How to improve the quality of your 3D prints on the Original Prusa i3 MK3?
2018 ж. 16 Шіл.
343 453 Рет қаралды
Based on the examination of printers received back from the customers, we compiled a list of the most common problems causing poor print quality. Check them out and improve your 3D prints today!
• Extruder linearity correction calibration:
help.prusa3d.com/l/en/article...
• Extrusion multiplier calibration:
help.prusa3d.com/l/en/article...
• For other tips and tutorials go to:
help.prusa3d.com/
► Read more on our blog:
www.prusaprinters.org/
✔ To buy Original Prusa i3 MK3 visit our e-shop:
shop.prusa3d.com/
♫ Music by Joakim Karud - Loudness & Clarity / joakimkarud
This is so helpful. I was trying to think of a process for regular maintenance and this sure helped me focus on a few issues. I'm getting great prints usually, but some of the tweaks made a difference.
You guys are pumping out some seriously awesome vids! Absolutely love the editing/animations
Top video. Great simple explanations with none of the nonsense. Tightening nuts with needle nose pliers though, criminal act.
yup. pliers come with the kit. I'd rather have a socket or socket adapter for those nuts.
I'm a torque wrench guy, do someone know torque to tighten the Y bearings?
@@4WDJUSTY Oh you must be German
@@robh1908 I'm not :D by the way a week ago one of my Y bearings dies. pretty sure because I overtighten it the first time :D
@@robh1908 no he's just not an idiot and has learned that details matter in a machine as complex as a 3d printer.
Woah, you guys actually made this video! Thank you so much!
Checked my MK3 on all points given in the video as well as Extruder Linearity and Extrusion Multiplier calibrations and the results were very good. Many thanks for the video and the links to the calibration pages!!
I just finished a 25-hour print in ABS with the MK3. It was a flat part taking up the entire print bed and it had tall, thick walls with 60% infill. I gave it a 30% chance of working, but with the help of a Lack enclosure, it actually came out great. I could kiss you, Mr. Prusa. Oh yes, and thank you for the quality-improving tips. I'll definitely double checks these things. Cheers!
Just amazing, someone should write a book about you guys and your unique (and critically important!) focus on both openness AND quality. Love my Prusa, works fantastically well.
@Greg Austic: Since the prusa-support told me, that they do not provide an official Simplify 3D profile, because "we do not have any advantage doing this", I have little doubts on their "openess" .....
Wolfgang Egger thanks, I know success tends to precipitate this kind of behavior. I respect open source companies right to say 'we don't have the desire to put in lots of extra time to solve problems that don't benefit us' but i do take issue when they fail to provide information which takes little/no effort because of fears of competition. I appreciate adding that info and I'll be more vigilant.
Such a big help Thank you very much No one knows what makes This but you 😀
Amazing Josef, thanks. I have been waitting for a video like this
I've been wondering this for so long, I always thought they just had more expensive printers! I will definitely try this.
This would be a great inclusion in new section of the online assembly manual so that when a new purchaser has assembled the machine they can go to this new section and adjust everything properly
Just bought one (kit). Looking forward to some great prints.
The idler spring adjustment procedure seems totally new and will hopefully become better known. Previously this seemed like guesswork at best. One note of caution on tightening the 5 screws in the back of the X-carriage: Overtightening or unevenly tightening the screws can cause the X-carriage to bind and fail to move properly.
Great video Robert thanks for sharing
And yet again Průša is the man to beat! Top work Josef, you and your team are an inspiration mate
I got to say that "#3 Tension on Extruder Idler" helped a great deal with my issues so far. I set this tension per the kit instructions while putting it together and apparently it was WAY too tight. Thanks for a great and extremely helpful video!!
yeah, I think mine is too tight as well. I'm gonna try it after my print finishes. I just screwed it in until it seemed tight enough.
Thanks a lot! I would test it
Can we get a video like this for the prusa mini? I'm having some trouble with print quality and it would be nice to have a 'definitive' guide for looking at common problems
I have heavy moire in my mk2s. can I use those methods for mk2s too to calibrate extruder?
Cool Video, thank you Jo!
Awesome job, thanks 💜💜💜
I would like to order some Allen head metric drivers for my Prusa i3 MK3. Thinking I need some of the differing lengths for taking care of maintenance. What sizes should I order? What are you all using for maintaining your printer?
