print failure - any guess?

[uwes]

hi,

i was attempting to print http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:67071. I've used slic3r0.99+RepetierMax Firmware+RepetierHost and apparently the print is showing good quality initially.

in total this are ~210 layers. i got ~180 correct layers and then something happened. process parameters (temp, speed) have not changed manually, filament did move "normally",...

also the layers do not stick together (as if it would be too cold)

in addition i noticed the following:

1. after ~200 layers of 210 stopped and homed all axes, switched off bed+extruder pretending to be finished (current height is 61.65)
2. with a kiss slicer .gcode i saw "printing layer 310 of 300" (basiclly more layers than in the file)

- does this look like a mechanical/extruder/etc problem or a slicer/firmware/host issue?
- are these known issues?

/uwe

[foshon]

The de-lam could be temp related, but since the print gave up the ghost all together at that point I think you may have slipped a belt. In my opinion, it looks like z missed a step and you started printing into the air. Not much .5mm or so, one tooth? You went from great layers to nothing sticking in one layer... odd.

[Broose]

Could be an extruder issue that developed causing filament starvation. Its unlikely that you could skip along the Z axis on a Rostock without also shifting X or Y because all three motors would have to loose steps.

[foshon]

Could be an extruder issue that developed causing filament starvation. Its unlikely that you could skip along the Z axis on a Rostock without also shifting X or Y because all three motors would have to loose steps.

I agree, but the very definitive layer height the issue starts causes me concern.

[JohnStack]

I've had that happen a couple of times but never twice in a row - because I kill the software and recycle the printer between prints.

You may also want to try running that STL through a fixer like Meshlab.

[Eaglezsoar]

I've had that happen a couple of times but never twice in a row - because I kill the software and recycle the printer between prints.

You may also want to try running that STL through a fixer like Meshlab.

Do you like Meshlab better than Netfabb to repair STL files?

[dbarrans]

Recycle the printer? That's a bit drastic, don't you think?

Does that go in the paper, plastic, metal, or glass bin?

- dan

[JohnStack]

Haven't used NetFabb.

Looks feature rich!

Recycling, yeah, old term I guess. My first computer project was done with punch cards if that tells you anything.....

[uwes]

hi,

i did restart the rostock as normal today after yesterdays failure. But extruding material did not yield a reliable/good flow at all. Before when extruding into the air it was a consistent flow but now it was just thin curling material. After disassembling the hotend i've found that the inner ptfe tube did shrink in the 5mm section inside of the nozzle. the inner diameter is now ~1.7mm (instead of 2mm before). Inside that section of reduced diameter i've found a stuck piece of ABS where only the outer shell remained forming kind of an internal nozzle. i assume this in total reduced the flow almost to a full starvation. I'll clean the rest of the hotend and then we'll see.

regards
/uwe