I have a problem with my nearly new Zortrax M200 with Version 1 heater element.
The extruder is intermittent not extruding the filament. This happens often about 1 - 2 hours printing and therefore the print is destroyed.
Sometimes the extruder starts extruding filament again after a few minutes but however the print is unuseable. It is also possible in such a case to assist the extruder stepper motor with pushing in the filament a little bit and than most of the time it is extruding again.
I also noticed during loading of the filament that the extruder stepper motor intermittend can’t forward the filament (oscillating back and forward with clicking sound). If this happens during loading of the filament - the extruded material out of the nozzle is also not straight.
Since the machine is nearly new and this happens since I got it, I dont think its the ribbon cable.
Maybe there is a problem with the nozzle temperature?
Things I tried and checked so far:
1.) Soaked the nozzle in acetone 3 days and cleaned after. Let some material extrude without the nozzle.
2.) Bought new nozzle
3.) Checked the wiring from circuit board to heater and thermocoupler.
4.) Checked the extruder stepper motor gear for cleanliness
5.) Checked for existens of bearing opposite extruder stepper motor gear (filament in between).
6.) Removed the extruder stepper motor and checked his torque - stepper motor seems to be okay - was not able to stop the motor with fingers.
7.) Checked with ribbon cable bent in different directions.
Do you know why I want to ask the experienced people here at the forum?
Because of the answers from the Zortrax support:
Welcome,
Please contact your nearest Zortrax Reseller regarding this issue. Please provide a video and/or pictures when reporting the issue, as it’s going to be very helpful in diagnosing it.
The problem is that my nearest Zortrax Reseller has no idea - the only thing he could do was to sell me a new nozzle…new nozzle installed - same problem - 24 Euro lost…
His Demo-machine in the shop makes no problems he told me…
I tried spools of Z-ABS in grey white and black - all with the same result.
The spool is attached with the original holder at the rear of the machine and guided through the original tube.
I also noticed once that the guide tube was squeezed a little bit at the ends where it was pushed into the extruder/guide.
To minimize the friction I cutted off about 5mm at the ends and installed the tube “loosely” into the extruder/guide - now I would say the friction between filament and guide tube is at minimum/negotiable but the problem still exists.
However, thank you for take the time and try to help me…
I am really thinking of some problem of the nozzle temperature…
If someone has already measured the temperature at the nozzle or heaterblock and would supply me the values - I will buy/borrow a infrared temperature gun and measure at my one.
With Z-Abs profile selected in Z-Suite, heater block temp should be between 270 and 280°C
During filament loading, temp should be arround 260°C.
So I do think Z-Abs will extrude at least between 260 and 280°C, maybe stating at 250°C. If it is because of temp, your heater block should decrease under that temp.
Depending of the temp gun you'll buy, readings may be lower because of the metalic surface of the heater. Best way is to measure just after heating sequence and when filament stops being extruded.
Not sure this is your issue but here area few things to try to ensure the printer has for a good print.
Bearings for the Spool so there is no friction when rolling
Never let spool unravel. Keep free end of spool filament attached to something (i.e. clip) so that there is no knot on the spool causing the print to stop and the stepper to spin.
Make sure file is correct. If issues with one file, may want to redo the zcode..happended to me where the extruder would not heat during print so redid file and was fine. Also make sure SD card is good-people have had issues
(If you can heat to get the print started and even load filament then I would suggest redoing the file and if that does;t work then try another SD card.)
Maybe I can borrow a infrared gun today evening - so I will have the results soon.
Thankk you and regards
The values Laurent gave you are nominal temps that a IR meter most probable won't read that high.
Mine showed 215-220 C at 95% heated extruder before showing HT (end of range).
I would expect about 230-240 degrees C on a IR meter with higher range.
I have (had) similar issues and it was not temp related, just friction on the filament path maybe combined with some unfortunate retraction at that moment.
I would recommend holders for the filament guide tube (placed on the extruder cable) but the right ones, some squeeze the tube causing additional friction.
I will post a pic of my setup later, but first have to gain some more upload space, but very first I have to go for dinner...
I have a problem with my nearly new Zortrax M200 with Version 1 heater element.
