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Wear Prediction

Wear prediction calculates the expected lifetime of critical components based on actual usage, filament type, and printer behavior — so you can plan maintenance proactively rather than reactively.

Go to: https://localhost:3443/#wear

Monitored components

3DPrintForge tracks wear on 8 components per printer:

ComponentPrimary wear factorTypical lifetime
Nozzle (brass)Filament type + hours300–800 hours
Nozzle (hardened)Hours + abrasive material1500–3000 hours
PTFE tubeHours + high temperature500–1500 hours
Extruder gearHours + abrasive material1000–2000 hours
X-axis rod (CNC)Number of prints + speed2000–5000 hours
Build plate surfaceNumber of prints + temperature200–500 prints
AMS gearNumber of filament changes5000–15000 changes
Chamber fansOperating hours3000–8000 hours

Wear calculation

Wear is calculated as a cumulative percentage (0–100% worn):

Wear % = (actual usage / expected lifetime) × 100
× material multiplier
× speed multiplier

Material multipliers:

  • PLA, PETG: 1.0× (normal wear)
  • ABS, ASA: 1.1× (slightly more aggressive)
  • PA, PC: 1.2× (hard on PTFE and nozzle)
  • CF/GF composites: 2.0–3.0× (highly abrasive)
Carbon fiber

Carbon fiber reinforced filaments (CF-PLA, CF-PA, etc.) wear down brass nozzles extremely quickly. Use a hardened steel nozzle and expect 2–3× faster wear.

Lifetime calculation

For each component, the following is shown:

  • Current wear — percentage used
  • Estimated remaining lifetime — hours or prints
  • Estimated expiry date — based on average usage over the last 30 days
  • Confidence interval — uncertainty margin for the prediction

Click on a component to see a detailed graph of wear accumulation over time.

Alerts

Configure automatic alerts per component:

  1. Go to Wear → Settings
  2. For each component, set Alert threshold (recommended: 75% and 90%)
  3. Select notification channel (see Notifications)

Example alert message:

⚠️ Nozzle (brass) on My X1C is 78% worn. Estimated lifetime: ~45 hours. Recommended: Plan nozzle replacement.

Maintenance cost

The wear module integrates with the cost log:

  • Cost per component — price of replacement part
  • Total replacement cost — sum for all components approaching the limit
  • Forecast next 6 months — estimated maintenance cost going forward

Enter component prices under Wear → Prices:

  1. Click Set prices
  2. Fill in the price per unit for each component
  3. The price is used in cost forecasts and can vary per printer model

Reset wear counter

After maintenance, reset the counter for the relevant component:

  1. Go to Wear → [Component name]
  2. Click Mark as replaced
  3. Fill in:
    • Date of replacement
    • Cost (optional)
    • Note (optional)
  4. The wear counter is reset and recalculated

Resets appear in the maintenance history.

Calibration

Compare the wear prediction with your actual experience and adjust the lifetime parameters under Wear → Configure lifetime to tailor the calculations to your actual usage.