IMPORTANT! PLEASE NOTE:
Sindoh desktop printers have been discontinued. We have stocked as many repair and other parts as possible, but they are limited in
number. PLEASE do not operate these printers without reading directions below and asking for help on anything unclear. We need to prevent
unnecessary damage from operator error.
We have several DP200 models, and 5 3DWOX1 models of Sindoh printer. 9 of them are lined up in Studio 5 (5-414), and 3 live in 3-412.
Studio 5:
The Sindohs are FDM printers.
There are 2 types: DP200 and 3DWOX1.
Note that in file setup you must choose a printer type from the list. G code is not cross-compatible for these, so you need to have the
correct type saved for the printer you'll be using. If you're not sure when you set up the file, process one of each to make things easier (label accordingly).
If your file still isn't readable on the correct machine, it's almost definitely the flash drive itself. Try saving the files on a different flash drive.
The DP200s have rigid aluminum plates, and their bed volumes are 200 x 200 x 185mm, or 8.3 x 7.9 x 7.4 inches (WxDxH).
The 3DWOX1s have flexible magnetic plates, and their bed volumes are 210 x 200 x 195 mm, or 8.26 x 7.87 x 7.67 inches (WxDxH).
We only run PLA in these machines (no ABS!) - white PLA is provided for users for Course 4 academic work;
please email archshops@mit.edu when a machine is out of filament.
Software can be downloaded for free at 3DWOX
or you can use the shop computers, which also have 3DWOX software installed.
Have a flash drive ready to use to transfer your gcode files to one of the machines. Note: once a print starts, you do
need to watch it for a while to make sure it doesn't fail, but you do not need to leave the flash drive plugged in.
Sindohs are intended for self-service use. Please watch online tutorials, and ask for help if online information doesn't answer your questions.
Please be considerate of other users, and do not operate multiple machines at once on long prints. Check estimated print times in software - Sindoh
prints (FDM prints in general) can easily take over 24 hours to complete, depending on the size and complexity of the object, and its print settings.
USERS MUST FOLLOW THESE STEPS TO MINIMIZE RISK OF DAMAGE/FAILED PRINTS -
MAKE SURE FILE HAS RAFT/SUPPORT MATERIAL INCLUDED, INFILL % IS LOWERED TO REDUCE WASTE
ON MACHINE, MAKE SURE THE PLATE IS INSTALLED CORRECTLY! IT MUST BE LOCKED IN (FLEXURE TABS ON DP200S) AND COMPLETELY FLAT,
NOT FLOPPING OVER CORNERS (3DWOX1)
IF THE PLATE IS NOT FLAT OR SLIPS DURING THE JOB, THE PRINT WILL FAIL!
WHEN YOU START THE JOB YOU MUST WATCH IT FOR AT LEAST 5 OR SO MINUTES TO MAKE SURE IT IS ADHERING CORRECTLY TO THE PLATE - IF
THE NOZZLE IS SCRAPING ON THE PLATE OR IS TOO FAR AWAY, YOU MUST STOP THE JOB IMMEDIATELY AND TROUBLESHOOT.
IF YOU WALK AWAY FROM A PRINT STARTING WITH PROBLEMS IT WILL FAIL, AND MIGHT KILL ONE OF THE FEW NOZZLES WE HAVE LEFT
IF AT ANY POINT YOU SEE A PRINT FAILING, PAUSE OR STOP IT IMMEDIATELY TO PRESERVE THE NOZZLE.
BE CAREFUL REMOVING PRINTS WHEN THEY'RE DONE - AVOID DAMAGING THE FLEXURES ON THE DP200S, AVOID RIPPING THE PLATE SURFACES ON ALL MACHINES.
