Ender 3

[Erfolg]

I have or had a silicon cover over the extruder head. I took it of as I needed to undertake some maintenance on the extruder nozzle. I forgot to replace it.

 

At present the printer is printing away apparently quite happily.

 

What is intended purpose, or what should it be doing. (I will refit it when it has finished printing).

[Dad_flyer]

It counts as probably useful, but not necessary. They are supposed to insulate the hot end a bit, and also stop filament debris from sticking to the outside of the nozzle apparently. Our printers at work don't use them.

[Erfolg]

Thanks for the reply, I did wonder as to the usefulness.

 

The maintenance I undertook, was almost certainly due to my own incompetence, as I probably had not tightened the nozzle above a nip, into the heater.

 

In this case what appeared to have happened is that the nozzle came slightly loose, enough for the the PLA to leak up the threads onto the front face of the heater, and to dribble down the nozzle.

 

I could not see this due to the cover.

 

How did i know, well the bed clearance reduced to an extent that the machine had stopped putting layers down (having blocked). I eventually noted a gap between the print and the nozzle.

 

I perhaps had fore warning, in that I had to keep leveling the bed (the gap) after each print.

 

I have now put my spare nozzle in the heater, tightened it slightly above a nip, and will now keep a closer eye and what is happening, also noting if the bed gap reduces, experience may provide a clue as to why.

 

Cleaning the PLA of the nozzle was not easy, neither clearing the nozzle. I now wonder should I purchase some spare ( perhaps) SS nozzles?

[Dad_flyer]

Spare nozzles are very useful.

[leccyflyer]

The spare nozzles are well worth keeping in stock - I paid less than a tenner for 24x genuine Creality brass nozzles in mixed sizes just a few weeks ago and replacing the nozzle instantly cured an issue I was experiencing with inconsistent flow of the PLA.