Grinding Noise during Travel on UM2+

[willdeng 0]

Hi there,

I have an Ultimaker 2+ Extended and for awhile now, it makes this loud grinding noise whenever it is printing or traveling in the y direction (I think). The prints are fine and I've also tried lubricating the axes but this grinding noise that it's generating is obnoxious to say the least.

Any ideas on what I can do to remedy the situation?

Will

[neotko 1,417]

Can you check if the y shaft is scratching any aide of the panels? Maybe they are slightly moved?

A video always help

[IRobertI 520]

Difficult to say without listening to the noise. But one possible culprit could be dirt trapped between the pulley on the stepper motor shaft and the wall of the printer. Another option is a bad bearing in the head, or in one of the corners of the printer.

[willdeng 0]

Thanks for the quick responses. I checked to make sure that the shafts were not hitting the side panels. I had that happen before and I moved them back into place.

Here's a link to a quick video I made that shows the noise generated whenever printing. Hope it helps.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4diitms1u25m221/2016-10-31%2001.56.02.mp4?dl=0

[willdeng 0]

Does the video help?

[LePaul 321]

Is the slider block hitting the belt(s) ? You have that going on all over the place.

Mine occasionally makes a sound like that and I blamed it on the Bowden tube at max flex.

[IRobertI 520]

Ouch, that sounds horrendous. It kind of sounds like the belts are riding up on the sides of the pulleys. Check if the belts are lined up so that they run parallel to themselves so to speak and also that they are at least somewhat centered on the pulleys.

[willdeng 0]

I've checked the slider blocks and none of them are hitting the belts. I also adjusted the pulleys to make sure they were centered but I am still experiencing the noise. It seems to be originating from the far left corner where you "home head" but no matter how I move the pulleys, the grinding noise still happens.

[conny_g 251]

Did you ever get this resolved? I have a grinding noise, too. When the head moves X direction (left/right). The noise seems to come from the far right corner for me.

[russlang 0]

I also have an Ultimaker 2 Extended which has started making a horrible grinding noise in both the X and Y directions. I just replace the linear bearings in the head but that didnt fix it. I'm pretty sure nothing is rubbing. It sounds like its coming from both the X and Y stepper motors.

 

Here's a video of the sound. Does anyone have any ideas? 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ugs2271ds1rji0u/20180306_103045.mp4?dl=0

[LePaul 321]

3 hours ago, russlang said:

I also have an Ultimaker 2 Extended which has started making a horrible grinding noise in both the X and Y directions. I just replace the linear bearings in the head but that didnt fix it. I'm pretty sure nothing is rubbing. It sounds like its coming from both the X and Y stepper motors.

 

Here's a video of the sound. Does anyone have any ideas? 

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ugs2271ds1rji0u/20180306_103045.mp4?dl=0

 

My Ultimaker 2 made a very similar noise last night!  Is the filament grinding?  Check by the feeder for filament...or remove the filament and check for worn spots.

 

Or...and @SandervG mentioned this on Facebook, you could have a clogged pulley, making it rough for the belt teeth to get in there.  I have to check mine tonight.

 

I never heard this before...last night I tried my first spiralize (vase mode) and I thought it might be something going on with the Z.

 

Another thought...what version of Cura?  I'm using the latest...so wondering, however remotely, if that is a factor?

[russlang 0]

Hi LePaul no its not the filament. The sound is coming from the X and Y stepper motors or the pulleys. I'll try cleaning the belts and pulleys. I think I'm going to get a stethoscope to help isolate the noise if it keeps up.

 

I have two UM 2 Extended printers and they both get fed by the same version of Cura but only one has the problem.

 

Thanks for your reply!

[Torgeir 242]

Hi russlang,

 

I'll think this sound is from both short belts, but mostly from the R/H stepper (the X axis).

It should be possible to hear this sound when moving the extruder manually from right left (X axis), or in and out (Y axis), in order to confirm that this sound is due to a climbing belt.

 

The belt will worn on one side and sometimes you find black rubber remains under the actual pulley that the belt is climbing on.

PS. When cleaning inside the printer, it is a good practice to check the four corners for rubber particle's build up..

 

Thanks

 

Torgeir

 

[russlang 0]

Thank you Torgeir I will keep your input in mind when I clean the pulleys. Listening in person and moving the print head by hand I am convinced both the X and Y axis need to be cleaned.
I will report back once I'm done...

