Stratasys Dimension Elite User Manual Download Page 20

16

Installing software

There are two software programs that work with the printer:

1. 

CatalystEX, installed on your workstation, processes the STL files for printing and communicates 

with the printer from your workstation. 

2. 

System software, the operating software installed on the printer, controls printer functions.

Installing CatalystEX:

1. 

Locate the CatalystEX CD from startup kit and insert into workstation (PC).

2. 

Click the 

Install

 

CatalystEX:

 

button.

3. 

Follow prompts to finish loading CatalystEX on the workstation.

Installing System Software to the workstation:

1. 

Insert the

 

System Software CD into the CD drive of your workstation.

2. 

Click the 

Install 

button to load system software to your workstation. You will be asked to load 

this software to your printer later.

3. 

Follow prompts to finish installing system software on the workstation.

4. 

Install system software to the printer, see 

“Installing System Software on printer” on page 19

Establishing network communication with the printer

You will need to establish network communication between your workstation and printer before 

you can send files to be built. How you establish this communication with an IP address is 

dependent upon how your network and workstation are configured. If your network is configured 

for DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), your DHCP server will automatically assign a 

Dynamic IP address to your printer. This is the default setting for your printer and commonly used in 

large networks.  In some situations you may need to manually enter a Static IP address for your 

printer and record the IP address in the CatalystEX software.  Static IP addresses are frequently 

used for smaller networks or for direct connection between your workstation and printer. Follow the 

instructions below to configure your workstation and network.

Establishing communication on a dynamic network:

If you are on a dynamic network (or not sure of your network type) follow these steps to allow 

CatalystEX to find your printer and establish communication.

1. 

Connect a network cable between the printer and a network hub.

2. 

Make sure the printer is ON and determine the Unique Device Name (UDN) for your printer.

a. 

From 

Idle

 (or 

Ready to Build

), press 

Maintenance

 on the display 

panel. The display will show 

Maintenance

 and the software version.

b. 

From the display panel press 

System

.

c. 

From the display panel press 

Set Network

. The top window will 

display: 

Network Admin - Dynamic IP Address; UDN

.

d. 

The Unique Device Name (UDN) for your printer is listed here. This 

is preset at the factory and cannot be changed.

3. 

From your workstation, start CatalystEX.

4. 

From the 

General

 tab, click the 

Manage 3D Printers

 

button.

5. 

Click the 

Add from Network

 

button in the lower right corner of the window.

Summary of Contents for Dimension Elite

Page 1: ...204400 0005 Dimension Elite 3D Printer User Guide...

Page 2: ...ES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE Stratasys Inc shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing pe...

Page 3: ...the printer 16 Installing System Software on printer 19 Insert Modeling Base 20 Verifying Tip Depth 21 4 Operation 23 Display Panel and Keypad 23 System software overview 24 CatalystEX overview 25 Pr...

Page 4: ...ion codes 46 Exporting printer configuration cfg file 46 Cycling power 47 Loss of Extrusion 47 7 Support 53 8 Recycling 54 9 Printer Specifications 55 Physical specifications 55 Facility specification...

Page 5: ...lus plastic so modeled parts are strong and durable ABSplus also ensures that you will be able to drill tap sand and paint your creations With the speed and convenience of Soluble Support Technology c...

Page 6: ...he power supply voltage specified on the nameplate Avoid overloading the printer s electrical outlet with multiple devices Ensure the printer is well grounded Failure to ground the printer may result...

Page 7: ...face sign indicates the presence of devices with high tem peratures Always use extra care and wear safety gloves when working around heated components Gloves When performing some maintenance procedure...

Page 8: ...to build a part quickly for design verification or you can choose a finer setting for higher quality surface detail The Dimension Elite system consists of two primary components the Dimension Elite 3D...

Page 9: ...upport material cartridge 2 Extrusion tips 8 Tip wipe assembly 3 Guide rods 9 Display panel 4 Lead screw 10 Purge container 5 Z stage platen 1 1 Modeling base 6 Model material cartidge 12 Modeling bas...

Page 10: ...6 Figure 2 Rear view 1 Fan cover 4 UPS connection 2 Circuit breaker 5 Diagnostic connection 3 AC power input 6 RJ 45 Network cable connection 1 2 3 4 5 6...

Page 11: ...Figure 4 Modeling base CAUTION DO NOT reuse modeling bases If a modeling base is reused calibration errors poor part quality and loss of extrusion may occur Additional modeling bases are available fro...

Page 12: ...er Cord U S 14 Bronze Brush 4 Crossover Cable Orange 15 Glue Brush 5 Network Cable Blue 16 Needle Nose Pliers 6 Tip Shroud 17 Cutters 7 Flicker x5 18 Allen Wrench Set 8 Flicker Brush 19 Dimension Syst...

