PETG Simplyfy3D settings - 0.5mm Nozzle

#1
Hi Guys,

I have inherited a G-Max 1.5+ and PETG 1.75mm filament. I have bought the Simplyfy3d slicing software and I have printed a few goods but I just don't seem to get it as nice as the pictures I see on the web.

I have a glass warm bed as well.

I have all sure about the settings.

Please can someone be so kind to share there settings or let me know how you got to the optimal settings.
 

Mongo

New Member
#5
I am also trying to dial in settings for PETG. The outline of the part I am attempting to print is 9.5"x14.5", which is turning out to be quite a challenge, regardless of the filament type.

I tried some prints based on the factory file attached above. 250C is 10C hotter than what I have tried previously. I dialed the 1st layer speed down to 30% (of 50 mm/s). For the most part, the last attempt was the best 1st layer I've seen yet (with PETG), but still seems under extruded (the plastic strands were thin; I could read the gmax logo on the build tak through the 1st layer). One corner curled up a bit and the 2nd extruder was catching in that corner as the 2nd layer was going down, so I aborted. I also noticed several of the strands came loose fro the build tak, so there is still work to do....

I am printing on directly on build tak wiped down with alcohol.

I tried blue painters tape for several days, but the filament did not stick as well yielding a poor 1st layer. I tried the above profile with painters tape before I went back to the bare build tak.

Bed: 70C
Perimeters: 3
Filament: Push Plastic Black PETG
Z offset: 0.1mm added in Simplify3D + 0.1mm added with babystepping while printing the brim

I added the Z offset after trying the factory file unmodified; the filament was skipping often. The Z offset stopped the skipping. I leveled the bed after removing the painters tape.

I also occasionally get some blobs at the z retraction. The attached picture shows a blog on painters tape at 250C.
 

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gCreate_Joshua

Administrator
Staff member
#6
Some PETG filament can be slightly transparent when printing. We have seen this in a lot of different brands of PETG. The first layer actually looks pretty in the photos shown. Might have to babystep z down a little bit. If the second nozzle is hitting the print, make sure the arm is level and then you may have to double check that the extruder is level. Here is a leveling guide for the dual extruder.
 
#7
Hi Joshua,

I hope you can help as I am really not coming right all of a sudden. I have a design which I have printed a few times now but suddenly the nozzle gets cloged up. The base of the print really prints well but the problem occurs when printing the walls. If you don’t mind looking at the print and give me your thoughts of how you would slice the product for printing.

I have made sure the hood-end is properly isolated and I was basically getting no printing hair. The print start 100% and always seems to stop working at the same point.

I have tried printing this model since the problems started about 20 times and I am not sure what else to try.

Currently I use a 0.4mm nozzle with PETG.

If you don’t mind can I mail the model to you?
 
#9
Hey Joshua,

I'm trying to get my PETG settings right as well.

I've downloaded and imported the PETG factory file that was posted back in October above, but I don't see PETG available anywhere as a material choice. How exactly should we be using the file for this type of filament?

Thanks
 

gCreate_Joshua

Administrator
Staff member
#10
Hey Gregdi,

Are you using cura or simplify3d? The factory file that was posted is for simplify3d slicing software. If you are using simplify3d, once you import the factory file, open the process settings and click the + symbol next to the auto-configure for material. Type in PETG and and update the profile.
 
#11
You can send an email to support@gcreate.com with any questions. Make sure to add some photos of how the print is looking.
Hi Joshua,

Thank you for the advise but the printer still keeps blocking after printing for more then 1 hour.

I have done the calibration and I have upped the nozzle temp and I have replaced the the ptef pipe that goes down into the hootend.

I am now wondering if it is not the motor filiment feader or the filiment gear feader.

Just a question on retracking the filiment for petg is set to 3mm? Could this be to much?

At this point I am as well thinking of sending the printing for a major service.
 
#13
Hi Joshua,

I've joined Gary this year and have started working on the printer (gMax 1.5+) again. I've gone through all the setting etc. that I can find on this printer and still we are not 100% satisfied with our results.

1. In terms of retraction discussed above, which one of the three simplify3d setting are you referring to?
1549796216285.png
I've seen some guys refer to retraction as Vertical lift and maybe this is where the 3-5mm is actually coming from. We have tried 1mm Retraction distance and also anything from 3-5mm retraction vertical lift with not much luck. This was done to improve the stringing that we find. I know we can just cut it or blow with a hot air gun but what amount of stringing is according to you acceptable. I will try and post a photo as soon as possible on the results we get.

