Fablicator SX series, User Manual

Page 1: ...Need to ask a question Contact technicalsupport fablicator com 10 24 2017 FABLICATOR User Manual ...

Page 2: ...ing Filament 8 Removing Filament 11 Slicing your first part 14 Printing Your First Part 17 Extruder Problems 19 Clearing an Extruder Clog 21 Wedged Filament removal 23 Cleaning a blocked nozzle tip simple method 28 Cleaning a blocked nozzle tip involved method 32 ...

Page 3: ...ll startup kit box Part Scraper Tool Calipers Primer Bottles Allen Wrenches and music wire Front Panel Handle 3 Spools Filament Power Cord Windows Backup CD Flex Idler 76mm Spool Holder 54mm Spool Holder User Manual Front and Back panels Left Side Panel Right Side Panel Top Panel ...

Page 4: ...solving the primer pellets The bottles should be filled to the line shown 3 Peel the protective covers from the plastic panels Use your fingernail or a razor blade to lift up the edge to get them started 4 Assemble the front panel and front panel handle ...

Page 5: ...ining the required accessories Unpacking the unit and accessories in an uncluttered area is recommended 2 Start by opening the large box and removing the protective foam inserts 3 Open the inner box and remove the foam inserts 4 Remove the protective wood and cardboard panels above and below the machine Highlighted in yellow ...

Page 6: ... feet to the bottom four corners of the machine as shown using the existing hardware Failure to attach the feet will cause the printer to badly scratch most surfaces 7 Place the Fablicator on a sturdy table or desk Remove the yellow Z axis spacers and all remaining yellow zip ties 8 Connect your monitor keyboard mouse and power cord to the printer The connections are on the back of the machine and...

Page 7: ...7 9 Insert the spool holder into the frame on either side of the machine 10 Attach the clear magnetic panels to the machine The Fablicator SX is now completely assembled and ready to start printing ...

Page 8: ...ilt in yellow LEDs should be OFF 3 Open the Fablicator shortcut on the desktop This will open the interface to control the Fablicator SX 4 First the filament needs to be loaded into the machine Press the Set button to the right of the Extruder Temp text to set the extruder to 240C This will heat up the extruder so filament can be loaded and unloaded Caution After this step the tip of the extruder ...

Page 9: ...nt position 7 Attach a spool to the spool holder There are different sized spools and holders so you may need to change the spool holder if it does not fit the spool you want to use 8 Loop the filament over the extrusion and into the entrance of the extruder marked with a yellow arrow 5 Wait for the Extruder temp to exc The extruder temp bar shows the cur temperature vs the set temperature ...

Page 10: ...ops automatically Once the filament starts to move you can let go of the material 11 Press the Extrude button again if filament has not been extruded at the nozzle tip by the time the extruder stops Once melted filament has come out the tip of the extruder the filament is fully loaded Remove the excess material from the nozzle tip 12 Turn off the extruder by pressing the Off button next to the Ext...

Page 11: ...ight of the Extruder Temp text to set the extruder to 240C This will heat up the extruder so filament can be loaded and unloaded Caution After this step the tip of the extruder will be extremely hot Do not touch it 3 Wait for the Extruder temp to exceed 200 C The extruder temp bar shows the current extrude temperature vs the set temperature 4 Home all axis to make sure the print head is in a conve...

Page 12: ...ilament and it should come out of the extruder assembly 7 Trim the last 4 inches off of the filament so only unmarred plastic is visible 8 Wrap the loose filament back onto the spool and lock the strand through the holes on the side of the spool If the end of the filament is loose it will get tangled on the spool and eventually cause knots ...

Page 13: ...13 9 If you wish to add another spool of filament now is a good time Otherwise turn off the extruder by pressing the Off button next to the Extruder temp text ...

Page 14: ...ting 3 Select a stl file The example we are using is located in Desktop Sample STL Files Engineering Samples Ruler 6in STL and click the Open button This will open the file with KISSlicer 4 Once KISSlicer has loaded a 3D representation of the part will be visible in the main window The sample part is a short ruler in this case A Small thumbnail of the part will also be visible in the part box on t...

Page 15: ...marily changes the layer thickness and infill density of the part Thinner layers and more solid parts take longer to print 7 Select the Support tab and set this part to 00 No Support 8 Select the Ext Map tab and select the printing material from the drop down box We will be printing the sample part in PLA PHA The material set in this window must match the material loaded into the printer Incorrect...

Page 16: ...dio button You can use the vertical slider on the right side of the preview window to scroll through the layers and see exactly what the printer will do line by line It is recommended to always preview these paths 11 There is also a Time Material Volume and Cost estimate visible on the right side of the screen Lastly the settings used to slice your part are visible on the bottom right of the scree...

Page 17: ... circular motion to achieve an even coat The bed should still be damp when you finish wiping and it will air dry within a few seconds Video of this process can be found at LINK 3 Once the bed is primed and G Code file loaded press the Print button The Fablicator will automatically home all axis and move the extruder to a corner of the bed The printer will also automatically heat up the bed and ext...

