Tag: configuration

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.

If you are a 3D printing enthusiast, you may have encountered a frustrating problem: your nozzle seems to be clogged and no filament comes out. You try to clean it, replace it, or even upgrade it, but nothing works. What is going on?

The answer may surprise you: your nozzle may not be clogged at all, but rather your temperature may be too low. How can this happen? Let me explain.

When you print with a 3D printer, you need to heat up the filament to a certain temperature so that it can melt and flow through the nozzle. This temperature varies depending on the type of filament you use, but it is usually around 200°C for PLA and 230°C for ABS.

However, if your temperature is too low, the filament may not melt enough to flow smoothly. Instead, it may form a thick and sticky paste that accumulates inside the nozzle and prevents more filament from coming out. This can look like a clog, but it is actually a temperature issue.

How can you tell the difference? There are some signs that can help you diagnose the problem:

  • If your nozzle is clogged, you may hear a clicking sound from the extruder as it tries to push the filament through.
  • If your temperature is too low, you may see the filament curling up or forming blobs around the nozzle as it comes out.
  • If your nozzle is clogged, you may need to use a needle or a wire to clear it out.
  • If your temperature is too low, you may need to increase it by 5-10°C and try again.

To prevent this problem from happening in the future, you should always check the recommended temperature for your filament and make sure your printer is calibrated correctly. You should also avoid printing in cold or drafty environments that can affect the temperature of your nozzle.

I hope this blog post was helpful and informative. Happy printing!

Volumetric flow is a concept that relates to how much material a 3D printer can extrude in a given time. It is usually measured in cubic millimeters per second (mm³/s) and depends on factors such as the nozzle diameter, the extrusion temperature, and the type of filament being used.

Volumetric flow is important for 3D printing because it affects both the quality and the speed of the printing process. If the volumetric flow is too low, the printer may not be able to fill the gaps between the layers, resulting in weak or incomplete prints. If the volumetric flow is too high, the printer may over-extrude, causing blobs, stringing, or clogging.

To achieve optimal volumetric flow, one needs to calibrate the flow rate (also known as extrusion multiplier) in the slicer settings. This is a factor that adjusts how much filament the printer pushes through the nozzle. The flow rate can be calibrated by printing a test object with known dimensions and measuring its actual dimensions with calipers. The flow rate can then be adjusted until the measured dimensions match the expected ones.

Alternatively, one can use a volumetric flow calculator to estimate the optimal flow rate based on the nozzle diameter, the filament diameter, and the maximum extrusion temperature. This can save time and material by avoiding trial-and-error prints. However, this method may not account for variations in filament quality or environmental conditions, so it is recommended to verify the results with a test print.

Volumetric flow is also relevant for volumetric 3D printing, a technique that creates objects by solidifying a whole resin volume with light beams. This method can produce complex shapes with high resolution and smooth surfaces without requiring support structures or layer-by-layer fabrication. However, this method also requires precise control of the volumetric flow rate to avoid over- or under-exposure of the resin.

What to Check for on Your 3D Printer Nozzle

The first thing you should do is inspect your nozzle visually. Look for any signs of damage, such as cracks, dents, or scratches. If you see any, you should replace your nozzle.

Next, you should check if your nozzle is clean and free of any debris or filament residue. To clean your nozzle, you can use a brass brush or a needle to gently remove any stuck material. You can also heat up your nozzle and wipe it.

Finally, you should check if your nozzle is aligned with your print bed.

How to Maintain Your 3D Printer Nozzle

To keep your nozzle in good condition, you should perform some regular maintenance tasks. Here are some tips:

  • Clean your nozzle after every print or before changing filaments. This will prevent clogging and filament jams.
  • Use high-quality filaments that are compatible with your nozzle size and material type. Avoid using abrasive filaments, such as metal-filled or glow-in-the-dark ones, unless you have a hardened steel nozzle.
  • Store your filaments in a dry and cool place. Moisture and heat can degrade your filaments and cause extrusion issues.
  • Replace your nozzle when it wears out or gets damaged. A worn-out nozzle can have a larger or irregular diameter, which can affect the accuracy and quality of your prints.

