Torgeir

Hi, Forgot to mention that your model was sliced for you printer; Anycubic i3 Mega.. Torgeir

Hi aaerelon, Not sure if I understood this right, -but you wanted to print your model in spiraling mode, so I made a test with Cura 4.6.1. The model was sliced ok, but a check of the "print file" with the gcode viewer, shoved two issues: a small sector of a single line was missing and one small missing overlap(?). I thought this was strange as the model is made in sprialing mode.. Today I've been using my S3D for some viewing of old sliced print I have. This made thinking about your problem, so I just loaded up your model, sliced with Cura 4.6.1. To my surprise, your model come up without any error, perfect sliced! The "simulator" in S3D showed a proper spiralized model. So I installed Cura 3.6.0 again, gcode viewer showed the same as S3D. Here's some pictures: The sliced model with Cura 4.6.1 The picture of "gcode print file" showing two errors, viewed with the viewer of Cura 4.6.1. And lastly the same gcode file viewed in S3D with no error! Here is the gcode file of your model sliced with Cura 4.6.1: AI3M_G_100Dx100HS_test_1.gcode Thanks Torgeir

Hi Folks, Welcome in here. Since I built my printer I've had some issues and want to give you some hint. The most important part for this plus upgrade is the feeder system, IMO. This cause the feeder wheel (knurled) is connected directly to the stepper motor, so during a long time print this wheel can be quite warm (as it is heated directly through the stepper shaft it is fixed to). This thing in like a "warm knife in butter", under printing with some load (high pressure in the feeder tube) this wheel start grinding the filament and will cause under extrusion as the feeder cannot deliver the amount of filament needed. If you want to go for a geared option (you can print the gearbox in PLA), make sure to turn around the original feeder unit. This mean, to have the knurled feeder wheel to grab the filament at the inside of the loop path out of the filament roll. I've used this since late 2015 and advice this many times here, but I'm not sure that people get this idea. However, I now have seen that the UMS5 is using this approach as well, -so you can make your printer quite better at this point. Further, I've also made a quick release system for the old feeder, I can feed the filament easily all the way without the need of using the stepper motor. The original stepper motor used by UM2 is a 400 step/360 degrees, but in the plus version (and kit) they use a 200 step/ degrees motor. So this is a little different, however, it is easy to change the step rate in the firmware, so no problem using the old stepper and the old feeder -as well the old firmware! In my setup, I used same belt as the short one in UM2, (200 mm GT2) belt as it was easy and inexpensive to get. Then you will need two pulleys with the right ratio differences. Here I've used a 16 tooth at the stepper shaft and a 23 tooth at the "feeder drive" shaft, this give a ratio gear of 1:2. By doing so the torque drive to the filament is doubled! You will need a 5 mm diameter shaft at 45 mm length, plus two bearing that fits into the gearbox. If you are using a 200 step/360 degrees motor, you do not need to makes any change to the firmware. The top and the bottom of the extruder is easy to print in PLA, but over time it will be better with some equivalent high temp filament. Next up will be the Ollson block, but you do not need anything else, the PT100 and the heater is good enough, no problem! But here you might be very carefully when removing the heater and the PT100 from the old block. Do not re bend the sharp 90 degrees angle, move it without disturbing the current bend, as it may break. They tend to be stuck, try to push them out via the lock screw hole using a small rod without sharp edges, a little heat might help. I will assume the plus upgrade might handle any quality issues that (was known?) and might improve the original somehow, but since I built mine with all the quality issues, shaft play etc. etc. I'll guess all that was not an issue later for me since I had no problem. But sure I do not know.. Well, that's was maybe a little too much, anyway it may perhaps give a little inspiration. Sure there it's lot's more, but later.. Here is some pictures of my setup (that's all in all contains some 11 different modifications, but still using same firmware): Feeder and top part of extruder head. Some modification to lo end of extruder head. Extension of fan to improve radiator flow through. The feeder unit with manull feed handle. Regards Torgeir

Hi, Well, I may jump in as I'm an owner of an UM2E (not a plus model), however modified to act as a plus model. 🙂 Heat bed 60 deg. C and nozzle at 200 for PLA, absolute max for PLA is approx 240 deg. C. But never go that high with PLA! Different brand of PLA temp setting might differs slightly, but this values is good estimates. For printing in the lo temperature end, you can print as lo as 180 deg. C., But just practice at 200 will be a good start. Make sure you bed is clean, wash with mild soap, and when you feel with your fingers during last rinsing that your fingers kind of stick to the glass, then it is good. Water temp (35-40) deg. C. Sometimes we found that the glass plate is not really flat at both sides, so I've marked mine up in the left forward corner using a permanent (black) withe boarder pen. When adjusting the height, I am using kind of thin paper, just as the recipt from an atm. It is important that the first layer is kind of squeezed to make it "glued" to the heat bed. To remove the printed object we need to use a tiny sharp blade, I've found that the painters paint remover to be used when removing dried paint is the best tool for this. But, before trying to remove the printed object, let it cool down -then it will be easy to remove. When the printed objects underside (bed side) can be used as a mirror, your first layer is really good. Anyway, happy 3D printing and good luck. Thanks Torgeir

Good catch. Torgeir.

