REFERENCE GUIDE
The product may differ slightly from the images and instructions in this guide as we continue to improve the MakerBot Replicator Mini. Please see www.makerbot.com/um_rep_mini for the latest version of the guide.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Legal Notices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Safety and Compliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
LEGAL NOTICES PRODUCT WARRANTY The MakerBot® Replicator® Mini Compact 3D Printer is covered by a limited warranty. For terms and conditions, see makerbot.com/legal. OVERALL PROVISIONS All information in this reference guide (“Guide”) is subject to change at any time without notice and is provided for convenience purposes only.
LEGAL NOTICES DISCLAIMERS MakerBot does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information, products, or services provided by or through this Guide and assumes no responsibility for any typographical, technical, or other inaccuracies in this Guide, which is provided “as is” and without any express or implied warranties of any kind, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement of intellectual property.
WELCOME TO THE REFERENCE MANUAL FOR THE MAKERBOT REPLICATOR MINI COMPACT 3D PRINTER. The MakerBot Replicator Mini is super easy to use, but it’s also packed with brand-new features. Use this reference guide to familiarize yourself with the capabilities of your new MakerBot Replicator Mini and the MakerBot Desktop App. For help with setting up your MakerBot Replicator Mini, please refer to the Quick Start Guide that came with it, or download a copy at makerbot.com/support.
SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE Safety alert symbols precede each safety message in this manual. These symbols indicate potential safety hazards that could harm you or others or cause product or property damage. Warning: The MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer generates high temperatures. Always allow the MakerBot Replicator Smart Extruder to cool to 50° C before removing it or reaching inside the MakerBot Replicator Mini. Warning: The MakerBot Replicator Mini includes moving parts that can cause injury.
SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE RADIO AND TELEVISION INTERFERENCE This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation.
ABOUT THE MAKERBOT REPLICATOR MINI The MakerBot Replicator Mini makes solid, three-dimensional objects out of PLA Filament. First, use MakerBot Desktop to translate 3D design files into instructions for the MakerBot Replicator Mini. Then transfer those instructions to the MakerBot Replicator Mini via USB cable or over a Wi-Fi network.
DIAGRAMS MAKERBOT REPLICATOR MINI FRONT VIEW 2 3 1 4 5 1. Filament Spool Pocket 4. Build Plate 2. Gantry 5. Action Button 3.
DIAGRAMS MAKERBOT REPLICATOR MINI SIDE VIEW 9 6 7 8 6. Power Switch 8. USB Port 7. Power Input Port 9.
ABOUT MAKERBOT DESKTOP MakerBot Desktop is a free app for preparing 3D prints and managing your 3D content. It consist of five sections: Explore, Library, Prepare, Store, and Learn. 1 2 3 4 5 1. Explore gives you access to MakerBot Thingiverse® and the hundreds of thousands of 3D printable objects designed by the Thingiverse community. Use Explore to search Thingiverse for inspiration or for new things to print, then save them to your collections or prepare them for printing. 2.
ABOUT MAKERBOT DESKTOP 5. Learn provides video tutorials on common processes such as Exporting Files, Preparing to Print, and Exploring Thingiverse. Look for new tutorials with each update of MakerBot Desktop. You can also replay the MakerBot Desktop walkthrough in the Learn tab. Use Store and Explore to find 3D models, Library to keep them organized, and Prepare to send them to your MakerBot Replicator Mini for printing. Use Learn to view tutorials.
ABOUT MAKERBOT DESKTOP THE PREPARE SCREEN 1 7 8 9 10 11 12 2 3 4 5 6 13 1. +/– • • Click the Plus and Minus buttons to zoom in and out. • • You can also zoom using a track pad or the scroll wheel on your mouse. • 2. Home View • • Click the Home View button to return to the default view of the build plate. • 3. View • • Click the View button or press the V key to enter View mode. • • In View mode, click and drag with your mouse to rotate the build plate.
ABOUT MAKERBOT DESKTOP 4. Move • • Click the Move button or press the M key to enter Move mode. • • In Move mode, click and drag with your mouse to move your model around on the build plate. • • In Move mode, hold the Shift key and click and drag with your mouse to move your model up and down along the z-axis. • • Click the Move button again to open the Change Position submenu and move your object by a specific distance along the x-, y-, or z-axis. • 5.
