Operation Guide
F306 Generation I
Revision 4 | 08-27-2014
Table of Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................... 2
1.1. Warnings ....................................................................................................................................................................... 2
2. General Info—Software ................................................................................................................................................. 2
2.1. Software toolchain overview ......................................................................................................................................... 2
2.2. Simplify3D Tutorials....................................................................................................................................................... 2
3. General Info—Hardware ............................................................................................................................................... 5
3.1. Machine Overview ......................................................................................................................................................... 5
3.2. Precautions .................................................................................................................................................................... 8
3.3. Filament ....................................................................................................................................................................... 10
4. General tasks: .............................................................................................................................................................. 11
4.1. General Menu Information.......................................................................................................................................... 11
4.2. Leveling the Bed .......................................................................................................................................................... 12
4.3. Loading & Unloading Filament Spools ......................................................................................................................... 13
4.4. Cleaning and Prepping the Bed ................................................................................................................................... 17
4.5. Slicing and Printing a File ............................................................................................................................................. 18
4.6. After a Print Completes ............................................................................................................................................... 19
5. Troubleshooting & Advanced Techniques ................................................................................................................... 21
5.1. First Layer Height ......................................................................................................................................................... 21
5.2. Temperatures & Other Information ............................................................................................................................ 22
5.3. Part Warp (printing large parts) .................................................................................................................................. 22
5.4. Printing Small Parts ..................................................................................................................................................... 23
5.5. Print Head Jams ........................................................................................................................................................... 23
5.6. Z Axis Noise.................................................................................................................................................................. 25
5.7. Experimental Materials ............................................................................................................................................... 25
6. Maintenance ............................................................................................................................................................... 25
6.1. Drive Cable Tension ..................................................................................................................................................... 25
6.2. X Crossbar Square ........................................................................................................................................................ 27
6.3. Z Axis Rods and Leadscrews ........................................................................................................................................ 27
6.4. Print Head .................................................................................................................................................................... 27
6.5. Feed Gear .................................................................................................................................................................... 28
7. Further Support ........................................................................................................................................................... 28
8. Glossary ....................................................................................................................................................................... 28
APPENDIX A: Unpacking & Setup .................................................................................................................................................... 29
APPENDIX B: High-Precision Flow Rate Calibration ........................................................................................................................ 39
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1. Introduction
Thank you for purchasing Fusion3 Design’s F306 3D printer!
This manual is designed to familiarize you with your F306 and its use and give you the tools to get the
most out of your new printer. The F306 has been engineered for many years of trouble-free operation
and outstanding prints.
1.1. Warnings
Your F306 contains parts that reach high temperatures during operation, such as the print head and the
print bed. Take care not to touch these components while the F306 is in operation or while they are at
an elevated temperature (see Front View figure below).
Your F306 also contains components that pose a pinch hazard while in operation, such as the linear
motion carriages and the extruder feed system. Take care to keep fingers, hair, other body parts, and
clothing away from these components while your F306 is in operation.
2. General Info—Software
2.1. Software toolchain overview
The job of the software toolchain is to convert a 3D model file into a list of commands that the F306 will
follow to build the object. The central piece of software in this process is called the slicer. While there
are many slicers available to perform this task, they are not equal. We’ve selected Simplfiy3D Creator
because it combines excellent usability with a powerful, intelligent slicing engine.
The basic steps of the slicing and printing process are shown below:
Figure 1: Slicing & Printing Workflow
2.2. Simplify3D Tutorials
Simplify 3D has provided tutorials to cover operation of their software at:
http://www.simplify3d.com/support/tutorials/
Setting up Simplfiy3D
As part of the delivery process you should receive an email from Simplify with your license key and
instructions for downloading and installing their software. At the end of the installation process you will
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be presented with a couple of windows to set up your 3D printer. In the type of 3D printer, select
“other” (bottom of the list), and simply hit “next” to skip through the remaining screen. When we
import the settings for your F306 it will automatically set the software up correctly.
Importing the F306 Process Settings
You will need to import the F306 configuration settings into Simplify in order to properly configure the
software for your printer. First, copy the configuration files off of your SD card to your local hard drive.
In Simplify, in the “Processes” section, click “Add.” In the dialog window that appears, you will see an
“Import” button at the top. Click that, navigate to where you copied the files, and select the each
configuration file one at a time. They will be added to the drop-down list, at the bottom.
Figure 2: Add a Process
Figure 3: Click "Import"
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Figure 4: Select each preset
We provide a separate configuration for each printing material. It’s important to make sure you select
the appropriate preset for the material you’re using.
IMPORTANT: In Simplify’s options it will give you the ability to select English or metric units. Please
leave the units as metric, as English units appear to be broken in the software.
Where Can I Get Models to Print?
