Common 3D Printing Problems
The printer is printing parts that are misshaped, i.e: circles are ovals.
- Uneven belt tension. Use the Gates Carbon Drive app to measure the belt tension of each belt to ensure that they are
- within 1Hz of each other
- around 50Hz
- Loose Machine hardware. Check all screws nearby moving parts and ensure that they are tight.
- XY motor screws
- Z axis Motor screws
- Z axis Leadscrew screws that connect the leadscrew nut to the 3D printed bed coupler
- all shoulder screws that are connected to idler pulleys
- the two drive pulleys that are attached to
Print layers, or parts of print layers seem to have "gaps" of missing material that should have been extruded.
- The filament source may be jammed. Check for knots in the filament.
- The extruder may have debris stuck inside of it. Opening a hot extruder with this problem yielded this piece of PTFE which was formed likely from stretching a tiny piece that fell off the tube.
(PTFE melts at a higher temperature than the PLA being printed.)
- Ensure that the filament spool is not looped over itself before installing in the machine.
- When assembling extruders, follow the manufacturer directions exactly.