Hi All
I am finding black dust particles on the base of the Vertex that is presumably coming from the belts as it is directly under the x and y stepper motors. Has anyone else found this? I have loosened the belts as much as possible but it is still happening.
Is this normal?
Any ideas would be most welcome. Apart from that the prints are perfect.
Eddie
[quote=“EddieL”]I am finding black dust particles on the base of the Vertex that is presumably coming from the belts as it is directly under the x and y stepper motors.[/quote]It’s due to the belts overlapping a bit and grinding each other. Try adjusting the motor and pulleys to minimize the rubbing.
Thanks Raby
[quote=“Volguus”]Here’s what happens if you don’t notice it in time. Sigh…
omg o.O that looks like you need a new Belt
A bit of dust is normal as it can happen that the two belts on the same pulley rub a bit together. The picture you posted is not normal however this occurs when a motor keeps turning when the belt is blocked. So it chews away at the belt.
You can indeed open a ticket on our support platform and make the case for a replacement belt.
I never thought I’d say no to free repair parts, but my conscience requires me to set the record straight in case anyone else encounters this issue and can learn from my mistakes.
Basically it all boils down to the wiggle room available in lining up the pulleys, belts and motors. Namely, there isn’t any! One millimeter of misalignment and the belts are forced to grind together. By the time I noticed this happening, two belts (the long one in the back and the Y-axis motor belt) had already ground themselves down to 4mm width in areas. And as they got thinner, they became more prone to stretching. I didn’t know this at the time, so I just kept tightening the motor belt, which kept getting looser, until the vicious circle snapped. The belt is apparently constructed in layers like a car tire, and what the photo shows is the inner “tooth” layer snapped apart completely between two adjacent teeth, and only the outer layer still holding together, albeit very stretched. No teeth are missing or ground away.
It’s more true to say this was my own fault for not staying more on top of this alignment/grinding issue. I had some prints to get out in a rush and probably didn’t pay enough attention to the warning signs. I have a request in to Reichelt for replacement parts and I’ll pay for my mistakes. You guys have enough issues to handle without taking the blame for one that’s not yours!
Having said that, has anyone ever considered alternative pulley designs along these lines?
Please submit a support ticket for new belts, it will go much faster and we would be glad to get you on your way to printing again.
That is actualy not a bad idea Volguus 
Think im going to look into that one I have a litle dust that i have been wondering where it comes from and it turns out as this thread sugest from the belts. 
the belts looks like they are very lightly nudged in my case. I should get something done Before they get eaten up by each other in the long run.
I just want to thank Velleman and this seems as good a place as any. I opened up a support ticket about the belts as suggested above, and a new set arrived in my mail, no questions asked, in a week. And with the Romanian post, one week is super fast! The Beast is back up and running, and after nudging some pulleys, belt dust is now at a minimum (I think the design prevents totally avoiding it). Thanks again!
