3d Printing with the Prusa I3 Operation & Printing via a USB Cable

Transcription

1 3d Printing with the Prusa I3 Operation & Printing via a USB Cable Instructions for: Prusa I3 Printer Set-up Slic3r Software Use Pronterface Software Use

2 Prusa I3 - Parts Identification

3 Prusa I3 Printer Set-up 1. Plug in the Prusa I3 and turn it on. 2. The on/off switch is located on the right side of the printer near the power cord. 3. The LCD readout will indicate the Main Information (shown below). 1. Nozzle temperature (actual / desired temperature) 2. Heatbed temperature (actual / desired temperature) 3. Progress of printing in % (shown only during the printing). 4. Status bar (Prusa i3 ready / Heating/ model, name.g-code, etc.) 5. Z axis position 6. Printing speed 7. Elapsed printing time shown only when printing

4 4. Connect the USB cable from the port on the 3d printer to the USB port on the computer. USB port on the 3d printer 5. Keep in mind that when printing from the Pronterface software through the USB cable, the computer must be connected to the printer during the whole printing process. 6. The computer must be prevented from going to sleep/hibernation or shutting down. 7. Disconnecting the computer during the printing process ends the printing without the option to finish the object.

5 8. Prepare the surface of the glass with the ABS solution (if not done already). 9. Preheat the bed and the extruder. Press the LCD knob to enter the main menu on LCD. Rotate the button to choose the pre-heat option and confirm by pressing the LCD knob. Next you choose the material you will print from. Choose a material then confirm with the LCD knob. The nozzle and heat-bed will heat to the requested temperature. 10. Load the filament (if not done already). After the extruder has pre-heated, press the LCD knob on the LCD panel to enter the main menu. Insert the filament into the extruder, choose the Load filament option in the menu and press the button to confirm. The filament is then automatically loaded into the extruder by the extruder motor. Check to see if the filament flows from the nozzle.

6 11. Make sure that the extruder and the bed are heated to the desired temperature. 12. If you forget to preheat the printing nozzle and the bed before printing the printer will automatically check the temperatures of the nozzle and the bed; printing will start when desired temperature is reached. This can take several minutes. 13. Do not let the preheated printer idle. When a printer is pre-heated the nonprinting material in the extruder degrades and may cause the nozzle to jam up 14. While the printer is pre-heating, it is time to slice and load the STL file.

7 Slicer Software Use 15. Open the Slic3r software from the desktop.

8 These are the recommended settings for preparing the slicing software.

9 16. After opening Slic3r, select Add from the menu bar.

10 17. Locate and open the STL file you are planning to print.

11 18. The part will appear on the bed.

12 19. The object should sit flat on the bed, as the one on the left does. If it sits on edge, as the one on the right does, the object will need to be rotated on an axis.

13 20. In this case the object needs to be rotated on the X axis (red). Select Object from the menu bar and then Rotate. Select Around X Axis (or another depending on your STL )and enter 90 in the dialogue box. It should now look like the sample below.

14 21. Multiple parts may be added to the bed and may be moved and/or rotated, however, they must fit on the table and have space between them. 22. Use the cursor to move parts and the Rotate tools to rotate the parts on the bed.

15 23. Next, select Print Settings and be sure they are set as shown

16 24. Select Filament Settings and be sure they are set as shown. PLA Settings are shown (see table on slide #7 for other temperatures).

17 25. Select Printer Settings and be sure they are set as shown.

18 26. After verifying the settings, return to the Plater and select Export G-code. 27. You now have a G-code file saved in the same location as your STL file. 28. Exit the Slic3r software.

19 29. Open the Pronterface Software.

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25 Once the temperature settings on the 3d printer reach their peaks, the printing process will begin. Watch the first 3 layers of the printing process to insure that the part(s) are printing properly and are adhering to the bed. DO NOT SHUT DOWN THE PRONTERFACE SOFTWARE! DO NOT LOG OFF OR SHUT DOWN THE COMPUTER! Let the printing process continue, you will be logged off later.

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