1 Topic by stevendthomas

  • stevendthomas
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  • Registered: 2018-05-29
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Topic: motor current won't go above 0.6A on new build, very slow extrusion

I am testing out my new filastruder build with the supplied ABS pellets.  After letting the temp stay at 190C for ten minutes, I turn on the motor.  The motor input voltage won't go above 11.6v, and the motor current won't go above 0.6A -- no matter where the pots for current and voltage limits are adjusted.  The power is about 7W.  It is extruding very slowly.  The blue light and green light are both lit, but no red light for current limit unless I turn the current limit pot counterclockwise too far.  The instructions say the current should be between 1.4A and 1.6A, but I only see 0.6A.  Please help me figure this one out.  Thanks!

2 Reply by genesat1

  • genesat1
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  • Registered: 2015-04-26
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Re: motor current won't go above 0.6A on new build, very slow extrusion

The motor will only use the amperage it needs.  What diameter of filament are you getting?  Do you have the insulation on there well?  What if you try 200C? Does it start extruding faster, use more amperage, and just come out with too thin of filament?  Can you compensate for that with more cooling/less drop length?  There are many factors you can try in order to get the right mixture for you.  Also, keep in mind amperage will be different for various materials in the future too - PLA for instance always runs fairly low amperage for me, while PETG will always push the motor harder than other materials.

3 Reply by stevendthomas

  • stevendthomas
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Re: motor current won't go above 0.6A on new build, very slow extrusion

The diameter of my filament always seems too small, from 1.45mm to 1.60mm, and the filament cross section doesn't seem round at all.  The insulation looks like the pictures in the instructions, not sure how to judge if it is on right or not.  If I increase the temp to 200C, it does run faster but filament is smaller, and the amps are the same.  The extrusion rate at 200C is about 6 inches/minute, and at 185C is about 2 inches/minute.  This is much slower than the 12-30 inches/minute mentioned in the instructions.

4 Reply by os3dp

  • os3dp
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Re: motor current won't go above 0.6A on new build, very slow extrusion

Provide pictures of your setup please.

-os3dp

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