Z-Axis moves throughout layer printing
I'm having a very weird issue that has only recently popped up. My Z-axis is moving up and down during printing ever so slightly, and I'm wondering why it's doing this. The first layer is the one I notice the most, which I guess is obvious, but what happens is the z height will go up while printing one line of support, then change directions and come back down. This creates a noticeable difference in 'squish' throughout the first layer of supports, where some parts of the line are thinner and some are pressed down way too much. I've been using the same Simplify 3D profile since I started using this printer, and I've never had issues until now. I re calibrated the printer tonight and the only thing to note is a very slight skew that the software took care of. So why on earth is this happening?
EDIT: I'm not 100% sure, but I'm pretty sure that this is only happening when I switch from 100 microns to literally anything else. I tried printing at both 200 and 300, and both had problems while a file printing at 100 is doing just fine. But I've been able to print at 200 microns in the past without this issue, and like I said nothing about my slicer has changed or been updated, only the printer firmware.
Re: Z-Axis moves throughout layer printing
This feature is called Z-Hop or Z-Lift and is a setting in your slicer. This is normal and desirable.
Any advices given are offered in good faith. It is your responsibility to ensure that by following my advice you do not suffer or cause injury, damage or loss. If you solve your problem, please post the solution…
Re: Z-Axis moves throughout layer printing
You're right, I discovered that after playing around with the settings some more, but for some reason the results were just way more extreme than they should have been. I reset the settings in Simplify to default and things seem to be normal again, odd though since I never touched those settings. I guess I'll know if things are actually normal after doing some prints.
Re: Z-Axis moves throughout layer printing
Well, it looks as though things aren't as normal as I thought they were. When printing at 100 microns everything is just fine, but at 200 microns I have trouble.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1cqcma1i_VHWlNYQ3VCajNlV1E
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1cqcma1i_VHR1BvYmE0V2FYVHM
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1cqcma1i_VHNE1ocVJNRFdPQ28
This is at 200 microns (which I printed at about four months ago and everything was fine), but as you can see something is wrong. It's like the nozzle is too high, so the filament is just sorta falling onto the previous layer instead of being smooshed against it. That, or the extruder isn't putting out enough filament? I'm not sure what's wrong, and I'm not knowledgeable enough to look through Simplify's settings to see if anything is off. All I know is that I've been using Prusa's official Simplify profile, and the only layer height that works properly is 100 microns, anything above that and this becomes a problem.
Re: Z-Axis moves throughout layer printing
Well, it looks as though things aren't as normal as I thought they were. When printing at 100 microns everything is just fine, but at 200 microns I have trouble.
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1cqcma1i_VHWlNYQ3VCajNlV1E
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1cqcma1i_VHR1BvYmE0V2FYVHM
https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B1cqcma1i_VHNE1ocVJNRFdPQ28
This is at 200 microns (which I printed at about four months ago and everything was fine), but as you can see something is wrong. It's like the nozzle is too high, so the filament is just sorta falling onto the previous layer instead of being smooshed against it. That, or the extruder isn't putting out enough filament? I'm not sure what's wrong, and I'm not knowledgeable enough to look through Simplify's settings to see if anything is off. All I know is that I've been using Prusa's official Simplify profile, and the only layer height that works properly is 100 microns, anything above that and this becomes a problem.
I can't see your photos because I don't have (nor do I want) a google account. Please attach them directly to the forum so they can be better preserved for the future.
I don't use Simplify 3D, so I can't help you, but it is defiantly a slicer setting issue. I don't know if one of your google links is settings, but people who use Simplify 3D will need to see yours to help you find the issue. You could also look at what is different from your 100micron to 200micron settings, and you might find the problem there.
Good luck.
Any advices given are offered in good faith. It is your responsibility to ensure that by following my advice you do not suffer or cause injury, damage or loss. If you solve your problem, please post the solution…
Re: Z-Axis moves throughout layer printing
furthermore, beside the z-hop or retraction-lift, you get movement at the Z axis due to the meshbed levelling !
during the print (and only during the print) the meshbed levelling is active and should compensate slight imperfections in the planarity of the heatbed.
so, even without z-hop/retraction-lift, you might encounter a movement at the Z axis during the print of a layer.
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