Ultimaker 3 stops printing after first layer

[DC123 0]

My Ultimaker 3 was working fine, but all of a sudden it stopped printing. It also extrudes well after loading the filament since the liquid filament comes out of the print core in a long string. I changed the print cores and still the same problem.

After the first layer, the liquid filament stops coming out of the print core and the print head still keeps going as if it is still printing the object but it is not.

Thank you for your help.

 

[JohnInOttawa 104]

Can you provide a bit more information? 

 

Firmware - did you recently update?  What is your current firmware level?

UM3 or 3X

Print material, if it is PLA or nylon, when was it last dried?

printcore nozzle diameter?

When was the last time you did a printcore cleaning?

 

J

[Enigma_M4 119]

Hi,

is your print head fan (the one in front under the white flap) running? In this forum,  non working or blocked fan often was the culprit for problems you described.

Regards

[DC123 0]

I did not update the firmware since the Ultimaker 3 was purchased in 2019. C The firmware I believe is UM3: 4.3.3.20180529. Should I update it? The PLA has not been dried in a while. I will do this today and try to print again. The print core 1 is 0.4 mm. I did a print core cleaning hot and cold pull. When I change the filament, it flows nicely out of the print core until I stop it. I also tried to print with a new print core 2 (0.4 mm), (never used) and the behavior is the same, e.g. a perfect first layer with good adhesion to the glass plate, but printer stops extruding while still pretending to print.

I set the temperature at 200C and 60 mm/s print speed. I tried to make some observations when it stopped printing the first layer. When I start to print, the set temperature is at 205/205C, when my problem of extruding stops at the first layer the set temperature is at 198/200C. As it continues the printing motion without extrusion, the set temperature is at 199/200C. The fan in the front is turning.

 

 

 

 

[JohnInOttawa 104]

4.3.3 is a known stable firmware release, so I doubt that is the issue.

Are you using auto-levelling? 

Any chance that filament has had a lot of retractions recently, maybe a chewed area from feeder grinding within the first metre or so?  Usually when I get a nozzle clog or something like that, I find that flattening and the filament will stop feeding at that point, even after I clear the clog.

 

Just also would like to know which Cura version you sliced your model with. (assuming you used cura).

 

This is a good community.  I'm confident someone (as in someone smarter than me) here will figure this out.  Keep the faith.

 

John

[SandervG 1,521]

Hi, have you tried different sliced models, to rule out an error in the g-code? Preferably one that has worked before? Is the feeder still (trying to) feed filament to the print core or has it also stopped moving? If it is still moving, is it grinding or do you detect any other reason why the filament isn't being extruded? Could it be that there is an error in the 3D model?

 

Perhaps you can include some images of what your first layer looks like when it stops extruding, sometimes there are some clues as to why it stopped in there. 

[DC123 0]

I have been trying all kinds of different things as noted in this blog. Nothing worked, still the same issue of printing one layer, then stops extruding. I decided to contact the Ultimaker Customer Service. He gave me a Gcode test file "UM3_MiniCalTest". My Ultimaker printed it perfectly with different heights. Now I am thinking the Cura software is the problem. 

 

I am not sure where to begin with Cura:
-Is there a different software than Cura I can use for the Ultimaker 3?
-Could Windows 10 be the problem?
-I have Cura installed on two computer, one is Cura 4.8.0 and it slices and gives a time of about 2 hours, the other computer has Cura 4.9.1 and it slices and gives a time of about 3 hours. It is for the same .stl file, why the difference. When the file I have was printing good,  it sliced and said 1hour 15min. I am not sure of why all these different slicing times for the same file. The only thing I did differently was to update the Ultimaker firmware and the Cura software version.
Is there any setting in Cura I need to change or perhaps re-install the software?
 

At least we are narrowing down the problem.

Thanks for your help.

[JohnInOttawa 104]

Yes, Cura could be the problem, as could the the firmware, as could a combination of the two.

 

I had to back my UM3X to firmware 4.3.3 and run Cura 4.6.  Not the latest, but stable.  later firmware and I had extrusion problems much as you describe.  The fact that your Gcode test file ran though, suggests you should start with Cura.  Bad firmware would likely not have allowed a good test print.

 

Good luck!