Stratasys FDM 200mc, User Manual

Page 1: ...User Guide ...

Page 2: ... to cause harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense Changes or modifications to the FDM 200mc system not expressly approved by Stratasys the party responsible for compliance could void the user s authority for use This document is protected by copyright All rights reserved Its use disclosure and possession are restricted by an agree...

Page 3: ...re Its display panel prompts you to press a few keys to get you modeling quickly The system models with P430 ABSplus so modeled parts are strong and durable P430 ABSplus also ensures you ll be able to drill tap sand and paint your creations FDM 200mc is an innovative combination of proprietary hardware software and material technology Congratulations you made a smart choice ...

Page 4: ... not indicate a procedure that can cause injury or damage if it is not followed A NOTE will follow the paragraph of instruction to which it relates The FDM 200mc guides you through operational tasks from a User Interface UI on the front panel of the system Throughout the User Guide text representing messages that appear on the UI are presented in a specific format Interface Messages appear as a bo...

Page 5: ...enting the User Interface Loading and Unloading of Material Building Parts Removing Completed Parts and Removing Support Material The tasks presented are common procedures accomplished during normal operation Maintenance Lists several tasks that you will need to perform to keep your FDM 200mc performing at its best House Cleaning Axis Maintenance Tip Cleaning Assembly Replacement Chamber Lamp Repl...

Page 6: ...6 FDM 200mc User Guide ...

Page 7: ...ing the FDM 200mc 12 Consumables 13 Setup 15 Workspace 15 Unpacking 16 Power Connections 18 Powering On the FDM 200mc 19 Insert Modeling Base 20 Installing Software 21 CD ROM Software Contents 21 Workstation Requirements 22 Setting Network Addresses 24 Verifying Tip Depth 26 Operation 29 Display Panel and Keypad 29 Inserting a Modeling Base 30 Powering On the FDM 200mc 30 Powering Off the FDM 200m...

Page 8: ...erations from Standby Mode 40 Canceling a Job 41 Removing a Completed Part 41 Soluble Supports 42 Maintenance 47 Startup Kit Tools 47 After Each Build 48 Empty Purge Container 48 Remove Debris Buildup 48 Weekly Maintenance 48 Vacuum the Build Chamber 48 Quarterly Maintenance 49 Axis Maintenance 49 Clean fan filter 50 Tip Cleaning Assembly Brush Flicker Assembly 50 As Needed Maintenance 51 Clean Do...

Page 9: ...le of Contents 9 FDM 200mc User Guide Troubleshooting 55 Troubleshooting Checklist 55 Fault Determination Codes 57 Loss of Extrusion 58 Diagnosing Loss of Extrusion 58 Recovering From Loss of Extrusion 59 ...

Page 10: ...10 Table of Contents FDM 200mc User Guide ...

Page 11: ...e detail Figure 1 FDM 200mc Front View The FDM 200mc system consists of two main components the modeler and the Insight software Insight is the preprocessing software that runs on a Windows 2000 or Windows XP platform FDM 200mc s build envelope measures 203 x 203 x 305 mm 8 x 8 x 12 in Each material cartridge contains 922 cc 56 3 cu in of usable material enough to build continuously for about four...

Page 12: ...tep instructions for installing setting up and operating the FDM 200mc system Using the FDM 200mc Insight Online Users Guide Simple operating instructions for Insight are online You can access them at any time by clicking Help You can also print the Insight instruction file approximately six pages World Wide Web Additional information is available at http www stratasys com ...

Page 13: ...tridge Soluble Support Material WaterWorks Concentrate 340 30200 Soluble Support Cartridge 300 00600 WaterWorks Soluble Soluble Concentrate 12 bottles Modeling Base 340 00200 Plastic Modeling Base qty 24 To order consumables for your FDM 200mc system contact North America Stratasys Inc Consumable Orders 1 800 937 3010 US toll free 1 952 906 2727 fax consumables stratasys com International Your reg...

Page 14: ...14 Overview FDM 200mc User Guide ...

Page 15: ...41 mm 34 x 27 x 41 in Four inch minimum space behind unit for air circulation Dedicated outlet requirements Nominal 110 120 VAC 60 Hz 15 A min 20 amp recommended or 220 240 VAC 50 60 Hz 7 A min 10 amp recommended Temperature 18 32 C 65 90 F Relative Humidity 30 70 Non condensing Ethernet 10 100 Base T network Network patch cable with RJ45 connectors Optional UPS for power interruptions brown out c...

