Note

  • There are many ways to create and edit 3-D models for printing. This page describes just one way of doing it. Experimenting with other methods is encouraged.

Procedure

  1. Overview of software and their relationships.
    There are multiple steps from an idea to a printed object. The installation and basic usage of some important programs is covered below. The relations between the files (black) and programs (blue) is shown in the figure on the right.
  2. Install Cura version 15.0.4 from [1].
  3. Other free and open source software that is worth installing is OpenSCAD, FreeCAD and Blender. These will not be covered in these instructions, but both have a lot of documentation available on the web.

Cura

The program to convert an STL file into G-Code is called a slicer. There are several options available. Cura is one of them. For extensive information there is a manual. A quick summary of steps to take for making it work with the Athena printer is below.

  1. After downloading and installing, start Cura. It will show the First Start Wizard. If it doesn't, you can manually start the wizard by choosing Add new machine from the Machine menu. You can later remove the original machine from the Machine settings menu.
  2. Machine choice.
    For machine, choose Other.
  3. Other machine information.
    For other machine information, choose DeltaBot.
  4. Preferences.
    Open Preferences from the file menu and disable Auto detect SD card drive.
  5. Machine settings.
    Open Machine settings from the Machine menu and set the maximum width and depth to 250, the height to 200 and disable the heated bed.
  6. Basic settings.
    Under the Basic tab:
    • Layer height (mm): 0.25
    • Shell thickness (mm) 1.4
    • Bottom/Top thickness (mm): 0.5
    • Fill density (%): 25
    • Print speed (mm/s): 70
    • Printing temperature (C): 210
    • Filament Diameter (mm): 1.75
    • Flow (%) 100
  7. File:Athena cura advanced.png
    Advanced settings.
    Under the Advanced tab:
    • Nozzle size (mm): 0.5
    • Retraction speed (mm/s): 80
    • Distance (mm): 4.5
    • Travel speed (mm/s): 200
  1. Start G-Code.
    Under the Start/End GCode tab, select start.gcode and remove the M117 command at the end, or comment it out by placing a semicolon before it.
  2. End G-Code.
    Then select end.gcode and remove or comment out the M140 commands at the start.
  3. End G-Code.
    Open expert settings (Expert>Open expert settings... or ctrl+e). Uncheck everything in Fix Horrible (lower left). Set Z hop when retracting to 0.5. Save the settings.

First Print

Loading the Filament

  1. Loading the Filament.
    Take 1.75mm filament, and feed it into the short length of PTFE tubing until it stops.
  2. Location to type in extrude distance
    In Franklin, find the extrude text box located above the temperature graph. It is marked with a lower case "e" on the left and 0.00 mm on the right. If it displays NaN mm, home the printer before continuing. Click in the textbox, and enter +500. Press enter, and begin to push the filament into the extruder. The extruder should grab it and push it into the bowden sheath.
  3. Once the extruder drive stops, find the extrude text box and type in +100. Press enter, and wait for the extruder drive to stop. Once the extruder drive stops, press enter again. Repeat until the extruder drive makes a loud clicking noise. The filament is now loaded.

Slicing a File

  1. The "Load File" button on Cura.
    Start Cura, and press the "Load File" button located on the top left of the object view window.
  2. The load file screen that opens.
    An "Open 3D Model" dialogue box opens. Navigate to where you saved the file you wish to print, and click "Load"
  3. The model is loaded into Cura, and "Save Toolpath" button is highlighted
    The model should load into Cura. Now press the "Save Toolpath" button located to the right of the "Load File" button. Press the button.
  4. The save file screen that opens.
    A dialogue box opens to save the file. Press "Save" and the file is now ready to be printed.

Starting a Print

  1. The location of "Browse" button. (It may be an "Choose File" button)
    Open Franklin, and locate the "Browse" button. The "Browse" button may be an "Choose File" instead!
  2. The "Browse" dialogue box.
    A dialogue box opens. Navigate to where you saved the .gcode file from Cura. Load the File. The filename should appear to the right of the Browse/Choose File button.
  3. Adding a .gcode file
    Locate the "Add" button to the right of the browse button and file name and press it. A red bar will appear on the top of the screen, that says "parsing g-code". When it finishes, the file should appear in the box on the top left of the screen.
  4. The "Print" button.
    Select the filename that you wish to print in the box on the left (multiple files can be loaded at any one time). The Filename should be highlighted. Press the "Print Selected" button on the bottom right corner of the box.
  5. The Printing Screen
    The green background of the webpage will change to red, and the printer will begin to heat up. Once the printer reaches temperature (may take a few minutes), the print will begin. If you had just loaded filament, it may take a few seconds for the printer to start extruding.

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