Technical Assistance

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F.a.q.

Any questions about our printers, extruders, etc ...

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Materials Guide

Everything about 3D printing WASP materials

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Download manuals, firmware, datasheets and more

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TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

TELEPHONE SUPPORT

The Support Form at the bottom of the page has to be completed before contacting the telephone assistance number.
In this way our technicians will already have the necessary information for optimal support.

SUPPORT FORM

IN CASE OF RETURN OF DAMAGED MACHINE OR PART

Download the technical assistance module, compile and place inside the original packaging  in case you send material to Wasp, or in case of shipment of the printer or damaged part.

MODULE

WARRANTY AND ASSISTANCE POLICY

Check the page dedicated to Warranty and Assistance Policy – WASP.

Have you already visited the F.A.Q. section of our page?

Check here the section of the page dedicated to frequently asked questions about our printers, extruders and accessories. Check it now and for any other questions, please complete the support form at the bottom fo the page

FILL THE SUPPORT FORM

F.A.Q.

Autocalibration

Autocalibration is a systema for calibrating the planarity of the bed automatically and simplifying the adhesion of the first layer.

Compatible with:

Delta WASP 2040 T2, Delta WASP 2040 PRO, Delta WASP 2040 INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP 4070 INDUSTRIAL, Delta WASP 4070 INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP 3MT INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP INDUSTRIAL 4.0 line

  • For enabling the autocalibration follow this procedure: (for Delta WASP 3MT IND 4.0 read Autocalibration 3MT IND 4.0
  • Clean nozzle and printing bed
  • With the printer turned off place the nozzle on the printing bed
  • Turn on the machine and wait for the message “AUTOCALIB ENABLED”
  • If the message is not shown try to heat up the nozzle, clean it and also clean the printing bed
  • As the message is shown launch Autocalibration this way:
  • Menu>Prepare>Autocalib (2040 T2, 2040 PRO, 4070 IND)
  • PRINT/AUTOCALIB (Industrial line 4.0)
  • As nozzle reach the temperature the autocalibration will start
  • Wait for the machine to perform the calibration (it may take few minutes)
  • It’s very recommended to launch autocalibration with the bed at printing temperature

ATTENTION
Autocalibration is enabled thanks to an electrical contact between nozzle and printing bed.
If the printing bed is different from the one provided with the machine make sure that it’s conductive. If it’s not you can still perform a manual leveling.

Free Z system

Free Zeta System is the system for recovering a print at a known height.

Measure the value Z of the last printed layer, then:

  • Menu > Prepare > Move Axis > 10,1,0.1 > Z axis;
  • Get close until last layer is touched and take note of Z value.

Then:

  • Menu > Free Zeta System;
  • Insert Z value;
  • Select .gcode.

Wait for file to load. The operation, depending on the height, can take up to several minutes.

The print doesn’t stick to the bed

Please make sure to have a correct printing bed leveling, following the procedure here >>.

Adhesion to the printing plate

  • Apply a layer of hair spray or glue on the printing surface in order to create a sticky layer that improves the adhesion of the molten plastic to it.

Extruder temperature and heated bed

  • Verify that the extruder and heated bed temperature are appropriate for the material that you want to print. (Check the data on the filament spool or on the filament manufacturer datasheet).

Missed extrusion of the filament

Check the .gcode file

  • Check that the .stl file does not presents 3d modeling issue (manifold edges / open surfaces).
  • Check if the parameters of the slicing software are correct Ex: nozzle diameter, filament diameter, % material flow, extrusion temperature, E-step/per mm.

Check if the extruder is working

  1. Make sure that the RJ45 cable is properly connected to the extruder. If it is not, turn the printer off and then connect the cable.
  2. Check that the flexible pipes connecting the filament driver and the extruder are connected tightly, and that there are no obstructions or dirt.
  3. Ensure that the filament has arrived to the melting zone inside the nozzle.

Check the leveling of the printing plate

  • If the nozzle is too close to the printing plate the filament will struggle to get out, causing a blockage of the filament driver motor and the filament pushing gear. Next, proceed with manual leveling procedure and clean the toothed gear to remove the any dust from between the teeth.
  1. Check the printing bed leveling and: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00. Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.
  2. Make sure that the power cable is well connected. If not, turn the printer is off and reconnect it.
  3. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  4. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well-connected to the motor shaft. To check this, hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  5. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working.
  6. Clean the extruder.

The printer is noisy

Extruder Cooling Fan

The cooling fan placed on the extruder may be loud if setted to the maximum speed. It’s possible to set the cooling fan speed from the slicing software according to your need.

Moving axes noises

  • Ensure that the noise does not come from the cooling fan placed on the extruder
  • Verify that the four sliders placed under every vertical slide can move correctly. Manually push them slowly from the bottom to the top of the printer. If there is friction contact customer service.
  • Check if the belt transmission bearings placed at the bottom of the printer have the correct fluidity.
  • Check the teeth of the belt. If there are expansions or deformations between the teeth or cuts/damages contact customer service.

Movement motors are losing steps

  • Movement motors are overheating
  • The pulley is not properly fixed to the movement motor shaft
  • Movement motors support is not properly fixed in position.

Extruder impacts

  • Check the printing bed leveling: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00. Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.
  • Check the dimension of the object that you’re about to print. If the object’s dimensions exceed the maximum size of the printing area the extruder may hit the walls of the printer. Input the correct parameters into the slicing software for the printer in use. (From firmware F20_rev6, F21_rev3 and F30_rev4 there is a software limitation).
  • Check the installed plug-in, disable the pause at Z plug-in or set a movement value that is not greater than the maximum printing area. (From firmware F20_rev6, F21_rev3 and F30_rev4 is present a limitation software).
  • Movement motors are losing steps. See previous paragraph.
  • Check the material flow during the extrusion. A flow percentage over 100% could lead to an accumulation of material over the printed object, causing the extruder to hit this material and make the transmission belts slide over the motor pulley and cause a loss of steps.
  • Check the integrity of the nozzle, if it’s loose it can slightly move down and hit the printed object, making the transmission belts slide over the motor pulley and cause a loss of steps.

The print is dephased

Loss of steps in movement:

  • Check gcode speed. Speeds greater than 250mm / s can cause the belt to slip around the pulley and cause loss of steps. (not with the TURBO model).
  • Check acceleration of movements. Accelerations greater than 6000 mm / s ”can cause the belt to slip around the pulley and cause loss of steps. (not with TURBO model).
  • Check extrusion flow. A percentage of material flow greater than 100% could lead to a build-up of material and cause impacts between the various layers.
  • Check extruder nozzle. Check that the nozzle is not unscrewed causing shocks to the molded piece.

The printed surface is “spongy”

Check the .gcode file

  • Check that the .stl file do not presents 3d modeling issue (manifold edges / open surfaces )
  • Ensure the parameters of the slicing software are correct Ex: nozzle diameter, filament diameter, % material flow, extrusion temperature, E-step. per mm.

Ensure the extruder is working

  1. Make sure that the RJ45 cable is properly connected to the extruder. If it is not, turn the printer off and then connect the cable.
  2. Check that the flexible pipes connecting the filament driver and the extruder are connected tightly, and that there are no obstructions or dirt inside them.
  3. Ensure that the filament has arrived to the melting zone inside the nozzle.

Check the leveling of the printing plate

  • If the nozzle is too close to the printing plate the filament will struggle to get out, causing a blockage between the filament driver motor and the filament pushing gear.
  • Then, proceed with manual leveling procedure and clean the toothed gear to remove any dust from between the teeth.

 Filament driver check

  1. Make sure that the power cable is connected. If not, turn the printer off and connect it properly.
  2. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  3. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well-connected to the motor shaft. To check this hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  4. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working. If not, contact the Technical Assistence.

Error MINTEMP / MAXTEMP

Verify the integrity of the RJ45 connector on the extruder and that it is properly plugged in. If not, reconnect it and restart the printer.

If the problems persist contact the Technical Assistence.

The extruder falls down at the end of the print

If at the end of the printing process the three steppers motors get disabled, the extruder may fall down and hit the printed object. This is caused by a command at the end of the Gcode, intended to save energy on Cartesian printers.

Disable the M84 command from the “END GCODE” section in the slicing software ( just add a semicolon before the command. Example: ” ;M84 “ ).

The filament breaks

Caused by the quality of the filament and exposure to humidity and/or sunlight.

Tolerance to exposure varies depending on the material, regardless, it is recomended to store the spool inside the original packaging while it is not in use.

.

Load filament

Heat the extruder, through the menu > prepare > preheat PLA / ABS.

Removal: Once it reaches the proper temperature, manually extrude some material and then, pushing the filament driver lever down, pull the filament out from the extruder.

Replacement: With the extruder hot, insert the new filament, and manually rotate the black knob counterclockwise until the material is extruded.

Leveling of the printing bed

  • Start by preheating the nozzle and bed at the desired printing temperatures, so: menu > advanced > temperature > nozzle and bed. Wait for the heating.
  • Make sure that the printer is placed on a flat and stable surface. Check the leveling, so: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position.
  • Follow the next procedure in this order: 01 02 03 01 02 03 00.
    Change the distance between nozzle and bed to about 0.1mm by rotating the leveling wheel corresponding to the hotend position (on a Delta WASP 4070 screw/unscrew the outermost Phillips screws on the heated bed).
  • An higher or lower distance could cause extrusion problems or adhesion ones. A good way to ensure it is calibrated correctly is by attempting to push a sheet of paper between the nozzle and the print bed. The paper should be able to slip under without folding, but just barely.

