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User manual FELIX 3.0 3d printer

7

Software

This chapter describes the supplied software in more detail. The goal is to give you more insight in how
to set it up for different kind of printable objects.

7.1

Repetier- Host

Repetier-host is an open-source software and is supplied software with our printers. The version
distributed from our website is optimized for the FELIXprinter.

The software in general has the following functions.

-

Control the printer. Move axes, set temperatures, alter settings.

-

Prepare CAD (STL) files for printing. This process is called slicing.

Both will be explained in the following sub chapters.

7.1.1

Slicers

The slicers prepare your CAD STL-file printing. It basically cuts your object in layers and determines what
paths to travel each layer to create the object.
There are three slicing programs embedded in repetier-host that can be used:

-

CuraEngine (recommended)

-

Slic3r

-

SFACT

For all slicer we have created optimized profiles for your FELIXprinter and they are described in more
detail below.

7.1.1.1

CuraEngine

In the slicer-tab, you’ll find the CuraEngine slicer with its settings. The screenshot below shows how it
looks like and the available options.

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Summary of Contents for FELIX 3.0

Page 1: ...etary information that is protected by copyright No part of this document may be photocopied reproduced or translated to another language without the prior written consent of FELIXrobotics BV FELIXrobotics BV Gessel 4a 3454MZ de Meern The Netherlands Copyright 2014 FELIXrobotics BV AUGUST 8 2014 ...

Page 2: ..._____ 30 7 1 2 3 Assign an extruder to an object _____________________________________________________________________________________ 31 7 2 Kisslicer __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 34 7 2 1 Make a dual extrusion print _______________________________________________________________________________________________ ...

Page 3: ...uctions carefully and take your time to get familiar with the product Please don t take any shortcuts unless you know what you re doing It s better to spend a few minutes extra on reading than to wait a week for new parts When things are unclear or if you have any remarks or tips please contact us at support FELIXprinters com We also recommend looking on our forum and getting yourself a forum acco...

Page 4: ...iameter 0 35 mm Mechanical Chassis Aluminum profiles Software Build platform Aluminum sandwich plate Software Bundle RepetierHost CuraEngine Slic3r Skeinforge SFACT Kisslicer XY Bearings Linear ball bearings File Types STL gcode Z bearing Linear ball bearings Supports Windows XP and newer Stepper Motors 1 8 deg angle 1 16 micro stepping Linux Ubuntu 12 04 Mac OS X 10 6 10 7 10 8 Physical Dimension...

Page 5: ...t via computer interface Never move the axis at a high rate by hand because the motors could act like a generator similar to your bicycle and potentially damage the electronics of the board 3 1 1 Step 1 Y direction Calibrate the table in the y direction 1 Move the X axis carriage extruder close to the homing sensor as shown above and move the table up until approximately 1 mm from the hot end 2 Mo...

Page 6: ...t range slowly 6 Move the X axis carriage over its movement range slowly While moving check the distance between the hot end and bed If the distance is not even adjust it with the nut which supports the middle of the table 7 Move the table a little closer to the hot end and repeat the previous step to more precisely determine the distance between the hot end and the table over the whole length You...

Page 7: ...t might be required 3 Make sure the bottom bolts are gently fastened with an equal amount of torque 4 Is the height of both hot ends equal If not do the following checks to see what could be the cause If the hot end tips have a different height it could be that during assembly of the hot ends the parts were not fastened with an equal amount of torque or that the tolerances are out of spec with one...

Page 8: ... Process your CAD files STL files and make them printable To install Repetier Host on your PC take the following steps 1 Download the latest version of Repetier Host from www FELIXprinters com downloads Navigate to the software folder and download setupRepetierHostFELIXprinters exe 2 Run the setupRepetierHostFELIXprinters exe file and follow the installation instructions During installation it wil...

Page 9: ...the COM port which belongs to your printer If no port shows up it could because of the following your printer might not be plugged into the USB port The driver is not installed or currently installing by windows If this is not the case please install the driver manually according to next chapter ...

Page 10: ...matically with Windows update a If the drivers are not found automatically then download drivers from here http www ftdichip com Drivers VCP htm 4 Windows 7 Right click on Computer in the Start Menu then select Properties In the left pane click Device Manager On Windows 8 the Device Manager is accessible directly from the Windows menu Note what COM port is present If there are more than one COM po...

