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  • Why is there no filament coming out of the extruder

Why is there no filament coming out of the extruder

3D Printing Help Centre

3D PRINTING HELP CENTRE

In the 123-3D help centre, we answer all your questions about 3D software and printer settings, problems you may experience during or after 3D printing and other 3D-related topics.

Why is there no filament coming out of the extruder

You have selected your first 3D print with great enthusiasm and after calibration, your printer is completely ready. Yet no filament comes out of the extruder… Very annoying, but luckily this can be solved quickly!

Causes of not extruding

Usually, there can be as many as four different reasons why no filament comes out of the extruder:

1. The extruder was not prepared before the print was started

Most extruders leak filament when they are standing still at high temperatures. This happens when the print is started, but can also only occur after printing, when the extruder cools down slowly. Due to the hollow space that is created, it can take a few seconds before the filament comes out of the nozzle. We therefore recommend, that you always prepare the extruder before you start printing. How do you do this? You can add a so-called ‘brim’ via the printer software. A border is printed around the object, so that the nozzle is filled with filament. The edge also ensures better adhesion.
 
2. The distance between the nozzle and the print bed is too small

If the nozzle is too close to the print surface, the filament cannot come out of the extruder. You can recognise this because in such a case the first print layers are usually skipped. The third or fourth layer then suddenly becomes the first print layer. You can fix this by levelling your printer again. View here how you  can level the print bed in 6 steps. Another possibility is to look at G Code offsets in the 3D printer software. This way you can set the Z-axis very precisely, without having to change anything on the hardware.

3. The filament is damaged by the drive gear

Most 3D printers have small gears that move the filament 'up and down'. The so-called drive gear ensures that the filament is accurately pressed into the hot end. If a lot of plastic 'curls' form at the extruder, or if something is missing in your print, it could be that too much filament is being scraped away by the gears. In that case, the gear wheel can no longer ‘grab’ anything. Curious how you can solve this? Read all about ‘under extrusion’.
 
4. The nozzle or extruder is clogged
 
If it has nothing to do with the above problems, it could also mean that your print head is clogged. This can be caused by dirt in the nozzle, printing at the wrong temperature, inconsistent filament diameter or wrong material. Do you want to know how to solve this? Find out how to clean the nozzle here.

Now that you know why the filament doesn't come out of the extruder, you can solve it too! This page describes the above problems in detail and offers various solutions. If this is not the solution to your problem, do not hesitate to contact our customer service. They will be happy to help you, so that you can quickly switch on that printer again!

Do you have another question?

Have you not been able to find the answer to your question in the overview above? At 123-3D.ie we are busy with 3D printing every day and we like to follow every development. We are happy to share the knowledge and experience that we have built up over the years with you in our 3D printing help centre!
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