Page 13: ...and tape 8 Remove the foam tubes that isolate the extrusion head from the frame see Figure 6 WARNING The printer weighs approximately 128 kg 282 lbs Use proper moving and lifting techniques when posi...

Page 14: ...10 Figure 6 Foam tubes isolating the extrusion head from the XY axis frame 9 After unpacking inspect the printer and report any shipping damage to the carrier Foam Tubes 2 Extrusion Head Foam Tubes 2...

Page 15: ...ht side fork lift covers with the forklift channel and slide the tabs into the slots See Figure 7 Figure 7 Installing the forklift access covers 2 Push the forklift covers in until they are flush with...

Page 16: ...Connecting through a network 3 Establish communication see Establishing communication on a dynamic network on page 16 if you have a dynamic network or see Establishing communication on a static netwo...

Page 17: ...nded electrical outlet as shown in Figure 1 1 If using a Uninterrupted Power Supply UPS connect the cord directly into the UPS 2 Connect the female end of the power cord directly into the rear of the...

Page 18: ...Figure 12 Figure 12 Location of circuit breaker WARNING The 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 re...

Page 19: ...minutes to warm up before you can perform any functions Temperatures are factory preset and not adjustable The panel displays the head and envelope temperatures while the system is warming up and cool...

Page 20: ...or DHCP Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol your DHCP server will automatically assign a Dynamic IP address to your printer This is the default setting for your printer and commonly used in large netw...

Page 21: ...network in Windows XP 1 From your workstation open the Control Panel and double click on Network Connections 2 Right click on Local Area Connection and then left click on Properties 3 Select Internet...

Page 22: ...e IP address should be different from the workstation the default gateway and subnet mask should match the workstation Enter the IP address default gateway and subnet mask 1 1 Click on the OK button w...

Page 23: ...window 2 If your printer is not displayed in the Add 3D Printer window you will need to add the printer IP address manually a From the General tab click the Manage 3D Printers button b Click the Add...

Page 24: ...modeling base toward the back of the unit until its front edge with the handle is flush with the front edge of the tray see Figure 14 Secure the base with the two retainers by turning them up Figure...

Page 25: ...ss Maintenance 4 Press System 5 Press Test Parts and select test_tipdp The printer will create six groups of numbers on the modeling platform Each individual group will consist of four number pairs Ea...

Page 26: ...he model a second time on a second unused modeling base and evaluate again 8 If the tip depth again fails the above criteria contact your Dimension service provider for more information on adjusting t...

Page 27: ...e 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 printer status The lower three lines of the large...

Page 28: ...her ON or OFF view the print time or material remaining and set the printer to auto power down Material From this section you can load material unload material or replace material Standby From this se...

Page 29: ...eue Printer Services tab From this section you can check the printer history set the printer time set the printer password update printer software get printer info and export configuration files files...

Page 30: ...e shorter less material will be used and the possibility of part curl for geometries with large mass will be greatly reduced Sparse Low Density The interior will be honeycombed or hatched This style a...

Page 31: ...ows CatalystEX to determine the best orientation for the part for the fastest build time and least material usage or you can manually change the orientation of your part Orientation Considerations Bui...

Page 32: ...mit Install the modeling base See Insert Modeling Base on page 20 Building a part If a part has not been sent to your printer for building the build queue will be empty If the build queue is empty the...

Page 33: ...ti static moisture proof bag to preserve shelf life Material will stay humidity free inside the cartridge for at least 30 days after opening Shelf life is more than one year if the cartridge package r...

Page 34: ...e see Figure 21 Figure 21 Snipping the material filament 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 ca...

Page 35: ...modes the panel displays the percentage of material remaining in the cartridges If the printer will be operating unattended for a long period and the material level is getting low you may want to rep...

Page 36: ...ted from the extrusion head during unloading 3 To store a partially used cartridge place a small flag of tape on the filament near the cartridge Cut off and discard the remaining material The tape fla...

Page 37: ...Resuming Build from Pause Mode If you have pressed Pause and are ready to resume building the part press Resume The printer resumes modeling Resuming Operations from Standby Mode After several minutes...

Page 38: ...ing press the Auto Power Down button 2 Turn the power switch located on the right side of the printer to the OFF position The printer will display Auto Power Down Mode and the printer will power down...

Page 39: ...he base from the printer firmly flex the modeling base back and forth 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 R...

Page 40: ...wdriver Tube Anti Seize Compound Preventive Maintenance Daily Inspect the tip wipe assembly After each build you should inspect the tip wipe assembly to make sure there is no material build up If ther...

Page 41: ...e container by grasping it and pushing it upward to release it from its three mounts See Figure 24 Figure 24 Purge container location 2 Pull the container towards you and out of the chamber 3 Empty th...

