Operating Instructions RF100 3D printer fully-assembled Item No.
Table of contents Page 1. Introduction...........................................................................................................................................................4 2. Explanation of symbols.........................................................................................................................................4 3. Intended use.....................................................................................................................................
d) Change / Replace filament...........................................................................................................................24 e) Install “Cura“ software (optional)..................................................................................................................24 15. Print from SD card..............................................................................................................................................25 a) Start printing....................
1. Introduction Dear customer, Thank you for purchasing this product. This product complies with the statutory national and European requirements. To maintain this status and to ensure safe operation, you as the user must observe these operating instructions! These operating instructions are part of this product. They contain important notes on commissioning and handling. Also consider this if you pass on the product to any third party.
3. Intended use The 3D printer comes pre-assembled and is ready to use. It can be operated via PC using the included software or via the integrated display. The powder-coated metal housing ensures a long service life. The product prints objects up to a size of 100 x 100 x 100 mm and is equipped with a bright LED light that allows you to monitor the progress of the print. There are over 100 ready-to-print 3D models on the SD card, which can be printed out by few clicks.
5. SD card content • The SD card contains the following main folders: -- 3D Models -- Config -- Manual -- Software To view the complete SD card content, connect the 3D printer with the inserted SD card to your computer. Via the control panel, you will have limited access to the SD card. a) 3D Models • The folder “3D Models“ contains several subfolders with “Basic shape“, “Capital letters (A-Z), “Constellation“, “Mathematical symbols“, “Numbers“, “VariousObjects“ etc.
c) Manual • The folder “Manual“ contains the Quick-Start-Guide. The content of this folder cannot be reviewed on the control panel. d) Software • The folder “Software“ contains the “Cura” software in form of an executable (.exe) for Windows® and a disk image (.dmg) for Mac OS, as well as the USB driver. The content of this folder cannot be reviewed on the control panel. 6. Features and functions • 3D printer completely assembled and ready to use • Max.
7. Working principle of the 3D printer • For 3D print, you need a file, which contains the three-dimensional data of the object to be printed (a common format of such a file is, e.g., STL). • This file can be produced with the corresponding software or with a 3D-scanner. There are also many printing files already online that can be downloaded to print an object as quickly as possible.
8. Safety instructions Read the operating instructions carefully and especially observe the safety information. If you do not follow the safety instructions and information on proper handling in this manual, we assume no liability for any resulting personal injury or damage to property. Such cases will invalidate the warranty/guarantee.
• Do not move the product during operation. Turn off the product before moving, transporting or storing it. • Never use the 3D printer outdoors. • Never place containers containing liquids, e.g. glasses, vases, etc. on the device or in its vicinity and do not pour any liquids out over the device. Liquids may get into the housing and impair electrical safety.
• Completely unwind the power cable before use. A power cable that is not completely unwound can lead to overheating and constitutes a fire hazard! • The mains outlet must be located near to the device and be easily accessible. • Never unplug the mains plug from the socket by pulling on the cable. Always use the grips on the sides of the plug. • Unplug the mains plug from the mains socket if you do not intend to use the 3D printer for a prolonged period of time.
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10. Before installation • Remove all the components carefully from the packaging. • Remove protection foils from LC display and the housing. • Cut the cable ties on each side with the side cutter. • Check that no parts are missing or damaged. Do not use the device if any parts are missing or damaged. 11. Installation a) Set up 3D printer When setting up the 3D printer, observe that the power switch must be easy to reach so that the device can be switched off quickly and easily in case of malfunction.
1 • Place the build bed. 2 • Use two screws and the hex key to install filament spool holder at the back of the 3D printer. The ‘nose’ at the end of the holder faces upwards. 3 • Insert SD card with sticker facing downwards. 4 • Connect the power cable with the power supply socket. • Fully unwind the power cable and insert the mains plug into a wall-mounted socket. 5 • Switch the 3D printer on by moving the power switch to the I position. • The printing area is lit up.
12. Control panel • The 3D printer is operated by the control knob. • The LC display shows the menu options and the operation status via an < Info screen >. a) Initial operation Description Action Navigate in the menu structure Adjust the parameter Rotate the control knob anticlockwise / clockwise Select / enter the menu Confirm a menu option / parameter Press the control knob Return to previous menu b) Menu options and functions Following refers to the Printer Firmware V1.
Menu option Function Confirm this menu option and the nozzle starts heating up to the default temperature of 220°C. < Preheat PLA > If there is no action during the following 5 minutes, heating will be turned off and the nozzle will be cooled down to prevent filament overheating and blockage of nozzle. Select this function to load filament into the extruder. < Load filament > The 3D printer will draw 80 mm of filament into the extruder. Nozzle temperature must be higher than 170°C.
Menu option < Move Y > < Move Z > Function Select Y- Axis movement and enter the < Move Y> menu to adjust the Y-axis movement in the range +100 to 0 mm. The extruder moves forwards/backwards along the Y axis (*backwards: toward to control panel). Select Z- Axis movement and enter the < Move Z > menu to adjust the Z-axis movement in the range 0 to +100 mm. The extruder moves up/down along Z axis. This option is not available, when < Move 10MM > has been selected.
