FAQs

Why use purge filament?

Normal filament used in 3D printers is abrasive and over time with no lubrication, wear inside the heating chamber/extruder is excessive and leads to premature failure of a very complex and expensive component. You can avoid all that by using Purge regularly. 

What makes my printer dirty?

Over time and repeated use, as the extruder heats the plastic to its’ target temperature some material clings to the inside of the barrel of the extruder where it repeatedly heats and cools, resulting in a crust that is effectively “overcooked” (much like burning a pot on a stove) and forms bits that break off and a layer of plastic which ‘cooks and clings’ to the inside of the extruder barrel & nozzle where it acts as insulation. This results in variety of problems including not achieving the desire melt temperatures inside of the extruder as well as clogging and blockage of the extruder nozzle with small bits of burned plastic ultimately causing the extruder to fail resulting from this build-up. Build-up also results inside the extruder and nozzle from using different types of materials that require different melt temperatures without cleaning the internal processing portion of the 3D printer through which plastic (feedstock) flows.

The heating chamber where the filament is liquefied to be pushed through the nozzle on the 3D printer is much smaller than commercial injection molding machines. The problem is further magnified by the small nozzle size on the end of the extruder, which is much more prone to clogging due to the reasons mentioned above. Conversely standard practice for injection molding machines is to purge and clean regularly and especially when changing either material types or colors. In 3D printers this is never done resulting is extruder failure and nozzle clogging.

How often should i purge?

Ideally after each use but certainly between color or material changes. 

There are 3 distinct ways to effectively use our Patented Purge Filament. The first is to push through 3-4 inches of the purge filament before you shut-down your 3D printer and leave the purge filament in the machine pushing out an additional 1-2 inches once you use your machine next. This is effective preventive maintenance ensuring your printer operates smoothly.

The second method is to use the purge filament between color or material changes and print a small ring (as described below). This lets you visually validate that the hot-end/nozzle are clean and that any color and contamination from the previous material are removed.  

The third method is to deal with clogs that already exist. By turning the heat up to the maximum setting on your machine and pressing the purge filament through the feed-end using a poke and pull technique, crusted, burnt and contamination will cling to the purge filament and pulling it out backwards you can snip off the contamination and repeat the process until the hot-end and nozzle are clear enough to pass filament through. Then run 3-4 inches of the purge filament through to remove any remaining contamination.

How many uses do i get out of it?

Given the length is about 10' and you use 2-4" every time you use the printer if you're printing daily, one coil would last you a month or more If you're doing material or color changes you'll use a bit more to ensure you haven't got any cross contamination.

What printers does this work with?

Works with all 3D printers that use 1.75 mm diameter filament.

What is it made from?

Sorry but we can't tell all our secrets... it's proprietary.

How to use purge filament? 

Follow instructions on the back of the product

What if i need more than 2 meters? 

You generally only need to use 2-3 inches of this at a time but if you need more we're happy to help, just contact us at service@aefilaments.com

Does it have an expiration date? 

No

How should i store it? 

Best stored in it's resalable pouch when not being used.

Do you do custom orders?

Yes, just contact us at service@aefilaments.com