Properly Adjust Metal X Belt Tension
The printhead on your printer is moved using a system of motors, pulleys, and belts. For optimal operation, the belt tension must be maintained at the correct level. Excessive belt tension will contribute to premature bearing wear, and insufficient belt tension can lead to reduced printing accuracy and or dislocations. Since belts may stretch over time, it is recommended that users occasionally (approximately every 100 prints) measure belt tension and adjust as necessary.
What You'll Need
This procedure requires a 3mm hex allen wrench and a device that allows you to measure audible frequency in Hertz. An inexpensive option is to use a mobile device with a free version of either the Fine Tuner app for IOS or the Fine Chromatic tuner app for Android. These applications are designed to tune musical instruments, but they can be used as accurate frequency meters.
Note: some users have reported technical issues with the Android tuner apps. To ensure accurate measurements, always take frequency adjustments in quiet surroundings.
Adjust Metal X Belt Tension Procedure
To begin, turn off the printer and manually place the print head in the back left corner of the print chamber to more easily access the belt underneath the Y-rail opposite of the print head.
Next, open the tuner app on our mobile device. If using the free tuner app for iOS, you can disregard the lower two numbers on the main screen. Now place the phone’s microphone close to, but not touching, the belt opposite of the printhead. Pluck the belt as if it was a guitar string, and then use the 3mm hex key to adjust the belt tensioner until the app reads a frequency of 82 to 84 hertz.
Here are some tips for the best results.
- Make measurements in quiet surroundings. If you cannot secure a quiet environment, consider investing in a shotgun condenser microphone to plug into your mobile device.
- Remove any protective casing on your phone if necessary to get a more accurate reading.
- Place your phone’s microphone close to, but not touching, the belt.
Do not over-pluck the belt such that it vibrates against the gantry. And when you initially pluck the belt, it will produce harmonics at multiples of the fundamental frequency. These will quickly die off, and you will be left with only the fundamental frequency. For this reason, ignore early readings that appear to have measured a multiple of your target frequency. With a little practice, you obtain highly repeatable and accurate results in under two minutes.
Technical Support
If you have any questions or experience unexpected behavior, feel free to reach out to MLC CAD Systems technical support