Heated Build Plate not heating

[dracoaroch]

I just received and assembled the Flashforge Creator Pro yesterday. It took a bit, so I let it sit overnight and decided to test it this morning. I chose the left extruder test print on the SD card and it went well. After it was finished, I removed it from the plate and prepared to make another print. So, I used the included software (ReplicatorG) to create the GCode and s3g file. Then I put it on the SD card, navigated to it, and started the print. The build plate did not heat up and ended up timing out. So the printer went ahead and started printing without it being hot. This caused a mess, so I cancelled out of it and have been searching everywhere for an answer since.

I tried just preheating it (actually, I've probably tried this for 2-3 hours by now). In the preheat settings I only have the build plate enabled. It doesn't budge from 22C - unless I engage the stepper motors. Then it jumps to 32C. In either case it stays at that temperature.

There are 2 connections to the build plate. One is a 2 pin connector and the other is a 4 pin connector. The two pin has easily accessible solder joints. So, I measured the voltage - it is 24, as expected. There is a bright red LED on the chip that the two pin connector plugs into that turns on whenever it is in preheat or print mode.

I have reset it to the factory defaults, but that didn't help.

As for Google-fu, I've only found a couple of posts. One is about the gcode being incorrect, but that would not apply to preheating. The other is about the board being physically damaged, which is not the case either.

Any suggestions?

[Mjolinor]

If the voltage at the heater connection is 24 and it is not getting hot then the hot bed is faulty. Measure the resistance of th bed on the same two terminals with the power turned off.

[dracoaroch]

If the voltage at the heater connection is 24 and it is not getting hot then the hot bed is faulty. Measure the resistance of th bed on the same two terminals with the power turned off.

I think it is the HBP as well. When preheating a the voltage is a solid 24VDC. When not preheating, it is 0 (expected). When the unit is off, the resistance is open. The connection to the HBP is secure as is the connection to the motherboard. Neither connection shows signs of damage or burnout.

What could I have done to damage the bed? I used a flat piece of firm plastic to sweep under the raft in order to remove the first and only print. In retrospect, I should have printed something more interesting so the single print wonder would be a bit less of an annoyance.

Thanks for your response!

[Mjolinor]

The chances are that it was faulty to begin with and you have done nothing to make it fail.

[jfkansas]

Not sure if it was just a typo, but you should be using x3g file format.

Take the bottom cover off and check all the connections. Usually they are precariously loose. While at it cut off any tinned leads and reinsert bare copper. Tinned leads are bad and will cause failure very quickly. Do this for the main power input also, pay attention to polarity, the main power input is reverse of the other power connectors.

I just received and assembled the Flashforge Creator Pro yesterday. It took a bit, so I let it sit overnight and decided to test it this morning. I chose the left extruder test print on the SD card and it went well. After it was finished, I removed it from the plate and prepared to make another print. So, I used the included software (ReplicatorG) to create the GCode and s3g file. Then I put it on the SD card, navigated to it, and started the print. The build plate did not heat up and ended up timing out. So the printer went ahead and started printing without it being hot. This caused a mess, so I cancelled out of it and have been searching everywhere for an answer since.

I tried just preheating it (actually, I've probably tried this for 2-3 hours by now). In the preheat settings I only have the build plate enabled. It doesn't budge from 22C - unless I engage the stepper motors. Then it jumps to 32C. In either case it stays at that temperature.

There are 2 connections to the build plate. One is a 2 pin connector and the other is a 4 pin connector. The two pin has easily accessible solder joints. So, I measured the voltage - it is 24, as expected. There is a bright red LED on the chip that the two pin connector plugs into that turns on whenever it is in preheat or print mode.

I have reset it to the factory defaults, but that didn't help.

As for Google-fu, I've only found a couple of posts. One is about the gcode being incorrect, but that would not apply to preheating. The other is about the board being physically damaged, which is not the case either.

Any suggestions?

[Geoff]

The chances are that it was faulty to begin with and you have done nothing to make it fail.

Sadly this might be the case, I'd check connections like JFKansas said, but you sound like you're a smart guy, you've done all the right things already.

This could be a faulty thermistor on the heatbed, because if it won't read properly then it won't let the bed increase in temperature from my understanding of playing with my machine. I don't think it's a faulty heatbed, I mean yeah they can die but of all the components in the machine, the ceramic heater and the hotbed element should last the longest. My flashforge has burnt out the LED's and the Resistors on the heatbed from time + heat, they are bubbled black and popped - but the heat bed still works great - the thermistor however has been replaces a few times in mine - but never has been the heatbeds fault.

[dracoaroch]

I hate it when problems do not get answers to them. So, I figured I'd post an update so that maybe someone else with the same problem will find this with Google-fu and it will help.

Anyway, the support team was pretty quick to have me check a few things and sent out a new set of cables and the heating board - just the PCB. It arrived in two days - including the weekend. They shipped it on Friday and it was here yesterday. I put it to work all night and there were no problems - well, no problems related to the 3d printer. Board leveling, cold air, settings, and tweaks on the other hand...

Replacement of the board fixed the issue.

I took the old board off and connected it to a variable power supply set at 24v. The LED illuminated, but the board did not heat. Current measurements were minimal - probably just enough to power the LED. Since I get to keep the defect, I'm going to try to salvage it.

Thanks for the responses

[jfkansas]

There isn't much to a PCB Heater at all, I'm guessing a broken cable. The board didn't heat when connected to 24v because a couple pins on the 4 wire connector have to be shorted to complete the circuit. Can't remember which ones.

[Geoff]

I hate it when problems do not get answers to them. So, I figured I'd post an update so that maybe someone else with the same problem will find this with Google-fu and it will help.

Anyway, the support team was pretty quick to have me check a few things and sent out a new set of cables and the heating board - just the PCB. It arrived in two days - including the weekend. They shipped it on Friday and it was here yesterday. I put it to work all night and there were no problems - well, no problems related to the 3d printer. Board leveling, cold air, settings, and tweaks on the other hand...

Replacement of the board fixed the issue.

I took the old board off and connected it to a variable power supply set at 24v. The LED illuminated, but the board did not heat. Current measurements were minimal - probably just enough to power the LED. Since I get to keep the defect, I'm going to try to salvage it.

Thanks for the responses

I still say it was the thermistor, which embedded in the PCB - that's why they sent the whole PCB.