Zcorporation Z402C User manual

Z402C System User Manual
November 2001
ZTM402C 3D Color Printer
User Manual
Z Corporation
Software Version 5.1.40
Copyright©2001 Z Corporation Part Number 09501

Z402C System User Manual Z Corporation
Table of Contents:
1YOUR Z402C SYSTEM ................................................................................................5
1.1 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................5
1.1.1 OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................5
1.1.2 HOW IT WORKS ......................................................................................................6
1.2 PRINTING A PART OVERVIEW............................................................................9
1.2.1 STEP 1: IMPORTING THE FILE ..................................................................................9
1.2.2 STEP 2: PREPARING THE 3D PRINTER ...............................................................9
1.2.3 STEP 3: PRINTING THE PART ...............................................................................9
2THE ZCORP SYSTEM SOFTWARE..........................................................................10
2.1 RECOMMENDED SYSTEM.................................................................................10
2.2 INSTALLING THE ZCORP SYSTEM SOFTWARE .........................................10
2.3 MAIN WINDOW....................................................................................................11
2.4 TOOLBAR ............................................................................................................12
2.5 OPENING A FILE ................................................................................................12
2.6 NAVIGATING THROUGH THE BUILD AREA .....................................................14
2.6.1 VIEWING CROSS SECTIONS OF THE BUILD..........................................................14
2.7 TRANSFORMING THE PART .............................................................................15
2.8 GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUILD .............................................18
2.9 SAVING YOUR WORK ........................................................................................19
2.10 3D PRINT SETUP ................................................................................................19
2.10.1 RECOMMENDED SETUP PROCEDURE* ................................................................20
2.10.2 CHANGING POWDER PARAMETERS .....................................................................20
2.11 SETTING USER PREFERENCES.......................................................................21
2.12 SERVICE MENUS................................................................................................23
3PREPARING THE Z402C SYSTEM TO PRINT.........................................................24
3.1 HARDWARE CONTROLS ...................................................................................24
3.2 PREPARING THE 3D PRINTER..........................................................................24
3.2.1 FILLING THE FEED BOX WITH POWDER................................................................25
3.2.2 RINSING THE CARWASH .........................................................................................27
3.2.3 CHECKING FLUID LEVELS ..................................................................................27
3.2.4 CHECKING OVERFLOW VACUUM BAG ..................................................................28
3.2.5 PUTTING THE MACHINE ONLINE ............................................................................28
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Z Corporation Z402C System User Manual
4PRINTING THE PART ........................................................................................... 29
5POST PROCESSING THE PART.............................................................................. 32
5.1 REMOVING THE FINISHED PART..................................................................... 32
5.2 DEPOWDERING THE PART............................................................................... 33
5.3 DRYING THE PART ............................................................................................ 33
5.4 INFILTRATING THE PART.................................................................................. 34
5.4.1 TO INFILTRATE THE PART USING RESIN: .............................................................34
6ADVANCED USER FEATURES................................................................................ 35
6.1 ORIENTATION FOR SPEED............................................................................... 35
6.2 ORIENTATION FOR STRENGTH....................................................................... 35
6.3 ORIENTATION TO PREVENT WARPING .......................................................... 35
7MAINTENANCE ......................................................................................................... 36
7.1 CHANGING THE COLOR PRINT HEAD ........................................................ 36
7.2 CHANGING MONOCHROME PRINT HEADS.................................................... 41
7.3 FLUSHING THE BINDER .................................................................................... 44
7.4 GREASING THE FAST AXIS .......................................................................... 45
7.5 CHANGING BETWEEN COLOR AND MONOCHROME ADAPTERS ............... 46
7.6 LOGGING YOUR BUILDS................................................................................... 48
8TROUBLESHOOTING............................................................................................... 49
8.1 THE BINDER SOLUTION IS BEING APPLIED IN ERRATIC STRIPES............. 49
8.2 THE SYSTEM SOFTWARE FREEZES DURING USE ...................................... 49
8.3 THIN PLANAR PARTS ARE WARPING ......................................................... 49
8.4 NOTHING HAPPENS WHEN I TRY TO PRINT .............................................. 49
