Is this a heatbed issue?
Mk3S+, Overture PETG
So, I have been printing several iterations of a MagSafe charger holder that is essentially a rectangular box with a circular hole to mount the charger puck. The part comes out OK but one corner is a little odd...see photo. And it is not just the first layers, but the finished top of the part also has a different look in this area. This repeats no matter quality or speed setting. Is this maybe a heatbed issue... or something else?
RE: Is this a heatbed issue?
PETG, large flat area.
Try printing on glass.
RE: Is this a heatbed issue?
Why is it messed up just in the corner, then? The mesh leveling should make it the same over the entire bed, correct?
Your first layer 'Z' offset calibration is a fraction too low, too much squish.
Cheerio,
RE: Is this a heatbed issue?
zip and attach original project file, we may look into it.
Also, looks like your first layer (z offzed from bed) is too low.
See my GitHub and printables.com for some 3d stuff that you may like.
RE:
The sensor detects the presence of the steel sheet below the pei coating. You are using a textured sheet. The thickness of the coating can be variable with the powder coated application. If the coating is fractionally thicker in that area then it would lead to it being closer to the nozzle, hence the diagnosis of the slightly too low Live Z.
Smooth sheets being a adhesive film are 'generally' more even.
Why is it messed up just in the corner, then? The mesh leveling should make it the same over the entire bed, correct?
Your first layer 'Z' offset calibration is a fraction too low, too much squish.
Cheerio,
RE: Is this a heatbed issue?
I have a roll of PLA coming and I'll try that this evening with the smooth PEI sheet. Although the printed part is totally useable with this PETG print.
RE: Is this a heatbed issue?
To check if Neophyl is right about uneven coating, you may see it using the smooth plate, or maybe you get the issue on anothe side of the print ?. A check more reliable is to use this same satin plate rotated 180 degrees. If the problem occurs now at the opposite side, then Neophyl nailed the issue. If it happens again at the front right side of the bed, the issue aren't the steel plates, but bed mesh related.
Aren't you, by any chance, using 3x3 points mesh bed leveling ?. If so, change it to 7x7 and see if there's improvement.
If your Prusa has 7x7 bed mesh already enabled. then you're seeing the limitations of the system. Bed mesh corrects only so much the unevenness of the bed. Using a matrix of 7x7 points, the software interpolates as best as it can the whole surface of the bed. Nevertheless, if the bed has small bumps and hollows in-between the 7x7 points you end up with parts of the print being too low or too high.
By the picture, I'd say that probably your Z offset is a tad too low overall and visibly more so at the front right side of the bed. I suggest to raise Z offset by 10-15 microns. Then scroll down into the settings menu, enter 'bed level correct' and set +10 microns at the front and +5 microns at right. Those are small corrections which won't make a night and day difference but they should point to the right direction. Maybe afterwards you'll need more correction or perhaps less. With a bit of patience you'll get it right in the end.
RE:
Project file attached. It does have one odd artifact, a little patch of support on one corner that isn't attached to any overhang. I actually redid the main rectangular box in the design once and that support still pops up there. Very odd.
RE:
Looks like the project file didn't make it for some reason. The gcode file is too big at 20Mb so would need to be zipped. What a PITA. I am out of time to work on this now but maybe in a week or so. I will try to report back the result of the PLA/smooth print that is going now. 5.5 hours in .3/draft. Now is when I wished I had the faster Mk4S... for the extra speed but also for the more reliable first layer.
RE: Is this a heatbed issue?
Looks like the project file didn't make it for some reason. The gcode file is too big at 20Mb so would need to be zipped. What a PITA. I am out of time to work on this now but maybe in a week or so.
The project file (.3mf) needs to zipped or the forum will silently reject it. Don't bother with the gcode file unless someone explicitly asks for it: it is almost always not of any help.
RE: Is this a heatbed issue?
OK... but why zipped? It looked like a small file.
Looks like the project file didn't make it for some reason. The gcode file is too big at 20Mb so would need to be zipped. What a PITA. I am out of time to work on this now but maybe in a week or so.
The project file (.3mf) needs to zipped or the forum will silently reject it. Don't bother with the gcode file unless someone explicitly asks for it: it is almost always not of any help.
RE:
Here are pics of the PLA print and (I hope) the project file. PLA print is a lot better but there is still something going on in that corner.
RE: Is this a heatbed issue?
RE: Is this a heatbed issue?
OK... but why zipped? It looked like a small file.
It is not the size, but the type of file. It has been a long standing issue with these forums.
RE: Is this a heatbed issue?
PLA part didn't come out as nice as the PETG part on the visible surface. I believe that it is just a little problematic printing such a big and thick model on an open frame printer in a semi drafty environment, even with PLA and PETG. Smaller prints are coming out perfectly as usual. So, no real need to explore this further. I may try it again with a jury rigged "enclosure" to try to stabilize the environment immediately around the printer.