So, we have a Form 2, and we print predominantly in Tough 1500. However, what I’ve noticed recently is that for some reason the printer is really struggling to handle Tough.
Parts of the print aren’t actually adhering to the build platform, and instead the resin is just curing to the bottom of the resin tank.
I’ve tried just about everything, New tank, new resin cartridge, same problem keeps arising.
I’ve just run a test print in Grey V4 to see if it was a problem with the printer, but the bits printed in that have come out perfectly, so this problem is only presenting with the Tough.
I’m at my wits end trying to solve this issue, so I could really use some advice!
I am sorry to hear that you are having issues with Tough1500 specifically! It is personally one of my favorite resins to use (especially for miniatures or things I want to be drop-resistant), but since it is an Engineering-grade resin it is a little bit more finicky than Standard resins like Grey V4. The good news is that since Grey V4 works, we likely just need to clean the Optics of the printer.
I would advise reaching out to our Support Team and be sure to mention the Serial Name of your printer so that our agents can check the printer’s logs for any possible causes. They should be able to get you back up and printing in no time!
You might want to pour your resin through a strainer to see if there is any loose material getting between the tray window and the deck.
pour it back into the container and remix it.
I’m also using T1500. I find it leaving partially cured pieces lying about on top of the mixer. I pick them out as soon as I see them but it seems to be a regular thing. So far though, it’s been bonding to the deck perfectly. So i’m not sure where these pieces are coming from. Some are even ultra thin, like film.
I haven’t used Tough 1500 yet, but we had similar issues with Tough 2000 on our Form 2 and Form 3+. I hate that material most of the time! We went through several tanks and bottles with horrible print quality! Pieces stuck to the clear window, and chunks floating in the resin. I finally strained the material with a 190micron paint strainer. And the quality was much much better!
Also, always remember to shake the resin jugs!
We also use the Tough 1500 in our place as well & have the same issues as you. It is forever breaking bits into the bath and then curing to the bottom of the tank can only assume this damages the tank. While we use the Tough 1500 as it’s good for screw retention. It’s getting concerning that we have so many issues using it. I thought we were the only ones!
I’m sorry to hear about the issues you’ve been encountering with Tough 1500. The best way for us to narrow this down further would be to have our Support Team review your printer’s diagnostic logs and other information. In terms of the resin tank itself, you should be able to follow Inspecting and cleaning standard resin tanks and Resin Tanks LT (Form 2) to remove any residual bits of resin.
I mainly print with Tough 1500, direct on the build platform and haven’t had a single fail for a while on my F3B+. I read this thread and then spend hours cleaning up the next TWO prints that both failed!! WTF!!
We only print with Tough 1500 and have also had the same problem with the last two prints. I have now noticed that there are new print settings for the Tough 1500 in Preform 3.29.1 according to the version history. However, supposedly only for 100 microns. When you open the printer setup, you can choose between V2.0 (default) and V1.1 (legacy). We actually print everything in 50 microns. Here you can choose between V2.1 (default) and V1.1 (legacy).
Does anyone know if the settings also have changed for 50 microns?
I’m going to do a test print with the legacy setting now …
It looks like the new print settings you mentioned for Tough 1500 are for the Form 3L/3BL at 100 microns. I don’t know of any Tough 1500 print settings that have changed recently for the Form 2. We generally recommend sticking to the default print settings, but keep us posted in case legacy yields better results for you.
I am new to Tough 1500, I changed to this to get away from gray v4 brittleness. I had to get a new resin tank to use it on my Form 2. First print failed, and the next 2 prints I got 10 out of the 16 individual parts. The print failed in the same place, the center of the print plate. The mirrors are clean, I did them as I was changing over. Not happy with Tough1500. BTW it appears thinner and kinda translucent is that normal?
I would also like to note since starting with the 1500 and the LT trays, that there are a lot more sounds coming from the printer, those new sounds the retraction (I assume just by the timming), so its pulling harder to separate. I don’t think this has to do with anything in the failures, but I could be wrong. After the 3rd failure I changed the size of the supports from 40 to 50 to see if that helps. Does preform calculate the supports differently for Tough 1500? what other default changes are made for tough.
Sorry about the troubles you’ve encountered with Tough 1500. The sounds you noticed could be related to the model’s orientation, which can affect the peel force required for the printer to separate each layer of the part from the tank. I would recommend taking a video of the noise and sharing it with Support along with the .form files you are trying to print and your printer’s diagnostic logs.
As for your other questions, if I remember correctly it is normal for Tough 1500 to be somewhat translucent. I would double check that the cartridge is thoroughly shaken up just to be sure. Lastly, PreForm calculates supports differently for each resin type and layer thickness, so you may find the support generation to be different from Grey.
yeah, more translucent. I switched to Tough1500 as well for the same brittleness in the gray. Something else I might recommend.
Orientation and z-calibration. When we first got our Form2 with the Type 2 tank it failed a lot. We recalibrated the z (I think it was Z adjust only at that time) we raised it 1 or 2 times adjusting about 3 to 5microns. I think it helped with the layer attachment and a cleaner break from the tank. Alas, we don’t have our Form2 anymore.
Thank you for this bit of information, I have not got any prints except for the first batch out of it…a set of 9. Since then everything has failed. Orientation of the model, maybe, but what was suggested was to raise the Z that is possible. Is there a way to confirm I am getting the laser working? I have tried several models, wiping out the previous successful setup for Grey 4 with no success. I am grasping at straws here.
I have another thought on this with tough 1500, if what was said earlier that a Z adjustment was required or necessary then I wonder why it wasn’t handled with the change in materials, since it is an adjustment electronically and not physical. I get the physical orientation, but I am thinking something else, UNLESS the change from the regular resin vat/tank to the LT tank is a different thickness, which would effect the Z. Thoughts anybody?
Phantom48, I always had a hinky feeling when using the LT tanks on the form2. The window seemed a little thicker than the original trays, but maybe that was me. And it’s true that the LT tanks are harder to work with, for peeling/disconnecting the layers. I prefer the soft-film trays over the hard windows of the LT.
I think it’s definitely plausible that certain resins work better with the hard window.
I’m sorry, I have no further advice concerning those other than to keep playing with the z adjust.
In terms of the Z-axis calibration, if you are encountering nonadherence (i.e. models not attaching to the build platform at all), lowering the Z-axis offset could be a useful step to try. For more detail, see Fine Tuning Formlabs LFS printers.
