Axon 2 manual
Contents
1. First layer temperatures ABS raft C PLA raft C Other raft C Notes Diameter of the nozzle at the end of the extruder Enter the cost of your filament per kilogram here Temperature at which the extruder is maintained when it becomes inactive during a print When used as a raft the temperature to be extruded at When used as a support material should fans be used to cool it down during extrusion When used as a print material should fans be used to cool it down during extrusion Before moving to the print an active extruder can be primed over the waste bin If priming is desired this defines the number of drive screw revolutions over the waste bin before wiping and moving to the build area to start printing Speed of prime defined above RPM refers to revolutions of drive screw per minute Defines how much to reverse the extruder when the extruder becomes inactive i e head change This can prevent material oozing from the nozzle whilst inactive Speed of reverse defined above Thickness of each printed layer Typical thickness of extruded track during a print XY speed of extruder during a print Revolutions of the drive screw per minute during a print Amount of solid horizontal layers at the top and bottom of the part Thickness of extruded track at the boundary of a model Extrusion temperature during a print Extrusion temperature for the first layer of the part This is different to2. Axon allows you to generate an efficient build by giving you control over the model orientation and allowing you to print without support material You may also be able to tailor your design in your 3D modeller to suit the build process by reducing steep overhanging features Model orientation You may attempt to build a model in any orientation in Axon However depending on your model geometry some model orientations will be significantly more efficient to print than others A good model orientation can reduce the number of overhanging features in the build and reduce the need for support material thus saving build time and cost The table below shows how to position two different geometries into optimum orientations eliminating the overhangs and the need for support material Bad orientation overhang Good orientation no overhang Example 1 Overhang Overhang Designing out the need for support material Knowing that 45 overhangs can survive without support material it may be possible at the 3D modelling stage to design out overhangs which require support material Check section 18 Design for printing for more documentation on designing out the need for support material Page 24 Axon 2 user manual 11 Does my model need support material The previous sections explain the conditions for needing support material and ways to avoid using it unnecessarily The flowchart below is designed to make it easy to check all
3. XON 2 USER MANUAL LAN 2 Maniak canta ro A ca eae ae oe tran ee A A a ease Gs vee ee A AI i Oe cs a a ode heute SS l oo ROI e OW ENO WV pto TO laica Sasa I E eer ear ean telecast Ala soul reed een cent ea Ge ot ates are al 12 2 Stall AXOM AI AO Sk SO EY ae 1 Se OE ee RE RE Ye Eee Soe Beer eas 1333 41 THIS 1S VOU TIFST TIMEZUISING AXON i a A dave aon Mee aie hae Mie ate ye Maer a iaa te oe Ad SMI UMAN asas eras caida ae de death doe ds das Dai dan RE Sik ea MO AXON MENACE td a a o ata dad A A A od 166 VIEW CONNOS Sor AAA DE A DIA ARES Sey oes 17 Opening and closng STE les IiAXON arta tl OO Ea eee Ee RA A ESO A weeks El 1 3 8 POSMHOMIAO an STETS e di A a t99 Overmars and Suppolt Scarolds seo orde dan ia das ADA aaa das ARDE 10 10 Emcientmodelonentation and lesi n 2 os A ida A 11 11 Doesimy model need support material criar ERA ERE SEMESTER SESE SE 2 PA Mate nalS e A Se JOE Toe Bt Sacer sh Sip dt Sve GBD Sores BE Gate Bad cy lsd eo ARS ah og ee edn TE alo 13 BUANT A PINE O spero bo eS le Soe kc GT a als Sls al ais Gala ate aa tensa Sele ES AAA WOW ING Me PINO aos idiota is cio oli rio riot lio lo ites ten aeons ci 19 15 SAVING ies 10 external Medd sonas satan Dr a Qe cde DAN cae jane gan BR eta E E E FOTO MUMEM arena OW arrasa in ira a ETA A ok Seen tee SA AS ee ee Oh See eee AECA ALA Matenaleditor advan eA 9 Masias a EA a id or St EPO SAY ee HS dell as 1818 DESIOM TOR MOCINING creser er reeset Sule yet at eka a ian a 4
4. appear as follows Section through BFB file Essentially the skins build up the wall of the model e Bridges refer to parts with no support that span between to pillars Example of a bridged part Page 32 Axon 2 user manual Part with fill in direction of bridge selected Part with fill in direction of bridge deselected Having fill in direction of bridges selected can help with bridging quality and allow you to print longer bridges If you are building a large part with a low infill density having fill in direction of bridge selected can cause solid layers to appear in your model If you are experiencing this then un check this option Page 33 Axon 2 user manual Set Default Values Resets all settings to default Building the file Click OK in the build dialogue to start the build You will be presented with a progress dialogue which on completion will display the build data b Build Progress MESA Build Statistics Extruder 1 Extruder 2 Extruder 3 Mass g 1 52 3 74 0 00 Material cost 0 06 0 17 0 00 Estimated build time h m Build complete Click OK once the build has finished Page 34 Axon 2 user manual 14 Viewing the print file Once the STL file has been processed Axon displays the BFB print file This is a visual representation of the toolpaths the printer will use to print the model You cannot edit these toolpaths but Axon provides various tools for viewing them if you nee