Driver rotation is skipping backwards

Check the printing bed leveling

  • menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00
  • Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.

Check the filament driver

  1. Make sure that the power cable is well connected If not, turn the printer is off and reconnect it.
  2. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  3. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well connected to the motor shaft. To check this, hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  4. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working.

Clean the extruder

Driver replacement

  • Turn off the printer
  • Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top of the extruder.
  • Unplug the 8 pin connector placed on the filament driver cable.
  • Cut the plastic cable tie placed on the cable.
  • Remove the 3 green/transparent rubber bands and place the new filament driver.
  • Re-plug the 3 green/transparent rubber bands into the 3 pins placed on the top of the new filament driver.
  • Insert the 6mm Nylon tube into the pneumatic fitting on the extruder.
  • Re-plug the 8 pin connector.
  • Use plastic cable ties to make sure that the cables are located as before the operation.

The plastic of my brand new SPITFIRE Extruder looks worn out

The plastic cover in of our Spitfire extruders is the result of years of research on a very strong material that could resist in time at high-temperatures.

Today our extruders are manufactured in a specific technopolymer with very high performances charged with 50% of fiberglass. As a result, a Spitfire extruder can work for a longer time with high temperatures without melting or deforming. Also, this grants the possibility to assemble and disassemble it on the machine easily for its whole life.

These characteristics mean, for reasons due to injection molding, a matte and not-uniform finishing, with some whiter parts. These are the parts where the fiberglass is particularly dense on the surface.

SPITFIRE extruder cleaning

Operation A

Manually set the extruder temperature up 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Load PLA filament.

Rotate the black knob placed on the filament driver, counterclockwise to extrude, clockwise to retract the filament.
Alternate these movements until you see the extrusion of the filament.

Operation B

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

If the filament had difficultly being extruded it’s possible to use a needle (Ø<0.4mm) inside the nozzle in order to remove any internal impurities that are clogging the nozzle.

Operation C

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top pf the extruder.

Operation D

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top pf the extruder.

Insert a 2mm steel wire inside the extruder, from the top, and push it down in order to remove the material that is clogging the extruder.

SPITFIRE SYSTEM configuration and print

Spitfire set up process:

Operation A

Download, the spitfire system configuration includes PID values and slicing profiles (Cura and Simplify3d) specific for the spitfire.

Operation B

Change the fan type from A to B. From the display menu go to : Advancedsettings/temperature/Fantype-B

If you do not find these options, contact the Support Team to update the firmware.

Operation C

Print the Gcode pid spitfire.gcode  inside the Spitfire System Configuration folder preaviously downloaded.

Operation D

Load the print profiles provided in the Spitfire System Configuration folder, sub folder Spitfire Extruder profiles, you’ll find both profiles for Cura and Simplify3d.

Do you need to replace the extruder?

Warning. Do you need to replace the extruder? The following video tutorial shows how to do it correctly.

Change SPITFIRE Extruder

  • Turn off the printer
  • Unplug the RJ45 connector placed on the top of the extruder
  • Push down the ring on the joint placed in the higher part of the extruder and pull the 6mm nylon pipe.
  • Unscrew the two screws placed under the aluminum board supporting the extruder and remove the extruder by pulling
  • Insert the new extruder
  • Tighten the two screws placed under the aluminum board supporting the extruder
  • Insert the 6mm nylon pipe back in the joint
  • Plug the RJ45 connector placed on the top of the extruder
  • Turn on the machine and proceed with the calibration

Change SPITFIRE Extruder Cartridge

Here the video tutorial with the instruction for change the cartridge of spitfire extruder system. The guide to change and insert correctly the HT o LT cartridge.

Before the cartridge change be sure to have the hot end temperature set at 180°C.

Modify height (calibration)

The height (often called Z max) of the printer is the value that defines the distance between the nozzle and the print bed when it is in its zero position (home).
The height is part of the calibration values ​​of the machine and the right value is essential for good operation.

When the machine is turned on, in the monitoring screen it is possible to see among the values ​​shown that of the height saved in the machine (indicated as Z).

As the height value changes, the following scenarios may occur:

To manually change the height value, each printer is equipped with a dedicated command within the PREPARE menu, depending on the version it can be called:

  • Modify height;
  • Modification Z max (Set Z max).

The procedure for changing the Z max depends on the machine and firmware version.

  • Position the print bed and clean the nozzle;
  • Send the printer to zero position (autohome);
  • Use the command Prepare> Modify height (or Set Z max).

The screen allows you to choose a scale value at the top (between 10 mm, 1 mm, 0.1 mm) and consequently to go down by that value on the Z axis.

  1. With scale value 10, turn the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 20 mm from the printing surface;
  2. Click the knob once to select the scale value at 10mm;
  3. With scale value 1, rotate the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 2 mm from the printing surface;
  4. Click the knob once to select the scale value at 0.1 mm;
  5. With a scale value of 0.1, turn the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 1 mm from the printing surface;
  6. Click the knob twice to activate the “SAVE Z” item;
  7. Turn the knob to display “OK”;
  8. Click to confirm and save the new Z max;
  9. The machine will exit the command and will automatically go to the Home position.

If necessary, complete the calibration with the Prepare> Manual leveling command, adjusting the plane with uniform distance in all positions.

How to name correctly a .gcode

Although it may seem like a secondary aspect the way our files are named it is very important and can avoid many annoying inconveniences
The rules apply to the name of the print file (.gcode) but also to the other work files (for example the Simplify3D .factory file)

Some important rules to follow:

– avoid special characters (for example:,;:.! “£ $% & / () =? ^ | * é è à ò ù {} [] ç @ ° # §)
– avoid spaces (space bar key) or indentations (tab key)
– to separate words use the _ (underscore) character
– preferably use short names (under 13 characters), encoding the information

An example of a name created according to these rules is:

“Prt1A_ZENX_04_PLA.gcode”

It reads: “print part 1A (prt1A) printed with Zen X extruder (ZENX) with 0.4 mm nozzle (04) material PLA (PLA)”

It contains all the necessary information and does not cause problems for the printer.

Some examples of names NOT created according to these rules are:

“CoverPLA150%”
contains a special character (%)

“Test_nozzle0.4_layer0.15mm”
contains the points, which are to be avoided

“Top part in PLA – for exib”
it is long and there are many spaces

How to print a .gcode with the secondary extruder?

Do you have a code for only one extruder but want to print it with the secondary (right) extruder instead of the primary (left) one?

Change Extruder command

When you launch the print in the TUNE menu there is a command called “Change extruder”.
The moment it is clicked:

  1. printing pauses
  2. the temperature of the active extruder is copied to the other extruder
  3. once the processing is reached, it restarts with the secondary extruder

The command also works to move the processing from the secondary extruder to the primary one.

Create a secondary extruder profile on Simplify3D

If you need to print repeatedly with the secondary extruder, you will need a specific profile.
It is not difficult to create one from a correct single extruder profile.
We recommend that you download an official one from the Download section of the WASP site.

  1. Open the single extruder profile you want to start from on Simplify3D
  2. Enter the “Extruder” window
  3. Select the extruder in the left pane
  4. Select the item “Tool 1” (“Tool 1”) in the “Extruder Toolhead Index” item.
  5. Enter the “Temperature” window
  6. Select the extruder in the left pane (be careful not to confuse it with the top)
  7. Select the item “T1” in the “Temperature Identifier” item (replacing “T0”).
  8. Click on “Save as new” at the top right
  9. Enter a name for the new profile (specify that it is for the right extruder)
  10. Click OK to save the new profile.

Whenever you create a gcode using this profile the machine

Continuous Printing (how to change extruder when running out of material)

Continuous printing is an option that allows the machine to automatically change the extruder during printing when the material runs out.
In this way it is possible to:

  • seamlessly print objects that require more material than a single roll
  • finish even half-length rolls without printing interruptions

To activate the Continuous printing system, go to ADVANCED> Settings> Continuous printing
This way the system will be enabled for the next print.
Every time you want to launch a new print with the Continuous printing system you have to reactivate it

To use the system correctly, however, the printer must be set up correctly:

  • The nozzles must have the same diameter on both extruders
  • The same material must be properly loaded on both extruders before printing
  • The machine must be calibrated correctly (self-calibration).

Why does the extruder seem crooked? Why is one of the nozzles covered?

Is your machine new but the extruder seems wrong with respect to the plate?
Is one of the two nozzles covered with a silicone part?
All these characteristics are normal and depend on the operation of the Zen X extruder.

The Zen X extruder mounted as standard in the Delta WASP Industrial X series is a double extruder based on a tilting system.
Its mechanics provide two positions in which the extruder can settle by pivoting on an axial pin.

POSITION 1: the extruder is inclined to the left, with the left nozzle uncovered (called the left extruder or primary extruder).
POSITION 2: the extruder is inclined to the right, with the right nozzle uncovered (called the right extruder or secondary extruder).

Manually forcing the extruder into positions other than these can also compromise it in an important way.

The white silicone protection (called anti-ooze shield protection) under the extruder is needed to physically cover the nozzle not in use. It will prevent it from getting dirty during printing.
It is therefore important that it is properly fixed on the extruder and if it wears out over time, replace it with a spare.

What is the knob for?

The Industrial series machines are equipped with a TFT touch screen for the interface and control of the machine.
However, on the side there is a small knob that you can turn and press: what is it for?

  1. Adjustment: in various commands, the wheel allows you to increase or decrease a value on the screen by turning it.
  2. ESC: when you browse the interface you can enter secondary menus and superimposed messages may appear. By pressing the wheel you can exit these menus as with the esc key on your computer. (This does not interrupt printer actions, for example it does not interrupt a print or calibration).

