Ultimaker 2+ rattle/grinding sound on the Y

[LePaul 321]

One of your photos...I think the last, showed the slider block really really close to the belt. I'd be curious, while you are manually moving the print head around, if one of those slider blocks it rubbing against the teeth of the belt.

[ChrisRiddell 13]

One of your photos...I think the last, showed the slider block really really close to the belt.  I'd be curious, while you are manually moving the print head around, if one of those slider blocks it rubbing against the teeth of the belt.

 

Had a good look and none of the belts contact the blocks. Starting to think maybe its a bearing :(as nothing looks like its coming into contact and none of the belts look like there slipping.

going over my videos with this one I was stumped as to why holding the fan mount stopped the sound, it looks like there is some slack with the shaft and the bearing and makes like a clicking sound. like the slack/play is a 45 degree angle movement on the Y shaft at the head.

Edited March 25, 2017 by Guest

[ChrisRiddell 13]

Really thinking it has to do with something in the head here is anther video. If I just touch anywhere on top of the head while printing noise goes away.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OoXPhnS_z8

[Torgeir 242]

Hi Skippy7,

I've been following this topics a little and have some experience with this latter video. The "amplified" noise is due to the resonant frequency for the fan housing that's on your printer. When you make this first layer, at lo speed during 45 degree and 135 degree movement the tiny stainless steel plates on the housing go into resonance.

I used aluminum tape to dampening the plates and to directing the air from the right fan more precisely toward the printing object. The real improvement here was when I printed Laberns fan housing and started using this on my printer. No resonance anymore.

However, your main problem is still there, so I think if you remove the X-axis stepper motor and then try to move the extruder all the way back and forth to see if there is any noise then..

I'll think you might have a bad bearing on the rotating inner Y-axis l/H side as you suggested.

A picture of this corner would be interesting to see.

Anyway, good luck with your fault finding.

Thanks,

Torgeir.

[geert_2 557]

If you have a highly directional microphone, or a modified stethoscope, that might help in locating the exact source.

I have a standard medical stethoscope (like those the doctor puts on your breast and back to listen to heart-beat and lungs), but that is not accurate enough. It does not differentiate enough between sounds from various parts.

However, car technicians use the same basic stethoscope setup, but they replace the pick-up element with a thin long tube. So in a car engine, they point the tube towards various parts (valves, waterpump, oilpump, alternator,...) and they can locate which parts or bearing makes weird noises.

If you would have access to something like this, or if you could build one (print the connectors and ear pieces, and connect some standard PVC tubing to it), this might help locating the source?

[ChrisRiddell 13]

I'll update on this I have contacted my reseller and they are going to organise a pickup of the printer to get it checked out as it's still in the Australian 1 year warranty period.

I'll update again when more information comes in.

[ChrisRiddell 13]

Update:

Issue fixed, unfortunately the emails exchanged are confidential so I can not distribute the information of what the issue might/was of been.

[LePaul 321]

Well I smell a conspiracy!!!

[ChrisRiddell 13]

Well I smell a conspiracy!!!  

 

Haha nah it's the normal disclaimer in the footer of all their emails some companies use.

Like:

You may not use, disseminate, distribute or copy this message nor disclose its contents to anyone. Etc

So i dont want to do the wrong thing by them as the turn around was really fast and great service from them.

Edited April 4, 2017 by Guest

[Labern 774]

You might want to ask them if you can post the findings here in that case as the information could be of some help to others who may come across this issue.

[mayo77 5]

On 3/24/2017 at 7:48 AM, geert_2 said:

On one of my UM2 I had a weird sound coming from the same corner, left back. But it was rather a squeeking sound, like rubber tyres, or like chalk on a blackboard.

It was very hard to locate, as it seemed to come from everywhere around that corner. Eventually I found it came from the rubber belt (the one from the stepper motor) sliding agains the flanges of its wheels. Rubbing the side of the belt with silicon grease solved the problem. I used the thick, inert white grease that is also used in microscopes and binoculars, *not* silicon oil, and definitely not petrochemical oils (may damage the rubber).

I found it by manually pushing the belt sideways while printing a small piece, or while moving the head by hand.

Your sound is different, but maybe it could come from the teeth of the belt rubbing against the flanges?

 

 

Can you please tell me the exact grease you used i am having the same issue, if i adjust the belt the noise goes away for a short peroid of time then it comes back.. I would liek to try this solution but i dont want to order the wrong grease so if you could help me out i would appreciate it.

 

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 6mm thicker on that size, this added enough space that the teeth of the belt were not grinding anymore. The belt maybe a bit to tight on the other side now but, I have had zero issues and zero sound since this change.

 

Update 2:

This in the end was just too tight and it started shredding the belt. 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.

 

UPDATE 3:
The noise returned yet again, then i tried a few other spacers.When the noise came back after i tried most the spacers, I decided to replaced the entire belt with a brand new one. The old belts "teeth" seemed slightly worn and i always got black streaks of rubber on my finger when i ran it against the belt...Also removed all the spacers as well, and set it back to the way it was originally. Its has been silent  for 24+ hours (straight printing) so i assume this is the fix but, only time will tell..again i will update this thread if the noise comes back again. If its not updated assume this is the solution that worked for me.

Edited May 14, 2018 by mayo77
UPDATE 3 ADDED

[geert_2 557]

Since I am not related to the Ultimaker company (I am just a customer using UM2 printers, no employee), I can not give any official recommendations.

 

I just used common sense and trial and error for this. Petrochemical oils and solvents often damage rubber, so they are to be avoided.

 

But pure silicone grease is chemically quite inert, so I figured this would do the least damage, if any. I don't remember which brand I used, because I have several of those tubes laying around here, some still in their original packaging, some not (now in a glass jar). I applied it very sparingly, only a tiny little bit on the very edge of the rubber, where it scratched the flange of the pulley. But definitely not on the teeth, so they would not slip and not jump teeth.

 

If you would like to try this method too, I think you should ask for: "inert thick white silicone grease, like used in binoculars and microscopes, and it must be rubber-safe". Most bigger hardware shops have it. Auto-parts shops also have it here in Belgium, because this is also used for wiping the car door-rubbers in winter against freezing up. But probably your shops are going to have different brands anyway than here.

 

I haven't had any squeeking noises since, and the belts are still alive.

 

Edited April 2, 2018 by geert_2

[mayo77 5]

On 4/2/2018 at 4:05 AM, geert_2 said:

Since I am not related to the Ultimaker company (I am just a customer using UM2 printers, no employee), I can not give any official recommendations.

 

I just used common sense and trial and error for this. Petrochemical oils and solvents often damage rubber, so they are to be avoided.

 

But pure silicone grease is chemically quite inert, so I figured this would do the least damage, if any. I don't remember which brand I used, because I have several of those tubes laying around here, some still in their original packaging, some not (now in a glass jar). I applied it very sparingly, only a tiny little bit on the very edge of the rubber, where it scratched the flange of the pulley. But definitely not on the teeth, so they would not slip and not jump teeth.

 

If you would like to try this method too, I think you should ask for: "inert thick white silicone grease, like used in binoculars and microscopes, and it must be rubber-safe". Most bigger hardware shops have it. Auto-parts shops also have it here in Belgium, because this is also used for wiping the car door-rubbers in winter against freezing up. But probably your shops are going to have different brands anyway than here.

 

I haven't had any squeeking noises since, and the belts are still alive.

 

 

Thanks but, my "update 3" from above seems to have fixed my annoying loud problem, but thank you so much.

Edited May 14, 2018 by mayo77