Sporadic underextrusion and Extruder clicking.
Hello,
so ive been printing for quite a while now and actually with the same model. But out of nowhere the model and gcode ive been printing with failed every time. I changed models and Gcode but the problem stayed.
The Problem is that at some point the extruder starts clicking and almost no filament comes out. Sometimes it stays like that and all the following layers are underextruded as well. But also sometimes only the beginning of for example the 30th layer is underextruded and then somewhere along the way it gets normal again and the 31st layer prints again without problems.
I tried a lot of tweaks already:
- went from 200°C to about 235 °C printing temp
-changed PTFE tube
-realigned bondtech gears
-changed to prusament PLA
-slowed the print down
-changed the extruder tension
but the problem is still there.
I am printing on a i3 Mk3s with Prusament PLA at 220°C/60°C. And my next step would be to change the thermal paste on the heatbreak and maybe buy a new one but after that i am out of ideas.
I also contacted the support but there wasnt a really big improvement.
I am happy for any help. Thank you in advance!
RE: Sporadic underextrusion and Extruder clicking.
Is the printer inside an enclosure or in a room that gets hot? PLA commonly jams up if you print in an enclosure or room that gets above around 85F (29C) in my experience. The heatsink cooling fan doesn't blow enough air in that situation to keep the PLA from swelling inside the heatbreak.
RE: Sporadic underextrusion and Extruder clicking.
@gunnerp
No i dont have an enclosure and the room temp is about 21°C
RE: Sporadic underextrusion and Extruder clicking.
This can also be due to a partially blocked nozzle.
RE: Sporadic underextrusion and Extruder clicking.
Try some cold pulls - and a nozzle needle.
RE: Sporadic underextrusion and Extruder clicking.
So far i did a few cold pulls and even renewed the thermal paste on the heatbreak. But all without any success.
RE: Sporadic underextrusion and Extruder clicking.
Try replacing the nozzle; cold pulls don't get into the actual nozzle channel and often don't remove all the solids built up directly on the lead in to the nozzle channel, allowing bits to stay partially blocking it or to break off again as soon as you restart printing.
If you want to clean a nozzle used for PL the best solvent is dichloromethane, however soon I'm be experimenting with warm ethyl acetate and time.