5. controls to view extruder tool paths in print files e Use the tools above to achieve different views of the bed e Also use the mouse over the print space for dynamic viewing Mouse action Result Left click and drag Rotate Mouse wheel Zoom e Panning is not yet available e hl apem benag BY Toca da ca Top ka id Er Ware E Doce fet Al rie Page 15 Axon 2 user manual 7 Opening and closing STL files in Axon STL file preparation Axon processes STL model files If you are new to STL files please refer to Exporting your STL files from your 3D modeller for Axon for full information about the STL file requirements Open an STL file Click on the Home tab and click on the Open icon to open the file bron com Home View a 50 ep Scale 90 T Xx Revert 3 O he A sl NI A al N to mm Revert 90 Y a wg Open Open Multi Close Save Open Close Save ick a Build Help Material As Build File 90 3 STL File BFB Build File Scale Geometry Rotate Geometry Click to open STL file The STL is loaded on the bed example shown below Opening multiple STL files in Axon Axon does not currently support opening more than one STL file at a time Closing an STL To remove the STL from the print space in Axon click on the Close button Page 16 Axon 2 user manual icin omy Home View Settings A A de NI D so Scale 90 TX Revert O N tomm Revert 90 Y Open Open Multi Close Open Close Save f
6. ele See Deca o Got erat ann Se al A Sala Sa a iene Seo EOE 1 19 19 Exporting your STL files from your 3D modeller for AXON 0 00 ttt ttt ees 1 20 20 How to edit Axon generated BFB print files advanced ooooooooocoo ee eee eee teens 124d 2 TAA DDCNOIX tdt bin gece SA ib aha Gh Pla a hate dla Hee he GRE lee A E E OE Ree es iu age Sr RTS A BRS uch diem ater ae Se sew dy ctu DiS poe oe Risin guinea tamed pom se SS ee ee ee bo ho bo ee Page 2 Axon 2 user manual Axon 2 manual Axon 2 POWERED BY 3D SYSTEMS 2040 Hita foin aptas La Welcome to the Axon 2 manual This manual is designed to get you up and running as quickly as possible It can be read either on line or off line see below If you prefer to read from a printed copy follow the off line instructions to download the PDF which you can then print Manual requirements To complete the exercises in this manual the user will need the Axon 2 installation package and a PC Click the icon to go to the Axon 2 download page Before reading this manual you should have completed the setup and operations manual for your machine and be familiar with e the print materials and e extruder setup On line reading essential notes For on line reading if left idle for over 120 minutes technical resources will automatically time out and direct you to a log in page Please note the details below Simply enter e Username bfbcustomer e Password 3D
7. must install Python in the default location when prompted C Python27 You must install Python in the default location when prompted C Python27 otherwise Axon will not work properly Trouble installing Python Page 8 Axon 2 user manual ig Python 2 7 2 Setup Python 2 7 2 Installer ended prematurely Python 2 7 2 setup ended prematurely because of an error Your system has not been modified To install this program at a later time please run the installation again Click the Finish button to exit the Installer lt Back Finish Cance If the Python installer ends prematurely then follow these instructions e Press the windows key and R on your keyboard to open the Run program dialogue Typethename of a program folder document or Internet resource and Windows will open it for you Open e Then copy one of the following paths into the text box depending on operating system Windows 7 or Windows Vista C Program Files x86 Bits from Bytes Axon 2 Python Setup python 2 7 2 msi Windows XP C Program Files Bits from Bytes Axon 21Python Setup python 2 7 2 msi If you installed Axon 2 to anywhere other than the default location then you will need to modify the relevant path above ree z Type the name of a program folder document or Internet resource and Windows will open it for you Open Bits from Bytes Axon 2 Python Setup python 2 2 ms Page 9 Axon
8. of the outside of the model is drawn and then the profile is filled in as shown below Fill density refers to the density of this filling process 3D model STL file Section of built BFB file Build process Page 30 Axon 2 user manual A single layer in the middle of the build Model skin The images below illustrate the effect of different fill densities for the same layer 20 fill 50 fill 80 fill Axon 2 is limited to 95 fill density to prevent overfill in some situations Y Fill pattern 20 is a good fill for most prints If additional strength is needed fill density may be increased to suit Axon offers four different styles of fill Recommendation Pattern Description Notes Linear Fastest infill quieter printer operation f v Lattice H Page 31 Axon 2 user manual yl Hexagonal d CIA Cylindrical Your ae Speed multiplier The speed multiplier increases print speed but the print may suffer a slight loss in the quality of the surface finish depending on the model geometry jt 1 0x speed as a good compromise for most prints Advanced settings The advanced settings control the amount of skins on the part and the printing direction of bridges AJ Advanced Settings Number of extra skins 2 Infill in direction of bridge e Skins refers to vertical walls or walls with an angle of up to and including 65 from the vertical Processed they
9. the model properties before deciding whether to use support material or not All terms in the flowchart are defined in the previous sections Note this is a guide only as the approach for all prints is dependent on the geometry of the parts Page 25 Axon 2 user manual Model loaded into Axon Does the mode have any no Support scaffold overhanging not needed features Yes Does a change in build orientation eliminate overhangs i Support scaffold not needed Are any overhang angles more than approximately 50 No Support scaffold not needed Yes Can the overhanging features be easily altered to reduce the overhang angle Yes Modify part to Support scaffold reduce overhangs not needed No Is the overhang Yes bridging between pillars Support scaffold may not be needed depending on part geometry No Support material may be needed Page 26 Axon 2 user manual 12 Print materials As default Axon supports two print materials PLA and ABS Both have different properties and can be used in different build support combinations PLA PLA is a hard plastic with a low environmental impact It is not a petrochemical it is derived from renewable resources such as starch It is a relatively new plastic and has excellent print characteristics As a build material Good for large and small prints Stable for 20 years up to 50 degrees Celsiu
