1. Got a question or need help troubleshooting? Post to the troubleshooting forum or Search the forums!

Finding Parts for the R2 - What to look up

Discussion in 'General Questions' started by Hanover, Aug 21, 2017.

  1. Hanover

    Hanover Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2017
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    28
    Check this out. This thermistor comes with a heating block, but it looks like it has the canister style plug...Cheap enough to just ditch the block and use the themistor, if it works, of course. :)

    From Ali Express
     
  2. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Messages:
    6,757
    Likes Received:
    2,339
    Thermistor looks different to me (at least from all the hexagons I've used from Robo). You'd need to measure the hole and ask the seller what the OD and length of their canistor is (or take a gamble :D )
     
  3. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    The IR Sensor on the R2/C2 detects how far away the bed is from THE SENSOR. Not the tip of the nozzle. With the E3D that nozzle tip will likely be in a different spot than the Hexagon because you are replacing the hotend, not the mount or position for the IR sensor.

    I honestly have not looked at this. I guess one of us with the wherewithal should try to fit an E3D on a C2 or R2 and see what crops up for issues. I will add that to my list -- I don't have a spare E3D at the moment so it may be a little before I have the opportunity. @WheresWaldo may be in a position to try when his arrives, but can't speak for him.
     
    Printed Solid likes this.
  4. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    It won't be a perfect fit. We (well I) bought some of those exact thermistors stand-alone from Ali and they are not the same size... they are also of pretty sketchy quality. They are essentially a normal thermistor with a brass sleeve sort of crimped around it.

    If you want one of those thermistors to play with -- PM me your address and I will stick one in an envelope and then in the mail :)
     
  5. sgomes

    sgomes Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2016
    Messages:
    136
    Likes Received:
    57
    I can confirm this. I switched to a tungsten nozzle, which happens to be longer, and all I had to do was adjust the Z offset.
     
    Geof likes this.
  6. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Messages:
    6,757
    Likes Received:
    2,339
    I understand that, but typically on a set up (havent seen this one hands on) there is a relationship between the sensor mount and the detection of the bed so that when the sensor detects the bed the nozzle lays down a good layer yea? Or are they willy nilly mounting the IR and just having the "wizard" offset the holy crap out of it until the nozzle is right ? Seems silly to do it that way but may work out for those swapping to a different set up.
     
  7. sgomes

    sgomes Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2016
    Messages:
    136
    Likes Received:
    57
    As far as I understand, that's exactly how it works. You use the wizard to set your Z offset when you set up the printer, and from then on, it will always maintain that distance from the bed. I don't think the printer knows about the length of the nozzle at all; it just tries to maintain the offset you set it to.
     
  8. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Messages:
    6,757
    Likes Received:
    2,339
    That is border line hilarious to me :D. Typically when I set up a machine I find where the leveling sensor detects the bed then adjust that sensor until my "offset" is mechanically set by the hardware. No software tom-foolery that can fail for height. Sorry I'm goin on a tangent I think :D lol Interesting thats the way they chose to about it :D
     
  9. sgomes

    sgomes Active Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2016
    Messages:
    136
    Likes Received:
    57
    I think the difference is that these are actually distance sensors, not just proximity sensors, in that they produce a measurement of the distance to something, rather than just a reading for whether something is present. Assuming this, it makes sense to set them up this way.

    Of course, i could be completely and utterly wrong :)
     
    Geof likes this.
  10. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Messages:
    6,757
    Likes Received:
    2,339
    Hey thats my job!
     
    sgomes likes this.
  11. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    Probably correct and it would explain why the Z offset number is so large. I am not convinced it is a direct measurement from the IR sensor. It probably has some calculated "zero" and the offset applies from there. Still, as long as it works by adjusting the Z offset you are fine with whatever hotend. Making the E3D fit the mount snugly might be the only concern and it is solvable.
     
    #31 mark tomlinson, Aug 22, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2017
    Geof likes this.
  12. Hanover

    Hanover Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2017
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    28
    My E3D clone comes tomorrow and it shouldn't take me too long to swap it out and plug it in. Putting the thermistor together will be the longest process, and I've already studied some You Tube videos on how to do it.

    I miss having two printers. I could have one printer do a multi-day print and still have my second printer for smaller jobs. My return window with Amazon.com is up so I can't even send the R2 back. Robo's response of, "Nope, no spare parts! Don't know when we're gonna get more!" is annoying. Do they not know how expensive this printer was? :)
     
    sgomes likes this.
  13. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    They have struggled with service delivery from the initial beta printer (2013). It is easier to design an build a printer than to service customers :) Well, if you are an engineer it is.