If you don’t want to design your own parts, there are many sites on the Internet with freely available
models designed for 3D printing. Here’s a partial list:
http://www.thingiverse.com/
https://www.youmagine.com/
http://repables.com
https://cubehero.com/
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3. General Info—Hardware
3.1. Machine Overview
Figure 5: Front View
Figure 6: Side View
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Figure 7: Axes Layout
Figure 8: Control Board Detail
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Figure 9: Print Head Detail
Figure 10: Extruder Cold End Detail
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3.2. Precautions
Moving Components By Hand
If you need to move the print head, X crossbar, or Z axis by hand, you should do this with your F306
powered on, but the stepper motors turned off (Prepare -> Disable Motors). Move components gently
and do not move them too quickly. Particularly on the print head, do not use the cooling fan as a grab
point. The proper method is to grasp the sides of the carriage with your fingers as shown.
Figure 11: Print Head Recommended Grab Points
On the Z axis, use the toothed belt to move the platform up or down. DO NOT attempt to move the Z
axis by pushing or pulling on the platform directly. When moving the Z axis up, take care that you
don’t move it too far up and collide with the print head. This can damage the print surface, the print
head and cause misalignment.
Figure 12: Moving the Z Axis by Hand
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IMPORTANT: DO NOT move any part of the machine while it is powered completely off. When
powered off the motors will act as generators and cause electricity to be generated in the electronics,
and this may damage the control board.
Cleaning the Print Bed
Do not use cleaners such as Windex, acetone, or mineral spirits to clean the print bed. These will leave a
residue on the print bed and adversely impact print adhesion. Only use water to clean the print bed.
Lifting and Carrying
To move your F306, position the print head and crossbar at the rear of the machine (remember, move
them slowly by hand) and position the print bed at the bottom of its travel. Use the “Drop Table” file on
your provided SD card. Grasp the machine by the Y bars as shown and carefully lift the machine up.
Take care not to catch the control panel on you as you lift.
Optionally, you can remove the control panel from the printer for transport. This eliminates the chance
of inadvertent damage.
If you are going to be carrying your F306 through a doorway, we recommend folding the spool holder
against the frame. To do this, loosen the 2 bolts that hold the holder in the brackets, and fold it back.
Re-tighten the bolts to keep it in place.
Figure 13: Proper Lifting Technique
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Figure 14: Proper Grab Points Detail
3.3. Filament
Quality Matters
During development of the F306, we tested filament from multiple suppliers all over the globe. We
found that the quality of the filament matters a surprising amount. Even with an excellent 3D printer,
Figure 15: Spool Holder Folded In
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poor quality filament resulted in poor quality parts. As a result we’ve worked hard to locate and partner
with top-tier suppliers.
Where to Buy?
We recommend buying filament directly from Fusion3. The material we supply has been extensively
tested and tuned on our equipment. Our default printing profiles are set up for these materials as well.
Currently we can supply the following materials:
ABS
PLA
Bridge Nylon
Nylon 618
PET / T-Glase
HIPS
Polycarbonate (experimental)
However if buying from us is not an option, we have the following approved suppliers list:
Ultimachine (https://ultimachine.com/) for PLA, ABS, HIPS, and PC
Taulman (http://taulman3d.com/) for Nylon 618, Bridge Nylon, and T-Glase
4. General tasks:
4.1. General Menu Information
The LCD screen attached to your F306 contains a set of menus that allow you to perform basic functions
without needing a PC attached. For instance, you can load and unload filament, home the axes, and set
the temperatures of the print head and bed.
Navigate through the menus using the scroll wheel. Turning the wheel left or right will scroll through the
menu entries, and pressing the scroll wheel in will select the highlighted entry. Spend some time
scrolling through the menus to become familiar with how they work. Note that when you press the
scroll wheel on some items a sub-menu will appear to make the selections related to that item.
Menu Structure:
Prepare
o Disable Motors (de-powers stepper motors)
o Home All Axes (homes machine to 0,0,0)
o Load Filament (script for loading filament into extruder)
o Unload filament (script for unloading filament from extruder)
o Disable Heaters (turns off print head and bed heaters, if running)
Control
o Temperature
Nozzle (sets nozzle temperature)
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Bed (sets bed temperature)
Fan speed (controls speed of cooling fan, 255=max power)
Other settings on this menu can be ignored
o Motion (can ignore this menu)
Card Menu (shows list of all gcode files on SD card)
Tune (during print)
o Speed (adjust speed of printer during print)
o Nozzle (adjust nozzle temperature)
o Bed (adjust bed temperature)
o Fan speed (adjust fan speed)
o Flow (adjust flow rate of plastic in real time)
Pause Print (during print) (pauses print until resumed by user; heaters are left on)
Stop Print (during print) (stops print, disables heaters)
4.2. Leveling the Bed
Making sure there is a consistent gap between the print head and the bed is known as “leveling the print
bed.” This is a very important step to get consistent high-quality prints and good bed adhesion. We’ve
designed the F306 to be easy to level and to hold this calibration well, so you should not have to
perform this procedure often.
