Spectrum Z™510 3D Printer Hardware Manual
Introduction
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10/2/07
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The printer employs several techniques to quickly build parts. First, binder solution is applied in a higher
concentration around the edges of the part, creating a strong "shell" around the exterior of the part. Within
parts, the printer builds an infrastructure by printing strong scaffolding within part walls with a higher con-
centration of binder solution. The remaining interior areas are printed with a lower saturation, which gives
them stability, but prevents over-saturation, which can lead to distortion of the part.
After printing, the part is removed from the powder bed, depowdered and dried. The part can then be infil-
trated with wax, epoxy, or other materials to increase strength and durability. More information on different
infiltrants can be found in
Infiltrating the Part
. You will have the part in your hands and can start improving
your design within the same day — usually within hours.
Because the powder layers support the structures being printed, the printer creates parts without support
structures and will print parts with complex geometries that are impossible for other systems.
There are several important characteristics of the 3D Printer that will help you print the best parts for your
intended purpose.
•
Part Placement
. The software will place the parts within the build box to maximize build speed,
the most important criteria for the majority of our users. The software positions the parts with the
smallest dimension in the z (vertical) axis. For more information, refer to the
ZPrint Software Man-
ual
. In addition to part placement, the following other characteristics should be considered.
•
Strength
. The ultimate strength of the part will be somewhat affected by its orientation within the
print box. The part will be strongest along the y-axis and the x-axis and less strong along the z-
axis. This is because the cross sections are printed in continuous strips along the y or the "fast"
Step 4: As the gantry
traverses right to left, the
print head prints the part
cross-section.
Step 5: The feed piston
moves up one layer, the
build piston moves down
one layer, and the pro-
cess is repeated.