I know, this topic has been beat to death, but in an effort to get a consensus, please help me out here.
I've read that belts are always the cause, rarely the cause or never the cause. Belts should always be loose, belts should always be tight.
Here is what I seem to think is the case for axis drift. First of all, do these statements seem to be true?
Higher Current (CW on POT) equals more torque and power, but more heat.
Lower Current (CCW on POT) equals less torque and power, but less heat.
Your axis should be as close to friction-free as possible.
Friction causes drag, and drag can lead to skips.
Tighter belts increase tension and this equals more drag.
Loose belts can slip.
Loose wires can cause a skip
Too much heat can cause the motor to "reset" and this millisecond break can cause skips.
Second - My particular situation.
Prusa I3 purchased from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N7I1ZVU?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00)
I'm experiencing drifting during prints in the Y-axis. Sometimes right away, sometimes after 5 or 6 layers.
The layers always drift towards the front.
I have physically tried to move my bed in the Y direction while holding the pully steady, and I am unable to force the belt to skip off the pulley on the motor.
The motor gets hot to the touch (not too hot that I can't touch it, but pretty hot). I have a fan blowing on it.
(this one is the kicker)
This
only happens when printing circles. I ran two 20 minute prints back to back of some little do-dad (one with Cura and another with Slic3r - same object different slicer) Both printed fine. Went to print a circular device, and before finishing the first layer, nested circles were overlapping in the y axis. (attached images)
This particular printer does not use the MEGA / RAMPS1.4 setup that most others have. There are POTs on the board however next to each motor plug.
My thoughts . . . when the printer is printing the backs and fronts of the circles (closest to the front and back of the bed) the Y-axis is moving at it's slowest, as the x-axis is drawing the front and back of the circles.
Thoughts? Should I try geasing the bars on the y-axis first. With the belt off, the bed slides easily and continues moving a few inches after I let go. Should the belt have any play in it? Mine is super tight. like a guitar string.
Thanks for your patience and help!
Todd