Frequent blockages with PLA

werner · 2015-12-31T12:05:53.000Z

Hi!

I have bought an Up Mini a while ago, and it works very well with the UP brand ABS.

However, I’m having a lot of trouble with the store brand PLA (which they say they constantly use on their Up-brand printers, and it works well), I have some sporadic successes, but it usually ends with a clicking print head and no extrusion.

I usually have a good print just after cleaning the head, but then after a small print (usually a single small Marvin), I get problems. It almost seems to happen shortly after pausing between prints. Does anyone have trouble like this, or have any idea what could be the problem?

What happens when PLA remains inside a hot extruder without being pushed through?

Edit: problem apparently solved: I opened the front and top of the printer, and put a large desktop fan in front, blowing full power at the print head in order to cool the filament feed motor. It’s working quite nicely now.

changfrancis · 2016-01-01T09:09:48.000Z

wrong temperature or the filament size is not correct, or transition zone too hot, build up of back flow molten plastic

Bruce_1 · 2016-01-01T09:14:58.000Z

You must withdraw the filament after the print ends, otherwise the residue heat will cause the PLA to go soft

werner · 2016-01-01T09:21:51.000Z

Hmmm… some googling resulted in someone suggesting to point a fan at the stepper motor on the print head, and I managed to print a 1,5x size Marvin, which took longer than the time after which it usually quits working.

Joppe · 2016-01-01T09:28:59.000Z

Pla on a Mini is not easy. I have experimented a lot with it and not always with succes.

In the end I thought it was too hot inside for Pla, even their own Pla.

So I tried printing with the door and hood open and an extra little usb fan blowing towards the printhead.

that gave me much better results. Even woodfill came out ok.

But it is mainly a Abs printer. And as I read below, always remove the filament after printing, then it won’t clog the next time so easely.

But I still like the printer very much, it makes nice prints.

Best, Joppe

Bruce_1 · 2016-01-01T09:51:35.000Z

Also, drop the nozzle height by 0.4mm from your normal ABS height. I print with PLA no problem. If you print with ABS check out the v2 platform heater for the mini, reduces warping and is an excellent addition!!

bobydelyon · 2016-01-01T10:56:38.000Z

Salut,

C’est exactement mon problème actuel, le fil ABS est bloqué dans la tête d’impression.

Que faut-il faire?

werner · 2016-01-01T11:08:14.000Z

Thanks for the tip! I thought that project was dead, but apparently not… But with ABS I also have very little problems if I preheat it for a full hour with one of the gloves that come with the printer on the printbed.

werner · 2016-01-01T11:16:03.000Z

Désolé, ca doit être un autre problème, je n’ai aucun problème avec l’ABS.

Tu pourrais essayer de mettre le bec de la tête d’impression dans de l’acétone pendant plusieurs heures (l’acétone dissout l’ABS, mais pas le PLA), ou bien faire un “cold pull” pour le débloquer, c’est à dire retirer le filament par le dessus quant la tête est à environ 200 degrés (mieux chercher sur Google pour des instructions plus précises). (Je démonte la tête afin de ne pas tirer sur la roue dentée.)

EDIT:

D’ailleurs, les imprimantes 3D de la marque UP ont apparemment souvent des problèmes avec des filaments qui ne viennent pas de chez PP3DP. Tu peux utiliser GitHub - ForsakenNGS/FixUp3D pour abaisser la température, mais c’est pas guarani que ça marche.

Joppe · 2016-01-01T11:58:57.000Z

@Werner, can you write in english? I can’t understand french.

Would be nice.

Frontier_3D · 2016-01-01T12:19:02.000Z

Hey Mate, the issue with PLA through the UP! extruders is the drive gear gets hot and softens the PLA before
it reaches the hot end, causing blockages.

One simple fix is to open the UP! Mini doors to provide more cooling for the extruder. Also ensure you have PLA selected when you add new filament in the UP software.

Unfortunately I have not had much success with PLA in the UP even under perfect circumstances.

werner · 2016-01-01T12:23:01.000Z

That this must be an unrelated problem since I don’t have any issues with ABS.

I suggested to submerge the nozzle in acetone for several hours or to doa “cold pull” of the filament.

Also that Up-brand printers often have trouble with non-PP3DP filament.

werner · 2016-01-01T12:25:08.000Z

Actually, I tried it with the door open and a desktop fan at full power in front, and it’s working quite nicely. I’m about an hour into the print, hasn’t blocked yet. (Actually, I just heard my printer beeping, print is done, and it’s looking good.)

I’m using Lay3rs strore-brand PLA filament.

Gilbert · 2016-01-02T14:46:30.000Z

Hi Werner,

I mostly print with abs and that prints well with all brands.

With PLA I have same problem. But I want 2 print/make a extra extruder cooler to solve that.

I had succes with flexpla when printed with abs settings without extra cooling.

cheers

Gilbert

werner · 2016-01-03T14:45:19.000Z

All brands ABS? I thought Up printers had trouble with non-PP3DP filament? The place where I bought my printer specifically recommended against using non-original filament with it.

Yes, I’m also going to install en extra cooler, but simply a desk fan works as well. (But looks stupid.)

Joppe · 2016-01-03T14:55:59.000Z

I print all sorts of ABS in the Mini. Never had problems with it.

Joppe

werner · 2016-01-03T15:18:49.000Z

Well, same people also said PLA would work without problems, so I’m going to take what they say with a grain of salt from now on… and just buy my filament somewhere else.

Joppe · 2016-01-03T15:46:55.000Z

I find Easyfill from Formfutura extremely good, though not cheap.

But I also printed with ABS filament costing 20 euro’s the kilogram and even that worked.

Its a pity though that the temp of the bed is not adjustable. With larger prints there is a severe chance of warping, but I use glue trying to prevent that. Sort of arabian gum we call it here in the Netherlands.

cheers.

werner · 2016-01-03T18:12:15.000Z

Hi! What brand 20 EUR/kg are you using? I’m also in the Netherlands.

My experience sometimes is that if the bed adhesion is good, the part simply warps the perforated bed itself. Would a higher temperature reduce that?

Lack of adjustable temperature indeed is annoying, as is the lack of PLA support out-of-the-box. Lack of support for 3rd party software as well. But still, printer works very well and is relatively user-friendly if you stick to the original PP3DP ABS filament.

Though, I would try out a RepRap if I had to choose a printer again since it’s open-source.

Joppe · 2016-01-03T18:27:41.000Z

Hi Werner,

123inkt is OK. That is the cheapest.

I don’t know if the heating of the bed has to be lower or higher since I cannot try it.

But I have another printer where everything is adjustable (Makerbot software) and I must say, every filament has its particular use. Unfortunately. Even different colors of the same manufacturer can differ.

Keep experimenting.