3D Systems DuraForm TPU Elastomer Installation Manual - Original Instructions Download Page 1

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DuraForm® TPU Elastomer

Material Guide

Original Instuctions

3D SYSTEMS, INC.

75-D059 REV_A

Summary of Contents for DuraForm TPU Elastomer

Page 1: ...DuraForm TPU Elastomer Material Guide Original Instuctions 3D SYSTEMS INC 75 D059 REV_A ...

Page 2: ...le and Offset Print 4 Calculating Scale Offset Values 4 SETTING UP A PRINT 4 Build Setup Tips 4 Orienting STL Files 5 Fine Feature Definition 5 Laser Beam Offsets 5 Feature Strength 5 Surface Finish 5 PART PLACEMENT AND ORIENTATION GUIDELINES 6 Cylinders 6 Triangles 6 Cross sections 6 Duplicating 7 Features and Stair stepping 7 Closed Boxes Cylinders andShapes 7 Nesting 7 Mating Surfaces 7 BEFORE ...

Page 3: ... to observe a print 12 Problem Description Format 12 BONUS Z 13 CLUMPING 13 CRACKING OF PRINT BED 14 CRYSTALS ANDCONDENSATION 14 CURLING DURING PRINT 14 CURLING POST PRINT 15 GLAZING DURING PRINT 16 GROWTH 16 MELTING PRINT BED 17 MISSED SCAN 17 ORANGE PEEL 18 POWDER FLUFF 18 RIPPLES FEED BED 18 SHORT FEEDS 19 STRAY VECTORS 19 WASH OUT 20 5 APPENDIX A LEGAL NOTICES 21 COPYRIGHT AND CORPORATE IDENTI...

Page 4: ...een designed for and tested in 3D Systems sPro 60 SLS system Caution Using any material other than those certified by 3D Systems may cause health hazards and may limit the warranty of the SLS system HOW THE DURAFORM TPU ELASTOMER PROCESS WORKS The DuraForm TPU Elastomer material process has the followingcharacteristics The material is heated to slightly below its melting point NOTE The temperature...

Page 5: ...ach successive cross section of the print NOTE Laser power settings vary depending on the desired print output Front cut view of print chamber during the printstage Potential Print Problems Excessive laser energy will affect material outside the cross section of the part and cause growth Insufficient laser energy does not fuse the parts completely which results in porous weak parts If the print be...

Page 6: ...stage depends on the size of the print A larger print will take longer to cool down When this stage ends the material and the SLS system are still hot Printed parts will be easier to break out when the part cake is still warm and when the surface of the print cake is at or above 50 C Please refer to the Customer Information Bulletin Tips Info document for more detailed information You may contact ...

Page 7: ...oth print and feed beds will vary due to sensor variations and customer specific requirements The Laser Power Set point can affect part durability and elongation Refer to the DuraForm TPU Elastomer Customer Information Bulletin Tips Info for a list of tested laser powers and expected mechanical results NOTE 3D Systems recommends monitoring the build until you develop the appropriate operating cond...

Page 8: ...part towards the inside features like posts become smaller and holes become larger Beam offset is performed on each slice of the part as it is sliced The beam offset values are set using the following offset parameters X Fill Offset Y Fill Offset X Outline Offset and Y Outline Offset These parameters are set using the Scale Offset Editor in Print Build Setup If offset values are too large very sma...

Page 9: ... the roller motion and that the base of the triangle is not facing the top This offers less resistance to the material as it flows across the print bed thus reducing the possibility of shifting and will result in a flatter base Cross sections Larger cross sections should be placed in the upper part of the print to reduce the occurrence of post print curl If the cross section covers more than half ...

Page 10: ... You can nest smaller parts within larger ones to utilize more of the print area as long as the smaller parts can be removed after printing If you nest parts you should maintain a minimum clearance of 0 25 inches 6 35mm between the closest walls of each part The part containing the nested parts should always be oriented with the open side up Orientation for Duplicating Orientation for Nesting Mati...

Page 11: ... RESTARTING A TERMINATED PRINT If a print has been terminated you likely will not be able to successfully restart it The thermal conditions necessary for DuraForm TPU Elastomer material generally does not allow for successful restarts of terminated prints BUILD REMOVAL 1 Move the part piston and the feed beds approximately 20 mm 0 8 inches below their current positions 2 Open the chamber door Remo...

