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Sealing PLA & oil-based art supplies? I will be printing an item that's usually made out of resin, but my version will be made out of PLA. Here are some questions I have:
Usually, people seal the resin with brands such as Testor's, Liquitex, or Mr. Super Clear, to create a layer that prevents paint or materials from bleeding into the resin over time. Is this necessary for items made out of PLA? Will the same sealant brands work?
On these resin items, people steer clear of oil-based art supplies, like oil pastels, because the they will also stain the resin. Does the same concept apply to PLA?
Sometimes, certain dyed fabrics or synthetic materials will stain resin. Do these materials also have the potential to stain PLA?
Thanks for the help! | I have worked with PLA and paints before. I use mainly acryl-based paints as well as spray lacquers.
Sealent is not necessary.
While a sealant is not necessary, you might prefer to use a spray on, smooth drying lacquer to get a smooth surface. PLA does not "soak in" paints or colors like resins. |
Threaded rods to create frame/axis connection. Which improvements can be made and are they needed? I am building what I dub Frankenstein's printer from various components I could find in the electronics dumpster to print the proteins for a P3 Steel (toolson edition).
I want to elevate a scanner bed with an attached DVD drive motor for X-Y movements of the hotend. I plan to connect this by threaded rods to a base that also hosts the heated bed on a stury z-axis mechanism. To make this as stable as possible, I plan to conncect M8 threaded rods in the 8 edges in wooden blocks.
I am planning on 4 vertical rods and 2 crossing rods along the diagonals of the backside of the system. Additionally each side is planned to have one diagonal connected by a rod.
We're talking about a height of about 30cm and M8 rods. Will this introduce lots of vibrations and is it possible to avoid easily? Are there any better connection ideas or improvements I can make to this design?
*edit: here is a really bad hand-drawn sketch: | If I understand you correctly, compared to a Mendel RepRap you are using:
M8 threaded rod (the same kind of rod used in the Mendel RepRap frame)
roughly the same lengths of rod as in the Mendel, and
cross-braced with more diagonals than the Mendel design.
So I expect less vibration and the same print quality as a Mendel.
Rather than put one block of wood at each corner with holes drilled at a bunch of weird skewed angles,
the "1X2 split vertex" looks like it is a lot easier to construct.
I've heard several people claim that lots of threaded rods and associated corner connectors can be replaced with a few big sheets of wood in a 3D printer.
See Mendel90, RP9, SGBot, WolfStrap, etc.
Looks like a very educational project. Good luck. |
Parts printing out bigger after changing controller I changed my original HICTOP controller for one which actually has some fuses.
I tried to print a part last night - the resultant print looks significantly bigger.
Do you need to recalibrate the stepper per unit after you've changed your controller? | A quick search for your specific controller brought up the following link:
hictop wiki page
in which a reference is made that some printers were shipped with incorrect firmware, specifically in error by a factor of six. If your prints are about six times larger, this may apply to you. The same page contains a link to the firmware.
You should also be able to "look inside" the firmware using any number of programs providing terminal access to the controller. Pronterface is one, Simplify3D (not free) is another. I'm fond of using OctoPrint, but it requires some "gymnastics" to install.
Once you've installed your selected software, open the terminal feature and type M503 to display the current settings. You may have to turn off some automatic terminal display features, as some controllers will repeatedly send data to the screen, causing inconvenient scrolling.
I attempted to locate the correct code sequence for your printer, with limited success. Consider to scan over the wiki page for the appropriate information and correlate it to your specific controller and printer:
Firmware reprap codes
You'd want to confirm a specific M-code to change the stepper figure to match that which is for your printer. I've done my extruder steppers recently, which is M92 for my controller. My quick scan of the codes in the above link shows M350 might be the one for you, but don't take my word on it, get a confirmation from another source specific to your printer. |
Ender 3 ignores signal from optocoupler Optocoupler used in conjuction with an inductive sensor on a stock Ender 3, wired like this:
Except I also wired a switch to the Z endstop signal and ground.
I don't know the switch pin layout so I had to guess.
I guess S stands for signal, but I don't know why the other pin isn't G, but rather V. So we have signal and voltage? that doesn't make sense so I guess its the reason for the problem.
When I do auto home all axes, it completely ignores signal from the optocoupler. It only stops when hitting the switch.
The optocoupler is connected to an inductive sensor. When the sensor detects metal, it sends a signal to the optocoupler, the optocoupler to Z limit pins on the mainboard (or so it should).
Video of whats happening is found here.
Should I connect optocoupler VCC to switch V (keep switch S to optocoupler OUT)?
U (not V) is +5V, so should I connect the optocoupler VCC to it? | Not knowing the type of inductive sensor you are using, the most common, an NPN type sensor (like the LJ18A3-8-Z/BX) is assumed (in relation to your previous question). NPN type sensors imply that the signal is held high at a certain voltage (the supply voltage ranges from 6 V-36 V, but are reported to work on 5 V also) and is actively switched down to 0 V when triggered.
Basically the sensor always produces a high signal until triggered. Why is this the preferred option? If somehow the wires break or some issue occurs that triggers the sensor, movement is stopped to prevent damage to occur.
The signal from the sensor needs to be "high" and the switch needs to cut the power by opening the circuit. So make sure what your sensor signal is outputting in the first place. The depicted switch is a powered switch as it uses an LED, but the switching component on the circuit board itself has three pins, COM (COMmon), NO (Normally Open) and NC (Normally Closed). You need to put +5 V on the white wire to power the right side of the optocoupler and connect the switch as such that the COM and the NC are connected (most probably S and U in the depicted switch). |
12864 LCD image not centered? Just flashed my Ender 5 Plus with the TH3D firmware so I could add an 12864... started a print and then a few minutes later I notice this on the LCD!
How would I fix this? | There seems to be an issue with these cheap controllers with the timing.
With reference to the next reported issues:
https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/issues/5703
https://github.com/MarlinFirmware/Marlin/issues/5720
Add these 3 lines after the #define ENDER5_PLUS in the firmware files:
#define ST7920_DELAY_1 DELAY_NS(250)
#define ST7920_DELAY_2 DELAY_NS(250)
#define ST7920_DELAY_3 DELAY_NS(250) |
3D Printers imported from China - avoiding asbestos exposure Many 3D printers are made in China, and as asbestos is still legal in China (with large ongoing production it seems).
It is thus quite possible to end up with a 3D Printer that has asbestos parts in it.
Even though asbestos is illegal in some parts of the world (like Australia, though not the USA as far as I know), given the above, and the possible lack of care by suppliers and/or oversights during imports, one may want to do due diligence.
This becomes even more important if you plan to make modifications to your printer.
When speaking with even large producers, you may also get very conflicting answers ("yes part xyz has asbestos in it" vs "no it does not") - which further complicates the matter.
Asbestos testing is usually about 50-70 USD per sample, and often destruction of the tested item is necessary, so that is not a viable way either.
There are also heating elements used in printers which may be shielded with asbestos containing materials (as asbestos has good heat resistance properties).
How to avoid asbestos exposure with a high degree of certitude? | How to avoid asbestos exposure with a high degree of certitude?
If you're not willing to do asbestos testing yourself and can't trust your suppliers either, then this is impossible.
That said, for most of the components on a 3D printer it is easy to verify they're asbestos-free (I've never seen a steel linear shaft containing asbestos). For the remaining components, you may be able to pick an alternative which you know to be safe, for instance an all-metal hotend without insulating tape, or a heated bed that's plain FR4 without insulation. If there are any components that you distrust specifically (such as a heater cartridge) you should source that from a trusted supplier. |
Wrong Z-Axis movement in G-Code Alright so I bought a broken UP mini. There was only a defect on the board so I connected the components to a Duet 2 Wifi.
Everything is fully operational and I can manually move all axes correctly using the interface as well as homing them.
The problem is that when I try to slice a model (I am using Slic3r) and upload the G-Code the bed will be raised instead of lowered during printing.
How do I change it so the direction of the Z-Axis goes correctly?
Additional information:
The Z endstop is at the bottom
When homed the Z coordinate is on 0 mm
When placing the bed under the extruder the Z coordinate is 170 mm | You could put the z endstop at the top, and flip the motor connector to make it move the other direction. This should make it home to the top near the nozzle, and then move downward during the print.
Otherwise, you'll have to tweak the firmware configuration and reflash. |
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. | 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: |
What is the easiest way to modify/resize an object inside a STL file? I have this GoPro mount for a quadcopter as STL file. It looks as follows.
How do I modify it so that it is wider and longer by a few millimeters but the screw holes stay the exact same size? Additionally the angle of the upper surface must stay the same. Please suggest the easiest solution for someone like me who as no idea about CAD software.
The perfect solution for me would be to just import it in Tinkercad and then modify it however I have no idea what the steps are. | Many resources are available for modification using 3D CAD (including learning a tool such as sketchup, which is VERY beginner friendly). The easiest and fastest solution to your particular problem may be the reddit community "3D Print My Thing" which was created for EXACTLY this type of situation (help with modelling parts which will be 3D printed.) Another potential useful reddit community is "3D Modelling" which will have many people who are able to help you with this quadcopter/Go-Pro attachment 3D model.
Third solution: Thingiverse has a customize option for 3D models (including this one). have you explored using this interface to edit the model? This is most likely the easiest DIY solution. |
Considerations when pausing a print job Some prints take a long time and, as I'm not in a workshop, I need to pause the print sometimes.
Are there any special considerations I should take when pausing, or can I literally just click pause, leave it for twelve hours or so, and it'll continue without any ill effects?
I'm using PLA at present. | If you keep the head hot during the pause, and over the print, you will melt the material already deposited.
If you move to X0 Y0 (like on a layer change) and pause there, you can cool off the head (or not), but will want to prime (advance) some material before resuming your print - or risk an initial void, as the heated material will expand and drip to some extent.
If you move to X0 Y0, retract, and cool off for your pause, you should be able to heat up, advance, and resume with few issues. You will probably still need to some manual cleaning where the resume was, as there is likely to be some buildup.
Also, if you let the bed cool during your pause, your print may become unstuck from the bed. |
Motor driver chip install direction? I got a new MKS 1.4 controller board and it came with A4988 driver chips. But I can't figure out which way they install. I found something saying to match the printing on the back of the chip to that on the board. But I don't see anything that matches. Suggestions? | From A4988 Stepper Motor Driver Carrier, the rear of the breakout board, is identical to yours:
Note the two square pads for the GND, whereas the others are round. Now looking at the top side:
and note the position of the square GND pins/pads, in relation to the trim pot.
Now look at this hi-res photo of a populated MKS board
Again, looking at the position of the trim pots, one can see that the A4988 breakout boards need to be oriented such that the side with GND pins need to be nearest to the top of the board. That is to say the GND on the corner of the breakout board, needs to be pointing North East, as it were.
Here is a schematic of the MKS 1.4 as well, although it is not much use, from MKS Gen 1.4 circuit and pinouts: |
Why is cupping bad in SLA prints? Why is cupping bad? (I don't mean hollow parts)
Example:
Lets say that I want to print a simple cup without a handle.
There are two obvious orientations:
In one orientation it won't require any support, which I quite like, but it will then form a 'cup' which my 3D program tells me is bad.
In the opposite orientation it needs to be filled with support, but the resin can freely run out.
I don't want to add a drainage hole to my cup for obvious reasons :) Also, I am using a formlabs form 3, if it makes a difference.
A cup: | The printer prints, then moves up, then down again. The print surface stays inside the resin vat at all times. As a result, we have this experiment:
The "bottle" is resting in a vat of liquid. As we raise it more and more, it does not drain until the lower lid is free of the liquid surface or some point of the shell delaminates. The release of the resin can happen in a rather violent way - which in turn could deform the print in the making. Delamination rips through the part till air can enter the enclosed space, destroying the print in the process.
Even if printing the mouth against the plate you'll have cupping if you have a solid plate to print against. This can be mitigated with a little angle but trap liquid in the print at the end or including a couple of small gaps close to the surface to allow air to get into the print - yet unless the resin can flow out at the bottom some will be trapped in any case.
To prevent cupping, I would turn the cup to print sideways, that way resin and air can be exchanged. |
What am I doing wrong with my M3D Micro? So I recently got an M3D Micro+ and have had 2 years of experience in 3D printing. I've had some issues with the printer and the prints produced and would like to know how I can fix them.
The issues include:
Thick layer lines
Bad first layers / adhesion
wobbly extruder head
Here is a screenshot of one of the prints:
The tolerances are also pretty bad. I would like to know recommended settings and such to help me get to actually printing. As of yet, I have not yet gotten a successful print. | It's not you - it's the printer!
The M3D Micro is not a very sturdy setup. The X-axis is a single pair of thin rods, hung up on a pair of similarly thin rods in Y and mounted on 3 very thin pillars in Z. While the idea is good, the execution is not particularly well: The rods are too thin and the design is virtually unchanged since 2015 and thus this review from 2016 still applies. As does this from 2018:
The extruder having problems to extrude reliable and steadily was not fixed since at least 2015.
The mounting of the motion system is not very sturdy and the system itself is under-designed. This means it is particularly vulnerable to oscillation - which your print shows.
The extruder is mounted flexibly on the motion system, which amplifies all those errors. But that is designed for bed leveling - so there is little you can do to gett the needed stiffness
The motors are underpowered. This leads especially to trouble with movement accuracy unless you print super slow. And that print you showed shows that you print with more normal print settings for a 2021 machine. This also shows in your print.
If a professional in 2018 can spend 2 days calibrating and get no results with the owner's proprietary slicer, then that slicer is not worth the disk space it uses. If you need to hack Cura to get the proprietary g-code derivate and you need to do that to get even decent prints, it's a bad design.
All in all, you might squeak out better prints with a lot of calibration work, but the printer suffers so heavy from the design flaws that it would be a labor of love. |
All-metal hotends are less forgiving / not as good for PLA -- but how bad? Currently, I'm using a Creality printer to print PLA (that's what I have on hand) but I'm definitely interested in working with other materials that require higher temperatures (both much higher, and just enough higher that the stock hotend is very marginal) in the future.
I understand that all-metal hotends are less forgiving and that they particularly are not the best for printing PLA, and shouldn't be assumed to be an upgrade when only printing PLA.
What I don't understand is, how bad are they? Are they so bad that I should plan on changing back to a PTFE hotend whenever I print PLA or ABS? Or are they suitable for use on a printer that is sometimes used for printing PLA and ABS and sometimes printing high-temp filaments? | All-metal hotends are less forgiving
Yes
not as good for PLA
No
but how bad?
That is very subjective and totally depending on the skill of the 3D printer operator! So, that part of the question cannot be answered.
Fact is that all-metal hotends are sold as being upgrades to lined versions, this is simply not true. It is a different design that can handle higher temperatures. To operate such hotends you require a little more experience as these hotends are a little less forgiving if you do not have the right slicer settings. Key parameters are hotend temperature, cold end cooling and retraction speed and length and amount of retractions in the model.
Another fact is that e.g. the Ultimaker cores concept (we opened a 0.4 mm core to see that for ourselves) doesn't use a PTFE lining, nor do other brands. They can perfectly print PLA (even with a high retraction length). The only time if failed printing PETG (higher temp than PLA) was the result of a heat creep induced clog which was caused by a cooling fan failure (the cooling fan ingested something and seized up), so just one print of a few meters of the several kilometers 2.85 mm that got printed. |
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 | 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:
Get a new, higher-power heated bed. Make sure that it is compatible with your electronics, or upgrade them as needed.
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 U2/R. Going from 12V to 13.5V already gives 26% more power. |
Why do 3D printers have only one limit switch? I have seen that many 3D printers have only one limit switch for each axis, how does it know where to stop on the other end?
My first guess is that the machine knows how big the plate is, and calculates it accordingly.
If this is true, then if I were to use a RAMPS, I would have to modify the software to figure out the build plate, it won't have the hardware to autocalculate. | In principle you only need the minimum axis position (or the maximum), the offset to the bed and the size of the bed in the direction of the axes. Fortunately, you can specify this in the firmware:
E.g. in Marlin Firmware offsets are defined as travel limits:
// Travel limits (mm) after homing, corresponding to endstop positions.