The extruder is intermittent not extruding the filament. This happens often about 1 - 2 hours printing and therefore the print is destroyed.
Sometimes the extruder starts extruding filament again after a few minutes but however the print is unuseable. It is also possible in such a case to assist the extruder stepper motor with pushing in the filament a little bit and than most of the time it is extruding again.
I also noticed during loading of the filament that the extruder stepper motor intermittend can’t forward the filament (oscillating back and forward with clicking sound). If this happens during loading of the filament - the extruded material out of the nozzle is also not straight.
Since the machine is nearly new and this happens since I got it, I dont think its the ribbon cable.
Maybe there is a problem with the nozzle temperature?
Things I tried and checked so far:
1.) Soaked the nozzle in acetone 3 days and cleaned after. Let some material extrude without the nozzle.
2.) Bought new nozzle
3.) Checked the wiring from circuit board to heater and thermocoupler.
4.) Checked the extruder stepper motor gear for cleanliness
5.) Checked for existens of bearing opposite extruder stepper motor gear (filament in between).
6.) Removed the extruder stepper motor and checked his torque - stepper motor seems to be okay - was not able to stop the motor with fingers.
7.) Checked with ribbon cable bent in different directions.
Does someone has a idea whatelse I can try?
Thanks in advance,
Clemens
I had a problem with a bad ribbon cable on a brand new machine.
The oscillating is typical of a bad or unseated cable.
Do you know why I want to ask the experienced people here at the forum?
I advised you to contact your nearest reseller to take a look at the printer in their tech service. You didn't provide any photos or videos of the issue, so it's hard to investigate it without them.
Like I also wrote to you while answering your support form message, please check the whole extruder cleanliness. There can be pieces of the z-material in it, which are preventing it from extruding. If this won't help, try to use another extruder cable and check if that helps. Generally this issue is hard to diagnose becouse there can be a lot of reasons of it.
Please continue in contacting me via our support so I can help you out in this case.
Yesterday evening I tightened the screw from the themocoupler a little bit more and installed the heater about 4mm further out of the heater block (I have seen installed it this way on other machines).
Later in the night I had luck and could borrow a upmarket infrared temp gun from a aircraft maintenance company where you can enter a absolute term for different materials. I entered the absolute term for aluminium and read 238°C on the top of the heater block during loading of the filament. During printing I could read 260 - 267°C.
After all of this I started a 11 hour print - the print came out good without any missing layers. I also did not see this oscillating extruder stepper gear (except sometimes when prinitng the raft) when I occasionally watched the print process. So until now it looks okay....
I dont know if the position of the heater element can influence the print process soo much or it is because of tightening the screw of the thermocoupler a little bit.....
And I finally came to the conclusion that the problem was introduced since I installed Hotend V2 and it is related to temp and friction.
The first post (see link) dealed with the friction, now it's about temp. I was in the middle of my way to a mod when I found that (again) another M200 user had the same thoughts and already created a solution.
It can be found on Thingiverse: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:925851. This is of course the Rolls Royce variant of a modification and shows how someone enjoys to engineer at all (well done).
I had the extrusion stop issue at nearly any print (at the raft) and if I covered my printer to prevent splitting on large objects, extrusion stopped somewhere else later.
After I installed the mod the first tests do not show the issue anymore.
After I installed the mod the first tests do not show the issue anymore.
This looks very promising, like I get rid off any filament extrusion issues I had before...
I designed a case wich is 19 cm long some days ago and was not able to print it flat because of shrinking and splitting.
That's why I printed it upright (after sizing it below 18cm). But I got splitting again (marked oval on the pic).
Next I covered the printers top (a special construction, it levels the temp in a passive way automatically :-) but that got too hot for the extruder gear and the print failed after some layers (that's the small print on the pic).
With both of this tries I had to help the extruder at the raft layer that draws the first small grid (think it's layer #3) to not fail at the raft already.
Both prints show surface defects on the bottom side form that extrusion outages (arrows on pic).
After I installed my mod the print was just going from start to end with a covered printer and no splitting.
Right now I print a translucent ABS just like nothing (it is more soft than Z-ABS) could not get over the raft before.