Jump to content

S5 Sliding Block


mkaj2019

Recommended Posts

Posted · S5 Sliding Block

That's not normal, do you clean and oil the rods every 3 odd months on the printer? All i can think of it the movement of the print head got limited and it started to pull the rod side to side and its now worn the sliding block so the rods now loose in it?

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted (edited) · S5 Sliding Block

    Hi Carla,

     

    yes I oil them very regularly and also stick to the maintenance plan from cura connect. But the printer is also printing quite a lot. I have printed over 1000 hours in 10 months since purchase.

    Edited by mkaj2019
  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted (edited) · S5 Sliding Block

    Hey Guys,

     

    I contacted the official support company in Germany and  got informed that the damaged sliding block is a "wearing part" and is not covered by warranty. So make sure you buy some as spare before your sliding blocks are failing like mine. 

     

    Additional information from the company is also that enclosing the printer with a case (not the UM air manager) might lead to quick deterioration due to too much heat transfered by the rods into the plastic sliding block. 

     

    I personally do not want to give money to ultimaker for some crappy plastic pieces. Therefore I will try some alternatives from Aliexpress. I will keep you posted.

     

     

     

     

     

    Edited by mkaj2019
  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block

    Yes, have a look at my video. This is moving freely. When I try to realign it the rod just falls out. Right now I don't touch it and wait for the replacement parts

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block

    I've seen some printable versions of the sliding block halves online, but I haven't printed them/installed them myself. You can find some options on YouMagine.com.

    To keep the blocks from being affected by heat, you'll want to make sure the interior of your printer stays at 50 C or cooler; thats how the Air Manager prevents this from happening, it monitors the temperature and runs the fan to regulate it.

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted (edited) · S5 Sliding Block

    I have received new sliding blocks from china for 8$/4 PCS. They make a good first impression. They are definitely made from a different plastic. It looks like PA and the original Ultimaker sliding blocks look more like POM. The quality overall is quite good. There are only some minor molding issues. Nothing that can't be quickly removed with an exacto knife.

    I am still using the same bushing and belt tensioning spring so I cannot speak for the quality of these parts. 

    Right now I have only swapped the plastic parts and they fitt quite nicely.

     

    HTB1s9HXSXXXXXarXFXXq6.jpgIMG_20200217_085741.jpg

    IMG_20200217_085805.jpg

    IMG_20200217_085912.jpg

    IMG_20200217_085954.jpg

     

    IMG_20200217_084531.jpg

    IMG_20200217_084615.jpg

     

    Edited by mkaj2019
  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block

    Looks good! Thanks for the update....

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block

    Where did you get the Chinese copies?

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block

    I bought them on Aliexpress. 

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block

    Markus, it seems you are quite comfortable in swapping, replacing, and adjusting the mechanical parts of your Ultimaker S5, which is a good thing.

     

    I'm also generally very comfortable with such things, but I'm a newbie when it comes to Ultimaker printers (and 3D printers in general). I want to ask you if you have noticed any side-effects in print quality and overall behaviour of the printer after you've messed with its mechanics. I mean this in a good way, I also want to be brave enough to mess with it, but its price and my lack of experience in owning and using such an expensive printer prevents me (for now) from touching it in this way.

     

    Have you ever caused any irreparable damage or permanent degradation in the print quality of the printer? Also, have you noticed any improvement in print quality as a result of your actions? Generally, is the S5 robust enough to be able to take a beating when it comes to its mechanics (belts, rods, bushings, lead screw, etc.)?

     

    Thanks for any insights, just trying to get a feel of how robust and serviceable the S5 mechanics are...

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block

    Hi Folks,

     

    Never noted this one, interesting. Is this the X & Y axis on an UM5?

    If so, is this a 8 mm shaft that is adapted to the old 6mm slide blocks? Right?

     

    I've also had problem with loose clamping of the 6mm shafts to the sliding blocks, however I used a peace of paper that cover about 270 deg. around the shaft where it is connected to the block. Done this on all 4 sliding block. Find a type of paper(right thickness) that make enough clamping, do not use to thick paper cause this may make your slider block crack..

    BTW, the post it fit well in my UM2 printer..

     

    I've used this for about 1700 hour with no issue.

    Using same paper lifting both shaft the same distance, so no problem.

     

    Well, just so you know about this trick.

     

    Thanks

     

    Torgeir

    • Thanks 1
    Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block
    18 hours ago, Torgeir said:

    Never noted this one, interesting. Is this the X & Y axis on an UM5?

    If so, is this a 8 mm shaft that is adapted to the old 6mm slide blocks? Right?

     

    Yes it the S5 has 8mm and 10mm rods with 6mm ends. 

