I have only had my printer for a little over a month. The last couple weeks the nozzle I have started having problems where the nozzle hits the print and breaks it free from the build plate. I am running an A1with PLA basic.
I have run the calibration several times. I have cleaned the build plate with Dawn dish soap and water, and I have tried different build plates. I am using a Textured PEI plate. I have tried a smooth PEI plate as well. I have tried a different nozzle. When it is printing the infill, you can hear the nozzle hitting the print. The filament has been dried for 8 hours at 50c. Nothing I do changes anything. One of the most frustrating things about this, is it normally fails 2 to 3 hours into a 5-hour print. This particular print is being done direct from the printer not a slicer. I tried loading it into a slicer, but it doesn’t let me change anything because it is a g code file.
If this is a setting problem, please walk me through how I might be able to fix it. Like I said I am new to 3D Printing.
Grid infill on non-trivially sized objects does exactly this. It’s cooled by the time it intersects. try another infill variety, of which there are dozens to experiment with. All of them, without exception, have strengths and weaknesses. Gyroid and cross hatch are popular, strong, mostly isotropic, but are often slower, rely on overhangs which some filaments have trouble doing well. Etc etc.
With what I am trying to print I am unable to make any changes. It is one of the prints jobs that come with the printer, and it is only a g-code file. It doesn’t use a slicer. I can load it into the slicer, but I can’t go into prepare with it.
Blender and Microsoft 3D Builder (Win 10/11) can both open 3MFs and then save as STL. This should convert it back to an empty shell, eliminating the infill geometry that’s present in the 3MF, because an STL is only supposed to be the external surface of the object, no internal details.
Note: I’ve never tried this myself, I just remember something I read about this exact problem. I can’t promise I remember it correctly.
There are almost certainly web-based converters that could do it “right” if the above do not. (google “3MF to STL”, I just did, there are a bazillion hits).
Actually there are a couple different models that came programed into my printer that take more than 5 hours to print. The Elephant takes 5 hours 52 min, the panda takes 7 hours 29 mins. I am trying to print the elephant.
The problem isn’t just the infill. When the head moves it hit the piece and knocks it off the plate. I only mentioned the infill because you can hear it hitting when it is printing the infill.
The advice you’ve been given is correct. In 95% of cases, if the print head hits the model, the issue is with the infill. However, it’s possible that it could be something else. I would recommend taking a step-by-step approach to solving the problem and not rushing in the wrong direction.
While I would generally recommend these steps, ultimately, it is up to you to decide whether they are right for you.
Forget about the models on the printer. These are benchmarks, not optimized for good printing, but for for demonstration purposes. You can download them from MakerWorld, open them in the slicer and adjust the settings. For example: Bambu has its own collection. You’ll find the panda there too.
Familiarise yourself with infill, as this forms a really important basis for understanding 3D printing. Have you already done so? Great! Read it again just to be sure.
If your printer is causing problems, start with the basics, not a 5-hour print. First print a cube. Try different settings, infill, and troubleshooting.
Just to be on the safe side, I’ll mention this: if you opt for the superior Smooth Plate to improve adhesion, remember to adjust the relevant setting in the slicer and select the correct filament. The same applies if you print directly from the 3D printer. You have to tell the 3D printer when you change the plate, unless you’re using the slicer. Neatherless, I recommend using just the slicer just to be on the safe side.
The most important thing is to take it step by step. Printing a 5-hour job repeatedly and then having it fail is not helpful. Even if you’ve done it a hundred times before, have you forgotten a step? Use the slicer, check the settings, clean the printer plate, check that the nozzle is seated correctly and calibrate again. Then print a cube. Yes, it’s annoying, but make a checklist to ensure you haven’t missed anything.
Thanks for your reply. these are some good points. I did print a test cube and there were small pieces at the first few layers that got knocked off the plate by the nozzle.
More information would be needed, but based on the photo:
Well, at least I don’t think it’s the infill, at least not at the moment! Although that could also be a factor, but rather that your printer is no longer printing properly at all.
Are you sure the filament is still good? It looks so obviously wrong that it makes me wonder whether either: A) Is your filament gone trash or B) there is a fundamental problem…
It could be the wrong direction, but just to be sure: What kind of filament are you using (manufacturer, slicer settings, type) - and have you tried opened a new roll? Just to rule that out. I can only guess with so little information. Check the packaging of your printer; there should be a few samples that you can use if necessary.
Yet, as I said: The quality of problem identification depends on the information you provide.
I don’t think the filament is the problem. I have tried multiple spools of filament all of them being Bambu Labs PLA basic some of them freshly opened and had the same results on all of them. The humidity on the room with the printer is 40% and from what I have read that shouldn’t be a problem either. I have tried drying the filament for 8 hours at 50c with no change as well. It seems like the Z access is set too low. I would think the printer would learn this when it does bed leveling.
If you haven’t tried this already it might be worth a shot. Tighten the hotend screws. Go here, scroll down to “Check the Hotend and Heater” and start there:
I had an issue recently where the wiki told me to pull those screws to check something. I am going to have to check that they are tight. I will let you know what I find. Thanks.
I think I fixed my problem. I checked the nozzle to make sure it was installed correctly and it was. I pulled the hotend out to check the screws as shown and they were all tight. I figured I would try a different nozzle. The problem appears to have been something with my nozzle. I could have sworn I tried a different nozzle before.
I don’t even remember where I saw this, but one of my favorite quotes is, “3D printing is as much Voodoo as it is science.” I’ve had problems that while I was trying to diagnose them something else changed so even after I fixed the original problem I didn’t know it because of the new problem.
My problems all started when my filament sensor died and had to be replaced. I would really like to know what is wrong with that nozzle that was causing my problem.