Page 16: ... wrap use care if using a knife so as to not scratch the system 7 Remove the foam door channels 2 and tape WARNING The FDM 200mc weighs approximately 128 kg 282 lbs Use proper moving and lifting techniques when positioning the unit For your convenience there are forklift pads built into the bottom of the unit They are accessible from the side of the unit WARNING The Lead Screw and Guide Rods are l...

Page 17: ...the extrusion head from the Z axis frame 9 After unpacking inspect the system and report any shipping damage to the carrier CAUTION Be careful not to damage the rod sensors when removing the foam tubes see Figure 2 Circles indicate Rod Sensor locations There are also two sensors on the back side of the Extrusion Head Foam Tubes 4 Extrusion Head ...

Page 18: ...gure 3 If using a Uninterrupted Power Supply UPS connect the cord directly into the UPS Figure 3 Connecting to a grounded electrical outlet 2 Connect the female end of the power cord directly into the rear of the cabinet CAUTION Before connecting power to the system make sure that the FDM 200mc circuit breaker is in the off down position It is located at the rear of the system next to the power co...

Page 19: ...three to seven minutes Figure 4 Location of Power Switch WARNING The FDM 200mc build chamber and extrusion head tip get very hot The chamber and head tip reach temperatures of approximately 75 C 167 F and 280 C 536 F respectively Personal injury can occur if proper techniques and safety materials are not used Use the leather safety gloves provided in the Startup Kit when working inside the system ...

Page 20: ...rt or in Pause mode Insert Modeling Base Make sure retainers are turned down so as not to interfere with the modeling base installation Set the modeling base down on the Z platform allowing the four outer tabs to drop into the cutouts in the sheet metal tray Slide the modeling base forward until it is flush with the front edge of the tray see Figure 5 Secure the base with the two retainers Note Wh...

Page 21: ...luded in your Startup Kit CD ROM Software Contents The following table displays the contents of the distribution CD including typical and custom options Typical Installation Insight Preprocessing software that controls FDM 200mc FDM Modeler Status Not applicable to FDM 200mc Status Status is used to manage all interaction with your network modeler from your PC workstation Using Status you will dow...

Page 22: ...nstallation 45 MB 300 MB minimum Monitor 17 inch or larger Graphics Resolution Minimum Recommended 1024 x 768 1280 x 1024 or higher Video Card Required Recommended Preferred Vendors OpenGL compliant accelerated graphics card Hardware support for OpenGL Nvidia based cards Geforce and above ATI Radeon based cards recommend minimum of 128 MB graphics card memory Ethernet Ethernet 10 100 Base T Keyboa...

Page 23: ... the default type the path and directory name in the dialog box when prompted 5 If you want to customize your installation select the Custom option Custom options include the following Insight Files CMB Utilities Training Files Verifying the controller software version 6 Check the version displayed on the system keypad From Idle press Maintenance The version number will be listed in the top displa...

Page 24: ...age of the Dynamic option A future release of Insight will fully support the Dynamic function Static address your system administrator must provide an IP address that will be entered into the system Once entered the address will not change If your IT department requires a NIC MAC address to assign a static IP address 1 From Idle or Ready to Build press Maintenance Press Next until the panel displa...

Page 25: ...t your IP address 7 After setting the final digit of the IP address move the cursor one more place to the right The cursor moves to the NM or Netmask address Follow the same steps for all addresses 8 When you have finished setting addresses press Done The panel displays Change IP Netmask Gateway 9 Press Yes The panel then displays Resetting Network and after a moment returns to Idle or starts warm...

Page 26: ...c modeling base or a loss of extrusion To verify tip depth 1 Install an unused modeling base substrate 2 Load Model and Support material see Loading Material on page 32 3 Press Maintenance 4 Press Test Parts and select test_tipdep_plstc cmb The system will create six groups of numbers on the modeling platform Each individual group will consist of four number pairs Each number pair will have an ext...

Page 27: ...s to be visible The extruded number is created at a very low flow rate and may not show up clearly Figure 6 Plastic modeling base with test_tipdep_plstc cmb model 5 0 5 10 5 0 5 10 5 0 5 10 5 0 5 10 5 0 5 10 5 0 5 10 5 0 5 10 5 0 5 10 5 0 5 10 5 0 5 10 5 0 5 10 5 0 5 10 Extruded Numbers left side Etched Numbers right side ...

Page 28: ... to see It may be necessary to tilt the modeling base to the light for inspection It is acceptable for some groups to have NO visible etched numbers To meet the criteria only one of the six groups must have a visible 5 6 If the tip depth does not meet the above criteria run the model a second time on a second unused modeling base and evaluate again 7 If the tip depth again fails the above criteria...

