Good Morning from my Robotics Lab! This is Shadow_8472 with a side project of the week. Let’s get started!
I have been 3D printing parts for this month’s large project, but things haven’t been easy.
Keeping my print bed level is probably chief among my challenges. I keep having adhesion issues from the bed being too low and squishing issues where there’s no room between the print head and the bed to lay down plastic – sometimes on the same piece. I’ve been using a pattern that prints concentric squares a test, but sometimes I follow up a successful test with a production print that only leaves a little residue so thin it doesn’t scrape up properly.
Even when the first layer sticks, prints can still peel part way through the print. One piece came out mostly fine except for one malformed corner that may be fine. I’m re-printing because I’m after a second set anyway.
The most exciting failure was when I had three black pieces successfully on their way, and I noticed when there was already a sizable gap between parts and print head. I aborted the print. The filament was stuck; it wouldn’t go in or come out, even at temperature.
I took the print head apart, I found the chewed up filament almost broken off. It refused to come out, even when I yanked on it with the pliers. I wound up trimming what I could get at and ramming the rest through with with an Allen wrench. I never got a positive identification on the clog, but as the plug gave way all at once, I remembered a fuzzle I spotted riding on the filament, and I thought nothing of at the time. I followed it up with a little cleaning filament for good measure.
I took the opportunity of the disassembled print head to at least check my flow rate. The machine wanted the extruder to be at least 160 degrees C. I advanced my e-steps ten times and got a 100 mm segment, give or take a millimeter. Assuming it was trying to advance a centimeter at a time, my printer is healthy in that regard without me having to do anything.
Final Question
What is your most entertaining manufacturing mishap?
I look forward hear your answers on in the comments below or on my Discord server.