Settings - starting from scratch with the UM3

[Dragon2781 0]

Hi guys,

 

I'm a little bit disappointed with the print quality of my UM3.

I'm new to the 3D printing topic (since start of this year) and I'm looking for some experienced UM3 professionals here.

 

I made some adjustments in the settings because of bad infill and other issues I have no name for.

But now I want to set everything to default and start from scratch together with your help guys.

 

I will print a testobject with default settings and make pictures to identify the problems.

Then I want to get rid of the problems one at a time.

 

My first question before we start: What test object should I use?

Edited February 16, 2018 by Dragon2781

[pdrinkut 3]

This is the go to for test objects:

 

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:763622

[kmanstudios 1,120]

I like these tests and ran them first on my printer. Well, my first was a Batman statue because, well, it was Batman!! Need I say more?

 

Test 1

 

Test 2

 

Test 3

 

Test 4

 

They may seem redundant, but each one is different and each one told me something different about my printer and settings. The overhang tests are very good to find the limit of overhang that will print well and with different materials. Some are for thin wall tests with numbers for calibrations, bridging, etc.

 

All should be printed without support or it will invalidate the overhangs.

[Dragon2781 0]

Thanks for the links,

I already decided to print something small to have low printing times and not that much waste of material.

I'll print a calibration cube at 100%

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1278865

 

... and a 3D Benchy at 50% scale.

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:763622

[Dragon2781 0]

PRINT #00

Default Cura 3.2.1 Settings

Auto Leveling ON (Always)

Latest Testing-Firmware installed

 

Cube 100% scale

Printing time 00h32min

 

Benchy 50% scale

Printing time 00h30min

 

 

Now I like to identify and name the problems.

Maybe you find even more than me.

 

 

Cube_01_Bad_Infill:

I identified a really bad Infill. It's holey like a beehive.

 

Cube_02/03_Corners:

All the corners arround all sides are bulging.

 

Cube_04_Wobble:

On the opposite side of the X is a strange wobble.

 

Cube_05_Lines:

There are two lines arround the cube. Maybe missing layers?

 

Benchy_01_Stringing:

Some stringing, I think it gets worse when I scale it to 100%

 

Benchy_02_Artifacts:

On one side there are strange artifacts. It's hard to say but I think that they are all over the Benchy.

 

Benchy_03_Offset:

The whole chimney has like a crack and is moved over.

Edited February 16, 2018 by Dragon2781

[zerspaner_gerd 383]

28 minutes ago, Dragon2781 said:

Cube_02 / 03_Corners:

Alle Ecken rundherum sind gewölbt.

 

Here was the same problem

 

Even the same part. 

 

[pdrinkut 3]

Not sure on this one but i think changing the scale on benchy kinda defeats the purpose, if you scale it down then some of the details of the model that are suppose to be tested don't get printed hence why you may be seeing artifacts, plus the material doesn't get the proper amount of cooling time.

 

The cube looks like it's picking up a lot of ringing and echo's, I haven't tried on the UM machines but can the accel and jerk be lowered? That's what I would do if this was one of my repraps. Maybe try dropping the speed over all, try a cube at 50 and see how it turns out.

[Dragon2781 0]

I actually printing the Benchy in 100% but it takes 2h....

[pdrinkut 3]

Yea, i think that's about the same time my UM3 takes on the normal profile.

[Dragon2781 0]

Still default settings

 

Benchy 100% scale

Print time 02h02min

 

I still have this strange artifact on both sides of the ship.

 

 

 

 

I have a minimum of stringing, that is ok.

 

 

I really hate this ghosting effect. What can I do about that?

Edited February 16, 2018 by Dragon2781

[pdrinkut 3]

Try turning down the acceleration settings, I know it's in Cura somewhere, I'm at work currently and can't tell you exactly where since i'm not in front of cura

[Dragon2781 0]

@pdrinkut this are the default acceleration settings. What should I do exactly?

[kmanstudios 1,120]

For the infill, which can be bad on basic settings, turn down the infill print speed. That will get rid of the honeycomb effect you mention. Try to match the wall speed(s) in genereal.

[Dragon2781 0]

18 minutes ago, kmanstudios said:

For the infill, which can be bad on basic settings, turn down the infill print speed. That will get rid of the honeycomb effect you mention. Try to match the wall speed(s) in genereal.

OK I'll do that and start a new print with the cube.

 

[pdrinkut 3]

On other printers I usually take my accel down to 1000 then do a test print and see what it looks like and make more changes from there.

[Dragon2781 0]

PRINT #01

Lower Print speed

 

Cube 100% scale

Print time 00h34min

 

Benchy 100% scale

Print time 02h07min

 

I still have a bad infill. I think the holes are mostely gone but the stringing is huge.

I can not say what is infill and what is strining. Why is this only on the inside?

 

 

The corners are still bulging, no change there. :(

 

The wobble is kind of gone but is still have waves in the surface.

 

 

The Infill of the Benchy looks the same as the cube. Very stringy...

 

There are some diagonal lines I have no idea how to fix that.

 

There are pimples everywhere on the ship. What is that?

