Installing a Gen 2 Extruder on a Gen 1 Markforged Industrial 3D Printer

This article will outline the process of updating A1095 Plastic Extruder (Gen 1) to an A3648 Plastic Extruder (Gen 2), which will effectively upgrade the printer to a Gen 2 machine. Please note this upgrade is not available for the Desktop printers. You will need to purchase the upgrade kit (15415-FRU), which can be found in our store linked here. If you purchase just the stand alone extruder, you will not receive the cabling needed to complete the upgrade.

How to determine which generation printer you have, and which version of the extruder is installed.

Markforged Gen 2 composite printers can be identified by the large updated product label on the back panel.

Uninstalling the Gen 1 A3016 Extruder

1. Completely unload print material.
2. Cool the print head (Menu > Utilities > Manual Control > Temperature Control > Cool).
3. Power down the printer and move the print head away from the extruders.
4. Use the 2mm hex key to loosen, but not remove, the top left socket head cap screw connecting the fiber Bowden tube to the fiber extruder.
   
5. Detach the fiber Bowden tube from the fiber extruder.
   
6. Pass the fiber Bowden tube through the channel on the bottom of the plastic extruder toward the front of the printer.
7. Unscrew the thumbscrew connecting the plastic Bowden tube to the plastic extruder.
   
8. Press in on the push-to-connect fitting to remove the plastic feed tube from the plastic extruder.
   
9. Use the 2.5mm hey key to remove and set aside the two screws securing the plastic extruder to the rail.
   
10. Carefully disconnect the three cables from the plastic extruder. Note that the largest of the three cables connects to bundled wires protruding from the outlet side of the extruder, and has a latch that must be depressed before disconnecting.
    
    
11. Remove and set aside the old plastic extruder.
    1. If the extruder was updated through a warranty or Digital Forge Complete Plan, please ship the Gen 1 Extruder back to Markforged.
12. Disconnect both cables from the front stepper motor. Set aside the short 4-pin cable that was attached to the rear socket.
    
13. Unclip the plastic feed tube from the guide clips.
14. Using the 2.5mm hex key, remove and set aside the four screws connecting the cable guard to the rail.
    
15. Remove and set aside the cable guard.
16. Disconnect the short 4-pin cable from the front socket on the rear stepper motor and set aside.
    

Installing the Gen 2 A3648 Extruder

1. Connect the long 4-pin cable to the front-facing connectors on top of both the rear stepper motor and the front stepper motor.
   
    
2. Plug the short 4-wire cable into the rear-facing socket on the front stepper motor.
   
   
3. Reinstall the cable guard, tucking all wires behind it, then use the 2.5mm hex key to reinstall and tighten the four screws.
4. Clip the feed tube into place on the guide clips.
5. Connect the other end of the 6-pin cable to the latched 6-pin connector in the front left corner, in front of the stepper motor.
   
   
6. Attach the 6-pin cable to its corresponding connector on the front face of the new plastic extruder.
   
7. Connect the short 4-pin cable to the socket on the black inward face of the plastic extruder. Secure the cable using the wire-management clip on the front face of the extruder.
   
8. Install the extruder on the rail, pushing it back against the case until the mounting holes line up. Use the 2.5mm hex key to install the two screws that secure the extruder to the rail.
9. Connect the plastic feed tube to the plastic extruder.
   
10. Connect the plastic Bowden tube to the plastic extruder and tighten the thumbscrew.
    
11. Pass the fiber Bowden tube through the channel on the bottom of the plastic extruder toward the back of the printer.
12. Reinsert the fiber Bowden tube into the slot on the fiber extruder, then use the 2mm hex key to tighten the top left screw until the metal inlet is secured but not flattened.
    
13. Carefully tuck all internal cables and connectors below the lid of the printer.
14. Power on the printer.
15. If the printer’s firmware is up to date, it will automatically detect the new extruder. If not, power off the printer, wait 30 seconds, and power it on again.
16. Update printer firmware. If this step is skipped, the printer will not recognize the new extruder.
    
17. Calibrate stepper encoders.
18. Reload print material.

For further technical support, please contact Hawk Ridge Systems at 877.266.4469 for the U.S. or 866.587.6803 for Canada and support@hawkridgesys.com.