10. 2 user manual This should re start the Python installation Page 10 Axon 2 user manual 3 If this is your first time using Axon We aim to keep the control of our 3D printers as open as possible whilst maintaining ease of use allowing you to experiment and with new materials and new ideas To do this Axon will sometimes present different options If this is your first time using Axon look out for the Green tick icons in this manual shown below These are BFB recommended settings or configurations which will help get you on the road to a successful first print Page 11 Axon 2 user manual 4 Setting up Axon Run Axon Click Start gt Programs gt Bits from Bytes gt Axon 2 Setting up Axon After running Axon click on the Settings tab gt Printer Configuration If this is the first time you are running the program you will not need to find the button The Pinter configuration dialogue will appear automatically Printer Configuration button Hon a View Settings ro Printer Configuration Default el gt Build Settings 5 Material Profile Editor Printer Configuration x Printer Type Extruders Extruder 3 Material None Please take the time to set this correctly e Printer type select your BFB printer e Extruders input the number of extruders on the printer Page 12 Axon 2 user manual e Ext
11. Unknown estimated Completion 100 complete Finished PDF space export Download h re Page 5 Axon 2 user manual 1 Axon 2 overview What does Axon do Axon converts all STL files your digital 3D model files into print files for all BFB printers as illustrated below Compatible BFB printers include e RapMan 3 0 3 1 3 2 e BFB 3000 Plus e 3D Touch CAD software BFB Axon Draw your object in your 3D modelling package Load your model into Axon to automatically process the file Save 235 STL Save as BFB Video tour The videos below give a brief look at the Axon processes Page 6 Axon 2 user manual 2 Installing Axon Recommended computer requirements Operating System Windows 7 Windows Vista Windows XP 3D accelerated graphics hardware 128MB dedicated non shared graphics memory DirectX 9 0 Dual core processor 2GB RAM Download Click the icon to go to the Axon 2 download page Installation instructions Please follow these installation instructions carefully e After downloading run the Axon setup file e Choose where you want the Axon to be installed Page 7 Axon 2 user manual The instales wall instal Asan 2 to the toloweng holder To metal m thes folder chick Next To install to a diferent folder enter t below or cick Browse Folder e After installing Axon the installer will also ask for Python to be installed You
12. ain the STL files for material A and material B one approach is to use the CAD software to Create the model to its combined volume Export this volume to STL file including combined in the filename Remove the regions of the model that are to be printed in material B Export the remaining regions to an STL file including material A in the filename Use the CAD software undo feature to restore the previously removed regions Remove the regions of the model to be printed in material A Export an STL file including material B in the name For some 3D modelling packages e g Google SketchUp the concept of visual layers can be used so that one layer is used to for regions of the model to be printed in material A and another layer to for regions of the model to be printed in material B The layers can then be turned on and off thus allowing easy selection and export of the regions to be used for each material NOOR WD How to load the multi material STL files into Axon This example assumes a 2 extruder printer and that the build does not require support material On the home tab click Open Multi Material Page 38 Axon 2 user manual Click this icon to open Multi material STL files Open Open Multi Close Save Material As STL File Load the STL files as per dialogue Combined STL file f manuals axon manual multi_combined stl Material A STL file f manuals axon manual multi_mater
13. cknesses e Hole sizes for bolts e Summary e Recommendation e Explanation for the need to use hole correction factors Designing out the need for support material The examples shown below assume that the build orientation of the features cannot be changed therefore 45 overhangs have been incorporated into the design solutions to eliminate the use of support material Note the maximum overhang angle is entirely geometry dependent Page 45 Axon 2 user manual Original feature with overhang which Modified feature overhang changed to possibly requires support material eliminate the need for support material Example 1 Example 4 Depending on the size of these features the examples may suffice without support material and without modification due to bridging Thin wall thicknesses The BFB process creates parts by drawing out thin tracks of filament The nature of this process means that when printing a thin wall yields three different types of thin wall section Page 46 Axon 2 user manual PLAN VIEWS OF WALL TYPES Single filament wall Double filament wall with infill The infill Double filament wall Filaments bond together connects the filaments Wall type Strength Print speed Self support on steep overhanging angles Single filament wall Low Fast Low Double filament wall bonded Medium Medium Medium Double filament wall with infill High Slow High Thin walls must be deisg
14. d to Use the scroll bar at the right of the window to scroll through the print file layers O n ies fr ikea F ihme ee E pr ie bah Bp F Be Layer height scroll bar During scrolling a shadow of the original STL model will exist If desired this can be removed by clicking on the Close STL File button on the Home ribbon tab akan Home View Setting ALN Original STL Open Open Multi Close Save shadow Material As Click close to remove STL file from view if desired The view tab can be used to pick out views of individual toolpaths Show all or single layers Toolpaths for each extruder Useful view Settings Q Top View Q Right View Show Extruder 1 Show all layers Show Extruder 2 Show Extruder 3 Build Toolpath Q Front View Q Left View View For example it is possible to pick out an individual layer at 14 25 mm high from extruder 2 Page 35 Axon 2 user manual Show Extruder 1 Show all layers Show Extruder 2 Show Extruder 3 Raile Build Toolpath Toolpath from extruder 2 specific layer height Page 36 Axon 2 user manual 15 Saving files to external media Files must be saved to SD card or USB memory stick depending on your printer version Home View Settings NP Open Open Multi Close ve Open Close Save Material re Build File STL File BFB Build File Click here to save build file When saving to external media al
