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