Page 18: ...he bed to cool down before removing the part with the safety razor generally the bed should be below 40C Cooler is better If you do not wait for the part to cool down it may deform when you try and remove it or be extremely difficult to remove ...

Page 19: ...is seen on screen physically check to see if the heater block is getting hot Pressing a piece of filament onto the side of the block is a good way to tell 3 If the heater block is hot but the software says it s cold the PT100 temperature sensor is likely to blame Check the PT100 connections at the extruder and computer case If the connections seem OK replace the PT100 sensor 4 If the heater block ...

Page 20: ...d or check the fan s connection A stopped fan will likely need to be replaced 7 Third check the entrance to the nozzle between the idler and drive wheel If a small piece of filament or other foreign object is bent over the nozzle entrance new material will not be able to get past it Remove the obstruction as necessary The idler fan shroud and drive wheel may need to be removed for easy access to t...

Page 21: ...ting the nozzle up and pressing reverse within the Fablicator interface If the filament breaks off rather than pulls out normally you likely have a piece of wedged filament 3 Try feeding a piece of the 012 music wire from the tip of the nozzle to the top of the extruder 4 Use small pliers to hold the wire a short distance from its end A small bit of force may be needed to get the wire past the fir...

Page 22: ... If the wire stops partway up the metal extruder body there is probably a piece of wedged filament blocking its path 7 If you can t get the wire into the nozzle tip at all let someone else have a try It can be a little tricky but is a critical step If the wire cannot be fed into the nozzle the tip of the nozzle may be damaged and need replacement ...

Page 23: ...ud out of the way Be careful as the fan wire will remain attached 3 Second remove the idler wheel using the 2mm hex key 4 Third Remove the filament driver attached with a grub screw using a 1 16 allen key included in the startup kit You may need to use the front EXT disable switch to allow manually moving the drive wheel and then rotate the driver so the set screw is at an easy to access position ...

Page 24: ...llen key push down hard on the key to attempt to dislodge the filament The Allen key is highlighted in red for clarity Lightly tapping the Allen key with a hammer may be of assistance 7 If the filament starts to push down into the nozzle continue until the clog has passed and is re melted in the nozzle tip Some plastic should exit the tip 8 If the clog will not budge using an extra long 5 64 drill...

Page 25: ...f the nozzle and cleaning off the built up plastic is crucial DO NOT EXCEDED THE DEPTH MARKED WITH TAPE 11 Once the filament path is all clear heat up the nozzle in the Fablicator interface and manually push filament down into the nozzle before doing any reassembly The filament should flow easily 12 If not you may have additional debris blocking the nozzle tip Continue with cleaning a blocked nozz...

Page 26: ...er motor with the set screw on the filament driver You may need to use the front EXT disable switch to allow manually moving the drive wheel and then rotate the driver so the set screw is at an easy to access position 15 Now reattach the idler wheel 16 Reattach the cooling fan and shroud The fan tilts in around the extruder heat sink Do not allow the wires to be pinched on the side of the shroud w...

Page 27: ...27 17 After double checking the Driver set screw idler screw and fan shroud screws are all snug the extruder is ready to be used again ...

Page 28: ... and pass the music wire completely through the nozzle from the tip through the inlet 3 Next load PLA or PLA PHA filament into the extruder as normal Extrude the material until it exits the tip and or you hear a clicking sound from the extruder typical of a clog Even if the extruder seems to be working fine at this point please continue 4 Turn the extruder heater off ...

Page 29: ... up on the filament and manually remove it from the extruder in a firm but not violent manner 7 Ideally the filament should have a bit of a cone shaped tip to it and may have a black or discolored tip which indicates you have removed some of the material blocking the nozzle 8 If the nozzle does not have a cone shaped tip reheat the extruder turn off the extruder disable switch and re load fresh fi...

Page 30: ...d tip is visible re heat the extruder If you are unable to get the cone shaped tip after a few tries skip to step 12 If a clog persists try the involved method in the next section 11 Feed the music wire from tip to entrance one last time 12 Make sure the disable switch is no longer activated no yellow LEDs and load fresh filament as usual ...

Page 31: ...ude button a few times to ensure filament is extruding freely You may need to repeat this method a few times to completely remove a tough clog If a clog persists you can continue to the involved method in the next section ...

Page 32: ...er wheel 3 Third Remove the filament driver attached with a grub screw using a 1 16 allen key included in the startup kit 4 Make sure the fan shroud is not in contact with the nozzle heater block A piece of tape is suggested to hold it out of the way Then heat up the extruder in the Fablicator interface ...

Page 33: ...an t get the wire into the nozzle tip at all let someone else have a try It can be a little tricky but is a critical step If the wire cannot be fed into the nozzle the tip of the nozzle may be damaged and need replacement 4 Once the wire has been fed through the extruder guide the long 5 64 drill bit into the extruder nozzle and gently spin it between your fingers Until you meet resistance Do not ...

Page 34: ...t steps 4 6 a few times until it appears all the molten filament has been removed from the nozzle tip 7 Manually add new filament into the nozzle and try pushing it through with your fingers If it still feels blocked remove the filament and repeat steps 1 6 again If both the simple and involved methods fail to fix a clog please contact Fablicator technical support ...