Robox 3d printer User Manual Download

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www.cel-robox.com

User Guide

including

Auto

Maker

™

Version 1.1

Summary of Contents for 3d printer

Page 1: ...www cel robox com UserGuide including AutoMaker Version 1 1 ...

Page 2: ...itions 13 1 8 Legal Notice 14 1 9 Copyright 14 1 10 Declaration of Conformity 15 1 11 Limited Warranty Statement 16 1 12 Regulatory and Environmental Information 17 2 0 Overview 19 2 1 Features 20 2 2 Specifications 20 2 3 Minimum Hardware Requirements 21 2 4 How It Works 22 2 5 At A Glance 23 3 0 Getting Started 25 3 1 Package Contents 26 3 2 Unpacking Robox 27 3 3 Software Installation 29 3 4 St...

Page 3: ...el 38 4 3 Filament Storage 38 4 4 The HeadLock System 39 4 4 1 Removing a Head 39 4 4 2 Installing a Head 40 4 5 Removing the Bed 41 4 6 Installing the Bed 41 5 0 AutoMaker Software 42 5 1 User Interface 43 5 2 Print Workflow 44 5 3 Status Screen 45 5 3 1 Connected Printers 45 5 3 2 Installed Filament 46 5 3 3 Temperature Display 46 5 3 4 Projects Tabs 47 5 3 5 Current Printer Status 47 5 3 6 Adva...

Page 4: ...ings Nozzles 67 5 5 8 Advanced Settings Support 70 5 5 9 Advanced Settings Speed 72 5 5 10 Advanced Settings Cooling 75 6 0 Finishing Parts 78 6 1 Removing Breakaway Support Material 79 6 2 Removing Soluble Support Material 80 6 2 1 Polyvinyl Alcohol PVOH 80 6 2 2 High Impact Polystyrene HIPS 80 6 2 3 Polylactic Acid PLA 80 6 3 Vapour Finishing 81 7 0 Calibration and Maintenance 82 7 1 Calibration...

Page 5: ...6 Build Chamber 93 7 2 7 Extruder 93 7 2 8 Lubrication 94 7 3 Troubleshooting 95 8 0 Supplementary Information 100 8 1 GCode Commands 101 8 2 Frequently Asked Questions 105 8 2 1 Hardware 105 8 2 2 Software 107 8 2 3 Printing 108 8 3 Glossary of Terms 109 8 4 Contact Us 121 ...

Page 6: ...1 0 1 0 Introduction ...

Page 7: ...long with the warranty registration card and safety information booklet It contains a brief setup guide for Robox to get you printing as easily as possible Safety Information Guide You will also find this in the product packaging it contains essential information relating to safety and certification Please read carefully before using Robox Official Robox website www cel robox com The Robox website...

Page 8: ...o begin producing items with your new micro manufacturing platform It includes how to unpack your new product software installation and connectivity Section 4 Using Robox This section describes in detail how to use Robox to produce items including loading and unloading filament replacing the print head and removing replacing the print bed Section 5 AutoMaker Software This section explains how to u...

Page 9: ...de DANGER WARNING Important information to prevent injury or damage to yourself people or property when trying to complete a task CAUTION Information to prevent damage to product components when trying to complete a task IMPORTANT Instructions that you must follow to complete a task NOTE Tips and additional information to help you complete a task GLASSES Wear safety glasses to avoid injury to your...

Page 10: ...ower cable from the electrical outlet before relocating the system or performing any maintenance Seek professional assistance before using an adapter or extension cord These devices could interrupt the grounding circuit Use the power supply voltage specified on the rating label Avoid overloading an electrical outlet with multiple devices Use only the power cable supplied with the product Do not da...

Page 11: ...ar any kind of heat source flames fireworks candles incense light bulbs etc ABS will catch fire and burn a thick black toxic smoke Power off the product and disconnect the power cable from the power outlet in any of the following cases If there is any smoke coming from the product If the product is making an unusual noise not heard during normal operation A piece of metal or a liquid touches the i...

Page 12: ...er than Robox print materials and genuine Robox components may void warranty Tie back long hair and loose clothing and keep fingers away from moving parts Adult supervision is required observe children closely and intervene as necessary to prevent potential safety problems and ensure the appropriate use of the product Ensure small 3D prints are not accessible to young children These 3D prints are ...

Page 13: ...Information to prevent injury to yourself when trying to complete a task Caution Indicates a pinch point hazard that could cause person injury Caution Indicates an area which carries risk of electric shock disconnect from the power outlet before accessing Corrosive Used on materials which may be corrosive and cause harm to skin and or eyes Wear protective eyewear and gloves ...

Page 14: ...rk of CEL Technology Ltd HeadLock and AutoMaker are trademarks of CEL Technology All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners and CEL Technology assumes no responsibility with regard to the selection performance or use of these non CEL products Product specifications are subject to change without notice This document is protected by copyright All rights reserved Its use disclos...