I’m glad you made this video when i bought the prusa mk3 I was scared but since you made this video I know if I have these issues I could fix it. I can’t wait till it comes EDIT. It came with some gummies yay 😁
Bruh
Thanks for the video!
does over tightening the U bolts permanently damage the linear bearings or does loosening them fix the problem? awesome and super informative video as always guys!
If you squeeze the bearing and deform without exceeding the elastic limit of the metal, there should be no damage, the bearing must return to its original shape after loosening it, but if you exceed that limit, the metal will be permanently deformed :(
Could you add this information to the Prusa knowledgebase? For instance, I'm focusing on the idler adjustment, and I'm not finding a procedure written up (not within my search skills, at least.).
so on the tension on the extruder idler is it strange that I can literally open the door of the non drive idler gear and my filament will still extrude with no issues? I was trying that step and it was extruding fine with the door all the way open. :0
Since I'm still new at this, I'm going to try the tower but would like a little more information. When I am printing something, I am getting real fine lines on the edges of my items. It just enough that you can feel them with a fingernail rubbing on it. I printed the 3DHubs_Marvin and the back of the head shows these very fine lines. Is that what is expected or should it even be smoother. Will printing the tower give me a better setting or do I need to make some adjustment prior to printing the tower?
I would also like to add loose belts to this. It happened to my MK2 after something like 600 hours of printing. It shouldn't be a problem with the MK3's setup though.
An MK3S video of the tensioner would be helpful
You remarked that this won't help with PLA printing. But I have read that PLA warp (the bottom edges lift up) is caused by higher areas of the print cooling too fast, thus expanding/contracting at different rates than the material on the heated bed. And thus, enclosure may help with PLA warp. In your opinion, is that incorrect?
Suggestion for future printers, make it sense not just the filament presence but the diameter and take that into account when doing the extrusion. I know this is a big one, but if anyone could pull it off is Prusa!
I'd love for this to happen, but getting a sensor that can consistently check that measurement accurately would cost a lot, both in money and reliability. A sensor that could detect the difference between 1.75mm and 1.76mm would either be a nightmare to keep accurate, or cost like $20-60 at the very cheap end.
Even if it was a $100 option, or an add-on, the hardware I expect to be expensive, but even moreso is the software development. Still with this available, it wouldn't take long to amotorize an extra $100 to be able to use recycled or similar material. The idea is to keep the amount extruded to equal the amount of molten supply. If there was a 'molten vat, keeping a level moniored to to keep it in a reasonable supply range isn't hard, but we don't have that luxury, so keeping the supply equal to the amount extruded is not easy. High tollerance filament is one solution, or calculating the comparison volume by understanding the changing diameter (or non-circular) shape is the next step in providing a consistant supply/volume of material. At least that is my thought. I have seen DIY things, but they are all pretty kludgy and of necessity mechanical in nature. I just hope that Prusia (or anyone else) could come up with a reasonable solution.
Prusa printers are designed to "just work" from hour 1 on. Even professionally designed systems for measuring this don't "just work", they take regular cleaning and/or calibration. Both mechanical and optical sensors for similar applications are prone to fouling, whether it be by crud, wear, or thermal expansion. The ones at good extrusion places cost thousands and still take regular cleaning. I would love to see it, as it would give the most accurate extrusion, but I'd rather buy good filament than have to calibrate or clean such a fine sensor regularly.
You are right. This is why suggesting it to Prusa for a 'new' solution, or others if they take up the cause, makes this a R&D project, not just production. Take care Garrett.
@Garrett: Hm, my mk3 didn't work from hour 1 on, there are extrusion-problems until today .... even my mk2 took some firmewareupdates, a lot of support-mails, a new heater and the usage of simplify3d to work well .... ;)
When you tighten the back of the x carriage like it's mentioned in the video, make sure you don't over tighten them to much or you can cause the bearings to not run smoothly. This will cause them to create grooves in the rods and mess up the bearings. Hope this can help someone.
and what about the E steps? is there a way to set them in the LCD menu?
great video, I found out i have only one bearing in bondtech driver... :-)
wow me too, glad i saw your comment which made me think about it
during z calibration after it tells you to place the paper it lowers the nozzle down to the bed I see the red sencor light go off, but the nozzle still touched the bed, and it immediately says failed and to consult the book (the book that takes you to this video that has nothing to do with calibration. So Im kinda stuck. any advice?
now I want to test all these things on my printer :)
Dobry den, bylo by možné stejně video vytvořit i pro Prusa Mini+? Dekuji K.