8.5 MY STARCH-BASED PARTS ARE UNUSUALLY “CAKEY” .............................. 50
8.6 PARTS ARE UNUSUALLY WEAK OR CRUMBLY ............................................. 50
8.7 PRINTER LOOKS LIKE IT IS PRINTING, BUT IS NOT LAYING DOWN BINDER50
9Z402C SYSTEM DETAILS......................................................................................... 51
9.1 DESCRIPTION OF REAR I/O PANEL................................................................. 51
9.2 SYMBOLS USED................................................................................................. 52
9.3 SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS ............................................................................... 53
9.4 MATERIAL STORAGE PRECAUTIONS ............................................................. 54
10 INDEX......................................................................................................................... 55
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Z402C System User Manual Z Corporation
Table of Figures
Figure 1. The Printing Process ............................................................................................................... 6
Figure 2: The Z402C System Shelling and Infrastructure Features....................................................... 7
Figure 3: Illustration of Z402C System Print Orientations ..................................................................... 8
Figure 4: The Main System Software Window ..................................................................................... 11
Figure 5: Carwash Detail ..................................................................................................................... 27
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Z Corporation Z402C System User Manual
The Z Corporation Rapid Prototyping System is manufactured under patent license to be used for the
fabrication of appearance parts and facsimile prototypes. Other uses may be restricted; contact Z
Corporation for further information.
Our equipment is designed to be used by design engineers and other professionals in the production
of early-stage 3D appearance parts. Our 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 our equipment other than for the
production of early-stage appearance parts.
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Z402C System User Manual Z Corporation
1 YOUR Z402C SYSTEM
1.1 INTRODUCTION
1.1.1 OVERVIEW
This Z402C 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 Z402C
System, familiarize you with the terminology we will use to describe the Z402C 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. Z Corporation System Software. This section will guide you through the features of the
Z Corporation System Software.
3. Preparing the Z402C System to Print. This section will guide you through putting
powder, binder solution and washer fluid in the Z402C 3D Printer, and preparing the
system to print a part.
4. Printing a Part. This section describes the steps of actually printing the part.
5. 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.
6. Advanced User Features. This section will help you get the maximum performance out
of your Z402C System.
7. Maintenance. This section contains instructions for keeping your Z402C 3D Printer in
proper condition through regular preventative maintenance.
8. Troubleshooting. This section offers some troubleshooting tips.
9. Index.
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Z Corporation Z402C System User Manual
1.1.2 HOW IT WORKS
The Z402C System is based on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s patented 3DP(3D
Printing) technology.
The System Software first converts a three-dimensional design built using 3D CAD (and saved in
VRML or STL format) into cross-sections or slices that can be between 0.003” – 0.009” thick.
The Z402C 3D Printer then prints these cross-sections one after another from the bottom of the part
to the top.
Inside the Z402C 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 Z402C 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 Z402C System first spreads a layer of zpTM series powder in
the same thickness as the cross section to be printed. The Z402C 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 Z402C System 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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Z402C System User Manual Z Corporation
The Z402C System 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 Z402C 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.
Other interior areas
p
rinted at lower
s
aturation
I
nterior in
f
rastructure
p
rinted at a hi
g
her saturation
E
xterior walls printed a
t
hi
g
her saturation.
Figure 2: The Z402C System 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, resin, or other materials to increase strength and durability. 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 Z402C System prints
parts without support structures and can print parts with complex geometries.
There are several important features of the Z402C System that will help you print the best parts for
your intended purpose.
Part Placement. The System Software will automatically 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. 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
build 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 below.) This discussion only applies to
untreated parts; once parts are infiltrated, they uniformly take on the strength characteristics of the
infiltration material.
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Z Corporation Z402C System User Manual
Less Strong
z-axis
x
-axis
Strong
y-axis Strong
Figure 3: Illustration of Z402C System Print Orientations
Accuracy. The accuracy of the system depends on the materials you choose. You can employ the
anisotropic scaling feature in the software to adjust for expected shrinkage and bring your parts into
true scale. For more information, please see Section 2.10.1 Changing Powder Parameters.
