Can't get rid of CHEPCube lines

[MrLonnie 0]

I have this issue when I'm printing a CHEPcube that these lines appear that align with layers that include tops and bottoms surfaces of the chep lettering. I kinda solved this problem when I use .2 layer height, but I can't seem to fix it when I try it at .16 layer height. It only aligns with the horizontal layers of the chep letters. I've tried many different settings and nothing has made a difference.

 

CHEPLines.3mf

Edited June 21 by MrLonnie

[Slashee_the_Cow 351]

The project file you posted doesn't contain the model - you might want to fix that.

[jaysenodell 17]

This may be specific to my brand of stupid, but printing slower "fixed" it for me. That said, I would expect that points to either a flow rate increase, a temp increase or other, more diffictult to make exact, set of changed to make "print faster" better-er. I just plan more time for printing as everything seems to work really well with slower printing.

[MrLonnie 0]

5 hours ago, jaysenodell said:

This may be specific to my brand of stupid, but printing slower "fixed" it for me. That said, I would expect that points to either a flow rate increase, a temp increase or other, more diffictult to make exact, set of changed to make "print faster" better-er. I just plan more time for printing as everything seems to work really well with slower printing.

I played around with the speeds quite a bit and nothing changed. I feel like it has something to do with my top/bottom settings. The lines match up with each horizontal plane of the chep letterings. Adjusting the jerk helped it only the slightest bit, so I lowered it and then played around with the other settings, but no luck.

Edited June 21 by MrLonnie

[Slashee_the_Cow 351]

Try using the same speed for all parts of your model (except the initial layer of course, and maybe the infill). Printing these sections at different speeds causes the printer to have to change flow rates and while a direct drive extruder should be able to keep up, it's better if it doesn't have to at all.

 

For something like this you shouldn't need to turn on jerk control, that's usually only used to override the default to make it lower for when you're printing something which requires high accuracy or something with a small base at risk of falling over.

 

And I know (personally) that the E3V3SE isn't exactly meant to be user serviceable, but at least check to make sure the belts for the X and Y axes are at the correct tension if you can. You don't want a sudden speed change or jerk to cause you to jump a step or two.

[MrLonnie 0]

2 hours ago, Slashee_the_Cow said:

Try using the same speed for all parts of your model (except the initial layer of course, and maybe the infill). Printing these sections at different speeds causes the printer to have to change flow rates and while a direct drive extruder should be able to keep up, it's better if it doesn't have to at all.

 

For something like this you shouldn't need to turn on jerk control, that's usually only used to override the default to make it lower for when you're printing something which requires high accuracy or something with a small base at risk of falling over.

 

And I know (personally) that the E3V3SE isn't exactly meant to be user serviceable, but at least check to make sure the belts for the X and Y axes are at the correct tension if you can. You don't want a sudden speed change or jerk to cause you to jump a step or two.

 

I kept all the speeds the same when I was trying different ones.

I haven't actually messed with turning controls off, but when I have, I feel like the quality ended up suffering.

A concern I've had is the belts. Both tension screws on it were already maxed out when I got it. I feel like both belts could be a slight bit tighter.

 

You had helped me fix this problem last time while I was using the .2 layer height, which is why I feel like this is still a settings issue. These lines showed in the speed display in Cura before lowering the "minimum layer time" setting. I turned jerk off then and the lines had gotten worse. Lowering the minimum layer time and increasing the jerk had fixed it before. 

 

I've only been able to improve it an unsubstantial amount by lowering the jerk this time.

Edited June 22 by MrLonnie

[Slashee_the_Cow 351]

One important thing to remember: how well you can print a calibration cube doesn't matter if you can print stuff you want to print fine, so don't focus too much on it, especially since a calibration cube is nothing like most prints (the size especially is a big difference here).

 

One (probably highly unlikely) possibility: go to Experimental > Slicing Tolerance and set it to either Exclusive or Inclusive (for the purposes of this test, it doesn't matter which one) in case for some reason Middle is making it round back and forth instead of being consistent.