#define X_MIN_POS -33
#define Y_MIN_POS -10
#define Z_MIN_POS 0
#define Z_MAX_POS 240
Bed size:
// The size of the print bed
#define X_BED_SIZE 200
#define Y_BED_SIZE 200
Do note that some printers do have maximum endstops on top of minimum endstops. This is handy in case of layer shifting (e.g. caused by the nozzle catching the print as such that the belt skips notches and as such redefining the reference frame) to prevent the carriage from destroying the printer at the maximum of the axis. |
How to get superglue off PLA filament? So I'm making my friend a Monado sword replica and I've printed the handle in 2 pieces as to fill it with electronics and then superglue the 2 halves together.
I seem to have put too much on and it's leaked out and spread as shown in the picture..
Does anyone know how to get the dried glue off?
Thanks,
(PS. The glue is called "NO NONSENSE SUPERGLUE") | In agreement with what Akriss said, pretty much all "super" glue is CA (cyanoacrylate) glue, which is soluble in acetone. PLA itself is does not dissolve in or react with acetone, but the pigments, additives, etc. likely do, so you should wipe with a paper towel or cloth (the latter might be better to avoid getting fibers stuck on the glue) soaked in acetone rather than pouring it over the piece or submerging it, to limit the effects. Also, test first on a scrap piece printed with the same filament to ensure the results aren't unacceptably bad. |
How to edit Cura profile in Octoprint? In Cura, I can edit my .ini profile settings as needed, for example, when I change filament or models. It's annoying to have to edit the profile on another computer and update it on my Pi just to change the infill, etc. I've searched http://plugins.octoprint.org/ and can't find any plugins that do this. | As far as I know, this is currently not possible. |
How to specify rotation origin in openscad OpenSCAD has rotate function which rotates the body around its origin axis.
Is there a way to specify an arbitrary axis?
For example, this rotates a cylinder around its center:
rotate(a=[90,0,0]) {
cylinder(h=10,r1=10,r2=10);
}
How to make it rotate around its edge? | rotate() always rotates around the origin of the object following it.
What you can do is to move your cylinder away from the origin, like this:
rotate(a=[90,0,0]) {
translate([0,10,0]) cylinder(h=10,r1=10,r2=10);
} |
Prusa I3 mk3 - Not your average inconsistent first layer Over the last two days I have tried everything I could come up with to fix the following issues.
It all started with bad bed adhesion.(pic.1) Solutions for these problems are readily available, so I calibrated my Z-axis (did the whole wizard from start to finish again) and started a calibration print over the whole buildplate, getting an interesting result.(pic.2) As you can see some area's are squashed nicely whilst others come off directly.
I then started looking for alternative Z-levelling solutions and came across an alternative calibration file (link1), at first glance the results seemed allright, -0,8mm seem to provide the best results (pic.3) however notice the darkened area to the left (could be the high temp of this test? 225c?).
To validate the number I did a full print on -0,8 and this is where it gets weird, the result shows a non uniform transparancy (pic.4) the mechanical properties are also a lot less. I used my caliper to check the printer and all seems to be well within expected ranges.
The bed is also flat, checked with a ruler for deformaties.
Printing with the first spool of Prusa fillament, do notice some changes in the Z-level calibration print, the edges now bend upwards, this is done with the same Gcode and spool as previous (pic.5).
Any advice on what to do next?
Printing on 210c with fan off for the first layer, test square on 225c, all PLA.
Cleaned the bed with Acetone (99% pure) before each attempt.
Picture 1:
Picture 2:
Picture 3:
Picture 4:
Picture 5:
EDIT: So Mick mentioned cleaning the nozzle which helped with the inconsistent first layer. In the end it was me being unaware that Aceton doesn't help with grease, a thorough scrubbing of the buildplate with soap and really hot water helped. | If you repeat a test and the problem occurs in the same location, then you probably have a problem with your bed or build plate. However, picture 3 suggests to me that you may have a partially clogged nozzle. Manually extrude some filament. It should fall straight down. If it curls as it comes out of the nozzle, then you have a partial clog. Brass nozzles do wear out, so if you've put some hours on your printer, it might be a good idea to fit a new one.
Edit: I meant picture 3, not picture 4. |
What determines print start location on the build plate? I'm working with an older MakerBot Replicator clone, actually a Flashforge Creator 1, with original Creator firmware.
I'm able to design objects, using Solidworks, and exporting the file as xxx.stl (ascii)
Then I use Slic3r to generate tool paths with output as xxx.gcode
finally, I use GPX UI to generate a xxx.x3g file.
I don't understand where on the build plate the print starts. Is that controlled by the 3d printer's firmware values, or something else in the chain from .stl --> .gcode --> x3g ?? Right now my prints start in the corner nearest 0,0.0, instead of in the middle of the build plate.
How do I control where to place the 3d print on the build plate?
edit: Apologies for the delay. As a result of the answers posted here, I did a whole bunch more testing. The initial response from @mick, seems to indicate that what you see in the Slicer preview is what you'll see on the print bed. That makes sense, but that is definitely not what I'm seeing. I definitely don't see anywhere anything that remotely looks like a check the box [] center. Here's what I do see:
When I drop the object into Slic3r, it goes to middle of build plate.
Unfortunately here's what gets printed.
Attempt #1, off in space
Attempt #2, Right Hand Margin
Attempt #3, Near the front.
I tried moving the print head to center of build plate, thinking that might be a logical start point. No go. Print start moves head to home (rear right corner of print bed) then after elements heat up to temp, it seems to select a random spot on the build plate to start. I never touched the .x3g file between these attempts. So I'm right back to where I started, per the title of this posting "What determines print start location on the build plate?" | So it turns out there are elements from each of the previous answers that make sense here, but its not a clear picture. I've spent a whole lot of time trying to make sense of this. I also upgraded my firmware to Sailfish.
For the MakerBot Replicator (or FastForge Creator) family of 3d printers, the origin of the build plate is NOT at any of the corners, its right in the center of the build plate. Reference here.
4.1 Home Offsets:
By convention, the center of the build platform is assumed to be the point (0,0,0) in XYZ space. The X, Y, and Z home offsets tell the printer the location of the X, Y, and Z endstops in relation to the build platform’s center.
Looks like this:
And it would appear that most other 3D printers are not using this convention. Sigh. From my testing, the main control of print location is within the G-Code generated by the slicer. The tool I was using, Slic3r does give one a chance to correct that
adjustment. You have to go to top menu Settings --> Printer Settings --> Size and Coordinates (Bed Shape) --> Set to get a nice popup visual tool. See below.
Unfortunately the default setting is accurate for the overall bed size, but is a fail for the origin location on the bed. The default origin is set at 0,0, in the corner. Ouch. Big ouch. The origin needs to be located right in the center of the build plate (to be consistent with the firmware controlling the print for this family of printers). It should look like this:
Note, when you tell the printer to go to 'home' it doesn't go to origin (0,0,0) it goes to the endstops.
G68 X0 Y0 F500 ; Perform Homing Routine
So as long as you understand the quirks of these printers things will work out. You have to ensure offsets are set accurately in firmware config files. (Replicator / Sailfish) And you have to indicate the correct center location to the slicer program. I will say the advice given here was of some help in understanding this. Many thanks. I'm posting here in case others using the Replicator or FastForge Creator series of printers is having troubles centering their prints on the build plate.
Additional info for anybody using a MakerBot Replicator or Flashforge Creator series printer with Slic3r. I wanted to add my custom G-code stuff. The default Slic3r stuff definitely did not work.
Printer Settings --> Custom G-Code --> Start G-Code
M103 ; Turn all extruders off, Extruder Retraction
G21 ; set units to mm
G90 ; Use absolute coordinates
(**** begin homing ****)
G162 X Y F2500 ; home XY axes to maximum stops
G161 Z F1100 ; home Z axis to minimum stop
G92 Z-5 ; Set Position Z =-5mm
G1 Z0.0 ; move Z to "0"
G161 Z F100 ; home Z axis to minimum stop slowly
M132 X Y Z A B ; Recall stored home offsets for XYZAB axis
; Loads the axis offset of the current home position from the EEPROM and waits for the buffer to empty.
G90 ; Use absolute coordinates
G1 X0 Y0 Z50 F3300.0 ; move to waiting position near center of build plate
Printer Settings --> Custom G-Code --> End G-Code
M109 S0 T0 ; Cool down the build platform
M104 S0 T0 ; Cool down the Right Extruder
M104 S0 T1 ; Cool down the Left Extruder
M73 P100 ; End build progress
G0 Z150 ; Send Z axis to bottom of machine
M18 ; Disable steppers
G162 X Y F2500 ; Home XY endstops
M18 ; Disable stepper motors
M70 P30 ; We <3 Making Things! Yipee, you made it...
; display message above for 30 seconds
M72 P1 ; Play Ta-Da song
One other thing I do with Slic3r. I print a single loop of print on the periphery of a phantom skirt. I do this as a printer head clean extrude exercise.
Print Settings --> Skirt and Brim --> Skirt --> Loops (minimum): 1, Distance from object: 6mm, Skirt height: 1 This works well. I do this in lieu of the G-code startup used in ReplicatorG software (which went to the lower left hand corner, and did this odd 4mm extrude exercise, with odd timing...) The skirt thing works just fine. |
Is packing multiple prints into the build volume a feasible workflow for powderbed printers? With fdm printers, the 3D object that should be printed can be positioned anywhere in the build volume. But it's only practical to place it on the bottom, because otherwise support material would be necessary.
stereolithography has the same problem. Even though the photopolymer can be cured at any position in the build volume, the result would drift away if it was not held in place by support material.
The powderbed based printers (either powder+binder or any of the laser/electron beam sintering/melting variants) do not have this problem, because they continuously fill the entire build volume with powder. The support material that other printing technologies require is part of the powder based printing anyway. It would be possible to pack the build volume with many prints and print them in one go.
Given that the machines are relatively expensive, it would be economical to increase the throughput. A company that does use such printers heavily could wait a certain amount of time until a few print queued up that fit together in the build volume and only then start the process. Do people do this? | Yes, this is very popular. Look into the site Shapeways and you will see that this is exactly what they do. I've also personally seen a local 3D print shop do this with their machine. It's called batching. I similar technique can be used in traditional machine shops (mills/lathes). |
Fix ghosting problem (damping versus bolting printer to a desk) I have a Monoprice Maker Select v2. It is the kind where the moving plate (heat bed) provides the Y-axis and the moving extruder provides the X-axis. It has a fairly rigid sheet metal frame. In addition, I added steel rods has Z-braces.
I see some pretty obvious ghosting. This happens for an inch or so right after every sharp turn. Clearly, vibration is to be blamed. I found two simple techniques that improves the situation:
soft floor mats under the feet (allowing the machine to move freely)
bolt the machine to the desk (preventing the machine from moving)
Surprisingly, these two opposites provided exact same level of improvement for ghosting. My question is: which approach is better? Moreover, to further improvement, should I use...
(extreme version of 1) hanging the printer from the ceiling using bungee cords (maximize the freedom to move); or...
(extreme version of 2) bolt the printer to garage floor (0 freedom to move) ? | Ghosting is caused by differential movement between the bed and the head when the head undergoes acceleration. The forces add energy to a resonance in that differential vibration mode.
By changing how you mount the base, you will change the mode and probably change the frequency.
With the soft mounting, the bed can move more easily. It will tend to follow the head acceleration better. The whole system will still ring (you can't get rid of the momentum change), but you can cause the energy to go somewhere else and not excite that mode.
With the base bolted down tight, the base gets stiffer, increasing resonant frequencies. You also may be making the base more resistant against racking or twisting motions.
It is completely credible that both interventions reduce the problem. Of the two, I would prefer any intervention that increases the stiffness.
If you know your movement speed (perhaps from your configuration file) and can measure the linear frequency of the ringing, you can determine the resonant frequency that is being excited. Depending on the frequency, you may be able to excite that frequency with an audio generator and transducer (maybe even just a speaker), such as with one of these: Dayton Audio Transducers.
With the system shaking at the right frequency, you can use your finger to find portions of the frame which are vibrating strongly, or maybe even your phone camera to make a high-speed video of the movement. |
Bulging filaments - How can catch them before they go in the printer After multiple jams from bulging filaments on two spools I'm getting frustrated. One, right before a job was done.
Is there something I can do to prevent these bulges in filaments from ruining jobs?
What can I do to prevent this from happening in the future before it's a disaster?
He's a picture of one I found using google. | How to catch and fix these on the fly? That would be difficult..
But this is an issue you really should not have.
Could it be an issue with filament storage?
Or is it coming from the manufacturer with these bulges? If so, I would try contacting ( you may have gotten a bad batch? ), or finding a new retailer if this happens often.
I have gone through a lot of pounds of both ABS and PLA and never come across this. |
'Sine wave' deviation in X-Axis on moving bed printer. I've built a a PrintrBot inspired printer with a moving printbed for the X-Axis movement. It's controlled by a RAMPS board running Marlin firmware. And there is a problem with the X-Axis positioning.
As can be seen in the image the X-Axis is not really stable. The blocks should be 10x10x10 mm, and the top and bottom are perfect. The waving does not appear in the Y-direction, it's only in the direction of the bed movement.
Each block was printed at different speed, from medium to dead-slow. I limited the acceleration and in the last block I also limited the non-printing speed so the bed would never experience a higher acceleration than with the printing itself. But the wave effect remains. And it's also remarkably repeatable so it looks more like a synchronisation error somewhere. Does anyone has a clue, or experienced a similar effect ? | This is the issue of your z-axis rather than x- or y-axis because printing speed doesn't have any influence on the results.
I bet:
your threded rods are bent or
nuts on these rods have too high clearance or
nuts on these rods have eccentricity or
couplings (between motor and threded rods) are bent or
these couplings are badly fitted
All above suggestions concern z-axis.
[edit] because it's PrintBot its z-axis has the following disadvantage |
Printer keeps pausing during prints I'm having a rather strange issue in that the printer pauses randomly during prints. This was first noticed when printing a large and complicated model (from SD). Since then a 20 mm calibration cube has been printed (from USB) with no issues (paused briefly after printing the skirt), it was used in conjunction with M92 G-code command to calibrate the stepper motors. Now i'm trying to print a temperature tower but it pauses multiple times even on the first layer (tried USB and SD). How do i ensure that the printer does not pause during prints?
Here's a link to a video of the printer pausing (trying to print a temperature tower).
Slicer details:
Ultimaker Cura 4.0
Also tried slic3r 1.3 32 bit
The temperature tower had a change temperature at Z injected into the G-code but none of the others did.
Printer details:
Anycubic S
Firmware 1.1.2
filament PLA+
firmware reprap/marlin | I had a similar problem some time ago. The problem in my case was, that in the slicer I had a minimum layer time, which was pausing the printer until that time had passed. I can't remember the name of the settings and I'm not at home right now, but the slicer can either print full speed and pause or it can slow down, to maintain a minimum layer time. I guess the idea is to give the plastic time to cool down. |
Confusing stepper motor behavior I am trying to control stepper motors for a 3D printer with a RAMPS 1.4 shield connected to an Arduino Mega 2560. I have uploaded Marlin firmware to the board and am currently using Pronterface to test the board's components.
At first, the stepper motors would not move at all when commanded. They would just slightly twitch and them hum, but not rotate. Then, I checked the wiring connections and ensured they were correct, but the problem persisted. Then, I measured the Vref of the stepper drivers, which was 0.79 Volts.
Based on my stepper motors, NEMA 17, the maximum Vref I calculated was 1.36 Volts. After adjusting the potentiometer screw the maximum amount, Vref is 1.19 Volts. Now, the motors WILL rotate when given the 0.1 and 1 command in Pronterface, but return to the twitch and whine behavior when given the 10 or 100 command. What is the cause of this? | The described behaviour could happen if, e.g. X_STEP_PIN, X_DIR_PIN and X_ENABLE_PIN are not correctly mapped.
I guess you will find them in pins_RAMPS_144.h. Make sure the correct file is used. |
Methods for applying full color graphic decals to the surface of a 3d printed part? I'm trying to find a way of applying graphics to my ABS printed parts.
I need a robust method which can produce a decent amount of detail with true color and legible fine text .
