LazyWolfe
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2016 4:57 pm

20mm calibration cube issues

I’m nearing my wit’s end (usually not a long journey), and would really appreciate some help. I print with a FlashForge Creator Pro, using a glass plate for a bed, and ABS juice for adhesion. I’ve been having problems with some prints. I’ve been through the print quality guides on Simplify3D but haven’t yet found the magic formula. I’m printing a simple 10X20X20mm cube that exhibits the issues I’m having. The .STL came with the printer. I print with Hatchbox filament.
My prints have these problems:
• The cube is not a cube. The 10mm sides dish inwards by nearly 0.5mm
• The vertical corner edges are rounded, not sharp
• The corners of the top surface are not flat. They have sharp upwards points.
• The corners of the bottom surface also curve upwards
I’ve worked with bed temps, extruder temps, cooling fan speeds, number of layers top and bottom, filament diameter, and other slicer settings. I can sometimes make things worse, but seldom better.

Here’s the real puzzle to me. The printer came with ReplicatorG. When I slice using that engine, with default settings and the same .STL and same filament and etc, the cubes are near perfect. It’s only when I slice with S3D that I have these issues.
Any help will be greatly appreciated.

LazyWolfe
horst.w
Posts: 861
Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2014 5:00 pm

Re: 20mm calibration cube issues

It needs to know your FACTORY-File (>File>Save As ...) and pictures of your print


Horst, GER
wirlybird
Posts: 1374
Joined: Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:32 pm

Re: 20mm calibration cube issues

A little info would help. Temps, speeds other settings etc.
LazyWolfe
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2016 4:57 pm

Re: 20mm calibration cube issues

Good cube, sliced by RepG
Good cube, sliced by RepG
Shows concave sides, bad edges, bad top corners, tilted bottom corners
Shows concave sides, bad edges, bad top corners, tilted bottom corners
bad bottom corners, edges
bad bottom corners, edges
horst.w wrote:It needs to know your FACTORY-File (>File>Save As ...) and pictures of your print


Horst, GER
Sorry to be slow responding. I needed a lesson on how to upload images.[attachment=0]bad corners, edges.JPG/attachment]
LazyWolfe
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2016 4:57 pm

Re: 20mm calibration cube issues

horst.w wrote:It needs to know your FACTORY-File (>File>Save As ...) and pictures of your print


Horst, GER
Here is (I hope) the factory file
Attachments
20mm_Calibration_Box.factory
(4.23 KiB) Downloaded 500 times
CompoundCarl
Posts: 2005
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:23 am

Re: 20mm calibration cube issues

There would have to be some very extreme overheating going on for the plastic to curve that much with such a small part. Are you sure you set the right temperatures? Do you have the cooling fan enabled?
LazyWolfe
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2016 4:57 pm

Re: 20mm calibration cube issues

CompoundCarl wrote:There would have to be some very extreme overheating going on for the plastic to curve that much with such a small part. Are you sure you set the right temperatures? Do you have the cooling fan enabled?
Bed temp is usually 110C. I have experimented with temps from 105 - 130C. Extruder usually 230C I've tried from 220C-240C. Active cooling fan, and duct are in place and enabled. I have tried to print without active cooling, but then it gets really ugly.

Lazywolfe
dorsai3d
Posts: 237
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:01 am

Re: 20mm calibration cube issues

Um, are you actually printing ABS like your factory file says? Because that looks a bit like what happens if you try printing PLA with ABS settings. You'd want more like 205°C extruder temp and 60°C bed temp with active cooling for PLA.
LazyWolfe
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 15, 2016 4:57 pm

Re: 20mm calibration cube issues

dorsai3d wrote:Um, are you actually printing ABS like your factory file says? Because that looks a bit like what happens if you try printing PLA with ABS settings. You'd want more like 205°C extruder temp and 60°C bed temp with active cooling for PLA.
Well, the label on the hatchbox spool says ABS. And, when I slice and print with RepG/Skeinforge -with the same spool of filament-using the defaults (bed=110C extruder =230C) I get a near perfect print (see pictures above).
dorsai3d
Posts: 237
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:01 am

Re: 20mm calibration cube issues

Okay. Sometimes it's the obvious, sometimes not. Best bet would be to reload the Creator Pro profile from the config assistant (Help menu), then compare skeinforge settings and Simplify3D settings.

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