UM2+ (fixed spacer) check with Air

[neotko 1,417]

I need to actually check this idea in a few weeks but it's pretty simple.

Basically it might be possible to check the hotend assembly, assuming this for fixed spacers, by using a compressed air machine to push air at X bars (assuming also fully cleaned hotend or new one).

The idea would be to heat the hotend to 200C and press the air pistol to the hotend without the nozzle (or with it but should require more preassure) and by 'hearing' and felling any air going out it should be possible to diagnose a bad assembly before printing and getting a leak that should ruin parts of the hotend or just make a big Cthulhu of material.

Also it should help to get a really clean hotend free of particles that could actually make a clog (happened one or twice with brand new nozzles).

[neotko 1,417]

Did some basic test with my air compressor and if it's too loose you can actually fell the air on the fingers (if you partially block the exit). So I don't think that this would work with an already assembled hotend unless you can actually put talc powder to be able to detect small parts of air moving there. At 50psi it was quite easy to spot the air, but much harder to stop the air from the other side.

Anyhow, I think the problem of hotends leaving gaps, it's that since the structure it's basically only supported by the alublock that goes in front of the fan, then it's quite easy to tilt the aluminium parts by doing too much pressure. So to actually be able to do the 'correct' pressure, you need to add the x4 long screws that pull the hanging parts of the top/bottom of the aluminium parts. I suppose a good trick could be to make pilars or some structure to actually be able to see when the excess of pressure it's actually bending the top/bottom.

Edited July 29, 2016 by Guest