Zortrax Inkspire Service Manual

3D Printer User Guide

Inkspire

Table of content

Introduction 3

General Safety Information 3

Learn More About the Zortrax Inkspire 7

How does the Zortrax Inkspire work? 8

What’s in the Box 9

Main Components 10

Zortrax 3D Printing Technology Glossary 12

First Use Preparations 15

Connecting the printer to a network 22

Firmware Update 26

Navigating through the Menu 27

Changing the Resin 28

Platform Calibration 33

Z-SUITE Installation 36

Starting, Post-Processing and Removing a Print 37

Available Materials 45

Basic Maintenance and Service Work 46

Support and Troubleshooting 50

Error Messages 51

Specification 54

Recycling 56

Certification 56

Introduction

Read this User Guide carefully and thoroughly before operating the Zortrax Inkspire for the first

time. The User Guide includes basic information about the 3D printer, safety and protection

guidelines as well as advice on preparing the machine for the first printing process and

basic maintenance work. Ignorance and non-compliance with these instructions may result

in property damage, injuries, device failures or lower quality of 3D prints. It is also necessary

to ensure that every 3D printer user knows, fully understands and follows the instructions

provided in this User Guide.

The Manufacturer makes every effort to ensure that Zortrax products are safe in transportation,

installation, usage, storage and disposal. However, due to the lack of direct and ad hoc control

as well as other conditions influencing the device and those that are beyond the Manufacturer’s

knowledge, the Manufacturer is not responsible for damage, injuries, failures and costs

resulting from improper transportation, installation, usage, storage and disposal.

Furthermore, the users should take into consideration the risk of possible damage of the

device resulting from defects in material and workmanship.

The users are responsible for qualifying and determining the intended use of 3D printed

models. The Manufacturer takes no responsibility for any use of printed objects, especially

when those objects constitute a part of safety devices or strictly regulated by specific rules

medical, military or space science equipment.

Due to the size and specificity, the Zortrax Inkspire is not intended for use by minors and by

people with reduced manual, motor and psychomotor skills. The Manufacturer recommends

providing assistance and guidance to people with disabilities and older adults who wish to

operate the printer.

General Safety Information

This User Guide contains important safety directions that should be followed during installation

and operation of the Zortrax Inkspire. It also mentions situations which require special attention

and includes warnings against negligence and misuse that could cause damage or injuries.

Always read the safety data sheets available at: https://zortrax.com/resins/. They are a source

of basic information and safety procedures for the materials you bought. It is essential to

regularly update the firmware to avoid any kind of failures.

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Visit our website: https://zortrax.com/ to learn about the latest news and updates.

Printing process with the Zortrax Inkspire requires using synthetic resin which in a liquid form

is toxic and may cause allergic reactions. Therefore, you must protect your skin and eyes when

using the printer by wearing safety gloves and glasses. Provide proper ventilation in the print

room.

It is also extremely important to avoid spilling the resin on the printer and its surroundings

while operating the printer, filling the tank and removing prints from the platform. Ensure that

the printer is level and keep it on a stable surface. Do not remove the UV cover during the

printing process.

Do not leave the machine unattended during the printing process - check it periodically

for proper functioning in order to avoid potential accidents or breakdowns. Do not ignore

warnings and notifications displayed on the screen. Turn off the printer and empty the resin

tank once the printing process is finished.

Monitor your device for wear and tear regularly. Contact our Support Center via the support

form at: https://support.zortrax.com/support-form/ for assistance while replacing worn or

broken parts.

Keep the printer away from heat sources, flammable materials, equipment emitting radiation,

sources of fire, humidity, water and other liquids. To prevent any inadvertent use, keep the

device out of reach of children and animals. It is forbidden to drop or shake the printer as

it may cause breakdowns. The equipment is not intended for use in a potentially explosive

environment.

The Manufacturer strongly recommends setting up a special room dedicated only to 3D

printing. The room should be as free of daylight as possible and properly ventilated. It is

important to avoid situations in which liquid resin is exposed to daylight.