First, make sure the tip of the print head is completely free of debris and plastic. If necessary, heat the
print head up to ~200oC and gently wipe it clean with a dry paper towel. Allow it to cool to less than
50oC before continuing.
With the print head clean, home the printer using the menus and disable the motors. Position the tip of
the print head over the spring under the bed by hand.
Use the 0.008” feeler gauge (provided in your toolkit) to check the gap between the print head and glass
at the front left corner. You want to feel very slight drag as you gently move the gauge under the nozzle.
Be careful that you are not lifting up on the feeler gauge when making this measurement because this
can cause inaccurate measurements.
You can adjust the height of the corner by turning the bolt that holds the corner clamp. Use the 2.5mm
ball-end hex wrench to turn the bolts.
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Figure 16: Leveling the Print Bed
A feeler gauge is provided with the printer, but if you have misplaced it, a piece of paper folded over 1
or more times can work. Check the thickness with calipers, if you have them, and adjust the number of
folds until the total thickness is 0.008–0.009” (since paper can compress under the nozzle). You may also
need to try different weights of paper to get the right thickness. (If you lose your feeler gauge, let us
know and we’ll mail you another one).
With the front left corner adjusted, manually move the print head to the other 3 corners and adjust the
height of each corner. Then check the front left corner again to ensure it’s still within spec.
As you gain experience with your F306, you may find that you need to tweak the gap to slightly larger or
smaller than described here to get optimal first layers.
Note: With the bed cold, it is normal for the center of the bed to have a smaller gap than the corners.
Your F306 has been designed so that when the bed heater is on, which it is when printing, this gap will
be the correct distance.
Important: The small pressure switch mounted to the upper rear rail is the end-stop trigger. Do not
adjust this Z endstop trigger. This is set at the factory to the correct distance from the bed and should
not be adjusted by the end user.
4.3. Loading & Unloading Filament Spools
Loading Filament
First, trim the end of the filament to remove any previously melted plastic, or any bends. It can help to
trim the end at an angle, as shown. This will help the end feed through the extruder system more easily.
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Figure 17: Trim the End of the Filament
Feed the end of the filament through the guide tube until approximately 2 inches stick out of the end of
the guide tube.
On the extruder body, pull the springs down off of the idler bar. The bolts will pivot down. Lift the idler
bar up so that you can see the feed gear. Now is a good time to check for debris! If you see debris, use
the provided toothbrush to gently remove it.
Figure 18: Extruder Ready for Loading Filament
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NOTE: Some older machines do not have firmware equipped with the filament loading and unloading
scripts. These users should use the manual load procedure described below.
NOTE: Only use the automatic loading procedure for PLA, ABS, and Bridge Nylon. Other materials
need to be loaded manually.
Automatic Loading: Navigate to the “prepare” menu and select the “load filament” option. The print
head will begin heating and you will see instructions on-screen to load the filament into the extruder.
Manual Loading: Navigate to the temperature control menu (Main -> Control -> Temperature) and set
the nozzle temperature to approximately 215oC.
Feed the end of the filament through the lower hole in the extruder body, across the feed gear, and into
the exit hole above the feed gear. Let the idler bar drop back into position once the filament is properly
fed, but do not clamp it with the spring clamps yet.
Figure 19: Filament Fed Across Hobbed Gear
Hold the idler down against the filament with your hand, and slowly turn the large gear on the side of
the extruder. Watch for the tip of the filament to come into view inside the feed tube at the exit of the
extruder. If you feel a sharp increase in resistance to turning the gear, STOP and remove the filament.
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There may be debris in the tube or some part of the feed system has come out of alignment. Once you
see the filament just appear in the feed tube, place the springs back on the idler bar.
Automatic Loading: After the print head is up to temperature, your F306 will automatically feed the
filament through the tube and purge the print head. When that is done, the F306 will turn the heaters
off, and you are ready to print!
Manual Loading: While the print head is heating, turn the large gear on the side of the extruder by hand
to feed the filament through the tube to the print head. Once the tip of the filament enters the print
head you will feel the resistance to your turning increase. At this point stop and wait for the print head
to come up to temperature.
Manual: Once the print head is up to temperature, slowly turn the gear to feed the filament into the
melt chamber. If you are switching materials, you will see the old material extrude and gradually
transition to the new material. Continue to run new material through until no traces of the old remain
in the plastic.
Unloading Filament
Automatic: Navigate to the “prepare” menu and select the “unload filament” option. Your F306 will
automatically heat the print head and reverse the filament out of the extruder.
When the extruder stops turning, you can remove the springs from the idler bar and pull the filament
completely out of the extruder. There may be a “string” of plastic attached to the end of the filament, it
is best to remove this intact vs. breaking it off in the feed tube.
