Changing filament type
When dealing with different polymers, procedure is a bit different.
Start with a “cold” extruder situation: turn on heating for desired extruder, at about 60-70% of the
currently loaded polymer working temperature.
Release the feed mechanism and lock it open.
Start pulling (not too strong to break it... but also not too weak, to win over the extruder suction). If
you managed to remove a two-cone filament tip, you have two possible situations
1. New polymer has higher melting point than the previous one (i.e.: changing from PLA
to ABS)
1. Turn on heating for the desired nozzle, set it at current (old) filament temperature
2. Remove filament following the same procedure used for filament change
3. Slowly feed in the new filament: can do it manually, or using the manual commands of
machine (Main->extruder->Extr.position), or the PC host software manual commands
4. When you see that filament flow is decreasing / feeding is difficult / color is changing (if
new filament color is different), need to change temperature: set extruder temperature to
match the needed one for new filament. Wait for extruder temperature to settle
5. Feed 50mm at 50mm/minute with manual command. See if filament is coming out of the
nozzle freely.
6. Done!
2. New polymer has lower melting point than the previous one (i.e.: changing from ABS
to PLA)
1. Turn on heating for the desired nozzle, set it at current (old) filament temperature
2. Remove filament following the same procedure used for filament change
3. Slowly feed in the new filament: can do it manually, or using the manual commands of
machine (Main->extruder->Extr.position), or the PC host software manual commands
4. As soon as you have started pushing out some filament from the nozzle, decrease
temperature to match the needed one for new filament.
5. DON'T WAIT for temperature to do down, otherwise you couldn't push out of the
extruder all the remains of old polymer.
6. Feed 50mm with manual command. See if filament is coming out of the nozzle freely.
7. See if filament is coming out freely and without any remains of previous filament.
8. Done!
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