LINUS

P: Extrusion stops during a build

A: This one can be hard to figure out because there are a few different possible problems. Here's a checklist of possible causes.

• Is your extruder motor rotating? Use a marker to draw a line across the end of the motor shaft visible at the back of the motor. When the extruder is running, you should be able to see the shaft turning. It may sometimes reverse direction in order to retract filament, but during extrusion it should be moving at a slow but constant rate. If it does not turn, or stops turning, please get in touch with LINUS Support and we'll help you figure out what's going on.

• Is your filament tangled? Check that the spool is spinning smoothly on the mount.

• Is the build plate too close to the extruder? If they're too close together, there may not be room for the plastic to come out of the extruder. This is a likely culprit if your extruder stops extruding during the first or second layer of a build.

• Is the nozzle clogged? Run the Load script from your bot's onboard menus. Observe the plastic as it emerges from the nozzle. Does it drop straight down, or curl up toward the extruder? If it curls back up toward the extruder, the nozzle may be partially clogged. Get in touch with LINUS Support and we'll help you get that sorted out.Still having trouble? You can always get in touch by email if you need more help.

 

P: My extruders print a line accross the front of the build plate when I start a print.

A: This is normal! The Duplicator 4pro uses that line to purge a length of filament so that both of its extruders are always ready to start printing.

 

P: My print won't stick to the build plate!

A: Usually prints peeling off of the build plate means the plate isn't quite close enough to the extruder nozzles. Try leveling the plate again and using a thinner piece of paper or feeler gauge to check the distance. It's important that Every part of the plate be the same distance from the nozzles -- if one part of your model peels up, the rest can follow.It's also a good idea to make sure the plate is clean. Dust, oil from your hands, scratches and bubbles can prevent objects from sticking to the build plate, so you should wipe it down regularly. Additionally, you can try using helper disks. Helper disks are printable objects that can prevent the edges of large objects from curling up off the build plate during printing.

 

P: My print is stuck to the build plate!

A: Try waiting for the object and plate to cool. If your object is still stuck, use a craft spatula or similar tool to gently pry the object from the build plate. Carefully work the edge of the spatula under the object, then twist the handle.

 

P: I can't load filament into one of my extruders.

A: Run the unload script to heat your extruder and open the extruder lever arm. Make sure that the filament has a clean edge and that there are no bends in it. Then push the filament into the hole at the top of the extruder. Keep pushing the filament in until you start to see plastic come out of the nozzle. You may have to push the filament pretty hard.If plastic doesn't emerge from the nozzle, remove the filament and check for a bend at the end. That might mean the filament is slipping under the extruder bearing instead of entering the heater. Use the extruder disassembly instructions in your User Manual to remove the fan and heatsink so you can watch the filament make its way through the extruder.When the filament is loaded, make sure you close the extruder lever arm.

 

P: I can't get the filament out of my extruder.

A: Open the extruder lever arm and push a short length of filament through. Then try pulling it out again. Repeat as necessary.

 

P: My extruder stays heated after I load or unload filament.

A: If you have Preheat turned on, the extruder won't stop heating after you load or unload filament. To stop the extruder from heating, choose Preheat from the bot's main menu and select "Cool!"

 

P: My build is the wrong size.

A: Sometimes the intended size of an object can get lost in translation between your design software and slicing. Our software expects units to be set to millimeters, so make sure that your modelling software is also set for millimeters.

 

P: My extruder nozzles aren't aligned correctly.

A: Check the Utilities menu on your Duplicator 4pro's LCD interface for the Calibrate Nozzles script. This script will print some test extrusions and allow you to give your Replicator 2X some feedback so that it knows exactly where the two nozzles are in relation to each other.

 

P: My Duplicator 4pro can't see my SD card

A: If your Duplicator 4pro does not recognize that there is a card in the SD slot, make sure you're using a FAT16 formatted SDSC card no larger than 2GB. If your card doesn't correspond to this description, your Duplicator 4pro will not be able to read it. If the card is formatted correctly but your Duplicator 4pro fails to recognize it, something may be wrong with the card.

 

P: I can't find my file on the SD card.

A: If your Duplicator 4pro recognizes that an SD card is present but can't see your file, make sure that the file is in the correct format. Your Duplicator 4pro can only read files in the .x3g format. Your Duplicator 4pro also can't read file names longer than 26 characters -- 30 characters if you count the file extension. If you're trying to print an .x3g file with a long file name, shorten it and try again.

 

P: Help! My bot sounds like it's shaking itself to pieces!

A: Check to make sure you have acceleration turned on. Attempting to print at high speeds with acceleration turned off can harm your Duplicator 4pro. You can turn acceleration off and on through General Settings in your Duplicator 4pro's onboard menus or through Onboard Preferences in  ReplicatorG. Acceleration is turned on by default. If you have acceleration turned off, you should not print at speeds above 40 mm/s.

 

P: Do I need to do any maintenance on my Duplicator 4pro?

A: Not much! But if you've been printing for more than fifty hours or if you start hearing squeaking noises while building then it's probably time to lubricate your threaded rod and idler pulley, and you should definitely be updating your firmware whenever we come out with a new version. You'll also need to apply a new sheet of Kapton tape to your build plate every once in a while. Consult our Maintenance page or your User Manual for instructions on how to do all of those things.