DREW 3D PRINTING GUIDE

Basic Instructions for 3D Printing Trunk and EA 3D Printers

1. Login to the computer: For the laptops on the 3D Printing trunk, the password is Drew1234.
2. Turn 3D printer on by flipping power switch on attached cooling fan (under power cable).
3. Open Cura application on connected computer.
4. Click on the hourglass (Load) icon inside top left of window. [pic]
5. Navigate to a file you wish to 3D print. It must be an .stl file.
6. Click Print with USB (next to Load icon). [pic] Wait for software to confirm connection to
printer. [how to troubleshoot here?]
7. Next to Temp, type in 210 for 210 degrees F. This is the nozzle temperature. [pic]
8. Next to Bed Temp, type in 50 for 50 degrees F.
9. Click Home X logo, then Home Y, and then Home Z. [pic]
10. Wait until printer nozzle is at 210 degrees F, and the bed temp is 50 degrees F. [pic]
10. Click Print. Watch the print to ensure that it begins as intended and adheres to the bed.
[troubleshooting here if this does not happen]

Loading Filament
-+Z (10) a few times to raise the hot end.
+E (10) multiple times until the old filament is out of the printer and the new filament is
extruding.

Troubleshooting for PrintrBot Simple Printers

-Troubleshooting temperature and Z value:
-If the printer is not printing correctly, the main two things to test
for/adjust are temperature and Z value.
1.) Calibration of Z (or X/Y) using G-Codes (instructions to the 3D printer): [where
to input these]
-G-Code M501: Tells you current settings of X,Y, and Z.
-G-Code M212: For changing X,Y, or Z. You will only
ever need to work on Z; to do so, type in M212 Z-0.2,
for example.
-G-Code M500: Saves settings from M212. You must do
this or the printer will not recognize what you typed for M212.
 2.) Adjust Temp and Bed Temp functions
-Other Troubleshooting Tips to Common Issues:
-If when you click on Print to USB the view screen does not pop up
and it just prints automatically:
-Go to Preferences, then on Printing window type select
Pronterface UI
-Sometimes Cura resets its settings, and prints take much longer than they normally
would. This can be fixed by calibrating your computer to the printer. Go to Open Profile,
and open up Simple.Plus.GettingStarted file.
-This is already downloaded onto the laptops on the 3D Printer cart, but can be
found on: https://printrbot.com/project/simple-metal/
-Download the Required Downloads file, and it will be
located there.

-If the print to USB button does not show up, try turning the printer off, unplugging
and replugging the red/yellow cable connection, exiting out of Cura and back into it, and
unplugging and replugging the usb cable. Sometimes it takes a few tries of this, and then
the connection starts working as if there was never a problem.
-at the EA, passwords expire every few months. Please contact the STEAM Dept if
you cannot log into the computer account.

Articles:

-What Does a Successful First [Print] Layer Look Like?:

https://ultimaker.com/en/resources/21330-what-does-a-successful-first-layer-look-like
Successful first layer Build plate too tight to nozzle

Build plate too far from nozzle

-Answers to additional troubleshooting issues can be found on the printrbot forum

(www.printrbottalk.com/forum/) or at:
-https://printrbot.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/209939513-Print-Quality-Troubleshootin
g
-This next one is really great:
****https://www.simplify3d.com/support/print-quality-troubleshooting/****

Troubleshooting tips from Printrbot:

Start with these tips:

 Start with test cube. If you are new to 3D printing, all of those awesome 3D models
found online (Eiffel Tower, 3D benchy, crescent wrench, etc) can be really tempting, but
just like anything else - it's best to start with the basics. Get a really great test cube and
then move on incrementally to more complicated models. Download the 3mmbox.stl at
the bottom of this article to use as a test print.
Only change 1 thing at a time. "Maybe it's the layer height. Oh, no. It's probably too
much retraction. Is the temp too high?" ...the possibilities are seemingly endless. As it
goes with most any other type troubleshooting, monitor and adjust. Make one change to
your print settings at a time. If you change the layer height, increase the speed, and
swap your filament between prints, it will be difficult to know which change was the
reason for improved results. Change one setting. Start the print. Observe. It's a good
idea to keep notes of how each adjustment affected the print.
Slow Down! "Okay, if I should only change one thing at a time, where should I start?"
Reducing the print speed in your settings is a really effective adjustment to increase
success. Many print-quality problems are solved by simply slowing the print speed
settings. What's the rush? Even a "fast" 3D print is still pretty slow :).
Start Fresh. After an afternoon of troubleshooting prints, it can be pretty hard to
remember all of the adjustments that have been made. Sometimes, the best thing to do
is to wipe the slate clean and go back to default print settings. Cura's recommended
settings for Printrbot are a great starting point. See the screen shots below to add a
"new" machine to your software. If you rename the machine, it can be a great reference
point to compare against when you decide to experiment with various settings in the
future.

-For any other questions, please contact the Drew STEAM

Department for further assistance!

Filament Available for 3D Printing Trunk

-Red PLA
-Green PLA
-Blue PLA
-White PLA
-Black PLA
-Gold PLA
-Black NinjaFlex ABS
-White NinjaFlex ABS