Proper Belt tention for X and Y

Hi everyone,

I tried to find a clear answer on this but I got no luck so here it is,

Everyone mentions how belt tension is very important but how thight does it have to be exactly?

Does belt tension really have to be that high??? Belt tension video

I have a printer based on a Mendel Prism (very solid machine) and I'm using GT2 pulleys and Belts.


Thank you.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2012 11:36AM by thecrazy.

I found this PDF on GT2 belts and pulleys Click here

It explains how to calculate proper belt tension but... I dont speak maths. It makes my brain overheat.

If someone understands and cares to do the maths Id really appreciate it.

Here are the details for my pulleys:

Belt pitch GT2 (2 mm)
Belt width 6 mm
Number of teeth 36
Length 17.5 mm
Pitch diameter 23 mm
Flange diameter 27.6 mm
Bore diameter 5 mm



And the Belts:

Pitch GT2 (2 mm)
Width 6 mm
Length 131 cm

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2012 11:47AM by thecrazy.

That video is about where mine are both on my Mendel Max and the Huxley derived printer I have sitting here, you need to make sure there is nothing that can be taken up when it changes direction, because that directly leads to backlash.

In Nophead's instructions for the Mendel90 he specifies tightening the belts till you have "enough tension to play a low note when plucked" - I don't know if that helps you?

Yes! definitly!

Thank you very much guys.

Proves how good GT2 pulleys and belts are though. My belts are very slack compared to that video and I still only get a 0.04mm variation on my X and Y when calibrating.

Cant wait to thighten and recalibrate!

thecrazy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes! definitly!
>
> Thank you very much guys.
>
> Proves how good GT2 pulleys and belts are though.
> My belts are very slack compared to that video and
> I still only get a 0.04mm variation on my X and Y
> when calibrating.
>
> Cant wait to thighten and recalibrate!

If you are printing cubes, you will not see any issues when calibrating - I was able to accurately calibrate to print cubes with very slack belts. It was only when I switches to printing cylinders that the backlash introduced by the slack belts came apparent.

-Rob A>

I was able to print single walled cylinders properly even before adjusting belt tension.