Bearings Inspection
This guide explains how to inspect bearings and motion system components to identify wear, damage, or misalignment. Regular bearing inspection helps prevent layer shifting, noise issues, and mechanical failures.
Before you begin - safety and risk
Read the Safety - Before You Begin article to understand the hazards involved in working on the Vision Miner 22IDEX V4 - including electrical, thermal, mechanical, and chemical risks. All procedures in this wiki are provided as recommendations only. By choosing to follow any procedure, you do so at your own risk.
Allow printer to cool completely
Do not attempt this inspection immediately after printing. Hot printer parts can cause injuries. Ensure the printer is cooled to room temperature before beginning.
Tools and Materials
- None required for basic inspection
- Belt removal tools (if performing direct bearing inspection) - see Belt Removal Instruction
Understanding Your Printer's Motion System
Your machine consists of four axis:
- X-Axis: Moves left and right (perpendicular to the machine) for the left head
Tool 0. It's driven by a belt and has its own motor on the back left side of the machine. - U-Axis: Another carriage, moves left and right (perpendicular to the machine) for the right head
Tool 1. It operates independently with its own belt and motor on the back right side of the machine. - Y-Axis: Moves forward and backward. It uses two belts and two motors located on opposite back corners.
- Z-Axis: Moves vertically, driven by three lead screws with motors under the printer floor.
Preparations
Power Off the Machine
- Cool down printer to room temperature.
- Turn off the printer and disconnect the power cord from the socket.
- Open the printer lid.
Check Belts First
Before proceeding with further operations, isolate potential issues by excluding belt problems:
- First of all make sure to tighten and tension the belt correctly according to the Belt Tensioning Manual. Lack of tension can cause layer shifting. Overtensioning can lead to fast bearing wear.
- Move the heads together to the far side of the printer and inspect all belts. They should be clean on both sides and free from wear, especially on the toothed side.
- Move the printer heads to the front side and repeat the inspection to check new sections of the belts after movement.
Fast Y Axis Bearings Test
There are three pairs of bearings involved in Y-axis movements, six in total:
- Two on the motor (horizontal ones on the back side of the printer on both sides)
- Two working as idlers in the tension roller (one in each front corner)
- Two flat ones on both sides of the crossbar just behind place where the belt
Move Heads to Position
Make sure to place X and U, the left-hand side and right-hand side tools, also known as Tool 0 and Tool 1, close to each other near the center of the build plate, near the center of the machine.
Movement Test
Start moving the Y-axis back and forth with a speed in the range of two inches per second to ten inches per second.
- You can hold the X and U-axis belts with your fingers to prevent them from moving, and then move the Y-axis back and forth. Note that in this case, the X (U) axis bearings will also be involved except for the flat one under the heads.
- If you don't hold the X (U) belts while moving the crossbar, the heads will also move diagonally from the back left to the front right corner. In this case, only the Y axis and X (U) axis under-head flat bearings are involved.
Maintain proper movement speed
To avoid static friction influence, the movement speed should be more than two inches per second but not more than ten inches per second to avoid circuit overloading.
Fast X (U) Axis Bearings Test
There are six bearings involved in X (U) axis movements for each head:
- One on the motor (vertical one on the back side of printer from the head side)
- One in the tension roller (front motor side corner)
- One at the printing head (flat one on the crossbar)
- Two idlers under crossbar from the head side
- One idler over crossbar on the opposite to head side
Move Heads to Position
- Move the crossbar to the center.
- Move the heads to the opposite side (e.g., left head to the right side and vice versa).
Movement Test
- Take the necessary head from the back side of the crossbar.
- Start moving it along the crossbar with speed in range from two inches per second to ten inches per second.
Signals Indicating Bearing Issues
Listen for sounds produced by belts, tensioners, idlers, and motors. Look at motor and tensioners while moving. Pay attention to:
- Grinding sounds - bearing probably damaged.
- Squeaks sounds - bearing damaged and/or belt misalignment.
- Clicking sounds - bearing damaged and/or belt misalignment.
- Sticking points - bearing damaged, dust on the rails, lack of lubrication, crossbar and rails misalignment.
- Variable sound frequency with a constant moving speed - motor bearing probably damaged.
- Visual roller oscillation - bearing damaged.
- Excessive black dust accumulated on the build plate or on the belt tensioners - belt is grinding heavily against the belt tensioner due to misalignment. Potentially tensioner or motor bearing is damaged. (Note: small amounts of black dust from normal belt wear are acceptable.)
If you find any of these signals it can be a reason to proceed to the direct bearing inspection.
Direct Bearing Inspection
- Remove belts: Follow the Belt Removal Instruction.
- Inspect the Belt Tensioner:
- Remove it from its holder.
- Check Rotation: Roll it with your finger to ensure it rotates smoothly without resistance.
- Inspect the Motor:
- Access the motor from the back of the machine.
- Check Rotation: Rotate the motor pulley with your finger or use a belt to turn it.
- Smooth Operation: It should rotate smoothly without any grinding noises.
- Inspect Flat Bearing:
- Move the head along the crossbar or the crossbar along the rails for the entire operational distance.
- Check Movement: It should slide smoothly without any grinding noises.
- Check for Stuck Points: Sometimes it can stick a bit and continue moving without much power, but it should not stick at the same point several times in a row or require too much power to move.
FAQ
Troubleshooting
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