Workplace Health and Safety

All service and maintenance activities as well as device operation and maintenance require

using safety gloves and glasses included in the Starter Kit. It is also advisable to wear protective

clothing.

Keep the workplace clean. Containers with resin should be tightly closed and kept in a dark

place.

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The device should be configured according to its intended purpose. Improper configuration

may cause defective operation which may lead to damage of the device.

Food and beverages should be kept away from both the 3D printer and the 3D printed objects.

Do not put any objects under the UV cover.

While operating the Zortrax Inkspire, all measures regarding health and safety that are

provided in this User Guide as well as in separate regulations should be taken into account.

If the device begins to operate in an unidentified way, safely unplug it from the power source

and immediately contact the Manufacturer through the support form at: http://support.

zortrax.com/support-form/.

Electrical Safety

Zortrax 3D printers have been tested for compliance with Low Voltage Directive. In order

to ensure the highest safety standards, including protection against short circuit, overload,

overvoltage and printer overheating, do not attempt to modify the printer and do not use

electronic replacement parts other than those recommended by the Manufacturer.

Replace electronic units according to the instructions and be particularly careful while using the

tools supplied with the printer.

Before plugging the power cable into the outlet, make sure that the power supply voltage in

the outlet matches the required value provided on the nameplate at the back of the printer.

Avoid overloading the outlet with too many devices.

The printer must be well-grounded. Always make sure that the ground complies with local and

national regulations.

Use only the original power cable supplied with the printer. Do not damage, cut or repair the

cable. A damaged cable should be immediately replaced with a new one. The cable should be

used according to its intended purpose and should be protected from heat, oils, sharp edges

and moving components of the device. A damaged cable increases the risk of an electric shock.

Do not expose the device to rain and humidity. While filling the tank with resin, be careful not

to spill the resin outside the tank. Liquid that enters the inside of the device increases the risk

of an electric shock.

All maintenance and repair work should be carried out while the device is off and unplugged.

Modifications such as soldering of electronic subunits are forbidden.

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Mechanical Safety

The Zortrax Inkspire has movable components, such as the build platform and the Z-axis.

Therefore, it is forbidden to reach into the printer or put anything inside the printer when

it is running, about to start running or at rest. This may lead to serious injuries or damage.

Tools and accessories delivered with the printer should be used with special care only for

intended purposes. Improper use may cause serious injuries.

While following post-processing procedures, wear safety gloves and glasses to avoid

injuries that may be cause by sharp edges and fragile elements of models.

A finished print must be removed from the platform outside the printer, after both the

platform and the model have been cleaned from uncured resin in a liquid detergent.

To avoid injuries, be particularly careful while removing prints from the platform. Always

wear gloves and glasses.

The FEP film that is installed in the resin tank is very thin and fragile, therefore, special care

should be taken when cleaning, installing and disassembling the tank.

Risk of Burns

There is no risk of burns as all components working in high temperatures are enclosed and

protected from being touched.

Constructional modifications of the printer’s operating temperature are not permitted as it may

cause serious injuries or bring damage to the device.

Safe Storage and Transport Guidance

Zortrax devices must be stored between 0 and 35° C [32 - 95° F]. The storage space should be

free of moisture and other extreme conditions.

Transport instructions:

When stacking several devices on a pallet, follow the instructions provided on the packaging.

Once device may weigh more than 10 kg [22 lb]. It is therefore advisable to provide safe

pallet storage but not higher than 1.7 m [5’7’’]. It should be noted that the packages must

not project beyond the outline of the pallet. Packages stacked on the pallet should be then

bound together and wrapped in foil. The pallet prepared as above can be then forwarded to

the shipping company.

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Pallet stacking and destacking should be carried out by two people. The package with the

device should be lifted or moved using special handles.

Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC)

Zortrax printer complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules. Its operation is subject to the following

two conditions: this device may not cause harmful interference, and this device must accept

any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation.

The printer generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and

used in accordance with the following User Guide, may cause harmful interference to radio

communications. Operation of this device in a residential area is likely to cause harmful

interference, in which case the user will be required to eliminate the interference at his own

expense.

Learn More About the Zortrax Inkspire

Zortrax Inkspire is a 3D printer which, together with Z-SUITE and dedicated materials,

constitutes the whole 3D printing ecosystem. This device makes it possible to turn digital, three-

dimensional projects into reality using the UV LCD technology which relies on curing liquid

photopolymer layer after layer. The UV LCD technology involves projecting an image of a layer

on the transparent underside of the tank with liquid resin and curing the layer using backlight

from a UV lamp. After each layer is cured, the lamp pauses to operate. During the pause, the

layer solidifies and the platform rises and lowers itself so the resin is equally distributed in the

tank. The printer is equipped with an LCD screen which is responsible for projecting successive

layers and masking the UV light. Thanks to that, the resin that is outside the image of a layer

is not cured and can be used to print the rest of the model. The printer allows users to print

multiple parts at the same time without affecting the accuracy and printing speed. Once the

printing process is finished, the model has to be post-processed in two steps. The first step

involves cleaning the print from residues of uncured resin in a liquid detergent, whereas the

second step involves additional UV curing so that the object acquires its intended properties.

The Zortrax Inkspire can be used for creating prototypes and concept models in engineering,

as well as for creative applications, such as figurines and gadgets.

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How does the Zortrax Inkspire work?

Everything begins with preparing a model. The work on the project can start in any program

which creates 3D models and generates .stl, .obj, .3mf, or .dxf files. These are the standard file

formats supported by most types of modeling software - the model is saved as a set of three-

dimensional triangles (triangle mesh).

The next step is to open the .stl file (or other) in Z-SUITE - the program created specifically for

Zortrax devices. Z-SUITE prepares the model by slicing it into individual layers and saving it as a

.zcodex file. Z-SUITE also allows you to choose the material type to be used for the model and

to adjust the necessary print settings, such as layer thickness, layer exposure time, exposure off

time or how many support structures should be generated. The file is then ready to be printed.

To start the printing process, turn on the printer, prepare the material which corresponds

with the one you have chosen in Z-SUITE and carefully fill up the tank with an appropriate

amount of liquid resin. While working with the Zortrax Inkspire, you can start, stop and pause

the printing process in Z-SUITE. Once your file is prepared, you can transfer it from Z-SUITE

to the printer’s storage in two ways. You can either save the file on a USB flash drive and plug

it into the port at the front of the device or transfer the file from Z-SUITE over Wi-Fi/Ethernet

cable. In addition, Z-SUITE allows you to add several printers to the panel and create a network

of devices. This solution makes it possible to produce 3D models in a small series and manage

the whole process from the screen of your computer. Each printer can still be operated using

the touchscreen at the front. It is also possible to change all settings related to exposure time

of particular elements of the model directly during the printing process.

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What’s in the Box

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Main Components

1. Left-side view

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2. Back view

3. Right-side view

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Zortrax 3D Printing Technology Glossary

CARBON FILTER

a filter which absorbs unpleasant smells from the air that passes through the printing

chamber. It is installed in the back right corner of the printer’s housing. In order to ensure

proper filtration during the printing process, the filter should be replaced every 3-4

months, or once it becomes considerably dirty, e.g. with liquid resin.

FIRMWARE

the software programmed into Zortrax printers, which controls and monitors all the data

in the device. It also gives the possibility to enable/disable the printer’s functions.

FEP FILM

the double-layered, transparent foil which is installed in the rack attached to the resin

tank. It creates a clean way for the UV light to quickly and precisely cure liquid resin during

the whole printing process. The FEP film requires replacement once it becomes stretched

or deformed. The printer is delivered with a set of four FEP films.

