OK Folks here is a list of what has been going on with the MM6 and MM2 in
a little more detail...
The machines sat for about a month and a half doing nothing. The last on
each machine went fine and I was given a new order of parts that required
the use of both machines.
On the MM6...
I started the build and several layers into it the support jet stopped
working. I went through the purge cycle with the required result (i.e..
it purged...) yet when the build was restarted the jet would stop into
the next layer. I replaced the jet and completely restarted the build
(in the time it took to get the jet replaced the substrate started to
peel up from the plate) The part seemed to be working then the build jet
stopped working. After waiting for the replacement from Sanders (about
two weeks) I replaced that jet with no luck in getting the thing to work.
At this point the I replaced both flag filters and the jets would do a
standard purge as well as a fire-n-purge. Now neither will pass a jet
check and it runs through the hot purge with no change. I have check and
re-checked the ini files, dials, heated lines and have re-calibrated the
temperature controllers. As the time involved in the above description
is well over a month of frustration I have essentially given up on this
machine, for the time being...
On to the MM2...
As with the MM6 this machine had run fine until I let it sit for a month
wit little to do! I started a job and on this machine the support jet
stopped jetting, in fact the system would not even purge which lead us to
the air pump. Once that was replaced the system would purge but would
not jet. After several days of fiddling with it I got the support jet to
work and then in to the build the build jet stopped. I have since
re-placed BOTH jets and re-calibrated the temperature controllers. I can
get through about 20 layers after getting one or the other jet "jetting"
and then the whole process starts over (it's getting kind of OLD). I
have now replaced both jets a second time, I have re-checked the heated
lines, I have RE-RE-calibrated the temperature controllers and am as
above getting frustrated with the futile attempts at getting this
equipment running.
The job that was to keep these machines running for the next couple of
months was run last night on the SLA machine!
If any of this will help narrow your suggestions that would be great as
those that have been sent so far have been tried and yet they (the MM6
and MM2) still sit with nothing running. I have spent countless hours on
the phone with Sanders and other then a long list of part replacement
suggestions and faxed procedures that DO NOT fix the problems there have
been no real useful suggestions from them! My patience is at the
absolute end of the line with these machines and I would suggest that
Sanders finds a way to BETTER the reliability of this equipment. Rapid
Prototyping is meaningless when you get one or two platforms of parts per
year, while the rest is spent trying to coax the equipment back from the
grave for you next build!
Karl
For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.2 : Tue Jun 05 2001 - 22:46:59 EEST