© Copyright 2023 W2P Engineering GmbH / Rev06
.0
for use with SolFlex 3D Printers
www.way2production.at
Original Instructions
Page 1: ... Copyright 2023 W2P Engineering GmbH Rev06 for use with SolFlex 3D Printers www way2production at Original Instructions ...
Page 2: ...aims any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose The manufacturer reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes from time to time in the content hereof without obligation of the manufacturer to notify any person of such revision or changes Any description photograph or statement contained herein colors and specifications may vary from the act...
Page 3: ... For the cleaning of the film from now on microfibre cloths instead of paper towels are recommended Instructions for changing the O ring sealing cord added Additions chapter Cleaning and Maintenance Rev03 21 02 2019 PowerVat 350 added Illustrations added Descriptions unified Rev02 19 12 2018 Added paragraph regarding printer firmware Added user password to unlock the settings Starting values for S...
Page 4: ...caling Note that the beamer positions must be entered before the scaling job has been added Rev01 29 11 2018 Installation descriptions simplified Chapter Printer Settings revised Contact addresses added Rev00 19 11 2018 Initial Release ...
Page 5: ...4 Weight without resin 1 300g Material capacity 100ml to 600ml ...
Page 6: ...5 Weight without resin 1 120g Material capacity 100ml to 400ml ...
Page 7: ...6 Weight without resin 1 360g Material capacity 100ml to 500ml ...
Page 8: ...______________________ 17 Filling the Vat with Material ________________________________________________ 20 Notes on BuildStyles_______________________________________________________ 22 Cleaning and Maintenance _______________________________________________23 General Cleaning and Maintenance Instructions ___________________________ 23 Disassembly _________________________________________________...
Page 9: ...tructions to maximize the lifespan of the vat and to get the best printing results Warning symbols in this manual are used to protect you from dangerous situations The following symbols are used to alert you to important information Important Provides additional information that should not be overlooked Caution Alerts you to situations that may damage the unit Ignoring the following instructions m...
Page 10: ...y removed Make sure to follow the instructions of the 3D printing material manufacturer especially with regard to backfilling and if necessary sieving the material Utilize the exposure area of the PowerVat evenly so that the entire surface is used uniformly throughout its lifetime Localized exposure leads to higher local wear and thus reduces the overall life of the film For a proper cleaning of t...
Page 11: ...s M3x8 spare parts 2 countersunk screws M4x16 spare parts 2 countersunk screws M4x20 spare parts If any items are missing appear damaged or if the unit does not work properly please contact your reseller immediately It is recommended to keep the original packing material for the event of returning the equipment for warranty service ...
Page 12: ... 5 Locking disc 4 pieces 6 Non stick film 1 piece 7 Rubber O ring sealing Ø 1 6mm 1 piece 8 Countersunk screw ISO 14581 M3x8 24 pieces 9 Countersunk screw ISO 14581 M4x20 4 pieces 10 Countersunk screw ISO 14581 M4x16 4 pieces 11 Countersunk screw ISO 10642 M5x16 4 pieces 12 Transport protection 4 pieces 3 8 2 6 4 12 1 11 5 7 10 12 9 10 9 ...
Page 13: ...s 6 Non stick film 1 piece 7 Rubber O ring sealing Ø 1 6mm 1 piece 8 Countersunk screw ISO 14581 M3x8 28 pieces 9 Countersunk screw ISO 14581 M4x20 4 pieces 10 Countersunk screw ISO 14581 M4x16 4 pieces 11 Countersunk screw ISO 10642 M5x16 4 pieces 12 Transport protection 4 pieces 13 Film tension regulator 1 piece 3 8 2 13 4 12 1 10 11 5 7 9 12 9 10 9 10 10 9 6 ...
Page 14: ... 1 piece 5 Locking disc 4 pieces 6 Non stick film 1 piece 7 Rubber O ring sealing Ø 1 6mm 1 piece 8 Countersunk screw ISO 14581 M3x8 28 pieces 9 Countersunk screw ISO 14581 M4x20 8 pieces 10 Countersunk screw ISO 10642 M5x16 4 pieces 11 Transport protection 4 pieces 12 Film tension regulator 1 piece 3 8 2 12 4 11 1 10 5 7 11 9 9 6 ...
Page 15: ...stalled between the upper and lower part as transport protection before delivery Prior to the first use the transport protection must be removed Loosen the 8 screws on the underside of the vat with the supplied Torx wrench TX20 by about half a turn Then remove the 4 spacers as shown above TX20 ...
