Afinia H480 3D Users Manual - Manual (Page 12)

Afinia H480 3D Printer User’s Manual
12
Preparing the Platform
Before you start printing, the platform must be prepared so that the model adheres to the platform
enough to be printed without the model moving. At the same time, you will want the model to be
easy to remove from the platform after printing. There are several options for preparing the
platform:
FR-4 Board (Glass-reinforced Epoxy Laminate)
Many users have reported excellent results by using a piece of FR-4 Board to cover the build
platform. FR-4 Board is a perforated, glass-reinforced epoxy laminate sheet.
When using FR-4 Board, the first layer of the raft pushes
plastic into all the perforations, and this provides a strong
mechanical bond with the surface that prevents it from later
lifting. Attach the FR-4 Board to the platform using the spring
clips installed on the platform as shown in the picture to the
right. Make sure that all eight clips are correctly positioned,
with the top of the clip over the surface of the FR-4 board.
Some FR-4 Boards may work better than others. For
consistent printing, it is recommended that you use the FR-4
Board included with the Printer.
Borofloat Glass
Many users have reported success using Borofloat glass as
the print surface. In this method, an ABS and acetone slurry is made in advance,
which is lightly brushed onto the glass and allowed to dry into a thin film of ABS.
The ABS film will hold the model to the heated glass, and will release from the glass as the glass
cools. If the model does not easily release, spray a small amount of an ammonia-based glass
cleaner around the model.
The same glass cleaner can be used to easily clean the film from the glass.
It is recommended that you clean and recoat the print surface after each print if you will be printing
the next model in the same location. Allow the slurry to dry fully before placing the glass on the
print platform!
You will need to remove the four corner spring clips from the platform and position the two spring
clips on the side under the platform. You can also remove the spring clips, but will need to remove
the platform from the printer to do so; removing the two hex screws underneath the platform is
required for this. Use the glass clip models from the Spare Parts folder to hold the glass to the
platform.
BuildTak Print Surface
BuildTak is a print surface that can be adhered to the FR-4 board or to glass, although when
adhering to glass it is very important to be sure that no air is trapped between the glass and the
BuildTak, as a bubbled surface could lead to printing problems.
Be sure to position the BuildTak surface on the actual print zone – the FR-4 board is longer than
the surface, with the front and back ends of the board not actually within the print zone.
Borofloat glass and BuildTak are available at store.afinia.com .
Whichever platform preparation method you use, the factors that most reduce the risk of
warping on large prints are ensuring that the platform is well leveled, ensuring that the
nozzle height is set correctly, and having a well pre-heated print surface.
The next few pages will step you through correctly leveling the platform and setting the
nozzle height.