 m/min
```
Should you wish to dig deeper into the topic, the RepRap wiki page on gcode is rather comprehensive. Mind that several manufacturers add their own "special codes" to the common ones....
# Answer
> 3 votes
z-axis refers typically to vertical movement
F references are feed rates/movement rates
E references are for the extruder, referencing the amount and speed to eject filament, negative e-values are retraction commands
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Tags: g-code
--- |
thread-5457 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5457 | .stl file is "not ready for printing" | 2018-02-10T13:43:08.990 | # Question
Title: .stl file is "not ready for printing"
I have this .stl file and I sent it to a company for printing, they claimed that the file is not ready for printing and is charging me more money for them to fix the error. What can I do to make the file "ready for printing"
# Answer
> 3 votes
"Not ready for printing" isn't a very specific description of a problem. There are countless things that could be wrong with an STL file that could render it unprintable.
An STL file is basically a collection of triangles in 3D. These triangles need to be **manifold/watertight**: they need to enclose a volume that represents the object to be printed. For instance, a very simple STL file could contain 4 triangles defining a tetrahedron/pyramid. However, if there is something wrong with the file - for instance, the edges of two triangles might not meet up exactly, then the file is not printable because the triangles, together, no longer enclose a volume.
There are various free and paid tools out there that automatically attempt to fix your STL file. Depending on how bad your file is, you might be able to use one of these tools to fix it. If you do this, be sure to carefully inspect the result to make sure the tool did what you intended. Examples include MeshLab, Netfabb and various online services (Microsoft 3D tools, MakePrintable).
If the problems with your file are so bad they can not be fixed automatically, then the only option will be a - potentially - very laborious manual process of fixing the file. This might mean rebuilding the model from scratch. It is not unreasonable that the company would charge you for this.
Even if your model is manifold/watertight, there are other reasons it might not be printable. For instance, the walls might be too thin, or there might be certain features in the model that can not be printed.
You did not specify the source of your model. Certain pieces of CAD software are more likely to produce unprintable STL files than others, SketchUp is a particularly bad offender. Also, 3D models from games are almost always unprintable. They're designed to look good on screen, but are not designed at all with printability in mind.
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Tags: stl
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thread-5390 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5390 | Extruder driver not working | 2018-02-03T20:04:02.017 | # Question
Title: Extruder driver not working
I have a geeetech g2s pro and when I request to print something, the extruder motor doesn't move (it is connected on the board), therefore, the printer prints some kind of imaginary object. I cannot ask Repetir host to extrude it as prevents moving when the extruder is cold, and when it is hot all the repetier host does is moving the header up. Is there a way a could test these motors without needing a hot extruder?
Here you have a picture of it, maybe it is upside down.
# Answer
Found the solution, I had to swap the cables on the board, now they are working.
> 0 votes
---
Tags: motor, extruder-driver
--- |
thread-5451 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5451 | Will lowering print temperature help warping? | 2018-02-10T00:17:25.573 | # Question
Title: Will lowering print temperature help warping?
I realize this issue (warping) has been repeatedly addressed on this site. I've just graduated to high-temp filaments (PC in particular). I don't know much of the physics of this. I'm wondering whether the degree to which the filament contracts is proportional to the amount that it cools. If the answer is yes, then wouldn't it suggest that a lower printing temperature might reduce warping-as the temperature interval over which the filament cools is smaller? Or perhaps the difference is negligible?
Also, I see a lot of emphasis placed on good first layer adhesion. Is this still an issue if you are printing on a raft?
# Answer
> 1 votes
The answer already provided by @fred\_dot\_u at the time of writing is good, so I won't rehash what they already said, but will try to answer your questions from another angle:
> I'm wondering whether the degree to which the filament contracts is proportional to the amount that it cools.
**Yes. This is generally true for any solid material.** This property is linked to the fundamental nature of matter in the way we understand it today.
> If the answer is yes, then wouldn't it suggest that a lower printing temperature might reduce warping-as the temperature interval over which the filament cools is smaller?
Shrinkage is the *root* cause of 3D prints warping, however **warping itself happens because of the differential in temperature *between layers***: when a hot layer is extruded on top of a cold one and begins to contract, it will apply a compressing force on the layer underneath, bending it.
In fact - if warping were a function of shrinkage - an enclosure would do no good: sooner or later the print would cool down to room temperature, and would warp. The reason why - contrarily - an enclosure works, is that it limits the differential in temperature between layers (which causes warping) and lets the entire print too cool uniformly and slowly afterwards.
So, would...
> ...a lower printing temperature reduce warping? \[...\] Or perhaps the difference is negligible?
**Nothing beats real world data, especially when the issue has so many variables that are difficult to account for, as in 3D printing, so I would invite you to simply try** to print the same model twice, only changing the printing temperature (and of course making sure the environmental temperature is the same), and see if it does.
**From a theoretical standpoint, I could argue both ways**.
On one end, I could argue that this is nothing different than using an enclosure set at a slightly warmer temperature than the environmental one, so it will reduce warping (even if by not much).
On the other hand, I could argue that until the filament is solid enough, it won't be able to "pull" the layer below, so it doesn't matter if the extrusion temperature (fluid state) is 230°C or 210°C, if until 190°C the filament won't begin to "pull". So warping will be identical.
> Also, I see a lot of emphasis placed on good first layer adhesion. Is this still an issue if you are printing on a raft?
**Yes, as also the raft has a first layer that needs to adhere to the build plate**. Rafts typically have a discontinuous and over-extruded first layer over a large area, which definitively helps with adhesion, but you still have to make sure the raft sticks well. In my experience it is **far easier for a raft to come off the build-plate than for the model to come off the raft**. YMMV though, as the material of the build-plate, and the slicer can dramatically affect this.
# Answer
> 3 votes
I can't address polycarbonate specifically, but can provide a general overview of the higher temperature filament considerations.
Printing on a raft means that the adhesion temperature of the filament is accomplished. This temperature is the factor to be considered if you are thinking of dropping the printing temperature. If you drop below recommended minimums, you risk losing adhesion to the build plate and also inter-layer bonding. That alone means one should use caution when dropping printing temperatures.
Printing with a raft usually means the model's individual parts have such a small footprint that they would not remain bonded to the build plate. Rafts are also used on printers with an uncertain planar surface or irregularities in the surface. That's not applicable to this question, generally speaking.
Your question about contraction being proportional to the amount of cooling is perhaps misdirected. One could consider that the printing temperature is a manufacturer specified value and the cooled temperature would be generally considered room temperature. Room temperature would be addressed as a range, rather than a single value, but even as a range, there isn't going to be a big percentage of variation in the calculation involving the print temp/room temp.
My experience with the higher temperatures is more related to the volume of material per cross section (in all three dimensions). A printed model of substantial height with a relatively small horizontal cross section (think cylinder) is likely to have much less distortion in the x/y plane and greater distortion along the z-axis. The mass of filament cooling in the z-direction generates greater force than the smaller mass on the x/y axes.
Another factor in such thought processes is that layers are on the x/y axes and the strength of the extruded plastic is more homogeneous through the nozzle, while the z-direction creates inter-layer discontinuities, making warping and delamination easier.
I've found that I can reduce (but not eliminate) warping and delamination if I am able to maintain chamber temperature for longer periods and reduce temperature slowly. Unfortunately, I have a semi-enclosed printer and the heat loss is dependent partly on the ambient air temperature. A fully enclosed heated printer with auxiliary heating under some form of control may give you the best results.
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Tags: warping
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thread-5468 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5468 | Make smooth curves in GCode | 2018-02-12T02:44:38.083 | # Question
Title: Make smooth curves in GCode
I am getting started with GCode, and I don't know all the commands. Is there a way to smooth a path between two points? I wrote a program which makes GCode from a silhouette. Problem is, when it looks at the individual pixels, its path becomes a bit choppy. Is there a command that will make a more natural path. Attached is a close up picture of the path simulation.
# Answer
> 1 votes
Curves are normally approximated with straight-line segments. However, some firmwares (e.g. Marlin) support arc commands. See:
Marlin: Controlled Arc Move
RepRap: Controlled Arc Move
Note that the RepRap Wiki is not always accurate in its list of supported commands.
---
Tags: g-code, cad
--- |
thread-5461 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5461 | Filament is not stuck | 2018-02-10T17:14:35.423 | # Question
Title: Filament is not stuck
That's my first 3d printer. I'm using Repetier Host as the brand recomends, and set all the configuration as the recommended one. I decided to print one STL file but the result is not the best one. That's what I was trying to print: and that's what I've got. Here you have a video of the impression. it is a G2S pro rostock mini
# Answer
From the video it is very clear there is **a major problem with bed adhesion**.
It also looks like you are printing on bare metal (aluminium?) which I never saw anybody doing. I must admit I don't know it is impossible or simply very rare, but the first thing I would try in your case is **covering the bed in painter's tape and wipe it with some alcohol**. This is a surefire method to get good adhesion with PLA, which - from the temperatures shown in the video I assume is what you are using.
If you haven't tried this before, you should know that:
* some brands of tape work well even without being wiped with alcohol
* you may need to readjust your nozzle height after having applied the tape
Unless you have already done this, I would also suggest to print some test cubes and possibly some stress tests as your first prints, in order to check that the basics (extrusion rate, dimensional accuracy...) are working correctly, as well as getting familiar with the limitats of your printer.