Page 42: ...fan filter 1 Locate the lower fan on the rear panel of the printer and remove the plastic frame snaps on and off that secures the fan filter See Figure 25 Figure 25 Lower fan location 2 Clean the fil...

Page 43: ...ove the old flicker by lifting upwards and discard 5 Insert the new flicker and tighten the rear screws while gently pushing down on the flicker See Figure 27 6 Using a 7 64 Allen wrench from the star...

Page 44: ...bottom of the Model Tip Shroud 1 1 Tighten the brush mounting screws Figure 27 Replacing the tip cleaning brush Note Ideally the top of the brush and the top of the flicker should be the same height B...

Page 45: ...rnt material become imbedded in the part replace the tip shroud 1 From the display panel press Maintenance 2 Press Machine 3 Press Table The head temperature decreases 4 Using a 1 8 Allen wrench back...

Page 46: ...ew head 6 Pivot the right side of the head plate upwards and rest the right side of the plate on the right mounting screw as shown in Figure 29 There is a small notch on the bottom of the plate for th...

Page 47: ...reful not to bend or damage the shield 10 Pull the shroud downward to remove it 1 1 Clean the exposed tip with the bronze brush provided in the Startup Kit 12 Install the new shroud by pushing it up o...

Page 48: ...ten but do not over tighten the screws 16 Lower the head cover into position and tighten both head cover screws 17 Press Done until back at Idle 18 Build a test part to verify system is operating corr...

Page 49: ...d See Tip Shroud Replacement on page 41 No text displayed on Display Panel Cycle power see Cycling power on page 47 Cannot communicate with system through network 1 Make sure network cables are connec...

Page 50: ...rting printer configuration cfg file If your printer is receiving fault determination codes you may need to export a configuration cfg file from your printer to send to Customer Support Exporting conf...

Page 51: ...ss of extrusion 1 Press Cancel and remove any parts from the printer 2 Insert a new modeling base 3 From the display panel press Maintenance 4 Press Machine 5 Press Head 6 Determine if there is an ext...

Page 52: ...about three seconds Note It is recommended that you read and understand this entire procedure before performing any of the work Gloves The head area is very hot Use leather gloves when working in this...

Page 53: ...h to remove by hand a From the display panel press Reverse This causes the drive wheels to reverse so the material filaments can be backed out of the liquefier b Grasp the filament from the drive bloc...

Page 54: ...tructions If an obstruction is present clear the drive block obstruction as follows a Remove the filament guide funnel Use the 7 64 Allen wrench provided in the Startup Kit to remove the filament guid...

Page 55: ...he inlet funnel is difficult to remove insert a 1 16 Allen wrench into the liquefier inlet funnel and try pushing the obstruction forward C If this doesn t work remove the liquefier inlet funnel using...

Page 56: ...he tips to verify material is extruding through both liquefiers b If the filament does not extrude i Stop the motors and return to Step 6 ii If after two tries the material fails to extrude call your...

Page 57: ...r telephone number System model System serial number System software build number CatalystEX version number Detailed description of the problem you are experiencing Please try to be near the printer f...

Page 58: ...ratasys com recycle for recycling information on material cartridges Figure 35 Recycling Codes System Component Materials Recycling Code Modeling bases ABS All packaging materials can be recycled per...

Page 59: ...holding 136 kg 300 lbs Power Requirements 100 240VAC 12 7A 50 60Hz 1200W dedicated circuit within 2 m 80 in Do not use an extension cord or a power strip using these can possibly cause intermittent po...

Page 60: ...tion 90MB Monitor graphics reso lution Minimum 1024x768 Recommended 1280x1024 wide screen acceptable Video Card Required OpenGL compliant accelerated graphics card Recommended Hardware support for Ope...

Page 61: ...0es 150 00200 Dimension BST 1200es We declare under our sole responsibility that the devices mentioned above comply with the following EU Directives Electromagnetic Compatibility EMC Low Voltage 89 33...

Page 62: ...armful interference in a commercial environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful...

Page 63: ...signated collection point for the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment The separate collection and recycling of your waste equipment at the time of disposal will help to conserve nat...

Page 64: ...he UPS and I O Module if used Installation and Operation Guides for instructions on installing the I O module if used into the UPS unit as well as for connecting AC power to the UPS and 3D printer Whi...

Page 65: ...g Plug 9Pos AMP 205204 9 2 2 Pin Male 24 20 AWG AMP 1 66506 0 3 1 Shell Size 1 9 Pin w Grommets AMP 748677 1 4 2 Jackscrew Pair 4 40 Knurled AMP 747784 3 5 XX x Cable 2 Conductor 22 AWG ALPHA 1 172C o...

Page 66: ...A3 Figure 37 UPS Cable Diagram...

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