Suddenly 1st level print doesn't stick and causes balls of filament

I’ve only had this 3D printer 2-3 months and now I’m getting nervous that it was a mistake because I suddenly cannot get a good print - it was working fine up until 3 days ago. Now when I print, the first layer doesn’t stick in all corners of the print and has some gaps (see pics) which then causes balls of filament (failed print). I’ve rotated the design file, no luck. I’ve leveled it SEVERAL times, no luck - BUT I did notice that the bottom left section reading is always HIGHER than the others (see pic) and I’m not a pro, so I don’t really know what this means but feel it may be related. I edited that number and brought it down into the 20’s so it’s closer to the other numbers, but prints are still doing the same thing and when I level again, that number is high again. I’m not sure what to do at this point, and I cannot get a print anymore.


Tried printing with mouse ears of a brim? Personally I wouldn’t be editing the generated mesh, bound to screw around with your z-offset.

If you’ve changed the mesh settings manually I would suggest a factory reset to put things back to the original settings.

Make sure that your Z axis is close to the print bed as this can affect the initial adhesion. In the slicer software settings, try printing at a lower speed and making sure that the layer height is set correctly. As @Bonfireman says, it’s probably not a good idea to change mesh settings manually.

I’m relatively new to 3D printing (about 4 months) and I think I’ve had most of the teething problems that everybody has experienced. It can be frustrating and annoying at times but don’t give up. It’s all experience :slightly_smiling_face: :+1:

I have the same exact issue with my KE and have been in contact with Tech Support for the past 2 months+. I’ve run every single test and made every single adjustment they suggested (documented) and they even sent an entire replacement bed which had no effect at all. I have shimmed the bed which decreased the discrepancy somewhat but still get horrible results. The “center” areas of about 30x30mm will come out perfect anything outside that area will be too low and too high which corresponds to the mesh readings. No amount of adjusting or auto calibration an manual Z adjustment will fix this. I believe there is a problem with the auto calibration process which does not make the necessary adjustments.

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Tried lowering the flowrate a notch or 2? Z-offset looks pretty good (dunno about the gaps) but if the flowrate is a little high it can ripple too.

I’ll try the max flowrate calibration in PC5. I’m not sure it will be off because you can’t see it on that image but the upper center is terribly “squished” but the lower center lines makes no contact at all not to mention the gaps. No matter what I do the middle is always acceptable but I have too low and too high in certain areas.

A couple of things.

I noticed that the Z offset is not always correct after an automated leveling. I print a single layer square (50mm x 50mm) and adjust the Z offset to get a good first layer. Be careful adjusting the Z offset as the pad sometimes has a bit of a delay and if you hit it repeatedly it will over adjust.

Make sure the build plate is clean. Any oil from fingers can cause adhesion problems. I use 91% IPA to clean it.

I also noticed that my bed was very uneven especially in the upper right corner. Even though the leveling compensates I ended up placing a thin washer under the corner. Now when I level the bed the mesh looks smoother.

Hope this helps
Rich

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately, every suggestion I’ve come across I have already implemented. Shims (actually razor blades), manual Z, clean plate, auto cal(s)… you name it. If I only had to print on a 30-50 mm surface area I’d be in the “OK” range however it’s not the case. My center comes out fine as you can see by the above image. My surrounding area is horrible. Ad nauseum: It’s a failure of the auto calibration to correctly compensate in my observation. After exhausting all hardware and software tweaks what else can it be? Unfortunately I’ve been on this journey since December 2023 when I purchased my first KE (which was sent back due to a defective bed).

Try washing the bed properly with hot water and dishwashing liquid. Then clean with isopropol.

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