What parameters are adjustable during the print?

While printing there are some parameters that can be changed during the printing process.
However, it is increasingly correct to create a new .gcode from the slicing software with the modified values, especially with a view to code repeatability.

  • This feature only makes sense in experimental contexts and is not intended as a good practice.
  • The changes made during printing will NOT be saved in the gcode which will remain intact.
  • The gcode is not “split” but only read differently
  • The modified parameters of Feedrate (speed) and Flow (flow) and Fan (fans) remain saved until the machine is restarted
  • The modified temperature parameters are not saved at the end of the printout

Temperatures (nozzles, floor, hot chamber):

These are expressed in degrees centigrade (° C). By default those in the gcode are read.

To change them you need to:

  • click the respective box on the monitoring screen.
  • type the new target value on the keyboard and confirm
  • check that the target temperature updates (this may take a few seconds)

TUNE menu (speed, flow, fans):

There are speed (feedrate), flow (flow) and fans (fan) values

To change them you need to:

  1. During printing, click on the TUNE button
  2. Select by clicking the parameter to be modified, it is highlighted
  3. Once highlighted, turn the knob on the side of the screen to change the value
  4. Click the knob to confirm the change.

Gcode analysis

The analysis of the .gcode is an integrated feature in the printer that allows a control of the print file when it is launched.
In this way it is possible to identify a priori corrupt gcodes or problems related to the form.

The results of the .gcode analysis can be two:
– positive: no writing errors have been detected, printing starts automatically
– negative: writing errors have been detected, the machine communicates this and does not start printing

In the event of a negative result, there are some checks to do:
– Try to save again the gcode first in the computer memory, then copy it to the external drive(pendrive)
– Make sure you have done a “safe disk removal” before removing the external drive(pendrive)
– Check that the external drive is working
– Make sure the external drive is formatted as FAT-32 or ExFAT
(avoid NTFS or non-standard formats)
– check the content of “start gcode” and “end script” in your slicing software.

Heated chamber

The hot chamber is an integrated system in the machine that allows you to raise the temperature inside the print volume thanks to a flow of heated air.
The temperature of the hot chamber can be controlled similarly to the one of the nozzle or the print bed.

The use of the hot chamber is mainly designed for printing large objects with materials that tend to delamination and warping.
We recommend using the hot chamber for the following materials:
ABS: 50-60 ° C
PA + CARBON FIBER: 50-60 ° C
PMMA: 60 ° C

In general, for materials with extrusion temperatures above 250 ° C and tending to delamination, it may make sense to use the heated chamber.

It is important to know that using the heater in unsuitable situations (for example with materials such as PLA) can create problems rather than solve them.

The target temperature value can be checked in the following ways:
– manually (from the printer monitoring interface)
– software side (from slicing software with T5 temperature identifier)

It should also be taken into consideration that closed machines with a heated print bed can heat up internally creating a partial heated chamber.

Bed touch system

Bed touch is a safety system designed to avoid scratching and collisions of the nozzle on the print bed.
The system is based on the same sensor used during the autocalibration process.
Whenever the Bed Touch sensor detects a contact between the nozzle and the surface, it sends a signal that causes the instant interruption of the printing process.
This prevents accidental damage that can lead to wear of the top and the nozzle.

The causes for which a nozzle can rub on the surface are generally the following:

  • Machine not calibrated (example: calibration with dirty plate)
  • .Gcode error (example: very low first layer)
  • Conductive printing material (example: loaded with carbon fiber)

Solving these problems at the root will avoid problems related to the Bed touch system.

It is possible to manually deactivate the Bed touch system if necessary (for example when printing conductive materials, such as those loaded with carbon fiber).
Deactivation can be done using the ADVANCED> Settings> Bed Touch command.

Whenever the machine is turned off and on again the Bed touch system will be enabled automatically.

How to know what firmware is currently on your machine?
Press the INFO button on the bottom toolbar.

Modify height (set z max)

The height (often called Z max) of the printer is the value that defines the distance between the nozzle and the print bed when it is in its zero position (home).
The height is part of the calibration values ​​of the machine and the right value is essential for good operation.
This value is automatically saved by the machine during autocalibration.
When the machine is turned on, in the monitoring screen it is possible to see among the values ​​shown that of the height saved in the machine (indicated as Z).

However, it is possible to manually change the height if necessary.
Specifically, it can be useful when:

  • your printer is not equipped with an auto-calibration system.
  • it is necessary to slightly correct the height value

As the height value changes, the following scenarios may occur:

To manually change the height value, each printer is equipped with a dedicated command within the PREPARE menu, depending on the version it can be called:

Modify height
Set Z max

REMEMBER THAT THIS VALUE IS AUTOMATICALLY SAVED DURING THE SELF-CALIBRATION PROCEDURE, IT IS NOT NORMALLY NECESSARY TO CHANGE IT MANUALLY

  1. Clean the print bed and the nozzle.
  2. Bring the printer to zero position (autohome)
  3. Use the command Prepare> Modify height (or Set Z max)

The screen allows you to choose a scale value at the top (between 100 mm, 10 mm, 1 mm, 0.1 mm) and consequently to go down or up by that value on the Z axis.

  1. With a scale value of 100, click on the -Z arrow making the nozzle descend to about 20 cm above the printing surface.
  2. Select the scale value at 10 mm
  3. With scale value 10, click on the -Z arrow making the nozzle descend to about 2 cm above the printing surface.
  4. Select the scale value at 1 mm
  5. With scale value 1, click on the -Z arrow making the nozzle go down to about 2 mm above the printing surface.
  6. Select the scale value at 0.1 mm
  7. With a scale value of 0.1, click on the -Z arrow making the nozzle go down until a slight friction is felt by placing a sheet of paper between it and the top.
  8. Click on the SET Z MAX button to save the new value or CANCEL to cancel the operation.

Autocalibration

Autocalibration is a systema for calibrating the planarity of the bed automatically and simplifying the adhesion of the first layer.

Compatible with:

Delta WASP 2040 T2, Delta WASP 2040 PRO, Delta WASP 2040 INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP 4070 INDUSTRIAL, Delta WASP 4070 INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP 3MT INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP INDUSTRIAL 4.0 line

  • For enabling the autocalibration follow this procedure: (for Delta WASP 3MT IND 4.0 read Autocalibration 3MT IND 4.0
  • Clean nozzle and printing bed
  • With the printer turned off place the nozzle on the printing bed
  • Turn on the machine and wait for the message “AUTOCALIB ENABLED”
  • If the message is not shown try to heat up the nozzle, clean it and also clean the printing bed
  • As the message is shown launch Autocalibration this way:
  • Menu>Prepare>Autocalib (2040 T2, 2040 PRO, 4070 IND)
  • PRINT/AUTOCALIB (Industrial line 4.0)
  • As nozzle reach the temperature the autocalibration will start
  • Wait for the machine to perform the calibration (it may take few minutes)
  • It’s very recommended to launch autocalibration with the bed at printing temperature

ATTENTION
Autocalibration is enabled thanks to an electrical contact between nozzle and printing bed.
If the printing bed is different from the one provided with the machine make sure that it’s conductive. If it’s not you can still perform a manual leveling.

Change ZEN Extruder tool

Free Z system INDUSTRIAL LINE 4.0

Free Zeta System is the system for recovering a print at a known height.
Measure the value Z of the last printed layer, then:
Prepare>Free Zeta System
Get close with the arrows until last layer is touched.
Confirm clicking “go for gcode” and select the interested .gcode.
Wait for the loading of the file.
The operation, depending on the height, can take up to several minutes.

How Resurrection System works

It saves the print coordinates of where the printer stops due to power failure during a printing process.

A “RESURR.G” file is created in the directory of the original file. Turn on the printer then select the file “RESURR.G” from the SD card and wait for the restart of the printing process.

CAUTION: If the nozzle remains in contact with the printed object do not to select the “auto home” command.

The Resurrection procedure begins with the nozzle automatically heating to 100°C in order to avoid violent detachments from the printed object.

After this heating process the three axes will go to the “home” position automatically. The printing process will resume when the heated bed and the exruder reach the .gcode printing temperature.

RESURRECTION SYSTEM
Read more about Resurrection System.

The print doesn’t stick to the bed

Please make sure to have a correct printing bed leveling, following the procedure here >>.

Adhesion to the printing plate

  • Apply a layer of hair spray or glue on the printing surface in order to create a sticky layer that improves the adhesion of the molten plastic to it.

Extruder temperature and heated bed

  • Verify that the extruder and heated bed temperature are appropriate for the material that you want to print. (Check the data on the filament spool or on the filament manufacturer datasheet).

Missed extrusion of the filament

Check the .gcode file

  • Check that the .stl file does not presents 3d modeling issue (manifold edges / open surfaces).
  • Check if the parameters of the slicing software are correct Ex: nozzle diameter, filament diameter, % material flow, extrusion temperature, E-step/per mm.

Check if the extruder is working

  1. Make sure that the RJ45 cable is properly connected to the extruder. If it is not, turn the printer off and then connect the cable.
  2. Check that the flexible pipes connecting the filament driver and the extruder are connected tightly, and that there are no obstructions or dirt.
  3. Ensure that the filament has arrived to the melting zone inside the nozzle.

