Unable to get a successful print
Ok, I'm at my wit's end here. I've tried about ten prints and not one of them has printed. Usually I end up with a mass of resin stuck to the platform and a thin layer of resin stuck the the FEP. I've replaced the FEP - no joy. This is a new printer and I have not had a single success.
Images below are of the Prusa Clay Army. I need some suggestions of how I can get the my blood pressure down and this thing working correctly.
RE: Unable to get a successful print
What is that plate in the first picture? It doesn't look like the SL1 platform...
You clearly have good adhesion on the platform and the platform appears to be level. Given that my guesses are going to be that either the resin is not mixed well enough or your exposure times are too low.
If the resin is not mixed well that could cause it to be rather "random" where the print is failing due to the mixture being "thinner" (in regards to the correct mix) in some areas than others.
The exposure time could also explain it if layers are not bonding properly, then the lifting process could subsequently tear them free. Your second picture kinda makes me thing this the way you can see that some of the legs formed on the right side before being pulled free by the body.
If you do the same print, does it always fail in the same locations or do the failures move around?
What are your exposure settings and layer heights for the tests?
RE: Unable to get a successful print
@gnat
That's the build plate - the angle of the photo is hiding the mount. Looks like a flat plate - optical illusion.
Default exposure times - 35 sec for first layer, 6 seconds per layer. I didn't touch exposure, figuring that the examples would have been "fine tuned" already. Suggestions of what I should move to?
RE: Unable to get a successful print
Resin is a year old - well shaken. Is there a issue with old resin? Printer arrived in Oct 2019, but I only assembled it a week ago. Covid made me shove it on the shelf along with other 3D printing projects.
Failure mode is pretty typical. Not much movement,
RE: Unable to get a successful print
@dehidding
I don't know if resin expires, but it is possible that it could have settled so much that even though you think it is well shaken it still may not be mixed well. I'd start with a fresh bottle and see how that goes (I can recommend Elegoo's water washable grey as a cheap resin that produces nice results. I use 6.5s for 0.025 layers and 7.5s for 0.05 layers with a 45s initial time for both).
Given that it is a 2019 machine, have you flashed it to the latest firmware?
Since you say that the failures are consistently in the same areas, have you tried doing the screen test to make sure it appears to be working as expected?
RE: Unable to get a successful print
@gnat
Firmware is latest. Just ordered new resin to try. i will say that the Orange Tough Prusa seems more brittle then I would expect for a resin that has "tough" in the name.
RE: Unable to get a successful print
I can confirm that resin has expiration date.
RE:
Okay. This confirms my suspicion that the orange resin that came with my printer in late 2019 is toast. Though it would be helpful if the expiration date wasn’t printed in ink that comes off with isopropyl alcohol….