3D Printer -- Maintenance

Filament Extrusion

During the heating phase and especially during filament swaps, the 3D printer can start leaking filament out through the nozzle. For most kinds of materials, this extruded material may start to curl toward the heating element and stick to it. Instead, you want the material to drop down vertically without curling. You can use a pair of pliers to pull the material down and away from the nozzle, which also tends to leave some guide strands for the filament to follow. When the filament stops flowing, you can clip the plastic that is hanging down and use a brush with metal bristles to clean the nozzle.

XYZ Calibration

Whenever there is a major change to the 3D printer -- such as an adjustment to the bed level, which may include the application of blue tape or glue -- it is necessary to perform an XYZ calibration. Without this calibration, the 3D printer is not aware of the true position of the print bed or whether it is warped and/or tilted.

To perform XYZ calibration, follow the steps on Prusa Knowledge Base.

First Layer Calibration

After XYZ Calibration, you should also run the First Layer Calibration. This ensures that the filament is extruded from the ideal height above the bed; too high and the filament won't stick to the bed; too low and you are possibly clogging the nozzle.

To perform First Layer Calibration, follow the steps on Prusa Knowledge Base. Note that you will have to use PLA filament during this calibration.

One thing that is not mentioned in this guide is that you can also run your fingers across the lines as they are printed during this calibration. If you are pulling up the plastic just by running your fingers over it, then the nozzle is too high. If the plastic stays down but doesn't feel bumpy, then the nozzle is too low.

Live Adjust Z

During First Layer Calibration, you can adjust the first layer height manually by thousands of a millimeter. This adjustment can also be performed during your print, which is often necessary to compensate for changes in filament type or changes to the ambient temperature in the room.

To perform Live Adjust Z, follow the steps on Prusa Knowledge Base.

Layer Shifting

Occasionally, something could change with the hardware during a print that leaves the extruder misaligned. This is most likely due to something in the way of a cable or gantry that caused a belt to slip and therefore the stepper motors no longer have the correct count.