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Nylon 12

Nylon 12 (Versatile Plastic) is a durable nylon plastic that can be used for a wide range of applications, both for prototyping and for end products. Printed using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), when thin, it's flexible enough for hinges and springs and when thick, strong enough for structural components. Learn More

Accura 60

Accura 60 is a translucent and rigid acrylate-based plastic. It is 3D printed using a large format stereolithography (SLA) printer capable of producing small to large parts with high resolution and detail as well as smooth surfaces with limited layer lines. Learn More

Stainless Steel 316L

Stainless Steel 316L is manufactured using ExOne’s "Triple Advanced Compaction Technology" with a binder jetting system. Unlike our Steel that is steel infused with bronze, this material is a single alloy, 100% Stainless steel 316L. Learn More

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Shapeways was really great when we worked together before, which led us to reach out again. It’s been so helpful to talk with them about what we could do in every aspect of 3D printing and finishing, and it saved us a lot of time in experimentation.”

Nathan Lachenmyer

Director of Technology | Sitara Systems

I like the ease of use in the Shapeways platform, being able to 3D print on-demand orders for the first time, and most of all–being able to scale my business. In the beginning years ago I basically had the change in my pocket and a credit line at my bank so I couldn’t order a ton of things, and you never know what’s going to sell.”

Steven Jaworski

Owner | Voytek Medical

During the process, we used Shapeways capabilities to 3D print many prototypes. That meant we had the option to iterate very quickly, print objects, and test them to see if they were working correctly in terms of complexity, or too much complexity. ”

Yonatan Assouline

Manager & Co-Founder | Flamingo Works

Shapeways was really great when we worked together before, which led us to reach out again. It’s been so helpful to talk with them about what we could do in every aspect of 3D printing and finishing, and it saved us a lot of time in experimentation.”

Nathan Lachenmyer

Director of Technology | Sitara Systems

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90,000 instructions for setting up all 3D printer mechanics: from belts to speeds of

Home / Useful / Hyde for setting up 3D printer mechanics

04.05.2021

Content

    • What includes mechanics
    • Defects mechanical failure
    • How to save settings
    • Setup instructions
      • Belts
      • Motor current
      • Motor steps
      • Acceleration
      • Jerk
      • Speed ​​
    • Check settings

The quality of the printed models directly depends on the mechanics of the printer, namely on its correct settings. Any elements of the printer wear out over time, so the printer must be set up at least once every 5-6 kg of printed filament. With the help of the short instructions described in this guide, you can quickly and easily set up the mechanics of your printer: belt tension, motor current, motor steps, acceleration, jerk and speed.

Mechanics includes

3D printers of any design always contain the same things: Axes and rails along which the elements of the printer move and motors with belts that set these elements in motion. In a classic printer design, there are at least 3 motors (one for each axis), 3 rails (one for each axis) and an electronics board that controls the motors. The latter can hardly be called part of the mechanics, but since it controls the engines, it also indirectly affects the quality of the model.

Printing defects due to mechanical problems

Before changing anything in the printer, you need to decide what exactly needs to be configured. Often defects are visible visually. Our blog has an article about most printing defects, which details the reasons for their occurrence. The following is a list of defects and what element of mechanics they are associated with:

  • Layer shifting - Belts, Motor current, Guides

  • Ringing - Guides, Speed

  • Incorrect model geometry - Guides, Motor steps, belts

As you can see, all the above problems do not interfere with the printing process itself, but the result leaves much to be desired. Sometimes mechanical errors can completely stop the printer from working. Therefore, it is better not to take the situation to extremes and, if any problems arise, immediately start checking and configuring the 3D printer.

How to save settings

To fix some defects, you need to change the printer software settings. Therefore, before adjusting the mechanics, it is necessary to understand how to properly store the settings inside the printer. There are 3 ways to do this:

All settings are located in the corresponding menu of the printer

Depending on your firmware, this manual will indicate code sections for MARLIN firmware in the configuration.h file

We first enter the parameters into the printer and then store them in EEPROM - the internal memory of the microcontroller. Or paste all the necessary settings at the beginning of GCODE. To learn how to do this, read our article on working with GCODE and creating macros.

To save to EEPROM, you need to send the printer a command to change some value (which can also be inserted into the initial GCODE), and then send the M500 command (save the current settings to permanent memory). The EEPROM function must be enabled in the firmware, for this you need to remove two slashes in the line:

//#define EEPROM_SETTINGS

Whichever option you choose, you should be careful when using any commands. You will not be able to harm the printer in any way when changing the settings, but if you make a mistake, you will have to look for the cause of possible further problems for a long time.

