Problems with extruder motor

[somerwil 0]

Hi guys,

to test the forum's functionality I'll add something Ultimaker related :-)

After assembling the Ultimaker on the Fablab Utrecht workshop I encountered a problem during the software configuration steps. I started with Replicator V26 for Ultimaker on my Windows 7 64-bits machine. After making the connection to the machine and setting the limit switches I struggled on the step where the first bits of material are to be extruded.

My extruder head was not heated yet so the software comes up with a warning to check if you're really sure to start the extruder motor. Since I had no material in the tube I clicked yes to test if the motor is working anyway. The motor started running after a short time (not directly after clicking but with only a little lag). When I clicked "stop" in Replicator the motor didn't stop right away but stopped after 2-3 seconds... I tried it out a couple of times more with the same results. I even tried restarting Replicator/ Ultimaker connection/ PC.

Although I felt this was probably not as it was meant to be I decided to heat the head up to 250 degrees Celsius. That worked fine but when the final temperature was reached the extruder motor didn't react anymore no respons at all. I let the head cool down to somewhere below 170 degrees and tried it again. Now it started running again although the lag was still there.

At home I connected the Ultimaker to my iMac with Replicator V25 installed. The same problems showed up... After trying all sorts of things I found a post on Google Groups. He solved the problem by going back to V24. I installed that to my Mac afterwards and now the extruder motor reacts just fine!

My conclusion:

Windows 7 64-bit - Replicator 26: Extruder motor problem

Mac OS Leopard - Replicator 25: Extruder motor problem

Mac OS Leopard - Replicator 24: Extruder problem solved

I'll try my Windows 7 machine with V24 later this week. For now I'll just try to get my first print out through my Mac ;-)

I hope this problem will be tackled in new updates for Replicator and that this was helpfull to anyone encountering the same problem.

Michael

[owen 19]

Hi,

I use RepG 25 from Windows 7 64 Bit. It's known that you can't extrude from control panel where as you can with RepG 24. You need RepG 25 however if you wish to use the Marlin firmware, which is well worth it. For extrusion you need to do it by hand or start printing something.

 

Hi guys,

to test the forum's functionality I'll add something Ultimaker related :-)

After assembling the Ultimaker on the Fablab Utrecht workshop I encountered a problem during the software configuration steps. I started with Replicator V26 for Ultimaker on my Windows 7 64-bits machine. After making the connection to the machine and setting the limit switches I struggled on the step where the first bits of material are to be extruded.

My extruder head was not heated yet so the software comes up with a warning to check if you're really sure to start the extruder motor. Since I had no material in the tube I clicked yes to test if the motor is working anyway. The motor started running after a short time (not directly after clicking but with only a little lag). When I clicked "stop" in Replicator the motor didn't stop right away but stopped after 2-3 seconds... I tried it out a couple of times more with the same results. I even tried restarting Replicator/ Ultimaker connection/ PC.

Although I felt this was probably not as it was meant to be I decided to heat the head up to 250 degrees Celsius. That worked fine but when the final temperature was reached the extruder motor didn't react anymore no respons at all. I let the head cool down to somewhere below 170 degrees and tried it again. Now it started running again although the lag was still there.

At home I connected the Ultimaker to my iMac with Replicator V25 installed. The same problems showed up... After trying all sorts of things I found a post on Google Groups. He solved the problem by going back to V24. I installed that to my Mac afterwards and now the extruder motor reacts just fine!

My conclusion:

Windows 7 64-bit - Replicator 26: Extruder motor problem

Mac OS Leopard - Replicator 25: Extruder motor problem

Mac OS Leopard - Replicator 24: Extruder problem solved

I'll try my Windows 7 machine with V24 later this week. For now I'll just try to get my first print out through my Mac ;-)

I hope this problem will be tackled in new updates for Replicator and that this was helpfull to anyone encountering the same problem.

Michael

[mm_build 1]

If you want to just do a test extrusion, try pasting this g code into repG (copied and pasted from another topic, thanks Florian)

G92 E0 (zero the extruded length)

G1 E1500 F1000 (extrudes some filament)

[You can leave the comments in, increase F to F2000 if you want to

double the speed. Set E1500 to E3000 to extrude double the length]

[ddurant 0]

If you want to just do a test extrusion, try pasting this g code into repG (copied and pasted from another topic, thanks Florian)

G92 E0 (zero the extruded length)

G1 E1500 F1000 (extrudes some filament)

[You can leave the comments in, increase F to F2000 if you want to

double the speed. Set E1500 to E3000 to extrude double the length]

Just a note that you really, REALLY don't want to do that if you've been using skeinforge version 40 and later.. If you've set it up for SF40+, that'l tell it to very, very quickly extrude 1 meter of filament. That's one meter of filament stock going into the extruder. Going in very, VERY quickly..

