Critical Printer Fault - build plate doesn't lower + Print Head back left glass clip conflict

[s.partridge 0]

Hi,

I've sent 2 tickets to support last week with no replay.

We have newly deployed an Ultimaker2. Followed the instruction manual precisely, however we have come across critical issues with the unit.

firstly on start up, the wizard; clicking continue to start the build plate leveling, a very disturbing noise occurs and the plate moves high and the build plate doesn't move any lower and lodges with the print head. The build plate is now angled being pushed from the left side down as the right is higher.

Secondly when the print head is in start up place, the back left corner, it conflicts with the back left glass clip.

...Therefore the first demo print is also faulty.

I look forward to further communication

S.Partridge

Seaglaze Marine Windows

 

 

[cnklc 0]

Hi Partridge,

That annoying sound is normal when you are adjusting you build-plate, It wont happen while printing because that motor is not going to turn that fast in any time while printing.

To be able to adjust buildplate easily use a credit card( or similar ) they are generally 1mm and its good for first adjustment , then in the second turn you need to adjust them from screws.

I don't know if you have any other problem directly related to building plate it self bu these are the problems happen to me when i first print,

I hope it helps ,

good luck

 

[s.partridge 0]

Thanks for your reply,

Really? are you sure? hmmm. It's just the print head is right behind the back left glass clip and it seems it's conflicting with the movement...

When I 1st did the demo print the build plate got pressured again and was not level before it went to the middle and started the demo print...

It appeared that the demo print wasn't building it kept "scratching" the material and not moving downwards...

I might give it another go... :/

 

[IRobertI 516]

Are you saying that the build plate moved up and actually crashed into the print head when you first started the printer? After that happened did you complete the bed leveling process or did you just switch it off and try to print something?

 

[s.partridge 0]

I completed the process but I have discovered something that seems to me illogical:

I reset and re ran the wizard, started the build plate from absolute bottom and this time it didn't crash into the print head. However the demo print again didn't build properly.

What I discovered is when I went to the maintenance and tried to manually lower the build plate it actually raised...

The raise build plate raises but doesn't stop until it crashes into the print head.

I say again the "lower build plate" raises the build plate incrementally

Is this a critical issue

 

[gr5 2,004]

Videos (maybe using your phone) would probably help.

So if you go to maintenance menu and say lower build plate it raises it? And if you say raise build plate it also raises it? How do you ever lower it?

There is a DIR signal (direction) that goes from the arduino chip to the servo driver. If this signal has a bad solder then the signal floats and it pretty much will only go one direction forever. The other signal from the arduino chip to the servo driver is "step" which is a pulsed signal.

The way the servo is built it either doesn't work at all (for example one broken wire and it won't move) or it works completely. So it can't be the wiring or the motor - it has to be the white board (PCB) underneath.

If you are handy with a soldering iron I would reheat the two pins that are potentially bad (DIR signal). Otherwise I would go back to your ticket (hopefully you did one at support.ultimaker.com) and mention that the Z axis only goes one way and that gr5 says it's most likely the PCB. Then have them send you a new one and you can change it out yourself (very easy).

There's only 2 screws covering that PCB.

Ultimaker tests everything well before shipping but shipping (DHL/FEDEX) is very good at breaking these printers. That's why it is best if they ship you only the PCB so you don't get a printer with some other thing broken during shipping.

 

[gr5 2,004]

Oh - and if possible - don't create any more tickets (I have never created one so I don't know the process). I think they are usually handled first-in-first-out. So if there is a way to refer to an existing ticket that might work better. You can also message Sander or Marrit directly (Marrit link provided below) and refer to your ticket and refer to this thread/topic by copying the URL above and pasting it in your correspondence:

http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/user/1841-marrit/

- George

 

[illuminarti 18]

You might also look under the printer at the end-stop for the z-axis (it's on the back wall of the printer, under the base plate. Make sure that the switch lever is free to move, and doesn't have any wires caught on it. if you move the bed up and down by hand, you should hear the switch clicking just as the bed gets a few mm above the base of the printer (and then unclicking as you raise the bed up).

 

[benjamino 0]

I received my Ultimaker 2 yesterday and it seems I have the same problem word for word.

During the 'first run wizard' the build plate crashes into the print head. When manually adjusting the build plate in the maintenance menu 'Lower the build plate' Raises the build plate incrementally.

'Raise the build plate' also raises the plate until it smashes in to the printer head.

I will re-run the above steps whilst recording a video and post it - hopefully no damage will be done to the printer head through demonstration.

- Benjamin Paul

 

[benjamino 0]

Here is a video i've uploaded of the problem..

https://vimeo.com/94800325#at=0

 

[illuminarti 18]

It looks a lot like the z-end stop isn't working correctly. Look under the printer and make sure that the mechanical switch on the back wall is free to move. Turn the power off, and try lowering the bed by hand, and make sure that the switch activates ok - you should be able to hear it click - and unclick again when it's raised up again.

If you remove the cover over the electronics board, check that the z-endstop is correctly connected (black wire pair). If you have a multimeter, you might check that it correctly triggers when the switch is activated (iirc, the circuit should normally be open, and complete the circuit when the switch is triggered)

[reiddaniell 0]

Thank you for help. I've been using my printer for several months with no issues until today. I was having this exact same problem as described and filmed. It turned out to be one of the wires in back was touching the thin little mechanical switch and it must have been just enough to cause it not to work. Moved the wires and everything is working perfectly again. I thought it was strange that I couldn't get the build plate to lower. I would click the lower build plate command and it would raise the build plate just like what was described above; however, I didn't think all hope was lost because after I manually lowered the build plate and turned the machine back on I could lower the build plate while going through the "leveling the build plate" procedure. Anycrap thanks again!

 

[manapdp 0]

Thank you for help. I've been using my printer for several months with no issues until today. I was having this exact same problem as described and filmed. It turned out to be one of the wires in back was touching the thin little mechanical switch and it must have been just enough to cause it not to work. Moved the wires and everything is working perfectly again. I thought it was strange that I couldn't get the build plate to lower. I would click the lower build plate command and it would raise the build plate just like what was described above; however, I didn't think all hope was lost because after I manually lowered the build plate and turned the machine back on I could lower the build plate while going through the "leveling the build plate" procedure. Anycrap thanks again!

 

I had a simailar problem. The lever of the mechanical switch was bent too strong and always indicated that the building plate was at zero.

Your description was very helpful to figure this out.

Thanks a lot!

Greetings

Manap