15. e f Axon is unable to snap a surface to the bed use the model rotation tools described above instead Scaling a model On the Home ribbon tab use the Scale Geometry ribbon group to scale the model Page 19 Axon 2 user manual pr cn Home View Settings RR Be Be Es gt tomm Revert Open Open Multi Close Save Open to Inch Material As 90 T x gt Revert E 90 pY 90 Pz Build Help Scale button Percentage to scale model per button press Revert to Scale by unit original scale conversion Level Base Check Using the Left View or Right View tools make sure that the base of the model sits flat against the bed Q Left View a Model base sits flat against bed Troubleshooting e fthe base is not level on the bed use the model rotate buttons to finely rotate the model in 0 5 or 1 degree increments e Ensure that the base of the model is actually flat If not rectify in you 3D modeller Page 20 Axon 2 user manual 9 Overhangs and support scaffolds If your model has any overhanging features it may require printed sacrificial support scaffolds which can be automatically generated in Axon These support scaffolds can be printed in a different material to the model build material to facilitate removal When the model has finished printing the support material is disposed of by either breaking it away or disolving it Methods on disolving
16. ed to S value 10 40rpm M201 Turn second extruder on forward at the RPM specified by a previous M108 M204 145 0 Set Extruder 2 target temperature to 145 0 C M208 S400 Set Extruder 2 speed to S value 10 40rpm M210 AUX 1 off not on all hardware configurations M211 AUX 1 on M220 AUX 2 off M221 AUX 2 on Page 54 Axon 2 user manual M226 Pause the printer until ESC key is pressed M227 S1000 P1000 on extruder stop M103 reverse the extruder stepper for S turns and prime on extruder start M101 M228 Disable M227 M229 Same as M227 but P and S parameters specify prime and reverse extruder drive screw revolutions not stepper steps M230 Disable enable wait for temperature change M301 Turn extruder 3 on forward at the RPM specified by a previous M108 M304 145 0 Set target temperature of extruder 3 to 145 0 degC M308 S400 Set Extruder 3 speed to S value 10 40rpm Note to turn off extruders 2 and 3 use M103 which turns off all extruders M542 Enter 3000 nozzle wipe move to RapMan rest location M543 Exit 3000 nozzle wipe does nothing on RapMan M551 M552 M553 Prime extruder 1 2 3 Parameter P stepper steps S RPM 10 M561 M562 M563 Reverse extruder 1 2 3 Parameter P stepper steps S RPM 10 For a reference sheet you can download a PDF of these commands HERE Page 55 Axon 2 user manual 21 Appendix Manual version Version Description Date 1 0 0 Original release 13 01 2012 Pa
17. ensity 20 20 Fill pattern Speed multiplier Thin wall v Advanced Settings Printer Configuration The result shown in the build file preview PLA green PLA red ABS support Page 41 Axon 2 user manual 17 Material editor advanced The material editor is for those who would like to experiment with new materials i e materials other than PLA and ABS or to change how ABS and PLA are printed If you only want to print using BFB supplied ABS and PLA with default settings you do not need to read this section The material editor allows you to operate the printer in order to print other materials By creating a new material in Axon you define a new set of parameters which the printer will use to print the new material Al Material Profile Editor Material profile ABS white Save s Cost per Kg 40 Nozzle diameter 0 5 mm Standby temperature 1 70 C Raft temperature 260 P i agi Material Parameters Support cooling Part cooling Prime amount 20 revolutions Prime speed 60 RPM Reverse amount 3 revolutions Reverse speed 90 RPM Layer thickness 0 25 Part Extruded width 0 6 mm Feed rate 16 mm s Flow rate 20 RPM Penmeter width 0 5 mm Surfaces Temperature 260 C First Layer Temperatures ABS raft 260 L PLA raft 2601 C Other raft 2601 C support Temperature 260 C Flow rate 20 RPM Cancel BFB protected mate
18. ensure that an appropriate weld is made with the raft First layer temperature if an ABS raft is detected First layer temperature if a PLA raft is detected First layer temperature if a custom raft material is detected e raft profile name does not begin with ABS or PLA Page 43 Axon 2 user manual Support Extrusion temperature if the material is used as support material temperature C Flow rate Speed of extrusion if the material is used as support material RPM How to use your new material in the build Enter Printer Configuration under the Settings tab and configure Axon to have your new material in the extruder used to print it When you return to the build dialogue your new material will appear in the material selection boxes Printer Configuration Printer Type Extruders Extruder 1 Material Extruder 2 Material Extruder 3 Material New test material 1 PLA black PLA blue translucent PLA blue PLA clear translucent PLA green translucent PLA green PLA purple PLA red translucent PLA white PLA yellow Page 44 Axon 2 user manual 18 Design for printing Designing for printing can make your prints faster more cost effective and yield more reliable print results The following sections are resources for designers using 3D modellers to make parts to be printed on all BFB printers e Designing out the need for support material e Thin wall thi
19. ge 56 Axon 2 user manual Home Appologies for the inappropriate pagebreaks during this export We are trying to resolve this issue Page 57