YOU SHOULD FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH BASIC MAINTENANCE FUNCTIONS SO YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER CHECKING SETUP AND REDUCING RISK OF FAILURE
THIS INCLUDES:
BED LEVELING FUNCTION
EXTRUDING (MANUALLY) TO MAKE SURE FILAMENT IS FEEDING SUFFICIENTLY
EMPTYING THE CLEANING CASE (HANDLE IT CAREFULLY SO ITS FLEXURE DOESN'T CRACK)
CHECK THE PLATES - THE DP200 PLATE TABS CAN VIBRATE LOOSE - THE SCREWS MUST BE TIGHT AND THE TABS MUST BE SEATED FULLY SO THEIR TINY
RIDGES CONNECT PROPERLY WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE HEATED BED TRAY
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFO ON ALL THIS BELOW.
IMPORTANT:
- all our machines are set to "Open Mode". Please do not use the green chips that come with the spools. In the new (beige 3DWOX1)
machines, it will cause an error. There is a plastic recycling bag in 3-412 for these, on the wall by the Sindohs.
Also, note that the DP200s will say NO CARTRIDGE
This does NOT mean that there's no filament - it's just how those machines display a lack of spool info because the DP200s were designed before the open mode upgrade.
So please ignore that little display - the printers will pause when filament runs out - when a new spool is loaded, the print will be able to resume where it left off. These are not like
the old Makerbots/Ultimakers/et cetera that would happily print air when the filament ran out.
- Please do not run any of your own filament without checking with shop management. ABS is never allowed because of styrene fume issues-
our printers do not live in places that are safe for this. Other types of filament may destroy the nozzles. We provide white PLA for you to
use - if you want to try something else, you must contact us first.
- Please do NOT remove a spool from a machine that still has filament remaining, unless it is hopelessly tangled.
If that is the case, please drop it at Jen's desk in 3-412 with a note/email. If a spool is low on filament and not enough to finish a
print, you must still use it up before you can install a new spool.
We've been having problems with half-used spools being unloaded and left out, exposed to humidity fluctuations and
not kept tensioned- this is irresponsible treatment that is likely to make the material unusable. Being wasteful with the PLA in this
way is not sustainable.
So for the time being, when a Sindoh needs a new spool, users must email us at archshops@mit.edu
and we will pull one out of storage for you to install.
Now that Sindoh desktop printers are discontinued, we are forced to find alternatives to their spools. If you see a spool installed
above the machine on a wall or if the spool in the cartridge is blue and a little too small, that is because we've got to use those
methods until a replacement system is set up. We're working on a machine to rewind filament on Sindoh-specific spools, and will also
eventually have to completely replace the Sindohs with a different type of printer.
Section shortcuts
Processing a file for printing
3DWOX software will open a few file types including STL (& 3mf, ply, obj), which you can export in Rhino
If you are planning to print a Rhino drawing, it is very helpful to monitor your model as you go: use "showedges" to make
various types of potentially problematic surface edges visible in bright pink while you model.
Objects for printing must be solid, watertight objects. They do NOT, however, need to be booleaned together - multiple
overlapping solids are perfectly fine to print- you do not need to attempt to join them.
some mesh repair software options
Free mesh repair software is fairly easy to find online.
In addition to modeling closed, watertight solids, please check the STL meshes for errors as well as scale/units, and move object to
0,0,0 before attempting to process (or upload for full service printers).
Keep an eye on file size, as well - meshes with excessively high resolutions can be bloated enough to crash printer software.
Open Sindoh software,
choose the printer type you plan to use, and change mode to "advanced".
Make sure support
and raft settings are turned on (support isn't necessary if you have a model with no overhangs, but
you'll need to keep the raft setting ON - don't print an object directly on the plate- failure risk will be very high).
Hover over these dropdown menus to see brief explanations of the setting options.
Print infill (interior grid or similar pattern) default is 15% - but this is wasteful for most of our more voluminous
prints. Please change this to about 5%, and check the layer view for a preview.
after checking raft/support/infill settings, click on the 'layer viewer'.
This is what a 5" box looks like @ 15% infill:
and this is what it looks like at 5%:
Do not worry about this setting being too sparse - we've seen many prints all come out very well with an infill
setting this low.