How to Calibrate Your 3D Printer Nozzle

To get the best results from your 3D printer, you should calibrate your nozzle regularly. Calibration involves setting the correct nozzle temperature, flow rate, and retraction settings for your filament type and print quality. Here are some steps:

  • Find the recommended temperature range for your filament type and brand. You can usually find this information on the filament spool or the manufacturer’s website.
  • Heat up your nozzle to the lowest temperature in the range and extrude some filament. Observe how the filament comes out of the nozzle. It should be smooth and consistent, without any bubbles, curls, or strings.
  • Increase the temperature by 5°C increments and repeat the extrusion test until you find the optimal temperature for your filament. The optimal temperature is the one that gives you the best extrusion quality without causing overheating or oozing.
  • Find the recommended flow rate for your filament type and brand. You can usually find this information on the filament spool or the manufacturer’s website.
  • Print a calibration cube or a single-wall vase with 100% infill and no top or bottom layers. Measure the wall thickness with a caliper and compare it to the expected value (usually 0.4 mm for a 0.4 mm nozzle).
  • Adjust the flow rate in your slicer software until the wall thickness matches the expected value.
  • Find the recommended retraction settings for your filament type and brand.
  • Print a retraction test model that has multiple towers with gaps between them. Observe how much stringing occurs between the towers.
  • Adjust the retraction distance and speed in your slicer software until you minimize stringing without causing under-extrusion or blobs.

I see a lot of people trying to go straight for resonance compensation and linear advance before they have properly calibrated their machine(s). Until your machine is printing properly, it doesn’t make sense to go and configure these advanced settings. One of the most important steps to achieve this is to calibrate your 3D printer properly. Calibration is the process of adjusting the settings and parameters of your printer to match the physical reality of your machine and your filament.

The first thing you should calibrate is the extruder steps per millimeter (esteps). This is the number of steps that your extruder motor needs to take to extrude one millimeter of filament. If your esteps are too low, you will under-extrude and get gaps and weak layers in your prints. If your esteps are too high, you will over-extrude and get blobs and stringing in your prints. To calibrate your esteps, you need to measure how much filament is actually extruded when you command a certain amount and compare it to the expected value. Then you can calculate the correct esteps value and update it in your firmware or slicer.

The next thing you should calibrate is the X, Y, and Z axis steps per millimeter. These are the numbers of steps that your motors need to take to move one millimeter along each axis. If these values are wrong, your prints will be distorted and not match the dimensions of your model. To calibrate these values, you need to print a calibration cube and measure its sides with a caliper. Then you can compare the measured values to the expected values and calculate the correct steps per millimeter for each axis.

The third thing you should calibrate is the resonance compensation and linear advance. These are features that help to reduce ringing and improve extrusion consistency at different speeds. Ringing is the wavy pattern that you see on the edges of your prints when the printer changes direction abruptly. This is caused by the inertia of the moving parts and the elasticity of the belts and rods. Resonance compensation is a firmware feature that applies a counteracting force to dampen these vibrations. Linear advance is another firmware feature that adjusts the extruder pressure according to the speed and acceleration of the nozzle. This helps to prevent over-extrusion at corners and under-extrusion at gaps. To calibrate these features, you need to print some test patterns and adjust the parameters until you get smooth edges and consistent extrusion.

By following this sequence of calibration steps, you can improve the quality and accuracy of your 3D prints significantly. Recalibrate your printer whenever you change something in your hardware or filament, such as replacing a nozzle or switching to a different material. Happy printing!

A 3D printer Bowden tube is a flexible tube that connects the extruder to the hot end. It allows the filament to be pushed and pulled by the extruder motor without bending or breaking. However, sometimes the Bowden tube can get clogged and cause printing problems. Here are some possible causes and solutions for a clogged Bowden tube:

  • The filament is too soft or flexible. Some filaments, such as TPU or TPE, are very flexible and can bend inside the Bowden tube, creating friction and resistance. This can prevent the filament from feeding smoothly and cause clogging. To avoid this, use a stiffer filament or a direct drive extruder that eliminates the need for a Bowden tube.
  • The filament diameter is too large or inconsistent. If the filament diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the Bowden tube, it can get stuck or jammed inside the tube. This can also happen if the filament diameter varies along its length, creating bulges or knots. To avoid this, use a high-quality filament that has a consistent diameter and matches the size of your Bowden tube.
  • The Bowden tube is too long or bent. A longer Bowden tube means more friction and resistance for the filament to overcome. This can reduce the extrusion force and cause under-extrusion or clogging. A bent Bowden tube can also create kinks or pinch points that obstruct the filament flow. To avoid this, use a shorter Bowden tube that is as straight as possible and avoid sharp bends or twists.
  • The Bowden tube is worn out or damaged. Over time, the Bowden tube can wear out due to friction, heat, or abrasion from the filament. This can create rough or uneven surfaces inside the tube that can snag or scrape the filament. A damaged Bowden tube can also have cracks or holes that can leak molten filament or allow dust and debris to enter. To avoid this, replace your Bowden tube regularly and inspect it for signs of wear or damage.

