Printer Maintenance Schedule

Lubrication: only what your maker says

Two well-documented printers give opposite instructions for similar parts, which is the best argument for reading your own maker's page before you reach for grease:

Part	Prusa MK4/S and MK3.9/S	Bambu Lab X1
Z-axis lead screws	Do not apply lubricant to the trapezoid nuts or the threaded Z lead screws.	Clean, then grease with a thin coat every three months Maker spec.
Rods	Clean and lightly lubricate the smooth rods with Prusa Lubricant every 200 hours of printing Maker spec.	X-axis carbon rods: clean with isopropyl alcohol monthly Maker spec; never grease them. Y and Z linear rods: clean monthly, anti-rust wipe every three months Maker spec.
Extruder gears	The Nextruder gears and idler bearings need no lubricant; clean debris from the gear grooves.	Check and blow out the extruder gear weekly Maker spec; replace a worn gear.
Idlers and bearings	Grease bearings only if an axis still runs roughly after the rods are cleaned and lubricated.	Oil the idler flange only if it squeaks; Bambu says not to oil idlers that are quiet, to avoid dust buildup.

The wrong lubricant in the wrong place is not harmless: Bambu warns that grease on its carbon rods causes abnormal resistance and is hard to clean. If your printer is not one of these, find the equivalent page from your maker.

FDM routine

Before every print

• Clear filament scraps, dust and broken supports from around the printer and under the bed (Prusa).
• Check the nozzle wiper or purge area is clean and undamaged, where your printer has one (Bambu).
• Keep the hotend clean. Prusa's method is to heat the nozzle and brush off old plastic with a brass brush, keeping the brush off the hotend cables because contact could cause a short. Clean the build plate with only the cleaners its maker allows; Prusa, for example, says never to use acetone on its textured or satin sheets. See Build Plates and Surfaces.

Weekly to monthly

• Check fans for dust and plastic threads. Bambu suggests weekly Maker spec; Prusa says every few hundred hours. Both say to clean them with the printer off or the fan stopped, and Prusa warns never to blow compressed air on a running fan or bypass its fan RPM check.
• Clean rods and look for scratches, grooves and buildup, more often if you print ABS or ASA (Bambu suggests cleaning every 5 rolls in that case Maker spec).
• Check belts and pulleys for debris. Prusa says to remove debris right away and check the pulley set screw sits on the flat of the motor shaft.
• Replace the activated carbon filter on the maker's schedule. Bambu suggests every three months at about 8 hours a day, monthly for production use Maker spec.

By print hours

• Prusa's deeper checks come every 200 hours (rods, bearings, belts, extruder) and every 600 to 800 hours (electrical connectors) Maker spec.
• For connectors, Prusa says to power off and unplug the printer from the mains first, and to press the latch on latched connectors before pulling them. Reseat only the connectors your maker's guide lists. See Fire and Electrical Safety.
• Clean or replace the nozzle when under-extrusion or dirt shows up; see Clogged Nozzle.

Resin routine

Wear gloves and eye protection for every step that touches the vat, film, platform or resin, and work with ventilation, as resin SDSs such as Formlabs' Grey Resin sheet state. See Resin PPE and, for used towels and gloves, Resin Waste and Disposal. Prusa's SL1/SL1S page gives this routine:

• After every print: empty the vat and clean the platform. Pour used resin into a separate bottle, never back into unused resin. Leftover supports or pads on the platform can damage the film or the display.
• Before and after every print: inspect the film for scratches, dents or holes, and replace a damaged film immediately to avoid a resin spill. Inspect the display for smudges, scratches or cracks, and keep sharp tools off its glass.
• Cleaning agents: Prusa forbids isopropyl alcohol on its film and uses warm water with dish soap instead. Follow your own maker's list for the film, the display and the lid.
• Every 6 to 8 weeks Maker spec: unplug the printer and blow dust out of the fans, never while they run.
• Periodically: check the carbon filter and replace it when worn. Lubricate the Z tower only if it becomes noisy, as Prusa describes.
• Always: keep the lid closed while printing, do not defeat the lid sensor, and never look directly into the UV light. See Resin Vat and Film Care.

Where to stop and use the maker's support

• Prusa says not to open the Nextruder gearbox unless its technical support asks you to.
• UltiMaker says not to change or adjust parts unless it authorizes the change, to follow the guided procedures in the firmware, and to unplug before maintenance unless a procedure says otherwise. It also recommends keeping firmware up to date.
• Bambu suggests a technical ticket, with a photo or video, if you have any concern about a maintenance step.
• Stop and contact the maker for a damaged power cable, burn marks, a thermal error that returns after the maker's checks, a cracked resin display, resin inside the printer body, or any repair the maker's page does not cover.

Before touching any hot part, let it cool. Prusa says hot parts take about 10 minutes Maker spec to reach room temperature and to check the displayed temperature first.