So I left a Form 2 print go over night. Came back in the morning to find the printer stopped, resin tank over flowed, and an error message reading “motor jammed” and to clear obstruction. I very carefully removed the overflowing tank, cleaned every thing as best I could with out taking apart the printer and found the rubber valve/nozzle from the cartridge in the tank. Apparently it came off and drained a fairly new cartridge of resin into the tank, overflowing onto the printer deck (not on the glass anyway!). The wiper arm seems to be what jammed. Maybe. I ran a diagnostic report in Preform and sent the report in as part of a support ticket. after cleaning it all and trying again, the printer makes a horrible noise (grinding gears?) and delivers the same motor jammed error and to clear obstruction (there is no obstruction to clear now!). There doesn’t seem to be resin coming out of the bottom of the printer like some people have reported with overflows, but I haven’t taken anything apart for cleaning yet. Waiting to hear back and make sure I don’t void a warranty. Its just about a year old. I understand these valves have been a problem and would hope Form Labs would help with this. But I’m very concerned about the jammed motor. Is my printer toast? I’m an art teacher and have students waiting to print digital sculpts. What do you folks here think?
Similar problem happened to me.
Valve failure resulting in a jammed motor alert and a resin covered motherboard. Form Labs attempted to clean it then finally decided to replace it.
Within 2 years, Im on my 3rd machine with a 4th on the way. They continue to cause me pain.
SJS, that sounds discouraging. Ugh. So you had to send it in? That would really such for my students’ work.
I have a love - hate relationship with F-L. Their quality control is way below what it should be, and they persist in holding the customer’s work hostage while they control their costs. Without proper regard to the costs the customer incurs.
I think more back pressure is needed. They say they know their process is a problem and are “working on it”. But rather than “working on it” they should suck up the costs and just take full responsibility. That means cross shipping new units when QC has failed. Such as in the repeated persistent failure of 25 cent parts ruining machines.
I want a 3L. They want to be paid in advance for a yet to be built machine, in order to hold the price. I told the sales-guy who called yesterday I’d be ignoring their history, and current practice to give them an interest free loan, with an indeterminate delivery date, to get a first manufacturing run from a company that can’t get the simple things right.
I do love my Form2, and the work it does. I deeply wish they paid more attention, and made us whole when they fail.
Anyone with a catastrophic problem should refuse to do any self help; that’s not a free service we should offer a Unicorn company.
Well said, Rob. Its been 24 hours and I haven’t heard back yet. Can’t believe a tiny little rubber part has caused this kind of damage/problem.
This topic was automatically closed 14 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.