It's crucial to power off the printer before conducting any maintenance work, including work on the printer's electronics and tool head wires. Performing tasks with the printer on can result in a short circuit, leading to electronic damage and safety hazards.
During maintenance or troubleshooting, you may need to disassemble parts, including the hotend. This exposes wires and electrical components that could short circuit if they contact each other, other metal, or electronic components while the printer is still on. This can result in damage to the printer's electronics and additional issues.
Therefore, it's crucial to turn off the printer and disconnect it from the power source before conducting any maintenance. This prevents short circuits or damage to the printer's electronics, ensuring safe and effective maintenance. For any concerns or questions about following this guide, open a new ticket in our Support Page and we will do our best to respond promptly and provide the assistance you need.
The first step in replacing the faulty Hotend Cooling Fan is to remove the back cover of the print head. Carefully pry open the back cover by pulling on the bottom section as shown below.
Next, remove the four screws holding the USB C cable secure on the tool head of the A1 mini. After removing the screws, the USB C cable can be pulled upwards to remove it.
Next, remove the four cables attached to the Toolhead Board. Carefully pull them out by the connector, and avoid pulling the wires from the connectors. We recommend using a flat tool to gently pry them out to avoid any potential damage.
Don't forget to also remove the Eddy sensor wires which are held in place by two screws.
You can now remove the Tollhead Board from the plastic housing.
Be careful when pulling it out, as you will need to carefully disconnect the filament sensor ribbon cable.
Pull it slowly and straight upwards. Avoid wiggling the ribbon cable as it can cause damage to it. If you have damaged it, you can order a replacement from this link
Grab the base of the front cover and gently pull towards you. The clips holding the cover in place will be released, allowing you to remove the front cover
Remove the nozzle silicone sock by gently pulling it towards you, then remove the hotend from the heater. All the steps are labeled on the extruder sticker. This step is required so we can remove the extruder in the next step
Remove the found screws indicated in the picture below. After removing the screws, you will be able to gently pull the extruder towards you slightly. For the moment, don't remove the extruder.
CAUTION There is a sensor wire on the left side of the extruder. Don't remove the extruder as you can damage it.
The Hotend Cooling Fan wire, including the eddy sensor wire attached to the extruder are routed through the left cable channel To access the wires, you can gently push the cable channel towards the back of the print head, as shown in the example below.
Once you remove the cable channel, you can pull the extruder towards you to completely remove it from the printer.
¶ 1. Attach the Hotend Cooling Fan to the print head
Just like in the previous step, you need to install two screws to hold the new fan in place as shown in the image below
¶ 2. Route the fan and sensor wires through the wire channel
Carefully arrange the fan wire and the extruder sensor wire through the wire channel, as shown in the image below. You can push the cable channel cover back by sliding it on the small clips from the hotend.
Please take extra care when routing the wires, as you will need to carefully guide them like in the image below If the wires are not routed as shown in the image, you will not be able to re-attach the extruder.
The next step is to attach the Tollhead Board is to attach it back on the printhead housing. Start by re-connecting the filament sensor ribbon cable on top of the board. Gently push the ribbon cable in the connector.
Carefully route the Extruder Motor cable next to the ribbon cable as shown in the image below. After this step is done, you can gently push the Toolhead Board back in its position.
Re-install the USB cable using the four screws we removed in the first step, while being careful about the orientation.
Important!
Do not over-tighten these screws, as the threads can damage the plastic. Take note of the USB cable orientation and the small groove from the back that aligns it. The USB C cable only fits in one position, with the correct orientation having the line in the cable connector aligned to the back of the printer and tool head.
Finally, install the back cover of the A1 mini print head. The back cover clips in place. Simply align the two brackets on the back cover towards the top, then push it until you hear a few clicks.
Follow the guidance available on the extruder sticker to re-attach the hotend to the print head Then, lock it in place using the clip and install the silicone sock.
The print head front cover can now be re-installed. Simply attach it on the top of the print head by aligning the clips, then gently push on the bottom side. You will hear the clips when the installation is complete.
To ensure everything works as expected, turn on the printer and set the hotend temperature to 100C After a few seconds the hotend fan should start spinning, confirming that the procedure was successful.
Check the Hotend Heating Assembly connector and confirm it is correctly inserted, as shown in Step 6. Re-connect all the cables It is important to carefully align the connector pins to the Toolhead Board. If the issue persists, the thermistor wires might have been damaged (white wires)
Check the Hotend Heating Assembly connector and confirm it is correctly inserted, as shown in Step 6. Re-connect all the cables It is important to carefully align the connector pins to the Toolhead Board. If the issue persists, the heater wires might have been damaged (Translucent wires)
Check the Eddy Sensor wires (5 and 6) and confirm they are correctly installed on the back of the Toolhead Board, as shown in Step 6. Re-connect all the cables
Check the Ribbon Cable and confirm it is correctly installed on the back of the Toolhead Board, as shown in Step 4. Attach the Toolhead Board to the housing If the ribbon cable is damaged, you will need to replace the Filament Sensor.
¶ The first layer is inconsistent / Problems with first layer
Confirm that the Hotend Heater Assembly screws are tight, and bed leveling is enabled before starting the print This Wiki article explains what to check and how to solve the problem
We hope the detailed guide provided has been helpful and informative.
To ensure a safe and effective execution, if you have any concerns or questions about the process described in this article, we recommend reaching out to technical support team before initiating the operation. We will do our best to respond promptly and provide the assistance you need. Click here to open a new ticket in our Support Page.
