Thumping sound when tilting vat returns to level position
After printing approximately 5 successful layers, the tilting vat begins to make a thump/bang noise when it returns to the level position. This noise eventually goes away after the next 20-30 layers finish. The arm that supports the build plate also jumps up/down violently when the tilting vat returns to the level position. The print failed twice. This is only my 2nd print. The first print (using the Prusa Tough Orange resin) of the miniature Josef Prusa test print turned out flawless - the best print I've ever seen. The resin I am using now is a custom, proprietary resin. The only thing I changed between 1st and current print is the resin, and I turned off the vat fill level sensor. At this point I am unsure whether it's slicing issue, a mechanical issue, a sensor issue, or a resin issue. I will trouble shoot.
Video:
Resin Sensor
So it turns out, disabling the vat resin level sensor caused the thumping issue. Re-enabling the vat resin level sensor fixed the issue - no more thumping or hammering. Prusa, can you please fix this problem in the next firmware release?
can you post this on Github please?
regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
Github?
Hi Joan, I don't know how to do that, or why I should do that. Feel free to share this however you like though.
-Jonathan
RE: Nevermind
I spoke to soon. The thumping sound persists. The problem has not been fixed. Same issue as before. My current hypothesis is that slicing a part with "Pad: None" is causing the issue, since the test print where the tilting vat did not thump had "Pad: Below Object" enabled on Prusa Slicer, whereas the test print that's running now (and making the thumping sound) was sliced with "Pad: None". I will test this to confirm whether it's the root of the problem.
Hmmm... most of my prints are no pad, and no thump...
I have done a couple of prints with pads.
if I over adjust the initial bed position,(a bit High) i have had clunks... but nothing recently...
regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
can you try again with a lower value for the initial exposure time?
regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
Looking closely at that video, the vat never goes all the way back to level. It stops early, and then the clunk looks (and sounds) like the stepper motor being forced out a step.
RE: I had this problem and adjusting the exposure removed the sound on the newer SL1S
Yea... this was an issue I had today. Had a clunking/crackle sound. And I assumed it was the base/print pulling from the FEP foil after the exposure. I tend to over expose my layers with the original SL1 but I've upgraded to the SL1S(speed) and still cranked up the exposure on the first and rest of the layers. I am trying this print again with the default exposure and while the clunking/crackle/thump is gone when the tank bed returns home I am going to guess that the default exposure won't work for this print(I'll return once I get to 20-25% of the print to see it). At that point its just a matter of not cranking up the exposure to overkill. But yes -adjusting the exposure removed the terrible sounds for me. *So thanks Joan -you've indirectly answered quite a but of questions I've had.
Long Exposure
For whatever reason, the clunking sound has gone away, which is great, but now I don't know what cause the issue in the first place. I accidentally poured a full vat of resin into the INSIDE of the machine (a whole other story which I don't want to discuss), so I cleaned the inside of the machine, including the resin sensor. The clunking sound went away after.
So I increased the exposure to 80 seconds, disabled the resin sensor, and ran the print without resin in the vat to see if the clunking sound would return. I did not. Now I am wondering if the resin sensor is the cause?
on early layers you can usually hear the FEP Peeling off the print as the tank tilts giving feedback when you can't see the model
regards Joan
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
Fast tilt for me
I have these problems on my printers as well. My current theory is that if the area of the layers is big and the fast tilt is used the resin builds up and forces the platform up or the tank down, I see layers de-laminating when this problem gets bad so that's why I think the fast tilt is too fast to get resin out of the way. I've had good luck switching to the slow print profile on the printer or changing the percentage under area fill from 45 to 35 for slow tilt.
RE: Thumping sound when tilting vat returns to level position
I have a very similar issue. Thought I posted about it yesterday but it musn't gone through. See this video, causing failed prints and sounds really loud and worrying. It's on my new pre assembled SL1s. Maybe a week old. It ended up making 2fast thumps last night and now I'm not even using it because it sounds like something is catching.
https://youtube.com/shorts/fZUQO9pJtIc?feature=share
It doesn't look or sound so bad in the video but you can see both the platform and vat move suddenly.
Once the thump happens the tilt tray moves down incrementally very slowly. Happens after maybe 20 layers and then stops after maybe 45 or 50. Each print fails obviously
RE: Thumping sound when tilting vat returns to level position
Also and I'm not sure if this is related, when I home the tray the stepper motor stays powered when it returns home. It's not pushing up from what I can tell but it's certainly still on as you can hear it. If I try and home the tilt tray consecutively on the 3rd or 4th try it goes down then waits up to 10 seconds before it returns home.
