dotyman

Hi Larry, Thanks for the reply. I also have added a custom door and (power-vented) hood that actually encloses the top and back of the entire machine (UM3X). In addition, I've added a dehumidifier inside the enclosure (near the filament spools) and a temperature monitor inside the build chamber. The only hassle is changing the spools since I have to move the entire printer out of the enclosure in order to access them. The enclosure with dehumidifier keeps the top/back of the printer moisture-free (<10% according to humidity indicator strips inside) while the printer is hot while printing. However, the humidity level returns to room levels (about 40-50%) when the printer is off, even with the dehumidifier left on. I have seen the many filament storage/dry box ideas online. The main problem I see with them is that even though they are air tight, they are built in transparent boxes that don't protect the filaments from UV light. I am in the process of designing and building a custom filament storage/feeder box out of a moisture-proof Pelican box–similar to the design used by the Markforged desktop 3D printers. Thanks again! dotyman

Hello, Given the number of problems that result from the filaments being exposed to the elements when in use on the back of the printer, there should be some sort of sealed compartment for the filaments designed into the system. I'm actually surprised this hasn't been addressed yet. Such a feature is prerequisite to being considered a professional printer. Thanks. Dotyman

Hello, It would be very helpful if Cura would generate job estimate and history reports for billing customers. Also, a power consumption report would be awesome, if possible. Thank you, Dotyman

Hi Tom, I'm curious about the bug in Cura 2.4 beta 2 that "...harms the PLA/PVA interface." I am using Cura 2.4 beta, and I am getting a bit of pitting and unevenness in the PLA/PVA interface surface when I print a model using a raft or other full support for the model. The flat surfaces on the bottom of my models always has defects where it has been printed on top of PVA, whereas the top is printed pretty much perfectly. I would like to eliminate this issue, if possible. Thanks for any help. Let me know if I should start another thread to discuss it (sorry for highjacking your thread, Erichmc). dotyman

I have the same problem...

Hi all, I am new to 3D printing, and to the UM3X. Nonetheless, I've noted that it is generally recommended to use a front door and top cover/hood on the printer when printing ABS in order to prevent warping and delamination. Apparently the door/hood combo creates a more stable (higher) build chamber temperature in order to keep the ABS from cooling too fast. With this is mind, I built a door and a fan-ventilated hood for the printer. The hood is part of an enclosure that also covers the back of the printer and print spools to shade them from UV light. I have left about 3/4 inch of clearance between the top of the printer and the hood in order to allow air intake. I have also added a fan control that allows me to control the vent fan speed and an air temperature thermometer that displays the temperature inside the build chamber. Unfortunately, I keep getting an ER13 "Max Temperature" error on the PVA BB core when I print long prints. Sometimes the error occurs after an hour or so, and sometimes it occurs after about 10-20 hours of printing. And, each time this occurs I have to cycle the printer off/on and abort the print job which is wasting lots of time and material. I've tried keeping the build chamber temperature between 40-45 ℃, as suggested in the Ultimaker website's description of the UM2 door option information. However, this has not prevented the print core error. Has anyone else that uses a door and/or hood to keep the build chamber warm run into this problem? If so, did you come up with a solution? Any input would be greatly appreciated as I am trying to be able to make reliable and true ABS parts. Thanks! dotyman