Manual: Grasp the large gear on the extruder and turn it backwards gently. Sometimes the filament will
come out of the print head without needing to heat it up. If it won’t come out, set the print head to
about 200oC and wait for it to heat up. Turn the gear in reverse to back the filament all the way out of
the tube and extruder. Make sure you turn off the heater after you’ve unloaded the filament!
Secure the loose end of filament to the spool by routing it through the holes in the sidewalls or use a
small piece of tape. If you do not secure the loose end, it can unspool and tangle itself, which will result
in an extruder jam and failed print.
Lastly, check the feed gear for debris in the teeth. Debris in the teeth will make the gear grip less and
more prone to slipping again. If you see debris, use the supplied toothbrush to clean it out.
Storing Unused Filament
Your filament is shipped in a sealed plastic package with a pack of moisture-absorbing desiccant. This is
because all types of filament will absorb moisture from the air if they are left out in the open for
extended periods of time.
When you are not using a spool of filament, we strongly recommend you store it in a re-sealable plastic
bag, such as a Ziploc, with the desiccant pack it came with. This will keep moisture absorption to a
minimum.
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Leaving filament out for a couple days is not a problem. But you don’t want to leave a roll out in the
open if you aren’t going to use it for an entire week. Filament that has absorbed moisture will not print
nearly as well as dry filament.
Note: Nylon is more prone to moisture absorption than other types of plastic and should not be left in
the open for any length of time. Nylon’s printing performance degrades sharply with moisture
absorption.
4.4. Cleaning and Prepping the Bed
Important: Only use water to clean the print bed! Cleaners like Windex, acetone, etc. will leave a
residue on the glass and adversely affect print adhesion.
Preparing the print bed for printing is very simple! Your F306 uses a water-soluble glue stick to coat the
glass and help objects stick. This has many advantages:
It works for PLA, ABS, and Nylon.
It is easy to apply.
It is easy to clean up since it is water soluble.
It is non-toxic and non-hazardous.
It provides consistent adhesion.
There is no risk of damaging a plastic film laminated to the glass.
It releases easily when cold. (so let your prints cool before you try and pull them off the printer)
Prepping for a Print
With the bed less than 40oC and previous glue removed (see below), hold the glue stick perpendicular to
the bed and apply to the bed with parallel wipes. Small gaps between the wipe passes are acceptable,
but you don’t want anything larger than 2–3 mm. The goal is an even, light coating on the glass. For
PLA, a single layer of glue is sufficient. For ABS, 2 layers of glue laid down at 90o to each other should be
used.
Figure 20: Bed Prepped for PLA
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Figure 21: Bed Prepped for ABS
Miscellaneous Notes
If you are printing a small part, you only need to coat the section of bed where the part will be
printed.
You want to apply the glue to a cold bed (<40
glue sits, the less sticky it becomes.
Applying the glue when the bed is hot will result in the glue stick melting as you apply it, and the
glue goes on too thickly.
For small PLA parts, you can sometimes get away with re-using the glue you applied by wetting
it with the spray bottle and smearing it around with your hand. As you use your printer, you will
get a feel for when to do this and when to put fresh glue down.
Cleaning Off Glue from a Previous Print
With the bed less than 40oC, lightly spray the bed with water and let it sit 1–2 minutes.
Use your included part scraper to scrape the majority of the glue off the glass in a front-to-back pattern.
Wipe this up with a paper towel.
o
C) shortly before beginning a print. The longer the
Depending on how thick the glue is you may need to repeat this spray-and-scrape another time.
Once the majority of the glue is removed, spray the bed again and use a fresh paper towel to clean up
the remaining glue. It’s not necessary to get the bed perfectly clean, but there should be no deposits of
glue left.
4.5. Slicing and Printing a File
Refer to the Simplfy3D tutorials for detailed information on using the software.
Import the model into Simplify. Adjust scale, orientation, and position as needed.
Add a process. Check the following in the process box that pops up:
Material type
Layer height
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Infill amount
Support generation on/off
(Some of these may require you to click “show advanced.”)
Once everything is configured properly, click “prepare to print”. Simplify will process (slice) your part
and present a 3D preview of the toolpath. This is helpful to check that everything is going to work
correctly.
Once you’re happy with how everything looks, click “save toolpaths to disk” and select a location to save
the .gcode file. For large files, it seems to work better if you save it to your hard drive and then transfer
the file to the SD card vs. saving it directly to the SD card.
Now eject the SD card from your computer and transfer it to the control panel of your F306.
Power your F306 up and prepare the bed for printing.
Navigate through the on-screen menus to the SD card menu (main menu -> card menu) and scroll
through the list to find the file you just prepared in Simplify. Press the scroll wheel to select the file. The
rest is automatic! Your F306 will automatically home and heat the bed and print head to the correct
temperature. The print will begin automatically once the correct temperatures are reached.
