使用新的 3D 打印机要做的第一件事就是学习如何更换灯丝。本分步指南教您如何在不损坏或堵塞挤出机喷嘴的情况下更换耗材线轴。
这些说明适用于大多数FDM打印机——从Creality Ender 3到Voxelab Aquila S2再到Anycubic Kobra。也就是说，阅读 3D 打印机的手册总是好的，特别是如果您是 3D 打印的新手或者您正在使用以前从未使用过的模型。
如何更换3D 打印机上
的灯丝(Filament)
更换灯丝有几个常见的原因。
- 您已到达线轴上灯丝的末端。
- 您想使用不同类型的灯丝。
- 您想更改灯丝中间打印以达到效果。
- 电流灯丝损坏。
无论您想更换灯丝的原因是什么，步骤基本相同。
1. 启动您的打印机
确保(Make)您的打印机已打开。喷嘴必须很热才能更换灯丝。如果不是这样，您可能无法清除旧灯丝，并且您将无法将新灯丝一直加载到喷嘴尖端。
2. 设置所需(Desired Temperature)的热(Hot)端
温度
您需要知道已装入打印机（如果有）的灯丝的推荐打印温度范围以及要加载的灯丝的推荐温度。将热端预热到这两个温度中的较高温度。这将防止以后出现挤压问题。
这就是为什么。当您加载新的灯丝时，喷嘴中可能同时有两种不同类型的灯丝 - 一点点旧灯丝以及您正在加载的新灯丝。喷嘴温度需要足够高以熔化两种类型。否则，您可能会遇到喷嘴堵塞。
例如，假设您正在使用PETG进行打印，并且您想切换到PLA灯丝。因为PETG在较高温度下熔化，如果您为PLA设置温度，PETG可能不会完全熔化，并且在更换灯丝期间可能不会完全吹扫。这是人们在更换灯丝时最常犯的错误。
3.去除旧灯丝
一些打印机的LCD屏幕上有一个菜单选项，用于卸载现有的灯丝。在其他打印机上，这可能是一个完全手动的过程。请参阅您的打印机文档。如果它是自动的，请使用该选项并按照屏幕上的说明进行操作。
手动移除旧灯丝时，如果喷嘴离打印机床太近而无法将手指伸到下方，请找到打印机的移动(Move)轴命令并将 z 轴抬高约 50mm。
接下来，禁用步进电机。这通常在控制设置中。或者，您可以发送 g 代码命令 m18。
一些鲍登(Bowden)管打印机，如Ender 3 Pro，有一个手动挤出机杠杆，用于从步进电机中释放灯丝。轻轻拉动灯丝，直到它与打印机完全分离。小心不要拉得太猛。你可能会弄断灯丝。
如果阻力很大，请仔细检查热端温度；确保步进电机已关闭，如果您有Bowden挤出机，请确保在必要时使用手动挤出机杠杆。
取下灯丝后，考虑将一些压缩空气吹入挤出机齿轮，以去除可能堆积的任何塑料薄片。
4.准备(Prepare)和加载(Load)新的灯丝(New Filament)
检查新灯丝。确保(Make)没有任何弯曲、薄弱点或挖坑区域。您希望灯丝看起来和感觉原始。指尖非常敏感，所以用手指沿着灯丝的几英尺移动，看看是否能感觉到任何瑕疵。如果这样做，请将灯丝的那部分切掉并丢弃。
在检查灯丝时，请确保它不会从线轴上松开。您不希望灯丝交叉或缠结。
要准备新灯丝，请使用剪线钳或剃须刀片以 45 度角切割灯丝。它的尖端应该感觉很锋利。这确保了它很容易滑入打印机。在继续之前，将灯丝线轴放在线轴架上。
如果您的打印机有用于加载耗材的菜单选项，请找到它，然后按照屏幕上的说明进行操作。如果不是，并且是Bowden打印机，请确保在将新灯丝穿过Bowden管时使用手动释放。
如果您的打印机有耗材检测器，请确保您通过它加载耗材。将灯丝推过，直到吹扫完成，您会看到熔化的灯丝从喷嘴中流出。确认(Confirm)颜色与您正在加载的新灯丝的颜色相匹配。
更换灯丝后，请确保将热端温度设置为新加载灯丝的推荐温度。如果你手动加载它，一旦它达到目标温度，再推一点灯丝。如果热端温度设置高于您正在加载的灯丝，您需要快速加载新灯丝并立即调整热端温度，以免灯丝过热。
移除所有已挤出的灯丝。确保(Make)喷嘴清洁并准备就绪。
如果在打印
过程中(Middle)用完细丝(Filament)怎么办
如果您有耗材耗尽检测器，您的打印机会提醒您耗材已用完。按照上述步骤移除旧灯丝并装入新灯丝。
通常，您希望在现有耗材完全用完之前加载新的耗材卷轴。如果灯丝太短以至于它穿过挤出机齿轮，您可能需要将热端拆开才能将其取出。在我们看来，灯丝耗尽传感器是必不可少的。如果您的打印机没有，请考虑添加一台。
如果更换相同类型的灯丝，您可以保持热端温度不变。否则(Otherwise)，请按照上述说明进行操作。
如果您的打印机没有更改灯丝的设置菜单选项，您可以向打印机发送 m600 g 代码。这将暂停打印并将打印头移开，使其不会接触您的打印件。现在您可以如上所述加载新的灯丝。发送 m602 g 代码以恢复打印。
要解决任何其他问题，请参阅我们的 3D 灯丝打印出错的故障排除提示(troubleshooting tips for 3D filament prints gone awry)。
How to Change Your 3D Printer Filament
One of the first things you’ll want to do with a new 3D printеr is learn how to change the filament. This step-by-steр guide teaches you how to swap filament spools without damaging or clogging the extrυder nozzle.
