1 Topic by supafletch

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Topic: Da Vinci Pro Clicking Sound and Unknown Broken Piece

New to the forum, fairly new to 3D printing. My experience before picking up my Da Vinci Pro is a Makerbot Replicate (5th Gen). Just got the Da Vinci Pro and have done a couple prints.

I'm hearing a clicking noise while the rafting is being printed, and then it seems to go away during the print. I traced the sound back to the filament/extruder, if I put my fingers on the filament coming from the cartridge I can feel it jump slightly with the clicking sounds. I did a quick search and couldn't find anything on this. Are you supposed to move the knob on the cartridge to the unlock position? The only instructions I have found are to remove the plug beneath that wheel. I'm generally disappointed with the documentation and instructions from XYZ, thought I would ask here. Thanks for the help!

Also, not sure if this is related, but I found a broken piece inside the print area when I first unboxed it. It was sitting on the x axis rail and fell off when I touched it. I've looked all around and can't identify where it belongs, must have been a clean break. Anybody know what this goes to?

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2 Reply by prpickett

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Re: Da Vinci Pro Clicking Sound and Unknown Broken Piece

If the clicking is only during the first layer of print, it is probably due to the filament slipping. Your bed may be slightly too high resulting in the filament not being able to extrude at the same rate that the toothed wheel is trying to feed it. The plastic piece looks like the same plastic that the outer shell is made from. Possibly broken from the inside top area or one of the locking tabs from the shell. Also may be part of the locking clip for holding in the filament cartridge. I wouldn't worry too much about it if everything seems secure.

DaVinci 1.0 w/ repetier firmware, Andy's Carriage, E3D V6, Filastruder #1956, Filawinder

3 Reply by supafletch

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Re: Da Vinci Pro Clicking Sound and Unknown Broken Piece

That makes a lot of sense. You recommend just recalibrating or setting in some small z-offset to account for this? Documentation was a little misleading. There was a sheet in the packaging saying not to calibrate because it was already calibrated, but the manual says to calibrate before your first print hmm

4 Reply by prpickett

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Re: Da Vinci Pro Clicking Sound and Unknown Broken Piece

I'm not familiar with the pro, but I know for the DaVinci 1 and 2, the auto calibrate isn't very good. Most folks seem to agree that manual calibration works better. I personally just use a sheet of paper and adjust the bed so that it just barely rubs the paper when it is placed over the 3 different adjustment screws with the bed set at the printing height for the 1st layer. If I am using PLA instead of ABS, I then lower the bed 1/2 turn on each knob. Here is a good discussion, but again, I don't know for certain that it is applicable to the pro.  http://www.soliforum.com/topic/8408/bed … beginners/

DaVinci 1.0 w/ repetier firmware, Andy's Carriage, E3D V6, Filastruder #1956, Filawinder

5 Reply by Skyblue

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Re: Da Vinci Pro Clicking Sound and Unknown Broken Piece

I found that same piece loose in my Pro also, it came from the front panel, just inside on the upper right side.  I think it holds the panel and door in place.  Interesting that I have the exact same piece in my machine.  My door was not closing properly, and I just jammed a piece of plastic in there to hold in place.

6 Reply by supafletch

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Re: Da Vinci Pro Clicking Sound and Unknown Broken Piece

I haven't tried that calibration procedure yet, but thought I would add some additional information to contribute to the topic. It is definitely the extruder that is skipping, I grabbed a video of this happening. Note that the extruder and hot end have been separated and the extruder is closer to the cartridge on the Pro. Extruder Skipping Video

Since I've heard so much about the Pro having a better calibration procedure, I decided to try recalibrating and maybe be slick and add a z offset to the thickness of a piece of paper. This still made the clicking sound and the resultant print was a nightmare, definitely should've stuck around to watch it, but the first layers looked pretty good. I'm concerned that this clicking is going to strip the gears and cause permanent damage to the extruder over time. I will try the paper calibration procedure from the forum for the DaVinci 1.0 and report back.
http://soliforum.com/i/?uDRGBv9.jpg

7 Reply by Skyblue (edited by Skyblue 2016-02-17 13:36:28)

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Re: Da Vinci Pro Clicking Sound and Unknown Broken Piece

Try using a business card instead of two sheets of paper, I'm thinking z offset is too close.  When I received my pro, it printed the sample ok, but with clicking, I re-did the z-offset with a business card, and clicking and thumping has stopped, getting very nice prints at .3mm.  Also, I don't like the tape, does not stick good enough, I switched to glass with hair spray, and have had no problems at all.  There are some videos on youtube about switching to glass, and I suggest  you to watch one, you have to jog the bed down, and slowly rise to re-set the z-offset to the glass surface, then use business card to get offset correct.  Good luck!

8 Reply by supafletch

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Re: Da Vinci Pro Clicking Sound and Unknown Broken Piece

Skyblue wrote:

Try using a business card instead of two sheets of paper, I'm thinking z offset is too close.  When I received my pro, it printed the sample ok, but with clicking, I re-did the z-offset with a business card, and clicking and thumping has stopped, getting very nice prints at .3mm.  Also, I don't like the tape, does not stick good enough, I switched to glass with hair spray, and have had no problems at all.  There are some videos on youtube about switching to glass, and I suggest  you to watch one, you have to jog the bed down, and slowly rise to re-set the z-offset to the glass surface, then use business card to get offset correct.  Good luck!

I redid the process using a business card and that seemed to work well. I have printed a few things without rafting and they came out really well. I do still get a few clicks while the printer is printing those first two lines int he y axis before moving to the center of the bed and beginning the print. I'm really hoping the gears skipping backwards do not cause permanent wear.

Also, the tape is adhering very well to the bed. I had cleaned the bed with Isopropyl Alcohol before applying the tape, maybe that was the trick, but it's working quite well.

9 Reply by Skyblue (edited by Skyblue 2016-02-19 13:46:41)

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Re: Da Vinci Pro Clicking Sound and Unknown Broken Piece

That's great, glad you have had some success.  Mine sometimes clicks when its printing the first extrusion lines on the right, but it stops after print starts.  Its possible I'm still a little close to the bed with the extruder, but its working well.  Tweak, tweak and tweak, haha.
I never use a raft though, you might try a .5mm brim instead.