Material Thickness Error for proofgrade materials

I’m trying to cut normal proof grade material, and I keep getting a material thickness error, I tried turning it off and on again, it wouldnt connect, had to re setup, and it still happened, then it wont connect again.

I’ve been finding I’ve been having problem after problem with glowforge. The amount of work required to troubleshoot these errors has really eaten into any profit that it has been bringing in.

I really wish this machine was somewhat reliable because its great when it works, but its basically a coin toss.

Very annoyed.

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Are you using a sheet with holes in it or a fresh sheet?

If the automatic scan happens to choose a location with a hole in it for the scan point that will give the error. Make sure the scan happens on the material to avoid it.

I have been using my machine for over two years and haven’t had a single moment of unreliability, so look at your WiFi and how you use it first to see if that may be the cause of the issue.

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Fresh sheet. Its well under the height. I was cutting earlier everything was fine, Now I’ve been spending the past 4 hours trying to make a $25 sale.

I’ve had focusing issues, the machine grinding, Not cutting square, Constantly not connecting with reasonable wifi, constant having to start up the machine again to get going. The majority of my time on projects are troubleshooting.

Absolute nightmare, I’ve got to get to bed because I have a plumber coming tomorrow, but also need to get this thing going. Ive loved using it and have tried to put its shortcomings aside, but its becoming a lot more of a pain than a value add.

Focusing, grinding, and loss of square are all things that are frequently solved by maintenance. Be sure your lenses (all 5 spots) are clean, check for debris in your belts, and follow the instructions on the support.glowforge.com site for re-squaring your gantry.

For your WiFi issues you should check your signal strength. It doesn’t matter if you have 5 bars if you’re transmitting at -60dB it’s not strong enough for the :glowforge:. You can call your ISP to get that answer, or there are apps you can install to get that answer. WiFi can change if your neighbors get a new microwave, so it’s not 100% that once it’s working you’re good, but once you figure out how to determine what’s up with your system then troubleshooting becomes easy.

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Oh no! I’m sorry you’ve hit a snag. Can you send us a photo of the most recent print you experiencing the material thickness error on? Please include the approximate date and time of the print as well.

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Hello @chris.sgouros, we haven’t heard back from you in a while. Are you still having trouble with your prints? If so, can you please send a photo of a recent print that had the error? Thank you!

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Hey, sorry, I may have overreacted, I’ve had frustrations with this machine, but a lot of good experiences as well. The only thing is I just don’t find I could rely on it. It’s partly due to my internet connection. I often have to hot spot, but lately it has been working better.

But I just tried again the next day. No problem. It’s kind of odd, but it does sometimes like to be temperamental.

I do understand that a machine with this capability comes with maintenance, and I do keep up with it, but it does seem to come up with a lot of issues, and I imagine a lot of them would have to do with being on network and not having the UI built in.

When it’s working I love it. Great capabilities for the price. Especially if you can improvise a little. But those buggy issues that are almost impossible to do anything about except walk away are the most frustrating for someone like me.

Thanks to everyone for offering their help even if I was a little tough on the machine.

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Thank you for the reply. No worries, we’re here for you. I extracted the logs from your printer and it looks like everything is working as expected now. I’ve included some additional information below about troubleshooting connection issues:

The most common solution to Wi-Fi challenges is to restart all the devices involved in connecting to the internet.

  1. Turn off the computer, phone, or tablet that you’re using
  2. Turn off your Glowforge
  3. Unplug your modem
  4. Unplug your Wi-Fi access point
  5. Wait one minute, then plug everything back in and turn them back on

If that doesn’t work, we have two more suggestions that often make a big difference:

  1. Improve the signal path between your Glowforge and your Wi-Fi access point
    Wi-Fi signals need a clear path. Remove physical barriers, and move devices closer together:
  • Move your Wi-Fi access point up high and make sure it’s in an open space. Avoid locating your Wi-Fi access point on the ground, under a desk, in a cabinet, or in a corner where its signal can be blocked.
  • Relocate your Wi-Fi access point closer to your Glowforge
  • Move your Glowforge closer to your Wi-Fi access point
  • Install a Wi-Fi range extender closer to your Glowforge
  • Run an ethernet cable and install a second Wi-Fi access point next to your Glowforge
  1. Reduce electronic and Wi-Fi interference
    If your unit is near other devices that use Wi-Fi or a large number of electronics, temporarily turn off other electronics and devices in the area.

Could you let me know if you’ve been having any other trouble?

It’s been a little while since I’ve seen any replies on this thread so I’m going to close it. If you still need help with this please either start a new thread or email support@glowforge.com.