Printer plate rear fixture broken

[Aotrs Commander]

Hi folks. I'm wondering if you can help, We have a Replicator 2. It gets a lot of hammer and the bit at the back that holds the build-plate in place (clip? bracket? tab?) has broken. (Naturally, not long after we'd just got it working after having to replace one of the cables and struggling to get filament, since the stuff we normally use might only just get into the UK from Europe late this month...)

We have jury-rigged something (see attached, also so you can see which bit I'm talking about) which has worked for small prints, but larger ones seem to be getting issues. Occasionally, we'll get a sort of grumbling noise (like the extruding hitting the surface of the build plate or something is sticking or something on the head) and we're getting periodic slipping.



Can anyone tell me what this part is even called and whether, for example, it is something that we could print a replacement for - couldn't see anything on Thingverse, first place I looked, though - or get a replacement (though have have determined that at this point, if anything goes that requires an extensive replacement, we will simply repalce the whole thing with a new printer).



Now, on looking around for solutions, I did see one chap who'd had his clip break who'd also had problem with the arms (didn't say how he'd fixed the clip, though). So there is a possibility that the two problems are related. Apparently people have been replacing the injection-moulded arms with aluminium ones? (I assume the arms are the ones that hold the build plate?) Those of you that have had this sort of failure (if any!), do our symptoms sound a bit like that? (Our build plate isn't heated, I should note.)



(If so, it is the arms, its probably time took at getting a new printer.)



Edit: Result of last attempted large print:

[curious aardvark]

Looks like it should be a fairly simple part to design and print.

Does it just click into that socket and help hold the bed in place ?

Can you glue the broken part together so i can see what it should look like ?

[Aotrs Commander]

Looks like it should be a fairly simple part to design and print.

Does it just click into that socket and help hold the bed in place ?

Can you glue the broken part together so i can see what it should look like ?

My apologise for the delay in reply, I was away last week.

I THINK this photo is of the broken-off part. (Naturally, 2020 being 2020, I of course now can't find the other bit of it - and its not like we intentionall threw it away or anything. *sigh*)

SAM_3298.jpg

And the reverse side

SAM_3299.jpg



Edit: This point had become somewhat irrelvant. The Rep 2's x-axis belt has gone (making this the third bit to break or wear out in this period) and we have reached the point that we think it's time to replace it after 7 years and 2770 hours of printing time. (My Dad has risked a tenner on a replacement belt from a clone hopefully for the short term, while we sort out and get a new one in.)

[mjensen2k]

I just broke that piece off my new-to-me Rep 2. I did the same thing as you, looking for the part (didn't even know what to call it).

I used a 2 part epoxy that I trust, held it in place, and after it setup, it's working fine. Underneath it's an ugly wad-of-epoxy but it's strong where it counts.

[6chen]

two of my replicators2 had the same problem, I designed and printed that clip to fix them.See attachment if the stls work for you.You may need to tweak them a little since the place of break may differ.I can upload the CAD file you you want.My Rep2s have ran over more than 9999 hrs and I've replaced step motor chips and nozzles several times, they still work almost as good as I bought them 7 years ago.

[Aotrs Commander]

Thanks, but I'm afraid shortly after I made that post in July last year, the Rep 2 passed the point it was worth replacing (the belt wore out and it wasn't worth spending the money to replace it as at that point, it was better spent on a newer printer was and we replaced it with a Prusa).