LCD SCREEN

the flat-panel display essential for 3D printing in the UV LCD technology. It is responsible

for projecting images of layers on the underside of the resin tank during the whole

printing process. It also masks the UV light so that the resin that is outside the image of a

layer is not cured and can be used to print the rest of the model.

PLATFORM

an integral part of the printer, to which models adhere during the polymerization of resin.

Also, it rises and lowers itself during the printing process so that each layer can solidify

and the resin can be equally distributed in the tank. The platform is made of anodized

aluminum which facilitates high adhesion of models. It can easily be removed or installed

back in place.

RAFT

the first few layers of resin which begin the whole printing process. These layers are always

printed before the main object and have a larger area than that object. Once the printing

is done, the raft needs to be removed from the platform together with the rest of the

model. The raft increases adhesion of the print and support structures to the platform.

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RESIN TANK

the container in which liquid resin is kept throughout the entire printing process. It

consists of a metal frame and a rack with a double-layered FEP film. The resin tank is

secured to the printer’s housing directly on the LCD screen with two screws.

STARTER KIT

several pieces of equipment that are put together in one set and delivered with the

printer. The set contains tools and protective equipment including, for example, FEP films,

funnels and spatulas. The tools from the starter kit are required for operating the printer

as well as for performing maintenance work.

SUPPORT STRUCTURES

special 3D printed structures in the form of pillars which ensure that the whole model

adheres to the platform and doesn’t fall into the resin tank during the printing process.

Supports are printed with the same material as the model. Once the printing is done,

supports have to be removed from the model by hand or using pliers.

TOUCHSCREEN

the display screen placed at the front of the printer, which enables fast and intuitive

navigation through the device’s menu. The screen also displays information about the

current printing process and other information concerning the printer.

ULTRASONIC CLEANER

a device which cleans printed objects from liquid resin remains. This process also helps

to avoid streaks that can appear on the surface of models after curing in UV light. The

Ultrasonic Cleaner uses high frequency sound waves and liquid detergent. Cleaning time

depends on the size of the model, but it shouldn’t exceed three minutes. Longer cleaning

time causes the liquid to heat up.

UV COVER

the orange cover placed on top of the printer responsible for protecting liquid resin from

ambient UV light. It also helps to keep unpleasant smells of resin inside the printing

chamber.

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UV LCD TECHNOLOGY

a technology which relies on curing photopolymers layer after layer. The UV LCD

technology involves projecting images of successive layers on the underside of the tank

with liquid resin and curing them using backlight from a UV lamp.

ZCODEX

a file format which contains a model prepared for 3D printing with previously selected

print settings, such as layer exposure time, exposure off time, additional support exposure

time, etc. All print settings can be managed in Z-SUITE before generating the .zcodex, but

it is still possible to change some of the settings during the printing process using options

from the menu. Each .zcodex file can be transferred to the printer directly from Z-SUITE

over Wi-Fi/Ethernet cable or using a USB flash drive.

Z-SUITE

the application created specially for Zortrax devices. Z-SUITE prepares a model for 3D

printing by generating the file in the .zcodex format. Z-SUITE allows the users to change

and adjust the print settings, such as the size of the model, layer thickness, or how many

support structures will be generated. The last step is to transfer the file to the printer’s

storage over Wi-Fi/Ethernet cable or by using a USB flash drive.

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First Use Preparations

1. Open the box and remove the upper cushioning.

2. Remove the UV cover.

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3. Remove the Starter Kit and the foam with the bottle of resin.

4. Take the printer out of the box. Do not grab the Z-axis screw when lifting the printer.

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5. Remove the foil.

6. Place the printer on a flat and stable surface. If the printer remains uneven, use the plastic wrench from the Starter Kit to tighten or loosen the printer’s legs as needed.

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7. Move up the platform by gripping the platform block and pulling it upward (A). Remove the cushioning (B).

8. Clean the FEP film inside the resin tank with a cloth.

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