Smaller areas are printing poorly

Hello all,

I've posted this issue on the Google+ page and got some feedback, but it doesn't seemt to be the solution.

I've since changed out my print head from a direct drive chinese knock-off hot end, to a bowden style E3D-V6. I've got everything dialed in almost perfect except a small issue with smaller perimeters. (see attached pictures). Larger area prints are outstanding, with no issues. However, once the prints move to a smaller diameter, everything falls apart. In my slicer settings (originally slic3r, now Simplify3D), I've slowed the print speed on smaller areas significantly with negligable results. Cooling is fine, I've got a fan from a server power supply that feeds plenty of air to the print table. I've made all sorts of settings, but nothing seems to be the solution. because it's on smaller perimiters/print areas, it's obviously not Z-wobble.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance,




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/17/2015 07:55PM by Credo.

Dropbox doesn't seem to like your files. If I had to guess, on the smaller prints a given layer doesn't have enough time to cool down before the next is deposited, resulting in a melty look. This can happen even with active cooling. For a quick check, try printing two at once.

I've updated the links to the pictures above. I would think I have plenty of cooling on the parts. I also tried printing two parts at once like you suggested, and they're both equally as bad:


GRRRRRR

Fundamentally, your hot end isn't going to the position it's been told to on each layer. There's a few things that can cause it: loose belts, overheating stepper motors or drivers, loose and wobbling hot end. I'd look to tightening the belts up, making sure the hot end is nice and tight in its mount and checking the temperature of the stepper motors and drivers during a print. If you've got overheating, you can try slowing down the print or slightly reducing the vref on the stepper drivers.

What kind of printer do you have?

I've got a Rapide Lite 200 (Kickstarter). It's a Cartesian style printer. I've since changed out the extruder from a direct-drive to a bowden style, which has eliminated a lot of the ringing artifacts originally experienced. I've already tightened the belts, checked the lead screws. Hot end is clamped in quite tight. There is some play on the bed because the bed has some pretty bad settings for the bed. the one carriage that rides on the rod is twice as long on one side as it is on the other. However, it's always been like that, and these issues have popped up fairly recently. I've also since changed out the linear LM8UU bearings which seems to have helped a little.

It's just frustrating that there doesn't seem to be a glaring solution to my problem.

Thanks again for the input.

Does the part have the right z-height when finished or did the z-axis skip some steps?
Could you rotate the printed part 90° in the slicer?
Just to see, if the error is a result of one particular axis.
-Olaf

Height measurement is right on. No discrepancy in size. It doesn't seem to be skipping steps. If I print a large piece, that doesn't get too small at the top, such as the winglet in the first photos, there's no issues, the prints come out great. it's only smaller areas that start showing these artifacts.