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Z402C System User Manual Z Corporation
1.2 PRINTING A PART OVERVIEW
Printing a part using the Z402C 3D Printer is fast, easy, clean and fully compatible with an office
environment. This manual will show tips on how to print the most challenging parts, but for most
purposes printing a part is as simple as 1-2-3.
1.2.1 STEP 1: IMPORTING THE FILE
OPENING A FILE – Upon launching the Z Corporation System Software, you will be presented with
the ‘Open’ dialog box. Select the file you wish to print. The ZCorp System Software allows you to
open a variety of monochrome and color file formats including STL, PLY, SFX, VRML (WRL), BLD,
ZEC, ZBD and ZCP files. The System Software also allows you to move and scale your part, or pick
a color for monochrome (STL) files before printing.
1.2.2 STEP 2: PREPARING THE 3D PRINTER
Carefully following the steps outlined in Chapter 3, you can prepare the 3D printer in less than ten
minutes. You will put powder in the feed piston, and ensure fluid levels are correct and that the
powder overflow bin is empty.
1.2.3 STEP 3: PRINTING THE PART
The Z402C 3D Printer prints most parts in minutes and prints even the largest parts in a few hours.
You may then remove the part, depowder any excess powder and, if desired, dry and infiltrate the
part with wax or other materials to give the part the desired strength and finish. The post-processing
phase takes less than ten minutes for small parts and only an hour or so for the most massive parts.
Once you have completed these steps you are ready to start using parts to improve design,
communicate with other departments and reduce the time it takes you to get new products to market.
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Z Corporation Z402C System User Manual
2 THE ZCORP SYSTEM SOFTWARE
2.1 RECOMMENDED SYSTEM
Before you can begin building parts, you must install the Z Corp System Software on your
computer. The system that we recommend for best performance with our System includes:
Personal computer using a 600 MHz Pentium III chip, AMD Athlon, or higher•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Microsoft Windows* NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 Professional operating system
256 MB of RAM or more
True Color Graphics
1024 X 768 pixels (or better)
Graphics card accelerated for OpenGL
Virtual Memory of 1 GB
2.2 INSTALLING THE ZCORP SYSTEM SOFTWARE
1. Close any open applications on your computer, make sure Windows NT 4.0, or 2000
Professional system is running and insert the CD into your CD-ROM drive.
2. If the installer does not start automatically, double-click on your CD-ROM drive and then double-
click on the ‘Setup.exe’ icon. This will start the setup sequence. If you have not closed all active
programs, the setup will give you an opportunity to do so.
3. Read the licensing agreement carefully.
4. Select destination directory. The program will prompt you for a selection and will offer
C:\Program Files\Z Corporation as the default directory.
Choose your installation preference: typical, compact or custom. Once you have made your
selection, it may take several minutes for installation to occur. When complete, you will be returned
to your main window. If you encounter any problems during installation, please contact the Z
Corporation Service Department at [phone], (877) 88-ZCORP, or via email at
[email protected]
1
WARNING: To avoid problems that may occur during printing, ensure that all screen savers and
your power management software are turned off on the computer driving the Z402C Printer. Most
screen savers and power management software can be turned off in the main Windows screen
settings. For additional instructions on how to disable your hardware and software power
management, please consult your computer hardware owner’s manual.
*Microsoft Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
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Z402C System User Manual Z Corporation
2.3 MAIN WINDOW
Top View
Cross-Sectional View
Front View
Task Bar
Layer Count Height from
base of
Build Box
Figure 4: The Main System Software Window
The System Software provides three views of the part in the Main Window.
• The top view presents the view of the part in the x-y plane from the top.
• The front view presents the view of the part in the x-z plane from the front of the build
area. The horizontal yellow line in the side view marks the level of the cross-sectional
layer being displayed in the cross-sectional view.
• The cross-sectional view displays exactly what the Z402C System will print in that layer.
Different window views can be resized for user convenience. To resize a window, place the pointer
over the border between views, left-click on the border and drag to create your preferred window
size.
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Z Corporation Z402C System User Manual
2.4 TOOLBAR
New
Open
Save
Import
3D Print Setup Translate
3D Print Copy Rotate
Scale
Mirror
Justify
One Layer Up
One Layer Down
Ten Layers Up
Ten Layers Down
Selection List
About
2.5 OPENING A FILE
Open. When you initially open the System
Software, you will be presented with an Open
dialog box. Select the file you wish to open.