> 3 votes
# Answer
I would suggest buying Buildtak, which is a high-quality adhesion surface. This surface is almost guaranteed to make your prints stick to your bed. If Buildtak is outside of your budget, I would suggest using a relatively high grade painters tape combined with either purple gluestick or hairspray applied to your bed before each print.
> 1 votes
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Tags: troubleshooting
--- |
thread-5464 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5464 | How to avoid warping when using supports | 2018-02-11T16:00:58.407 | # Question
Title: How to avoid warping when using supports
I find when printing with supports there will almost always be cracking/warping where the object intersects the support material (i.e. the areas that needed supports). Is there a way to avoid this?
Here is an example of one of my first ever PLA prints that exhibited this behavior. As can be seen, the top part printed fine; the bottom part that had supports attached--not so much.
# Answer
If I am iterpreting your picture correctly, **what you are referring to as "cracking and warping" is simply the irregularities of the plastic where it rested on (and partially bonded with) the support material**.
Unluckily, apart from upgrading to a dual extruder printer (and use water-soluble filament for the support) or switching printing technology entirely (e.g.: using a sintering printer) you can only mitigate the problem, but the defects will remain, and will require post-processing to be rectified.
So, in no particular order, here's a list of the most common way to tackle this:
* **Use a slicer that allows you to place support only where strictly needed**. I have never used it myself as I am a FLOSS enthusiast, but - at the time of writing - among the mainstream ones only Simplify 3D offers this feature.
* If your slicers does not support that, **tweak your support material settings**. In Cura (and for my printer/filament) - for example - it helps using "support interfaces" and leaving quite a XY gap between model and support.
* **Instead of printing your model in one go, print it in multiple parts** that you can then glue or assemble together. For example: the spaceship you took pictures of could be printed without any support at all if you were to cut it in half (back and front of the ship, the cylinder connecting cockpit and wings also cut in two).
* **Use a material that can be chemically smoothed**. Traditionally that would be ABS + acetone vapour, both of them cheap and toxic, but more recently it polysmooth has hit the market with a safer (and way more expensive) system. This approach will also improve the look and finish of the rest of the print (as also the layer marks will be smoothed out).
Again though... support material marks are sort of part of the game, when using FDM technology, so you should expect some sanding in most prints that required support.
> 1 votes
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Tags: support-structures
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thread-5479 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5479 | Cura 3 speed selection | 2018-02-12T16:36:20.597 | # Question
Title: Cura 3 speed selection
I printed thingiverse minion Dave and after 2 failed attempts (1st tore of from bed, 2nd had jitter at about 50%) I slowed the print speed down. The final result was amazing. However the reported print time, 3hrs, was in reality 7hrs. The speed reduction was small and I would not have expected such a dramatic change in time. Did I miss a step somewhere?
# Answer
No you didn't do anything wrong.
**The problem with time estimates in slicers is that they don't know anything about the printer's firmware and physical limitations**, so they estimate time based on the (whoefully wrong) assumption that the printer will do only and exactly what told to.
So, if the gcode says "move 100mm at 1m/s" the slicer will assume your printer will take 100ms to perform that action. In reality though, your printer will take some time to accelerate, and it may actually be unable to reach the target speed of 1m/s altoghether, taking a lot longer to perform the full action.
Typically, Cura estimates are OK for makerbots, and Slic3r PE for Prusa printers, as the software is mainly developed towards those machines, but for most other printers the estimates will be sensibly off.
You may also be interested in trying to use octoprint to feed the GCODE to the printer: **octoprint monitors the actual elapsed time against the gcode and try to adjust the estimate of the remaining time accordingly**, also telling the operator how reliable that estimate is.
> 3 votes
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Tags: ultimaker-cura, anet-a8
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thread-5481 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5481 | Raft warping (Makerbot Replicator+) | 2018-02-12T20:21:28.503 | # Question
Title: Raft warping (Makerbot Replicator+)
Quick thing: Please tell me if I misuse any of the terminology
On a replicator+, I have been printing successfully for a while, when suddenly the raft started to warp. I was doing a bunch of models that covered the whole tray, so I shrunk to just a small area, but It still warped I read up on how to fix, but most covered how to fix warping in the model itself, not the rafting. Some said to lower the temp, would that work? smart extruder at default settings, 215 C. The printer does not have a heated base, nor have I treated it with anything, and I am using it with the stock program (makerbot print). Otherwise, I am using it as it came out of the box.
# Answer
> 2 votes
I'm not sure I am reading your post correctly, but if you are doing a batch of small prints, I would recommend to **space them enough so as each of them has its own mini-raft, rather than all of them sharing the same large one**.
If you are using cura, you can tweak how much the raft goes past the footprint of the part. Unless you are printing *very* small parts, you don't need that to be a lot.
In general, **you should think to a raft as a print in and by itself: the larger it is, the more prone to warping,** although the way filament is layered with gaps makes the raft bend and warp a lot less than a regular print of the same size.
# Answer
> 0 votes
Lowering the raft temp to 200 degrees C should help. You should also apply hairspray and purple gluestick to your entire printed to help with raft adhesion to the bed.
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Tags: makerbot, warping, rafts
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thread-5487 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5487 | Belt Tensioning | 2018-02-13T14:34:39.763 | # Question
Title: Belt Tensioning
I have printed off some upgrades for my Anet A6 for tensioning the belt on the Y and X axis. I was wondering how much deflection the belt should have. I would think being to tight will stress the machine.
# Answer
I wanted to know the proper deflection I should have on the belt. What I have read is for every inch of belt (25.4mm) it should deflect 1/64 of a inch (.4mm).
I found this information on this Website.
> 1 votes
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Tags: anet-a6, belt
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thread-5454 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5454 | is possible to send printing with mach3? | 2018-02-10T07:55:45.890 | # Question
Title: is possible to send printing with mach3?
I was wondering if is possible to send printing using the software MACH3 for CNC since this software can handle up to 3 axes: X,Y,Z,A,B and C. Of course the CNC needs an extra control for temperature which I already have it; My CNC handle a Z axis with 150mm height, so I could print higher parts than normal CNC.
# Answer
Well, few years ago I could set the software Mach3 for printing doing the next:
1. **Set a profile for 3D printing** for the faster movements that your CNC can support; for example some CNC uses standard threads, others ACME threads and other GT2 belts like the 3D printers. If we try to use a feed rate too high the motors will shake. For this profile is not needed the torque for machining or routing, so we will sacrifice force to gain speed.
2. **Create the proper gcode**. Mostly Gcode maker generate the code to send pulses to Extruder E but Mach3 takes as invalid E instructions, so the extruder will never move. To avoid this there are 2 modes:
**a)** Find and replace all E instruction with A to enable Motor A or
**b)** Create the Gcode with an interpreter to output A instead E like Slicer 0.71 as you can see in the image below. I haven't tried with other software
3.**For controlling the extruder temperature** is possible with any other controller like REX-C100/C400 any PIC or Arduino. The accuracy will depend on your design.
> 1 votes
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Tags: printer-building, cnc
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thread-5495 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5495 | Regular over-extrusion..? | 2018-02-14T18:34:08.173 | # Question
Title: Regular over-extrusion..?
Can anyone explain to me why I'm getting regular over-extrusion patterns on this extrusion calibration cube?
Just upgraded the extruder from stock to Flexion HT on my Balco Touch (Wanhao i3 plus) and now I'm getting a strange pattern on my prints.
The photos below show me trying to calibrate the extrusion multiplier after completing the extruder install. The first is with a factor of 1 and the second with an adjusted factor of 0.86 (which I suspect is the reason for the change in pattern?).
I guess this is some kind of mechanical issue causing the over-extrusion? Any ideas?
Note: during the second print (below) I was playing with the Flexion extruder's Cam set screw hence why it stopped extruding all together. I tried it set tight and loose and other than when really tight and stopping the extrusion there was no real difference in the pattern when extruding.
Help..!
# Answer
> 4 votes
Mine is a shot in the dark, but **the fact the overextrusion is so regular let me think it is due to something rotating going around in cycles**.
**The fact that the pattern changes with the flow parameter make me think the culprit is the stepper motor pushing the filament** (as different flow means different number of rotations for the same lenght of printed wall).
**A possibility could be an irregularity in the cobbed wheel** biting it the filament: a longer tooth would push more filament into the hot end, for example.
**Another cause could be a problem in the actual stepper motor**, in which a failure in the coils causes it to move to steps instead of one, at some point.
There are possibly other suspects in firmware settings and stepper dirivers, but that's not the area of 3D printing I am most expert in.
**Much more unlikely, it could be a defect in the filament**, but that's easy to test: just swap it for another one!
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Tags: marlin, extrusion, wanhao
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thread-5490 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5490 | Spiky hotend and bed temps | 2018-02-13T23:09:20.920 | # Question
Title: Spiky hotend and bed temps
I recently rebuilt my A8 printer to have a metal frame and replaced the board with a GT2560 reva+. I'm having problems with the temp readings from both my hotend and hotbed. Using marlin 1.1x and Its possible I have something configured incorrectly. I can get successful prints with good quality but sometimes I get thermal runaway during a print.
