3D Printers

3D Printers

Description of lab 3d printers. explain the filaments used, and diversity of printer characteristics. Also explain the types of printers with links to the styles of printers (cartesian, delta, corexy, etc). Explain that firmware and software and additional info can be found on each printers website.

Current working 3D printers available

(Status as of 3/04/2018)

Deltamaker (https://www.deltamaker.com/)

Rostock Max V2 (https://www.seemecnc.com/)

Lulzbot Original (https://www.lulzbot.com/)

Custom MendelMax 1.0 (http://www.reprap.org/)

Current 3D printers needing repair

(Status as of 3/04/2018)

Modified Ultimaker Original (https://ultimaker.com/)

Filament

List the types of filament that we use on our printers, the challenges strengths and weaknesses of each. List Filaments that have been used on the printers with success. Post links to processes involved in storing, cleaning, and purchasing filament. There is a plethora of information on the web describing the pros and cons of filaments used for 3D printing. Please check out the link below for more information.

http://makezine.com/2014/11/11/abs-or-pla-choosing-the-right-filament/

Filaments: Information on thermoplastics used when printing on our machines.

Sizes

All of our machines except our Lulzbot use 1.75mm Filament. The Lulzbot uses 3mm.

Types

It is reccomended that users buy and print with PLA filament. ABS will print on machines with a headed bed (Rostock Max V2, Lulzbot, MendelMax 1.0, Ultimaker). ABS filament presents challenges with warping and layer adhesion that make it difficult to print with.

Test

Material Compatibility List for the 3D Printers

If the material isn't listed here contact someone on the "Point of Contact" list and ask.

• * To use these materials, purchase and install a stainless steel nozzle. To get help or advice on finding the right nozzle, contact the Fabrication lab point of contact(POC).

Slicing

Simplify3D

If you are looking for a quick guide to using Simplify3D slicer, please check out the link below. It will show you how to import your file and export gcode for our specific printers.

https://youtu.be/87vdz75LFNA

Give in depth detail about the slicer and links for additional help on the slicing software Explain memebers who can help with slicing Details on built in slicers (deltamaker)

Octoprint

Some examples of the interface and what the program does. Explain how this runs on a Raspberry Pi and give links to the project page for other users to utilize on their machines.

DeltaMaker

Explain the type of printer, link to the website for more info on it. List filament types that work, sizes.

Getting Ready to Print

Auto Bed Leveling

Stratasys

I need to make a wiki entry one of these days (that and other things). In that wiki entry I need to make some sort of a brief guide (that perhaps could be made into a hard copy and get laminated and placed on or by the printer itself).

Basically: · Open door.

       · There's a dump tray for filament purging which should be regularly emptied. Now is probably a good time.
       · If there's a part on the build platform, you should remove it. If there isn't, the printer might not even know this so,... like,... pretend,... or something.
       · The printer will probably be querying you as to whether you removed the part. Push the button corresponding to 'yes'.

· You use a program called Catalyst (it has a shortcut that shows up prominently in the menu). · If you check the 'Printer Status' tab and you have not (or someone else has not) sent anything to print, it should be empty.

       · If it's not empty but you think it should be, you probably did not do the 'Open door' step (or you did it before the printer had gone through the full boot up process). Open and close the door. If that does not fix it, actually try deleting the job from the queue.
       · If it is empty but you think it shouldn't be, maybe you need to resubmit a job.

· Have an .stl ready. Having several .stl files ready might be a possibility too. · Load said .stl file from Catalyst from the 'File' menu using the 'Open stl...' option.

       · You can use the 'Properties' set of selection boxes within the 'General' tab to set printing parameters.
               · You probably want to use the sparse setting.
               · If you need to print more than one unit of your part, this is were you set it up so this will happen.
       · After the part properties are set, you may want to set the printing orientation for it by means of the 'Orientation' tab (your most useful tool here is probably going to be the one giving you the ability to rotate about the x, y or z axis by 90 degrees). 
       · If all seems correct, click on the 'Add to Pack button' (this is available from more than one tab but it does the same thing no matter where you do it from).

· If you wish to print more than one kind of part in this printing session, go back to the stl file loading step and repeat the process from there. · The 'Pack' tab will show how your parts will be arranged on the build platform. You can rearrange by hand (but you may not need to). · Click the 'Print' button. · On the printer, push the 'Start model' button, if necessary.

Rostock Max v2

Getting Ready to Print

Maintenance

Point of Contacts