1 Topic by vansbutsneakers (edited by vansbutsneakers 2015-02-17 21:22:35)

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Topic: Every Axis is Off

Hello guys, I am at a point of desperation right now. I received my solidoodle Press about 2 weeks ago, and have yet to get it working, or even make a model.

My issue is as goes:
When telling the printer to print anything (using the Standard and most recent SoliPrint software), the printer is supposed to run through it's routine process of sliding against the left side of the body in order to drop the Z-Probe and perform it's auto leveling, right?

WRONG!
My printer seems to be confused as to where the print head is. No matter what it is, leveling, printing, etc. the print head seems to collide into the X and Y axis, making a grinding noise that I'm sure isn't any good for the calibration. In turn, since it's not sliding against the side walls at the right coordinates, the Z-probe fails to drop and it collides into the Z Axis as well.

Furthermore, once it fails to move any further beyond the plate boundaries (grinding noise), the printer then resumes into it's auto leveling mode. However, when it's usually supposed to start probing at Mid Plate, the printer starts as close as possible to the front door, causing it to grind even more on the Y axis when trying to move up to the next row of Z-probing.

I tried to contact solidoodle 7 times over email and 4 times with their provided number, with NO ANSWER! It's almost as if they want me to wait until my 30-day warranty expires!

Note I am using the STOCK SOLIPRINT software with unmodified slicer settings.

Help! Attached is a video of what is happening

Video Here (too big for forum attachment) http://youtu.be/1Yk3UInbl6c

2 Reply by android78

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Re: Every Axis is Off

It's hard to see in the youtube video what is happening to the print carriage during initialization, but it looks like it is trying to go too far to the left and getting caught in the corner.  Are you able to open the lid when you try the initialization so that we can see better?  Also, 'd suggest stopping the printer as soon as it starts making that noise as it's not good for the belts/stepper motors/drivers.

3 Reply by vansbutsneakers

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Re: Every Axis is Off

Thanks android78 for your quick response. I just finished filming another youtube video from the top so you can see. The first video shows the printer starting to print, then auto-probing, then continually trying to print.

As you will see in the video, again the X and Y boundaries are off. And again, this is with the stock, freshly-installed, SoliPrint

Video 1 (too big for forum attachment): http://youtu.be/iqspncO8xd8

In the second video, although hesitant, i pushed the head back, so that it would not collide with the front of the machine to properly allow probing. Once completed, you can see that the nozzle does not move, but rather just pumps out the appropriate filament

Video 2 (too big for forum attachment): http://youtu.be/vzdKOU6TRKc


Thanks for the help!

4 Reply by android78

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Re: Every Axis is Off

It looks like the printer is trying to go too far to the left in the calibration routine.  I wonder if the limiter on your X-axis is registering too far to the left.  You could try bending the metal on the switch on the right side of the printer so that it doesn't stick out so much and see if it homes the printer slightly to the right of where it does currently.
Also, have you checked that the belts on the y-axis are tight?
I'm not in front of my printer right now, but maybe someone can check the maximum number of steps on the X-axis of the printer and you can step it through, seeing if it hits the side before reaching the maximum... that should give you an idea how far off you are.

5 Reply by android78

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Re: Every Axis is Off

Just a thought too... have you installed the latest soliprint software?  Someone suggested that it makes some changes to the firmware.  I'm not sure if that's accurate, but may be worth checking.

6 Reply by android78

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Re: Every Axis is Off

In the second video, one thing to try is to put a thin board on the build platform while it does the bed levelling routine and then take it off after.  This should make it attempt to print above the build platform, making sure the bed isn't jamming the print head. If this does allow the head to move, then I would suggest the issue may be your z-axis calibration.  You'd have to try setting the initial value to a much smaller number and go from there.
The sound it is making is similar to that when one of the wires on the extruder is broken, but that would mean the filament wouldn't be extruding, not that the head would not be moving.

7 Reply by vansbutsneakers

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Re: Every Axis is Off

Hi, I just did all that you suggested, it didn't seem to help my cause sad

I appreciate the help, but we are still in the same spot. I'm starting to think I just have a defective printer? The Limit switch is fine, even bent back a bit, and yet it is still colliding.

What do you think android? Defective printer? I tried to reach them so many times but they aren't answering.

