Zcorporation Z 406 User manual

Z406 System User Manual
September 2004
© 2003-2004 Z Corporation Part Number 09520
Z®406 3D Color Printer User Manual
Z Corporation
Type II
Revision D

Z Corporation Z406 System User Manual
2Z Corporation Service [phone]/(877)88-ZCORP
Table of Contents:
1YOUR Z406 SYSTEM..................................................................................................8
1.1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................8
1.1.1 OVERVIEW..................................................................................................................8
1.1.2 HOW IT WORKS..........................................................................................................9
1.2 THE PARTS OF THE Z406 3D PRINTER...........................................................12
1.3 THE PARTS ON THE PRINTER ASSEMBLY AND GANTRY............................13
1.4 Z406 SYSTEM COMPONENTS..........................................................................14
1.5 PRINTING A PART OVERVIEW .........................................................................15
1.5.1 STEP 1: PREPARING THE 3D PRINTER .................................................................15
1.5.2 STEP 2: IMPORTING THE FILE................................................................................15
1.5.3 STEP 3: PRINTING THE PART.................................................................................15
1.6 USEFUL TIPS......................................................................................................15
1.6.1 PART SETUP AND POST-PROCESSING ................................................................15
1.6.2 PART INFILTRATION................................................................................................16
2PREPARING THE Z406 3D PRINTER......................................................................18
2.1 HARDWARE CONTROLS...................................................................................18
2.2 PREPARING THE 3D PRINTER.........................................................................19
2.2.1 FILLING THE FEED BOX WITH POWDER ...............................................................20
2.2.2 CLEANING THE SERVICE STATION........................................................................24
2.2.3 CHECKING FLUID LEVELS.......................................................................................26
2.2.4 CHECKING POWDER OVERFLOW BIN...................................................................27
2.2.5 PUTTING THE MACHINE ONLINE............................................................................28
3USING ZPRINT SOFTWARE ....................................................................................29
3.1 OPEN OR IMPORT THE FILE.............................................................................29
3.2 ORIENTING THE PART......................................................................................30
3.2.1 PART CONTAINING AN OPENING OR HOLLOW AREA .........................................30
3.2.2 PART CONTAINING OVERHANGS ..........................................................................30
3.3 CHECKING BUILD SETTINGS ...........................................................................31
3.3.1 POWDER SETTINGS................................................................................................32
3.4 PRINTING THE BUILD........................................................................................33
4POST PROCESSING THE PART..............................................................................34
4.1 REMOVING THE FINISHED PART.....................................................................34

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4.2 DEPOWDERING THE PART...............................................................................35
4.2.1 ZD4I DEPOWDERER DETAIL...................................................................................36
4.2.2 ZD4 DEPOWDERER DETAIL....................................................................................39
4.2.3 USING THE EXTERNAL VACUUM BAG LINER .......................................................42
4.3 DRYING THE PART.............................................................................................45
4.3.1 STARCH AND PLASTER PARTS..............................................................................45
4.3.2 ZCAST PARTS ..........................................................................................................45
4.3.3 POST PROCESSING TOOLS ...................................................................................46
5INFILTRATING THE PART........................................................................................49
5.1.1 USING Z-MAXTM EPOXY...........................................................................................49
5.1.2 USING Z-BONDTM CYANOACRYLATE.....................................................................51
5.1.3 USING Z-SNAPTM EPOXY.........................................................................................52
5.1.4 USING PARAPLAST X-TRA WAX.............................................................................53
6APPLICATIONS .........................................................................................................54
6.1 GLUING MULTI-PIECE PARTS...........................................................................55
6.2 PAINTING PARTS................................................................................................56
6.3 POLYESTER RESIN............................................................................................57
6.4 ELECTROPLATING.............................................................................................58
6.5 WATER TRANSFER PRINTING..........................................................................59
6.6 INVESTMENT CASTING .....................................................................................62
6.7 FLEXIBLE PARTS................................................................................................64
6.8 THERMOFORMING.............................................................................................65
6.9 RTV MOLDING.....................................................................................................67
7MAINTENANCE .........................................................................................................73
7.1 CHANGING THE PRINT HEADS.........................................................................74
7.2 ALIGNING THE PRINT HEADS...........................................................................76
7.3 COLOR ALIGNMENT...........................................................................................82
7.4 FLUSHING THE BINDER ....................................................................................84
7.5 GREASING THE FAST AXIS...............................................................................84
7.6 GREASING THE SLOW AXIS .............................................................................85
7.7 OILING THE SNOWPLOWS................................................................................86
7.8 CLEAN UNDER THE GANTRY ...........................................................................86
7.9 GREASING THE PISTON SCREWS...................................................................87
7.10 REPLACING THE SCRAPER BLADE.................................................................88

