My printer has ran into the bed many times before, but this time it loosened the reamed holes (3D printed) that the smooth rods sit in. Only my Y axis and left side Z axis smooth rods seem to be affected. I caused the collision and there isn’t anything that the printer did to cause it. I forgot to change the nozzle diameter on the printer before printing and started a print. I thought it wouldn’t take more than 15 seconds to change. I was wrong! While removing the nozzle and almost completely removing it, it started to begin wiping. Crash into the print bed with the nozzle wrench still there! I was quick enough to hit the power button but it seems it may have loosened the 3D printed mounts for the smooth rods.
I printed after the incident without any problems but am concerned about it becoming one. The Taz Workhorse is clearly built tougher than a tank!
I clearly learned my lesson. Do not ever change a nozzle unless the printer is parked or off! Also don’t rush anything with these printers! If something isn’t right just stop the print and fix it! Do not try and fix something before the wiping process or during a print.
Hopefully there isn’t any damage to the machine and I can just buy new 3D printed parts or tighten something. I could print them but since they need to be made out of ABS or high temp prone to warping plastic, it might be better to just buy them. Do they sell aluminum or something else instead of the 3D printed parts?
Are you running in an enclosure? You can certainly get away with using PETG or even PLA for those supports, especially on a temporary basis. They’re not directly exposed to any heat source. I had to get by with PLA parts on the toolhead while printing ABS replacements. It survived for a couple of prints.
Changing nozzles is definitely not a quick task, since it needs to be done over increasing heat steps, and without power applied at the time you’re using metal tools around it.
@Wrathernaut Thanks for the feedback! I didn’t realize you could use PLA!
I will be using an enclosure soon because I recently got a Taz guard enclosure. Only problem is if I use the enclosure to make the parts it might be a pain to assemble, print the parts, and then disassemble the enclosure to install the parts and reassemble after everything is fixed. Oh well, I guess that’s a summer project!
How important is fixing the smooth rods if only one side of the z and one rod on the y are slightly loose ~ 1mm? Can I still print those parts with the loose smooth rods?
I currently have some red and jet gray PRO PETG. White poly max PC. Old yellow ABS. The rest is PRO PLA. Probably will buy some filament. Maybe make the parts lime green to match the Lulzbot colors! What material would be best?
Also is there a way to get the STL’s needed for the 3D printed parts of the Taz Workhorse?
I believe there is no loss in the accuracy because my tolerances remained what appears to be the same when I printed the part after the incident.
Maybe I should print the printer parts closer to the side with the sturdy smooth rods to ensure the print remains more dimensionally intact just in case.
What infill, top / bottom layers, and walls do you recommend for printing the parts?
Is PETG as heat resistant as the stock 3D printed parts? I’m concerned because I don’t want to have to print them again in ~ 2 years. What brand and or material does Lulzbot use in making the printer parts?
Also my printer is soon to be 7 years old and I haven’t maintained anything with any of the axis on the printer other than the belts. Is there anything else like the ceramic bearings that might need replaced? I’m asking because I don’t know how long the parts for the printer are supposed to last. It could mean how well I take care of it. I was a newbie when I first got my printer and have learned through trial and error. I have to say I crashed into the bed about 10 times and done lots of other things that weren’t done correctly in the first 3 years of owning.
I also have a strange nose on the moving bed axis when it moves fast. In addition the motor skips for a second while presenting the bed. Could it be that dust built up over time and got clogged in the ceramic bearings creating friction? It is pretty dusty where the printer is now. It has had some long periods of time where it was not being used. No issues while printing.
The bearings aren’t ceramic, they’re Igus bearings. It’s a proprietary blend that’s kinda like delrin, but not. They wear out over time, but unless you’ve been printing on an industrial-scale amount, they should be fine. I haven’t had to replace them on the Taz6 that’s got several thousand of hours into it. The only maintenance for the Igus bearings I do is wiping down the linear rods occasionally.
Any long Y or X axis moves may have to slow down for the Z to keep up with bed leveling.
Strange noise, I’d have to hear and see when it’s happening to be any help.
I will try to get a video of the strange noise. It sounds like friction from the bearings or maybe a motor needs oil or lubricant.
Once I find any issues, I will possibly disassemble the printer. Is there a more interactive manual than the OHAI? Maybe a CAD model of TAZ WH?
I’m hoping that I can learn more about how the printer is put together before I am a mechanic.
For the latest version of all every part on the printer, use the Gitlab repository. There have been many revisions of parts since Lulzbot moved from Colorado to North Dakota.
Actually depends on the model year because some people found certain brands of PETG excessively adhering to the Glass PEI but if it has a magnetic upgrade or is the plus version yes it’s a better situation & PLA has less foot prints on a build plate correct me if I’m wrong