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3D printer stopped mid print


Five Reasons Your 3d Printer Stops Mid-Print – 3dprintscape.com

The 3d printing hobby is fun when things are going well but can be frustrating when things go wrong. On more than one occasion, I have come home to a print that has stopped mid-way through, and in most cases, the print ended up being ruined. In this article, I plan on covering five common reasons your 3d printer stops mid-print and go over ways to reduce the risk of them occurring.

Here are five common reasons your 3d printer may stop mid-point.

  • Thermal cutoffs
  • Power Issues
  • Filament Issues
  • Clogged Nozzle
  • Pause command in the g-code file

There is a lot more to each of these issues than you may think, so keep reading to learn more about them and ways to help reduce the risk of one of them happening.

Power Issues

If you live in an area where the power frequently goes out or has brownouts, running a 3d printer may be challenging. This is especially true if you like to print larger objects that take a long time to print as a common issue that will cause your printer to stop mid-print is losing power. There are some ways to mitigate this problem, but they still have limitations.

How to fix this?

Resume from power loss feature

If you already have a 3d printer, the first thing you can do is check to see if your printer has the resume from power loss feature. It should be in the documentation for the printer but you can also test this by kicking off a small print and unplugging the printer. When you plug the printer back in, you should get the option to resume the print if the feature is there. If you are looking to purchase a printer, you will want to make sure that the feature is explicitly called out.

While this feature is useful, it still has issues. First, if you accidentally hit the wrong button on power-up, there is no way to go back and resume the print (I’ve done this before ☹). Second, any time you stop a print, you risk there being quality issues in the area it resumes at because the printer has to re-purge the nozzle and hope no extra filament was left on the print from the nozzle still being hot when it lost power.

Battery Backup or Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)

The second option, which can be combined with the first one, is you can have the printer connected to a battery backup. You will need to make sure the battery backup is capable of handling the wattage called out on the printer’s power supply, but that typically won’t be an issue as they don’t use that much power. The larger the battery backup is, the longer it will be able to run the printer when the power is out.

If the power goes out where I live, its typically for either a couple of seconds or a couple of hours. The latter situation is pretty rare, so I don’t try to account for that. Having a battery backup that can last 5-10 minutes is typically all I look for (even for my computer). Right now, I have a larger one on my printer (shown below) because I had an extra one available.

Here is the battery backup I recommend. It provides plenty of coverage at a fair price. The only thing I don’t like about it is it doesn’t tell you the remaining run time.

CyberPower EC850LCD Ecologic Battery Backup

Clogged Nozzle

Another issue that can cause your printer to stop mid-print is the nozzle getting clogged. The behavior of a clogged nozzle will vary based on the severity of the clog. If it’s just a slight clog, you may still see some filament come out, but it will be inconsistent and can lead to a full nozzle clog. If it’s a completely clogged nozzle, you will not see any filament come out, and you would probably hear the extruder motor grinding the filament because there is nowhere for it to go. If either of these happens, I would stop the print and work on clearing the jam if you can. That said, it’s possible that the nozzle will need to be replaced.

Common Causes of Clogged Nozzle

Here is a list of common causes of clogged nozzles.

  • Low-quality filament with an inconsistent diameter
  • Swollen filament from excessive exposure to moisture
  • Hot end temperature too low for the filament type used
  • Nozzle being to close to the build plate
  • Dust or other debris in the hot end

How to fix a clogged nozzle?

There are a couple of ways to clear a clogged nozzle, but the success will depend on how bad the clog is. A common method for a partially clogged nozzle is the cold pull method, but I haven’t had much success with it. I could write an article on this alone, so I don’t want to go into to much detail here.

Another method is to use a nozzle cleaning kit with needles to help push the stuck filament through. You will want to make sure you heat the hot end to help melt the filament unless it won’t go anywhere.

