Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
Just wondering, I have three prusa mk3s and I have been printing for months without any issue. For days, I have been having a huge amount of clogging. First one printer, then the next and finally all of them. I found out a lot of problem happened after the first layer when the fan is turned on. The temperature drops a lot suddently. It goes from 215 º to 190 º or so and clogs unless I manually disable the fan and raise it bit by bit...
I am getting a silicone sock for the three printers but still I just realizey they were updated to 3.7.0 at the same time.. I wonder if it could be related. I also found out the extruder motor is really hot, cant say the exact temperature but it almost burns my hand if I touch it. I dont remember it to be so hot before...
Is there any know issues of the last firmware? Should I change the motor to something colder? I am a bit out of options with so many jams in all the printers but it is a bit weird because they worked so well for months and all of them are failing now.
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
Temp drops as the fan starts is a common complaint with the MK3S fan shroud - also occurs when the extruder passes over vertical walls that deflect air up towards the hot end. Common solution is a sock, which you already have planned.
The firmware has been changing, and temp control is one of the "improvements" - reducing "clicking noise" when the bed heats, more even power use with the nozzle. Have you done the PID calibrations for nozzle? Be sure to complete these when the sock is on, or you may see some wild fluctuations.
As a data point, are the parts you are printing the same as before this problem began? Or are you printing a new lot of parts, that might be more complex?
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
Uhmm I had no ide of these "improvements". I wonder if I just need to do the PID calibrations after the update. I have never done it after purchasing the kits.
The parts are mostly the same, they are pretty big which almost cover like 60 % or 70 % of the bed. That is why this is so strange. I even tried to print older parts having the same issue.
I will try tomorrow to run the calibrations just in case it helps 🙂
Thanks.
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
These are change lists, they show the highlights.
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
Hi at all,
same problem to me. I printed a lot of parts since i got my printer in February this year and from the beginning there were zero problems.
And since i updated to 3.7 i got a lot of trouble. The first print after i updated to 3.7 i got a clogged hotend/ptfe tube. Next print the same issue. After a several failed prints i cleaned everything and did a new calibration including first layer but no improvement.
Print yesterday also failed with broken filament. I changed nothing in the setting of prusa slicer and there were no changes with the filament (prusa silver pla). I can clearly attribute it to the update. Is there a way to downgrade to the version before 3.7?
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
is your room temp the same - now that it's summer and rooms are getting warmer printing problems are increasing, especially if you have a printer enclosure
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
Nope. No changes for the outside temperature. The printer stands in our basement and there is about 20 degress .
I have no idea what causes this except the update.
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
sascha, If the clog is after the first layer. Just make sure there is not a temperature drop on the nozzle right when the fan start blowing. that is my biggest problem at the moment. It will also clog if for example I print an object that has a big flat surface.
Just received the e3d socks... I will test them layer today.
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
After testing the socks I can say it solves the first layer clog issue. Unfortunatelly, It is still cloging mid print.
I am thinking to try to repply the thermal past into the heat break or to install a fan to the extruder motor...
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
Tempertures are high now, how hot is the surrounding room of the printer.
On thingiverse you find a extra fan for on the extruder, link you can find on this forum, it cools the extruder very good, and less heat can go to the filament,
especially if you are printing in a enclosure .
For the summer a extra fan to blow cool air in the enclosure could be needed, only for pla.(and door open with all pla printing, summer and winter).
And a enclosure with temp controlled fan is the best, maybe next enclosure!(also for better dimensions).
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
Some updates... I tried to add an extruder fan. It decreased the temperature of the fan significantly from burning to I can touch it and it feels cold. However, it did not solved the printing issues.
Next I tried to downgrade to 0.3.6 and it also not solved the printing issues 🙁 I am starting to be out of options.
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
That sounds like the problem I had. No problems with PETG but all kinds of PLA got stuck since the upgrade.
I changed the tube 2 times, I changed the nozzle but nothing helped. Every PLA print ended up in a clogged hotend.
But since the motor had temperatures up to 70°C I added 2 heatsinks to the motor (1 on top and 1 in the front) and I added an enclosure fan. Since then the motor is down to 36°C and I can print everything without any problems again.
So my guess is that the temperature in the enclosure and the hot extruder motor are part of the problem.
RE: Problems printing PLA after a firmware update to 3.7.0?
The surrounding air, around the extruder, the max temp is 40, so keep it cooler is better.
It is hot now, summertime.