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8CHANGING THE BINDER SUPPLY .........................................................................91
9CHANGING MATERIAL SYSTEM ............................................................................92
9.1 USING ZCAST POWDER....................................................................................97
9.1.1 GENERAL INFORMATION........................................................................................97
9.1.2 USING ZCAST ON YOUR Z406 3D PRINTER..........................................................97
9.1.3 LOADING ZCAST INTO THE Z406 3D PRINTER .....................................................99
9.1.4 SETTING UP ZCAST BUILDS...................................................................................99
9.1.5 POST PROCESSING ZCAST PARTS.......................................................................99
9.1.6 MATERIAL ORDERING.............................................................................................99
9.1.7 RECYCLING ............................................................................................................100
9.1.8 STORAGE................................................................................................................100
9.1.9 DISPOSAL ...............................................................................................................100
9.1.10 QUESTIONS AND SUPPORT .................................................................................100
9.2 USING ZP250 POWDER...................................................................................100
9.2.1 MACHINE SETUP....................................................................................................100
9.2.2 SOFTWARE SETUP................................................................................................101
9.2.3 PART REMOVAL AND POST PROCESSING.........................................................103
9.2.4 INFILTRATION ADDENDUM...................................................................................105
10 TROUBLESHOOTING.............................................................................................106
10.1 THE BINDER SOLUTION IS BEING APPLIED IN ERRATIC STRIPES...........106
10.2 THE SOFTWARE FREEZES DURING USE....................................................106
10.3 THIN PLANAR PARTS ARE WARPING .......................................................106
10.4 NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN I TRY TO PRINT ............................................106
10.5 MY STARCH-BASED PARTS ARE UNUSUALLY “CAKEY” ............................107
10.6 PARTS ARE UNUSUALLY WEAK OR CRUMBLY...........................................107
10.7 PRINTER LOOKS LIKE IT IS PRINTING, BUT IS NOT LAYING DOWN BINDER107
10.8 AIR ENTERED THE FLUID LINES....................................................................108
10.9 COMMUNICATION ERRORS BETWEEN PRINT HEAD AND PRINTER........109
11 Z406 SYSTEM DETAILS.........................................................................................110
11.1 DESCRIPTION OF REAR I/O PANEL...............................................................110
12 SYMBOLS USED.....................................................................................................111
12.1 SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS.............................................................................112
12.2 MATERIAL STORAGE PRECAUTIONS...........................................................113
12.3 ERROR CODES ................................................................................................113
13 INDEX.......................................................................................................................117

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APPENDIX I
ZCast 501 Design Guide....................…………………………………………………..119

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Table of Figures
Figure 1. The Printing Process ................................................................................................. 9
Figure 2: The Z406 3D Printer Shelling and Infrastructure Features ..................................... 10
Figure 3: Illustration of Z406 System Print Orientations........................................................ 11
Figure 4: The Z406 3D Printer................................................................................................ 12
Figure 5: Gantry and Printer Assembly................................................................................... 13
Figure 6: Z406 System Components...................................................................................... 14
Figure 7: Z406 Control Panel.................................................................................................. 18
Figure 8: Service Station Detail ............................................................................................. 24

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Use of Equipment
The Equipment was manufactured under patents licensed to Z Corp. to be used for the fabrication of
appearance models and prototypes. Other uses may be restricted; contact Z Corporation for further
information.
The Equipment is designed to be used by design engineers and other professionals in the production
of early-stage 3D appearance models and prototypes. The Equipment is not to be used to produce,
either directly or indirectly, medical or other products that may require precise dimensions or
tolerances to ensure the safe and effective operation of such products. You agree to indemnify,
defend and hold Z Corporation and its officers, directors and employees harmless from and against
any and all claims, losses, damages, costs and expenses resulting from any use of the Equipment
other than for the production of early-stage appearance models and prototypes.
If you have purchased all relevant casting-specific products as recommended by Z Corp. (casting-
specific service contract, hardware, software, and consumables), as well as a casting license, then
you are authorized to utilize the Equipment to fabricate molds for casting.