Page 16: ...ominal tightening torque The film of the PowerVat now has the required tension and is ready for use Caution Do not start print jobs before all transport protections have been removed and the 8 countersunk screws on the bottom of the PowerVat have been properly tightened to guarantee the function and tightness of the vat If the transport protections are not removed before printing material could le...
Page 17: ...d with the supplied locking discs 5 Use the 4 supplied M5x16 countersunk screws 11 1 First remove the building platform and platform cover of your SolFlex 3D printer and move the z stage to the lower end position for better access to the clamp bolts To achieve this use the JOG MODE on the touch screen and select Move To Bottom 2 As soon as the printer has reached its final position mount the 4 loc...
Page 18: ... sure that the vat surface is free of material residues and clean the PowerVat if necessary Contamination in the beam path can lead to artifacts in the printed object Before each print job always make sure that the PowerVat has no contamination in the beam path For evaluation of the vat status have a look at the vat from different angles Light reflections can help to identify soiled spots Be sure ...
Page 19: ...y need to be done on both the inside film and the bottom glass of the PowerVat After cleaning the vat is ready for use It is recommended to handle the PowerVat by holding it only at the grips located on the sides of the vat to avoid further contact with the film or the glass surfaces After selecting the vat type PowerVat under Vat Type in the JOG MODE menu initialize the printer JOG MODE Initializ...
Page 20: ...le when cracks or undulating bulges occur Before each print make sure that the PowerVat film is in good condition see the section Evaluating the Condition of the Vat Using a damaged film leads to poor printing results The number of print jobs that can be performed with a single film depends on the material and BuildStyle used as well as the size of the printed objects New films can be obtained fro...
Page 21: ...al as shown in the following figure The engraved level indicators help in estimating the material level The lowest mark minimum level indicates a filling volume of 100ml The top mark maximum level indicates a filling volume of 400 ml PowerVat 363 500ml PowerVat 650 or 600ml PowerVat 250 In between are indicators which are arranged in 100 ml increments The PowerVat must not be filled beyond the top...
Page 22: ...rVat 250 PowerVat 363 PowerVat 650 100ml minimum material level 500ml maximum material level 100ml minimum material level 400ml maximum material level 100ml minimum material level 600ml maximum material level ...
Page 23: ...s interior during the printing process which could lead to damage Overfilling the PowerVat excludes the manufacturer s warranty Caution Do not fill printing resin into the printer unless the vat is correctly installed in the printer The material may cause damage to the printer Also make sure that no printing material comes into contact with the VDFS on SolFlex PLUS models Before starting a print j...
Page 24: ... the vat as this may damage it In order to remove material residues carefully and completely we recommend a dull silicone spatula microfiber tissues or paper towels and isopropanol purity min 95 First clean the aluminum surfaces and remove any resin residues Use clean paper towels and glass cleaner to clean the glued in glass on the underside Avoid fingerprints and streaks on the glass surface Cle...
Page 25: ...ironment is important It is recommended to use a suitable pad cardboard wooden table etc to avoid scratches on the vat parts Step A Removing the Top Part Loosen the 8 screws 9 and 10 on the bottom side of the vat with the enclosed Torx wrench TX20 The PowerVat top part 3 can now be removed and cleaned Use an isopropanol soaked paper towel to carefully remove any remnants of material that are in th...
Page 26: ...ed on both sides with glass cleaner and paper towels The formation of streaks shall be avoided The bottom part 1 as well as the clamping plate 2 can be cleaned of any material residues with isopropanol soaked paper towels Step C Removing the O Ring Sealing The O Ring sealing cord 7 is placed freely it also can be spot bonded in the circumferential groove of the upper part 3 Carefully loosen the se...
Page 27: ...ng The O ring sealing cord 7 can be placed freely in the intended groove colored red in the figure above of the PowerVat upper part 3 optional the O ring can be fixed with the help of adhesive for example Loctite 406 superglue or with petroleum jelly to facilitate the assembly Option superglue Apply small amounts of superglue in the groove every 3 to 4 cm and insert the O ring sealing cord in the ...
Page 28: ...not twisted before bonding The adhesive joint should subsequently be stressed as little as possible bending tension Option Vaseline petroleum jelly Apply a small amount of Vaseline to the O ring sealing cord using a Vaseline soaked paper towel Place the O ring in the groove Wipe off excess Vaseline with a paper towel Advantage The O ring and the groove can be cleaned more easily Then cut the O rin...
