Faster startup --> Improvement for Firmware
Hi,
I'm new to this Forum. I would like to drop an improvement suggestion to Prusa, but I don't know where to place or send it. Maybe somebody here can feed it forward to the team or it will just hopefully read here.
My point is: the printer heats up, then starts measuring Z-calib points, which takes a long time. Why can't it just measure all 9 points while it is heating up? These things can easily run in parallel. Which saves a lot of time while starting, especially when things fail directly in the first layer, where they tend to happen more often.
Another suggestions: a preheat-function which stays at this temperature for also after the print, so that a quick restart is possible, when something bad happens at the beginning.
Hope this forum agrees with these points. any hints/suggestions?
I tink this would be cool. 😍
Mo
RE: Faster startup --> Improvement for Firmware
Just modify your printer start up gcode in the slicer you use to do that. Most of these things aren't actually part of the printers firmware, they are defined in your slicer.
For example the end gcode in slicer will usually have commands to turn the extruder and bed heater off. You could leave them on at the end. However there IS code in the firmware to turn them of after awhile if its not printing as a safety feature. Stopping a print always sets them to zero again, this is a primary safety function so altering that would NOT be a welcome change for the majority of users, just to save a few minutes.
One reason to preheat the bed is that things expands when heated so heating up and leaving time for the heat to spread evenly actually makes the bed height calibration more accurate. Some of us modify our start code with the mk3 temperature calibrated pinda to make it wait even longer until the pinda has reached a set temperature before doing mesh levelling. We use the bed and extruder to heat it up. We trade extra longer start up time for better accuracy. I cant remember the last time I had an issue with the first layer. It was months ago and probably over 100 prints ago. Even then it was silly settings for a model. You might save a couple of minutes but if it fails you are actually spending more time aren't you.
That's the great thing about it being in the slicers start/end code sections, you can customise it to whatever you like. Like only heating the nozzle to 160 while heating the bed so it avoids filament oozing before it levels etc.
If you want to make suggestions then the appropriate place to do so is https://github.com/prusa3d/PrusaSlicer/issues (for slicer issues, there are other github repositories for the various printer firmwares). This is mainly a user forum and the devs only very occasionally drop by here. Also when raised on github its possible to track all issues and suggestions. Before creating a new one please search and check it doesnt already exist.
RE: Faster startup --> Improvement for Firmware
You want the temperatures stable so the bed isn't expanding and the PINDA probe is at a stable temperature between prints. The 40 second wait for probing only seems long if you're just started out and haven't realized that most prints of any size will take many hours. A few minutes up front are well spent if your multi-hour print succeeds as a result.
RE: Faster startup --> Improvement for Firmware
I started out doing a warm-up for ABS prints and found prints to be more consistent. Lately I've been doing that for all prints, even PLA. I figure that the temperatures will be more even and the whole system will be more dimensionally stable.
RE: Faster startup --> Improvement for Firmware
Hello you three,
thanks for answering this question. So, my guessing was right, but I couldnt quite believe, that there was a measurable deformation on the plate when hot, so I thought asking is good. So the additional time gives more consistency. I believe your experience. Thank you all.
One tiny question: after measuring all 9 points, the printer goes really slowly back to position where it extrudes a little pre-mass on the side. Why is it so slow if all axis can move really fast?
Thanks again. Overall all questions where answered quite well! Have a nice day:)
Moritz
RE: Faster startup --> Improvement for Firmware
I had the 
first 1.75mm prusa now called the mk1...
No Pinda, no mesh bed levelling, no PEI sheet, no bondtech gears...None of the current, cleverness...
But it Printed... in the picture, you can see the orange bed level adjustment screws uder the heat bed, and you can see the paper clips holding the glass in place
Ah the early days!
Still looks like a Prusa is supposed to look!
🙂
Regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
RE: Faster startup --> Improvement for Firmware
The auto bed leveling is one of the reasons I selected the Prusa (MK3). I've watched the people doing the bed leveling on the Taz 5, at least as long as my attention span lasted, and it did not look like fun. A lot of rinse-repeat stuff.
I recently switched from three to five samples per point. Yes, it takes a bit longer, but compared to print time, even for smaller prints, it's very quick, particularly when compared to a manual bed leveling.
RE: Faster startup --> Improvement for Firmware
I had the first 1.75mm prusa now called the mk1... No Pinda, no mesh bed levelling, no PEI sheet, no bondtech gears...None of the current, cleverness... But it Printed...
I hadn't appreciated just how close Prusa got with the Mk1. The basic design has held up well. What year did you buy yours?