Notifications
Clear all

X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered  

  RSS
alexorionthehunter
(@alexorionthehunter)
New Member
X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

Hi. I'm hoping someone here can help me, as I've spent the whole weekend trying to understand what's going wrong. 

I bought and assembled my mk3 prusa from kit about 8 months ago, and it has been working great the whole time. I've not printed anything for the last couple of weeks. When I tried to print, I noticed that my bed was not level,  (noticed due to the first layer looking different on different parts of the bed). I tried Z, XYZ recalibrating etc, with no luck. I soon realised the issue is not in the bed levelling, but that my whole X-axis is ~1.5 mm lower on the right than on the left. The X-axis is perfectly level when at the very top of the Z-axis. As the gantry is lowered, the differences between the left and the right side slowly accumulate, until there's ~1.2mm difference between them at the lowest point. I've created a graph, lowering the gantry in 5mm steps using the "move-axis" command, and measuring the actual distance moved on the left and right side of the X-axis. The standard deviation of each 5mm step is 0.1mm on both sides, however, this error seems to accumulate to a substantial difference at the bottom.

Things I've tried:

  • Disassembling the x-axis idelers and re-assembling
  • Taking off both delrin trapezoidal nuts and re-mounting them.
  • Releasing the slack on the dust cover at the Z-motors
  • Checking that the threaded screws and smooth rods are parallel with the frame

I'm now out of ideas, and could really use some help!

Posted : 19/04/2021 1:24 pm
Dan Rogers
(@dan-rogers)
Noble Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

Nope.  It's supposed to be that way.  The pulley on the right is bigger diameter - so the position is correct to make the belt level.  If you want to check level, use a tool called, interestingly enough, a level.

 

Posted : 19/04/2021 2:25 pm
alexorionthehunter
(@alexorionthehunter)
New Member
Topic starter answered:
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

I think you've misunderstood what my issue is. I'm not talking about the belt. I mean the level of my x-axis gantry is out. And yes, one could use a tool called a level to demonstrate this, but that is reliant on whatever the printer is standing on to be level with the earth! Therefore what I've done is measured both sides of the x-axis (top of each idler) with respect to the top of the frame, as I move the Z-axis down. What you can see from the graph, is at the highest Z position the gantry is perfectly level. As I start lowering the gantry, it accumulates a tilt. The observed tilt results in my nozzle being 1.5mm higher on the right side of the bed than on the left.

Posted : 19/04/2021 2:44 pm
Dan Rogers
(@dan-rogers)
Noble Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

So, is one screw different than the other?  That is what your description seems to say - one screw either turns faster than the other, or the pitch of the screw is different.  I doubt it is screw pitch, but you could measure that easily.  I guess your Einsy board could be radically defective and spin one motor faster than the other.   I have no idea how that could happen unless the steppers are not the stock steppers.

Posted : 19/04/2021 2:54 pm
Dan Rogers
(@dan-rogers)
Noble Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

But do consider what I said. Since the two axis are NOT designed to be level - orange part to orange part at the top - you may not have any issue at all.  If your bed is not level, and the printer is assuming it is, try enabling 7x7 bed mesh leveling in settings - that is a feature designed to handle non-level situations with one assumption - the bed is reasonably flat (plane).  The bed mesh leveling will detect the deviation you are describing and software will automatically change the motor spin accordingly on each side to accommodate.

 

Posted : 19/04/2021 2:57 pm
JustMe3D
(@justme3d)
Honorable Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

I´d update the firmware first and then run a full first calibration like shown by JP here:

If that does not help I´d guess the Einsy or one of the steppers is toast, but there are others knowning much more about that.

I try to give answers to the best of my ability, but I am not a 3D printing pro by any means, and anything you do you do at your own risk. BTW: I have no food for…

Posted : 19/04/2021 3:00 pm
Oz^2
 Oz^2
(@oz2)
New Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

Every time I read the blogs from the Prusa site it is always someone trying to tell you you are wrong. Maybe if they ventured away from prusa just a little bit they could widen their horizon on knowledge. It is like all the customers are so in love with prusa one could never have an issue or be wrong, it has to be the human. Well this issue made obvious sense in his explanation and he even supplied data, easy to view, formatted in a graph. All of this and you don't think he watched a video and re calibrated it hundreds of times. I have probably gotten 0 good advice from these forums. This is an exact prime example^^^.  They are not designed to be level? maybe at moments it is not designed to be level but it is in fact called "squaring your gantry" not "parallelogram  your gantry: featuring obtuse and acute angles". The calibration will reject it if it feels like they are not level and this is a common issue that occurs in 3d printers, and that also includes prusa,

---I remember it being kind of like this when you contact there customer service, they basically say everything you read in the book and if you did it they want you to redo it for them. -Basically it would be nice to get on the prusa forum(or anything official prusa) and be able to actually get good advice for anything, outside of seeing a josef vid on fundamentals and reading about how the initial poster is wrong.  He only responded to defend his hypothesis and then is gone. As he should be, there was no help here and there was not going to be.

btw orange part to orange part is not the axis being leveled it is the components being level(they also sell an all black one but I guess you do not care about the black one). with that train of thought:

is my bed not level because of the wire connector cover on the back?......lol

Posted : 01/03/2023 4:04 pm
Neophyl
(@neophyl)
Illustrious Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

Personally Id attach 2 pointers magnetically to the top of each z axis.  Point them in the same direction and command a change in z height.  You could then tell if the axis rods were rotating at different rates easily.   Basically try and narrow down the exact cause.  

