The instructions below are meant to enable you to perform troubleshooting, repair and cleaning tasks adequately and without damaging the machine.
Read the respective guide carefully before you start to work on the HT500 3D Printer.
In some cases you may need to lookup additional information for a specific task. Since we are trying to provide all necessary information independent from the hard- and software version of your actual HT500 you may have too choose from different sources.
To find the valid hardware revision of your 3D Printer, check here.
To find the valid software version of your 3D Printer, check here.
In case you are unsure about steps mentioned in this guide just ask for help any time - we will as always do our best to answer all questions that may arise.
In case you require support and contact us please always provide the following information:
INFO
When downloading the .log-file via the web-interface, please open the Setup tab first so that the currently set EEPROM data are written into the log.
The log file saves all operating and communication commands since the initial commissioning and exports the last 10,000 commands into a data file. Due to this, it may require a few minutes for the system to gather all necessary data before the download menu appears.
Additionally, the following information may be helpful for examining and evaluating your specific request:
If the HT500 is to be shipped (e.g. for a full manufacturer's in-house inspection), it must be thoroughly packed and all moving components must be carefully secured against shifting to avoid transportation damages.
INFO
Replacement of parts damaged due to improper transport securing will be carried out at your costs.
You will need the following material:
The following description assumes that:
The first and most important component to be secured is the extruder head. It is mandatory to fix it exactly as shown here. Otherwise sensors and other components may be damaged beyond repair and must be replaced.
After safeguarding, the 3D Printer is ready for packing. You will need the following material:
The description refers to using the original transport box the 3D Printer was delivered in. If you disposed of the box, make sure to provide adequate replacement.
Where | What | Tools / To Do |
---|---|---|
Build chamber | - remove filament residues | brush, hand broom, vacuum cleaner |
Where | What | Tools / To Do |
---|---|---|
Timing belt | - check the tension; re-tension if required | Description |
Shafts | - check for dryness; lubricate if required | Description |
Cooling circuit | - check hoses for excessive bubbles; refill if required - check hose connectors at the LEDs and the stepper drives for correct positioning; refasten if required | Description |
Dust wiping sponge | - check for cleanliness; clean or replace if required | rinse with fresh water and dry thoroughly |
Where | What | Tools / To Do |
---|---|---|
Air filter | - exchange filling | Description |
Where | What | Tools / To Do |
---|---|---|
Z-axis spindle drive | - check for fast seat: with the 3D Printer switched on, grab the print table near the elevator and try to lift it → play of the table on the spindle requires replacement of the spindle nut → if you can lift the entire assembly including the spindle, the adjusting rings must be refastened | Description |
DANGER OF INJURY
Some plastics need very aggressive solvents that may cause intoxication, caustic burns, skin, eye and/or mucosal irritations, allergic reactions and other medical consequences. Solvents may emit flammable or toxic vapors or be corrosive.
To avoid injuries and accidents due to use of solvents:
DANGER OF BURNING
The build chamber interior may reach temperatures of up to 70 °C (158 F°), the print bed may reach temperatures up to 130 °C (266 °F) and the hot ends may reach temperatures up to 300 °C (572 °F). Touching components can cause burning injuries ranging from burn blisters to medium aching burns. Before cleaning any component inside the build chamber:
NOTICE
Acetone is the most effective solvent for ABS and thus recommended for most cleaning purposes at the HT500 3D Printer.
To remove residues of other plastics than ABS, refer to the knowledge base or the respective manufacturer's data sheet for suitable solvents.
Regard the following when using solvents for cleaning purposes:
Housing
Although during normal operation it is not necessary to clean the 3D Printer daily, regularly dusting reduces the probability of dust entering the feed system and causing clogging. Also, the visual appearance of the 3D Printer is improved and damaged components are more easily detected.
All components of the HT500s' housing can be cleaned with mild household detergents (e.g. dish soap, glass cleaner) and lint-free towels.
Do not use abrasive detergents or scouring pads as these will scratch and blind the acrylic glass covers and the touchscreen surface.
Material residues should be removed routinely from the build chamber. Use a soft brush or a low-running vacuum cleaner to remove loose material shreds.
Touchscreen
If required, use a microfiber or spectacle cloth moistened with glass cleaner to wipe the touchscreen.
Print bed
PEI is highly resistant to a lot of solvents. It is particular compatible with acetone and isopropyl alcohol.
If you experience insufficient adhesion of objects to the surface during prints, it is advisable to thoroughly clean the print bed with an acetone-soaked lint-free cloth.
