industrialdesigner-uk

Focusing on your point that the filament doesn't appear to go into the nozzle....so my next question would be....Is the filament stuck inside the white plastic sleeve? This could happen if the filament had melted and expanded in diameter below the plastic sleeve and then solidified again. The in that case, heating up the nozzle wouldn't help the release of the filament. So......if you can therefore remove the filament from the nozzle by unscrewing the nozzle/fan assembly, you could cut the filament higher up and pull it through by hand from the other end. (the nozzle end).

Sorry, yes, I mean't the feeder.

I think the last comments regarding the likelyhood that the filament has been ground down is extremely likely. When this happens the auto reverse will not be able to move the filament without extra help.....by pulling the filament downwards firmly by hand, as the auto reverse is started up. If that doesn't work, then you may have to take the extruder apart and pull it through by hand, once the nozzle is pre-heated up to about 100*c. Be careful when unscrewing the extruder housing because this also holds the drive motor in place....so unscrew it carefully and make sure you see how all the parts fit together when you pull the cover off. If you're absolutely sure that the filament is not ground down in the drive mechanism and the at the mechanism is working ok..then I guess the next area to focus on is the nozzle assembly.....First check if the nozzle is heating up properly, before you start stripping the head down.

Hi 3Poro, I can see where you're coming from, but my view would be...try not to worry too much. My UM2 was delayed by over 4 weeks and I was close to cancelling my order for similar reasons......In my case, I would call them and they would say that mine would be shipped at the end of the next week, but that didn't happen, and each time I called I would get a similar reply.....but.....eventually it did come. I had a technical inquiry even before I was able to make my first print. This was due to a blocked nozzle. The support at Ultimaker has been good, and despite my initial frustrations, I am a happy customer. I have the attitude that I have to over look the delays and the odd technical issue because I know that the company is going through a process of pretty rapid evolution. I'm pretty sure this is because the UM2 is a new product and it has been a fantastic sales success for Ultimaker. The product is one of the nicest out there. From what i've experienced so far, the guys at Ultimaker are a great bunch of people that are passionate about what they do....we need to give them a chance to do their best for us. Hang on in there !

Yes....I think it's possible that you have a problem with your nozzle. I have a new (replacement) nozzle on my machine and it has made a huge difference. Before I got the new nozzle I had a similar problem as your friend's machine, but I recommend that you talk with tech support at Ultimaker first.

Hey....Interesting material......challenging process, it seems. Interesting point about drilling out the nozzle. I have a spare but faulty nozzle that kept clogging...hmm...I think I might dig it out and head for my pillar drill.... 0.8mm you say...

Hi folks, Thanks for the constructive and positive comments...much appreciated ! IronGland, the bike is a Harley Davidson XR1200. The great thing about that bike is that they are really popular for people who want to customize their bike...makes it commercially interesting for me.

Ok. so, I thought I would put my UM2 through it's paces and print some larger components in ABS. These are for use in a motorcycle project i'm working on at the moment. An under seat storage tray and a mount for the tail light, indicator lamps and licence plate. The storage tray was too large for the print envelope so I split it into two and made an interlocking joint feature to make sure the parts came together accurately and also give me a good bond area. The tail lamp mount was a very complex piece. It is shaped to fit on to the end face of the storage tray and is a visible styling feature on the bike. The whole assembly mounts and integrates with the bikes rear subframe and upper bodywork and seat. I'm impressed with the over all finish and integrity of the parts. However, I have found that there are one or two print layers that are not perfect and might weaken the parts. That's a shame because over all, they have come out really great.

Hi Chris, After a slightly challenging start with my UM2 late last year, due to a faulty nozzle, i'm am now getting on really well with my machine. Ultimaker have been very helpful in resolving my issues, so I think you can buy with confidence. Good luck with your new printer!

Hello Sjel...We are both working on a similar task, I think. BIGGER prints ! I am beginning to make some really good large prints in ABS, thanks to the help from helpful advice given to me by some kind forum members here. Good luck with your project !

Hey.. ...great website. The presentation of your cad models and the 3d prints are really good.

Looking at your photos again and I can see that there are thin patches of print material in areas other than one side or the other. This got me wondering if you are getting a constant feed through the extruder(?). I had a faulty nozzle that kept running dry of material. I replaced the nozzle and now my prints are much thicker and have more consistancy. Just a thought.

