I've also seen an idea where the filament's thickness was constatly being monitored and G-code being modified according to the thickness to ensure that the extrusion amount is held constant despite diameter change. However there are no commercial examples that are being sold so either it isn't as important for the extrusion, or the filaments nowadays have very stable diameters.by drmaestro - Developers
I was thinking about the extrusion process and had two ideas. I wanted to know if there is a practical implamentation (or would they even be doable or practical). 1) I know that there are filament runout sensors which detect if the filament is broken or depleted. However I was wondering if there is a constant filament flow detector. The problem that I want to solve is to be able to detect objectby drmaestro - Developers
What is intriguing for me is that the holes are not at the edge, where I'd suppose there would be problems due to extrusion differences while changing directions. Also the infill is much more discernible close to the peripheral areas, as if they had different thickness levels. In my S3D setting the first surface layer after the infill is not processed as a bridge (probably due to my minimal threby drmaestro - Printing
The bolt is fully threaded. I haven’t been able to find one with smooth shank for M5 bolts. Any sources online? Edit: I have searched Aliexpress. Most of the shoulder bolts (as they are called there) hava a diameter of 6 mm on their smooth surface, which is too big for standard idlers (5 mm bore) and there is no idler with 6 mm bore.by drmaestro - Reprappers
Hi, I was printing a circular object and I have observed an interesting phenomena: There are layers being printed on top of the infill. While the center of the object is perfect, the peripheral areas seem to have holes. How can I fix this problem? Do you think it is some kind of underextrusion? Could it be due to low acceleration settings? What can I do to make a more homogenous extrusion?by drmaestro - Printing
The pulleys are parallel as far as I can tell but I can't say it objectively. They are perpandicular to the X axis. The belt lays flat mostly but the ends (which are attached to the X carriage) remain bent (probably deformed due to the acute torsion at the junction) but I don't think it will have an influence on overall print quality. One interesting observation I have made today: I've replacedby drmaestro - Reprappers
Would the tightness explain the asimmetry? It is only happening in one side (at least visibly). I know that the required tightness level is quite high but I've once read that it was tight enough if you can hear a note while plucking the belt (and it is in my case).by drmaestro - Reprappers
What happens to the other tools when you are not printing with them? I assume the heating mechanism is embedded in the tool heads, so they are going to be kept at the same temperature (or slightly cooler), so that when you pick up one tool, it is ready to print. However, this still doesn't solve the problem of oozing in the parked tool, so similar to IDEX machines, you'll need a way to block theby drmaestro - CoreXY Machines
Hi, This is an old problem of mine. The GT2 belt on X axis tends to wobble, which is especially visible when the X axis reverses its direction. Please see the attached video: On the video, you can see that the belt wobbles on the idler side, but it is quite normal on the motor side. The diameter of the pulleys are equal on both side (around 12.1 mm if I remember correctly). They are aligned aby drmaestro - Reprappers
This could be a polarity issue with the motor. Bipolar Nema 17 motors have 2 different coils and each coil has a positive and negative side, hence the 4 cables that are required to make it work. In some motors the poles are side to side, in some others they might be spaced apart. Any easier way to imagine this is by illustrating it: Let's name the poles: A and B for the positive and negative sidby drmaestro - Reprappers
Hi, I have been using Duet 3D and BLTouch together for at least a year without a problem. Today I have decided to upgrade my firmware (from 1.18 to 1.20) and my BLTouch is not working as it should now. The main problem is that the Z axis doesn't stop when BLTouch is triggered and crashes into the bed. I didn't change any wiring and checked to see that they are firmly plugged in. I can use M40by drmaestro - Duet
Impressive. Will we be able to try it out sometimes in the near future?by drmaestro - Polymer Working Group
Or you can print 2 copies of the same object, if it is a small one. This way, the object will have enough time to cool down. Of course, a fan would be a better solution.by drmaestro - Printing
Fix the belts, as Soadyheid said. There is no way it can print anything precisely when the belts are so slack. This can also be a reason for the circle being printed as an oval. Also make sure that your X and Y axis are perpendicaular to each other. The nozzle height also seems to be wrong. You should lower your Z endstop's position so that the nozzle has better contact with the bed.by drmaestro - Reprappers
There might be a way if you are using a fairly standart configuration: You need to look at your firmware or if you have an LCD screen check the section where you can set the steps/mm for the various axis of the printer. If your X or Y axis is GT2 belt driven and the pulley has 20 teeth, and if you are using a 1.8 degree stepper motor, then the value you see should be 80 if you use 1/16 microsteppby drmaestro - General
