X2D horrible top layers

Bambu Lab X Series Bambu Lab X2D
21

I let it preheat and stay at 40 for around five minutes and did maybe 4 or 5 sweeps of different areas, lingering in a spot for around 3-5 seconds. No longer have the manual unfortunately, I have the temp gun to keep an eye on my reptiles enclosures. And I figured the heat bed wouldn’t be evenly heated which is why I provided the temps to bambu and asked if that was within normal operations. I could probably boil some water and check the temp gun but I don’t really want to do that, its hot enough inside as is right now. Interestingly enough the warm spots correlated to the smoother areas on the 1st layer tests.

I’ll see what bambu says.

22

Sounds like good technique. Guess you are just in a holding pattern I’ll bet you can find a copy of the manual on-line. Try that.

Sorry about the heat. Hot here, too, but that’s just Florida for you.

23

Yeah I did, I had another issue with one specific spool overextruding no matter what, or just calibrating the flow and then overextruding with the same value. Since the X2D has that adaptive flow thing where it takes into account various factors and then overrides your flow ratio by a certain % we ended up on the ballpark of “whatever regulates that is busted and might also be the cause for the pock marks in the top layer”. I inspected them more and even if the lines are well bound and a marker doesn’t leak around the pattern is still there, so by that point it’s very much an aetethic thing.

Still there was that whole other overextruding issue so they ended up issuing a replacement unit, we’ll see if the 2 were correlated or not

24

I was so busy with trying to find out why my X2d made such horrible top layers, that it took a while till I realized that the top layers of my mini also were less good as usual.
So I decided to roll back 02.07.01.57 slicer that I was using to the 02.05.03.61 version.

I did only a few prints since then, but my top surfaces now are quit acceptabele, they look far better.

I have not yet been able to find out why, not sure if I messed up something when using the newest version, which might have been corrected by going back to an earlier version? I don’t know, to find that out I would have to install the latest version again and see if the problem comes back or not.

Just would like to let you know, maybe some else that also has this problem can try this also?

25

Having same print quality issues as most describe here. I am quite sick of trying everything but not getting acceptable and repeatable results. I cant really really in this machine. I have spent 1 week of tinkering and thinking of returning and paying for the shipping cost.

26

Thans for your reply, hope to ge more information of various users with the same problem.

There is one thing in my X2d that might has to do something with this problem:
I also have a mini, and I love the quick change system of the nozzle (besides the superior print quality, also compared to the P1) , I sometimes change the nozzle several times a day. After almost 2000 hours the system never has failed me, and it still looks like new. The nozzle clicks in easily, but only thing is that when I put a nozzle in place, i always check if the nozzle is flat. That means I put some pressure to the nozzle, and check if I can not wiggle it. Sometimes I can wiggle it a little bit, then I take it out and put it in again, and than is is exactly flat and you cannot wiggle it.

One of the reasons a sold my P1 and buy the X2d is to have a printer with such a quick change system.
But wen I click the nozzle in place, you can ALWAYS wiggle it. This must mean there is something in the middle of the nozzle holder that sticks a bit out, so the nozzle can twist around the vertical center line. The gate to secure the nozzle in place also takes a lot more force than when I close that gate of the mini.

I wonder is that can mean something, so I would like to ask you is you can check if your nozzle does the same?

1 Like
27

Hi Javako.

Thanks for the info.

Both of my nozzle’s sit very rigid when locked in place. They can not wiggle at all.

I will continue to experiment a few days before I give up on the machine.

I noticed that I had some problems with new PLA filaments I got from Bambulab. Going to dry a few spools for 12 hours and see what results I get with them tomorrow.

28

I’m having similar issue on my A1. I use Sunlu PLA+ 2.0, same as a poster above. Could it be the material of the profile? (Using the built in preset)

Result was poor also where pressure advance was needed (corners..) as if it didn’t do it or got it wrong..

IMG_7894
IMG_7894240×320 22.4 KB

IMG_7895
IMG_7895254×320 19.5 KB

29

It should also not wiggle with the clamps still open. Is that what you meant? If not, this would be a great explanation. The clamps should only keep it in place, not needed for a tight fit.