The last option which is what I tend to do when the nozzle is completely clogged, is to just replace the nozzle. The process isn’t complicated, and assuming you are using a brass or copper nozzle, the replacement cost is typically less than 50 cents. If you are using a hardened or stainless nozzle, I would still attempt to clear it before going the replacing route because they are a lot more expensive.

Nozzle Cleaning Kit 

Pause Command in G-Code

This is one that many people tend to overlook and has caused me issues more than once. In most slicers, including Cura, there are built int post-processing plugins that are capable of having your printer pause at a specific height or layer. If you have never worked with the plugin before, then its probably not the cause of any issues you may be having, but if you have, then its possible it is.

The plugin works great. It does what it’s supposed to and can be helpful when you need to change between filaments mid-print. The problem I have run into is if you leave Cura open and start slicing another object, those settings will still be there. So if you forget to manually remove the settings, it can end up in the next object you slice.

How can I fix this?

The only real way to prevent this from happening is to either not use the plugin or make sure you disable it after you use it. It’s easy to forget about it when you slice another object, especially if it’s a couple of days later.

Filament Issues

Filament issues can also cause a 3d  printer to stop mid-print, but in most cases, these issues can be prevented. I’m going to go over the most common filament issues and talk about how they can be prevented.

Out of filament

 The most common issue related to filament is running out of it. There isn’t much you can do once you run out, but you can take a couple of steps before starting a print to make sure you have enough. Before I start a print, I look at the estimated filament requirement called out in the slicer. If I cleary have enough filament, I will just start the print. If its not a clear answer, I will weight the filament spool I’m using (subtracting the weight of the spool its self) to see how much I actually have. You will need to have an extra empty spool to weigh, or just have the weight.

Another option would be to have a filament sensor that will pause the print when you get close to the end of a roll. Some printers come with the sensor, but many do not. If the printer you are working with doesn’t have a sensor, you can always buy an add on one like the one below.

The last option here is to use a plugin for OctoPrint to track how much filament you have used and how much should be left on the spool. I have used this before, and it’s a good free option but requires OctoPrint and additional setup.

FILAMENT SENSOR

Grinding Filament

Filament grinding can happen when the extruder motor gear grinds against the filament. This can occur when there is a clog in the nozzle or something else causing resistance to the filament. The only way to fix it would be to clear the clog or fix whatever is causing the resistance.

Scraped Filament

Scaped filament can happen when the filament grinds against the frame or something else along the way. You can typically prevent this by tracing the filament from the spool to the extruder to make sure it’s not touching anything and isn’t kinked.

Snapped Filament

There are several things that can cause filament to snap, including mechanical stress, too much moisture, or its just low quality.  This can be prevented by making sure you buy quality filament, storing it properly when not in use, and making sure there isn’t much pull on the filament during the print.

If the filament does snap and you catch it, you can possibly save the print by pausing it and replacing the filament past the snap. If you don’t catch it, you will probably end up having to start the print over again.

Here is a video I made covering how I store my filament when it’s not used.

Thermal Cutoffs

Thermistor Issues

A thermistor is basically a probe that is used by the 3d printer’s firmware to keep the bed and hot end at the set temperatures. It will tell the firmware to engage the heating element when under the set temperature and turn it off once the temperature is reached. Assuming the printer has a heated build plate, it will have two thermistors, one for the hot end and one for the build plate.

Most firmware will have a thermal runaway feature that will stop the printer if there is an issue with either thermistor to prevent damaging the printer and possible fires. Typically thermistor issues present themselves as a MINTEMP error, meaning the temperature has dropped below the temperature defined in the firmware. As annoying as this error may be, it’s not something you want to play around with or try to bypass.

Can this be Prevented?

The number one casuse of thermistor issues is a break in the circuit somewhere. In some cases, this can be caused by accidentally damaging the cables. In other cases, it may just happen randomly. The only thing you can do to help prevent thermistor issues is to be careful when working around the cables and make sure no wires have excessive tension on them, especially when printing.

How can I fix a broken thermistor?

