Massive layer error in the middle of print
My latest prints have some really weird artifacts at a particular layer, and I'm wondering what could have caused it.It looks like the machine machine was over extruding for a period.
Could this be caused by the PLA filament being of sub-standard quality? Especially if the PLA wasn't consistent along the entire spool, but was contaminated for a stretch that coincides with the artifact?
The artifact where it's at its' worst:
Same corner from another angle:
On other sides, the artifact isn't as visible, but it's still there:
The artifact is visible on the inside of the print as well. For a while I thought it was related to a level area that coincides with the artifact, but that wouldn't explain the issue below:
On the inside of the part, the top layer is really rough around the corner where the error is particularly bad on the outside:
cheers/
m
Best Answer by rmm200:
Some of that looks like steam artifacts from moist filament.
Does it do this with a fresh roll? And how are you storing your PLA?
RE: Massive layer error in the middle of print
Some of that looks like steam artifacts from moist filament.
Does it do this with a fresh roll? And how are you storing your PLA?
RE: Massive layer error in the middle of print
@robert-rmm200
Hi, it's odd that the moisture was a problem during a short snippet in the middle of the roll, but perhaps that's not unusual?
I've never seen it to this before - either with a new or an old roll. The roll was a few months old and had been stored in the open. I'm hoping to finish it off soonish.
RE: Massive layer error in the middle of print
Get a cheap plastic tub with a lid to store your filament. Toss in some desiccant packets - and keep them fresh.
Next step up would be a dehydrator.
PLA is not as bad as PETG for sucking up moisture.
RE: Massive layer error in the middle of print
Looks more like your part warped up off the bed in that area and it was trying to force the normal amount of filament into a reduced-z-height area due to the lifting.
RE: Massive layer error in the middle of print
@vintagepc
That's the first thing I checked - and the piece wasn't actually warped but was still firmly stuck to the build plate.
RE: Massive layer error in the middle of print
@robert-rmm200
I re-printed a new version of the same part, and lo and behold the same line appeared in the exact same place! Very odd indeed, and it makes the humidity theory very unlikely (I did bake the filament for 1.5 hours at 50C-60C).
If it was humid in some parts, any bad layers should appear randomly but here it appears again at the same height - and stronger in the same corner.
Could it be that a lifting step was missed, making the layer compressed? At the very bottom, I'm printing a different part and that's working a treat - no trace of a layer error.
Any ideas?
RE: Massive layer error in the middle of print
If you have one specific part that fails at one specific layer - post the model or STL in a zip file.
Maybe someone here can look at it and / or try printing it.