Heated bed @ 100C - never hits it?

[add1ct3dd]

So,

Started printing ABS, people recommend 100-110C bed, I've had OK success with getting the bed up to temp IF I put a towel over it, otherwise it never heats up.

Any solutions?

Is it a bed or PSU issue? Is there a way to insulate the bed at all?

Thanks.

[add1ct3dd]

Did some groundwork to diagnose the issue.

Checked the 12v rail to see how it was doing idle, bed powered, and both bed and extruder powered, and the results are:

11.01, 10.8v, 10.5v.

Absolutely rubbish if you ask me.

Anyway, just wired up my Corsair PSU using extension cables so I didn't have to cut anything:

http://i.imgur.com/pb4zgdn.jpg

12.1v no load,
12.01v with bed
11.99v with bed and extruder.

Awesome!

Btw when I was printing (or trying to) at 235C and 100C bed, temps dropped on faster layers starting layers (bed went to 85c and hotend to 218c) as the voltage sagged too much to keep it up! This really annoyed me as I wanted 235c consistent, and the bed going down to 85c actually killed my print as it came unstuck!

This is a spare Corsair HX750W PSU, 1 single 12v rail delivering 64A

So I bought 2x PCI-E extension cables and cut the male off, and also bought a 24-pin main ATX extension so I can use the wiring for the on/off switch :].

I can't wait to try printing now, but right now my room is a bombshell, and I need to get it all sorted, and the PSU installed

Thank god they put the hole for getting the PSU in out, saves a lot of time!

http://i.imgur.com/kW6ki90.jpg

Custom 24-pin cable done, removed unneeded pins - kept 2x 12v, 2x 5v, and the associated grounds.

Useful for:

LED's, Fans, Raspberry Pi, and Homemade USB hub (will be inbuilt).

Aww yeah!


I have to say though, I'm hugely disappointed the stock PSU was so weak, it shouldn't have to be a requirement to update it if you want to print ABS.

[BONE]

Did some groundwork to diagnose the issue.


Thank god they put the hole for getting the PSU in out, saves a lot of time!


I have to say though, I'm hugely disappointed the stock PSU was so weak, it shouldn't have to be a requirement to update it if you want to print ABS.

Wonder why they made it easy to get the power supply out so easily? I'm in the same boat as you. Did you get the 550W power with the kit?

[Earthbound]

Sounds like QC issue on inexpensive power supply. I have a stock supply and it runs my Max V2 at ABS temps. You might contact SeeMeCNC to find out if they will replace it under warranty.

[add1ct3dd]

Nope, this is what I got:

http://www.amazon.com/Diablotek-Series- ... B003UWNL2O

Sadly that power supply is not worth it's weight in gold.



Annoyingly it was a pain for me to fit it back in the hole, so I took the base off and did it that way, good opportunity for me to adjust my wiring and make it all tidy though

Now just to wire up the Pi, USB and other things. I'm wondering if my 12v LED's will flicker now too, or if they'll be solid :]

We'll see!

[add1ct3dd]

Printing my first item since installing new PSU.

Night and day, no temp drops at all (solid at 100c/235c), no LED flicker either from the bed...

So not only have I solved the issue out of my own pocket, I've also bought some 12v stabilizers on recommendation from here but don't need them anymore =/

I knew it wasn't a normal thing to be flickering that badly!

[beilmandesign]

I have the same kit supplied p/s and my rambo and lcd shut down when I turn either of the heats on:
http://www.amazon.com/Diablotek-Series- ... B003UWNL2O

Do you think it is related to this never hitting 100c issue? Do I have to buy a new capable p/s on my own dime?
http://forum.seemecnc.com/viewtopic.php ... 665#p55654

[Eaglezsoar]

Diablotek DA Series 600-Watt ATX Power Supply PSDA600 is a dual rail 12V power supply with each rail capable of 20 Amps.
If that is what is shipping with the new kits then you need to be careful how you wire it.
One rail should be dedicated to the heated bed and the other rail would supply everything else.
I prefer a single rail 12V supply with a minimum 12V at 50 Amps.

[add1ct3dd]

Diablotek DA Series 600-Watt ATX Power Supply PSDA600 is a dual rail 12V power supply with each rail capable of 20 Amps.
If that is what is shipping with the new kits then you need to be careful how you wire it.
One rail should be dedicated to the heated bed and the other rail would supply everything else.
I prefer a single rail 12V supply with a minimum 12V at 50 Amps.

The label on the PSU says 1 single rail, contrary to the Amazon listing: http://imgur.com/P8HMKYD

That and the fact I had also tried doubling up the cables on the other connectors, so I had:

4x ground, 4x 12v, 2x g, 2x 12v, 2x g

And that still didn't make any difference (to ensure just incase it was a dual rail).

My printing experience with ABS is 100% better, bed goes from room temp to 100C in 10min WITHOUT a towel, actually maintains temperature now too.

I'm wondering if it's worth contacting SeeMeCNC about it, because the PSU I got was not up to the task for printing ABS that's for sure :/

[beilmandesign]

I am going to contact SeemeCNC as well. Will find out what they suggest for my issue.

My Diablotek 600W p/s states single rail on the box as well.

[Eaglezsoar]

An easy way to tell if a power supply is dual rail is to remove the top of the power supply.
If a power supply is dual rail it will have two distinct locations that the 12V wires come from, each location is considered a rail.

Obviously a single rail supply will only have one point that all of the 12V wires connect to the board of the supply.

There may be exceptions to this but they are not common.

[jdurand]

I see some of the higher end power supplies listed as "modular". Allowing for advertising hype, translation into English, etc. I'm guessing that means each power supply is individually regulated. Exactly what we need.

So, single rail, modular would be golden...if they're telling the truth.

[BenTheRighteous]

Modular means that you can remove cable bundles that you don't need, rather than having to cut them off.

[beilmandesign]

"Modular power supplies have cables that can be attached to the power supply individually". So this means much less clutter in the case.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... lsrc=aw.ds

[jdurand]

Oh well, I tried.

[add1ct3dd]

Yeah modular just means all cables except CPU + 24-pin (usually) are removed, and have connectors to plug in to the PSU if you need them.

The Corsair I have now is, so even less clutter .

[BONE]

Trying to print ABS again today and I was reminded how much trouble it is. It takes about 20 minutes with a towel folded twice over to reach 100C. Start printing and it drops to 90C then towel is removed, then slowly starts to climb back to 99C with the print on top of the thermistor. It's a real pain to start an ABS print. I have a 550W that came with the printer.

You know, I would have paid $1500 for the kit if I know I'd be getting dampers for the steppers, a kickass power supply, E3dv6, Tricklaser arms, and PEI plate. Also minus the other issues that I had during the build.

[add1ct3dd]

Yeah I know what you mean, I have 0 trouble with ABS now.

Still undecided if I like it, but time will tell as I go through this spool.

But I agree, it's a disappointing thing to have to replace the PSU.

I've not really had any other big issues, but this one stands out for sure for me.

[bot]

I've been lucky enough to squeak past with the 650W I was supplied. It would be nice to have quicker heat up times though. Also, more consistent fan speeds and temps...

I'm dreading the thought of opening her up. I'm tempted to simply buy a second machine and build it with a better PSU. I need another one already.

[BONE]

I've been lucky enough to squeak past with the 650W I was supplied. It would be nice to have quicker heat up times though. Also, more consistent fan speeds and temps...

I'm dreading the thought of opening her up. I'm tempted to simply buy a second machine and build it with a better PSU. I need another one already.

My next one will be a custom build. I'm figuring that I can source better/upgraded parts myself for the $1000 a kit costs.