Grease residues on the surface of the print bed (i.e. fingerprints) can lead to poor adhesion. To degrease, apply isopropylalcohol to a lint-free cloth and thoroughly wipe the surface. During further use, regular removal of grease residues with isopropyl alcohol will prevent poor adhesion.
Use acetone as solvent to remove ABS residues from the print bed. Apply the acetone to a cloth and wipe the print bed rather than dousing it directly.
Other material's residues are best removed with a lint-free towel soaked in a suitable, non-corrosive, non-toxic solvent. Observe the manufacturer's safety data sheet when handling plastic solvents. Make sure to thoroughly wash off any residues. Remaining smear may lead to increased adhesion, which can render it impossible to release printed objects without damage.
Hot ends
Cleaning the hot end nozzle tip is required quite often compared to other components of the 3D Printer. Dust ingression through the filament supply system, coking of material, and storage in a dusty place may lead to clogging of the tip's bore.
An imprecisely (too closely) leveled print bed, too low extrusion temperatures or too high an extrusion speed can lead to the nozzle tip choking itself.
In any of these cases, a decreasing print quality and slipping of the drive gear will be the first visible effects. Removing and cleaning the nozzle tip is then necessary; the description below should remedy the problem, as long as no hardware defect is present.
Cleaning the extruder hot end barrel is only required if it is clogged with coked material or foreign particles. It is recommended after dissembling the hot end at material change (installing a different material).
INFO
In areas with high dust formation, especially from textile fibers and similarly flexible particles, the risk of the nozzle tips to become clogged is highly increased.
Filament drive gear
Slipping of the drive gear is almost always the first and visible consequence of a clogged nozzle.
Other conditions (e.g. too high idler tension) may also cause the drive gear to grind into the filament and fill with abrasion. Material transport will stop and the print job will not be finished.
Regard that the printer will nevertheless continue to print if not aborted by the operator.
Clean according to the description below.
To clean a nozzle tip:
To clean the inner bore of the extruder barrel:
To remove particles and abrasion from the feed system:
After having re-installed or exchanged all components, reload the filament and run the [Prime Extruders], and the [Print bed leveling] wizard.
All slide bearings of the HT500 are equipped with dry-run linear slide bearings. Nonetheless, the shafts may accumulate dirt or condensation which may lead to stick-and-slip effects on the bearings, especially at the Z-axis. Slightly Lubricating/Cleaning the shafts may then be necessary.
NOTICE
Do not use any other lubricant. The dry-run slide bearings are sensitive to oils and fats and may get irreparably damaged when greased falsely.
If you notice strong vibrations of the print table during homing and leveling or if your printed objects show increasingly rough vertical irregularities:
INFO
During preheating, the freshly applied Ballistol Universal will emit a smell that you might find offending.
This is not harmful and will wear off in a couple of hours.
To access the cooling system or the control elements, you have to remove the left or the right side cover panel. The description below applies to either side.
ELECTRIC SHOCK HAZARD!
Electric shock can cause severe injuries. Never open the electronic chamber when the 3D Printer is powered on.
Always shut down and power off the 3D Printer and disconnect the power supply before removing covers and working on electronic components. Allow the power supply to discharge for at least one minute.
NOTICE
Electrostatic discharge can damage electronic components. Ground yourself before touching electronics.
Shut down the printer via the touchscreen panel, switch off the main power switch and unplug the supply cable. Open the electronic chamber of the 3D Printer in the following sequence:
DANGER OF CRUSHING!
Capsizing of the 3D Printer can cause crushing injuries and damage the housing beyond repair. Make sure the apparatus does not topple.
Reinstall in reverse order, remove the wood and restart.
Printing with another nozzle diameter, cleaning or change of material all requires unscrewing and remounting the nozzle tip. Although not a complicated procedure, make sure to read the following description thoroughly to avoid damaging the hot-end.
BURNING HAZARD!
Before unscrewing a nozzle, the filament must be removed from the hot-end which may require heating to extrusion temperature. Depending on the installed material temperatures up to 300 °C may be necessary that can cause severe burns.
After the extruder has cooled down:
NOTICE
Do not loosen the nozzle tip without loosening the barrel set screw and countering the barrel. Distorting the barrel may damage it. The barrel must then be replaced.
If solidified material hinders loosening the nozzle tip effortlessly, heat up the extruder to the specific extrusion temperature and loosen the tip 2 or 3 turns. Do not unscrew the heated tip totally. Dropping the hot nozzle tip will damage the acrylic bottom.