Infill is the internal structure that supports the outer shell of a 3D printed object. It can affect the strength, weight, and appearance of the print.

There are many types of infill patterns, such as grid, honeycomb, triangle, gyroid, and more. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages depending on the application and the desired properties of the print.

Grid infill is one of the most common and simple patterns. It consists of horizontal and vertical lines that form squares. Grid infill is easy to print and provides good strength in all directions. However, it can also be heavy and use more material than other patterns.

Honeycomb infill is another popular pattern that mimics the structure of a bee’s honeycomb. It consists of hexagonal cells that are connected by thin walls. Honeycomb infill is lighter and more efficient than grid infill, as it uses less material while providing similar strength. However, it can also be more difficult to print and require more processing power.

Triangle infill is a pattern that uses equilateral triangles as the basic unit. It is similar to honeycomb infill in terms of efficiency and strength, but it has fewer connections between the cells, which can reduce printing time and noise. However, it can also be less stable and prone to deformation.

Gyroid infill is a complex pattern that creates a continuous surface with no gaps or holes. It is based on a mathematical function that produces a wavy shape. Gyroid infill is very strong and flexible in all directions, as it can absorb stress from different angles. However, it can also be very slow to print and require a lot of memory.

If you are a 3D printing enthusiast, you might have heard of the term “all-metal hot end”. But what is it and why should you consider upgrading to one?

An all-metal hot end is a hot end that is made completely of metal, as the name implies. This puts it in contrast to the standard hot end that typically comes with 3D printers. A standard hot end is made of a heating block right above the nozzle, a heat sink for drawing away the excess heat, and a coupling that connects to the extruder. The coupling usually contains a PTFE tube that guides the filament into the melt zone.

The main advantage of an all-metal hot end is that it can handle much higher temperatures than a standard hot end. This means that you can print with a wider range of materials that require higher extrusion temperatures, such as Nylon, PET+, Tritan, and Polycarbonate. These materials are stronger and more durable than PLA and ABS, which are the most common filaments for 3D printing.

Another advantage of an all-metal hot end is that it has a smaller and more controlled melt zone. This results in cleaner retractions and less oozing, which improves the print quality and reduces the need for post-processing. An all-metal hot end also has fewer parts and connection points, which makes it easier to maintain and less prone to jams. Moreover, you can easily swap between different nozzle diameters to suit your printing needs.

However, an all-metal hot end is not without drawbacks. The main issue of using an all-metal hot end is the phenomenon known as heat creep. This is when the heat from the nozzle travels up the heat break and reaches the heat sink, causing the filament to soften before it reaches the melt zone. This can lead to clogs, under-extrusion, and poor print quality. To prevent heat creep, you need to ensure that your all-metal hot end has adequate cooling, such as a fan or a water-cooling system.

If you own a 3D printer that runs on Klipper firmware, you might have spent a lot of time tweaking your printer.cfg file to get the best performance and quality. But what if something goes wrong and you lose your configuration? Or what if you want to try a different setting but don’t want to lose your previous one? That’s why it’s important to make backups of your Klipper printer configurations.

A backup is a copy of your printer.cfg file that you can save on your computer or a cloud service. You can use a backup to restore your configuration in case of an error, or to switch between different configurations for different purposes. For example, you might have a backup for printing with PLA and another one for printing with PETG. Or you might have a backup for printing fast and another one for printing slow.

Making backups of your Klipper printer configurations is easy and can save you a lot of trouble in the future. Here are the steps to do it:

  1. Connect to your Raspberry Pi via SSH or use the web interface of OctoPrint or Mainsail.
  2. Navigate to the folder where your printer.cfg file is located. Usually, it is in /home/pi/klipper_config.
  3. Copy the printer.cfg file and rename it with a descriptive name. For example, printer_pla.cfg or printer_fast.cfg.
  4. Repeat step 3 for each configuration you want to backup.
  5. Transfer the backup files to your computer or a cloud service using SCP, FTP, or any other method you prefer.

Now you have backups of your Klipper printer configurations that you can use anytime. To restore a backup, just copy the backup file to the folder where your printer.cfg file is located and rename it to printer.cfg. Then restart Klipper and enjoy your printing!