3/5/18 3D Printer Askew Axis

Identifiers

Date/Time: 3/5/18 3:30pm

Equipment: Middle top Ultimaker 2+ extended

Collaborators: Jake Lee, Albert Tai

Images album: https://imgur.com/a/DKmT6

Relevant Terms

• The x-crossbar slides up and down on two y-sliders on the left and right edges of the printer.
• The y-crossbar slides left and right on two x-sliders on the top and bottom edges of the printer.

Symptoms

• Printed a rectangular part - container with lid - but the lid did not fit
• Upon further inspection, noticed that angles were not 90 degrees
• No sign of warping or shifting during the print
• Uncommon screeching sound while printing
• See: Figure 1, 2

Diagnosis

x-crossbar was askew, not perpendicular to the y-crossbar. This causes wear and tear on the bearings and belts, and results in askew prints.

See: Figure 3

Solution

The right slider moves via a geared belt on two pullies on the top right and bottom right corners. Release these two pullies from their axles by loosening the set-screw on the pullies. The x-crossbar should return to its correct perpendicular state by tension alone. Re-tighten the set screws and confirm that the x-crossbar is now perpendicular to the y-crossbar by visual inspection.

Figures

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3