3DP-11-ATL Under Extruding
Posted: August 18th, 2017, 12:08 pm
My Hictop 3DP-11-ATL seems to be chronically under extruding. When I remove the Bowden tube (I've replaced the original direct drive with a Bowden), instruct the extruder to extrude 100mm, and measure the result where it exits the extruder, I measure 98mm. This, of course, is easily adjusted for in the firmware. But when I reconnect the Bowden tube, heat up the hot end, and extrude another 100mm, I only measure about 60mm (from where the filament enters the extruder). Printed parts show all the signs of under extrusion.
The extruder is not skipping--the noise it makes when skipping is relatively loud, and I hear none of that. There are noticeable teeth marks on the filament as it exits the extruder, so the gear is getting a decent bite, but there is no sign of grinding or filament dust clogging the gear.
I thought maybe the stepper voltage was too low, which would logically extrude the proper amount with no load, but under extrude with the load of pushing the filament through the nozzle. Hictop recommends a voltage at the extruder potentiometer of 0.8 volts, and mine was already at about 0.9 volts. I tried reducing it to 0.8, and increasing it to 1.0, with no change--it still extrudes 60mm.
I've also installed a new (clean) nozzle and heat break. No change.
I'm stumped. What am I missing?
The extruder is not skipping--the noise it makes when skipping is relatively loud, and I hear none of that. There are noticeable teeth marks on the filament as it exits the extruder, so the gear is getting a decent bite, but there is no sign of grinding or filament dust clogging the gear.
I thought maybe the stepper voltage was too low, which would logically extrude the proper amount with no load, but under extrude with the load of pushing the filament through the nozzle. Hictop recommends a voltage at the extruder potentiometer of 0.8 volts, and mine was already at about 0.9 volts. I tried reducing it to 0.8, and increasing it to 1.0, with no change--it still extrudes 60mm.
I've also installed a new (clean) nozzle and heat break. No change.
I'm stumped. What am I missing?