Both cold and at temp (200c) have fairly large temp spikes. I didn't have this problem with my old board. I had much smoother temp curves. I'm using the default PID values for Ultimaker Kp 22.2, Ki 1.08, Kd 144.
I have tried to use PID autotune but get drastically different values every time I run it and using the results gave worse results (sometimes giving a heating error during the autotune). I checked all the wiring and nothing looks frayed or damaged.
First pic is cold temps. Second is trying to do a PID tune. Third and fourth are during a print.
# Answer
> 2 votes
I had a similar problem and there could be three reasons(if the connections are ok):
* thin wires to the hotend
* one of the MOSFETs was fried
* the termal sensor wasn't good enough insert into the hotend
Try to measure the hotend heating element voltage while printing.
# Answer
> 1 votes
This really looks like a bad connection, so try with your old board to see if the broken connection is on the board, or it's the temp sensor or the wires.
I had exactly this problem with a bad connection from the temp sensor.
If you didn't break anything, it's the board that's fried / badly connected.
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Tags: hotend
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thread-5500 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5500 | Mending filament? | 2018-02-15T20:35:42.417 | # Question
Title: Mending filament?
While I don't think this is easily possible I am wondering if it can be done. So my spool of filament had a tangle and got pulled into the printer head. Some got melted together and after cutting I have a few strands. Would it be possible to mend the ends together to make one continuous strand instead of many small strand?
# Answer
> 4 votes
Sure, but you need to be careful not to have wide or narrow spots. A fixture for this is probably better than freehand welding.
See some ideas for a homemade fuser at https://rigid.ink/blogs/news/how-to-join-or-fuse-filament-together
# Answer
> 1 votes
As @davo says in his answer, this can be done rather easily, but the main problem with this kind of approach is reliability of the joint: sure, it must last only a short time, but during that time it will have to survive bending through your bowden tube (if applicable) and withstanding the grinding of the hobbed gear pushing it through the extruder.
I personally only used the PTFE method (plus heat gun), which is substantially identical to the tinfoil one outlined in the link provided by @davo but here's a couple of observations:
* **Freshly cut filament seem to work best**. I guess this is because there is less chances for contaminants like dust, skin oil etc... to find their way to the surfaces you are trying to bond.
* I had **no problem melting together PLAs of different brands**.
* **You may have to tune the flow "on the fly" via the knob on the printer** to accommodate for different diameters between the two spools you spliced (not applicable to your specific case of "plastic surgery" (pun intended!) on the same spool.
* I find the bond **works best if the two filaments are cut at an angle** (so that the actual bonding surface is larger)
* A **light sanding to smooth out any seam and reduce the diameter** of melted part a bit is in order
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Tags: filament
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thread-5503 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5503 | Has anyone encountered this type of strange print patterns? | 2018-02-16T18:54:26.553 | # Question
Title: Has anyone encountered this type of strange print patterns?
I am noticing strange print patterns ever since I upgraded to the Prusa multi material print head. The patterns are consistent printing upwards but inconsistent amongst each face.
I am using original Prusa PLA filament, and have tried to different extruder temperature settings (200C, 205C, 210C, and 215C) but they all have similar patterns. A different color and roll of Prusa filament is doing the same thing.
Any ideas or suggestions as to what to check next? Thanks for any input!
# Answer
It is always very difficult to debug a printer remotely, but here's my best shot. I may be *totally* wrong though!
Zooming-in your picture seems to show like little bumps (inwards or outwards) that offset the extrusion in the XY plane.
The fact the bumps occur on both the X and Y axis, and both inwards and outwards, and that the patterns are not fully regular make me think **the problem could be as simple as the new printing head having some play, and some combination of forces waking bumping it momentarily off its intended position**.
> Any ideas or suggestions as to what to check next?
Check for play.
Play which is due to a static feature (like a loose bolt, a clamp not holding firmly enugh or a cracked heat break) can be usually be detected with the printer switched off, by holding the nozzle between your fingers and shacking it gently.
Play that is dynamic in nature (for example a roller with an irregular diameter or screwed parts becoming loose only when hot) can be more tricky to detect. The procedure is the same, but tou may have to heat the extruder (and use gloves, doh!) or to repeat it at different positions on the X and Y axis.
> 2 votes
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Tags: prusa-i3, multi-material
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thread-5505 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5505 | Printing with HDPE plastic | 2018-02-17T15:20:20.313 | # Question
Title: Printing with HDPE plastic
Just out of curiosity is it possible to print with HDPE?
Would it be easy or hard?
I know they don't make HDPE filament\* but I know people with a filament extruder could make some HDPE because it is a common plastic, which means it can be given a second use or something.
\*To my knowledge
# Answer
> 2 votes
It can be done, although PE is not the best material to 3D print, as it has very low melting point (HDPE is just over 100°C), it is unpleasantly waxy to the touch and needs specialised paints and glues.
I never tried myself, but I know the RecycleBot is supposed to be able to use PE waste to produce a filament.
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Tags: filament
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thread-2670 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/2670 | What is stopping us from mixing 3D filament colors in an Extruder? | 2016-08-23T05:58:00.500 | # Question
Title: What is stopping us from mixing 3D filament colors in an Extruder?
This came up in one of my groups today. That we could not color bend, or mix 3d printing filaments. I have researched but I am not finding anything talking about Plastic mixing in an extruder.
Why is it that we cannot take say a Diamond hotend, or a hotend with 5+ inputs, and mix any color we want? (assuming all the same type, ABSm, PLA). I think it would be interesting to at the least get a gradient effect on prints.
The best I have seen is natural plastic and a marker system. Or a powder / advanced / out of hobbyist price range process that sprays ink. The only Color Bending I know of is with Recycled plastic that uses multi color. Not quite what I am looking for.
Thanks!
# Answer
I just started with google and phrase "3d printing color mixing" and on the first place (in fact first two were valueless adverts) I got this Instructables - DIY Full Color Mixing 3D Printer.
**How it works?**
It uses magenta / cyan / yellow filaments and mixes it while printing with Diamond hotend.
It definitely does what you are asking for and it's exactly the same idea you come up with ;)
**Overview**
> 1. Getting the controller board ready for three extruders... I hacked a RAMBo board to drive three extruders, however, you can use any board you want... (most people use a RUMBA due to it having all the pins/components needed for 3 extruders native on the board)
> 2. Rewriting Repetier firmware to get color mixing working on your machine.
> 3. How to install, configure, and use the diamond hotend - tips / tricks / lessons learned / etc...
> 4. My original Bowden extruder design and various ways to mount the three extruders for your set-up
> 5. My universal magnetic effector plate and accompanying hotend mounts for quickly swapping various hotends. (delta specific)
> 6. How to design multi-color models and making STLs that can be exported and used as a individual STLs or combining them into an AMF file for slicing...
> 7. Configuring color mixing in Repetier and Slic3r to print above mentioned multi-color models.
> 8. Anything else I can think of later that I can't think of now.
> 9. Comprehensive overview of Quantum Mechanical Entanglement as it pertains to multi-color printing (just kidding, I don't understand that... But I will cover multi-color printing throughly)
> 11 votes
# Answer
The three in one print head is the closest to your concept of gradient printing and does some nice transitions. But does not meet your color mixing.
Which I assume your looking for there is something like blue and yellow making green and by varying those percent getting shades of green. The three in one head does get close to a dot by dot transition.
I have since I first seen the crowd funding request for the Palette been dwelling on this same concept true color printing in 3D like a laser printer prints paper. The Palette Palette web site is moving closer to color mixing or fast transitions for multiple colors and again can make flowing color changes but still not a true mixer. But is is still color striping. I want one for simple sake of switching color spools with out pulling off and re-feeding filament. And for my Rostock allowing two to four color switching with a single head.
For many months I have pondered taking their unit for its software ability to pre-switch colors and feed it with a three color head.
My plan that I have been mulling for months now is cross mixing of their color switcher with five into one extruder with not a print nozzle but a 1.75 or 3mm filament production nozzle to produce a software timed output based on desired print color effect. Then feeding that to your single nozzle printer would make a true multi-color mixer.
As I was thinking on assembling myself this and put it out there for use, but first I hate doing a lot of programing, second I have health issues slowing me down, third is way to many project. So here is a concept.
* Five extruders, CYM-BW cyan, yellow, magenta, black, white
* These feed a forming nozzle 1.75mm out into a pfte tube going to printer extruder
* The forming nozzle is several centimeters long and has it own secondary heater. The interior is milled with a 5 in to a swirl wall (like a mixing nozzle on epoxy).
* Color filament feeding three of the nozzles are your primary colors set in the center of the color range.
* PrintCOLOR(C, Y, M) command set basically like other color sets 0-255 range. Difference being is 0 is white filament, 254 is black filament, 255 is no filament, 127 is pure color. With 1-126 gradient mix of white and color, 128-253 gradient mix of black and color.
* Feed by extruders into mixer must total extruder speed of printer, which is where need for PrintCOLOR(C, Y, M) programming is required. For instance making green out of C and Y. PrintCOLOR(127, 127, 0) would need half speed blue and half speed yellow.
So who knows maybe some one like the makers of Palette or some crowd funder can run with this. I think it is fully do able.