That's clear up for sure, hmm... I'm kind of slow today. Torgeir

I did not reflect your model for sure, but this is a general thing all the time during printing. I have never tried to measure this "normal violent" acceleration/deceleration bu I am sure it is very hi.. 🙂 Rgeards Torgeir

Hi chrisr, I will think this is kind of normal, -as the fan is a mechanical device that will be affected by such a "violent" acceleration. Thanks Torgeir.

Hi Robert, Hmm... I'm not quite sure how this would work? A single layer of plastic directly on the platform will still be at the same temperature as the glass. I don't think I've ever heard this suggested before so I'm a bit hesitant to accept it straight off the bat ----------------------- We know that the heat radiation from the bed can be quite directed to our print object and can degrade surfaces of our print. But, by using a layer of filament at the bed surface around our print object, we can reduce the direct heat radiation. So by using this method the heat radiation will be spread over a wider angle and hence reduce the heat spot effect. Using this method may help, but will depend of the kind of the color chosen and thickness of this layer. All this is from the "thermodynamics" that's been part of my job. Thanks Torgeir

Hi, I'll think you have a coupler that's collect filament (as a ring) in between the bottom flat of the coupler and the upper flange of the heat block. I have had only one grinding of filament at the feeder, and this was the cause of my problem! This ring will build up, and become a solid barrier for the filament feeding system. As I see some black colored remains at the bottom of the coupler flange, this tells a story. Here's a magnified picture of your coupler: Good luck Thanks Torgeir

Hi denormalize, Welcome in here! When I look at your pictures, I think this is not a very much squeezed first layer. Say so because first layer always give high pressure at the nozzle. In your case, the pressure is very lo.. So this one probably is the coupler, the withe device just above the heat block in the extruder. This coupler will over time shrink and have less diameter due to temperature and compression. So first question; during normal print, how much does the nozzle temperature variate in Celsius? Normally, if your printer is good not more than plus minus 1 deg. Celsius. If this is normal on your printer or just close to this, just continue to next point.. Since you say your filaments is grinded the "only" place to look is at the coupler for reduced diameter that will (most often) stop the filament moving further. This coupler is a known issue for this problem. Thanks Good luck Torgeir

Sure! Here it is: First Cura 15.04.5 https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/tags?after=lulzbot-17.14 Second Cura 2.5.0 https://github.com/Ultimaker/Cura/tags?after=2.6.1 Ehm, forgot one thing, use gcode viewer in Cura 2.5.0 The viewer in 15.04.5 is not good, but the slicer is.. 🙂 Good luck Torgeir

Hi ReallyBadDancer, You have several different problems for sure. So lets start with the first one you've mentioned, the bed warping and bad overhang. Your object have smaller footprint than the top part, this is the overhang in this issue, right? The problem here is the fact that the overhang start directly from the heat bed. Heat from the close by bed plus nozzle is to much so plastic do not cool down and tend to creep down, this normally happen in this situation. So cure for this is; either to print with blue tape (not using heat bed) or use a skirt that have a little distance from your object (say (1-1.5)mm) that is wide enough to shield the heat away from the overhang. Make sure that this skirt is wide enough say 20 lines or so.. Sometimes this is just not enough, so then to the blue tape. Now to your other problem that's started with some loose pulleys. The important thing to notice is the way you object is orientated on the bed, where is the front of you object pointing? When we are looking into our printer, the "face" we see of you object is the front. By knowing this, it is easy to see what your problem is. I can say it is not a Z or height issue as this only open up between layers without an offset in the X/Y plane. But only a X/Y offset can create such an error as shown here. I think about a climbing belt on a pulley, this can create such an offset and make strange noise when printing. This can make noise just one way, or both ways. When adjusting/tightening a pulley, it is very important to make sure that the pulley do not slide out of the position along the shaft! Most often it is the short belts pulleys that's come loose, this due to the fact those four (4) pulleys are the ones carrying the highest torque when printing. The important thing here is to make sure that the belts are strait, and that there is no offset differences between the two pulleys going from each stepper motor up to the 8 mm long shafts. First make sure that both X and Y stepper belt have no offset, good light and mirror is tools for this inspection. When such thing have been on for some time, you might see remains from the belts in any of the corner that's tells something. The long belts have to stay absolutely parallel (right above or below the shafts) with each axis (4 by 8mm). If one of the pulleys is offset center of axis, the belt will bend to one of the sides of the pulley when the (6mm) slider approach it. This is the tips I'll hope work for you. However, information about the orientation of the print object when printed will tell a lot about you problem. Thanks Torgeir