4.6. After a Print Completes
At the end of a print job, your F306 will automatically lower the build table to the lowest position and
turn off the heaters. It is normal for the small 30mm hotend cooling fan to continue to run (this fan runs
continuously).
Removing PLA Parts
Allow the bed to cool to below 30oC.
For small- and medium-sized parts, you will probably be able to twist them loose by hand, or use your
scraper to pry them loose from the bed.
For large parts or parts that are particularly stubborn, spray water around the perimeter of the part and
allow it to sit 5 or more minutes. The water will soften the glue and make it easier to break them loose.
The best technique to pry parts loose is to wedge the tip of the scraper under a corner of the part.
Holding the scraper flat against the glass, slowly push the blade further under the part as it releases
from the glass. It is normal to hear popping noises as the part releases. At some point during this
process, the part should suddenly release completely from the bed. If it doesn’t you may need to repeat
this process on another corner.
As a last resort, you can heat the bed to ~65oC. This will cause the lower layers of PLA to soften and
allow you to remove the part. This will usually result in some distortion on the bottom of the part.
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Removing ABS Parts
ABS parts will self-release from the bed when it cools below ~50oC. Attempting to pry them off the bed
while the bed is hot is not recommended: It’s a good way to burn your hands and bend your parts.
Removing Nylon Parts
Wedge the part scraper under a corner of the part and slowly slide it under the part at a shallow angle.
Too much angle can cause the part to bend permanently.
All Materials
After removing the part, remove the priming skirt that is printed around the part and the priming dump
done at the home position.
It is also good practice to inspect the print head tip for excess plastic that may continue to drip out as
the print head cools. If there is more than ~1mm of material on the head, it’s a good idea to remove it
gently with your fingers.
Figure 22: Using a paper towel to wipe debris from print head
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Figure 23: Using a paper towel to wipe the print head
Figure 24: Clean debris-free nozzle
5. Troubleshooting & Advanced Techniques
This section covers how to troubleshoot some common problems and some more advanced techniques.
5.1. First Layer Height
This section will describe how to diagnose an improperly set first layer height. The bed leveling
procedure described earlier in this document has yielded very consistent, ideal results in our testing, but
it is not foolproof. This video shows examples of bad and good layer heights:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiW8CpUbVok
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5.2. Temperatures & Other Information
Printing temperatures for the most common materials:
PLA:
Print head: 200–220
Bed: 45
o
C
o
C
Coat bed with light coating of glue stick
For slow prints or prints with many successive retractions, reduce temperature to ~200
Increasing print speed will need a relatively large increase in temperature.
ABS:
Print head: 240–255
Bed: 100–110
o
C
o
C
Coat bed with 2 passes of glue stick at 90 degrees to each other
Nylon-618:
Print head: 245–250
o
C
Bed: off
Coat bed with 2 passes of glue stick at 90 degrees to each other
Taulman Bridge:
Print head: 245
Bed: 70
o
C
o
C
Coat bed with 2 passes of glue stick at 90 degrees to each other
o
C.
Miscellaneous Notes
Lower temperatures may be needed for slower print speeds. The above temperatures have
been tested to work with the stock F306 print speeds.
Higher temperatures will result in better layer-to-layer bonding and increased part strength.
5.3. Part Warp (printing large parts)
Theory
Thermoplastics contract as they go from liquid to solid. This contracting causes the molten and cooling
upper layers to exert a pulling force on the lower layers, which have already solidified. If enough of this
pulling force is generated, you’ll see the bottom corners of the part start to lift off the print bed. Larger
parts, because they contain more plastic, will have an increased tendency to warp. Certain shapes such
as sharp corners are also more prone to lifting off the bed. While we can’t eliminate this behavior, we
can mitigate it with various techniques.
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General Techniques
Decrease first layer height slightly by raising the bed.
Use “Brim.”
ABS
Print on bare glass with the same bed temperature. Use caution when using this technique as parts may
adhere strongly enough to damage the glass.
PLA
Print on bare glass. Set first layer temperature to 60oC, other layers to 51oC. As with ABS, this may result
in very strong part adhesion. Use caution when removing parts.
5.4. Printing Small Parts
Theory
With small parts and short layer times, excess heat may build up in the part and prevent the plastic from
solidifying adequately before the next layer is laid down. This will result in poor output quality and in
extreme cases, may result in failed prints.
While there are automatic cooling settings in Simplify that will control the cooling fan and print head
speed, these techniques can only do so much.
In Practice
The simplest method to make small parts print well is to print multiples of them, and space them out on
the bed.
5.5. Print Head Jams
Print head jams can have many causes. The general symptom is plastic will stop flowing out of the print
head.
Most Common: PLA Heat Creep
PLA’s unique thermal properties (low and sharp glass transition temperature) make it more prone than
other materials to experience a thermal jam in the print head. When this happens, heat conducts up the
filament from the heater block into the cold section of the print head.
