Alta Print Head Replacement
The print head of the Silhouette Alta® is the part on the printer that heats filament to melt so it can be extruded through the nozzle in order to build models.
Replacement Part
The print head is a consumable part. This means it will wear down with repeated use and eventually may need replacement.
If your print head has been used extensively and is no longer heating or extruding filament properly, you may need to purchase a replacement print head for your Alta model.
Replacement Instructions
Click here for instructions on replacing the print head.
Filament Not Feeding into Alta
Check the following if the Alta print head nozzle is moving but no filament is coming out.
Check Extruder
If the filament gets stuck near the top of the print hose, the gear that moves the filament in and out of the extruder may have worn down part of the filament and caused it to stay in place rather than feed through the machine properly.
To fix this, simply pull out the filament, find the section of filament that is worn down and cut off that part. You can then reload the filament into the machine and attempt a print.
NOTE: The worn down portion won’t be as smooth or as thick as the rest of the filament
Check Filament
The filament on the spool may be tangled. The filament can become tangled easily if not properly wound up and may snag in such cases and not come off the reel.
To untangle:
- Remove the filament from the machine
- Unravel the filament from the reel until any tangles are removed
- Carefully place the filament back on the reel taking care not to let it tangle again during loading
- Reload the filament into your Alta printer
Check Nozzle
The nozzle on the print head may be clogged.
To check this, use the nozzle cleaner tool (the small tool with the thin metal piece and the plastic handle pictured bellow).
To unclog the nozzle:
- Poke the nozzle cleaner inside and up through the nozzle head a few times to try and move any plastic that may have solidified
- Check outside and around the nozzle head. In some cases, the melted filament may have coated some or all of the shell on the metal extruder portion of the print head nozzle.
If checking these points does not resolve the issue, remove the hose attachment from the extruder head. You can do this by pressing down on the gray ring (pictured bellow) as you pull up on the tube.
You can then use the rod that came with your machine to push the filament out. If nothing comes out and you are still experiencing issues, you can attempt to manually heat up the print head and perform the action with the nozzle cleaner again.