Page 15: ...ltage 2006 95 EC Common Technical EN55022 2010 Specifications used EN60950 1 2006 Amendments A11 2009 A1 2010 A12 2011 for demonstration EN55024 2010 of compliance EN61000 4 2 2009 EN61000 4 3 2006 Amendments A1 2008 A2 2010 EN61000 4 4 2004 Corrigendum 2008 EN61000 4 5 2006 EN61000 4 6 2009 EN61000 4 8 2010 EN61000 4 11 Second Edition 2004 Date of Validity 1st August 2014 Design and Technical CEL...

Page 16: ...or a third party service provider designated by CEL No coverage or benefits under this Limited Warranty will exist if any of the following conditions apply a TheProducthasbeensubjectedtoabnormaluse improperorinadequatemaintenance unauthorisedmodifications unauthorised repair misuse abuse exposure to moisture flooding fire electrical problems associated with incoming power or other acts which are n...

Page 17: ...uthorization to operate this equipment Note This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a commercial environment This equipment generates uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accor...

Page 18: ...by handing it over to a designated 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 natural resources and ensure that it is recycled in a manner that protects human health and the environment For more information about where you can drop off your waste equipmen...

Page 19: ...Overview 2 0 ...

Page 20: ... x 240mm 14 5 x 13 4 x 9 4 in Desk Footprint LxW 370 x 340mm 14 5 x 13 4 in Shipping Box LxWxH 495 x 395 x 295mm 19 5 x 15 5 x 11 5 in Product Weight 8 kg 17 6 lbs Shipping Weight 9 8 kg 21 6 lbs 2 2 2 Temperature Operation Temperature 15 25 C 60 77 F Storage Temperature 0 40 C 32 104 F Max Bed Temperature 150 C 302 F Max Nozzle Temperature 300 C 572 F 2 2 3 Electrical Power Requirements AC 100 25...

Page 21: ...d 0 8mm 0 031 in Model Materials PLA ABS Nylon PC PET PC ABS others Support Materials PVA HIPS PLA 2 2 6 Software Software Bundle Robox AutoMaker File Types stl obj robox Software Compatibility Windows 7 8 Mac OS x 10 6 x64 10 7 Ubuntu Linux 12 04 2 3 Minimum Hardware Requirements Processor Minimum Recommended Dual core 2 0Ghz Quad core 3 0Ghz System RAM Minimum Recommended 2GB 4GB or greater Hard...

Page 22: ...filling in parts quickly The printer head is mounted to a quick release carriage known as HeadLock which is constrained by a Cartesian axis system allowing the head to move in 3 dimensions The included AutoMaker software translates your 3D design files in stl or obj format into machine coordinates that Robox can understand It does this by slicing the 3D model into it s individual layers and then s...

Page 23: ...s of Robox 1 2 8 3 6 7 12 13 4 10 11 9 5 14 1 Print Head 8 X Axis Belt 2 X Carriage 9 Tip Wipe Blade 3 X Axis Rails 10 Reel Hub Cover 4 Print Bed 11 Door Interlock Latch 5 Y Axis Rail 12 Enclosure Door 6 Z Axis Rail and Drive Screw 13 Internal Ambient Lighting 7 Z Carriage Right 14 Front Tray Cover ...

Page 24: ... 7 Outlet Vents 3 Power Switch 8 Door 4 C5 Cloverleaf Power Inlet 9 Side Cover 5 Robox SmartReel Although there is a microSD card accessible from the back of Robox this cannot be read by any other machine and is only for use as internal flash storage access is provided only for diagnostic repair purposes Do NOT connect the USB cable until you have completed the installation of AutoMaker see sectio...

Page 25: ...Getting Started 3 0 ...

Page 26: ...uide Warranty Card Robox BED CLEANING WIPE 70 Isopropyl Alcohol NOT FOR MEDICAL USE 0197 BED CLEANING WIPE 70 Isopropyl Alcohol NOT FOR MEDICAL USE 0197 BED CLEANING WIPE 70 Isopropyl Alcohol NOT FOR MEDICAL USE 0197 www cel robox com Safety Information Version 1 0 If any of the above items are damaged or missing contact your retailer The illustrated items above are for reference only Actual produ...

Page 27: ...assembled and packaged at our factory to arrive with you in perfect condition Please follow the instructions below carefully to avoid causing any damage 1 Carefully cut the tape along the top of the box being careful not to cut too deep and open the box 2 Remove the accessories box from the side by pulling on the plastic handle 3 Lift Robox from the box using the two handles in the packing trays o...

Page 28: ...pe and warranty card which are secured to the bed and the blue plastic packing clip used to secure the printhead 6 Ensure that the head and bed are free to move before proceeding You can move them both by hand to check We recommend that you keep hold of all of your packaging materials should you need to return any parts to us ...