Symptom: Plastic will stop flowing out of the print head. The extruder motor may stall and skip steps, or
the feed gear may begin to slip.
Fix: Stop the print, remove the filament from the extruder, and re-trim the end. Clear the feed gear of
debris if needed. Set the print head temperature lower and/or increase print speed slightly and try
again.
Less Common: Feed Gear Slip
In some cases the feed gear in the extruder may lose traction on the filament and begin to slip. When it
slips, the teeth grind away some pieces of filament and form a shallow trough in the filament. The debris
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clogs the teeth, reducing their grip and therefore making it more likely to slip again. You will know this is
the problem because the teeth on the feed gear will be full of ground up filament.
In many cases, a clog caused by other problems will result in the feed gear slipping if it’s not caught
quickly. It’s good practice to look for the root cause of the slip so it does not happen again.
Fix: Stop the print and remove the filament from the extruder. Use a toothbrush or stiff bristle brush to
clean all debris from the teeth of the feed gear. Locate the section of filament where the gear slipped
and trim it off then re-install the filament in the extruder.
Less Common: Debris on Filament
In dirty or dusty environments, it is possible for dirt or contaminants on the outside of the filament to be
pulled into the extruder and make their way to the print head, where they can cause a clog.
Symptoms: Possible indications of a debris clog are dirt or debris on the end of the filament when it’s
removed from the extruder. Another indication is the extruder jams again relatively quickly after being
fixed, and no other cause is obvious.
Fix: First, to remove the debris from the print head, manually heat the print head to slightly below
printing temperature for the material. Once up to temperature, manually feed through 2–3 inches of
filament. While continuing to push the filament through the print head, turn off the heater and wait for
the print head to cool down to 40–50oC for PLA or 90oC for ABS. Maintain pressure on the filament as it
cools down (turning on the head fan will speed this process up). Then slowly and gently remove the
filament from the extruder. If all goes well, you should see debris stuck in the plastic at the tip.
To prevent this from happening again, you can fashion a filament wiper from a small scrap of paper
towel and clothes clip and position it just below the filament guide tube.
Figure 25: Filament Wiper
Least Common: Problem with Material
There are two potential issues with poor quality materials: Debris can be embedded in the filament itself
(e.g. small ball bearings), or the diameter can be extremely inconsistent and have bulges or thin spots.
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Inspection of the plastic will reveal if these are the cause. Fusion3’s plastic suppliers have been selected
for the highest quality plastics that do not have these issues. We strongly recommend that you buy
filament from Fusion3 or another reputable supplier. We have tested many filaments, and bargain
filament spools are usually not a bargain since printed part quality is often inferior and failed prints are
much more common.
5.6. Z Axis Noise
Periodically your F306 may make a humming or vibrating noise when the Z axis moves large distances.
This is caused by tiny amounts of looseness in between the leadscrews and the leadscrew nuts. This
loose fit is intentional and typically this noise should go away as the machine is run over the first 20 to
50 hours.
5.7. Experimental Materials
Your F306 comes with presets for the most common plastics such as ABS, PLA, Nylon blends, etc.
However, it is capable of printing nearly any thermoplastic that is available in filament form. As part of
our customer support, we will work with you to develop slicing and printing settings for other materials
that you require.
6. Maintenance
6.1. Drive Cable Tension
The X and Y axes are driven by a pair of high-tensile-strength spectra lines. These lines are tensioned
with moveable idlers on the rear of the machine. Check for tension by gently “plucking” the cables in the
center of the rear span. The lines should be fairly tight, but not so tight they “hum” like a guitar string.
Figure 26: Checking XY Drive Cable Tension
If the cable tension is too low, first check that the idler brackets are in line with the extrusion; it’s
possible one was knocked out of alignment during shipping. To correct this, simply grasp the bracket
and slowly pivot it back in line.
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Figure 27: Idler Bracket Out of Alignment
If the brackets are properly aligned but the cable tension is still too low, you can adjust the moveable
idlers. To do this, you will need a 4mm hex wrench and 10mm socket. Loosen the bolt on one of the
idlers, and slide it in the slot to achieve proper tension. Then re-tighten the bolt.
Figure 28: Re-aligning Idler Bracket
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Figure 29: Adjusting the Idler Tension
If you adjust the cable tension, it’s a good idea to check the square of the X crossbar (see section below).
6.2. X Crossbar Square
The angle the X crossbar makes with the Y rails is determined by the relative cable tension in the two XY
drive cables. In order to get dimensionally accurate parts from your F306, the crossbar must make a 90o
angle with the Y rails.
[Need some instructions on which reference points to use if they do not have a carpenter’s square]
To adjust the square of the X crossbar, lightly pull on one of the drive cables at the rear to determine
which cable needs to be re-tensioned. (When you have identified the correct cable to adjust, you will
see the X crossbar square improve when you add some tension by hand). Then loosen the
corresponding bolt and slide the idler pulley forward or back to decrease/increase tension, respectively
until the X crossbar forms a 90 degree angle to the Y axis.
