Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Late last year I bought a Prusa i3 mk3 kit and it has never printed properly and I have tried so much troubleshooting that I am now at my wits end because it really feels like this printer is a complete lemon and it is not what I would expect from Prusa.
So the symptom is that after a while printing (generally after about an hour but sometimes more) the extruder jams resulting in the feeder pulleys clicking. I can unload the filament with no problem and load it again and it will feed. The end of the filament always looks just like the photo in this thread: https://shop.prusa3d.com/forum/hardware-firmware-and-software-help-f64/another-heat-creep-jam-problem-t23781.html
So it seems the jam is caused by heat creep. It happens with the Prusa supplied filament and two other brands I have tried and multiple colours.
I have tried the following:
- Replaced the nozzle making sure it screwed in all the way while the heat block was hot
- Taken the heatbreak and heatsink assembly apart to make sure it looks good and replaced it with new thermal paste on the outside of the heat break.
- Checked the PTFE tube which looked fine and made sure to reinstall it seated all the way into the heatbreak
- Tried multiple tensions on the pulley screws
- Tried a different higher throughput fan for the heatsink
- Managed to printed a bracket to install an extra fan cooling the extruder stepper motor so that the stepper is kept cool.
- Tried printing PLA at higher and lower temps
- It is not limited to prints with a lot of retraction. Shell type prints do it too.
None of this works. What can I do!? I cannot find anything further to try in the forums from the multiple posts on this issue (there seem to be many people experiencing this problem!)
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Hi Philip,
I generally use the generic PLA settings but change the infill to honeycomb or gyroid and reduce the retraction setting, and I don't get jams...
maybe you could try generic pla with say 0.6 or 0.4 retraction and see what happens?
Joan
I think the infill type is irrelevant, re jamming
I try to make safe suggestions,You should understand the context and ensure you are happy that they are safe before attempting to apply my suggestions, what you do, is YOUR responsibility. Location Halifax UK
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Sounds like you've tried all the obvious. If I was having this issue, I would completely disassemble the entire extruder assembly all the way down to its constituent parts... just like it was received (if it came as a kit). Then reassemble with meticulous attention to the build manual. It doesn't take but a small unnoticed misalignment with something for heat to push it far enough out that one starts getting feed issues. I had issues with the idler pulley, bearing, and pin. I wasn't getting the pin seated enough into both sides of the PET body, so it would cant just a little. I focused on getting the pin supported deeply enough in each side of the body. It was a pain because its a tight fit and easy to insert it too far. I used an hex key and a small hammer with small taps. The whole alignment of the assemble is fairly critical so that one doesn't need a lot of tension on the spring screws.
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
I just had the screw that holds the tension "door" in come loose. (felt dumb after I found it)
I have a Prusa,therefore I research.
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Are you printing in an enclosure or an environment that's warmer than usual? Plus: Is your extruder motor running very hot? Many people have written that theirs are getting too hot to even touch for more than a second.
Those heat sources can accumulate to a temperature high enough to soften the filament, so that your extruder gears actually squish it and then can't catch it anymore. Maybe after one of those jams you could take a photo and post it here.
Also have you tried other sorts of filament like PETG?
Another seemingly minor thing that I found was that the screw acting as the idler door axle mustn't be too tight! The door has to rotate as smoothly as possible, otherwise it can't compensate for filament diameter fluctuation.
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Ok. It might not work for you. It did for me. I raised did a cold pull. No help. Raised my print head and extruded put out filament. My live z creaped or something. I redid my live z and the printer is working again.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Thanks for the suggestions. I tried the following with no luck:
- Re-assembled the extruder head, everything looked fine, redid the calibration after that
- I reduced the retraction distance and tried different infill patterns
- I did a cold pull
- I have redone the first layer cal a few times
- As I mentioned in my first post I have rigged a second fan to cool the extruder stepper so its pretty cool.
- It is summer here so it is around 27-30 degrees C in the room that I print and I do not use an enclosure as I am mainly printing PLA.
In terms of a photo of how the filament looks when I unload it after a jam, as I stated in my initial post it looks exactly like the photo in the following thread:
I do appreciate the suggestions but still no joy...do I try buy a new extruder head? I really don't want to do that if that is not the problem.
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Just thinking out loud here. I wonder if your extruder thermosister is bad? No dead, but just wrong? i.e. sending wrong values to the einsey?
Edit: Had another thought. Maybe the heater element is defective?
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
That could be the case? Perhaps the block is too hot/too cold or not maintaining the temp during the print?
I will see what happens if I print colder and hotter after I have made all these other adjustments perhaps something will work.
Thanks for the input.
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Along the same lines as a potential electronic issue, check your power and heater connections on your board. A semi bad connection should manifest as heat related damage on or around the connections, and cause issues with consistent head in the hot end and/or bed.
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
I have the exact same problem. I've found this issue on many places now, without any working solution. Other than people report these issues start happening after firmware 3.4.*.
Printer worked fine before, but since the last couple of days it keeps having this problem. After trying pretty much all that has been said already like cold pulls, pulley tension (pretty much as loose as possible currently), different temps, different extraction settings (also the Prusa defaults) etc ..
After about 45 mins the clicking starts and the print fails because it stops extruding.
