Noisy Ball Screw

Issue(s)

• The X or Y-axis on the AltMill is making clicking sounds when jogging
• The sound can be heard somewhere on the ballscrew (it's best to identify where - motor coupler, motor, ball screw block, bearing blocks) 

Resolution(s)

• Alignment
• Lubrication
• Tramming

Alignment  

Check if there is misalignment between the motor, coupler and ball screw, as well as how the motor is mounted on the left Y-gantry plate and/or Y end plates. The motor shaft and coupler must be centered at the circular cutouts on the plates. 

Re-assemble as described in the sections below:

Bearing Blocks

1. Ensure motors are plugged in
2. Loosen the 4 screws holding the motor onto the plate
3. Loosen the 4 screws holding the black bearing block
4. Jog the gantry toward the loosened bearing block to help align the bearing block and motor
5. Tighten the bearing block and motor
6. Do the same for the other side's bearing block
7. Ideally torque the screws to 9.5 ft lbs (130 kg*cm)

Y-axis End Plates

1. Loosen the motor coupler on the motor side
2. Loosen the Y-axis end plates and ensure they sit flat against the Y-axis rails
3. Tighten the motor coupler
4. If that doesn't help you can also try to switch the back and front Y end plates, to see if the plates fit better in the other orientation 

Motor Couplers

1. Loosen the motor (don't remove the screws), and rotate the ball screw by hand. Tighten the motor screws. Note, the controller must be off to rotate the screws
2. Ensure that: the motor coupler is tight on the motor shaft and the ball screw, both halves of the coupler are pressed against the rubber bushing in the middle, and that the coupler should not be touching the motor or bearing block

Lubrication

1. Grease the bearing block by following our guide here - AltMill Maintenance. Frequent grease replacement will lubricate the ball screw but more importantly, push dirt and debris out of the bearing block. 
2. Apply a thin layer of grease to the ball screws

Tramming

You do not need to tram the AltMill to fix the clicking sound.

Incorrectly tramming your machine can CAUSE the clicking sound. Make sure to NOT use the eccentric bushings to tram in the nod direction. Use the instructions in our resources page to tram. 

• 131300kg*cm135