Black Dust on Motor Shell - Belt Grinds?

[Eraser 31]

Hi Everyone,

I have noticed just recently some black dust forming on top of the motors. I can only guess this is due to the belt grinding. I looked back at some old photos I had of the printer from a couple months back (before I installed the 2+ upgrade), and it wasn't there, so I'm thinking it has something to do with my reassembly after installing the 2+ upgrade. Does anyone have advice for how to resolve this issue?

Thanks!

[Eraser 31]

One more comment - in the last step of the 2+ upgrade (Aligning the axles: https://ultimaker.com/en/resources/19953-aligning-the-axles), it tells you to "Loosen the 2 pulleys on the back X axle". Unfortunately, only my back left pulley included a screw in the hole of the axle. It seems my back right pulley never had a screw in it - so I was unable to tighten or loosen it. I just carried on based on the left screw only.

This is a picture of my back right pulley. There's no tightening screw.

This is a picture of my back left pulley - it has a tightening screw.

Is there supposed to be a tightening screw in the back right axle? Is it possible that this is causing the issue? If yes, can anyone advise the size of the screw or where I can get one? I think I am just past my warranty period.

Thanks!

[Eraser 31]

I have done a little more sleuthing.  I ran my fingers along the edges of the belts to see which ones had black dust along them.  

On the right side, the vertical belt from the motor had the most.  Not sure if that's static cling though.  A picture:

On the left side, the vertical belt from the motor also had the most.   Pictures of the bottom and top of the vertical belt appear to show that the bottom of the belt is not centered on the pulley.   Maybe its grinding on the edge of the pulley?

I am going to clean up the black dust, try to center the belts on the pulleys, and see if more dust forms.

Edited July 30, 2016 by Guest

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

That's why I printed myself spacers with adjusted length so the pulleys stay where they don't grind.

[Kevparang 10]

You defiantly need spacers and since that are already like that, make sure to replace then, then you wont need to deal with them anymore. Just buy them from a trusted resource.

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

Why buying if you have a 3d printer to print them...? PLA is fine for those spacers, it won't get very hot there unless you completely close your printer.

[Kevparang 10]

Yes, the spacers and someother thing can be printed but not everything.

[Eraser 31]

That's why I printed myself spacers with adjusted length so the pulleys stay where they don't grind.

 

 

You defiantly need spacers and since that are already like that, make sure to replace then, then you wont need to deal with them anymore. Just buy them from a trusted resource.

 

Thanks guys. Can you explain what these spacers are, or better yet show me with a picture of your machine or point to a print file that I can download? If I know what make, I'm pretty good with Fusion360 and I can make it.

[Kevparang 10]

I do not have an ultimaker but I have a RoBo 3D to hold the coupler which leaded to less wobble.

[IRobertI 520]

Thanks guys. Can you explain what these spacers are, or better yet show me with a picture of your machine or point to a print file that I can download?  If I know what make, I'm pretty good with Fusion360 and I can make it.

 

Look in the back left corner of your printer, right above the stepper. There you will see a rather long black spacer. Dim3nsioneer is suggesting that you print a shorter version of that to push the pulley out from the wall a little bit, to center the belt better.

[Eraser 31]

Look in the back left corner of your printer, right above the stepper. There you will see a rather long black spacer. Dim3nsioneer is suggesting that you print a shorter version of that to push the pulley out from the wall a little bit, to center the belt better.

 

Thanks. I will look at my printer later and see I recognize the spacer you are describing.

[Kevparang 10]

I think he means this:

- broken link -

Edited August 1, 2016 by SandervG
link removed because it was broken

[Eraser 31]

I think he means this:

https://d3v5bfco3dani2.cloudfront.net/photo/image/700x0/579c30c0bffaa/Moto%20Belt%20-%20Left%20Bottom%202.jpg

 

Oh, I see. The black motor mount with 4 horizontal cylindrical posts (each of which has a screw running through it) that set the distance between the motor and the left wall. So, in my case, the belt seems to grind on the right side of the belt, so that I might need to increase the length of those 4 cylindrical posts so that the pulley moves a little to the right. Those posts sit right up against the motor, and also I have a fully enclosed UM2+ (full acrylic enclosure) so I am thinking that heat might be an issue for a printed part, at least in PLA.

On the other hand, I did not have this issue before I installed the 2+ upgrade, and these motors, pulleys, and belts were not changed, so that I think it might just be something I can adjust - because I must have misaligned it upon reinstallation.

@SandervG do you have any thoughts?

Thanks

~Nick.

[Kevparang 10]

You might just need to change or reattach it?

[IRobertI 520]

No, that's not the part we're talking about. We're talking about the spacers on the rods.

The rod that has the pulley that is grinding doesn't have one of these spacers. But you can add a very short one to push the pulley out from the wall of the printer and thus center the belt on the pulley.

@Kevparang, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but please, stop guessing on solutions for printers that you don't have any experience with.

[Kevparang 10]

@lRobertl I really do not want to argue with you anymore so do not argue with me. I am trying to help the community so there is not point to deny everything I say.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Guest

[neotko 1,417]

@kevparang please relax and thing. You are pointing to solutions you have no experience with. @IrobertI it's trying to give information for an user that has a problem.

If you want to help the community try to focus on the stuff you know about and not the stuff you guess about. Or at least don't point to solutions without adding that you have no experience with this machines in particular. Opinions are great, but noise it isn't.

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

 

@Eraser: @iroberti's picture shows the spacers I meant. Could you fix that pulley without screw in the meantime? If you need a new grub screw and have problem with getting it because it's metric you may get in contact with @valcrow. He is the Canadian distributor.

Edited July 31, 2016 by Guest

[Eraser 31]

Thanks guys, and thanks for the photo to point out the spacer. As far as I can tell, The pulley for that spacer isn't one of the ones that is grinding. That belt seems to be relatively centered, so I am not sure that adjusting that spacer will help.

What I have done for now is manually pushed on the belts to recenter them on the pulleys and cleaned away the black dust. There is some possibility that when I installed the 2+ kit, the pulleys got pushed out of center and just stayed there ever since. I will be printing over the next few days and will report back if the problem persists.

@Dim3nsioneer - thanks. I'll contact shop3D.ca and see if they have the grub screw I'm missing.

[neotko 1,417]

@eraser since you pushed the belts, and this wasn't before installing the kit. Just to be sure. Could you check the alignment of the axis like the installation manual explains on page 20-21-22?

https://ultimaker.com/download/13608/ExtrusionUpgrade-v1-0_EN.pdf

Just to be sure your hotend it's perfectly square. (If you already did this step upon installing all then just forget this post).

[valcrow 144]

@Dim3nsioneer - thanks. I'll contact shop3D.ca and see if they have the grub screw I'm missing.

 

Oh hey! that's you! we just sent you an e-mail we have one at the store for you free.

[Eraser 31]

 

@Dim3nsioneer - thanks. I'll contact shop3D.ca and see if they have the grub screw I'm missing.

 

Oh hey! that's you! we just sent you an e-mail we have one at the store for you free.

 

Thanks @valcrow / Shop3D.ca !

[Eraser 31]

I have now repeated the Aligning step of the UM2+ upgrade, now with the grub screw from Shop3D.ca on hand. It's early yet, but the machine audibly sounds like it is running smoother. Hopefully, there will be no more black dust forming.

[Kevparang 10]

Good luck, hope for the best.