Laser Filament Monitor - Testing

T3P3Tony · 9 Aug 2018, 00:25

Thanks to those who have offered to test the filament monitor. I have contact many of you and your filament monitors should be arriving around now.

I have updated the documentation with some more images and some thoughts on areas for experimentation:
https://duet3d.dozuki.com/Wiki/Duet3dFilamentMonitor_LaserVersion#Section_Experimentation
Included is a link to the youmagine page hosting my modified housing OpenSCAD that has some more options for experimentation.

It will also be helpful to get feedback on specific filament types and successes with those. To that end can I as that experimentation is split into two categories:

Filament testing - for this use please use the standard housing that DC42 linked form the thingiverse project
Housing experimentation and other experimentation - for this it would be good to use a filament you have tested using the standard housing already.

I still have some more laser monitors if anyone else would like to get involved.

PcS · 9 Aug 2018, 01:07

I would be interested in testing as well.

DK90 · 9 Aug 2018, 04:49

I am also interested in testing the Filament Monitor

fma · 9 Aug 2018, 12:08

I'm also interested to test it, with folks of the hackerspace, here in Grenoble (France)...

tkamsker · 7 Oct 2018, 07:33

Hi DC42 i would also be interested , I have 2 Duet3d one for a Bigbox in idex and one on an 300x300 Corexy Hevo Style Printer with an Dual E3d Chimera head on it.

(I also have 2 I3 type printers not on Duet where we could test 3mm if needed)
I can add oscilloscope and development skills if needed to get that going

thx thomas

insertnamehere · 8 Oct 2018, 00:49

Hi DC42,
If you have a spare laser filament monitor, I'm happy to test for you.
I use mainly eSun PLA and PET-G filament and Hatchbox Wood.
I have about 15 different colours right now.

pkos · 17 Oct 2018, 10:07

Same here. Modded Ender3 now with duet wifi and titan aero 1.75, using a variety of filaments.
Waiting for parts and then will build a HEVO with the duet. The filament sensor would be amazing for it

dc42 · 17 Oct 2018, 10:16

We have a pre-production batch almost ready to ship. More news soon.

DocTrucker · 19 Oct 2018, 15:31

I knew there was something else I wanted to ask you guys about at TCT! Having lost my big 24V core xy system through redundancy I'm down to my v0.6 (x3!) and 12V.

Are the current revisions likely to play well with the Maestro boards along with the Duet 2?

T3P3Tony · 19 Oct 2018, 17:34

@doctrucker the filament monitors will.work on the Maestro, Duet 2 and we plan for forward compatability to future versions of Duet.

DocTrucker · 20 Oct 2018, 05:39

Thinking about this a little further could I hook the development sensors to a spare arduino due and just read distances from it? With a bit of coding? Is the rotating magnet version mentioned on the documentation likely to be more reliabke than the laser based or are these questions for the trials to answer?

T3P3Tony · 20 Oct 2018, 09:06

@doctrucker yes you can
Rotating magnet is very accurate across all filament types.

DocTrucker · 20 Oct 2018, 10:39

Very interested in trying it from that perspective then. It'll be far superior to me measuring filament by eye with a 150mm metal rule! Where can I express an interest in buying a beta model of the magnet based sensor - or is it not ling to wait for the planned commercial release? I realise the date may slip due to beta trial results.

3dmntbighker · 19 Nov 2018, 21:51

I have been using my laser sensor now for a short while. With black PLA I had mostly consistent results. I started using eSun yellow PETG and made several small prints with the same travel numbers. Last night I started a vase mode part and it got to about layer 160 before it stopped. The reported low number was 24%. I restarted the print and it went another 10 layers and stopped again. The restart was perfect, but the layer adhesion was non-existent. It printed another 10 or 15 layers and stopped again with 24%. The average range up to this part printing was 84% to 94%. When I checked the vase as the print was getting started it was also 85 to 95%. I'm not sure what is going on. The filament feed is not restricted and I'm using a Bondtech extruder. The quality of the print was as near perfect as I could ask for, and I'm using a fairly high temp so the nozzle is very unlikely to be getting clogged. I had the print speed at 40mm/s.

Ideas? Does retraction mess with the sensor? In vase mode there should be no retraction.

I have yet to install the laser sensor in my second printer, but it's ready to go.

T3P3Tony · 19 Nov 2018, 22:03

@3dmntbighker the sensor performs differently depending on the filament types as you have seen. For PETG we have reports that ESUN Black was very poorly registered which I have confirmed on tests. I have not confirmed for ESUN yellow PETG however it looks like that is also not good. If you are getting +'ve numbers you can increase the trigger window for that filament.

3dmntbighker · 19 Nov 2018, 22:48

@t3p3tony said in Laser Filament Monitor - Testing:

@3dmntbighker the sensor performs differently depending on the filament types as you have seen. For PETG we have reports that ESUN Black was very poorly registered which I have confirmed on tests. I have not confirmed for ESUN yellow PETG however it looks like that is also not good. If you are getting +'ve numbers you can increase the trigger window for that filament.

Very odd that it goes from 85 to 95%, then suddenly out of nowhere it's 24% with no change in speed, feed rate or filament type.

T3P3Tony · 19 Nov 2018, 22:50

@3dmntbighker yes that is strange. I found the ESUN black PETG very variable with unworkable results, however other PETGs (specifically e3d edge) are not as variable.

3dmntbighker · 19 Nov 2018, 22:56

@t3p3tony said in Laser Filament Monitor - Testing:

@3dmntbighker yes that is strange. I found the ESUN black PETG very variable with unworkable results, however other PETGs (specifically e3d edge) are not as variable.

Well, I have stopped buying eSun altogether. My standard filament brand is now 3D Solutech. I also use a mix of Taulman, Filamentum and others. I hope they get Prusament on Amazon soon.

T3P3Tony · 19 Nov 2018, 22:59

@3dmntbighker will be very interested to hear how you get on with those other brands!

peirof · 20 Nov 2018, 02:38

Hi...

When you estimate filament monitor will be reléased? And the Price?

Thanks