AWorldnet A600 Not Working

Bought the A600 printer from AWorldNet via an online retailer called Havit a couple of weeks ago.

Assembly was relatively straightforward with only minor tweaks required to make things fit together.

X,Y and Z axes can be controlled manually using the Repetier host software provided with the printer.

Heated bed and extruder seem to be operating correctly.

The problem is that when trying to print a model, the head seems to move to a random starting point every time, and starts extruding in the air above the bed. The Z axis starting point appears to be different every time.

Does anyone else have this problem?

If so can you offer any advice on how to fix the problem please?

Many thanks,

Nigel

Looks like a prusa i3 clone. I suspect your firmware settings are not correct. Look at the steps per mm and make sure your start code has homing before print turned on. Otherwise the printer wont know where to start.

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hi Nigel

I have the same printer, if it helps I can send you the settings from my printer and see if they work for you.

Dave

Many thanks for your help guys.

Having spent considerable time on this over the weekend, it seems the problem as Jaguarking suggested is in the settings.

When the Gcode is generated by slic3r, it was missing out the all important G28 return all axes to zero command.

Once inserted, the random positioning behaviour disappeared.

Next challenge is to improve print quality from a mesh/net like quality to something more solid. I'm playing around with extrusion speed and temp but not there yet so any advice appreciated:-)

Interested to know whether you're getting decent quality from your printer Dave?

Nigel

Hi Nigel

The quality is very good, I have attached a file showing a small pot and to me the finish is more than acceptable.
I am curious as to why you are using Slic3r for the processing as in my instructions it recommends Cura for slicing until you get confident with the printer. I find Cura much more straightforward to use for the beginner, I am sure slic3r has its uses but Cura seemed to be so plug and play, and included the axes to zero commands as standard.

Regards
Dave

Do you have any pictures of the parts so that we can see the problems you are having?

Hi Again Nigel

The mesh should be an infill layer, but if your top and bottom layers are mesh like then you will need to increase the top and bottom layer thicknesses so that they completely mask out any infill underneath.
Do you have a small object that you can 100% fill and see how that appears?
I can send you a processed Gcode file that is ready to go and just needs loading into Repetier and running so that we can compare.

Dave

Hi guys,
i bought the sam eprinter and i have problems with setting the zero point. i can set it manualy but when i reach the endstop on z axis and the printer want allow me to move it any more. whitch is ok but when i move it on the opposite directione every time i got the massage that the endstop is reached and i cant move it back to the endstop? and when i try to print the the z axis just slames to the heated bed and all printer begins to shake. everything is connected ok

thanx

Darko

Hi Darac

What software are you using to create the Gcode file?

It sounds like you have not got the start and finish parameters set in the gcode.
(something like
G28 X0 Y0 ;move X/Y to min endstops
G28 Z0 ;move Z to min endstops

Also, have you adjusted the table height in line with the instructions using the 4 spring adjusters in the corners? You need to just be able to slide a single sheet of paper between the head and the tip when it is on its lowest setting.

If you can send me a gcode file you have created, I have attached one that I know works on the A600 and you can try that as it has the datum search lines at the beginning of the code.


Dave

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2015 06:35AM by davy999.

im using slicer (trying to use )
i will try tonight when i get home, also i will send you generated g code so you can check if it is not much trouble for you.
tnx a lot

darko

Hi Darko

I started with Cura, and it seems the most simple one to use as it worked for me first time.
It will be interesting to see your gcode file as I suspect it is missing some of the initiation parameters.

Dave

when im using cura i don't need the repetiere? or am i missing something? im guite newbie in 3d printing

Hi Darko

I am also a newbie, I have only had my printer for 2 weeks!! :-)

You load the .stl file into Cura, then save it as a G-code file.
Open Repetiere software and connect to the printer (do not go into the Slic3r part of the software)
Open the Gcode file you outputted from Cura and (if all settings are done) hit Run and it should hopefully begin printing correctly.

Cura is a program that takes the 3d solid (STL) file and converts it into the steps that your printer follows.
Repetiere is the main printer control software.
Slic3r is a part of Repetiere that, once you understand the 3D printing more you could use, but for now start with Cura as I found it worked first time.
(The instructions with the A600 clearly state this if I recall?)

HTH

Dave

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/13/2015 09:41AM by davy999.

Thanks man, that helps a lot! i'll try it tonight

!

darko

I found the problem

the end stop switches were on the wrong places on board so there was a problem with home position!

i tryed to print your cube but there was warping, i prezume because the temperature of the heated bed was too low (50 or so) so i opened the cura and made a robot

i think i need a new nozzle because this has taken a beating quite bed

not bad for first print.... now the fun starts

thanx a lot for your help and if you need something i hope i can help you

Darko

Hi Darko

I am glad you have made progress.
Is that PLA you are using? what temperature are you heating it ? I have bed 55, nozzle 210

Dave

aha, that what

im using abs
it was 230 for nozzle, and 80 for heatbed

Hi Darko

Any developments?