Z Corporation Z406 System User Manual
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1 YOUR Z406 SYSTEM
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.1.1 OVERVIEW
This Z406 3D Color Printer Manual will speed you along the path towards quickly and
inexpensively building parts. The manual contains the following sections:
1. Introduction. This section will give you an overview of the principles behind the Z406
System, familiarize you with the terminology we will use to describe the Z406 System
and introduce you to some of the features of this manual. This section concludes with an
outline of the three quick and easy steps to printing parts.
2. Preparing the Z406 3D Printer. This section will guide you through putting powder,
binder solution and wash fluid in the Z406 3D Printer, and preparing the system to print a
part.
3. Using ZPrint Software. This section gives you an overview of how to set up a build on
the ZPrint Software. For more information about the softwre and its features, please refer
to the ZPrint User Manual.
4. Post Processing a Part. This section guides you through removing your printed part,
removing any excess powder and infiltrating the part with resin to improve strength and
finish.
5. Applications. This section will teach you various ways to maximize the versatility of your
printer through the implementation of advanced part processing techniques.
6. Maintenance. This section contains instructions for keeping your Z406 3D Printer in
proper condition through regular preventative maintenance.
7. Changing the Binder Supply. This section gives detailed instructions how to change
between color and monochrome modes.
8. Changing Material Systems. This section will guide you through changing binder and
powder systems.
9. Troubleshooting. This section offers some troubleshooting tips.
10. Z406 System Details.This section contains system specifications about the Z406 3D
Printer.
11. Index.

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1.1.2 HOW IT WORKS
The Z406 System is based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s patented 3DP™(3D
Printing) technology.
The software first converts a three-dimensional design built using 3D CAD into cross-sections or
slices that can be between 0.003” – 0.009” (0.0762 - 0.2286 mm) thick.
The Z406 3D Printer then prints these cross-sections one after another from the bottom of part to the
top.
Inside the Z406 3D Printer there are two pistons (see Figure 1.)The feed piston is represented in the
diagrams below on the left and is shown in the ‘down’ position filled with powder. The build piston is
the piston on the right, shown below in the ‘up’ position. Also represented in the diagrams is the roller
(drawn as a circle) and the print assembly (drawn as a square.) On the Z406 3D Printer, the roller
and the print assembly are mounted together on the gantry which moves horizontally across the build
area.
To begin the 3D printing process, the printer first spreads a layer of zp series powder in the same
thickness as the cross section to be printed. The Z406 print heads then apply a binder solution to
the powder causing the powder particles to bind to one another and to the printed cross-section one
level below. The feed piston comes up one layer and the build piston drops one layer. The Z406 3D
Printer then spreads a new layer of powder and repeats the process, and in a short time the entire
part is printed.
Step 1: As the gantry traverses left
to right, the roller collects powder. Step 2: The roller spreads a thin layer of powder over the build
piston.
Step 3: The roller discharges
excess powder down the powder
overflow chute.
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 process is
repeated.
Figure 1. The Printing Process

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The Z406 3D 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 Z406 3D Printer builds an infrastructure by printing strong
scaffolding within part walls with a higher concentration 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 part distortion of the part.
Figure 2: The Z406 3D Printer Shelling and Infrastructure Features
After printing, the part is removed from the powder bed, depowdered and dried. The part can then be
infiltrated with wax, epoxy, or other materials to increase strength and durability. More information on
different infiltrants can be found in Section 4.4, 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 above, the printer creates parts
without support structures and can print parts with complex geometries that are impossible for other
systems.
There are several important characteristics of the Z406 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 User
Manual. 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” axis (the
print heads direction of travel), bands across the x or the “slow” axis (the gantry direction of travel)
and laminated layers along the z-axis. (See figure 3). This discussion only applies to untreated
parts; once parts are infiltrated, they uniformly take on the strength characteristics of the infiltrating
material.
Exterior walls
printed at higher
saturation
Interior infrastructure
printed at a higher
saturation
Other interior areas
printed at lower
saturation