Tag: 3dprinter

Hey, what’s up, fellow 3D printing enthusiasts? Today I want to talk to you about something very important: filament. You know, the stuff that makes your prints come to life. But did you know that not all filament is created equal? In fact, the characteristics of filament can vary significantly, and hence the settings that are used must also be updated. Let me explain.

Filament is made of different materials, such as PLA, ABS, PETG, etc. Each material has its own properties, such as melting point, strength, flexibility, etc. Depending on the material you use, you need to adjust your printer settings accordingly. For example, PLA usually prints well at around 200°C, while ABS needs a higher temperature of around 230°C. If you use the wrong temperature, you might end up with a print that is under-extruded, over-extruded, or warped.

But even within the same material, there can be variations in quality and consistency. For example, some filament brands might have more additives or impurities than others, which can affect the flow and adhesion of the filament. Some filament spools might have more moisture or dust than others, which can cause bubbles or clogs in the nozzle. Some filament colors might require different temperatures than others, due to the pigments used. All these factors can affect the quality of your prints.

So how do you deal with these variations? Well, the best way is to test your filament before you start printing. You can use a calibration cube or a temperature tower to find the optimal settings for your filament. You can also measure the diameter of your filament with a caliper and enter it in your slicer software. This will ensure that you get the right amount of extrusion and avoid under- or over-extrusion.

Another thing you can do is to store your filament properly. You should keep your filament in a dry and cool place, away from sunlight and moisture. You can also use a desiccant or a vacuum sealer to keep your filament dry. This will prevent your filament from absorbing moisture and degrading over time.

You can make sure that you get great results from your filament. Remember, filament is not just a consumable, it’s an essential part of your 3D printing process. So treat it well and it will treat you well too. Happy printing!

I love that 3d printing allows you to create physical objects from digital models. Despite what I thought when I got my first 3d printer, it is not as simple as pressing a button and watching your design come to life. There are many factors that affect the quality and outcome of your 3D prints, and one of the most important ones is the configuration settings.

Configuration settings are the parameters that control how your 3D printer operates, such as the temperature, speed, layer height, infill, retraction, and more. These settings can vary depending on the type of printer, filament, model, and desired result. They can also interact with each other in complex ways, so changing one setting can affect another.

One of the most common problems that 3D printing enthusiasts face is poor bed adhesion. This means that the first layer of your print does not stick to the print bed, causing it to warp, curl, or detach. This can ruin your entire print and waste time and material. There are many possible causes for poor bed adhesion, such as incorrect bed temperature, nozzle height, leveling, or surface preparation. However, even if you have all these factors right, you may still encounter this issue if your other configuration settings are not optimal.

For example, if your print speed is too high, your extruder may not be able to keep up with the demand and under-extrude filament. This can result in gaps or thin spots in your first layer, which can compromise its adhesion. Similarly, if your retraction settings are too aggressive, you may experience oozing or stringing, which can interfere with the smoothness and consistency of your first layer. If your layer height is too large or your infill is too sparse, you may not have enough material to form a solid base for your print.

It is essential to understand how all of your configuration settings work together and how they affect the quality of your 3D prints. You should always test and calibrate your printer before starting a new project, and adjust your settings according to the specific requirements of your model and filament. You should also use slicing software that allows you to preview and fine-tune your settings before sending them to your printer. By doing so, you can avoid common pitfalls and achieve successful 3D prints every time.

My situation:

I wasn’t necessarily looking for a nozzle upgrade. I had it on my Amazon wishlist as one of those “something I’ll purchase one day” items. When my birthday came around my family purchased it. In my case, I’m evaluating overall performance rather than trying to push the limits of speed on my machine or trying to print with some exotic filament.

First impression:

Compared to the hotend that came with my machine and the hotends that I’ve replaced it with over the years, the Spider is very heavy. A pet peeve of mine is that everything lines up. One thing that I don’t like about most hotends that I’ve used in the past is that their orientation is based on how tight you put everything together because it’s based on the rotation of the heat break. The Spider overcomes this with a couple of screws that determine the orientation. Overall, it seems to be a very well built hotend.

