Laser Arm Not Moving When Powered On - Need Help

[matt27]

Hello Glowforge Community,

I’m currently facing an issue with my Glowforge where the laser arm does not move when the machine is powered on. Interestingly, it does move freely when the machine is off. I find this quite puzzling and despite my best efforts, I haven’t been able to resolve the issue.

Here’s what I’ve done so far to try and troubleshoot:

1. I checked for any physical obstructions that might be hindering the laser head or the gantry, but found nothing blocking their path.
2. I carefully cleaned the rails and belts to ensure no debris was causing the issue.
3. I examined the tension of the belts controlling the gantry movement. They seem neither too loose nor too tight.
4. I visually inspected the wiring connections to the motors controlling the gantry. They appear to be secure and undamaged.
5. I rebooted my Glowforge to ensure the software is up to date.

I’ve also tried running different design files to see if a specific design is causing the problem, but the issue persists across all designs.

[deirdrebeth]

Well that bites!

Do you get no motion either direction? I don’t think it’ll move without the head on, so I can’t think of a way to see if the motors are running without the belts on :-/

One of the better electrical engineers will come saying and likely have suggestions!

In the meantime, if you haven’t already, open a ticket with actual Glowforge support. They might get something in the logs that we can’t intuit!

[matt27]

I just moved it to a new location so I’m sure it’s user error. Support responded to me and is quite helpful. Thanks!