2. Then to combat the stringing I've read about quite a few different methods to prevent it. Some say just to ignore retraction at all. Again I'm not sure which retraction they are referring too. The other thing to try and do is increase movement speeds when not printing. We had some success with this. I would just like to know what the speed setting limits are of the gMax 1.5+ for the following:
- Extruder Tab (Simplify3d) -> Retraction Speed ?
- Speed Tab -> x/y axis movement speed?
- Speed tab -> Z axis movement speed?

On the z-axis movement speed setting. If one hovers the mouse on that setting it will bring up a "hint" saying that this setting should match actual z-axis movement when moving between layers as closely as possible to get accurate print times. But I'm confused to where I can find the actual z-movement speed for moving between layers.

3. Before starting to print, while the extruder is heating up, some material starts to ooze from the extruder. When the skirl outline starts printing one has this blob of material now stuck to the extruder. Is there a different approach one could take to remove that before a print. We sometimes quickly clean the extruder off before it moves off to print. But this is a tricky situation.

4. While the print is going there is some material buildup on the extruder after a while. This eventually forms a blob of material that gets dropped onto the print at some random stage in the print. Is there a way to prevent this buildup of material, are we doing something wrong?

5. We have had some issues with the x/y axis not scaling properly. A circle would print more ellipse. We have found that the y-axis (bed) was too loose and set the wheels to touch the beams properly etc and the print was a lot better. But now Im suspecting the x axis has gone too. We've set the wheel there too but something is still off. I notice this when printing 3dBenchy. The bow does not scale properly and the line running there is not smooth like it should be. How do I know that the tension in the belts are correct for the x and y axis?

6. Bed levelling
It seems when we include the home all in the script before a print starts that the bed leveling gets undone. We are running Marlin 1.1.9 (gCreate Version) of the firmware and we are almost sure that doing a home all in the script wipes our bed levelling. It was recommended as far as I can remember from gCreate that we remove the bed levelling from the start scrip and that we only require to do the bed levelling once and it will be saved to EEPROM. We have found that doing the bed leveling from the printer menu (which also includes having the extruder move to home position) before a print and having no home all in the script works best. Is this a know issue? Is this possible?

Info:
- We are printing CRON PETG 220-250 degC. We have set the temperature to 240-245. We've done a temperature bridge test print to find the best spot. If we go lower the layer adhesion is not good. Of we go to higher the stringy is just excessive. We've had some good prints but it doesn't last. Maybe
- We have the Marlin 1.1.9 gCreate Firmware on.
- We are using a 0.4mm E3D extruder tip.

Is it possible to get a sample of a print from this printer shipped to us, maybe we are expecting to much from the printer as it is a large format printer and the resolution might just not be what we expect. Photos of pre-processed prints would also be great. We just want to know what we should expect.

I'll post some photos of prints as soon as possible.

Regards,
Quintin.
 

gCreate_Joshua

Administrator
Staff member
#14
I got a factory file for PETG from our print service department. Try loading this up and see if your quality changes.

For the oozing during preheating, there really isn't too much that can be done about that. We will usually try to quickly pull it out with a pair of tweezers before the print starts.

The material build-up isn't a normal thing. This usually happens if there is poor layer adhesion or if you are printing support and it is coming up or not attaching to the layer below. Might be helped by the factory file I attached.

For the x-axis being off. Double check the drive gear is still tight on the motor. You can move the extruder to the right to spin the drive gear until it shows the set screws holding it in place. Then tighten both set screws to make sure it is not slipping. The belt should have about as much tension as the y-axis belt.

With our 1.1.8 and new firmware, you need to remove the "g28 x0 y0" and "g29" from the start gcode. These will not let the printer use the saved bed leveling. You will still need to have the "g28" in the start gcode though.
 

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#15
Hey Guys, I've had good luck printing with PETG on the GMAX. My settings are very similar to the file that Josh uploaded. Around 240 +/-5 nozzle temps and 70 for the bed. PETG doesnt like to be squeezed onto the bed so add more of a gap than pla (0.1 to 0.3mm), as such I print the first layer pretty slowly around 22mm/s so when making turns the material stays where it was placed. PETG sticks really well to itself so support material is a little more difficult to remove. Attached are pics of a part from this morning using Inland PETG at 0.2mm layer height
 

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