Thursday I began attempting to print the first of my RepRap parts for the Mendel I've been working on for some time now. I would get part of the way through the print and the whole print would shift in each new row after that point. Thinking it was a bad file I redid the file to generate new code for the machine and this time it got further before the same problem began again. Thinking maybe the base file was flawed I tried another part. This part also was screwed up. That's when I found the problem. One of the drive belts/pulleys had gotten loose causing slack that would make the whole access fall out of alignment as it printed and hit that slack point. Having found this I cooled down the machine and attempted to tighten the tensioning part associated with that pulley/belt.
Today I updated the firmware, and the controlling software. Things were printing out wonderfully but again it became messed up at a certain point past the others. So first thing I checked was the tensioning part, and low and behold it appears to have slipped again. Looks like I'm going to have to try again or perhaps look for some other locking mechanism to hold it if it keeps slipping. So now I have to wait for it to cool down, then its back to fixing it up so I can try again.
The belts are hard to get tight on a Makerbot aren't they :) But don't worry, once you have them set they are good for a VERY long time (I had the same issue at 1st, but I have not touched my belts in 9 months now).
ReplyDeletePull the belt back tight with both hands, and tighten it from the alen wrench side while holding the bolt tightly in position.
When your belt is properly tight it should "thum" when you pluck it.