A1 Heatbed Cable Callback

We have an update on this issue: A1 Recall Update

Below is the previous information:

We’ve recently received a few feedback concerning unstable temperature readings and heating issues of our A1 printers. We’ve conducted a comprehensive investigation and believe that we need to take action to ensure the reliability and safety of our products.

The investigation has revealed that the cause of these issues is linked to the damage at the root of the cable which is the connecting point of the heat bed cable and the base of the printer. To a very small portion of A1 printers, excessive bending caused by external force leads to damage to the cable at the root. This damage might not immediately cause the cable to fail, but it will make the cable more susceptible to fatigue and damage in later use. Although the fuse on the heat bed will prevent the bed from overheating, and the fuse on the power supply will prevent any short circuits from developing into any meltdown, this damage will affect the reading of the temperature and may cause power loss or even short circuits. We think it is a serious threat to the safety that we should address.

During the reliability test of A1 in the development, we tested the fatigue of the cable caused by the movement of the bed during printing. Unfortunately, the test did not include the corner cases such as fatigue after excessive bending caused by external force. We should have designed the strain relief (SR) better to protect the cable from any damage. Our investigation has identified several factors that may cause this damage:

• Rough handling during transportation, like dropping the package in certain directions so that the root of the cable is impacted.
• During installation, if the base is vertically placed on the table with the cable side at the bottom, all the weight of the printer will be concentrated on the root of the cables and cause damage.
• After the installation, the cable’s root on the printer base is impacted by external force by accident.

If the cable is damaged, you can clearly observe abnormalities on the cable's insulation layer. Here is a sample of the damaged cable:

For reference, this is what a healthy cable should look like:

For current A1 owners, we offer the following solutions:

• If your heat bed cable exhibits signs of damage shown above or if you are not very sure about it, please reach out to our customer support immediately and provide a picture of the cable at the root. We will arrange the diagnosis and replacement if it is a confirmed damage. We strongly advise customers with verified cable damage to refrain from operating their A1 units until the necessary repairs or replacements have been conducted. If you are willing to replace the cable by yourself, we will send you a revised replacement assembly of the heatbed (save the trouble of wiring the heatbed) in the following 2 weeks and compensation for your time invested in replacing the module. If you are not comfortable replacing the bed by yourself, we completely understand and will replace the whole printer for you.
• If your cable is intact, which is the case for most of our customers, to proactively safeguard your cable against future damage, we have engineered a Cable Protector that acts like an extra strain relief. This device takes 30 seconds to install without the need for any tool and is to restrict the cable’s bending angle, thereby offering preventive protection. Within the next month, we will dispatch cable protectors to all our customers who have made past purchases. Upon receiving the Cable protector, we urge customers to install it on their heat bed cable without delay. It’s crucial to UNPLUG THE PRINTER BEFORE PERFORMING THIS INSTALLATION for safety reasons. For those who require an immediate solution, we offer an alternative: a 3MF file for the Cable Protector is available for download and print.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused and value your understanding and cooperation. We are committed to enhancing the cable design for greater durability and reliability. We will enhance the packaging for all the A1 units currently in stock in our warehouses to prevent cable damage during transportation. The package update involves open-box operations, resulting in visible signs such as holes cut in plastic bags, additional padding, and modifications to the box. All the extra reinforcement will be done using official packaging materials and will not affect the printer itself. For more details on these packaging updates, we will release a wiki article shortly to break down the process, providing a clear reference for customers upon receiving their brand new A1 printers. If you have any questions or additional concerns, please reach out to us.

FAQ:

• Is my A1 safe to print? — It is safe to print with your A1 if you do not see any obvious damage to the heatbed cable. However, to prevent further inconvenience, we request ALL CUSTOMERS with an A1 to install the cable protector.
• Will the warranty be affected? — The installation of the cable protector will not affect your factory warranty.
• What if I have a different shipping address to receive the cable protector? — Please contact customer service directly for assistance.
• Is A1 mini affected by this? — A1 mini is not affected.