User manual

Spectrum Z510 User Manual
7 www.zcorp-users.com
The printer employs several techniques to quickly build parts. First, binder solution is applied in
a higher concentration around the edges of the part, creating a strong “shell” around the exterior
of the part. Within parts, the printer builds an infrastructure by printing strong scaffolding within
part walls with a higher concentration of binder solution. The remaining interior areas are
printed with a lower saturation, which gives them stability, but prevents over-saturation, which
can lead to part distortion of the part.
Figure 2: The ZCorp. 3D Printer Shelling and Infrastructure Features
After printing, the part is removed from the powder bed, depowdered and dried. The part can
then be infiltrated with wax, epoxy, or other materials to increase strength and durability. More
information on different infiltrants can be found in Section 5.6, Infiltrating the Part. You will
have the part in your hands and can start improving your design within the same day—usually
within hours.
Because the powder layers support the structures being printed above, the printer creates parts
without support structures and can print parts with complex geometries that are impossible for
other systems.
There are several important characteristics of the Spectrum 3D Printer that will help you print
the best parts for your intended purpose.
 Part Placement. The software will place the parts within the build box to maximize build
speed, the most important criteria for the majority of our users. The software positions
the parts with the smallest dimension in the z (vertical) axis. For more information, refer
to the ZPrint Software User Manual. In addition to part placement, the following other
characteristics should be considered.
 Strength. The ultimate strength of the part will be somewhat affected by its orientation
within the print box. The part will be strongest along the y-axis and the x-axis and less
strong along the z-axis. This is because the cross sections are printed in continuous
strips along the y or the “fast” axis (the print heads direction of travel), bands across the x
or the “slow” axis (the gantry direction of travel) and laminated layers along the z-axis.
(See figure 3). This discussion only applies to untreated parts; once parts are infiltrated,
they uniformly take on the strength characteristics of the infiltrating material.
 Accuracy. The accuracy of the system depends on the materials you choose. You can
employ the anisotropic scaling feature in the software to adjust for expected shrinkage
and bring your parts into true scale. More information on anisotropic scaling factors can
be found in the ZPrint User Manual.
Exterior walls
printed at higher
saturation
Interior infrastructure
printed at a higher
saturation
Other interior areas
printed at lower
saturation