Menu option Function Adjust fan speed between the range of 0 to 255 RPM. Default setting is 255 RPM. < Fan speed > < Flow > When nozzle temperature reaches 40°C, the fan will be automatically switched ON at default setting 255 RPM. Adjust extruder filament feeding speed between the range of 10 to 300 %. Default setting is 100%. Feeding speed depends on print speed. If the flow rate is too high, the nozzle may be clogged.
13. General notes on 3D printing During printing, never cut off the power supply, unplug the USB cable or remove the SD card. • The print quality of 3D printers depends on many factors. The most important ones are: -- print speed -- layer thickness -- build bed calibration -- temperature -- flow -- filament material -- 3D model structure • It is not always possible to achieve a satisfactory print result at the first attempt. Adjustments and fine tuning are necessary to improve print quality.
c) Print layer thickness • The print layer thickness determines the height of the individual print layers and thus the resolution and quality of the printed object. • The thinner the printed layers, the better the print quality and the longer the print duration. • The thicker the printed layers, the lower the print quality and the shorter the print duration. Experiment with the above parameters to find satisfying print results depending on the material used.
14. Preparation a) Calibrate build bed 1 • Press the control knob in < Info screen > to enter < Main Page >. 4 2 3 • In < Main > menu select < Prepare > . 5 • Select < Auto home >. 6 Prepare First point Second point Third point • Adjust 3 screws under build bed to adjust the gap between build bed and nozzle until built plate is lying flat. • Gap distance should be between 0.1 and 0.3 mm (i.e. use A4 paper as a measurement tool). Nozzle must not touch build plate! • Return to < Prepare > menu.
• If the printer does not print properly after the build bed calibration, following steps are needed: 7 • First select < Auto home > in < Prepare > menu, then select < Disable steppers > to unlock motor. 8 • Gently turn the thread (Z-axis) clockwise ... 9 • ... until there is a “click“ sound at the upper left part of the build bed. • Calibrate the build bed, by repeating step 1 to 6 in section “a) Calibrate build bed“ on page 21.
c) Load filament 2 1 Unload filament Move axis Disable steppers Temperature • In < Prepare > menu, select first < Auto Home >, then < Move axis >. Move Move Move Move • Select < Move 1mm > . 5 4 z: axis X Y Z • Select < Move Z >. 6 Main Auto home Level Bed Preheat PLA +020.0 • Adjust the Z-axis to minimum + 20.0 mm. 3 • Insert the filament into the hole of the extruder. • Select < Preheat PLA > under the < Prepare > menu.
d) Change / Replace filament • Change the filament, if you want to switch to another filament color or material. • Replace the filament, if the existing filament is used up and a new filament shall be used. • Before changing or replacing filament, the extruder must be heated so that the old filament can be cleanly replaced from the extruder. Do not touch the hot extruder nozzle. Danger of burns! 1 • Cut the existing filament in the extruder. • Remove the filament spool from the filament spool holder.
15. Print from SD card When heating, there may be slight development of smoke or steam. This is normal. Please ensure the corresponding ventilation. Do not apply any mechanical force on the build bed. Danger of build bed breakage. • Printing directly from the SD card can be performed only via the control panel. It does not require installation of the software. The 3D printer must be disconnected from the PC. If connected, please unplug the USB cable.
b) Pause printing While printing is paused, the nozzle continues to heat. Therefore, pause the print only for a short period, otherwise the nozzle will overheat and may become clogged. • Press the control knob to leave the < Info screen > and enter the < Main > menu. • Select < Pause print > to pause printing. • To continue printing, select < Resume print >. c) Adjust parameters during printing Recommended for advanced users only.
f) Restart the 3D printer • Restart the 3D printer, -- when LC display does not show any correct information or the LC display is empty. -- after an < Emergency stop > has been perfomed. -- when the 3D printer is not working properly. • If any, unplug the connected USB cable. • Switch off the 3D printer. After a short while, switch it on again and operate the 3D printer as usual. 16.
b) Installation • Install the file “Cura_15.04.6.exe“ (for Windows®) or “Cura-15.04.6-MacOS.dmg“ (for Mac OS) from the directory “Software” from the SD card. • Follow the on-screen instructions during the installation process. For details, refer to instructions provided on https://ultimaker.com/. c) Setup of the Software - Windows® Connect to the 3D printer • Connect the 3D printer to a free USB port on your computer with the help of the supplied USB cable. Switch the printer on.
Start the software After installation, the “Configuration Wizard“, which will guide you through the set up process of the 3D printer, appears: 1 1 Select your preferred language (e.g. English). 2 Click “Next >”.
3 3 Select “Other”. 4 Click “Next >”. 4 5 Select “Custom...“ 6 Click “Next >”.
7 7 Input parameters as shown. 8 Click “Finish” to complete the wizard.
d) Setup of the Software - Mac OS • It is important that you make the printer’s profile available to the software before you connect printer and computer. 1 After installation, locate the “Cura” icon in the “Applications” folder of your computer and right click it. Select “Show Package Contents”. 2 Locate “Resources/machine_ profiles”. 3 Locate the “RF100.ini” profile file on the SD card and copy it to “machine_profiles” folder. 4 Start the “Cura” application.