I also was hoping to avoid the use of stickers and opt for something that's slightly more permanent.
I was wondering if there are ways in which a vinyl decal or other types of decal material could be pressed into the face of a plastic part and then thermally fuse the two layers together using heat transfer method?
Most of the surfaces I work with would be flat, but there are some parts that are slightly curved and it would be totally amazing if I could somehow apply graphics to those areas as well.
Thanks for any hints | Industry has for years used a 'pad printer' to put images on complex shapes, like plastic or ceramic travel mugs, etc.
I have observed these, but never used one. I see no reason why there couldn't be a DIY version made.
Best of luck, and I look forward to seeing what you come up with! |
Why are stepper motors used in 3D printers? Stepper motors in 3D printers are used to move and position the extruder. But why don't the printers use servo motors or any other type of motors instead. Why only stepper motors are commonly used? | FDM 3D printers need to do repeatable moves. Servos might give better and more repeatable torque, but they don't give very precise movement without the need of an encoder system. This makes Steppers cheaper and easier adaptable in most cases, even though there are some printers that use different motor systems.
Note that different printers like SLS printer do use several simple motors, especially for the system putting down powder, and the tilting system in the new mSLA Prusa uses - afaik - a simple motor doing one rotation per tilting motion. |
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. | 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. |
Equally spaced surface flaws I'm having an odd effect in my prints. There is some sort of surface problem that seems to be evenly spaced in z. I tried to tighten my belts, the print speed is 75 mm/s using a 32 bit board, on an Ender 3 Pro.
Any recommendations? | The surface defects you describe is caused by Z-wobble. Basically this leads back in a defect in the Z axis gantry where X and/or Y movements are transferred into the print head. This can be cause by:
a damaged nut,
lead screw not straight,
stick-slip,
binding,
lead screw out of alignment with the coupler,
lead screw touching the stepper shaft in the coupler,
the Z guide (at the other side of the X-axis arm; the one without the extruder mounted on it) has too much friction of the wheels on the profile,
play on the carriage,
lead screw should be the same distance from the extrusion profile from top to bottom,
etc. |
Effects of static on 3D printers & print quality I manage four 3D Printers for my college's robotics team. They are used pretty constantly throughout the school year; that is, they are used more as manufacturing printers than hobbyist printers. The environment they are in is less than ideal: The outdoor climate is typically cold and has low humidity, and the room they are in has fine dust particles that are less than 80 microns diameter and have electrostatic properties. The room's temperature also fluctuates week to week. As such, static electricity is fairly common in that room.
What effects does static electricity have on our 3D printers? I have had numerous problems recently with a motherboard with resistors that failed and another printer with an unknown issue that we suspect also has to do with the motherboard. Could the static electricity be causing these or other issues, or affecting the quality of our printed parts?
We use ZylTech filament, and print using a Creality Ender 3 Pro, CR-10S Pro, Ender 5 Plus, and a FlashForge Creator Pro. The dust particles mimic "regolith", or lunar soil, that comes from one of our team's test facilities. | Static electricity is detrimental to nearly all electronic devices. A stray zap from touching the frame of your printer could migrate to the controller boards, terminating normal operation. If you wish to protect the printers from static electricity, connect the frame to a confirmed electrical ground. The power supply may be grounded via the electrical cord, but you'd want to ensure that the entire structure shares that ground. Additionally, provide a grounding strap to which an operator would connect prior to using the machine.
Image below courtesy of linked site.
The more unfortunate aspect of your description is the issue of particulates in the air. Moving parts will be subject to excessive wear and your printer has plenty of moving parts. The stepper motors may "ingest" particles and the fans on the power supply will certainly pull in abrasive dust. The rails and bearings are going to be collecting as well.
If you wish to ensure a longer lifespan for the printer, a filtered enclosure with an overpressure environment is going to be needed. This presumes that one desires to provide cooling air to the printer and power supply. The box around the printer would have to be fed by a fan which is protected by a filter capable of preventing the dust you describe from entering. One could create a box around the printer without fans and another around the power supply with fans and filters.
One could use the reverse concept, that is, build a box from filters and have a fan suck the air into the box, into the fan and back out into the environment. This would provide for a greater surface area of filter material, reducing the frequency of filter changes. In the first example, the box is created from a solid material and the fan forces air for cooling, into the box, as dust-free as the filters will allow. In the reverse method, the box is created from filters and the fan is used to move air from the box to the outside, pulling clean, cool air into the enclosure.
It sounds like a tough place to be a 3D printer. |
How to fix Y layer shift on Creality Ender 3? While printing a simple model, my printer starts to layer-shift the build in a direction suddenly. I used the default setting for ultimaker Cura 3.4.1. It has done this same thing for multiple different prints. I would guess it is the software.
How do I fix the issue? | You have a case of layer shift. Layer shifts happened to me in 3 ways:
The movement of the axis is hindered. Check if all cables run freely and without any chance to catch! improper cable chains can cause binding and stop the printhead or bed in movement and thus induce a shift.
The acceleration might be too fast. Shift the acceleration of the printer movements down a notch. Don't print faster than ~60 to keep the acceleration in check, as the printer will try to reach the top speed as fast as possible, thus limiting top speed also limits acceleration.
The model might be broken. Re-slice the model just in case. |
Which 3D printer is good for beginners? I was looking for some advice on which 3D printers are good for someone who is just getting into 3D printing?
I have been looking at the Anet A8 on ebay but not sure if they are any good or not.
Regards | Which printer for a beginner depends far more on the beginner in question than the various printers available.
If you are comfortable assembling parts and figuring things out a number of options exist.
If you need a fully-built object, a number of options exist.
If you require lots of dedicated support, via phone or email, there
are options.
If you can ask questions in a forum and get the answers you need (or
figure things out when you don't and post your answers for others to
find) there are options.
If you have special/esoteric printing needs, that puts constraints on - if you kinda vaguely want a 3-D plastic printer, but don't really know what you want to use it for the field is wide open. |
Ender 3 + SKR 1.4 + Marlin 2.0.x bugfix - what bed size/min/max positions should I use? On my Ender 3, it seems that the Y-axis can only move forward 220 mm after which the carriage will hit the tensioner. This seems repeatable so I don't think it's a hardware issue (unless it's expected that the nozzle can reach all the way to the front edge).
I'm unclear, with this information, how I can center my nozzle properly so that it is 117.5 mm from each edge, and that the corner leveling feature works as expected (by default, configured to be 30 mm from each edge). | The Ender 3 has a printable area of 220x220x250 mm according to the specifications. So, there is nothing wrong. Sometimes heated beds are slightly larger than the actual print area. E.g. 235x235 mm or 310x310 mm. For centering the nozzle to the build plate, you should look into "How to center my prints on the build platform? (Re-calibrate homing offset)" or "Recalibrating Home-position. |
What is the MKS Base AUX header connector type? I'm looking to crimp wires to the AUX-1 and EXP pins of my MKS base. For sanity reasons, i cant directly use Dupont jumpers, they keep coming out.
BIQU MKS-Base V1.6 Plate Controller Board for 3D Printer Ramps 1.4
In the above product image, the type of housing is the "black" colored headers on the board, around the top left corner of the board. Each header has ~10 male pins inside of it
Most of the other pins are of JST-XH type, for anyone else wondering. | You need a 2.54 mm pitch (similar pitch to Dupont) female IDC (insulation displacement connectors on a ribbon cable) connector of 2x5P (pins) for the header connectors that have a notch. (for comparison, note that e.g. RAMPS 1.4 has 2x5p dupont headers on the shield for the AUX headers, not the notch type headers)
These connectors are usually crimped onto flat ribbon cables and used to connect the display to the board. These connectors have a rectangular notch to fit the gap in the housing to correctly position the cable (which the 2x5P Dupont don't have).
For reference/difference, an image of the Dupont 2x4P and 2x5P is shown below, highlighting both sides ("up" on the left, "down" on the right): |
Can this part be 3D printed? I have an old air conditioner and most of the vent flaps/louvres are missing. I've modelled it in Solidworks, but can it be printed? Are the tips too small for 3D printers? It's about 14 cm long end-to-end.
Here's the drawing sheet (dimensions are in mm): | Dimension-wise it's probably ok.
If you want to print it as a single piece it would be quite challenging because of the cylinders, overhangs and bridges present in multiple directions: overhangs and bridges result in lower quality and precision, while cylinders can be printed nicely only when their axis is vertical.
However I see that you could easily split the component into multiple parts, each one of which could be printed optimally.
You can glue the different parts together and you are done, see What glues for PLA? and What glues to use for PETG? |
CR-10 heating problem I've been happily printing on my CR-10 for a couple of months but now there is an issue. As soon as I turn it on the hot-end begins heating. I have replaced the heater and the thermistor but the problem remains. The panel on the control box shows 0 for the commanded temperature, but the actual temp just keeps rising.
Anyone know what could be wrong? | If you power the printer and it starts heating up the hotend, it most probably is caused by a faulty controller board. More specific, the MOSFET (as in an electronic switch component) controlling the current to the heater element is causing this. MOSFET devices usually fail short-circuit implying that when the MOSFET has failed, the current can freely run to the heater element without being controlled by the board.
If you are handy with electronics, you can replace the MOSFET, but it might be better to upgrade to a newer controller board as there may be other damage as well. |
CubePro Duo Filament Cartridge Replacment Problem So I just got this CubePro Duo and the guy we bought it off had 3 filament cartridges to go with it, two installed and one spare. The one spare was white PLA while the two installed were colored ABS so I wanted to try out the white PLA for printing so I followed all the instructions on the printer up to put the cartridge in and now its stuck on "Material Validation" step and just isn't doing anything. I followed everything as closely as I could and even started over again in case I did something wrong but it still won't "validate" the material?
I have no idea what's going on and I would really appreciate some help, thanks in advance! | The CubePro Duo is a discontinued 3d-systems printer. It uses their standard proprietary cartridges to prevent to use other filaments. In comparison to other printer filaments, their filaments range between 100 and 150$ per spool, which is listed as "1 kg" (though if that is with or without casing is not clear).
From what I could find out about the cartridges, they should contain some kind of identification method to the printer. That it is stuck in Validation means, that it might not be able to read this. So let's try installing the cartridge again, following the handbook p.17!
Take out the cartridge
boot the machine
wait for the machine to ask for filament
remove the thumbscrew so the filament spool inside the cartridge can turn
pull out the 30 cm
cut 5 cm off the end
insert the material into the Bowden tube of slot 1
push the material till you get some goop coming out
mount the cartridge into the slot, make sure it is clamped in tightly.
This should start the validation of the material, at which point you might get told that the colors don't match the print defined colors. Should the cartridge not be validated again but works on the ABS cartridges, the validation method might be broken on this cartridge. Should it not recognize either, the firmware or the detector might be broken. |
What exactly does automatic bed leveling do? I get the concept of automatic bed leveling...the printer moves around the bed and uses a sensor to identify high and low spots, then "software compensates for differences".
But what exactly does "compensates" mean?
It is extruding more material in the low spots to build them up and thinning out the high spots? Is it adding or removing layers? Is it shifting layers as it goes up to compensate tilt? Or...?
In what ways will this affect the final outcome? Would it be valid to say that if you wanted an automatically leveled bed and dimensional accuracy you should always print to a raft? | Last first: use of a raft has nothing to do with bed levelling. It depends only on the features/shape/etc of the object being printed.
Now, as to what the auto-levelling does: the answer is, sadly "it depends." A simple algorithm will just find the Z-height of the four corners and apply a bilinear correction to Z as a function of {x,y} coordinates. A really good algorithm would map the entire build plate to some designated precision (perhaps 5 mm) and create a 2-dimensional lookup table to adjust Z over a curved build plate. What your printer's levelling software does is more likely the former.
Why? because if you try to correct over curves & bumps, then you will end up distorting your entire printed object (basically forcing every layer to follow those distorted axes). Far better to have some flattened or "fat" spots in the first layer printed, and then print proper planar layers after that.
Example: I know my bed (AnetA8 aluminum) is slightly bowed, peak in the center; so after levelling the overall bed I try to set the Z-zero so the outer extremes of my object have good adhesion, even if the center region of the first couple layers ends up non-extruding because the nozzle touches the bed. |
Best practices to fix a threaded nut inside a print I'm trying to connect two 3D printed parts (ABS) together with a threaded connection. Thus, I need to fix a threaded metal nut (M4) inside a corresponding slot which I've implemented in the design.
Right now I apply a conventional super glue on the nut and press it inside the print, wait for a couple of hours and then use it.
Problem is that the nut keeps falling out of the print when I apply a more tension to the bolt. Can you please advise me on how to make this method work. Maybe some of you aware of special glue for that purposes? | One good option would be to - if possible - change the design, so the nut is inserted from the opposite side, so that the bolt just pulls it in tighter rather than pulling it out.
Another option would be to instead of using a nut, use a brass threaded insert. These are like nuts, except they have ridges that are specifically aimed at locking it inside the plastic. |
Error when trying to upload firmware to cr-10 I've been having trouble uploading the TH3DUF_R2 firmware to my CR-10. I've already successfully flashed the bootloader using my Arduino, but when I try to upload the bootloader I get this error:
avrdude: ser_open(): can't set com-state for "\\.\COM4"
Things I've tried:
Changing the usb drivers
Changing the baud rate
Using a different computers without any other usb devices
My printer is not functional right now with just a bootloader and no firmware, so I'm not really sure where to go from here. | Two possible solutions are given in this thread: Upload error: avrdude: ser_open(): can't set com-state for "\.\COM17"
This post says:
i am able to fix this problem very easily... just press reset button on arduino and unplug from usb and go to the arduino software installation directory (c:/program files/ arduino) and open drivers folder and open
dpinst-amd64 by double clicking on it and just install that if it not runs may be your system runs with 32bit and open the file below the previously opened file and install it again.. close arduino programming software and open it again and choose your board and com ports and now it should upload to your board...enjoy...
Or try the solution from this post:
I could fix this problem! Maybe this solution will works for you:
in device manager I had unnistalled the drivers that I had. After reconnect it then it appears in "Other dispositives" with the name
"USB 2.0Serial". There are cases that it appears like "FT232RUSB
UART".
my serial conversor chip on arduino uno board is "CH340G". Check this on your controller boards because others like "CN480661" has
another fix method. If you can't find this chip maybe this video could
help you (in spanish, sorry, is where i found the solution):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4ar5sjbZFg
download the drivers "CH341SE" from this url: https://www.dropbox.com/s/3csnhlsbdrznbp3/CH341SER.zip?dl=0 and then
decompress it in a folder
in device manager check whether the arduino is shown (reconnect it for that if you didn't do it in `step 1) then do right click -> update
software -> browse software in the computer -> examine or browse
Now you have to search the folder in which you decompress the drivers (step 3). After then pulse accept, ignore any advertice and
continue. Then it will install the drivers and you will be able to use
your arduino.
NOTE: If in this last step windows has an error you need to enable the
unknown digital signature installation. check other tutorials for this
These seem to be the only two solutions that worked for other people experiencing the same issue. |
Is this very large flat panel printable in ABS? I am designing an part for my car. It is a panel for the rear door. I want to add it some cases for tools, but before going on, could you tell me:
It is a large flat panel, around 100cm by 35cm.
Is it going to be suitable for printing in that ABS material? Is it too big? | ABS would be fine, as a material, for the application.
The problem, given the scale, would be the printing device used. I would suggest that you have the piece cut to spec for you using a polycarbonate.
If you have access to a workshop you could do so yourself if you set up proper fencing using a larger sized bandsaw(with a very fine toothed blade), had rollers to help support the size of your piece(as it would not fit on the tool's platform) and likely need a second set of hands to help control the outfeed. You would also need to drill access for the cut out then cut the perimetre.
You could also consider printing(ABS) in smaller sections then fusing each section together edge to edge(solvent welding of ABS is very strong and permanent), if you were really dead set on using a typical 3D printer for this. It would, in theory, be possible, but it would be very tedious. The adhesives, and cleaner, would be available from any plumbing supply and/or (home depot, lowes, walmart et al.). If you go this route be sure to have ample ventilation and plan your work space well in advance. I would not recommend this option but it is "possible".
