Saturday, November 15, 2014

Find by 3dFan - Calibration Video

A community of users is invaluable.  This was illustrated by the fact that 3dFan, in a comment, pointed to a video produced by 3D Systems that demonstrates how to use a new Calibration Procedure made available in the 1,08b firmware update.

The link to the video is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXBm1TEOdnw

It is my understanding that not all Cube3 owners will need to calibrate their printers.  Recently produced printers do not have the issue of having a difference in printjet height.  So, it would be wise to contact support if you are having gap issues to see if the calibration procedure described in the video applies to your situation.

It tuned out that mine did benefit by following the directions in the video. 

But, the thing I am waiting for that should be the biggest boost for Cube3 owners is the release of upgraded filament from the Village Plastics factory that 3D Systems purchased last year that is supposed to be optimized for use in Cube3 cartridges.

3D Systems - Village Plastics

But, it also may be that we could see new types of materials in the future.  In this press release 3D Systems talks about adding nylon to the CubePro capabilities. 

They also have a filament called HIPS, which easily dissolves in an orange peel extract cleaner.

Could it migrate to the Cube3?  Who knows.  But, it's an intriquing thought.

Expanded Filament Facility

3D Systems continues to expand their capabilities to support the consumer user by bringing quality control of expendables in-house. 

As soon as I know that the new filament is in the pipeline, I will do my best to test it immediately.

4 comments:

  1. Tom,

    I am wondering if you have any visuals from either the earlier cube or cube 3 that show the difference between the internal print structure between the three different density fill settings?

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  2. Have you had any issues with the PLA filament that ships with the Cube3? Despite multiple gap adjustments I’m finding it almost impossible to get a finished print (only 1 so far in about 10 attempts). The failures all occur for the same reason, the extruder gear in the cartridge strips the PLA to the point where it can no longer grip the filament to push it to the hot end. All the STL files I’ve tried have come directly from the Cubify site and have been flagged as having passed their integrity testing. I’m even doubtful that the gap has anything to do with this as prints seem to fail well into the print and show no signs of any distortion prior to failure. The filament simply stops being extruded.

    I was wondering if you had any insight on what might be causing this or what things I could try to correct the problem. Each time this happens I have to take the cartridge apart, remove the damaged filament and re-thread new filament to the hot end. Not an easy process.

    Any advice you could offer would be great.

    Thanks

    H

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  3. Hi Howard,

    While I have been able to get through an entire cartridge of Black PLA, I have had similar experiences with other colors in ABS.

    I, too, think it has to do with an overactive extruder. But, I'm working to narrow down the issue. What is important is that you write to support@cubify.com and describe your experience. Please also email me so that we can work on this issue indepth as you have the experience to open the cartridge, etc.

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