Page 12: ... particles from the used powder Blending adds new particles of appropriate size Blending also helps combat the changes in material melt viscosity of the used powder by creating a final blend with uniform material melt viscosity that shows less variance from blend to blend Both DuraForm TPU Elastomer part cake powder and overflow powder need to be sieved through a 70 Tensile Bolt Cloth screen BLEND...

Page 13: ...iff bristled brush Various hand tools for cleaning holes and crevices CLEANING PROCEDURES To clean a DuraForm TPU Elastomer part 1 Remove the print cake from the printchamber 2 Brush away all loose material to expose the part 3 Use appropriate hand tools to remove all remaining material in corners and holes 4 Using a glass bead media blaster at 4 8 bar 70 psi hold the part approximately 127 mm 5 i...

Page 14: ...e airborne during handling For conditions where exposure to dust is likely 3D Systems recommends a NIOSH approved dust respirator for dust appropriate to the airborne concentration Such conditions might include handling of material at the SLS system or the Breakout Station BOS MATERIAL STORAGE AND DISPOSAL This section contains storage information for DuraForm TPU Elastomer as well as disposal ins...

Page 15: ...the print Your profiling will become more accurate through observation As your profiling becomes more accurate the need for future observation will become less frequent Problem Description Format You will find the following information about each issue Description Explains the problem and provides a visual representation of it The description includes such things as where and when the problem migh...

Page 16: ...er Theory of Cause This is usually the result of one of thefollowing Improperly sifted recycled material Overheating the material in the feed beds Contaminants in the compressed air or air line Visual Signs The roller pushes clumps across the print bed which may cause streaks to appear after the roller passes Consequences Material does not feed properly causing poor quality parts Improper material...

Page 17: ...slight amount of condensation will probably form on the laser window every print If the condensation is extremely heavy across the entire window call 3D Systems Customer Service this may indicate a problem with the SLS system CURLING DURING PRINT Description Edges or corners of the print rise above the print bed surface Theory of Cause During the print temperature differences in different regions ...

Page 18: ...uried during the Print stage excessive cooling rates and thermal gradients produce unbalanced stresses in it Excessive cooling rates usually occur on parts printed first in a print job the parts at the lowest Z levels You may also have removed the print from the print chamber prematurely Visual Signs The final part is not flat You cannot observe this until the part is broken out Consequences Curle...

Page 19: ...e it will affect the print setpoints through the next several inches There are several actions you can take to prevent glazing In the Print Parameters Profile reduce the Part Heater setpoint In the Warm up stage of the Print Profile ramping the heater setpoints Use Offline Calibration to make sure IR sensor is calibrated See Offline IR Calibration on page 4 If you have performed all the preceding ...

Page 20: ...ust the thermocouples Related Problems Cracking of Print Bed on page 14 Crystals and Condensation on page 14 Glazing During Print on page 14 MISSED SCAN Description The laser does not completely scan the fill area in a part Theory of Cause The STL file is incorrect This problem is not material related Visual Signs You can observe that the scanned area is incorrect Consequences The part geometry is...

Page 21: ...ds during the initial part of the build If you adjust the feed distance in the warm up stage to compensate for short feeds you may experience excessive powder feeds toward the end of the build if you do not change the feed distances Consequences Powder fluff causes short feeds Corrective Action Take one of the followingactions Vary the Left Right Feed Distance parameters in the Build Profile to ov...

Page 22: ...incorrect The vertices of the facet do not meet This isnot material related Visual Signs The laser scans an area in the cross section that it should not scan This usually results in one or more lines connecting the fill areas Consequences Stray vectors make it more difficult to clean and break out parts Corrective Action Prior to beginning the print check the STL file for stray vectors usingthe Pr...

Page 23: ...ll slots fill in with melted material Otherwise wash out is observed on parts after breakout Consequences The part features become rounded mostly on the downward facing surfaces Wash out may be followed by growth If you correct part wash out early enough you can continue the print with little observable growth however you can still observe wash out in the finished part Corrective Action Reduce the...

Page 24: ...e in all conditions Notwithstanding any information provided by 3D Systems or its affiliates the customer remains fully responsible for determining which federal state or local laws or regulations or industry practices are relevant to activities in which it engages as well as assuring that those laws regulations or standards are complied with under actual operating conditions and 3D Systems undert...

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