With the machine mounted to the workbench and connected to power, shop air, and network, you’re ready to begin the first series of jobs to confirm the normal operation of your machine.
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Ready Machine for First Run Jobs
- With the exception of the wooden block above the arm, confirm that all other shipping materials have been removed from the machine, including:
- The upper and lower ratchet straps,
- The left and right counterweight springs,
- The counterweight shim,
- The left and right tool changer strips, and
- The zip ties securing the sample filament in the filament cabinet.
- Confirm the machine is connected to the necessary shop infrastructure:
- Mains Power
- Compressed Dry Air
- Network
- Power up the machine by toggling the power switch toward the door of the electrical cabinet.
- A message will appear on the pendant asking if a tool is already loaded in the spindle. Visually confirm that no tool is loaded in the spindle and tap the red “x” button on the pendant.
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Remove Arm Block
- Tap on “Macros” in the lower left corner of the pendant display.
- Select the “Run First” folder once the Macros menu loads.
- Select “1. Release Z Block” to lower the arm.
- Remove the block from the machine.
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Verify Milling Vise Position
- Confirm that the notch in each tool holder is centered in the tool changer jaws.
- Confirm that the dovetail bed, vise, and aluminum stock for the milling job are generally square to the machine and roughly centered at the bottom of the build enclosure.
- Select “2. Verify Milling Vise Position” and follow the prompts on the pendant.
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Machining Validation Job
- Raise the front panel of the build enclosure and ensure that the side doors are closed. You’re about to start your first machining job and you probably want the aluminum chips contained.
- Connect to the machine via the web interface.
- Navigate to Files > Jobs and open the “Validation” folder. Depending on the resolution of your display, you may need to scroll down in the main panel.
- Click “3. Machining Validation Job.g” to start the job. A pop-up window will appear to confirm you want to begin this particular job. Click “Yes” and follow the resulting prompts on the web interface or pendant.
- After the milling job is complete, loosen the vise with a 6 mm hex wrench and admire your newly completed vise stop. This vise stop mounts to either the left or right side of the vise with the included thumb screw.
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3D Printing Validation Job
- Loosen the thumb screws securing the dovetail bed to the machine, swing the magnetic latches to the front and rear of the machine, and remove the dovetail bed from the machine.
- With the axis engraving toward the front of the machine, install the 3D printing bed on the machine. Swing the magnetic latches away from the front and back of the machine to secure the bed in place.
- Because the work surface for the machine has changed, the machine now needs to know the location of this surface. The H-Series machine is equipped with an automatic probing routine called “Measure Z” in which the machine probes directly down from its current XY location and then finds the location of the z-axis endstop relative to the bed surface. To run this routine, select the “Measure Z” button on the lower left of the pendant display and follow the resulting prompts.
- It is important to wipe down the bed surface before any print to remove any dust or debris that might be present. A clean surface will greatly improve print adhesion to the bed surface. For the consumable polyimide surface, we recommend using acetone as a cleaning solution.A wash bottle is included for this purpose.
- Your H-Series machine comes pre-loaded with samples of our 98A urethane filament. The sample filament is secured with zip ties to avoid tangling during shipping. Be sure to remove the zip ties before starting the job.
- With the z-axis measured and the bed surface cleaned, you’re ready to begin the print job. In the web interface, navigate to Files > Jobs and open the “Validation” folder. Depending on the resolution of your display, you may need to scroll down in the main panel.
- Click “4. 3D Printing Validation Job.g” to start the job. A pop-up window will appear to confirm you want to begin this particular job. Click “Yes” and follow the resulting prompts on the web interface or pendant.
- The job should take about 45 minutes to complete. When it’s done, squirt a little bit of acetone around the edges of the print and use the provided scraper to gently lift the edge, allowing acetone to move under the print with capillary action. Continue gently wedging the scraper underneath the print to remove the part from the bed.
- Congratulations! You have finished your first 3D print on an H-Series Machine and your machine is fully set up.