11/1/12
ZPrinter
®
850
QUICK START GUIDE
Part Number 95030
Rev. B
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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
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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
13
7 Post-Processing With Z-Bond 19
8 Additional Printer Operations 23
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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
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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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