Quality issues: it started fine, but over time it keeps skipping layers, the extrusion seems to be calibrated right but not sure if it’s slipping, poorly calibrated, settings, or some mechanical issue. All help welcome
Looks like under extrusion. What settings are you using and what material? If you do a continuous filament extrusion from about 3" above the bed how does the extruded strand behave?
There can also be moisture in the filament.
Try turning up your hotend temp. and increase part cooling. Looks like layer adhesion problems, from what I can see. Extrusion gear may also be slipping occasionally, if you can observe it throughout the print, you may be able to figure out whats causing that too.
To me it really seems more like a z-axis problem (some wobble or binding + springiness of couplers).
I’ve had some pretty bad ribbing before, but it didn’t every have issues like Adam is having. The prints in the picture are pretty small too, so I’d expect at least some ribbing if his part cooler isn’t turned up high enough.
@Jeff_Parish there is no way… In hell… That this is underextrusion.
@ThantiK Please explain your position.
@Kura_kuea , top of brown castle. Nozzle is obviously dragging through piled up filament. Underextrusion does not cause excess deposition like that.
This looks like a slipping Z axis to me. Also think there may be some extruder issues due to overextruding. (skipping occasionally)
@ThantiK Hmmm, I see what you’re saying and support your hypothesis that it is not total underextrusion. However, I do support that it is periodic underextrusion, caused by the feed gear slipping. It also looks like his extrusion has been increased to compensate. If this is in fact inconsistent feed, then I would expect these results, and have experienced this myself.
Just “looks” like it on the top white surfaces. Not thick enough surfaces or not laying down enough material for the layer height there. Need more information on the settings and behavior to dial in on a cause. I do agree the brown looks mushy but different filaments at the same settings can do opposite things.
Saw the look of the white on a print just yesterday during a service call. 1.75 filament set to 2.8 in the slicer. Major under extrusion and bad layer adhesion…
@ThantiK Likely right. I think there are a lot of things possibly going on. Some top sections look over extruded and melted, some flat surfaces are stringy and not filled in. Were settings adjusted over time to compensate for an earlier problem? Don’t know. Need more information on the settings being used…
The extrusion is pretty consistent, and the layering used to be fine but now it’s sloppy. The extrusion was not compensated on the brown castle, but I do hear a slight high humming sound from the cold end stepper if that means anything. Its pla at 200c, I wouldn’t be surprised if there was z wobble, but I don’t think the zip axis is binding. I hope that helps
@Adam_Potter a picture of the printer along with the prints would actually help much more. Lots of us know typical design flaws, and can help point out any problems when we know what hardware you’re working with.
@Adam_Potter That helps but I agree with @ThantiK that a picture of your machine might lend additional clues to start helping from. Especially where you wouldn’t be surprised if there is Z wobble, can you expound as to why? It can be a little out of alignment and not bind but do some weird stuff.
200 C is a pretty average temp for PLA. The fact that something used to be fine and now is not indicates something mechanical coming lose or needing adjustment or something wearing out. Is the sound from the extruder new? Have you checked to see if the drive gear is clean of chip? So if the brown was not compensated for in any way then is that the default print result and the white had some form of compensation done that resulted in the under extruded sloppy layer adhesion?
Up dhaity songh