Hello,
This form seems a great place for help. I am using PLA+ with my Ender 5 Pro, my Filament feeder makes a clicking noise a lot. So I released the spring as much as I could which seems to help. When I am not printing at 215 it clicks a lot but at 215 it can print. My issue is I am getting stringing. Any thoughts?
Hi @GlennW
Usually if the extruder is clicking its low temp or the speed is too high. Its clicking because it cannot push the filament fast enough for the melt zone to keep up.
Check your plastic extruder arm and make sure its not cracked, sometimes happens and just cannot keep enough tension on the filament.
Assuming nothing is cracked or broken reduce your speed and see if it goes away. If you still have the clicking maybe a partial Jam in the nozzle.
as for the stringing check your Bowden fittings and make sure the blue clips are still installed and the tube is not moving in the fitting. Unfortunately the fittings wear out, just a part of maintaince.
When the extruder is pushing filament into the Bowden tube, it creates pressure all along the tube, into the hot end, right up to the nozzle. That pressure needs to be relieved by extruding filament. If you hear clicking, it means the filament isn’t coming out as fast as the extruder is trying to push it in. The clicking you hear is the extruder gear losing its grip much like a car tire will lose its grip when trying to push through deep snow.
When you say you “released” the spring, I presume you mean you released the tension on the spring. That will stop the clicking, but for the wrong reason. It means the extruder isn’t gripping the filament very well and is simply slipping across the surface. You want it to grip. In that sense at least, clicking is a good thing: it means the extruder is at least trying to grip the filament.
The hotter you make the filament, the more fluid it will become (to a point), so there comes a point where it flows so well that the pressure is released through the nozzle and the clicking stops, but again, for the wrong reason. While you do want the filament to come out the nozzle, it needs to come out hot enough to bond to whatever is underneath it (build plate or other filament), but then it needs to solidify quickly to hold it’s shape. The stringing you’re getting means it is not solidifying quickly.
The proper solution is to turn the bed wheels (the knobs under the bed) counter-clockwise slightly, when viewed from above the bed, until the clicking stops. Turning the knobs counter-clockwise increases the distance between the bed and the nozzle slightly, allowing filament to flow out more freely. Your problem right now is that your bed is too close to the nozzle. It’s essentially like putting your thumb over a coke bottle opening and shaking it. The pressure builds up inside but is held back until the pressure gets so high the coke is squirted out uncontrollably.
You should have a distance equal to approximately the thickness of a sheet of paper between the bed and the nozzle. If filament doesn’t stick to a clean bed, rotate the knob closest to the print head clockwise. If the extruder starts clicking, turn it counter-clockwise.
You’ll note that the knobs have notches for your fingers. When I say turn the knob, move it only one notch at a time and observe the changes. It’s a very fine line between so loose that the filament doesn’t stick and so tight that you block filament flow and the extruder clicks.
I have a lengthy post where I address the stringing issue here:
If your extrudes Clicking than the Bowden tube is moved away from the nozzle we have Instagram videos on re-seating it on the 3d Printing Canada Instagram. There is also a micro swiss direct drive upgrade for.
Hello, to answer your question. Without cracking out some feeler gauges, I would have to say there is clearance between my nozzle and the bed. Enough that after my last levelling and when running at 215 for my PLA+ the clicking happens infrequently since the adjustment of the feeder, where before it was happening continuously.
To your first post. Without printing once my nozzle is warmed stuff comes out the tip a bit and will sometimes also string once you pull or get that little bit of stuff off
Actually, since my screen took a while to get back. My printer is essentially practically brand new still, so all the parts should theoretically still be in working order. I did not see any cracks and the clip looks intact and doesn’t look like its moved.