Another warning about the capacitor: If you change the polarity of the wires by accident, it will blow (happened to me).by drmaestro - Duet
Thanks for the comments. All of them are probable. Leaky nozzle is definitely a problem and might contribute to the final layer quality. I tried to verify what psneddon told about layer heights: I created 3 different 10x10 mm cubes with different Z heights (2 mm, 2,1 mm and 2,2 mm) and tried to print it with 0,2 mm layer height. Correct me if I did something wrong but when the object height isn'by drmaestro - Printing
I also had this problem and contacter E3D about it. Apparently it is related to the relationship between the nozzle and the hotend. I haven't been able to solve it. They fit good for a gew prints, then one side gets loose and starts falling.by drmaestro - Printing
Thenk you very much for the info and examples. I tried to fix the problem by designing a new endstop holder for teh Y axis. The old one was directly on top of the printer's frame. The new one goes 3 cm deeper, so the bed is covered almost completely in the Y axis. I have also changed the X endstop's position, so that the hotend is at the border of the build plate when it hits it. So, the X axis cby drmaestro - General
Hi, I have a couple of questions. We are looking for a material solution to create 3D printed molds. These molds will be used to create models made with ballistic gel. Ballistic gel melts at around 140 C and has to be held at this temperature for 4 hours for the elimination of trapped air bubbles.Can your TPU material resist this treatment? What is the hardness of the material (it can be difficuby drmaestro - Polymer Working Group
I also have this issue and I am trying to find a suitable compact solution for cooling. My current design uses rails and they tend to collide with the part cooling fan with the existing designs where the fan is tilted upwards. It seems I require a blower fan solution which can have a direct downwards output. I ordered a couple from Aliexpress but the seller cancelled them and told me they were toby drmaestro - General
Hi, My printer's build plate measures 220x220 mm. However I cannot use all of the surface for various reasons (like clips to hold adhesion plates, end-stop location or mechanical constraints) and end up with a smaller usable area (on the X axis the printable area is between 9 mm - 200 mm and on the Y axis it is between 0 to 161 mm: I have calculated these values after homing at X and Y axis andby drmaestro - General
Hi Viktor. Thanks for the cmments and the link. I know that fact. I have seen some prints from high end poljet printers however I don't have any means to acquire this kind of printer. Even if I could, the material cost is so high that it wouldn't be sustainable. I am trying to find a cheaper alternative using FDM printers and other techniques.by drmaestro - Printing
Hi, I'd like to ask your opininons about how I can achieve what I am trying to do. It is not related directly to a technical printing parameter but a method related question. We are planning a study on living-related liver donor candidates, who are about to be operated. What we want to realise is to print the liver vasculature, which is segmented from CT scans, in a transparent shell mimickingby drmaestro - Printing
I use 2x V+/-, as it is suggested in the Wiki, as I wasn't sure if the wire gauge was enough for the requirements of the Duet. However, as Origamib suggested, there should be no problem using just one if you use proper gauge wires and crimps. By the way, the supplied crimps don't allow you to fit both wires at the same crimp as it is too narrow so I used the crimp on 1 wire and used the other wiby drmaestro - General
The mounting part can be arranged by using grooves instead of holes for bolts. The real problem is to have a mechanism, which works like a ratchet, to keep things in place and tension them. so that you can keep things in tension. I am surprised to see that there is no such a mechanism for GT2 belts.by drmaestro - General
Got my 9 mm GT2s today and tried to replace belts on 1 axis. I should say that it is much harder to tension 9 mm belts, as they require more force, so maybe don't try them without a failproof way to tighten your belts.by drmaestro - General
Hi, I am trying to discover why the surface quality changes at different layers on my prints. Here's an example: If you look at the middle section where the groove is the surface finish quality is quite acceptable and smooth. If you look at other parts, which are smaller in area, there seems to be some overextrusion at the edges, when the hotend changes direction. Also the lines look like theby drmaestro - Printing
Hi, Virtually every aluminium Y carriage sold comes with holes made for SCE08 bearings. I want to convert my Y axis to MGN 12 rails, so I need different spacing for these holes. My original Y axis plate is 6 mm thick aluminium and I am reluctant to make these holes myself, as I don't know if I'll be able to drill a 6 mm hole with the tools at my posession. Also, when using linear rails, a slightby drmaestro - Reprappers
Quotedc42 Yes they should be at the same temperature if they are identical motors, unless they have very different cooling e.g. one bolted to a metal surface and the other not. If you have a multimeter, you could measure the resistance of the windings of both to see if there is any difference. It is probably a very basic question but how do you measure the resistance of the windings? I know thatby drmaestro - Duet