I’ve had my CR 10 S Pro for a few months and had a few issues with layer shifting caused by the cooling fan extension dropping and hooking the print - eventually it cracked and I replaced it with a 3D printed version and dialed the printer settings in. I’ve been getting solid near perfect prints since.
This week a new issue arose and I’m struggling to figure it out. Prints get to around 70% and then the nozzle begins to drag in the print, dragging layers to the left. It’s not even a layer shift, as it’s not like the printer shifts then continues for a number of layers or prints smooth. Instead, it’s ragged layers just pulling off more and more to the left. Pics attached.
I’ve watched the last couple prints closely, and you can hear when it starts. It almost looks like the nozzle has kind of dropped back down into a previous layer and is now dragging through that as it tries to print, leading to the shifted layers and rough textures. I may not be explaining it well. Hopefully the pics will provide more insight.
I would look for binding on the Z axis if the nozzle is digging into the print, Could be loose set screw, a Bad cable or a piece of dirt caught in the lead screw.
It seems to be pretty consistent in the X direction so it could also be a loose gear on the X motor on improper tension on the belt.
Have you witnessed it grab the nozzle or is it just moved when you check on it?
Interesting note, especially with you mentioning something loose. While looking at the wheels, etc. I noticed a significant amount of some kind of grease or lubricant coating the right hand Z-axis rod and accumulated around the bushing on the X-axis gantry on that side.
It isn’t present on the left hand rail or around the bushing there. I’m going to make some adjustments to the belts and check the motor gears and wheels, but I’m really curious about the lubricant.
I would agree, Generally speaking, the screws are pretty well greese-free, or at least minimal. The suggestion is always to keep them lubed but wipe off any excessive lubricant as it just leads to dust and debris building up and eventually causing binding.
So I cleaned and tightened the X-axis belt and wheels. I was hopeful I might have found something there, as left-hand manual movement on the X-axis was showing a slight catch, and a small piece of debris (filament dust and grease I think) came out of the belt. After that, the cleaning, and the tightening, the movement was smooth.
I tightened the screws on the Z rod couplers at the base, and cleaned and tightened the wheels there too.
Tried the test print again and the issue occurred even sooner. I’m stumped.
I haven’t checked the temperature of the Z motor. I’ll look at that today.
I was thinking something similar in regard to the bed leveling, or if it was tied to a specific height or at least a minimum height for failure to start. To that end, I tried a different test print yesterday that has a much lover overall height, around 15mm.
Unfortunately, and even more confusing for me, the failure started even earlier, around the 2mm mark. I could hear it beginning, and watched as the nozzle dug into the existing layers, which had went down pretty well. See photos for reference.
I am so confused and dispirited with this printer at this point.
Sorry it’s been so long replying. Been trying to puzzle this out, along with a back and forth with 3D Printing Canada support. Unfortunately, with no success.
The z-motor temperature is not unusual at all. The same issue is continuing with almost all of the test prints. Which is more confounding than ever.
Before I explain, in addition to everything else that I mentioned, I’ve completed the following additional steps to try and isolate the issue:
Tested a single wall vase print (same failure)
Flashed the firmware with the official Creality base build. (same failures)
Switched to a clean new version of Cura on a separate PC with the stock standard profile
Printed a 40mm calibration cube using the parts for calibration in Cura. It printed successfully. (see photo)
Attempted to slice and print a known successful STL that I’ve printed on my other printers. Failed with same issues. (see photo)
Downloaded the Creality slicer and attempted the same STL slice and print. Same failure.
Reviewed the GCODE files for the calibration cube and the test STL side by side. I don’t see any materially different main settings and the test STL GCODE does show the appropriate Z movement codes at the end of each LAYER section.
I’ve also noted that the printer seems to ‘think’ it’s moved up the appropriate layer heights during the failed prints. It just doesn’t do so after laying down the base layers (see additional photo)
I am completely confounded. The printer, mechanically, seems fine. The hardware seems fine, given the printing of the calibration cube. However, with anything I open from STL and slice, it fails. It makes no sense to me at all.
ok, that is a head scratcher, I love these kinda problems. I am gonna talk out loud a little on this but bear with me
Let me define this so we are all on the same page
Using Cura slicing profiles for your printer results in failure
Using a fresh Cura profile fails
Using Cura’s built-in calibration object is successful
According to the screen on the printer Z axis is moving up, However Physically it’s not
Homing is successful
Eliminate software - Try to slice a previously failed print in PRUSA slicer and see if that prints successfully or fails the same or different.
At this point, it’s looking like hardware over software but that 40mm cube should have failed if that’s the case unless there is something different in the start Gcode for the calibration cube over whatever you slice in Cura “normally” Maybe it’s just speed?
Can you post up your start G code and let me have a look?
