Jump to content
UltiMaker Community of 3D Printing Experts

Random gaps on the first layer due to...not flat bad?


kazzaqov

Recommended Posts

Posted · Random gaps on the first layer due to...not flat bad?

Hello everyone,

I've been leveling my bed forever, got tons of advices here (thanks for them) but I still think the problem is somewhere in the hardware. I tried 2 different beds, and I just get holes somewhere in the middle (this cant be calibrated by adjusting screws) of the bed. I tried both kapton and blue tape, same problem.

IMG 2620

Can you please advice me on what might be the cause? I'm sick of getting bad first levels (extruder always makes clicking sound because of uneven extruding)

 

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Random gaps on the first layer due to...not flat bad?

    This is pretty good. To get any better than this you either need to do thicker layers or get more accurate equipment.

    I have a thick MIC6 aluminum bed which is very very flat. But even if your bed is flat you need straight rods that hold the print head. Also if you want so flat then maybe blue tape is too thick - you might need to use aluminum bed with kapton tape instead.

     

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Random gaps on the first layer due to...not flat bad?

    Thanks for reply, guys. I am printing at 0.2, and first layer is 0.3. The sound that extruder makes during first layer, that what bothers me most. I am afraid filament might slip off the extruder.

     

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Random gaps on the first layer due to...not flat bad?

    >I am printing at 0.2, and first layer is 0.3.

    Oh!! That's a problem. Your first layer is much too thin then. It looks like .1mm and thinner in spots. You need to lower the bed by about .2mm. Here's my leveling procedure:

    Levelling here is defined as setting the Z height and also levelling. It's one procedure that does both at once.

    Optionally heat up the nozzle to 180C because a cold nozzle shrinks and you will be setting the bed to the wrong height. Make sure tip of nozzle doesn't have any plastic on it or you may level to the wrong height. I usually prefer to level with a cold nozzle but if you want extra accuracy then use hot nozzle.

    Home the z axis only. If you must home all 3 then you need to disable the steppers once it's done so you can move the print head by hand. Move the head as close as possible to each of the 4 screws in turn. Once at a screw tighten the screw and then slip a piece of paper between the nozzle and the print bed. Make sure the paper slides very freeley. Then loosen the screw until the paper gets slightly stuck. You want the paper to easily be able to slide in and out under the nozzle with one hand pushing the paper. If the paper gets stuck it's probably too tight under there.

    Repeat this procedure for the other 3 screws. Then go back to the first screw and repeat on all 4 screws again. Then repeat on all 4 screws again. Then again. It may take you 20 minutes to do this the first time but the second time you do this it should take much less time because you are both better at it, faster at it, and because there isn't much to adjust the second time.

    If you levelled with a cold nozzle you are done. If you levelled with a hot nozzle you should then loosen the 4 screws 1/8 of a turn to compensate for the thickness of the paper.

    Once done levelling rotate the z screw by hand to keep the nozzle off your bed. This makes it less likely to damage your bed surface and gives the nozzle room to leak.

    On a new ultimaker repeat this procedure before every print (at least every hour) because the print bed can move/droop like a new guitar string. After many months the droop slows down.

     

     

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Random gaps on the first layer due to...not flat bad?

    In case you didn't already know this:

    z=0 should be the nozzle just touching the print bed.

    When you tell Cura the first layer is .3mm thick, Cura will move to z=.3 when it starts printing. If you tell Cura the first layer is .1mm thick, Cura will move to z=.1 when it starts printing.

     

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Random gaps on the first layer due to...not flat bad?

    Yes, as George said, it rather looks like you're getting a lot less than 0.3mm on that first layer. So either your z=0 bed height position is wrong, or else your bed is very un-flat. A 0.3mm first layer should be able to smoothly cover up a normal range of bed variation.

     

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · Random gaps on the first layer due to...not flat bad?

    I think in this case the rods are the problem. I had the same look with the prints. And it wasen't the leveling. If the rods aren't exactly straight, you can level as much as you want, even with the flatest printbed ever. The problem mostly shows up in the middle where the rods cross each other, so for me this looks like the rods. I never heared of the problem on the left or right side of the bed...

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    • Our picks

      • UltiMaker Cura 5.3 stable released
        In this stable release, Cura 5.3 achieves yet another huge leap forward in 3D printing thanks to material interlocking! As well as introducing an expanded recommended print settings menu and lots of print quality improvements. Not to mention, a whole bunch of new printer profiles for non-UltiMaker printers!
          • Thanks
          • Like
        • 28 replies
      • Here it is. The new UltiMaker S7
        The UltiMaker S7 is built on the success of the UltiMaker S5 and its design decisions were heavily based on feedback from customers.
         
         
        So what’s new?
        The obvious change is the S7’s height. It now includes an integrated Air Manager. This filters the exhaust air of every print and also improves build temperature stability. To further enclose the build chamber the S7 only has one magnetically latched door.
         
        The build stack has also been completely redesigned. A PEI-coated flexible steel build plate makes a big difference to productivity. Not only do you not need tools to pop a printed part off. But we also don’t recommend using or adhesion structures for UltiMaker materials (except PC, because...it’s PC). Along with that, 4 pins and 25 magnets make it easy to replace the flex plate perfectly – even with one hand.
         
        The re-engineered print head has an inductive sensor which reduces noise when probing the build plate. This effectively makes it much harder to not achieve a perfect first layer, improving overall print success. We also reversed the front fan direction (fewer plastic hairs, less maintenance), made the print core door magnets stronger, and add a sensor that helps avoid flooding.
         

         
        The UltiMaker S7 also includes quality of life improvements:
        Reliable bed tilt compensation (no more thumbscrews) 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi A 1080p camera (mounted higher for a better view) Compatibility with 280+ Marketplace materials Compatibility with S5 project files (no reslicing needed) And a whole lot more  
        Curious to see the S7 in action?
        We’re hosting a free tech demo on February 7.
        It will be live and you can ask any questions to our CTO, Miguel Calvo.
        Register here for the Webinar
          • Like
        • 18 replies
      • UltiMaker Cura Alpha 🎄 Tree Support Spotlight 🎄
        Are you a fan of tree support, but dislike the removal process and the amount of filament it uses? Then we would like to invite you to try this special release of UltiMaker Cura. Brought to you by our special community contributor @thomasrahm
         
        We generated a special version of Cura 5.2 called 5.3.0 Alpha + Xmas. The only changes we introduced compared to UltiMaker Cura 5.2.1 are those which are needed for the new supports. So keep in mind, this is not a sneak peek for Cura 5.3 (there are some really cool new features coming up) but a spotlight release highlighting this new version of tree supports.  
          • Like
        • 22 replies
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...