 

 

Edited February 16, 2018 by Dragon2781

[kmanstudios 1,120]

I took a look at your settings and you should unhide the rest of the speed settings so that you get direct control over every individual speed setting. This is what my speed settings look like:

You can see the highlighted area that I was referring to. If you compare your speed settings to the ones I highlighted, your infill speed is still 150% of your wall speed setting. The ones I highlighted are of equal value. This should make your infil print the same as the wall. I have piddled with most of these, though not all. As a matter of fact, the first thing I did when starting to evaluate Cura was to unhide all the settings. But, that is just me. I am kind of a control freak when it comes to my software. I do not always get it right, but it helps me understand all the relationships. It also lets me see what happens when I make one change to see what Team Cura's algorithms are adapting along with those changes. They seem to have identified a great deal of mathematical relationships, but still give you the opportunity to override them to account for different printers and materials. Even the same material, from different brands or different colors can behave differently enough that small changes can affect your print. I have PLA that prints nicely at 195°C and others between that and 220°C.

 

Also, this may be me, but the black material is hard to really get a good look at things in certain photos. Some of it shows the flaws very well.

 

Edit: Oh and the striping seen through the walls would be, I would bet, infill showing through the wall. But, to be honest, I have never printed a benchy. I know...heresy, right? All sorts of other tests, but never a benchy..... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Edited February 17, 2018 by kmanstudios

[Dragon2781 0]

@kmanstudios thank you for your huge post!

I'm the guy who wants to keep it simple. In my point of view there are two kind of settings. Settings depending on the material and settings depending on the object.

When I'm satisfied with my settings I will save them in a custom profile and show only the settings that are object related (support, Z seam, infill etc.)

 

I've chosen the black PLA because it is the one I had most problems with. The glance shows the problems better than dull surfaces.

 

I will adjust my infill speed again. Your travel speed is 250. Isn't that to much? I fear the head will over shoot the position he have to go to...

[kmanstudios 1,120]

I am not sure if that is too fast. It is the default and it does not seem to give me troubles. I do adjust print speeds, but have never touched the travel speed to be honest. And again, being honest, I am not experienced enough to say whether or not it affects things as you are experiencing. But so far, I am getting very delicate parts doing ok for their geometry and orientation. I will post a pic late on of what I mean. It is 2:30 AM and I got up to take some ibuprofen for a headache. Bit, I will post in the morning.

 

Edit: Oh, and I get that about closing it up after nailing the specifics. But I am still playing with things every now and then and trying to learn all those little controls. So many to twiddle. That is just me though I did not know how much you were familiar with all the settings so I made that image just to illustrate all the goodies that are hidden.

Edited February 17, 2018 by kmanstudios

[Dragon2781 0]

PRINT #02

Lower Acceleration

 

Benchy 100% - 02h35min
Cube 100% - 00h43min

 

 

 

Strange ghosting arround the X and Y of the cube.

 

The corners are a little bit better now but still you can see the bulging.

 

Benchy looks ok.. I think the little pimples are the Z seam at random setting.

I will change that to the sharp corner setting

Edited February 17, 2018 by Dragon2781

[Dragon2781 0]

What can I do about this ghosting?

[Dragon2781 0]

PRINT #03

 

Even lower Infill Speed and even lower Acceleration

 

Cube 100% - 00h46min
Benchy 100% - 02h41min

 

Infill is now acceptable. When I get lower then the overall print time is slow as fu**

 

I still have this X and Y ghosting effect. What can I do???

 

 

On the Benchy I have the diagonal lines. The walls are thin on that part of the ship. There are no infill lines because it's filled completely.

 

Why do I have that artifacts? This has to be with the Z seam alignement. When I set it to random then I get this pimpels everywhere.

When I set it to sharp corner then I get this artifacts on both sides of the ship...

 

Edited February 17, 2018 by Dragon2781

[Dragon2781 0]

What setting should I change?

 

- Artifacts on both sides of the ship or pimpels everywhere when I change the Z seam alignement.

- Ghosting effekt on the X and Y of the Cube and I think the diagonal lines on the Benchy are the same effekt.

 

 

 

Edit: I also made a little stringing test.... I don't know, is this acceptable for a 3.6K machine?

Edited February 17, 2018 by Dragon2781

[kmanstudios 1,120]

I just got up and having a caffeine boost. So, maybe can answer in a bit. But here are some pics with very tiny details. I am using, in this case, ColorFabb Shining Silver and Matterhackers clear. Some of the photos are not great, but you get the idea of detail. The X-Wing and Falcon are from Thingiverse. I made the Enterprise and Jupter II and the snowflake (fractal). Grey ornaments are 3" or 76.2mm at longest axis. All were printed vertically as shown here:

The X-Wing 'prongs' could use a little clean up, but dang, they are about the size of a toothpick. I did have to beef them up just to get them to sample during the slicing.

The Jupiter II was so fine that it even showed the lines in the original mesh.

The layer lines go horizontally. The circular pattern is the actual mesh. I could have made it a bit more detailed. But once it is painted, you will see neither.

The snowflake is so thin it actually is one wall thick on those thin parts. Some of the ornaments I have made are retraction hell. But this one was not so bad. It is about 2" or 50.8mm.

All prints were made with PVA supports too.

 

Now, I posted these because they did not have much stringing and printing long thin things like the nacelles of the Enterprise and the prongs on the X-Wing are very problematic. In all of these, all I did was lower temp to 195°C, with everything else pretty much at default for PLA. Infill was the new Tri-Hexagon. It is my new Ludwig Van of infill. :)

 

So, I am thinking that if the black is giving you the most issues, it may be the material itself. And, to be honest, I have never had the ghosting such as your pics show. That is unknown to me. Sorry.

[Dragon2781 0]

Nice results I agree