Hi dadoblue_2000, I have tested them all, -but the predictability and compatibility with the previous and earlier versions is important to me. I've don't need to "test print" an object, just slice it, inspect it in gcode viewer -if any need for adjustment. Make the adjustment and check again in the gcode viewer, if fine then print. Everything is visible for me in the gcode viewer. This is important when you are in a hurry.. But of course, if Cura 4.5.0 work well for you that's good. Thanks Good luck Torgeir

Hi dadoblue2000, Well, if I had any I would share, but I do not use S3D for slicing, -that was just in the beginning! I'll normally slice everything in Cura because this slicer is primary made for Ultimaker 3D printers. However, if there's any doubt or problems I'll always open the gcode file in S3D to investigate or compare. IMO., use Cura 15.04.5 version, this one always work and often present the best sliced object of any other version in this family! I'll have to say; for my printer UM2 and the printers in the UM2 family. My best advice is; try to use Cura 15.04.5, here you can adjust the most important parameters that matters! Moreover, S3D is much more like those early versions of Cura, except from those special additional thing that is still included in S3D, which I also use together with Cura. There is not that many menus, just three; Basic, advance and expert. All in all very easy, so this one will express teach you and this shows the most important issues/parameters in 3D printing. When it comes to the later versions it is all about the "issues" those small adjustment that is needed to correct for about anything you'd possibly can think of.. Strange things to say, oh yes so true, but when you look at the new generations of printer made for a different kind of customers things makes sense. To round off this, I'll say when I'm printing something that matters, I'm using Cura 15.04.5, Cura 2,3,1 and Cura 2.5.0. The latter one (2.5.0) is always used to do analysis of the gcode file to be used for printing. Remember, -for UM2 family! Here is one example that is one of the most challenging for a printer in our class (or maybe I have to say in any class)! This is the "CTRLVTEST", you find it here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:704409 The printed example you see in here is done with an UM2 standard version. To print this in "high class" mode, you will need a plus model or a standard UM2 upgraded with an Ohlson block using a 0.25 mm nozzle. Here is a picture of the sliced CTRLVTEST done in Cura 15.04.5 and viewed in Cura 2.5.0, Cura 4.6.1 and S3D This is gcode file of CTRLVTEST viewed in Cura 2.5.0 This is gcode file of CTRLVTEST viewed in Cura 4.6.1 This is gcode file of CTRLVTEST viewed in S3D 4.1.2 The gcode viewer in both, Cura 2.5.0 and S3D 4.1.2 both show same quality. My printer will print just this, but not what Cura 4.6.1 come up with. Best advice, enjoy your UM2 type of printer, stay with the well proven slicers for our mono color printer.. 🙂 Thanks Torgeir

Hi Folks, Yes there is a difference between Cura and S3D, Cura use Ultimaker 2 "gcode flavor setting", while S3D use Marlin "gcode flavor setting". S3D have "-some" more parameter to use during slicing.. So it sounds quite different during start and sometimes during printing. I've been using S3D for a some time so noticed this long time ago. 🙂 Thanks Torgeir

Hi Th3RadMan, Try to reduce the "infill overlap" in Cura, this one, is normally set to 10%, however, in some object I'll reduce it to about 3% and this work for me. PS: What you show us here in your print, can be seen using the gcode file viewer in Cura. The important thing to remember is; use the gcode file that you send to your printer (and not the one shown in Cura after slicing). If the gcode viewer in Cura show "something", your printer "normally" will print exactly that! Thanks Torgeir

Hi nighthowlers, You've really investigated deeply into this, -and what a modification. 😀 All this in such a short time, that's impressing! Thanks Best regards Torgeir

