Print "jumps" after 10mm

[hcb_kd 0]

Recently, I have been experiencing that all my prints have a thick line at 10mm height, no matter how many mm³ the base area is.

Has anyone experienced this before?

See example here:

 

[gr5 2,184]

Wow - this is a new one for me. Hopefully someone has seen this and knows exactly what it is. Did you play with the z screw? Turn it by hand. See if you feel anything at the 10mm point. Look at the bed as you move it up and down past 10mm. Does it bump anything? Check all around the edges - see if something is interfering with travel. Could it be fan related? Does the fan come on at layer 50 or something? Please post your Cura ini file if you use Cura or all settings for any other slicer. Most people when asked for settings post 4 or 5 things. Please post everything as it could be something you wouldn't have thought of (like the fan or a plugin). Is this ABS or PLA?

 

[cora111 0]

That is a new one for me, too. Never seen that before.

I'd also guess it has to do something with either the z-screw or with your 3d model itself. Does that line occur on all your models?

 

[hcb_kd 0]

Thank you for your answers.

Some quick answers:

- It's PLA

- It occurs on all prints, but just started one month ago. (i assembled the Ultimaker last december)

- I always use Cura.

I will check both the Z-screw and fan, and get back to you with a report. Both sound like plausible explanations.

 

[billdempsey 0]

It looks like a mechanical issue. Do you have belt tensioners installed on the belts? If so, make sure they're not contacting the moving wooden blocks. I'd also make sure your print head rods are squared and all pulleys are tight.

 

[billdempsey 0]

I just remembered a time when I had a couple of horizontal lines like yours. It turned out to be a tiny error inside the Sketchup model. I figured that out by looking at X-Ray view in Cura. It showed a stray red line at the same height as my print glitch inside the solid model. I loaded the file into netfabb and hit auto-repair. That fixed the model and it printed fine after that. I had this sort of flaw happen several times in models I created with Sketchup. Since then, I switched to using Cubify Invent ($50) for modelling and never had the problem again. I'm now using a trial version of Alibre Pro, since it's the "pro" version of Cubify Invent and appears to have many functions which would make my life much easier. (Actually, Cubify Invent is a scaled back version of Alibre. Alibre existed first.)

 

[hcb_kd 0]

Thanks for the tips. My belts seem quite tight, even though I don't extra tensioners. I don't think that is the problem. I think it is something with the Z-axis or Z-screw.

 

I made a video of what the Z-axis sounds like, by pressing 'Auto home'. When the X-axis gets near the top, a strange sound appears around 0:17-0:24. (this fits with the height where the ultimaker "jumps".

Does anyone know exactly what causes this? I'm guessing something is not straight or square, but can't seem to see anything wrong, when I control the machine.

See the video here:

http://youtu.be/Ne3TUiqIL-E

 

[gr5 2,184]

when the x-axis gets near

 

I assume you mean Z here as well.

Did you apply the grease to the Z screw? If not read the assembly instructions again. Maybe add another drop?

Try turning Z through same region by hand by spinning it near the bottom of the UM. It should be very easy to turn. So easy that moving the bed up is noticeably more difficult than down. If it's hard to tell the difference between up and down forces needed, then take the Z all apart. There could be something wrong with the 2 rods or the screw or the bed assembly.

Maybe the rods aren't parallel enough?

 

[illuminarti 18]

Yeah, definitely not supposed to sound like that. Obviously check around the bed that nothing is binding on any part of the platform near the top. Also, as gr5 said, my first thought was that that maybe the side rods are not properly parallel, and somehow, near the top, they're far enough apart to cause extra friction.

 

Maybe the rods aren't parallel enough?

 

[SandervG 1,521]

Thanks for the tips. My belts seem quite tight, even though I don't extra tensioners. I don't think that is the problem. I think it is something with the Z-axis or Z-screw.

 

I made a video of what the Z-axis sounds like, by pressing 'Auto home'. When the X-axis gets near the top, a strange sound appears around 0:17-0:24. (this fits with the height where the ultimaker "jumps".

Does anyone know exactly what causes this? I'm guessing something is not straight or square, but can't seem to see anything wrong, when I control the machine.

See the video here:

http://youtu.be/Ne3TUiqIL-E

 

I can't watch this video unless i copy paste it in my browser, for some reason i am being redirected to this page. Does this happen to someone else as well?

 

[SandervG 1,521]

But it is a difficult one, i can think of a few things but they would all be weird causes of the problem because it happens at the exact same spot every time.

When you say it happens on all prints, have you tried different models, different slicer? (perhaps Kisslicer)

It sounds like something is interfering with the movement.. are you sure there is nothing like dirt or something in the threads of the axis?

 

[illuminarti 18]

I can't watch this video unless i copy paste it in my browser, for some reason i am being redirected to this page. Does this happen to someone else as well?

 

Yes, me too

 

[hcb_kd 0]

This seems to work better:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne3TUiqIL-E