starts, stops, interrupts and cloning

I attempted to print 12 small cups about 45mm diameter by loading the .stl file 12 times into slic3r. I noticed when the print started, that the printer would stop frequently, like it was processing, and then start up again a few seconds later. It did this throughout the print and the HIPS left a little blob everytime it hesitated. Finally, about 75% to completion, the printer hung completely with the tip touching one of the cups. I’m asssuming that either the processor in the pc or the printer just couldn’t handle the way I processed the Gcode. Is there a recommended way to create an array of multiple, identical shapes, or was this just something perhaps tying up the pc resources? It is not a dedicated machine. I’m trying the same print with just 5 cups and it’s working better.


mike

You can try uploading the resulting saved gcode directly to the printer SD card and printing it in standalone mode, though the computer really should be able to handle 12 small objects unless you are using a really old computer. If it’s a newer computer, check things like windows 7 power settings set to “High Performance” which will prevent the USB ports from going to sleep every so often. What are the hardware specifications of the machine you are using? If you don’t know them, you can find them by downloading and running the free CPU-z and GPU-Z programs. The important specifications are going to be processor, amount of ram, type of video card, and operating system installed.

My printer is hooked to my gaming pc, which is ridiculously overkill, so I haven’t really found the limit of what I can print.

If they are really complex items, there is a chance you are exceeding the capabilities of the printer controller itself I suppose.


They really aren’t complex. Literally, looks like a shot glass with a grated bottom. My desktop should handle it, it’s a Intel i5, 2.67 GHz, 4 GB ram, not a gaming machine but pretty fast. I printed 5 cups and everything worked fine although I rebooted everything before I started. I suppose there could’ve been some update or other background process underway while I was printing the 12. I might try again and see if it does it again. It was pretty obvious at the beginning of the print. Actually, the 12 that printed are pretty cool. They look like they have braille on the outside.

Check if you are running a 64 bit operating system, and if so, double your ram and try again. Windows 7 as is will be using most of that system ram. Depending on which I5 processor you have (specifically the dual core or the quad core) that could definitely be a contributing factor. Also make sure your power settings are set to “High performance” as the default “balanced” power scheme will try and turn your USB ports off if it thinks they are idle. I’ve noticed windows 7 can’t always tell if Repetier is using the port on a few systems. Prointerface is probably similar in how it handles that connection.

Also, you are overextruding quite a bit for some reason. Could be specified filliament size, could be moisture in the filliament, could be partially the circle issue in the older .9x versions of Slic3r. Try upgrading to one of the 1.x revisions of slic3r, and check your filliament diameter against what you have specified for filliament size in slic3r and see if there is a difference

This is probably because the printer is pausing for some reason.

Try printing straight from the LCD screen with an SD card and see how that works. It will bypass the PC (leave USB unplugged) and you can narrow it down.

-Jeff