ABOUT MAKERBOT DESKTOP 10. Save to Library • • Click Save to Library to open a Save dialog. • • If you are logged into your MakerBot account, you can choose to save to your Library or to your local computer. • • If you are not logged into your MakerBot account or if you are working offline, you will be able to save your file only to your local computer.
CONNECTING TO MAKERBOT DESKTOP You can connect your MakerBot Replicator Mini to MakerBot Desktop via USB cable or Wi-Fi at any time. USB CABLE 1. Locate the included USB cable. 2. Insert the USB-B end of the cable into the port on the side of your MakerBot Replicator Mini and insert the USB-A end of the cable into a USB port on your computer. MakerBot Desktop will automatically detect your MakerBot Replicator Mini. WI-FI 1. Follow the steps above for connecting via USB cable. 2.
PRINTING FROM MAKERBOT DESKTOP 1 CHOOSING YOUR MODEL You can download a model from Thingiverse or the MakerBot Digital Store, open a 3D printable STL, OBJ, or Thing file from any source, or access objects that are already saved in your MakerBot Cloud Library. FINDING A MODEL ON THINGIVERSE 1. In MakerBot Desktop, click on the Explore tab. Click Explore at the right to browse available models, or use the search bar to look for something specific. 2.
PRINTING FROM MAKERBOT DESKTOP IMPORTING A MODEL FROM YOUR LOCAL COMPUTER You can open any 3D-printable STL, OBJ, or Thing file in MakerBot Desktop. 1. In MakerBot Desktop, click on the Prepare tab. 2. Click Add File. 3. Navigate to the location of your file and click Open. The model will appear on the build plate. CHOOSING A MODEL FROM YOUR MAKERBOT CLOUD LIBRARY 1. In MakerBot Desktop, click on the Library tab. 2.
PRINTING FROM MAKERBOT DESKTOP 2 PREPARING YOUR MODEL Use the Prepare Screen to manipulate your model, such as changing its orientation or scaling it to a new size. You can also add more models to the layout. Then, to change any print settings before you print, click the Settings button. SETTINGS The Settings dialog allows you to select options that will affect the quality of your printed object. 1. Supports. Select this checkbox to have your object printed with support structures.
PRINTING FROM MAKERBOT DESKTOP 3 PRINTING YOUR MODEL SENDING THE FILE TO THE MAKERBOT REPLICATOR MINI If Connected via Wi-Fi 1. Click the Print button to slice your model and send it to your MakerBot Replicator Mini. Click OK to exit the print dialog, or click Cancel Print to cancel the print. 2. When the print file is sent to the MakerBot Replicator Mini, the Action Button will blink blue. Press the Action Button to confirm the print.
PRINTING FROM MAKERBOT DESKTOP HOW TO PAUSE OR CANCEL A PRINT To Pause: While the MakerBot Replicator Mini is printing, press the Action Button once to pause. The Action Button color will turn from red to blue. Press the Action Button again to resume printing. You can also pause by opening the print monitor panel in MakerBot Desktop and then clicking Pause. To Cancel: While the MakerBot Replicator Mini is heating or printing, press and hold the Action Button to cancel the print.
CHANGING FILAMENT • HOW TO CHANGE FILAMENT You can change filament at any time when the MakerBot Replicator Mini is not heating up or printing. To Load • • In the print monitor panel, click Change. Then click Load. The Smart Extruder will start to heat up. When the Smart Extruder is fully heated, the extruder motor will start to turn. • • When you hear the motor turning, grasp the top of the extruder assembly and push • the free end of filamant into the loading tube at the top of the Smart Extruder.
DETACHING/ATTACHING THE SMART EXTRUDER If you need to remove the Smart Extruder from your MakerBot Replicator Mini, first unload any filament. Wait for the Smart Extruder to cool to 50° C, then pull it away from the extruder carriage. To attach the Smart Extruder, press it against the back of the extruder carriage, with the connector pins facing the extruder carriage. Magnets will lock the Smart Extruder into place.
MAKERBOT PRINTSHOP™ MakerBot PrintShop is a free app that allows you to design and customize prints, explore Thingiverse, and monitor and control your MakerBot Replicator Mini, all from your tablet. MakerBot Printshop has three features: Makers, Explore, and My Stuff. With the Makers, you can customize designs for signs, bracelets, and other objects using base models provided by the app. In Explore, you can browse a selection of ready-to-print items from Thingiverse.
