Toolchange reliability  

RE: Toolchange reliability

A recalibration of the dock solved the problem… but… I think I see the root cause. It looks like the boneheaded spanner wrench that has to be used strips and cannot fully torque down the hex bolt. Since the docks are so close together there’s no easy way to tighten them with a socket. So it’s off to the hw store to buy a 5.5 mm open end/ box wrench to tighten these bolts correctly. 

RE: Toolchange reliability

That same thing happened to me today on extruders 4 and 5!    Fortunately I had a second wrench, but I found where I could order a set of the low profile wrenches on amazon so I'm probably going to order them.   Glad you saw the same thing I did though.

Posted by: @tobycwood

A recalibration of the dock solved the problem… but… I think I see the root cause. It looks like the boneheaded spanner wrench that has to be used strips and cannot fully torque down the hex bolt. Since the docks are so close together there’s no easy way to tighten them with a socket. So it’s off to the hw store to buy a 5.5 mm open end/ box wrench to tighten these bolts correctly. 

RE: Toolchange reliability

I just ordered one of these.    1.5mm thick head should work I think. like 8 dollars.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004W8D7LU?psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

Posted by: @tobycwood

A recalibration of the dock solved the problem… but… I think I see the root cause. It looks like the boneheaded spanner wrench that has to be used strips and cannot fully torque down the hex bolt. Since the docks are so close together there’s no easy way to tighten them with a socket. So it’s off to the hw store to buy a 5.5 mm open end/ box wrench to tighten these bolts correctly. 

RE: Toolchange reliability

I saw that.

We need to be careful though not to break the bolt head off or strip the threads in the dock.

RE: Toolchange reliability

Would something like these work? My XL is due in March. Just reading through and trying my best to prepare myself. 😄

Posted by: @ssill2

I just ordered one of these.    1.5mm thick head should work I think. like 8 dollars.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004W8D7LU?psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

Posted by: @tobycwood

A recalibration of the dock solved the problem… but… I think I see the root cause. It looks like the boneheaded spanner wrench that has to be used strips and cannot fully torque down the hex bolt. Since the docks are so close together there’s no easy way to tighten them with a socket. So it’s off to the hw store to buy a 5.5 mm open end/ box wrench to tighten these bolts correctly. 

 

RE: Toolchange reliability

I'll let you know when it arrives.

Posted by: @razor

Would something like these work? My XL is due in March. Just reading through and trying my best to prepare myself. 😄

Posted by: @ssill2

I just ordered one of these.    1.5mm thick head should work I think. like 8 dollars.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004W8D7LU?psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&ref_=chk_typ_imgToDp

Posted by: @tobycwood

A recalibration of the dock solved the problem… but… I think I see the root cause. It looks like the boneheaded spanner wrench that has to be used strips and cannot fully torque down the hex bolt. Since the docks are so close together there’s no easy way to tighten them with a socket. So it’s off to the hw store to buy a 5.5 mm open end/ box wrench to tighten these bolts correctly. 

 

 

RE: Toolchange reliability

So in order to do a test after I redocked and retightened everything(as well as I could without having the new wrench), I decided to do a 30'ish hour print of the melting rubik's cube.    I definitely have heard small changes over time while it's been printing during the docking process.  They sound almost like chirps.  also an interesting sound as it lowers the bed during tool changes.  I think things are loosening up.   This print has 2100+ tool changes and it's only got a a few hours left so I hope nothing loosens enough it would fail the print.

RE: Toolchange reliability

it completed thankfully.   Anxious to get the wrench in so I can properly tighten things.

RE: Toolchange reliability

The wrench works perfectly!

RE: Toolchange reliability

When I installed my tools, I took off the back cover with the octagon holes in it. It comes off with I think four screws. When it's off, the access to the tightening screws is very good and I was able to successfully tighten mine correctly. I've run a few spools through with hundreds of tool changes and so far, perfect.

I've had plenty of other issues with my XL and most of the issues revolved around the lack of support for warranty claims but I think now that the new firmware is installed, the machine seems a lot better and more refined.

RE: Toolchange reliability

Which firmware are you guys using? 

RE:

Latest release for me and frankly I’m not happy with it. It looks like in this last release parked tools cool off. I don’t want that.

RE:

Same latest

Posted by: @mme

Which firmware are you guys using? 

RE: Toolchange reliability

I am still on 4.7..,.. afraid to change since everything is working fine!!

RE: Toolchange reliability

For me initial tightening was not the issue. The relatively small, single screw, down in a hole, attached to a relatively critical aluminum extrusion with attached threaded bushings… loosens over time. I would rather not use any kind of thread lock given the screws size, location and what it attaches to. Any problems such as head striping or cross threading would be really bad and a major pain to fix.

RE: Toolchange reliability

I haven’t switched to input shaping though

Posted by: @mme

I am still on 4.7..,.. afraid to change since everything is working fine!!

RE:

@MME - Update to the latest firmware at your earliest convenience! The difference is stark. The older firmware, the version you're running is extremely glitchy and I found the silly machine would do crazy stuff like suddenly start trying to print without grabbing a tool first, or my favorite, going to change a tool and freezing. Printing arcs was bad and the machine made a lot more noise and vibration.

The new version of firmware is like day and night. My machine is faster, quieter, more accurate, and has far less crazy glitches. Then there's the binary GCode issue. Only the latest version of firmware supports that.

RE: Toolchange reliability

Do they give a torque rating for any of these screws/nuts?

Posted by: @tobycwood

For me initial tightening was not the issue. The relatively small, single screw, down in a hole, attached to a relatively critical aluminum extrusion with attached threaded bushings… loosens over time. I would rather not use any kind of thread lock given the screws size, location and what it attaches to. Any problems such as head striping or cross threading would be really bad and a major pain to fix.

RE: Toolchange reliability

Posted by: @razor

Do they give a torque rating for any of these screws/nuts?

Nope.  I've asked, as have others.

RE: Toolchange reliability

Posted by: @tobycwood

For me initial tightening was not the issue. The relatively small, single screw, down in a hole, attached to a relatively critical aluminum extrusion with attached threaded bushings… loosens over time. I would rather not use any kind of thread lock given the screws size, location and what it attaches to. Any problems such as head striping or cross threading would be really bad and a major pain to fix.

Blue threadlock is perfectly fine to use here.  Red is the stuff to avoid, as it requires heat to break it loose. Frankly, we're having to apply enough torque that the risk of head-stripping or breaking is from the force; the addition of threadlocker would make a very minimal difference.