Page 11: ...Main Software platform to upload firmware to the printer FELIXprinter firmware check the revision of the printer Contains printer settings for correct operation of your FELIXprinter Steps to upload new firmware to the control board 1 Download the latest firmware here http www felixprinters com downloads index php path firmware Be sure to download the printer firmware that matches your printer vers...

Page 12: ...work It needs the voltage of the purple wire to drive the logic of the board The power to the rest of the board is controlled by the CPU when needed 2 Plug in the USB cable into the computer 3 Download Mac drivers from http www ftdichip com Drivers VCP htm 4 Download repetier software dmg file from http www repetier com download or from http shop felixprinters com downloads index php path software...

Page 13: ...ip file containing 1 folder with 2 subfolders sfact and sfact_profiles 8 Copy sub folder sfact_profiles to Macintosh H 9 Copy the sfact sub folder to Applications folder where the Repetier Host app is as well 10 Open the Repetier Host Mac Application and go to Printer Settings 11 Configure printer settings ...

Page 14: ...rge 13 Click Browse to direct to the correct files Application Applications sfact sfact py Craft Utility Applications sfact skeinforge_application skeinforge_utilities skeinforge_craft py Python Interpreter usr bin pythonw Python Interpreter Applications Repetier Host Mac app Contents Resources pypy app bin pypy Profiles Directory sfact_profiles profiles ...

Page 15: ...Page 14 support FELIXprinters com www FELIXprinters com User manual FELIX 3 0 3d printer ...

Page 16: ...utton which is on the side of the electronics case next to the SD card and USB sockets 2 Go to the manual control tab This looks different on the Mac but has the same functionality 3 Now it is time to calibrate the z height When doing the following steps hold your hands on the power switch of the power supply Flip the switch if something goes wrong Press the Power button This will turn on the powe...

Page 17: ...possible stroke Move the complete part a little bit up and press Home Z again Repeat this process until the table is approx 3 mm from the nozzle Now fix the bracket to the frame and start homing again Repeat this procedure to get the nozzle closer and closer by turning the little screw as shown in the picture above Do this a couple of times until the distance is less than the thickness of a piece ...

Page 18: ...re several options available All have their strengths In the Repetier Host application there are three slicers embedded CuraEngine recommended Slic3r SFACT Used in the previous Repetier Host versions Next to that we also recommend an external slicing program called Kisslicer This program generates at the time of writing the best gcode files for dual extrusion and also very good code for single ext...

Page 19: ... com User manual FELIX 3 0 3d printer After slicing you ll see a preview of the generated g code Also note the printing time it will take approx 15 minutes to finish this object You have now sliced your first object and are ready to go to the next step ...

Page 20: ...ly with the supplied tweezers The heated bed surface is clean and degreased When all axes are homed the hot end is not touching the table Make sure the table is moved at least 10mm away from the extruder tip and insert the supplied PLA filament in the extruder Run the extruder until a steady flow of plastic comes out NOTE When there is not a continuous flow coming out of the nozzle make sure the e...

Page 21: ...ading at chapter 7 IMPORTANT To keep the hot end running as long as possible let the filament run through a dust collector like a small piece of sponge The filament picks quite a lot of dust due to static charge or dirt from the factory This will all enter the hot end and partially stick in there and finally clog the nozzle When this happens the hot end needs to be cleaned out while hot from both ...

Page 22: ...axes set temperatures alter settings Prepare CAD STL files for printing This process is called slicing Both will be explained in the following sub chapters 7 1 1 Slicers The slicers prepare your CAD STL file printing It basically cuts your object in layers and determines what paths to travel each layer to create the object There are three slicing programs embedded in repetier host that can be used...

Page 23: ...ded to choose brim or in very special cases the raft to get extra adhesion Quality Quality here means basically layer height of each printed layer The finer the layer height the more detailed the printed object will be For reference the 100 micron layer height is the same as the thickness of a human hair We recommend to use the 150micron which is a nice tradeoff between quality and print time The ...

Page 24: ...t extruded filament is actively cooled to ensure conservation of details especially useful for detailed objects Filament settings Choose for each extruder the filament type you have currently in the extruder You can easily change settings of a selected profile if they still don t fit your needs just click the configuration button X_1_No support No support material is generated Part is printed as i...

