ALARIS30 (Maintenance)

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• Maintenance Calendar: on google calendar
• Specs: ObjetAlarisspecs.pdf
• MSDS (Material safety data sheet): msds_001.pdf
• Trained personnel: Nasa (x709), Wolfgang.

• Preventive maintenance Procedures: DOC-04005_Alaris30-PM-Kit.pdf
• Maintenance guide (primarily for vendor engineers): DOC-04204_Maintenance.pdf

Bringing up the maintenance menu

• On the printer’s computer, run and focus on the controller application,
• Hide the mouse pointer at the bottom right corner of the screen,
• Press Ctrl+Alt+m, a confirmation window pops up, hit ok with the keyboard, keep the mouse pointer hidden.

Maintenance history

Date	Weight test
	13-Dec-2011	39.73	5.04	29.89	4.85	Redone after fixing wrong Z start
	Model		Support		Thickness	Notes
Voltage	Weight	Voltage	Weight
init	38.52 V	5.03 g	30.17 V	4.78 g	28.0 μ
26-May-2011	38.66 V	5.05 g	30.12 V	4.80 g
?	44.51	5.14	30.16	4.64
12-Dec-2011	42.6	4.99	30.93	4.73		Done under wrong Z start

~16-Sep-2011: cleaned the roller/knife assembly (see below) because the printer was making a loud noise while printing. Noise went away.
Memo1.m4a: Brad's recording of the printer noise
Decision: print large thin objects so that the whole roller/knife assembly gets used.

~1-Dec-2011: recurring noise problem, replaced the roller blade assembly with the spare. Ordered one more spare on 12 Dec

~12-Dec-2011: Z-axis seems to be unaligned. sent an email to mark.

If print quality is not satisfactory:

• run a pattern test (see below) to check for clogged nozzles.
  • try purging, and cleaning the head (see below). Purge multiple times. Really clean the head, make sure there is no residue.
  • As a last resort, play with the voltage. Try a higher voltage (say +5 than current, see weight test below). Save the current voltages for rolling back once we're done. Set a higher voltage, and do a weight test. Printing a patch might open up the nozzles. Nozzles might open up slowly, over multiple prints, so slowly reducing the voltage back to original would be a good idea. Run more than one weight tests at the convergence point to see if a steady state has been reached.
• run the head alignment test
• run a weight test. repeat until the voltages are good.
• Change the wiper blade
• clean the roller waste collector (check the user guide).
• change the roller knife assembly
• might be a UV lamp problem too? check the maintenance counters. see the UV lamp section below.
• Print a known reference model (biz card, key) to see if that prints properly.

Print Head Maintenance

$1300 each!! Not covered by warranty. To be replaced only by vendor engineers. Note: We need to get the cleaning fluid needed to flush the head.

Sample print

Once every two weeks, if there hasn't been any print in the past week. Print bizcard.stl.

Head cleaning

Once every two weeks, if there's been a print job.

• Run the head cleaning wizard. It will place the head assembly on top of the tray and lower the tray (“z axis”).
• Put the mirror on top of the tray to be able to see underneath the assembly where the heads are.
• Use 99% IPA to clean up the head. Remember to use a pair of gloves, IPA can irritate your skin.
• Spray IPA into the microfiber cloth
• Reach under the head and wipe from the middle to one end, don’t come back inward. Again start from the middle and wipe towards the other end. Do the same with the other head.
• Also reach the roller and clean it. Wipe and roll.

Pattern test

Once every two weeks. Ideally before high precision print jobs too.

• tape half of a red paper (provided, stored in the box under the printer table) to the print tray
• select menu>wizards>pattern test
• the printer prints two vertical bars. support on the left, model on the right. see if too many nozzles are clogged. Too many == 4 in a row or 12 in total.

Purge

Once every two weeks, if it has been more than two weeks since the last print job/purge. From the menu.

Weight test

Once every few months, check to see if the printer needs to be recalibrated. This test consumes 5gms of model and 5 gms of support.