You may open zbd, stl, bld, ply, zcp, sfx, zec, or
wrl files. The print volume when using the
Z402C System in color is 6 x 9 x 8 inches (155 x
225 x 200 mm.) When using the Z402C System
in monochrome, the build are is 8 x 10 x 8 (200
x 250 x 200 mm.)
File Formats:
zbd files are build files created by the Z Corp
System Software.
zcp files are Z Corporation color files.
zec files are files created by the previous
version of the Z402C System Software.
bld files are build files created by the previous
version of the Z402 System Software.
stl files are monochrome 3D model files
exported by several 3D CAD packages.
ply files are color 3D model files exported by
several 3D CAD packages.
sfx files are color 3D model files exported by
SolidView/Pro.
wrl (also known as VRML) files are color
files that are exported by many 3D CAD
packages.
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When importing VRML files you will be asked to
input mesh resolution and texture threshold
settings.
Mesh resolution is the number of facets in your
graphic primitive file. A graphic primitive file is
composed of facets that are made up of cones,
cylinders, and spheres as opposed to triangles.
The default is set at ‘40’. Setting the number
higher will increase the number of facets making
your file larger; lowering this number will reduce
the number of facets.
Texture threshold pertains to scan data and
FEA files. A value of ‘0’ will render every color,
thus, producing a large file. Increasing the
number will produce coarser rendering.
Choose Units. A dialog box will prompt you to
choose units (inches, centimeters, millimeters or
meters.) If you are using more than one type of
powder, you can also choose the powder type.
The System Software will select as a default the
largest units that will fit the part into the build
volume.
After you select the units, the System Software
will place the object into the build area in the
way that will minimize print time if you have
chosen this option under the ‘Preferences’
menu. For more information see Section 2.11.
Import. You may import multiple files into a
single build—each subsequent file will be placed
within the build area such that the objects will
not overlap. To insert additional files, choose
‘Import’ under the File menu. You may import
stl, ply, zcp, sfx, or wrl (VRML) files.
If the model has many facets, the fast rendering
option will be offered if you have chosen this
option under the ‘Preferences’ menu. This may
also be selected later under the ‘View’ menu.
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Z Corporation Z402C System User Manual
Normals Inverted
Normals Corrected
If the imported file is rendered dark and no
slices show in the cross sectional view, the back
faces of the file are showing. The part will not
print properly in this orientation. To correct the
file, invert all normals. This feature is found
under the Edit menu.
2.6 NAVIGATING THROUGH THE BUILD AREA
2.6.1 VIEWING CROSS SECTIONS OF THE BUILD
The System Software offers you several ways to view cross sections:
To do this: Menu Command Toolbar Keyboard Shortcut
Move up one level Select ‘One Layer Up’ from
the View menu
‘a’
Move down one level Select ‘One Layer Down’
from the View menu
‘z’
Move up ten levels Select ‘Ten Layers Up’ from
the View menu
Shift ‘a’
Move down ten levels Select ‘Ten Layers Down’
from the View menu
Shift ‘z’
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Z402C System User Manual Z Corporation
TECHNICAL TIPS….
When setting up your build area with multiple parts, place larger, bulkier
parts towards the bottom of the build box.
2.7 TRANSFORMING THE PART
First select your part(s). To select parts within the build area, click on the part with the left mouse
button. An yellow rectangle will appear around the part. To select multiple parts, hold down the Shift
key and select the parts you wish to modify. To de-select a single part, hold down the shift key and
click on the image of the part. To de-select all parts, click on an open area.
• Once opened or imported, parts can be
translated, rotated or scaled by percentage
or through anisotropic scaling factors, and
colored within the print area.
• To translate or move your parts within the
build area: Select parts within the print area,
click on the selected area and move with the
mouse.
You may also select parts using the ‘Entity
Selection’ option under the Edit menu. Click
on the part you wish to select. To choose
multiple parts, hold the Shift key and click on
additional parts.
There is also an icon on the toolbar for this
function.