Page 25: ... number is a 1 So for instance 1_1_Normal Quality 200 micron This enables single head mode Printer settings Choose FELIX 3 0 Single 2 Dual head printing Print settings choose one of the qualities with where the second number in the print settings is a 2 So for instance 1_2_Normal Quality 200 micron enables dual head mode Printer settings Choose FELIX 3 0 Duo This will print support material with t...

Page 26: ...rn of the infill Solid infill pattern patter of the infill for the bottom and top of the object 7 1 1 3 SFACT This slicer is an old slicer and has been used for older versions of Repetier Host This slicer is only able to generate g code for single extrusion It is the slowest of them all but is very reliable There is a large choice of slicing profiles For the first test it is recommended that you c...

Page 27: ...ng more just click the question mark button as indicated in the figure below X_1_No support No support material is generated Part is printed as imported In this example not recommended X_2_Exterior support Automatic support material generated outside of the object X_4_Full support raft Automatic support material generated outside and inside of the object a raft to ensure good contact with the heat...

Page 28: ... hot ends are calibrated correctly to have the same height and that you just finished assembling your DIY kit 1 Make sure you have the latest dual extrusion firmware loaded Download it here www felixprinters com downloads 2 Prepare the Repetier Host interface for dual extrusion Select your printer 3 Print test_thinwall_v3 gcode with extruder 1 a Go to repetier interface and select extruder 1 Heat ...

Page 29: ...ut the calibration_dual_extruder_v4 gcode file as shown below In this print 2 layers of squares are printed Layer one is printed with extruder 1 and layer 2 is printed with extruder 2 and shifted slightly wrt layer 1 a Check which squares fit best in x and y direction note the calibration values b Fill in these values like the pictures below The default values already present in the settings are 1...

Page 30: ...ligned on top of each other If not perfectly aligned repeat the process and add the new found calibration values to the previously found values 7 If this is successful you are done with the calibration and you can now successfully print with your dual head printer 8 On our webpage a pre sliced dual head print file is available which will print a part of the accessories set of the printer http shop...

Page 31: ...uder 2 Your filament type loaded Press slice this should be the result The white colored lines are the support material and the blue lines are the object itself Next to the object you see a square tower this is used to clean the nozzle when switching Slicer 2 SLIC3R Print Setting x_2_ Quality micron Printer Settings Felix 3 0 DUO Extruder 1 Your filament type loaded Extruder 2 Your filament type l...

Page 32: ...jects in a single print with different extruders You basically need two STL files which are created in the same coordinate system and with exact needed distance with respect to each other For this example two simple parts are created see picture below In Repetier Host open the two files It should now look like this Select demo_pt2 and drag it into object group 2 It looks like this ...

Page 33: ...ons Option 1 CuraEngine Goto the Slicer tab and select at least the following Print Configuration 1_FELIX_3_0_Dual_Head_Mode Then press the Slice button The result should look something like this The left is a square used for purging when switching from one extruder to the other Option 2 Slic3r Choose the slic3r slicer and select some of the following Print settings x_2_x_Quality x micron ...

Page 34: ...printers com www FELIXprinters com User manual FELIX 3 0 3d printer Printer Settings Felix 3 0 Duo Disable the override checkbox Then press the slice button It should now look like this After slicing press the print button ...

Page 35: ...enable dual extrusion a license needs to be obtained from www kisslicer com The software is able to generate single and dual extrusion gcode The program is able to create support material with the second extruder This can be beneficial because it can print the support material with a different material or the same material with a different temperature The following steps will guide you through the...

Page 36: ...upport FELIXprinters com www FELIXprinters com User manual FELIX 3 0 3d printer Press slice Check results Select this to see g code preview Estimated print time Move slider to scroll to each layer in the g code ...

Page 37: ... material How to use the second extruder to print a selected object 7 2 2 1 Support material with second extruder Load a STL file which requires support material to print properly Choose a quality it is recommended to start with normal quality Support type Normal Dual extrusion Printer FELIX 3 0 Dual Extruder Inside the printer tab goto extruder material and choose the materials currently loaded i...

Page 38: ... This is the result The white lines are the support material and the other colors are the object itself Next to the object there is a prime pillar This functions as a wipe tower and also primes the extruder when switching to the new extruder To print the generated gcode press Save Then open it in repetier host or place it on a microSD card for directly printing it on your printer ...

Page 39: ...ed two STL files which are created in the same coordinate system and with exact needed distance with respect to each other For this example two simple parts were created see picture below Press the open button Assumed is that you configured the slicing settings as in previous section for dual extrusion Select two STL files at once In this case the demo parts are used Click on the model in the righ...

