Printer will not create supports

Support & Troubleshooting
1

Every time that I have tried to build my latest job, half or more of the supports which are supposed to be built never form causing of course the entire project to fail. The build platform is created correctly however only 50% or less of the supports ever end up attaching to it leaving me with an unprintable mess and lots of tiny printed “dots” in the tank where the supports were supposed to have formed requiring me to not only throw out the build but to have to filter all of the resin and clean the tank completely in order to eliminate all of the partially formed debris.

I have had successful prints in the past however this time I cannot manage to get a single attempt to even begin to print correctly.

I have tried adjusting the size, length and spacing of the supports, adjusting the position and angle of the build, the resin settings (both clear and gray) and various print resolutions but the printer simply will not create all of the supports.

The mirror is clean. The tank is not clouded nor are there any smudges or other obstructions to the light path of the laser in the tank as I am filtering the resin to remove all of the partially formed material between each attempt.  Needless to say that this is extremely frustrating not to meantion wasteful of both time and materials.

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2

I’m having similar issues more and more.  My most recent print was beefy enough that the failed supports didn’t really effect it much (though there’s an overhang that I don’t know how it printed correctly with all the supports for it failed…)

Sorry to hijack, but I’ve attached pix of one print job that had 2 copies of a timing pulley, one flat and the other at 10 degrees.  The flat one had supports only on one side, and mostly printed, but tore off the supports at about 80% done.

3

Oh, and I have also tried and had the same failed builds after emptying the tank, cleaning it and refilling it with completely new resin from a previously unopened bottle.

4

And now I have tried it with both the latest software as well as the older 0.8.4 version and have had basically the same failed results.

5

Have either of you tried printing the 5 butterflies with the default settings?  Either way I would open up a support ticket.  I am sure Formlabs can help.

6

Is there a current version (with supports) of the mini-butterflies?  When I open it in .9.0.1 the supports go away.

7

I would use the default support settings and create the supports based on the locations the butterflies are in.

8

If you’re seeing persistent issues – and not having any luck with the standard models – you should drop our support a line at support@formlabs.com. They’ll take care of you.

9

I am having the same problem

Basically all the supports are gone, Some started to print. ie. half of that support can be printed,; and some is non existent at all. They show fine on the preform software, and i have printed the same model with success before when the machine is new.

I am constantly getting failed attempts, I thought it was a tank error and i have brought three new tanks the replace my old ones only to find the same problem.

10

I have the exact same problem (at least one of my problem with the printer). Did you find out what the problem was?

Thanks,

Edouard

11

I’ve gotten a replacement printer due to my issues, which now has the same issue (printed great for maybe 5 prints.)  I haven’t had the time or motivation to troubleshoot.

12

Ok, thanks you for your answer. That’s very frustrating, It’s already my second printer and I had the exacte issue (maybe 5 good prints before failing). So I decide to contact Formlabs again as this printer is really very important to me. It’s been now more than 20days that I’m waiting for a real answer to my problem (in the same time It’s a very good way for them to escape and not apply the warranty.

This is my last message to try to get an answer :

I’m completely upset with your service. Here is how things happenend (realy condensed) :

- I order the printer the 13/05/2013 and recieved it the 31/01/2014 (+ 8month) About 5000$

- This first printer is broken and I have to send it back for free (But I receive a 130euro bill from DHL… So it wasn’t for free at all). I use almost two bottle of resine and two resin tank trying to fix it.

- I receive a new printer the early april. Some days later everything is falling again. I use the rest of a bottle and another one making shitty parts. I send you a support ticker the 1st of May and didn’t get any real answer since it.

I’m already broke and this machine is costing me a lot. It’s horrible not to get any answer from you at this time. I’m a 22years young entrepreneur that is killing himself with your product.

Please, do something for me, let this dream become finaly real for me .Can you understand how it feel for a young entrepreneur like me spending all his money on a Form1 without any result and without any real support?

I also hope that the warranty is not over as I have never got any running machine and spent more than 2months waiting for answers and shipping after receiving the printer for the first time.

I hope that you are gonna do the necessary as fast as possible. (I’m trying to run a business on this machine and got people waiting for me, maybe one day I’ll be able to answer their request. And I hope that I’m going to do it with a Formlabs printer).

I hope that this nightmare will finished one day. And please Formlabs, If you know that I will never get a working printer with my order just tell me and I will stop waisting my time and my money (and stop being very stressed everyday because of no issue).

(PS: sorry for my poor English)

13

I haven’t decided to contact support yet, because it’s not reliably big problem … but almost every single one of my prints has a ton of “melty supports” like those in the photos above. It’s only cause a few prints to actively fail, but … it’s nonetheless really worrisome.

I’m on my second printer for other ones (first one was a dud), and reallllly not looking forward to the big song-and-dance to ship another one back and get a replacement, if that’s really what’s necessary … /=

15

busted !

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