SLS Systems User's Guide
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S SLS ™ process user’s guide Thank-you for purchasing 3D Systems® SLS® equipment and DuraForm® materials. Before you start building parts in your SLS™ process facility, please read this guide carefully to enjoy optimum process performance and longer equipment service life. Original Instructions CONTENTS Contents ` About This Guide . 2 ` IRS & IPC. 133 ` Safety . 9 ` SLS System . 180 ` SLS Process . .43 ` BOS . 208 ` Prepare to Build . .55 ` Contacting 3D Systems . 242 ` Build Parts. .73 ` Glossary . 245 ` Break Out Parts . .90 ` Index. 268 ` RCM . .101 L In accordance with laboratory equipment safety standards (EN61010-1, Sect. 5.4.4). If this equipment is used in a manner not specified by the manufacturer, protection provided by the equipment may be impaired. Observe all warning labels, and conform to all safety rules described in this manual. Document 23348-M12-00 Revision B August 2017 Copyright © 2006 by 3D Systems Corporation. All rights reserved. 3D Systems, the 3D logo, Sinterstation, sPro, SLS, and DuraForm are registered trademarks of 3D Systems, Inc. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. SLS process user’s guide ABOUT THIS GUIDE This guide describes how to create finished SLS parts made of DuraForm® PA plastic powder laser sintering (LS) material using 3D Systems’ sPro SLS® system and SLS equipment. ` What’s Inside?. .3 ` Instruction Formats . 6 ` Hazard Warnings. .5 ` Other Useful Documents . 7 SLS process 3 ABOUT THIS GUIDE user’s guide what’s inside? What’s Inside? This SLS Process User’s Guide includes the SLS Process Procedures sections summarized below. General safety The instructions in these four sections step you guidelines are presented first. The rest of the through the SLS process in a general way. When Guide is organized in two parts. The first part necessary, they refer you to detailed machine covers SLS process procedures and the second operating and maintenance instructions in the covers SLS equipment. equipment section of this guide. At the end of this guide, you will also find a SLS Process - overview of the SLS process from Glossary of SLS process terms and an Index. Click powder to parts. on any red TLA (three-letter acronym) or SLS process term in this section to display a Build Preparation - how to prepare 3-D parts for definition. building using the SLS system’s Build Setup software; how to clean, power-up, and start-up Safety Guidelines and Instructions SLS equipment, and perform pre-build checks. The Safety section tells you what you need to L A “build” is a 3-D printout of a build packet know to avoid injury or equipment damage. Read containing STL files of one or more 3-D parts. this section before you switch on power to any You create build packets in the Build Setup SLS equipment or handle DuraForm material. application. See your Build Setup online Help for detailed build packet setup instructions. L To verify that your facility was properly Build Parts – how to run builds on the SLS prepared for SLS system installation, see the sPro SLS Process Facility Guide and SLS Process system, and how to monitor, control, and modify Facility Layout. For detailed material safety a build in progress. information, see the DuraForm Material Safety L You use the Sinter application to run a build. Data Sheets (MSDS’s). Printed copies of these See your Sinter application online Help for documents were included in your SLS powder detailed build instructions. material shipment. You can also download MSDS’s for SLS materials from3D Systems’ website. (See Other Useful Documents on page 7.) SLS process 4 ABOUT THIS GUIDE user’s guide what’s inside? Breakout Parts – how to remove and cool down SLS® system - preparing for, and running builds the part cake after a build, then use the BOS to using the Sinter application and utilities, and remove parts from the part cake. This section also maintaining the SLS system between builds. describes how to recycle or dispose of used part BOS - breaking parts out of the part cake and cake powder. managing waste and recycled part cake powder. SLS Equipment This second half of the User’s Guide provides detailed instructions for the functions you need to perform on SLS equipment during SLS process procedures. The process instructions in the first part of the guide frequently reference equipment instructions these sections. SLS Equipment - overview of SLS equipment features and functions. This section includes illustrations that help you locate SLS equipment components and controls and convenient menu maps for the IRS and BOS operator panel displays. The four sections after the equipment overview contain complete safety, operation, maintenance, and troubleshooting instructions for each SLS process machine. They focus on the following: IRS and IPC - loading powder from the IPC to the IRS and transferring powder between the IRS, SLS system, and BOS. SLS process 5 ABOUT THIS GUIDE user’s guide hazard