Extruder gear material (from metal to plastic)

[azri @azk13 My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version]

I just recently my robox and got it 2 days ago. At first the feed was not so good and i thought maybe thats how it works. After printing my first part for about 2 hours, the plastic stopped flowing. I opened the print head(after using the software to cut off the plastic for the head) and tried to move the plastic using the software feeder and it didnt move fowards or backwards. So then after a few attempts i finally managed to bring out the plastic filament in the tubes and etc.

Next I reinsert again the filament and the filament was taken in by the extruder. But when i tried printing, nothing came out. So i concluded the extruder must have some filament jammed inside. So i took out the extruder and disassemble it and i saw that everything was clean and not a single thing jamming up the gears. Then after a closer look at the gears, I saw that it was worn off or maybe it was faulty. See attached picture.

Then when i was looking at the old version of the extruder in the disassembly video, I noticed the older extruder used metal gear while the newer ones that I have used plastic gear.

Is there a good reason to use plastic gears?

Wouldn’t that wear the plastic if there is a jam?

Or maybe its a move to ensure that if there is a jam, it is better off that the plastic gets damaged than the whole extruder?

But if that is so, are they planning to sell the gears separately for reparing?

What are your thoughts on this?

• This topic was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  azri.

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[pelgrim @pelgrim My Robox is a Green Kickstarter Early Bird Belgium, Flanders]

That needs a ticket for sure.

The reason for plastic gears in the electronics industry is plain and simple: it’s cheaper.

java (EE), JavaFX, HTML, GIS) programmer, database wizard, framework inventor, looking for a job ! http://roboxing.com/wizards

[azri @azk13 My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version]

I posted a ticket a day back. I hope they got back to me soon. I’m just worried this will be a recurring problem with the plastic gears. Sigh…

[Alain @teleporteur My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version]

@azk13

I just had exactly the same problem …
The plastic is stop going out in the middle of printing
I return the machine to the store for repair

• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  Alain.

[azri @azk13 My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version]

I wish i had the same choices as you do @teleporteur , i am from Singapore and it’s too costly to do that. I rather have them send me the part and I’ll fix it myself.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  azri.

[azri @azk13 My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version]

So I decided to design the part that was damaged as shown below but i do not have a 3d printer to print it. So i guess ill just attach the stl file if anyone wants to print a spare gear for their extruder(the plastic gear). The dimensions are just based on my measurements and may not be 100 percent accurate. Do note also that the 3d printer may not be able to print as precisely.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  azri.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  azri.
• This reply was modified 1 year, 6 months ago by  azri.

[click @click My Robox is a Green Kickstarter Limited Edition]

If you’re in UK and my printer working I would offer printing one for you and send it first class tomorrow… Actually - offer still stands if I manage to print PLA on cold bed…

[azri @azk13 My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version]

Sadly im in Singapore but I’m grateful for your kind offer. Thanks 🙂

[click @click My Robox is a Green Kickstarter Limited Edition]

If it is only thing you’re missing - I can send it to Singapore, too - but it is going to take some time to arrive there (definitively not in a day as in UK).

BTW - so far PLA print works quite well. I might attempt it as next print if you want it…

[azri @azk13 My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version]

That’s so nice of you! You can try to print and see how the quality is. If it looks good and you can send it to me, I’ll cover the mail cost by bank transfer or something. Is mailing to Singapore expensive?

[azri @azk13 My Robox is a Blue Commercial Version]

I checked the price and it cost more than 50 pounds. I think it’s too expensive…. Though shouldn’t mails be cheap? This thing is small enough to be put inside a letter envelope with overseas stamp. Hmm… maybe i checked the wrong site.

[click @click My Robox is a Green Kickstarter Limited Edition]

I am sorry - but I definitively wouldn’t spend £50 for £0.70 worth small plastic gear! 😉

It is small to be put in padded envelope and it will be less than 100g letter. Air mail plus anything that can speed it up shouldn’t be more than £5-6… If that fixes (temporarily) your printer - then, hey, it was worth it.

Anyway, as you said - first to print it!

As my printer is currently busy with printing paper holder for photo shooting background, could you, please do me a favour and make a AM job the way you would print it (add brim as it might help adherence) and attach (zipped?) xxxx_robox.gcode here. I’ll update gcode not to wait for bed heating and send it to my printer as soon as this job finishes. That way we’ll speed it up a bit as I don’t want to start AM while this print is going - scared that it might be disrupted somehow and it already has gone quite far…

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