Retracting and Clicking  

RE: Retracting and Clicking

@turro75

How would the filament sensor make this noise?

RE: Retracting and Clicking

it does.... it does...

https://help.prusa3d.com/en/article/noisy-filament-sensor-mini_162222#:~:text=An%20optional%20accessory%20for%20the%20Original%20Prusa%20MINI%20is%20its%20filament%20sensor.&text=The%20mechanical%20lever%20that%20triggers,noisy%20or%20not%20trigger%20consistently.

RE: Retracting and Clicking

Posted by: @turro75

Do You have the filament sensor? have You checked the noise isn't actually coming from it?

 

He doesn't have a sensor.  You don't see one in his video.

RE: Retracting and Clicking

@turro75

I believe you.  I just do not understand the mechanism.  I guess I have never had it because I followed the directions.  

RE: Retracting and Clicking

@boom

omg, your mini is so quiet! 😍 

So, you cannot rotate the extruder gear as easily as in this video?

RE: Retracting and Clicking

@loadinglevelone

Have you tried "printing" without filament loaded?  Just to see how it changes the sound, if at all? 

RE: Retracting and Clicking

@cwbullet

mine had that issue, it took me a while understanding that was the sensor as the noise is close and similar to extruder clicking (obviously also had that).

I'm not sure if it is the filament that hits the sensor ball during the retraction or the filament vibration on the sensor ball causes the magnet hitting the sensor cover.

adjusting the screw as per prusa knowledge article and wrapping the magnet by electrical tape made it finally quite.

RE: Retracting and Clicking

@turro75

That makes sense.  Thanks.  

RE: Retracting and Clicking

@rupprupp

Oh that's what you meant by easily moved.  

I'm still able to move it by hand. I didn't want to unload the filament so I just heated the nozzle to 215 to make this video.  You can see I can still push the gear even without my nail and filament loaded.

RE: Retracting and Clicking

@boom

okay, thank you. I thought that might be a difference, but apparentely it's not 😉

RE: Retracting and Clicking

Posted by: @boom

 

Here's a video clip showing how it sounded when I first got the printer versus how it sounds now.

Do your remember the retraction speed we can see in this video?

RE: Retracting and Clicking

Posted by: @rupprupp

Posted by: @boom

 

Here's a video clip showing how it sounded when I first got the printer versus how it sounds now.

Do your remember the retraction speed we can see in this video?

They're both using the Prusa Slicer Mini profile.  70 retract, 40 detract.  I've never messed with the retract speeds.

RE: Retracting and Clicking

Posted by: @turro75

Do You have the filament sensor? have You checked the noise isn't actually coming from it?

No filament sensor

RE: Retracting and Clicking

@boom

Not on purpose.  That is an interesting way to check to see if your extruder is clicking.

RE: Retracting and Clicking

I do get the same clicking when I move the larger gear by hand through the access lid.
The gears feels solid and without slack, but the sound is there when rocking the wheel by hand.

Will try to print without filament next.

RE: Retracting and Clicking

Posted by: @loadinglevelone

"The gears feels solid and without slack..."

I spoke too soon. Just checked again when there was no filament loaded. Definitely some slack.
Took a caliper to the teeth and measured 0.11mm slack on the upper teeth (outmost diameter of the bigger wheel).
The clicking sound is there on each end travel of that slack.

Oh.. and tried printing without filament as well; The sound is even more pronounced without filament.

Hm..  So I'm back to thinking the culprit  is either:

1. Rotational teeth slack / tolerances between the larger and smaller gear.
2. Sideways slack between the gear and the bearing
3. Internal rotational slack in the motor.

I'm somehow doubting that the motor is the problem, so then we're back to either gear slack or bearing slack - both of which can explain why some people manage to make the sound disappear by forcing the gears together.

It would be interesting to try and shim something between the larger gear shaft and ball bearing to see if that makes the sound go away. That way we could confirm or remove the bearing as the culprit.

RE: Retracting and Clicking

I took out from the drawer my old mini extruder to inspect it, in the end we are talking about 2 bearings and 2 gears.

Have You checked the motor shaft gear is in the right place? I attached a picture taken from the clone manual so that quote may be wrong. if You can, check Your current position and ask to prusa support if it is correct or no. May the big gear hitting the locking screw. 

May be one day when the official assembly manual will be released we all know how stuff must be assembled. 

RE: Retracting and Clicking

Here I move the wheel by hand between the two endstops of the slack. No filament loaded.
Sound is a little faint, but if you turn the volume up you can hear the same clicking.

RE: Retracting and Clicking

Posted by: @turro75

Have You checked the motor shaft gear is in the right place?

Gear seems to be in the correct position. Even checked that the grub screw was tight. Smaller gear is firmly attached to motor shaft with no play.

RE: Retracting and Clicking

I'm curious, which is the distance?

anyway, bearings or gears damaged I can't see anything else at this stage.

One remote option would be the printed parts tilted so the shafts aren't parallel. but if it worked well at the beginning...