First, a bit of background. We have four glowforges that we have been using for years. We are very familiar with the basics and have done thousands of engraves like the one I am about to describe.
One of our machines has started skewing the engraving up and to the right. It starts in the right spot but eventually starts to stretch off to the right hand side (instead of staying centered).
Things we have tried:
Rebooting the software, the machine, and trying multiple different files.
Deep clean of everything including lenses. Replaced a mirror that was looking a little dingy.
Ran the camera recalibration tool. The first engrave after this actually seemed to come out ok, but now it is back to its previously described issue.
Has anybody experienced this and do you have any suggestions for getting it back up and running? Thanks in advance.
I know you are familiar, but have you checked for any little debris, wheels, etc? It sounds like something physical. Is it happening in the same spot each time?
The cleanliness of the optics and the calibration of the lid camera can’t have anything to do with this problem. Drifting like that has to be a physical problem with something involved in moving the print head around: rails, wheels, tensioner pulleys, belts. Inspect all those places for damage and debris. Also mind whether anything could be bumping into your material or holddown pins during the engrave.
This guide may help with the inspection and adjustments: