3D Systems ZPRINTER 850 Quick start guide

Brand: 3D Systems

Model: ZPRINTER 850

Category: 3D printers

Type: Quick start guide

3D Systems ZPRINTER 850 is a professional 3D printer designed to produce high-quality, full-color models. It features a large build volume, making it suitable for printing large objects or multiple smaller objects simultaneously. The ZPRINTER 850 uses a unique binder jetting technology that deposits a liquid binder onto a bed of powder, building up the model layer by layer. This process produces models with smooth surfaces and fine details. The printer also has a user-friendly interface and comes with a variety of software tools to help you design and print your models. Whether you're a professional designer, an engineer, or a hobbyist, the ZPRINTER 850 is a powerful tool that can help you bring your ideas to life. Here are some of the key features and capabilities of the ZPRINTER 850:

11/1/12

ZPrinter

850

QUICK START GUIDE

Part Number 95030

Rev. B

2 3dscentral.3dsystems.com

ZPrinter 850 Overview

Binder Cartridges

Debris Separator

Heater Vent

Vacuum Hose

Fast Axis

Build Bed

Service Station

(partly hidden)

Control Panel

Printing Storage

3dscentral.3dsystems.com 3

Push the Control Knob once to:

• Bring up the printer menu.

• Select a menu command.

• Start/Stop/Cancel a menu function.

Turn the Control Knob left/right to highlight menu items.

When selecting the Raise/Lower Platform commands,

hold the Control Knob down to raise/lower the platform.

Printing Storage

Cleaning

Solution

Cartridge

Waste

Tray

Quick Start

Guide

Squeeze

Bottle

and Oil

Syringe and

Tubing

Grease

Gun

Replacement

Print Heads

Alcohol

Swabs

4 3dscentral.3dsystems.com

Welcome To The ZPrinter

850

Quick Start Guide

Congratulations on your 3D Printer purchase! This guide will

familiarize you with your 3D Printer, and lead you through mak-

ing a build. Please refer to the ZPrinter 850 User Manual for

complete information about using your new full-color, automatic

3D Printer. The Manual is included on the installation CD with

your ZPrint software.

We encourage all customers to logon to our 3DS Central User

Web site at 3dscentral.3dsystems.com to learn more about

3D printing, materials, Best Practices, and post-processing tech-

niques.

1. About 3D Printing

1.1 Before You Begin

• Ensure the ZPrinter 850 is properly installed and running,

and that no errors are displayed on the ZPrinter 850 control

panel.

• Ensure ZPrint™ Software Rev. 7.14 or later is installed and

running, and the printer is connected to the same network

as the computer that is running ZPrint. For ZPrint installa-

tion instructions, see the ZPrint™ User Manual.

• Export a solid data file from a 3D modeling software pro-

gram and open the file in ZPrint. ZPrint is compatible with

most 3D modeling software file types.

1.2 Process Diagram

3dscentral.3dsystems.com 5

1.3 Steps To Print

Follow the steps outlined in the sections below to print your part.

Section Title Page

2 Check The Printer 6

3 Setup Your Build And Print 7

4 Gross Powder Removal 10

5 Fine Powder Removal 12

6 Routine Cleaning After Every

Build

7 Post-Processing With Z-Bond 19

8 Additional Printer Operations 23

6 3dscentral.3dsystems.com

2. Check The Printer

Before you start your print job, it’s important that you check the

printer. A clean, well-maintained printer produces better

parts, has less downtime, and needs fewer service calls.

1. Open the printer top cover and pull the fast axis out toward

you.

2. Check for loose powder in or around the Build Bed, Fast

Axis, and Deck. There should be no powder in these areas

prior to printing. If you need to clean these areas, follow the

steps in Section 6.1, “Vacuum Up Excess Powder”.

3. Check that the Debris Separator, Parking Caps, the Rails and

Carriage, and the Service Station are clean. If any of these

need cleaning, follow the procedures in these sections:

• Section 6.2, “Clean The Debris Separator”

• Section 6.3, “Clean the Parking Caps”

• Section 6.4, “Clean The Rails and Carriage”

• Section 6.5, “Clean The Service Station”

4. Close the printer top cover. The Fast Axis reparks and the

printer goes Online.

Service

Station

Build

Bed

Deck

Fast

Axis

Deck

Debris Separator

Parking Caps

(hidden)

Rails and Carriage

(hidden)

3dscentral.3dsystems.com 7

3. Setup Your Build And Print

Now that your printer is clean, you need to open up the 3D file

using ZPrint, and select your printing parameters.

1. If you have not already done so, start ZPrint and select File

> Open. Choose a file to print.

2. Check your printer settings.

• Select File > 3D Print Setup, or click on the Tool-

bar to open the 3D Print Setup dialog.

•Check your Printer Selection, the Powder Type

(zp150) and Layer Thickness setting (0.004” or

.1mm).

•Check the Bleed Compensation option, if it isn’t

checked already.

• If you want to print all in one color, check the Print in

Monochrome option.

•Click OK.

3. ZPrint orients the part in the Build Bed for the fastest print

time. If you need to transform the part prior to printing, you

have a couple of options, otherwise proceed with Step 4.

• In the Top or Side views of ZPrint, select the part (left-

click on the part), then drag and drop it to a new posi-

tion.

• In any ZPrint view, select the part and use the Justify

, Rotate , or Scale features to change

the orientation, or scale of the part.

8 3dscentral.3dsystems.com

4. Select File > 3D Print, or click on the Toolbar, to open

the Printer Status dialog.

5. ZPrint checks each item in the Printer Status dialog prior

to printing to ensure there are enough materials to complete

the build.

•See Section 8 of this guide for instructions if you see a

message saying any of the items needs attention.

•Click the Details button to view usage information for

each print head, the binder, and the powder.

6. Check or uncheck Print Job Options for the current build.

• Print in Monochrome will print the entire exterior of

the part using clear binder. The finished part will be

white on the outside. The interior will be gray or black.

• Preheat Build will cause the printer to turn on the

heater in the build chamber prior to printing. This

warms the powder and binder, and is used for certain

combinations of powder and binder. Visit the Materials

section of our Web site at 3dscentral.3dsystems.com

to learn more about which binders and powders would

benefit from preheating.

• Delay Start Time allows you to start the print job at a

later time. This is useful if you wish to have the print

job complete at a particular time.

• Empty Build Piston after Printing will empty the

build bed of loose powder when the print job is com-

plete. The printer turns on the vacuum system and

vibrates the build bed to evacuate the powder. The

powder is then recycled to the feeder.

3dscentral.3dsystems.com 9

Important: The Empty After Printing option is checked

by default. If you are printing a part with especially delicate

features, uncheck this option. Also refer to the ZPrinter

850 User Manual for information on adding fixtures and

bumpers to help protect delicate parts.

7. If all the Print Heads, Powder, and General items display

OK, the Print button is enabled. Click Print to start your

build.

NOTE: Before starting the build, the printer will:

• Service the print heads.

• If necessary, print an alignment pattern and align the

print heads.

• Fill the Build Bed with

powder and then spread

one layer to make the

Build Bed surface smooth.

8. The Printing dialog opens

and reports the status of the

print job for the duration of

the build.

This dialog details:

• Estimated print finish time.

• Estimated remaining print time.

• Actual print start time.

• Actual print elapsed time.

• The layer that is currently printing and the percentage

completed.

The Printing dialog also provides:

•The Pause button. Click to pause the current print job,

Click again to resume printing.

•The Cancel button. Click to cancel printing this job.

10 3dscentral.3dsystems.com

4. Gross Powder Removal

4.1 Automatic Gross Depowdering

When the build is finished, the printer starts an automatic drying

cycle. A counter on the printer LCD counts down the time

remaining before the part is dry.

After the drying cycle

completes, the printer

automatically removes

excess powder around the

part by vibrating the Build

Bed and vacuuming

through the bottom of the

Build Bed. The powder is

then recycled back into

the Feeder.

4.2 Manual Gross Depowdering

If you unchecked the Empty Build Piston After Printing

option in the ZPrint Printer Status dialog, manually excavate

the excess powder away from the part using the vacuum. Or, run

an Automatic Powder Removal cycle that you can control at the

printer by selecting

BUILD CHAMBER > EMPTY BUILD

CHAMBER

on the LCD display.

