3D Printing Failure Database

Having the failure database of all kinds of 3D printing technology will be highly beneficial to develop an intelligent additive manufacturing, and collaboration of makers around the world will help us to reach this goal significantly faster.

On this page, we are trying to systematize a set of rules for creating a uniform dataset that will be convenient to work with in the future.

Contrast visual marker template

First thing you need to do is to prepare a contrast visual marker template:

Download a template and print it on a letter-size paper (fit to format or 100-120% scale, precise dimensions in millimeters are not that important since you provide them together with your image, so we can restore the real scale)

Cut a square area in the middle of the paper

3D print your part

In case of failed print, please do the following:

Put your visual template right on the printing bed (do not remove the failed part). You can cut out its corners or middle parts and use tape so the template aligns with the bed.
Take a picture of the failed part on the bed (as high resolution as possible; black square X-markers should be visible in your picture; try to avoid significant light reflections)

Fill out the table and send the picture (described in the section below)

Fill out the table

The information you provided will help us to process your image appropriately and to generate a solid database.

Download the information template:

Fill the tables
Attach the STL file of the failed print
Attach the G-Code file of the failed print

Send the picture, STL file, G-Code, and filled tables

Email all the necessary files (preferably with the same filename) to apetsiuk(at)mtu.edu:

bronze_husky.JPG
bronze_husky.ODT or .DOCX
bronze_husky.STL
bronze_husky.GCODE

Example

Parameter	Value
Part ID/Filename	Blue_case.jpg
AB distance	156 mm
BC distance	156 mm
Failure type	Under extrusion
Printer model	Delta, Athena II
Slicer used	Ultimaker Cura

Nozzle diameter	0.4 mm
Layer height	0.25 mm
Initial layer height	0.25 mm
Line width	0.4 mm
Infill line width	0.4 mm
Top/Bottom pattern, type	Lines
Top/Bottom thickness	0.4 mm
Infill pattern, type	Grid
Infill density	80%
Support pattern, type	Zig Zag
Support density	15%

Printing temperature	210 C
Material flow rate	100%
Retraction distance	6.5 mm
Retraction speed	25 mm/s
Infill speed	50 mm/s
Outer wall speed	25 mm/s
Inner wall speed	50 mm/s
Support speed	50 mm/s
Travel speed	120 mm/s
Fan speed	100%

Error height [mm] (at what height your print began to fail)	2 mm
Error height [layer number] (at what layer your print began to fail)	8
Camera model (it will help us to retrieve the image distortions caused by your camera)	Cellphone camera

Firmware coefficients
Franklin:	u (switch position, mm)	v (switch position, mm)	w (switch position, mm)	e (coupling, steps/mm)	Extrusion, %	Feedrate, %	Max travel speed, mm/s
	228.050	226.740	228.850	90.000	100%	100%	100

More examples of pictures

These are low-resolution samples. Your photos should be in higher resolution.

Slip base error
Over extrusion
Stringing

Have a great printing

We wish you a failure less printing, but even in case of printing error happened your participation will help us to prevent these disappointing things in the future.

Thank you for collaboration!

The following links can help you better understand the nature of the failures and adjust your printing parameters with maximum efficiency:

Page data
License	CC-BY-SA-3.0
Language	English ()
Related	0 subpages, 0 pages link here
Views	1,287 page views (analytics)
Created	September 5, 2019 by Aliaksei Petsiuk
Last edit	January 8, 2026 by MetadescriptionsBot
Cite as	"3D Printing Failure Database". Appropedia. 2019–2026. Retrieved October 3, 2026.
API queries	basic, semantic, html, files, more