NWA3D A5 User manual

NWA3D A5 User Manual
1. NWA3D A5 3D Printer Part Diagrams
2. Assembling the Spool Holder
3. Leveling the Build Plate
4. Loading and Unloading Filament
5. Operation: The Four Steps of 3D Printing
6. Troubleshooting
7. Glossary of 3D Printing Terms
8. Additional Resources
© 2018 NWA3D LLC Version 3.1

NWA3D A5 User Manual
1. NWA3D A5 3D Printer Part Diagrams
(Detailed description of all terminology in Section 7. Glossary of 3D Printing Terms)
© 2018 NWA3D LLC 2

NWA3D A5 User Manual
2. Assembling the Spool Holder
1. Loosen the nuts on the two bolts
installed on the spool holder side
pieces until they are near the end
of the bolt threads—but don’t
remove them completely.
2. Slide the base of the spool holder
into the side piece while at the
same time sliding the nut into the
small groove in the base.
3. Attach the side piece to the base by
tightening the bolt with a 3mm hex
key (Allen) wrench. Do not
over-tighten or it will crack.
4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 to attach the
other side piece.
© 2018 NWA3D LLC 3

NWA3D A5 User Manual
3. Leveling the Build Plate
Video Tutorial: How to level the build plate
To 3D print good parts, the build plate needs to be level and at the correct distance
from the nozzle. If it’s too close to the nozzle, the nozzle will dig into the build
surface, or the melted plastic will not be able to come out of the nozzle. If it’s too far
from the nozzle, the part will not stick to the build surface or will warp.
If you use blue painter’s tape as your print surface, the nozzle needs to be about
0.10mm from the build plate in all locations. This is about the thickness of a single
sheet of copier paper. If you use a LokBuild print surface, the nozzle needs to be
about 0.20–0.25mm from the build plate in all locations. This is about the thickness
of two sheets of copier paper (or one sheet folded in half to double its thickness).
You want to adjust the height of the build plate so that you can slide the paper
between the nozzle and the build plate with some resistance. You should feel the
paper vibrating and dragging when you move it between the nozzle, but not so close
that the copier paper buckles.
1. Select Setup > Auto home. This will move the nozzle to the home position at the
front left corner of the build plate, where the X, Y, and Z axis are set to 0,0,0.
2. When the motors stop, select Setup > Disable motors. This will allow you to
move the hot end of the extruder assembly (X axis) and build plate (Y axis) by
hand.
Pro Tip: The Z axis motor is also disabled, and you don’t want it to move at all. So
you should handle the printer gently during the leveling process. Keep it on a flat
surface and don’t tip it while leveling.
3. For painter’s tape print surfaces, slide a piece of copier paper between the nozzle
and the build plate. For LokBuild print surfaces, first fold the paper in half to
double its thickness, then slide it between the nozzle and build plate.
4. Move the hot end (X axis) and build plate (Y axis) so that the nozzle is directly
© 2018 NWA3D LLC 4

NWA3D A5 User Manual
above front right corner nut under the bed. Adjust that nut until the paper slides
with just a tiny bit of drag, then move the nozzle and repeat the process at the
other two nut locations. We recommend adjusting the nut on the front right first,
then the back one on the right, then the one in the center of the left side.
5. Repeat Steps 1–4 until the amount of tension on the paper is consistent at all
locations, including the center of the build plate.
6. The first layer of the print will show whether the distance between the nozzle
and build plate is correct. Refer to the following graphic for clarity.
a. If the bed is too high, the extruded plastic will squeeze out the sides of the
nozzle. The nozzle will plow the plastic and leave a first layer that is too thin.
© 2018 NWA3D LLC 5

NWA3D A5 User Manual
Or it may be so close that no plastic is extruded at all.
b. If the bed is too low, the extruded plastic may not stick to the build plate.
Even if it does stick to the build plate, parallel lines of filament on the first
layer will look mounded, with gaps in between them.
Pro Tip: You can “Hot Level” your printer by carefully adjusting the nuts during
the first layer of the build while the plate is moving until the distance between
the build plate and the nozzle is producing smooth extruded lines. Be careful of
the moving parts to not get pinched. After you have fine-tuned the bed level
during the first layer, you may want to stop the build, clear the build plate, and
restart the build so it will look better on the bottom.
© 2018 NWA3D LLC 6