Three color diamond head can not produce WHITE by mixing. To print white requires dropping one color to substituting in the white. And it requires major modification to many printers to add. The CYM filament picked for use on a diamond head alone sets the maximum darkness allowed. Having ability to mix white and black to CYM solves this issue. 5 color CYM-WB is minimum to get a true mix.
> 8 votes
# Answer
A Kickstarter campaign just finished for a full color 3D FDM printer, the RoVa4D Full Color Blender 3D Printer. It used CYMK printing and includes black and white filament for 5 color filament feeds, plus additional feeds for flexible and support filaments. They raised \\$216k against a target of \\$25k.
The company that is doing this has other printers in production, I believe. This one adds the color capability. It's planned for 12"x12"x18" print volume.
I am not associated with the project.
> 6 votes
# Answer
As darth\_pixel points out, people have had limited success with feeding multiple colors into a diamond hotend and mixing them, but I would argue this is not truly what you're looking for.
The problem is that when feeding multiple filaments into a diamond-style hotend, the colors do not naturally mix completely: if you look at an object printed this way the color changes with the angle you view it from.
This would not be fundamentally impossible to overcome: you could make the melt zone longer, and possibly introduce something to promote mixing (like a spiral path for the molten plastic). However, this would greatly increase the force required to extrude and make retraction near impossible. Both of these issues would reduce print quality.
The results would also not be very good, as you'd need a long purge between colors, limiting the number of distinct colors you can use in a single model while keeping the print time acceptable. Moreover, given how limited the resolution of FDM is you could not make very detailed graphics either.
Over all, you're much better served with painting or assembling parts printed in different colors.
Given the limited potential for color printing in FDM and the mentioned obstacles to building a color mixing hotend, I think it is natural nobody has built one (\*) but that doesn't mean it is fundamentally impossible.
(\*) There have been some attempts, many on Kickstarter, but none have been truly successful.
> 5 votes
# Answer
Branching off of TomvanderZanden's answer, this process cannot easily be done with an extruder alone. To properly color polymers, a pigment must be added during the initial treatment process (otherwise applied during any heat treatment). These pigments do not necessarily allow a simple `red + blue = purple` process to change the color for many reasons including:
* Polymer Transparency
* Polymer Refractive Index. Kinda goes with Transparency, but how light interacts with the surface of the material might set how people perceive the color.
* Polymer Quality (how "virgin" it is). Non-virgin material may mean that impurities absorb the pigments easier or refract light differently, giving a different color.
* Pigment Quality. If a cheaper pigment is used, it may not bind as well with the polymer.
* etc
The above variables may hinder the desired color in even a single batch of plastic, let alone trying to mix two together. Also consider, that the pigments in each filament spool will be deluded as it has already bonded to the current filament. Review a phase diagram for an optimal temperature and time to introduce pigments.
The best case would be to create your own masterbatch and somehow re-color the filament as you would in a normal manufacturing process.
> 5 votes
# Answer
If you clearly observe the geometry of the print it has printed in different colours .the part is designed in such a way that it has the small height gap between the each colour but we cannot seen this gap in one projection plane.. We can print only in direct drive extrusion .by changing the filament of different colours without pausing the print by immediately changing the material . It is printed in single nozzle. The above image clears your doubt.it is designed with different heights.
> -1 votes
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Tags: filament, hotend, color
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thread-5469 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5469 | Heat bed won't heat above 70°C | 2018-02-12T05:42:22.137 | # Question
Title: Heat bed won't heat above 70°C
I am currently heating a silicone heat bed through the 110v/220v AC mains and for some reason it only seems to heat up to 70°C, but it is heating the bed evenly. The power supply I am using is 24v power supply with the power turned up. The SSR has not been heating up at all during use, so could it be that it's not getting enough power even through the mains?
# Answer
> 2 votes
Preface: **Working with mains voltage is dangerous.** I'm writing this answer based off limited and incomplete information about your situation. Mains voltage can **kill**. Be careful, and get help from somebody else if you're not 100% certain of what you're doing. Make sure to connect to protective earth any exposed metal surfaces of your printer.
*I think that* the heated bed you have is a dual voltage bed, meaning it can be used with either a 110V supply or with a 220V supply. It has three wires, and internally, these are connected as follows (resistances are a guess, this would correspond to a 1000W bed):
Because this is a dual-voltage bed, there are three wires. You need to hook up the correct combination of wires to get the correct power rating - and this depends on the mains voltage in your country.
The formula for power **P** dissipated by a resistance **R** across a voltage **V** is **P = V<sup>2</sup>/R**. We can see, that if we apply 220V across wire 1 and wire 3 we get a power dissipation of 220<sup>2</sup> / 48 = 1000 Watts (because the resistors are in series, we get a resistance of 24+24=48 Ohms).
So, in a 220V country, the wiring is easy: just connect wires 1 and 3 to live and neutral. **Note:** in a 220V country, don't make the mistake of connecting any other pair of wires. If you instead connect wire 1 and 2 to the mains, your heated bed will draw 4000W. This will (should) trip the circuit breaker/fuse, and possibly damage the bed or start a fire.
So, what does a person in a 110V country do? What happens if you connect 110V across wires 1 and 3? You get a power dissipation of 110<sup>2</sup> / 48 = 250 Watts. That's only a quarter of the bed's power, so it's not going to get very hot (not even up to the 70 degrees you observed, I would think).
So what if, instead, we hook 110V across wires 1 and 2? In that case, we have 110V across a 24 Ohm resistor, so we get a power dissipation of 110<sup>2</sup> / 24 = 500 Watts. Better, but still not enough to get a bed this large up to temperature.
So, how are you supposed to get the full 1000W rating of this bed in a 110V country? *You need to connect the two resistors in parallel!*
If you connect wires 1 and 3 together, and connect wire 2 to one side of the mains supply and wires 1 and 3 to the other, you get *two* 24 Ohm resistors in parallel, each dissipating 500W, giving you the total output of 1000W (or equivalently: two 24 Ohm resistors in parallel make a 12 Ohm resistor, which will dissipate 110<sup>2</sup> / 12 = 1000W).
You should use a multimeter to measure the resistance between the wires. Out of the three possible combinations, two should give roughly the same reading (in the 20-40 Ohms range), and one combination should give roughly double that value. This latter combination identifies wires 1 and 3. These wires should be connected together in a 110V country.
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Tags: heated-bed, diy-3d-printer
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thread-5511 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5511 | 3d printer drip problem | 2018-02-18T19:08:54.457 | # Question
Title: 3d printer drip problem
I have a problem with my 3d printer. When I am printing, the printer seems to drip. I am very confused because I never saw this before and I do not know what to do.
I attach a picture of it.
Why does this happen?
Thank you very much for yours ideas.
DATA:
* Printer: Anet A8
* Material: PLA
* Temperature: 200ºC
I Have enable retraction and I tried to disable it without changes...
# Answer
I have two theories to offer.
**It is really dripping**. If this is the case, the likely culprit is a loose part in the hot-end, namely the nozzle/heating block coupling, or the heating block/heat break one. If this is the case, you should be able to see it by visually inspecting the part. The solution in this case is to fully disassemble the parts, clean them thoroughly of any remaining plastic, and reassembling them *while hot*. This is essential, as parts that are assembled cold have the tendency to come loose when heated (due to thermal expansion).
**It is overextruding**, and the nozzle collect and drag around the excessive plastic, until the blob is big enogh to detach and remain on the bed. If this is the case, then you should calibrate your extruder, and the nozzle height.
> 4 votes
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Tags: prusa-i3, pla, extruder, calibration, hotend
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thread-199 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/199 | How do I do multi-colour printing? | 2016-01-13T16:57:51.897 | # Question
Title: How do I do multi-colour printing?
Printer: FDM printer (FDM == Fusion Deposition Modelling).
Raw Material: Thermoplastics.
How do I do multicolor printing? What changes should I make to the printing process/to the raw material used?
(Answer in the context of printing a basic 3X3 Rubix cube)
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Bonus: What are the best practises while doing multi-colour printing? (\<-- This is opinion based and/or broad, so pl add an answer to this point as an extra to your answers if you can. It would greatly help people getting started/practising with multi-colour printing)
# Answer
There are a few different approaches I've seen which you could look into.
The easiest and most common is multiple extruders, each with a different color of thermoplastic. Tools like Pronterface and Slic3r have built-in support for multiple extruders. With multiple extruders you can get one color per extruder; there's no clear way to mix colors and get a color between the input materials' colors.
Another, more complicated approach is to use a single extruder with three inputs, like this one, where thermoplastic from the three inputs can be mixed in varying amounts to get color gradients between the input colors. With red, yellow, and blue filament, you could get a rainbow of colors...albeit without any control over value (white to black) or saturation (bright vs dull color).
> 8 votes
# Answer
Here are the methods of printing with multiple colors that I'm aware of (from the most common to the rarest):
1. Print each color separately and the assembly/glue them together - this isn't technically multicolor printing but this I the most common solution since most printers aren't multi-color
2. Multiple extruders, one for each color - this is by far the easiest and mot common multi-color setup, but it won't help with a rubic cube because I don't think its practical to build a printer with 6 extruders
3. The multi color hotend from @MartinCarney answer that feed multiple filaments into a single nozzle - I really don't know anything about those hotends
4. Last, there's a trick you can use that stops in mid-print and let you swap filament, more information in this youtube video, but this also won't help with a rubic cube because you can't use different colors in the same layer
> 7 votes
# Answer
Design a product in such a way that it has different heights that can be seen in one plane.
