Daid

Some photos might help in this case.

So many things that effect PLA quality. I don't know why the RapRap machines print so badly with PLA. But looking at your print I notice the extrusion output on the head is not "even" it looks like if it extruded sometimes a bit more, and sometimes a bit less. Could also be that the printer head is not entirely stable on a mendel. Even a slightest extra movement shows in the final print. And the X/Y "square" of the Ultimaker is very stable. From what I've seen (I've never printed ABS) PLA rocks quality wise, because you can seriously tune down the layer height. While 0.3mm layers is "common" with ABS, my "low quality" PLA prints are done at 0.2mm, and quality prints at 0.1mm. Print at 0.1mm layers: http://daid.eu/~daid/IMG_20120211 ... small.jpeg from my Ultimaker. The people behind the Ultimaker have build RepRap machines (they have a few of them in their HQ), and learned from that. With that knowledge they set out to build the best printer kit possible. Oh, and Marlin. It makes all the difference.

I hope to release the Beta4 (which is Beta3 with bugfixes) on friday. But you can always grab the latest python sources from github: https://github.com/daid/SkeinPyPy replace the "SkeinPyPy" folder with the "SkeinPyPy_NewUI" folder from github, and you'll have the latest version with all the fixes from last week. I also hope to release a MacOS and Linux version this friday. But the Mac version still has a serious bug in the tooltips.

Odd that you didn't get extrusion with SkeinPyPy. Did you heat up the extruder or entered a temperature in SkeinPyPy? because without it won't extrude anything due to the min-temp protection. Also, PrintRun is the best interface to print with, because it doesn't try to do fancy tricks and gives you direct control over your machine with enough debug output.

For the heater not working, double check if it's the heater not working or the temperature sensor not working. If you heat up for about 30 seconds the printer head should reach about 80-100C. If your temperature sensor is not working you should be able to feel this temperature, if you can feel that it heats up (careful not to burn yourself) then there is a problem with the temperature sensor. TURN OFF THE HEAT in that case, else you will melt your PEEK part. Else it's the heater. Double check the wires, if you have a multimeter, measure the voltage between both connection points with the heater on. ReplicatorG34 is not supported for the Ultimaker, you should use RepG25 from http://software.ultimaker.com/?show=all to start out with (RepG26 contains a bug which makes it impossible to extrude from the direct control interface). Some more details on how you test the extruder motor would be helpful to diagnose if the problem is in your printer or somewhere else.

I've seen that happen with my print. My procedure to fix it is: -Close down the printing software (RepG or PrintRun) -Turn off the machine -Disconnect the USB -Turn on the machine -Connect the USB -Start the printing software -Connect Not sure what's causing it yet...

It ain't solved until we see a standard calibration Yoda printed ;-)

My machine needs lubrication right now. I don't have quality problems, but when I try to move the printer head faster then 150mm/s it starts to miss steps. Other then that it runs fine. Lubrication should also protect your machine from wear, so it's always a good idea to keep it lubricated.

With SkeinPyPy your settings should be right. So that's not it. You have serious under-extrusion. Most likely your filament is slipping. They look a lot like my first prints, which also had slipping problems. Make sure your tension knob is tight enough. Make sure your big gear is firmly attached to the bolt. (This was my problem)

Well, now that your printer is working, it's recommended to upgrade to Marlin to start with, gives much better prints. The Beta3 from SkeinPyPy: https://github.com/daid/SkeinPyPy/downloads assists you in upgrading to Marlin, and also contains an easier configurable Skeinforge. Not sure what could be wrong with your Skeinforge settings, but I made this display frame, sliced with SkeinPyPy. And it was spot on size wise. The hole for the display was exactly as the measured size of the display itself. It wouldn't have fit if it had become 2mm smaller.

Steppers don't need calibration. They always do 200 steps per rotation. The rest is all fixed mechanical. Resulting in the right number of steps per mm of movement. But... are you printing with PLA or ABS? ABS shrinks, so that would explain the 2mm difference. PLA also shrinks a bit, but only a tiny bit compared to ABS. Other causes for smaller objects could be wrong slicing configuration settings.

Really simple question, are the motor drivers in place? Look at this photo: http://wiki.ultimaker.com/File:El1.5.4-PCB.jpg On the right there are 4 motor drivers, they should be placed exactly as in the photo. Make sure they are not the wrong way around. Also, maybe the step drivers are tuned down all the way, check: http://wiki.ultimaker.com/Electronics_build_guide especially the part about tuning the step drivers. While they tried to tune the drivers correctly, they might have shifted during transport, or where tuned incorrectly. The Ultimaker team is improving this in their production step, new kits shipping this week should have better calibrated drivers then the drivers shipped in older kits.

