Lines on one side of print, almost perfect on the other side

Printed with Form 3, 0.025mm, Grey v4.
This is how I positioned the print in Preform

One side has many horizontal lines, while the other only has one




I wiped the LPU and bottom of the tank before printing this. What might be the issue?

Try to grease your X and Z axis too, maybe they’re dry and “jump” from time to time

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Hi @zedabyu!
Checking to make sure your X-Axis is greased/cleaned is a good suggestion if you haven’t done that for a while. You can also create a support case with our team and they can take a look at the file and your printer’s logs to see if there’s anything else that could be the cause.

Hi @Phil.O

The formlabs website mentioned ball screws & ball bearings
image

May I know which part of the x-axis that is? Or do I just have to lubricate the entire x-axis rod?

Check this (for 3L but it’s more or less the same with 3)

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Hi @zedabyu! That is a good question - we also have our Schedule of maintenance (Form 3/Form 3B) (formlabs.com) page - under the incidental section, we have links to print the tools and an in-depth guide in the X-Axis Lead Screw section that walks you through the entire process. If you need a more in-depth investigation, you can also create a support case with us with the requested information earlier.

Thank you, that was helpful. The video only shows greasing of only one portion of the rod but I assume I will have to spread it along the entire rod, right?

Just want to make sure because I don’t want to over-grease, since the text below also states that initializing the printer will allow the LPU to further spread the grease along the lead screw.

just use a very small portion of lithium grease and spread it along the width of the axis with your finger (and a glove). After some passes via LPU it’s going to be evenly spread by itself. Don’t put too much, no need for, it’s better to apply very little 1-2 times per year.
Same for the Z-axis when needed

Also keep an eye for possible metal debris on the axle, I had seen a case here on the forum, in case you have a friction somewhere…

Think of the precedure as brushing your teeth! You do it because you want to keep them in good shape, not because “you have to” or someone is forcing you to do so.

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I see, so that amount in the video (denoted in the yellow box) is more than enough?

I’ll definitely keep a lookout on the axis from now on, now that I know it would affect the prints. They never really tell you about these when you buy the printer lol, like how the bottom of the resin tank and surface of LPU would result in debris due to friction. I only know about this after my first resin tank died and I had to figure out why :sweat_smile: Now, what other parts do I need to take care of to maintain a good print quality?

See some photos here, I found the post!

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Oh WOW, that is just insane. I’m gona have to shine a torch into my printer. Thanks for finding the post for me.

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Thanks all for sharing your insight! As @agiorgitis alluded to, shavings below the X-axis lead screw can indicate that the screw needs to be lubricated. The lubrication shown in the video example is sufficient, as it will be spread out along the length of the screw as the LPU moves.

Hi all, I greased the x-axis rod and printed again today at 0.050mm, Grey v4, four hollowed models on one build plate, with internal supports.

Three of the prints had just one line across their bodies, a huge improvement from the multiple horizontal lines on my previous print. Surprisingly, one of the print has almost no flaws at all.

The issue with the other 2 has been discovered and fixed, now there’s this one protruding horizontal line left.

  1. Horizontal line protruding out

Should I add more grease to the x-axis?
There wasn’t any debris in my printer, and I don’t have Tough resin to print the x-axis cleaner, so I just merely wiped the existing grease off the surface before applying new ones.

Edit:


![20220929_161714 edit|499x500]

![20220929_162229 edit|500x500]

After examining the prints as a whole, the vertical line affected both prints 1 & 2 in a straight line, so I checked bottom of the resin tank and there it was, a line at that exact spot. solved!

Hi @zedabyu,

I appreciate the update regarding your print results after cleaning the X-axis screw and checking the tank. If you have not done so already, I would recommend getting in touch with our Support team, as they will be able to inspect your print file and photos in order to narrow this down further.

Didn’t you grease the Z-axis too? If not, follow same procedure…