Want to improve the quality of your 3D printing? Want to know how to deal with print failures? Here is the most comprehensive guide available to help you diagnose and fix your printing issues. 3D printing provides you with an incredible creation and prototyping power. With a 3D printer from Fracktal Works, you possess the ability to create anything from a simple plastic clip to a full-sized Captain America's shield. The only limitation is your imagination.

Now, as fun and interesting as that might sound, your 3D printer can bring you close to frustration. This is because there are a lot of 3D printing troubleshooting issues that are bound to come up when you use your machine. How do we know this? Well, we own and manufacture these printers which make us experts on this subject. We have decided to answer some 3D printing FAQs that a lot of our users and clients have asked us by providing a comprehensive guide on ten common 3D printing issues.

Directory:

• 1. THE PRINTER IS WORKING BUT NOTHING IS PRINTING
  
• 2. NOZZLE IS TOO CLOSE TO THE PRINT BED
  
• 3. OVER-EXTRUSION
  
• 4. INCOMPLETE AND MESSY INFILL
  
• 5. WARPING
  
• 6. MESSY FIRST LAYER
  
• 7. ELEPHANT’S FOOT
  
• 8. PRINT LOOKS DEFORMED AND MELTED
  
• 9. SNAPPED FILAMENT
  
• 10. GETTING CRACKS IN TALL OBJECTS
  

1. THE PRINTER IS WORKING BUT NOTHING IS PRINTING

The Problem - Out of Filament

You have correctly configured and set the model in the slicing software but yet nothing seems to be happening; no printing is actually taking place. You have repeatedly sent a print to the printer but all you're getting in return is a filament spit coming out of the nozzle. Or maybe the model is about to be printed and out of nowhere the filament extrusion stops working but the nozzle continues its run, printing nothing.

The Solution

The 3D printing troubleshooting process here is quite easy. No matter the type of 3D printer you are using, all you'll have to do is remove the remaining filament and load in new material. Check the filament reel, if there's no material at all, load in another reel. It's as simple as that.

2. NOZZLE IS TOO CLOSE TO THE PRINT BED

The second 3D printing FAQ we will be looking at on our list of common 3D printing issues is the nozzle being way too close to the print bed.

The Problem

You've loaded the filament correctly and nothing seems to be wrong with the print head, but yet, no filament is being deposited on the print bed.

The Cause

Simply put, the nozzle and the print bed may be too close to each other. You may have inadvertently turned your print bed a little away from your nozzle opening, thereby giving the melted filament little room to escape. The best case scenario with this problem is that your print will possibly miss its first few layers and the chances of it not sticking when the filament does not extrude will be high. As for the worst case scenario, your printer's hot end will have a backup of a melted filament which will definitely increase the chances of a blockage.

The Solution

1. Lower the Bed - The bed can be lowered accordingly so that the filament is extruded from the nozzle specifically.
   

The Problem - Print Looks Droopy and Stringy

Put in simple terms, this common 3D printing issue simply implies that the printer is taking in more material than what it requires, therefore, it produces more material than what's needed. Printed models will have excess materials on them.

The Cause

Basically, the Flow setting or Extrusion multiplier setting in your slicing software is higher than normal.

The Solution

To troubleshoot this 3D printing problem, go to your slicer software and check your Extrusion multiplier setting. Ensure that you have selected the right value. If all seems to be okay, go to the Flow setting and decrease it.

4.INCOMPLETE AND MESSY INFILL

The Problem

Your print's internal structure is either broken or missing.

The Cause

To be candid, there are a lot of reasons why the internal structure of your model can be broken or missing. Although the most common is having incorrect settings in your slicing software, a slightly blocked nozzle can also bring up this problem.

The Solution

1. Take a look at the fill density - Open your slicing software and take a look at the infill density. The best value is 20%; if the value is less than this, then you are bound to encounter problems. If you are running large prints though, you might want to increase this value so as to ensure that the model you are about to print gets enough support.
   

5.WARPING

The Problem - Bending

The printed model bends upward at the base until it no longer aligns with the print platform. This leads to the print being unstuck on the print bed and horizontal cracks forming in the upper parts of the printed models.

The Cause

Warping or bending happens because it is a natural characteristic of plastics. As your PLA or ABS filament begins to cool down, it slowly starts to contract. If the plastic's cooling process happens too quickly, it results in warping or bending.

The Solution

There are six different ways to troubleshoot this 3D printing FAQ:

1. Use a heated platform - This is the easiest solution; all you have to do is set the heated platform to a glass transition temperature (a temperature that's just below the melting point of the plastic). You can do this by using the slicer software and you can easily get the recommended filament temperature on the spool or packaging of your filament.
   
2. Foe example PLA should be printed with nozzle temperature around 180°C to 220°C , and has a glass transition temperature between 60-65 °C.
   
3. ABS should be printed with the Nozzle temperature around 230°C to 250°C,  and has a glass transition temperature between 100-110 °C.
4. If you set the right temperature, the first layer will remain flat on the platform.
   
