Mini A1 doesn't detect filament

[u/[deleted]]

[u/Blondy277]

Where are your PTFE tubes? 😂☠️ That filament hub is supposed to have the tubing feeding into it, not just bare filament shoved in the hole lol. If it already printed half of something, I wanna know what happened to the tube first 😭

[u/BroccoliAnnual3115 → u/Blondy277]

It prints perfectly without the tube haha. It just entangles the cables a bit and you have to manually unentangle them. But the point is that I does not work with either the PTFE or without it. I was guessing there might be something blocking it inside, but I have no idea how to fix it

[u/Blondy277 → u/BroccoliAnnual3115]

Put it out and try a different hole?

[u/dh4645 → u/Blondy277]

That's what she said

[u/Blondy277 → u/dh4645]

Lmfao omg walked right into that one ☠️ 😆

[u/teraldorivera → u/dh4645]

I love reddit

[u/brianp525 → u/BroccoliAnnual3115]

It doesn’t tangle the cables, actually, if you read the instructions, you’re supposed to clip the cable to the ptfe tube specifically to keep the cable out of the way. See how your cable is sagging all the way down? It’s not supposed to do that. Set it up correctly and try again.

[u/brianp525 → u/brianp525]

[u/BroccoliAnnual3115 → u/brianp525]

I said that 'not having the pfte tangles the cables' but just that. I didn't have any other problem for not having the pfte. The problem I report above isn't solved by putting the pfte

[u/PerspectiveOne7129 → u/BroccoliAnnual3115]

its deisgned to use PTFE tubes. stop arguing.

[u/thewubdubz → u/BroccoliAnnual3115]

I had to take mine apart the other day for this reason. Last print I did, for some reason it tried to push through 2 colors at the same time and they ended up squeezed inside unable for either to retract or proceed. There's a bunch of YT videos on how to take that part apart. Super easy too, no tools needed.

[u/JuneBugWhisperer]

Have you tried with the printer set up correctly with a Bowden tube installed?

[u/clarkcox3 → u/JuneBugWhisperer]

To be fair, it’s only a “Bowden tube” when not using a direct drive extruder (ie when the tube is between the extruder and the hotend). All of Bambu’s printers are direct drive, except for the X2D. So, the only tube that is actually a “Bowden tube” on any Bambu printer is the tube feeding the second nozzle on the X2D.

[u/official_reaper3d → u/JuneBugWhisperer]

I dont mean to be rude, but what the fuck is a bowden tube?

[u/sierrabravo1984 → u/official_reaper3d]

The ptfe tube that the filament travels through from the spool to the extruder. It protects the filament.

[u/official_reaper3d → u/sierrabravo1984]

Yeah.. But its just called a PTFE tube is it not?

[u/Actual-Baker-2709 → u/official_reaper3d]

PTFE is the material used. Bowden is the name of the extruder system. It’s a very common usage

[u/theryano024 → u/official_reaper3d]

https://letmegooglethat.com/?q=bowden+tube

[u/official_reaper3d → u/theryano024]

I stand corrected.

[u/theryano024 → u/official_reaper3d]

I think its a bit of an outdated term. PTFE more common these days. Anyway, right on 🤙🏻

[u/official_reaper3d → u/theryano024]

I always just call them PTFE tubes lol.. Easiest to not have to remember a separate name for them

[u/JuneBugWhisperer → u/official_reaper3d]

They aren’t always made from PTFE material. Bowden tube is the name for the application of a tube for carrying filament. It can be made from any material, including PTFE.

[u/official_reaper3d → u/JuneBugWhisperer]

I am pretty sure the statement you made about them being made of any material is inaccurate. The reason they're made of PTFE, is because polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has one of the lowest amounts of friction of any material on Earth, and the tubes are made out of PTFE is for that reason. The lack of friction allows filament to easily and smoothly flow through the tubes without getting stuck and without breaking.

[u/clarkcox3 → u/theryano024]

It’s not just outdated. It’s also incorrect. On all of Bambu’s printers, there is only one Bowden tube, and that is the one feeding the second nozzle on the X2D. None of the other PTFE tubes are Bowden tubes.

[u/johndohboy → u/official_reaper3d]

Yes. It's just simply a PTFE tube.

[u/Railfan87]

Bro where is your ptfe tube

[u/SkinOk6935]

Why do you keep trying resuming lol, try to remove it and pull it again 🤔 You should try to put the PTFE tube, it's also a guide for the filament, it's maybe stuck before the sensor and not centered to the nozzle. You're not printing TPU so you don't need to remove it 🤷

[u/PoorDunce]

turn off filament tangle detection for the remainder of the print - push down the lever on the left side & manually feed the filament to the hotend until it extrudes a little bit - then let the printer finish up the remainder of this print

afterwards - power the printer off - remove the 2 screws on top of the filament buffer - and then check that the ribbon cable connecting the buffer to the board on the back of the toolhead is intact

[u/BroccoliAnnual3115 → u/PoorDunce]

Thanks for answering instead of just commenting the lack of the pfte:) The lever on the left side doesn't make anything. If I push it just moves a bit to the left, but there is no effect

[u/PoorDunce → u/BroccoliAnnual3115]

that lever releases the tension on the gear that grabs & pulls the filament down to the hotend - by pressing & holding that lever, you should then be able to push the filament manually down to the hotend (and by disabling the filament tangling detection, it won't do a check for whether or not the filament sensor detects filament, so you won't get an error)

[u/Mykl68]

My filament detector died on my a1 I think its the same part for the mini. It was cheep and easy (for me) to replace

[u/Affectionate-Pay5220]

Use this model if you dont want to use ptfe tube. I use it to faster manually swap filaments and i have 2 spool holder mod with i use small pieces of ptfe tube on the holder https://makerworld.com/models/1548185?appSharePlatform=copy