Page 29: ...perating system allprovided screenshotsandinstructionsarefromWindows8forreference 1 Plug your included USB drive into an available USB port drive letter may vary choose Open folder to view files If this is not displayed you can access the drive through My Computer 2 The contents of the drive will be displayed in File Explorer as shown view mode may vary 3 Navigate to AutoMaker Software Windows and...

Page 30: ...her by typing the path directly or by clicking the button Click Next to continue and accept the path and begin the installation N B To facilitate future support we recommend using the default install location 8 Choose whether you would like to add Shortcuts to the Start Menu or Desktop Then click Next and wait as AutoMaker is installed to your hard drive 9 Installation is complete Tick the checkbo...

Page 31: ...n shown below on your desktop It can also be launched using the Start Menu in the normal way it can be found under CEL 3 4 2 On MacOS To start AutoMaker click the icon which has been added to your dock It can also be found under Applications in Finder 3 4 3 On Linux To start AutoMaker open a terminal window and navigate to the installation directory default is CEL AutoMaker and type AutoMaker run ...

Page 32: ... time the product and customer registration screen will be displayed allowing you to register for product updates support and warranty repairs AutoMaker is continually being improved please check our website for an updated version of the user manual if you require further information If you have completed the product registration within AutoMaker you do NOT need to complete and return the included...

Page 33: ...age and started AutoMaker 3 7 Attaching the Power Cable and Powering On Connect the supplied AC power lead to Robox and switch on using the rear power switch 1 2 This will install the necessary drivers for connecting your Robox and could take a few minutes When correctly installed and switched on it should appear in Device Manager as a COM port called Robox v1 0 COM3 COM number may vary It should ...

Page 34: ...Using Robox 4 0 ...

Page 35: ...rp tip as shown below This will allow the filament to enter the extruder and melt chamber more easily 4 1 2 Feeding to the Head Simply feed the end of the filament into one of the two extruder entrances located in the bottom left of the reel storage dock If only one extruder is installed in your machine use the top path marked 1 It is much easier to perform this operation BEFORE installing the ree...

Page 36: ...sing Robox 4 1 3 Installing the Reel Finally install the SmartReel into the dock you should hear a click when it is correctly located and it should appear as a recognised reel in AutoMaker Congratulations you re now ready to print ...

Page 37: ... and can even be undertaken mid print 4 2 1 Pause Resume Eject Button There is a button in the centre of the reel when installed which has three functions Pause Resume and Eject To pause the print simply press this button once and to resume press the button again To eject filament you must hold down this button for 3 seconds at which point you should hear the extruder motor start and the filament ...

Page 38: ...ad the water content evaporates and turns into steam As the molten plastic leaves the nozzle the reduction in pressure creates bubbles in the extrudate This outgassing of steam can ruin the quality of the print leaving pock marks in the surface finish where the bubbles have popped It is therefore essential to store your filament somewhere very dry when your Robox is not in use for any extended per...

Page 39: ...tomatically identify what head is installed and set itself up appropriately 4 4 1 Removing a Head To remove the head click the Head Change button in AutoMaker and you will see the head move into position to allow easy access to the locking screw Turn off your Robox using the power switch on the back or at the wall outlet This screw is located behind the head on the back of the X Carriage and is us...

Page 40: ...ing a Head To install a new head into Robox the process is essentially the same in reverse First push the bottom of the head into the carriage until you hear feel a snap this signifies the head is correctly aligned and located then simply tighten the locking wheel until fully tight You should see the head recognised in AutoMaker when you switch the power back on 1 2 ...

Page 41: ...ge of the board using the finger recess shown by the hand and slide the bed towards you 4 6 Installing the Bed To re install the bed simply slide the sheet towards the back of the tray ensuring the tabs are aligned beneath the 4 metal clips on the sides and then push all the way to the back until it slides under the rear clip and stops Then simply slide the handle on the front to the right securin...

Page 42: ...AutoMaker Software 5 0 ...

Page 43: ...ut Screen This page is used for laying out the 3D models of objects you d like to print They can be moved scaled duplicated and rotated using simple controls Settings Screen This page allows you to choose print settings for example materials quality speed fill density and support The software is designed to be as simple to use as possible so we have removed a lot of the more advanced settings from...

Page 44: ...44 www cel robox com 5 0 AutoMaker Software 5 2 Print Workflow AutoMaker is continually being improved please check our website for an updated version of the user manual if you require further information ...

Page 45: ...nter Status 2 Installed Filament 7 Unlock Door 3 Temperature Display 8 Eject Filament 4 Projects Tabs 9 Display Advanced Settings 5 Preferences 10 Go To Settings Screen 5 3 1 Connected Printers This area of the screen displays the status of all printers which are currently attached to your PC Ready Printing Paused Notification Error 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 9 ...

Page 46: ...er will automatically recognise the material installed on the reel using data stored on a chip inside the reel Depending on the type of filament on the reel they are displayed in different ways as shown below Chroma Green 110m 372g remaining 1 PLA Robox SmartReel This will be displayed as a reel symbol Generic Custom 1 50m 125g remaining 1 ABS Generic Custom Material This will be displayed as a ge...