Check the leveling of the printing plate

  • If the nozzle is too close to the printing plate the filament will struggle to get out, causing a blockage of the filament driver motor and the filament pushing gear. Next, proceed with manual leveling procedure and clean the toothed gear to remove the any dust from between the teeth.
  1. Check the printing bed leveling and: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00. Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.
  2. Make sure that the power cable is well connected. If not, turn the printer is off and reconnect it.
  3. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  4. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well-connected to the motor shaft. To check this, hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  5. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working.
  6. Clean the extruder.

The printer is noisy

Extruder Cooling Fan

The cooling fan placed on the extruder may be loud if setted to the maximum speed. It’s possible to set the cooling fan speed from the slicing software according to your need.

Moving axes noises

  • Ensure that the noise does not come from the cooling fan placed on the extruder
  • Verify that the four sliders placed under every vertical slide can move correctly. Manually push them slowly from the bottom to the top of the printer. If there is friction contact customer service.
  • Check if the belt transmission bearings placed at the bottom of the printer have the correct fluidity.
  • Check the teeth of the belt. If there are expansions or deformations between the teeth or cuts/damages contact customer service.

Movement motors are losing steps

  • Movement motors are overheating
  • The pulley is not properly fixed to the movement motor shaft
  • Movement motors support is not properly fixed in position.

Extruder impacts

  • Check the printing bed leveling: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00. Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.
  • Check the dimension of the object that you’re about to print. If the object’s dimensions exceed the maximum size of the printing area the extruder may hit the walls of the printer. Input the correct parameters into the slicing software for the printer in use. (From firmware F20_rev6, F21_rev3 and F30_rev4 there is a software limitation).
  • Check the installed plug-in, disable the pause at Z plug-in or set a movement value that is not greater than the maximum printing area. (From firmware F20_rev6, F21_rev3 and F30_rev4 is present a limitation software).
  • Movement motors are losing steps. See previous paragraph.
  • Check the material flow during the extrusion. A flow percentage over 100% could lead to an accumulation of material over the printed object, causing the extruder to hit this material and make the transmission belts slide over the motor pulley and cause a loss of steps.
  • Check the integrity of the nozzle, if it’s loose it can slightly move down and hit the printed object, making the transmission belts slide over the motor pulley and cause a loss of steps.

The print is dephased

Loss of steps in movement:

  • Check gcode speed. Speeds greater than 250mm / s can cause the belt to slip around the pulley and cause loss of steps. (not with the TURBO model).
  • Check acceleration of movements. Accelerations greater than 6000 mm / s ”can cause the belt to slip around the pulley and cause loss of steps. (not with TURBO model).
  • Check extrusion flow. A percentage of material flow greater than 100% could lead to a build-up of material and cause impacts between the various layers.
  • Check extruder nozzle. Check that the nozzle is not unscrewed causing shocks to the molded piece.

The printed surface is “spongy”

Check the .gcode file

  • Check that the .stl file do not presents 3d modeling issue (manifold edges / open surfaces )
  • Ensure the parameters of the slicing software are correct Ex: nozzle diameter, filament diameter, % material flow, extrusion temperature, E-step. per mm.

Ensure the extruder is working

  1. Make sure that the RJ45 cable is properly connected to the extruder. If it is not, turn the printer off and then connect the cable.
  2. Check that the flexible pipes connecting the filament driver and the extruder are connected tightly, and that there are no obstructions or dirt inside them.
  3. Ensure that the filament has arrived to the melting zone inside the nozzle.

Check the leveling of the printing plate

  • If the nozzle is too close to the printing plate the filament will struggle to get out, causing a blockage between the filament driver motor and the filament pushing gear.
  • Then, proceed with manual leveling procedure and clean the toothed gear to remove any dust from between the teeth.

 Filament driver check

  1. Make sure that the power cable is connected. If not, turn the printer off and connect it properly.
  2. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  3. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well-connected to the motor shaft. To check this hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  4. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working. If not, contact the Technical Assistence.

The extruder falls down at the end of the print

If at the end of the printing process the three steppers motors get disabled, the extruder may fall down and hit the printed object. This is caused by a command at the end of the Gcode, intended to save energy on Cartesian printers.

Disable the M84 command from the “END GCODE” section in the slicing software ( just add a semicolon before the command. Example: ” ;M84 “ ).

The filament breaks

Caused by the quality of the filament and exposure to humidity and/or sunlight.

Tolerance to exposure varies depending on the material, regardless, it is recomended to store the spool inside the original packaging while it is not in use.

.

Difference between Delta WASP INDUSTRIAL and Delta WASP INDUSTRIAL 4.0

The Industrial Line was born to satisfy the need to print technical materials  inside a hot chamber.
Thanks to its auto-levelling system it improves the machine performances and makes it easier to be used.
In 2019 the Industrial Line becomes the INDUSTRIAL 4.0. to accomplish the requirements to obtain the Italian government facilities Industry 4.0.

The main differences  with the previous line are in the following features:

  • touch screen display
  • WIFI connection
  • heaters up to 80 °C  for the hot chamber
  • Hot and Cold Technology
  • tutorial on board
  • continuous pellet feeding system (actually only on Delta WASP 3MT INDUSTRIAL  4.0)
  • end-pellet sensor  (only on Delta WASP 3MT INDUSTRIAL 4.0)

Autocalibration

Autocalibration is a systema for calibrating the planarity of the bed automatically and simplifying the adhesion of the first layer.

Compatible with:

Delta WASP 2040 T2, Delta WASP 2040 PRO, Delta WASP 2040 INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP 4070 INDUSTRIAL, Delta WASP 4070 INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP 3MT INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP INDUSTRIAL 4.0 line

  • For enabling the autocalibration follow this procedure: (for Delta WASP 3MT IND 4.0 read Autocalibration 3MT IND 4.0
  • Clean nozzle and printing bed
  • With the printer turned off place the nozzle on the printing bed
  • Turn on the machine and wait for the message “AUTOCALIB ENABLED”
  • If the message is not shown try to heat up the nozzle, clean it and also clean the printing bed
  • As the message is shown launch Autocalibration this way:
  • Menu>Prepare>Autocalib (2040 T2, 2040 PRO, 4070 IND)
  • PRINT/AUTOCALIB (Industrial line 4.0)
  • As nozzle reach the temperature the autocalibration will start
  • Wait for the machine to perform the calibration (it may take few minutes)
  • It’s very recommended to launch autocalibration with the bed at printing temperature

ATTENTION
Autocalibration is enabled thanks to an electrical contact between nozzle and printing bed.
If the printing bed is different from the one provided with the machine make sure that it’s conductive. If it’s not you can still perform a manual leveling.

WASP ZEN Extruder calibration

The calibration of the ZEN extruder is based on the principle of the nonius used in every caliper. It’s made of two overlapping grids with slightly dierent size of the cells, each line corresponds to 0,1mm. The position of the second extruder (T1) compared to the first (T0) depends on the coordinate that perfectly overlaps the other.
Click here to download the manual and the gcode.

Change Core

How to switch between different extruders in multicore printers?

  • turn off the printer
  • unplug all RJ45 plugs from extruders and driver
  • unscrew with a allen key of 4 the six screws on the metallic joints on the movimentation arms
  • separe the arms from the extruders and place them on the guide
  • remove the three bands in silicone from their position on the sliders (Flex Extruder doesn’t feature silicone bands)
  • Hide the cables in excess (or take the missing ones) in the space on the internal roof of the printer
  • place the new extruder and insert the silicone bands in their on the sliders
  • tighten the 6 Allen screws of the 4 to lock the joints to the extruder plate
  • connect the rj wiring of the extruder and the wire feeder according to the colors
  • proceed with auto-calibration

The multicore extruders are:

  • SPITFIRE
  • ZEN
  • FLEX

Cambiare Anti Ooze Shield

Anti ooze shield is a protection in WASP ZEN Extruder to avoid loss of melted material during the extruder change.
How to replace an anti ooze shield?

Change ZEN Extruder Cartridge

Change ZEN Extruder tool

Free Z system INDUSTRIAL LINE 4.0

Free Zeta System is the system for recovering a print at a known height.
Measure the value Z of the last printed layer, then:
Prepare>Free Zeta System
Get close with the arrows until last layer is touched.
Confirm clicking “go for gcode” and select the interested .gcode.
Wait for the loading of the file.
The operation, depending on the height, can take up to several minutes.

How Resurrection System works

It saves the print coordinates of where the printer stops due to power failure during a printing process.

A “RESURR.G” file is created in the directory of the original file. Turn on the printer then select the file “RESURR.G” from the SD card and wait for the restart of the printing process.

CAUTION: If the nozzle remains in contact with the printed object do not to select the “auto home” command.

The Resurrection procedure begins with the nozzle automatically heating to 100°C in order to avoid violent detachments from the printed object.

After this heating process the three axes will go to the “home” position automatically. The printing process will resume when the heated bed and the exruder reach the .gcode printing temperature.

RESURRECTION SYSTEM
Read more about Resurrection System.

The print doesn’t stick to the bed

Please make sure to have a correct printing bed leveling, following the procedure here >>.

Adhesion to the printing plate

  • Apply a layer of hair spray or glue on the printing surface in order to create a sticky layer that improves the adhesion of the molten plastic to it.

Extruder temperature and heated bed

  • Verify that the extruder and heated bed temperature are appropriate for the material that you want to print. (Check the data on the filament spool or on the filament manufacturer datasheet).

Missed extrusion of the filament

Check the .gcode file

  • Check that the .stl file does not presents 3d modeling issue (manifold edges / open surfaces).
  • Check if the parameters of the slicing software are correct Ex: nozzle diameter, filament diameter, % material flow, extrusion temperature, E-step/per mm.

Check if the extruder is working

  1. Make sure that the RJ45 cable is properly connected to the extruder. If it is not, turn the printer off and then connect the cable.
  2. Check that the flexible pipes connecting the filament driver and the extruder are connected tightly, and that there are no obstructions or dirt.
  3. Ensure that the filament has arrived to the melting zone inside the nozzle.

Check the leveling of the printing plate

  • If the nozzle is too close to the printing plate the filament will struggle to get out, causing a blockage of the filament driver motor and the filament pushing gear. Next, proceed with manual leveling procedure and clean the toothed gear to remove the any dust from between the teeth.
  1. Check the printing bed leveling and: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00. Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.
  2. Make sure that the power cable is well connected. If not, turn the printer is off and reconnect it.
  3. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  4. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well-connected to the motor shaft. To check this, hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  5. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working.
  6. Clean the extruder.

The printer is noisy

Extruder Cooling Fan

The cooling fan placed on the extruder may be loud if setted to the maximum speed. It’s possible to set the cooling fan speed from the slicing software according to your need.

Moving axes noises

  • Ensure that the noise does not come from the cooling fan placed on the extruder
  • Verify that the four sliders placed under every vertical slide can move correctly. Manually push them slowly from the bottom to the top of the printer. If there is friction contact customer service.
  • Check if the belt transmission bearings placed at the bottom of the printer have the correct fluidity.
  • Check the teeth of the belt. If there are expansions or deformations between the teeth or cuts/damages contact customer service.

Movement motors are losing steps

  • Movement motors are overheating
  • The pulley is not properly fixed to the movement motor shaft
  • Movement motors support is not properly fixed in position.

Extruder impacts

  • Check the printing bed leveling: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00. Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.
  • Check the dimension of the object that you’re about to print. If the object’s dimensions exceed the maximum size of the printing area the extruder may hit the walls of the printer. Input the correct parameters into the slicing software for the printer in use. (From firmware F20_rev6, F21_rev3 and F30_rev4 there is a software limitation).
  • Check the installed plug-in, disable the pause at Z plug-in or set a movement value that is not greater than the maximum printing area. (From firmware F20_rev6, F21_rev3 and F30_rev4 is present a limitation software).
  • Movement motors are losing steps. See previous paragraph.
  • Check the material flow during the extrusion. A flow percentage over 100% could lead to an accumulation of material over the printed object, causing the extruder to hit this material and make the transmission belts slide over the motor pulley and cause a loss of steps.
  • Check the integrity of the nozzle, if it’s loose it can slightly move down and hit the printed object, making the transmission belts slide over the motor pulley and cause a loss of steps.

The print is dephased

Loss of steps in movement:

  • Check gcode speed. Speeds greater than 250mm / s can cause the belt to slip around the pulley and cause loss of steps. (not with the TURBO model).
  • Check acceleration of movements. Accelerations greater than 6000 mm / s ”can cause the belt to slip around the pulley and cause loss of steps. (not with TURBO model).
  • Check extrusion flow. A percentage of material flow greater than 100% could lead to a build-up of material and cause impacts between the various layers.
  • Check extruder nozzle. Check that the nozzle is not unscrewed causing shocks to the molded piece.

The printed surface is “spongy”

Check the .gcode file

  • Check that the .stl file do not presents 3d modeling issue (manifold edges / open surfaces )
  • Ensure the parameters of the slicing software are correct Ex: nozzle diameter, filament diameter, % material flow, extrusion temperature, E-step. per mm.

Ensure the extruder is working

  1. Make sure that the RJ45 cable is properly connected to the extruder. If it is not, turn the printer off and then connect the cable.
  2. Check that the flexible pipes connecting the filament driver and the extruder are connected tightly, and that there are no obstructions or dirt inside them.
  3. Ensure that the filament has arrived to the melting zone inside the nozzle.

Check the leveling of the printing plate

  • If the nozzle is too close to the printing plate the filament will struggle to get out, causing a blockage between the filament driver motor and the filament pushing gear.
  • Then, proceed with manual leveling procedure and clean the toothed gear to remove any dust from between the teeth.

 Filament driver check

  1. Make sure that the power cable is connected. If not, turn the printer off and connect it properly.
  2. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  3. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well-connected to the motor shaft. To check this hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  4. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working. If not, contact the Technical Assistence.

Error MINTEMP / MAXTEMP

Verify the integrity of the RJ45 connector on the extruder and that it is properly plugged in. If not, reconnect it and restart the printer.

If the problems persist contact the Technical Assistence.

The extruder falls down at the end of the print

If at the end of the printing process the three steppers motors get disabled, the extruder may fall down and hit the printed object. This is caused by a command at the end of the Gcode, intended to save energy on Cartesian printers.

Disable the M84 command from the “END GCODE” section in the slicing software ( just add a semicolon before the command. Example: ” ;M84 “ ).

The filament breaks

Caused by the quality of the filament and exposure to humidity and/or sunlight.

Tolerance to exposure varies depending on the material, regardless, it is recomended to store the spool inside the original packaging while it is not in use.

.

Driver rotation is skipping backwards

Check the printing bed leveling

  • menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00
  • Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.

Check the filament driver

  1. Make sure that the power cable is well connected If not, turn the printer is off and reconnect it.
  2. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  3. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well connected to the motor shaft. To check this, hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  4. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working.

Clean the extruder

Driver replacement

  • Turn off the printer
  • Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top of the extruder.
  • Unplug the 8 pin connector placed on the filament driver cable.
  • Cut the plastic cable tie placed on the cable.
  • Remove the 3 green/transparent rubber bands and place the new filament driver.
  • Re-plug the 3 green/transparent rubber bands into the 3 pins placed on the top of the new filament driver.
  • Insert the 6mm Nylon tube into the pneumatic fitting on the extruder.
  • Re-plug the 8 pin connector.
  • Use plastic cable ties to make sure that the cables are located as before the operation.

The plastic of my brand new SPITFIRE Extruder looks worn out

The plastic cover in of our Spitfire extruders is the result of years of research on a very strong material that could resist in time at high-temperatures.

Today our extruders are manufactured in a specific technopolymer with very high performances charged with 50% of fiberglass. As a result, a Spitfire extruder can work for a longer time with high temperatures without melting or deforming. Also, this grants the possibility to assemble and disassemble it on the machine easily for its whole life.

These characteristics mean, for reasons due to injection molding, a matte and not-uniform finishing, with some whiter parts. These are the parts where the fiberglass is particularly dense on the surface.

SPITFIRE extruder cleaning

Operation A

Manually set the extruder temperature up 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Load PLA filament.

Rotate the black knob placed on the filament driver, counterclockwise to extrude, clockwise to retract the filament.
Alternate these movements until you see the extrusion of the filament.

Operation B

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

If the filament had difficultly being extruded it’s possible to use a needle (Ø<0.4mm) inside the nozzle in order to remove any internal impurities that are clogging the nozzle.

Operation C

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top pf the extruder.

Operation D

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top pf the extruder.

Insert a 2mm steel wire inside the extruder, from the top, and push it down in order to remove the material that is clogging the extruder.

SPITFIRE SYSTEM configuration and print

Spitfire set up process:

Operation A

Download, the spitfire system configuration includes PID values and slicing profiles (Cura and Simplify3d) specific for the spitfire.

Operation B

Change the fan type from A to B. From the display menu go to : Advancedsettings/temperature/Fantype-B

If you do not find these options, contact the Support Team to update the firmware.

Operation C

Print the Gcode pid spitfire.gcode  inside the Spitfire System Configuration folder preaviously downloaded.

Operation D

Load the print profiles provided in the Spitfire System Configuration folder, sub folder Spitfire Extruder profiles, you’ll find both profiles for Cura and Simplify3d.

Do you need to replace the extruder?

Warning. Do you need to replace the extruder? The following video tutorial shows how to do it correctly.

Change SPITFIRE Extruder

  • Turn off the printer
  • Unplug the RJ45 connector placed on the top of the extruder
  • Push down the ring on the joint placed in the higher part of the extruder and pull the 6mm nylon pipe.
  • Unscrew the two screws placed under the aluminum board supporting the extruder and remove the extruder by pulling
  • Insert the new extruder
  • Tighten the two screws placed under the aluminum board supporting the extruder
  • Insert the 6mm nylon pipe back in the joint
  • Plug the RJ45 connector placed on the top of the extruder
  • Turn on the machine and proceed with the calibration

Change SPITFIRE Extruder Cartridge

Here the video tutorial with the instruction for change the cartridge of spitfire extruder system. The guide to change and insert correctly the HT o LT cartridge.

Before the cartridge change be sure to have the hot end temperature set at 180°C.

Modify height (calibration)

The height (often called Z max) of the printer is the value that defines the distance between the nozzle and the print bed when it is in its zero position (home).
The height is part of the calibration values ​​of the machine and the right value is essential for good operation.

When the machine is turned on, in the monitoring screen it is possible to see among the values ​​shown that of the height saved in the machine (indicated as Z).

As the height value changes, the following scenarios may occur:

To manually change the height value, each printer is equipped with a dedicated command within the PREPARE menu, depending on the version it can be called:

  • Modify height;
  • Modification Z max (Set Z max).

The procedure for changing the Z max depends on the machine and firmware version.

  • Position the print bed and clean the nozzle;
  • Send the printer to zero position (autohome);
  • Use the command Prepare> Modify height (or Set Z max).

The screen allows you to choose a scale value at the top (between 10 mm, 1 mm, 0.1 mm) and consequently to go down by that value on the Z axis.

  1. With scale value 10, turn the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 20 mm from the printing surface;
  2. Click the knob once to select the scale value at 10mm;
  3. With scale value 1, rotate the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 2 mm from the printing surface;
  4. Click the knob once to select the scale value at 0.1 mm;
  5. With a scale value of 0.1, turn the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 1 mm from the printing surface;
  6. Click the knob twice to activate the “SAVE Z” item;
  7. Turn the knob to display “OK”;
  8. Click to confirm and save the new Z max;
  9. The machine will exit the command and will automatically go to the Home position.

If necessary, complete the calibration with the Prepare> Manual leveling command, adjusting the plane with uniform distance in all positions.

What compressor do i need for my 3d printer?

Compressed air is necessary for the operation of LDM 3D printers.
The pressure is used to push the piston inside the tank, in order to make the material flow inside the extruder.

For this reason, a supply of compressed air at a pressure of at least 10 bar is needed at the machine inlet.
The printer only needs pressure when printing and does not draw much air from the compressor, which only turns on when it needs to restore pressure.

The connection must be made with an 8 mm diameter nylon hose (external diameter) connected to the adjustable pressure control valve, mounted on the machine.

WASP recommends a compressor with the following characteristics:

For Delta WASP 2040 Clay models:
Capacity: at least 25 liters
Pressure: at least 8 bar
Oil/oil-free: preferably oil-free
Silenced: recommended
Example:
Geotech AC 24-8-10
STANLEY DST 150/8/24

For Delta WASP 40100 Clay models or above:
Capacity: at least 50 liters
Pressure: at least 8 bar
Oil/oil-free: preferably oil-free
Silenced: recommended
Example:
Stanley DST 150/8/50

It is recommended not to connect other devices and accessories to the compressor dedicated to the printer.
Compressors with lower capacities could cause discontinuity in pressure.
The pressure control is present on the machine so it is not necessary for the compressor to be near the printer.

Can i use chamotte, paper clay or other aggregates?

The aggregates within the printing mixtures can be useful for changing their properties and facilitating printing.

CHAMOTTE

Chamotte (also called grog) is a powder obtained from the ground ceramic material after firing. It can be added to clayey mixtures to modify its properties.

Recommended for use with large prints to avoid collapses and reduce deformations during cooking.

PAPER CLAY

Name used for clay-based mixtures with the addition of cellulose fibers (paper).

It can help during printing to reduce collapse and promote drying. During cooking the fibers burn leaving porosity.

MAXIMUM DIMENSIONS

In LDM 3D printing, the maximum grain size values ​​for the aggregates added to the mix depend on the type of extruder:
LDM extruder (3.0 and earlier): max diameter 0.2 mm
LDM XL extruder (2.0 and earlier): max diameter 0.5 mm

Particle size values ​​higher than those stated above can irreversibly wear the extruder and clog the printing nozzle.

How to open the tank?

From 2019 the new tanks for the  Delta WASP Clay and the Clay kits are available.. Just follow the instruction from the  following video.

How to load the tank with the dough?

Prepare an homogeneous and without air bubbles dough.
You can hand paste the dough or for big quantity you can use a mixer.
Just watch the video to see two different  loading-ways.

How can I manage the correct printing flow?

During printing, the best method to check if the flow is correct is to verify  the thickness of the layers while being printed.
Then check that the layers  are perfectly closed each other and at the same time do not create over abundances of material thatmight irty the print and the nozzle.

high flow
low flow
correct flow

How can I recognize that the clay is ready to be used for 3D printing?

Depending on the type of material you want to use, the goal is to reach a mixture that is fluid enough to be able to come out from the small nozzles but at the same time hard enough to avoid collapse during printing.
It is therefore a matter of adding or removing water from the dough.
To determine when the material has the right characteristics for printing, just use the syringe supplied with the printer or the WASP Clay Kit.

Then:
Put the material inside the syringe. (any normal 5 ml syringe is good for this use – just cut the edge)
Push the piston up to 1 ml notch – You can have three different options:

  1. the material is horizontal. this dough is too hard 
    hard material

     

  2. The material immediately collapses down. This dough is too soft 
    soft material

     

  3. The material slightly collapses down. This dough is correct 
    correct material

     

A further test is to verify that , once the dough in under pressure inside the tank – when coming out,  the correct pressure must be between 4 and 5 bar.

Delta WASP 2040 Clay set up

 

Cleaning LDM WASP Extruder XL

Cleaning LDM WASP Extruder

Can I change speed and flow while printing?

LDM printing by its nature involves working with mixtures that can vary from each other with different characteristics of consistency, humidity, homogeneity, rheology.
This requires greater flexibility in the printing process.

For this reason the WASP printers allow during the printing process a real time tuning of significant values ​​for the process.
Changing these values ​​will modify the gcode reading (without modifying the gcode itself).
Changing the flow and speed values ​​to print in the best possible way is not to be considered an error or a “fallback” but is part of the development of each mixture and is therefore a recommended practice.

Manual Leveling

Manual leveling is a procedure used to restore the flatness of the print bed with respect to the printer reference.
Leveling is part of the machine’s calibration values and the right value is essential for good operation.
This value is automatically saved by the machine during autocalibration.

In machines not compatible with the self-calibration system it is necessary to use the Change height procedure before leveling the table, to obtain a correct calibration.

When a floor is not leveled correctly, various problems can be encountered, as shown in the figure.
This can cause detachment in parts where the printer reference is higher than the real one and collisions where the printer reference is lower than the real one.

The leveling of the plate is based on the Cartesian principle of the plane passing through three points.
As you can see in the figure, there are three adjustment points arranged around the plate according to the vertices of an equilateral triangle (POSITION 1,2,3)
By properly adjusting each of these points with respect to the printer reference (physically represented by the nozzle), the correct flatness for printing is obtained.
There is also a fourth central position (POSITION 0) that is not adjustable but sensitive to other adjustments. It is useful during the leveling process

Each printer has different handles or screws for the regulation of the bed leveling.

WASP 40100 Clay: When printing directly on the floor it’s not needed to level the machine.
Use abundant flow values of the first layer for ensuring a good adhesion.

Can I use the dough left in the tank for several days?

The mixtures for LDM 3D printing are suitable for use as long as they are in their correct range of consistency and humidity.

If a mixture is left free to dry on a table in a few minutes / hours it could become useless and require re-kneading.

A mixture inside the closed tank, on the other hand, can be kept for several days thanks to the insulation from the outside that prevents moisture from escaping.

To ensure that the mixture is kept as long as possible:

  • Immediately remove all pressure from the tank at the end of the print;
  • Seal the tip of the nozzle hermetically with adhesive tape (to prevent the material close to the outlet from hardening).

The amount of days that can pass without compromising the mixture depends on various factors but above all on the initial consistency of the material and the environment.

Difference between Delta WASP INDUSTRIAL and Delta WASP INDUSTRIAL 4.0

The Industrial Line was born to satisfy the need to print technical materials  inside a hot chamber.
Thanks to its auto-levelling system it improves the machine performances and makes it easier to be used.
In 2019 the Industrial Line becomes the INDUSTRIAL 4.0. to accomplish the requirements to obtain the Italian government facilities Industry 4.0.

The main differences  with the previous line are in the following features:

  • touch screen display
  • WIFI connection
  • heaters up to 80 °C  for the hot chamber
  • Hot and Cold Technology
  • tutorial on board
  • continuous pellet feeding system (actually only on Delta WASP 3MT INDUSTRIAL  4.0)
  • end-pellet sensor  (only on Delta WASP 3MT INDUSTRIAL 4.0)

Autocalibration

Autocalibration is a systema for calibrating the planarity of the bed automatically and simplifying the adhesion of the first layer.

Compatible with:

Delta WASP 2040 T2, Delta WASP 2040 PRO, Delta WASP 2040 INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP 4070 INDUSTRIAL, Delta WASP 4070 INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP 3MT INDUSTRIAL 4.0, Delta WASP INDUSTRIAL 4.0 line

  • For enabling the autocalibration follow this procedure: (for Delta WASP 3MT IND 4.0 read Autocalibration 3MT IND 4.0
  • Clean nozzle and printing bed
  • With the printer turned off place the nozzle on the printing bed
  • Turn on the machine and wait for the message “AUTOCALIB ENABLED”
  • If the message is not shown try to heat up the nozzle, clean it and also clean the printing bed
  • As the message is shown launch Autocalibration this way:
  • Menu>Prepare>Autocalib (2040 T2, 2040 PRO, 4070 IND)
  • PRINT/AUTOCALIB (Industrial line 4.0)
  • As nozzle reach the temperature the autocalibration will start
  • Wait for the machine to perform the calibration (it may take few minutes)
  • It’s very recommended to launch autocalibration with the bed at printing temperature

ATTENTION
Autocalibration is enabled thanks to an electrical contact between nozzle and printing bed.
If the printing bed is different from the one provided with the machine make sure that it’s conductive. If it’s not you can still perform a manual leveling.

WASP ZEN Extruder calibration

The calibration of the ZEN extruder is based on the principle of the nonius used in every caliper. It’s made of two overlapping grids with slightly dierent size of the cells, each line corresponds to 0,1mm. The position of the second extruder (T1) compared to the first (T0) depends on the coordinate that perfectly overlaps the other.
Click here to download the manual and the gcode.

Change Core

How to switch between different extruders in multicore printers?