What happened to the extrusion multiplier article?, I only get 404 on that one.
i still cant find a way to fix the gaps with PLA at seam layers :/
Why would I get what looks to be under extrusions on a print for five or six separate layers but the other couple hundred layers are smooth as can be? I’ve printed this object multiple times in different spots on the bed and get the same issues on those specific layers no matter the orientation on the print bed.
nice! thank you!
Is the way of adjusting the tension on the idler still valid for the MK3S, now that you only have screw? You do mention in the assembly instructions that one screw means you need more tension from that one!!
Yes i have the same question, I am havving issues adjusting it because it is catching the filament very easy but then the extrusion distance is not consistent, and if i tighten it too much its also not consistent, it seems i cannot get a consistent extrusion distance without guessing more or less how tight should it be... there is no confirmation to learn if it is the correct one or not....
Dobry den, můžete prosim udělat toto video i pro vasi tiskarnu Prusa Mini+ ??? Moc by mi to pomohlo. Dekuji vam
Thank you
Thank you, I will try that. At the moment, I am very very disappointed, because my mk3 works much worse than my mk2. Even if I use the same stl-file, sliced with slic3r PE (once for mk2 and once for mk3), using the same prusa filament, on the mk2 the parts are printable without problems, on the prusa mk3 I have a lot of extruder-slippering, so that the model is not printable at all. I have this extruder-problems since the beginning, I wrote about this with prusa support, I did everything, they told me, I did a lot of experiments, that users of the forum told me, but nothing helped. Simple models work (even if their results are not as good as on the mk2), but if the models are a bit mor detailed (for example small gears), they fail. It's a shame, that the next generation prusa printer is (at least in my case) a massive regression and not - as I hpoed and expected - a progression :-( (besides the money, that it costs)
Did you try swapping the nozzle?
@phr0ze yes, I changed the nozzle, but it dit not help. Something seems to be wrong with the extruder. I tried this tension example from this video. My „problem“ with this is, that the filament is transported and comes out of the nozzle, even if the screws are just „touching“ the other end. So they are about 1/10 of a mm screwed and the filament is transported. But if I print with this tension, this works only, if the nozzle is moving slow (for the prim, for example). But in the second layer, with the fast 45° movement, there does not come enough filament out of the nozzle. This changes, if I screw them more. At a certain amount of tension, for simple straightforward fast movement, it works. But as I described, if the parts are more complicated and detailed, so that a lot of very short movements are done, with a lot of retraction, you can hear that hard klick-klack sound and the filament is slippering and no filament is extruded any more. I tried almost any possible tension, from very loose to very strong. If it is too loose, there is no noise, but no filament extrusion, too. If it is very strong, you hear that noise all the time and there is no extrusion, too. With the middle tension, the noise appears only once a second and the extrusion pauses only once a second. Unfortunately, I found no tension, that works for complicated parts, even if I tried it dozends of times in many hours with many different tensions. On the mk2, it is no problem. There is a too loose and a too strong tension, too, but it is no problem, to find the sweet spot, that works for all parts. So from my point of view, the extruder of the mk3 has a general design or hardware problem. I do not know, if this is only the case with my particular extruder, or if this the case for all mk3 machines, but it is very disappointing.
That sounds exactly like what happens with my MPSM. My MPSM's problem is that there's too much friction in the bowden tube, and a too weak tension arm/extruder motor to overcome it. My MK3 (and mk2) does not have this issue. The motor is sized to overkill, and the bondtech setup now grips and drives from both sides. More grip and overkill torque, design wise. You've got something wrong with your specific unit. You've either got gears that aren't gripping the filament, or a blockage. Check the driving gear alignment of the extruder teeth, as in step 1 of this video. Check the bearings on the driven side. My only other thought is that there is an obstruction causing a jam somewhere between the extruder drive and the heating block of the extruder. That's the only way that there's enough friction to overcome the motor when those gears are gripping properly. This would be a can of worms to fix, and should only happen if you burnt the hell out of some filament, or ran some filament that had crap in it.
