UM3E Vibration and Axle Woes [field report]

[whoneyc 10]

This topic is reporting an issue observed on my UM3E regarding some problems I have had with axles and motors falling out of place.  These issues are believed to be fixed (unless more issues arise), but input for improvements are sought.  Mostly this thread is documenting the observations to provide precedent for others who experience similar problems.

 

Issue 1: Horrible noises from the printer indicated that something was very wrong.  When I went to inspect the noise, I noticed that the X axis stepper motor was shaking like leaf in the wind.  I turned my unit around to inspect the screws and found one of them nearly all the way out (see image).  The others were several turns loose as well.   I tightened everything up and the noise/shaking stopped.  I considered using some thread lock on those screws, but opted not to without consulting the forums.  

 

 

Issue 2: The axle-rod fell out.  See picture.  The axle-rod in the Y direction fell out of the black press-fit belt linker.  This issue occurred after Issue 1, so I suspect they are related.  This appears to be a common issue with UM3E, as evidenced by the ease with which I found others (1  2), a FBRC8 guide (3), and a DIY part (4).  The axle was easy to reinsert.  Afterwards, I greased up everything I could in case that was a contributing problem.

 

 

Issue 3: The magnetic fan door no longer closes.  It is difficult to tell if this is related to the vibration issues.  Without knowing, I am adding it here.  The metal hinge of the door seems to be bowed outward.  I can find no obvious cause for this.  I attempted removing the silicone seals (which are all crusty and burnt to hell on mine) to see if that was causing the door to close improperly.  Nope.  I then attempted to close the door with both print cores removed.  Again, nope.  Bending the metal gently counter clockwise appeared to help.  The door would close, but within a few minutes, fall open again.  I chose not to use much force in this bending to prevent damage to my printer or my warranty.  A semipermanent solution has been found: a rubber band, which is doing an excellent job of holding the thing together.

 

 

As stated before, these problems are "solved", but input is welcome.  Why did this suddenly start falling apart?  Will my fixes be sustainable?  What should I expect in the future?  Is this a grand conspiracy for the printer to fall apart 5 days before my warranty expires?

Edited November 25, 2018 by whoneyc
tags and formatting

[Smithy 1,146]

It is hard to say way, but you should check every few months if your screws are all tight enough. Additionally, check play on the axles as described in the UM maintenance guide. Could be from some extreme vibrations which could occur when printing small infill areas along a wall or something like that. Sometimes I think my printer will fly away when printing such things and when is that case the screws are a little bit loose they could easily get looser.

 

The fan door is problematic but can be fixed with bending back. There are also some clamps on Youmagine to hold the door stable in place.

 

BTW you should change your silicon nozzle cover!

https://ultimaker.com/en/resources/52502-check-the-quality-of-the-silicone-nozzle-cover