TAZ Min (New) Project not Sticking to Bed

Got this a few days ago and printing with mixed results. Using ABS and I have read all the stickies I think anyway. I can’t get the first few layers to stick to the bed. 3mm ABS I have changed the head temp to 230 C and bed at 110 C. Bed was set lower, but I noticed using an infrared thermometer the bed was 10 degrees cooler away from the center.

Here is what I have done. After the second failure to print, I let the bed cool down and sanded with some 400 grit and wiped down with alcohol . After the third failure I switched to 220 grit and then used some acetone to wipe followed with alcohol. Now starting on my 4th try but It looks like the very ends of the first layer is loose. I will let it run some more. I can’t seem to get a 230 C reading on the head with my infrared so if I have to abort again I will raise the head up and try to get a true temperature reading on that.

Have I missed anything?

Added the last print also failed. Temperature check with IR and type K thermocouple are pretty close to the on screen temperature reading.
Not the one to give up easy. I changed filament to a roll of ABS I purchased from TAZ, 3 mm of course. Same thing so I guess I call support in the morning and it either gets fixed or goes back.

Careful with the sandpaper… Any marks on the bed will translate to print. Stick to a really fine grit sandpaper.

Try increasing the extrusion temp to 240-245C for ABS.

How far is the nozzle from the bed when homed? You should be able to slide a business card through with some friction. If it just passes through, the nozzle is probably too high. Check that your nozzle tip is being cleaned by the pad.

After trying 2 more prints last night and sleeping on it I think I am going to return the machine. It looks to be perhaps a design flaw in the bed heater layout.

This project involves a print nearly 6 inches wide, 145 mm to be exact by 35 mm wide. When I measure the bed when heated I get the correct temperature in the center but not at the edges. The heating element size is about 2.5 inches square by the size of the imprint in the bed.

Anything 4 inches or so, prints fine but this project needs the ends to stick down or they curl up and its ruined.
Since your sanding fiber glass the sandpaper being a little coarser at 220 did not make a mark, just removed the shine.

Call Lulzbot support. It’s part of your warranty. They’re awesome and will most likely send you a new heater bed free of charge if the element is bad.

-Jim

So a quick set of pictures via email and a new print bed is winging its way to me as I type. They agreed with my analyses of the uneven bed temperatures as being the probable cause. I have never seen a picture of the heating element does some have any link to point me too? Never mind I found the picture but it looks to be a sealed unit.
Even found the instructions…

I replaced my bed last week under warranty for different reasons. Piece of cake to swap out.

Remove 4 washers, cut a zip tie, unplug two wires and do everything in reverse. Took about 15 minutes if you have a small zip tie laying around. If not, I’d suggest running to the hardware store to pick up a pack of the smallest ones they have for about $3

Lulzbot support rocks! :slight_smile:

Well things have changed, I wish I could say for the better. They won’t replace under Warranty.
So I ponied up the money and purchased a new one direct from Lulzbot. I posted the “rest of the story” down in the Filament section, no use rehashing here.

Buy a new PEI sheet from Lulzbot. I think they are $25 and come with the adhesive back.

Or look into a PrintinZ or Buildtak aftermarket bed cover.

Well I will see if the new bed will help.

Yes my job is actually flat on the bottom, I check in another 3D program besides 123D any job before it goes to print software.

Well the last post here got ate by the forum. One end pulled up 2 or 3 mm
This one printed with full microfiber cover, 250/110, Brim, Orientated on the Y axis. Using TAZ ABS, bed wiped with acetone.90 to 100 DegF under the cover. The bottom picture shows the square cut out but it had brim material and really I just took out with a sharp chisel. This is still the old heated bed, Lulzbot has not shipped the new one I ordered yesterday.