@Garrett The alignment is ok. I have checked it again today, but I was sure, because I used a thin nail/pin to align it. Your last points could be interesting. I only use prusa-filament, so this could not be the case, but many times it is not possible to fully unload the filament, because there is a small „ball“ at the end, that is not able, to pass the entry-tube on the top of the extrudr. In this case, I have to pull it out to the side of the extruder and cut the „ball“ away. Maybe there is something to hot or the heatbreak does not work properly. I had such problems since the very first beginning. When I assembled the extruder the first time, the extruder got so hot, that the fillament was melted to the filament-sensor and damaged the sensor, so that I had to buy a new one, before I did my first full print. Since that time, I am not able, to remove the hotend any more. I am not able to pull the white plastic-tube out of the extruder. It feels, as if it is melted to the extruder and the heatbrake (sorry, it is difficult to explain that in english ,-) )
What's the orange spinning fan blade like piece on the back of the extruder (1:10) and where can I get the STL?
That's an "Extruder visualizer", the one from the video is here: www.thingiverse.com/thing:2759852 But check the Remixes too, there are tons of models :)
I just printed this ecor-tower, but I do not understand, what to do now. I see 45° line-shadows in all segments. What do I have to do now, to correct this? Besides that 45° shadows, I can see vertical shadow-lines, too. What does this mean?
I have the same problem, only difference with increased value is denser formations of the 45° shadows.
@@jensnilsson1313 And what was the solution?
@@laurenz6231 After going down a rabbithole I discovered that my issue was VFA's (Vertical Fine Artifacts). I haven't bothered to fix this as it boils down to either changing motors or firmware code for the motors.
I'm having issues with my mk3 not pushing the filament through the extruder. The first step in this video shows the grub screw being tightened NOT on the flat part of the shaft, which is causing my confusion, because PRUSA manual E-Axis Assembly step 15 & 17 show the screw on the flat part and it says: "The screw must be facing directly against the pad (flat part) on the shaft."
Yeah screw it onto the flat part, otherwise it migjt slip
Loved the video 4 years ago but I would love if you guys could redo it for your new printers as I feel for new users this guide has now become slightly confusing?
I had some of those layering issues, but it was weird because I switched from Prusa Control to Slic3r PE and the issues were fixed
Thanks. I will try this. I suspect bad slicer program quality.
Thanks 👍
Wish tevo had such good video's about there printers😂 man its so much easier with quality printers
@@Noviceinventor is this some sort of joke? Don't woooosh me if it is. My prusa has been doing great so far. I had some issues during calibration, but after that it printed great. I think i need to loosen the idler though. Compared to my ender 3, the tolerances are so much better, and i was finally able to print a working gear bearing.
U da real MVP!
Why is the extrusion multiplier calibration link not working anymore? Also no sign of it in the prusa help page.
well they fixed the link
This needs to be updated for mk3s. The pictures are wrong. Just unscrewed something I shouldn't have in step 1, and am not strong enough to put it back together. Have spent more time trying to calibrate this printer than assembly took.
Good vid but "keep your filaments dry" and in the background few dozen filaments that haven't been bagged or otherwise protected from humidy.
Maybe the room is dry enough
Nice music dude
How do I buy a Prusa i3 in Brazil, in which website can I buy, banggood, gearbest?
prusa3d.com ;)
If print quality is your priority. Look for another printer. Reliable? Yes! Print quality? No!
Very nice video
Print quality of my pre-assembled Prusa Mk3 is bad. When there are patterns in the XY axis the whole XY-plane alignment seems to be fucked up, casing consecutive Z-layers being displaced, causing Z-axis stripiness. This does not happen when the XY-patterns is a uniform, when for example a pure circle is printed. This seems to me like a software bug in the slicer (8-bit calculus is hard)- Very bad indeed. Anybody know of an alternative slicer which can be used with the Prusa printer?