4.3 Moving Parts By Hand

The following steps assume you will be using the Powder

Recycling Station - Large to fine depowder your parts.

1. Open the glass cover of the Powder Recycling Station.

2. Open the printer top

cover and gently

remove the part from

the Build Bed.

For easier part

removal, select

BUILD CHAMBER

then

RAISE PLAT-

FORM

on the LCD

menu. Hold down the

Control Knob to raise

the platform to the top

of the Build Bed.

3. Move the part to the Powder Recycling Station. Close the

Station cover.

4. Close the printer top cover.

4.4 Moving Parts Using the Part Cart

1. Open the glass cover of the Powder Recycling Station.

3dscentral.3dsystems.com 11

2. Open the printer top

cover. From the main

menu on the LCD

select

ACCESS

BUILD PLATE

3. Raise the cart using

the foot-operated jack

so that the cart is level

with the bottom of the

build plate. Be careful

the cart is not too

low - it can damage the service station or the front of

the printer.

4. Maneuver the part cart so that the front of the cart is adja-

cent to the build plate.

5.Using the handle,

pull the build plate up

and towards the cart

until it slides onto the

cart.

6.Move the cart to the

Powder Recycling Sta-

tion. Adjust the height

of the cart so it is level

with the opening of the

Station.

7. Slide the build plate

carefully into the Pow-

der Recycling Station.

Alternatively, for small

parts, one can also

carefully move the

parts from the part

cart into the Station

by hand.

8. Close the Powder

Recycling Station

glass cover.

9. Close the printer top cover.

12 3dscentral.3dsystems.com

5. Fine Powder Removal

The freshly-printed part will still have powder clinging to it,

which must be removed before proceeding with the post-pro-

cessing steps.

1. With your part in the Powder Recycling Station and the top

cover closed, turn the compressor and suction system on by

turning the user switch to ON. It will take approximately 15

seconds for the suction system to fully turn on.

2. Choose either the Air Gun or the Air Wand to remove pow-

der. The Air Gun is ideal for removing large amounts of pow-

der. The Air Wand is ideal for clearing out tight spaces of

powder and bringing out details in a part.

3. Test the air flow against your hand and adjust as needed.

Adjust the air pressure on the Air Gun with the trigger.

Adjust the pressure on the Air Wand by turning the control

nut located at the connection between the Air Wand and its

air hose.

Important: For thin-walled or delicate parts, start with light

air pressure.

4.Using the Air Wand or

Air Gun, remove all

remaining powder on the

part. The vacuum will

collect the powder

through the perforated

floor of the Powder Recy-

cling Station and recycle

it into the Powder Tray

underneath.

Important: When finished, use the Air Wand or Air Gun to

clean the interior of the Powder Recycling Station of any

remaining powder.

5. Turn the user switch to OFF. It will take approximately a

minute for the filters to go through their cleaning cycle

before the Station switches off fully.

6. Allow the part to dry longer in the Powder Recycling Station

while you perform the Routine Cleaning described in

Section 6. Then proceed with Post-Processing the part

(Section 7).

3dscentral.3dsystems.com 13

6. Routine Cleaning After Every Build

After every build, it is important to clean your printer following

the steps below.

A clean, well-maintained printer produces better parts,

has less downtime, and needs fewer service calls.

These tasks take only a few minutes to complete. They can eas-

ily be completed while the part continues drying in the Powder

Recycling Station.

And - they are the best investment you can make to keep your

printer running smoothly and producing great parts.

Routine cleaning includes:

• Vacuuming up excess powder.

• Cleaning the Debris Separator.

• Cleaning the Parking Caps.

• Cleaning the Rails and Printhead Carriage.

• Cleaning the Service Station.

6.1 Vacuum Up Excess Powder

Vacuum the Build Bed, the Fast Axis, and the Deck.

1. Press the Control Knob once, then select

VACUUM on the

LCD menu to turn on the vacuum.

2. Slide the Fast Axis all the way to the back.

3. Open the printer top cover and remove the vacuum hose

from its stand.

