side filament sensor ... why does it exist?
Hello,
I've had my C1+ for a week now. I'm not clear on the function of the side filament sensor. I can't find a description of what it's for. The only purpose I can see is that the filament can be pulled out of the PTFE tube again when it runs out. Or is there another deeper meaning that I don't understand?
RE: side filament sensor ... why does it exist?
The purpose is to immediately pause the printer when the end of the filament passes the sensor. In other words, the printer pauses when the filament spool is empty. This gives you a chance to add more filament without having to restart the print. Also for the C1+ and C1L there is a switch that disables a magnetic and allows you to more easily insert soft filaments likes TPU.
RE: side filament sensor ... why does it exist?
But then there's always some filament left over, right? Why isn't the sensor on the extruder used for that?
RE: side filament sensor ... why does it exist?
To save you the trouble of digging out the last piece of filament out of the extruder when switching to a new spool. When the side sensor works as intended it leaves you just enough filament sticking out to grab it and pull it out from the outside without opening the printer and extruder. There are a lot more options for screwing something up in the middle of a print if you have to do extruder surgery to get the last stump of filament out.
/Anders