The short answer is you cant reliable fix a broken thermistor. If you have issues with one you will want to make sure all the wires are intact and connected correctly. If you are still having issues after that you will most likely end up needing to replace the thermistor. The process isn’t too hard but may be intimating to someone that hasn’t done it before.

Here is a video I did covering how to replace the hot end thermistor on my Taz 6. There are some things that are specific to that printer, but most of the process will be the same on most printers.

Overheated extruder Motor driver

The extruder motor is the most heavily used motor in your 3d printer. It’s responsible for all filament movement and is constantly making quick moves to push or pull the filament based on the needs of your print. This can put a lot of strain on the printers’ electric components, causing them to heat up.

Most mainboards have a thermal cutoff that will cause the overheated driver to stop working.  If this happens, the printer will continue to behave like its printing by moving the other axes, but no filament will actually move through the hot end. If this happens, there is very little you can do to try to resume the print. You could try to measure the height and reslice starting at that point, but I have not had good luck doing that.

Why does this not happen to the rest of the motor drivers?

The rest of the motors do not have anywhere near as much movement as the extruder motor. The X and Y-axis may seem like they are moving a lot, but their movements are typically longer and more spread out. In comparison, the movements on the extruder motor are tiny and basically continuous.

How can I prevent this from happening?

You can help prevent this from happening by following doing maintenance, having proper cooling, and making sure you have a heat sink on the drivers.

Proper Maintenance

Doing proper maintenance on your 3d printer will help prolong its life span and keep it running well. I don’t want to go into to much detail on all the maintenance required, but I did a video covering what I do (shown below). One maintenance task you would want to focus on to prevent overheating the motor driver is blowing off the dust on the mainboard. Over time the dust will build up and will cause the board, and drivers, to run hotter.

Proper Cooling

Most 3d printers on the market today have a fan somewhere around that mainboard that will blow the hot air out of the enclosure. You will want to make sure your printer does have that fan and that it works. If your printer has a fan and you are still having issues, you can look at buying a more powerful fan, though if you go this route, make sure you get a fan that runs quietly (like this one), or it will end up just annoying you.

One thing to note is that depending on your mainboard, the fan may not kick in until it’s needed. So if you have a fan and it’s not running, it may just not be required at that time.

Heat Sinks

Most decent mainboards have four motor drivers with heat sinks of some sort on them (quality may vary), but if you have one that doesn’t or you replaced the mainboard forgot to add them, you will want to correct that. They are not very expensive and will mage a considerable difference in the temperature of the driver.

You will want to make sure you measure how much space you have and get the ones that will fit. I added a link to a standard-sized one below. The install process is typically just peeling off the plastic and sticking the heat sink on the chip/driver and doesn’t take much time. Just make sure you don’t have the printer plugged in when doing it.

Recap

Troubleshooting issues with a 3d printer can be a challenging task but once you understand what the printer is doing, it becomes easier. Thermal cutoffs, issues with power, filament issues, a clogged nozzle, or a pause command in the g-code file can cause your 3d printer to stop mid-print, but as I mentioned in the article, there are things you can do to reduce the likelihood of them happening to you.

Make sure you check out our YouTube channel, and if you would like any additional details or have any questions, please leave a comment below. If you liked this article and want to read others click here.

Does your 3D printer stop in the middle of a print? We have the solution. – Geeetech

3d printing design,3D printing trouble shooting guide,problem solving,useful things,worth sharing

Let’s be honest- 3D printing isn’t as easy as it looks. Especially if you’re a beginner, there are many problems that you will encounter but that shouldn’t stop you from pushing on. One of the most common 3D printing problems that we face is when your print stops right in the middle and you’re left confused wondering what went wrong. Sounds like something you’ve experienced? Read on for some simple solutions!

The 3D Printing Problem- 

You’re in the middle of a print when suddenly the extruder stops printing and your work is left incomplete.

Why does it happen?