Given the scale of the piece though, and for sake of accuracy, going to a shop with CNC equipment and using polycarbonate would be your best bet. |
fill in svg or stl design This is a line drawing and I would like to print it a couple of mm high. I cannot figure out how to get this line drawing filled. I converted to SVG with Inkscape, used GIMP, took it online to TinkerCad and tried it with Onshape but all I ever get is just the line and this does not work well on my printer. What is a smart way to get this filled in and ready to go?
I use TinkerCad to convert to STL and that works fine. So I could also try to edit the STL in stead of the SVG file.
Maybe I should print the original scanned image (TIFF) and then fill it by hand with black ink and then scan it and convert it to SVG but that sounds really dumb.
UPDATE
I went back to the original drawing and using the bucket tool. The result is a rather noisy image and I need it to be sharp and tight to be able to convert it to a good SVG later on.
Looks like it is more of a graphics design question now..
https://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/94773/from-drawing-to-3d-print | If you don't mind adding another tool to your toolbox, you can use a plug-in for Inkscape called Inkscape OpenSCAD DXF Export that will convert your SVG drawing to appropriate code to import to OpenSCAD. Even if you aren't keen on learning OpenSCAD, once you have the code, press F5 for a preview, F6 for a rendering and then export the STL file.
The link on Thingiverse gives instructions how to add the plug-in (extension) to Inkscape, which is relatively simple. I've been using the extension for applicable projects with great success. Expect minor complications for closed paths within other paths, however. You may have to create separate STL files for those paths and use Boolean subtraction to remove the "holes" as needed.
The extension is slightly counter-intuitive. Be sure to manually add the .scad extension to the file as it does not perform that task automatically.
UPDATE: I have discovered that the above link is not the one I've been using. I'm leaving it in place as it may be useful to others to have the ability to create .DXF files from Inkscape. The correct one is called Inkscape to OpenSCAD converter v6 and works as described above.
As always, read and follow all label instructions. Do not operate heavy machinery after using this product. |
Pretty ugly surface remains after using support ramp. Are my slicer settings correct? I'm printing a object with a pretty sizable overhang. And the results, after support removal, are pretty ugly.
Here is the print before support removal.
And here is the final product, sigh.
Finally here are my slic3r settings:
Generate Support Material: [✔]
Overhang threshold: 60°
Max Layer Count for Supports: 0 layers
Enforce Support for the First: 0 layers
Raft layers: 0 layers
Options for support material and raft
Contact Z distance: 0.2 (detachable) mm
Pattern: pillars
Pattern spacing: 2.5 mm
Pattern angle: 0°
Interface Layers: 3 layers
Interface pattern spacing: 2 mm
Support on Build Plate Only: [✔]
Don't support bridges: [ ]
The material I'm using is ABS, 230 °C temperature setting. Layers, Adaptive Slicing, Adaptive quality: 75 %, Match horizontal surfaces. Vertical shells, 3 perimeters minimum. Horizontal shells, solid layers: top: 3, bottom 3.
Is there a way to improve this?
Note: for anybody interested... these are small disposable spatulas used to place bondo mix onto a flat surface at the bottom of a restricted space, to fill small holes in wood. Its too tight in there to use a normal putty knife.
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There has been some conversation about print speeds. Included here are the speed settings from Slic3r:
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Gee, looking at this, I'm wondering why there is such a large gap between the gold colored E shaped interface to the blue spatula handle? And that makes me wonder, what support material and raft settings should I be using? Why is that gap so big? (And I have to go back into SolidWorks and check, but I'm nearly certain that handle is 2 mm wide. That gap to the support is really big.) | I'm not terribly familiar with slic3r, but it looks like you have a setting (possibly a default one) to slow down on printing overhangs. This was a popular "feature" in slicing software (Cura has it I know) but it's exactly the opposite of what you should be doing. When slowing down to print an overhang, the pressure in the nozzle forces the material to keep coming out at the same rate it was coming out until it subsides, and you end up with a big hanging glob of ooze like in your photo.
If your printer firmware has linear-advance/pressure-advance functionality, this can mostly be eliminated. But if not (most stock firmware), you need to maintain full speed on overhangs, and might even need to turn up your acceleration limits so that you don't get a significant slowdown just by decelerating to go around the corner. |
Power supply not working Yesterday during a print, the printer just stopped working and all motors and fans stopped. My printer is a Graber i3.
Just before that I saw a flare coming from somewhere in the extruder or from the power supply, I couldn’t actually see.
Checked the voltage coming into the RAMPS and it was 0 V, checked voltage coming from the power supply, also 0 V. Checked the voltage coming into the power supply and it was 217 V... that’s okay, the power supply is switched to 220 V.
Today I tried further troubleshooting, by connecting the power supply to 127 V and having it switched to that voltage, before that I disconnected the RAMPS cable in case it was shorted. The result was the power supply did not work, the voltage coming from it was 0 V.
Got in contact with the manufacturer since the printer is brand new and he is sending me a new power supply, but I do want to try to find the root cause of the problem, so I started looking for shorts in the RAMPS, hotbed is okay, no continuity. Neither of the other connections have shorts, until I got to the hot end heating cartridge, in this convection I found 5 Ω resistance between phases. This was at first no surprise because it makes sense since it’s a heating element, but wanted to make sure, is it okay to have this resistance in the cartridge?
Do you guys have any other suggestion for troubleshooting or possible root causes for this issue?
UPDATE 02/OCT/2019:
I decided to open the power supply, so maybe I could fix it and have it as a back up. First thing I see once opened, the fuse was blown! So I replaced it, since it is soldered and it is a 8A 250V 3x10mm, which happens to be hard to find... took quite a while. Once the repair was done, plugged it in and boom, another firework happened, this time blowing a resistor and not the fuse.
Conclusion: it wasn’t the fuse, another thing caused the first and second shortening. | I would expect the root cause to simply be the power supply itself.
5 Ω is a reasonable resistance for a 12 V / 30 W heater. It seems strange that you are not seeing continuity in the heated bed as this should also have a low resistance (since it's a heater as well). This might be worth investigating further, but I think it's more likely the power supply itself is the cause (and you simply made a measurement error). |
Wiring BLTouch V3.1 on Anet A6 and the JST connector polarity I have looked at many tutorials already but I am not sure about how I should wire this properly. I bought a BLTouch V3.1 together with an extension cable
Now, the thing is, with that extension cable you get one set of wires for the servo in a Dupont connection (brown, red, yellow) and one for the Z-min in a JST connection (black, white).
The JST connection actually has room for three cables, and when holding it the way you can plug it into the Anet A6 you have the following order: Empty, Black, White. However, IIRC the input Z-min input on the Anet wants the following order: GND, VCC, Z-min.
So if I would use the cable like this. then I would connect the black wire of the BLTouch to the VCC. Will this cause any trouble with my BLtouch?
Because I think it does, but then again, why would you sell such a wire. | Black is GND and should not be connected to VCC.
Note that you can simply pop out the metal parts (use a pin to press a small clip) from the connector and rearrange how you want them to be.
Note that most printer controller boards have the GND of all the endstops connected, so technically you don't need the black wire at all. I make my own extension cables (from 4 wire cable) where the brown and black are connected at the sensor side and a single white wire is used for the Z-min endstop. |
Making your own filament I"m considering making my own filament, with a device like the one at http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:380987. Partly because it's another machine to build, which is cool, but also to save money on filament.
Has anyone here tried to make their own filament? My main questions are:
Is the quality comparable to typical off-the-shelf filaments? Put another way, with reasonable tuning can one produce filament that's good enough to use without a lot of frustration?
Does it require a lot of attention to tuning, monitoring, or other details (which make it less worthwhile / more time-consuming)? Warning of pitfalls to avoid is also welcome.
Are there useful things one can do this way, that are hard to achieve with off-the-shelf filaments? For example, unusual materials; better control of diameter, density, etc; or mixing one's own colors? | Quality depends on 3 things:
Quality of pellets (purity, fillers, color)
Where/how they are stored before and during the extrusion (humidity, contaminants)
Have a filter in your extruder to get rid of random junk and air bubbles ending up in your filament (250 micron wire mesh filter)
There's no secret formula the filament producing companies have, they just have very efficient and very fast filament producing machines (of course very expensive, too). But when it comes to vanilla ABS or PLA, it's almost the same content.
Personal experience: no. If you get the same pellets, store it in the same place and run your extruder in the same place, it should behave the same.
I don't think there is some filament mixture you won't be able to find anywhere, but you might be able to make it yourself cheaper. Example: mixing strontium aluminate powder for glow in the dark filament (come in many colors, not just green).
I'd recommend this design: http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-your-own-3d-printing-filament-factory-Filame/
It produces filament pretty fast (one full 1kg spoon in 3-4 hours). Just make sure you have enough experience to not electrocute yourself while assembling this as the heaters use mains power.
I personally think the commercial "hobby" extruders are not worth the money. I also own the Filastruder and it's just no different and slower than the above, unless you care about a pretty plywood case for your extruder I see no advantage and since it uses off-the-shelf parts itself why bother buying a kit like that than sourcing the parts yourself? |
Filament choice for coasters Which filament is good for a coaster for a hot cup?
I don't expect PLA to be good because it can easily melt under a hot cup.
Note, I can't use ABS because I don't have an enclosed printer. | Even if you pour in boiling water in a cup, the outside of the cup will have a lower temperature. When resting on a coaster, usually a small part of the cup actually touches the coaster. Also, the design of the coaster could influence the heat transfer, a more open structure of the coaster may be beneficial. Some people print coasters in PLA although the glass temperature (temperature at which the plastic becomes soft, this is usually the temperature of your bed when you print the material) may be lower than than the temperature of the cup, the filament will weaken (for PLA at about 50 °C), but not melt , melting of PLA happens at a higher temperature (for PLA above 150 °C) than your mug can get (unless you pour liquid metal in it). It should therefore be doable in PLA, I have printed a PLA coaster that has very small ridges (about 1 mm) of an embossed image and placed a cup with boiling water on it, to find that the coaster is able to withstand the temperature of the cup without deforming (the ridges do not fail or deform).
To elaborate on the filament materials other than PLA; there are many filament types that have higher glass temperatures, but are still very printable. Various types of co-polyesters exist, like PETG, that have a higher glass temperature (> 85 °C), are a substitute for ABS and still very well printable. Nylon is also a material that can be used, there are brands that have low warp nylon.
Note that there are a few options to print ABS while you have a non-enclosed printer, you could
fabricate some cardboard pieces for a temporary enclosure,
place the printer in an non-draft room or
print the skirt height at the height of the print part.
Note that coasters have a relative low profile height, it should not be that big of a problem to print ABS coasters on an open printer. |
How fast can printer head move without damaging steppers? Is there any risk of damaging stepper motors if I set too big travel speed?
What is maximum safe travel speed?
My printer is a German RepRap Neo.
I currently use 120 mm/s. Is it safe to increase this value to 200 mm/s?
What would my printer do if I set very big travel speed? | Short answer no
We use stepper drivers to limit the current, the travel speed is at capped by the amount of current supplied by the stepper drivers. This prevents the stepper motors from damaging themselves. You can set 200mm/s in the slicer, but you have no guarantee that that will be reached in real life.
One thing to keep in mind though is that setting your travel speed too high can induce artifacts such: shifted layers, ghosting, uneven extrusion, etc. So the best thing is to keep the speeds within the specified limits. |
Extruder increase temperature I bought a month ago the Artillery Genius. Everything was pretty good until today, I was printing a test cube and it stopped pulling out filament, when I looked the temperature it was -15 °C, a few seconds after the thermistor sensor broke and got stuck on the extruder creating a little bit of smoke. I had bought a thermistor sensor and a heater cartridge original replacement. I changed both and turn the printer back on. As soon I turn it on the extruder start to increase the temperature, almost 300 °C and then change to -15 °C. I checked the connections multiple times, I even change the sensor with another one, but nothing works. I checked the boards, cables but everything looks great. Don't know what else can be. I already contacted customer support but just want to look for another opinion while waiting for there answer. | Your printer does seem to have a firmware problem and lack important safety features - it should have stopped the moment it went 300°C measurement, beeped like hell, and shut down with an error message about Thermal Runaway Protection. Immediately stop using the printer!
Before you try to print again, you need to make a proper firmware for your printer, one that has both Mintemp, Maxtemp as well as Thermal Runaway Protection actiive and flash that. While setting up your firmware, make sure you use the right temperature table for your thermosensor. How to do that is detailed here. |
New RepRap Discount Smart Controller blinks and beeps, but doesn't display Main board: MKS GEN L V1.4
The SD card reader on the original controller LCD (from four years ago, or so) went out, so I replaced it with a touch screen. I found, however, that I don't like the touchscreen interface as much as the LCD home screen, so I ordered what I thought was an identical LCD controller. They certainly look the same.
The original controller is plugged in now and working. It should just be a matter of the EXP1 and EXP2 cables between new and old, but when I plug it in and fire up the printer, the beeper starts a constant, weak beeping, the screen sort of flashes on/off, on/off... Is there something I'm missing? Some fundamental difference between the old LCDs and the new? Is there firmware I'm missing?
EDIT: I saw this post that talks about turning the slots, but they don't move and I'm afraid of applying too much pressure. How hard should it be? Can I accomplish the same thing by reversing the connector on one end of the ribbon cable? | So, the answer in the other referenced post was correct, the slots were turned opposite how they should have been. AND YES: you can create a "crossover" ribbon cable and everything works great, so physically turning the slots is not necessary. |
Ender 3 print is skipping and dragging up base print lines I have only been able to get my prints this far. They just can’t stop skipping pulling material up towards the nozzle which then melts pulls of another random bit. At first I thought it was motor skipping, so I strengthened the spring, but even after that and calibrating the bed, I couldn’t figure out exactly how to fix this issue. Hopefully someone has some idea what is wrong. | So, contrary to what people were saying, my problem came from my spring that controlled filament flow. There was too much tension and it caused motor skipping. I did get rid of the overlap with the blue tape, but otherwise I had to clamp down my spring and that fixed the issue. |
How can I scan a thing and modify it or scan two things and compare them? I've been asking people about this, not no clue yet.
I want to scan a thing and modify it a little.
For example I have an object with 3 parts and
I want to change the position of the third part relative to the other 2 parts.
For example I have a certain object and I want to modify it a little to see
how the air flow around them would change.
Or I want to scan two similar things and see what's the difference between them
PRECISELY... is there any way to do this? | While I'm not sure what you mean by I want to scan a thing and modify it a little to see its effect. In general, a 3D scan typically results in a series of raw points. You'll need to convert the 3D point cloud into a Mesh before you can really do any solid modeling with it. Here are a few OpenSource programs that you could potentially use:
MeshLab
Blender
CloudCompare
To compare two scans, you could use the raw data in CloudCompare as well.
However, without knowing what your intended use is, it's difficult to tell how to help you. Please consider updating your response with a bit more of your own research so that we may definitively answer your question. |
Bed leveling problem My start G-code:
M92 E128 ; Set E steps to 124 DEFAULT 130
M500 ; Store Settings
G28 X0 Y0 Z0; home all axes
G92 X-3.0 Y-12.0 Z-1.599; set home offsets
G1 X0 Y0 Z0.2 F3000 ; get ready to prime
G92 E0 ; reset extrusion distance
G1 X160 E15 F600 ; prime nozzle
G1 X180 F5000 ; quick wipe
Is used on a Creality CR 10 S5 with upgrades:
whambam systems print bed
micro swiss direct drive print head
BLTouch (doesn't function correctly)
Auto home (nozzle is off the bed and too low, Z -3.99)
(When printing Start I used G92 X-3.0 Y-12.0 Z-1.599; to correct this in Cura 4.8
Raise the Z axis to 2.8
Did 4 corners and adjusted the screws at each corner
Everything is supposedly level at 2.8
Nope its not.
It is not level and the 3D print isn't right.
After months of messing with the screws I decided to get a BLTouch because everyone seems to do that.
I got it almost right but clearly in parts the nozzle is too close and generates small lumps or too high and gets stringy. The instructions have a broken download link.
So I finally get my BLTouch. (x2)
Attaching it wasn't a problem, but nightmares with the firmware.
