UM2 Extruder Clicking

[mazarun 0]

Hi everyone,

I just received my UM2 about two weeks ago. A few days after I got it, the feeder motor started clicking during prints. It happens about once every 10-15 seconds.

After checking online, I know that this noise is the feeder motor skipping back to prevent the filament from grinding, but I have tried everything I could find to solve it.

I'm not really sure if it has been affecting prints in any way, but I cannot seem to get it to stop. I'm printing at well below the recommended 8mm^3/s and I have only printed with the Ultimaker PLA that came with my printer.

I have tried printing at 260 for a short time, an atomic clean, turning up the print temperature up slightly during a print, and even a factory reset. Nothing has worked.

If anyone has any advice I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[mazarun 0]

I take that back about the print quality. Its causing small gaps between layers and the infill is just strings.

I would really appreciate any input, Thanks

 

[reibuehl 42]

Going to 260°C with PLA is not a good idea. At that temperature, PLA can carbonize inside the nozzle. You could try http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/9928-korneels-method-for-cleaning-hot-ends-um2/ for cleaning the nozzle. Other thinks to look for might be dust in the bowden tube that causes higher friction. I sometimes use a pressured-air can to clean the bowden tube. A few drops of oil on a filament cleaning sponge before it enters the feeder might also help if this is the issue.

Since you have your printer just two weeks, I do not think that the PTFE coupler is already worn out. That usually takes a 2-300 hours of printing or even more if you always print at PLA temperatures.

 

[mazarun 0]

Ok. Thanks. I was a little hesitant to print at 260 because I was worried it would carbonize, but the UM2 manual said to do it for up to 10 minutes. Is there any reason why it would say to do this?

[gr5 2,167]

I'm printing at well below the recommended 8mm^3/s

If your printer can do 8mm^3/sec at 230C then your printer is better than average. I recommend 3mm^3/sec max to have a good safe margin in case your filament tangles or some other temporary friction shows up.

So what speed, layer height and temp are you printing at exactly? Feeder clicking is definitely bad on anything other than the first layer just as shown in your cute octo photo (those photos are tiny by the way - mean they are like 20 pixels across or something - .0004 megapixels?).

Oil works great - it's okay if it gets in the feeder. One drop will last maybe an hour. Even 10 drops per minute will not affect quality of part.

But my recommendation is to move the filament spool onto the floor so that it goes up into the feeder vertically and not at a severe angle.

Also try loosening the 4 screws on the print head one full turn - they may be making the bowden push down too hard onto your white teflon isolator (at the base of the bowden).

 

[mazarun 0]

Ok thanks. Sorry about the pictures. I had a hard time getting them in there.

I moved the filament to the floor and it did not seem to help. Neither did loosening the screws.

I have changed the speed/layer height/ temperature multiple times and it did not seem to help. Currently I am printing at 210C with .1mm layer height. The speeds are

Travel speed 150mm/s

Bottom layer speed 25 mm/s

Infill speed 80 mm/s

Top/bottom speed 25 mm/s

Outer shell speed 40 mm/s

Inner shell speed 60 mm/s

These are usually a bit slower as I usually adjust the speed to 80-90% during the print.

Also, these are a little faster than the "Normal" quickprint default setting in Cura.

[gr5 2,167]

I would keep it all one speed. When you change speeds you tend to get over or under extrusion at the change point. Well bottom layer should be slower but the rest all the same. For 210C and .1mm layers keep it under 60mm to avoid underextrusion. But this is all a different problem.

Have you used more than 2/3 of the spool? I find I have to print at half speed (30mm/sec in your case) for the last 1/3 of the spool.

Have you printed much over 240C? If you've printed say 10 hours at 260C that *might* be enough to deform your isolator - especially if it was under extra pressure.

I am going to say the most likely 2 things are: pressure on isolator, and partial nozzle clog.

You can check out the isolator by loosening the 4 screws until the bowden is loose, then tightening them slowly until it stops moving up and down and then tighten maybe one more turn.

For the nozzle - I recommend getting some hypodermic needles or acupuncture needles (available on the internet in usa - which amazes me) that are smaller than .4mm

28 gauge needles for cleaning nozzle:

http://www.healthwarehouse.com/needles-syringes/disposable-syringes/gauge/28-gauge

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Needle_gauge_comparison_chart

 

Or you could try a cold pull (atomic method) a few times (I don't take apart the head for this but pull from the back through the feeder).

Or you could take the nozzle off and burn everything out of it.

Really the easiest if you have one is scraping around the inside of the tip of the nozzle with a hypodermic followed by a cold pull.

The other symptom of a partially clogged tip is the filament doesn't come out straight but at an angle so severe that it touches the tip again. Even if you pull maybe 2 inches straight out of the nozzle first and then let go and extrude some more - 2 or 4 inches of hanging filament should be enough force to keep fresh filament from going right back up against the nozzle. If not there's probably a partial clog slowing you down. Consider getting the olsson block - much easier to take apart and clean:

post #329:

http://umforum.ultimaker.com/index.php?/topic/7689-custom-heater-block-to-fit-e3d-nozzle-on-ultimaker-2/?p=95991

 

 

[mazarun 0]

No I have not printed over 210 besides when following the troubleshooting instructions in my UM2 manual, which said to print at 260C for a little to clear any blockages. And I am only about 1/2 way through my spool, but the problem started way before that.

I will try what you suggested and post the results after.

Thanks so much for the help.

[mazarun 0]

The extruded filament is curling as it is coming out of the nozzle. After doing multiple atomic cleans, I noticed a couple indents in the "plug" that came out (Its kinda hard to see in the photo). These indents moved around the plug between pulls. I'm assuming that these are some kind of particle that should not be in there. However, I am having a hard time getting them out. I tried the hypodermic needle method (I used guitar strings which I have used in the past on my other printer) but I could not get them out. What do you recommend?

 

[deepshots 2]

ref: a couple indents

I always get these and I've always thought that they are due the softened filament stretching when you are pulling it. They wary from every pull. I've had no issues due the "stretch marks".

 

[yellowshark 153]

I have seen those indents also - when I have had a blockage issue. To be fair, if I am just changing filament and decide to use the atomic method, then I do not really look at the filament end, so I suppose they could be there when there is not a blockage issue. The only thing I can suggest further to what you have done, is to take off the extruder and nozzle and place both in a small bowl of boiling water for a few minutes (maybe 5 mins the first time). This is my standard process and then I use needle/toothpick/small electrics screwdriver to ensure there is no filament left in the nozzle or extruder. Holding them up to the light to look down the internal shafts helps but sometimes it can be difficult to see a small thread of filament laying there; so do not rush it. I work on the basis that there has to be something there so I carry on until I find it!

 

[gr5 2,167]

Your atomic pull looks perfect. I would stop doing that. Instead concentrate on using the guitar wire to clean out only the bottom 3mm or so of the nozzle hole. Move it around in a circle and pretend it's a file or sandpaper or something like that and you are scraping it clean (cleaner).

Alternatively take out the nozzle and then put the nozzle in flame and burn that stuff to ash but don't melt the bronze!

 

[mazarun 0]

Hey thanks for all your help. I think it's fixed! The guitar string did the trick. Although the infill still is a little stringy, it isn't clicking any more.

[ali_m_2000 0]

I have been having similar problems with my ultimaker 2. I just got it a few days ago, and whenever I try to move filament, the extruder either starts clicking or eating away at the filament when it gets to the hotend. I am using the filament that came with the printer, and have used the atomic method several times to the point where I could see through the nozzle. I took out the nozzle and tried burning anything that was inside as gr5 said. I loosened the 4 screws attached to the print head and have even updated the firmware.

I have been able to print one or two things the size of the ultimaker robot, but whenever I try to start a bigger print with support I experience the clicking sound on the first layer. When it clicks, plastic stops coming out of the nozzle.

I am not sure what to do, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

[8BitKid 0]

Any recommendations on the specific guitar strings that would work? I can't find 28 gauge hypodermic needles on Amazon.

I'm experiencing both the clicking and the filament coming out at an angle.

Edited June 13, 2016 by Guest

[leinadbr_28 0]

I have been having similar problems with my ultimaker 2. I just got it a few days ago, and whenever I try to move filament, the extruder either starts clicking or eating away at the filament when it gets to the hotend. I am using the filament that came with the printer, and have used the atomic method several times to the point where I could see through the nozzle. I took out the nozzle and tried burning anything that was inside as gr5 said. I loosened the 4 screws attached to the print head and have even updated the firmware.

I have been able to print one or two things the size of the ultimaker robot, but whenever I try to start a bigger print with support I experience the clicking sound on the first layer. When it clicks, plastic stops coming out of the nozzle.

I am not sure what to do, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Hey ali_m_2000, me too! how did you fixed?

i tried everything that everybody said and nothing!!

please help me ='(

[gr5 2,167]

Clicking is easy to fix. It's usually that you are printing too cold or too fast or with too thick layers or the teflon part. Anyway it's a sign of underextrusion and here is the list of possible causes:

CAUSES FOR UNDEREXTRUSION AND HOW TO TEST FOR THEM AND REMEDY THEM

As far as underextrusion causes - there's just so damn many. none of the issues seem to cause more than 20% of problems so you need to know the top 5 issues to cover 75% of the possibilities and 1/4 people still won't have the right issue. Some of the top issues:

1) Print slower and hotter! Here are top recommended speeds for .2mm layers (twice as fast for .1mm layers) and .4mm nozzle:

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.

2) Shell width confusion. Shell width must be a multiple of nozzle size. For example if nozzle size is .4mm and shell width is 1mm cura will make the printer do 2 passes with .5mm line width which is possible but requires you to slow down much more to make a .5mm line out of a .4mm nozzle. If you really want this then set nozzle size to .5mm so it's clear what you are asking Cura to do for you.

3) Isolator - this is most common if you've printed extra hot (>240C) for a few hours or regular temps (220C) for 500 hours. It gets soft and compresses the filament under pressure. It's the white part touching the heater block. It's very hard to test when not under full pressure (spring and bowden) so sometimes it's best to just replace it. Also if you notice parts of it are very soft (the blacker end where it touches higher heat) then it's too old and needs replacing.

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

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

6) 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.

6b) Bowden pushing too hard - for the same reason you don't want the bowden pushing too hard on the isolator.

6c) 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.

7) 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. Or soak it in acetone overnight (after removing 90% of the material with cold pull).

8) Temp Sensor bad - even the good ones vary by +/- 5C and bad ones can be any amount off - they usually read high and a working sensor can (rarely) fail high slowly over time. Meaning the sensor thinks you are at 220C but actually you are at 170C. At 170C the plastic is so viscous it can barely get out of the nozzle. You can verify your temp sensor using this simple video at youtube - on you tube search for this: mrZbX-SfftU

9) feeder spring issues - too tight, too loose

10) 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.

11) 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

11b) 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. Having the "plus" upgrade or using the IRobertI feeder helps you feel this with your hand by sliding the filament through the bowden a bit to see if it is stuck.

12) Hot weather. If air is above 30C or even possibly 25C, the air temperature combined with the extruder temperature can soften the filament inside the feeder such that it is getting squeezed flat as it passes through the feeder - this is obvious as you can see the problem in the bowden. The fix is to add a desk fan blowing on the back of the printer. Not an issue on the UM2 "plus" series.

13) Crimped bowden. At least one person had an issue where the bowden was crimped a bit too much at the feeder and although the printer worked fine when new it eventually got worse and had underextrusion on random layers. it's easy to pull the bowden out of the feeder end and examine it.

14) Small nozzle. Rumor has it some of the .4mm nozzles are closer to .35mm. Not sure if this is actually true. I'm a bit skeptical but try a .6mm nozzle maybe.

15) CF filament. The knurled sleeve in the extruder can get ground down smooth - particularly from carbon fill. 4 spools of CF will destroy not just nozzles but the knurled sleeve also. Look at it visually where the filament touches the "pyramids". Make sure the pyramids are sharp.