Before loading or unloading the filament, it could be halpful to check laver position on the used extruder ExtruderLever
Access the Machine Web Interface:
- Open the Web Interface and navigate to the Dashboard.
- Click on
Load Filament
for the tool you want to load filament into.
Select Filament Type:
- Choose the corresponding material from the prompt.
- The machine will home if it hasn't already.
Prepare the Filament:
- Cut the filament at a 45-degree angle for easier insertion.
Insert the Filament:
- Insert the filament into the corresponding inlet for the selected tool.
- When you feel the filament reach the drive gears of the extruder, click
Extrude
- The machine will start pulling the filament inside.
Check Extrusion:
- You will be asked if you want to extrude more filament.
- If new filament is not coming out of the nozzle, select
Extrude more
- If filament is coming out, confirm successful load by selecting
Yes
filament is extruding.
Troubleshooting:
- If the filament is not being pulled inside, reach inside the machine and adjust the filament tube.
- Ensure the white tube is perpendicular to the extruder and move slightly.
Extrude
until you see new filament coming out of the nozzle.
Select Unload Filament:
- In the Web Interface, select
Unload Filament
for the corresponding tool.
- The machine will automatically preheat the nozzle and retract the filament.
Remove the Spool:
- Wait for the machine to inform you when you can remove the spool.
Activate the Tool:
- Open the Web Interface and navigate to the Dashboard.
- Pre-activate the tool you want to load filament into (Left tool - T0 or Right tool - T1).
- The tool will be highlighted in grey, and the heater state will be active.
Set the Temperature:
- Select the active temperature based on the filament manufacturer's recommendation.
- Wait for the tool to heat up to the desired temperature.
Prepare the Filament:
- Cut the filament at a 45-degree angle for easier insertion.
Feed the Filament:
- Insert the filament into the corresponding filament inlet until it stops.
- This indicates it has reached the gears.
Extrude the Filament:
- In the Dashboard scroll down to the Extrusion Control buttons.
- Set the
Extrusion Distance
to 50 mm
and Extrusion Speed
to 7 mm
.
- Push the filament in and click
Extrude
- If the filament is not being pulled inside, reach inside the machine and adjust the filament tube.
- Ensure the white tube is perpendicular to the extruder and move slightly.
- Continue to click
Extrude
until filament comes out of the nozzle.
Confirm Successful Insertion:
- Ensure that the filament is being extruded by the gears and pulled inside.
- Click
Extrude
until you see filament coming out of the nozzle.
Preheat the Nozzle:
- Follow the same procedure as loading but set a lower temperature for retracting.
- For example, if extruding at 300°C for Nylon, set the temperature to 250°C when retracting.
- Lower temperature prevents molten material from entering the drivetrain, ensuring a clean retraction.
Extrude the Filament:
- In the Dashboard scroll down to the Extrusion Control buttons.
- Set the
Extrusion Distance
to 250 mm
and Extrusion Speed
to 10 mm
.
- Click
Retract
Remove the Filament:
Rerouting the Filament Tubes Outside the Chamber
If you are printing large, tall parts and cannot accommodate the spool inside the chamber, or for specific nedds such as support filament should not be printed from heated chamber, you can reroute the filament tubes to feed from an external spool. Follow these steps:
Remove the Filament Tube:
- Locate the PTFE fitting at the filament inlet. For v2 machine it'll be inside chamber, for v3 machine - outside on the back panel near main board.
- Push down on the PTFE fitting and carefully pull the filament tube out without applying too much force to avoid damaging the components.
Redirect the Filament Inlet:
- Reroute the filament inlet to feed from an external spool.
Protecting the Spool:
- When using an external spool, it is exposed to the ambient environment and can absorb moisture.
- To prevent this, keep the spool in a box with desiccant, or use a dry box or filament oven directly.
When switching from a high-temperature material to a lower-temperature material, changing the nozzle is often necessary. This is because high-temp material will remain solid at the lower temp, preventing the new material from pushing through the nozzle. However, there's a solution called ColdPull that can help remove most of the high-temp material from the nozzle.
ColdPull works by first heating the nozzle and extruding the material to ensure there are no voids inside. The machine then cools down the nozzle while extruding the material more slowly, ensuring the material inside the nozzle is fully solid with no voids. The temperature is then lowered below the material's melting point before preheating again. Just below the melting temperature, the extruder will start retracting the filament with rotational impulses, pulling the filament out of the extruder. The result should be a solid tip at the end of the retracted filament.
-
Activate ColdPull:
- Go to the Dashboard, navigate to
Macros
> System
> Calibration
> Filament Change
and select ColdPull
.
-
Set the Material Temperature:
- The machine will prompt you to enter the temperature of the material currently loaded in the nozzle.
- Enter the current material's temperature to shape the end of the filament for ColdPull.
-
Process Overview:
- The machine will heat up the nozzle and extrude the material to eliminate voids.
- It will then cool down the nozzle while extruding more slowly.
- Once the material is solid, the temperature will be lowered below the melting point.
- The machine will preheat slightly and start retracting the filament with rotational impulses, pulling it out.