So I had a 1.1.6 I got from the Creality web site and uploaded.
All the cables attached correctly, including disconnecting the Z axis limit switch and attachment of the BLTouch. Calibrated the BLTouch height screw.
Fire it up, and try to level it.
Goes to the center
Spins the Z axis downwards and never stops
Next up, reconnected the Z axis limit switch and not connect that part of the BLTouch.
This time it seems to level it, but via limit switch and not bed level.
At least I get numbers indicating some kind of level starting at the far right 4.96 with a high of 5.15 on the left front corner. However, the limit switch triggers at -3.99 so actually the numbers should probably be lower.
Downloaded a new firmware, trying to level, Z axis motor spins upwards out of control
Download a different firmware, Similar to the 2nd last attempt, accept it forgot how to print correctly and only uses 250-500 on both the X and Y axis. Also I don't think its printing what I wanted, It isn't the correct shape at all.
I tried 2 different BLTouch sensors. Both had same results.
Any ideas about getting a good firmware?
Any ideas how to get BLTouch working correctly so I can level it that way?
Until it triggers the Z axis at bed level it probably won't work correctly.
I figured out later that the black and white wires needed to be reversed. So the bed leveling system is working, apart from the fact it isn't yet level.
However, the BLTouch firmware is mucking this up. It only wants to print from X, Y 250 to 500. So 75 % is unusable.
How do I fix this. I spent hours tweaking the screws and still don't have great results. | To address the firmware problems, Download a fresh edition of Marlin 2.0.x and configure the Configuration.h and Configuration_adv.h yourself. Others' configurations are expecting fully stock parts, and will not be compatible with your system.
Your main problem seems to be in your Probe Z-Offset. To get good level, you need to calculate how far above the bed the nozzle is when the probe triggers. The BLTouch height screw is NOT for Z offset adjustment, and the Z-offset needs to be set with M851 in Marlin. See https://marlinfw.org/docs/gcode/M851.html for more detail on how to do this.
Additionally, the Z-MIN switch should not be connected when using the BLTouch, as it IS the new Z-MIN sensor. |
Prusa's P.I.N.D.A. XYZ axes calibration fails with generic message "Consult the manual" I have just built a Prusa i3 MK2 printer. One of its features is automatic XYZ axes calibration done using inductive probe which is located next to the nozzle.
In my case, this calibration procedure failed with the message:
XYZ calibration failed. Please consult the manual.
The manual on this problem reads:
XYZ calibration failed. Bed calibration point was not found.
Calibration routine did not find a bed sensor point. The printer stops close to the bed
point, which it failed to detect. Please verify, that the printer is assembled correctly,
that all axes move freely, the pulleys do not slip and the print nozzle is clean. If
everything looks good, re-run the X/Y calibration and verify with a sheet of paper
between the nozzle and the print bed that the print nozzle does not touch the print
bed during the calibration routine. If you feel a friction of the nozzle against the sheet
of paper and the nozzle is clean, you need to screw the PINDA probe slightly lower
and re-run the X/Y calibration.
XYZ calibration failed. Please consult the manual.
The calibration points were found in positions far from what should be expected for a
properly assembled printer. Please follow the instructions of case 1).
My nozzle is new, therefore clean and I have already checked that all axes move without any problems. The manual does not seem to offer any additional advice.
I tried to put the PINDA probe lower. It had helped the calibration, but at the same time the probe was lower than the nozzle, which means I couldn't print with it being on the extruder.
What else can I check? How to find the issue? This is my first printer, so I'm totally clueless. | One thing, and the one that eventually solved my problem, is to update the firmware. Firmware update instructions: Upgrading firmware - Prusa3D
The only thing you might get stuck on is selecting the right COM port.
Go to the device manager (run devmgmt.msc)
In COM and LPT section, you should see port for your printer by name. Select that port number in the firmware update tool.
In my case, I had to run the calibration twice before it worked. I had no problems since then. |
What filament material is safe to use as in-wall housing (US)? Which type of filament material(s) is safe to use as an in-wall box for regular, 120v wiring? For instance, an electrical outlet box.
In case it matters, location is the state of Washington, USA. | I haven't tested the commercial "blue boxes" used to hold 120/240 V electrical outlets, switches, and splices to see how they behave when heated. As such, this argument is based on intuition, which is intrinsically flawed as a logic device. Never-the-less, I think the no extruded molten plastic (FFF) 3D printing filament will work.
The purpose of the junction box is to contain an overheating connection or switch and prevent it from causing a fire in the wall. Any FFF filament will have a melting point below the ignition point of wood, and would therefore flow away from the overheating point. It seems that any thermoplastic with a "normal" melting point would have this problem.
You might look at UV polymerized printing resins, such as are used in the Stratasys Objet, Form Labs, and Prusa SL1. These printing processes aren't constrained to use plastics that can be melted or heat softened. Because the polymerization can involve more aggressive crosslinking (polymerization) that FFF materials, they have the potential to be good for a higher temperature.
As an example of a high-temperature, non-melting plastic which could perhaps have an analogue in SLS resin, polyester "casting compound" is cross linked by a methyl-ethyl-ketone-peroxide catalyst to form clear solid. 24 hours after the polymerization starts, the solid does not melt under the influence of a hot air gun. I tried to melt it and it would not melt. It slightly softened, but the plastic cup I had cast it in was dripping away -- but the polyester was not melting.
I looked through the Stratasys materials and Form Labs materials and did not see a much higher temperature material. |
Frightened of Cheap Chinese Power Supply as I hook up the heated bed My 12V DC 30A Power Supply 360W Power Supply is really cheap, and it's worked well for setting up the motors; but now that I'm on to the heated bed, which uses considerably more Ampage than that of just the motors, I'll confess, I'm getting frightened to continue using it; if the summer was a bit longer, maybe it wouldn't bother me, but we're getting into the cold months, and now I'm afraid of ending up using too much ampage just trying to heat the bed in the winter months...(and I don't mean my bed). Is there anything I should look out for in terms of using the either the cheap power supply I already have, or are there certain specs on a new not-so-cheap power supply that I ought to be using instead? | A MK2 heatbed will draw around 12A. The motors and hotend draw only very little power (around 2A, 5A peak), so the 30A supply you have has significant headroom (it is often recommended to derate a power supply by 20%, so a 30A supply would be good for 24A - you're still well under that). It should work fine, even given its dubious provenance.
Winter versus summer should not make a big difference. The largest power draw is during the heat up phase. In winter, the bed will use slightly more power to stay warm, but regardless of whether it is summer or winter the peak power draw during heat up will be the same.
The cheapness of these supplies tends to be reflected in more output ripple (but for heating the bed and running the motors you don't need a very stable voltage) and improper filtering. This may inject noise back into the mains, possibly affecting other equipment nearby. Should this occur, you can just stop using the power supply. However, in my experience, they can deliver the rated power just fine. They're not completely horrible.
Your biggest concern should be whether the wires that lead to your heated bed can handle the current and whether the screw terminals are properly tightened. During the first use, you should check that the power supply does not get extremely hot. If it's so hot it's impossible to touch for more than 1-2 seconds you should not use it. |
Why does the prusa i3 sometimes put the layer more right or left as they should be? I often tried to print sth in the prusa i3-mk3 but in most time he prints at the middle of the object more right or left. Can someone please tell me why that comes? | I'm not sure if I read your question correctly, but if I do, what you are referring to is called "layer shifting" and looks like this:
This happens when the stepper motors fail to perform a step upon receiving the signal from the firmware. Since stepper motors do not have any way to know their actual position (differently, for example, than servos) they will keep on printing as if nothing happened, and thus the subsequent layers will be shifted of the amount of steps they missed to perform.
Moving on to why this happens in sth... I don't own a MK3, but I take it that sth is short for stealth mode, the new silent mode that has been widely showcased in reviews and articles on the printer.
That mode of operation is made possible by the Trinamic TMC2130 stepper drivers. Normally these drivers monitor the power consumption of the steppers and are capable of deduce a missed step by sudden changes in that. If they do, the MK3 will actually re-home the X and Y axis to fix the problem and resume printing normally.
However when operating in their StealthChop mode, the TMC drivers provide less energy to the motor themselves (to keep them operating quietly) and - more importantly - are unable to detect missed steps. Less power will make much more likely that any sort of resistance to the print head movement will cause missed steps, the absence of detection will cause the printer to not even notice and cause layer shifting.
Again, I don't own a MK3 and I have no direct experience with it, but I would suggest updating the firmware to the very last version: I read in an article some weeks ago that a recent version addressed exactly your problem, by progressively increasing the power output along the Z axis (as the likelihood of layer shifting increases with the height of the print). |
What kind of aluminium grade for a heated 3D printer bed? I'm replacing my standard MK3 Aluminium printing bed with a custom sized bed paired with a silicone heater. I came across a few on Amazon and they all have grades such as 6061, 3003, 5052 etc. I know these mean the composition of the Al alloy and their end purpose but I'm not sure what they mean in terms of being used for a 3D printer. Can anyone here advise me on this? | Various grades and alloys of aluminum will have characteristics related to ease of welding, resistance to corrosion, malleability, and other aspects. For a heated bed on a 3D printer, you'd really want to have something resistant to warping and something that can be assured to be planar across the surface, that is, flat.
The terminology you'd want to use for your search is "MIC 6 Cast Aluminum Tooling Plate" and the results are many.
From a rather comprehensive web site:
Flatness tolerance is maintained within .015" on 1/4"-5/8" thickness and .005" on 3/4"- 4" thickness. Thermal Cycling can be performed up to 800° F under controlled conditions.
You would want to confirm from the seller that the surface has been prepared, as some sites appear to sell un-finished tooling plate, but I've not been able to clarify that. Most appear to provide either no specifications regarding flatness or give a figure such as that above. |
Herringbone timing belt? I realized while playing around with 3D printed gears that it would be easy to make a 3D printed herringbone-style timing belt and matching gears/pulleys. Would such a design have any advantages over typical GT2 timing belts used in 3D printers? I figure the belt contact around the gear/pulley is sufficient that it doesn't make a big difference to smooth transfer of force like it does with meshing gears, but it would prevent lateral movement of the belt. Are there other advantages (or disadvantages)? I would assume it's harder to produce the belt with conventional manufacturing techniques, but of course it's easy to produce with a 3D printer and TPU or other flexible material. | At a nearly microscopic level, the herringbone belt/gear combination will reduce the whoosh effect of a square profile cogged belt forcing itself into a matching profile pulley. Consider a well-sealed drawer or similar shape. Push it into the cabinet at maximum speed and force and the air is going to have a difficult time exiting.
By the design of the herringbone belt, the teeth on the belt are eased into the groove in what amounts to a diagonal motion. This permits the air to be exhausted in a less-abrupt manner.
This is part of the concept of Goodyear Eagle belt systems.
Part of the sales pitch is quiet, another part is precision, which I expect falls into the self-centering aspect of the design. Yet another described characteristic is reduced vibration, certainly valuable in the 3D printer world.
I've had no luck getting email communications from the manufacturers regarding this type of drive system, but found that commercially available belts and pulleys do not go below a rather large diameter, making that aspect unsuitable for 3D printing. The belts are also high-load capable, very stiff and also quite wide.
You would not want to use TPU or other flexible filament (perhaps obc?)* unless you could be assured of minimal stretch. Any stretching of the belt would inject too many problems into the printer to compensate in practical terms.
*From MatterHackers web site:
OBC (Olefin Block Copolymer) 3D printing filament from Dow Chemical is
a breakthrough material that is both flexible when printed thin and
rigid when printed.
As an anecdote, I desired to replace the x-axis belt on my laser cutter with a Silent Sync system. It is believed on at least one laser-cutter forum that the GT style belts cause oscillation which appears when engraving. I had hoped to discover that the Silent Sync belts and pulleys would solve this problem, but the lack of communications with the manufacturer threw a wrench in the works. It's unlikely that I can 3D print a 2.5 meter long segment of belt, as I don't own a White Knight printer, but it's interesting to think that OBC filament might do the job well enough. Too much experimentation, however. |
Problem printing circles/holes on Anycubic I3 mega For some time I've been struggling to print models with holes going all the way through from top to bottom. Models without those holes print out just fine. I've spend quite some time on levelling the bed, so I think the levelling is fine. I'm using Cura 4.5 with the default settings (normal profile) for the Anycubic I3 mega.
At first I had the problem of the initial circles not sticking to the bed. This is what it looked like:
Then (after doing a lot of searching on the internet) I changed the following settings in Cura:
Initial layer height: 0.1 -> 0.3
Optimize wall printing order: false -> true
After that the circles seemed to stick better, but still the bottom layer looks quite messy. This is a picture of the bottom of the object printed with these settings:
And this is what it looks like from the top:
As you can see, it still gets quite messy around the circles, and they seem to be detached from the rest of the model.
After this (and doing a lot more browsing) I decided to make the following change in Cura:
Retraction extra prime amount 0 -> 0.07
But to be honest, I have not clue what this really does. This is what the initial layer (of another model) looked liked after changing that setting:
And after a couple of layers it looked like this:
Now (finally) my question, does anyone have an idea on how to make my prints (especially the connection of the circles with the rest of the model) better?
Thanks! | From your images can be seen that:
Your nozzle is too far from the bed (the lines are not touching), so you either need to level with a less thick paper or allow for more friction between the paper and the nozzle. There is also a plugin for Cura to set a Z-offset.
You need to enable Combing mode = Not in Skin and possibly fine tune your retraction settings.
You could benefit from some more adhesion using an adhesion spray. |
How should I power these stepper motors I am rebuilding my printer, a hold Prusa/Mendel that has been boxed for years. I have changed the board ( I am using a Rumba) and the drivers (I am using Pololu 8225) with heatsinks and 1/16 microsteps.
5 motors type 42BYGHW811, rated: 2,5 A, R 1,25 Ohm.
I have set the stepper voltage at 0,8 V for XYE which gives a current of 0,64 A and they seems to work without problems.
To get the same current on Z, where I have 2 motors in parallel, I should set it at 0,4 V but the motors do not turn at such low voltage. They just make noise, no turn. I have M8 rods nicely lubricated on such axis and I can turn them easily by fingers. If I go up to 1 V the motors turns but then the driver gets very hot and I loose steps. May be I should play with the acceleration too?
I am not sure if the above settings are correct. Your hints from your actual settings and experiences will be appreciated. | If the motors are in parallel, then setting it at 0.4V means each motor will only get a quarter of the current a single motor would get at 0.8V. If you set it to 0.8V each motor will get half. I think 0.8V (same as for the other motors) would be an appropriate setting. Stepper drivers are constant-current, not constant-voltage.
Are the steps/mm for your Z-axis correct? Perhaps it's just trying to move too quickly. |
All-metal hot-end Creality Ender 3 Pro jamming issues I have a Creality Ender 3 Pro printer, and just installed the Micro-Swiss All-Metal Hotend for CR-10 S Pro. After installing following the video instructions by Micro Swiss and Teaching Tech, I set it to print a good old Benchy.
Was working fine, until about half way through it blocked up.
The stuck filament appears to be trapped, even when heated to 230 °C, which makes me think it may have melted into a gap somewhere and cooled creating a block. I am using Filamentive PLA.
My questions are a) how should I remove the filament fully without damaging the thermistor and heating element and b) what do I need to do to avoid jamming?
Any suggestions? | The so-called all-metal hotends are sold as upgrades to the lined hotend versions. Actually, they are not. These are different type of hotends that can be used printing at higher temperatures. However, PLA printing at high temperatures is not advised. You rather choose to print at slightly lower temperatures.
What do I need to do to avoid jamming?
This requires that you change the way you operate the hotend/extrusion process. Why? Because the hotend is not lined, the heat from the heating block can more easily creep up the hotend into the coldend. This requires that you have a good performing cooling fan cooling the radiator fins of the coldend. Furthermore, because of the higher temperature (as the liner is not shielding the heat to the filament), the melted and the softened length of the filament in the hotend assembly is substantially longer. This means that excessive retraction lengths can cause soft material to be be pulled back too far. Knowing that the filament diameter is smaller than the tubes or the diameter of the heatbreak, this soft and molten filament can get stuck in the increased diameter section of the heatbreak.
