HELP!!!!!! Broken Printer :(

[Ghene 24]

?My printer was okay when I left it to print last night, even went through build plate calibration okay and I woke up to find that not only is the build plate undone but I have dried up filament stuck on the print head... The printer is 1 month and 5days old. ?

Help! I am currently trying to unclogging it using a heatgun to melt the hardened filament.

 

 

Unfortunately the bottom part of the print head has come off. I am able to open the flap now... ?

I tried to melt the filament stuck on the printcore but it is too dense I am afraid of doing more damage. I was only able to melt a tiny bit.

This is going to be a long wait until the UK customer service guy arrive in the office.... ?  ? 

 

Edited June 21, 2018 by Ghene

[SandervG 1,521]

Hi @Ghene , thank you for your post. Sorry to hear your print came loose from the build plate. It sounds like you already reached out to your reseller/support team? I would also recommend to do the same. Especially if they're in the opportunity to come over. 

 

If it is a PLA print, hopefully you'll be able to peel most of it off, and your print core is fine. 

[Ghene 24]

Just now, SandervG said:

Hi @Ghene , thank you for your post. Sorry to hear your print came loose from the build plate. It sounds like you already reached out to your reseller/support team? I would also recommend to do the same. Especially if they're in the opportunity to come over. 

 

If it is a PLA print, hopefully you'll be able to peel most of it off, and your print core is fine. 

 

It just ozzed PLA goo and the build plate popped off, the springs were at the bottom.  Yes, I have reached out to my (GBIRE) reseller tech support guy and he said he will contact you guys at Ultimaker HQ and will arrange to pick up the printer (something around those lines). I've dumped the logs as instructed and sending all info requested. 
 

[Ghene 24]

Finally received the label to have the printer fixed. I hope it gets fixed fast (they promised 3-5days to fix it). It is selling season, I have a couple of trade shows to attend and custom orders to fulfil. ?
 

[Ghene 24]

Wicked! Just received an email from GBIRE that my printer is all fixed and will be arriving tomorrow.  ???

[Ghene 24]

It's back ! Great service all around. They even replaced the printcore they broke off. ?

(and it is ticking ?)

[Ghene 24]

I almost have this same problem yesterday. Fortunately I am able to stop the print so I am able to save my print core. The previous one I was told needed to be replaced. I haven't tested the print core yet, I need to clean it up as filament got under the black area where the AA.04 was written.I hope it still works. 

There needs to be a way to stop the print when clogging is detected.

 

The problem was caused by non adhesion on the glass. Seems like I need to clean the plate more often than I initially thought. When the filament did not stick, some of it was stuck on the head and accumulated around the nozzle then spread on the core. 

 

[geert_2 558]

What bonding method do you use, if any? If you print on bare glass without bonding method, results may vary wildly: in dry winter weather it may stick very well, while in moist summer models might come off unexpectedly.

 

Also, glass temperature plays a role: for me bonding is best between 55°C and 60°C. At lower temps, the models might suddenly pop off the glass. At higher temps, the models stay too soft and the warping forces tend to peel the model off the glass. This effect will differ from material to material, and from brand to brand, within the same material.

 

Also, I would suggest you have a look at all available bonding methods, try them and select one that works well and that you like:

- The "official glue stick", and maybe wipe and spread the glue with a wet tissue after applying.

- Hairspray (neotko's preferred method).

- Dilluted wood glue 10% in water (gr5's preferred method).

- Salt method: wipe the glass plate with a tissue moistened with salt water, prior to starting a print. So that there is a very thin mist of salt stuck on the glass, almost invisible. This is my preferred method, but it only works for PLA, not for other materials. And I do *not* recommend it for high models, or models with big overhangs, because these might get knocked off. For me  this worked well with Ultimaker PLA and colorFabb PLA/PHA, but less with ICE PLA, so they seem to have a different composition.

- 3DLac or similar sprays.

- Other?

 

Be very sure to *stay with the printer* during the first tryouts of any bonding method, and try small and difficult test pieces first, which don't waste too much time and material. For example something like this: it exerts very high warping forces on a tiny adhesion area.

 

 

 

[geert_2 558]

STL-file of the above model:

warptest8.stl

 

Print this with 100% infill, for maximum warping forces and test effect.

 

Stay with the printer while printing this, and watch carefully what happens.

 

If the bonding is not perfect, this model is likely to come off the build plate. Usually the corners are lifting first. After it comes off, it might stick to the nozzle and get dragged around, encapsulating the nozzle in molten plastic. Or it might be thrown aside after which the printer will print spaghetti. Be prepared to stop the printer when this happens.

