Print Quality Issues... Any help would be appreciated!

#1
Hey there everyone,

I've had my gMax for a while now and it's been printing fine, but "fine" isn't quite cutting it for me anymore.

I have 2 Makerbot Replicators along with the gMax and the print quality from those machines far exceed the print quality of the gMax even though they are 5 years old. This is likely due to something wrong with the gMax, which is what I am trying to fix.

I tried printing the exact same part on both machines. They are both printed with the same filament, layer height, nozzle size, speed, infill and temperature.

The settings for both machines are obviously very different, but that is what I am trying to solve. It almost seems like the gMax has gaps in the layers and the edges aren't are tight as they should be.

If anyone has any ideas on how to fix these problems, please let me know!
 
#3
Need a enclosed printing space to control warping. The problem is if you put a plastic bag over the printer the arduino controller will overheat. Try installing a standoff support to move the electronics out so its in cool air outside the bag. The stepper driver voltage was way off on my printer. Youtube videos will show you how to check/adjust stepper drivers but use caution so you do not destroy the card. https://youtu.be/XU6lgFeZ7ZQ
 
#5
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http://endurancelasers.com/feedback-from-our-customers/
Share your story here!

If you have any issues you need to solve, do not hesitate to ask here! we will be happy to help!
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#6
Are you printing using the heated bed? I’ve found the flex-printed clips gCreate includes are not rigid enough to keep the glass from moving slightly in x and y during really fast jerking moves (such as when the Extruders is doing infil in a zig-zag way). So try to get your glass bed completely locked in by using supplemental clamps or print new ones (which is what I did - out of Taulman PCTPE). Now it grips the glass and there is no movement that isn’t intended. This has helped my layer to layer alignment significantly. But I do still not get the baby-smooth outer surface I get on my CR-10....so more work has to be done in my simplify 3d settings (and I need to do the Extruders calibration also).
 
#7
I wanted to add here that I finally got the perfect layer lines and smooth finish I knew the Gmax could do. Turns out my extrusion multiplier was way to high (about .97) in Simplify 3D. I reduced that to about .93 for printing PLA and now I get great prints with smooth walls. I also calibrated the Extruder (using the 100mm length tests on filament), and did the auto PID tuning for the Extruder nozzle (my temps would swing +=3 degrees C from the target temp, and wasn’t stable). Now it will stay within 1 degree of the target temp. Also make sure everything is tight: belts, eccentric wheels, and make sure the Z-axis screws are parallel along the upright frame pieces.

Hope this helps!