3D printing can be a very enjoyable hobby to take up if you show any interest in it. While some of us might think of ourselves as a kind of 3D printer whizz, and others not so much; it is very common, as with everything else, to have a few problems here and there.
We all know how infuriating it can be when we run into some sort of technical difficulty in regards to 3D printing.
If you’re someone who is really into 3d printers and its technology, we are sure you have run into some kind of problem at some point in time.
Below, we’re going to cover a few of the most encountered 3d printing problems.
Running out of Filament
Have you ever started your printing project and have been wondering why your model just stopped printing? Before you jump to conclude that your printer may be broken, it is a good idea to check that you haven’t run out of filament, because of a lot of the time, that’s the case.
Depending on the type of 3d printer you own, it may be clear to notice that the filament has run out, but some printers aren’t so obvious.
We recommend before starting a print, make sure you have enough filament loaded up so you don’t run into any complications.
Nozzle is Blocked
Sometimes when we go to print something, you may find that the nozzle isn’t printing anything. A lot of the time, the problem is caused by filament getting stuck in the nozzle.
In order to get past this problem, Start by removing the filament. Then using your printer’s control panel (if it has one) select the “heat up nozzle” setting and increase to the melting point of the stuck filament, this should help to unblock the nozzle.
Snapped Filament
The filament spool still looks full, and when you check there appears to be filament in the feed tube, but nothing’s coming out of the nozzle. The problem here my be that your filament has unfortunately snapped. This is more of a problem seen with Bowden feed printers than direct feed as the filament is hidden away so breakages aren’t always so easy to spot.
In order to fix this problem, remove the filament from the printer in the usual way. As the filament will usually have snapped inside the tube, you’ll need to then remove the tube from both the extruder and the hotend. Then heat up the printer nozzle and pull out the filament.
Model Not Sticking to Print Bed
A printed model not sticking is another one of the most common 3d printing issues that people encounter. Unfortunately, a 3D model can break and not stick at almost any time which is extremely frustrating to have to deal with. The most common cause of this problem is simply that the print just doesn’t bond to the surface of the print platform, a lot of the time its because you are only using one material.
To increase the chances that the filament will bond and remain on the platform, we recommend that you add another material to add texture and strength. The most common solution is to apply a thin layer of glue to the print platform, which can then be easily washed away with hot water. Another alternative if you are using PLA is to add decorators tape. For filaments that require a heated platform of 40º and above, there are a variety of special tapes available which are a little more heat resistant.
Problem Solved
There you have it, these are what we believe are some of the most commonly encountered 3d printing issues. We hope that if you have been running into any of these problems, that we have been able to provide you with enough information to get it all fixed.