Please recommend a working extruder as the original is still rubbish

[nether-designs 0]

Hello everyone.

Since continuing my issues with my original ultimaker .

the original extruder was worthless, the upgrade is just as worthless.

everytime i put new pla through it. i clean it, i take the sucker apart. i clean it.

i remove the nozzle and i clean it.

the extruder from the original ultimaker is a flawed worthless design.

Please can someone recommend an extruder drive that works as i'm so sick of this machine now. waste of time and money.

 

[mnis 11]

You mean the Ultimaker one, not the new model?

I think it is the first UM. For the machine, there should be some upgrades but already proven. Maybe not directly from UM, but by the open source community.

Markus

[SandervG 1,521]

What are the problems you run into?

We have thousands of users and most of them are happy users and I think throughout the years the design has proven itself.

That does not mean there is no room for error or it is not working in your case.

I think if you can guide us through your experience and what you run into we would be able to help and get you in sync with your extruder

Have you made any other modifications?

Besides the HW, are you printing with a default profile usually, when it fails?

If you can give as much (relevant) info as possible that would be very helpful

 

[SandervG 1,521]

.. and pictures as well

 

[gr5 2,268]

i remove the nozzle and i clean it.

 

You should be able to go several spools of PLA between cleanings. Are you printing in a very dusty environment? If dust gets in the pla it ends up going through the bowden and gets stuck in the nozzle.

You can test the feeder and the nozzle seperately if you want. The feeder should be able to pull around 5kg (similar for both UM original and UM2). Here are some hints on how to do a pull test so you can decide if the feeder is the problem:

http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/4222-pulling-force-of-um-extruder/?p=34887

Please post a photo of your feeder and also of your print head. There are so many things that are easy to screw up.

 

[mastory 44]

Much like the OP I had it with the stock extruder drive long before the upgrades were available. The other responses are certainly well meant, and their advice may help fix the one you have.

A direct answer to the question asked:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:15897 designed to mount directly to an UM1.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:46329 although I don't find the issue addressed to be very significant. I would use this one if I made another.

The metal parts can be bought http://www.fabberworld.com/Extruder-and-Hotends/Ultimaker-Extruder-Update-by-Geo-Hagen-Metal-Parts-Kit::57.html I would check first before printing anything. Its been a while since there was any buzz about this extruder, and the parts may be out of production. I made my own...

My experience has been trouble free since the upgrade. My filament deformation is very slight compared to the knurled bolt. You have to look close to see it. When slippage occurs, it happens in the motor. It never needs cleaning and rarely adjustment. I am running mine w/o the spring, just the the elasticity of the parts pinching the filament.

Matt

 

[illuminarti 18]

With respect, no, the extruder on the UM1 isn't a flawed, worthless design. That is simply unfair. For thousands of people it works just fine. I've used my original ultimaker for two years - and never taken it apart to clean it, and never had any problems with it since upgrading to the v2 hot end and spring-loaded extruder.

I'm sorry that you're having problems, but I imagine that between all the folks on here we can help get you working properly. However, it's hard to know what to recommend to fix your problem since it's not clear what the problem is that you're having.

Whether the solution is different technique, minor repairs, or indeed, as you suggest, a totally new extruder, there won't be any way to give a meaningful reply until the problem is better defined.

So, please post some photos, and give examples of print settings, etc. And then we can start diagnosing the problems. :-)

 

[anon4321 16]

Just some advice to the OP, let the people here try to help you. I made the mistake of assuming a bunch of stuff and blew up a stepper driver because I didn't ask these people for help first.

I haven't had much time with my UM1 before I broke it but the feeder seemed to work well.

Im new to this but I think there are a lot reason why you might have feeder problems beyond the design of the feeder. For example, what size filament are you using and where did you get it? Or do you have the tension cranked up to the point it is crushing/distorting the filament causing it to get jammed at the hotend? Could also be that the end of the Bowden tube was crushed or distorted where it ends in the hotend preventing the filament from passing through it easily and so on...

People like illuminarti, sander, gr5 and others have a lot of time on these printers and can probably get you straightened out...