Tensioning/Aligning Belts

Zortrax M200 General Discussion
#1

Hi All,

As my first Zortrax has literally run 24/7 for 5 weeks straight, I want to give it some love when it's brother arrives next week.

I'm seeing some rubbing of the belts on the pulleys, and would say that they haven't been aligned correctly at the factory. No ill effects, but some wearing through of the belt on the edge that is touching the pulley.

I plan to go right over it and check all the pulley screws, align the belt pulleys a bit better and tension all the belts as required.

The videos are quite good, and I'm comfortable with all the procedures shown, but just how tight the belts should be is a little unclear. I see mention of getting a "tone" or something out of the belt when flicking it with the finger, or something like that, but I'd like to get a bit more scientific with it as I'll have 2 of them running heavily.

I'm assuming the longer belts are tensioned by the 2 protruding allen head bolts on the carraige?

Is there a tool or procedure for setting belt tension, I realize it's probably a general setting but I'd like to get them evenly tensioned at least.

Basically, how tight should I go, and how do I measure the tightness?

Cheers in advance for any help.

#2

I think Julia (edit: Andre) said that there’s an app that can tell you belt tension based on the tone, but I don’t remember what it was called. But really “snug” should work just fine.

#3

It’s called tension2go. I also posted a video somewhere.

#4

Thanks for suggestion.

We know what you mean, and we plan to do machine like that.
One for splitting left/right into separate belts, and one for splitting incoming resources in some ratio.

#5

I think Harold is spam…

#6

yes, use the application for according guitars, I use this for timing belt of my Ducati, and it works very well.

#7

I’d have to agree Andre. Dunno where those links go, but I’m definitely not about to find out.

#8

I still don’t understand. I keep seeing under 3D printer-- Sometimes. Wtf? You either do or you don’t have a 3D Printer!