FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Find the answers to the frequently asked questions here. Select a category to browse related FAQs.
Don’t find what you’re looking for? Just contact us with your question, and we will get back to you as soon as possible. The 3devo support team is always avaliable to address your queries and concerns.
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What happened to the NEXT filament maker?
Our NEXT filament maker found a variety of applications in industries ranging from education and research to manufacturing and aerospace. However, we realized that our filament makers could serve these purposes even better – if they focused on specific requirements. The new 3devo Precision and Composer Series filament makers are specialized, result-oriented machines. Each series simplifes the material making process in a different way. Learn more about our Precision and Composer Series.
After receiving my extruder, how do I set it up?
You can check out our unboxing and setup videos on our video tutorial page.
I am having trouble installing the slipper clutch. What do I do?
We have put up a video dedicated to ‘installing the slipper clutch’ on our video tutorial page.
Why is my menu button not responding properly?
The button is removable, gently remove it, clean the inside of the button, and put it back in place. Still having difficulties? Please reach out to our support team.
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My puller wheel looks worn out and is no longer functioning properly. What do I do?
It is possible for the puller wheel to show signs of wear after extensive use. When extruding at high temperatures, the puller wheel will wear quicker. This replaceable part can be found in our web shop here. If you need assistance with the replacement feel free to contact our support team.
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Should I clean my extruder?
It is important to clean the inside of the barrel to ensure high quality filament. You can purchase purging (cleaning) compounds from our web shop. Need help or have any other questions about cleaning your extruder? Please contact our support team.
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My filament is showing diameter fluctuations. How can I correct this?
Diameter fluctuations can be caused by various factors, such as material settings, environmental conditions, etc. To analyze your specific situation, we’ll need to take all these factors into account. Please reach us through our contact form.
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Why is the measured diameter of the filament different from its actual diameter?
This can be caused by various factors. The most common ones are:
- Shrinkage. Certain polymers expand upon heating, and this is the size that the extruder’s optical sensor measures. When the filament cools down, it shrinks to its final form. As such, the size you finally measure on the spool could be lower than what is indicated on the display during extrusion. The amount of shrinkage will vary from material to material. The solution is to find out exact shrinkage for the material you’re using, and manually set the diameter higher in the menu while extruding. This way you’ll be factoring in shrinkage and will get the desired filament diameter.
- Material on the sensor. Sometimes, residue left on the sensor after extrusion can cause the sensor to measure false values. The solution is to clean the glass with a clean cloth and some water (or any other material-specific cleaning agent). Place the cloth gently between the glass, as shown in this picture:
Still having difficulties? Please reach out to our support team.
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The nozzle is slowly coming out of the machine. What do I do now?
There are various reasons why the nozzle might come out of the machine. It mainly happens due to overpressure from the material, which tends to occur when materials are extruded at low temperatures. At low temperatures the material can still be somewhat solid, which makes it capable of pushing out the nozzle. Use a higher temperature setting to avoid this. If you need to replace the nozzle, please contact our support team.
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Why is my extruder showing the error ‘Motor/encoder problem’?
This can be caused by various factors, such as solid material build-up in the barrel making it impossible for the screw to rotate. To analyze your specific situation we’ll need to take all factors into account. Please reach out to our support team.
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The machine is on, but why is nothing coming out of the nozzle?
This can have multiple reasons, the most common being a temperature setting that is too low. Increase the temperature by 5 Degrees Celsius at a time, and see if this has any impact on the flow. If it doesn’t, please contact our support team.
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What materials can I extrude?
Filament makers are designed to process polymers and polymer compounds. Polymers usually belong to categories, which are clubbed under a common name. For instance, ‘ABS’ includes several different types of polymers. The variations are practically endless, which is why it is very important to pay close attention to the specific type of polymer you are using.
We have programmed presets for some materials, but these might need adjustments according to the specific type of polymer you’re working with.
So far, we have tested the following materials:
- PLA
- ABS
- PA12
- PA6
- TPU
- TPE
- PET-G
- PEEK
- PEKK
- PAEK
- PPS
- PVA
- PC
- PS
- PEI
- Bio PE
This list will keep growing as we continue to test more materials. You can follow our blog or subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date with our material developments.
Some important considerations:
- When polymers are heated, melted, or broken down in different ways, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released into the air. The amount of VOCs released can vary dramatically based on polymer composition, heating duration, maximum temperature and other environmental factors. Current research associates VOCs with indoor air pollution which might lead to minor skin and eye irritations, respiratory distress and cancer.
- Harmful materials such as hydrogen cyanide or styrene may be released when extruding certain plastics.
- The use of certain colorants and plasticizers during extrusion can have unpredictable effects.
- Pay attention to the Materials Safety Data Sheet and the handling instructions for the materials you are using.
Can I extrude any size of granules I want?
The NEXT is only able to extrude granules under 4.5mm. For best results, use as homogeneous a mix of materials as possible, with granules of approximately the same size. As of now, it is not possible to extrude pure fluid material with the NEXT filament extruder.
I want to extrude a new material. What do I need to know?
To be able to create your own filament, it is very important that you follow the right steps. This will also ensure that your NEXT works to its full potential. First of all, it is important to research the material you are working with. We have experience with various materials, such as PLA, ABS, PA12, TPU, TPE, PET-G, PEEK, PVA, PC and PS. For material-specific guidelines, please contact our support team.
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If the material you are working with is not one that we are familiar with, we would advise you to research the material yourself. Before you begin, make sure you have at least the following information:
- Specific name of material. This is a good starting point for research. We advise the use of a datasheet. If this is not available, please contact your supplier for more information.
- Melting temperature.This is important to know because it is also the temperature at which the material becomes ready to process. As such, this temperature will be the minimum extrusion temperature for this specific material.
- Max. temperature. Without knowing a maximum temperature you will run the risk of burning the material in the extruder. If the material gets burnt inside the barrel, the screw won’t be able to rotate. This in turn will cause damage to the machine.
- Drying temperature and minimum drying time.These are important because the presence of liquid in the material will lower the quality of the filament. Drying the material results in better quality filament.
How do I update my firmware?
Check out our Firmware Updates page here, there we’ve explained the process of updating your firmware.
My extruder is randomly resetting during extrusion. What do I do?
This issue has been fixed in Firmware 1.0.6. Please upgrade your extruder to the latest firmware here.
My screen is freezing, so I can’t access any menu options. What do I do?
This issue has been fixed in Firmware 1.0.6. Please upgrade your extruder to the latest firmware here.
How does "Manual start" function work?
Using the manual start feature, the extruder will prepare for extrusion by heating up the barrel and then wait for a manual start command before starting the extrusion process. Once heating is complete, its LED lighting will turn blue and a message is shown on the screen to indicate it is ready to start.
The manual start feature should be used with care. Most materials will quickly deteriorate and eventually burn when they remain hot without the extruder running, which can make it hard to (completely) remove the material from the barrel and can prevent proper operation of the extruder.
To prevent such damage, the extruder will automatically shut off if the extrusion process is not started within a specified timeout. This timeout can be specified when starting the preparation process. Acceptable values are heavily material-dependent, but anything more than a few minutes is not recommended. Using this feature is at your *own* risk.
From our experience, the polymer PVA in particular is sensitive to burning. Always consult the material specsheet if uncertainty exists for a new material, *before* using the manual start functionality.