MAKERBOT MOBILE MakerBot Mobile is a free app that allows you to monitor and control your MakerBot Replicator Mini from your smartphone. With MakerBot Mobile you can: • • Start, pause, and cancel prints • • Initiate filament changes • • Receive notifications about your prints, such as print completion, any errors that may occur, and more • • Visually monitor your prints via the onboard camera • MakerBot Mobile also gives you access to your MakerBot Cloud Library and all of Thingiverse.
UPDATING FIRMWARE Firmware is the software that runs on your MakerBot Replicator Mini. Keeping your firmware up to date will help ensure that your MakerBot Replicator Mini is in the best possible working order. Firmware updates allow MakerBot to add new features to your MakerBot Replicator Mini and improve old ones. If a new firmware version has become available since the last time you connected your MakerBot Replicator Mini to MakerBot Desktop, MakerBot Desktop will alert you.
TROUBLESHOOTING CONNECTIVITY PROBLEMS PROBLEM SOLUTION Can’t access the Library, Explore, and Store sections of MakerBot Desktop. You may not be logged into your MakerBot account. These features are accessible only when you are logged in. If you are logged into your MakerBot account but are still unable to access the Library, Store, and Explore sections, your computer may not be connected to the internet. MakerBot Desktop does not recognize the MakerBot Replicator Mini.
TROUBLESHOOTING PRINTING PROBLEMS PROBLEM SOLUTION Can’t unload filament from the MakerBot Replicator Smart Extruder. In the print monitor panel of MakerBot Desktop, click Change, and then select Load Filament. Let the filament extrude for a few seconds, then click Done and Unload Filament to try unloading again. Can’t remove filament from the MakerBot Replicator Smart Extruder. Make sure to wait to remove the filament until MakerBot Desktop has instructed you to do so.
TROUBLESHOOTING PRINTING PROBLEMS PROBLEM SOLUTION Printed object is stuck to the build plate. Remove the build plate from your MakerBot Replicator Mini and wait for the object to cool down. Objects will detach more easily after they have cooled. If the object is still stuck, take a thin metal craft spatula and carefully work the blade under the edge of the object. When the blade is most of the way under the object, twist the handle slightly. The object should come free.
TROUBLESHOOTING MECHANICAL PROBLEMS PROBLEM My front door popped off. What do I do? My MakerBot Replicator Mini didn’t come with a lid. SOLUTION The front door is designed to pop off without being damaged. Simply snap it back onto its hinges. After internal product testing on the MakerBot Replicator Mini, we saw better performance without the top door, so we decided to remove it from the design.
SPECIFICATIONS PRINTING Print Technology: Build Volume: Layer Resolution: Filament: Nozzle Diameter: Print File Type: Fused deposition modeling 10.0 W x 10.0 D x 12.5 H cm [3.9 W x 3.9 D x 4.9 H in] 200 microns 1.75 mm [0.069 in] MakerBot PLA Filament 0.4 mm [0.015 in] .makerbot SOFTWARE Software Bundle: 3D Model File Types: Supported OS: MakerBot Desktop .stl, .obj, .thing Windows (7+), Mac OS X (10.7+), Linux (Ubuntu 12.
GLOSSARY BUILD PLATE: The acrylic surface on which the MakerBot Replicator Mini builds an object. BUILD PLATE TAPE: Masking tape used as a build surface for objects printed with MakerBot PLA Filament. You can find build plate tape sized for the MakerBot Replicator Mini at store.makerbot.com EXTRUDER ASSEMBLY: The MakerBot Replicator Smart Extruder installed in the extruder carriage. EXTRUDER CARRIAGE: The part of the extruder assembly that sits on the gantry and moves back and forth.
GLOSSARY MAKERBOT REPLICATOR MINI: The MakerBot Replicator Mini Compact 3D Printer. .OBJ: A file format used for 3D models. PRINT PREVIEW: The feature in the Print dialog that provides an estimated print time, estimated amount of filament your print will use, and a rendering of what your print will look like. RAFT: A plastic base printed on the build plate and used as a printing surface for your printed object. All models printed on the MakerBot Replicator Mini will be printed with a raft.
CONTACT US Support makerbot.com/support Our website has extensive documentation and troubleshooting information about your MakerBot Replicator Mini. It’s a great resource when you want to try to solve issues quickly on your own. makerbot.com/support/submit-a-case/ At MakerBot, we take pride in offering expert, responsive, friendly customer support to our customers around the world.
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WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOU MAKE! MakerBot One MetroTech Center, 21st Floor, Brooklyn, NY support@makerbot.com makerbot.