 

Phenomena like warping of the bottom layer, or the edges of overhangs curling up, will also happen with other "easy" models, but in a lesser degree.  With this test model you can compare various bonding methods, and try which works best for your materials. If it works well with this model, it is likely to work well with easier models too (=with less overhangs, and a larger bottom area in contact with the glass).

 

If you can not print this model at all, if it keeps coming off, you may need to find a better bonding method to be safe. Or add flanges or "ears" to your models.

 

[Brulti 177]

Regarding cleaning, the two best methods I've found out is to either use sponge and some soap or the yellow window washer fluid from Karcher.

 

Do NOT use the blue window washers: those will deposit something on the glass that will prevent any kind of adhesion.

 

And be very careful when you manipulate the glass bed and put it into the printer: something as small as a single fingerprint is enough to create troubles.

[kmanstudios 1,120]

As an add on to @Brulti;s comment, I use soap (Dishwashing to cut grease) and then make sure when I dry it, the glass squeaks under the paper towel. Then I will use isopropyl alcohol, 99% to keep it from having minerals deposited, and then a layer of PVA slurry.

[geert_2 558]

Another method to prevent models from sliding around stuck to the nozzle, is to add a sort of wall with a big base plate around the model, unconnected. If the model would come off the glass, the wall will prevent it from sliding around. This will still ruin the model of course, but not the nozzle, hopefully.

 

As in this example: the "warptest" is very likely to come off, due to the very small baseplate and very high warping forces, and the curling up of the overhangs. But the big baseplate around it has a good bonding and will keep it less or more in place. This could be a solution for difficult or tiny models where a brim is too difficult to remove.

 

You could of course use a normal brim too, or design mickey mouse ears into your models, but then the models need more post-processing to cut these off.

 

 

STL-file:

warptest9b.stl

 

Be sure to stay with the printer while trying this testfile, and carefully watch what happens.

 

Concerning cleaning aids: recently I saw that some window cleaners do contain soaps, some contain alcohol, and others contain acids (vinegar), and even other stuff. This might explain the huge differences in bonding performance after using them. Soaps will reduce bonding, alcohols should be okay I guess, and I don't know about acids. Anyway, it should never hurt to wash the glass with pure warm tap water only, after using any cleaner, to remove traces of soap or other left-overs.

 

[Ghene 24]

Thanks guys ? 
Anyone tried sugar soap? That cuts grease pretty well. 

[kmanstudios 1,120]

1 hour ago, Ghene said:

Thanks guys ? 
Anyone tried sugar soap? That cuts grease pretty well. 

Never heard of it...but it sounds like you really need to rinse it very, very well :) Or you could give it to your printer and say it was 'sweets for your sweet." I am such a romantic to my machines....people...meh... :D

 

[geert_2 558]

On 7/15/2018 at 10:33 AM, Ghene said:

Thanks guys ? 
Anyone tried sugar soap? That cuts grease pretty well. 

The question is not only how to remove oils and grease, but also to avoid depositing any other chemicals on the glass which might reduce surface tension and spoil bonding. Traditional soap dissolves grease too, but by itself it is so slippery and it reduces surface tension so much, that you can not bond anything to it.

 

So if you would use soap to remove grease, afterwards you would have to wash off the soap really, really well, or you still have poor bonding.

 

If I understood it well, sugar soap is a sort of alkali cleaning agent containing NaOH or NaCO3, that looks like sugar powder (hence the name)? But what else is in there? So, I have no idea if it would work. If you would try it, stay with the printer, and try small test models first. And of course, report back on the results.  :)

 

[kmanstudios 1,120]

1 hour ago, geert_2 said:

So if you would use soap to remove grease, afterwards you would have to wash off the soap really, really well, or you still have poor bonding.

Co0mpletely agree....that is why I wait until my fingers squeak on the glass. Cleans the hands and glass at the same time ? Sometimes, I am changing paints after painting, or working or something and they need to be cleaned with the glass so that I do not oil up the surface whilst handling it. Yes, I hold the edges, but there are slips and such and well, just trying to be preventive ?

Edited July 16, 2018 by kmanstudios

[Ghene 24]

On 7/16/2018 at 11:26 AM, geert_2 said:

If I understood it well, sugar soap is a sort of alkali cleaning agent containing NaOH or NaCO3, that looks like sugar powder (hence the name)? But what else is in there? So, I have no idea if it would work. If you would try it, stay with the printer, and try small test models first. And of course, report back on the results.  ?

 

Sugar soap is that bright yellow liquid builders and people with cleaning OCD like me ? use to remove grease effectively.

I will try that and report back. 

 

Thanks!