20. ial a stl Material B STL file f manuals axon manual multi_material b stl Click OK to load the model into Axon Check that all both files are in register with each other Click the Build button to show the build settings dialogue Allocate the materials as required e Part Material A refers to the material to be used to print the STL file loaded as the Material A STL file e Part Material B refers to the material to be used to print the STL file loaded as the Material B STL file In this example we are making the body part A out of PLA and the ring part B out of ABS We are using an ABS raft and have chosen to use no support material in this example Page 39 Axon 2 user manual ikd asia poiki Date Layer thickness mm 0125 00 25 0 5 Raft material Support material Per Material Settings Part Material A Part Material B Fill density 20 20 Fill pattern Speed multiplier Thin wall v Advanced Settings The result shown in the build file preview Another multi material example This example assumes the same geometry as the previous example using a triple extruder printer This time the parts are to be made out of different PLA colours Support material is also required for the overhang Page 40 Axon 2 user manual Layer thickness mm 0 125 00 25 0 5 Raft material Support material Per Material Settings Part Material A Part Material B Fill d
21. is required you can set Axon to automatically generate scaffolds during the build process Overhangs which do not require support scaffolds Not all overhangs require support material This depends on the geometry of the overhang Overhang angle The angle of the overhang is important This is measured as shown below Overhang angle Build layers The table below illustrates typical overhang requirements for support scaffolds This is a guide only as requirements are geometry dependent Page 22 Axon 2 user manual Overhang angle Support scaffold required Less than 50 No Greater than 50 Yes Bridging There are some combinations of geometry and build settings where support scaffolding is not needed for overhangs which bridge a gap Consider the example of an arch as shown below First overhang layer Overhang bridges between existing model pillars In this example the overhang bridges two pillars This means that the bridging layer is loosely suspended which may be sufficient to print without a support scaffold Again this is geometry and build settings dependent e g it may not be possible to span a longer bridge with the same pillars The optimum layer thickness for utilising this build technique is 0 25mm This yields the optimum ratio of X Y speed to extruder flow rate for bridging gaps without support scaffolding Page 23 Axon 2 user manual 10 Efficient model orientation and design
22. lack gt z Build Help Material Build File 90 STL File BFB Build File Scale Geometry otate Geometry Close STL file Page 17 Axon 2 user manual 8 Positioning an STL file Moving the model around the bed From the Top view see View controls drag the model around by holding down the right mouse button and dragging If the model exceeds the printable area a red bounding box will appear Drag the model back towards the centre until the red box disappears Red box indicates that model lies outside printable area Page 18 Axon 2 user manual Rotating a model On the Home ribbon tab use the Rotate Geometry ribbon group to rotate the model ps co Home View Settings A A de N A 50 elpScale 90 TX Revert g A tomm Revert 90 Y vi Open Open Multi Close me Open Close Save Material Build File to Inch 90 By a STL File BFB Build File Scale Geom Rotate Revert to original orientation Rotation angle per button press Use the rotation buttons to rotate the model in the desired axis Snapping a surface of the model to the bed Left click on a surface on the model to snap that surface to the bed Troubleshooting e lf the model rotates into a position outside the printable area a red box will appear Drag the model back towards the centre of the bed as described above e lf the model disappears it is best to Close the STL and re open it see Open an STL file
23. ne Available for single head prints Raft may require sanding for complete removal Do not print beyond a 100 mm due to ABS warping ABS PLA None Model peels away well from the PLA raft Do not print beyond a 100 mm due to ABS warping ABS PLA PLA Model peels away well from the ABS raft Do not print beyond a 100 mm due to ABS warping Page 27 Axon 2 user manual 13 Building a print file Building refers to the process of converting your STL file into a BFB print file The build dialogue offers different build options to achieve different prints Starting the build Build style profile Layer thickness Raft Support material Part material Fill density Fill pattern Speed multiplier Advanced settings Set Default Values Building the file Starting the build When you are happy that the STL is in position on the Home tab click the Build button to show the build settings dialogue pron cin oom Home View Settings A z N A 50 1 ela Scale 90 fx Revert Pd ee tomm Revert 90 Y Open Open Multi Close Save Open ve Build Help Material As des PRA 90 yz Click the build button to process the STL The Build Settings dialogue will show lt is important to understand all of these options to ensure that you get the results you expect fe i Settings Build style profile Default Save As Default Save as e Layer thickness mm 0 125 0 25 O05 Raft material ABS white Support material Pe
24. ned to a specific thickness to achieve a specific wall type This thickness depends on print layer resolution and material type Material ABS ABS ABS PLA PLA PLA Layer resolution mm 0 125 0 25 0 5 0 125 0 25 0 5 Wall result Image STL wall thickness mm Axon ignores wall thickness 0 0 4 0 0 6 0 0 6 0 0 3 0 0 4 0 0 6 Single filament wall 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 9 0 7 0 9 0 4 0 5 0 5 0 6 0 7 0 8 Double filament wall bonded 0 7 1 3 1 0 1 8 1 0 1 8 0 6 1 0 0 7 1 3 0 9 1 7 Double filament wall with infill 1 4 1 9 1 9 1 1 1 4 1 8 Notes e For all thin walls actual printed thickness may be oversize e For double filament wall without infill as thickness increases filaments may begin to separate completely and leave an air gap between the two filaments To guarantee filament bonding it is best to choose a wall thickness at the lower end of the thickness range or choose a wall thickness in the range with infill Hole sizes for bolts Summary Page 47 Axon 2 user manual When designing holes the user must enter diameter correction factors to ensure that the printer creates a hole which fits the bolt Correction factors can be determined with a hole gauge see Recommendation See Explanation for the reason correction factors must be used Recommendation We recommend printing a hole gauge which can be used to detect clearance diameters and tapping diameters for bolts Once printed simply offer up the bolt up to the gauge to find out
