Stratasys FDM 2000 User manual

Introduction
FDM 2000 / 3000 / 8000
Release 2.0
StratasysDocumentno.105208-0001
Rev. B

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AboutThisManual—Purpose
About This Manual
Purpose
The purpose of this manual is to provide you with the necessary information to
operate and maintain the Stratasys FDM 2000/3000/8000. This manual comple-
ments the procedures covered by the Stratasys training program. However, it does
not serve as a substitute for hands-on learning. It also functions as an integral part
of the complete documentation for your Stratasys system configuration.
Organization
This manual contains three main sections:
1) Introduction
2) Procedures (“how to” information)
This section contains FDM 2000/3000/8000 usage, maintenance, and
troubleshooting procedures. The usage section describes modeling and
manual operations (see “How This Manual is Organized” on page F2/
3000-4). The maintenance section covers daily cleaning, cleaning the
FDM head, and periodic maintenance. The troubleshooting section covers
basic problem resolution.
3) Reference (“What is it?” information)
FDM 2000/3000/8000 concepts such as “Fused Deposition Modeling” are
covered here. This section also describes the FDM 2000/3000/8000
controls, hardware, and the recommended toolpath parameters for
Stratasys modeling materials.
Conventions
The caution symbol indicates important information that should be
read carefully. Cautions and warnings appear in bold typeface.
The notepad symbol can indicate any of the following:
• a shortcut
• additional information about a feature or topic
• the situation in which you might choose to use a feature
This information appears in italics.
Text to be entered at a prompt is indicated in a bold typeface, and may contain
the subscripted caret (^) symbol, which represents when a space must be
entered.

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AboutThisManual—Organization
All of the Stratasys product documentation uses letter designated page num-
bers (appendices use lower case letters). You may find references within this
manual to page numbers in other Stratasys documentation. The letter designa-
tions are as follows:
T- Training Manual
F1650- FDM 1650 Manual (FDM Hardware)
F2/3000- FDM 2000 and 3000 Manual (FDM Hardware)
F8000- FDM 8000 Manual (FDM Hardware)
A- Applications Manual
U- Utilities Manual
G- Glossary
N- Notes
m- Materials Appendix (Appendices)
S- Installation Appendix (Appendices)
E- Export/Import Appendix (Appendices)
The documentation included with your FDM system is dependent upon your
FDM system configuration.

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AboutThis Manual—HowThis Manualis Organized

Procedures
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About the FDM 2000/
3000/8000
Overview of the Process
There are four main parts to the Stratasys modeling system:
• SlicingSoftware
• ComputerWorkstation
• FDM2000/3000/8000Modeler
• ModelingMaterials
FDM 2000/3000/8000
The FDM 2000, FDM 3000, and FDM8000 use Fused Deposition ModelingTM
(FDM) to turn computer-aided design (CAD) geometry into models that can be
used for design reviews, manufacturability stud-
ies, investment casting patterns, and marketing.
The FDM 2000 features the Break Away Support
System (BASS), allowing the designer to create
models with greater speed and precision. The
FDM 3000 features WaterWorks Soluble Release.
The support tip for the FDM 2000/3000/8000
extrudes a material that supports any overhang-
ing portions of the model’s geometry. With the
FDM 3000, when the model is completed, the
support is easily dissolved, leaving behind the
final product.
The FDM 2000/3000 is a bench-top unit standing
forty-five and one half inches high witha26x36
inch footprint. Because it requiresnoexhaust hood
orother special facilities, it can be placed next to a
designer’sCAD workstation.
Each CAD file must be converted to an STL
format. The STL file is read into Stratasys’ slicing
software called Insight. Insight breaks the model
into individual slices, with each slice represent-
ing one layer of material. Insight then generates tool paths to fill the slices.
These toolpaths form the SML file.
After slicing an STL file and creating a Stratasys Modeling Language (SML)
file, the SML file is downloaded to the FDM Hardware for modeling.
About The FDM —Overview

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In the FDM Hardware, the FDM head moves in two horizontal axes across a
foundation and deposits a layer of material for each slice. The material is
heated by the FDM head so it comes out in a semiliquid state. The successive
layers fuse together and solidify to build up an accurate, three-dimensional
model of the design. For more information on this process, see “Fused Deposition
Modeling” under Concepts in the Reference section of this manual.
Overall tolerance is ± 0.005" in the X, Y, and Z axes. Actual results depend on the
model.
Materials
The FDM 2000/3000 is capable of using a variety of inert, nontoxic materials:
lICW06— Investment CastingWax
lP400 ABS — ABS Plastic
lP500 ABSi — High Impact ABS Plastic
lE2O — Elastomer
The FDM8000 is capable of using P400 ABS and P500 ABSi
It is extremely important to keep ABS, ABSi, and Elastomer completely dry.
Each material comes wound on a spool in the form of a filament approximately
0.070" in diameter, so it is both easy to load and easy to store.
Storage
The Stratasys materials may be stored at normal room temperature. Humid-
ity must be eliminated when using ABS, ABSI and Elastomer. Exposing the
filament material to temperatures outside normal office temperatures may
cause the filament to fracture. Stratasys recommends storing ABS, ABSI,
and Elastomer spools in dry boxes, like the dry box on the back of the FDM
2000/3000/8000. These materials also can be stored inside two plastic bags.
Enclose a bag of desiccant with the spool. Place the plastic bags in a closed
cabinet or vacuum sealed environment. This is to protect them from dust,
bumps, nicks, and moisture. Handle the spools of material with care. Sud-
den or abrupt impacts to material spools may cause the filament to fracture.
(See the technical note enclosed with each spool for further information.)
Investment Casting Wax
Stratasys investment casting wax allows the operator to take an STL file
from a CAD model through the Stratasys modeling process and create a
wax pattern. Forming and dewaxing a shell mold is done rapidly using
normal investment casting procedures. No special burnout is required.
Using this material streamlines the model-making process and helps you
get your products to market faster. The low ash content and low viscosity
About The FDM —Overview

