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3D Printing
Our printer is a Creality Ender 3 3D Printer. It uses a Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) method to print your part.
More info can be found here
Precautions must be taken while operating the printer:
- Printing bed and nozzle might be HOT, even when turned off!
- While printing DO NOT place any limbs, hands or fingers close to the moving axes and heatbed
- Make sure that the printing temperature is just enough to print correctly
- Allow the filament spool to rotate freely on its axis
Attention: in order to print your part you will need to have a .gcode file generated by a Slicer (To set a basic print configuration in Cura click here). Then, send it to the printer via an SD card.
Starting with the printer turned off and with your .gcode file in an sd card, follow through these steps:
With a paper towel and the printer turned off with its bed cold dust it off. If there is excessive remnant material stuck to the bed then you might need to scrape it off with a scraper. Also, if the bed seems oily, clean it with alcohol.
If a glass bed is in use, ask anyone who is responsible for the printer for help (the cleaning method may change if glue-like substances were used).
With the printer's nozzle cold check by eye if the filament doesn't go further than the nozzle. It must be at least flush with it or even behind the nozzle limit. If it is not, then with the blue handled clippers cut off the excess material. If you are sure the nozzle is cold then you might use your fingers to get it off.
Pre-heating the printing bed before calibrating is essencial because thermal expansion may change or reduce the efficacy of the calibration.
To do so, press the interface knob to enter the menu. There, go to "Control", and then "Bed Temperature". Set it to at a maximum 10°C below the printing temperature privously selected on the slicer.
for this step you will need a bond paper strip (about 2.5x15 cm)
Be careful through the next steps as the bed will be very hot
If printing in ABS or other high-temperature-bed material USE APROPRIATE GLOVES
With the bed hot, go to "Prepare" in the printer's main menu and select "Auto Home". Becareful as the 3 axes will start to move. After it stops, select "Disable Steppers" in the "Prepare" menu to unlock the axes.
Now imagine 4 dots on the bed, 4-7cm from each corner. Manually place the nozzle over one dot (moving only the x and y axes) and try to pass the bond paper between the nozzle and the bed.
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If you can't at all or it is really hard to make it move, then lower the bed by turning the knob under the heat plate closest to the imaginary dot.
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If it is to easy to move it, then raise the bed by turning the knob the other way.
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The sweet spot is when it grips the paper, but it doesn't wrinkle the paper when pushed.
Cycle through the dots until all the spots are at the right spot. (Do not stop at the last one, keep testing all the spots until they all feel right)
With all set up. Go to "Print From SD" and select your .gcode file. The printer will tune to temperature and start the print.
Stay clear from moving parts!
If something goes wrong hit "Stop Print" on the main menu and start over. You may not need to re-calibrate the bed: it only may be needed if the material isn't properly sticking to the bed, even though it may have other causes. There will be another section exploring possible causes to failed prints.
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