  • turn off the printer
  • unplug all RJ45 plugs from extruders and driver
  • unscrew with a allen key of 4 the six screws on the metallic joints on the movimentation arms
  • separe the arms from the extruders and place them on the guide
  • remove the three bands in silicone from their position on the sliders (Flex Extruder doesn’t feature silicone bands)
  • Hide the cables in excess (or take the missing ones) in the space on the internal roof of the printer
  • place the new extruder and insert the silicone bands in their on the sliders
  • tighten the 6 Allen screws of the 4 to lock the joints to the extruder plate
  • connect the rj wiring of the extruder and the wire feeder according to the colors
  • proceed with auto-calibration

The multicore extruders are:

  • SPITFIRE
  • ZEN
  • FLEX

Cambiare Anti Ooze Shield

Anti ooze shield is a protection in WASP ZEN Extruder to avoid loss of melted material during the extruder change.
How to replace an anti ooze shield?

Change ZEN Extruder Cartridge

Change ZEN Extruder tool

Free Z system INDUSTRIAL LINE 4.0

Free Zeta System is the system for recovering a print at a known height.
Measure the value Z of the last printed layer, then:
Prepare>Free Zeta System
Get close with the arrows until last layer is touched.
Confirm clicking “go for gcode” and select the interested .gcode.
Wait for the loading of the file.
The operation, depending on the height, can take up to several minutes.

How Resurrection System works

It saves the print coordinates of where the printer stops due to power failure during a printing process.

A “RESURR.G” file is created in the directory of the original file. Turn on the printer then select the file “RESURR.G” from the SD card and wait for the restart of the printing process.

CAUTION: If the nozzle remains in contact with the printed object do not to select the “auto home” command.

The Resurrection procedure begins with the nozzle automatically heating to 100°C in order to avoid violent detachments from the printed object.

After this heating process the three axes will go to the “home” position automatically. The printing process will resume when the heated bed and the exruder reach the .gcode printing temperature.

RESURRECTION SYSTEM
Read more about Resurrection System.

The print doesn’t stick to the bed

Please make sure to have a correct printing bed leveling, following the procedure here >>.

Adhesion to the printing plate

  • Apply a layer of hair spray or glue on the printing surface in order to create a sticky layer that improves the adhesion of the molten plastic to it.

Extruder temperature and heated bed

  • Verify that the extruder and heated bed temperature are appropriate for the material that you want to print. (Check the data on the filament spool or on the filament manufacturer datasheet).

Missed extrusion of the filament

Check the .gcode file

  • Check that the .stl file does not presents 3d modeling issue (manifold edges / open surfaces).
  • Check if the parameters of the slicing software are correct Ex: nozzle diameter, filament diameter, % material flow, extrusion temperature, E-step/per mm.

Check if the extruder is working

  1. Make sure that the RJ45 cable is properly connected to the extruder. If it is not, turn the printer off and then connect the cable.
  2. Check that the flexible pipes connecting the filament driver and the extruder are connected tightly, and that there are no obstructions or dirt.
  3. Ensure that the filament has arrived to the melting zone inside the nozzle.

Check the leveling of the printing plate

  • If the nozzle is too close to the printing plate the filament will struggle to get out, causing a blockage of the filament driver motor and the filament pushing gear. Next, proceed with manual leveling procedure and clean the toothed gear to remove the any dust from between the teeth.
  1. Check the printing bed leveling and: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00. Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.
  2. Make sure that the power cable is well connected. If not, turn the printer is off and reconnect it.
  3. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  4. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well-connected to the motor shaft. To check this, hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  5. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working.
  6. Clean the extruder.

The printer is noisy

Extruder Cooling Fan

The cooling fan placed on the extruder may be loud if setted to the maximum speed. It’s possible to set the cooling fan speed from the slicing software according to your need.

Moving axes noises

  • Ensure that the noise does not come from the cooling fan placed on the extruder
  • Verify that the four sliders placed under every vertical slide can move correctly. Manually push them slowly from the bottom to the top of the printer. If there is friction contact customer service.
  • Check if the belt transmission bearings placed at the bottom of the printer have the correct fluidity.
  • Check the teeth of the belt. If there are expansions or deformations between the teeth or cuts/damages contact customer service.

Movement motors are losing steps

  • Movement motors are overheating
  • The pulley is not properly fixed to the movement motor shaft
  • Movement motors support is not properly fixed in position.

Extruder impacts

  • Check the printing bed leveling: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00. Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.
  • Check the dimension of the object that you’re about to print. If the object’s dimensions exceed the maximum size of the printing area the extruder may hit the walls of the printer. Input the correct parameters into the slicing software for the printer in use. (From firmware F20_rev6, F21_rev3 and F30_rev4 there is a software limitation).
  • Check the installed plug-in, disable the pause at Z plug-in or set a movement value that is not greater than the maximum printing area. (From firmware F20_rev6, F21_rev3 and F30_rev4 is present a limitation software).
  • Movement motors are losing steps. See previous paragraph.
  • Check the material flow during the extrusion. A flow percentage over 100% could lead to an accumulation of material over the printed object, causing the extruder to hit this material and make the transmission belts slide over the motor pulley and cause a loss of steps.
  • Check the integrity of the nozzle, if it’s loose it can slightly move down and hit the printed object, making the transmission belts slide over the motor pulley and cause a loss of steps.

The print is dephased

Loss of steps in movement:

  • Check gcode speed. Speeds greater than 250mm / s can cause the belt to slip around the pulley and cause loss of steps. (not with the TURBO model).
  • Check acceleration of movements. Accelerations greater than 6000 mm / s ”can cause the belt to slip around the pulley and cause loss of steps. (not with TURBO model).
  • Check extrusion flow. A percentage of material flow greater than 100% could lead to a build-up of material and cause impacts between the various layers.
  • Check extruder nozzle. Check that the nozzle is not unscrewed causing shocks to the molded piece.

The printed surface is “spongy”

Check the .gcode file

  • Check that the .stl file do not presents 3d modeling issue (manifold edges / open surfaces )
  • Ensure the parameters of the slicing software are correct Ex: nozzle diameter, filament diameter, % material flow, extrusion temperature, E-step. per mm.

Ensure the extruder is working

  1. Make sure that the RJ45 cable is properly connected to the extruder. If it is not, turn the printer off and then connect the cable.
  2. Check that the flexible pipes connecting the filament driver and the extruder are connected tightly, and that there are no obstructions or dirt inside them.
  3. Ensure that the filament has arrived to the melting zone inside the nozzle.

Check the leveling of the printing plate

  • If the nozzle is too close to the printing plate the filament will struggle to get out, causing a blockage between the filament driver motor and the filament pushing gear.
  • Then, proceed with manual leveling procedure and clean the toothed gear to remove any dust from between the teeth.

 Filament driver check

  1. Make sure that the power cable is connected. If not, turn the printer off and connect it properly.
  2. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  3. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well-connected to the motor shaft. To check this hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  4. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working. If not, contact the Technical Assistence.

Error MINTEMP / MAXTEMP

Verify the integrity of the RJ45 connector on the extruder and that it is properly plugged in. If not, reconnect it and restart the printer.

If the problems persist contact the Technical Assistence.

The extruder falls down at the end of the print

If at the end of the printing process the three steppers motors get disabled, the extruder may fall down and hit the printed object. This is caused by a command at the end of the Gcode, intended to save energy on Cartesian printers.

Disable the M84 command from the “END GCODE” section in the slicing software ( just add a semicolon before the command. Example: ” ;M84 “ ).

The filament breaks

Caused by the quality of the filament and exposure to humidity and/or sunlight.

Tolerance to exposure varies depending on the material, regardless, it is recomended to store the spool inside the original packaging while it is not in use.

.

Load filament

Heat the extruder, through the menu > prepare > preheat PLA / ABS.

Removal: Once it reaches the proper temperature, manually extrude some material and then, pushing the filament driver lever down, pull the filament out from the extruder.

Replacement: With the extruder hot, insert the new filament, and manually rotate the black knob counterclockwise until the material is extruded.

Driver rotation is skipping backwards

Check the printing bed leveling

  • menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00
  • Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.

Check the filament driver

  1. Make sure that the power cable is well connected If not, turn the printer is off and reconnect it.
  2. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  3. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well connected to the motor shaft. To check this, hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  4. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working.

Clean the extruder

Driver replacement

  • Turn off the printer
  • Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top of the extruder.
  • Unplug the 8 pin connector placed on the filament driver cable.
  • Cut the plastic cable tie placed on the cable.
  • Remove the 3 green/transparent rubber bands and place the new filament driver.
  • Re-plug the 3 green/transparent rubber bands into the 3 pins placed on the top of the new filament driver.
  • Insert the 6mm Nylon tube into the pneumatic fitting on the extruder.
  • Re-plug the 8 pin connector.
  • Use plastic cable ties to make sure that the cables are located as before the operation.

The plastic of my brand new SPITFIRE Extruder looks worn out

The plastic cover in of our Spitfire extruders is the result of years of research on a very strong material that could resist in time at high-temperatures.

Today our extruders are manufactured in a specific technopolymer with very high performances charged with 50% of fiberglass. As a result, a Spitfire extruder can work for a longer time with high temperatures without melting or deforming. Also, this grants the possibility to assemble and disassemble it on the machine easily for its whole life.

These characteristics mean, for reasons due to injection molding, a matte and not-uniform finishing, with some whiter parts. These are the parts where the fiberglass is particularly dense on the surface.

SPITFIRE extruder cleaning

Operation A

Manually set the extruder temperature up 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Load PLA filament.

Rotate the black knob placed on the filament driver, counterclockwise to extrude, clockwise to retract the filament.
Alternate these movements until you see the extrusion of the filament.