[mayo77 5]

@russlang you never did report back as promised :(...

 

did you ever figure this irritating sound out my printer is making the same sound, but only on one axis...I think its grinding of the belts, stepper motor itself or the actual bearings (holding the rods) but, im not postive because as im sure you already know its pretty hard to pin point the location because it just sounds like its coming from "everywhere". The sound coming from your machine is exactly the same as mine, this is why im asking if you ever figured it out. Also I just ordered a stethoscope as i thought that was a great idea when you mentioned it, hopefully help pin point this. Also anyone else reading this , I promise I will come back and post my solution if i ever find one as well, as this is annoying to figure out.

 

 

UPDATE:

 

I found the issue. For me this sound ended up being the small belt connected to the stepper in the far right corner of my ultimaker. To check if this is your problem, loosen the set screw on that gear to that belt (alot) and move the head by hand (and do not let that belt move). After i noticed the sound was coming only from that belt, I worked the belt back and forth and got it "centered" again. Then i re tightened the set screw, all has been silent since.

Edited March 23, 2018 by mayo77

[Torgeir 242]

Hi mayo77,

 

Yes you're right. This is belt offset sound. It may happen on each of the 4 pulleys for the X axis or each of the four pulleys for the Y axes!  Here it will sound loudly when the slider holding the 6 mm shaft is approaching an offset pulley. If the shaft is in the middle it does not make much noise, but will when coming close to the pulley.

 

Since your printer have this sound all the time, it may come from an offset of the short belts, either X or Y. Noise from here will be present all the time, if it is offset.

 

Belts (all six) used for a long time will wear and make noise due to the wear (it climb on the teeth), maybe a belt change is to be performed? The pulley teeth will be black due to rubber remains in here.

 

Just some suggestions. 

 

It all depend of the total printing hour for your printer, however I'm not that heavy user, so I do not have any max. hour for belt replacement. But overdue belts will make noise!

 

Thanks.

 

Good luck.

 

Torgeir.

 

 

 

[mayo77 5]

Yah i have replacement belts but these belts look fine so im not changing yet. I dunno how many hours i have but, its alot. Anyways i did find a permanent solution (i think)

 

 

My first update on  was a temporary solution as the grinding noise came back within the first 24 hours of printing...

 

Update 2:

 

I believe this is the permanent solution if not i will come back and write another update:

 

I solved this annoying sound by flipping the Gear on the top shaft around, so the counter sink screw was in the back not in the front. Since the gear is about 1 cm thicker on that size, this added enough space that the teeth of the belt were not grinding the front lip, anymore. The belt maybe a bit to tight on the other side now but, I have had zero issues and zero annoying sound since this change, and the printer works perfectly again. I think you could also just 3d print an approx 5mm spacer instead of flipping, but i decide to try this first.. SO FAR SO GOOD.

 

Update 3:

This in the end was just too tight and it was shredding the belt too quickly as it added 6mm. SO i flipped the gear back to the way it was originally and 3d printed (4 spacers), a 2mm thick, 3mm thick, 4mm thick, and a 5mm thick that i could slide on the end of the shaft between the gear and the bearing. I am currently using a 2 mm spacer, and will replace with higher if required.

Edited 2 minutes ago by mayo77

Edited April 2, 2018 by mayo77
UPDATE 3

[Torgeir 242]

Hi mayo77,

 

Good info and well done.

 

Thanks

 

Regards

 

Torgeir

[LePaul 321]

Since I chimed in....I can say I found the cause....

 

It turned it I had a blob of material stuck in the extruder causing the noise.

 

I changed filament and when I was trying to feed new filament in, it would go in without some force. In the bowden I saw a pea sized blob of filament chunks.

 

It shoved that "pea" right into the hot end...so I removed the filament.

 

I had to cook the sucker out... I did the first Atomic at 225 and pushed through new filament and a lot of the previous color came out.  Cooled things down, did the first Atomic pull. Then a second just to be sure.

 

Since then, I've done a couple prints for my Tevo Tornado and the prints have been outstanding.

 

[mayo77 5]

Ok well, i need to add something the noise did return after a few days, this time I replaced the belt and I'm almost postive that is the issue. I will update this thread if the sound comes back again, but its been 24 straight printing and its still quiet.

[Torgeir 242]

Great mayo77,

 

Keep up the good work.

 

Thanks

 

Regards Torgeir.