Setting Instructions

Now you can start setting up the printer itself. If you decide to set several parameters at once, then it is better to use the order of adjustments as in the article, since some of the settings are related to each other and if you use the wrong order, adjusting one element of the mechanics will override the settings of another element. For example, you should not adjust the motor steps before tightening the belts, as changing the length of the belts will change the "true" steps per millimeter of the motors. Also, before setting up, you must make sure that there are no backlashes in the printer frame, tighten all belts.

Belts

The first thing to start setting up the printer is the belts. They directly affect the geometry of the model and, when pulled too much, they cause a lot of problems: displacement of layers, changes in geometry, ripples. First you need to make sure the belt is intact. To do this, look at the entire belt, especially the areas where the belts bend. If the belt has outlived its usefulness, then you can see a section of the belt where the distance between the teeth has greatly increased and a metal wire (cord) is visible between them. This means that it's time to completely change the belt.


Broken belt with broken cords

If the belt is intact or you have already replaced it, then you can proceed to the next step. Depending on the design of your printer, you need to move the roller through which the belt passes. The tension should be such that the carriage or table moves effortlessly, but at the same time, when moving quickly, the belt should not slip the teeth on the motor gear. Adjust the tension of the belts on each axis of the printer using this method.

Tip: if your printer came with a belt tensioner in the form of a spring attached to the belt itself, remove it. Due to the flexibility of this tensioner, printing defects will occur, such as protruding corners on the model. It is better to adjust the belt without using this tensioner.


Belt tensioner

Current motors

As we know from the school physics course, the power of the engine depends on the voltage and current strength. Since the voltage on all printer electronics is the same everywhere, the only thing that can be changed is the current on the motor. More precisely, it should be said the maximum current that the driver will supply to the motors. To change this limit, you need to climb inside the case and find the printer board. On it you will see the printer driver. We are interested in a small potentiometer on the driver itself (in the picture below it is indicated as a tuning resistor).


Example of potentiometer location on driver

For adjustment, you will need a voltmeter and a small Phillips or flathead screwdriver. Before proceeding further, it is necessary to calculate the maximum current supplied to the motors. Different formulas are used for different drivers, the most popular ones will be listed in the table below:

Driver name

Formula

Explanations

A4988

Vref = Imax * 1.25 for R100
Vref = Imax * 2.5 for R050

To understand which formula to use, you need to find a resistor with the signature R100 or R050 on the driver. They are located next to the driver chip.

DRV8825

Vref = Imax / 2


LV8729

Vref = Imax / 2


TMC2208

TMC2100

TMC2130

Vref = Imax * 1. 41

One formula for all drivers

The value of the maximum current (Imax) depends on the motor controlled by the driver. This can be found in the engine specification or on the sticker on it. The following are the currents for the most popular motor models:

17HS4401 - current 1.7 A

17HS8401 - current 1.8 A

17HS4402 - current 1.3 A

Substituting the value into the formula, we get the Vref value for the maximum current supplied to the motor. But at this value, the engine will get very hot, so the resulting Vref value must be multiplied by 0.7. For example, for a motor with a maximum current of 1.5 A and a TMC 2208 driver:


Vref=1.5*1.41*0.7=1.48V

Now the resulting value can be used when configuring on the printer itself. To do this, disconnect the wires going to the motors, turn on the printer and place one voltmeter probe in the center of the trimmer, and the second probe to the negative terminal on the power supply (you can also use the negative terminal on the printer board and the contact on the driver, labeled as GND). You will see some value on the voltmeter screen. Turn the trimmer clockwise to decrease the Vref value and counterclockwise to increase it.

Attention: you should not specify a Vref value higher than the maximum calculated for your engine! Otherwise, the engine will soon break down!

Once you have adjusted the value on the drivers, you can turn off the power to the printer, connect the motor wires, and put the case back together. This completes the driver setup.

Motor steps

When setting up motor steps, you will need a ruler. For convenience, you can use the program Repetier-Host. The adjustment for each of the three axes occurs according to the same algorithm:

  1. Set the caret to zero coordinates (Autohome or G28)

  2. Move the carriage some distance

  3. We measure how far the carriage has traveled

  4. We calculate the correct number of steps per millimeter using the formula:

True steps per millimeter = current steps per millimeter * reported distance / distance traveled

For example, if the printer was set to 100 steps/mm, we tell the printer to move 80mm and the printer travels 87. 5mm. Then the correct steps per millimeter would be 100 * 80 / 87.5 = 91.42 steps/mm. For the convenience of measurements, you can fix a ruler on the table, and a thin object, such as a needle or pin, on the carriage. Then it will be possible to accurately measure the distance traveled. The extruder uses a partially different algorithm to measure distance:

  1. Inserting plastic into the extruder

  2. Cut it right at the outlet

  3. We give the printer a command to stretch the plastic a certain distance (at least 100 millimeters)

  4. Cutting plastic again

  5. We measure the length of the resulting piece of plastic

  6. We use the formula from the previous algorithm

Next, the settings data must be inserted into the firmware in the line:

#define DEFAULT_AXIS_STEPS_PER_UNIT {X,Y,Z,E0}

X,Y,Z and E0 should be replaced by the steps per millimeter for each of the axes, respectively. Otherwise, you need to insert this line into the initial GCODE:

M92 Ennn Xnnn Ynnn Znnn

Instead of nnn in each of the parameters, you must substitute the steps per millimeter for each axis. If you want to adjust the steps only for not all axes, then you can remove unnecessary parameters.