warnings Hazard Warnings You will find nine different types of warnings in L See the Safety section for descriptions of safety this guide. Always heed these warnings. Ignoring labels on your SLS equipment. them can expose you and your SLS equipment to the hazards listed below. WARNING TYPE HAZARD Safety Alert Machine damage, part damage, and/or data loss. Electric shock Injury or death from electric shock. Burn injury or fire on hot non-handling surface. Allow surface to Hot surface cool before touching. Burn injury or fire on hot handling surface. Allow surface to cool Hot surface - touch before touching. Laser radiation Eye injury or blindness; burn injury; fire. Crush Injury or death from crushing weight. Impeller Injury or death from rotating blade or impeller. Notched belt Injury or death from entanglement in notched pulley drive belt. entanglement Air-pressurized Eye injury or blindness; dust-cloud ignition from escaping powder pressurized powder. SLS process 6 ABOUT THIS GUIDE user’s guide instruction formats Instruction Formats Instructions in this guide use special text formats Operator Panel Buttons to highlight menu commands, keys on the The icons represent operator panel keyboard, operator panel buttons, and text on buttons on the IRS and BOS. The buttons the operator panel display. perform these functions: Text on Computer Display Scroll menu options up/down; increase/ decrease/change parameter values. Text in LS software menus and windows you need to find or act on is in bold; for example: Select option/accept change; similar to Enter key on keyboard or YES or OK “Open the Machine menu and select Manual dialog button. Operations > Inerting.” Cancel/reject change/exit up one menu “Click the Build button on the main toolbar. level; similar to Esc key on keyboard or NO, Cancel, or Exit dialog button. Text you enter in LS software programs is underlined in typewriter font; for example Operator Panel Display Text In the Heater Control window, enter 130.0 Text displayed on the IRS or BOS operator for the temperature Setpoint (°C).” panel appears in green text; for example: Keys From the Process Params menu, choose RCM Type, then press . Keyboard key names are capitalized; for example: “Press the Enter key.” Labeled Controls and Indicators Labeled switches, buttons, lights, and gauges are in bold, uppercase text; for example: “Turn the BOS POWDER TRANSPORT switch to RECYCLE.” SLS process 7 ABOUT THIS GUIDE user’s guide other useful documents Other Useful Documents The documents listed below will help you get the ` Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS’s) – most out of your SLS process and equipment. You online copies of the printed MSDS’s that ship can find them in the ..dtm\docs folder of your LS with DuraForm materials. Make sure software installation hard drive (...except for Build everyone in your facility who handles Setup Help and Sinter Help. You access these DuraForm materials reads these MSDS’s and through the Build Setup and Sinter applications). follows the safety guidelines in them. To order extra printed copies of these MSDS’s, ` SLS Process Facility Guide – details SLS contact 3D Systems Customer Support. process requirements for facility electrical power, room construction and atmosphere, ` Build Setup Help – provides detailed compressed air, nitrogen, coolant, powder, instructions on how to use the Build Setup and network. It also provides SLS equipment application to create and modify build specifications, shipping and information, and packets you can run on the SLS system. To moving instructions. (This guide was sent to view Build Setup Help, run the Build Setup you before installation. A pdf copy is included program, then select Help > Help on Build in the ..dtm\docs folder for reference.) Setup ... from the main window menu bar. For help on the currently selected Build Setup ` SLS Process Facility Layout – illustrates SLS command or window, press function key F1. process requirements for facility electrical power, room atmosphere, compressed air, L You can also run Build Setup from the nitrogen, and coolant. It also shows Sinter Application by clicking the Setup toolbar button. equipment dimensions and a recommended arrangement for your SLS equipment. (This layout was sent to you before installation. A pdf copy is included in the ..dtm\docs folder for reference.) SLS process 8 ABOUT THIS GUIDE user’s guide other useful documents ` Sinter Help – provides detailed instructions on how to use the Sinter application to run and manage builds on the SLS system. To view Sinter Help, run Sinter, then select Help > Online Help from the main window menu bar. For help on the currently selected Sinter command or window, press function key F1. ` Material Guides – give you the material, machine, and software configuration information you need to build good parts with the SLS process. Each Material Guide describes SLS processing characteristics for one family of 3D Systems’ DuraForm powder materials, such as DuraForm PA.