Page 29: ...ltiple line LCD display on top and four single line context sensitive displays each with one button or key The top line in the large display always reveals the system status The lower three lines of the large display show details related to the current operation At times there will be an item blinking in the lower context sensitive displays The blinking item is usually the most logical selection K...

Page 30: ...gle use on each modeling area Building on a used modeling area may cause a part to curl or break loose from the modeling base Before inserting a used modeling base into the system make sure that all material above the previous part s first layer is removed from the base A modeling base may become worn or distorted after several builds The system performs a modeling base levelness check at the star...

Page 31: ...cling Power Situations may occur that require completely shutting off and then restarting the FDM 200mc system This section discusses the procedure for cycling the electrical system To cycle power 1 Move the power switch to the OFF position Figure 4 on page 19 to the OFF down position Wait for the system to completely power down 2 Move the circuit breaker located on the rear of the cabinet to the ...

Page 32: ...is more than one year if the cartridge package remains sealed Load material cartridges 1 Remove packaging 2 If present remove the red sealing plug from the cartridge see Figure 8 NOTE Plug must be removed before cartridge can be installed A Turn the plug a quarter turn counter clockwise B Lift up the plug to remove it from the cartridge discard or recycle the plug Figure 8 Remove red plug before l...

Page 33: ...e cutter from your Startup Kit snip the filament flush with the end of the cartridge see Figure 10 on page 34 CAUTION Be careful when touching the pinch roller on the side of the cartridge If you roll it backwards you could draw the material into the cartridge see Figure 9 for the correct direction to move the cartridge roller If this occurs there is no way to retrieve the filament without opening...

Page 34: ...TE You might get the message Cartridge Not Replaced Or Invalid This occurs if you do not insert the new cartridges within 30 seconds In this case the cartridge will not lock into its slot You must press the Retry button before continuing the process 9 The panel will display Load Material Ready To Load Press Load to load material 10 Watch the extrusion tips see Figure 11 on page 35 to see if materi...

Page 35: ...he panel displays the percentage of material remaining in the cartridges If the system will be operating unattended for a long period and the material level is getting low you may want to replace the cartridges before starting a new part Of course you will also need to replace the cartridges when they are empty Unload material cartridges 1 From Idle or Ready To Build Press Material Load A The pane...

Page 36: ... Top Cartridge or Replace Support Bottom Cartridge 2 Remove the material cartridge s by first pushing it forward gently and then pulling it out of the slot When you remove a cartridge there will be approximately 180 cm 6 feet of filament that will need to be pulled from the system This is normal Material is only retracted from the extrusion head during unloading 3 To store a partially used cartrid...

Page 37: ...u can build a test part To build a test part 1 Press Maintenance 2 Press Test Parts and select one of the available sample parts FDM 200mc automatically starts building the part 3 When the part is finished follow the steps for Removing a Completed Part on page 41 Sending Your CAD File to the System This section describes the procedures used for sending your own CAD files to FDM 200mc Send a job to...

Page 38: ...the Insight help files 6 Prepare the part by either clicking on the green flag button or by manually processing the file This step Slices your part into layers Calculates support geometry Generates toolpaths motions the head makes while extruding Completes all processing to create a cmb file for FDM 200mc 7 Click on the Status icon on the desktop of your workstation to send your file to FDM 200mc ...

Page 39: ...uilding The two lines of the display panel show system status messages on the first two lines Figure 13 The bottom line of the panel shows the material amounts remaining in the cartridges Figure 13 Display panel during build Chamber Lights When a part starts to build the chamber lights are automatically ON You can toggle lights ON or OFF through the Display Panel You can also turn the light on con...

Page 40: ...maining Percentage of part built Resuming Build from Pause Mode If you have pressed Pause and are ready to resume building the part press Resume FDM 200mc resumes modeling Resuming Operations from Standby Mode After several minutes of inactivity FDM 200mc enters Standby mode During Standby the head and build envelope temperatures lower to save energy Continue operation from Standby mode 1 Press Re...

Page 41: ...ollowed by the part name 4 The panel prompts you to remove the part and replace the modeling base See Insert Modeling Base on page 20 Once the chamber door has been opened and closed the panel asks Part Removed 5 Press Yes only after removing the part refer to Removing a Completed Part Removing a Completed Part When the part has completed the panel displays Completed Build and the file s name It a...

