smartrail

Guys, Thanks for your feedback and comments to far - I will happily post photos of failed and completed prints when I've worked out how to.... Needless to say I finally got a completed ABS part from my latest attempt, using: Bed plate temperature - 110oC Extruder nozzle temperature - 260oC Acetone and ABS puck method for creating adhesive layer on glass Using a cover created in foam-board to block front and to create a 'box' over the open top. This was giving me an internal temperature of approx 45oC inside the build chamber I'm still not confident that my success will be replicated every time - BUT at least I've achieved something.

I am seriously struggling with ANY prints with my UM2 - I would reckon my success rate is below 10% and this is with both PLA and ABS. I am typically wanting to print parts with a relatively large footprint (about 50-75% bed plate size) and I predominantly want to work with ABS due to the intended usage of the parts. I have tried every possible combination of glues, including the 'Staples' PVA stick supplied, photo-mount spray, a specialist fabric bonding spray, liquid PVA in various concentrations and have even considered putting a double-sided adhesive sheet on the glass to print onto that. I am currently trying the Acetone & ABS puck method - we'll see what happens. I've tried so many different combinations of bed plate temperature, nozzle temperature, fan speed etc that I need to use Taguchi Methods to evaluate which are the most significant factors. I currently have the printer working with an external cover, which I made from 5mm modelling foam board to provide an internal temperature within the printer of approx 40-45oC. I've tried brims of varying sizes, adjusting fill percentage, increasing wall thickness, etc, etc I've looked at the science of glass temperatures for various plastics to try to assess what's going on and why shrinkage occurs I have referred to the forum many times and have searched on 'prints warping', 'prints lifting' and numerous other terms and it seems that these are pretty much universal experiences. However what I have yet to find anywhere is a description of what each of the printer variables means in terms of the effect on the print. I have seen people say that the fans shouldn't be used on ABS prints, that the bed plate temperature should be 110oC and that the external cover should be used to avoid over-rapid cooling of the print as it builds-up. Then again I've also seen people saying that after the first few layers the fans should be switched on and the bed temperature reduced to 90oC and the cover removed to prevent warping.....! Which is correct???? All of these methods are contrary to the Ultimaker 'default' settings....... I have tried contacting the Ultimaker help desk and had extended e-mail exchanges with them but even they don't seem to have a full grip on all the variables to make a print successful. I know that 3D printing via material deposition is still an emerging technology but I need to hit on a 'foolproof' solution for my prints that gives me at least 80% success rate. I'm trying to make parts for clients or for actual applications and I don't have time to man-mark the printer every minute it's working! At the moment I cannot classify the UM2 as a 'tool' because it isn't, it's a frustrating 'toy' that needs constant management and even then when something goes wrong at hour 11 in a 12 hour print there's nothing to do but scrap it, waste the material that's gone into it and try again. I'm at the point where I've got no option but to scrap the printer, suck-up the £2k waste of money and disappoint clients, or spend yet more money on another printer that might be more successful. So I guess this is a 'last gasp' appeal - what can I do that will turn this 'toy' into a true business 'tool'?

I am seriously struggling with ANY prints with my UM2 - I would reckon my success rate is below 10% and this is with both PLA and ABS. I am typically wanting to print parts with a relatively large footprint (about 50-75% bed plate size) and I predominantly want to work with ABS due to the intended usage of the parts. I have tried every possible combination of glues, including the 'Staples' PVA stick supplied, photo-mount spray, a specialist fabric bonding spray, liquid PVA in various concentrations and have even considered putting a double-sided adhesive sheet on the glass to print onto that. I am currently trying the Acetone & ABS puck method - we'll see what happens. I've tried so many different combinations of bed plate temperature, nozzle temperature, fan speed etc that I need to use Taguchi Methods to evaluate which are the most significant factors. I currently have the printer working with an external cover, which I made from 5mm modelling foam board to provide an internal temperature within the printer of approx 40-45oC. I've tried brims of varying sizes, adjusting fill percentage, increasing wall thickness, etc, etc I've looked at the science of glass temperatures for various plastics to try to assess what's going on and why shrinkage occurs I have referred to the forum many times and have searched on 'prints warping', 'prints lifting' and numerous other terms and it seems that these are pretty much universal experiences. However what I have yet to find anywhere is a description of what each of the printer variables means in terms of the effect on the print. I have seen people say that the fans shouldn't be used on ABS prints, that the bed plate temperature should be 110oC and that the external cover should be used to avoid over-rapid cooling of the print as it builds-up. Then again I've also seen people saying that after the first few layers the fans should be switched on and the bed temperature reduced to 90oC and the cover removed to prevent warping.....! Which is correct???? All of these methods are contrary to the Ultimaker 'default' settings....... I have tried contacting the Ultimaker help desk and had extended e-mail exchanges with them but even they don't seem to have a full grip on all the variables to make a print successful. I know that 3D printing via material deposition is still an emerging technology but I need to hit on a 'foolproof' solution for my prints that gives me at least 80% success rate. I'm trying to make parts for clients or for actual applications and I don't have time to man-mark the printer every minute it's working! At the moment I cannot classify the UM2 as a 'tool' because it isn't, it's a frustrating 'toy' that needs constant management and even then when something goes wrong at hour 11 in a 12 hour print there's nothing to do but scrap it, waste the material that's gone into it and try again. I'm at the point where I've got no option but to scrap the printer, suck-up the £2k waste of money and disappoint clients, or spend yet more money on another printer that might be more successful. So I guess this is a 'last gasp' appeal - what can I do that will turn this 'toy' into a true business 'tool'?