Partial Answer This Is Not a Circle: Unable to Print Anything

Spent the last two days trying to adjust the settings in Matter Control. No problem extruding, but it's like the arduino board that controls this thing is one that flew over the cuckoo's nest. This image shows sticking issues, but that is mainly out of I've-been-trying-to-print-this-circle-for-two-days laziness. It won't even repeat its designs.

What occurs when I print: loud grinding sounds from the y-axis, but no contact with the extruder to cause that sound. The z-axis is level. Similar results with slow or fast speeds. The printer begins each time by drawing shaky horizontal lines for the first 5 minutes of 15 minute print before making about 2-3 lines of circle shapes, each on a different portion of the y-axis.

It looks like this is a connection issue with the y-axis, but I don't know where to start to fix it.

I am a novice on the most basic level, so this is beyond me. PLEASE HELP!

 

Hannah, like we talked about in the shoutbox, might be a stepper driver that needs the current adjusted. Little involved and since you just got it yesterday, I would call Robo for assistance. They can walk you through it and replace anything needed. Hopefully they will get you up printing soon. Keep us updated. If you have a video of it making the noise might help as well. Sorry to hear it is not working out of the gate on you.

Here's a video that explains it a bit. If you have a multi meter and a ceramic screwdriver, you could do it, but again, may want to call Robo first.

 

Thank you for your help! Hopefully it is this and not a bad potluck of issues.

 

If you pull the bed all the way out and tell the Y axis to home does it do that successfully?

If you enable the motors (do a move command) does the Y axis move relatively freely, or does it take a good amount of force for the motor to skip

 

There are no obstructions on the y-axis when I move it manually. The bottom of the plate is clean, the bars are comfortably fit, and the heating wires are in the right place with no caught pieces. Below is a video of the noise it makes and its starter horizontal lines issue.

 

Does it do that only during printing or when you home it as well?
That sounds a bit to me like a loose connector on the y motor or they motor wire as it plugs into the ramps

 

No noise with the manual motion! It just occurs when it calibrates and prints.

 

That sounds more to me like a loose y belt... Could you lift the glass bed off the y axis carriage (held on by 4 magnets) and check the belt to ensure it is tight?

 

Homing is the process of the printer moving the carriages to their end stop. It's a button in matter control you press and also happens during the start of a print. Not physically moving it

This is a good point as well, probably broken tensioners

 

if it is the y axis belt tensioner, they sometimes have a couple extra in a bag when shipped. At least they did for me which was nice.

 

Thanks for the tips! I tried homing the y-axis and it is a hit or miss if it actually moves. For the majority of attempts, it moves, but with a lot of physical vibration on the carriage. On a minority of the attempts (with no extra pressure or adjustments), the output does not turn at all, let alone turn the belt.

Edit: When I give the carriage a push during a stall, it will complete the objective. It only stalls when extended on the side that has the connected wires.

 

hmmm....is the set screw on the y axis stepper pulley tight? It's under the glass bed.

 

Have a small allen wrench set? Was it snug? It's the little screw hole at the bottom of the little gear on the right.

 

Oi vey, those are hard to check on. I tightened them the best I could, but no change.

 

I'm still voting the plug for the Y motor is loose.

Turn the printer on it's side and remove the 6 screws holding the bottom lid in place. Be careful when removing it, slowly pulling on the corner with the fan opening, and make note of the fan orientation as you unplug it from the ramps so you can plug it back in when your done.

The Y motor is the one in the middle, check the connector on it to make sure it's solidly plugged into the motor and that no wires are broken or loose from the connector.

If that's good, follow the wiring back to the ramps board (this may be hard because of zip ties, etc) but the ramps board is also labeled with a Y where it plugs in, make sure that's plugged in as well.

This would be especially leading if one direction of movement works better than the other.

 

Hannah, were you able to check the connections or contact Robo today?