Page 40: ... 3 0 3d printer Close the window and it will look like this Press slice button See the red accentuated parts to see what each extruder will print You can now save the file and open it in repetier host or put it straight on a microSD card to print it directly on your printer ...

Page 41: ...nter can be fully controlled with the display unit The menu structure is displayed below We will describe each block and show some workflows for the most used functions Press the rotary button to go from display mode to the top menu A cursor indicates the current menu selection turn the knob to move up or down and press it to select an item ...

Page 42: ...k settings Preheat PLA go back Print File wait till desired temperatures are reached select the file to print 8 2 Workflow to stop or pause a print It is possible to stop or pause a print This is useful to for instance change filament or to just abort a running print due to failure Pause a print Main menu SD Card Pause print Stop a print Main menu SD Card Stop print 8 3 Switch filament This step e...

Page 43: ...ers the amount of filament extruded compared to the calculated values Line 4 Status information Main menu Quick Settings Links to submenu with often used settings Print File If an SD card is present you can select and print it Make sure the temperatures of the hot ends and bed are at the desired values already Position Change the positions of the axes Extruder Move and control the extruder Fan spe...

Page 44: ... a good filament guiding The basic parts are provided in the kit but the plastic parts have to be printed only for the DIY kits Accessories for the printer can be downloaded and printed out here http shop felixprinters com downloads index php path print_files 2Faccessoires 2FF3_0 9 1 Filament cleaner mechanism Push the white filament cleaner discs into the black part and click it into the frame Pu...

Page 45: ...e filament roll off smoothly from the spool and to prevent knots during printing Steps to install the vertical filament roll off mechanism Mount the clickable part For more spools just print out another one and mount it like below The part can be downloaded here http shop felixprinters com downloads index php path print_files 2Faccessoires 2FF3_0 2F dow nload filament_arm_v5 gcode ...

Page 46: ...g printing Steps to install the filament roll off mechanism 1 Press the large bearing there are two needed for dual extruder printers into the printed part first Pliers could be needed Break away the thin flange of the part below The flange was used to get better adhesion to the heated bed 2 The relation of the parts for the filament roll off mechanism 3 Place the parts onto the frame Notice how t...

Page 47: ... for 100mm The high speed prevents development of a long string which can potentially jam the hot end Now extrude the new filament 70mm at a time at low speed 200mm min until filament comes out of the nozzle 2 Feed through In this method filament is cut off near the extruder Cut the filament off as straight as possible The new filament will push it down if the cut is not straight the new filament ...

Page 48: ...Page 47 support FELIXprinters com www FELIXprinters com User manual FELIX 3 0 3d printer 11 Slicers in more detail ...

Page 49: ... will make the filament decompose and contaminate the inside of the nozzle Do not leave the hot end heated for hours The filament might decompose after leaving it at high temperatures leaving a layer of contaminants behind in the hot end nozzle Use good quality filament 12 2 Cleaning To ensure good bed adhesion of prints we recommend cleaning the heating bed with spirit alcohol thinner or nail pol...

Page 50: ...t be between 15 and 30 degC 4 Filament quality within tolerance Check if the filament diameter is within the 1 6 to 1 8mm Sometimes filament substance is not consistent try different filament to see if it solves the issue 5 Are all bolts to assemble the extruder tightened sufficiently Make sure bolts are all tightened sufficiently 6 Extruder arm tension OK The extruder arm must be able to exert en...

Page 51: ... the whole surface If this is the case try to bend the bed by hand Make sure you don t introduce forces into the bearing of the y axis 7 Dual extrusion Do both extruder heads have the same height Another possibility for dual extrusion printers is that the two hot ends are not leveled closely enough relative to each other This can cause the lower hot end to adhere to filament deposited by the other...

Page 52: ...cters are displayed on the screen Make sure connector is placed correctly on control board Lighting is on but no characters are displayed Contrast of the display is not set up correctly Turn the potentiometer on the FELIXprinters electronics board according to the assembly manual Strange characters displayed Contact FELIXprinters to obtain a replacement LCD screen ...

Page 53: ... end wearing heat resistant gloves is recommended 8 Only operate the FELIXprinter in a sufficiently ventilated environment fumes from ABS and PLA aren t toxic but can cause respiratory irritation 9 Don t lean on the FELIXprinter when it is operating 10 Make sure all moving parts can move without any obstructions 11 Don t remove any objects from the hot plate while the printer is still printing obj...