     

    Quote

    I've also had problem with loose clamping of the 6mm shafts to the sliding blocks, however I used a peace of paper that cover about 270 deg. around the shaft where it is connected to the block. Done this on all 4 sliding block. Find a type of paper(right thickness) that make enough clamping, do not use to thick paper cause this may make your slider block crack..

     

    Great idea, thanks for sharing this trick!

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block
    20 hours ago, DrCeeVee said:

    Markus, it seems you are quite comfortable in swapping, replacing, and adjusting the mechanical parts of your Ultimaker S5, which is a good thing.

     

    I'm also generally very comfortable with such things, but I'm a newbie when it comes to Ultimaker printers (and 3D printers in general). I want to ask you if you have noticed any side-effects in print quality and overall behaviour of the printer after you've messed with its mechanics. I mean this in a good way, I also want to be brave enough to mess with it, but its price and my lack of experience in owning and using such an expensive printer prevents me (for now) from touching it in this way.

     

    Have you ever caused any irreparable damage or permanent degradation in the print quality of the printer? Also, have you noticed any improvement in print quality as a result of your actions? Generally, is the S5 robust enough to be able to take a beating when it comes to its mechanics (belts, rods, bushings, lead screw, etc.)?

     

    Thanks for any insights, just trying to get a feel of how robust and serviceable the S5 mechanics are...

     

    I did not damaged parts so far and I do not try to improve the print quality by modding the mechanics (only with the slicer). My main focus is to improve the ease of use and keep the printer at a stable printing qualitity level. 

    I am actually not messing that much with my S5, only if I have to or if I am not pleased with the quality of some printer parts. In private I have build my own 3D printer, that's why I have a little experience with FDM printers. I have chosen the ultimaker for my company because I did not want to tinker around much. The possibilities for tinkering are very limited with the S5 Design (mechanics are simplistic and very cost optimized, firmware is not open, not supported by all slicer programs). 

     

    I would always recommend to buy a different printer (just compare the mechanics e.g. to a Raise3D Pro2) but still I would buy the S5 again. This sounds confusing but let me try to explain. Other printers are way more sturdy and robust but for my application I still need the S5. I constantly swap print cores because the prototypes I print vary always in size and level of detail. Swapping the S5 print cores is very easy and reliable . I think no other printer manufacturer has such an easy system to change nozzle sizes and nozzle types.

    If my company would give me a budget for two printers I would not hesitate and buy two Raise3D and use each printer with a different nozzle. Because it was already hard to fight for one printer, the S5 was the best choice due to its versatility in this price range.

     

     

     

     

    • Like 1
    Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block

    Thanks Markus, that was a helpful reply. I've also recently recommended the S5 to my company. We had some crashing/freezing issues with 2 printers, all seemingly related to Wi-Fi / internet, which was restricted due to company policy. With the Wi-Fi off, the printer is now operating as it should, and I'm very satisfied with it.

     

    It's not my intention to mod the printer, but I would like to be able to maintain it, replace parts as needed, etc. Your experience tells me that this is possible without affecting print quality or causing permanent damage. It's good to know that the S5 is robust enough to preserve its quality after such type of maintenance.

     

    About Raise3D, never had an experience with them, so I can't comment on how they compare with the S5. I don't think I will be changing print cores very often, but I do like the easy-swap system that the S5 uses. Changing cores from AA to BB or from AA to CC would probably be my only changes, at least until I gain more experience. In terms of nozzle diameter, I think I'll stick to 0.4 mm for now, as I don't see the need for larger diameters, other than speed, which is not an issue for us (a part taking 1 day or 3 days to print is of no concern to us, we can wait, as we do not produce high quantities).

    • Like 1
    Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted (edited) · S5 Sliding Block

    Our engineering department is disappointed with the quality of the original Ultimaker slides. The rod literally fell out of the rear bracket which possibly have caused other damage. These printers are $5000-$6000 and they should be made with better parts. Its sad when when my budget  home printer @ 1/10 cost of the 5S has more robust parts. When locating a rod good mechanical design practice to using a complete hole instead of a horseshoe type receptacle where the rod can wear its way out of the open end.  Ultimaker should redesign this and offer replacement parts (even if we have to buy it). Someone has already done the redesign work they would just have to reverse engineer it. There is a printable part that works for awhile but wears out too. (our machine ship is going to make one out of  aluminum) 

     

    3D Printable Ultimaker S5 Slider Block Retainer by Kevin Oehler (myminifactory.com)

     

    Edited by robobartz
    • Like 2
    Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block
    On 8/24/2021 at 10:16 PM, robobartz said:

    Someone has already done the redesign work they would just have to reverse engineer it. There is a printable part that works for awhile but wears out too. (our machine ship is going to make one out of  aluminum) 

     

    3D Printable Ultimaker S5 Slider Block Retainer by Kevin Oehler (myminifactory.com)

     

    Interesting part!  The axis should remain light. I would print the part from PC and fix it with aluminum screws.