Page 29: ...ilm and the glass Make sure that there are no contaminants on the film or the glass before installing the film 6 on the PowerVat bottom part 1 If necessary the film and glass surface can be cleaned with isopropanol or glass cleaner and paper towels free of grease and dust Dust grains can be stamped away with adhesive tape that can be detached without residue Use suitable lighting e g a backlight s...
Page 30: ...ulator 13 only for PV650 and PV250 on top as shown above Important The film shall not overlap the threaded holes as this can lead to uneven film tension which can result in faulty printing results See section Uneven Film Tension for further information 6 8 2 6 1 TX10 13 ...
Page 31: ...the film is not being displaced The right above figure shows the recommended sequence for tightening the screws red numbers a Slightly tighten the screws crosswise see picture for order b In analogy to a tighten with the nominal tightening torque Important When tightening the screws make sure that the film is not being displaced Improper tightening may result in an uneven film tension after the fi...
Page 32: ... long sides 9 have a length of 20mm Important Unless the screws are tightened crosswise asymmetric stress states might occur in the film possibly causing poorer printing results Finally the fully assembled PowerVat has to be cleaned Use paper towels soaked in isopropanol to remove fingerprints streaks etc on the film or on the glass surface When using different 3D printing materials alternately re...
Page 33: ... follow cleaning instructions 3 Step D Assembling the O Ring Sealing 4 Step F Assembling the Top Part The metal frame construction of the PowerVat has been designed to guarantee years of operation with the least possible wear Only the film 6 is a wearing part and therefore it has to be checked regularly for signs of wear and defects e g cracks A visual check of the film before each printing proces...
Page 34: ... film may occur Error Openings in the film can be easily recognized If an opening occurs spontaneously during the printing process a small amount of printing resin might get between the glass and the film The subsequent exposure process often leads to the curing of the liquid material between the film and the glass and thus prevents further propagation of the material Due to the cured material bet...
Page 35: ...e film does not affect the printing quality however in case of heavy clouding or printing errors the film shall be changed immediately 1 After the print job remove material from the PowerVat 2 Step A Removing the Top Part follow cleaning instructions 3 Step B Removing the Film follow cleaning instructions 4 Step E Assembling the Film 5 Step F Assembling the Top Part Uneven Film Tension Causes Unev...
Page 36: ...results Recommended actions If waves or bumps in the film are detected immediately after a film change see Step E Assembling the Film ensure a proper installation of the film If the film should adhere to the glass bottom over a large area after an exchange compliance with the assembly steps must also be checked If film deformations occur after a printing process a plastic irreversible deformation ...
Page 37: ...rtant The printer must first be initialized without the PowerVat installed Select JOG MODE and as a Vat Type select PowerVat Press Initialize to start the initialization procedure Afterwards the clamping bolts of your SolFlex 3D printer must be equipped with the supplied locking discs before inserting the vat See section Preparing the SolFlex for Use with the PowerVat Important If the printer s fi...
Page 38: ...ents change value Go to Position until the PowerVat can be placed on the bolts without any effort 6 Determining the locking end position with PowerVat installed 6 1 Reduce Stretcher 0 by 2mm Go to Position 6 2 Check whether the PowerVat can be moved laterally or vertically on the bolts 6 3 Fine tune the stretcher position in 0 05mm increments change value Go to Position until the PowerVat can no l...
Page 39: ... aligned exactly over the magnet 4 Go to Home Screen Settings Positions PowerVat Z Axis 0 5 Enter a start value for Z Axis 0 PowerVat SolFlex 350 B series 11 0mm SolFlex 350 363 C series 14 5mm SolFlex 650 B series 10 5mm SolFlex 650 C series 14 0mm SolFlex 250 UHD 14 0mm 6 Manually lock the PowerVat by entering the locking position see section Stretcher Zero Position and press Go to Position 7 Fi...
Page 40: ...t should not lift off the magnets if they are activated during the printing process 8 Enter the final value for Z Axis 0 9 To unlock the PowerVat enter the insertion value for Stretcher 0 determined in section Stretcher Zero Position and press Go to Position 10 Confirm settings by pressing Next repeatedly until the green tick appears press the green tick to save the settings Knocking Test By tappi...
