New UP! Mini user. Nozzle not working and platform dropping.

[Umbrellen]

Hello!

I have my UP! mini all set up according to the user manual and the step-by-step document.
I started the "my first print" yesterday and it started off wonderfully, however, about 3-5 minutes into it, plastic stopped extruding from the nozzle. I cleaned it with acetone overnight (since I had noticed there was already some brown junk built up around the outside of the nozzle, and that is how I received it from the box)

I started the printer back up again this morning with the freshly cleaned out nozzle and it worked! But, of course something else went wrong. After a few minutes, the platform dropped to the bottom and it stopped printing. I Reinitialized and set everything back up again, thinking maybe it was a fluke or weird power supply problem, but now the plastic will not extrude again!

Any suggestions on what I should do or what the problem is?

[ahd71]

A loose cable to the Z stepper motor perhaps? Would make it to fall and hit the switch which probably disables everything....

[carlmamawal]

I have a similar issue with my Mini. I left it to print a part overnight. I checked in the morning that the print had gone bad, the platform dropped to about 30mm(guess) from the print head while the head was extruding. So the print created tangled filament instead. I tried again the a different model, this time the print bed dropped straight to the limit switch. Now the platform won't even move up or down, it would only shudder in place. I've checked for dust along the belt, found none. Checked if any wiring was lose, found none.

There may be something wrong with the Z-axis stepper motor. I have already contacted pp3dp.com for support on the issue.

[roller]

Does it move freely by hand or does it seem like it's binding? I had some issue with my Mini and the platform was dropping. In my case it was a lack of lube on the Z axis rails but I suspect any other cause of binding might cause it. There is a little spring mounted on the belt too which can come loose or end up in the wrong place and cause some issues ... worth checking.

[Rootz]

Umbrellen.

Did you even get to the bottom of this problem?

Cheerz!

R tz

[swort]

This was my solution:

i had some problems too with the platform dropping.

I found later that the metalic belt tentioner on the z-axis (up/down) was too low on the belt. I moved it up so the platform could move all the way up and down.
This happened during shipping i think.

Also my bearing holder was loose, clicked it on (had to get the whole UP! Mini open -2hour work-) and calibrated.
Then i was finally done. Total time waste due to bad shipping +- 6hour...

[carlmamawal]

Just to update everyone on the thread. I got my printer back a few weeks ago. The stepper motor was replaced.