    Many greetings 

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block

    Hi All, unfortunately I already bought some original S5 X-slinding blocks including the belts before I found this topic here.
    The old, worn out sliding block parts are black, the new ones are white, maybe those are different in material.

     

    Is there any describtion available how to exchange the blocks in the best/correct and most simple way?  

    BTW: indeed I lost printing quality over time after this rod-got-loose-in-block-casing-seat problem occured.
    (my S5 sliding block problem started by a collision of printing head with the glas bed...) 
    I firstly though about some z-wobbeling issues but most likely my printing problems seem to result mainly from displacements due to X-rod play while printing.

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted (edited) · S5 Sliding Block
    16 hours ago, AMK said:

    Hi All, unfortunately I already bought some original S5 X-slinding blocks including the belts before I found this topic here.
    The old, worn out sliding block parts are black, the new ones are white, maybe those are different in material.

     

    Is there any describtion available how to exchange the blocks in the best/correct and most simple way?  

    BTW: indeed I lost printing quality over time after this rod-got-loose-in-block-casing-seat problem occured.
    (my S5 sliding block problem started by a collision of printing head with the glas bed...) 
    I firstly though about some z-wobbeling issues but most likely my printing problems seem to result mainly from displacements due to X-rod play while printing.

     

    The Process of changing the silder blocks is very straight forward. There is only one important thing to do. Make a good documentation on how the pulleys are oriented and which washer is at which position before you pull out the rods. Or if you do not like to take everything apart at all: Leave the old bushings on the rods (they have not much wear), unclip the old plastic housings and then clip on the new plastic housings. 

    Edited by mkaj2019
    • Thanks 1
    Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block
    On 5/23/2022 at 1:45 PM, AMK said:

    Hi All, unfortunately I already bought some original S5 X-slinding blocks including the belts before I found this topic here.
    The old, worn out sliding block parts are black, the new ones are white, maybe those are different in material.

     

    Is there any describtion available how to exchange the blocks in the best/correct and most simple way?  

    BTW: indeed I lost printing quality over time after this rod-got-loose-in-block-casing-seat problem occured.
    (my S5 sliding block problem started by a collision of printing head with the glas bed...) 
    I firstly though about some z-wobbeling issues but most likely my printing problems seem to result mainly from displacements due to X-rod play while printing.

     

    When you lose print quality that can also be an issue with the belts--if you've got black blocks on your printer the belts themselves probably also have a lot of wear and tear this point. I find the belts tend to loose some of their elasticity at about 3000-4000 print hours. Signs the belts themselves need replacing: black dust around the motors, the belts leave black marks on your fingers when you touch them, belts start fraying, print head movements get very loud from the belts even after lubricating. 

    Replacing the belts isn't hard, just a little finicky. Pay close attention to the pulley orientation, spacer positions, and making sure there is no play on your axles and that the sliding blocks are properly aligned at the end of the installation: https://ultimakernasupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360039150512-XY-Axes-Parts-Long-Belts-Short-Belts-Motors-S5-S3

  • Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Posted · S5 Sliding Block
    43 minutes ago, fbrc8-erin said:

    Replacing the belts isn't hard, just a little finicky.

    100% Agree with Erin. I replaced my S5 belts a few weeks ago now. Pain to work on, but once you get them in there and they settle in the printer worked just like it did new (and was MUCH quieter, my belts really needed to be replaced) and It's definitely worth the trouble if you have the time and patience!

    • Like 1
    Link to post
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    • Our picks

      • Introducing Universal Cura Projects in the UltiMaker Cura 5.7 beta
        Strap in for the first Cura release of 2024! This 5.7 beta release brings new material profiles as well as cloud printing for Method series printers, and introduces a powerful new way of sharing print settings using printer-agnostic project files! Also, if you want to download the cute dinosaur card holder featured below, it was specially designed for this release and can be found on Thingiverse! 
          • Like
        • 10 replies
      • S-Line Firmware 8.3.0 was released Nov. 20th on the "Latest" firmware branch.
        (Sorry, was out of office when this released)

        This update is for...
        All UltiMaker S series  
        New features
         
        Temperature status. During print preparation, the temperatures of the print cores and build plate will be shown on the display. This gives a better indication of the progress and remaining wait time. Save log files in paused state. It is now possible to save the printer's log files to USB if the currently active print job is paused. Previously, the Dump logs to USB option was only enabled if the printer was in idle state. Confirm print removal via Digital Factory. If the printer is connected to the Digital Factory, it is now possible to confirm the removal of a previous print job via the Digital Factory interface. This is useful in situations where the build plate is clear, but the operator forgot to select Confirm removal on the printer’s display. Visit this page for more information about this feature.
          • Like
        • 0 replies
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...