Dealing with heat creep, unable to solve
I've been dealing with heat creep for 5 days now trying to find a solution and am having a lot of trouble.
I feel like I've tried nearly every possible fix ad could use some help.
I've inspected both my printer fans and cleaned them. I removed the hot end and made sure it was clean. I checked my nozzle and made sure it was cleaned, then replaced the nozzle with a brand new brass 0.4mm nozzle from E3D. I checked my printing temperatures and they're all where they should be. 215C first layer and 210C other layers. The gcode im using is the included gcode for the Benchy test print on the Sd card which came with the printer. I've only been able to print about 1/4 to 1/2 of a Benchy before layer adhesion issues and a complete stop of extrusion happens. There are no tangles on my plastic spool and the plastic is 1.75mm, which was double checked with a set of calipers.
I had this issue before with my printer when I first got it 6 months ago but this was due to the included Prusa plastic spool being out of spec and way too big, when i started using eSun PLA 1.75mm spool the issue went away. I've looked up helpful guides online about what to do for heat creep and i have tried everything those guides have suggested for troubleshooting heat creep and im just at a complete loss. Any help is appreciated!
layer adhesion issues and a complete stop of extrusion
Please show us a first layer Z calibration print *on the print-sheet*.
When extrusion stops do you hear clicking?
Cheerio,
RE: Dealing with heat creep, unable to solve
Are you printing in an enclosure?
RE: Dealing with heat creep, unable to solve
You sure you're not inadvertently printing with PETG? I'm certainly known for doing this ☹️ (with the outcome you described). Have you tried a different spool of filament? Also, as @peter-h said, if you're printing in an enclosure make sure you leave the door open for PLA. Have you done cold pulls? Have you tried loosening or tightening the idler screw?
Formerly known on this forum as @fuchsr -- until all hell broke loose with the forum software...
RE: Dealing with heat creep, unable to solve
@omega
Print faster. Due to the nature of printing process 3D printer has both maximum and minimum speed at which it can extrude the filament. If it is too slow, I suppose, the molten plastic level rises and when filament pushes into it melt moves up along the filament creating problems instead of "gasketing" it.
You may also consider spraying inside of filament path (nozzle, hot end and heat-break tube) with very very low viscosity high temperature oil. I use Silform spray separator intended for injection molding separation with good results. Be careful to not let Silfrom drop on steel bed plate sheet because this substance can soak into almost anything including the sheet coating and prevent prints from sticking forever.
RE: Dealing with heat creep, unable to solve
what retractions are you using?
I use 0.4mm retraction for PLA!
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
RE: Dealing with heat creep, unable to solve
You may also consider spraying inside of filament path (nozzle, hot end and heat-break tube) with very very low viscosity high temperature oil. I use Silform spray separator intended for injection molding separation with good results. Be careful to not let Silfrom drop on steel bed plate sheet because this substance can soak into almost anything including the sheet coating and prevent prints from sticking forever.
This is a really interesting idea. Can you share some additional information about the specific product you reference above?
Thanks!
RE: Dealing with heat creep, unable to solve
@RandyM9
Sorry, I just borrowed a bottle from production floor. This is a pro-level injection molding anti-adhesion product used in a high volume production. I suppose You can get it in many alike forms and brands, I can't point You to exact reseller. I will try to remember and check what is exactly on the bottle when I will back at work.
It works. I had alike problems with MakerBot 2X at low speed printing and spraying the filament path inside a printing head solved problem for a month or so. The tricky part is a balance - if You use a regular oil, I suppose, it could contaminate the filament and reduce the layer-to-layer adhesion. This damn thing is so liquid that I could not contain it inside a syringe capped with my thumb and it literally boiled out of it through a medical needle 0,2mm hole. From what guys at the shop have told, it behaves as if could soak into a metal.
The procedure I used was such:
- unload filament, cold pull can be also helpful, but I ignored that;
- take a syringe, remove the plunger;
- spray into it some of the oil, few mm^3 will be fine, flip it upside-down and insert the plunger;
- put 0,35....0,4 external diameter medical needle on it.
At this moment I could observe that the oil was just climbing on the walls of the syringe and was forming droplets at the end of the needle with the needle pointing up in the air. This is not a hyper-liquid state, but from user point of view very close to it.
Then just push the needle into a nozzle and push the plunger, slowly moving the needle up and up as far as possible. It looks like vapors are almost enough to do some coating. Or just flip the printer upside down and inject oil directly and just wash the filament path with the oil.
Done.
RE: Dealing with heat creep, unable to solve
@tomasz - Thank you for the additional information.
I did a search on the name ‘Silform’ and found a number of products but unclear exactly what you are using. Also probably more expensive than my curiosity would justify just to experiment with.
The concept of a high temperature lubricant in the filament path is intriguing. I’m not having any issues that would require such a solution at the moment but from what I’ve read about printing materials like TPU, something like this could be beneficial.
Thanks again.
RE: Dealing with heat creep, unable to solve
I have found an address on a bottle:
https://uniapharm.pl/aerozole_techniczne/1041/
Seems like google results are recently not very good, I was also not able to find it using generic search.
RE: Dealing with heat creep, unable to solve
Thanks for sharing!