Z-605 kit has bad 3d printed parts.

My X axis motor mount and opposing mount were printed terribly. Feed rods and feed screws were converging causing a major bind. Got (2) new ones from supplier but they were worse than original set. I have to assume that many kit buyers have seen this same problem. Obviously the manufacturer's printer is out of calibration. Here are some pics of how bad the alignment was off and how I solved the problem. Hope this helps anyone building this kit. Ironic that the only (2) parts that should have been "Injection Molded" were not. Brian.

Just googled Aurora Z-605. It's a Prusa i3 knockoff made of acrylic sheets. Not sure it's the best material to use. Hope it works well for you.

I just had a similar issue, wish I would have found this article sooner. I was having the worst time with Z axis binding. My screw shafts were slightly bent and I thought that was the issue. When I let the guide shafts loose from the bottom fixture, they would not line up with the hole and would sit in front of it. I did not have to do an elaborate fix like yours, I just needed a washer on the motor to skew it on the mount, which lined mine up almost perfect. It quit binding after I tried that. Now I am waiting on more filament to come in so I can do more testing.

Hey Willy, I have kit STL's from the seller. I reprinted my motor mounts and they came out pretty darn straight. You are welcome to the files. Let me know. Brian.

Brian how does he print said mounts if his printer isnt working?

You are a funny guy OO. I hope he knows someone like us that can print them for. On that note, I have my mounts printed out already and would be willing to mail them to Willey. PM me Willey. Brian.

Thanks but right now my z axis are working as rigged. I finally got my filament in and proceded to start blocking my print head. This unit is most definitely a lesson learned system. I may want to try printing the mounts and holders once I get set, so I may hit you up on the stls. I think there are some on my cd, I have not checked yet.

Who knew I would become such an expert on it

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elwood127
Hey Willy, I have kit STL's from the seller. I reprinted my motor mounts and they came out pretty darn straight. You are welcome to the files. Let me know. Brian.

Brian, I am looking at my kit with exactly the same problems. I too wish I'd found this article before buying, but adaptation is evolution?

I would be very happy to have the STL files for the affected parts.

I would be equally happy to pay somebody who can print with a good idea of having a well calibrated machine and with a material that at least matches the original part.

Anybody know what that was?

One part looks like nylon the other I have no idea.

Another problem now appears to be missing bolt specifications. After the first frame assembly instructions the bolt lengths are all missing from the instructions.

It appears the assembly guide was written by somebody who is doing 3 jobs per day with little or no sleep.

Does anybody have a list of correct fixings for each assembly stage? Or is there a basic rule that would not leave me short of essential fixing combinations at the end, eg. missing spring cushions for high vibration components?

Yes I am an assembly novice, but I have been patient enough to reassemble a pair of SAAB 9000 CV joints on my own and learned why quality brake disks are preferable to bargain basement brake disks for the same vehicle. I later bought Brembo disks for my Golf TDI. A much better result.

It will be nice to begin printing for the first time with 90 degree angles when required.

Thank you in advance for any offers of help.

You got instructions with your printer ?

Problem with the kits is, they change design so fast, they can´t keep up with the instructions or bills of material...
-Olaf

The answer to this question is "Yes I did". I copied the DVD content to my tablet and I have the complete 'support package', presentation files, spreadsheets, videos, in front of me on the workbench. The assembly guide, to be used together with the individual videos, simply stops identifying the actual fixing specifications. There are several 'M' series fixings, M3 for example. But the lengths are for M3 the most varied. So to use the wrong length for an early sub-assembly will ultimately leave you without that key component at a later stage for which there is no functional alternative. The whole assembly has to be de-constructed to release the key fixing for another alternative. I have used M3x12mm with 3 spacers, finished by an M3 spring cushion and an M3 shim held together by an M3 nut. This gives adequate clearance to all the other fixings for the hot bed base to the guide rail slide bearings and the thermistor underneath the hot bed. This looks OK but without any clear guidance from the assembly instructions and with the knowledge that I have critically limited resources to complete the overall construction.

I was more concerned by the mess of expanded polystyrene debris that had been release by the movement of heavy steel components during shipping. Small and soft that this debris may appear it will cause big problems for bearings and precision positioning as they carry the potential for binding any of the working axes.

The problem is also that even though there is a complete list of parts, items such as grub screws are weighed so you get 8 std sized parts and 4 half sized parts equating to x10 grub screws. I was asked to write about issues quickly and as I have identified this issue of distorted essential parts with the help of RepRap contributions, many thanks to everybody, I have yet to write with this latest of problems and to get a reply from the supplier in China, hopefully quickly. No reply to my first email giving account of missing parts such as a white stepper actuator band (?) shown in the photograph of shipped parts but clearly absent from my consignment when opened.