Page 54: ...e fixed and perpendicular to bracket 7 Check if washers are present under the 4 m3 bolts to mount y axis rail Without washers the rail cannot be fixed properly 8 Make sure M4x25 bolts are used for tensioning mechanism of x and y axes 9 Hot end must be flat on extruder base 10 Hot ends have the same height only for dual extrusion 11 Hot end should be firmly in place no movement rocking is allowed a...

Page 55: ...ruder 1 NOTE Following prints are only needed for Dual extruder printer 25 00_test_thinwall_v3_export gcode print small test with extruder 1 26 06_cover_dual_extruder_V7 gcode with extruder 2 27 NOTE Before printing this make sure extruder cover is already mounted 01_calibration_dual_extruder gcode calibrate distance between nozzles 28 04_print_assy_felix_accessoires_dual_extruder gcode print acce...

Page 56: ...Page 55 support FELIXprinters com www FELIXprinters com User manual FELIX 3 0 3d printer 16Appendix Electronic schematics ...

Page 57: ...m Water Carbon dioxide CO2 Dry chemical Alcohol resistant foams are preferred if available General purpose synthetic foams including AFFF or protein foams may function but much less effectively Extinguishing media which must not be used for safety reasons No information available Hazardous decomposition products Burning produces obnoxious and toxic fumes Aldehydes Carbon monoxide CO carbon dioxide...

Page 58: ...gestion LD50 oral rat 5000 mg kg Ecological Information Bioaccumulation Does not bioaccumulate Inherently biodegradable Ecotoxicity effects EC50 72h algae 1100 mg L Disposal Considerations Waste from residues unused products In accordance with local and national regulations Do not contaminate ponds waterways or ditches with chemical or used container Contact manufacturer THE COMPANY HAS NO CONTROL...

Page 59: ...ic conveying and other mechanical handling operations can generate combustible dust To reduce the potential for dust explosions do not permit dust to accumulate Dense smoke is produced when product burns Hazardous Combustion Products During a fire smoke may contain the original material in addition to combustion products of varying composition which may be toxic and or irritating Combustion produc...

Page 60: ...anticipated by skin absorption Estimated LD50 Rabbit 2 000 mg kg Inhalation No adverse effects are anticipated from single exposure to dust Vapors fumes released during thermal processing may cause respiratory irritation Repeated Dose Toxicity Additives are encapsulated in the product and are not expected to be released under normal processing conditions or foreseeable emergency Ecological Informa...

Page 61: ...ge 60 support FELIXprinters com www FELIXprinters com User manual FELIX 3 0 3d printer 18Appendix Symbol and indicatorlights explanation Symbol indicator Explanation Warning High temperatures Pinch hazard ...

Page 62: ...delivered to your delivery address or possession c If you refuse or neglect to take delivery of the Products FELIXprinters reserves the right to charge you for the reasonable cost of storing and shipping the Products until delivery can be made d If delivery to you should fail for any reason outside of FELIXprinters s control FELIXprinters reserves the right to cancel the purchase agreement and ref...

Page 63: ...oduct manual s or written materials may not be copied except for your own use You may not copy download upload or in any other way reproduce Content except for creating one copy solely for backup or archival purposes You do not acquire ownership of the Software or Content e You acknowledge and agree that the Products were developed at considerable time and expense by FELIXprinters and are confiden...

Page 64: ...tion with any warranties granted by FELIXprinters hereunder 10 Limitation of Liability a NEITHER FELIXPRINTERS NOR ITS SUPPLIERS SHALL BE LIABLE TO YOU OR TO ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY INDIRECT INCIDENTAL CONSEQUENTIAL SPECIAL PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES INCLUDING IN EACH CASE BUT NOT LIMITED TO DAMAGES FOR THE INABILITY TO USE OR ACCESS THE PRODUCTS LOSS OF DATA LOSS OF BUSINESS LOSS OF PROFITS BU...

Page 65: ...ceable or illegal the other provisions shall continue in full force and effect You and FELIXprinters are deemed to have agreed to new terms and conditions in substitution for such invalid provisions These new terms and conditions shall be interpreted as regards their contents and effect as closely as possible to the original text as written but in such a way that rights can indeed be derived from ...

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