If you’re wondering if something is wrong with your 3D Printer then calm down. There are a few major reasons why a print will stop mid-way and all of them can be solved very easily. The problem lies either with the filament or the nozzle. In many cases, we simply run out of filament or face an issue with the current filament but aren’t aware till the print stops. If it’s not the filament then double check to see if the nozzle is blocked. Here are few ways to fix the problem:

1. Check if you’ve run out of filament

The first thing to check if your print randomly stops is if you have enough filament. Many times we forget that we’re coming to the end of a spool and that there isn’t really anything wrong with your printer.  Just feed your extruder a new spool of filament and carry on with your print. Alternatively, you can use a slicer which will give you a material estimation for your prints. All it does it judge the weight of your spool of filament and tells you if there’s enough filament to complete your print.

2. Did your filament snap?

Filament usually only snap if they are old or have been incorrectly stored which makes them brittle. To make sure you’re keeping your filament stored in the best way check out our guide- An Easy Way To Store Your 3D Printing Filament

If you think your filament is in good condition then check the filament diameter as sometimes the diameters can vary which increases the tension. You can reduce the idler tension if it’s too tight by loosening it.

3. Is your filament stripped?

Stripping of filament is another reason why your extruder stops printing. You can try reducing the retraction and speed setting as well as increasing the temperature by 5-10 degrees. Another reason why your filament can strip is due to a blocked nozzle.

4. Check if your nozzle is blocked

If you constantly switch between filaments like PLA or ABS then there are higher chances of your nozzle getting blocked. A small amount of filament gets left behind which causes it to harden up and when this keeps happening, you’ll find that even though you have sufficient filament, none of will be pushed out through the nozzle.  Take a look at our easy guide to fix your Blocked Nozzle.

5. Check if the extruder is over-heated

With the extruder doing all the hard work, it’s very common for it to heat up excessively during a print. The constant constantly back and forth movement for hours at a stretch can cause the extruder motor to overheat, especially if there isn’t sufficient cooling. Since they have a thermal cutoff, your extruder will stop working in the middle of your print if the temperature gets too high.   The only way to resolve this issue is to turn off the printer and allow the electronics to cool down. To avoid the problem completely try adding an extra cooling fan.

If you found this guide helpful, share it with your friends to help them out!

Credits: all3dp.com, support.markforged.com, 3dnatives.com

Richa

What to do if the 3D printer stops? How to continue printing

There are situations when for some reason the 3D printer has stopped printing. And for many, this is a problem, because if a couple of layers were printed, then you can start printing again and it's not expensive. But if the model was printed halfway or even more, then spending time again on a new print, wasting material again is too expensive.

There may be a number of reasons why printing has stopped:

  • commonplace power outage;
  • printer failure;
  • clogging of the extruder nozzle;
  • layer peeling and other incorrect printing problems.

Not all printers have the option to resume printing from a specific location. Moreover, they are currently in the minority. And so you have to solve all the problems yourself.

This material is devoted to this problem. We will look at Gcode and a universal way to continue printing from a specific layer.

How does 3D printing software work?

This is the first question to be dealt with. Any 3D printer works on the same principle, regardless of the printing technology. The model is first divided into a large number of the thinnest horizontal layers parallel to each other. If printing is carried out using FDM, DLP technologies, then each layer is divided into many lines, which, as it were, are drawn by a print head or a laser. In the case of DLP technology, each layer is a bitmap, which is highlighted immediately. In this case, the line width for the FDM printer will be the diameter of the nozzle selected for printing, and the height will be set by the layer thickness. That is, a certain route is set for the extruder, so to speak, a map along which it will form a layer. This map will be presented as a specific set of commands. It is this set that is called GCode. This code is generated by special programs in automatic mode. These programs are called slicers. They cut the model into layers according to the given parameters and form the GCode. Prominent representatives of such programs are Cura, Slick3r and others.

In G-code, each printhead path vector is specified by Cartesian coordinates. In addition, the code file contains a number of other information:

  • movement speed;
  • temperature;
  • extrusion speed, etc.

