Replicator 2 Overheating Problum

[thebert]

Hi everyone,
I have a makerbot replicator 2 with about 200 printing hours and recently it has started overheating. And when I say overheating, I mean the whole machine is hot to the touch, and the step motor for the extruder is to hot to touch. I have already tried lowering the printing temps, and the problem is not an environment issue. I suspect the thermocoupler wire. Any ideas?
-Thebert

[wpilgrim]

When you say the whole machine is hot to the touch, what do you mean? Just that the steppers are hot, or literally the whole machine, ie the frame and other components. The reason I ask is because I have a hard time seeing how the whole machine would heat up. The stepper motors certainly get pretty dang hot (like you wouldn't want to touch it hot) after working for a while, some people even place small heat sinks on the back to help heat dissipation, but really those steppers are likely operating within their spec'd temperature ranges and it will be just fine.

Have you noticed a degredation in print quality since you noticed the "hot printer"? If your prints look the same then your thermocouple and heater are working correctly. Have you done anything to your printer out of the ordinary, or has your printer had anytime of problem other than this symptom?

when did you notice this problem (ie how did you notice it) do you think that maybe it has been hot the whole time and you only just noticed it, thereby thinking its a problem when its not?

Anyhow I am not telling you not to take it seriously because if it is in fact getting hotter than it should, dumping heat or energy into the frame or other parts of the printer in a way it wasn't intended to do then it is a major fire hazard and shouldn't be taken lightly.