I’ve been having trouble with the first layer on my X1C recently—it just doesn’t stick to the bed anymore, even though everything was working fine before.
I’m using it since 2 months, without major issue.
About a week ago, I had a major blob of filament form under the nozzle. Nothing was laid down on the build plate, but a big blob accumulated and eventually pushed into the front cover, causing it to detach. I replaced the nozzle afterward, but I’m not sure if that incident is related to my current first layer issues.
I also update the FW, and not sure but perhaps it was just before my first layer issue.
Then I also reset to factory settings. Still the issue (see pictures).
Any ideas on what to check or try?
Hi there. What filament are you using? If non-bambu filament, what filament profile are you using? Have you dried your filament? More importantly, when was the last time you cleaned your build plate? How did you clean it?
I’m using Bambu PETG HF filament.
I’m using a dryer for the filament.
I clean the build plate every week (I print every day almost 14h per day). And I also clean it just before the last test I made (the one of the pictures sent).
I cleaned it with a simple dish soap with a clean sponge.
Are you allowing automatic plate detection? If not, have you verified you have the correct plate selected?
Also, I’ve come to notice that the textured plate is very sensitive to adhesion if there’s any part of it oily, from skin contact, but since you cleaned it with warm soapy water, that shouldn’t be an issue. Have you done a firmware update or slicer update recently?
You might have to factory reset the printer, I have refrained from upgrading because I see a lot of people having issues with printing after a firmware and software update, and a factory reset sometimes fixes some of those issues - might be worth a try, especially if you haven’t made any changes to how you successfully print, and after the update/upgrade, you all of a sudden have issues.
Going from the pictures and the fact you’re using PETG I’m reminded of several things. Z starts to lose accuracy over time, check your grommet at the top of Z rods, eventually they start to wobble slightly back and forth from what I’ve seen.
PETG also usually ends in nozzle-blobs because PETG can’t be smeared, it has to be laid/plopped down. Add G29.1 Z0.03 to the end of your machine start code. This helps the nozzle avoid collecting wisps which result in the above. It seems random but it’s not.
Otherwise with PEI it does lose it’s adhesion properties over time, so be sure to clean with soap and water, use gluestick, and if it’s old enough, wash it then use some steel wool or brillo pad to very lightly polish the plate, don’t push too hard we’re not trying to gouge it, just very slightly scuff it up to expose new pei.
Judging by the pics though I would say the Z offset is the issue. I’ve been waiting since release for them to add the offset by default but not all PETG seems to have the issue just the majority. (I’m sure it’s a formulation thing)
Oh, and when in doubt, run calibration, sure it takes 10-20 minutes, but just be happy you have an advanced machine now, and that 10-20 minutes used to take several hours doing it by hand back in the day which was such a terrible headache, now we have clearly been replaced by machines…
@ kungpaoshizi in the machine start code I already have (for my plate) G29.1 Z{-0.04}. Are you sure I should had G29.1 Z0.03, as it seems to be a big difference (+0.07 delta) ?
He seems to post that G29 idea in every discussion of PETG. I print a lot of PETG and have not felt the need to adjust my Z offset or bother with glue stick.
If it were me:
I’d roll back the firmeware - a bunch of folks have had issues with the newer update, especially where PETG is concerned.
I’d stick with soap and water for cleaning, but I’d do it even more often if anything.
I’d look at some of the different nozzle wiper mods available. There are a bunch of options, but personally I’m partial to the style that use the replaceable silocone wiper from the A1 series.
I made differents tests. After them what is working are : I carefully clean carefully, increase the bed temperature and also the hotend temperature, and increase the dryer temperature for the filament.
The result is as it was before, but with some lines (like elephant foot) at some places where the section change.
So I need to test different temperature to adjust that I guess. I will also recalibrate again.
PETG has to really dry, and flow and PA have to be accurately tuned. Otherwise, it’ll be stringy. On the first layer excess PETG will build up on the nozzle, and that buildup acts like a magnet for plastic that’s been successfully laid down already. On higher layers, the blob can be deposited on the top of the print, and when the printhead hits it on the next layer it can knock the print loose/over and/or bend the nozzle.
I print in PETG all the time (Engineering Plate, which I rarely clean but might hit with some glue stick every once in a while). I don’t have any PETG-specific settings except for the filament temp/flow and PA tuning stuff. Slicer, all defaults. No modified G-code. At least as far as my experience goes, special changes are not necessary.