Initially, GCode was developed specifically for CNC machines, so it can contain a variety of functions, commands. However, for 3D printers, GCode is much easier.

Slicers that work with 3D printers that print using SLA technologies, DLP work on a slightly different principle, and the generated code itself will contain slightly different information, since the plastic is not extruded, it is not the print head that works, but the laser controlled by projectors, galvanometers, mirrors, etc. In DLP, in general, the entire layer is illuminated at a time, that is, with a single spot.

Resuming printing with Cura slicer on FDM printers

Consider the process of resuming printing using the example of benchy, a well-known 3D model. And the first advice is that you should not move an underprinted model, since it will not work to install it in the same place with an accuracy of millimeters.

This method allows not only to resume printing from a certain place in case of failure or force majeure, but also when printing a model with one extruder, but with different materials or plastic of different colors. To do this, you first need to make GCode in manual mode, and during printing, stop the machine and change the thread.

So, the first step is to measure the height of the resulting product. To do this, you need to use a digital caliper. The more accurate the metering, the less noticeable will be the place where printing was paused.

The second step is to use the Cura slicer to find the correct layer for the height of your print. In our case, the height was 12mm. Printing was carried out at a layer thickness of 0.15 mm. So in GCode this data will correspond to layer number 80.

The SciTE program is used to edit sources. We use it for the next step - we open our GCode in it. This software is simple and intuitive. When opening a file with a code, be sure to select "All files".

The next step is to find layer 80 in GCode. To do this, declare a search: "Sear > Finde > LAYER:80".

The cursor is positioned at the end of layer 79. While holding SHIFT, move to the beginning of layer 1 and click on it. As a result, everything that corresponds to the already printed area will be selected. Delete the selected area. Next, you need to save the result and, if necessary, manually prescribe the resolution.

As a result of these manipulations, you get a new GCode, according to which printing will start from the layer you need. This code needs to be checked in Cura.

Slicers that are designed for printing using SLA, DLP technology, support the function of resuming printing from the right place if it is interrupted.

Continuation of interrupted printing, all in a bunch and with goodies

Questions about restoring interrupted printing for some reason arise regularly. Materials on this topic are also available on the portal, but I think everyone will only be in favor of unity of causes, consequences, 'who is to blame', 'what to do' and 'do they eat chicken with their hands'. But the main task is to be able to later give a link to this post, and not look in the bookmarks for the most suitable for a particular case.

So we have a printer that prints and prints, and then for some reason shaitanama happens. As a result, we received an underprinted part. The reasons are a power failure, a disconnection with the computer, mysterious electrical processes in the brains of the printer, a plug in the extruder (either the roller has gnawed through the filament, or the bar has run out, in general, the printer is buzzing idle). And we need a single piece.

Three options are possible. The first is to spit and reprint. Least labor intensive. If time allows and you do not feel sorry for the spent plastic, it is better to resort to it. But if this is not our method, then there are two more. The second is to remove the printed from the table, peel off the missing, print, glue. Third - Jedi, continue printing.

Determination of height

Regardless of which decision (second or third) we come to, the fundamental question arises - at what height printing stopped. The quality (and volumes of post-processing) of the seam largely depends on the accuracy of the determination. And here, again, there are options. The most free - if you can determine exactly where the print ended. For example, if the printer electronics freezes (or the connection is interrupted), and the treasured numbers 'Z-something-there' remain on the display. Or there is an opportunity to look at the terminal log before the break. The ideal case is when there is a last XY move command (G1 Xxxx Yyyy Eeee) and you can scroll the log up to the nearest layer start (G1 Zzzz). This allows you to accurately determine not even the height but the point!