30

Oh. I see what you mean now.

I opened the clamps completely and it the nozzle sits completely flat in its position. I can wiggle it just very minor I would say (side ways). I think that is ok. I dont see what problems it would cause more then a few hundreds of positional error towards (x axis) the auxiliary nozzle if they were not calibrated after replacing the nozzle(s).

I am getting better results after thinkering but it is still not able to work without some kind of problem. I wanted to print a larger item (PLA Basic) but after 30 minutes it has a problem ejecting the filament through the main nozzle. I has happened several times now. I have dried the filament as I thought it would be the problem but it is still happening. I have changed the nozzle and it is still having the same problem.

Man, I dont think I can rely on this machine.

In the meantime my X1C is just spitting out prints with no issues at all. I never calibrate it. I never have to dry filaments, just change the spool and press start. i can just change the nozzle and print without calibrations even. My X2D is just garbage if I can not make one print without have to redo it 10 times.

Frustrating!

31

I switched over to a new nozzle (0.4 HF). I did the Flow Dynamics and set it to K0.10. Then I did the Flow rate calibration and get this:

20260715_104913
20260715_1049131920×1432 1.29 MB

Which one should I use??? U just ignored the results from the Flow Rate calibration and used a Bambu Studio setting for PLA (0.16mm Standard @BBL X2D) which has a flow rate of 0.98. Flow Dynamics of K0.10 was used. I get this result after printing a small square:

20260715_115310
20260715_1153101578×1616 404 KB

Thats is pretty ok. Im alright with that.

How come my Flow rate calibration is completely messed up??

32

Hi Zarek, thanks for contacting me again.
The fact that the nozzle can wiggle a bit when the gate is not closed does not worry me because of any possible movement, when the gate is shut is looks sturdy in place enough.
What worries me is that the contact area between the nozzle and the heater is not 100% as it should be to keep the correct temperature during the printing process.

But one other thing: I was used to super smooth surfaces from my P1p, and I realized one thing regarding maintenance: I always used DRY lubricant with PTFE for the rods as well as I always sprayed some on the pulleys, thereby also greasing the sides of the belts, so the hole system could move exceptional free, hardly without drag. I repeated that about every 6 weeks: clean the rods with alcohol and apply some dry lube on a piece of clods to wipe the rods. That machine printed over 4000 hrs without any problems, without any wear of the belts, and no rubber debris at the bottom of the machine, proving the belts run OK. Side phenomenon was that putting some dry lubricant on the pulleys made the machine super quiet, as there was no drag between the belt and the flanges of the pulleys

Many people say : never grease a rubber belt: I have learned that also in the 70ties, when rubber was rubber, and grease came from natural oil.
Nowadays rubber is not just rubber anymore, and dry lubricant is not oil! And I think over 4000 hrs of printing proves there is no problem doing that ( I my work I had a lot to do with toothed belts that had to handle lots of power, and we did that often to reduce friction)

Anyway: when I installed the X2d 4 weeks ago, I thought: don’t be cocky, so I cleaned the rods, and put some of the oil on it that came with the printer. I noticed it was a bit sticky, but who am I to know better?

Yesterday I decided to become cocky again, cleaned the rods with alcohol, and put some dry lubricant on the as I used to do with the P1p.

Result? Amazing! The top surface looks very acceptabele again, almost - or even the same - as what I was used to with my P1p. Did a calibration test, and every thing came out as 0 being the best.

If it stays that way, I’m happy again, although I might be able to do some fine tuning to even get better results.

3 Likes
33

Exactly that. Problem isn’t the wiggle by itself but it might indicate that the nozzle doesn’t make good contact to the heater. When I snap the nozzle into place, I can’t feel any wiggle at all. For me that is a sign that the nozzle makes good contact. Maybe there is a little amount of debris in there? I think, BBL put a tiny amount of thermal grease in between. Maybe that could help? Please take that just a theory that might be right or wrong.

34

This is very interesting result, could you please keep us posted how it goes after some time?

35

You’re missing a 0 in your k value. 0.10 is way too high for pla. That’s why your flow rate tests look all whacky. Set it to 0.010