Page 47: ... Change the name of the project Export the selected project as a robox file Email the selected project Upload the selected project to your Robox Account 5 3 5 Current Printer Status This part of the display provides an overview of the selected Robox It shows you what filament bed and head is installed and also displays warning and status messages For example when installing a new filament reel you...

Page 48: ... 1 GCode Console Output 5 Head Programming 2 GCode Text Entry 6 Calibration and Maintenance 3 Send GCode to Robox 7 Diagnostics 4 SmartReel Programming GCode Console This console allows you to manually send GCode commands to Robox over the USB cable Simply type the command in the text entry box 2 and then click Send GCode 3 A list of all GCode commands applicable to Robox can be found in the Suppl...

Page 49: ...gram Reel button 1 Apply to Reel Hub 1 3 Material Selection 2 Apply to Reel Hub 2 4 Program Reel 5 3 8 Advanced Settings Head Programming This page is for programming the print head with the correct settings based on CEL supplied defaults Simply click the type of head you have and click Reset to Defaults It also displays the unique serial number for your printhead which is useful when contacting C...

Page 50: ...SB 10 Speed Test 3 Clean Fine Nozzle 11 Level X Gantry 4 Clean Fill Nozzle 12 Level Y Axis 5 Purge Material 13 Calibrate Nozzle Opening 6 Eject Stuck Material 14 Calibrate Nozzle Height 7 X Test Routine 15 Load Firmware 8 Z Test Routine Send GCode Manually AutoMaker can be used to send GCode manually to Robox by one of two methods SD 1 or USB 2 i e sending data to the onboard SD flash storage befo...

Page 51: ... test progresses allowing you to isolate any issues with motion Level X Gantry This button executes the automatic bed levelling algorithm By probing the bed in multiple locations Robox is able to determine the level of the bed and independently adjust the Z motors to ensure the X gantry is parallel Level Y Axis This is currently an experimental feature which can further improve the quality of bed ...

Page 52: ... 2 Head Serial Number Switch Diagnostics When any of these switches are triggered on the hardware they will light up on screen so you can verify if they are working There are lights for all limit switches the door open switch located in the top left of the build chamber where it interacts with the door arm the reel eject button and the feedback from both extruders Each extruder has two outputs loa...

Page 53: ...elected Model 12 Model Display 6 Duplicate Selected Model 13 Advanced Settings 7 Lay Model Flat Preferences This displays the AutoMaker preferences page see section 5 6 Model Display This displays a preview of the selected print job showing the print bed and any objects you have added arranged as they will be printed You can rotate the view by clicking the right mouse button and dragging pan aroun...

Page 54: ...e very simple requiring only the following buttons Undo Step back through the history of layout operations you have completed i e undo the last command you executed Redo Step forward through the history of layout operations Add Model This is used to add a new model stl obj to the build plate clicking it reveals a file browser dialog to choose your model from the local filesystem Remove Model This ...

Page 55: ...the bed Auto Layout This automatically arranges all models on the bed with sufficient clearance between them and no interference Group This used to collect multiple objects together into one selection When a group is selected this button will toggle to Ungroup AutoMaker is continually being improved please check our website for an updated version of the user manual if you require further informati...

Page 56: ...rt a print simply choose a quality setting from the Print Settings box 2 verify that your material has been selected in the Filament Settings box 1 and press Make 5 AutoMaker will then begin to slice your 3D model and transfer to your Robox ready for printing Due to the unstable nature of printing by wire sending data over USB during a print Robox incorporates onboard flash storage for storing pri...

Page 57: ...Type 6 Filament Type Material Type This displays the material on the reel of filament which is currently installed in Robox 1 for the primary reel and 2 for the secondary A whole range of different materials is available to purchase on SmartReels from www cel robox com Material Colour This displays the colour of the reel which is installed click the dropdown menu to define a custom filament see se...

Page 58: ... Fine The final option Custom allows you to create a new profile or to select from a previously created one To create a new profile click the selection box and choose Create New this will expand the Advanced Tray to the right see section 5 5 5 Profile Summary This displays a brief summary of the currently selected print settings The information available is as follows Layer Height in microns µm Pe...

Page 59: ... with large overhangs you may wish to print structures at the same time to support the object Support settings e g density and type can also be changed using a custom profile see section 5 5 8 Brim Width Brim is a term applied to FFF Fused Filament Fabrication which describes a large flat area which is printed around the part to help with bed adhesion and warping It can be easily trimmed off after...

Page 60: ...e and it s associated functions and options 1 Material Name 7 Bed Temperature 2 Material Type 8 Bed Temperature 1st Layer 3 Material Colour 9 Nozzle Temperature 4 Filament Diameter 10 Nozzle Temperature 1st Layer 5 Filament Multiplier 11 Ambient Temperature 6 Feed Rate Multiplier 12 Help Text 1 5 2 6 9 3 7 10 12 4 8 11 ...

