Struggling with top layers despite 2 full days of testing  

Struggling with top layers despite 2 full days of testing

Hi, 

I'm struggling to calibrate my machine to Prusaslicer 2.7.1 It seems like these top layers and the overall result of this calibration cube is bad. I've read through hundreds of threads here and a lot of it has helped me progress (it was way worse when I started). Here's the working environment:

• Slicer: Prusaslicer 2.7.1
• Machine: Flashforge Adventurer 4 (with custom configuration bundle to make it work in Prusaslicer)
• Material: eSUN Matte black ePLA
• Nozzle: 0.4mm
• Nozzle temp: 210 deg C
• Bed temp: 50 deg C

Attachment: Visual method calibration cube (please see attached ZIP of the 3MF & STL file)

Details of this print:

1. Bottom layer fill pattern = Octagram Spiral (it looks great and prints well).
2. Top layer fill pattern = Monotonic (It doesn't look great at all and doesn't print well).
3. Fill pattern is cubic with 50% fill density (to support top layers and to avoid them sagging).
4. First few layers print perfectly. Eventually though, as you see in the pictures, there is either a layer shift or a height or temperature issue that occurs and you see some layer shifting (I think that's what it's called).
5. I print on painter's tape; it gives amazing adhesion. Out of 10 prints, up to 4 of them fail because of bad adhesion. I don't like using glue stick, it's messy. I also don't like changing first layer height to something higher because it causes elephant foot and when I compensate for that it reduces the extrusion thickness, so I figured I'm just going to leave it at 0.2mm first layer height.
6. I use 5 top layers but it still looks bad.

That's all I can think of. I'm happy to provide more detail if required. Below are the pictures of the current state of this print. Thanks for the help 🙂

Here's the ZIP file: visual-method-cube