Filament jamming
My printer has been working well for a long time. Recently however it jams after printing great for half an hour or more. I have seen the problem on both PLA and PETG, not not on ASA yet. I have seen the problem on two different brands of PLA (Matterhackers Build and something I picked up from Microcenter) and Overture PETG. I don't think the nozzle is clogged because it works great for half an hour, but I don't really know what it could be. What could I try to fix the problem? Thank you.
Have you worked out where it's jamming?
A picture of a failed print might help us diagnose - especially if quality degrades before jamming.
Cheerio,
RE: Filament jamming
My printer has been working well for a long time. Recently however it jams after printing great for half an hour or more. I have seen the problem on both PLA and PETG, not not on ASA yet. I have seen the problem on two different brands of PLA (Matterhackers Build and something I picked up from Microcenter) and Overture PETG. I don't think the nozzle is clogged because it works great for half an hour, but I don't really know what it could be. What could I try to fix the problem? Thank you.
Hi Mike,
Is the end of the filament swollen when the nozzle jams?
This could be heat creep...
Have a look at the cooling fins on the extruder are they clogged with dust?
if they are, try cleaning the dust out!
cooling air, takes the path of least resistance! and the e3D v6 cooling fins do not fill the cooling air duct, so the cooling air may simply be bypassing the fins...
whilst you are in that area, the fan is supposed to blow through the heatsink fims, not suck! the label on the fan centre boss, should face towards the heatsink.
early mk 3 printers had a grill over the exhaust side of the extruder cooling duct,
this grill can be cut out to replicate later extruder housings,
also, under certain circumstances (typically layers with intricate detail, the continuous retractions can cause filament above the nozzle to raise heat into the heatbreak causing a blockage there...
the issue can be a combination of these factors.
I use 0.4mm retractions instead of the default retraction length. of 0.8mm with PLA and PETG.
regards Joan
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: Filament jamming
One MK3s, it could also be a gap between the heatbreak and nozzle. That has caused a lot of partial and complete jams for me. It will work with some filaments and jam with others.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: Filament jamming
To throw in an other possible cause: The PTFE inside the extruder can wear out over time (on the lower end) and may cause jamming.
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RE: Filament jamming
Thank you all for your input. I will take a look and examine your suggestions. One thing I forgot to mention is I found my thermocouple was broken giving intermittent temperature fluctuations. Theoretically this lowered the temperature below melting temp. I have replaced the thermocouple but the problem persists. Thanks again for your help.