Orange Button Again - Bad White cable

Community Support
1

In 1 year I’ve purchased 2 machines and have had 3 machine replacements. The newest (refurbished) machine is down for a second time this week after I JUST GOT IT. I’m sorry, but I have ZERO faith in this product any longer.

On my SECOND print on this machine, it went down with the Orange light, stopping a job and wasting an entire board. I checked all of the cables, and the machine ran again for 3 more projects. Then, the Orange light came on again ruining a custom board that was cut, sanded, designed and templated. Turns out the white cable was loose again. I started over. Cut, sanded, taped off, templated a new custom board. 1 hour 20 minutes into the job, Orange light. Job ruined. Custom cut board ruined. Half a day wasted again. Here I am typing another message requesting help…

I compared the two machines that I have. When I push the white cable into the print head on my other Glowforge, it snaps into place. The replacement that I was just sent does NOT snap, so it keeps getting loose and stopping the machine, and ruining boards. This cable can be removed with barely pulling on it. It just slides in and out with no catch or snap.

I have spent $10,000 on NEW machines. Soon after, issues happened and I was sent REFURBISHED machines that have ALL had issues soon after receiving them. I have a problem with the fact that I spent money on new machines and I was not given a NEW replacement. Instead, I received someone else’s USED machine that already failed for them. That doesn’t seem right. I also have an issue that I can’t rely on a $4000 and a $6000 machine to last more than a few jobs with out an issue. Someone please contact me since I have no option of calling someone myself, unless “I want to hear what Glowforge’s voicemail sounds like”

The Glowforge Contact Page
“Finally, if you’re curious what our voicemail message sounds like, you can find out at + 1 (855) 338-2122.”

My business can’t survive if I can’t produce the work because of faulty machines. I am at the point I want my money back. I’m tired of boxing up machines to send them back. I’m tired of unboxing machines to set them up. I’m tired of boxing them back up again because the replacements don’t last either. I’m tired of asking for help. I’m tired of waiting days or weeks for a response.

Today’s Failed jobs: Around 5pm and 6:52pm

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2

While I understand your frustration and I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes, I do want to point out that the Glowforge is a hobby grade laser cutter. I don’t know if you have more than one, but I use hobby level 3D printers as part of my business and I learned early on that what you save in the price of the machine you lose in the frustration of dealing with machines that aren’t made to a duty cycle that you need for business. I now have 6 3D printers so I never have a job lost because a printer is down. And yes, a failure can cost as much or more time ad sometimes money on a 3D printer.

Business grade laser cutters are 2-3 times as expensive per the last research I did.

Bottom line, have a backup. Another laser, a service to farm it out to, and a plan on how to communicate with your customers.

Support will be along to address your concerns, but it sounds like the white cable isn’t getting seated properly. You may want to take a photo of the connector. That connector has a latch on it; if that latch isn’t getting snapped into place for whatever reason, including not being pushed hard enough into its receptacle, the cable will come out. Check that the white cable end snaps into the head. If it doesn’t, does something look broken? If so take a photo.

2 Likes
3

I do 2 machines. I learned early on how much business I can lose while a machine goes down if you don’t have a back up. Two of the replacement machines failed on day one of receiving them from Glowforge. So even if I was using them only for a hobby, they didn’t make it to day 2 with out failing. The latch will not connect or click. It’s faulty.

4

There is a little black tab on top of the white ribbon that clicks into place on the head, and if it gets broken off, it’s not going to hold. You might want to check that and take a close up shot to show support.

If the tab is still there, make sure it is being pushed in straight over the pins, and you do have to push it fairly firmly…just make absolutely sure it is going on straight or you can damage the pins.

It’s pretty hard to push all the way on, unless it is aligned correctly, and you have to be extremely careful with it. When you remove it, you have to depress the little tab before pulling it straight out.

Check it over and report back to support so they can decide what has to be done to fix the problem this time. But take a closer look at the ribbon tab first.

5

Check to see if the locking bar that the latch should snap into on the head receiver is broken. Photos will help. If it is the locking bar it may be an easier fix.

It isn’t common for connectors like this to me defective. I don’t know that I have seen one that wasn’t damaged rather than defective.

6

I’m so sorry to hear about the trouble with your replacement unit. Clearly the unit you received does not meet our standards for quality and you should not have received a unit with this kind of problem. I’ll follow up with you shortly in email to discuss next steps.