1 Topic by markg (edited by markg 2013-03-08 11:31:41)

  • markg
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Topic: layers moving during printing

Hi,
my Solidoodle3 arrived this week, so I am a real newbie to the 3d printing topic.

I use repetier host and the slicer profiles from solidoodle.

It doesn't matter if I try any object from thingiverse or a self created stl file.

If printing starts, everything is fine, but after a random time the printer moves the layers beside the object.
Please look at the attachment.

Because the movement happens randomly, so if I try to reprint the object, the movement will start in another layer,
but I guess the first ten layers are correct everytime.
And the jump of movement is big, so I think it isn't a calibrating issue.

In the second attachment, you see that sometimes after some layers the printer remember the object location prints "correct" again.

I don't know how to fix this, has anybody any idea?



Thanks.

Regards Markus

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2 Reply by pcpoirier

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Re: layers moving during printing

Belts not tightened evenly

3 Reply by jjcuff1

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Re: layers moving during printing

I hear your frustration. I am seeing the same thing. I am going to adjust my belts.

http://www.soliforum.com/topic/1595/help-y-wobble-wtf/

see my thread above

I think it is the belt adjustment. They are hard to adjust since the collars and pulleys do not slide well. A better design would be to a v-belt or guided belt for alignment then on the back wall I would mount both rod bushings on one arm with bushings in each end and then in the middle I would have one tension adjustment screw so both sides of rod apply even tension on the belt.

Right now you are apply tension to the belts to set the alignment as well.

You can easily see if it is out. turn pwoer off and move the carriage in the y. observe the back rod and see if it moves in and out of the bushing (left to right) if it pops out and moves 1/4" or more then the alignment is off and I guess will cause binding.

I have not fixed m problem yet. I did adjust the belts at first randomly and it improved but still off now too tight on one side.

SD2 owner- Surestepr, filament holder,QUBD servo and heaters, glass bed
Print for fun and for parts for my sports cars
current car is 88 IROC

4 Reply by cmetzel

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Re: layers moving during printing

Also check the set screws of all the pulleys to make sure they're tight and not slipping.

5 Reply by jjcuff1

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Re: layers moving during printing

From What I have seen people talk of the pulleys slipping because of the set screws. There are no set screws? Just the collars and there set screws. The collars keep the pulley form walking left to right but only the tension of the belts keep it from slipping. So if they walk and slip they can also spin on the shaft so.

Also my shaft was chewed up from SD with the set screw so it makes the pulley hard to shift, I am thinking I have pull the shaft out and sand it down

This should be a keyed shaft for the pull and collar. Next mod.

SD2 owner- Surestepr, filament holder,QUBD servo and heaters, glass bed
Print for fun and for parts for my sports cars
current car is 88 IROC

6 Reply by jjcuff1

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Re: layers moving during printing

And I retract the v-belt statement, no bueno for indexed loads

SD2 owner- Surestepr, filament holder,QUBD servo and heaters, glass bed
Print for fun and for parts for my sports cars
current car is 88 IROC

7 Reply by markg

  • markg
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Re: layers moving during printing

thanks for your answers.

belts are tight and screws are fixed, I have controlled both, but no change on the printing result.

Only for understanding, the jump the layers are making is 8-10mm, I can't realize a mechanical problem, because first x layers are correct. I also can't hear belts slipping, if the layer jumps beside. The dimensions of the moved layer looks correct only on the wrong place.

Can please anybody explain?

I only can find one firmware for the S3, is that right or is it too late so I don't find another one?

8 Reply by jjcuff1

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Re: layers moving during printing

OMG I have the same problem. I am going to tighten the belts as you have done again tonight. But I have little hope it is the belts since it is repeatable at layers 6-10 as you have and the prints start out perfect. I see no slippage binding or major popping.

And it is always start at the beginning of a new layer. If it was mechanical why does it always start with the layer. Unless it is tied to the Z axis as well. I will try my best to clean things up but my machine worked fine one print and few hours later same exact print and setup it hasn't worked since. Been about a week now.

It almost seems like the gcode or slicing is telling the machine to step back somehow. Maybe I will try kisslcr with same model and see

SD2 owner- Surestepr, filament holder,QUBD servo and heaters, glass bed
Print for fun and for parts for my sports cars
current car is 88 IROC

9 Reply by ronsii

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Re: layers moving during printing

Hi Markg, There are setscrews on the back shaft(y axis) they are to keep the axis square since it is driven by the belt on either end if one of these setscrews slips it will throw the alignment between x and y off (not 90 degrees) if this happens it could cause binding on the y rods making it too hard for the stepper motors to move the axis and therefore losing steps... which is what yours is doing. Mark, have you tried moving the axis by hand( power off) and is it smooth? kinda hard to tell without a reference I know but move it back and forth a few times and also put a marking pen(sharpie) mark on the pulleys to the shaft so you can keep an eye on if they are slipping or not. One other thing to check is the x to y alignment between the rods if you have a quick square or any kind of 90 degree block place that against the y rods and the x rods they need to be as close to 90 as possible.

10 Reply by markg

  • markg
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Re: layers moving during printing

Hi,
thanks for all your tips.

Problem is solved it seems it was the usb 3.0 port on my laptop.

I tried nearly everything, deinstalled all 3d software, cleaned appdata and registry. But after all only one successfull print was possible, I can't explain why.

Since I connected the S3 directly to the USB2.0 port of my laptop and not like before over the usb3.0 hub it works fine.
Have done 8 successfull prints since then.

Regards Mark

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11 Reply by markg

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Re: layers moving during printing

And to guard for getting problems with screws and pulleys slipping I secured them with screw secure varnish (something similar to lock tight but originally used on my race motorcycle)

so pulleys and screws shouldn't move and if they move it can be easily identified because the varnish will break.

12 Reply by ronsii

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Re: layers moving during printing

markg wrote:

And to guard for getting problems with screws and pulleys slipping I secured them with screw secure varnish (something similar to lock tight but originally used on my race motorcycle)

so pulleys and screws shouldn't move and if they move it can be easily identified because the varnish will break.

Great idea on the varnish smile I see that a lot working on other devices with moving parts.

Glad you figured the problem out, I remember reading about not plugging the printer into a hub but could not remember what the issues were if you did...I do also know if you have any power saving/sleep settings turned on it will mess with the print though.

13 Reply by solijohn

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Re: layers moving during printing

ronsii wrote:
markg wrote:

And to guard for getting problems with screws and pulleys slipping I secured them with screw secure varnish (something similar to lock tight but originally used on my race motorcycle)

so pulleys and screws shouldn't move and if they move it can be easily identified because the varnish will break.

Great idea on the varnish smile I see that a lot working on other devices with moving parts.

Glad you figured the problem out, I remember reading about not plugging the printer into a hub but could not remember what the issues were if you did...I do also know if you have any power saving/sleep settings turned on it will mess with the print though.

Glad you got everything solved.

Former Solidoodle employee, no longer associated with the company.