What's the best that Ultimaker can do?

[tachyio 0]

Hi Guys,

I've tweaked and tweaked, but I can't seem to get quality past this...

EDIT: My web server is not allowing hot linking of pictures, so here's a html page with the 2 jpegs:

http://radiusdev.com/tachyio/um/ultimaker.html

When you look at the profile of the printed model, the surface looks really smooth. Yet when you look at the model directly under bright lights, you can see this undulating pattern. My guess is that the printer wobbles as it prints, or that the x-y accuracy is rather poor. Also I still have problems with printing overhangs...

I currently used netfabb to print this model, using standard quality PLA material settings, at 0.15mm layer height and 300mm/sec jump speed to reduce stringing. But I don't understand, despite this teeny teeny layer height, I can still see the layers! :(

Additional info: Marlin firmware flashed from replicatorg 26, temperature was 185C to 200C...My extruder head jams often as well, every 2 prints...balanced the peek and bowen many many times. I am just thinking to myself that Ultimaker should have designed a snap-in-place extruder head...so every time it jams, we snap the old one out for cleaning and snap a new one in for the next print - kinda like the old days where standard 2d printers kept getting their heads clogged.

Sigh, any help would be much appreciated...If this is the best the Ultimaker can do, it leaves me wondering how the promotional pictures look so good...

[mr_seeker 0]

The promo pictures look so good because they print at 25mm/s, 0.05mm per layer, and around 200-220C. Also using belt tensioners will help too

Dont expect to get a good print in the first run, I usually mess up 2-3 prints before I got a good one. Its all in the first layer...

[thomix 0]

If you have extruder issues with jamming, try calibrating the filament thickness and steps per E very carefully: too much extruded material will cause a pressure buildup in the bowden tube and the extruder will slip and strip the filament, causing a jam.

Slower printing allows for a bit of extra plastic to push through during infills, and an alternative is to get a new feeder. I got the one by Ghagen which grips the filament so well that the motor skips steps without skipping; this lowers the pressure in the bowden tube and does not jam.

The wobbling can be caused by slack belts (backlash) or dynamics problems where you make steps so fast that you get overshoots (and corrections). Printing slower always works.

[tachyio 0]

Issues resolved after stepper belt tightening, and now using Cura

Cura prints:

https://plus.google.com/photos/10422046 ... 8660985857

 

[Daid 266]

Issues resolved after stepper belt tightening, and now using Cura

Cura prints:

https://plus.google.com/photos/10422046 ... 8660985857

 

Now that's what it should look like! Nice job!