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So there are many possible causes of horizontal banding.
temp
One is temperature swings if the nozzle is 5C hotter for one layer then it will extrude a bit more and a layer sticks out. Then if a layer is 5C cooler it will stick in.
z movement
But the most common cause by far is Z movement issues. If the Z axis moves just 10% more than usual when going to the next layer then you get a layer that is 10% underextruded because the distance from the nozzle to the print is farther than normal. Then if the next layer the Z axis moves 10% less than usual you get an overextruded layer which sticks out. Layers that stick out and stick in by a little bit causes the banding you see.
The quick solution is to clean your z screw. Spend 5 minutes with a toothbrush and some wd 40 sprayed on the toothbrush (not the the screw as some will get on the print bed!). Or just use a paper towel and a toothpick. Clean up the few cm that are used for the bottom of your print and these horizontal lines should go away. I recommend printing a test print 1cm by 1cm by 10cm tall before and after cleaning.
Sometimes cleaning is not enough and you need better quality z screws and nuts. There was a time when Ultimaker had 50 cent Z nuts and if you moved up to the 80 cent z nuts the quality was so much better. Z rods and z bearings can also cause binding and issues with stick/slip.
Sometimes putting a brick or lead weight attached to the portion of your printer that moves up and down can help as well but this is just a debugging tool and not a permanent solution. This can reduce stick/slip issues.
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gr5 2,334
So there are many possible causes of horizontal banding.
temp
One is temperature swings if the nozzle is 5C hotter for one layer then it will extrude a bit more and a layer sticks out. Then if a layer is 5C cooler it will stick in.
z movement
But the most common cause by far is Z movement issues. If the Z axis moves just 10% more than usual when going to the next layer then you get a layer that is 10% underextruded because the distance from the nozzle to the print is farther than normal. Then if the next layer the Z axis moves 10% less than usual you get an overextruded layer which sticks out. Layers that stick out and stick in by a little bit causes the banding you see.
The quick solution is to clean your z screw. Spend 5 minutes with a toothbrush and some wd 40 sprayed on the toothbrush (not the the screw as some will get on the print bed!). Or just use a paper towel and a toothpick. Clean up the few cm that are used for the bottom of your print and these horizontal lines should go away. I recommend printing a test print 1cm by 1cm by 10cm tall before and after cleaning.
Sometimes cleaning is not enough and you need better quality z screws and nuts. There was a time when Ultimaker had 50 cent Z nuts and if you moved up to the 80 cent z nuts the quality was so much better. Z rods and z bearings can also cause binding and issues with stick/slip.
Sometimes putting a brick or lead weight attached to the portion of your printer that moves up and down can help as well but this is just a debugging tool and not a permanent solution. This can reduce stick/slip issues.
Link to post
Share on other sites