1 Topic by Grendel

  • Grendel
  • Grendel
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  • From: Canterbury, Kent, UK
  • Registered: 2017-03-03
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Topic: Da Vinci Aio 1.0S printing PLA

So far I have been printing using ABS, but recently got a deal on some natural PLA filament for the machine.
Over the weekend I thought I would give the PLA a try, and found something out that XYZ dont tell you when they sell you the printer.
If you want to use PLA the printer prompts you to change the extruder head.
This was never made clear in any of the information that I read before purchase, or any of the manuals that came with the printer.
looking online the parts for this are an additional $99 (89 euro) and nowhere has them in stock.
You do have the option of continuing anyway, this I tried.
The problem I had was that the part would start to print normally, but after extruding about 1m the print head just dried up, with no more filament extruding, I am thinking that this is the result of some remains of ABS in the nozzle causing that to clog up (at the lower PLA temperature). the silly part is the temperature rises to about 200 degrees, then drops back, I am thinking this is when the ABS residue re-hardens and clogs.
Is there a procedure to go through between using ABS and PLA that will clear the nozzles. I have tried the clean nozzle function, but it still didnt manage to print any more than before. For now I think I will stick with the ABS until I can either get a spare extruder, or fins a method to clean the nozzles between materials.

2 Reply by carl_m1968

  • carl_m1968
  • carl_m1968
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Re: Da Vinci Aio 1.0S printing PLA

Grendel wrote:

So far I have been printing using ABS, but recently got a deal on some natural PLA filament for the machine.
Over the weekend I thought I would give the PLA a try, and found something out that XYZ dont tell you when they sell you the printer.
If you want to use PLA the printer prompts you to change the extruder head.
This was never made clear in any of the information that I read before purchase, or any of the manuals that came with the printer.
looking online the parts for this are an additional $99 (89 euro) and nowhere has them in stock.
You do have the option of continuing anyway, this I tried.
The problem I had was that the part would start to print normally, but after extruding about 1m the print head just dried up, with no more filament extruding, I am thinking that this is the result of some remains of ABS in the nozzle causing that to clog up (at the lower PLA temperature). the silly part is the temperature rises to about 200 degrees, then drops back, I am thinking this is when the ABS residue re-hardens and clogs.
Is there a procedure to go through between using ABS and PLA that will clear the nozzles. I have tried the clean nozzle function, but it still didnt manage to print any more than before. For now I think I will stick with the ABS until I can either get a spare extruder, or fins a method to clean the nozzles between materials.


The only way I can think on a stock machine would be to load the ABS cart so it sets it to ABS temps but feed the PLA cart through the feeder so it runs the PLA at ABS temps. Do this for about 15 minutes and it should purge most if not all of the ABS left in the hotend.

It does say the printers print PLA but there is an * next to that statement but there is never a foot note anywhere that I found.

Printing since 2009 and still love it!
Anycubic 4MAX best $225 ever invested.
Voxelabs Proxima SLA. 6 inch 2k Mono LCD.
Anycubic Predator, massive Delta machine. 450 x 370 print envelope.

3 Reply by Grendel

  • Grendel
  • Grendel
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Re: Da Vinci Aio 1.0S printing PLA

well I solved it, I ran the load sequence through about 5 times to clear out the nozzle, then when I started the next print i watched carefully, and paused the printer, noticing the bed sprang up as the nozzle left the bed- light bulb moment, the bed needs calibrating.
resumed it and watched what happened, when it got to the second layer it was printing just fine, so the problem was the nozzle too tight to the bed, finished the print and re-calibrated the bed (manual method) the front screw had slackened off.
not sure why this didnt bother the ABS, maybe the extra bed heat altered the clearance, anyway PLA is printing fine now, thanks for the assistance.