Acceleration

This parameter is responsible for the rate of change of speed. That is, how fast the printer will change its speed. This affects the nature of the movement of the hot end relative to the table. If the acceleration is too small, then the printer will print slowly, if it is too large, then the outer surface of the model will have visual defects: fading waves will be visible near each of the corners, as in the picture below.

To set up acceleration, you need to follow simple steps:

  1. Cut a model of a standard test cube with a wall thickness equal to one nozzle diameter, without filling and top layers, bottom 2-3 layers;

  2. Open GCODE file in notepad;

  3. Find the G28 command at the very beginning and insert the line data after it:

M201 X5000 Y5000

M204 P500 T500

  1. Save the changes, print the model according to the received GCODE and note at what parameters P and T it was printed;

  2. Open the same GCODE file and change the P and T values ​​on the second line, adding 500 to each;

  3. Repeat steps 4-5 at least 3 times;

As a result, you will get several test cubes, some of which will show waves at the corners. Choose the cube that is printed with the highest P and T parameters, but that no waves can be seen on it. The number in parameter P will be the desired acceleration value. To save this value, you need to find 2 lines in the firmware:

#define DEFAULT_MAX_ACCELERATION {X,Y,Z,E0}

#define DEFAULT_ACCELERATION {nnn}

Instead of X and Y, you should put an acceleration twice as high as found earlier. And instead of nnn, you need to put the acceleration value found earlier. Otherwise, you need to insert a line in the initial GCODE:

M204 Pnnn Tnnn

In the parameters P and T, you need to put the value of the found acceleration. After that, the acceleration setting can be considered complete.

Jerk

A jerk indicates the speed with which to start accelerating. It affects the model in a similar way as acceleration: it creates ripples around the corners of the model. But it also increases the protrusion of the corners if the jerk is too small. The jerk setting is also similar to the acceleration setting:

  1. Cut a model of a standard test cube with a wall thickness equal to one nozzle diameter, without filling and top layers, bottom 2-3 layers.

  2. Open GCODE file in notepad

  3. Find the G28 command at the very beginning and insert the line data after it:

M205 X5 Y5

  1. Save the changes, print the model according to the received GCODE and note at what X and Y parameters it was printed

  2. Open the same GCODE file and change the X and Y values ​​on the second line, adding 2 to each

  3. Repeat steps 4-5 at least 3 times

As a result, you will get several cubes. Find a non-rippled cube printed at the highest X and Y settings. This will be the jerk value for your printer. To save them, you need to find the line in the firmware:

#define DEFAULT_XJERKnnn

#define DEFAULT_YJERKnnn

It is necessary to substitute the jerk values ​​for the X and Y axes, respectively. Otherwise, you need to substitute the command in the starting GCODE:

M205

Instead of nnn, you need to substitute the jerk value found earlier. This completes the jerk setting.

Speed ​​

In fact, there are many different speed parameters, the values ​​\u200b\u200bof which vary greatly. Let's take a look at the main ones:

This parameter is responsible for moving the nozzle without extruding plastic. The value is in the range from 80 to 120 mm/s. Limited only by the maximum speed at which the motors can rotate. Does not affect the model

This speed is important because it indirectly affects the adhesion of the model to the table. Usually lies between 15 and 30 mm/s

-Print speed of inner walls

Usually set to about 60 mm/s, it only affects the strength of the model. Depends on the maximum amount of plastic that the extruder can push through the nozzle

-Speed ​​of printing outer walls

Usually about half the printing speed of the inner walls (30 mm / s). It affects not only the strength of the model, but also the appearance: the lower this speed, the smoother the walls will be.

The standard value is 80 mm/s, it only affects the strength of the model

Usually set from 20 to 40 mm/s, the quality of the upper layer of the model depends on it: the lower the value, the smoother the cover.

All of the above parameters are selected experimentally. Usually there is a simple rule: higher speed - lower quality. Therefore, do not try to find the ideal value for all situations. It is better to find values ​​for fast printing, quality printing, and an average that will be used for most models.

Check settings

The last step in setting any of the above parameters will be to check the result. If you have written parameters in firmware or saved them in EEPROM, you can use the M503 command. It will display all printer settings on the computer. To test the settings in practice, you can print several test models:

Classic Benchy

Simple calibration cube

Calibration cat

On each of the above models, defects will be clearly visible, if they still remain after the mechanics are adjusted.


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