Print Failures

Prints Not Sticking to the Build Plate

1. Unlevel Build Plate: Relevel the build plate, and ensure you have equal tension at each corner. Refer to How to Level Build Plate.

2. Insufficient Bottom Layer Exposure Time: Increase your bottom layer exposure by 3-5 seconds. If the bottom layer exposure time is significantly higher than the manufacturer recommened time, the issue is likely something else.

3. Too Fast Lift Speed: For bottom layers, use a slow lift speed. We recommend between 40mm/min and 60mm/min.

4. Dirty Build Plate: Was the build plate properly cleaned? Refer to How to Clean Build Plate.

5. Cold Build Plate: Pre-heat the build plate using a mini heater or store in a climate controlled environment. Example portable space heater.

6. Improper Bottom Layer Count / Raft Thickness: Refer to Bottom Layers & Raft Height.

7. Deformed Build Plate: Unfortunately, some build plates come from the factory with defects that make them not perfectly flat. In these situations, reach out to the printer manufacturer support contact.

   

Prints Detaching from Supports

1. Insufficient Normal Layer Exposure: Verify the exposure time using a calibration test, and increase the normal layer exposure time if necessary.

2. Too Small Support Tips: Increase the support tip sizes. Using too small support tips is a common issue we see, even with pre-supported models.

3. Too Few Supports: Add more supports. If you have verified that you are using a good exposure time with adequate support tip sizes, you may simply need to add more supports. Refer to our Quick Support Guide for more information.

4. Too Fast Lift Speed: For normal layers, we recommend using an initial lift speed between 60mm/min and 90mm/min. If you want to experiment using faster lift speeds, only do so after you are getting successful prints.

5. Large Cross Section Areas: Large cross section areas significantly increase the pull force between the FEP and your print. Orient the model to help reduce the amount of large cross section areas.

6. Cold Resin: Cold temperature slows down the chemical reaction of photopolymerization. Most resins typically perform well between 70F-83F (21-28C).

7. Suction Cup Effect: Most common with hollow prints, suction cup-like shapes without any breather holes drastically increase the pull force between the print and FEP.

   
   

8. Damaged FEP: Over time, FEPs become scratched, cloudy and worn. Inspect the condition of your FEP.