Extrusion problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20 - Impossible to print anything
Hi, I got a problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20.
As it's a Carboned filament, I've bought and installed an Olson Ruby nozzle.
I followed the instruction about changing nozzle at hot temperature (285°C) and torque as recommanded.
I've made new XYZ calibration and first layer calibration with Olson Ruby nozzle => NO PROBLEM.
I've printed several stuffs whith PLA or (normal) PETG => NO PROBLEM.
Problems appears when I try to change filament for ColorFabb XT-CF20.
=> There's no line in the MK3S menu to load PETG (only PET) so I tried with PET option.
=> I never succeded to get XT-CF20 extruded out the Olson Ruby.
=> I tried to set the nozzle temperature to 260° before loading... => NO WAY !
=> Unloading XT-CF20 is always hard to do and there's always a small ball/bollock at the extremity of XT-CF20 when I get it out of the extruder...
If I unload XT-CF20 and replace for PLA or classic PETG, loading, extruding and printing are nominals.
Is anyone got's the same troubles?
I need to print photographics parts and I need mate and stiff objects so I bought XT-CF20 and Olson Ruby to do it, but it seems really impossible to print... so I'm really needing help with that.
Thank's for answer.
Bertrand F.
Nota : Officials technical data about XT-CF20 shows differences about printing temperature with the defaults settings of Slicer PE...
Printer : MK3S firmware 3.7.2 (MK3 bough in july 2018, upgraded to MK3S in june 2019.
Slicer3 PE v 2.0.0 Windows and Linux versions.
RE: Extrusion problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20 - Impossible to print anything
Are you using the Colorfabb XT-CF20 profile provided in PrusaSlicer? The printing temp for that filament is 260C, higher than most of the presets. It also prints very slowly, with a Max volumetric speed of just 1mm^3/s (versus 15 for PLA and 8 for PETG). I am able to print the stuff but it requires very slow speeds.
Just spin up the required temp under Settings->Temperature->Nozzle using the front knob when you need to swap it out. Also, be sure to clean the nozzle out whenever switching from a high-temp material (e.g. XT-CF20) to a low-temp material (e.g. PLA) or you will experience jams. I recommend using cleaning filament (I like eSun) at a higher temp than the hottest stuff you printed until it runs clear. The cleaning filament will pull out any leftover crud in the nozzle. When it cools, it will extrude at PLA temps so won't interfere with your next print.
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RE: Extrusion problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20 - Impossible to print anything
Thank's for answer.
Are you using the Colorfabb XT-CF20 profile provided in PrusaSlicer? The printing temp for that filament is 260C, higher than most of the presets. It also prints very slowly, with a Max volumetric speed of just 1mm^3/s (versus 15 for PLA and 8 for PETG). I am able to print the stuff but it requires very slow speeds.
=> Yes, but I will be usefull only after a successfull loading. For the moment, I never succed to load Colorfabb XT-CF20 filament and that it has never been extruded.
Just spin up the required temp under Settings->Temperature->Nozzle using the front knob when you need to swap it out.
=> Already tried to but unsuccessfully....
About cleaning filament, I didn't knowed that it was existing... but every times I changed filament to PLA or PETG after trying to load XT-CF20 I never had any printing troubles...
I think that if I succeed to load and extrude that f... filament, printing setting will be easy...
RE: Extrusion problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20 - Impossible to print anything
[...] About cleaning filament, I didn't knowed that it was existing... but every times I changed filament to PLA or PETG after trying to load XT-CF20 I never had any printing troubles...
Sounds like you need to do some cold pulls to get stuck crud out of your hotend and nozzle. I use eSun cleaning filament in place of the PLA they use in that article.
and miscellaneous other tech projects
He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
RE: Extrusion problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20 - Impossible to print anything
Sounds like you need to do some cold pulls to get stuck crud out of your hotend and nozzle.
=> I don't think so... All loadings and prints are OK with PLA, PET or classic PETG filament. The only problem is XT-CF20 refuse to be correctly loaded and extruded.
RE: Extrusion problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20 - Impossible to print anything
=> I don't think so... All loadings and prints are OK with PLA, PET or classic PETG filament. The only problem is XT-CF20 refuse to be correctly loaded and extruded.
Is it possible the XT-CF20 has been exposed to moisture? Do you notice any popping or bubbling when you feed it into the heatblock?
If that's the only filament that's causing problems, you've narrowed it down to that filament. Try drying it out perhaps. If it never fed, measure the diameter to verify it's 1.75mm or lower. Not sure what else you can do besides try another spool or another filament. Colorfabb makes good stuff and I've never found their filament to be a problem, so you might contact them if you find your spool is deficient.
That stuff is very abrasive, so you'll want to use a hardened nozzle. Depending on the nozzle, you may have to bump temps for the carbon stuff. Try going up 10-20C and see if it flows.
and miscellaneous other tech projects
He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
RE: Extrusion problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20 - Impossible to print anything
Is it possible the XT-CF20 has been exposed to moisture? Do you notice any popping or bubbling when you feed it into the heatblock?
=> No popping or bubbling, I openned the sealed package 2 weeks ago...
If it never fed, measure the diameter to verify it's 1.75mm or lower.
=> I didn't measure it, I will verify that.
That stuff is very abrasive, so you'll want to use a hardened nozzle. Depending on the nozzle, you may have to bump temps for the carbon stuff. Try going up 10-20C and see if it flows.
=> I've remplaced my brass nozzle by a Olson Ruby one, which is mainly brass made, but I will try. Thank's for advices, I will test the stuffs above and be back.
RE: Extrusion problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20 - Impossible to print anything
=> I've remplaced my brass nozzle by a Olson Ruby one, which is mainly brass made, but I will try. Thank's for advices, I will test the stuffs above and be back.
Contact Colorfabb. Not to be a bummer, but I've read complaints about the Ruby incorporating an internal step much like the step in the Prusa heatbreak. In the case of the nozzle, it's between the brass and ruby insert, making a much more dramatic step than the smooth inner surface of E3D nozzles. Mention this to Colorfabb to see if they have any suggestions. Might be interesting to swap in a different hardened nozzle (E3D, P3-D) to compare, or even a sacrificial plain brass one.
and miscellaneous other tech projects
He is intelligent, but not experienced. His pattern indicates two dimensional thinking. -- Spock in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan
RE: Extrusion problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20 - Impossible to print anything
I was getting globs of material accumulating on the nozzle, then falling off once they got really big and jamming the x-y movement, missing steps, when printing large parts. I've seen similar reports on other forums. What finally worked for me was upping the temperature beyond the default of 26oF and backing off the extrusion multiplier from the default 1.2 to 1.2. 265F was an instant improvement, then when I moved up to 269 it's even better, it seems like the material does not buildup at all on the nozzle now. Otherwise running the default settings for this material and a hard steel nozzle. I have upped the speed to 120% sometimes successfully at this temperature.
RE: Extrusion problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20 - Impossible to print anything
Typo Correction to the above: I changed the extrusion multiplier from the default 1.2 to 1.1
RE: Extrusion problem with ColorFabb XT-CF20 - Impossible to print anything
No more problems at all !
I bought a 0.6 E3D Nozzle X...
Upgrade firmware to 3.8.0 and tested with the Prusa defaults parameters. No problems at all.
Printing is slow but perfect and precise...
Now I'm just thinking to trough out my "fucking shit Olson Ruby nozzle" which is 4 times more expensive than the E3D Nozzle X !
Thank's to everyboby!
Have a nice Christmas and and happy new year!