X and Y Layer Shift on Ender 3 v2

[SwassGlass]

Picture - https://i.imgur.com/Wu233GC.jpg

I've been fighting layer shift over the past week with my Ender 3 v2. I've had the printer for 3 weeks and the first 2 weeks produced excellent results. I ordered a bltouch and new spacers (instead of springs) and installed those. I don't actually have the BLtouch installed, but I ran the wire through the sleeve and have it prepped.

Note: I printed the cubes at 200% to show the examples better.

After doing these upgrades I am now getting shifts. Here is what I have tried:

• tightened both X and Y belts
• loosed both X and Y belts
• tightened nozzle by taking off the front cover
• added a spacer under and next to the Y motor
• printed on multiple different tables in case my build table was vibrating
• Sliced with Prusaslicer (first block), Cura (2nd block) Cura with Z hop on (3rd block and the worst looking)
• Eccentric nut on the Y axis. Table does not have wobble.
• Different filament
• I am printing slow. Sub 50mm/s
• Happening on all models I try

What are my next options?

• Will finishing the BLtouch install help? I have good bed adhesion on glass and glue sticks, so not sure if that will help
• When rolling the bed, there is a minor bump with rolling. Not sure if that was always there or not. It is VERY minor, so not sure if I am over analyzing it or not.
• Increase stepper motor current? I've heard of this, but don't know how to do it

Thanks everyone! I am not quite ready to give up on it, but I am contemplating a return from Amazon if I can't figure this out.

[Ender5r]

Welcome to the forum.

To me, you're on the right track by looking 1st at physical/mechanical things.

I can't see how a BLTouch would help with layer shifting.

The minor bump is interesting. Have you isolated in which direction the shifting occurs? If it's in the Y direction then I might look at the bump more closely.

Don't know if motor current change would help, but it was fine before so I don't think I would look at that 1st.

A prime principle with troubleshooting is to reverse any changes & start over. So, if it was my printer, I would go back to the springs & level the bed again, run a bed level test print, then print the calibration cube again.

[SwassGlass]

Thanks for the speedy reply!

The shifting is occurring on both X and Y based on what I can see on the cube and my other prints. And I hesitate to even call it a bump, but there is a very slight feeling when I roll the bed back and forth, after messing with the rollers I haven't been able to make it completely disappear, but like I said, it is very slight and only happens like twice in the whole movement of the bed.

Great idea on putting the old springs back on just to be ensure. I was really hopeful taking the arms, extruder, etc off and putting it back together would do the trick. I should have just fully committed and added the springs back on as well. I will do that shortly.

[SwassGlass]

A prime principle with troubleshooting is to reverse any changes & start over. So, if it was my printer, I would go back to the springs & level the bed again, run a bed level test print, then print the calibration cube again.

Added the springs back, got a level test print. Printed the cube and same shifting layers, maybe even worse actually. I've thought about ordering new wheels for the Y rollers, but at this point I am tempted to just exchange it on Amazon. Maybe even get the CR-6 SE instead.

[mochalatte]

Are the bed clips keeping the glass plate down solid? Try adding binder clips maybe to see if somehow the glass plate is drifting. Or maybe there is a small blob of filament under the glass acting as a ball bearing allowing it to shift during a print?

[Ender5r]

Good question. I had assumed the use of clips. Silly me.

[SwassGlass]

Thank you both for the suggestions. I am using 4 binder clips and I rechecked the bed under the glass and there was nothing there.

I am partially ashamed to admit, but I just requested an exchange through Amazon. After spending a week debugging this and not having the opportunity to print the Christmas gifts I had planned, I am convinced the printer is cursed or I am. My new printer will be here tomorrow and what I have learned over the past month will make things much easier on this new one.

I went with another Ender 3 v2. I was very close to ordering a CR 6 SE just for the auto bed leveling, but the community seems to be stronger with Ender 3.

[roon4660]

I am wondering about the definition of "layer shift". Where we see the lines on the test cube are they separated and not well attached to the bottom layer?
For me a layer shift which I have had maybe twice in the last two years The printer prints perfectly up to a certain height then suddenly decides to print the rest in another place. As far as I can remember it didn't even make the print fail but didn't adhere well because it was now in the wrong place.

I have always wondered what caused that though I so very seldom had that happen.

[Geit]

The pattern repeat every once in a while, which is strange.

Could it be that one of the printers "wheels" has a nodge or a flat side?

To me it looks like the Z axis is moving in Y direction every once in a while, which indicates that something is wrong the the Z Axis. Like every time a wheel on the Z axis does a full rotation.

[Ender5r]

The pattern repeat every once in a while, which is strange.

Could it be that one of the printers "wheels" has a nodge or a flat side?

To me it looks like the Z axis is moving in Y direction every once in a while, which indicates that something is wrong the the Z Axis. Like every time a wheel on the Z axis does a full rotation.

That's an interesting idea. It would be relatively easy to check & is something I think everyone should check as part of routine maintenance. I find I have to vacuum the wheels fairly frequently because they pick up some weird fluffy stuff. I am wondering if it's very fine threads of fur from 1 of the cats.

[Gramps]

That's an interesting idea. It would be relatively easy to check & is something I think everyone should check as part of routine maintenance. I find I have to vacuum the wheels fairly frequently because they pick up some weird fluffy stuff. I am wondering if it's very fine threads of fur from 1 of the cats.

My wheels pickup white fuzzy stuff too & I have no animals in the house, excluding myself.

[Ender5r]

Mine fluff is grey

[roon4660]

I tend to scatter a little white fluff around myself. No pets to blame.

[Geit]

This is why I don´t like these wheel based printers.

I prefer real linear bearings as they cause far less trouble and mostly move the dust to a side of the rods, where you can wipe the dust off quite easy. These wheels are trouble on the long run and they need constant adjustments, as they wear off or get filled with dust.

The wheels where just introduced as they are cheaper than bearings and use the frame to move instead to have additional mounts for the guiding rods. They just made printers cheaper.

[Ender5r]

Let's not belittle making printers cheaper. Low cost printers have literally made it possible for millions of people to get into 3D printing. I had been looking at Lulzbot printers for some years but, at $2500, I wouldn't have 1 yet, or likely for a number of years, if at all.

Also, low cost printers have been vital to the production of alternative PPE like face masks, face shields, & ear savers.

I've looked at linear rails. They're not all that expensive, but I do wonder how badly they can get clogged up with dust inside the rails.