Hi dadoblu, The mosfet is not to blame for this problem, they are either open or closed (the resistance when closed is very lo), this problem is mainly caused by a little voltage drop due to the fact that the power supply used originally for UM2 is drained at max power while printing. This is something common for all consumer electronics and the fact is that more than 80 % of all failures here is due to a faulty power supplies! However, in our case it is not a failed power supply, but just a voltage drop that caused "to lo current" to lock micro step properly. So it would be better to have a separated power supply for the four steppers only (but in fact it is just two steppers that's having this problem X and Y!). Try to print with blue tape, to see if your printed object become good. If there is no lines without using heat bed, it is due to heat bed in "bang bang mode". Bang bang mode is basically an on off sequence at very lo rate, we talk about seconds here. The other mode is the PWM (pulse width modulation), here we use a frequency that is not very much higher but just under 10 Hz (cycles) and this frequency is constant! So lets say we use 10 Hz, this mean we have 10 times power input every second to the heat bed. The thing here is that we can vary each of the 10 input length, climbing or decreasing in pulse width. This makes much better control of the heat at the bed. As a bonus of this, -our already overloaded power supply become better an will keep a more steady voltage that may avoid this missed micro step. So if your printing look nice using blue tape and no heat bed, we need to find out if your print become better with if we use PWM control of the heat bed. Using the @tinkergnome firmware will allow you to select both, bang bang or PWM "heat control" of the heat bed. So it might be well worth to try this before anything else or before using an additional power supply. You might have an interest in reading about the Zebra stripes, here? See link in previous post. Ok. Good luck Thanks Torgeir

Ok Greg, I thought this file was yours, -well that's life.

Hi Raymond, Looks great. Yes they are rated 1.7 amps (but we set them to 1.2A or 1200mA in the firmware). Would be very interesting to see how it works. Torgeir

Hi GregValiant, I've been looking at your "cut cone" when using the 3MF file of it with your setup. Well, -the only difference here is the printer used.. During the time since Cura geared up and introduced this "new" format into their slicer, things changed as this format have much more information about your object and your printer. For this reason I'm using a few versions of Cura, even one of the oldest version to compare with. There are previous Cura versions that's makes 3MF files, which makes newer versions of Cura crash if you try loading these "old" 3MF files. This 3MF format is quite new (5-6 yr or something like that), so I'll "guess" there is some developing going on all the time.. For this reason I've tried and compared all the version there is and found my favourites. So I'm using Cura version: 15.04.5, 2.3.1, 2.5.0, 3.6.0 and 4.6.1! Well I'm also using burtoogle's version of Cura @burtoogle. I found that the different versions may slice object differently depending of shape and form etc. Almost forgot your last question, I'll just zoom in from the outside of the model and using the gcode viewer (using the gcode file saved ready to print). There is a few thing you cannot see if you look in the preview mode right after slicing. Thanks Torgeir

Hi again Folks, I've forgot to show how Minimalfort's own file looks in Cura, -also sure agree with GregValiant that this is an X/Y issue.. Still using the best Cura version ever IMO (thanks to Ultimaker and all involved people in this development) Ver:4.6.1 Here is the picture: This "little" correction movement is what's makes the "famous Z seam". Thanks Torgeir

HI Raymond, Welcome in here. Sorry to hear about your mishap. This "new" main board is interesting as it allows to install alternative stepper drivers. I would ask if this upgrade to silent step, will keep the ultimaker's firmware control of the "current regulating" to all the stepper drivers as it should be, -or do you have to adjust stepper current using the small pot-meter that's located at each of the small stepper PCB's? Thanks Torgeir

Hi Folks, I've been using the spiralizer mode since Cura introduced it in their slicer, over time there have been some variants. First, if you like to analyze the gcode file, you need to use the file that's saved to be printed and not using the preview function after slicing your stc file! So, it is important to select the additional file types when installing Cura, normally you would have the default, but you will need to select 3mf and gcode as a minimum IMO. The most important setting I found to be set is: Combing to off. Z-seam alignment to shortest. Seam corner reference to none. Select single wall. Top and Bottom layers to 0. Layer height typically 0.1 mm (or extra fine 0.06 mm) Analyze your gcode file, -that's saved for printing. In here you will see the final result of your extruder, how it move and an indication of amount of filament that's used during travel. This last point is important, cause it will give you an idea of how you printed object will look like. I.E. In spiralizer mode, the extruder shall move steady, without any stop, or stop -then a little back before starting move steady. The "h" mark is often caused by this little "back" movement. I'm using the gcode viewer every time I'll print something new, I do not have make a test print if I'm using the filament brand I'm used to. When checking printing in spiralized mod, I'll move the line bar all the way down, then starting play. Those very first lines to be printed will indicate if this is a true spiralize mode. This is a great tool in Cura. Here is tree pictures from the gcode viewer at this critical start point (Using Cura 4.6.1): Here is the start of the gradually climb in order to do spiraling without stop. Just before next layer. Another one and so on... There is some easy way to improve the h stepping, this is to select from 8 bit to 16 bit stepping. But this is perhaps a bit beyond this thread. Good luck. Thanks Torgeir.