6.3. Z Axis Rods and Leadscrews
The Z axis leadscrews and smooth rods on your F306 are lubricated at the factory with a long-life Teflon
lubricant. This lubricant should provide thousands of hours of trouble-free use. The rods should not be
lubricated with any other lubricants!
If re-lubrication is necessary, please contact support for detailed instructions on the type lubricant to
use and the method of application.
6.4. Print Head
After every print, clear leftover plastic from the print head so it will not collide with it when it homes.
Stubborn plastic can be more easily removed by heating the print head to ~200oC and removing the
now-soft plastic.
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The preferred method is to take a folded-over paper towel and use a pinching motion on the nozzle
LCD
Liquid Crystal Display
LED
Light Emitting Diode
PSU
Power Supply Unit
while sliding your hand away from the nozzle.
Cleaning beyond this is more a matter of cosmetics than functionality.
6.5. Feed Gear
Every time you change spools of filament, check the teeth of the gear for debris and clean as necessary.
Use a toothbrush or firm bristle brush to completely remove all debris from the teeth.
7. Further Support
Please contact Fusion3@Fusion3Design.com for further support. E-mail, phone, and video chat are also
available.
8. Glossary
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APPENDIX A: Unpacking & Setup
This appendix is for our customers who had their F306 shipped to them.
Unpacking
Your F306 is shipped on a pallet inside a 3-piece box. This ensures your printer arrives undamaged and
ready to print. Remember to save your packing materials in case you need to return your F306 to us—
they fold flat for easy storage.
Remove the banding straps or plastic wrap that holds the box onto the pallet.
Remove the lid of the box by lifting straight up.
Figure 30: Remove Box Lid
Around the top of the machine will be several white foam blocks that secure the printer in the box.
Remove these by gently turning them sideways to disengage them from the frame and lift them straight
out.
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Figure 31: Top Foam Blocks
Now you should be able to remove the sleeve from around the printer. Lift straight up, taking care not
to hit the F306 as you lift. The sleeve folds flat for easy storage.
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Figure 32: Remove Sleeve
Figure 33: After Sleeve Removal
It’s time to remove your F306 from the pallet! Carefully grasp it in the middle of the Y rails and lift it
straight up to clear the foam blocks. Set it down on a firm, stable work surface.
Remove the small box from the cardboard tray. This is attached with spray adhesive to keep it from
bouncing around during shipping. It should come loose with slight to moderate force. NOTE: There may
be additional small boxes, depending on how much filament you ordered with your 3D printer.
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Figure 34: Remove the small box
Remove the plastic wrap that holds the glass bed onto the bed assembly.
Figure 35: Remove the plastic wrap that holds the bed
Remove the zip ties that hold the X axis and print head in place. They are marked with blue tape. There
are two on the left Y carriage and two on the X carriage.
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Figure 36: Cut the zip ties flagged with blue tape (qty 4)
Open the small box and check the contents against the enclosed packing list.
Checking for Damage
Before powering your F306 up for the first time, thoroughly inspect it for damage. This section will cover
the major things to look for, but keep an eye out for anything that looks abnormal anywhere on the
machine. These sections should be done in the order they are listed below.
If anything does not behave as described, please contact support to resolve the problem.
Drive Cable Tension
Refer to Section 6.1.
XY Axes Motion
After you have checked the XY drive cables, you can move the X and Y axes through their full range of
motion by hand to check that everything moves smoothly. Gently grasp the top of the X carriage as
shown in section 3.2 and slowly move it through its entire range of motion in X and Y. You should feel
little or no change in resistance or binding as you move the carriage.
IMPORTANT: Since we are moving the axes while the machine is off, it is extremely important that this
step be done very slowly to avoid damaging the electronics!
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X Crossbar Square
Refer to Section 6.2.
Check Print Bed
Check that the glass print surface is correctly captured under the corner clips and that the springs under
the bed are correctly seated. Make sure the gap between the glass and the substrate is roughly the
same at each corner.
Figure 37: Bed corner clips should look like this
Install LCD Unit
The LCD unit is shipped detached from the printer to prevent it from being damaged during shipping.
Attaching it to the F306 is done with 2 bolts and 2 ribbon cables.
Remove the LCD unit from its anti-static bag in the small cardboard box.
Position the F306 at the front edge of a table as shown. There are 2 bolts installed in t-slot nuts (they
slide inside the slot in the frame) in the bottom front frame member. Remove them from the nuts and
install them in the holes on the back of the LCD unit.
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Figure 38: Preparing to install control panel
Install the LCD unit onto the frame. Use the 4mm hex drive included in your toolkit, since a ball-end
drive is needed for this step.