Ok.....here are a couple of images of the part. I am in the process of printing the other half of this large component. I plan to bond them together. The parts also interlock.....It will be interesting to see if the parts are accurate enough to fit together. I made a 0.2mm clearance between the interlocking surfaces. Fingers crossed !

I have had similar issues, but I think that I might have overcome the problem by doing the following: Clean off any filament residue from the end of the nozzle. When you start the levelling sequence, tighten up the finger screw at the back a few turns and do the same at the front of the bed. Do that before you start winding up the bed with the thumb wheel. This puts a bit more tension into the springs. Make sure you adjust as carefully at the 1mm stage for all three points as you do for the paper 'fine' gapping. (I use a piece of card that is about 1mm thick. In the final two thumb screw adjustments I think it's quite important to be really careful to match the left and right clearance....yes, I agree with you, it's really easy to get the bed to flex downwards when you push the paper in the gap, but a sensitive touch is the important thing. I am new to the UM2 myself, but still, I hope I have been some help to you.

Hello everyone, Ok I just got around to put a photo up here, so you can see the model that was giving me the problems. And now I can't seem to work out how to upload a photo directly from my computer to the forum....hmm? Aha! It seems that I have to get authorisation from the administrator..hmm..(?)

Hey....we are now 80mm high with 7 hours to go. All looking good....phew! I will post a photo as soon as I take all the coverings off the printer. (It's difficult to photograph black objects without decent lighting). Cheers, Amigos!

Hey, Folks! Thanks a lot for your advice... I have hollowed out the centre area of the footprint on the part and then added a 0.2mm in-fill...as a kind of internal 'brim'. Then I have also added a 0.2mm high brim thats about 15mm wide, all around the footprint. I have applied the gluestick on a cold glass surface before heating the bed up to 100*c. I have put cardboard over the openings of the printer housing in an attempt to keep as much of the heat into the air around the model as it builds. It's going to be a cold night tonight so every little helps I guess. On the 'tune' settings the fan speed is set at 0% (not sure what that means, if i'm honest, but it sounds right :-) We are now about 14mm high and so far all looks good !! 19 hours to go.....fingers crossed !

Ok, thanks gadgetfreak

5mm up and the same adhesion problem, so I have aborted so I don't waste any more time, energy and material. Will try with glue stick and 100*c bed temp. Man, this is hard work :sad:

Hi Nuno, Thanks for your suggestion. Just before you posted I set the printer going again on the same part. I've used hairspray this time, but I have turned up the bed temperature to 100*C as you suggest. Fingers crossed. 6th time lucky :smile: PS. Is it best to put the glue (from a stick) on to a completely cold bed or is it ok to put it on when the bed is hot? I can't seem to get a nice tidy looking coating on the glass surface. It always go's on a bit lumpy. That's why I prefer to use a spray type application. I am new to 3D printing...maybe i'm doing it wrong(?)

Hi, Is there anyone out there who has some experience with overcoming aborted prints due to the print coming away from the heated bed? I am trying to print in black ABS. using Cura 14.01 & UM2 standard settings for ABS. I have tried a plain glass bed, glue stick, and hair spray. On all occasions the print has got to about 3mm high of the bed and shown signs of lifting at the edges. Eventually the print has parted from the bed completely after 5mm height. I have tried to help anchor the areas that are starting to lift using a small squirt from my hot glue gun. This has saved the day once or twice before when I was printing in PLA recently, but I think in the case of ABS, the heated bed is a little too hot for the glue gun glue to help me. I have tried different rafts but that doesn't seem to help in this case. The footprint of the part is approximately 170 x 100mm and I was wondering if the ABS is shrinking too much before there is enough height in the part to stablize it, so stopping it from peeling at the extreme edges. The room is normal room temperature...ie..not really cold or extremely hot, but I was thinking maybe I should try to close up the openings in the printer housing just to try to maintain a slightly higher air temperature?? Should I run the bed at a lower or higher temp? I am printing at a resolution of 0.1mm will changing the resolution or print speed do anything to help?? Thanks, David

Hello! You're cat looks very cold.....first job for your UM2 is to make a nice little house for it...yes? :wink:

Hi Sven. Welcome. I think i'm with Valcrow on this one. The printer is at the end of the process rather than at the beginning. Do use 3d cad software or are you planning to download models from the web?..or? Regards, David

Ah...ok. I looked more closely and I think I can see it behind the white plastic. What do you think of my other points?

From what you've just described, i'm not sure how you can not have one of these machines. Good luck ! :grin: