After reviewing a bunch of Troubleshooting, Problems and Support topics (to try to find a solution to my first day issue with GF) I noticed that many of them can be avoided by running a test or quality check before shipping to customer.
It will save lot of time and money (and gratis frustration) to both customers and GF if you can run the machine for a dry test, at least without laser shooting, to check if mechanics are okey (no loose belt, no missaligned steppers,…etc).
I bought several ready to use CNC machine from china, they are ugley, not user friendly, but never found any issue with the mechanics or stepper motors movement.
So please make an effort on that, it’s a reputation matter.
Regards,
Badr
I would bet that the unit is fully exercised and tested at the factory. The most likely cause of any mechanical issues are the gorilla like movements necessary to get a 70lb box across the country. When the UPS truck finally hits my 1/2 mile long driveway I can hear it shake, rattle, bounce and squeak across every little rock. The fender is held on with tie wraps, the transmission leaks, the muffler is hanging and the driver’s seat is broken. The packages bounce off of the shelves and end up in a pile at the back of the truck with a coating of thick dust. And I’m guessing the warehouse folks treat packages a lot worse than the truck and driver. Whether it’s packaging, design or just the fact that P&S reports are visible to us, can’t say. (My driver is great, by the way.)
I guarantee that the Glowforge units all undergo complete and through testing before they are shipped. They have to be calibrated at the factory and that is only part of the testing they undergo. One of the earlier issues logged was that the testing technicians would forget to delete their credentials from the machine before shipping it.
I support 3D printers and even after performing full testing on our packaging we see shipping damage. I have seen a printer shipped from Hong Kong to the UK to the US and halfway across the US twice with the same packaging and no damage. I have seen a similar printer in the same design of packaging, but with brand new packaging, get destroyed in one trip in the US to the point we just replaced it.
Many of the other issues that are reported aren’t variables that can be tested in a lab environment. Variables like neighbors’ WiFi, users’ WiFi equipment, etc. I don’t see the failure rate to be out of the ordinary considering the size and weight of the machine and the number of shipments.
I’m pretty sure they do test every machine (including firing the laser). At least as of a year or two ago it was not unheard of for people to see a saved bed image of a test object when logging into the app for the first time.
I think that every problem solved ends up on a check list or design change as possible.
However all possible errors ranks with "idiot proof{ as not only infinite in number but further infinite in combinations of that infinity.
I can at least confirm, UPS is not gentle with packages…I unloaded them in my younger years from 2-7am…and speed was the game not package safety. If you didnt hit a certain mark per hour you didnt work there anymore.
That has been a moving target. Like idiot proofing, there is always some ingenious idiot that will beat it even before it gets to your door. My first one arrived with a punctured box that managed not to reach the glass, though I read here of several that did break the hardened glass. My second one had a piece of foam to further resist that sort of puncture, but unless they added a slab of leather someone could still drop a pole or something that would still break that glass. And that is just one example for starters.
Not only is this a moving target as was mentioned, but there is a balance between shipping costs and breakage. You can be sure that 99.9% of units arrive undamaged, but the packaging and shipping costs will be huge. GF has optimized their shipping design to provide a shipping cost that you are willing to pay. In return, they are willing to accept a number of units that will be broken in transit. They also probably have insurance to deal with the cost of losses due to shipping, which is why they will make it right for you. Yes, there will be some time it takes, but you will get a machine that works properly.
I have received packages that have been run over, complete with tire tread marks, boxes with 3/4 inch bolts embedded in the box surfaces, pallets with sticks thrust through the contents, etc. Shipping companies don’t care. I am sorry you were the recipient. Just be patient and let GF take care of the problem.
@ben1 after checking the support instruction, the problem didn’t come from mechanical shipping damage, but rather a right stepper motor which is not controlled correctly (or damaged)…