How to print a part
- Turn on RapMan, go to manual move and move head above the corner with the hole.
- Escape manual move and go to tool setup.
- Increase temperature to 245 degrees Celcius and allow to warm up. The head should start oozing at about 220 degrees celcius, if not there is a problem with either your extruder (blocked up) or your thermistor is reading incorrectly.
- When warm, extrude at varying increasing temperatures, this makes sure your nozzle does not get blocked during the printing of a object. Make sure to do at least 2 meters of extruded material to make sure the extruder is extruding well. Make sure to check if the extruder is taking in filament and that your extruded material is smooth. If the filament is not entering the extruder, it means that their either is a blockage or that the screw can not grip the filament (most likely the screw is dirty or the filament is stripped). If the material is not very smooth, that generally means your temperature is too low.
- Now one can print, load file quickly so that temperature is not lost. Make sure to reset the device measuring the kiloWatt hours and timer.
- Start the timer and print at the same time.
- Depending on how reliable your Rapman is, check on the Rapman every few minutes to make sure the extruder is still extruding, that the fill for the object is not too wavy and that there is little ooze on overhangs. If there is a lot of ooze on overhangs, this generally means that it is printing at too hot a temperature.
- When the print is finished, remove it from the board. If it is severely stuck to the board, remove the board before removing the item so as not to shake the machine too much.
- Mark down time and kiloWatt-hours used by the machine.
- Weigh the object to find out how much plastic was used. Be sure to include the mass of the pre-fabricated extrusion and the boat - record separately..
Trouble Shooting
Raft is not sticking
- generally means that the raft temperature is too low
Raft is wiggly
- if it is both the bottom layer and the top layer, it means your extruder is too far from the base
- if it is wiggly on the bottom in certain areas, generally means the board is not level or that it has started to warp
- if it is the top part of the raft, it could be mean extrusion speed is too high or too low or that the base is moving down too far
Extruded filament is bumpy
- either it is too hot or too cold
Filament is not coming out
- Extruder head is blocked
- filament is stripped
- screw is so covered in plastic dust that is can't pull the filament down
Head plows into board
- default in file
- the head has not been leveled properly
Leveling the Bed
1) Using "Manual Move" on the selection menue move the head over an area near one of the three bolts. 2) Move the head till the nozzle is about 5 pieces of paper away from the head. This means that there is some friction when the head and the paper. If that is too difficult to move the head, turn the screw till the correct distance is found. Try not to ram the nozzle into the bed . 3) Move the head to the next bolt and try to get the same distance between the nozzle and the board by turning the bolt. 4) Move the head to the final bolt and try to get the same distance between the nozzle and the board by turning the final bolt. 5) Repeat 2-4 till the bed is completely level. 6) Esc "Manual Move" and go to "Home Tool Head" and press enter. This will home the head. 7) After the head has been homed, assuming the nozzle is higher then the board, move the nozzle to the center of the board using "Manual Move". Check if the nozzle is 3 pieces of paper away with medium friction. If it is not change the height of the stopper bolt on the head. Shorten the length if the board is too far away, lengthen is it is too close. If the board is homed and it is too close to the bed and unable to move across it, lengthen the stopper bolt. 8) Using "Manual Move" and move the board down (z-) so it can home its self properly. Never home the board without moving the board down, including right before running a file as the homed height is compromised if it is homed twice in a row. 9) repeat 6-8 till the nozzle is 3 pieces of paper above the board.
What to do when bed plows into board
1) Don't pannick. 2) Push down board and press Esc. If the line is really long (it only esc after a line is finished) turn off the rapman right away, turn it back on and go to "Manual Move" and move the board down. 3) After is has esc and moved to waiting position, turn off machine. 4) Turn on machine. 5) Check if the board is level. 6) Move the board over the hole in the one corner and warm up the machine to 245 Celsius. 7) Extruded at increasing rates. If it doesn't start oozing at 220celcius or extruding at all your nozzle is blocked or brocken. 4)
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