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A visual Ultimaker troubleshooting : Warping



Warping happens when the plastic cools and contracts. As the print cools down and shrinks slightly it starts to pull in on itself. Eventually the forces become so great that the print bends up from the platform. The best way to prevent this is with a heated build platform. By using a heated platform the plastic is kept just below the point where it goes solid, the so called glass transition temperature, and it therefore stays flat and connected to the platform. Although the heat from the platform is often enough it is also recommended to add a thin layer of glue to the platform to promote adhesion. Your printer will have come with a small stick of glue, spread a thin layer of glue onto the platform. Then, with a moistened rag or piece of paper, spread the glue out evenly onto the platform. As the bed heats the water will evaporate and leave a very nice thin and even layer of glue.
It is also important to make sure your bed is levelled as perfectly as you can. The plastic must be squished onto the platform so that it bonds properly. Besides preventing the print from coming loose or warping it also makes the bottom layer nice and shiny. You want the lines to be touching each other and all look identical to each other. Here's an example of what you're looking for:

Notice how all the lines are uniform and touching. If the lines show signs of gaps your bed is levelled too low. If the lines are squished and messy it is likely your bed is too close.
A built in feature in cura called "brim" is another great way to help keep your print from warping. This feature puts what looks like the brim of a hat on the bottom layer of your print to help fight against the pulling forces of the cooling print. Since this brim is only a single layer thick it is very easy to remove once the print is complete.
The Ultimaker2 Go doesn't come with a heated bed so here you'll mostly have to rely on using the supplied blue painters tape and brim. Make sure you really press it onto the platform so that it doesn't easily lift off. You can also clean the surface of the tape with some alcohol to get rid of the waxy surface and any finger oils. This will make the print stick much harder. But since the bed on the Go is much smaller, warping is less of a problem.
Dealing with ABS
ABS is much more prone to warping than PLA and needs some extra care. Besides needing a higher bed temperature (remember to change the material setting on your machine to ABS) you also need to be more careful with cooling. If at all possible try to print without using the cooling fans at all. Ideally the printer should be enclosed to keep a constant temperature in the printing area. To promote bed adhesion you can make a slurry of ABS by dissolving a few bits of scrap ABS in a jar with Acetone  Spread this slurry like a glue onto your build platform.

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