By using direct drive extrusion we can easily change the material of different colours with out pausing the print to obtain colour print.
> 2 votes
# Answer
If you are trying to print something like a Rubic's Cube in the correct colors without using paint or stickers, there are only a couple of options.
Assuming that you are using a printer with only a single extruder and no fancy gadgets, you will need to print each color cube you will need to print in a lot of pieces and then put them together. You can't use tricks like changing the filament manually at a certain level for most of the cubes because most of the cubes are corner cubes with 3 colors.
Assuming that you have some sort of multi-material system, then you just use STL files that are made with the proper colors. And I'm talking any sort of multi-material system, including multiple extruders, the fancy extruder described by @Martin Carney, or the MMS from prusia3d.com which has 4 inputs to a single extruder with the disadvantage of no mixing and having to automatically waste filament when changing colors.
There is another system used by the da Vinchi Full Color 3d Printer which sprays ink onto the filament as its printing.
Since the standard STL file doesn't have color definitions, the normal thing to do is to break up the original file into several STL files each with their own color. This requires Meshmixer or a 3d modeling program.
I've done a lot of research on this, but haven't had a chance to try yet because my Original Prusia 3d and its Multi-Material kit haven't arrived yet. :(
> 1 votes
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Tags: fdm
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thread-5519 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5519 | Changing the home position on a Prusa i3 MK2 | 2018-02-20T17:13:26.473 | # Question
Title: Changing the home position on a Prusa i3 MK2
As part of a project with my university, I have developed a new extruder to attach to a Prusa i3 MK2. My problem is that both the nozzle and PINDA probe have moved 17mm forward and 0.5mm to the right. As a result when I try and calibrate the printer it moves to the home position and the PINDA probe is too far out over the heatbed so it doesn't detect the printing surface. What is the simplest method of moving the home position so that the printer can be properly calibrated?
UPDATE: I am planning on removing the heatbed and placing spacers that will move the printing surface 17mm forward. This should then prevent the printer losing any printing area and hopefully prevents me having to edit any code. Can anyone see any problems with this I'm overlooking?
The simplest thing to do would be to move extruder 17mm closer to be the same as the original printer but my deadline is fast approaching and I haven't time for a redesign that large.
# Answer
> 2 votes
Consider the original installation with the orientation of the Pinda probe to the nozzle. Let's say for argument's sake that the Pinda probe is 3 mm to the right and directly in line with the nozzle on the y axis.
If you examine your new nozzle, I would expect that the relationship of the nozzle to the Pinda probe no longer matches the original spacing.
If possible, re-design the mount to place the Pinda probe in such a way as to match the original design.
Thanks for pointing out my oversight, Mac. If the relative position of the nozzle and pinda probe are as the original, the solution is then in changing the appropriate parameters in the firmware.
I found a reference for someone who had a bit smaller error in home position, but the concept is the same.
The link above points to information reading thus:
> In Configuration\_Prusa.h:
>
> Code: Select all // Home position
>
> # define MANUAL\_X\_HOME\_POS 0
>
> # define MANUAL\_Y\_HOME\_POS -2.2
>
> # define MANUAL\_Z\_HOME\_POS 0.15
>
> // Travel limits after homing
>
> # define X\_MAX\_POS 250
>
> # define X\_MIN\_POS 0
>
> # define Y\_MAX\_POS 210
>
> # define Y\_MIN\_POS -2.2
>
> # define Z\_MAX\_POS 210
>
> # define Z\_MIN\_POS 0.15
it will be necessary to connect the printer via USB to a computer running an Arduino IDE and to load the Prusa specific files for that printer. Edit the noted location, save/write the configuration and test.
I would suggest small adjustments in only one or two parameters at a time, to avoid ambiguity in the cause/result sequence.
# Answer
> -1 votes
> What is the simplest method of moving the home position...
I think the solution outline by @fred\_dot\_u is very elegant, so I would go with it.
> ...so that the printer can be properly calibrated?
I'm not sure that will be possible.
Because the physical lenght of the axis hasn't changed, by moving the nozzle/probe, you have actually reduced their reach in the opposite direction, so the probe may be unable to travel on top of the intended calibration points (the usable printing area has also shrunk, but that's less of a problem).
If that is the case, I can't think of an easy solution (bar not using the auto-calibration feature altogether).
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Tags: prusa-i3, calibration, prusa-i3-rework
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thread-4000 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/4000 | Nozzle moves very slowly from home to start position | 2017-05-05T11:53:33.177 | # Question
Title: Nozzle moves very slowly from home to start position
I´m currently working on a custom delta printer running Marlin 1.0.2 firmware. To control it I´m using the Repetier Host software with the onboard Cura software to slice my objects. The printing works fine but it takes the nozzle nearly 5 minutes to move from the homing position at 250 mm to the starting position of the print near z=0.
I already tried to increase the travel speed but nothing changed. Can you guys please tell me how to increase the speed of my nozzle to move down to my starting point of the print?
# Answer
> 5 votes
I had the same problem, and I solved it by changing the *Z-Axis Feed Rate* to a much higher value (1000 mm/min.) in Repetier Host via *Config -\> Printer Settings -\> Printer*.
# Answer
> -1 votes
1. I would guess (without G code) to change start G code. You should find it in Cura, the feed rate should be low there.
2. Try other slicer and print from SD card.
3. Try using other software. Try Cura it self if SD card printing is not available.
Picture is just an example what to look in Repertier or Cura.
# Answer
> -2 votes
Try changing the travel speed in you r slicer, if that doesn't work , try changing out the motors for newer ones.
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Tags: marlin, ultimaker-cura, delta, speed
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thread-5524 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5524 | 3D850 stuck in the nozzle | 2018-02-21T12:15:51.290 | # Question
Title: 3D850 stuck in the nozzle
I am trying to use a 3D850 PLA filament which is supposed to work without any issues with any PLA printer. As a printer, I use Dagoma NEVA which is supposed to work with any PLA filament. I can print with the filament without any issue, but I encounter a problem when I need to swap the filament. Somehow 3D850 sticks within the nozzle and even when it's heated I have to push really hard with another filament to push the current filament out (usually when the nozzle is heated up I can just easily push a filament inside for it to come out of the nozzle).
Is there any special behavior of 3D850 that may cause it to stick inside of the nozzle?
# Answer
> 3 votes
My guess is that particular brand of PLA is changing state inside the nozzle as it cools. Quoting from the manufacturer's page,
> Materio3D PLA uses the NatureWorks Ingeo 3D850 polymer, specially engineered for 3D printing. It is tougher and stronger than standard PLA and can be annealed for improved heat resistance and toughness!
If the residual material in the nozzle cools slowly enough (at the end of a print) to anneal, then by design it won't re-melt at the same temperature as the raw filament material. I would recommend changing your gcode so that the extruder hotend is held at temperature after a print completes, and making sure to clear the nozzle with an alternate type of filament before allowing the nozzle to cool.
quoting from another page,
> To achieve a heat treat on a printed part, submerge in water (or bake in oven) at 200F for up to 30 minutes.
notice that's Fahrenheit, well below extruder temperatures.
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Tags: filament, pla, nozzle
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thread-5527 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5527 | Any code to move up Z axis after finishing the printing? | 2018-02-21T23:02:18.833 | # Question
Title: Any code to move up Z axis after finishing the printing?
Is the firts time that I saw this movement after the printing has finishig and causes the nozzle crashes to the printed part and I noticed due the part is 14x8 and the nozzle is to near and below to the border of the shape. I supposed that some scripts has changed but, seems to be everything ok.
this is the end script:
```
G92 E0
G1 E-1.5000 F1800
; layer end
M104 S0 ; turn off extruder
M140 S0 ; turn off bed
G28 X0 ; home X axis
M84 ; disable motors
; Build Summary
; Build time: 3 hours 9 minutes
; Filament length: 12689.1 mm (12.69 m)
; Plastic volume: 30520.78 mm^3 (30.52 cc)
; Plastic weight: 38.15 g (0.08 lb)
```
Z axis moves down 4mm after finishing going to X0, why? I don't want the nozzle crashes the part on going to zero.
# Answer
You can use:
```
G91
G1 Z10
```
`G91` make the printer use ralative positioning, while `G1 Z10` would move the gantry up of 10mm, reagrdless of its actual position.
In order to understand what's going on, you could experiment with the position of those lines in the script.
The safest bet it to insert them at the very top, but you could insert them straight after the homing of the X axis to understand if the drop you are seeing is caused by the homing command itself or by the ´M84´ one.
My *guess* is that the drop is actually caused by the latter. `M84` doesn't really "disable motors", rather it stops using energy to keep them still (i.e.: it stops the *idle hold*). What I believe is happening in your case is that when you stop the idle hold, the weight and mechanical play of the X gantry causes it to move slightly (a bit like when you relax your body on the sofa and you "sink" in it a bit more).
> 6 votes
# Answer
There is something fundamentally wrong with your z-motor drive if both screws are dropping the gantry at all.
Try a couple experiments.
Write a quick script to move the head somewhere up high, then terminate without the X-homing command. See if the z-axis moves. Ditto for X-home but not motor disable.
Write any script, and while the gantry is up high, pull power and see what happens.
