M201 - won't print

[neilcoggins]

Hi,

Just built an M201 two-into-one 3d printer. Unit seems to be having problems:

1. printing doesn't work at all - just get a (small) blob of PLA on the nozzle (heatbed is level and correct distance from hotend; temps read fine on both extruder and heatbed)
2. only one filament will pass through the hotend

In Repetier, I can extrude just fine if the extruder isn't feeding into the hotend. I can extrude one filament just fine -through- the hotend (at home, it just misses the bed, and comes out at what looks like the right sort of feed rate). The other filament won't feed at all past the hotend, no matter what I try.

Any suggestions? Do I need to clean / replace the hotend (since that seems to be the problem here)?

[Mark]

the other extruder motor,, did it actually turn or not? how about chek the driver and wirings.
and clean the hotend might help.

[Malaka]

Having same issues here. I seems like you got some filament clogged in the cooling chamber/heatsink part of the hot end. Your best bet is to disassemble the hotend and push out the filament, you will need to unscrew the four mini screws on the back to release the heatsink from the two tubes. There is probably filament cooled in one of those tubes which does not heat up enough to melt due to the fan. Usually this happens when you pull the filament out of the feeding tubes. You might need to heat the extruder without the heatsink on to soften the plastic.

I've unscrewed every little bit of the hotend, just be careful you probably need the hotend hot to even take the parts off because the plastic will keep it in place and you can grind the metal trying to open it.

[neilcoggins]

I think I am just going to replace the hotend entirely. There is PLA leaking out of every hole on this 2-in-1-out hotend (including around grubscrews that are so tight that I cannot undo them, even while the hotend is > 160C). Any print longer than about 20 minutes causes sufficient buildup of the leaked PLA to have a large drip (6-7mm droplet!) fall onto the print - when that hits, the entire print is typically ruined.

I'm going to stick an E3D v6 on there, and try and get some reliability out of the rest of the printer, before I throw it all in the trash...

So far, I'm not overly impressed with the M201. Supplied with a bent threaded rod for the X-axis idler (deflects about 1.2mm total across its length), and the hotend leaks like a sieve (having jammed up one extruder before it printed a thing). To be fair, the clogged nozzle might be my fault (it's possible that the filament extruder on that side wasn't gripping well enough) - I'll find out when I dismantle the hotend completely. The promise of 2-in-1-out was a big lure, but I think I'd just rather have the bulk of dual-extruders.

Mark - any chance that the E3D will mount correctly on the z-axis carriage of the M201? I suspect I will have to print (or mill) a coupler plate - haven't checked screw positions / thread sizes or anything yet!

[Mark]

don't know the dimensions of the E3D extruder, so you have to check it for yourself.

[ric chin]

My brand new M201 won't print neither...

I got so frustrated I drilled the nozzle out to an 1/8 of an inch drill bit...guess what...it still doesn't print....turns out the stepper motors are sitting there moving the filament back and forth creating a corkscrew that eventually jams the barrels....I gave up. I had to build my own extruder nozzle for my pro 3 C...guess I'm gonna do the same here...I'm not sure this is a firmware problem....I will try adjusting the stepper motor voltage first...then take other drastic measures...

[ric chin]

Yup second machine same problems with extrusion...got frustrated with the clogging and nothing coming out of the nozzle....pushed filament through by hand you get some stuff out but then the filament cork screws in the barrel and clogs....Then you have to beat it out with the metal cleaning tool and a hammer...to shatter the plastic...don't use ABS in this machine until this problem has a fix...or you will be drilling...it doesn't shatter like PLA....make sure the heads are resting n the aluminium print surface...you don't want the bracket bending from the force...which there is a lot of...(at least they came up with a kit for this...better than that plastic one) heat the nozzle after you remove it from the machine on a stove..electric or gas..to get the excess plastic to burn up...so I got frustrated enough I drilled the nozzle out 1/8 of an inch....guess what? no clogging...but then found out that the other issue is the stepper motors moving back and forth with the filament...this causes the cork screw effect in the barrel cause the heat makes the plastic soft ... so again with the hammering stainless cleaning rod...ah the joys of anticipation of a working product...shattered like so much filament in a barrel...really guys...really....nozzles are cheap....but my time isn't.

As for the z axis rod ... its not the threaded rod thats the main culprit ....there s a thick protective coating on these parts....so thick... the linear bearings won't slide...also the new metal bearing and rod holders...(which, by the way are a great improvement over the plastic)...are not straight, bearing and brass nut are not on the same plane and are not level, cause the howling.....also....they have made the whole on the top plexi rod and screw shaft holder too big...they have drilled the whole two big...it wobbles ... will have to fix that with some sort of bearing holder....but thats what you get...when you don't want to spend the money on a real machine...be happy...enjoy the learning curve...control your frustration....don't let the machine wear you down or own you...go for a walk or something...

[ric chin]

trapaing tools.jpg (101.92 KiB) Viewed 15995 times

Must have tipaning tools...for the heads on your M201....

[Mark]

how's the voltage? the extruder, you can check this link:
http://www.geeetech.com/forum/viewtopic ... 19&t=17097

[ric chin]

UNfortunatly due to the lack of ability of your primitive bulletin board system...I can not upload the video...

The M201 that I have just purchased...cannot print and will never print until you fix the firmware..the print heads sit there and move the filament back and forth about 10mm...through the entire length of the dry run for a test guitar pick...at the end I should have 4023mm of filament sticking out the end of the pft tubing....it has not changed in length.

This is the part that gets me really mad...for this is not the first time that faulty firmware has destroyed my faith in your product...you waste my time....a lot of my time....

Fix your stuff before you sell it to people...and get rid of this stupid board so people can find stuff for their machines and actually communicate with video...

One very pissed off and irate second time costumer....