Pictures:



From the picture, whatever side of the printer was the side that the right half of that part in the bottom picture printed on is not level. The first layer adhesion there is horrible, which means that the bed leveling isn’t leveling things properly. I’d check and see if the washers are truly flat and parallel to one another, that the nozzle is really clean and able to conduct properly to sense where it is contacting the nozzle, and check the bed glass, bed plate and your X axis for level. You might even want to manually level the Z axis rods. Its looking to me like the one on the “right” is a quarter turn off at start. The leveling script should account for that though. Is it touching each corner washer before it prints?

wmgeorge64,
I’m curious to see how you make out with the replacement. The mini refurb I bought from i-t-w is running like a champ, but I’m actually having the opposite problem, as I’m having trouble removing abs prints from the bed (lulzbot green)
-Mark

Its called warping, the layers are not sticking and I have done everything. The mini is self leveling and yes its doing it correctly and yes it did the same thing (only worse on both ends) turned 90 degrees the other way. This is a “new” machine out of the box, nothing adjustment wise should need to be done.

How big are your prints Mark? This does great on anything 4 inches or under. Its when it gets to the “outer limits” of the bed does the problem start. The edges are where the temperature drops off.

Did you actually check to see what is warped? If so, what component is not flat, and how far out of true is it?

Intentional or not, your are coming across as very hostile to people who are trying to help and I am pretty much done making an effort at it now. Good luck getting your printer to work.

Yes I had the glass plate off and checked with a machinist straight edge. Yes the automatic leveling is working, I clean the nozzle by hand before it does the self leveling.

If the machine was out of level why would both ends come up from the heated bed when turned the X direction?

I have owned and operated with success CNC machines before. One was a Milling machine I converted to CNC, had a CNC router worked fine, CNC PlasmaCam machine and now own and operate two laser / engraving machines. Worked as a Master Electrician specializing in controls. Own a home machine shop for one of my hobbies.

Hmm… Definitely looks like an adhesion problem. Once air creeps underneath the project will continue to warp. I would typically say get the nozzle closer, but the autolevel on the Mini negates that…

Make sure the bed isn’t hitting the microfiber blanket… The bellowing might create unwanted airflow. And especially make sure the bed doesn’t lift the blanket to let in cold air.

The lifting at the corners is pretty common. Give the part a 45-90deg z-rotation in the slicing program. Basically reduce the profile in the y-axis (because the bed moves in the y-axis creating airflow). And try a bit more brim… 8-10mm (will need to calculate based on your extrusion width). If the brim helps you can dial it back to reduce waste.

The other reason the part is lifting could be due to the density of extruded material in the corners. Try changing infill to 40%, set the perimeter walls to 1.5mm (calculate perimeters based on your extrusion width).


Regarding getting the nozzle closer to the bed after autolevel, use the z-offset gcode setting in the slicer software. Set a -.1 to -.2. The negative number puts the nozzle closer to the bed and a positive number would raise the nozzle.

The bed doesn’t look good… It should be red like the corners. The cloudiness looks like its dried out or lifting from the glass. Try a good scrub and wipedown with isoprpyl alcohol… not too often though since the PEI may dry out.

Lastly, try printing the gcode files from the following:
http://download.lulzbot.com/Mini/1.0/calibration/
These are factory generated gcode files which should work with the Mini. Actually, if you’re printing ABS, you may need to modify the extrusion temp. The file (octopus calibration) looks like the temp is set to 225C (based on the M109 S225 line). So open the .gcode file in a text editor and find the M109 command line which is four lines above the empty line. Change S225 to S245. Now you’ve set the extrusion temp to 245C… Which should be good for ABS. Load the file into your printer control program and try printing.

Sorry for the long post. Hope something helps you out.

The only thing I have not tried is lowering the nozzle. But wouldn’t that make the it drag on the print? If the nozzle was too high why would only one end, as the top pictures show just pull up, and not the other? That one was printed in the Y direction.

In any event I have a new heated print bed ordered from Lulzbot, which was ordered Tuesday. I won’t do anymore until it gets here. I want to Thank everyone who has replied with suggestions, usually on other Forums I am the helper not the guy asking questions. :astonished:

Honestly, most of of my prints are pretty small. The biggest thing I’ve printed so far was this spool holder.
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:87682
Prior to installing an enclosure I did have substantial warping on parts. Anyway, if you want to link your stl, I’ll try printing it out if you like.

Sure here is the file and its printed on my machine using TAZ Black ABS but I have used other filament and its the same thing. Full cover, 250/110, bed wiped with acetone, most successful was Y direction. Cura with factory defaults, as downloaded, in Normal mode