Hi,
I bought a Form1+ like 2 years ago, today i picked it out on desk with a new resin tanks and print with V2 clear resin with 0.2mm layer height setting. It was terrible clouding then i halted the process. i saw visible dots suppose to be support beams when laser forming it left some permanent marks on the silicon.
Very frustrated. I notice that recent firmware update might have increased laser power significantly, and hope this report will get your notice and drive you double check your print settings.
The Form1+ printer’s mirrors are exposed to the environment. They will get hazy over time due to condensation of volatile organic compounds in the air. These VoCs collect on the glass. Based on my experience, the mirrors need cleaning at least once a year. Maybe more frequently depending on the environment. If your Form1+ is 2 years old, it is long past due for a mirror cleaning.
The problem you have with your print is most likely due to dirty optics and nothing more… You would have gotten the same results with any resin.
Also, the silicon surface of the tank bottom is “sacrificial”, it wears out over time because every peel cycle removes a little of the material. Supports will cause pitting just like you show in your photo. There is nothing unusual about that, either. I’ve had tanks that looked like they’d been peppered with a shot gun, and they still worked just fine.
Randy is spot on with this.
Not sure what version Pre-Form your using but there were couple versions that had funky settings that would either under or over expose the resin. If your using the Form1+ then you only really need the OpenFL version. This allows you to load custom materials (3rd party and blends) and has the base material exposures and support generation pretty much down pat.
Many of the updates concern the Form2 and some minor tweaks that typically broke old settings on the poor slobs that still use the F1+
I just printed out a couple of pretty tall parts at 200 micron setting for clear resin with no noticeable clouding.
The spots you have are probably from the dirty mirrors like Randy said causing the supports to break off onto the pdms where they had repeated exposures on them where resin was fused to it.
Thanks for the detailed explanation @Randy_Cohen. I have cleaned the mirror using the cloth in the package, first time use it i was surprised by its quality, much more dust absolvable than my eye glass cloth (squared weaved flat narrow fiber from 3M).
Thanks for the heads up for OpenFL. I don’t have time to try it yet. I had the PreForm and firmware updated to the latest before last print. I will try to experiment those tips later.
You should be sure you understand how delicate the mirrors are. They are not like a regular mirror with the reflective surface behind the glass. These mirrors are coated with a thin reflective metallic coating on the front. So when you clean the mirrors you need to be very careful to avoid damaging them. They are very easily damaged. The coating can be scratched very easily, and if you rub hard enough the coating can be completely removed.
I hope you used the correct “Pec Pad” material to clean the mirrors. I’m afraid that if you used something that was even slightly more abrasive you may have made the situation worse, not better.
@Randy_Cohen. Well, it’s a hard lesson learned. cleaned the mirror gently and still got failed prints. I have oriented the wrong way i think. try another today.Uploading…
Can’t use anything other than a pec pad, micro fiber and other materials will scratch the surface. Using a dry pec pad you can fold it into 1/4 and use just the resistance of the pad with no pressure. If that doesn’t work then take a clean pec pad fold it and use a drop of 91% ipa. Follow FL instructions to a t and you should not have any issues.
Also check your galvos and small mirror below them.
I keep my Form1 covered unless it’s running. This helps a ton because it keeps any outside air from blowing dust on it and inside.
I have thoroughly cleaned the blue streak on the mirror and prism looks like small mirror, those streaks are VoCs?
I have better prints on the root of the model, but always fails after a certain height, like one and half inch. I suspect it’s a flare issue. I will have to test the beam form and retest.
half bottle of resin was wasted. I wish i have read the forum earlier.
Cleaning the mirror can be a bit tricky and following the recommended procedure is important for getting good results. Our support team will be able to help out with best practices and troubleshoot any print issues you’re having. I’ve gotten in touch with our team and one of our members will be in touch with you over email.
I have read a pdf guide for galvo cleanning. I could not remove the galvo block so i cleaned first mirrors while they are on the frame. now i finally have printed 1500 0.1 layers.
It looks like a have a scratch on the second (small 45 degree angle) mirror. and resulting a minor trace on the print.
now i put on a new tank and it prints like before. and i will look into the flare later. Thanks for everyone.
I’d recommend working with our support team for mirror cleaning and further troubleshooting. Some of these processes can be a bit challenging and using the wrong technique can damage the printer. We’ll work with you to identify any issues and get them corrected.
I think it’s fixed. look at the lens it printed after galvo has been cleaned. although while growing higher some residue grows due to flare, i think i can leave it for another 6 month.