That will at least help narrow down the list of possible problems. In the meantime, please post your printer, the motors, and the driver board/firmware in use.
> 3 votes
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Tags: g-code, z-axis
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thread-5529 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5529 | Is there any setting that could allow me to print this overhang without support? | 2018-02-22T11:20:33.190 | # Question
Title: Is there any setting that could allow me to print this overhang without support?
I've been asked to print a set of this:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2200026
I used Slicer with my default settings for my FLSun printer which includes support and 0.2mm layer height and that rail was printed as whole block with some excess which would allow me to remove the support, but that didn't work because the support simply melted with the top part of the rail.
Tried again with no support and the first layer of the top part of the rail simply felt because there was nothing there to support it.
Is there any configuration that would allow me to print this ~~bridge~~ overhang correctly? Maybe printing the rail diagonally?!
Any help will be appreciated.
# Answer
First of all a minor correction: the feature you are trying to print is not a *bridge* (which is an unsupported length of filament between two parts of the print) but rather a *overhang* (which is an unsupported length of filament supported only at one end).
The reason why your overhang is impossible to print without support is that slicers create a *shell* first or - in other words - trace the perimeter of the layer you are printing. This feature, combined with the fact that your overhang is perpendicular to the part it originates from, causes the printer to try to extrude into thin air the perimeter of your rail, like this (the yellow lines are the shell, the red ones the infill):
In the image above, also the infill is extruded into thin air, but this is actually something that you can change in most slicers (look for "infill pattern orientation" or something similar).
One option you have is to tweak the support parameters to make it unobtrusive and easy to remove, like for example this:
(The above was done in Cura, with infill pattern "lines", spaced 5mm apart and no support interface or other additional structures).
Since your parts won't be subject to a great deal of mechanical stress another solution could be to change their printing orientation. In the following example, the *overhangs* do actually become *bridges* and as such should print without problems:
Just consider it will take considerably longer to print.
> 2 votes
---
Tags: print-quality, support-structures
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thread-5226 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5226 | Problems with support interface since cura 3.1 | 2018-01-05T20:34:40.817 | # Question
Title: Problems with support interface since cura 3.1
Since i updated Cura from 2.7. to 3.1. I have a really hard time at configuration and especially removing the support interfaces. The update automatically uses the settings from the old version, but as I said: it doesn't work anymore.
I even tried to create a test print with 4 copies of a test object with different settings, but there where no differences in the slicing for them. Every copy and the support interface that belongs to it was the same.
Did anybody have an idea?
Printer Anet A8 with PLA
# Answer
In Cura 3.1 to 3.2.1 (date today is 2018-Feb-24): The Support Z Distance only changes the Support Bottom Distance and NOT the Support Top Distance. By activating the two sub-options you can configure this again.
> 1 votes
---
Tags: ultimaker-cura, support-structures
--- |
thread-5552 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5552 | Square and parallel infill patterns | 2018-02-25T03:00:46.800 | # Question
Title: Square and parallel infill patterns
I don't know how to word this right now but I am going to try my best... moving on!
So I was playing with my slicing software (Craftware) and I was looking at two infill patterns, Square and Parallel. When looking at strength, print quality, and time does Square really benefit a whole lot over parallel? I ask because Parallel does not use near the filament and has less contact points on the model. I provided pictures of both to give a visual. Can I use parallel and still get super strong and good looking parts?
Parallel infill pattern
Square infill pattern
If I didn't include something or not making sense ask in the comments and I will answer/edit as needed. Thank you!
# Answer
> 4 votes
> ... does Square really benefit a whole lot over parallel?
That would depend by the definition of "a whole lot", of course! :)
# Strength
Generally speaking, **the variable you want to operate to tweak the overall sturdiness of your part is not the *type* of infill, but rather its *density***. According to the literature I have access to, sturdiness grow fast until about 60 % infill, then the gains become progressively more marginal.
Different *types* of infill modify the way the part reacts to stresses. The two you showcased, for example, are strongly *anisotropic*: a part with those infill will resist a lot more to stresses along the Z axis than along either the X or Y ones.
Also, relative to the *squared* infill pattern, my experience is that parts with a *parallel* infill pattern typically have a bit more give when squashed.
In case you wonder: *cubic*, *cubic subdivision* (and solid) infills are those regarded as offering the most equal resistance along all axis.
However, **the way the infill will affect rigidity and sturdiness of a part is as much dependent from the *type of filament* and the *shape of the part* as much as from the infill settings**, so - if you are after precise numbers - you should most definitely run some tests.
# Time
That depends entirely from the part shape and size.
Typically, **a printer will spend most of its time printing the shell**. This is due both to the settings (you want to go slow on the shell to increase quality) and to physics, the shell typically requiring many more changes of direction (and thus accelerations and decelerations) than the infill.
So, even if the parallel infill requires about half the work of the squared one (50 % faster), in a small print with a sparse infill, the total time spent doing infill may be 10 %, thus the net gain would be only 5 % of the total printing time.
# Quality
**This is very printer-dependent**. For me, when printing with two shells, I can't tell the difference on any infill. For the top layer, the quality is affected more by infill density than type (with the filament sagging slightly between walls if the infill is very sparse).
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Tags: infill
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thread-5554 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5554 | MOSFET as a safety feature | 2018-02-25T08:58:58.680 | # Question
Title: MOSFET as a safety feature
When going through printer reviews, I often see the presence of a MOSFET listed as an important safety feature.
I understand the MOSFET to be a transistor, but I haven't understood **how it is used in the circuitry of a printer**, and - above all - **why it increases the overall operating safety of the printer** (nor what the less safe option would be).
# Answer
> 8 votes
In the world of (cheap) printers, "MOSFET" has taken on a meaning of its own.
For a long time, 3D printers have had MOSFETs on board of their motherboards to switch the heated bed. In the past two years or so, we've seen a surge of (mainly) Chinese printers where the on-board MOSFETs (or, more often, the terminal blocks) weren't rated for the high current for the heated bed and would melt down or catch fire.
People then started recommending fixes to these issues, such as using a relay, soldering wires directly to the board (to bypass the terminal blocks) or using an external (better) MOSFET. Eventually, manufacturers caught on and started offering "MOSFET boards" which basically consist of a high-power MOSFET, high-current rated terminal blocks and (often) an optocoupler to isolate the drive signal from the bed power (but this doesn't really do anything; there's no need for this isolation). These boards are meant to be used to switch the high current to the bed directly, without it passing through the main board (and instead, the bed output of the main board is used as a control signal for the MOSFET board).
People often refer to these pre-made "MOSFET boards" simply as "MOSFETs" but there is more to them than just a single transistor.
> why it increases the overall operating safety of the printer
Using an external MOSFET board **does not increase the safety of the printer at all, unless the main board of the printer is badly designed**. There's no reason the MOSFET needs to be external and can't be integrated on the main board. Essentially, any company that is offering a printer "with a MOSFET (board)" is saying that their main board is poorly designed and that they've included a band-aid fix. Or, perhaps, because installing an external MOSFET is such a common "mod" nowadays, they're advertising an external MOSFET because it is what people want to see (even if the main board might have a perfectly capable MOSFET already...).
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Tags: electronics, switching-power-supply, safety
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thread-5541 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5541 | Heat block design without cartridge heater | 2018-02-23T15:25:27.570 | # Question
Title: Heat block design without cartridge heater
Is it possible to design a heat block without cartridge heater?
My idea is to build a very small heat block to increase/decrease the heat as fast as possible. The resistance of the heat block will be used. The current to this block is 500mA and is set constant with a circuit. The voltage will be set with pwm. Is this possible with 500mA and 5V (2,5W)?
# Answer
> 1 votes
> The current to this block is 500mA and is set constant with a circuit. The voltage will be set with pwm. Is this possible with 500mA and 5V (2,5W)?
This means that the resistance of the heat block would have to be, by Ohm's law, 10 Ohms. You can't set voltage and current independently of each other, which it sounds like you're attempting to do.
2.5W is also rather low power, considering typical heating elements are 25W or even 40W. ABS plastic has a specific heat of ~1300 J/(kg K). Typical printing speeds are 20 grams/hour, so if you have to heat up the filament by 200 degrees C, you need a minimum of 1.44W. 2.5W leaves awfully little room (~1W) for losses due to convection or radiation.
# Answer
> 1 votes
I'm afraid the idea itself is questionable. :)
Part of the reason for having a heat *block* in the first place is to **leverage the volumetric heat capacity of the block** to maintain the temperature constant even thought the extrusion speed (and thus the rate at which energy is used to make plastic warm and change state) is not.
A smaller block would probably:
* require a lot more power to operate in order to compensate for the missing thermal inertia (most PSUs are already "stretched" when it comes to power requirements)
* cause the temperature to fluctuate, with negative effects on the print quality
A second problem I see is that **you would most probably electrify the whole printer**:
* creating a hazard
* affecting the ground level and thus - potentially - the proper functioning of all electronics
# Answer
> 1 votes
2.5W of electrical energy defines the heating rate for a specific mass (and thermal capacity of the material). It also determines the highest attainable temperature for a specific emissivity (clue, it won't get hot).
Any switching circuit to match the resistance of a block of metal to a 2.5W power source is a switch mode power supply in disguise. Yes, you can generate 150mV at 16A, but you need very thick wires to avoid loosing most of your generated power in the circuit.
