Air Manager Error ?!?

[JTMD 20]

S5 Pro Bundle - ASA no support

 

5 trouble free hours into a 9 hour print and it stops and throws an error saying no air manager communication.  - reboot is the only escape

 

after reboot - no problem.   all cables are secure.  in other words: no error

 

not good.

 

 

[Gero 54]

We have also had this error several times now. We were able to find out that it is not a connection problem. 

 

For us, the error occurs when the print bed temperature is too low (below 60°C). Apparently the fan has its own monitoring. If it cannot measure the speed of the fan even for a short time, the printer stops printing immediately without being able to continue. 

 

We wrote this to Ultimaker support a month ago. So far, they have been able to reproduce the error once on a printer. However, we have not heard anything further from support. 

 

The error no longer occurs when the filter is removed from the Airmanager. Apparently, the air flow is significantly lower with the filter and thus triggers the fan monitoring much faster. 

 

In fact, we have disconnected our Airmanager from the printer for the time being because we have a few jobs to process and the Airmanager is not contributing to the reliability of the system at all. 

 

As long as Ultimaker finds it necessary to let the firmware cancel the print job completely when this error occurs, I cannot recommend the Airmanager. 

[Dustin 126]

15 hours ago, JTMD said:

S5 Pro Bundle - ASA no support

 

5 trouble free hours into a 9 hour print and it stops and throws an error saying no air manager communication.  - reboot is the only escape

 

after reboot - no problem.   all cables are secure.  in other words: no error

 

not good.

 

 

Can you please reach out to UltiMaker Support directly and share your machine's log files for this issue?

Guide here: https://support.makerbot.com/s/article/1667337561393

Contact UltiMaker directly here: https://support.makerbot.com/s/contactsupport

[JTMD 20]

On 4/25/2023 at 7:56 AM, Dustin said:

Can you please reach out to UltiMaker Support directly and share your machine's log files for this issue?

Guide here: https://support.makerbot.com/s/article/1667337561393

Contact UltiMaker directly here: https://support.makerbot.com/s/contactsupport

 

I wished I had seen your response sooner..  I got the print to finish finally and left town  But I think I may have a clue.  Gero's message triggered a thought...

 

I print mostly with ABS and ASA.  To aid printing those difficult materials I set the build temp to 50C in Cura (the highest Cura will accept), and place a blanket over the air manager that large enough to cover down to the bottom of the printer (but doesn't reach the material station). I also have a WiFi thermometer inside the machine so I can monitor the build space temperature.  I'm able to see temps around 130F (just over 54C).  Although still not hot enough to make really nice parts it's the best I can do, so far.  At that temp the air manager fan should activate, but it doesn't always.
I'm thinking that this run, the fan may have activated and the blanket blocked the fan, causing the error.  Until I saw Gero's comments I was unaware there was any sensing in the fan....

If anyone knows of a way to disable the fan and sensor, I'd love to hear about it....
 

[Dustin 126]

Unfortunately its not possible to disable the fan sensor without just unplugging the air manager completely.

[JTMD 20]

3 hours ago, Dustin said:

Unfortunately its not possible to disable the fan sensor without just unplugging the air manager completely.

 

Well then, this is the way...   🙂

 

[rachael7 73]

On 4/25/2023 at 3:31 AM, Gero said:

In fact, we have disconnected our Airmanager from the printer for the time being because we have a few jobs to process and the Airmanager is not contributing to the reliability of the system at all. 

 

As long as Ultimaker finds it necessary to let the firmware cancel the print job completely when this error occurs, I cannot recommend the Airmanager. 

I had the exact same experience, random Air Manager errors that killed prints, often in the last few hours of day long prints. I worked with UM support for months, with no resolution. I likewise finally just disconnected the Air Manager. It’s inexcusable that it doesn’t have better error handling. It could at least keep trying to reestablish communications for 5-10 minutes. It could do that without significant risk, as the heat doesn’t build up that quickly. Easy solution that has not been implemented. 

[DDoove 3]

Same problem here. Haven't had the error in quite some time, but last weekend a 3,5 day long print failed after about 2,5 days printing.

It's frustrating knowing the printer can function perfectly well without the air manager. Giving reboot as the only option is just worthless. Build plate was already cooled down, so nothing was possible anymore.

Edited May 22, 2023 by DDoove

[SanneM 12]

We are aware of the issue and will prevent this from stopping a print in the upcoming firmware release

Apologies for the inconveniences, we take this feedback seriously

[rachael7 73]

On 5/23/2023 at 8:18 AM, SanneM said:

We are aware of the issue and will prevent this from stopping a print in the upcoming firmware release

Apologies for the inconveniences, we take this feedback seriously

 

That is wonderful news, thank you! Will this be in the next version to come out? If so, do you have an approximate ETA? Or at least if it is a matter of weeks, months, etc? Thanks!

[rachael7 73]

On 4/25/2023 at 3:31 AM, Gero said:

We have also had this error several times now. We were able to find out that it is not a connection problem. 

 

For us, the error occurs when the print bed temperature is too low (below 60°C). Apparently the fan has its own monitoring. If it cannot measure the speed of the fan even for a short time, the printer stops printing immediately without being able to continue.

 

The error no longer occurs when the filter is removed from the Airmanager. Apparently, the air flow is significantly lower with the filter and thus triggers the fan monitoring much faster. 

 

 

That is a fantastic bit of sleuthing, thank you for sharing. I was encountering the problem (before I disconnected the Air Manager) on prints with high chamber temps. That likewise would have produced a slow fan speed, so I suspect it was the same cause you discovered. I'm going to try it without the filter and see if that makes it reliable enough to use the Air Manager again. It's getting to be a real hassle trying to control the chamber temperature by opening the lid/doors just the right amount.

[SureCycle 0]

Hey Folks,

 

Been having the same issue since updating to the last update. No matter what I do it just seems to pop up. Sometimes it errors out right after boot up. Cleaning the fan assembly and replacing the filter didn't help. Basically got a expensive paper weight right now. I hope we can get a resolution soon.   

[Dustin 126]

27 minutes ago, SureCycle said:

Hey Folks,

 

Been having the same issue since updating to the last update. No matter what I do it just seems to pop up. Sometimes it errors out right after boot up. Cleaning the fan assembly and replacing the filter didn't help. Basically got a expensive paper weight right now. I hope we can get a resolution soon.   

I recommend reaching out directly to UltiMaker Support.

Send them your machine log files at the same time and pictures of the back of your machine.
This will be the first thing they ask you for anyhow.
Guide for log files: https://support.makerbot.com/s/article/1667337561393

Contact form here: https://support.makerbot.com/s/contactsupport

[SanneM 12]

With FW 8.2.1 release last week we have changed the ER80 behavior so it will not stop a print. We hope this addresses your issues, and are interested in your feedback.

If you still experience frequent air manager connection warnings then please contact support.