Getting a high quality Ultimaker Robot

[nux 0]

Hello,

I recently purchased an Ultimaker 2. I've been working with Printrbot Simple Metal for the past month and it was a great learning experience. I wanted a tool to build things, as opposed spending a large portion of my time tweaking and adjusting.

I printed my first Ultimaker Robot and it didn't turn out as well as I hoped. I have read that this is not uncommon.

Here are some images:

http://nux.net/p/um2-1.jpg

http://nux.net/p/um2-2.jpg

http://nux.net/p/um2-3.jpg

http://nux.net/p/um2-4.jpg

http://nux.net/p/um2-5.jpg

http://nux.net/p/um2-6.jpg

Since then I've tried a few adjustments, lowering speed and temperature but haven't seen the results I'd like.

Before I go much further, I was hoping it could be as simple as someone telling me the settings required to get this first Ultimate Robot as good as it gets (pretty much perfect I hope?).

I have a brand new Ultimaker 2 with the latest firmware and am using the blue filament spool that was included.

Thanks,

-nux

 

[Labern 734]

Hey, Welcome to the Ultimaker Community

Print 2 at a time side by side. this allows proper cooling. The right hand fan is further away than the left so it doesn't cool on that side as much. You can print other fan shrouds to help with this, there is a good one on youmagine by Venkel

Layer Height - 0.1 ( if this is to thin then overhangs can turn out ugly.)

wall thickness - 1.2 ( so the infill doesn't effect the outer finish)

infill 20% ( normal )

speed 30mm/s ( Print slow will make sure it gets enough cooling and gives better quality )

Temp 190deg ( Low temps help improve overhangs )

bed temp 50deg

That should give you a pretty good robot that you can further tweak if needed.

 

[nux 0]

Perfect, thanks!

 

[mnis 11]

And ... Try it with other filament.

Because unfortunately the light blue Ultimaker PLA filament is very problematic to handle, it is very difficult to achieve acceptable results with it. I've already seen a few terrible objects in the forum, which was obviously printed exactly with this blue filament.

Good to very good results should be possible with the following UM PLA filaments:

*****gray metallic *****natural ****blue ranslucent ****green translucent

Acceptable results with the basic colors:

****blue ****green ****red ****orange ****yellow

Rather poor results with some special colors:

**Light blue **magenta **gold

INNOFILL PLA filaments are a cheaper and a good alternative instead of UM-filament:

*****Gray metallic *****ice blue

***blue ***green ***red ***orange ***yellow

**magenta **gold

Markus

 

[Labern 734]

Interesting as I get better results with the light blue than the translucent blue.

[mnis 11]

It is really very difficult to make reliable statements about the quality of a filament type. Votes in the previous post show only my personal user experience with the listed materials.

 

 

Markus

 

[nux 0]

Thanks for all the help and input. I have just completed the two at a time with the settings Labern recommended.

Here are the results: http://nux.net/p/um2-7.jpg

Definitely an improvement. With the stock cooling and this light blue filament is this as good as it gets for this small object? If so that's good to know and I'll work on getting a fan shroud and finding a local distributer (US) to try some other filament colors. Seems odd to get the light blue filament and have this as the first print.

Is this the fan shroud you are referring to? https://www.youmagine.com/designs/fanduct-another-idea

Thanks,

-nux

 

[Labern 734]

People have printed higher quality and there is a topic here, http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/3038-can-your-ultimakerultimaker2-print-such-quality/?p=22274

What acceptable for some isn't for others and how much time you have waiting for prints.

The robot is hard as it is small but there are heaps of overhangs. You normally try a design things with the least amount of overhangs. So you can get heaps better results depending on the design.

People seem to prefer this one. https://www.youmagine.com/designs/ultimaker-2-fan-mount-dual--2

There is a stl for single extruder, I have just printed one to try. Some people highly recommend it but others say it's not needed.