But if it gets jammed,
How should I remove the filament fully without damaging the thermistor and heating element?
You need to ensure that enough heat gets into the hot and coldend to soften all the material. Currently PLA is stuck in the assembly. To soften all the material I would diasble the cooling fan of the coldend and heat up the heater to a temperature of 210-220 °C and keep this warming up for several minutes to allow heat to creep up. You can now try to push the filament through. If this fails wait longer or increase the temperature by 5 °C increments at a time. Too high temperature can cause filament to cook and carbonize. making it effectively harder too clean. If this fails, disassemble the hotend while hot (be careful!) and clean the individual part mechanically or use heat. |
Very old 3D Printer, which brand or type is this? I just received an old 3D printer from one of my school teachers. I have no idea whatsoever as to which brand it is, no instruction manual attached to it, or any other info about it.
How can I find some information about it?
Some links would be very useful. Remember when giving advice that I know nothing about 3D printers.
This is the printer:
Backside
Front
The X-axis stepper
The electronics board | Here are some further details on:
The control board, and;
The stepper motors
Control board
The electronics board has this marking:
EJE Electronics Gubbels Engineering
The serial number is 0070-003
According to this site Xinchejian First Mendel V2 Reprap the board is:
Gen6 Electronics, with AT Mega 644p processor (PCB EJE Electronics, Gubbels Engineering - mendel-parts.com)
It seems to be this board (the serial numbers match):
Information on this board can be found here: Generation 6 Electronics:
Generation 6, or Gen6, can be described as a dedicated, Plug-&-Play, single board solution for FFF/FDM 3D Printers. It is designed to be professionally manufactured, with many small surface mount components, as opposed to Generation 7 which is designed to be printed on a Mendel(among other design goals).
Another major difference with Gen6 electronics is that they use Texas Instruments DRV8811 chips to drive the stepper motors. This means they require firmware modifications from the normal Polulu-based electronics which use Allegro A4983 chips.
It goes on to say:
Benefits of this Design
These electronics are a single board solution, so you don't need all those cables and one thick sheet and 4 reprap parts less.
However, the thick sheet does add a fair amount of rigidity. @$@#?? the bottom thick sheet (big one) doesnt add
much rigidity, the front one is used for stiffness of the frame, not
the bottom one.
It has a standard USB connection (USB A>B cable needed)
It uses micro-stepping (1/8) for quieter operation.
It is cheaper than for example Makerbot's version of the RepRap Generation 3 electronics.
It uses small standard Molex connectors for motors, heater, and optos.
The pcb of the optos are integrated, so you only need the optos on cables with 5way Molex connectors
Hardware Features
on-board USB-RS232 convertor
Integrated hardware for driving one extruder (stepper, heater and thermistor)
RS485 bus connector with the possibility to link through the extruder step and dir signals
Integrated hardware for driving H21LOB or TCST2103 slotted optosensors
High input voltage range: 12-24Vdc
Use of standard connectors with easy and clean installation
Debug LEDs for power, communication and heater output
Reset button
Specifications
Dimensions 110x60mm
Mounting grid: 100x50mm (4x M3)
Input voltage 12-24Vdc
On-board controller: ATmega 644p (Atmel Corp.)
RS485 connector: RJ45
Heat output: MOSFET output, 4A
Thermistors input: 100K thermistor
There is a lot more information on that page, including information about the power supply, USB, End stops, Heaters, Motors, Firmware, etc. I suggest that you read it fully, in order to understand the board's functionality.
Stepper Motors
The stepper's model number can be seen here:
The stepper's model number is SY42STH47-1683B,
which is a NEMA-17 High Torque Hybrid Stepper Motor, with these specifications:
Step angle: 1.8°
Number of phase: 2
Rated voltage: 2.8 V
Rated current: 1.68 A
Holding torque: 4.4 kg/cm
This would be, at least, part of the datasheet:
Here are a couple of links, should you need replacements (~€17):
NEMA-17 (SY42STH47-1684B Stepper Motor) - Polabs)
SY42STH47-1684B High Torque Hybrid Stepper Motors
This stepper motor is also listed on the RepRapWiki - NEMA 17 page:
Model Holding Torque Rated voltage Shaft Step angle Motor length Rated current Inductance
SY42STH47-1684B 43.1 N·cm 2.8 V Ø 5 mm double 1.8° 48 mm n/a n/a |
Why can't powder-based 3D printing techniques create enclosed or hollow structures? Metal powders are the fastest-growing segment within the 3D printing materials market, and 3D printing with metal offers a range of highly-sought out characteristics, including immense strength, reduced weight, biocompatibility and corrosion or thermal resistance, making it ideal for high-demand industries such as aerospace, medical, etc.
Conventional methods require focusing a very intense energy source, such as a laser or electron beam, across a bed of metal powder, fusing the powder particles together in a pre-determined pattern to create the final 3D structure.
While this method does allow for incredibly strong metal 3D structures to be produced, it has its drawbacks, mainly:
it is prohibitively expensive and time consuming;
it does not allow for certain types of architectures, such as those that are hollow and enclosed, and;
it is limited by the types of compatible metals and alloys that can be used.
If we ignore the cost, why can't we do hollow or enclosed architectures to be printed with this technique?
Source: A closer look at the 12 biggest 3D printing tech innovations of the first half of 2016. | It's not hollow or enclosed structures that are a problem. It's structures that are hollow and enclosed. Think about it. The machine lays down a thin layer of powder, and then a laser fuses some of that powder together to make a shape. Then, it repeats the process for the next layer. If you try to build, for example, a hollow ball, the ball gets created in the middle of the powder, meaning that there will be powder around the outside of the ball and in the inside of the ball, and with the ball completely enclosed, there is no way for the powder that ends up inside the ball to get out. That's why hollow objects printed in this manner must have a hole somewhere to let out the powder contained in the object.
This is not only true of metal powder, but any 3D printing process that uses a bed of powder or a volume of resin and fuses some of it into a shape. Fused deposition modelling (FDM), the process used by most consumer-level 3D printers, build models in thin air, so only air is trapped inside the printed objects, making the printing of hollow, enclosed objects less of a problem. Of course, one has to deal with gravity. A hollow object might collapse before the filament hardens enough to support its weight. |
Avoiding stringing with flexible filament I have some flexible PLA filament (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VKSSA4E/, presumably a mix of PLA with some platicizer) that's supposed to be easy to print with settings similar to regular PLA. I've seen recommendations to disable retraction, and indeed I get huge failures to extrude at all for a while after retraction if it's enabled. But with retraction disabled, I get stringing all over the place, and since the material isn't brittle, it's really difficult to remove.
I'm using a bed temp of 60 and print temp of 220, increased from 210 for normal PLA since I had trouble getting it to adhere at lower temp. Printer is Creality Ender 3. Using CuraEngine for slicing. The extruder is feeding the material fine; there's no kinking going on or anything.
Where should I start trying to improve this? Might retraction work with a really really slow print speed or greatly reduced retraction distance? Or are there other ways to avoid stringing? | You could enable combing in the slicer. Combing not only prevents retracts, it also uses already laid down paths for movement from one to the other location and as such reduces the amount of stringing. |
New RAMPS 1.6 not working I just bought a new RAMPS 1.6 shield to replace my old RAMPS 1.4 shield. The problem is that it's just not working, the motors don't move, heatbed/nozzle don't get heated. It was all working with the RAMPS 1.4 shield.
I checked the RAMPS 1.6 and there's no bridging in the solder joints.
The DRV8255 is drawing current also but the motor doesn't move.
I am using Repetier Firmware. I tried Marlin (default) and even it's not working. | Pins are sometimes different between the two shields. I ran into one a while back... Go over the pin specs for the 1.6 one at a time.
Correction: pins are SUPPOSED to be the same. I've however experienced them not being the same. I don't know if my 1.3s were the oddballs or if the 1.6 was. |
Reprogram Marlin to assign endstop pins to arbitrary tasks [Arduino Mega] Can someone point me out an appropriate entry code for this task in Marlin source code? | Apparently, given one
has already enabled USE_<AXIS>_PLUG (for example
<AXIS> = XMIN) in Marlin's Configuration.h,
one can add an additional define (for example <AXIS>_ENDSTOP_CUSTOM) in
Configuration.h and
make this block the else statement in an
<AXIS>_ENDSTOP_CUSTOM existence check, with the positive case being your
arbitrary task.
The function that gets executed in the standard case in the linked block is PROCESS_ENDSTOP, so cloning it would be a good starting point to make a PROCESS_ENDSTOP_CUSTOM task, too. |
Identify temperature sensor Am wondering if anybody knows what type of sensor this is (from a build plate).
Perhaps a thermocoupler? The colouring of the wires seems to suggest it is not directional?
Would like to know details so that I can make use of it in my own projects. | It is quite likely not a thermocouple, but a thermistor:
A thermocouple would look like a small blob of metal. The tip of your temperature sensor appears to be a glass bead, which is a commonly used way to encase thermistors.
Thermocouples are polarized. The fact that the wiring is not "directional" suggests it is a thermistor.
Thermocouples are used in high-temperature applications (such as a high-temperature hotend for printing specialty materials), where a thermistor would break down. The bed is not such a high-temperature application.
You can easily verify this with a multimeter. If it was a thermocouple, its resistance would be near zero. With a thermistor, you should see a decent amount of resistance (most 3D printing thermistors are 100k at room temperature). |
Is 12V and 15A enough to make work a Ramps 1.6 Plus and two stepper motors? I want to make an order with this configuration
Arduino MEGA 2650 R3
Ramps 1.6 Plus
2 TMC2130
2 Stepper motors 17hs3401
1 Fan
But I am not sure what voltage and current would be enough to make it work. The Ramps 1.6+ board has an input of 12V as you can see in the picture, but I have read that other people had to increase the voltage with a DC-DC converter.
So, would be 12V and 15A enough to make work that configuration? | The easiest way to know how powerful the PSU should be is to download from https://github.com/rcarlyle/StepperSim the Excel workbook which simulates the power absorbed by the stepper motor. Input the motor specifications, check in the graph the max speed at which you plan to run it, check the absorbed power, add 20% for the various losses. Once you know the absorbed power, you can multiply by the number of stepper motors and obtain the current required, add 20% not to stress the PSU too much.
In you case, this is the result
Your motor will never absorb more than 7 W, 14 W for the two motors, around 20 W considering losses in the motors and overcapacity of the PSU. This means that around 2 A PSU will be perfect for your setup.
Previous answer, which may not be completely correct but still provides a useful background knowledge:
The TMC drivers limit the current to the value you set, which is most of the time lower than the datasheet. In no case you will need more than 1.3 A * sqrt(2) * 2 motors = 3.6 A. In fact, you won't need this much either.
When there is no field in a coil, the driver applies full voltage, but the current is low (initially zero) so you don't hit the 1.3 A per coil.
The current increases (the higher the maximum voltage available to the driver, the faster it increases) and the driver (probably) keeps the full voltage until the preset current is reached. Just a moment before that, the current is almost there, but you still have full voltage from the power supply. This is the theoretical worst case, but it applies only for a very short amount of time.
As soon as the current reaches the preset, the driver "cuts the voltage" to keep 2.4 ohm * 1.3 A = 3.2 V (because V = R * I). This means that the power supply sees 3.2 A/12 V*1.3 A = 0.35 A.
When running, the motors almost never start from zero to max current: both coils are powered and when one increases, the other one decreases.
In fact, the microstepping makes the steppers act more or less like AC motors with two phases. This means that overall the current is the max current per phase multipled by sqrt(2). Also, when using microstepping one phase (coil) is not completely shut off, but two of them work at the same time (with different current levels). This means that in total one compensates the other, and the power supply only provides, more or less, 0.35 * 1.4 = 0.5 A per stepper. You have two, so it's 1 A total, therefore 2 A PSU considering the inefficiencies.
A very easy and complete explanation is provided here:
By controlling the duty cycle of the chopper, an average voltage and
an average current equal to the nominal motor voltage and current are
created.
...
As the current increases, a voltage develops across the
sensing resistor, which is fed back to the comparator. At the
predetermined level, defined by the voltage at the reference input,
the comparator resets the flipflop, which turns off the output
transistor. The current decreases until the clock oscillator triggers
the flip-flops, which turns on the output transistor again, and the
cycle is repeated
So you never have coming out of the PSU more than the preset current.
Supply current is not the same as the motor current in a copper drive. It is the motor current multiplied by the dutycycle, at
standstill typically Isupply = IM · ( VM ⁄ Vsupply )
...
Depending on
how the H-bridge is switched during the turn-off period, the current
will either recirculate through one transistor and one diode (path 2),
giving the slow current decay, or recirculate back through the power
supply (path 3). The advantage of feeding the power back to the
power supply is the fast current decay and the ability to quickly
reduce to a lower current level. |
What is this called and where can I buy a replacement? In the image, there is an object circled in blue on the anet a8 printer that I need to buy a replacement of, however, I can not find it online, please help. | This is the throat block for direct drive extrusion, Anet8 is a cheap clone of Prusa printers, so it's easy to find parts for Anet printers.
This is one extruder kit that may help your needs, 1 Unidades Impresora 3D makerbot MK8 Extrusora De extrusión de Aluminio Bloque de DIY Kit para Reprap i3. This is a link for Aliexpress - of course there are other dealers. |
Bad PEI plate adhesion to heated bed I'm (surprisingly) having a problem getting my PEI substrate to stick to the heated bed surface. The ABS item being printed stuck great to the PEI surface. I've not seen anyone else post on this problem, but perhaps someone has seen it.
Note, this is the PRINT SURFACE warping, not the item being printed. That part went great with no delamination even on a large flat bottom.
I'm using 3M 468 adhesive to attach a PEI plastic sheet directly to the heated surface of my Flashforge Creator Pro printer. The heated bed is anodized black and the adhesive is a sheet cut to the requisite 6" X 9". It seemed fine and looked pretty good with few air bubbles when first attached, but the first print caused the edges of the PEI plastic to warp up from the corners of the bed.
It appears that the weak link is that the PEI detached from the adhesive. While this was not uniform, removal of the PEI sheet showed that 95% of the adhesive was still attached to the print bed.
The PEI has one glossy side and one matte side, and I chose to apply the adhesive to the matte side to get the glossy surface. Does this make a difference?
I applied the adhesive to the PEI surface just as it was after removing the protective plastic coating. I figured this was a clean as it was ever going to get.
I'd definitely appreciate some ideas on this. | Perhaps this is due to the aluminum build plate warping/crowning as it heats? I use a PEI print surface on my Monoprice Maker Select (Wanhao Di3), which has an 8.5"x8.5" build plate, and I've had no issues with the PEI coming unstuck. However, instead of attaching mine directly to the aluminum heated build plate, I attached it (using 3M 468) to a piece of Borosilicate glass, which is then attached to my aluminum build plate using silicone thermal heatsink pads. The rational for using a Borosilicate glass print surface is that a heated metal build surface is going to warp or move some, as the heat is coming from one side; the glass will not warp and so you have a completely flat surface on which to print (and the heatsink pads help make up the difference in surface geometry). I used this 3dprinterwiki article as the basis for my glass bed mod, and applied the PEI/adhesive using another source (which I've forgotten, possibly the RepRap wiki). While the first link is Wanhao Di3 specific, it covers the idea. Make sure you tweak your z-endstops if needed on your particular machine, as adding the glass plat raises the bed height by several mm.
Please note that I'm theorizing - I did not ever try applying my PEI directly to my aluminum build plate, so I have no direct comparison. But the use of glass to eliminate build plate warping/crowning is fairly well documented. See also this 3DPSE Answer. |
Can you use PLA material with food and drinks? I would like to print fancy plastic cutlery sets or plastic glasses.
Is it safe to do it? Or bad for your health, if so, why? | As others have pointed out, PLA isn't specifically not food safe, but materials that have been printed previously can contaminate the PLA.
