This topic contains 16 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by 
smitty 6 days, 16 hours ago.
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3d printing is no handcraft or an accomplishment if you would ask me, but just a tool,
it’s the idea and the result that matters, not how you got it.java (EE), JavaFX, HTML, GIS) programmer, database wizard, framework inventor, looking for a job ! http://roboxing.com/wizards“So does anyone else think adding a brim is admitting that the robot can’t do isolated and small parts without a base to hold it down?”
Isn’t that property of plastic and printing bed? If we’re to say that this particular combination is such that small surface ABS prints won’t stay on the bed if printed any taller - then yes. But, again, I wouldn’t go that far and blame Robox. Is there a better solution like different kind of heating; different, better material for printing bed; different way of keeping prints stuck to the printing bed (PLA glue?); different way of software bed leveling or similar that some other set of printers use but Robox designed overlooked?
So far, what I can see, is that CEL designed Robox having in mind the latest in 3D printing was it was a year ago or so. Many current 3d printers still do not have heated bed, nor use PEI, yet, for their printing bed nor have bed levelling in hardware nor software. Many do not have enclosed area and regulated ambient temperature…
Having all that said - I can’t see what has been Robox’s failure and why we need to admit it being inferior? And what to?
has robox failed though ? personally i don’t think it has. im a complete novice to robox and 3d printing and found it very easy to use straight out of the box ,on that aspect i think cel has achieved what it set out to do and reach another area other than the home-brew guys and girls ,like @clicky said robox has got a lot of features that other more expensive 3d printers still haven’t got ,also design of an item will have a lot to do with the quality and outcome of the finished article ,granted the automaker software needs ironing out,but are our gripes justified or are we just being too judgmental on what we expect for a brand new printer ,im sure that robox is just a new a challenge for the designers that created it than it is for me having only touched a 3d printer a couple of weeks ago,i think what has been designed is a very good machine at this price point maybe even the best ,it just needs the time to mature into what we all know it can be
smitty@davidmason83 I do small parts all the time. I have completed parts that are less than an inch long and a quarter inch wide. I printed a clip yesterday that is four paths thick and complex shaped. It turned out almost perfect, didn’t come off the bed, and required very little trimming. I have printed complex parts in that size that require support in order to print properly.
The results you get depend greatly on the material you choose, how you build your model, and how you prep your bed. Slic3r adds the remainder of the variables.
PLA doesn’t work well for small parts because it doesn’t cool and harden fast enough. Nylon works better but warps quite a bit. Polyester materials such as ColorFabb _XT and Taulman T-Glase work extremely well for small parts. BronzeFill from ColorFabb also works well for small parts, but needs more cleanup and dimensional adjustment.
The keys I have found to good bed adhesion are to clean the bed with IPA and a microfiber cloth after every print and to run the nozzle about .015 inches from the top of the PEI. This forces the material against the bed and makes it squish out to the sides to get a solid first layer. By doing those steps, I have very few parts that ever come off the bed and those are usually when the bottom of the part is much smaller than the top and the weight of the part pulls it off the bed. The other reason some parts come off is that the material warps and the nozzles hit the printed part and knock it off.
@davidmason83 Do a nozzle height calibration. This sets your base nozzle offset. Then with the PEI bed in place, run a print, I use the pyramid, and cancel it after the first layer is done. Peel off the first layer and measure thickness with calipers. Use the option in the nozzle calibration screen to adjust the nozzle offsets, both at the same time, until the first layer is the thickness you want it. Mine tend to run between .010 inches and .015 inches. This gives space for the PEI to be a little uneven and makes sure the first layer sticks well.
It takes trial and error. The only machines that print perfectly out of the box are the tiny ones because they don’t have large beds and they can be stiffer. Even those machines take some learning and trial to get everything set just right for perfect prints every time.
@bhudson so bronze fill is ok to use ? i saw somebody comment months ago that it was not very good to use and wore out the head quickly ,was that right because bronze fill and copper fill are filaments i really wanna try out
smitty@smitty That was me and it was about two weeks ago. It does wear out the extruder very quickly and you will have to develop a work-around until the new extruder mods are released. I enjoy working with BronzeFill, I am sure CopperFill will be just as good. There is also a new stainless version available from Printed Solid. But all of these filaments will kill your extruder exit sensor after about 5 hours of printing.
@bhudson was that only two weeks ago my memory is shocking lol thought it was longer than that ,thats a pain as ill steer clear of it for time being ,do you know what the new mods are ?
smitty@smitty The new extruder mod uses a steel flap to activate the extruder exit sensor. I don’t know much more than that. Chris W is working on getting some samples from the factory.
I would leave the metal-filled filaments alone until those come out, though they are really nice to work with in some ways. They are a pain to extrude, though. You have to be very careful of your setup and you have to let the printer completely cool between each print or the filament will swell in the Bowden tube and will jam. I have been limited to not more than two hours per print for successful prints.
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