Z Corporation Z 406 User Manual download pdf (Page 15)

Z406 System User Manual Z Corporation

www.zcorp-users.com

1.5 PRINTING A PART OVERVIEW

Printing a part using the Z406 3D Printer is fast, easy, clean and fully compatible with an office

environment. This manual will show tips on how to print the most challenging parts, but for most

purposes, printing a part is as simple as 1-2-3.

1.5.1 STEP 1: PREPARING THE 3D PRINTER

Carefully following the steps outlined in Chapter 3, you can prepare the 3D printer in less than ten

minutes. You will put powder in the feed piston, and ensure fluid levels are correct and that the

powder overflow bin is empty.

1.5.2 STEP 2: IMPORTING THE FILE

Upon launching the ZPrint Software, you will be presented with the ‘Open’ dialog box. Select the file

you wish to print. The software allows you to open a variety of monochrome and color file formats

including STL, PLY, SFX, VRML (WRL), BLD, ZEC, ZBD and ZCP files. The software also allows you

to move, scale, and/or rotate your part. For more information, refer to the ZPrint Software User

Manual.

1.5.3 STEP 3: PRINTING THE PART

The Z406 3D Printer prints most parts in minutes and prints even the largest parts in a few hours.

You may then remove the part, depowder any excess powder and dry and infiltrate the part with wax

or other materials to give the part the desired strength and finish. The post-processing phase takes

less than ten minutes for small parts and only an hour or so for large parts.

Once you have completed these steps you are ready to start using parts to improve design,

communicate with other departments and reduce the time it takes you to get new products to market.

1.6 USEFUL TIPS

1.6.1 PART SETUP AND POST-PROCESSING

1.6.1.1 Part Setup, Orientation, and Print Settings

• Do not tightly pack parts into the build. Keep in mind that you will need to depowder and

remove them from the build box. Allowing a little bit of room around the part so you can

vacuum the powder away and get your fingers around or under it.

• Orient parts so delicate features are supported in the z-axis, i.e. keep the attaching feature

directly below the fragile features. If a delicate feature is only supported by unprinted powder

the chances of breaking that small feature during depowdering is greatly increased.

• When building delicate parts use the “Fixture” function to cradle the part. Raising the part

0.25” (6.4 mm) from the bottom of the build and creating a fixture under the part will produce

a cradle that can be handled. The part inside the cradle can easily be transported to an oven

or the depowderer.

• Do not enable the bleed compensation feature if you are building a part with features under

0.050" (1.27 mm). Enabling bleed compensation may reduce the feature size.

• To increase the strength of thin parts, you can decrease the layer thickness to 0.0035” (0.089

mm) if you are using one of the zp

100 series (plaster-based) powder systems. Then choose

to override the saturation values. Input the saturation values used for printing at 0.004” (0.102

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Z Corporation Z 406 User Manual Page 15