In the UK you can state the goods are not fit for the purpose for which they were sold. But I would rather learn and adapt to this issue in this case. It would be very expensive to start sending parts back to China for replacement, especially if the problem is not being recognised because of other issues of English-Chinese-English translation.

It appears also the Japanese small industry model is involved here where RepRap machines are being employed to produce parts for this kit. Except as with this design, setting up the geometry of the rails is essential but not necessarily recognised by amateur producers even with the best of intentions to earn more income!

It does not look like this problem is going to go away quickly unless a step by step Rapidly Developed geometry calibration guide can be produced by this group. I think the manufacturer stands to gain and so too does the RepRap organisation with qudos to all contributors and the principle of DIY and DIWO.

My problem started with the locking nuts. Given the lead screws were of equal length, setting he locking nuts to a given number of turns was initially impossible. The whole rail setup was therefore randomly assembled. So my solution necessarily starts from here as a reference point???

Hey Arclite, you may want to look my name up on Thingiverse. I have drawings and stl's of better parts listed. I also just got my 10mm X rods in the mail and will be adding 10mm X Carriage replacements probably tonight. I am going 10mm to hopefully eliminate any sagging from the extra weight, IE: new hotend, fans and mounts. I'm installing a Prometheus hotend right now. 4 hours ago I would have volunteered to print your parts but until I see how this works I'm out of commission. I do have my original crappy instructions if you want them. Maybe between two crappy sets you'll get one good one. Email me directly with questions. Brian. rb3d@msn.com

I actually have the same problem. The X axis motor mount and the x axis end are not straight. It makes the print head to be jammed after printing a few centimeters off the ground. I've been looking for the replacement part and I will try your parts on Thingiverse, elwood127. I hope it can fix my problem.

They will. Mine were so bad that the smooth rods and feed rods were almost touching each other at the bottom. Smooth rod missed bottom hole by 6mm. Had to cut and wedge the x motor mount to straighten it. Try them.

Dumb question: Did anyone check to see if the X axis rails were inserted into the Z axis parts to the same depth?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2015 12:59AM by the_digital_dentist.

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

Quote
the_digital_dentist
Dumb question: Did anyone check to see if the X axis rails were inserted into the Z axis parts to the same depth?

That wouldn´t make a difference.
The smoothrod-bearing and the leadscrew-bearing are placed on the same part and they were not aligned.
-Olaf

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2015 02:09AM by o_lampe.

That really is awful, then.

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

My question as I have the same problem with the same parts is where did your kit come from? Does it have laser-cut Acrylic frame pieces with "3D Printer" cut out across the top piece?

Have you written to the supplier and what has been their reply, if any?

Surely if the parts are being printed on a defective printer setup, they need to be told to get this right? Else we remain the source of the solution for future members? Elwood128 has shown ingenuity with an initial wedged re-alignment solution.

I hope this forum and this topic will become a focus for solutions to this problem but also a stepping off point for evolution and developments to the kit.

With thanks in advance!

Yes, my kit is by Aurora. When I told them that the printed parts sucked the rep went through all of his stock and sent me "the best ones" (x motor and idler mounts) that he had. They were worse than the ones I had. Fortunately my kit came with all of the STL files (for the previous version of course) and I was able to reprint them on my own. Since I've completely redesigned them so that a hammer isn't part of the x carriage assembly procedure. Amasing that the only critical parts of the kit are printed and the less critical parts are injection molded. If you want the stl's PM me. Brian.

I thought to start a new topic "Aurora Z-605 printer kit upgrade path"

Here, under this topic after my initial shock, because the kit contained defective parts. Ironically, a shared view, they too were 3D printed. But the printer, used commercially, to 3D-print critical Aurora parts, had not been checked for squared geometries. 3D-printed contributions by members with good ideas have helped others to get their printers set square and working properly, quickly! I think this process will be continued for as long as it is needed and handed on to other members to continue for as long as they are needed.

But we need a new topic to move on to where we can focus and describe our personal decisions on what parts to upgrade, redesign, develop and to what specifications. Basically a map of everything our members will need to achieve your dream and everything you can do with this kit... and a demonstration of RepRap in practice as the knowledge of how to and where from is documented and shared. Our kit space. Way beyond what we found when we opened the kit box for the first time!

There is a lot more to RepRap, it is a way of life! See you there!

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Before there can be receiving, there must be giving. The first law of genuine intelligence.