Frequently Asked Questions

where something goes wrong with this process and the extruder is
no longer able to push plastic through the nozzle. These jams or
clogs are usually due to something inside the nozzle that is
blocking the plastic from freely extruding. While this may be
daunting the first time it happens, but we will walk through several
easy troubleshooting steps that can be used to fix a jammed nozzle.
(1) Manually push the filament into the extruder
One of the first things you may want to try is manually
pushing the filament into the extruder. Open Simplify3D’s
Machine Control Panel and heat your extruder to the appropriate
temperature for your plastic. Next, use the Jog Controls tab to
extruder a small amount of plastic, for example, 10mm. As the
extruder motor is spinning, lightly use your hands to help push the
filament into the extruder. In many cases, this added force will be
enough to advance the filament past the problem area.
(2) Reload the filament
If the filament still isn’t moving, the next thing you should do
is unload the filament. Verify that the extruder is heated to the
appropriate temperature, and then use Simplify3D’s machine
control panel to retract the filament out of the extruder. As before,
you may need to apply some additional force if the filament isn’t
moving. Once the filament is removed, use a pair of scissors to cut
away the melted or damaged portion of the filament. Then reload
the filament and see if you are able to extrude with the new,
undamaged section of filament.
(3) Clean out the nozzle
If you weren’t able to extrude the new section of plastic