Additionally, anything 3D printed is extremely porous. Once a part is used for food, moisture and bacteria will accumulate in the pores, and can never be completely cleaned out, contaminating any food that contacts it. It can't be sterilized either, because the temperatures needed for sterilization would deform or melt the plastic. |
How much plastic pellets does it take to make 1 kg of filament? (making my own 3D filaments) Maybe this is a stupid question, but is 1 kg of plastic pellets equivalent to 1 kg of filament? I want to extrude my own filament using recycled plastic pellets. I want to know the cost of my material in general, so I was wondering if 1 kg of plastic pellets result in 1 kg of filament (regular spool)? How much plastic pellets are needed get 1 kg of filament? | If you ignore losses due to production machinery, your one kilogram of pellets will provide you with nearly one kilogram of filament. There may be some small loss of material stuck in the auger and drips from the nozzle and any place you discover plastic that is not on the spool.
How many plastic pellets does it take to make one kilogram of filament? One kilogram plus a bit more. If you are asking about the numerical quantity of pellets, how much does one pellet weigh? Are they large pellets or small pellets? |
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. | Found the solution, I had to swap the cables on the board, now they are working. |
In Fusion360, how do I align components according to their a midplane? In Fusion360, how do I align components according to their a midplane?
I have 2 complex objects. They have no midpoint defined (is that even possible). How do I align them according to their mid points? | There are several ways to lock items together.
Designed in position
When you design the parts from the base up, you should lock the very first sketch to the origin in some way or another. Fusion shows this by making any "well defined" line as black in contrast to blue, like shown here:
Using Components
Once you have bodies, you can pretty much move them around in the timeflow. You then can start to define them as components. Let's assume we have these parts, a bolt, and a part into which it hinges. Of course, these two are modeled "in place" but that hasn't to be:
Now, we want to lock them together... well, first, let's start and put them into components! Highlight one, then choose the "new component" command, and make sure it stays highlighted, from bodies is chosen then hit enter.
Repeat for the other part, so your tree should show 2 components now.
Combine Components as modeled
Now we want to combine them as modeled, right? Ok, let's do that, it's easy! get out the dropdown from the combine menu and press combine as modeled (Ctrl + J)
Now, click both components and at first it will start to shake the screen, having chosen "Stiff" combination. This means the parts don't shift one against the other. If you had them in the right position in the first place, they will stay that way. But there are other ways, which are in the menu that popped up:
If for example, I choose "rotation", I can choose a rotation center by placing a node as seen here:
Creating Joints between Components
Now, what if the components are not in position like the bolt is in the wrong position entirely? Well, start with components, as shown above, then we'll see:
Now, we should use the joint function:
Choose the first Component, then seek the point which face-position (or for cylinders: position on centerline) shall be the first component's joint-point shall be. For our part, let's take the big part's hole. Click the face, then choose one of the available points. For cylinders that's the ends and the center, for faces, it's the corners, center points of the edges and the center. If you hit the possible alignment points in the first place, it skips the second click to choose it. Once that is done, the body turns transparent.
Repeat the same process for part 2 and the magic starts: Both parts suddenly move till the alignment points are in the same position, the screen shakes and BAM! We are at stiff joint again! The menu changes and we can start to define offsets! |
Set the overhang parameter in Blender 3D printing tool box I'm working on a cube in Blender. I just deleted one of the faces (the top face) of the cube and added solidify to avoid non manifold edges.
In this case, when I check the design it shows that the bottom face is an overhang face (shown with yellow color). However, if I change the overhang parameter in 3D printing tool box from 45 to 90° and then check the model, it doesn't show any overhang faces and it seems that everything is okay. I don't think increasing the overhang parameter could be a good idea. However, this is my first time that I'm trying to design a model for 3D printing. Can this model with the overhang parameter equal to 90° be printed using a 3D printer? How can I fix the overhang problem in this simple model.
Today I tested another simple model. I used a fill circle and added solidify to the model. Although the model is really simple, check the model shows the same as the previous design - the bottom face is an overhang face. It seems that adding solidify to a shape leads to this problem. I don't know how can I fix this problem. Changing the overhang parameter fixes the overhang problem but it seems that this not a good idea for printing models.
Unfortunately, I can not test the print myself as I do not have a printer myself and I need to outsource the print job. | You are looking at overhangs in the design tool. What matters are overhangs when printing.
When designing the object, the coordinate system is convenient for working with the object. Before slicing, the object can be rotated and repositioned for better printing. Only after is it positioned for printing can the actual overhangs and bridges determined.
Unless you wish to limit yourself to the design tools coordinate system, I wouldn't have the design tool generate support material, and I would ignore its comments about overhang angles. First, bring the object into your slicer, position it on the print bed, and only then evaluate the need for support material.
To be honest, I often have a printing strategy in mind while I am designing an object, but when the object hits the printer I sometimes completely change my plan. |
Creality Ender 4 extruder problem I cannot get my extruder to work on my Creality Ender-4 printer. I have heated the nozzle but the extruder does not move.
I tested the motor and cable on another system and they work just fine.
Could it be the board or what could it be? | Apparently your 3D printer runs Marlin firmware. Marlin firmware default code has build in protection against extrusion below a certain temperature (usually 170°C) as defined in the printer configuration:
// *** IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED TO LEAVE THIS OPTION ENABLED! ***
#define PREVENT_COLD_EXTRUSION
#define EXTRUDE_MINTEMP 170
Are you sure that it heats up above this temperature? Please check the connections of the thermistor and the heater cartridge.
Marlin firmware code supports disabling the cold extrusion safety measure by setting:
M302 S0 ; Allow extrusion at any temperature
(save this line in a file with extension gcode and load and run it from an SD card or alternatively hook up your computer over USB to the printer and use an application like Pronterface, Repetier-Host, etc. to upload the command to the printer)
If cold extrusion safety is turned off, you should try to extrude (without loading filament) to test if the extruder works.
To revert use the following code:
M302 S170 ; Allow extrusion above 170 |
XYZ cube's layer is shifted, How can I check my TEVO Tarantula axis? I just bought new TEVO Tarantula and tried to print xyz cube. I found that my cube's layer was shifted as showed in picture. How can I fix this ? | The two most common things to check:
1) make sure your belts are properly tensioned. If there's significant slippage in the y-drive you could get the results seen.
2) Make sure the base layer is well attached to the base plate. you've got plenty of reference pattern on the plate shown, so check whether the lower chunk of print moved relative to the imprinted pattern at some point. |
Accidentally over curing a 3D print I'm relatively new to SLA 3D printing and 3D printing in general. I got a budget SLA resin printer that I've been messing with for a few months now.
So I had a few soft prints laying around that have not been exposed to any UV light. It was sunny out and I decided to bring them outside to harden them up a little bit under the sun. And of course I forgot about them! By the time I remembered, my prints got over cured to the point of being super brittle.
Question: Let's say I properly cure a print (however that is). I'm not looking to paint it. It looks like the print could be accidentally over cured by taking it outside or sunlight shining from an open window. Is that true? Should I coat it with some kind of sealant if I'm done curing it? | You are correct, you can over cure a print by leaving it out in the sun. Prints can even over cure just by the ambient light in a room from the sun (though it would take a while).
One easy option to counter this krylon UV-Resistant Clear Coating which can be found at most hardware stores. I have used it but I found that it made my print a little softer this may have been because of the materials in the spray-can, or the type of resin I printed with.
You should check out the answer posted to Clear coating resin 3D prints as it provides some other options you can try as well such as using a brush on option. |
Cleaning the nozzle every Xth layer G-code I want to make a G-code script for Cura to clean the nozzle every Xth layer or every one minute?
With Cura there is only start and end G-code, so there is no "layer change" G-code like another slicer (e.g. Ideamaker).
Where should I write the code?
How can I define the Layer number? | There are extensions for Cura that can do almost what you want to do for you (with respect to the layer or height).
You need to add post-processing scripts to the Cura slicer. You do that from the top menu options Extensions -> Post Processing -> Modify G-Code and then add the option of choice.
E.g. for an event at every layer change you should use script "Insert at layer change" and fill out the G-code you want to perform.
There are options to write your own extension, but that would require some software development skills.
Optionally, you could use the "ChangeAtZ" script to add absurd temperature changes of the extruder to post process that later by a simple e.g. Python script (outside Cura) to replace those actions with the cleaning actions you want to perform. But, when you can do that, you could write a script outside Cura to detect the layers (e.g. from the comments or from the layer change command G1 Zxx) and insert that right away.
For inserting this on the basis of time would be very difficult, it is difficult to estimate the time printing actions take to then inject such a script. |
What happened around 2012~2013 in 3D printing field Comparing trends show that 3D printing stepped over to another level around 2012~2013. Why? | A great story on the history of 3D printing is published by 3DSOURCED. It shows that the patents for FDM and SLA expired a few years earlier and the RepRap 3D printer self replicating project became very popular. Also, 3D printer manufacturers emerged and electronics, software and parts became available at a larger scale, so that it was more affordable for a hobbyist to dive in. |
Anet A8 Clone LCD not working after flash My Alfawise EX8 (Anet A8 Clone) had an issue, so I flashed the firmware provided on the GearBest page. After the flash the LCD is no longer doing anything and I can't really identify the LCD to confirm whether the correct one is selected in configuration.h
Currently the firmware had 'Mini VIKI' selected, but I'm not confident it works.
I cannot see anything on the screen, but I can still turn the dial and click things to make it do stuff.
I really hope somebody can help! | According to the link to the fork of Marlin you need to be sure that a bootloader is present before flashing, see pins_MELZI_WYH.h:
/**
* Melzi (WYH) pin assignments
*
* The WYH-128 board needs a bootloader installed before Marlin can be uploaded.
* If you don't have a chip programmer you can use a spare Arduino plus a few
* electronic components to write the bootloader.
*
* See http://www.instructables.com/id/Burn-Arduino-Bootloader-with-Arduino-MEGA/
*/
From this same pins layout file you can find hints to the usage of the REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER display:
// For the stock M18 use the REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER
// option for the display in Configuration.h
Maybe you can use that one instead of the "Mini VIKI". Though, an internet search, does hint to the "Mini VIKI" being the correct display for this printer, but it does look different from other Mini VIKI displays.
Note that in the Configuration.h, by default this display is not enabled as can be seen:
// RepRapDiscount FULL GRAPHIC Smart Controller
// http://reprap.org/wiki/RepRapDiscount_Full_Graphic_Smart_Controller
//
//#define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_FULL_GRAPHIC_SMART_CONTROLLER |
Extruder keeps jamming because of filament dust! Yesterday evening i have been trying to print a few upgrades but after coming home after an hour, it is printing in the air because there is to much filament dust inside the extruder. Is this because the filament that is being extruded is getting to soft so the gear grinds parts off? I never had this problem before.
Printer:
Anet A8. | I'm highly unconvinced that dust in the gearing is related to your problem. If the material is still being extruded, then "in the air" suggests the base layers may have slipped, or your belts are slipping, either of which will lead to a huge lateral offset, and thus the "printing in air" problem. It's possible but less likely that the extruder feed gear itself is slipping.
If you can post a picture of one of these situations, that would help a lot.
I will mention in passing that there are several models for filament guides at thingiverse.com . Putting one of these on your machine will eliminate scraping and the resultant dust. |
Can I dry PETG filament under sun? At the moment the outside surface temperature is around 30 °C. Can I put my PETG spools outside with a fan in order to dry them cheaply? | The simple answer is: No
There are two basic reasons for this:
The sun will not get the filament hot enough to evaporate any moisture which has been absorbed.
While sitting out in the sun, it will continue to absorb more moisture, which defeats the purpose.
On Matter Hackers, they give a very reliable way to dry filament:
Preheat your oven to 160-180°F (or 70-80°C).
Place spool in oven for 4-6 hours
Remove and place in an airtight container, preferably with desiccant. 5-gallon buckets with airtight lids from local hardware stores work very well for filament storage. You can use uncooked rice as a cheap desiccant.
Filaments with lower glass transition temperatures (Tg) like PLA, use lower temperatures to dry. Lower temperatures also require more time to thoroughly dry.
That’s really all that’s necessary to dry out your filament and ensure optimum material performance and surface finish.
So if you have some spools that have been sitting out for a while and aren’t printing as well as they used to, dry them out and try again. Chances are they’ll be like new.
You can see in the write-up it states you need to get the oven up to 160-180°F (or 70-80°C). The sun will never provide that level of heat. It also states at lower temps it takes longer to evaporate all of the moisture. Placing the filament into an oven at the proper temps will ensure the best results short of buying a purpose built system like PrintDry which is also mentioned in the article. |
3D printing related safety precautions for a baby rattle I've a friend who is expecting. There are several adorable weapon themed rattles on thingiverse. I am, however, concerned about safety associated with such a product in the hands of a baby who will gnaw on it. To me the safety concerns here are much larger than for most food handling applications.
What steps should be taken to ensure such a print is safe for use?
This includes: filament selection, pea material selection, wall thickness, smoothing, construction, etc.
My current thoughts are as follows: "food grade PLA", dried peas, sanding, and single piece construction | You're on the right track. Since you asked for "steps" here you go:
Step 1. Choose a safe material:
Consider chemical safety and physical safety. Food grade PLA should be chemically safe, but could be too brittle depending on the design you choose. PETG, T-Glase, or similar filaments (depending on dye) are normally also chemically safe and are less brittle than PLA so may be a better alternative. ABS is NOT typically considered safe for food contact.
Step 2. Choose a safe design:
If using PLA, be sure the design is robust enough to ensure it won't break. Broken rattles with sharp edges make baby...sad. Even less brittle filaments can still break with jagged edges if the design is fragile.
Step 2a. Choose a single piece design:
Choose a design that requires you to add the peas (or other safe filler) during the print such that the finished rattle is fully enclosed. This will minimize parts becoming loose or peas spilling and minimize choke hazards.
Step 3. Consider post processing to improve safety:
Sanding could reduce ridges and minimize crevices that could harbor bacteria, but sealing it with a food-safe sealant may be more effective. There are many sealants that the FDA considers safe, but polyurethane or food-safe epoxy finishes will work well with PLA. (If you use a different material, test to verify good adhesion.)
Step 4. Test:
Make a test rattle and run it through the paces. I guess you could chew on it, but since babies don't have teeth, this might invalidate your data...
Step 5. Consider alternatives such as professional printing services:
If your tests don't inspire confidence, professional services can offer additional materials (metals, ceramics, etc.) that could be safer than a typical fused filament printer. |
Trying to control temperature of hotend using PWM signal and MOSFET I have a 40 W, 12 V resistance heater in the hotend. It also has a 100 kΩ thermistor built in. I am using an Arduino to read the temperature on the LCD. This is working fine.
I want to use this temperature using a MOSFET and the PWM signal that is generated by the ARDUINO.
So I connected the PWM signal to the Gate of the MOSFET and connected the 12 V, 3 A supply to the drain of the MOSFET. And connected the Resistance heater of the 3D printer to the source and ground.
But the problem that I am facing is that the Current is flowing from drain and the source even without the gate signal to the MOSFET.
I am not able to control the current to the resistance heater.
Mosfet: IRFZ44N
and the AC to DC adapter is 12 V, 3 A.
PWM signal is max 2 V. | connected the 12 V, 3 A supply to the drain of the MOSFET. And connected the Resistance heater of the 3D printer to the source and ground.
The MOSFET is damaged. If the gate is at $0V$, no current should be able to flow.
You're trying to use an N-channel MOSFET as a high-side switch. This is a bad idea, because it would require more than $12V$ at the gate to turn the MOSFET on properly. It would be better to set this up as a low-side switch so that the microcontroller can drive the gate directly. The MOSFET should go between the load and ground, not between the load and $+12V$.
The fact that you connected it like this is the very reason the MOSFET has been damaged. When the MOSFET is OFF, there is $0V$ across the heater. When the microcontroller starts to turn the MOSFET ON (by applying $5V$ to the gate, thus increasing $V_{GS}$ to above $V_{th}$), current starts to flow through the load and the voltage across the load increases. This in turn decreases $V_{GS}$, causing the MOSFET to turn off. You will end up with approximately $3V$ across the load and $V_{GS}=2V$. You've got $9V$ being dropped across your MOSFET and with a current of approximately $800mA$, the $7W$ of heat produced will quickly kill the MOSFET. |
Can I schedule prints to start at a specified time? I want to know if it is possible to schedule a 3D Print to start at a specified time so that I don't have to press start.
