Ara
7
Yes, do not orient flat surfaces to be parallel to the table. Also, pour your resin through a filter after each print.
-Ara
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Hei Florian,
We used to have the same problem with our Form 1. Two out of three prints were a fail and the results we had were similar to what I can see in your pictures.
The problem went away after we sent the print to be upgraded. The upgrade also includes a recalibration and that is where I suspect the problem lies. Try looking through the calibration information on their website, they also have an interesting video tutorial that I cannot find right now.
Luck,
ina
I have had this same problem as well. I was printing a larger piece and it got through 75 percent and the rest was on the bottom of tray. I added more supports and it printed perfect after that. Hope this helps. Good luck!
n23d
10
All the comments are great. Orient the part so the longest diagonal through the part is nearly perpendicular to the build platform. Place the tallest portion of the print closest to the hinge. View the layers and try and orient the part so that no section volumes are closed. Closed volumes cause suction that can punch holes in walls and cause prints to fail. If you must have closed volumes try and minimize the projected area of them and/or add a vent hole or split the part to eliminate them. Orient the part so that a volume closes last. In other words If you have a cup shape print it open end towards the build platform.
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One additional thing about vent holes is that they need to be rather large. I had a couple prints fail on me with a 2mm diameter vent hole, the resin is just too thick to freely float trough a 2mm hole. I’m now making vent holes at least 4mm diameter and haven’t had a problem with them.
Also, if you have prints failing like this, check the tank bottom for clouding - if it’s clouded you can throw away the tank 
From what I have gathered from the responses here, and your research, you should probably have some successful prints already.
One thing I have noticed is that sometimes I see print failures when, during the Form 1/1+ printing process, there was a significant temperature change.
I try to print during the day when temperatures can be held more constant, warmer than cooler.
Also, as Im sir you have read already, keep those internal mirrors very clear (minimal dust). I have had issues with resin tanks, both the hard plastic and the PDMS layer, being distorted that caused some really strange failures.
Occasionally, I have to set time aside to think deeply about the motion of the peeling process and how it relates to the support structures and part orientation.
It seems like, if you can, keep as much of the part as continuous layers, not contiguous, as I have seen some distortion there too. There is a lot to learn about how to get these Form 1/1+ printers to produce magically good parts. We are all learning, even the crew at FormLabs is learning about this “tech-magical” (not a real word) process. Good luck!
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I almost forgot to add, orient your parts at angle, if possible, to the bold platform.
Several planar/prismatic formed parts seem to distort if planer surface features are oriented parallel to the build surface.
I have seen this distortion ion parts during the print process and post curing too.
My experience with the Objet printers output seems to follow this “warping” distortion as well, especially when parts are left in the sun for long periods of time.
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Florian, you need to rotate the part so that there are no big surfaces at the beginning of a print.
The principle how a Form 1 works is that the laser is curing the resin on the bottom surface of the tank.
The platform is peeling the layers away from that surface. So you can imagine that a bigger area at the beginning is more difficult to peel.
Just have a look to this tutorial http://formlabs.com/support/guide/prepare/model-orientation/
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Hey Guys, Thank you very much for your advice! I just started a new print considering you suggestions. I’ll give you an update tomorrow as soon as the print finishes.
Thanks for your insight. At least the temperature thing i can rule out, since we monitor this tediously. Even FDM printers are really sensitive to temperature cahnges.
Actually I bought a new tank for this exact reason. Sadly they’re quite expensive…
Done that, printing right now!
Your part orientation is all wrong and likely the only problem.
You cant print parallel to the build platform.
Angle everything!
Oh sorry I couldn’t see all the replies to your post until after I posted and it wont let me remove or edit my post…
Hey folks, tried different orrientations no luck at all…
Check:
-Scroll through the layers in preform, do they all look right? Sometimes bad STL’s can cause Preform to show the model, but it doesn’t slice it properly
-Check your tank bottom for clouding
-Do other models print fine?
-Upload your .form here and I have a look at it
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The tank is new, first used with this model.
Other models are working fine.
I’ll check the STL as you said this evening/night. but Meshmixer didn’t found any issues.
I can’t upload it, since I don’t have the permission, sorry 
Well, the fact that the supports print so nice and you used a new tank and different resin at least tells you there is nothing wrong with the printer.
If you don’t find the problem and you can’t upload the model, post a screenshot of the cross section (layer) where the printing of the model starts failing.
PS: you shouldn’t place models on the build platform like that - even if they print, the strain on the mechanics and tank will be much higher than with supports.
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The reason I printed the cube directly on the bed was that the removement of the support is quite tedious and i had to ship 50 pcs, I considered this a good idea (spoiler all cubes where fine). Additionally the support generated would be consume as much resin as the cube itself.
Which raises another general question to me, since 3D Hubs cant calculate the volume of the needed support how do you the pricing? simply assuming some percentage offset, hoping it doesn’t need more? I already have trouble, due to failures of such a simple looking model
But anyway thanks for the hint on the strain! could you please add more detail to you explanation? since i can’t imagine why there should be less strain if printing with supports and the same orientation. it has to peel it off anyway?
-I always add costs for support to orders. Haven’t had a customer reject his order because of the added cost. I agree that this should be fixed or at least there should be a way to inform the customer that there will be added cost. The other option is to jack up your ml price but that doesn’t help if the customer compares prices.
-Supports help take some strain off the peeling process because they allow the platform-part-tank to move in x/y a bit, so they take the initial hit before the part peels of the tank - otherwise these forces will work against the peeling mechanism, your platform and the tank / PDMS layer. If you watch it print a larger cross section you may notice that your platform slightly tilts on peeling, together with the tank - when you print directly on the platform, the platform and the tank are basically glued together and nothing can move in x or y - but it wants to shift a bit, and that force now goes to the T-rail, tank and platform (and your print)
Also when placing objects flat on the tray, you usually printing the largest cross section through the whole print (the cube is an exception obviously)
I also tried to print objects directly on the platform, cause I wanted to save resin and have nice surfaces, but out of 3 different parts, only one printed right.
Lastly, Formlabs themselves state that you should always use supports - although one might argue this is because they like to sell the juice for those supports 
For me, the thinking goes like that: A failed print means wasted juice, wasted time cause I have to filter the resin, potentially a wasted tank because of clouding and I have to start all over with the print. If I can avoid one failed print in 20 by placing supports, it’s worth it to me - especially cause I make the customer pay for the supports.
On another note, place objects near the hinge side of the tank to reduce the strain on the peeling stepper / threaded rod. You will have more lever -> less force needed.
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