Page 61: ...his value should be to 1 Feed Rate Multiplier This multiplier allows you to finely tune the extrusion rate of the material it can be adjusted during a print to obtain the optimum extrudate profile Increasing the value above 1 will cause more material to be extruded and vice versa 2 would be equivalent to 200 material flow It varies the amount of plastic proportionally and should be changed in very...

Page 62: ... often set higher to ensure good adhesion when starting a print however the temperature can be lower for the remainder of the print Ambient Temperature C This value sets the temperature of the enclosed build area By maintaining the temperature of the environment it is possible to keep the printed object warm reducing its tendency to shrink and warp The best results will be obtained by maintaining ...

Page 63: ...ings This allows you to adjust advanced printing profile parameters relevant to both nozzles and needle valve control see section 5 5 7 Advanced Support Settings This allows you to adjust advanced printing profile parameters relevant to automatic support material generation e g angle threshold and support pattern and density see section 5 5 8 Advanced Speed Settings This allows you to adjust advan...

Page 64: ...relate to print quality and speed By tuning these values users can control the appearance strength and surface finish of objects as well as dramatically affecting print speed by varying layer height fill pattern density and perimeters 1 Layer Height 5 Top and Bottom Layers 2 Fill Density 6 Number of Perimeters 3 Fill Pattern 7 Brim Width 4 Infill Every Layers 8 Help Text 1 5 2 6 3 7 8 4 ...

Page 65: ...ping effect Fill Density This setting changes the amount of material which is used to fill the interior of the object 100 signifies a completely solid object and 0 is hollow Fill Pattern This setting is used to change the pattern of the extrusion used to fill the interior of the part There are 7 different options to choose from Line Rectilinear Honeycomb Concentric Archimedean Chords Octagram Spir...

Page 66: ...w many outside walls are produced to complete the exterior surface of the part The more perimeters the thicker the part walls Brim Width This is explained in Print Settings see section 5 5 3 Help Text This box displays a brief explanation of the setting which is highlighted changes on mouseover ...

Page 67: ...ppearance of start stop points and surface finish as well as dramatically affecting print speed through the use of the larger fill nozzle 1 Perimeter Nozzle Selection 7 Ejection Volume 2 Fill Nozzle Selection 8 Wipe Volume 3 Support Nozzle Selection 9 Partial Open Value 4 Support Interface Nozzle 10 Retract Length 5 Fine Nozzle Settings 0 3mm 11 Retract Unretract Speed 6 Fill Nozzle Settings 0 8mm...

Page 68: ...s i e those between the build and support material choose from 0 3mm fine nozzle or 0 8mm fill nozzle Fine Nozzle Settings 0 3mm This switches the settings below to apply to the fine nozzle 0 3mm Fill Nozzle Settings 0 8mm This switches the settings below to apply to the fill nozzle 0 8mm Ejection Volume mm This parameter specifies the volume of material that is ejected as the needle valve closes ...

Page 69: ...his is used to release pressure before the needle valve begins to close Retract Unretract Speed mm s This value specifies the speed that the filament is pulled back retracted at the end of an extrusion path and also pushed back in unretracted at the start of the next Help Text This box displays a brief explanation of the setting which is highlighted changes on mouseover ...

Page 70: ...erhang Threshold 6 Pattern Angle 3 Force Support for First Layers 7 Help Text 4 Support Pattern Generate Support Material This turns automatic support material generation on and off Overhang Threshold This angle specifies the angular size of an overhang over which support material is generated Setting this value to 0 tells AutoMaker to determine this value automatically Force Support for First Lay...

Page 71: ...aster print times Rectilinear Rectilinear Grid Honeycomb Pillars Pattern Spacing mm This specifies the spacing in millimetres between support extrusions i e the density of the support material Pattern Angle This option allows the direction of the support lines to be rotated in the XY plane Help Text This box displays a brief explanation of the setting which is highlighted changes on mouseover ...

Page 72: ...us parts of the print including perimeters bridges and infill By tuning these values users can control the appearance of printed objects and optimise speed vs quality 1 Perimeter Print Speed 6 Top Solid Infill Speed 2 Small Perimeter Print Speed 7 Support Material Speed 3 External Perimeter Speed 8 Bridges Print Speed 4 Infill Speed 9 Gap Fill Print Speed 5 Solid Infill Speed 10 Help Text 1 5 2 6 ...

Page 73: ...r second This value should be as fast as you can go without compromising the integrity of the fill structure Faster extrusions can break and result in weak spots of the object Solid Infill Print Speed mm s This parameter sets the speed at which solid infill the bottom of the object and any other solid layers are printed in millimetres per second Top Solid Infill Speed mm s This parameter sets the ...