25. printing e Check the Remember me box This will prevent the timeout from happening again during your session Page 3 Axon 2 user manual Username Enter your account details below to login to Confluence bfbcustomer Username bfbcustomer Password is de 3dprinting Tick box checked Nota or an account You can start reading the manual by clicking the links on the navigation bar at the left of the screen 30 Touch Set Up and rations Manual ae _1 how the 30 Touch T 5 Print material 1 6 Pre print checks Y 7 Print the first mode 1 8 Essential post orint L operatio il post prin 9 Further printing 1 12 Specifications Off line reading e Simply click on the Export this space button at the top left of the screen to export the manual to a PDF Follow the on screen instructions Page 4 Axon 2 user manual Name Key E Home hy Undefined Pages pa ia Team Desc Export ls mmm a lanu PDF Export HTML Export E Wh J EJ mr Subscribe EJ pas Paade If you have a slow internet connection it is possible to select individual sections of the manual to export making it possile to download small sections at a time Simply tick the boxes next to the sections you need Alternatively if bandwidth is not an issue select all Exporlng Space as PDF Time Elapsed 4 seconds Time Remaining
26. r Material Settings Part Material A Part Material B Part material PLA blue Fill density lat 20 Fill pattern Hy Speed multiplier LOX w Advanced 5 ettings Printer Configuration Set Default Values Page 28 Axon 2 user manual Build style profile After setting up your build you can optionally save your particular combination of settings as a profile The profile can later be loaded and your combination of settings restored Click Save as then enter the name of the profile and click OK Your new profile will be available in the drop down box Layer thickness Printing thin layers produce good surface finish but takes more time Thick layers give a rougher finish but are quicker to print Layer thickness Print quality Print time mm 0 125 Better than average Twice as slow compared to 0 25 Able to print steeper overhangs Less effective at bridging gaps without thickness support material o 0 25 Nominal quality Nominal speed Y recommended 0 5 Rougher than average Twice as fast compared to 0 25 Less effective at printing overhangs due to further reach needed per thickness layer 0 25 mm is a standard layer thickness which should be used as a starting point for all prints Because all 3D printing is dependent on the geometry of the part we recommend trying this first before attempting the other two layer thicknesses Raft The raft secures the model to the bed and caters for an
27. rials As you will notice on first opening the parameters are greyed out and inaccessible This is because it is displaying a protected BFB material configuration You are not allowed to edit BFB material configurations But you can create your own which you are free to edit and save Create your own material Choose a profile you would like to use as a template from the drop down box at the top of the editor then click Save As Enter your new profile name and click OK Enter new profile name New test material 1 You will notice that all parameters are now active and editable After editing click OK to save Page 42 Axon 2 user manual Do not use ABS or PLA for the first three characters of your new profile name This will cause the part first layer temperature to be set incorrectly if your new material is set as the raft material in the build settings Editable material parameters Note The extruder uses a threaded drive screw to push the filament through the nozzle The pitch of this thread is 1 00 mm Parameter Nozzle diameter mm Cost per KG Standby temperature C Raft temperature C Support cooling Part cooling Prime amount revolutions Prime speed RPM Reverse amount revolutions Reverse speed RPM Layer thickness mm Part Extruded width mm Feed rate mm s Flow rate RPM Surfaces Perimeter width mm Temperature C
28. ruder 1 Material input the material currently loaded on this extruder e Extruder 2 Material input the material currently loaded on this extruder if present e Extruder 3 Material input the material currently loaded on this extruder if present Click OK to save your settings and start using Axon Page 13 Axon 2 user manual 5 Axon interface Ribbon Tabs ome View Settings j A CNAA r E Open Open Multi Close Save Open Close Save Build Help Material As Build File sais bee STL File BFB Build File cale Geomet tate Geometry Layer scroll bar STL Model Object Size X 30 00mm Y 30 00mm Z 5 00mm Print space Object Position X 0mm Y 0mm Printer Configuration E1 ABS white E2 PLA white E3 PLA blue summary Build File Layer thickness 0 25mm Mass 4 009 Material cost 0 16 Build File summary Time estimate 0 26 AR 28 Printer configuration New Part 1 stl Axon 2 0 beta 2 Bits from Bytes e Home View Settings ball Multi Close Save terial As STL File Open STL File Open a STL file 3D model Position the mouse pointer over an icon to display a quick reference tool tip Page 14 Axon 2 user manual 6 View controls Click on the View tab MEAR Home view Settings Q Zoomin TopView Q Right View W Show Extruder1 W Show all layers a Zoom Out a Front View Show Extruder 2 a Left View Show Extruder 3 Z Build Toolpath Layer
