Printer Stops Pulling the Filament

Support&troubleshooting
#1

Hi Team,

This week my printer when doing a print, she stopped twice pulling the filament.

It seems the filament is thinner and the motor can’t pull it… But i tried with other filamens that already printed smoothly but i had the same problem.

I replaced the nozzle too, but no success…

But if i just Load the Filament sometimes he come out without problems and other times the motor keeps rotating but the filament don’t come out, the gear keeps can’t “force” the filament going down… 

Anyone have an idea?

Zortrax with Nozzle V1.

Thanks, 

André.

#2

Olá André,

Você chegou a examinar o extrusor? Desmonte e de uma olhada se não tem poeira, resíduos de filamento. Veja também se não há desgaste no pequeno rolamento que pressiona o filamento. E quando montar novamente  o conjunto mantenha o motor pressionado para a direita quando for dar aperto nos parafusos.

Espero que ajude.

Abraço

Angelo

#3

Anyone have an idea?

 

Two ideas. Maybe it's too much friction from the tube / spool holder combi. Try to feed a piece of filament directly into the extruder to see if that works.

Favorite idea: Check your extruder gear, maybe it needs cleaning. There is a support document in the support area that shows how to do it.

#4

Hi,

@Venosa: Olá venosa, tudo bem?

Obrigado, pela ajuda, por acaso acabei de fazer isso de manha e parece me estar a funcionar bem, o rolamento já tem algumas marcas mas parece-me estar bom, de qualquer forma vou comprar alguns para ter aqui, porque já é 1 ano e meio de uso e nunca foi substituido.

O Extrusor parece-me bem, por tentativa e erro acabei por fazer o “load” do filamento sem o nozzle e o plastico estava a sair direitinho, limpei o nozzle e coloquei-o em acetona durante a noite passada, parece-me ter resolvido. Nem pensei que pudesse ser do nozzle porque é quase novo este, tem pouco uso.

Para já parece-me resolvido, vamos a ver como se porta nos proximos dias, tenho bastante que imprimir estes dias.

@Z-Renegade: Hi Renegade, are you fine?

Yeah, i tried that and the filament came out smoothly. The gear was cleaned too. 

After a couple of tests, i think it was the nozzle dirt, i cleaned it with acetone, and now it’s running again normally.

This day’s i’ve lot’s of prints to do (1kg), gonna see how it goes. 

Thanks guys, i give some news this days.

André.

#5

Update Status:

After each print my nozzle is getting clogged. The nozzle is new, but with the old is the same thing.

Any suggestion? The Top Fan can contribute to this?? How can i test it?

Thanks & Best Regards,

André.

#6

It may be the filament itself. I just had some rolls replaced because they were too thin to get fed through the feeder. I mic'd them between 1.54 and 1.62 when it should've been 1.75 +/- 5.  

Granted the filament I had replaced was not Z series and hadn't had an issue with Z filament except before the V2 hot end and Zglass because the V1 nozzle was too small for the Zglass to fit through and it would just skip. 

I'm sure you checked all the screws to make sure they are tight for the electrical connection and the thermocoupler.

#7

After each print my nozzle is getting clogged. The nozzle is new, but with the old is the same thing.

 

What filament do you print?

#8

I just print the Original Z-ABS, Z-Ultra and Z-HIPS, in my zortrax i never try different filaments, just the official filaments. 

I tried with new spools and old spools, i have 14 different spools… 

Yes all the screws are fine… 

I have it since September 2014 without problems, this week she started doing this…

I will buy a new nozzle. 

Thanks & Best Regards,

André. 

 

#9

Another nozzle would only help if the nozzles you have a the problem.

Of course the top fan can contribute to extrusion stops, overheating and burned material that results in clogged nozzles.

First of all fix your fans!

#10

Hi Z-Renegade, i ordered a fan and a nozzle ;)

Thanks,

Andre.

#11

Hi i just tested the top fan with a external power source of 12v, and it's working.

But if i turn on the printer the top fan don’t work… 

Thanks & Best Regards,

André.

#12

That sounds like you have an electrical problem with your printer.

Either there is no voltage coming from the controller or the cabling is broken somewhere.

If you have some electronic skills you could measure the corresponding pins at the ribbon cable connector on the motherboard and go upwards from there. 

If you find the ribbon cable to be faulty, this can cause many other errors too.

#13

Hi Z-Renegade,

Thanks i will check it, yes i’m a Informatic and have some electronic skill, and i have all the equipment to measure :wink:

Just to re-confirm, the top fan needs to be ALWAYS working with the printed Turned ON, right?

Thanks,

André Carvalho.

#14

Just to re-confirm, the top fan needs to be ALWAYS working with the printed Turned ON, right?

 

Yes, the upper fan starts after you switch power on and the firmware has initialized ( the menu displays)  or you wake up the printer from standby for firmware >= 0.0.8. And it runs until you switch it off (or it goes to sleep fro newer FW).

#15

Thanks Z-Renegade, 

Problem found, my cable is broken somewhere and it’s doing bad contact… 

I need a new cable for the extruder.

I solved temporarily with adhesive tape, and the fan is working now.

Thanks & Best Regards,

André.

#16

Z-Renegade you know what is the cable color that brings power to the fan?

Thanks & Best Regards,

Andre.

#17

Be careful with cable colors!

The cabling changed between the revisions, new cables don't show colors, using new cables with old hardware destroys your TC controller.

Use the following schematics to measure corresponding PINs from the connectors of the extruder PCB (fans, heater, TC, motor) to the connector of the extruder cable and then from there you can locate everything.

Extruder-PCB-replacement-6.jpg

Extruder-PCB-replacement-8.png