6 Click “Next >”. 6 7 Select “Other”. 8 Click “Next >”.
9 Select “RF100”. 10 Click “Next >”. 9 10 11 Click “Finish“. Installation is done.
e) Software settings - Windows® Further settings can be made optionally here; however, this should only be done by advanced users. For functions, see the online help documentation of the software. The use of wrong settings can result in damage to the 3D printer or defective printouts. Beginners should first work with the basic settings. 1 Start the software. 2 Select “Machine“ 3 Select “Machine settings“ 4 Select the serial port to which the 3D printer is connected.
7 7 Set up the parameters in “Advanced“ as shown. These are possible parameters for a PLA filament. 8 8 Under “Expert“, select “Open expert settings“.
9 9 Set up the parameters in “Support” settings as shown. 10 Click “Ok“. 10 Filament diameter: The filament diameter is provided by the filament manufacturer. If you are unable to locate the diameter of the filament you intend to use (e.g. there is no label on the filament spool), you have the possibility of calculating the diameter yourself. Follow the below steps: 1. Measure 1 m of filament for sampling. 2. With the help of a calliper, take at least 10 diameter measurements evenly spread over 1 m.
f) Load configuration file – Windows® • In order to ease the process of setting parameters for different materials (Wood/Elastic/Copper/PLA), you can load pre-configured material configuration files from the SD card. Such configuration files are also available from www.conrad.com. 1 1 Click “File” 2 Select “Open Profile...“. 2 3 Select a filament configuration file for the filament used by you in the selection window and confirm your selection.
h) Load model file – Windows® and Mac OS • In the main folder “3D Models” on the enclosed SD card, you will find a few examples for the first printing attempts. However, there are already many places online where you can download 3D model files. Alternatively, you can also use a 3D programme to make your own. Ensure that the 3D model file is in .stl format (STL-file).
i) Start printing • Once the printer is connected to the computer via the USB cable, print icon appears. 1 2 1 Right click the icon . Select “Print from COM3“ to start printing. (Alternatively you can save the g.code to SD card) 2 Click “Print”. The nozzle heats up. Once the “Printing temperature“ is reached, the 3D printer is ready to start printing. 3 3D printer starts printing. < Info screen > appears on the LC display of the control panel. 4 Press the control knob to enter the < Main > Menu.
j) Stop printing Select “Cancel print“ in “Cura“ software to abort the printing process. Since there is a buffer setting of data streaming in the software, it can take up to 1 minute for the printer to stop after the button is pressed. While nozzle is heating, do not select “Cancel print“; otherwise, you have to unplug the USB cable and restart the printer. Nozzle temperature will be maintained after cancelling the print job.
Cleaning of the inside of the nozzle • Heat up the nozzle then load and unload filament repeatedly until the filament flow is as expected. If the nozzle continues not to extrude enough material after this procedure, let the nozzle cool down to the lower melt temperature of the filament as indicated by the manufacturer (filament material must only be viscous anymore) and carefully unload the filament until the filament has been transported out of the extruder, including contamination.
e) Unload filament • Ensure the nozzle temperature reaches 170 °C or above. 1 2 Main Auto home Level Bed Preheat PLA Unload filament Move axis Disable steppers Temperature • Select < Preheat PLA >. • Select < Unload filament >. • Remove filament spool from the filament spool holder. If the filament material is either wood or metal, cut it and replace it with PLA filament first as described in section“d) Change / Replace filament“ on page 24, then unload the PLA filament.
18. Troubleshooting Problem Possible Solution The 3D printer does not work after switching on. The display and print space lighting remain dark. Check the connection of the mains line. Check the mains socket. Is it properly supplied with current? Check the mains fuse (for details refer to chapter “d) Replace fuse“ on page 42. ) Check the USB line connection. Is the assigned USB port selected in the software? Check whether required drivers are installed. Unplug the USB cable and then plug it in again.
Problem Possible Solution Disconnect computer from 3D printer while printing from SD card. Printings stops during the process. Check the settings of your computer. It must not switch to standby mode while printing (energy option settings) or simply shut down (installation of software or software updates during printing). Nozzle temperature is too low. Increase nozzle temperature. The printed object does not adhere to the build bed.
19. Disposal Electronic devices are recyclable waste and must not be disposed of in the household waste. At the end of its service life, dispose of the product according to the relevant statutory regulations. You thus fulfil your statutory obligations and contribute to the protection of the environment. 20. Technical data Operating voltage..................................100 - 240 V/AC, 50/60 Hz Power consumption...............................max. 120 W Power consumption during standby......1.08 W Fuse...
This is a publication by Conrad Electronic SE, Klaus-Conrad-Str. 1, D-92240 Hirschau (www.conrad.com). All rights including translation reserved. Reproduction by any method, e.g. photocopy, microfilming, or the capture in electronic data processing systems require the prior written approval by the editor. Reprinting, also in part, is prohibited. This publication represent the technical status at the time of printing. Copyright 2016 by Conrad Electronic SE.
