Extruder Nozzle Removal / Replacement - ReDeTec ProtoCycler User Manual

4.6. Extruder Nozzle Removal / Replacement

The extruder nozzle contains a filter to prevent particulates in the filament that would clog your 3D printer nozzle. Over
time, this may become clogged and decrease the output flow from your extruder. Reduced flow can lead to excessive
variance in the filament diameter and should be avoided. It is recommended that you extrude in manual mode in order to
assess the flow rate and determine whether filter replacement is required.
Removal:
To remove the nozzle, the extruder must be heated to soften the plastic within. Currently this must be done through
manual control with connection to a computer.
Connect your ProtoCycler to a computer and begin manual extrusion. Refer to Section 4.5 on how to do this.
1.
Set the temperature slider to the pre-heat temperature for the plastic in your extruder. For pre-heat
2.
temperatures, use
Ensure there is no plastic in the waste chute below the nozzle, as the hot nozzle will fall into that area and could
3.
stick to any plastic that is in the way. Access the chute by removing the 2 thumb screws on the right side of your
device and removing the cover. Pull waste plastic out using the tweezers.
Once the unit has settled at the set temperature, use the
4.
nozzle wrench to remove by turning the nozzle counter
clockwise as you would with a standard nut. This may take
considerable force to loosen it.
As it comes fully loose, allow the nozzle to drop into the
5.
waste chute and leave it there to cool for 5 minutes. Touching
the nozzle while it is still hot can result in severe burns!
While the nozzle cools use the tweezers to completely
6.
remove all plastic from the threads or face of the threaded
nozzle mount. This will allow for ease in installation.
If you are replacing the entire nozzle/filter assembly, you may now proceed with installation. It is recommended to
7.
fully cool your extruder to below 50C before proceeding to minimize burn hazard. Do this by dragging the
temperature slider all the way to 0 (the bottom) and wait 15 mins for the extruder to cool.
To save time you may skip this step (cooling down the extruder), but this comes with additional risk. To begin
threading the nozzle it is necessary to hold and turn it by hand. As soon as the nozzle is touching the threaded mount
it will quickly heat up to being a burn hazard. Thus, it is recommended to wear thick, burn proof gloves if you would
like to proceed this way.
Installation
The nozzle must also be tightened at the pre-heat temperature to ensure that solid plastic is not interfering with the seal of
the nozzle.
With the extruder temperature below 50C, thread the new nozzle onto the threaded mount. If you have made
1.
sure there was no plastic in the threads before cooling it should thread on easily, but likely not the entire way.
Heat the extruder up to the pre-heat temperature again and let it settle.
2.
Use the nozzle wrench to tighten until you feel it bottom out. This should come as a hard stop.
3.
4. You may now cool and shut off your ProtoCycler, or proceed with manual extrusion from here.
PreTmp
as shown in Table 2 as with manual extrusion (PLA:150, ABS:200)
The Extruder Nozzle is an extreme
burn hazard!
Never touch the Extruder Nozzle
with bare skin!
Touching the nozzle while heated
can result in severe burns!
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