Installation:

Thinking it’s a drop in replacement for my current hotend, I remove my hotend and put the Spider on my printer. Then I notice that the JST connectors are incorrect for my machine, so I swap that all out so that I can provide power to it. Once I get the electronics set up I notice that the nozzle is an inch or so higher than my other hotend was. Rookie mistake. I remove the Spider, put my old hotend back on, and 3d print a spacer to set the nozzle at the right height. I need some longer screws too.

Printing:

Once I get the Spider set up at the right height, I did a PID tune and started printing. I’ve been printing with it for about a week now and I have to say that I like it so far. The prints come out extremely clean and just have a nice uniform look to them.

Calibration – Check

Go to print – big goopy mess

Change nozzle – Check

Calibration – Check

repeat

After a lot of frustration I saw the wires for my part cooling fan pop out of the connector and I immediately knew what the problem was. Ugh. I had spent so much time diagnosing the wrong issue. The wires were in enough that they looked like they were secure, but out enough that they intermittently got disconnected. So, when I would print I would sometimes end up with heat creep or a big goopy mess of filament.

Bought 500 JST connectors on Amazon for $8.99 and my problem is solved.

Lessons learned (or relearned):

  • the root cause isn’t always immediately obvious
  • check everything
  • if you’ve replaced the nozzle 3 times and you still have the same problem, the problem likely isn’t the nozzle

The world of 3D printing has revolutionized manufacturing and design processes across industries. One key factor that significantly impacts the quality and reliability of 3D printed objects is thermal stability. I want to explore why thermal stability holds immense importance in the realm of 3D printing.

3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, is a process that involves creating three-dimensional objects by layering materials based on a digital design. The success of 3D printing lies in achieving precise control over various parameters, including temperature. Thermal stability, the ability of a system to maintain a consistent temperature, plays a crucial role in ensuring the accuracy, structural integrity, and overall quality of the final printed objects.

Different 3D printing technologies utilize various materials such as thermoplastics, metals, resins, and composites. Each material has specific thermal characteristics that must be carefully managed during the printing process. Achieving thermal stability allows for precise control over the material’s melting point, viscosity, shrinkage, and curing reactions, ensuring optimal results.

Thermal stability is paramount in preventing warping and deformation in 3D printed objects. When materials cool too rapidly or unevenly, they can contract unevenly, leading to warping, curling, or cracking. Maintaining a stable and controlled printing environment, including the temperature of the build plate and the surrounding atmosphere, helps mitigate these issues and ensures dimensional accuracy.

Thermal stability directly affects the print quality and resolution of 3D printed objects. Variations in temperature can cause inconsistent material flow, resulting in uneven layer deposition, surface imperfections, or even failed prints. A stable and controlled temperature environment allows for consistent material flow, precise layering, and better adhesion between layers, ultimately leading to higher print quality and resolution.

In 3D printing, optimizing print speed is essential to increase efficiency and reduce production time. However, pushing the limits of print speed without considering thermal stability can lead to compromised print quality. Maintaining the appropriate temperature range for the material being used ensures that it flows smoothly and solidifies properly, enabling faster and more efficient printing without sacrificing quality.

Support structures play a vital role in 3D printing, especially when printing complex geometries or objects with overhangs. Thermal stability aids in the controlled and gradual cooling of the printed layers, allowing for the proper formation and removal of support structures. This process helps maintain the structural integrity of the printed object while minimizing the need for excessive supports or post-processing.

What makes a good 3D printer extruder?

A 3D printer extruder is the part of the printer that pushes the filament through a nozzle and deposits it on the build plate. The extruder is responsible for the quality and accuracy of the printed object, as well as the speed and reliability of the printing process. Therefore, choosing a good 3D printer extruder is essential for getting the best results from your 3D printing projects.

