1 Topic by n108bg

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Topic: Da Vinci X axis shift

Right, so i've been working on my Da Vinci 1.0 for the last couple of days now. I went on vacation for 4 days, and when i left, the printer was fully functional. However, since i got back i have noticed my prints shifting durastically on the x axis, in both directions. At first, it was an immediate shift left, so i replaced the cable and sensor, and cleaned the cable harness coming off of the extruder. It had been pinched in a prior incident, but still seems to be functional.

Well, now when i get to around 10mm off the bed, the print starts to shift both left and right, dramatically. Before this, there are no issues. This is a DA Vinci 1.0 running stock board/components otherwise and Repetier firmware. Any ideas?

2 Reply by carl_m1968 (edited by carl_m1968 2015-07-09 01:14:35)

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Re: Da Vinci X axis shift

Your stepper may be getting to hot. Just to test get a fan and leave the door open and let it blow in while printing the failing print. See if it still shifts even with the fan blowing in. Note print may not be good due to the fan cooling one side but right now we are not worried about the print over isolating the cause of the shift.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

3 Reply by n108bg

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Re: Da Vinci X axis shift

I normally operate the printer without the door and hole covers, so i highly doubt its the y axis stepper overheating, but i will test when i get done with dinner

4 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: Da Vinci X axis shift

n108bg wrote:

I normally operate the printer without the door and hole covers, so i highly doubt its the y axis stepper overheating, but i will test when i get done with dinner

In your opening  post you said X axis which is left to right. Now you say Y which is front to back. Which axis are we actually talking about. A Y shift is usually filament binding from the cartridge. But if it is happening after a certain period then it almost always thermal. Either a motor or a driver getting too hot.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

5 Reply by n108bg (edited by n108bg 2015-07-08 23:48:36)

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Re: Da Vinci X axis shift

Sorry meant x (left to right). Will take a look at the driver and motor

Edit: I couldnt figure out/ couldnt be bothered to put a fan on the stepper motor, so i tied a 24" box fan to the front of the printer and removed the door. I also found a nice copper heatsink and attached it to the X-axis stepper driver IC. Will post results

6 Reply by n108bg

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Re: Da Vinci X axis shift

Printer seems to be operational with fan on front. Further testing will be needed to narrow down the motor or the driver (id put money on the driver) but ATM issue appears to be diagnosed.

7 Reply by n108bg

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Re: Da Vinci X axis shift

Right, so I may have been wrong..even with a fan on the x axis driver and a 24" box fan blowing in the door, it is still screwing up. The motor seems to drive itself the wrong way ( preferrably left when its supposed to be right) but the stepper and driver both seem to be fine.

8 Reply by nicksears

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Re: Da Vinci X axis shift

I HAVE THE SOLUTION! For my printer anyways and it's a serious design flaw so it's likely the common cause.
It was the x motor wiring repetitively bending, causing a poor connection. The connection would be fine in the home position, but when the y position was towards the front, the x-motor wire was bent, making a poor connection.

This meant during infill (rectiliear, zig-zag) it would work going left and towards the front. However, when it turns the corner on the zig-zag and goes right and towards the back, the y position is in the front, stressing the x-motor wire, causing the poor connection. The return direction that should then be right and back, is only back, leading to the overall left drift.

I replaced the x-motor wire (lucky I had similar connectors) and it worked right away.
You could probably patch by cutting near the motor connector and cut well past the flexing portion of the wires.
Use 22-26AWG wire and give it some extra length so there's less stress (so you don't have to do it again in the future).

Before that I had swapped stepper drivers and the x still had the issue.
A friend actually had a driver go out on his, but that's fairly uncommon.
If you do have to you can totally use a traditional A4988 by bending the pins on the board inward and driver outward (carefully)

9 Reply by ncmoore12

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Re: Da Vinci X axis shift

Are you guys using Slic3r and it's skipping?

My printer will print fine when I'm using xyzware to slice it, but my slic3r prints seems to skip, maybe because XYZ doesn't have the temperatures as hot so the wires might be having that thermal issue, but let me know if you guys have experienced this same issue, or you guys might think its the stepper motors, etc.

Printing with ABS, conducting research on experimental HT materials
XYZ Da Vinci 1.0 W/Slic3r, looking into new 3D printers.
1 Year of 3D printing experience
Studying Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

10 Reply by abomb60 (edited by abomb60 2015-08-27 20:56:40)

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Re: Da Vinci X axis shift

I'm having a similar issue that just started happening the other day.  I noticed that when I homed the X-axis from Simplify3D or from the main control panel that it only moved slightly to the left until it ran out of space on the X-axis.  So I found this post and started troubleshooting.  Using the connector to the Y-axis stepper does work as well so I figured it was the X-axis wiring since I found that I could wiggle the wiring harness with my hands and the X-axis stepper was clicking.  I cut out a section of the cable and soldered some new wiring in between and now it still moves only to the left when I home the X-axis but the clicking is gone.  Any thoughts?  Maybe the X-axis sensor is shot or it's wiring may be bad too?

EDIT:  also this printer is using Repetier 0.92 not the stock XYZ firmware.

11 Reply by carl_m1968

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Re: Da Vinci X axis shift

The sensor works on the logic that as long as nothing is home it creates a high signal the board reads as not active. If you home or block a sensor that signal then goes low and the board sees that as the axis being home. The problem with this logic is if you have a bad sensor wire the signal will go low during operation and the machine will think home is where that low happened.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

12 Reply by retromoonfarmer

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Re: Da Vinci X axis shift

nicksears wrote:

I HAVE THE SOLUTION! For my printer anyways and it's a serious design flaw so it's likely the common cause.


Same happened with mine, had to cut that ziptie where it was pulling tight. Then taped the wires down to the side of the carriage.