I recommend Cura, but you have to Download there presets from there webside
please change the preview as it look slightly like fixing ugly prints caused by joseph prusa
I like order 3d printer from you guy
Po zakoupení sestavené tiskárny, která by měla být dle informací od výrobce dokonale zkalibrována již z výroby můj tisk "Modrého draka" vypadal jako tisk vlevo - tedy pruhovaný a ne úplně dokonalý. Tiskárna je myslím výborná, ale výrobcem sestavené tiskárny by dle mého měly opouštět výrobu pečlivěji zkalibrovány. Má osobní zkušenost - extrémní a hlavně nezkalibrovatelné zakřivení tiskové plochy, napnutí řemenů. Na druhou stranu mohu napsat, že přístup servisu a péče o zákazníka je příkladný jsou velmi ochotní. Google-translator: After purchasing the assembled printer, which should be perfectly calibrated according to the manufacturer's specifications from the production, my "Blue Dragon" print looked like a print on the left - striped and not perfect. I think the printer is great, but the manufacturer of the assembled printer should, in my opinion, leave the production more carefully calibrated. Has personal experience - extreme and, above all, unbalanced print curvature, belt tension. On the other hand, I can write that access to service and customer care is exemplary are very willing.
Me having never owned a 3D printer in my life: "Interesting..."
Cool video
good video
Great overall video... Shame that i bought a knockoff
MUSIC: for everybody who is wondering which song of Joakim Karud this is: Loudness & Clarity - kzhead.info/sun/abxqcraRqp5spp8/bejne.html
what could be causing collision with the infill on larger parts while using prusa control?
I had this same issue for a while. The default infill print speed was too fast. When I started using Slic3r and lowered my infill print speed to around 60mm/s it solved the problem. This was for .1mm layer thickness. You may be able to get away with faster at .2mm.
Has the inconsistent extrusion issue been resolved yet? I haven’t been keeping track.
j mtx nope
And since this issue only came into prominence with the MK3, my take-away is that the MK3 it is more accurate and precise than the rest, but, unfortunately, also less forgiving. Which is fine by me - everything should always be tuned correctly for best results.
@j mtx: you may be right with your assumption concerning forgivingness. But this is a problem, too. At the end, the print-results on my mk2, sliced by simplify3D, are mostly better than on my mk3 sliced with slic3rPE (prusa does not develop the S3D-profile actively at the moment). Even, if the mk3 would print better in theory, in practice, I have payed 700 Euro for a flexible print-sheet and lower print-quality. This flexible print-sheet is very comfortable and for simple models, the mk3 works, but it makes more hassle with its extremly sensitive extruder and some parts are not printable at all (if you are lucky, they work after the 10th attempt).
It's not a "small issue every printer has" when 150$ china crap boxes perform better
@bdub z: But on the other hand, you have to take in account, that you have no support for these cheap china-boxes and somtimes they burn your house down ... My mk2 was an assembled machine, so I thought, it should print perfect out of the box. This was not the case. I had to adjust a lot of screws and belts, until it printed well. BUT I *could* exchange a lot of mails and chat with them over hours, to sort all this problems out. After that experience I bought the mk3 as a kit, because I have learned, that I have to turn every screw, even if it is preassembled and assembling it my own, teaches a lot ;) But nevertheless, I had to exchange mails and chat a lot concerning the mk3, too and it's a HUGE benefit, to get this support. And I hope the day will come, when they officially support Simplify3D for mk3 and when the mk3 prints as good as the mk2 in all circumstances. They have a huge groth and it's not easy, to get all things done right, while such a rapid growing-phase .....
Creality 3D printers are much better, waiting for 4 or 5 multiple colors. First one to buy one.
Please fix g-code file in Extrusion multiplier calibration guide. It's printing at 95% flow, this doesn't look like a good way to calibrate it. In your slic3r profile you have the same M221 S95. If you rely on 95% flow you should mention that calibrated multiplier will only work with system slic3r profile.
3:05 your website does not look like this any more and it feels impossible to fine this info
your website is actually the worst thing to have to navigate ever!
The website at 3:05 should still look the same: www.prusa3d.com/drivers/ What info are you looking for? There are links for the calibration articles in the video description, but just in case, here's one that follows after your mentioned timestamp: help.prusa3d.com/en/article/extruder-linearity-correction-calibration_2254
This still doesn't seem to help my 602.
Iv spent to many hours on this trying to get it to extrude correctly, including the tips seen here. Got an ender 3 and it's been kicking ass..any reason my 180$ printer is outperforming my 700$ printer?
There is no reason your ender is outperforming the Prusa. There must be a flaw in assembly or one of the parts. Mine had a bad bearing from the factory, I noticed it during assembly and swapped it out.