5. If the print platform calibration isn't right, then you are bound to encounter this problem. So what 3D printing troubleshooting tip will work here? Well, all you have to do is level the print by rechecking the calibration, ensure that the bed aligns and the nozzle height is perfect and also make sure the bed surface is clean, there is no oil or sweat on the build plate, better if the bed is cleaned with acetone.
   

6.MESSY FIRST LAYER

The Problem

This is another common 3D printing issue faced by a lot of users. A print's first layers are often problematic. The problems are usually a non-sticky print, or the bottom shell has an erroneous look due to unwanted lines. Also, instead of getting a fine detail on your print's bottom, you find a blurry, congealed design that does not look like the surface design.

The Cause

The blurry and undefined detail on your print simply implies that the print bed temperature is too high. Unwanted lines happen as a result of the nozzle and the bed being too far apart, while you get blobs if the nozzle is way too close to the bed. Additionally, a non-sticky print is as a result of a bed that hasn't been properly leveled.

The Solution

Reduce the bed temperature. Do this by bringing the temperature down five degrees at a time; continue reducing the temperature until you get the desired adhesion result without losing any detail.

7.ELEPHANT’S FOOT

The Problem

Elephant's foot is a 3D printing term that refers to the outward bulge of a model's base. Simply put, it is when the print bows or curves out at the bottom.

The Cause

This usually happens when the weight of the model is pressing down on its base before it cools back to solid.

The Solution

Another 3D printing troubleshooting tip you can use is to ensure that the base layers get enough coolness so as to be able to support the top structure. You need to ensure that the cooling is just the right amount as too much cooling will cause the base layers to get warped. You might find this part tricky but the best way to go about this 3D printing troubleshooting process is to lower the print platform's temperature by five-degree intervals to about plus or minus twenty degrees of the temperature recommended. If you have your Bottom/Top thickness set to 0.6mm, you can start the fan at a height that's slightly lower than that.

8. PRINT LOOKS DEFORMED AND MELTED

The Problem

This problem is one of the most asked questions in our 3D printing FAQ. The filament has a super resilient characteristic to all misconfiguration types, and this makes it hard for users to detect when the hot-end of their 3D printer is over-heating. You just notice uneven layers and when you take a closer look at the cabin, you'll see that the model is melted while on the chimney you get something that's close to a wax being melted down a candle.

The Cause

The cause of this problem is an overheated hot-end. Your printer's temperature needs to be properly balanced so as to allow the filament to flow well and to also allow it to solidify quickly. A balanced temperature will also make it possible for the next layer to be placed on a more solid surface. However, before you adjust the temperature, ensure that you have the correct material set up for the printer. If you check the material settings and everything looks okay, then all you might need to do is probably a slight adjustment.

The Solution

1. Check if your material setting is right. The proper material temperature settings range between 180 degrees Celsius and 260 degrees Celsius.
   
2. Reduce your printer's hot end temperature. This can be done with your software or printer's hot end temperature settings. Reduce the temperature by an interval of five degrees Celsius, depending on how hot the temperature is.
   

9.SNAPPED FILAMENT

The Problem

Nothing is coming out of the nozzle but when you take a look at the filament spool, you can see it's full and the feed tube also appears to have some filament in it. This problem is common to Bowden feed printers; it's not usually found in direct feeds. This is because the filament is usually hidden, therefore, you can't see them immediately.

The Cause

This problem can be caused by different factors but the most common one is cheap or old filament. While it is true that most ABS and PLA filaments have a long lifespan, they can become brittle if kept in bad weather conditions. And once they become bad, no amount of adjustment can make them right when they are fed to the printer.

The Solution

1. Try making use of another filament. If you encounter the same issue after the filament has been reloaded, try using another filament. This would let you know if the brittle filament is actually the cause of the problem.
   
2. Check your printer's temperature and flow rate. This simply means that if the problem persists, check to see if the hot end is at the right temperature and getting hot like it's supposed to. You should also check to see if the filament's flow rate is not higher than a hundred percent.
   

10. GETTING CRACKS IN TALL OBJECTS

The Problem

You get cracks on the sides of your models, especially when you are making taller models. This is considered to be one of the most surprising problems one can experience in 3D printing. This is because it usually shows up in larger prints and it mostly occurs when you are not looking.

The Cause

The cause of this problem is that the materials cool faster in your print's higher layers. The heat generated by the print bed does not get to the upper parts, thereby making the upper layers less adhesive.

The Solution

Increase the extruder temperature by ten degrees Celsius. Take a look at the side of the filament's box, you'll find the recommended temperatures for the hot end. Try to keep your 3D printer's temperature setting within these values.

CONCLUSION

There are a lot of 3D printing troubleshooting issues but these ten are some of the common ones you are bound to come across. Feel free to ask any questions in the comment. You can also send us your email address or contact information so we can provide you with more information on 3D printers.