How to Change Your Nozzle Correctly
Knowing when to replace your nozzle
Your nozzle will eventually wear out from normal use. It will wear out very quickly if you are using abrasive materials(such as Carbon Fiber PLA) with a standard bronze, or copper nozzle.
When your nozzle is worn out, your print quality will go down. You may have ‘over extrusion’ or under ‘extrusion problems’. Usually it is over extrusion do to the opening being bore out. Makezine.com shows a cross section of what it will look like inside your nozzle after using Carbon Fiber PLA on a bronze nozzle.
Here is an example of Polywood PLA printed with a new nozzle(left) and an old nozzle(right)
Replacing the Nozzle
Remove Filament
Before replacing your nozzle you will need to remove the filament. This will keep filament from getting in between the nozzle and heating block (the part the nozzle is connected to).
In the Altair Menu go to Custom -> Remove Filament
If it doesn't retract the filament, you will have to press down on the lever coming out of the extruder and pull it out manually.
If you are using a high temperature filament you may have to raise the temperature and pull it out manually
Removing the nozzle
Once the ‘Remove Filament’ process is complete it will set the temperature to 200 degrees. This is a good temperature to work with when removing the nozzle, however you will need to install the new nozzle at a temperature ~20˚C higher than the temperature you plan to print at. For example, if you are only printing with PLA a temperature of 230˚C is recommended while installing the nozzle. If you are printing with PETG a temperature of 280˚C is recommended. You can manually set the temperature through the Prepare Menu.
Note: You can remove the nozzle from any temperature between 100-200 degrees.
Tools you will need:
1. 10mm wrench or small crescent wrench
2. A 7mm socket driver(or any 7mm socket you can get over the nozzle)
3. 1 new nozzle
1. After the nozzle heats up, the first thing you will to do is remove the hot end from the magnetic arms & place the wrench around the heating block. This keeps the heating block in place, and protects the thermistor wire from detaching as well as the fan ducts from melting.
2. Then use the 7mm socket driver to unscrew the nozzle while keeping a good grip on the wrench to keep the heating element from moving around. Be careful not to touch the nozzle as it will be very hot.
**Your wrench will get hotter the longer it is attached to the heating element.
3.Once the nozzle is removed put it somewhere safe so it won’t burn anything.
4.Replace your nozzle, making sure your 10mm wrench is still in place, and screw on the nozzle with your 7mm socket driver. When tightened there should be a space between the heating element and the nozzle.
If the nozzle is flush against the heating element, and does not look similar to the above picture, then please contact us. This will cause filament to leak out while printing and ruin your hot end.
5.Once complete attach the hot end back on the arms so each set of arms is parallel to one another with the main fan facing backwards.
