Cleaning Extruder

Regular maintenance of your 3D printer's extruder is essential for ensuring high-quality prints and prolonging the life of your machine. Follow these steps to clean the extruder of your MY-Cloner 3D printer.

Tools Required

• Hex key set
• Needle-nose pliers
• Brass wire brush
• Compressed air
• Cleaning filament or nylon filament

Steps to Clean the Extruder

1. Unload Filament

   • Preheat the extruder to the printing temperature of the filament currently loaded.
   • Use the printer's control panel to unload the filament.

2. Remove the Nozzle

   • Preheat the extruder to 250°C.
   • Use a suitable wrench to carefully unscrew the nozzle from the heater block.
   • Place the nozzle in a container with acetone to soak.

3. Clean the Heater Block

   • Use a brass wire brush to remove any plastic residue from the heater block.
   • Be gentle to avoid damaging the thermistor and heater cartridge wires.

4. Clean the Extruder Gears

   • Power off the printer and disconnect it from the power source.
   • Use a hex key to remove the screws securing the extruder cover.
   • Use a brush or compressed air to clean the gears and remove any filament debris.

5. Reassemble the Extruder

   • Reattach the nozzle to the heater block while it is still hot.
   • Reassemble the extruder cover and secure it with screws.

6. Load Cleaning Filament

   • Preheat the extruder to 250°C.
   • Load a cleaning filament or nylon filament.
   • Extrude the cleaning filament until it comes out clean.

7. Final Check

   • Reload your regular filament.
   • Print a small test object to ensure everything is working correctly.