8 Reply by android78

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Re: Every Axis is Off

If you ask me... if you turn it on and do the calibration routine and, after that (or before that), it doesn't work correctly, it's a defective printer.  But that would appear to rule the majority of the solidoodle press printers defective. :-/
In your case, you definitely do have a defective unit, but it seems that you will have trouble trying to RMA it, so could be worth continuing to try and fix it.
I still wonder about the X-Limit switch.  Do you have any skills with a multimeter?  It would be worth unplugging it from the motherboard and making sure it is working correctly. 
Are you able to find out how many steps left of home position it takes before the x-axis stops moving and if this is actually hitting the other side or stopping itself?  Test this at the front of the printer where it seems to get jammed.

9 Reply by vansbutsneakers (edited by vansbutsneakers 2015-02-18 06:02:28)

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Re: Every Axis is Off

I took your advice and tried with a multimeter, everything seemed fine!

I did your tests that you suggested, testing the X axis to see where it stops and how many steps. here are the results


BACK OF SOLIDOODLE: http://youtu.be/waeN9Fcmwi8

FRONT OF SOLIDOODLE: http://youtu.be/GZSxHRTijdE


Everything seemed to be fine! so why does this happen only when printing?

10 Reply by vansbutsneakers

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Re: Every Axis is Off

Another interesting thing for you.

When at the X and Y home, then commanded to go to the Z home, the head moves diagonally rather than all the way across the X (to latch Z probe against body rails) then forward (to bring down the probe). It just moves diagonally, this isn't how it's supposed to go...

Going to Z-Home from XY home : http://youtu.be/VvYDO8cNSik


However, when told to go to Z-Home from where it SHOULD be after a previous Z-Home, it works just fine in terms of Z homing, and then works well thereafter.

Going to Z-Home XY Home : http://youtu.be/PhVIyCyQr_I


IF ALL CLICKING IS IGNORED AND I LEAVE THE PRINTER TO WORK, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. JUST EXTRUDES ACCORDINGLY AND DOESNT MOVE. As seen below

http://youtu.be/873imJ_uh8Q

11 Reply by trayracing

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Re: Every Axis is Off

Have you checked your steps/mm, in case they were corrupted? Use the M501 command in the GCode window. It should report something like:

  Steps per unit:
    M92 X80.00 Y80.00 Z400.00 E105.00

(I have no idea why these might be off. Just covering bases here.)

12 Reply by vansbutsneakers

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Re: Every Axis is Off

trayracing wrote:

Have you checked your steps/mm, in case they were corrupted? Use the M501 command in the GCode window. It should report something like:

  Steps per unit:
    M92 X80.00 Y80.00 Z400.00 E105.00

(I have no idea why these might be off. Just covering bases here.)

Yep Identical to what you said.

X80.00
Y80.00
Z400.00
E105.00

13 Reply by vansbutsneakers

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Re: Every Axis is Off

However, maybe some things seem off... Anyone mind sending me all of their M501 Output?

14 Reply by trayracing

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Re: Every Axis is Off

22:32:25.405 : echo:Stored settings retrieved
22:32:25.405 : echo:Steps per unit:
22:32:25.426 : echo:  M92 X80.00 Y80.00 Z400.00 E105.00
22:32:25.426 : echo:Maximum feedrates (mm/s):
22:32:25.426 : echo:  M203 X500.00 Y500.00 Z5.00 E3.00
22:32:25.427 : echo:Maximum Acceleration (mm/s2):
22:32:25.427 : echo:  M201 X1200 Y1200 Z100 E10000
22:32:25.427 : echo:Acceleration: S=acceleration, T=retract acceleration
22:32:25.427 : echo:  M204 S2000.00 T3000.00
22:32:25.427 : echo:Advanced variables: S=Min feedrate (mm/s), T=Min travel feedrate (mm/s), B=minimum segment time (ms), X=maximum XY jerk (mm/s),  Z=maximum Z jerk (mm/s),  E=maximum E jerk (mm/s)
22:32:25.427 : echo:  M205 S0.00 T0.00 B20000 X20.00 Z0.40 E5.00
22:32:25.427 : echo:Home offset (mm):
22:32:25.427 : echo:  M206 X0.00 Y0.00 Z0.00
22:32:25.427 : echo:PID settings:
22:32:25.427 : echo:   M301 P13.00 I0.70 D62.00