Da Vinci 2.0/1.0 PLA Heatsink Mod

thingiverse

Most Marvins can't print PLA without experiencing the heat creeping up the barrel of the hotend, which causes it to melt prematurely and jam. Adding a heatsink to the top of the block helps dissipate the heat quickly. I took an old chipset heatsink from a motherboard, clipped some of the fins, and drilled a hole in it. I mounted the heatsink on top of the block so that the barrel of the hotend could protrude through the drilled hole. I placed a washer on the barrel and tightened it down with the original nut to keep everything secure since then I have been able to print PLA, PVA, and PC-ABS successfully. For better cooling, you can bend the fan bracket as shown in the pictures to help air flow over the heatsinks mounted on the side of the block from the factory. For even better cooling, apply thermal paste to the top of the hotend where it contacts the block. I tried all of these methods to reduce temperatures in the shaft of the hotend. So far, I have printed PLA for up to 12 hours with no problems. Since then, I've fallen in love with the detail and strength of PLA and do most of my prints in PLA unless heat resistance or longevity is an issue - which PLA can't meet. As required by Thingiverse, you will need to upload an STL file to post this.