Extruder Idler - Extended Guidance System!

thingiverse

I've had my fair share of frustration when dealing with filament that inexplicably slips away from the gear wheel, causing a print to fail due to this ridiculously simple issue. I recently discovered that particularly slippery and flexible filaments like nylon are prone to this problem, no matter how tightly you screw down the extruder idler's screws. As it turns out, even with the most diligent tightening of the extruder idler's screws, the filament will inevitably slide off to one side or the other, bringing the printer's extrusion process to a grinding halt. It was clear that I needed a solution, and fast. That's when I decided to start from scratch and redesign the entire extruder idler system. All I had to work with was an STL file of the original design, but I managed to create a new one that's comprised of two separate parts. The first part allows for easy installation of the bearing, while the second part provides an extended guiding surface. I'm thrilled to report that since implementing this new design, I've yet to experience any issues with filament slipping away from the gear wheel or any other problems. I'm confident that you'll appreciate this redesign just as much as I do. Feel free to offer any suggestions or hints – I'd love to hear them!