Makerbot Smart Extruder - upgrade and flex filament

thingiverse

The following changes may adversely affect the extruder warranty. Perform on your own responsibility. If you feel limited in the choice of filaments for printing, this modification will allow you to print from materials like TPU / PP / FLEX. It also improves filament routing, material loading and performnace with others filaments You need a base parts from the original extruder, and also a parts to assemble the kit: - 1 x screw M3x10 - 1 x screw M4x10 - 1 x nut M4 - 1 x nut M3 The M3 screw and nut will be used to mount the filament sensor. The M4 screw and nut will be used to mount the bearing. In addition, it is recommended to replace the original spring with a conical spring 6x7x12 [mm] or something similar with an external diameter of 9-10 mm, height about 13 mm, spring thickness 0.8-1,5 mm, possible compression up to 2.5 mm high.The available spring should be adapted to the dimensions of the extruder using its elasticity. This change improves head stability and retraction. You can also change the oryginal insulation of the block using classic heating block cotton insulate is much fouler than the original and better protects the block. Kapton tape is also required for this step. Finally, clean the nozzle and you can enjoy better quality prints in a wider range of materials.