[zoev89 73]

The light blue is the company color that is why it is shipped with the printer even though it is not the best

 

[mnis 11]

- It was a long time ago:

Some of the first Ultimaker 2 units were supplied with a filament role in silver gray metallic, this material was easily to use. And along with the early 2014's current default settings (Cura and system), good to very good results were possible. I think just for initial experiments, a easily-to-use material should be supplied with the machine so not as fast comes Frustration.

- No matter, today and before. There were always some messages on UM2-Extrusion Problems:

The original and the slightly revised stock feeder had and have always problems with the material to be transported. After extensive experiments (Almost one year Ultimaker 2 and nearly ten kilos filament later) with more powerful engines, knurled wheels, Drive gears, and some feeder alternatives, as well as many PLA filament types, I mean not at all "now" that the stock feeder is too bad, because many alternative feeders have similar problems with different materials. Especially the reliable transport of nearly 3mm thick PLA filament through a close to seventy centimeters long Bowden, regularly causes concern as much constant force is required.

- But if the material feeder has too much force:

it can very quickly lead to damage to the machine parts, because nozzle clogging can not be detected automatically by the UM2. Therefore, it is generally a better idea to optimize everything before and after the feeder.

- But currently I think:

The main problem with under extrusion is almost always to find at the UM2 HotEnd. Unfortunately, the heating block and nozzle are a single unit, this complicates all service work in this area significantly. In addition, experiments with different nozzle diameters can only be grueling and disproportionate performed expensive.

- So what you need to pay attention, especially in the use of PLA?

The relationship between temperature and speed must fit perfectly. It can otherwise increased combustion residues remain in the heating chamber when the material flow is too slow and or irregular. And this can quickly lead to a partially or completely clogged nozzle. The "Atomic method" presented by "gr5" is really good and very often helpful, but unfortunately, so not all problems can be eliminated.

- Your first robot has shown us the way, even slight traces of burning filament and irregular material Transport.

Check it out once more exactly. Maybe there are enormous temperature fluctuations of +/- 10 degrees or even more on the Hotend, so watch the temperature indicator directly on the UM2. Perhaps the sensor and the heating element do not have enough contact with the heating block. There are special high-temperature thermal compounds and wafer-thin sheets to improve temperature stability.

- If so far everything is fine?

Then perhaps it is enough to go down with the temperature and speed. And objects in the virtual Cura-Platform can be easily rotated. Turn the robot with the face pointing to the left. The rotation of the objects toward the more efficient fan already brings a significant improvement, so an alternative fan guide is rather pointless.

- Almost all the material feeder offer the possibility to regulate the pressure against the filament Transport wheel:

It is often very useful in order to experiment a bit with the spring pressure against the knurled wheel. I think there is not a single setting, which is generally valid for all materials.

- Keep track of the running machine, check out the material transport through the Bowden closely:

Pay attention to the bite marks in the filament, these should be clearly visible. There were nowhere to be seen sanding tracks. But if it is so, then the spring pressure must be increased somewhat, and continue your observation. Can you otherwise sometimes deep ditches in the filament recognize then the spring pressure must be reduced somewhat.

- Even a bad wound filament role, and a twisty material supply can cause major Problems:

Attempts to integrate improvements for a smooth material transport.

- Never let the Hotend heated at high temperatures for a long time, without material Transport:

For the material change with lower temperatures, profiles can be created and used directly on the machine. In this context, the "Move material" function is a useful tool, as opposed to the usual material change routine.

Markus

 

[gr5 1,236]

You can do *much* better on the bottom of the robot. Don't ever do the leveling procedure ever again now that you are "close enough". Instead adjust those 3 screws on the bottom. Right now you need to get the glass a bit closer to the nozzle I believe. So loosen them (counter clockwise from below) by about 1/2 turn each. Next adjustment should be 1/4 turn.

If it is too close to the glass you git a tiny tiny brim at the bottom of parts which can make assembly difficult when dealing with multiple part assemblies. If too far up you get air on the bottom of the print like your photo and the bottom layer traces aren't squished enough.