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I printed out this calibration shape from Thingiverse with an unexpectedly catastrophic failure. It looks like there are a lot of things wrong here.

Front View Side View

I used the Normal profile in Ultimaker Cura.

There's so much bad in this print that I'm not sure where to start.

  1. It appears that walls weren't printed at all.
  2. Resolution is way below par.
  3. Overhangs are collapsing (not sure if that would be expected at those angles)
  4. The in-filling is inconsistent and "blobby".
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  • $\begingroup$ What printer are you using? Before going through all the steps outlined in the answers below, I would first do a thorough maintenance and cleaning of the printer, following the instructions provided by the manufacturer. $\endgroup$
    – Sava
    Dec 30, 2018 at 14:26
  • $\begingroup$ @Sava I've done that, it's a brand new printer. I found a pre-configured version of Cura for this printer and using that made everything OK. I'll figure out what is actually wrong at a later date. $\endgroup$
    – BanksySan
    Dec 30, 2018 at 18:13

2 Answers 2

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The best thing that you can do first is find out whether you extrude the correct amount of filament before trying all sorts of things. You clearly have an under-extrusion problem. Please look into question: "How do I calibrate the extruder of my printer?".

The reason why you aren't extruding can be found in e.g. this answer. Note that the list in the answer excludes the stepper driver. If the current is too low, the torque is too low to push the filament (see this similar answer for stepper torque).

Side note:
Note that a properly setup extruder never has a need to adjust the flow unless the extruder is calibrated for 1.75 mm filament and the used filament is of different diameter.

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The failure you are faicing is underextrusion. Underextrusion can have several reasons. Among the three most common I encountered in my printers:

  • The nozzle could be clogged, hindering flow (Very crushy, squishy prints after it worked fine before)
    • Dissemble the filament path till you can push an acupuncture needle through the hotend, heat it, press out all filament, reassemble.
  • The extruder might be skipping steps or shredding filament
    • check if it is just not gripping the filament, not turning at all or clicking.
    • real Troubleshooting might be needed
  • The g-code might have a bad setup for the filament you are using - try upping the higher extrusion multiplier/flow rate and print at least 2 walls!
    • In Ultimaker Cura: Custom > Material > Flow

Flow Rate

  • If not there yet: Gear > Material > hook Flow

enter image description here

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  • $\begingroup$ What's the extrusion multiplier? Is it something I can set in Cura? $\endgroup$
    – BanksySan
    Dec 22, 2018 at 13:33
  • $\begingroup$ I've got settings for wall thickness, wall count and some for specifically top & bottom (imgur.com/s1mqhK0). $\endgroup$
    – BanksySan
    Dec 22, 2018 at 14:00
  • $\begingroup$ I have Material > Flow. That's a 100%, should I up that a bit? $\endgroup$
    – BanksySan
    Dec 22, 2018 at 14:15
  • $\begingroup$ @BanksySan Yes, that is the setting. Try 105%. if that does nothing, your nozzle most likely is clogged. $\endgroup$
    – Trish
    Dec 22, 2018 at 14:19
  • $\begingroup$ On some printers there might be a spring or similar to push the filament towards the extruder. An untightened spring can also cause this behaviour (happened to me quite a few times) $\endgroup$
    – msrd0
    Dec 22, 2018 at 18:51

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