Install the ribbon cables into the connectors on the rear of the PCB. The cables and connectors are
labeled with 1 dot and 2 dots to make connecting them correctly easy. Make sure the cables are flat
where they feed under the extrusion, so they are not pinched.
Figure 39: Installing control panel bolts
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Figure 40: Installing control panel cables
If desired, remove the protective plastic from the LCD screen.
Power Up
Now we are ready to power your F306 up for the first time! Remove the power cord from its bag in the
small box and plug it into the socket next to the power supply on the left side of the machine. Connect
the other end to a 3-prong outlet.
When you flip the power switch, these things should happen:
The internal PSU fan should begin spinning quietly.
The white LED lights should come on.
The screen should light up, and after a moment text should appear.
A green LED should illuminate on the control board.
The print head cooling fan should begin running.
Check Z Axis
With your F306 powered up, we can now check the Z axis for proper movement.
Reach underneath the print bed and grasp the Z axis belt with your hand. Slowly move the belt in the
direction that lifts the bed up. Continue to move the belt by hand until the bed reaches the top of its
travel, but be careful not to collide with the print head!
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Figure 41: Moving the Z Axis by Hand
While you are doing this, watch for these things:
The resistance of the belt to your movement should be consistent. You should not feel more
than a small amount of “lumpiness” as the leadscrews rotate.
The Z axis should not bind or suddenly become hard to move at any point. More resistance at
the bottom of its range of travel is normal, with a gradual decrease as the bed moves up.
With the bed at the top of its travel, check the distance from the top of the adjacent beam to the steel
plate near each leadscrew. This is easiest to do with calipers, as shown in the picture, but can be done
with an accurate ruler such as a steel measuring scale. Do not measure this with a tape measure since
the end of most tape measures can introduce measurement error. The distance should be equal within
1 mm of each other (less than 3/64 of an inch).
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Figure 42: Checking Bed Substrate Level
If the platform is out of level, please contact support for assistance. An out of level platform possibly
indicates rough treatment during shipping so we’ll want to guide you through some additional checks by
phone.
If the platform is level, congratulations! Your F306 is now set up and ready to go. Make sure you follow
the bed leveling procedure before attempting to print.
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APPENDIX B: High-Precision Flow Rate Calibration
Each F306 is precision-calibrated at our factory before it’s delivered to you. This calibration is generally
accurate within 5% with most spools of material. However, for those times where you need parts as
close to perfect as possible, the method described here will allow you to get the amount of extruded
plastic perfect.
This method utilizes the included Filament Calibration Worksheet Excel file. There are basic instructions
in that worksheet, as shown below.
Figure 43: Filament Calibration Worksheet
First, make a new tab in the worksheet and copy the template to the new sheet. This way the template
stays the same.
Step 1: Measure Filament Diameter
The first step is to measure the diameter of the filament as precisely as possible. The best technique is
to take 3 or more pairs of measurements, with each pair being at 90 degrees to each other at roughly
the same place on the spool, to capture any out-of-roundness in the filament. Take care not to crush the
plastic with your calipers, as this will affect your measurements. If you are new to calipers, online
resources such as you tube can be helpful. Take measurements over as much of the spool as possible.
You can use either metric or English calipers, and it will do the conversion to metric for you.
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Figure 44: Measuring Filament Diameter
The spreadsheet will then calculate an average diameter, which you input into Simplify as shown below.
Step 2: Prepare test object
Next, set up Simplify to slice a simple object with the following settings:
1 bottom layer
0 top layers
Figure 45: Input Filament Diameter
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0 infill
1 perimeter
Make sure the “extrusion width” in Simplify matches that in the spreadsheet. It should be equal
to or 0.05 larger than the nozzle size (currently 0.4mm).
We include a 40mm box that works well for this test.
Slice, save, and transfer the file to your printer. Load the spool of material, and run the part.
Step 3: Measure wall thickness
Now use the second half of the spreadsheet to measure the thickness of each of the 4 walls. The
spreadsheet will calculate your average wall thickness and automatically compare it to the “nominal wall
thickness”, aka what Simplify thinks the wall thickness is.
It is extremely important to use good measurement technique when measuring the wall thickness, as
bad measurements will result in poor calibration. You want to grab only the top 3-6 layers in the jaws of
the calipers, and use very light pressure so as not to crush the wall.
Once you input your 4 measurements, the spreadsheet will automatically calculate a corrected extrusion
multiplier on the next line. Simply input this number into the process settings panel and re-slice and reprint the test part.
Figure 46: Input Extrusion Multiplier
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Once you have printed and measured 2 test objects, you can set up the linear regression on the chart to
more accurately estimate your correct extrusion multiplier. You’ll need to edit the plot data and select
the correct tab in the spreadsheet—excel seems to break the data links when you copy the template to
a new tab. Then your third extrusion multiplier is given by the regression equation displayed on the
chart.
In general, you should be able to get within 1% of the correct flow rate with 3 trials.
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