Excessive Filament Tube Friction

When there is too much friction on the filament, the extruder motor is unable to advance filament through the filament tube., This can cause the drive gear to grind through the filament or the extruder motor to click. There are a few things that may be the cause of this excessive friction:

1. The filament is entering the filament detection sensor at too sharp an angle
2. The filament has a rough texture
3. The ends of the filament tubes in the push connectors are squeezing the filament
4. The filament filter is getting caught in the filament detection sensor
5. A filament detection sensor may be stuck and pinching the filament
6. The clips to hold the filament tubes together are installed

To figure out which may be the cause of the issue, you need to do the following:

1. Ensure your filament is entering the filament detection units at less than a 45° angle from the vertical axis.
2. If the filament you are printing is very flexible, has a rough texture, or is a combination of the two,  please test with an alternative filament to see if the problem persists.
3. Remove the filament tubes from the push connectors and inspect the ends for signs of damage and pinching.

4. Ensure that the filament filter is not getting caught in the filament detection unit. We have seen a few instances of the filament filter dust cloth getting pulled into the filament detection unit, which halts the filament's travel and causes a grind-out. To prevent it from getting pulled in, you should set the dust cloth to be below the top of the spiral wrap, and then snip off the point of the spiral wrap to prevent that from getting lodged in the detector as well. Here is a photo:

   

   Do NOT use the filament cleaner when printing with PETG due to elevated risk of it being pulled into the filament detection sensor.

5. Use a piece of filament to check that it can travel smoothly through the filament detection unit.

If the problem persists, here are a few questions to answer and send via email to [e-mail] to further isolate the issue:

1. Is this happening with both filament tubes or just one? If it's just one, which side is it?
2. Are the filament tubes able to be compressed by squeezing them with your fingers or are they rigid?
3. Is the filament near its end on the spool and therefore tightly coiled?
4. Are the filament spools spinning easily on the holders? If not, make sure the spool is properly seated, there aren't any obstructions, and grease the surface of the spool holder to ensure the spool can spin smoothly.