Page 42: ...orth with your hands to loosen the part For best results flex the modeling base front right to back left 2 Pull the part off the base or use a putty knife to pry the part completely off NOTE Parts are much easier to remove when the modeling base is still warm Soluble Supports FDM 200mc uses a soluble support material WaterWorks Soluble Support Concentrate is a water based solution designed to simp...

Page 43: ...erated without a lid to avoid over temperature conditions Mechanical Energy The dissolving of material is enhanced by agitating the solution Using a circulation or ultrasonic tank is the fastest and surest method of removing soluble support material Commercial ultrasonic units are available in both 25 Khz and 40 Khz either frequency can be used Time Support removal time is dependent on various fac...

Page 44: ...either plastic or stainless steel removal tools as they need to withstand the water temperature and high alkaline solution To rinse or soak parts Rinse white parts thoroughly with water until surfaces are no longer slippery 1 2 minutes Some white parts may need to soak for an hour to help pull the concentrate from surface to reduce possible staining Soak color parts in water for one hour to pull a...

Page 45: ...arts have shiny surfaces Small pieces of plastic stick firmly to the part and cannot be removed This is more common with circulation tanks Supports won t remove after soaking parts To dispose of the soluble concentrate The soluble solution has been specially formulated to be safely disposed after dilution or neutralization to an acceptable pH level The pH level of fresh solution is similar to dish...

Page 46: ...ratios apply e g 5 5 gallons cleaning device containing approximately 14 cubic inches of soluble release material with the same dilution ratio of 1 part soluble concentrate to 5 parts water Chemical Oxygen Demand Biological Oxygen Demand Neutralization The solution can be further neutralized to lower the pH level by slowly adding acid e g malic acid to the tank before draining the solution Paramet...

Page 47: ...s replacement parts The following list is of the tools contained in the Startup Kit that are used in Maintenance and Troubleshooting procedures Needle Nose Pliers Leather Insulated Gloves Pair Putty Knife Cutters Soft bristled Glue Brush Brush bronze 2 Phillips Head Screwdriver Allen Wrench Set Tube Anti Seize Compound 2 oz Tube Krytox Grease WARNING Krytox grease can cause skin irritation Avoid c...

Page 48: ... towards you and out of the chamber 3 Empty the container and reinstall on 3 mounts Remove Debris Buildup Remove any material buildup on the Z platform and around the lead screw Failure to do so could cause the base to become unlevel or if the buildup is large enough it could cause the Z stage to jam at its upper limit Weekly Maintenance Vacuum the Build Chamber Vacuum the build chamber to remove ...

Page 49: ...igure 14 for locations Clean with isopropyl alcohol Lubricate using the Krytox grease provided in the Startup Kit Use the grease sparingly Figure 14 Lead screw and guide rod identification WARNING Krytox grease can cause skin irritation When it is being handled use impervious gloves and avoid contact with skin and clothing Y axis Guide Rod 1 of 2 Z axis Guide Rods Z axis Lead Screw X axis Guide Ro...

Page 50: ...e purge container See FDM 200mc Front View on page 11 3 Remove the old flicker loosen the flicker attachment rear screws and pull up on the flicker 4 Insert the new flicker and tighten the rear screws while gently pushing down on the flicker NOTE The bottom of the material tip must hit in the top 75 of the flicker 5 Remove the old tip cleaning brush by loosening the two mounting screws and pulling...

Page 51: ...ed Clean Door Glass The door glass can be cleaned with any commercial glass cleaner Chamber Lamp Replacement Replace the chamber lamp when it burns out NOTE There are two chamber lamps in the modeling chamber They are located on the front wall of the chamber One to the upper right the other to the upper left To replace the chamber lamp 1 Power down the system 2 Pull the lamp straight out of the so...

Page 52: ...oud to become worn When chronic build up of material around the tip area or clumps of burnt material become imbedded in the part replace the tip shroud 1 Enter Maintenance press Next and access the Table Maintenance function The head temperature decreases 2 Using a 1 8 inch hex wrench back out the two head plate mounting screws approximately 1 8 inch see Figure 16 Do not remove the screws 3 Pull t...

Page 53: ...ose Figure 16 Head plate in shroud replacement position 5 Locate the shroud the shroud mounting screws and shield as shown in Figure 17 Figure 17 Shroud and shield location 6 Remove the two shroud mounting screws using a 3 32 inch hex wrench WARNING Screws are very hot Use gloves when working in this area of system Right Side Mounting Screw in Retaining Notch Left Side Head Plate Mounting Screw Sh...

