3D Systems sPro User manual

SLS process
user’s guide
Thank-you for purchasing 3D Systems® SLS® equipment and
DuraForm® materials. Before you start building parts in your
SLS™ process facility, please read this guide carefully to
enjoy optimum process performance and longer equipment
service life.
CONTENTS
Document 23348-M12-00 Revision BAugust 2017
Copyright © 2006 by 3D Systems Corporation. All rights reserved.
3D Systems, the 3D logo, Sinterstation, sPro, SLS, and DuraForm are registered trademarks of 3D
Systems, Inc. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
LIn accordance with laboratory equipment safety standards (EN61010-1, Sect. 5.4.4). If this equipment is used
in a manner not specified by the manufacturer, protection provided by the equipment may be impaired.
Observe all warning labels, and conform to all safety rules described in this manual.
™
Contents
`About This Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
`Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
`SLS Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
`Prepare to Build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
`Build Parts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73
`Break Out Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
`RCM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .101
`IRS & IPC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
`SLS System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
`BOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
`Contacting 3D Systems . . . . . . . . . 242
`Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
`Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Original Instructions
S

SLS process
user’s guide
ABOUT THIS GUIDE
This guide describes how to create finished SLS parts made of DuraForm® PAplastic
powder laser sintering (LS) material using 3D Systems’ sPro SLS® system and
SLS equipment.
`What’s Inside?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
`Hazard Warnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
`Instruction Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
`Other Useful Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

SLS process 3 ABOUT THIS GUIDE
user’s guide what’s inside?
What’s Inside?
This SLS Process User’s Guide includes the
sections summarized below. General safety
guidelines are presented first. The rest of the
Guide is organized in two parts. The first part
covers SLS process procedures and the second
covers SLS equipment.
At the end of this guide, you will also find a
Glossary of SLS process terms and an Index. Click
on any red TLA (three-letter acronym) or
SLS process term in this section to display a
definition.
Safety Guidelines and Instructions
The Safety section tells you what you need to
know to avoid injury or equipment damage. Read
this section before you switch on power to any
SLS equipment or handle DuraForm material.
LTo verify that your facility was properly
prepared for SLS system installation, see the
sPro SLS Process Facility Guide and SLS Process
Facility Layout. For detailed material safety
information, see the DuraForm Material Safety
Data Sheets (MSDS’s). Printed copies of these
documents were included in your SLS powder
material shipment. You can also download
MSDS’s for SLS materials
from3D Systems’ website. (See Other Useful
Documents on page 7.)
SLS Process Procedures
The instructions in these four sections step you
through the SLS process in a general way. When
necessary, they refer you to detailed machine
operating and maintenance instructions in the
equipment section of this guide.
SLS Process - overview of the SLS process from
powder to parts.
Build Preparation - how to prepare 3-D parts for
building using the SLS system’s Build Setup
software; how to clean, power-up, and start-up
SLS equipment, and perform pre-build checks.
LA “build” is a 3-D printout of a build packet
containing STL files of one or more 3-D parts.
You create build packets in the Build Setup
application. See your Build Setup online Help
for detailed build packet setup instructions.
Build Parts – how to run builds on the SLS
system, and how to monitor, control, and modify
a build in progress.
LYou use the Sinter application to run a build.
See your Sinter application online Help for
detailed build instructions.

SLS process 4 ABOUT THIS GUIDE
user’s guide what’s inside?
Breakout Parts – how to remove and cool down
the part cake after a build, then use the BOS to
remove parts from the part cake. This section also
describes how to recycle or dispose of used part
cake powder.
SLS Equipment
This second half of the User’s Guide provides
detailed instructions for the functions you need
to perform on SLS equipment during SLS process
procedures. The process instructions in the first
part of the guide frequently reference equipment
instructions these sections.
SLS Equipment - overview of SLS equipment
featuresand functions. This section includes
illustrations that help you locate SLS equipment
components and controls and convenient menu
maps for the IRS and BOS operator panel
displays.
The four sections after the equipment overview
contain complete safety, operation,
maintenance, and troubleshooting instructions
for each SLS process machine. They focus on the
following:
IRS and IPC - loading powder from the IPC to the
IRS and transferring powder between the IRS,
SLS system, and BOS.
SLS® system - preparing for, and running builds
using the Sinter application and utilities, and
maintaining the SLS system between builds.
BOS - breaking parts out of the part cake and
managing waste and recycled part cake powder.

SLS process 5 ABOUT THIS GUIDE
user’s guide hazard warnings
Hazard Warnings
You will find nine different types of warnings in
this guide. Always heed these warnings. Ignoring
them can expose you and your SLS equipment to
the hazards listed below.
LSee the Safety section for descriptions of safety
labels on your SLS equipment.
WARNING TYPE HAZARD
Safety Alert Machine damage, part damage, and/or data loss.
Electric shock Injury or death from electric shock.
Hot surface Burn injury or fire on hot non-handling surface. Allow surface to
cool before touching.
Hot surface - touch Burn injury or fire on hot handling surface. Allow surface to cool
before touching.
Laser radiation Eye injury or blindness; burn injury; fire.
Crush Injury or death from crushing weight.
Impeller Injury or death from rotating blade or impeller.
Notched belt
entanglement Injury or death from entanglement in notched pulley drive belt.
Air-pressurized
powder
Eye injury or blindness; dust-cloud ignition from escaping
pressurized powder.