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Tags: electronics, hotend
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thread-5539 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5539 | Under-extrusion in vase mode | 2018-02-23T12:55:34.313 | # Question
Title: Under-extrusion in vase mode
So I found a vase on thingiverse and I wanted to print it, so obviously I did. I used craft ware to slice the model using there 'vase mode', and sent the Gcode to my Anet A6 printer. In the end I found weird underextrusion (I think that is what happened) at the starting points that seem to have appeared. I don't know what to think of this and I don't know what happened or how to fix it.
# Answer
> 1 votes
This sort of failure is best diagnosed by observing the failure. It probably isn't underextrusion, there is no reason to get variation in extrusion just along one edge.
Did you really get a proper vase-mode? You can check in your slicer, or with gcode.ws and make sure that each layer only occupies a fraction of the part, with many small steps (rather than one step after printing a slice of the whole part)
It seems the failure is close to a sharp transition in the wall. Have you got enough cooling, or a low enough extrusion temperature? It could be that the plastic viscosity and surface tension are conspiring against the shape. Printing slower might possibly help too (both on the failure, and to allow the part to cool between layers).
Finally, you might have a mechanical problem which is interfering with the print just at this point, and that might include the extruder binding in some way. This could be hard to spot during the print, so check over all the moving parts, and all the fixings.
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Tags: anet-a6
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thread-2643 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/2643 | German RepRap NEO only heats to 130°C | 2016-08-13T08:54:59.700 | # Question
Title: German RepRap NEO only heats to 130°C
I have a new German RepRap NEO 3D printer, and when I try heating the Extruder to 215°C with Repetier-Host Mac 1.0.1, it always stops at 130°C - does anybody have an idea what could be the reason?
# Answer
A few possiblitites.
You wire is too small. If your wire is HOT that is a fire hazard.
Your thermistor is bad. Check with a high temp heat probe or try replacing thermistor.
Your heating element is bad (rare).
Last it could be a limit in your firmware. But that would surprise me.
Any chance you have the bed and the hotend reversed? If you had the Bed as Hotend, then it would max out around 100. This last one I would say is most likely..
> 1 votes
# Answer
The most likely problem is that your thermistor is either broken or not screwed in correctly. If this is not the case you should either check look through your firmware for issues, or buy a new heater cartridge and thermistor.
> 0 votes
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Tags: extruder
--- |
thread-3278 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/3278 | Arduino Mega voltage regulator overheats with RAMPS board | 2016-12-26T09:46:12.370 | # Question
Title: Arduino Mega voltage regulator overheats with RAMPS board
This is my problem:
I'm assembling a 3D printer with the RAMPS 1.4 board and Arduino Mega. I have assembled the structure and the electronics (set drivers, placed the jumpers, connected stepper motors...) and have uploaded Marlin firmware (configuring: thermistor, endstops...) on the Arduino Mega.
I've tried to connect, via USB, to the computer and using the Repetier software I have commanded the printer which did do some movement. The printer worked perfectly. After a few tests, however, I've noticed that the Arduino was restarting several times and at one point I saw a component on the Arduino board burning. Searching the internet I saw that the burned component was the voltage regulator.
I heard also about unplugging the screen because it consumes a lot of current, that passes through the voltage regulator, thereby heating it up. I then proceeded to buy another Arduino Mega. I also checked the voltage of my 12V 360W power supply and it is correct. I always powered the Arduino with USB and RAMPS 1.4 was connected to the power supply from the two terminals.
When the new Arduino arrived, I connected the whole (without connecting the screen) and tried. The printer worked very well until it started giving the same problem as the first Arduino board. Someone can tell me if I have done something wrong, or is it the RAMPS board that does not work properly?
### EDIT:
I read that the endstops can cause this problem. I have these endstops: 1 PZ di Alta Qualità Finecorsa Meccanico Per rampe Reprap 1.4 stampante 3D Con imballaggio indipendente kit fai da te and I connected the black wire to GND, red wire to 5V and the green wire to SIGNAL.
# Answer
> 4 votes
I've solved unsoldering the diode(D1) on RAMPS. This diode provides to power the arduino board with 12V. If you have a chinese arduino this will probably cause some problems.
I hope this will help someone.
# Answer
> 4 votes
I ordered an authentic Arduino Mega today after the voltage regulator on my Chinese clone Mega went up in smoke. But I couldn't wait two whole days so I dug around and found an old 7805 (less than US$1 new btw) and soldered it in. It worked! Just one more possible solution. Actually that's two if you count buying a real Arduino.
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Tags: reprap, ramps-1.4
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thread-5537 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5537 | What is the power consumption of the heatbed and hotend? | 2018-02-23T11:09:20.070 | # Question
Title: What is the power consumption of the heatbed and hotend?
What is the power consumption of your heatbed (size) and hotend (model)?
I want to verify that it is possible to use a battery to power them.
# Answer
> 8 votes
I have a Kill-A-Watt meter so I got a pretty good measurement for you with my Anet A6. Like Petar said each model is different but this should give you a idea. When heating both the nozzle and heat bed the printer consumes 160 W of power, once to temp it backs down to 9 W (it also uses 9 W when just "sitting doing nothing and is on"). When the nozzle and bed get down in temp it hits back up to 160 W. Basically it is never a consistent heating, it is on and off. Like a refrigerator.
When it comes to heating only the nozzle the printer uses 60 W (so 51 W is going to the nozzle for heating).
When it comes to heating only the bed the printer uses 142 W (133 W to the bed).
This is interesting because it would make sense the printer needs more than 160 W when 51 W is going for the nozzle and 142 W going to the bed, that makes 193 W. I make mention of this because that may suggest my power supply is not big enough and the printer could really use around 200 W.
As a little bonus when the printer is moving around (stepper motors are active) I find it using 35-40 W (or 26-31 W) to power the steppers.
So with all the said, is it possible to use a battery? Yes, you could. And to give a example a car battery should have 80 Amp-hours (or something like that, but we will go with it). With that battery you can get 960 Wh (Watt-hours) from the battery before it dies. Going with my printer using 160 W I will get 6 hours of printing time. But keep in mind as the battery is used the voltage will drop, so in the end the printer will be getting something like 10 V which I am sure will affect heating and overall performance.
Last thing I feel that needs to be said. If using a inverter to convert the 12 V battery to 110 V (or whatever voltage you use) a cheap one will not be healthy for the printer. Cheap inverters put out square waves instead of sines waves. Basically it will hurt the printer. You can learn more at this WEBSITE
"Update" on March 4 I read a comment that mentioned running right off the battery without a battery and then I thought of something that I did not think of before. And that would be protecting the battery itself
So I said you can run the printer off the battery. There was one issue that I had not thought of. And that was the voltage drop and the battery discharged. A battery usually does not have voltage-cut off to keep the battery from being overly discharged, and a printer does not have anything to measure voltage (why should it). So a simple hook up of a 3D printer to a battery is prone to drain the battery much lower than 10 V, which will greatly shorten a battery life-span. This can be prevented two ways.
A circuit between battery and 3D printer. There is plenty of circuits that can be bought as long as they cut power to printer at 10 V or something (for lead acid anyway) and can handle the amperage draw.
An inverter can also be used because this voltage cut off is already in them. But remember that square waves are bad for the printer.
# Answer
> 1 votes
To answer the underlying (X-Y) question, yes it is possible to power a small 3D printer from a battery pack. This Article describes a printer built by Naomi Wu, mounted on a frame to carry around whilst printing, as a 'novel' style of sponsored video. The printer here is a BIQU Delta printer, and the power supply is 2x 3Ah batteries (guessing this is @12V, but it's not clear). Presumably there is no heated bed, but still the run-time will be quite limited.
The important part for working out battery life is the duty cycle of the hot-end, not the load required to get it up to temperature. This probably comes to something like 15-30 watts on average, provided you can live without a heated bed.
Of course, if you have 10-15v batteries, the printer will probably run off these directly, no need to waste energy converting up to 110/220V and back again.
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Tags: heated-bed, hotend, switching-power-supply
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thread-5558 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5558 | How to increase bed temperature over 103 degrees | 2018-02-26T10:12:59.667 | # Question
Title: How to increase bed temperature over 103 degrees
I am having problems with my tevo tarantula large bed 12Volt power supply, I am getting the thermal protection message when heating my bed with target temperature set to 115 degrees. The process slows down after reaching 90. I changed merlin settings to trigger thermal shutdown after 5minutes/2degrees and added a cover to the printer, so getting now 103 degrees (usually shutdown was at 100/101).
link to a video showing panel: https://photos.app.goo.gl/jiW9NE7wEB4H0mOy1
# Answer
You need to increase the power of the heated bed. With a given amount of power, there is an upper limit to the maximum temperature you can reach because at a given point losses due to conduction, convection and radiation will balance out the heating power and the temperature will not increase any more.
Sometimes, inability of the bed to heat up is due to the supply voltage sagging under load. First, measure the supply voltage with and without the bed turned on. If you find the supply drops significantly when the bed is turned on, you need a new power supply.