4.Vacuum all powder from

the Build Bed (but not

under the Fast Axis), and

from the deck around the

Build Bed. Vacuum under

the Build Plate if that was

removed. Be sure to

remove the powder

between the Build Bed

and the Service Station.

Note: Be careful not to vacuum the service station itself.

5. Slide the Fast Axis toward the front and vacuum the top of

the Fast Axis and the spreader roller. Also reach inside the

Fast Axis to vacuum the Rails and the Printhead Carriage.

6. Press the Control Knob once to turn off the vacuum.

14 3dscentral.3dsystems.com

6.2 Clean The Debris Separator

The purpose of the Debris Separator is to keep any large parti-

cles from going back into the Feeder during vacuuming.

1.Pull the Debris Separator out

of its holder on the printer.

2.Empty the contents into a

trash receptacle.

3.Use the soft brush found in

the Accessory Kit to brush

caked on powder from the

screen.

4. Using a stiff brush, clean the screen located inside the

Debris Separator receptacle on the printer.

5.Return the empty Debris

Separator to its holder. Be sure

to push the Separator flat

against the panel for a secure

fit.

6.3 Clean the Parking Caps

The Parking Caps keep the print heads from drying out between

print jobs. Cleaning the Parking Caps after every build results in

longer lasting print heads and precise accuracy during printing.

The Parking Caps are located on the right end of the Fast Axis.

Before you begin:

• Get several dry paper towels.

• Get the squirt bottle included in your Accessories Kit.

• Fill the squirt bottle with distilled water.

• Wear disposable gloves.

1. Pull the Fast Axis toward you and slide the Printhead Car-

riage to the left to expose the Parking Caps.

2.Lay paper tow-

els on the Build

Bed under and

around the Park-

ing Caps. Be sure

to cover the Front

Overflow with

paper towels to

keep water out.

Parking Caps

(5 total)

3dscentral.3dsystems.com 15

3. Squirt the dis-

tilled water onto

the Caps. The

water should

drain out through

the Spittoon

under the Caps.

4.Use a dry paper towel to

wipe the caps clean.

5.Remove the paper towels

from the Deck and wipe up

any water on the Fast Axis

or Deck.

6.Remove the paper towels

from the front overflow and

dry it thoroughly.

7. Be sure the Parking Caps are completely dry before starting

your next build.

Note: If the Caps are very dirty, or if washing them as above is

not sufficient, then remove the Caps from the printer and wash

them under running water. Dry them thoroughly before reinstall-

ing them in the Fast Axis.

Service

Station

Carriage Paper

Towel s

Parking

Caps

Parking

Caps

16 3dscentral.3dsystems.com

6.4 Clean The Rails and Carriage

Keeping the Rails and Carriage clean will keep the Carriage mov-

ing smoothly and thus optimize printing accuracy.

1. Pull the Fast Axis toward you.

2. Wipe the top

and bottom

Rails with a

paper towel

dampened

with distilled

water to

remove any

powder. Move

the Carriage

back and forth

as needed to

clean the

entire length

of both rails.

3. Using a clean, dry paper towel, thoroughly dry both rails.

4. Using a fresh paper towel, wipe the Carriage to remove any

powder.

5. Wipe or vacuum the Build Bed and Deck as needed to

remove any powder dislodged from the Rails and Carriage.

Important: Never vacuum up water - it will clog the vac-

uum system.

Parking Caps

Top Rail

Bottom Rail

3dscentral.3dsystems.com 17

6.5 Clean The Service Station

Clean the Service Station after every build to remove residue

buildup and to ensure the printer runs optimally for your next

print job. Before you begin:

• Get several dry paper towels and a cotton swab.

• Get the squirt bottle filled with distilled water.

• Wear disposable gloves.

• Get the Pick and Syringe from the Accessories Kit.

Powder

Binder, ink

Powder

Clean Squeegee

Clean Spit Plate

Clean Housing Clean Deck and Bed

18 3dscentral.3dsystems.com

1.Place paper towels

around the Service Sta-

tion, and between the

Service Station and the

Build Bed.

2.Cover the front over-

flow with paper towels.

3.Position the squirt

bottle close to the sta-

tion and squirt water on

and around the squee-

gee.

4. Use the cotton swabs or

a paper towel and wipe

the front and back of

the squeegee. Use the

Pick to scrape excess

powder out of any cor-

ners.

5.Remove the spit plate

from the Service Station

and clean it with a paper

towel. Replace the spit

plate, using the edge tabs

for correct alignment.

6. Install a needle onto the

small syringe. Gently push

the tip of the needle

through each of the six

Wash Holes to clear them.

7. Wipe off any water or

wash fluid on the Wash

Holes. Thoroughly wipe

the Service Station clean.

8. Wipe up any water that

may have spilled onto the

Deck or Build Bed.

9. Remove the paper towels from the Front Overflow and dry it

thoroughly.

10. Close the printer top cover.

3dscentral.3dsystems.com 19

7. Post-Processing With Z-Bond

This section describes post-processing a part using Z-Bond™

infiltrant. The infiltrant soaks into the newly-printed part and

bonds the printed powder together. This both strengthens the

part and creates more vibrant colors.

Z-Bond is available in larger bottles

for use in the dipping method. For

parts with delicate features, smaller

bottles of Z-Bond are available for

drizzling onto a part. Z-Bond is cur-

rently available in two types: Z-Bond

90 and Z-Bond 101.

Please visit our the Materials section

of our Web site at

3dscentral.3dsystems.com for

complete information regarding post-

processing materials, techniques,

Best Practices, and material storage guidelines. While you’re

there, visit our 3DS Shop online store for all your 3D printing

supplies.

7.1 Preparation

We recommend using a ZBench infiltration station to infiltrate

your part. Before you begin infiltrating your part, make sure the

part is completely free of powder. See “Fine Powder

Removal” on page 12. Follow these preparation guidelines:

• Ensure the part is completely dry before applying Z-

Bond.

• Wear a lab coat or smock, safety glasses, and a pair of

high quality gloves (supplied with the Z-Bond Dipping

Kit) or 2 pairs of lightweight disposable gloves (supplied

with the Starter Kit).

• Place a piece of wax paper over the metal grate of the

ZBench to keep it clean.

• Use a dipping container large enough to fully submerge

your part.

• Have paper towels ready for absorbing excess fluid.

In addition, if you are not using the ZBench, we recommend the

following:

• Work in a well-ventilated area.

• Place a piece of cardboard down in your work area and

place a piece of wax paper over the cardboard for the

part to dry on.

3D Systems also offers a Z-Bond 101 Dipping Kit, which con-

tains all the supplies needed for post-processing. The Kit pro-

vides a convenient and cost-effective way to get everything you

need.

Please visit our 3DS Central Web site at

3dscentral.3dsystems.com for more information or to pur-

chase your supplies through our

3DS Shop online store.

20 3dscentral.3dsystems.com

7.2 Using the ZBench

The ZBench provides a convenient way to infiltrate parts with

ample work area and quiet operation. Follow the steps below to

set up the ZBench for infiltration.

WARNING

The ZBench is for use with Z-Bond and Z-Max only. Do

not use with any other Infiltrant. Do not use with

spray paint of any kind, or with any flammable spray.

1. Make sure the ZBench is

plugged in and its power

switch is ON. (The power

switch is located on the

right side of the base.)

2. Infiltrate your parts following the directions below. For more

information consult the Z-Bond User Guide (PN 09579),

available on our 3DS Central Web site:

3dscentral.3dsystems.com.

3. If any Infiltrant drips onto exposed areas of ZBench, wipe

up immediately with paper towels. If Infiltrant has spilled

and dripped down through the grates, remove the grates

and clean up with paper towels before the Infiltrant cures.

4. Leave parts and soiled paper towels and gloves inside the

ZBench. Allow the ZBench to continue running until the

parts have fully cured, about one hour after infiltration.

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3D Systems ZPRINTER 850 Quick start guide

Brand: 3D Systems

Model: ZPRINTER 850

Category: 3D printers

Type: Quick start guide

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3D Systems ZPRINTER 850 Quick start guide

3D Systems ZPRINTER 850 Quick start guide

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