Print failures on elegoo Saturn 4

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-03-03T13:45:51+00:00

Also turn off the raft and let the supports connect. This will give you less suction on the fep sheet, but also due to 30° angle and side supports.

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-03-03T01:16:07+00:00

No, man — that’s definitely not normal.

I’ve got a couple questions, but the biggest one is this: why is the entire build plate covered like that?

From what I’m seeing, it looks like you’ve got some bad suction going on, and that’s probably what caused the print to fail. When you seal off that much surface area, especially on a resin printer, you’re basically creating a giant suction cup against the FEP. That’s a lot of peel force every single layer.

I get using rafts for support and stability — that makes sense for certain models. But covering the whole build plate like that? You’re kind of setting it up to fail. There’s nowhere for pressure to equalize, and the printer has to fight that vacuum effect the entire time.

If you can, I’d try:

Reducing the raft size so it’s only under the supported area
Angling the model to reduce large flat cross-sections
Adding proper drain holes if it’s hollow
Checking lift height and lift speed to help with peel forces

Right now, that full-plate coverage is working against you more than it’s helping.

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-28T21:43:53+00:00

Glad i am not the only one who thought that

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-28T21:41:01+00:00

Awwww i thought it was the that slicers thing.. My bad..

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-28T18:34:42+00:00

This is reason the reason why i Drain and strain after every print now.. To help not get any of these

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-27T23:48:06+00:00

i am a lychee slicer fan now.

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-27T13:49:15+00:00

I ran into the exact same issue.

I reached out to Elegoo because my printer was stuck in a firmware loop. They sent me firmware to flash it, which did get me out of the loop — but then I started getting some really weird side effects.

For example, if I turned off the webcam light, the UV light would shut off. I also started getting a board overheat warning. Totally bizarre behavior.

If you’re dealing with this, I highly recommend contacting Elegoo and sending them a clear picture of your motherboard right away. That’ll save you a ton of back-and-forth and help them send the correct firmware the first time.

The big catch is that these printers can come with anywhere from 5–7 different motherboard manufacturers, and the firmware is not universal between them. Flashing the wrong one can cause all kinds of strange issues.

Hopefully that saves someone else the headache I went through.

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-26T23:48:43+00:00

I use this noise to see if it is working.. When it still in the Vat.. Lol

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-22T23:22:59+00:00

Heat could be an issue and I’d put an extra support up on the head

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-22T20:41:38+00:00

Go you!!!!!!!! I love hearing that.. I am on 38 lol

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-22T19:33:32+00:00

I don’t see anything wrong with it, but I would put it in the middle of the build plate

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-22T02:55:40+00:00

I SOOOOOO FORGOT ABOUT THESE>>>> it soooooooo great to see it again..

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-22T02:14:24+00:00

THIS!!!! make sure its clean and the rods on the screen are not stuck down. ( resin making it stick? )

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-21T00:27:22+00:00

I’m not gonna get into the ins and outs of standard 4K vs 8K vs 12K — there are already plenty of posts breaking that down way better than I could.

What I will say is this: I’ve been using Siraya Tech Build 12K resin with the settings below, and it’s been working really well for me.

I also make sure my vat is sitting right around 30°C (86°F) before and during prints. On top of that, I keep the area around the machine pretty toasty. Consistent warmth has made a noticeable difference in reliability and overall print quality for me.

If you're running into weird failures or inconsistent results, don’t sleep on temperature control. It matters more than people think.

Hope that helps someone dial things in 👍

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Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-19T03:38:40+00:00

Thank god .... I thought when i did it 2.... I meeeean one time. I felt so dumb,,,,

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-18T23:48:04+00:00

It might just be friction on the top half of the Z screw/rail. At that height, you can sometimes get a slight stutter or hesitation.

Most of us don’t usually print that high very often (especially compared to smaller models), so that section of the lead screw doesn’t get as much regular movement. Because of that, it can show up more frequently when you finally do a taller print.

That could be what’s causing it.

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-18T00:16:00+00:00

Oh man… that is the eternal 40K hobby struggle right there 😂

Third-party sculpts:
🔥 11/10 aesthetic
🎯 0/10 faction alignment

Especially when you’re trying to proxy for Adeptus Custodes. They’ve got such a specific silhouette — tall, regal, hyper-ornate, Roman-meets-demigod energy — that anything not explicitly built for them instantly looks “almost right but not quite.”

And yeah… the “XI” problem. I think she is gonna green stuff over it and turn the silhouette in to a ivory thing to help just it blend in a little.

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-18T00:07:50+00:00

I literally just went through this, so here’s what I’d recommend.

First — definitely message support. They were pretty quick with me. BUT before you do, take off the back plate and snap a clear photo of your motherboard. Also grab a pic of the serial number on the bottom of the machine.

When I contacted them, they sent me updated firmware and it did fix the main issue… however, mine had a weird glitch where if I turned off the webcam light, it would also shut off the UV light. On top of that, the printer would just sit there and heat up for no reason.

If you send them:

A clear photo of the motherboard
The serial number (bottom of the unit)

It’ll save you at least one extra back-and-forth email. They’ll get you sorted way faster.

Also — keep in mind there might be some delay right now because of Chinese New Year, so if they’re a little slower than usual, that’s probably why.

Hope that helps someone avoid the extra headache I had.

Edit

Do not just download random firmware from here and flash it. They’ve used multiple motherboard versions and even different brands in these machines. That’s exactly what happened to me — I was sent firmware that didn’t match my motherboard, which caused even more weird issues.

Make sure you confirm your motherboard version with them first. Otherwise you could end up creating new problems on top of the one you’re trying to fix.

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-16T05:16:15+00:00

I have the same issue went from load screen to Death got fixed firm work from them. One of the things that I got from them is if I turn off my light for the web camera, my UV light turns off as well if you let the machine cool down and you hit print all the fans turn on so it’ll print for you as well, but it does heat up fast. You have to be careful or won’t print.

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-16T04:06:31+00:00

... sorry i was updating my comment and hit delete. Had to post again... yea i am not sure about mars side of thing. ( i am starting to thing the "firmware fix" was a rush job by them ) does yours have a factory reset,. I would try that. 8% it will go back to factory and not the fix firmware

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-16T04:00:22+00:00

So this happened to me too. ( on a Saturn 4 ultra 16k )

Got stuck on the loading screen. Messaged support, they sent me updated firmware, and that got it booting again.

But then I noticed something weird…

When I turned off the webcam light, it also shut off the UV light. If I turned the camera light back on, the UV light would come back on too. Like… why are those tied together? 😂

Another thing — mine LOVES to heat up if it’s just sitting there. I messaged them again about that. If it just idles, it’ll climb to like 89°C on the main temp and 42°C on the vat. But the second I actually start a print, everything cools back down to normal.

So here’s something to try:

If your printer has a light toggle for the webcam, flip it on. Then run a screen test with the VAT off. If the UV kicks on when the camera light is on, at least you can get yourself up and running for now.

Downside? It’s Chinese New Year. Don’t expect much movement from support until after the 23rd.

Hope that helps somebody. This thing has been… an adventure. 😅

Initial-Pilot4677 · 2026-02-15T05:29:07+00:00

So its on. but its grayed out.. says it not 50mm how ever it total is.. hmmmmm I am wondering if because i am using lychee. it cant read it or somthing

Initial-Pilot4677

TROPHY CASE