Page 74: ... result in broken strands Generally bridging runs slower than perimeters Gap Fill Print Speed mm s This parameter sets the speed at which small gaps are printed in millimetres per second Filling in small gaps results in the head quickly oscillating and the resulting shaking and resonance could have a detrimental affect on the print A smaller value here can guard against this A setting of zero disa...

Page 75: ...of the part as it prints Layers must be cooled sufficiently before another layer is applied to prevent dimensional inaccuracy and squishy small layers 1 Enable Automatic Cooling 6 Enable Fan if Layer Time 2 Minimum Fan Speed 7 Go Slow if Layer Time 3 Maximum Fan Speed 8 Minimum Print Speed 4 Bridges Fan Speed 9 Help Text 5 Disable Fan for First Layers 1 5 2 8 3 6 9 4 7 ...

Page 76: ... fan speed which is used when printing bridges as a percentage of full power Disable Fan for First n Layers This disables the head fan when printing the first n layers this can help with adhering the first layer to the bed It is recommended to leave it off for the first 1 or 2 layers Enable Fan if Layer Time seconds This will increase the fan speed to maximum if the layer time takes less than the ...

Page 77: ...77 77 www cel robox com 5 0 AutoMaker Software ...

Page 78: ...Finishing Parts 6 0 ...

Page 79: ...l when cleaning up small blemishes on the surface of the part and for cutting away support in difficult to reach areas Some material can easily be broken away from the part or a pair of needle nose pliers can be useful for crushing breaking support and then used to pull the material away It can be quite a frustrating task but you will soon discover methods that work and those that don t once you v...

Page 80: ...rt material which is compatible with PLA and ABS as a build material It can be dissolved in cold water but the process can be accelerated using ultrasonic vibration and or slightly elevated temperature 6 2 2 High Impact Polystyrene HIPS This material is only for use with ABS build material It can be dissolved in Limonene which will dissolve the support but leave the ABS intact The dissolving proce...

Page 81: ...ature in a closed chamber 60 C for Acetone 75 C for Ethyl Acetate then the part is introduced to this atmosphere Because the part is cooler than the surrounding vapour the solvent condenses evenly on the surface The amount of smoothing is controlled by the quantity of solvent and the exposure time If the part is exposed for too long the surface can melt too much resulting in a loss of detail as sm...

Page 82: ...Calibration and Maintenance 7 0 ...

Page 83: ...ings Tray on the Status screen AutoMaker is continually being improved please check our website for an updated version of the user manual if you require further information 7 1 1 Nozzle Opening This routine is used to calibrate the point at which the needle valves in the head operate The firmware has to know the point at which the plastic begins to flow in order to accurately control extrusion The...

Page 84: ...then fully closing both of the needle valves You should NOT see any material being extruded from either nozzle at this stage If there is anything coming out then it is likely there is a hardware fault with your head as it is unable to fully close the valves If there is no material being extruded you will move to the next stage of calibration ...

Page 85: ...he nozzle until the point when material begins to flow To open the nozzle further keep clicking Not Flowing until material appears and then click Flowing This process is completed first for the fine nozzle and then the fill nozzle Ensure both nozzles are clean before proceeding to the next step Finally AutoMaker will verify the calibration results by testing extrusion with the nozzles fully closed...

Page 86: ...you need to check before starting the calibration sequence First remove the tip wipe blade in the front left of the bed Next remove the PEI bed from Robox by following the on screen instructions The nozzles are clean with no lumps of filament or degraded material You will need a small sheet of paper for measurement 50x50mm A pair of tweezers included in the accessories box would be useful for remo...

Page 87: ... head down to grip the paper against the aluminium bed Using the on screen arrows you can adjust the height of the head You are looking to find the lowest position where the paper is able to slide freely beneath the nozzle without touching Once you are satisfied you have found this point press the Next button to complete the calibration You can then re insert the PEI bed and resume printing ...

Page 88: ...e a number of things you need to check before starting the calibration sequence You have a Robox SmartReel installed in the material dock You have already completed the nozzle opening and nozzle height calibrations as described in sections 7 1 1 and 7 1 2 Extrusion is working correctly and material can be extruded from both nozzles if this is not working please try completing the Purge sequence un...

Page 89: ...mplete If the print didn t complete successfully you can click the Retry Print button on the toolbar Compare the part on the bed to the image on screen you are looking for the best alignment between the output from each nozzle fill and fine in the X and Y axes There are diagrams on the right which show the points you are looking for Then choose the appropriate number and letter for the profiles wi...

Page 90: ...ion It will print a circle in the rear left corner followed by a crosshair in the centre Perfect Alignment X Alignment Error Y Alignment Error X and Y Alignment Error If you are still seeing an alignment error click the Retry Calibration button in the bottom left to try again If you are happy with the result click Next to complete the calibration and program the head ...