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level of the wax leave a residue-free cavity. (See the Materials Appendix for
moreinformationaboutInvestmentCastingWax.)
P400ABS Plastic
Thistoughplastic isanacrylonitrile-butadiene-styrenebasedmaterial which
produces sturdy prototypes. P400 ABS allows you to make models much
more similar to the desired final product than was possible with previous
modeling materials. (See the Materials Appendix for more information about
P400ABS.)
P500ABSiPlastic
P500 ABS is a medium grade, high impact strength ABS plastic. This tough
plastic meets all FDA USP Class VI requirements and can be gamma steril-
ized with negligible discoloration. (See the Materials Appendix for more
information about P500 ABSi.)
For more information about these materials, see the Materials Appendix in
the back of your FDM System documentation.
Elastomer
Stratasys E20 elastomer is a thermoplastic polyester based elastomer formu-
lated to provide a tough, flexible material that offers a unique combination
of mechanical and physical properties. Stratasys E20 elastomer was devel-
oped for applications requiring flexible models such as window and door
seals, straps, gaskets, toys and container designs. Models made from these
materials can be twisted, bent and flexed.
About The FDM —Materials

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FDM 2000/3000/8000 Support Systems
About The FDM Support Systems
The FDM 2000/8000 uses the unique Break Away Support System (BASS). BASS
uses a second nozzle to extrude the support material. The supports are designed
to prop up the overhanging portions of the part during modeling. The supports
detach easily, making the finished product look better with minimal post-model-
ingfinishing.
The FDM 3000 uses WaterWorks Soluble Release. It also uses a second nozzle
to extrude the support material. The supports are designed to prop up the
overhanging portions of the part during modeling. When a model is completed,
an Ultrasonic Cleaner is used to dissolve the supports. This results in a better
surface finish and eliminates the need to split parts requiring internal supports.
FDM Head
Dual Liquefiers
ModelMat'l
ReleaseMat'l
Model
Break Away Support System (BASS)
Or WaterWorks Soluble Release
Support

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Support Groups
For best use of the FDM 2000/3000/8000 system, the .sml file must be made
correctly. The layer of support making direct contact with the model must be
part of a group designated strictly for supports.
ABS and ICW06 have specific release materials associated with them. Stratasys
recommends making the entire support from the release material.
The support slices default to raster curves only. (It is possible to change the
toolpath to be contour or contour and raster, but Stratasys recommends using
raster fills exclusively).
Finishing The Part
BASS
After the model is made, the supports must be detached without removing any
of the part. If the support toolpath is the same color as the part toolpath, the
operator can still determine the difference by visually inspecting the .sml file.
A support region has wide gaps between the toolpaths, and a part region
might have no gap between the toolpaths. Not only is the finished part of
better quality than a part made without the BASS system, but the supports
come off easily and cleanly. This greatly reduces the time required to manually
finish the part. (See pages 3-5 in the Applications manual).
About The FDM Support System
You can usually determine the difference between the support and the
part by the amount of space between the toolpaths in each layer. Rasters
are aligned in support curves.
WaterWorks Soluble Release
After the model is completed, the supports are removed by using an Ultrasonic
Cleaner kit, which consists of an Ultrasonic tank, basket, and generator. After
the tank is prepared, the part is placed into the basket with the correct amount
of solution concentrate added to it, and the tank is set to the correct tempera-
ture. When finished the supports are dissolved by the Ultrasonic Cleaner.

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ChangingtheFDMHead
(page F16-21)
ChangingtheFDMtip
(page F16-25)
ChangingSpoolsofMaterial
(page F16-28)
Slicing3DSTLFile
(SeeInsightonlinehelp)
CreatingCustomGroups
(see Insight online help)
GeneratingToolpaths/TipPath
(seeInsightonlinehelp)
CreatinganSML File
(seeInsightonlinehelp)
Sendingan SMLFiletotheFDM
machine (seeInsightonlinehelp)
PositioningtheFDMHead
(page F16-35)
SettingModelingTemperatures
(page F16-25)
ReplacingtheFoamFoundation
(page F16-32)
The FDM System
FDM 2000/3000/8000 Usage