3-d printing – layer.works

3-D Printer Maintenance

Basic preventative maintenance will keep you printing problem-free. Periodically check and fix the following areas of your printer.

Vacuum up all the little pieces and parts of filament that drop off as the printer heats up, failed print debris, etc.
Dust your printer. Canned air will work fine. Blow out the fans, controller box.
Check the extruder body internals for filament crumbs, buildup. Do a cold pull of filament.
Clean your linear bearings and load them with grease. If possible, do this during initial printer build, or the next time you do a major overhaul.
Check for wiring fraying or chafing.
Check X, Y, Z round rods for any marring or flatspotting (indicating not enough lubrication) or other unusual wear. Do all the axes run smooth and straight?
If your print quality is consistently low and no settings seem to improve it: it’s probably time to change your nozzle. They are relatively easy to change.

Check your printer’s vendor’s documentation or website for specific maintenance suggestions.

Prusa i3 MK3 Regular Maintenance

Prusa Maintenance Tips

6 tips for Original Prusa i3 3D printer maintenance

Just a little preventative maintenance will help your printer succeed in the tasks you give to it.

layer.works is a full-service 3-D design/make/teach education, consulting, and 3-D service provider, based in Central Alabama.

We do custom prototyping, mass production, training, troubleshooting, education, and consultation in additive and subtractive fabrocatopm amd manufacturing. We also do low-voltage custom animated LED light solutions.

A small sampling of projects we’ve worked on:

Scale architectural models (entire building structure, furniture/cabinet installation visualization)
Large-scale art installations
3-D models of topographical data (localized and regional)
Woodworking and machining alignment fixtures and jigs
Custom and hard-to-find automotive parts
Templates for painting
Guides for aligning and spacing assemblies
Angle calibration gauges
Custom enclosures for electronics projects
Decorative figurines, vases, desk organizers
Educational lessons for use in schools

If you have 3-D printing, 3-D design, large-format CNC (4×8 foot), or low-voltage lighting needs, send us an inquiry and we’ll get back to you quickly. Not sure if we can help you? Drop us a line with your needs and we’ll figure out what we can do or point you in the right direction.

We use and support Open Source hardware, software, principles, and methods whenever we can.

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