Page 91: ...e the heater block does not reach the degradation temperature of the starting material The purge routine sets the nozzle temperature to half way between the melting point of the new and old materials and purges the head by ejecting mixed material onto the bed AutoMaker will automatically detect if the melt temperature in the loaded material profile differs from the last filament that was used in t...

Page 92: ...y be asked to perform this test by one of our support team It can be found on the Advanced Settings Calibration and Maintenance page see section 5 3 9 7 2 4 Cleaning Robox should be cleaned using a damp cloth and a mild cleaning product e g soap solution and then wiped down with a cloth rinsed in clean clear water Wipe all surfaces and follow with a clean dry soft cloth to buff dry DO NOT USE Wind...

Page 93: ...ng parts of the machine and affect homing accuracy and motion possibly causing damage to Robox Any debris which is fallen through into the area below the bed can be cleaned out by removing the front tray cover slide firmly towards you and then tipping forward a gentle shake should clear it out To replace the cover ensure all clips on the sides of the front tray cover are aligned with their mating ...

Page 94: ...included in the accessories box which shipped with your Robox if this is not available a light mineral oil would be suitable e g sewing machine oil To complete this process follow the instructions below 1 Home all axes using AutoMaker 2 Apply a thin smear of lubricant to the X Rails The easiest way to ensure the lubricant is distributed across the rails is to apply it on either side of the linear ...

Page 95: ...encing problems please contact CEL support Hardware I m having trouble getting the first layer of my print to stick to the print bed There are a number of possible causes and solutions 1 Try cleaning your print bed using the supplied bed cleaning wipes or a clean cloth soaked in Isopropyl Alcohol 2 There could be a problem with the automatic bed levelling system try running the Level Gantry calibr...

Page 96: ...ppear as false off in the diagnostics screen described in section 5 3 10 There should also be no eject button visible on the Status screen If you do see an eject symbol when no filament is loaded then there is an issue with your output switch please contact CEL support see section 8 4 Hardware There s a clicking sound coming from my extruder during printing 1 Verify the material is coming of the r...

Page 97: ...he warp of printed parts is influenced by the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material This parameter describes the degree to which a polymer changes size as a function of temperature The higher this parameter the more a part will shrink as it cools Because 3D printed parts are hot at the base due to the heated bed and at the top due to the molten material which was deposited last but cool...

Page 98: ...ion Many antivirus packages use a reputation based system to determine the safety of software based on the number of instances that have been seen by other users As AutoMaker is brand new sofware it may trigger these checks until it has been installed by more users worldwide It can usually be rectified by restoring the file from quarantine If you have any further questions please contact CEL suppo...

Page 99: ...99 99 www cel robox com 7 0 Calibration and Maintenance ...

Page 100: ...Supplementary Information 8 0 ...

Page 101: ...e specified volume at the specified feedrate until the extruder index wheel detects that the filament is no longer moving G37 Unlock door S S Override Safe Temperature Bed C This will unlock the door immediately if no S value is present or allow the door unlock at a specified bed temperature e g G37 S50 will unlock the door when the bed temperature reaches 50 C G38 Level gantry Using the input fro...

Page 102: ... Heater PWM 0 255 denotes 240V supply and denotes 115V supply ee Ambient Temperature Setpoint C ff Ambient Fan PWM 0 255 This command shows the status of all heaters and temperature settings M106 Head Fan on S S Speed 0 255 This command sets the speed of the fan on the print head e g M106 S255 sets the fan to 100 power M106 S128 sets it to 50 M107 Head Fan off This command turns off the head fan b...

Page 103: ...d on the reel previous value sent M139 S100 sets it to 100 C M140 Set bed target temperature S S Override Temperature C This command sets the nozzle temperature using data supplied from the reel EEPROM S provides a manual override for custom temperature e g M104 will set the bed temperature to the value stored on the reel previous value sent M140 S120 sets it to 120 C M170 Set ambient target tempe...

Page 104: ...se as these values should never need to be changed For X Y and Z it specifies the distance the head can move beyond the point that the endstop is activated and therefore it defines the homing speed For E and D this defines the distance filament travels from the extruder output switch to the entry point of the head along the Bowden tube M906 Set motor current X Y Z E D B This command is only really...

Page 105: ...f a test programme to work out the limits of the motors and axes and how these affect print quality we should be able to publish some maximum printing and travel speeds soon but be assured it s fast What about other specifications See section 2 2 Can you use third party printing filament with Robox Robox has not been tied to only official materials any high quality 1 75mm filament can be used but ...

Page 106: ...l to the bed and is dependent on nozzle size for Robox the minimum feature size is 0 3mm 300 microns Minimum Layer Thickness this is the thinnest layer that can be extruded by Robox and has the greatest impact on surface finish Robox can print with 20 micron layers producing an almost completely smooth outside perimeter Resolution this specifies the theoretical maximum resolution i e the smallest ...