Something like this is better for SF40+ : G1 F75 E15

The G92 E0 is good, both before and after a test extrusion.

[somerwil 0]

A few weeks later now and my first prints are there! ReplicatorG still feels irresponsive on my Windows 7 computer while RepG 26 alpha on my Mac is much more reactive to manual control mode. The extruder problem is still there though. Now that I now the problem it's workable.

A second problem occured today:

I need to restart RepG quiet often to get the prints going. It sometimes decides to go extruding very much material at the start of a print or even retracting filament from the tube at the start of a print. This is mostly when printing the same object with the same GCode for the second time when the first print just finished. Anyone else having these problems as well? A simple restart of RepgG does the trick...

[juancr 0]

Good morning to everybody.

I bought my Ultimaker some weeks ago, but I still couldn't print anything but air because my extruder motor doesn't work. Only one time it run a little.

I have windows 7-64bits, and I tried almost everything: 0026, 0034, 0035... netfabb... and I cannot extrude anything...

Today I borrowed a computer to try printing again (to avoid the problem was my computer), with W7-64 too, but I didn't get anything...

Any idea?

Thanks.

JuanCR

PD: people from Ultimaker sent me a new electronics because we thought the ploblem were there, but with the new one nothing changed.

[owen 19]

Hi

Can you extrude from control panel in RapG?

For Netfabb GCode you need to put an M92 E14 command in the header. Did you know about this.

[juancr 0]

Hello.

No I can't extrude from control panel.

And in netfabb, where have I to put that code? in Gcode Header? Gcode Footer?

Thank you very much

JuanCR

Edit: in Gcode Header there's that code yet. Sorry

[juancr 0]

This is what appears in Gcode Header:

M104 S%maxtemp1

M92 E14

G21

G91

G1 X0.00 Y0.00 Z5.00 F500

G90

M109 S%maxtemp1

G28

G92 X0.00 Y0.00 Z0.00 E0.00

G1 E0.00

G1 X0.00 Y0.00 Z5.00 F600.00

M106 S255

G1 X205.00 Y200.00 Z5.00 F5000.00

G1 X205.00 Y200.00 Z0.35 F5000.00

G1 X205.00 Y100.00 Z0.35 F2500.00 E200.00

G1 X204.00 Y100.00 Z0.35 F2500.00 E202.00

G1 X204.00 Y200.00 Z0.35 F2500 E402.00

G1 X203.00 Y200.00 Z0.35 F2500 E404.00

G1 X203.00 Y100.00 Z0.35 F2500 E604.00

G1 X202.00 Y100.00 Z0.35 F2500 E606.00

G1 X202.00 Y200.00 Z0.35 F2500 E806.00

G1 X201.00 Y200.00 Z0.35 F2500 E808.00

G1 X201.00 Y100.00 Z0.35 F2500 E1008

G1 X202.00 Y100.00 Z0.35 F50000 E708.00

G1 X0.00 Y200.00 Z0.00 F15000

G92 E-300.00

[mr_seeker 0]

Let me think:

- Printing does NOT work with repG? Does it turn the extruder motor at all?

- Are you running the latest Soft- and firmware? (RepG35 & Marlin). Please try to use the official Ultimaker Firmware.

- Did you try changing the stepper motor to another pin? (X instead of E) and does it turn?

[juancr 0]

Let me think:

- Printing does NOT work with repG? Does it turn the extruder motor at all? yes, it doesn't run

- Are you running the latest Soft- and firmware? (RepG35 & Marlin). Please try to use the official Ultimaker Firmware. I've been using this all the time

- Did you try changing the stepper motor to another pin? (X instead of E) and does it turn?

yes, if I connect extruder motor to other plug, it runs.

I think it's a software problem... but which one?

Thanks for your answer.

PD: now I'm trying with Cura software...

(I'll back in 1/2 hour)

[mr_seeker 0]

If you think its a software problem, try running it with log settings to "ALL" or in "terminal/commandline".

[juancr 0]

I sent log file (set in all) to ultimaker people yesterday. I am waiting their answer but as they are a bit slow sometime I am looking for a solution "by myself", thanks.

[juancr 0]

Now I'm trying with Cura RC3.

When I want to print those 100mm, the motor doesn't move at all. I'm turning the stepper screw but it keeps without moving.

Any suggestion?

Thanks...

[juancr 0]

Finally I got nothing using Cura to solve the extruder problem. I went back to ReplicatorG. So I switched extruder in X switch and it run, I switched it in Y switch and the extruder run.

But when I switched X motor first and Y motor later in the extruder switch, none of them run...

My great conclusion: the problem is in the stepper control, but what? Software? Hardware?

(Sorry for my english, but I speak only a little)

[juancr 0]

I have just opened a new post here: http://forum.ultimaker.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=888&p=5183#p5183

[mr_seeker 0]

Use ReplicatorG 35.