Little trick number one. If you print from Repetier-Host , the program writes a log of interactions with the printer. It is cleared when the program is started or printing is successfully completed. That is. If your Repetier-Host computer crashes, DO NOT RUN the program. Instead, follow a route like C:UsersAppDataLocalRepetierHost and find repetier.log there. The log file is simple, but it saves great messages like '

Little trick number two. If you are printing from Pronterface , configure log output to a file (Settings - Options - User interface - Log path). In this case, the program will duplicate what you see in the terminal window into a text file. Which, again, will allow you to determine the height of the cessation of printing.

Where is the Pronterface log setting hidden? We'll have to determine the position in some magical way. For those who are especially diligent and print in a relatively thick layer, you can take a needle and count the layers. It can be a little easier (but also requires care).

We are wondering if we can park the printer in Z at some point on the table. If yes, then we park in XY (if the nozzle is stuck to the model, you must first heat it up and then raise it a little Z!), bring it to the safe parking point Z and we execute it. For those who have 'home' in the maximum Z position, beauty - you can park fearlessly. If Z cannot be parked, see below.

Now we raise Z above the model, bring it to XY, and slowly lower it. This is how the touch will be, the position is found.

I will refer to the G92 code more than once in the following. I'll explain how it works with an example: G92 X100 makes the printer think that its current X coordinate is 100, and then it will dance from this setting.

If it is impossible to park

If we print the upper part of the part separately, then we remove the existing one from the table and measure it with a caliper. And if you want to stand and in a hammock, then there is a solution here. Raise Z and park XY as described above. We bring to the model (until it touches, preferably with a cold clean nozzle) and give the printer a G9 command2 Z0. Now he thinks that Z is parked, therefore, it will be necessary to prepare for printing the upper part of the part, as if it were being printed on a table. Well, more on that later.

Preparing a new G-code

If we choose the option with separate reprinting, then we need to peel the model from a certain height. In Cura, on the Advanced tab, in the Quality section, there is an item called Cut off object bottom. That is, cut off the bottom of the model. In Slic3r, you need to cut (Cut) the model in Z and leave only the top part. In Simplify3D (I don’t use it, so I won’t tell you for sure) it’s a little different, there you can print exactly from a given height, and not from scratch. There will be a small gap in the story. Finally, the model can be cut in netfabb and sliced.

So we have a new G-code for the top half of the model. We print.

If we want to print on the existing lower part, here are the options again. You can prepare a G-code as in the paragraph above, discard all preparatory operations (parking) from it, park XY manually, set the desired Z, give G92 Z0, warm up the heaters and start printing. We can take the existing G-code of the model, discard everything from it up to G1 Zzzz, where zzz is our print start height. This is fine if we can park Z. Park at an accessible Z point, raise the model higher, warm up the heaters, run the trimmed G-code.

Looking for what we need

Beginning of code 'trimming' with absolute feed. You can simply execute G92 in the terminal, just not to forget.

There is a nuance with cutting off the G-code. If we have a G-code generated with a relative feed (lines like G1 Xxxx Yyyy E;), then there is no need to be weird. And if the feed is absolute (the E coordinate is constantly growing), you need to give the printer a G92 Eeee command before starting the 'cut' print, where eee is the last E coordinate in the deleted part of the G-code.

By the way, the cropped G-code can also be used for a separate reprint of the upper half of the part. To do this, manually park all the axes, give G92 Zzzz (where zzz is the height of the existing bottom), and you can start 'cutting'. Do not forget to warm up the hotend and the table to the required temperatures, or leave the appropriate commands in the G-code.

Thinness

Let's say we have a printed part height of 10.0 mm. For layer 0.2, this means that 50 layers have been printed (if the first layer is also 0.2) Not sure that the last one is completed. It would be good to guess. If the layer is completed, or close to that, then it is better to continue printing from 10.2. And if the layer has just begun, then it is better to print it again. In general, depending on the degree of the Jedi, we will either have an extruded layer (which can be cut or sanded), or a gap that is more difficult to close. In my opinion, extruded is preferable because of the greater ease of elimination (although it depends on the part) and better bond strength.

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