RE: Thumping sound when tilting vat returns to level position
I have a very similar issue. Thought I posted about it yesterday but it musn't gone through. See this video, causing failed prints and sounds really loud and worrying. It's on my new pre assembled SL1s. Maybe a week old. It ended up making 2fast thumps last night and now I'm not even using it because it sounds like something is catching.
https://youtube.com/shorts/fZUQO9pJtIc?feature=share
It doesn't look or sound so bad in the video but you can see both the platform and vat move suddenly.
Once the thump happens the tilt tray moves down incrementally very slowly. Happens after maybe 20 layers and then stops after maybe 45 or 50. Each print fails obviously
I also have the issue. But I can mitigate this by making sure the screws of the resin tanks on the FEP film are very tight. The model I print will also have an impact on the thump if the surface area of the model is large. Do you get the same result when you print the Prusa samples?
RE: Thumping sound when tilting vat returns to level position
Yea good call -really tightening up those screws does eliminate the sound. Well -I also just took apart the film and restarted the FEP tank process from start. It does have to be very evenly tightened. Also @Mitchimal Yea I don't see leaving the stepper motor on causing that. I guess its possible but I would guess they tested that. Its not like you had the stepper motor on and going up and down the entire night right?. But at the end of it here I think @JoanTabb above was spot on. I had the first few layers exposure setting a little/lot higher than normal and I think that was a part of my thumping too. So yes tighten that FEP like its the end of the world and toy your exposure setting if you haven't already.
RE: Thumping sound when tilting vat returns to level position
I have a very similar issue. Thought I posted about it yesterday but it musn't gone through. See this video, causing failed prints and sounds really loud and worrying. It's on my new pre assembled SL1s. Maybe a week old. It ended up making 2fast thumps last night and now I'm not even using it because it sounds like something is catching.
https://youtube.com/shorts/fZUQO9pJtIc?feature=share
It doesn't look or sound so bad in the video but you can see both the platform and vat move suddenly.
Once the thump happens the tilt tray moves down incrementally very slowly. Happens after maybe 20 layers and then stops after maybe 45 or 50. Each print fails obviously
I had this same issue with my new SL1S. My issue ended up being the model I was printing had so much suction (it was hollow but no drain hole) that the screen couldn't tilt properly and was skipping gears. It would do exactly like this video, very loud pop, sometimes 2 loud pops, followed by the vat moving really slow down.
It threw everything way out of calibration when this happened causing me to recalbirate. After recalibration and making sure my prints have drain holes and trying to limit surface area I haven't had an issue. I found this issue was also happening when the first layer times were higher than they should be.
RE: Thumping sound when tilting vat returns to level position
I have a very similar issue. Thought I posted about it yesterday but it musn't gone through. See this video, causing failed prints and sounds really loud and worrying. It's on my new pre assembled SL1s. Maybe a week old. It ended up making 2fast thumps last night and now I'm not even using it because it sounds like something is catching.
https://youtube.com/shorts/fZUQO9pJtIc?feature=share
It doesn't look or sound so bad in the video but you can see both the platform and vat move suddenly.
Once the thump happens the tilt tray moves down incrementally very slowly. Happens after maybe 20 layers and then stops after maybe 45 or 50. Each print fails obviously
I had this same issue with my new SL1S. My issue ended up being the model I was printing had so much suction (it was hollow but no drain hole) that the screen couldn't tilt properly and was skipping gears. It would do exactly like this video, very loud pop, sometimes 2 loud pops, followed by the vat moving really slow down.
It threw everything way out of calibration when this happened causing me to recalbirate. After recalibration and making sure my prints have drain holes and trying to limit surface area I haven't had an issue. I found this issue was also happening when the first layer times were higher than they should be.
Ahhh that's very interesting and also sounds logical. I'm printing a 5mm ring that's flat on the bed but the centre of the ring has a big star I designed so to avoid the ring peeling off. It does sound like the stepper is stalling and then the machine goes it to a kind of protection sequence as it gets to the other end of its travel.
Strange though as it's not a massive surface area at all. See the ring on the right of the picture.
RE: Thumping sound when tilting vat returns to level position
I don't see why exposure settings have anything to do with the tilt process though? That's merely the light being on for longer right?
RE: Thumping sound when tilting vat returns to level position
I don't see why exposure settings have anything to do with the tilt process though? That's merely the light being on for longer right?