NWA3D A5 User Manual
4. Loading and Removing Filament
Video Tutorial: How to remove clogs, load, and change filament
1. Loading filament
a. Load a spool of filament into the spool holder. Slide the bolt through the
spool’s center hole, and then place the bolt into the recessed grooves on the
spool holder.
b. Cut the end of the filament at an angle so the irregular melted plastic at the
end doesn’t cause a clog. It will also be easier to feed into the extruder and
Bowden tube.
c. Feed the end of the filament into the extruder by hand as you squeeze the
extruder release lever.
d. Push the filament all the way through the Bowden tube until it stops when it
© 2018 NWA3D LLC 7

NWA3D A5 User Manual
hits the back of the nozzle.
e. Select Setup > Preheat PLA.
f. When the printer is fully heated, remove all of the filament color left in the
printer from previous prints before you start a new print. To do this,
manually push filament through the extruder as you squeeze the extruder
release lever until the new color starts coming out of the nozzle.
Pro Tip: Never leave the printer preheated with material inside of it when it
is not printing. The filament will bake inside of the nozzle assembly and
create a clog.
2. Removing filament
To remove the filament cleanly, you should do a “soft pull.” This involves heating
the nozzle to 100°C, then pulling the filament out of the printer.
a. Select Setup > Preheat soft pull and wait until the nozzle temperature
reaches the set temperature
b. Wait a minute for the temperature to become stable.
c. When the nozzle temperature is a stable 100°C, squeeze the extruder release
lever and pull the filament out of the extruder with a steady, firm motion.
d. Cut the end of the filament to remove the irregular melted plastic at the end.
Pro Tip: Feed the end of the filament into the hole on the side of the spool.
This will insure it doesn’t get tangled and cause a build to fail the next time
you use it.
e. Remove the filament from the filament spool holder.
© 2018 NWA3D LLC 8

NWA3D A5 User Manual
5. Operation: The Four Steps of 3D Printing
3D printing involves these four steps:
1. Create a 3D file (Make)
2. Slice the file for 3D printing (Slice)
3. Send the file to the printer (Transfer)
4. Select the file on the printer (Print)
1. Create or find a 3D file
a. You can create a 3D model—a digital geometry—using any CAD (computer-
aided design) software program. We recommend free programs, such as
TinkerCAD and OnShape. Autodesk’s Fusion360 is free to students. Another
is SketchUp, which has free licenses available for schools. These programs
take some time to learn, and can be challenging. But they are also rewarding,
especially when you see your own creation being printed on your 3D printer!
Every CAD program allows users to save or export digital files for 3D
printing. You want to save your file as an STL file (“filename.stl”). The STL file
is the standard file format for 3D printing. In some programs, it’s as easy as
the Save command. In others, you need to select the File > Export option, and
choose the STL format. OBJ files can also be sliced and 3D printed.
b. You can find 3D models in many online libraries of digital content.
Thingiverse, GrabCAD, and Instructables are examples, and many other sites
exist.
2. Slice the file for 3D printing
Video Tutorial: How to set up Cura 3.1
Slicing is the process of converting your 3D model into the layered print
language your printer can understand, called G-Code. We recommend using free,
open-source slicer programs. Our favorite slicers are Ultimaker Cura and
Repetier Host. Both are free and easy to use. We’ve included Cura and its setup
profile on your printer’s SD card because it’s easier for beginners. For beginning
users, we recommend that you install Cura on a single PC or Mac and use it to do
your slicing.
There are a lot of slicers that will create G-Code automatically for your printer.
All you have to do is input the correct settings for your printer (using the files we
included), import your 3D model, and save the G-Code. It’s that easy!
© 2018 NWA3D LLC 9

NWA3D A5 User Manual
a. Install Ulitmaker Cura on a PC or Mac (both the .exe and .dmg versions are
included on your microSD card).
b. Open the Cura application. When it’s opened for the first time, you’ll see the
“Add Printer” window. Select “Custom > Custom FDM machine.” In the lower
left, type “NWA3D A5” for the printer name,  and then click the “Add Printer”
button on the lower right.
© 2018 NWA3D LLC 10