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Posted · S5 doesn't print straight

The Ultimaker s5 I have at work, which isn't a particularly cheap printer by any means, seems incapable of printing 90° angles. A flat, rectangular component I recently printed came out instead as a parallelogram without a single right angle. It's consistent and the lines are true, the angles are just all wrong. The printer is only a few months old, and I've done no sort of modifications to it other than adding an air manager. Where should I start? Belts? Rods? Thanks.

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    Posted · S5 doesn't print straight

    Shippers can be vicious and bend a nice cubic S5 into a parallelogram shape.  I swear they have elephants sit on every other package but place the box on one edge first such that there are no longer 90 degree corners.

     

    Does all 4 feet of the printer touch a flat surface?  or does your printer rock?  If you look down on the top of the printer, are the 4 outer rods perpendicular or parallelogram shape?  I'm guessing parallelogram shape as this is a common problem due to shippers abuse.  I assure you that all the ones leaving the factory are fine.

     

    First diagnose the problem, then I have suggestions.  Maybe show some pictures of the problem as I could be completely wrong about the problem.  In the pictures say which side of the part is down when printed.

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    Posted · S5 doesn't print straight

    Thanks for the response. Upon closer inspection, it looks like you're right - the chassis has been skewed slightly due to shipping. I guess mine failed the elephant durability test FedEx generously provides. 

     

    Where do I start to correct this? Note: the printer does sit flat, atop a two inch thick oak table. The inaccuracy only affects the x-y plane. 

     

    Attached are some shoddy pictures meant to show the inaccuracy, which is much more apparent in person.

     

    Thanks again!

     

    IMG_20210129_091351628.thumb.jpg.5629412c41e6ef3ba1db1fa1039cd0e5.jpgIMG_20210129_091703313.thumb.jpg.54cf766082629c136010b408cab5b59c.jpg

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    Posted · S5 doesn't print straight

    The rods through the head definitely look crooked and that's easy to fix but I'm guessing the 4 rods around the edge are also not perpendicular?  They are cut off in the photo.

     

    If it's on the 2 rods through the head - well either way - slide the head to the left then right side and see if the sliding blocks at the front and back of the printer reach the ends of travel at the same time.  Similarly with the Y axis movement.  If they don't meet at the same time and if the only thing crooked is these 2 through the head then it's easy to fix - loosen any 2 (of 4) of the set screws on the long belts for any one axis.  Make things perpendicular and tighten again.

     

    However if the problem as I suspect is that your whole printer is crooked - well contact your reseller immediately.

     

    Some people have fixed this by just bending it back again.  Put the whole printer diagonally into a vice of some sort and squeeze it back.  Most don't do this but you could try loosening all the frame screws first just a little and tightening after.  This might not be a good idea if the top plate is crooked as well.  As it probably is.

     

    Some people replace the top plate (and also loosen the screws down the sides).

     

    Talk to your reseller.

     

    Personally I'd try to bend it back myself.  I don't want my printer going through the delivery trucks more than necessary.

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