[Feeding Problems]

If you read my post again you should be able to go up to 120mm at 210C but I recommend no faster than 60mm/sec with .1mm layers at 210C.  So 40mm is well within the max of 60mm.

Try testing the temperature next using my video as a guide.

Here is a longer list of possible causes of underextrusion:

2) Isolator - this is most common if you've printed extra hot (>240C) for a few hours or regular temps (220C) for 100 hours.  It warps.  It's the white part touching the heater block.  Test it by removing it and passing filament though it by hand.

3) Curved filament at end of spool - if you are past half way on spool, try a fresh spool as a test.

4) curved angle feeding into feeder - put the filament on the floor -makes a MASSIVE difference.

5) Head too tight?  Bizarrely MANY people loosen the 4 screws on the head by just a bit maybe 1/2 mm and suddenly they can print just fine!  Has to do with pressure on the white teflon isolator.

5b) Bowden pushing too hard - for the same reason you don't want the bowden pushing too hard on the isolator.

5c) Spring pushing too hard.  Although you want a gap you want as small as possible a gap between teflon isolator and steel isolator nut such that the spring is compressed as little as possible.

6) clogged nozzle - the number one problem of course - even if it seems clear.  There can be build up on the inside of the nozzle that only burning with a flame can turn to ash and remove.  Sometimes a grain of sand gets in there but that's more obvious (it just won't print).  Atomic method (cold pull) helps but occasionally you need to remove the entire heater block/nozzle assembly and use flame.

8) feeder spring issues - too tight, too loose

9) Other feeder issues, one of the nuts holding machine together often interferes with the feeder motor tilting it enough so that it still works but not very well.  Other things that tilt the feeder motor, sleeve misaligned so it doesn't get a good grip.  Gunk clogging the mechanism in there.

10) Filament diameter too big - 3mm is too much.  3mm filament is usually 2.85mm nominal or sometimes 2.9mm +/- .05.  But some manufacturers (especially in china) make true 3.0mm filament with a tolerance of .1mm which is useless in an Ultimaker.  It will print for a few meters and then clog so tight in the bowden you will have to remove the bowden from both ends to get the filament out.  Throw that filament in the trash!  It will save you weeks of pain

10b) Something wedged in with the filament.  I was setting up 5 printers at once and ran filament change on all of them.  One was slowly moving the filament through the tube and was almost to the head when I pushed the button and it sped up and ground the filament badly.  I didn't think it was a problem and went ahead and printed something but there was a ground up spot followed by a flap of filament that  got jammed in the bowden tube.

 

Thank you very much gr5 for your help, fixed my problem. I now have a functional 3d printer again

[Feeding Problems]

Do a google image search on the feeder to see how the tension is controlled so you can see what is inside - once you do all is obvious.

But that's probably not your problem.  The feeder is purposely given less current so it only has about 10 pounds or 5kg of force.  Any more and the filament gets ground up.  So the first thing to check is what temperature, speed, layer height are you printing at.

Here are my recommended top speeds for .2mm layers (twice as fast for .1mm layers):

20mm/sec at 200C

30mm/sec at 210C

40mm/sec at 225C

50mm/sec at 240C

The printer can do double these speeds but with huge difficulty and usually with a loss in part quality due to underextrusion. Different colors print best at quite different temperatures and due to imperfect temp sensors, some printers print 10C cool so use these values as an initial starting guideline and if you are still underextruding try raising the temp. But don't go over 240C with PLA.

Also check your temp sensor because they can easily be off by 10 to 30C:

 

 

Hi gr5

I did forget to mention that the feeder makes a moderately loud beeping noise when I'm in the 'move material' setting, not sure if that has much to do with anything. As for the print settings, very helpful will definitely use them as I've been printing too cold. I've been doing 40mm per second at 210C. I generally use 0.1 for layer height.

[Feeding Problems]

Hi all,

So recently I've been having some material feeder problems and I have managed to determine that nothing is wrong involving the nozzle (that I know of).

For some reason the feeder likes to jump back every few seconds, not sure the problem there. Is the problem with the filament or feeder itself?

My theory is that there is something wrong with the feeder "block" itself so to speak. When I try to adjust the tension with the screw on the top of the block, the little white tension indicator bars don't move. Is something missing or broken?

Apologies if this problem is blatant, still new to 3d printing.

Thanks for your time.