Heater swap guide

If one or more of the heaters of your Filament Maker have been diagnosed faulty, our Service team might send you a new heater or set of heaters. This guide will show you how to replace the heaters of your Filament Maker.

Before you start

The heater is the part located on the barrel. The heater ensures that the barrel will have the desired temperature which is required to extrude. It may happen that one of the heaters fails. The faulty heater can be replaced with a new heater. This guide describes step by step how the old heater must be removed from the barrel and how the new heater can be installed.

This article only describes how heaters 2, 3 and 4 are replaced. If you want to replace heater 1 (which is around the diehead), please Contact Support.

Collect the following items:

  • hex key 2.5
  • hex key 5
  • wrench 10
  • flat nose pliers
  • nipper
  • towel
  • rubber gloves
  • service package: 4x metal tie wrap, new heater

Step 1: Remove top hood

Please follow these instructions to remove the top hood.

Step 2: Locate the heater(s)

Note:

Wear rubber gloves to protect your skin against irritation caused by the isolation wool. 

Depending which heater must be replaced, cut and remove the first, second, third or the fourth tie-wraps. Heater number 1 is located at the front of the machine at the nozzle. Heater number 4 is located at the end of the barrel, closest to the hopper.

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Open up isolation wool and spread to such an extent until the failed heater is exposed. 

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Put a mark with a marker where the position of the defective heater is contained. This is important, since the new heater has to be fitted back in exactly the same place.

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Step 3: Unscrew the thermocouple

Carefully unscrew the thermocouple with a spanner from the heater, but make sure to do it gently. Loosen the bolt.

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Loosen the bolt out of the defective barrel with an hex key.

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When the bolt is completely loose, carefully remove the bolt from the defective heater.

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Step 4: Remove the heater

Bend the faulty heater carefully open just far enough until it can go over the barrel and remove the defective heater of the barrel.

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With a cutter, cut the tie wraps which belong to the faulty heater. 

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Unplug the faulty heater free from the heater board, which is placed on the back of the machine. The first top left plug is for heater 1, next to it is the plug for heater 2, 3 and 4. 

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Remove the entire heater carefully out of the NEXT and place it on the table. 

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Step 5: Place the new heater

Take the new heater out of the packaging and place it back on the barrel where the old heater was placed, indicated with the stripe of the marker. Bend the new heater carefully slightly open and place them around the barrel. Make sure the bolt is completely off the heater.

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Once the new heater is placed around the barrel, the bolt can be tightened again in the heater. Make sure the heater is at the old place again by looking at the lines of the marker. 

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Once the new heater is placed around the barrel, the thermocouple carefully can be re-installed in the heater. 

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Tighten the thermocouples hand tight and then another eighth turn (1/8) to a quarter turn (1/4) carefully with a wrench.

Note:

The thermocouples do not have to be turned very tight, otherwise they will be damaged in the heater.

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Step 6: Tidy up

Lay the cable of the new heater again gently through the frame. 

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Plug the cable into the board.

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Place the cables neatly together and connect it with a tie wrap. 

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Fold insulation wool back around the extruder and use new tie wraps to hold the isolation wool on its place. 

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Follow these steps in reverse order to mount the top hood back on the machine.