Set material before loading during material change

[brett-bellmore 1]

We're just about to try out a new material, and an issue came up: The Ultimaker doesn't ask you the material, when changing materials, until *after* it has been pushing it through the nozzle.

Suppose you were to switch from a fairly low temperature material, to a high temperature material? Here's your extruder trying to push the new material through a relatively cold nozzle!

Why doesn't the firmware ask about the incoming material before pulling it in and attempting to extrude it?

 

[IRobertI 520]

I know it's not the answer you want but, why not just change the material setting first, before unloading the old one?

 

[brett-bellmore 1]

I suppose that will work, sort of. But if the material in the extruder will burn at the extruding temperature of the material you're going to, and the material you're going to is solid at the extruding temperature of the material that's in it...

Then I guess you've got a problem anyway, since the nozzle doesn't completely empty during a material change. If we get into really high temperature and low temperature materials, we might need to change to something intermediate in between, to make the change.

Just struck me as strange to ask what the material was after starting to extrude it.

 

[peteruithoven 4]

I know it's not the answer you want but, why not just change the material setting first, before unloading the old one?

 

One big issue is that this isn't possible when a print is paused, for example when using the PauseAtHeight plugin. Since there also isn't a move material option there is no way to get the material flowing with the right temperature before continuing the print.

I also just openend this one: https://github.com/nallath/PostProcessingPlugin/issues/19

And in general I don't think this is really user friendly...

Edited September 25, 2016 by Guest

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

It would be indeed better if the firmware would ask for the new material before loading. Maybe this is something for @Tinkergnome?

[krys 206]

It would be indeed better if the firmware would ask for the new material before loading. Maybe this is something for @Tinkergnome?

 

When I switched to the Tinkergnome firmware, it surprised me because it does indeed remove the old filament at the old temperature, then ask what material the new filament is, then heats up or cools down as is appropriate, then loads the new filament.

I think that is exactly what @brett-bellmore is looking for.

... Though, does not the latest stock firmware do this now too (The one bundled with Cura 2.1.3+)? I have a fuzzy impression in my brain that it does, but I could be wrong.

Anyway, hope this helps.

[tinkergnome 927]

... Though, does not the latest stock firmware do this now too (The one bundled with Cura 2.1.3+)?  I have a fuzzy impression in my brain that it does, but I could be wrong.

 

Yes, it does. This was not my invention.

[Dim3nsioneer 557]

I didn't see this as I rarely use the change function. Usually I remove the old material by a cold pull and use the insert material option from the advanced menu to load the new filament. Afaik even the newest firmware does not ask for the material there before loading (I'm currently using the latest Tinker-Firmware).

[peteruithoven 4]

I've installed the latest Cura beta 2.3.0 and upgraded the firmware. I added in the gcode using the postprocessing script and I tried changing the material. It now indeed asks for the material type before inserting it. But something strange happened, after I selected the material it tried to heatup the nozzle, but when it seemed to reach it it kept toggling between

 

Heating printhead for material insertion

and

 

Cooling printhead for material insertion

 

This happened again after a reboot.

The firmware version:

 

Jun 17 2016 13:12:11

vers:_15.04.7-RC5

This is the last firmware right? Can someone else reproduce this?

This doesn't happen when I change the material when the printer is idle.

Ah, while writing this post and researching further I see TinkerGnome already created a fix for this problem: https://github.com/Ultimaker/Ultimaker2Marlin/pull/114

Quite awesome to see how active people are continuing to improve the firmware.

Now I just need to figure out how to get it on my printer.

[geert_2 557]

I never use the official method to change filament. It goes much easier in this way:

- Remove the horseshoe clip on the head, and remove the bowden tube from the head, with the filament still in it. Since the Ultimaker2 does a large retract after each print, this goes easy.

- Move the material 1 cm forward, and cut off that irregular molten end. This eliminates the risk of getting that irregular blob stuck in the feeder, or getting the thin string in the feeder.

- Do an atomic pull to remove the remains of old material from the nozzle, and to clean it at the same time. Do more atomic pulls as needed until the nozzle is clean.

- Pull the old filament manually out of the feeder from the back. (You may need to switch off the printer first, if it can not be moved.)

- Replace bowden tube and clip. Switch the printer on again.

- Change material settings to the new material. This will give the new material the correct temp.

- Insert the new material and use "Move material" to forward it to the nozzle. This requires quite some rotating of the knob.

- Manually try extruding a little bit, using the "Move material" function.

- Exit the "Move material" function, so the material does not get burned in the nozzle.

And that's it. In this way you have no risk of incompatible temperatures, no incompatible materials in the nozzle, no risk of a deformed material end or a thin string getting stuck in the feeder.

[peteruithoven 4]

Sorry, but that really doesn't seem easy. That's like going back to the pre-ultmaker2 days, where you didn't have all this handy menu features.

And also, it's not possible during a print pause, since you can't move the material for example.

Btw I figured out to get the latest firmware on my printer and created a documentation pull request: https://github.com/Ultimaker/Ultimaker2Marlin/pull/116

Edited October 7, 2016 by Guest