extruder makes clicking sounds  

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

Well, the clicking noise is most likely the extruder gear trying to feed filament. You will hear this when the filament is unable to be fed to the hotend due to clogging.

Just today I had to disassemble my hotend to remove stuck filament. Hopefully you shouldn't have to do that, but its not really that bad to do it. Just time consuming.

If you were using PLA, then try bumping the temp up and see if that helps remove the clog. If not, them disable the hotend fan and try getting it to move that way. If neither of those work, you can wait and see if anyone has any other suggestions.

I'm relatively new to the 3D printer scene, so I don't know all the tricks yet...

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

Thanks for the answer

I removed the nozzle and not only cleaned it but replaced it with a new one that i have bought along with the printer.
Unfortunatelly it start printing well but after 15 minutes the same happened. 🙁

I am stuck.

Nick

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

What type and brand of filament are you using?

Thanks for the answer

I removed the nozzle and not only cleaned it but replaced it with a new one that i have bought along with the printer.
Unfortunatelly it start printing well but after 15 minutes the same happened. 🙁

I am stuck.

Nick

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

PLA like most of the times.

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

PLA like most of the times.
Also brand. I found similar issue using Esun pla+.

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

its the same provided with prusa printer in the first shipment.

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

it does not make any sense since i printed the first pla fillament ( 1kg) provided with the printer with ease.

No problem, but when i replaced the fillament (same brand different color) problems started

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

The day before yesterday i tried something weird and seemed to work.
No more cloggs or clicking sounds after 4 big prints of 12 hours each.

I cut a small paper towel and soaked it to olive oil (not much though) i taped it losely around the fillament hole in the top of the extruder in order the filament to be slightley oiled and maybe extruder can handle the width differences this way.
And VOILA !!!! no more cloggs, clicks and whatever !!!

If the printer will continue print withought any problems this way, i will design something to put in thingiverse. 😀

Nick

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1817037

But i think oiling reduces the layer adhesion.

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

Oh great thanks, saves me the trouble.

You are right but i really had no problem up to now, and even with very narrow profiles.
I used it though only with PLA.

Nick

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

sorry guys, but oiling the filament to avoid clicking sounds and extruder clogging sounds pretty weird to me.
it's somehow like messing around with the symptoms of an unsolved problem.

instead of oiling the filament, i would check the whole extruder system. beginning with the diameter of the holes in the printed extruder parts, the tension of the springs, the bearing and its 5mm axis, the ptfe tube, the heatbreak and the nozzle.

furthermore i would check that there is no problem with the spool holder, which might hamper the decoiling from the spool. the genuine i3 mk2 spoolholder is.... let's say a little bit simple in its design and may, depending on the properties of the spool, cause some issues in decoiling the filament.

so if you've changed the filament, you've also changed the spool. so maybe the problem is not the other filament but rather the spool ?

btw.: did you measure the diameter of the filament ? maybe it's bigger than 1.75mm or even inconsistent.

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

Well i have done all the steps you mentioned exept to check the ptfe tube.

The clicking sound and the clogging happened all of a sudden so its not extruded parts holes. Also everything else is working ok even the simple spool holders as you mentioned.
As far as the inconsistancy in the filament diameter, well its not visible, when i mesured it it was 1,75~1,80.
And i cannot mesure it the whole time i print.

So thats why i resolved in oiling.

Nick

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

I have seen the same problem with PLA supplied by customers for their prints. In my case it was poor quality control from the pla manufacture. I would guess that there was two or more types of pellets run in the extruder when the filament was being processed. One roll would extrude fine at 220 when it started and then clog up randomly during the print. We ended up printing every thing from this customer at about 255. With out getting off the subject PM for details of how we set up our Printers when we work with unknown suppliers.

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

I'm having very similar problems, brand new machine, configured properly, the first 3 prints I have run have been fine but then on the 4th and 5th print its going horrible.
I get clicking and popping at the filament feed and the prints look terrible.

I wondered if the filament is not being fed properly, the spool holder doesnt have a shaft for the reel to roll on...should it have one ?

is there a better way to feed filament than use the simple 2 arms above the machine ??

thanks for any help from a newbie 🙂

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

Clogging or lack of torque? Is the motor current correct?

Bottom layers seem ok, what changes are higher level?

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

I had this problem, although it didn't stop extruding, it did underextrude. I switched from "Silent" to "High Power" and it seemed to fix the problem. I've had this happen before on my MakerBot as well and just increased the temp and set the filament size properly in my slicer (I measured the filament with a set of digital calipers at 1.78mm not the default 1.75mm).

Re: extruder makes clicking sounds

I had the same problem. Due to a mistake of the FW 3.0.10 the nozzle has rammed into the bed during the calibration.
So the heatbreak was bent and the nozzle was crooked.
After I have bent the heatbreak back again, the printer seems to work again. (at least the last 2 prints).
It is easy to check if the nozzle is crooked. You can see it at the heater block if it is not horizontal