I have a fairly new build with about 15 hours on it with no mechanical issues. Recently, one of the x stepper motors started grinding and running rough. I checked the grub screws – all tight. When I disconnect the motor and turn the spindle, I can feel the rough vibrations inside the motor. Is the motor dead so soon or am I missing something?
The motor I am using is a nema 17 Stepper motor bipolar 2A, 84 oz.in.
Thanks!
The roughness you feel is probably the “cogging” of the windings with the magnets. Compare it to another stepper motor to see if it really feels different.
Also you can try removing or loosing the belts and see if there is binding on the x-axis. and that the trucks are tracking close to parallel.
I’ve read on the forum that the stepper motors are pretty bullet-proof and rarely fail, so it’s probably not a problem with the motor.
Also, what are you using to do “endstops” to match the X motors to the same position on each side. If you’re using endstop switches they should be setting the motors to the same position, but I had a problem when the physical endstops were slipping and I didn’t catch it for a few cuts.
I measured the endstop-to-leg distance to be sure the stops were parallel to the end rail.
Try some of that.
Mike
Make sure the wiring is good. Check the connection points. A bad or loose connection can sound like the motor is grinding.
Thanks. I traced the wires back and it appears that wires were melted at a connection point such that two of the leads were touching. Ugh! After repairing the wires, all seems fine for now.
The melting was probably caused by a loose connection. When the current has to jump over an air gap, it creates a lot of heat.
I would double check all my connections. Give a small tug on each wire and make sure nothing is going to pop loose. Check that there are no other areas with signs of melting.