Page 54: ...installed with the holes offset to the rear 11 Slide the metal shield back over the shroud 12 Check that both the shroud and shield are positioned correctly NOTE Apply a thin coat of anti seize compound to the threads of the shroud mounting screws 13 Drive the two shroud mounting screws into the shroud and tighten but do not over tighten the screws 14 Lower the head cover into position and tighten...

Page 55: ... temperatures Verify the system is not connected to an extension cord or power strip Material not extruding Filament may be jammed in extrusion head See Loss of Extrusion on page 58 Purge material accumulating on part Make sure that the flicker and brush are set to the proper height See Tip Cleaning Assembly Brush Flicker Assembly on page 50 Check condition of Flicker and Brush Replace if worn See...

Page 56: ...splay Panel displays Build Error Partial or bad part file sent to system Check STL file validity in CAD software reprocess STL in Insight and redownload to system Display Panel displays Can t Find Home Check Substrate Verify a plastic modeling base substrate is inserted Plastic modeling base may be used or defective Replace it Display Panel displays Communication lost at HR MN UCT The system stopp...

Page 57: ...ished cooling the only option displayed is Continue Press Continue and the system reboots and tries to return to normal operation If pressing Continue does not recover the system the system should be power cycled using the red power switch on the right side of the system See Cycling Power on page 31 wait 60 seconds before switching power on again In most cases you will be able to continue operatio...

Page 58: ...m Idle enter Head Maintenance A Using the keypad press Maintenance B Press Next The head will come to rest in the center of the chamber and the Z Platform will change position Choose Head Maintenance 4 Determine if there is an extrusion problem by pressing Forward command will be available after Head reaches operating temperature Watch both tips for several seconds looking for extrusion material p...

Page 59: ...rocedure before performing any of the work 1 Enter Head Maintenance mode From Idle press Maintenance then Next then Head Maintenance 2 With the Phillips head screwdriver provided in the Startup Kit release the two screws securing the head assembly see Figure 18 the screws require only turn to release Swing open the front half of the head NOTE You may feel resistance when you swing open the front h...

Page 60: ... extruding into the filament guide rollers Do so for about three seconds B If the purge was successful i Continue to run both filament motors forward and slowly swivel the head closed Be careful to not pinch the filament or the head wiring when closing the head ii Once the head is closed tighten both of the swivel head screws turn iii Verify material continues to extrude through both tips for an a...

Page 61: ...comes through the back of the head Pull the filament from the head while inserting the cartridge Once the cartridge latches pull an additional 6 inches of filament through the head to make sure the filament is not caught at the cartridge receiver Then snip the filament approximately 1 inch from the fixed part of the head 5 Remove the filament from both drive block assemblies if there is enough to ...

Page 62: ...k assemblies to check for buildup C Set the drive block assembly on the material cartridge D Remove the model drive block assembly the same way 7 With the drive blocks removed look through both filament guide funnels for obstructions If an obstruction is present clear the drive block obstruction A Remove the filament guide funnel Use the 7 64 Allen wrench provided in the Startup Kit to remove the ...

Page 63: ...inlet tube and the support inlet funnel covering the support liquefier inlet tube Figure 22 i If material is extended out from the inlet tube a Gently remove material with the bronze brush or needle nose pliers if necessary b Inspect for damage to the inlet tube ii If material is extended out from the support inlet funnel a Gently remove material with the bronze brush or needle nose pliers if nece...

Page 64: ...ove this material unless it interferes with reinstallation of the inlet funnel d Inspect for damage to the support inlet tube e Replace the liquefier inlet funnel Figure 22 Inspecting the support liquefier inlet funnel and model liquefier 9 Clean the inside of the liquefier inlet tubes Carefully insert a 1 16 Allen wrench into the liquefier inlet tubes and gently push forward until it stops about ...

Page 65: ... to verify material is extruding through both liquefiers B If the filament does not extrude i Stop the motors and return to Step 4 ii If after two tries the material fails to extrude call your service provider C If the purge was successful continue to run both filament motors forward and slowly swivel the head closed D Once the head is closed tighten both turn screws CAUTION Be careful not to pinc...

Page 66: ...material continues to extrude through both tips for an additional 30 seconds and then press Stop to halt extrusion F Push Done The panel displays Is material loaded G Press Yes The panel displays Exiting maintenance and you can resume normal operation ...

Page 67: ...Troubleshooting 67 FDM 200mc User Guide ...

Page 68: ...7665 Commerce Way Eden Prairie MN 55344 USA Telephone 952 937 3000 Fax 952 937 0070 E mail support stratasys com Web Site www stratasys com Stratasys Document 105833 0007 ...