1 Topic by schnatethegreat (edited by schnatethegreat 2017-01-26 02:59:00)

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Topic: Filastruder uneven extrusion rate

http://soliforum.com/i/?hDU6Ihu.jpg

Hello all!
I have my filastruder and winder vertically mounted and running.

The extrusion rate is very inconsistent, and leads to long time periods of not extruding. The filament slowly stretches as shown in the attached picture (low quality) .

I am looking to get a more even flow rate. I tried running at 185C and 180C. I have tried manipulating motor stall protection board so that the current is around 1.4A to 1.55A but am afraid to go higher. Currently no melt filter is installed as I clear out the system. The extrusion fan seems to be cooling well.

I have a feeling it has to do with heater placement. I will get no extrusion, but then if I turn motor on and off, it extrudes fast (12 inches in 30 seconds)

Any suggestions are welcome!

2 Reply by elmoret

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Re: Filastruder uneven extrusion rate

My guess would be that pellets are not feeding well, vertical setups are especially prone to this depending on the hopper design.

I would not expect heater placement to play a role, the whole steel pipe coupling will be uniform in temperature within a few degrees.

What material are you extruding?

When you say not extruding, is the motor stopping? It should run continuously.
1.5 amps of current draw is high for ABS.

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

3 Reply by schnatethegreat

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Re: Filastruder uneven extrusion rate

Thanks for the fast response!

The heater is mounted at the very end of the steel coupling. I will move it now and come back with results.

My setup: http://soliforum.com/i/?4LEwXnv.jpg

The angle of feed should be greater than 50° from parallel to ground. Perhaps a wider chute will work better because it is rectangular now. I can control how vertical my setup is because it is all mounted to a piece of sub-flooring and just leaning against the wall.

It is the ABS that is (from the kit) supplied for cleaning.

When the motor turns (you can hear it) the plastic extrudes, but then the motor faces more resistance (cold plastic?) and stops turning but keeps pulling 1.5 amps.

4 Reply by elmoret

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Re: Filastruder uneven extrusion rate

If the motor stops turning there is most likely a problem with the way it was assembled. Most common issue is incorrect placement of the shaft collar. The thrust force must be handled entirely by the thrust bearing - the auger should not be allowed to be driven into the gearbox.

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

5 Reply by schnatethegreat

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Re: Filastruder uneven extrusion rate

Took me a little while to understand what you said but I think it makes sense. This is how i have it set up now: http://soliforum.com/i/?n3p7PX2.jpg

I think the shaft collar is on the wrong side so the back pressure of the plastic pushes the shaft into the gearbox. I need to disassemble it and put the collar on the other side right?

6 Reply by elmoret

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Re: Filastruder uneven extrusion rate

Shaft collar is on the correct side, but positioned incorrectly on the auger. it needs to be moved about 5mm toward the motor so that the thrust bearing gets compressed and actually does something in terms of handling thrust load. The way you have it currently all thrust is being transferred to the gearbox, for which it is not rated.

You'll need to have the unit hot for this as you'll effectively be pushing the auger a few mm into the barrel (thus creating the few mm of axial play discussed in the instructions).

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

7 Reply by schnatethegreat (edited by schnatethegreat 2017-01-29 21:02:51)

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Re: Filastruder uneven extrusion rate

There are signs the collar slid down the shaft during use. I moved it back some:
http://soliforum.com/i/?p7eV2pv.jpg

The socket head seems to be fully seated and only gripping the end of the screw.

When running, should it be a constant slow turn, or pulsed rotation?

edit: its going pretty steady, really pumping out plastic compared to before so i turned it back down to 180C and am calibrating.

8 Reply by elmoret

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Re: Filastruder uneven extrusion rate

It should be a consistent rotation. How much current is being drawn as displayed by the stall protection board?

Filastruder - the robust, inexpensive filament extruder
E3Dv6 All Metal Hotend - the premier 3D printing hotend

9 Reply by occi

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Re: Filastruder uneven extrusion rate

i had the same problem once and after i switched the melt filter to a new one it was extruding correctly again...

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