These instructions will work for most FDM printers—from the Creality Ender 3 to the Voxelab Aquila S2 to the Anycubic Kobra. That said, it’s always good to read the manual for your 3D printer, especially if you’re new to 3D printing or you’re using a model you’ve never used before.
How to Change the Filament on Your 3D Printer
There are several common reasons to change filaments.
- You’ve reached the end of the filament on the spool.
- You want to use a different type of filament.
- You want to change the filament mid-print to achieve an effect.
- The current filament is damaged.
Whatever the reason you want to change filaments, the steps are essentially the same.
1. Power Up Your Printer
Make sure your printer is on. The nozzle has to be hot to change the filament. If it’s not, you might not be able to purge the old filament, and you’ll be unable to load the new filament all the way to the tip of the nozzle.
2. Set the Desired Temperature of the Hot End
You need to know the recommended printing temperature range for the filament already loaded into the printer (if any) and the recommended temperature for the filament you want to load. Preheat the hot end to the higher of those two temperatures. This will prevent extrusion problems later.
Here’s why. While you’re loading the new filament, there may be two different types of filament in the nozzle at the same time—a little bit of the old filament as well as the new filament you’re loading. The nozzle temperature needs to be high enough to melt both types. Otherwise, you might wind up with a clogged nozzle.
For example, imagine you are printing with PETG, and you want to switch to PLA filament. Because PETG melts at a higher temperature, if you were to set the temperature for PLA, the PETG might not fully melt and may not be fully purged during the filament change. This is the most common mistake people make when changing filaments.
3. Remove the Old Filament
Some printers will have a menu option on the printer’s LCD screen to unload the existing filament. On other printers, this might be a completely manual process. Refer to your printer’s documentation. If it’s automatic, use that option and follow the on-screen instructions.
When manually removing the old filament, if the nozzle is too close to the printer bed for you to get your fingers under it, find your printer’s Move axis command and raise the z-axis about 50mm.
Next, disable the stepper motors. That’s usually in the control settings. Alternatively, you can send a g-code command, m18.
Some Bowden tube printers, like the Ender 3 Pro, have a manual extruder lever to release the filament from the stepper motor. Very gently pull the filament until it’s completely separated from the printer. Be careful not to pull too hard. You might break the filament.
If there’s a lot of resistance, double-check the hot end temperature; make sure the stepper motors are off, and, if you have a Bowden extruder, ensure that you’re using the manual extruder lever if necessary.
After you’ve removed the filament, consider blowing some compressed air into the extruder gear to remove any plastic flakes that might have accumulated.
4. Prepare and Load the New Filament
Inspect the new filament. Make sure there aren’t any bends, weak spots, or gouged areas. You want the filament to look and feel pristine. Fingertips are very sensitive, so run your fingers along a few feet of the filament to see if you can feel any flaws. If you do, cut that part of the filament off and discard it.
While you’re inspecting the filament, make sure it doesn’t unwind from the spool. You don’t want the filament to get crossed or tangled.
To prepare the new filament, use a wire snip or razor blade to cut the filament at a 45-degree angle. It should feel sharp at the tip. This ensures that it easily slides into the printer. Put the filament spool on the spool holder before you continue.
If your printer has a menu option for loading filament, find it, and follow the on-screen instructions. If it does not and is a Bowden printer, make sure you use the manual release as you thread the new filament through the Bowden tube.
If your printer has a filament runout detector, make sure you load filament through it. Push the filament through until purging is complete, and you see melted filament coming out of the nozzle. Confirm that the color matches the color of the new filament you’re loading.
After you’ve changed the filament, make sure your hot end temperature is set to the recommended temperature for your newly-loaded filament. If you loaded it manually, once it has hit the target temperature, push a little more filament through. If the hot end temperature is set higher than the filament you’re loading, you’ll want to load the new filament quickly and adjust the hot end temperature right away so the filament doesn’t get too hot.
Remove any filament that has been extruded. Make sure the nozzle is clean and ready to go.
What to Do If You Run Out of Filament in the Middle of a Print
If you have a filament run-out detector, your printer will alert you that you’ve run out of filament. Follow the steps above for removing the old filament and loading the new filament.
In general, you want to load a new spool of filament before the existing filament completely runs out. If the filament is so short that it moves past the extruder gear, you might have to take your hot-end apart to get it out. A filament run-out sensor is a must-have, in our opinion. If your printer doesn’t have one, consider adding one.
If replacing the filament with the same type, you can leave the hot end temperature as-is. Otherwise, follow the instructions above.
If your printer doesn’t have a settings menu option to change filament, you can send an m600 g-code to the printer. That will pause the print and move the print head out of the way so it’s not touching your print. Now you can load the new filament as described above. Send the m602 g-code to resume the print.
To troubleshoot any other problems, refer to our troubleshooting tips for 3D filament prints gone awry.