After checking all these settings, make sure your raft/supports are appearing in the preview as well.
Your infill, raft and supports must be checked before exporting a gcode file for the printer.
machine prep/check
You will also usually need to use the machine panel to do much more than just start a print. Please familiarize yourself
with the options in these menus:
In the above image, there's a spool icon in the bottom left corner - you won't see that on a machine in 'open mode'.
You should check the spool that is installed in the machine, to be aware of how much remains - but you must use that
material until the spool is completely empty. Do not remove one just because it's low - the printer will pause when it
finishes a spool so you can install a new one. Shop staff can give you new spools to replace empties only.
There are a couple of actions under "setting" on the main menu that as self-service users, you will need to be able to use to make sure the machine can
run your job successfully.
One good practice is to check extrusion manually for a moment before starting an actual job. This is the "extruder" button under "setting".
The arrows are buttons - first, push on the 50 or 100 button, so you can advance the filament enough to see results (these represent mm of
movement, as far as we can tell). Then push the arrow pointing down, to feed the filament into the nozzle. You should see a clean white
noodle of plastic extrude and drop straight down after a few seconds of feeding. If this doesn't happen at all, and/or you hear a loud clicking sound on the
right side of the machine while it attempts to extrude, that means there's a problem with feeding filament. It could be the filament tip
snagging in the nozzle, or it could be binding in the spool (see below for detail on both). It is more likely to be filament feeding issues rather than a
clogged nozzle if it's clicking during manual extruding.
Do not attempt to run a print if either or both of these are happening - it will not work. Read on for more instructions.
If the filament doesn't extrude straight down in a clean thick stream, or if there was any reason the nozzle might have gotten backed up,
it's always a good idea to run the
nozzle cleaning function.
The
bed leveling function shouldn't need to be done frequently, but is also a good thing to do regularly to prevent problems from starting.
Filament Spools Need Love
FDM printer spools must remain under tension so that the filament doesn't loosen and tangle on itsef, like this:
Or else, during a print, it will bind on itself tightly like this, which will interrupt a job:
To prevent this, minimize handling of spools, and always check the cartridge for issues.
The next image shows the route that the filament makes out of the cartridge. All parts must be in place,
and the clear tubes must be kept intact. NEVER cut the filament tubes. If they were yanked out
(usually by bound filament), gently move them back into their proper location.
Also, do NOT open a new spool until the old one is completely empty. There is no risk of error in leaving
a low spool in to start a print - the job will pause when it runs out, and that is when it is okay to put
in a new spool.
New spools come vacuum bagged under tension - when you open these bags, and cut the tape off the filament tip,
be careful not to let the filament lose tension! Keep a thumb on it and keep it tight as you install into the cartridge.
If you hear a loud clicking sound coming from the right side of the machine while it attempts to extrude,
that means there's a problem with feeding filament. It is usually binding in the spool (as in above photo). Do not just keep attempting to print
if extrusion is not happening, and/or especially if you hear the clicking sound.
Sometimes the filament will be properly installed, with no binding, and will still not extrude from the nozzle.
You'll hear that clicking sound as the feed motor tries and fails to push the filament forward.
These Sindohs rarely clog, in reality. Most of the time, either the filament is bound on itself on the spool, or sometimes,
the 'jammed' filament is just catching
on the inner edge of the steel tube it must pass through to get to the nozzle. This next image shows the tiny opening,
barely deburred. We have been increasing the bevels on these edges ourselves when nozzles are snaggy.
See how tightly the filament is going to fit in that tube? There's really no wiggle room, so if the filament has a rough edge
or is excessively curved, it will really want to collide with that edge, rather than slipping cleanly through.
Sometimes, rarely (as long as we stick with the clean white PLA), a nozzle is actually patrially clogged, and won't extrude fast enough to
keep up with a print. If after checking all the
above regular maintenance, and manual extrusion works but on a print, which will run at different rates of speed, the filament only comes out
in wispy hairs and the cartridge starts clicking as it's unable to feed properly, and a few rounds of nozzle cleaning don't clear it, then the nozzle
might need to be replaced. Let us know if this happens and what maintenance you've done to try to clear it out.
