Printer has been flawless for a year. Then all of a sudden - bad prints. No matter the filament or the file I try. Lots of tearing and gaps in the prints. I’ve attached pictures which shows you the problem.
P1P
PLA+ and PLA - Esun, Sunlu.
I’ve replaced the nozzle. I’ve done a cold pull on the extruder multiple times and taken it apart to clean. Reconfigured the machine and levelled
All my settings are ones that I’ve been using for a year. I even tried multiple other settings in case. So it’s clearly a hardware issue.
Admittedly, I’m not very tech-savvy so apologies if there’s a glaring problem I’m missing.
This is a clear case of either poor layer adhesion or under extrusion.
The top causes that you will want to investigate if this is suddenly happening:
Filament moisture. Weigh and dry then weigh again the filament spool to confirm that moisture was present. This will rule it out as a factor. Don’t make the same mistake so many folks here make by assuming that PLA doesn’t need drying or that the factory sealed product was dry or just because your AMS registered low humidity that moisture is not a factor, it must be ruled out to be certain.
Incorrect nozzle temps being reported to the MC board. This can be a result of the thermistor needing either cleaning or replacement. You said you replaced the nozzle, did that include the thermistor? Did you use thermal grease if you replaced the Thermistor? If the the Thermistor is not in correct contact with the nozzle, it could also be reporting incorrect temps. Also check under the silicone sock to see if hardened filament has crept underneath the thermistor or if the cable is loose or worn out.
Diagnostic Step: Try running the printer in quiet mode when you perform the first layer test. This step will reduce the overall print movements by 50% with one click at the expense of twice the print time. However, if the problem you show in your photo is diminished, that again points to under extrusion which then could be tied to too low a temp caused by incorrect nozzle temp readings.
Diagnostic Step: Try bumping up the nozzle temp by 10-20C just to rule out incorrect filament flow due to incorrect temps. While this is not a remedy, it could indicate what the problem might be.
Filament Path: Check your PTFE tube for wear and if you have an AMS, try bypassing the feed with the direct spool feed. This will make sure that your filament under extrusion issue isn’t related to filament binding. Also monitor the chain at the top of the nozzle carrier to ensure that it is correctly seated and not dragging or getting caught up somewhere.
