In case your nozzle is not functioning accurately and regardless of how a lot you attempt to repair it, it’s not simply working, it could be broken past restore, and the one answer is changing it. If in case you have by no means considered doing a alternative, at one level in your 3D printing journey you’ll have to do it even if you’re utilizing one of many greatest 3D printers accessible. When the time comes and you’ve got the alternative nozzle with you, there are some key steps you have to comply with to make sure that the method is easy and efficient. However earlier than we have a look at that, let’s see the explanations which may drive you to switch your nozzle.
Causes Why You May Have to Change Your Nozzle
- Worn-out nozzle: With time, your nozzle can put on out from the fixed warmth and friction, and also you may discover this once you see poor high quality prints and want to switch it.
- Blocked or clogged nozzle: Typically, no matter how a lot you attempt to clear and unclog your nozzle, you possibly can nonetheless have some filament stack inside that you could’t get out.
- Printing with totally different supplies: If you wish to 3D print with a cloth with a diameter totally different from the one you normally use, you have to to switch it.
- 3D print at excessive speeds with out altering the settings: You need to use an even bigger nozzle once you need to print a bit sooner with out altering the settings, because it extrudes a variety of filament inside a short while. The one problem with that is that the print high quality won’t be as tremendous because the one printed in a small nozzle.
- Inconsistent extrusion: For those who discover this, it means there’s a downside with the nozzle (if all the opposite components are stored fixed), and you have to substitute it.
What You Have to Change Your Nozzle
You want the next to switch your nozzle correctly.
- New nozzle. You will get it in your native retailer, or purchase it on-line on platforms like Amazon.
- Wrench for eradicating the previous nozzle and changing the brand new one. They normally come in numerous shapes and sizes, however I like to recommend utilizing the L-shaped socket wrench. It is available in totally different sizes too, and you should purchase all of them.
- Pliers for holding the assorted parts in place whereas eradicating or attaching the nozzle.
- Gloves. You want these to guard your fingers as you do the alternative.
After you have all of the above instruments, comply with the steps beneath. Observe that the steps could also be barely totally different relying on the kind of printer you could have, although these will apply to most. Some more-enclosed printers just like the Bambu Lab line may have the nozzle and hotend as one piece that may’t be modified on this method.
1. Warmth the hotend.
(Picture credit score: Anycubic)
You have to warmth the hotend till it reaches the temperature that you’ve got been 3D printing with or the temperature of your materials. That is key because it helps to melt any filament that could be inside as a result of in the event you attempt to take away the nozzle when there’s any filament that has solidified inside, it may be difficult to unscrew it. Additionally, once you warmth it, the metallic components increase barely, making it simpler to unscrew, not like when chilly which might have points when eradicating.
To warmth the nozzle, navigate to the temperature settings on the LCD display screen. This varies relying on the 3D printer you might be utilizing. As soon as you discover the temperature possibility, set the nozzle temperature to that of the melting level of your filament.
2. Unload the filament.
Because the nozzle is heating, you have to unload the filament. You could find the choice to do that within the LCD display screen of your 3D printer; the method varies relying on the kind of your machine. Unloading the filament is essential in serving to you take away the nozzle with out obstructions or bending the filament. As soon as the nozzle is sizzling sufficient and you’ve got unloaded the filament, you possibly can go to the subsequent step of eradicating the nozzle.
3. Take away the nozzle.
Transfer the Z-axis barely up so you could have sufficient area to take away the nozzle simply.
Put in your gloves, place the wrench to the nozzle, and rotate it to unscrew. For those who don’t have the socket wrench, you should use a spanner that comes along with your 3D printer. Use the pliers to carry the opposite parts as you unscrew. Watch out to not contact the nozzle along with your fingers as it will probably burn your hand. You must also use reasonable drive to keep away from damaging different components.
If you’re utilizing a 3D printer like Ender 3 V2, you will need to first take away the outer nozzle casing earlier than eradicating the nozzle, as proven beneath.
After eradicating the nozzle, you’ll not be prepared to put in the brand new one.
4. Set up the brand new nozzle.
You possibly can comply with the identical course of when eradicating the nozzle from the warmth block. You begin by inserting the nozzle within the wrench, then placing it on the hotend and turning it. For those who don’t have a socket wrench, you have to to place it manually earlier than turning it to tighten, and since the warmth block space remains to be sizzling, you have to to attend a couple of minutes till it cools. This ensures that it’s not too sizzling to deal with safely.
You can too test the temperature on the LCD display screen to see if it has cooled sufficient. After cooling, you possibly can connect it by hand and earlier than you begin tightening, be certain that you warmth the hotend once more so that you simply set up it when it’s nonetheless sizzling. For those who set up it and tighten when it’s chilly, it could be unfastened and never contact correctly when it’s sizzling. As you tighten, simply just remember to maintain the warmth block utilizing a pliers in order that it could not transfer round when you twist the nozzle as this could trigger harm to the wires.
What to do After Altering Your 3D Printer Nozzle
Earlier than you hit that print button after altering your nozzle, there are some things you have to set to make sure that your prints comes out nicely. To start with, you have to stage your 3D printer mattress. Even in the event you had completed it earlier than, you have to do it once more in order that the nozzle could be on the appropriate place with the mattress on all sides.
You additionally must test and modify the Z peak in order that it may be on the identical appropriate peak. Moreover, you have to change the nozzle diameter settings in your 3D printer slicer to mirror the brand new one that you’ve got put in. After that, load the filament and do a take a look at print to test if the nozzle works nicely.
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