Sometimes PLA filament just breaks in the cartridge or in the tubing. It's more likely to with age/exposure to fluctuating humidity.
It's not that unusual- there may be a loose piece just floating in the clear tube, or sometimes hidden in the right side of the machine where it
gets fed through by the motor (the one that makes the clicking sound when things go wrong). During normal operation the machine sometimes prompts you
to check on the clear tube to confirm/denty whether there is a piece of leftover filament in there. When there is, you need to follow a couple of steps
to remove it without breaking it into smaller pieces (which get more difficult to remove). This is a typical part of basic machine operation that students
should know how to do, so do not hesitate to learn how to look for and clear "clogs" of broken pieces of PLA.
Here's a video of loose piece removal when it's just in the clear tube:
Clearing filament from clear Sindoh tube
Constant Vigilance
Above and below are failed prints- many wasted hours, and in the 2nd case, a destroyed nozzle ($170 value as of 9/2022).
One thing that FDM printers cannot sense is when the extruding filament does not adhere properly to anything below.
This is a common issue - there are a few things you need to do to prevent it.
- turn on raft settings
- turn on and check support material settings
- check print plate, make sure it's installed correctly and securely (more detail below)
- watch print begin, and make sure raft adheres completely to the build plate.
When setting up the print file, always use a 'raft', which is like an extra layer of foundational surface area, to help ensure that the PLA will
actually stick to the bed plate. The plates are made to be sticky enough for this, but not so sticky that it's impossible to remove
prints afterwards. This is a fuzzy line, one of the fundamental difficulties of all FDM prints- and sometimes the material
separates anyway. You need to minimize risk of separation.
Then, to ensure that any cantilevered parts or steep overhangs in your model aren't printed "into air", you must set up 'support material' in the software. This acts as
scaffolding to give any overhangs something solid to rest on. Google FDM print overhang tests to see lots of images of the limits of these
machines' abilities to print without support. Depending on the model, FDM machines do have very limited ability to print on
less-than-complete layer overlap, but risk of print failure skyrockets when you attempt this.
So if your overhangs are severe, you must use support settings.
Then, and this is crucial - when you begin a print, DO NOT WALK AWAY.
Most of our print failures happen when a student hits 'start' and then turns their back to the machine.
You can never assume that there won't be any problems. If you catch an issue right away, it's easy enough to deal with - but the above photos illustrate
what happens when you do not stay long enough to catch a problem.
It is recommended to wait at least long enough to see 2 full layers of raft extruded before leaving printer to run. You will notice that the
extrusion (that noodle of melted plastic) is thicker/slower on these layers than during the print - that is intentional. If you skip the raft, the
extrusion is not likely to stick to the plate at all.
once the print is running, you can remove your flash drive - it isn't necessary to leave it plugged in.
There are also common issues with the plates that you need to be aware of.
The DP200s have stiff aluminum plates that are held in place with thin bumps on the undersides of the plastic tab
flexures. They're attached to the plate with small screws.
The plate can start to shift during a print if either the tabs are damaged, or if the screws come loose/fall out.
Please give the plate a quick check before starting a print - if the plate vibrates during a print, it will fail.
The 3DWOX1 printers have flexible magnetic plates - but they are easy to misalign if you don't carefully replace them. See the
below image for an incorrectly replaced plate (look at the corners).
Like this, the bed is not flat, even if it is unlikely to shift during the print. A machine bed out of flat will probably
cause damage to itself and/or the nozzle if a print is attempted like this. The print will fail, at the very least.
These 3DWOX1 printers are slightly newer than the DP200s, and there are some minor semantics differences in the setup/menus
on the screen. We'll update this to reflect some of those details as soon as we can, but in the meantime the process
and concepts are identical - so just keep that in mind when working with one or the other.