When and How to Clean the 3D Printer Nozzle?

3D Printing is an additive manufacturing process that is slowing moving its way into a lot of industries. You just have to design a 3D model using a CAD (Computer-aided Design) software and slice the 3D model into hundreds of horizontal layers and finally transfer the file to the 3D printer to carry on the process.

The 3D Printing technology has a lot of advantages over the traditional manufacturing process. It has great flexibility and you can print whatever you may think of with a lot of customization. This method provides huge benefits in the long run as it is very affordable and efficient.

However, using a 3D Printer can be a nightmare if you don’t handle this carefully. You have to deal with filaments, stubborn prints and the extruder assembly which can be messy most times. One of the biggest frustrations is when you have to deal with jammed or stuck nozzles.

So, when it the best time and the best possible way to clean the 3D printer nozzle? Let’s find out. The nozzle is the part where the filament comes out from the 3D printer. It plays a major role and thus it is important to keep it well maintained. In this article, we have shown you some methods to help you out.

When do we need to Clean the Nozzle?

A clogged or Jammed 3D printer can cause a lot of issues. It will waste a lot of filaments/Materials which is definitely not cheap and also waste a lot of time in production. So, to keep things up and running you must understand when to clean the 3D Printer. It’s a great way to keep it maintained and avoid any issues in the future. When the nozzle is jammed and causing under-extrusion then you have to clean it apart from this you must clean out the nozzle between switching filaments. This will get rid of the leftover and you can then fill the new filament in easily.

Several Ways to Clean the Nozzle

If your 3D printer nozzle is already jammed then there are several different ways you can try to get it unclogged. Keep in mind that these methods might not work for everyone.

Brush the nozzle from the outside

This is one of the easiest ways of cleaning out your nozzle. Simple take a new brush and brush the one end of the nozzle from outside. This will clear out the tip of the nozzle and if this doesn’t fix your issue then your nozzle is severely clogged from inside. In this situation we recommend you to use a wire brush, a steel wire brush would be good that too with brass threads. This will clean the clogged material easily and also won’t damage the nozzle from inside. This is by far the best solution to maintain your 3D printer.

Push the jam out

The next best way to clean your jammed 3D printer nozzle is to push the jam out using a small pin or needle. However, this method will only work if there is a small amount of melted filament stuck inside. To get this done precisely what we can do is heat the nozzle a little bit either by using the Hot end or manually using a hot air gun. The heat will melt the material and you simply have to push it out from the other end.

Remove the nozzle and soak it in acetone

Here’s one more method you can try out in case all the ones we have listed before doesn’t work out for you due to some reason. Remove the nozzle from the hot end using a wrench or any other tool. Now soak the nozzle in acetone for about 15 minutes. After that wipe out all the residual acetone or let it vaporize itself before start using it again. Although this may take a while or may not work as effective as other method but it’s worth giving a try.

How to Prevent the clogging of your Nozzle?

It’s always better to maintain the nozzle and prevent it from getting jammed than to go through the hard way of getting it cleaned. Here are some of the best tips to keep your best 3d Printer nozzle clog-free.

Use a Clean Filament

We always recommend you to use a clean filament in your 3D printer. Well, a manufacturer will always give you a clean filament and you can use them directly however opening and closing the bag will call dust particles inside. These dust particles in your filament will burn when they go inside the hot end nozzle and cause it to jam after a period of time. You should keep your filament in an airtight bag to keep them clean.

Print at the right temperature

Hear this out carefully. The nozzle of the 3D is usually very small, even smaller than the size of the filament. To pass the filament through the nozzle it must be heated at the right temperature. The filament will melt and flow smoothly through the nozzle. Now, if you heat the filament at a lower temperature than required then it will make it difficult to pass and might cool inside the nozzle. This type of clogging is very difficult to clean.

Keep your nozzle at the optimal height

Just like setting the right temperature, keeping the nozzle at optimal height is another parameter you should look at. You need to set the right height between the nozzle and the build platform. If you set it too high then it will cause premature cooling of the material. On the other hand, if you set it too low it will cause retrograde extrusion. At the end you will face poor quality of print, and jamming of your nozzle.

Clean the nozzle after switching filaments

The leftover material is one of the most common causes behind a jammed nozzle. When you change the filament by pulling it out some of the pieces of it simply stuck inside and these are much easier to remove than to clean a clogged nozzle.