Issues with prints not sticking to front part of plate
I'm having recent issues with prints sticking to the front part of the plate. Before I spend a lot more time trying to figure out what's going on, I figured I'd see if anyone has had similar trouble and suggestions on where to start looking.
The background:
- Printer is self-assembled and worked great for the first couple of months after putting it all together. Actually, coming over from a Photon, I'd go as far as to say it worked like a dream.
- At some point, a print pulled up a part of the FEP, so I changed the FEP. No hole or leak so it was easy enough.
- Prints were still good for a few weeks after that, but then I noticed prints were starting to lose adhesion on the front part of the plate (the part closest to the front of the printer). If I print a full bed of prints, the prints at the back print fine but the ones at the front end up as blobs on the FEP.
- This felt like a calibration issue, like the plate wasn't leveled properly front-to-back, but repeated attempts to redo calibration haven't changed the behavior.
- Sometimes, right after doing calibration, a print will work out ok but it quickly returns to the same problematic behavior.
- Even on those prints that work, you can see the supports on the front part of the plate starting to pull away.
- Increases to first-layer exposure times also don't change the behavior so I don't think its related to exposure times.
- Prints have been using Prusa tough resin and the exposure times set in the slicer, both during the period when they worked great and now when they don't.
At this point, I'm guessing there's a mechanical issue somewhere, likely something being pulled loose by the forces involved in printing. If so, I'm hoping to get some insight on where I should start looking before tearing everything apart.
Thanks!
RE: Issues with prints not sticking to front part of plate
To add one:
I cracked it open over the weekend and checked the fasteners holding the bed in place to make sure something hadn't come loose. Everything looked nice and tight. Maybe there's something causing the build plate itself to shift somehow?
RE: Issues with prints not sticking to front part of plate
@rashere
Hi, I am having this issue at the moment, did you ever find the cause?, thanks Ted
RE: Issues with prints not sticking to front part of plate
I did! It was a stupid, simple thing. The bolt in the front of the build plate that secures it in place needs to be significantly tighter than I expected. You have to really crank down on it or the forces during printing can cause it to shift. Once I went back and really tightened it, probably got another 1/4 to 1/2 turn out of it, it hasn’t happened since.
RE: Issues with prints not sticking to front part of plate
@rashere
Ok, thank you, will strip it down and have a look tomorrow, cheers
RE: Issues with prints not sticking to front part of plate
To be clear, no reason to strip it down. The screw I’m referring to is the one you tighten as part of levelling the plate, the one on the front of the build plate.
RE: Issues with prints not sticking to front part of plate
I understand, I got maybe a quarter turn on that, so will try a test print to see, thank you again for your time
RE: Issues with prints not sticking to front part of plate
@rashere
That did not work for me, but thank you anyway
RE: Issues with prints not sticking to front part of plate
Have you resolved this issue? im dealing with this now
RE: Issues with prints not sticking to front part of plate
I did. It's mentioned above. It was being caused by the screw that you tighten to hold the plate in place not being tight enough. It was tight, but not tight enough that the forces of printing weren't pulling it out of position. Just REALLY cranking down on it solved the problem.