    They really should have allowed for faster ramp up on available spare parts (although knowing which ones to stock is not a given either) and I suspect their idea of just swapping the printer was what they settled on assuming a low failure rate...

    They really did not plan or intend for this to be a very user serviceable item
     
    Kilrah and Ed Ferguson like this.
  14. Ed Ferguson

    Ed Ferguson Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 21, 2016
    Messages:
    272
    Likes Received:
    220
    I worked for a Fortune 500 electronics test equipment manufacturer for 24 years. On a new product, it always took six months to get spare parts flowing into the Parts Dept because production needed every available component to meet schedule. The company finally set a policy that allowed customer service to go down to the production line and take whatever parts / assemblies needed to accomplish a warranty repair. In other words, a customer with a broken product took priority over a customer waiting for their ordered product. This is a common issue. Engineers want to believe they have designed the perfect product and don't consider what needs to happen should one need repair. And when I was in the Air Force, we always had a "Hanger Queen" to cannibalize.
     
    OutsourcedGuru likes this.
  15. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    In this case I think the "production" line is across the 'pond' :)
    Still though, you have a good point and they (*cough*) should have some inventory of new, unsold ones to cannibalize stateside for repairs :)
     
  16. Geof

    Geof Volunteer Moderator
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Nov 9, 2015
    Messages:
    6,757
    Likes Received:
    2,339
    :D parts? where were going we dont need no stinkin parts ;)
     
    Printed Solid and OutsourcedGuru like this.
  17. OutsourcedGuru

    OutsourcedGuru Active Member

    Joined:
    Jun 3, 2017
    Messages:
    752
    Likes Received:
    141
    On that "JST crimp tool", I personally just use hemostats (1st) to bring the wings around and then needle-nosed pliers (2nd) on those pins to set them in place. And if you want to be anal about it, dip the now-connected raw tip in flux, tin your soldering iron and then once-heated, hit that tip once to move some solder to the connection. Push the tips into the plastic connector/sleeve and you should be good to go.
     
  18. Hanover

    Hanover Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2017
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    28
    I think 3D printers by their very nature have to be somewhat user serviceable. Clogs happen. Nozzles wear out. Belts wear out. It seems the only way to fix my broken thermistor for the R2 is to get an entirely different hot-end that uses easy-to-find parts. I don't understand their strategy at all. Now I'm starting to understand why people like the DIY Prusa's. I wonder what's going to happen when someone's print bed stops heating or the extruder goes bad...

    In my case, I had to fix a clog, and when I removed the hot end, the wires of the thermistor fell out of the plug because the thermal putty that was supposed to be holding it on dried off and fell onto the floor. That's the nature of thermistors though. That's why you can buy a 10 pack at Amazon. They are fragile. It's something I should be able to easily replace. It's just mind boggling how obscure that Robo went with a thermistor. You can't even find them on Ali Express. :-D

    I'm still a novice at this. Fortunately I cut my teeth when I tried building my own DIY Prusa. It taught me all the parts of the printer and how it all fits together. Ended up giving up on it when the printer was becoming more of a project than actual making. I didn't want to have to spend the money replacing every part that came in the kit. :)

    Despite how it sounds, I really do like the R2, but I guess maybe the R1+ strikes a better balance between DIY and consumer. I get just enough freedom to replace the easy-to-find parts if I want/need to, but don't necessarily have to in order to get it working. The R2 seems to be leaning a bit too far in the proprietary direction.
     
    #38 Hanover, Aug 22, 2017
    Last edited: Aug 22, 2017
  19. mark tomlinson

    mark tomlinson ༼ つ ◕_ ◕ ༽つ
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Messages:
    23,912
    Likes Received:
    7,338
    You mean like the Pogo pins issue many are seeing now ???
    :)
     
    Hanover, Geof and supercazzola like this.
  20. Hanover

    Hanover Member

    Joined:
    Jul 22, 2017
    Messages:
    99
    Likes Received:
    28
    The E3D clone heated up correctly. The only problem is the heatsink is too big for ROBO metal plate to fit into place. Is that necessary for cooling or anything?

    I haven printed anything yet. I still need to shorten the thermistor wire. I just did a quick install to see if I could control it's temperature. So far, so good.
     

Share This Page