Dave

Hi davy, yes i had progress.
The machine is working now, all to all it is what i paid for . Im learning to work around it. i found that if i leave extruder head near heatbed when worming up the heatbed the fan on extruder head ( the one on the heatsink) cools the heatbed so it can't reach more than 86C and im using new abs that needs 96c (found by trial and error). So i have to retract the z axis to minimum of 10cm above the heatbed. now am planing to rearange the extruder head to be more sturdy because it shakes a litlt bit when i start to to wobble it with hand.

what are your thoughts yet

now with new abs the settings are 247c for nozlle and 96 for heatbed. i also had to start using hairspray for beter adhesion and i found that it sticks more firmly if you apply it when you heat the heatbed.
and even more if you set the skirt in cura.
got the better results if i start the cooling fan of the nozzle after 1cm of print (on z) and only 15-20 %.

Good to see that you have progressed further.

I have yet to trial ABS so will be very interested in your results.

Dave

Hi All,

Thought I'd share an update.

With much help from Davy999 (and Havit the supplier), my printer is now working perfectly

Initially the problem was not having a G28 line in the GCode which moves the head to the zero position on all axes. Once this was done, the random positioning problem stopped.

Following that, different settings were tried for the bed temp to ensure that the first layer stuck and 50 deg seems ideal (for PLA material).

Next the extruder temp was reduced from 215 to about 180 deg which seems to result in a nice consistent flow.

Then the cooling fan was reduced to about 50 percent as the layers were not bonding very well to each other due to cooling too quickly.

Finally, I replaced the extruder drive gear with a home-made one with a knurled finish as I thought the filament was slipping although I suspect the other improvements were actually more significant.

End result - very consistent, strong and accurate prints (especially when using a layer height of 100 microns). Quality of prints is comparable to machines costing 5x as much and not a million miles away from the £100K machine we have at work!

Having been to a couple of shows and been told by several 'experts' that I'd be a fool to consider buying a machine for less than £500, I'm pleased to say that you can indeed get great results on a £300 budget if you're prepared to assemble the machine yourself and tinker a little bit to get the settings right.
(Not a lot of) money and a bit of time well spent

Glad you guys are having success.
I am a completely noob with these things but I am very happy to help in any way I can.

Dave

Quote
darac_komarac
im using abs
it was 230 for nozzle, and 80 for heatbed

You should at last reach the glass temperature of the plastic with the heatbed. For ABS it's around 105°C. If you set your heatbed under 105°C it's not realy effective.

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Quote
Zavashier

Quote
darac_komarac
im using abs
it was 230 for nozzle, and 80 for heatbed

You should at last reach the glass temperature of the plastic with the heatbed. For ABS it's around 105°C. If you set your heatbed under 105°C it's not realy effective.

jeah, by trial and error a found for my abs was 147 for extruder and 104 for hotbed.
im using stick glue for adhesion and it works wonders!

now i have problems with extruder.... it seem that the gear is hobbing the filament whitch results in stoping the extruzionleaving gaps in print. i tried everything i could ( cleaning the nozzle, c leaning the hotend, cleaning the extruder gear from hobbed filament, changing the temperature of hotend, tightening the gears vs extruder....). i even replaced the extruder...... nothing helped......

if i tighten the the filament too hard the motor start to skip ........
any thoughts?

thanks

I purchased the Aworldnet A600 on eBay, and I received it today, but it is missing the 2GB TF Card (Micro SD Card) which contains the assembly instructions and all the documentation.

Can someone please zip the contents of the TF Card and send it to me?
I do not know where to begin with the assembly, and I really want to get started on it!

Thanks,
Sean

Did you look in the card holder? The card is so tiny, I almost missed it.

I have an A602 which is similar. I uploaded the assembly video to youtube :[youtu.be]

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2015 07:58PM by billober33974.

I am also missing the card reader. I checked in the controller board, and it's not in there either.

I am missing like 3 things from the kit, but nothing major, except the SD Card with the documents on it.

Quote
darac_komarac

now i have problems with extruder.... it seem that the gear is hobbing the filament whitch results in stoping the extruzionleaving gaps in print. i tried everything i could ( cleaning the nozzle, c leaning the hotend, cleaning the extruder gear from hobbed filament, changing the temperature of hotend, tightening the gears vs extruder....). i even replaced the extruder...... nothing helped......

if i tighten the the filament too hard the motor start to skip ........
any thoughts?

thanks

You can play around with the extruder speed by using the M92 exx instruction. (xx) being the steps per mm. For example M92 e100 would give you 1mm for every 100 steps. You should adjust the speed down so it doesn't skip over the filiment. You can run the instruction before the part program or put it at the beginning of the part program.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/2015 06:52PM by billober33974.