 

If I were to examine your project file and scroll through all the settings like I've done for other people... it would look something like this:

• I usually set Quality > Initial Layer Line Width to 150%. But if you're not having any problems with adhesion, then don't worry about it.
• Remember to lower Walls > Minimum Wall Line Width when you're printing things which aren't calibration cubes.
• For Infill > Infill Pattern, Zig Zag tends to be a much better choice than Lines (although personally I use Cubic Subdivision unless I have a good reason not to, like if I'm printing something squishy with TPU).
  Lines generates a lot of internal travel moves as it goes from line to line:
  
  Zig Zag prints as a single line which reduces the number of travel moves and adds a bit of strength where it prints bits against the walls to get to the next line:
  
  This, in theory, shouldn't affect your end quality noticeably. But internal travels without retraction can leave a bit of filament on the end of the nozzle, which may show up as some minor overextrusion (or might not be visible).
• Your temperatures seem a bit off to me. I've never had to print PLA at over 215°, and that's for the colour changing "silky" stuff. Pretty much everything else I never go above 210°, depending on the type, like if it's normal PLA (around 200°) or "PLA+" (the aforementioned 210°) or whatever. Most spools of filament will have recommended print settings listed on the side, including a temperature (or sometimes a temperature range). If it lists a range, I usually find the middle is a sweet spot. Running too hot can cause problems like this because if the filament is coming out too soft and gooey to form the desired shape, and as your speed is being affected by the "CHEP" lines it's possible that could have something to do with it.
  
  You might want to print a temperature test tower.
  There's an awesome plugin called "AutoTowers Generator" which can handle the whole process of several different kinds of test towers, including temperature, you just pick the tower you want and save the gcode. To install it, click Marketplace at the top right and search for it:
  • I also usually put my bed at 60° for PLA, 65° for the initial layer to aid adhesion. It's another thing which shouldn't cause a problem because heated beds are more for materials that warp easily so you don't want the bottom to get that much cooler than the rest of the plate if you can avoid it, but in most circumstances PLA won't warp unless you deliberately try (hard) to make it. Can't hurt to try.
• I don't know why you have Material > Flow > Top Surface Skin Flow set to 88%, but it's not relevant here.
• You've already covered setting everything to print at the same speed, so I won't go on about that.
• I would try lower acceleration, especially on an object this small. Probably around 500mm/s². Normally I'd say "Cura usually has the ideal settings" but given that based on the quality of the inbuilt definition for the E3V3SE, I want to find whoever's responsible, get a hot end and stick it into their not-yet-hot end, overriding it is definitely cool with me here.
• Unless you're lowering jerk, turn off Speed > Enable Jerk Control. Yes you can make something print faster if you turn up the jerk, but slow print > bad print.
• For Travel > Retraction Speed, on my E3V3SE I usually have it set to 45mm/s for PLA (lower for PETG or TPU because they're softer and stringier). But you barely have any retraction moves, so it's not a problem here.
• I know you reduced Cooling > Minimum Layer Time so that every layer prints at the same speed, but it exists for a reason: you need to give time for your material to set before you print on top of it, otherwise it can be like printing a wall of jelly (I think that's Jell-O for the yanks here) on top of another wall of jelly - not a stable base. Some materials are a lot more sensitive to things like having parts printed on top of them at a different speed (like TPU) but PLA isn't, though it does still suffer the problem of printing on top of something which hasn't set. Setting it back to the default is at least another "can't hurt to test" thing.
• Not your fault in any way, but a default in Cura that irks me no end: Build Plate Adhesion > Skirt Height. I have no idea why its default is 3, since the skirt mainly exists to make sure your material is adhering and get any crap that might be in the system out. Make it 1.

I think that about covers it.

[MrLonnie 0]

I appreciate all the help!

 

I don't have any problems with bed adhesion after lots of level tuning. E3V3SE is very vague with their level settings, so you have to do a bit of configuring to get it right.

 

The PLA I'm using has a 215 - 230 degrees range. I noticed a small improvement at 220. Most others seem good between 200 and 210. The default Cura profile sets it to 200, and it does work for the most part. Stringing has been different with this filament using colder or hotter temps.

My Top Surface Skin Flow is set to 88% just because it improved the top skin a little. That's an struggle I'll save for another post. 

I've played with the Minimum Layer Time and concluded that it doesn't change the quality even at the default setting(10). Same whether I have Lift Head on or off.

My retraction speeds have only partly been due to blobbing and stringing, the main reason I have it set at 35/25 is for the sound. It clicks louder when it's over 35 and almost silent at 30.

 

I've tweaked a bunch of settings and have gotten rid of the lines by about 80%. 

-No skin layers

-1 extra skin wall

-No jerk control

-No acceleration control

-Print speed 25mm

 

Honestly, I'm positive I can print most other things to great quality, but the CHEPcube just makes me struggle. I'm still a bit below average in terms of knowledge and skill in 3D printing, so I always figure that if I can get this cube perfect, then I can be better at other things too.

 

update: I don't know if it's just my lack of knowledge, but I think the gcode shows it using between 1500 to 2100 acceleration.

Edited Saturday at 03:18 PM by MrLonnie