CTC Bizer: Clicking noise from extruders

[Jacopo_2]

After printing for a few days without any problem with the right extruder and the pla filament that came with the machine, I’m now experiencing problems with both extruders, even with the left one that has very little use

I tried to replace the right nozzle (the one with one week of use) with the spare one that came with the printer but no luck

The stepper motors make a clicking noise and there is nothing coming out of the nozzles at the time of the click; I tried disassembling the feed drives, loosening/tightening screw but I can’t solve the problem

Somewhere I read there are potentiometers to increase the current at the motors but I cannot find them

Any idea?

[Andrew_247]

It’s possible you have a clog in the heat break, above the nozzle. Have you tried an ‘atomic pull’? Heat the hot end about ten degrees higher than you usually print, let it cool to about 180, then try to pull the filament out.

[Jacopo_2]

If I push the filament then it extrudes, so I don’t think this would help

I was thinking… does the nozzle thread has to go fully into the heater? When I reassembled it, I tightened the cylinder first and then the nozzle; if I tightened the nozzle first maybe it would receive more heat as it would sit a bit higher?

[3Dscaleworks]

Nozzle replacement needed and put the used ones for a forth night in acetone and clean them for future us. so alway have two spare ones at hand. Clickking is a sign of a ( partial)cloked nozzle. the filament motor is having trouble pushing the filament through the extruder. sometimes a filament extraction with a temp 10 degrees higher can solve the problem also

good luck

John

[Jacopo_2]

now it started working again and I didn’t do anything apart from disassembling a reassembling the nozzles several times

[Andrew_247]

That could be. I’ve heard that one should insert and tighten the nozzle first, then the heat break. Also, you are inserting them while hot, right?

[Jacopo_2]

No, I wasn’t

however if I tighten the nozzle first I can damage the film around the block

What should I do about that?

[Andrew_247]

That’s the Kapton (sp?) tape that holds a piece of insulating material around the block. It (the insulation) isn’t really needed for PLA temperatures. Mine became so ratty that I took it off, haven’t had any trouble reaching 185-215.

[slippyr4]

The pots are digital pots controlled via the firmware. It would not be a good idea to adjust them really.

[slippyr4]

Acetone won’t clear PLA, only ABS.

[sgrow23]

Just my newbie 2-cents, I noticed a problem with clicking when I leveled too close to my extruder. From my own personal experience, paper should be able to slide without ripping or grabbing too much when leveling…if its too tight, I get clicking on the first layer and barely any PLA extrusion.

[robertl49]

hya

not sure if you have resolved the issue as 3 months since you put this up. but when mine starts to “click” i dismantle the feed system and clean out the orifice extruder holes. usually finding that they are blocked with degraded ABS.

Robert