Afterwards, turn the extruder off and wait until it has cooled down before completely removing the nozzle.
NOTICE
Overtightening the nozzle tip may shear off the thread.
Do not fasten the nozzle tip without countering.
INFO
Prior to installation clean the nozzle tip with acetone or isopropyl alcohol to remove any dust, oil, shavings, etc., and dry it thoroughly.
Clean removed nozzle tips adequately and store them in a dry, dust-free box.
For cleaning purposes, when changing the print material or in some problem cases you have to remove and replace a hot-end barrel.
Install the left extruder nozzle first:
Temperature fluctuation cannot be avoided due to the operating conditions of the HT500. The different thermal expansion of the materials causes minimal leakage at the cooling circuit's connections which makes refilling the circuit necessary approximately every four weeks. To refill the coolant circuit, follow the instructions given below.
¹ Order directly via sales@kuehlingkuehling.de, the manufacturer's webshop (http://innovatek.de, manufacturer part number: 500473) or related distributors.
NOTICE
Lack of coolant may lead to damage of the affected components, especially the LEDs. Too much air in the cooling circuit leads to clogging of the copper connectors due to oxidation.
Check the cooling circuit regularly for excess amounts of gas bubbles.
The amount of gas bubbles in the cooling circuit is the indicator for refilling. A small amount of bubbles always circles the hoses and can be considered normal. To asses whether the cooling circuit must be refilled, check the following:
If you need to access the cooling water pump (e.g. for refilling coolant), you first have to remove the right-hand side cover of the electronic chamber. Then:
Exchange the activated charcoal of the air filter every six month:
At delivery, the idler lever preload is preset to work with the standard material Kühlung&Kühling ABS snow-white. To print other plastics it may be necessary to adjust or readjust the tension of the idler lever spring.
Too high tension of the idler lever spring may result in the gear drive to slip and grind into the filament. Too low tension of the idler lever spring may result in slipping of the gear drive. In both cases the print will abort due to insufficient material transport.
Adjust the idler lever spring pressure by turning the tensioning screw with a metric #3 Allen key, just enough that the filament is transported reliably without slipping or chipping. Turn the screw clockwise to increase the preload and counterclockwise to decrease it.
To test material transport efficiency run the Prime Extruders wizard and readjust if necessary.
INFO
Be gentle, too much pressure is counterproductive and will result in chipping filament.
The Tension of the X-axis and both Y-axis timing belts can be checked by measuring the resonance frequency when plucked like a guitar string.
During transport or set up verberation may lead to loosening of set screws. If this happens at the upper clamp collar of the Z-spindle, the initial Z-positioning of a print job becomes inaccurate although the leveling seems OK because the spindle's mechanical backlash will then avert exact positioning only during minimal lifting moves. You will find that the first layer will not stick to the print bed as if it was leveled too high.
In this case the clamp collar must be repositioned and the set screw must be refastened.
DANGER OF BURNING!
Depending on the printed material components of the 3D Printer may hold temperatures up to 300°C (572°F) immediately after a print job.
To avoid burning injuries:
NOTICE
Lifting the print table at the front end may damage the Z-elevator assembly and the spindle. Also, leverage effects might effect a false impression of alleged play.
Grab the print table at the Z-elevator near the bearings when trying to lift it.
Make sure that you do not damage the Z-limit switch.
To test if the clamp collar has come loose, carefully try to lift the print table and observe the Z-drive pulley.
If the pulleys moves up and down, the clamp collar must be repositioned and the set screws refastened.
To reposition the clamp collar:
To allow for always up-to-date Slic3r configuration profiles, the provided config-files were removed from the touchscreen controller system into a separate online repository. As shown on the “First Steps” tab of the web interface, these can now be downloaded from https://github.com/kuehlingkuehling/RepRap-Industrial-Slic3r-profiles/releases in their latest version.
In case an update of the operating system, the touchscreen or the firmware is required, Kühling&Kühling offer update files at http://docs.kuehlingkuehling.de/. Subscribers will be informed via newsletter, for all other users we recommend to regularly check the blog (http://kuehlingkuehling.de/) or the documentation for updates.
The Micro-SD card in the UDOO always contains all data necessary to run the operating system as a stand-alone unit, which means that you do not have to overwrite the current operating system but can use a second SD card to replace the original one. This is for safety reasons if something should go wrong during the updating process and you need to quickly restore a functional system.
After the start-up sequence has finished, the HT500 is now running with the updated operating system.