29. s As a support material Supports ABS well as it peels away easily May be dissolved if required see below PLA support can be dissolved by 1 Leaving the model in an ultra sonic support removal tank with water and caustic soda Time and concentration depends on the volume of the material needed to dissolve 2 Leave the model in water at 80 C for over 48 hours The support removal tank also provides this functionality ABS ABS is a well known plastic with excellent toughness characteristics ABS cannot be efficiently dissolved As a build Good for small prints with high toughness requirements Do not print area larger than 100 mm square ABS has relatively material high shrinkage on cooling and some geometries for larger prints are prone to warping Asa Supports PLA well as it peels away easily support material Which material combination should use In general we recommend using ABS for the raft and PLA for the model material The table below lists the main combinations of materials and their characteristics Model Raft Support Benefits Warnings material material material PLA PLA None Available for single head prints Raft may require sanding for complete removal PLA ABS None Recommended Large PLA print size possible Model peels away well from the ABS raft PLA ABS ABS Large PLA print size possible Model peels Avoid large support material areas due to ABS away well from the ABS raft warping ABS ABS No
30. support material are covered in section 12 Print materials This section explains overhangs and how the support scaffolds work The layering process The BFB printing process prints one layer at a time to build up the model This means that material needs to reside underneath each new layer to support the print In the example below the model material from previous layers successfully supports the new layer Overhanging features If the model has any steep overhanging features as per the example below previous layers of model material will not reside underneath areas of the overhang Note the example below is only to illustrate overhangs this particular model would never normally be orientated like this because it can be simply rotated to eliminate the overhanging feature Overhanging feature When printing the first layer of the overhang if left unchecked the print area of the overhang will be unsupported Page 21 Axon 2 user manual Overhanging feature has no material beneath to support it Without support this overhanging layer and therefore the layers to follow would fail because they will sag down Support scaffolds Support material can be used to solve the problem of overhanging features If required Axon can automatically detect overhanging features and generate support scaffolds to support model overhangs Automatically generated support scaffold If support material
31. tion parameters Axon builds the BFB file using Gcodes e Gcode Outline e Supported Gcode Commands e Movement Codes e Special functions M Codes Gcode Outline Some basic knowledge is required in order to identify which extruder is used for a particular purpose i e raft model or support material It is also a requirement to identify which material the Gcode extruders are running by observing the temperatures in use Raft layers The default raft generated in Axon consists of 2 layers at 0 7mm and 1 0mm Material Temperature Ranges ABS 220 degC to 260 degC the lower the temperature the less likely the layers will stick 260 degC is the default temp and anything hotter than 270 degC could potentially damage the extruder head over time PLA 180 degC to 220 degC the lower the temperature the less likely the layers will stick 195 degC is the default temp Supported Gcode Commands Movement Codes G1 Coordinated Motion supports X Y and Z axes G4 Dwell G90 Absolute Positioning G92 Sets an origin offset which is currently used to set the extruder 2 X Y offset from extruder 1 This can be overridden in the firmware G93 Set ignore G92 setting Special functions M Codes M101 Turn extruder 1 on forward at the RPM specified by a previous M108 M103 Turn all extruders off M104 145 0 Set Extruder 1 target temperature to 145 0 degC M106 Turn part cooling fan on M107 Turn part cooling fan off M108 S400 Set Extruder 1 spe
32. tor uses the following export parameters Surface Deviation Controls the maximum distance between the facet edges and the surface edges Normal Deviation Controls the maximum angle between the normal vectors of the facets Max Edge Length Defines the maximum distance between the grid lines that are placed on the face during the tessellation process Page 52 Axon 2 user manual Aspect Ratio Controls the ratio between the height and width of the facets Note Other 3D modellers may use different export parameters STL file problems and automatic repair Some surface 3D modellers e g Google SketchUp or Rhino can have problems exporting a valid STL file On importing your STL file into Axon Axon will automatically check your STL file and attempt to fix it if possible If this does not fix the problem you may wish to consider using a more professional 3D modelling package or a different STL export plugin Further STL questions Please check our FAQ for further information on STL files Technical Resources gt Troubleshooting a problem gt STL file preparation Page 53 Axon 2 user manual 20 How to edit Axon generated BFB print files advanced Axon generates BFB files which are for immediate use with any BFB printer Unless you are using the machine for research purposes you do not need to read this section The BFB print file is readable with any text viewing program to give absolute control over the printers opera
33. ucture Resolution 7 High Medium E Low 5 Custom Surface Deviation 0 032673 Normal Deviation Max Edge Length 306 155281 Aspect Rato 21 500000 F Allow to Move Internal Mesh Nodes Format Select binary format ASCII will simply put the data into a readable format unnecessarily increasing the file size Units Setting this correctly will save needing to rescale your model in Axon Accuracy Resolution The resolution of the STL file is important for curved surfaces in your model e If the resolution is too low the triangular facets in the STL file will be visible in the print e If the resolution is too high the file may take an unacceptably long time to process in Axon In the example below a half sphere is processed using AutoDesk Inventor Page 51 Axon 2 user manual Half sphere radius 20mm 3D model exported to STL file Low export resolution Medium export resolution High export resolution Surface deviation 0 024 Surface deviation 0 010 Surface deviation 0 003 Normal deviation 30 0 Normal deviation 15 Normal deviation 10 Max edge length 60 0 Max edge length 60 0 Max edge length 60 0 Aspect ratio 21 5 Aspect ratio 21 5 Aspect ratio 21 5 File size 106 kB File size 254 kB File size 808 kB Axon process speed Faster Axon process speed Nominal Axon process speed Slower Facets visible in print Yes Facets visible in print No Facets visible in print No Inven
