Like all mechanical devices, our 3D printer requires regular maintenance to keep it running smoothly. Occasionally, situations occur that go beyond regular maintenance. Luckily, some of our staff members have taught themselves how to keep our 3D printer working as it should.
Recently, we learned that the plastic filament that we print with has a shelf life. As the filament gets older it loses humidity and can become brittle. A piece of older filament broke into several pieces inside the hot end. The filament was heated but couldn't move correctly and it clogged a piece called the hot end isolator.
In order to fix this problem, the hot end had to be completely dismantled and the hot end isolator had to be removed and replaced. The instructions for this repair can be found here: Ultimaker: Replace the Hot End Isolator.
It took Devin and Amanda an entire morning. This kind of maintenance is never as simple as the tutorial makes it seem! But they finally got it back into good working order. If you were here that morning you may have heard their shouts of jubilation as they slid the last stubborn parts into place.
Here is the clogged hot end isolator with the offending bit of filament!And here is the hot end reassembled and ready to begin printing your 3D printer submissions once again!
The Edwardsville Library Friends donated this 3D Printer to the library in 2015 and we have been having a great time learning its ins and outs ever since.
If you would like to submit a file to be 3D printed, read these policy documents and submit your file on a flash drive with the attached form.