My 3D Printer has an Arduino mega based RAMPS 1.4 control board & is connected to a Raspberry Pi 3B running OctoPi 0.15.1 | There are a few options to delay starting using either the OctoPrint environment or directly use G-code for this.
The use of G-code is probably the most simple for you to implement. The G4 command defines a "dwell" or pausing period for the next command to start:
Depending on the firmware you use, you can use the P or S parameter to specify the pausing period.
To pause the print job (for 1 hour) you need to insert the following line as the first line of your G-code print file:
G4 P3600000 // One hour pausing; defined in milliseconds
or (if your firmware supports)
G4 S3600 // One hour pausing; defined in seconds
Other solutions may include the adaption of the OctoPrint controls menu structure or use of the REST API of OctoPrint. These options are more difficult to implement. |
Density of GEL-LAY and LAYWOO 3D print material? I'm looking for the specific density of the GEL-LAY and LAYWOO 3D materials by manufacturer CC Products.
It isn't noted on their website or on the spool or the box the spools came in. I've looked for hours on Google and various websites, from resellers to people who tested it, without being able to find it. | I can't provide the end answer, but if you already have the material, you should be able to measure this yourself quite simply.
Measure and cut a sample of filament, and weigh it. For example, a 10 meter length with a 1.75 mm diameter will have a volume of:
v = pi * r2 * l
v = pi * (0.175 cm/2)2 * 1000 cm
v = 24.05 cm3
Density is mass divided by volume. If your sample weighs 18 g, this would be
d = m / v
d = 18.0 g / 24.05 cm3
d = 0.748 g/cm3
Note that the accuracy of this measurement will depend on the accuracy and precision of your measurements. A household kitchen scale might not be good enough for such small weights. In order to get a good weight measurement, you may need to use a much longer (and heavier) sample of filament. |
PLA coating for water irrigation 3D printed parts I was considering printing some pieces for my irrigation system, like tube connectors and such. I am aware that PLA is hydrophilic so I was wondering with what kind of product I could coat the pieces, non-toxicity is a requirement because it will water edible greens.
So, what kind of non-toxic product can I use to coat PLA to make it hydrophobic? | Before worrying too much about the hydrophilic properties of PLA, it might be worthwhile to test a fitting.
First, print a fitting and see that the freshly made print is strong enough to carry the pressure of the water, and the compression force of hose clamp you may need to connect the stiff irrigation hose to the printed fitting.
Second, soak the printed fitting in water for month or two, perhaps at an elevated temperature to match the higher ground temperature in the summer. You could put the part in a closed mason jar and leave it in the sun. You might add a little salt and fertilizer to the water to simulate ground conditions.
After this aging process, you could test to see if it withstands the pressure of the domestic water system.
You might also measure the ground temperatures where you intend to use the fittings. I find that PLA has no structural strength above about 150 degrees Fahrenheit (65 degrees Centigrade), and the inability to resist slow plastic may start at an even lower temperature. [For example, I print structural PLA parts with negative clearances and then dip them in 160 degree F water to soften them.]
If the printed fittings are strong enough but suffer from water absorption, I would either print them of ABS or coat them with an ABS coating. To make the coating, dissolve ABS in acetone until it is the consistency of thick cream, dip your fitting in the mixture, and allow them to dry. It will take longer than you think it should to dry, and the solution will take more ABS plastic than you might expect.
ABS is not generally considered to be "food safe", but this isn't a potable water system. The FDA lists ABS as conditionally food safe, and I would be comfortable using it to irrigate my lawn and vegetables. |
Smallest dot/dot indent for Prusa MK3S using PLA I want to make a project involving many small dots indents and I would like to know how I can calculate the smallest dot hole the Prusa i3 MK3S can extrude around on a layer using PLA. In other words, if I printer a mesh with circle shaped holes, how would I know the minimum diameter of the holes. Is it simply the same as the layer resolution (0.35 mm), filament size (1.75 mm), or is it something else? | There is no direct limit on the size of a hole in XY-plane (that means: oriented so that the hole is visible from above).
The movement accuracy of MK3S (and most other modern 3D printers) is about 0.01 mm. So theoretically you could move around a circle that has diameter of the (default) 0.4 mm extrusion width + 0.01 mm, and get a 0.01 mm hole in the middle of the circle.
In practice, the hole size will be limited by the repeatability of the extrusion width. If in the above example the extrusion width happens to be 0.41 mm instead, there would be no hole remaining.
On a well calibrated printer, 1/4th of the nozzle size should be manageable, i.e. for MK3S you should be able to get 0.1 mm holes quite reliably. |
PID Autotuning not working – large initial overshoot, no oscillations Using the following code to autotune the PID:
M303 E0 S200 C10
Which is setting my tuning temperature to 200 °C using 10 cycles (though this is irrelevant in this scenario).
The temperature overshoots to 250 °C then decreases until room temperature.
The following error is returned:
PID Autotune failed! Temperature too high
As a test I reset all PID values to zero.
M301 P00.00 I00.00 D00.00
M500
Then set the printer to reach 200 °C
M104 S200
This produced the following graph, where oscillations can be seen.
I could attempt to manual tune the PID from here but I'd rather use the autotune command if possible. Any ideas how to fix this? | I recently experienced exactly the same problem. For me it was related to an incorrect heater cartridge. I accidentally used a 12 V cartridge in a 24 V powered system.
The heater element got accidentally mixed up between the higher voltage parts container and I forgot to check the resistance. Inserting the correct voltage heater immediately fixed the problem, but it did require a retune of the hotend. |
Are there any services that offer 3D scanning? So, have a plastic car part I want to duplicate because the driver side part is broken (I have the passenger side part) and It isn't sold anymore. It's a small piece that would be an excellent candidate for a 3D printed replacement. I know there are companies I can send a 3D model to that will happily print it for me, but I also need to create a 3D model from the part. Is there a company or service that I could mail the part to that would return it along with a 3D model of it? | The right Google (or other) search should do the trick. I've provided 3D Printing services via 3D Hubs and MakeXYZ and some people do provide 3D scanning services. If you can't find 3D Scanning, you could try talking to a local machine shop. They might have the tools to be able to reverse-engineer the object, or know another place that can. |
How to create an accurate mask for a UV 3D resin DLP printer The light of the build area of a DLP UV printer isn't evenly spread. The source of light is a 9 LED UV array. The light mainly falls of to the sides. This results in objects curing too much in the center, or not enough on the outer sides of the build area. One can compensate for this, making the LCD build area have a homogeneous intensity of light, using a mask. But it needs to be specifically created for each physically unique printer. Having a homogeneous illuminated build area results in better quality prints.
How can I create such an mask accurately for a UV 3D resin printer that uses DLP technique, like for example for a Wanhao Duplicator D7? | I've created software to do just that. See the project on Github: CreateMask. It has a wiki page that explains what to do.
To summarize: you measure the LCD build area using a multi-meter and a light dependent resistor. You do this with low and high intensity masks. You feed the numbers in CSV files to the software, and the software will generate a mask for you by polynomial curve fitting. See this page that explains in detail how the mask is created, if you are interested.
You can download a release here. |
Weird lines and smaller height I finished my first print and it came out like this
I calibrated all my axis steps and manual movement gives perfect numbers.
I am printing with these slicer settings:
I don't even know where is the problem to begin searching for a solution. It's my very first print after a couple fails and a lot of calibration to Z axis and bed leveling.
Update the printer without the heatbed as it's an older picture:
The Z axis moves on 2 lead screws and 2 rods with bearings all of which attached to the plate. | I'd say that your axis aren't square, aren't tightened enough and you seem to have overextrusion as well. That would explain why all your layers are wobbly and not neatly stacked on top of each other, why your cube is far being being a cube (the picture of the X face shows it clearly) and the quality of surface finish on the top.
I do not know what kind of printer you are using, but I would advise you to check that the X and Y axis are correctly calibrated and that they're perfectly square, which would ensure that each layer is correctly stacked on top of the previous one to produce a nice cube. And make sure to tighten the axles to avoid the noise in the print due to the vibration produced by the printing.
As for the overextrusion, you'll need to make more test with your printer and the material you're using, changing temperature, and print speed until you find the right combination that will extrude just enough material through your nozzle. |
Design connection to motor shaft for printed gear I am currently trying to print a gear with the possibility to connect it to the shaft of a DC motor. The following picture best describes what the shaft of the motor looks like by showing the hole printed in the gear:
So far this works well for a short amount of time, however since the gear is connected to another gear that is from time to time exerting quite some resistance already after a few revolutions the shaft starts to wear out the material that is holding it and it turns without powering the gear, i.e. the printed part is not strong enough to withstand the torque of the motor.
I am wondering what the best way forward would be here. I see multiple options:
Design a different connection to the shaft, however I don't know of any
Switch to a different material, I am currently using PLA, but I could also go for ABS or PETG if any of them would provide advantages. For PLA vs ABS I found some conflicting information which one is "harder"
Play with the parameters of the print. At the moment I am only using 3 wall layers, I wonder if increasing the number of wall layers would improve rigidity.
Are there other ideas? What could you recommend me to improve this connection? | Design a different connection to the shaft, however I don't know of any
Use a shaft/flange coupler to be fastened to your shaft and to your printed part.
Without knowing the length of the shaft, you could connect a flange/coupler to design this into your gear. This is a good solution if you have to transmit larger torques. See e.g. this pulley that incorporates that concept.
Shaft flange couplers can be connected to your printed part and to the flat part of the shaft.
Metal flange couplers are available in many sizes:
A recess in the printed part houses the flange:
When assembled you can mount the pulley/gear onto the shaft, provided you have enough length on the shaft. |
How can I make this model? Here's the model I'm trying to print, Truncated Icosahedron
But it must be 12" in diameter and gray in color rgb = #444444
I also want two of the hexagons to be yellow in color: rgb = #FFFF00
Similar to this photo:
How to do this? I don't seem to be able to edit the shape on shapeways.
UPDATE
Got it.
skeleton bucky ball | Without any restrictions to your methodology, your objective is easily accomplished. Thingiverse has a truncated icosahedron model available for download and printing.
Because the creator has included in the download the OpenSCAD source files, you could edit it to meet your bed limitations. I've downloaded the source, opened it and found the model is a single hexagon, until you change a parameter from 6 to 5 to get a pentagon. I suspect the assembly is up to the builder to figure out.
It appears that the default is for a 50 mm diameter sphere. Change the 50 in the code to 300 or so to reach your 12" desired diameter.
An alternative to friction welding would be just about any decent epoxy or even a 3D printing pen such as the 3Doodler. |
What is cause of blob when layer area reduces by 50%? This is printing PETG extruding at 250 °C, 1st layer bed at 80 °C then 60 °C on other layers. Nozzle is 0.4 mm; printer is German Reprap X400. The all metal extruder is clean with no oozing. The print gets a blob when the wall width changes from 2 mm to 1 mm. The extruder squishes the blob out the sides of the wall with subsequent layers. Images below show both sides of wall. I'm looking for the cause to come up with a fix. I consistently get the same results in the same location when printing this file. The reduced area of the layer does cause reduced speed to increase the print time for the layer (speed reduced when layer would print in less than 30 seconds; minimum speed 15 mm/s).
When I printed two, there was only one blob on one of two. Below shows the speed settings. The perimeters are three vertical shells, so the walls are all perimeters. My understanding of the setting is the 2 mm wall printed at 20 mm/s and the 1 mm wall at 15 mm/s.
Printing similarly with 2 mm walls only and the same settings, the print is nearly perfect with only a few stringers. Printing with only 1 mm walls does not have the blob, but does have stringers.
See solution at the end.
Solution:
Speeding up the print speeds and using thicker walls not only eliminated the blogs, but also completely eliminated stringers, and gave a near perfect print. Apparently, the actual temperature that PETG extrudes is highly dependent on how fast it extrudes. Printing too fast clogs the nozzle because the filament doesn't have time to melt. Printing too slow causes the hotend to stop extruding from heat creep. Here, the actual temperature of the extruded PETG was decreased by speeding up the extrusion.
s://i.stack.imgur.com/Uhv61.png | Try lowering your extruder flow rate and maybe temperature as well.
I had this problem once and I thought it was just a bit of gunk that had been hanging onto the outside of the extruder. That is usually not the case and instead it is probably build-up from over-pressure inside the nozzle.
Also note that 250 °C will start degrading your PTFE tube unless you have an all-metal extruder. Lowering temperature can also reduce the stringing visible in the picture, however to fully, get rid of stringing, you may have to adjust your retraction and acceleration. |
Steel versus MDF/Aluminium Y axis plate? I have purchased a P3Steel v.4 kit that, rather unfortunately, comes with a steel Y plate.
I understand that there may be interia, as well as stepper motor wear, issues related to the weight of the steel plate. Therefore I would like to substitute the steel plate for another material. I had considered aluminium, as recommended by the RepRap wiki - P3Steel/Frame Versions/ Version 4.0 :
We recomended use aluminum beds for y axis.
However, it was suggested, by a vendor, that I use laser cut 6 mm thick MDF, principally for reasons of economics and availablity, over aluminium.
I have subsequently found a supplier of 3 mm thick aluminium 200 mm x 300 mm Y axis plates, so availability is no longer an issue, and the slightly higher cost is not really an issue for me. However, I was wondering whether there would be significantly less interia if using an MDF Y axis plate, than with an aluminium plate.
I assume that the masses/densities of aluminium and MDF are comparable, and a magnitude less than that of steel.
I have found the densities of aluminium and steel:
Aluminium 2.7x103 kg/m3 (167 lb/ft3)
Steel 7.82x103 kg/m3 (488 lb/ft3)
[Source: Densities of Solids - Engineering ToolBox]
The density of MDF is given as 700–720 kg/m3 (43.7-44.95 lb/ft3), which is a magnitude less than that of aluminium.
[Source: Medium-density fibreboard]
There is the issue that MDF can eventually warp, whereas aluminium supposedly does not, although the OP of Wanhao duplicator i3 print bed support warped shows that warpage is possible with aluminium plate - see Is the weather a problem for MDF frames? and Would a steel, instead of an aluminium, plate be reasonable?1.
TL;DR
Considering the benefits of weight/inertia, stiffness and lack of deformation/warping:
Is the difference in density between steel versus aluminium and/or MDF, make it worth switching from steel to aluminium or MDF?
Is the additional weight loss of MDF over aluminium worth the risk of deformation of the MDF due to humidity/temperature?
Notes
1 I found this question after having written up my question, so I admit that there is a risk of duplicity of the answers. However, I am concentrating more of the comparison of aluminium and MDF in this post, rather than just steel versus aluminium. Also, my question deals with the Y axis heatbed support, rather than the heatbed itself. | I have not used MDF for building a printer before; but, I have used it for other projects. It has the advantage of being very flat (initially); but, it has a LOT of issues with moisture. It is basically just a compressed slurry or water-based glue and sawdust. If you expose it to humidity or water it will swell like a sponge. I would not consider it for anything that requires a dimensional stability. For that, Aluminum is your better bet.
Regarding the material properties of AL vs MDF, here is a good comparison:
Note that while MDF has about 1/4 the density of AL, it has a MUCH lower Elastic Modulus (1/17 of AL) For the same thickness, it MDF is MUCH easier to bend than AL. Also note the strength to weight ratio of AL is also better.
Even at twice the thickness, my calculations indicate that, for the same load, 6mm MDF would deflect about twice as far as 3mm AL. Also when AL exists its elastic region it becomes plastic (bends) where MDF breaks.
Another aspect to consider is flammability. There a lot of heat sources around an FDM printer and if you are planning on a heated bed, there is one right there under the bed. Where MDF is hard to ignite, it is flammable and does not respond to heat well. On the other hand, AL can handle temperatures over 1000 degC and is a great thermal conductor for a bed heater.
I would definitely choose AL over MDF for you printer bed.
Another option to consider it is using a bare PCB (like FR4). The material is really strong (it is fiberglass), is relatively inexpensive, and is fire resistant (hence the"FR" in the name). Some commercial printers use FR4 for their print bed. One disadvantage is that is can sometimes develop a curl and there is really no way to get it flat again. |