• From menu>maintenance>Modes>Weight test
• Go online. The printer prints two patches: one with only model (right one), one with support (left one).
• Weigh them separately.
• From maintenance>calibration, record the current voltages
• Use the recalibration excel sheet for checking if the voltages need to be modified.
• repeat if needed.

Aligning print heads

Once every 6 months, or sooner if quality suffers. Use the head alignment test wizard. It will print a number of lines with different head alignment on a transparent sheet. Use the magnifier glass to pick the best alignment.

Flushing the head

Only if the machine is not going to be used for months, flush the heads with the fill/flush wizard.

(Advanced) cleaning the roller-knife assembly

Only when/if needed. Follow section 12 on the maintenance manual.

(Advanced) Knife:

If necessary. Check out the maintenance manual.
We have a spare.

Shutting down

• Keep the machine running at all times. Close the control app to turn off the print head fans.
• Once a week, print the business card. If needed, shut down with the shut down wizard. Shutting down may require “voltage” recalibration.

Powering up

• Power on (switch in the back)
• Run the controller application "Alaris" from printer computer's desktop
• Reinitiate from controller app menu if the machine was shut down for more than 72 hours.
• Fill the head if not filled with fill/flush wizard from the menu.
• Turn the printer online by pressing the big red button on the controller application.

Replacements/Cleaning

Check the maintenance counters on the control app menu.

1. Waste bin:

Lives in the drawer, inside the cardboard box. Waste accumulates as you operate the machine. It needs to be replaces once >1.8 kg of waste has accumulated. Check the controller app, if the waste bar is red, replace it. Be careful not to twist the plastic bag inside. Open the cardboard box, hold at the neck of the plastic bag, and twist the pipe connector at the top. Put one of the supplied lids on the plastic bag. The waste is in liquid form, either cure it with UV or put it in the sunlight. Once the waste hardens, throw it in the garbage. Waste bags are free for the first year.

2. Odor filter:

Needs to replaced every 1 to 2 years, if needed. It is in a drawer in the back.

3. Model/support cartridge:

• MSDS (Material safety data sheet): msds_001.pdf

Each cartridge holds 1kg of liquid material. There are two model (square) and two support cartridges (rectangular) in the drawer. Once empty, replace. Replacements can happen while a print job is running without causing any interruption. The control app shows amounts left in the cartridges.

Replacements must be purchased in pairs. Vendor contact.

Toxicity: Liquid form is toxic. Inhaling is not a problem, touching might irritate the skin. Never touch your eyes with it or taste it. Wear gloves when handling the liquid form. Once cured it is not toxic.

Replacing an empty cartridge: Check the controller application on the printer's computer to see which cartridge is empty. An empty cartridge can be replaced even while a print is underway because the print head hold some amount of material.

• Removal: Pull up vertically, the rubber membrane seals off the cartridge. Don’t touch the rubber membrane.
• Insertion: Top insertion. Don’t put force, just let it slide in position, and then vertically press it down for the needles to penetrate through the rubber membrane.

Expiration: Recommended shelf life: 4 months. There is an expiry date, best if used by then.

4. Wiper blade (head cleaner):

Lives in the top-left bay. Change it if it has dips on the rubber surface.

Wiper cleaning: Once a week. Run the wiper cleaning wizard.

5. Knife:

(see head maintenance above)

6. Head:

see head maintenance above.

7. Computer parts:

The front cover comes off once the front screws are taken out from the top. Motherboard and other computer parts.

8. UV lamp:

Replace after 1600 hours (check maintenance counters). We don't have a spare. Objet Engineers only.

Installation/Calibration

• Installation guide: DOC-04006_Alaris30Installation_3.pdf
• Transparency test: XY alignment, overall. Parameters page.
• Head alignment test: run wizard. Check the user guide for details.
• Weight test: (see in the head maintenance section) for voltage calibration. [[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AkW7aJp8zUjtdGdfcldrRlNBTXpYaW54bndRWGQxc1E][GDocs] or Excel file: Alaris30_Adjustment_Ver11_Master.xls
• Pattern test: (see in the head maintenance section) check for clogged nozzles.

-- MushfiqurRouf - 08 Dec 2010