SLS process 6 ABOUT THIS GUIDE
user’s guide instruction formats
Instruction Formats
Instructions in this guide use special text formats
to highlight menu commands, keys on the
keyboard, operator panel buttons, and text on
the operator panel display.
Text on Computer Display
Text in LS software menus and windows you
need to find or act on is in bold; for example:
“Open the Machine menu and select Manual
Operations > Inerting.”
“Click the Build button on the main toolbar.
Text you enter in LS software programs is
underlined in typewriter font; for example
In the Heater Control window, enter 130.0
for the temperature Setpoint (°C).”
Keys
Keyboard key names are capitalized; for example:
“Press the Enter key.”
Labeled Controls and Indicators
Labeled switches, buttons, lights, and gauges are
in bold, uppercase text; for example:
“Turn the BOS POWDER TRANSPORT switch
to RECYCLE.”
Operator Panel Buttons
The icons represent operator panel
buttons on the IRS and BOS. The buttons
perform these functions:
Scroll menu options up/down; increase/
decrease/change parameter values.
Select option/accept change; similar to
Enter key on keyboard or YES or OK
dialog button.
Cancel/reject change/exit up one menu
level; similar to Esc key on keyboard or
NO, Cancel, or Exit dialog button.
Operator Panel Display Text
Text displayed on the IRS or BOS operator
panel appears in green text; for example:
From the Process Params menu, choose
RCM Type, then press .

SLS process 7 ABOUT THIS GUIDE
user’s guide other useful documents
Other Useful Documents
The documents listed below will help you get the
most out of your SLS process and equipment. You
can find them in the ..dtm\docs folder of your LS
software installation hard drive (...except for Build
Setup Help and Sinter Help. You access these
through the Build Setup and Sinter applications).
`SLS Process Facility Guide – details SLS
process requirements for facility electrical
power, room construction and atmosphere,
compressed air, nitrogen, coolant, powder,
and network. It also provides SLS equipment
specifications, shipping and information, and
moving instructions. (This guide was sent to
you before installation. A pdf copy is included
in the ..dtm\docs folder for reference.)
`SLS Process Facility Layout – illustrates SLS
process requirements for facility electrical
power, room atmosphere, compressed air,
nitrogen, and coolant. It also shows
equipment dimensions and a recommended
arrangement for your SLS equipment. (This
layout was sent to you before installation. A
pdf copy is included in the ..dtm\docs folder
for reference.)
`Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s) –
online copies of the printed MSDS’s that ship
with DuraForm materials. Make sure
everyone in your facility who handles
DuraForm materials reads these MSDS’s and
follows the safety guidelines in them. To
order extra printed copies of these MSDS’s,
contact 3D Systems Customer Support.
`Build Setup Help – provides detailed
instructions on how to use the Build Setup
application to create and modify build
packets you can run on the SLS system. To
view Build Setup Help, run the Build Setup
program, then select Help > Help on Build
Setup ... from the main window menu bar.
For help on the currently selected Build Setup
command or window, press function key F1.
LYou can also run Build Setup from the
Sinter Application by clicking the Setup
toolbar button.

SLS process 8 ABOUT THIS GUIDE
user’s guide other useful documents
`Sinter Help – provides detailed instructions
on how to use the Sinter application to run
and manage builds on the SLS system. To
view Sinter Help, run Sinter, then select
Help > Online Help from the main window
menu bar. For help on the currently selected
Sinter command or window, press function
key F1.
`Material Guides – give you the material,
machine, and software configuration
information you need to build good parts
with the SLS process. Each Material Guide
describes SLS processing characteristics for
one family of 3D Systems’ DuraForm powder
materials, such as DuraForm PA. They also
include safety and regulatory guidelines for
DuraForm material handling.

SLS process
user’s guide
SAFETY
This section gives the information you need to use 3D Systems’ SLS equipment and
DuraForm LS materials safely. It includes the following topics:
`General Safety Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
`SLS Equipment Safety Features . . . . . . . . . 12
`Safety Labels. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
`Electrical Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
`Environmental Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
`Laser Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
`Powder Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
`Nitrogen/Oxygen Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
`Mechanical Motion Hazard Locations . . . 34
`Hot Surfaces and Powders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
`DuraForm Material Handling Safety . . . . . 36
`IPC Handling Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
`Shutdown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
`Emergency Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Before using any SLS equipment, your company should have a safety program in place. The
safety program should do the following:
✓Label and point out hazardous equipment,
materials, and procedures.
✓Explain what to do in an emergency
situation.
✓Provide information about the hazards of
equipment and materials in the form of
Material Safety Data Sheets. These are
provided with all materials supplied by
3D Systems.

SLS process 10 SAFETY
user’s guide general safety guidelines
General Safety Guidelines
All SLS equipment is designed with safety in
mind. However, improper use, malfunctions, and
excessive exposure could cause injury.
Follow these general safety guidelines when
operating any SLS equipment:
Training and Instructions
`Do not operate any SLS equipment before
receiving proper training.
`Read and follow all operating instructions.
`Follow all safety rules in this section and heed
all hazard warnings in this guide.
`Do not try to do any equipment maintenance
procedures you were not trained to do.
•Operators are trained to operate the
system and perform all the necessary tasks
to print a part.
•Certified service personnel are those
who have completed the 3D Systems
service training package and are certified
to perform service tasks. Certification may
occur at various levels, and servicers
should only perform tasks they are
authorized and certified to complete.
Machine Handling
`Do not try to access, service, or adjust any
components inside any SLS equipment
enclosure.
`Do not try to open any panel or door while a
machine is running.
`Do not access any area of the machine near
the process chamber high-temperature-
material builds.
`Use special caution when handling a heated
RCM and when dealing with the heated, inert
environment inside the SLS system’s process
chamber. Take note of all thermal hazard
warning labels on the machines.
`Always disconnect the RCM cable before
moving the RCM out of the SLS system or
BOS.
`To prevent crush injuries to the body, use
extra caution when rolling the RCM into and
out of the SLS system and BOS, and when
closing the BOS overhead door. Take note of
all crush hazard warning labels on the
machines.