There are many factors that affect the performance of a 3D printer extruder, such as:

  • The type of filament: Different filaments have different properties, such as melting temperature, viscosity, flexibility, and strength. The extruder should be compatible with the filament you want to use, and be able to handle its characteristics without clogging, jamming, or breaking.
  • The design of the extruder: There are two main types of extruders: direct drive and Bowden. A direct drive extruder has the motor mounted directly on the nozzle, which reduces the distance and friction between the filament and the nozzle. This allows for more precise and consistent extrusion, especially with flexible or brittle filaments. However, a direct drive extruder also adds more weight and inertia to the print head, which can affect the speed and accuracy of the printer. A Bowden extruder has the motor mounted away from the nozzle, and uses a tube to guide the filament to the nozzle. This reduces the weight and inertia of the print head, which enables faster and smoother printing. However, a Bowden extruder also introduces more friction and slack in the filament path, which can cause under-extrusion, over-extrusion, or stringing, especially with flexible or soft filaments.
  • The quality of the components: The components of the extruder, such as the motor, the gears, the bearings, the nozzle, and the heat sink, should be made of durable and high-quality materials that can withstand high temperatures, pressures, and wear. The components should also be well-aligned and calibrated to ensure smooth and accurate extrusion.
  • The ease of use and maintenance: The extruder should be easy to install, adjust, and clean. It should also have features that make it more convenient and user-friendly, such as a filament sensor, a cooling fan, a dual extruder option, or a quick-release mechanism.

Maybe you’re just curious, maybe you’re looking to upgrade your extruder, or maybe you’re having random issues with your current extruder. In any case, I hope that these things help you.

The main components of a hotend are:

  • The heater block: This is where the heating element and the thermistor are attached. The heater block transfers heat to the filament and controls the temperature of the hotend.
  • The heat break: This is a thin metal tube that connects the heater block to the heat sink. The heat break prevents heat from traveling up to the heat sink and causing clogs or jams.
  • The heat sink: This is a metal part with fins or ribs that dissipates heat from the heat break. The heat sink is usually cooled by a fan or water.
  • The nozzle: This is the tip of the hotend that extrudes the melted filament. The nozzle size and shape affect the resolution, speed and quality of the prints.

Some of the factors that make a hotend good quality are:

  • Temperature stability: A good hotend should be able to maintain a consistent temperature throughout the printing process. Temperature fluctuations can cause under-extrusion, over-extrusion, stringing, oozing or poor layer adhesion. A good hotend should have a reliable heating element, a precise thermistor and a PID controller that adjusts the power output to keep the temperature steady.
  • Thermal conductivity: A good hotend should have a high thermal conductivity, which means it can transfer heat quickly and evenly to the filament. This can improve the print quality and reduce the risk of clogs or jams. A good hotend should have a metal heater block, a metal heat break and a metal nozzle. Some materials, such as copper or titanium, have higher thermal conductivity than others, such as aluminum or brass.
  • Thermal isolation: A good hotend should have a low thermal isolation, which means it can prevent heat from escaping or spreading to unwanted areas. This can improve the print quality and reduce the risk of heat creep or warping. A good hotend should have a well-designed heat break, a well-cooled heat sink and an insulation material around the heater block.
  • Nozzle design: A good hotend should have a nozzle that matches your printing needs and preferences. The nozzle size affects the resolution, speed and flow rate of your prints. A smaller nozzle can produce finer details but requires slower printing speeds and higher temperatures. A larger nozzle can produce faster prints but with lower resolution and more visible layers. The nozzle shape affects the extrusion pattern and quality of your prints. A round nozzle can produce smoother prints but with less control over corners and edges. A flat nozzle can produce sharper prints but with more risk of blobs or zits.

This weekend I received a Creality Spider hotend as a birthday present. After running a few testing prints, it seems to check all of the boxes. So far it seems to be a hotend that is built from quality components and that maintains its heat very well. I’m looking forward to a whole lot of printing with this thing.

Sometimes your hotend gets damaged or worn out and you need to put a new one on. Other times, you just want to upgrade. The following is what you will need.

  • A new hotend compatible with your printer model
  • A screwdriver
  • A wrench
  • A pair of pliers
  • A heat-resistant glove
  • A piece of paper or cloth

Step 1: Turn off and unplug your printer. Wait for the hotend to cool down completely before touching it. You can use a heat-resistant glove to protect your hand from burns.

Step 2: Remove the filament from the extruder. You can either pull it out manually or use the unload filament function on your printer’s menu.

Step 3: Loosen the screws that secure the fan and the heat sink to the extruder assembly. Carefully remove them and set them aside.