If you manually from the screen on the printer move it Z+ 300mm, and then move it Z- 300 does the nozzle end up in the same place? (physically above the bed) Use the commands below if you are able to connect pronterface to the printer. You would have to enter these lines one at a time through pronterface.
G90
G1 F1000 Z300
G1 F1000 Z10
G1 F1500 Z300
G1 F1500 Z10
G1 F2500 Z300
G1 F2500 Z10
This will basically move the Z up and down faster and faster till hopefully, something fails.
I am suspecting at this point it’s going to be a stepper driver (usually control board)
side question; after homing do you always have to adjust the Z offset or does it stay stable between prints?
If its hardware as you speed up the Z up and down commands it should start to lose steps
If the problem is down the hardware route there will be 5 possible causes, Bad Leadscrew (or brass nut), Bad coupler, Bad Z stepper motor, Bad cable (between stepper and control board, or finally bad stepper driver (control board).
sorry about thinking out loud but just working through possibilities in my head.
G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
G1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to start position
G1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15 ;Draw the first line
G1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to side a little
G1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30 ;Draw the second line
G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
G1 X10.1 Y20 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to start position
G1 X10.1 Y200.0 Z0.28 F1500.0 E15 ;Draw the first line
G1 X10.4 Y200.0 Z0.28 F5000.0 ;Move to side a little
G1 X10.4 Y20 Z0.28 F1500.0 E30 ;Draw the second line
G92 E0 ;Reset Extruder
G1 Z2.0 F3000 ;Move Z Axis up
I’m tentatively optimistic but still totally confused. See attached photo.
The test print using Prusa Slicer worked… but I have no idea why it worked. I’m going to try a larger print with that now to see if that succeeds as well. If it does, I’ll definitely learn the Prusa Slicer for that printer.
But I’m still at sea as to why, after almost 3 months, the printer suddenly fails to print gcode sliced in Cura. Cura is the only slicer I’ve ever used. I am also wondering now if maybe Cura could be at fault for any of the strange intermittent problems I’ve had with the printer since getting it.
Here’s hoping when it comes to the larger print. I’ll get back to you tomorrow on the results.
Change is apparently fleeting. The bigger print has already failed. Same issues - see pic. I’m not sure at this point if I’m more upset that it failed or relieved that I’m not crazier than I thought I was.
I do; however, have older successful gcodes. One of the many times that I’m glad to be a digital packrat. I’ll get back to you again.
So the first of the old gcodes printed successfully. See photo.
I’m going to try one more that’s a little larger / more involved. Will keep you posted.
This only confuses me more though. I didn’t update Cura on my original machine, so I don’t know why that failed. Or why calibration objects succeed and regular stls fail on a new clean cura install. Or why the first Prusa sliced print worked and the second didn’t. None of this makes any sense and it’s killing the logic-based programmer in me.
Print #2 of older GCode is successfull. See photo.
This was the last fully successful print I had on the CR 10.
That suggests the problem is software, not hardware. But I can’t figure out why it’s ALL software. Here are my software tests / results so far:
Cura 4.11 on Original Laptop:
Last successful print sliced 2022-10-10. No software updates since.
All prints sliced on this software now fail.
Reprint of last successful GCODE from 2022-10-10 overnight 2022-11-09 to 10 was successful.
Cura 5.2.1 on alternate PC:
Calibration Cube 2022-11-07 was successful
All subsequent sliced STL prints were unsuccessful
Creality Slicer 4.8.2 on alternate PC:
Sliced STL 2022-11-08 was unsuccessful
PrusaSlicer 2.5.0 on original laptop
Sliced small STL 2022-11-09 12:25pm was successful
Sliced larger STL 2022-11-09 1:57pm was unsuccessful
So this morning, I resliced the Now Spinning STL on the original Cura software and am using Winmerge to compare the two GCODE files - the last successful vs the new slice.
Excepting that there are a few slight tweaks to the material profile that I’ve made to try and adjust for the the errors I was getting (retraction distance & speed), I’m not seeing any significant differences in any of the setup or configuration aspects of the GCODE between the two, and I’m not seeing any differences at all involving the Z Axis.
Next I’m going to review the two Prusa-generated GCODE. I know the STLs are difference, so there will be some difference in them, but the setup data should be the same, or at least, I hope so.
It’s actually kinda funny you say that, It’s exactly what I am thinking, The testing proves software but the problem feels like hardware. although my gut tells me its hardware I think you are doing the right thing and chasing the software route.
I know I have seen corrupt cura profiles do weird things like this in the past I can say that usually fresh installs prove its the profile. In your case its just going leading that way
The only other thought I have is that it could be firmware? I mean, that’s where the software and hardware meet. I flashed the firmware with the base version from Creality to try and correct the initial issues.
The problem was happening before that though, so that didn’t change anything. But maybe there’s a better version that could make a difference? I’m loathe to go that route right away though, as I don’t want to introduce additional variables in the testing.