I'm just glad prusa actually made this video. It's better then ignoring the subject all together.
wait, so is it just a software problem? or does klipper just help solve the hardware issue? still, at least they're trying
For me it looks as if it is a design issue of the extruder. The extruder seems to be at least too sensible. It's not that kind of thing, that you can use out of the box and that is adjustable without any of experience.
@phr0ze: But this is exactly the kind of issue, that I would expect, that I will not face with a 700 Euro - Printer. If I buy some 150 Euro china-printer, I assume, that there could be some parts, that do not have high quality. But if I pay 700 Euro to a company like Prusa, I expect, that they have a QA-department, that makes it impossible, that bad or wrong parts reach my desk. I am not an engineer, so I do not know, how to detect bad bearings. This is a service, I pay Prusa for (at least from my point of view)
2:35 Wich brand or Manufacturer can't produce filament of sufficient quality??? On all the review, we only find "good quality filament". What are the bad brand???? It seam to be a myth that every KZheadrs talk about, but nobody have a sharp photo of it!
Here in Mexico, there are a lot of low quality brands.
Guess it doesn’t just work…
None of these things fixed my “zits” on my prints. I’ve tried everything, and tried nothing (presets), they just do not go away. These things are common sense stuff.
Usually zits and such are due to gcode (how it's sliced and all). Try viewing this and hopefully one of these solutions help you! www.simplify3d.com/support/print-quality-troubleshooting/#blobs-and-zits (Its a simplify 3D site, but the issues are common amongst any printer with any ol slicer if not careful)
Peter yes. I appreciate it. Been there and done everything two times! It doesn’t fix it on a specific model. I can’t figure it out. I’ve tried everything
THELIGHTSPEED! ! Hmm =\ then it’s something going on in the hot end/extruder area. Either that or, bad filament? I mean I can’t promise it’s likely, but if you use a different brand and spool of filament, you might see performance changes. (Or maybe you have done that before? Not sure how long you’ve had this problem for)
Peter it was all good, I tried printing the lack enclosure brackets and the front hinge bottom brackets get really bad zits on the door pins and I cannot figure it out. I’ve tried multiple filaments from ProtoPasta to Hatchbox. All do the same thing.
I suspect bad software. The bad prints/artifacts coincide with model patterns.
I know a way to improve my pint quality on a Prusa i3 mk3, send me a new one like you did with "3D printing nerd", because mine's also sucks.Monday morning quality??????????
If someone pays the extra money for a full built & tuned MK3S+ from the factory, NONE of fixes in this video should need to be attempted by the owner. I paid extra for an assembled & tuned printer, but everything it prints comes out defective and unusable. Meanwhile the response of 24/7 Tech support's response is "if it won't print properly then that means you didn't clean it properly before printing". So far it looks like I was ripped off (aka defrauded) by PRUSA... guess I'll need to force a refund or exchange before the 60day window is up. Buyer Beware !
>Everything is broken and unusable What have you tried to prevent this? Tighten the screws and check belt tention first. The Shipping company doesn't handle them properly and thus screws loosen up. Also, LIVE ADJUST-Z
Ok, I‘m 61 years old and my eyes are not the best. This video is pointing out some very important subjects. But what makes you think to hurry through them like hell? It’s even hard to pause the video at the right spot. Please slow down a bit, not everybody of your customers is a young guy! Thank you!
Buy something else.. the servo wires on the fan break after 30 hours of printing (at least in my case, some people have had better luck).
Thats not common problems, you have a inconsistent extrusion problem, and me and other friend save your ass with a bondtech 3:1 extruder design.
what mean that friend
What a stupid printer! Ridiculous expensive, useless and very hard to control and use! I can print beautifully with cheaper printers! I regret to have purchased this crap!
Also having problems with print quality. Disappointed.
These are the same people that just can not leave stuff alone. They have to fuck with it, "mod" it and just complain that it doesn't work right when THEY'RE the ones that cause the problems. USER ERROR. OmG mY PrIntER SucKS BUT i CAN'T LEAVE IT THE HELL ALONE!!!
Lol, this video is the biggest waste of time by far. These are all the mistakes you could possibly make with the printer when building if you didnt read the manual. Most of this would be eliminated if you built the machine. Useless info