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Z Corporation Z402C System User Manual
• You may move the object more precisely by
choosing ‘Translate’ from the Transform
menu.
• To rotate the part, select the part and
choose ‘Rotate’ from the Transform menu.
In the dialog box, specify the plane and
degree of rotation you desire.
• You may also rotate using ‘Rotate in Active
View’. Choose the part you would like to
rotate in the view box you would like view
window you would like to rotate in (top
view, or front view.) The yellow box
surrounding the part will be highlighted in a
brighter yellow box in the view that you
have chosen. Then choose one of the
following options under the ‘Rotate in
Active View’ menu.
• To mirror a part, select the part and make a
copy. With the copied part selected,
choose ‘Mirror’ under the translate menu.
Choose the orientation you would like to
mirror.
• To scale the part, select the part and
choose ‘Scale’ from the Transform menu.
In the dialog box, you are given several
options. You may scale the object relative
to the dimensions in the imported file and
the units you initially selected by entering a
percentage in the ‘Relative’ box.
Remember to limit your selection to the
maximum limits of the build area 6 x 9 x 8
inches (150 x 225 x 200 mm) in color and 8
x 10 x 8 inches (200 x 250 x 200 mm) in
monochrome .
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Z402C System User Manual Z Corporation
• To justify the part, select the part and
choose ‘Justify’ from the Transform menu.
You may justify the part to the left, right,
front, back or bottom of the build box.
Justifying the part, lets the software move
the part to the edge of the build box
optimizing your build area.
PLEASE NOTE: In the process of changing
the location or orientation of a part, you may
find that parts overlap in the build box or
exceed the boundaries of the build box. If
parts exceed the boundaries of the build box,
the System Software will alert you with an
error message and the part in question will
be outlined in red. To fix the problem, select
the part and either move it within the build
box or use the ‘Justify’ feature to bring the
part completely within the build box. If parts
overlap with each other in the build box, you
will NOT receive an error message; carefully
inspect the build box by checking the layers
of the build. This is done by pressing the A or
Z key to up each layer. Then correct part
overlaps before printing.
You may also add a color to your
monochrome stl part.
Selecting the part.
1. Choose Color option under the Edit menu.
2. Pick a color from the color pallet.
3. Click ‘OK’.
The part will be colored by an outer shell as
with all Z Corp. color parts.
PLEASE NOTE: Only monochrome
files (STL) may be colored. If you
select a color part, the software will
remind you that the color feature is
only available for monochrome files.
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Z Corporation Z402C System User Manual
• To change anisotropic scaling factors
for a specified part, choose the part
and select the ‘Anisotropic Scaling’
option under the ‘Transform’ menu.
Enter your custom anisotropic scaling
factors for the x, y, and z axes. Click
‘OK’. These anisotropic scaling
factors will only affect the selected
part(s).
• To change anisotropic scaling factors
to affect the entire build, change the
powder parameters under the ‘3D
Print Setup’ menu. For more
information, see Section 2.10.1,
Changing Powder Parameters.
Please refer to the Powder Fact Sheet
provided with your case of powder for
recommended anisotropic scaling factors.
2.8 GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUILD
The System Software allows you to estimate the time required to print your build in color and
monochrome mode, the number of pixels the part will use and other statistics.
Select ‘Print Time Estimator’ from the File
Menu. The System Software will return a
dialog box with the estimated build time.
To calculate the surface area and volume of
the build, select ‘Calculate Part Statistics’ from
the View menu.
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2.9 SAVING YOUR WORK
After you have imported the files, oriented parts and have set up your build to print, save your work
by selecting ‘Save As’ from the File menu. After you choose a name for your build, select ‘Save’ and
your work will be saved as a *.zbd file. A build file contains all of the modifications that you have
made to the parts and the settings you have selected from the build.
If you reopen and work on an existing build file, you can save your changes to the *.zbd file by either
selecting ‘Save’ from the File menu or choosing the save icon from the tool bar.
2.10 3D PRINT SETUP
The ‘3D Print Setup’ dialog box allows you to select a printer, choose a powder type, and change
powder parameters. This dialog box is found under the ‘File’ menu. It is also located as an icon
on your task bar.
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