Step 4: Unscrew the nozzle from the heater block using a wrench. Be careful not to damage the threads or the thermistor wires. You can discard the old nozzle or clean it for future use.

Step 5: Unscrew the heat break from the heater block using a pair of pliers. Be careful not to damage the heater cartridge or the thermistor wires. You can discard the old heat break or clean it for future use.

Step 6: Insert the new heat break into the new heater block and tighten it with a pair of pliers. Make sure there is no gap between them.

Step 7: Insert the new nozzle into the new heater block and tighten it with a wrench. Make sure there is no gap between them.

Step 8: Attach the new heater block to the extruder assembly using the screws that came with it. Make sure the thermistor wires and the heater cartridge wires are connected properly.

Before you reassemble your hotend, take a look at all of the components and make sure that they are in good working order, the connectors are tight, and that there are no components that show excessive wear.

Step 9: Attach the fan and the heat sink to the extruder assembly using the screws that you removed earlier. Make sure they are aligned correctly and do not obstruct the airflow.

Step 10: Load some filament into the extruder and turn on your printer. Set the temperature to about 200°C and wait for the hotend to heat up.

Step 11: Extrude some filament onto a piece of paper or cloth to check for any leaks or clogs. If everything looks fine, you have successfully exchanged your hotend!

Some symptoms of a failed extruder are:

  • Poor layer adhesion: The layers of your print are not sticking together well, resulting in gaps, cracks, or weak spots.
  • Inconsistent extrusion: The width of your extruded filament varies along the print, causing blobs, strings, or gaps.
  • Missing layers: Some layers of your print are completely missing or very thin, creating holes or gaps in your model.
  • Rough surface: The surface of your print is rough or uneven, with bumps, ridges, or zits.
  • No extrusion: The extruder stops pushing filament through the nozzle, resulting in an incomplete or empty print.

Some symptoms of a clogged PTFE tube are:

  • Poor layer adhesion: The layers of your print are not sticking together well, resulting in gaps, cracks, or weak spots.
  • Inconsistent extrusion: The width of your extruded filament varies along the print, causing blobs, strings, or gaps.
  • Missing layers: Some layers of your print are completely missing or very thin, creating holes or gaps in your model.
  • Rough surface: The surface of your print is rough or uneven, with bumps, ridges, or zits.
  • No extrusion: The extruder stops pushing filament through the nozzle, resulting in an incomplete or empty print.

Some symptoms of a failure at the hotend are:

  • Poor layer adhesion: The layers of your print are not sticking together well, resulting in gaps, cracks, or weak spots.
  • Inconsistent extrusion: The width of your extruded filament varies along the print, causing blobs, strings, or gaps.
  • Missing layers: Some layers of your print are completely missing or very thin, creating holes or gaps in your model.
  • Rough surface: The surface of your print is rough or uneven, with bumps, ridges, or zits.
  • No extrusion: The extruder stops pushing filament through the nozzle, resulting in an incomplete or empty print.

So, how do you tell where the problem is? When diagnosing, I take everything apart. Decouple the Bowden tube from the extruder and see if it works properly. Take the nozzle and heat break out of the printhead and see if you can push some filament through manually. Put a length of filament through the PTFE tube manually. The best and quickest way to find and resolve the issue is to slow down and be thorough with your investigation. Otherwise, I know from experience that you can waste a lot of time and money on replacing the wrong parts.

Have you ever gone through your entire calibration of your machine, only to shut it down for the day and have everything messed up when you start it up the next day? Have you ever leveled your bed, only to run a test part and find that everything comes out as a goopy mess? I spent a very long and frustrating weekend doing exactly this.

I would calibrate it and think “ok, now I’ve got it.” Nope, now I’ve got heat creep. Swap out the nozzle. Ok, now I’ve got it. Nope, now my extruder is underextruding. WHAT IS GOING ON?

When you have this, check your connections. In my case, the connector for my part cooling fan was loose and the fan wouldn’t always run. The results of not having a part fan can cause heat creep and poor adhesion. My filament wasn’t being cooled and so it would just get pushed around by the next layer that was supposed to adhere to it.