For anyone using an aftermarket build plate you may want to watch the start procedure where the nozzle wipes itself on the tab on the back of the plate and see if the tab flexes at all. Then maybe compare it to a Bambu plate to see what it’s supposed to do.
On the Bambu build plate, they have the tab and that little slot cutout which allows the tab to flex down when the nozzle lowers onto it. On my particular aftermarket plate, it doesn’t flex at all which means this force is going up into the nozzle and print head. And when my nozzle moves sideways to wipe, it flexes the nozzle to the side until it eventually lets go and starts moving.
I don’t know how much force is being used, but since it’s enough to visibly see the nozzle move in relation to the print head, I can’t imagine it’s good for the machine. I know I will not be using this particular build plate until I can find something to change in the code or I get a new plate that will flex as originally designed.
Hopefully others smarter than I can come up with a change for the g-code or some other solution and hopefully this will get pinned for others to see as I’m not going to spam other parts of the forum.
I have a video showing this happen and will try to figure out how to add it.
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Would be good to know which plate you have.
I’m contacting the company and giving them a chance to address it before I throw them under the bus. If they don’t care or ignore it then I will come back and update with who made it. But if you have a plate that is stiff and doesn’t flex easily or is thicker than a Bambu plate, then it likely isn’t allowing the tab to flex and that force is going up into the nozzle/ print head.
If you watch the wipe process with a Bambu plate then you can see how much it flexes down. And if you do it with the aftermarket plate you should be able to see if it flexes down or remains rigid.
Someone pointed out the appropriate code and during the wipe sequence the plate is raised to a max of -1.5 mm above the nozzle height (positive values start at the nozzle and extend down while negative numbers is anything above the nozzle) and then fluctuates between 0 and -1 mm. Raising the plate above the nozzle is what causes the Bambu 's plate’s tab to flex down. So if the build plate isn’t flexing and the print head can’t move vertically, that’s a lot of force that’s going somewhere if the stepper motor doesn’t skip.
I’ve seen quite a few people mention they have an aftermarket plate so I’m a bit surprised there haven’t been more comments/ concern? This also effects the P1 printers but I’m not going to spam the forum…
Edit: I guess we can’t upload videos to the forum so I’ll have to find somewhere else to host it when I have the time