Page 107: ... Design etc In future we also plan to support the new Microsoft 3D Builder software and amf 3mf format for Windows 8 1 support Can you use AutoMaker to design parts Not yet the included AutoMaker software is for controlling and monitoring Robox and laying out print jobs not for actually designing parts There are a number of solutions available online which will allow you to design your own parts i...

Page 108: ...ting in inadequately ventilated or unfiltered indoor environments Just like mobile phone radio waves the research is inconclusive at this stage but has captured a lot of media attention The research paper can be found at http www sciencedirect com science article pii S1352231013005086 If I put two items on the bed is it possible to print one by one rather than both together It is possible to print...

Page 109: ...shing Accuracy Generally used to describe the theoretical accuracy of the motion system This is calculated from the step accuracy of the stepper motor used for control and the pitch of the leadscrew belt See section 2 2 for accuracy specifications Acetone A colourless flammable liquid also known as propanone a solvent which will dissolve ABS and can be used as a cement for gluing parts together It...

Page 110: ...the motors to other parts of a machine Usually fibre reinforced to prevent stretching Bowden Tube This is the tube which delivers the filament to the print head It is manufactured from PTFE to reduce the friction on the internal surfaces while maintaining flexibility Bridge This refers to a feature in the printed object where an unsupported flat surface is produced by essentially printing in thin ...

Page 111: ...s Delamination A defect in a 3D printed object where layers have not correctly fused together resulting in a gap between layers It can be caused by underextrusion incorrect material process parameters or by excessive warping shrinkage Dessicant A chemical substance which absorbs moisture from the surrounding environment Drive Screw Also known as a lead screw this is a thread which is used to conve...

Page 112: ...t Fabrication Where a filament of one material plastic wax metal etc is deposited on top of or alongside the same or similar material making a joint by heat or adhesion Filament The feedstock for a FFF 3D printer a thermoplastic which has been extruded into a 1 75mm diameter wire which is fed to the print head and melted before being extruded onto the build plate Fill This describes all extruded m...

Page 113: ... 2 Homing As there is no direct feedback from the stepper motor in terms of position homing is how Robox determines the location of all axes before starting a print Each axis moves until it reaches its endstop which is then defined as the origin Because the software knows the length of each axis software limits can be used at the other end of travel Hot End This commonly refers to the heated nozzl...

Page 114: ... is watertight Non manifold surface models may produce errors in slicing as the software is unable to define that edge MEK Methyl ethyl ketone also known as butanone is commonly used as an industrial solvent and polymer cement It can be used for joining together printed parts and vapour smoothing but must be used with care as it can irritate skin and eyes See section 6 3 Mesh See 3D Model Micro Ma...

Page 115: ...aterial away from the tip of the nozzle Robox uses a needle valve system to stop the extrusion as required at the tip of the nozzle resulting in minimal ooze Overhang Describes an unsupported area of a 3D printed model When automatic support generation is enabled an angle threshold is used to define where support is generated see section 5 5 8 Parametric Adjustable in all dimensions A parametric m...

Page 116: ...g between two dissimilar materials it is important to remove the old material from the head completely to prevent blockages Purge is a routine that chooses an intermittent melt point and forces through material to effectively switch between materials see section 7 2 1 PVA PVOH Polyvinyl Alcohol A water soluble filament used as 3D printing material often for dissolvable support See section 6 2 1 Qu...

Page 117: ...he first time to allow us to offer effective support and send software updates see section 3 5 Routine See Macro RP Abbreviation for Rapid prototyping Creating an object in a matter of hours using additive manufacturing Shell Used to describe the outside surfaces of a 3D model Silica Gel A desiccant which can be used for reducing the water content of filament It can be reactivated by slow oven dry...

Page 118: ...models for 3D printing It only contains geometry data in the form of a polygonal mesh and is slowly being replaced by more advanced standardised formats such as AMF Stringing A print defect characterised by thin strings of polymer between separate extrusion paths It is caused by ooze as the head travels to another location it drags a string of molten plastic from the head affecting the surface fin...

Page 119: ...f material being extruded leading to surface finish errors and bad layer bonding It is usually caused when the extruder cannot force filament into the hot end fast enough due to blockage softened wet filament or incorrect material parameters Vapour Smoothing This is a process used to smooth out the surface of a 3D printed model by vaporising a solvent and then allowing to condense on the surface o...

Page 120: ...aching different print heads and moves left to right along the X rails Y Axis This is the axis which controls the motion of the bed forwards and backwards along the Y rail driven by a belt and pulley system Z Axis This is the axis which controls the motion of the gantry up and down along the Z rail driven by leadscrew Z Carriage These are the plastic housings which hold the X rails perpendicular t...

Page 121: ...ss of your support request Please sign up for an account and submit a ticket at robox freshdesk com Sales For sales of accessories and consumables you can contact uksales cel robox com Or visit our website at www cel robox com Feedback Please send all general feedback on Robox to feedback cel robox com Distributor Contact Details If you purchased your Robox from an authorised CEL reseller please f...

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