34. ways put the BFB file at the root Files inside folders will not be found by the printer Page 37 Axon 2 user manual 16 Multi material build Axon 2 includes a feature for printing parts in multiple materials At its simplest printing a part in multiple materials allows the use of different colours for regions of the part In taking the concept a step further materials can be developed for extrusion in BFB printers so their physical properties can be exploited E g conductivity for electrical connections or flexibility for hinges etc STL requirements In order to use the multi material printing feature three STL files need to be generated in CAD software 1 Combined part STL file This is used to generate the raft and any support material toolpath 2 Part material A STL file This is used to generate the toolpath for the extruder containing material A 3 Part material B STL file This is used to generate the toolpath for the extruder containing material B How to generate the STL files All STL files must have the same datum This ensures that the parts will be built relative to each other Axon will not allow the multi material STLs to be rotated after they have been imported Therefore ensure that Z direction for your 3D model is true i e up Axon will not allow the multi material STLs to be scaled after they have been imported Therefore ensure that your model is to scale in your 3D modeller In order to obt
35. which describes the geometry of a 3D part It is a universal file format which can be read by most 3D applications including Axon An STL file uses triangular facets to represent 3D surface geometry 3D model STL file Conversion How to export an STL file from the 3D modeller Typically a3D modeller will be able to generate an STL file by clicking either Save As or Export in the File menu If not please refer to your 3D modelling documentation In the export dialogue make sure you check the export options There is usually an Options button in the dialogue See the next section to learn how to configure the typical options This is important as it can affect the quality of your print At the time of writing Google Sketchup does not export STL files directly Two free STL solutions for Google Sketchup are hosted at guitar list and cerebral meltdown Important export options Export options are usually available in the STL export dialogue as shown below If not please refer to your 3D modelling documentation File name Part 1 stl X Be sure to check the options for STL export before saving Page 50 Axon 2 user manual The options shown below are from Autodesk Inventor 2011 however the export options are broadly similar across most 3D modelling packages This section will only cover the important options _ STL File Save As Options Format Binary ASCII Units Str
36. which design diameter provides the desired feature The links below to download a hole gauge for designed holes 1 0 8 9 mm Hole gauge STL file Click here Hole gauge BFB file 0 125 mm layer thickness E1 ABS E2 PLA Coming soon Hole gauge BFB file 0 250 mm layer thickness E1 ABS E2 PLA coming soon The diagram below identifies the designed hole diameters for the attached hole gauge INITIAL HOLE DIAMETER ALL MEASUREMENTS a ee E IN MILLIMETERS ee ee en ee ee ee ee O Oo EE SE E A A oe oe oe COON OL BA UN Explanation for the need to use hole correction factors Correction is a necessity during the design phase because of the nature of the printing process the illustration shows that a filament segment forms the boundary of the hole This segment is drawn around the radius of the hole thus the inside of the segment is under compression This causes the plastic to spill slightly into the hole PRINTED AREA SECTION THROUGH PART HOLE INSIDE FILAMENT SEGMENT NEUTRAL BENDING AXIS FOR FILAMENT SEGMENT Unfortunately Axon is unable to detect hole features for automatic correction due to the nature of the STL file format therefore the user must enter Page 48 Axon 2 user manual certain correction factors when designing the hole feature Page 49 Axon 2 user manual 19 Exporting your STL files from your 3D modeller for Axon What is an STL file STL is a file format
37. y unevenness in the bed surface Rafts are automatically generated in Axon We recommend using a dissimilar material for the raft to the build material This is so that the raft can be easily peeled away model after the print is finished We recommend the use of ABS as a good raft material see section TODO Axon 2 also has an option for no raft this causes the part to print without a raft If using this option ensure bed is as level as possible and that your Z height is correct as if these are not set correctly it can effect the quality of your raftless print Page 29 Axon 2 user manual La JE E 9 pas had Tipar L aed ae E Aseje n aam rerama di Support material Support scaffolds can be generated to print overhanging model features as explained in Section TODO ref If possible it is best to avoid the use of support material if possible to reduce print time and cost see Section TODO ref to learn how to avoid using support material and section TODO ref to verify if support material is finally needed Select none if possible If support material is needed we recommend the use of ABS see section TODO to be used with the PLA build material see Part Material Part material Part material is the material in which the model is printed PLA the best part material as it suffers from very little distortion during the print see section TODO Fill density When a 3D model is processed the skin
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