Posted : 01/03/2023 5:17 pm
Robin_13 liked
Netpackrat
(@netpackrat)
Reputable Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

Seems like hardly a week goes by without sumdood showing up here with a chip on his shoulder where Prusa and/or Prusa users are concerned, and a need to let everyone know that.  In this instance, he had to dig out a 2 year old thread in order to have something to whine about.  Presumably the OP has either fixed their printer or moved on, long since.

 

Posted : 01/03/2023 10:56 pm
Oz^2
 Oz^2
(@oz2)
New Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

....wait do you think that I pulled the forum open to whine about someone elses issue? that seems a bit judgemental and ignorant which i would believe to be symptoms of said chip also. basically the pot calling the kettle black. and you my non-friend are in fact pulling up a two year old issue(that believe it or not still occurs on the oh so perfect prusas...) just to do what you are accusing of being wrong. Which need I remind is a false accusation. Not to mention it seems obvious he did not get the solution from this conversation and at the moment of questioning him and not his issue he stood for his position and then moved on. Of course you were to busy focusing on addressing the social matter and not the technical matter to notice that. Sorry for the 5 month delay in response but this time I was logging in to show a couple printing buddies the common ignorance of many members to these posts and then stumbled across more ignorance in your response. If I wanted to "whine" I would get on facebook or twitter and post on some wall or other social gui intended for drama.

  I am curious if you venture off your prusa profile and into other 3d printing worlds or do you just take the word of what happens here? 

 P.S. searching google for an issue one of my 3 prusas is having is hardly digging. When used correctly exaggeration is a useful tool for persuasion, but when used incorrectly or overexerted it can become a fallacy and reflects on the portrayer is a form of, once again, ignorance.

Posted : 01/06/2023 11:03 am
Netpackrat
(@netpackrat)
Reputable Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

You prove my point.  You're not interested in finding a solution to any problem, or in having a discussion.  You showed up, made your ranting troll post in response to a thread that's been dead for years, and didn't even stick around to see the results.

Assuming you're actually going to stick around this time, I'll play.  I wasn't around here at the time the OP made his post, but what I see from those posts, was a couple other users trying to help him.  That help wasn't perfect...  it's a user forum made up of imperfect people, the help isn't always going to be as helpful as we would like.  Welcome to the Internet.

There are also some issues with the OP's description of the problem, his observations, and his assumptions about them.  I see reference to measurements having been taken, and some data points on a chart.  But no description whatsoever of the method by which those measurements were taken, so we have no way of guessing whether they are accurate or reliable.  He proceeds from the assumption that what he has observed through his measurements is causal to the issue that he is experiencing, namely inconsistent first layer characteristics across the bed surface.  Which is all possible, but if that's the case, it indicates a hardware/electronics problem with his then still under warranty machine, that's only going to be solved by changing parts, so better to contact Prusa's support and get them involved rather than relying on randos on a forum.

Otherwise I saw some decent advice mixed in with a small amount of pointless snark.  Changing the bed leveling routine to 7x7 is always good advice and will lead to better first layer results.  He did mention having gone through the calibration routines, but linking him to the video of how Prusa recommends doing it is still constructive, because it's exactly what Prusa is going to tell him to do and maybe he can bypass that step when dealing with them.  Updating the firmware, also not bad advice at that time (though the most recent Mk3S+ firmware is borked), because again, Prusa support is probably going to tell him to do that as well, so maybe he skips another step with them.

Ultimately beyond the suggestions that were already mentioned in the thread, what's left is shotgunning parts at it, and better to let Prusa shotgun the parts during the warranty period.  Hopefully that's what ended up happening.

Posted : 01/06/2023 1:27 pm
Netpackrat
(@netpackrat)
Reputable Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

Bueller?

Posted : 04/06/2023 9:40 am
Robin_13
(@robin_13)
Reputable Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

This is a good suggestion.  Will point to the stepper motor issue.  Since both motors are wired to the same controller in the Einsy, they have to work at the same rate.  Even a tiewrap stuck to the drive gear would work if you don't have magnets, just don't drive the gantry into them. 

Posted : 04/06/2023 5:45 pm
Oz^2
 Oz^2
(@oz2)
New Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

If you were going to play why did you not answer or reply to what I asked and said instead of another random tangent.  You answered it by not answering it, safe to assume this is the only 3d print blog and these are the only printers you have operated. Must be exciting for you that there are TWO newer models out that you can try some time. By the way, I fixed mine on my own by spinning the trap nuts a half turn, 1 notch over, his data and information was very helpful. 1.5mm off on a thread with 2mm pitch??

Umm did you even read the original posters comment? He described his process. Did you want to know the brand of ruler or calipers so you could try to blame those instead? sounds like it. You commented on my comment very late and came into the conversation with absolutely no meaning to be in it other than to troll.... or I may be mistaken is your printer having this issue?

Just as you said there is always "There are also some issues with the OP's description of the problem" I had said there is an issue with the style of critical responses from the other members. Apparently its only okay to address the OP's faults and then noticing the other peoples is absurd. 

Do you live in a communist society? A democracy ? ORRRR I am assuming you have ventured into a Hypocrisy.....

The pot calls the kettle black and continues so.

~~~At this point you just fully backed my original issue is that when I look at this blog for an issue, the responses have more to do with addressing the human and not the printer.

I am done wasting my time with an internet troll that has found his first excitement online in probably.....hours, maybe even minutes. Have a good life "printing", I am going to go make things and print with those.

At that point I am going to rule myself master of this debate. Go master debate yourself and have a good one.

G'day ole chap.

Posted : 09/06/2023 2:30 am
Netpackrat
(@netpackrat)
Reputable Member
RE: X-axis becomes less level as it is lowered

I guess you showed me.  If you wanted, you could google my userid, click on "images" and decide for yourself if you think I live in a communist society.  🤣 

Posted : 09/06/2023 2:30 pm
Share: