extruder problem

Hello,

We’ve been printing with our new Taz 5 for just over a week. The last print only half finished, and now we’re having trouble getting the filament to extrude. We are using ABS at the moment. When I pulled the filament out of the rollers, there was an area that had been chewed away in a helf0moon shape. I broke that off and put the filament back in. A small amount of material does come out when I press extrude, but not as much as usual. Another half-moon area formed almost immediately. Do you think the nozzle is partially clogged, or could there be a problem with the rollers?

Sheila

In my experience with ABS and the Taz 5, is that means a clog. Try some cold pulls. Heat it up, let it cool to about 160-170 and pull the filament out. I haven’t had a lot of issues with ABS but it does require the pinch roller to be tight. One other possibility is a misalignment of the hot-end to the head. When you push the filament in, is there any catching happening before it enters the hot end?

Since it is really new, there is the slight chance of a brass shaving in the nozzle, but probably not. Would be helpful to know the temp you are printing at, as too cold a hot-end will also cause problems.

The nozzle may be clogged, or the tension on the idler may be too soft, or there may be excessive friction in the filament path.

I would start by making sure that the filament pulls easily out of the delivery tube. If it does not pull easily, figure out what is causing the friction.

If the filament pulls easily, check the tension on the idler. Both machine screws should be screwed in the same amount and it should take noticeable finger effort to open. Many folks swear by an 8mm gauge to ensure proper tension in the idler but I never have used on (and if your printer isn’t working, printing one is going to be a problem. :open_mouth:

If these first 2 steps do not solve the issue, you very well may have a nozzle clog.

Cut the filament above the “half moon”… at an angle so that it looks like a point going into the hotend. Breaking it off could leave some jagged edges, which can snag on the junction between the extruder and hotend.

What temp are you printing the ABS? 245C seems to work well for me (eSUN ABS). Check what the manufacturer of your filament recommends.