RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
@altaic - did you try the same gcode files on a different USB drive?
Not yet. I’ll test that later today and report back.
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
In the fight against VFA, the speed of the outer perimeter is extremely important. Also to achieve a uniform surface.
Orca Slicer has the ingenious feature of not slowing down the outer perimeter if the minimum layer time is not reached.
Someone on Github has already made the proposal to migrate this to the Prusa Slicer.If many people leave a comment there, it might happen.
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
This is what a representative wrote to me:
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
I am not sure if it was already discussed here, but I just did a quick visual check of my belts path, and it looks like the right motor pulley is a bit too low. The belt is rubbing on the top flange whatever the printhead position. Looking at the pictures from other users on the forum tends to confirm this.
The assembly manual does not provide a step to fine tune the pulley position, maybe the "assembly-multi-tool" spacer is a bit off.
I guess most of you already checked this, especially the kit owners, but can you guys confirm the pulley alignment, please? Thank you.
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
This is what a representative wrote to me:
Hmm -- sending new belts to customers who bought a fully assembled printer? That won't be a good solution for everyone. Replacing the belts is a somewhat invasive procedure, since it requires removal of the Nextruder to get to the slots for clamping the belt.
It's fine in the kit-building workflow, where it is done early on. But I am not looking forward to the day when I will have to eventually replace the belts.
RE:
I’m experiencing this VFA issue in my new XL.
My belts came factory-tightened to 120Hz. In response, support suggested that my belts may have been damaged and could be contributing to the VFA issue.
I replaced my belts with ones provided by Prusa, but I personally have seen no improvement.
I have since also replaced the XY motors along with some of the toothed/smooth pulleys, but have seen no improvement there either.
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
And Prusa XL has phase stepping calibration, so it means that even if CORE One had phase stepping calibration it may not solve VFA neither.
RE:
I've just completed my kit build - very happy with the result, in that there doesn't seem to be any of the nasty resonance reported by some, and the z-screws seem to move smoothly without any lubrication.
Nevertheless, I think I'm getting VFAs that are typical of what's being posted here. Here's a couple of photos using a shiny PETG filament to emphasise the result.
(EDIT: photos taken inside my MK4S enclosure, where the lighting is better)
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
If anyone wants to try reproducing the same box as me in the OP do the following:
- Enable STEALTH MODE on the Printer
- Print the following gcode https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T7X2J3Gm2UYetzKfY6ZBBM5pxz3wiFaG/view?usp=drive_link
This has a been a more obvious example of a VFAs compared to the VFA tests - they are much worse on the box vs the vfa tests
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
If anyone wants to try reproducing the same box as me in the OP do the following:
- Enable STEALTH MODE on the Printer
- Print the following gcode https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T7X2J3Gm2UYetzKfY6ZBBM5pxz3wiFaG/view?usp=drive_link
This has a been a more obvious example of a VFAs compared to the VFA tests - they are much worse on the box vs the vfa tests
Google Drive is telling me I need to request access for that file. Can you zip it and upload it here?
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
Try now it should be open
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
Yep - got it now.
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
Why would we need to enable stealth mode?
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
As the original prints were done in stealth mode which slows the printers max speeds a bit
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
There is no point of VFA testing in stealth mode as it changes printing and movement speeds. If you want prints without VFAs (or with minimal VFAs), run proper tests with stealth mode off and choose printing speeds based on the measured results.
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
You are confused Biomech. My real world printing in stealth mode is what revealed the VFAs in the OP. So yes it is valuable to test stealth mode as well as that is a feature of the printer!
Printing VFA tests in stealth mode and non stealth mode actually showed less obvious VFA compared to the real world model I printed in the OP.
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
My results, using a 3-colour silk PLA to emphasise any irregularities.
The side and top look quite similar to yours, but the front looks different - a more textured finish and much reduced, maybe even absent, VFAs. The back, with the print-in-place lid moved out of the way, looks different from the front, and given that they are parallel but printed in opposite directions I wonder if that tells us anything.
I checked the belt tension (85 Hz on the left, 86 Hz on the right) and skew (zero gap at the front on both sides), so I'm quite happy with the build. Looking forward to testing the phase stepping!
BTW, nice lid mechanism!
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
You are confused Biomech. My real world printing in stealth mode is what revealed the VFAs in the OP. So yes it is valuable to test stealth mode as well as that is a feature of the printer!
Printing VFA tests in stealth mode and non stealth mode actually showed less obvious VFA compared to the real world model I printed in the OP.
To compare to the OP ok we may print in stealth mode (SM), but as most of people print with stealth mode disable, I think standard test should be with SM off.
My results, using a 3-colour silk PLA to emphasise any irregularities.
The side and top look quite similar to yours, but the front looks different - a more textured finish and much reduced, maybe even absent, VFAs. The back, with the print-in-place lid moved out of the way, looks different from the front, and given that they are parallel but printed in opposite directions I wonder if that tells us anything.
I checked the belt tension (85 Hz on the left, 86 Hz on the right) and skew (zero gap at the front on both sides), so I'm quite happy with the build. Looking forward to testing the phase stepping!
BTW, nice lid mechanism!
Your print seems better than OP with SM, but could you try to print it in regular non-stealth please? 🙂
RE: VFA Artifacts on X+Y Straight Edges
Your print seems better than OP with SM, but could you try to print it in regular non-stealth please? 🙂
Sure - will post photos when it's done.
RE:
You are confused Biomech. My real world printing in stealth mode is what revealed the VFAs in the OP. So yes it is valuable to test stealth mode as well as that is a feature of the printer!
Printing VFA tests in stealth mode and non stealth mode actually showed less obvious VFA compared to the real world model I printed in the OP.
One of the adjustments that stealth mode does is that it limits printing speed at 160mm/s. Which is speed where my factory assembled Core One prints with more visible VFAs than most of the other speeds. So when printing in stealth mode I most likely sacrifice print surface quality.
Problem with stealth mode is that you don't know what the print speeds in will be. PrusaSlicer does not show "Actual speed" preview for stealth mode. It's kind of lottery if you hit or miss VFA speeds. So stealth mode is not a way to go if you care about VFAs and if you want to minimize them.