Basic tools for maintaining the 3D printer

In the world of 3D printing there is an aspect that is not mentioned very often and that is of vital importance: having the basic tools for the maintenance of the 3D printer.

Like any other machine, 3D printers need maintenance after certain hours of operation, in which they must clean and lubricate or replace any item that is worn, such as nozzle or Heat Break.

Here are the basic tools that are needed to properly maintain your printer:

Lubricant for 3D printers

The lubricant for 3D printers SuperLube has a good resistance to heat, so that although it is used in printers with hot bed the lubricant does not tend to become liquid and does not start to drip on the printing base. The use of this lubricant is recommended to avoid wear and reduce friction in bearings and rods, which also increases the duration of the engines when subjected to a lower load.

Brushes for cleaning

The cleaning brushes (nylon, brass and steel) are ideal for cleaning all the components and surfaces that make up the 3D printer. With the cleaning brushes you can access any corner of the 3D printer with great ease and thus reduce time and money in maintenance. The brushes for cleaning (brass) are very used for cleaning the outside of the nozzles, because simply by heating the nozzle a bit and passing the brush through it, without applying excessive force, you get a quick clean.

3D printer cleaner

Many users of 3D printers, for convenience or to save time, use the fixing sprays (3DLac, Dimafix or PrintaFix) without removing the printing base of the 3D printer, leaving remains of the fixator everywhere and giving rise to areas where it adheres dust, which affects the operation of crucial elements such as HotEnd fans, layer fans, gears, spindles, etc. For this reason, the use of the 3D printer cleaner is vital. With this aqueous solution, any surface of the 3D printer can be cleaned easily and without causing any damage.

Filament cleaner

This tool is essential, since most plastic filaments are often statically charged and attract all kinds of waste from the working environment towards the filament. Using a filament cleaner removes all types of dirt (lint, dust or other dirt) before the filament enters the extruder, increasing the duration of the same and the nozzle of the 3D printer, as well as avoiding jams caused by accumulation of dirt.

Cleaning filament

The cleaning filament is one of the basic maintenance elements for 3D printing. This filament removes residual material that remains inside the extruder and can be applied in the transition between two different materials that work at different temperatures, or at the end of printing. The use of this tool ensures that the flow is smooth, continuous and free of jams, in addition to extending the life of the HotEnd.

Precise tweezers

Precise tweezers should be made of high quality stainless steel with an anti-acid, antimagnetic and antistatic coating. That they are free of electrostatic discharges (ESD) favors the use of precision clamps in contact with electronic and electrical elements sensitive to this type of discharges, giving total security to carry out maintenance operations at any point of the 3D printer.

Cutting pliers

In the FDM technology, filament cutting pliers are an indispensable tool in day to day life. They have been specifically designed to cut plastic filament with an acute angle (pointed), essential to get properly introduce the filament by the guidance system of the extrusion part of the 3D printer. In addition, they are widely used to cut the supports generated in pieces made in SLA technology.

Caliper

In the world of 3D printing, caliper is a very useful tool to check diameters and important distances between components. This tool is highly recommended to verify the diameter of the filament, components, state of the nozzle and ensure the same separation between connected elements, as for example between the lateral guides of the z-axis.

Allen wrenches

The Allen keys are an essential tool for all users of a 3D printer, since most of them contain a large number of hexagonal Allen type screws. Thanks to this tool, any user can perform any maintenance operation on any 3D printer, from the replacement of a heating cartridge or a thermistor cartridge, to the total disassembly of the printer.

Adjustable spanner

Designated as one of the tools that should not be missing in any workplace, the adjustable spanner is valid for any type of screw with external hexagonal head or parallelepiped shaped. In 3D printing it is very used to hold the heater block of the extruder and change the nozzle in a simple way, avoiding large deviations of the heater block and the nozzle, giving a process of leveling the base much faster and easier.

Pliers

Pliers are another indispensable tool for every user. Its use extends to all types of action and maintenance on the 3D printer, such as: hold the heater block to change the nozzle, cut wires as electrical wire for repairs to the electronics, access the interior of a hole of a piece printed to remove the supports and accurately grasp small elements such as nozzles.

Feeler gauge

The feeler gauge are ideal to give a margin of separation between elements that fit together or to adjust with precision the distance between two elements. For example: to separate the exact length of the nozzle from the base in order to get a good impression, or for the correct assembly of the extruder and the HotEnd, where it is necessary to comply with the gaps that manufacturers indicate in their assembly manuals to achieve the correct functioning of all the elements that form them.

From our experience, having these basic tools allows you to keep the 3D printer fully operational at all times, without losing long time in making repairs or maintenance for lack of basic tools.