That looks impressive. I am guessing you have some sort of linux compiling server on the backend? Alot of settings do make sense to me, but alot of them do not. Should I use the default settings? (except for the baudrate, thanks for the tip). Yes. The default settings are good. The defaults are set so they work for PrintRun in combination with a new version of Skeinforge. Which are the same defaults for SkeinPyPy. I have read that it heats up the nozzle more if the travelspeed of the nozzle X/Y axis increase (source: https://github.com/ErikZalm/Marlin). Is this useful? It's experimental, and results vary. I haven't tried it myself. If you are feeling adventurous you can try it yourself and report your findings

The extruder (feeder) motor won't move unless it's on proper temperature (cold extrusion prevention) However, in RepG26 the direct control of the extruder is broken, so you cannot use that to test the extruder. Heating should work however. Be careful, it can be the heater, or the sensor that's not working. If the temperature sensing is not working then you could damage your machine!

The first link I gave you can build a firmware for you, it also contains a batch file that helps you in changing the firmware, this always works, even if RepG cannot connect. The settings I said you need to change in the link I gave.

I'm printing without automatic support ;-) I need to add some manual support, just a few square boxes to support the chin and the tail would do it. Should be easy to cut away later.

The firmware from: http://daid.eu/~daid/marlin_build/ is recommended. But if you want to print from RepG you need to: -Set the baudrate to 57600 -Disable the "software endstops" -"Steps per unit" for "E" needs to be 14 with the RepG from Ultimaker. Or, you could upgrade to the SkeinPyPy Beta3: https://github.com/daid/SkeinPyPy/downloads Which helps you installing the right firmware, and allows faster and better slicing.

Editting py is a little beyond me, as long as its fixed in the next release i will be happy It will be, already fixed it in the source. I'll be bugfixing for a week and then release a new version. So we have a pretty bugfree version for people to work with, and as base for the next version. There are many ideas already (there where many idea even before the beta3)

Nah, my prints fail quite often. I'm trying some pretty difficult prints, which topple over quite easy. I need to add some more support, and then it will work. Fun fact, the print failed because of warping, because of warping the print managed to push itself over. Trying to print this: http://www.turbosquid.com/FullPreview/I ... /ID/327243

The ZCorp machines are a much higher quality then "RepRap" based Ultimaker. Which is also visible in the price. Not just in the price of the machine, but also in the price of the printing materials. I think http://www.shapeways.com/ uses ZCorp machines to do their printing (check the videos). And you can just upload your parts to shapeways and you'll have example prints at your doorstep in a few weeks or so. For a 15k sale you most likely are able to get free sample prints from ZCorp. So you can test the strength of the result, and if it meets your needs. You should also contact 'classic' injection molding companies to see what they charge for creating objects like those. The Ultimaker, while awesome, is not really intended for mass production use. It's more of a unique kind of object printer. Or an "adult hobby kit for personal use" (worst possible description ) It also finds it's place in professions like architecture and art. Because of the "1 of a kind" nature.

Sadly, I cannot. The rest of the print failed. And when I tried to remove it the bottom separated from the rest of the box.

The small holes, which are smaller then 1mm?, will be a huge problem. Also, wall thin walls can be a problem, depending on how thick those walls are. Honesty, I don't think the Ultimaker will be your best option. Looking at those models, I would go for a CNC milled mold, and injection mold the objects from that. (no personal experience with this method, but it's what they use for medium to large amount of production)

This is the amount of warping I get for a normal square (nothing special just a flat square) with normal PLA from Ultimaker. Printed the first layer at 0.1mm layers, 25mm/s, and then it speeds up over the next 3 layers to 50mm/s. Printed at 190C. Seems a lot less then your tests...

FYI: I just remembered, another change on the 1.5.6 schematics is a point to connect the LED lights. Because that wasn't possible in the 1.5.4 PCB.

The firmware installer doesn't work for the ATMega1280. You'll need to install the firmware from the build-me-marlin zip file. The auto detection of the right serial port also fails, so it's not possible to use the calibration wizard or the machine check. (I should have asked if they had any old ATMega1280 hardware laying around last friday... so I could test with it) Other then that, the slicer should work fine, and printing from PrintRun should also work. If you still have problems, and now I'm going to play the scary stalker, looks like you're from the Eindhoven area. I suggest you make sure you're invited for the next Ultimaker evening in Geldermalsen, and bring your printer then. If you are still having problems with it, it's pretty certain that there are enough people around who can help you then. I'll also be around then. (I don't know when they'll have a next Ultimaker evening)