Unloading and reloading the filament is still fine. Reloading it and the filament runs fine again, no jams.
What i'm thinking now is that it's the extruder stepper motor getting very hot and probably softens the PLA too much causing it start clicking/sliding and stop extruding?
Currently using InnoFil3D PLA filament. Other filament i've tried, Formfutura Stonefil (PLA based) worked fine, although that was a 40min build. So i'll try again with a longer build. I still have some Prusament as well, will try that later. Currently running another test with lower temps on my Innofil3D PLA.
Update: all filaments, generic as premium PLA brands all fail with the same issue.
Another variable is that i switched to a new steel 0.4mm microswiss nozzle. Checked the nozzle connection, and it seems like instructed. Also, it's just printing fine up to +- an hour. I can not imagine this is the cause for the failing. Especially because the nozzle has no jamming issue after the fail.
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Ok, update: the same happens with the silver Prusament PLA filament 😥
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Over the last 10 months I have had the same issue on and off (more on than off) that others describe with clicking and filament not advancing through the hot end. From the time I received my MK3 in March 2018 until Nov 2018 I experienced the clicking/filament issue. Then in Nov 2018 I upgraded my firmware to 3.4.1 and the issue went away. I printed for a couple months without issue. During this time I was able to print over 2.5km of filament without this problem. Then mid January I upgraded the firmware to 3.5.1 and the clicking and filament jams are back.
This weekend I read the forums and watch a number of YouTube videos which seem to indicate my issue was with the hotend. So yesterday I disassembled the unit, cleaned it, reseated the heat break so it was snug up against the new nozzle, possitioned the PTFE tubing, and put everything back together.
I got one flawless 3 hour print. The second print, a 3.5 hour print, turned out horribly. At about an 1.5 hours I noticed that one layer had not printed but it recovered. At about 3 hours it began to click and not etrude filament regularly and for the last 15 minutes it just clicked away and nothing came out of the hotend.
I think I may try to go back to the firmware 3.4.1 version to see if that really was a fix. I also ordered a whole new hotend from Prusa just in case.
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
What you guys describing sounds as heat creep. I hope you have all installed R3 extruder parts, if not do so. Otherwise I would suggest to print faster, provide the extruder with more/cooler air. Print with minimum 0.15, better 0.2 layer height to achieve faster plastic flow.
Depending on the model you might also think about deactivating retraction.
Often linked posts:
Going small with MMU2
Real Multi Material
My prints on Instagram
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
What you guys describing sounds as heat creep. I hope you have all installed R3 extruder parts, if not do so. Otherwise I would suggest to print faster, provide the extruder with more/cooler air. Print with minimum 0.15, better 0.2 layer height to achieve faster plastic flow.
Depending on the model you might also think about deactivating retraction.
I have the R3 design.
In fact my printer is about 2 weeks old and i was only able to print for a week. Since then i've had this issue.
Yesterday i dissembled the hot-end and didn't see anything out of order. No jams, leaks, dust, junk or blockages. All parts seem fine.
I kinda expect a working printer (bought it because it was the so called "consumer friendly" one) without having to tinkle with extra cooling or parts. I expect it to print. Sure, i'm happy to tweak and upgrade over time, but i do expect that it at least prints basic stuff without technical limitations.
So far, Prusa support haven't responded yet either. 🙁
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Ok, got contact with support via chat.
After sending pictures of pretty much all my parts they concluded i had a faulty heatsink. The drill appeared too deep, which could have caused the heat creep. They will send me a new fully assembled hotend.
Hopefully that's it. It will take a few days before it arrives, so i will update later if that resolved the extruder clicking problem.
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
I kinda expect a working printer (bought it because it was the so called "consumer friendly" one) without having to tinkle with extra cooling or parts. I expect it to print. Sure, i'm happy to tweak and upgrade over time, but i do expect that it at least prints basic stuff without technical limitations.
So far, Prusa support haven't responded yet either. 🙁
I can't change your expectation 😉 . I'm only trying to help and point you in the right direction so you can print again. Looks like PR support has the similar assumption. Hope that solve your issue.
Often linked posts:
Going small with MMU2
Real Multi Material
My prints on Instagram
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
I kinda expect a working printer (bought it because it was the so called "consumer friendly" one) without having to tinkle with extra cooling or parts. I expect it to print. Sure, i'm happy to tweak and upgrade over time, but i do expect that it at least prints basic stuff without technical limitations.
So far, Prusa support haven't responded yet either. 🙁
I can't change your expectation 😉 . I'm only trying to help and point you in the right direction so you can print again. Looks like PR support has the similar assumption. Hope that solve your issue.
Sorry if I came across as ungrateful. Thanks for your help.
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
Ok, got contact with support via chat.
After sending pictures of pretty much all my parts they concluded i had a faulty heatsink. The drill appeared too deep, which could have caused the heat creep. They will send me a new fully assembled hotend.
Hopefully that's it. It will take a few days before it arrives, so i will update later if that resolved the extruder clicking problem.
appie.d could you post a picture of the heatsink? Thanks.
Re: Printer jamming (clicking sound) after a while printings. TRIED EVERYTHING I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIND, WHAT NOW!?
You could consider a 0.6mm nozzle... Less clogging, much greater speed and details depends on the layer hight you define.
I switched to 0.6 and never looked back.