Otherwise, you will need to either:
1. Get a new, higher-power heated bed. Make sure that it is compatible with your electronics, or upgrade them as needed.
2. Increase the supply voltage so that the bed you already have will give more power. Some power supplies have a small adjustment potentiometer that lets you adjust the output voltage. Be careful when doing this. Even a small change in voltage gives a big increase in power. For a heated bed with resistance R at voltage U, the power dissipation is U<sup>2</sup>/R. Going from 12V to 13.5V already gives 26% more power.
> 4 votes
# Answer
Some simple steps that may help to reach higher temperature:
1. Check if you can use heated bed insulation of any kind - the most common approach is to use cork sheet
2. Protect heated bed and printer from any possible air movements - arrange a set of walls around printer or just simply put it in the cardboard box large enough
3. Cover heated bed with cloth or cork sheet until it reaches desired temperature
4. Replace wires from heated bed to the power supply with thicker ones (2.mm<sup>2</sup> / AWG14 should be fine)
> 2 votes
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Tags: heated-bed
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thread-5571 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5571 | What's a good way to secure bushings in a 3D printed part? | 2018-02-27T18:25:22.440 | # Question
Title: What's a good way to secure bushings in a 3D printed part?
I'd like to secure bushings in 3D printed parts. They would be used for a drilling jig. I've seen heat-set inserts, but they've all had threaded interiors. The best idea I can come up with is printing the plastic hole several thousandths of an inch larger than the bushing and applying a lot of epoxy to the OD of the bearing and inserting it. Is there a better way?
As an aside, I had a hard time finding proper tags.
# Answer
If the outside of the bushing will bond well to the epoxy, your method is simple and likely to be effective.
You could use the same method used for threaded inserts by roughing the exterior of the bushing, heating it and forcing it into a correctly sized hole printed in the model.
The threaded inserts are knurled or otherwise textured to provide stronger bond with the melted plastic. Knurling your bushing is more complex than a good epoxy bond.
I've discovered a product called "castable bushings" which would appear to meet the above requirements for heated inserts:
The product listing indicates that these are used for drilling jigs.
It might be less messy but more expensive to purchase and use these as opposed to epoxy and a bit of sanding.
> 6 votes
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Tags: 3d-design, hardware, metal-parts
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thread-5575 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5575 | Z axis Control of Prusa i3 | 2018-02-28T18:30:30.120 | # Question
Title: Z axis Control of Prusa i3
I have modified my Prusa i3 MK2 printer so that the existing extruder motor has now been attached to a 5mm lead screw with a 1mm pitch. What is the easiest way to control the extruding of the printer now.
For example is it possible to change the settings in slic3er at all for the extruder? or would I have to download and edit the marlin firmware?
# Answer
The firmware of the printer reads the g-code, in this instance, for z-axis movement. The g-code provides only (primarily) millimeters of movement and direction, along with speed.
The firmware reads those figures, figuratively speaking, and knows from the values stored in the firmware, how many steps to rotate the motor, in what direction and at what rate.
I suppose if you were a glutton for punishment, you could write some code to convert the existing measurements to ones that are adjusted for the new screw, but that's just crazy. Imagine that your new screw provides for 3.729 times the movement that the old screw did per unit of rotation. You'd have to find all the z-movements in the code and apply that factor to those numbers. I suspect rounding errors might make for a less-than-satisfactory print.
As you've mentioned in your question about editing the firmware, one may expect that you have an idea what is involved. If not, that may be the topic of another post.
> 1 votes
# Answer
You can set the 'steps per mm' for the extruder (and the other axes) by sending GCODE to the printer, and store this in the internal memory. Re-flashing the firmware only affects the 'factory reset' configuration of the printer parameters.
To see how to calibrate your extruder, you're probably best looking for videos since although the process is just a few GCODE commands, the whole process is not easy to understand.
> 0 votes
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Tags: prusa-i3, z-axis, prusa-i3-rework
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thread-5581 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5581 | Flat heated bed replacement for uneven bed | 2018-03-03T09:31:56.497 | # Question
Title: Flat heated bed replacement for uneven bed
So the heated bed I got with my anet a8 is not entirely even. The middle of the bed is lower than the outer edges of the bed, which always causes issues with the first layer, especially with a larger print.
I know I could do mesh bed leveling but I don't want to have to do that every time before I print.
So my question is, where do I find a heated bed that I can be sure of will be even and not have dents anywhere?
# Answer
> 4 votes
Several things to consider:
1. Nothing is perfectly flat. It is flat within a tolerance. The bed you have now is flat to within a tolerance. If you want a flatter bed, you are going to have to specify how flat.
2. As @mac mentioned, aluminum is bendable; so, what once was flat can be made un-flat and the other way around. Note: Your problem may not be your bed, it may be that the bed mounting frame has introduced stress that is bending the bed.
3. Because the heating element is applied to one side of the bed, the differential heating (between the top and the bottom) can cause the bed to bend at temperature; so, flatness could vary with temperature.
What to purchase:
1. The Anet A8 has a 220x220 bed. A very popular size. You can get replacements heated beds for as little as $20 from a lot of sources.
2. Because of the considerations above, rather than replacing the bed, you may want to consider attaching a 220mm x 220mm Borosilicate Glass Plate to the top of the bed. These are also readily available (even from Amazon) for less than $20. That is what I did. The glass makes for a very flat surface and a great printing surface. I attach mine with small binder clips. That makes it easy to remove to take the print off or to clean when needed.
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Tags: heated-bed, anet-a8
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thread-5582 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5582 | Do more retracts lead to extruder jams | 2018-03-03T12:16:30.540 | # Question
Title: Do more retracts lead to extruder jams
This print failed a couple of hours in. I was wondering if the nature of the print surface, with lots of retracts (similarly the previous print which was OK) might have contributed to the clog, or if it's just bad luck? To be clear, the surface has lots of short dead-end, not just a wiggly perimeter. The filament seemed to have stopped moving, and was cut through by the drive gear.
This was a genuine Titan Aero extruder, 0.4mm nozzle, 215C (on an Anet a8 printer)
# Answer
Reading your question it's not clear to me if you are referring to *filament retraction* (which is a configurable setting) or *surface recesses* which seems what you are referring to when writing:
> the nature of the print surface, with lots of retracts
If it is the latter, then the answer is "no". The amount of complexity of the surface of the model does not correlate *directly* to the possibility of the printer head clogging.
If it is the former, then the answer is "possibly". **It is in fact not so much the amount of retracts that affects the likelihood of a clog but rather their speed and lenght**. If you retract *too quickly* and *too much* filament, you risk to have molten plastic being "sucked" into the cold end, solidify, and act as a glue, blocking the filament in place.
**This is especially true for all-metal print heads** like titan aero, as plastic sticks a lot better to metal than to PTFE.
However, **with a *properly calibrated* retraction, you shouldn't experience problems** regardless of how many times / how often you retract the filament.
In general, it is a common misconception that retraction should work as a plunger, actively sucking in plastic that would otherwise ooze out of the nozzle. However **all you need is to just release the pressure within the melting chamber, and in a direct drive (i.e.: non-bowden) extruder, this requires a very minimal retraction**.
Finally: what material are you printing in? The picture shows a lot of oozing for being PLA. If you are using a flexible material like nylon or ninjaflex, you should probably just let retraction alone: the hysteresis in such materials is very high, and retraction often does not work predictably. If it is PLA, I would try to increase the movement and retraction speed, and probably lower the temperature 10 or 15 degrees. As for the retraction lenght, I don't own a titan, but I would expect the correct amount to be somewhere between 0.5mm and 2mm.
> 2 votes
# Answer
In addition to the retraction distance, in the case of this model, I was seeing some places where there were a lot of very close retractions. I think these were increasing the risk of damaged filament, so I reduced the 'maximum retraction count' which at 50 over a 5mm length seemed fairly high.
> 1 votes
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Tags: print-quality, extruder
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thread-5588 | https://3dprinting.stackexchange.com/questions/5588 | Prusa I3 - Burn marks on print | 2018-03-04T19:36:09.447 | # Question
Title: Prusa I3 - Burn marks on print
This is an issue that's started happening recently. This is a Prusa I3 using a `1.75mm` pla filament
The settings for this print are as follows
```
Layer height: 0.2mm
Line width: 0.4
Infill: 60%
Infill pattern: Triangles
Nozzle temp: 190C
Plate temp: 60C
Retraction distance: 8.5mm
Retraction speed: 60mm/s
Print speed: 50mm/s
Cooling fan speed: 20%
```
This happened on a previous print, but not as much. The only difference is the other print was printed 10mm/s faster. I'm thinking it has to do with too much time in a certain area since it seems to happen in pretty small areas that don't required infill and print as two walls back to back
# Answer
> 5 votes
I have seen this after I reassemble the extruder heat block and then leave it too loose during the print.
Is your extruder above the nozzle coated in a brown or black film?
What happens is the liquid plastic oozes through the loose connection, travels around the outside of the block, where it is heated longer and hotter than normal turning it black/brown. Then it drips, or flakes, into the print where it is spread around giving it a diffused look that you see.
The fix is to tighten the heating block. Do this while it is at operating temperature (be careful!) because it fits differently when cold.
Another cause: I made a tiny sharpie mark on my filament. I did not realize how concentrated it would come out in the print. Perhaps you have ink or adhesive or something on your filament that you can't see that turns brown when heated.
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Tags: prusa-i3, pla, nozzle
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