Operation B

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

If the filament had difficultly being extruded it’s possible to use a needle (Ø<0.4mm) inside the nozzle in order to remove any internal impurities that are clogging the nozzle.

Operation C

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top pf the extruder.

Operation D

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top pf the extruder.

Insert a 2mm steel wire inside the extruder, from the top, and push it down in order to remove the material that is clogging the extruder.

SPITFIRE SYSTEM configuration and print

Spitfire set up process:

Operation A

Download, the spitfire system configuration includes PID values and slicing profiles (Cura and Simplify3d) specific for the spitfire.

Operation B

Change the fan type from A to B. From the display menu go to : Advancedsettings/temperature/Fantype-B

If you do not find these options, contact the Support Team to update the firmware.

Operation C

Print the Gcode pid spitfire.gcode  inside the Spitfire System Configuration folder preaviously downloaded.

Operation D

Load the print profiles provided in the Spitfire System Configuration folder, sub folder Spitfire Extruder profiles, you’ll find both profiles for Cura and Simplify3d.

Do you need to replace the extruder?

Warning. Do you need to replace the extruder? The following video tutorial shows how to do it correctly.

Change SPITFIRE Extruder

  • Turn off the printer
  • Unplug the RJ45 connector placed on the top of the extruder
  • Push down the ring on the joint placed in the higher part of the extruder and pull the 6mm nylon pipe.
  • Unscrew the two screws placed under the aluminum board supporting the extruder and remove the extruder by pulling
  • Insert the new extruder
  • Tighten the two screws placed under the aluminum board supporting the extruder
  • Insert the 6mm nylon pipe back in the joint
  • Plug the RJ45 connector placed on the top of the extruder
  • Turn on the machine and proceed with the calibration

Change SPITFIRE Extruder Cartridge

Here the video tutorial with the instruction for change the cartridge of spitfire extruder system. The guide to change and insert correctly the HT o LT cartridge.

Before the cartridge change be sure to have the hot end temperature set at 180°C.

Modify height (calibration)

The height (often called Z max) of the printer is the value that defines the distance between the nozzle and the print bed when it is in its zero position (home).
The height is part of the calibration values ​​of the machine and the right value is essential for good operation.

When the machine is turned on, in the monitoring screen it is possible to see among the values ​​shown that of the height saved in the machine (indicated as Z).

As the height value changes, the following scenarios may occur:

To manually change the height value, each printer is equipped with a dedicated command within the PREPARE menu, depending on the version it can be called:

  • Modify height;
  • Modification Z max (Set Z max).

The procedure for changing the Z max depends on the machine and firmware version.

  • Position the print bed and clean the nozzle;
  • Send the printer to zero position (autohome);
  • Use the command Prepare> Modify height (or Set Z max).

The screen allows you to choose a scale value at the top (between 10 mm, 1 mm, 0.1 mm) and consequently to go down by that value on the Z axis.

  1. With scale value 10, turn the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 20 mm from the printing surface;
  2. Click the knob once to select the scale value at 10mm;
  3. With scale value 1, rotate the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 2 mm from the printing surface;
  4. Click the knob once to select the scale value at 0.1 mm;
  5. With a scale value of 0.1, turn the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 1 mm from the printing surface;
  6. Click the knob twice to activate the “SAVE Z” item;
  7. Turn the knob to display “OK”;
  8. Click to confirm and save the new Z max;
  9. The machine will exit the command and will automatically go to the Home position.

If necessary, complete the calibration with the Prepare> Manual leveling command, adjusting the plane with uniform distance in all positions.

Free Z system

Free Zeta System is the system for recovering a print at a known height.

Measure the value Z of the last printed layer, then:

  • Menu > Prepare > Move Axis > 10,1,0.1 > Z axis;
  • Get close until last layer is touched and take note of Z value.

Then:

  • Menu > Free Zeta System;
  • Insert Z value;
  • Select .gcode.

Wait for file to load. The operation, depending on the height, can take up to several minutes.

The print doesn’t stick to the bed

Please make sure to have a correct printing bed leveling, following the procedure here >>.

Adhesion to the printing plate

  • Apply a layer of hair spray or glue on the printing surface in order to create a sticky layer that improves the adhesion of the molten plastic to it.

Extruder temperature and heated bed

  • Verify that the extruder and heated bed temperature are appropriate for the material that you want to print. (Check the data on the filament spool or on the filament manufacturer datasheet).

Missed extrusion of the filament

Check the .gcode file

  • Check that the .stl file does not presents 3d modeling issue (manifold edges / open surfaces).
  • Check if the parameters of the slicing software are correct Ex: nozzle diameter, filament diameter, % material flow, extrusion temperature, E-step/per mm.

Check if the extruder is working

  1. Make sure that the RJ45 cable is properly connected to the extruder. If it is not, turn the printer off and then connect the cable.
  2. Check that the flexible pipes connecting the filament driver and the extruder are connected tightly, and that there are no obstructions or dirt.
  3. Ensure that the filament has arrived to the melting zone inside the nozzle.

Check the leveling of the printing plate

  • If the nozzle is too close to the printing plate the filament will struggle to get out, causing a blockage of the filament driver motor and the filament pushing gear. Next, proceed with manual leveling procedure and clean the toothed gear to remove the any dust from between the teeth.
  1. Check the printing bed leveling and: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00. Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.
  2. Make sure that the power cable is well connected. If not, turn the printer is off and reconnect it.
  3. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  4. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well-connected to the motor shaft. To check this, hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  5. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working.
  6. Clean the extruder.

The printer is noisy

Extruder Cooling Fan

The cooling fan placed on the extruder may be loud if setted to the maximum speed. It’s possible to set the cooling fan speed from the slicing software according to your need.

Moving axes noises

  • Ensure that the noise does not come from the cooling fan placed on the extruder
  • Verify that the four sliders placed under every vertical slide can move correctly. Manually push them slowly from the bottom to the top of the printer. If there is friction contact customer service.
  • Check if the belt transmission bearings placed at the bottom of the printer have the correct fluidity.
  • Check the teeth of the belt. If there are expansions or deformations between the teeth or cuts/damages contact customer service.

Movement motors are losing steps

  • Movement motors are overheating
  • The pulley is not properly fixed to the movement motor shaft
  • Movement motors support is not properly fixed in position.

Extruder impacts

  • Check the printing bed leveling: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00. Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.
  • Check the dimension of the object that you’re about to print. If the object’s dimensions exceed the maximum size of the printing area the extruder may hit the walls of the printer. Input the correct parameters into the slicing software for the printer in use. (From firmware F20_rev6, F21_rev3 and F30_rev4 there is a software limitation).
  • Check the installed plug-in, disable the pause at Z plug-in or set a movement value that is not greater than the maximum printing area. (From firmware F20_rev6, F21_rev3 and F30_rev4 is present a limitation software).
  • Movement motors are losing steps. See previous paragraph.
  • Check the material flow during the extrusion. A flow percentage over 100% could lead to an accumulation of material over the printed object, causing the extruder to hit this material and make the transmission belts slide over the motor pulley and cause a loss of steps.
  • Check the integrity of the nozzle, if it’s loose it can slightly move down and hit the printed object, making the transmission belts slide over the motor pulley and cause a loss of steps.

The print is dephased

Loss of steps in movement:

  • Check gcode speed. Speeds greater than 250mm / s can cause the belt to slip around the pulley and cause loss of steps. (not with the TURBO model).
  • Check acceleration of movements. Accelerations greater than 6000 mm / s ”can cause the belt to slip around the pulley and cause loss of steps. (not with TURBO model).
  • Check extrusion flow. A percentage of material flow greater than 100% could lead to a build-up of material and cause impacts between the various layers.
  • Check extruder nozzle. Check that the nozzle is not unscrewed causing shocks to the molded piece.

The printed surface is “spongy”

Check the .gcode file

  • Check that the .stl file do not presents 3d modeling issue (manifold edges / open surfaces )
  • Ensure the parameters of the slicing software are correct Ex: nozzle diameter, filament diameter, % material flow, extrusion temperature, E-step. per mm.

Ensure the extruder is working

  1. Make sure that the RJ45 cable is properly connected to the extruder. If it is not, turn the printer off and then connect the cable.
  2. Check that the flexible pipes connecting the filament driver and the extruder are connected tightly, and that there are no obstructions or dirt inside them.
  3. Ensure that the filament has arrived to the melting zone inside the nozzle.

Check the leveling of the printing plate

  • If the nozzle is too close to the printing plate the filament will struggle to get out, causing a blockage between the filament driver motor and the filament pushing gear.
  • Then, proceed with manual leveling procedure and clean the toothed gear to remove any dust from between the teeth.

 Filament driver check

  1. Make sure that the power cable is connected. If not, turn the printer off and connect it properly.
  2. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  3. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well-connected to the motor shaft. To check this hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  4. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working. If not, contact the Technical Assistence.

Error MINTEMP / MAXTEMP

Verify the integrity of the RJ45 connector on the extruder and that it is properly plugged in. If not, reconnect it and restart the printer.

If the problems persist contact the Technical Assistence.

The extruder falls down at the end of the print

If at the end of the printing process the three steppers motors get disabled, the extruder may fall down and hit the printed object. This is caused by a command at the end of the Gcode, intended to save energy on Cartesian printers.

Disable the M84 command from the “END GCODE” section in the slicing software ( just add a semicolon before the command. Example: ” ;M84 “ ).

The filament breaks

Caused by the quality of the filament and exposure to humidity and/or sunlight.

Tolerance to exposure varies depending on the material, regardless, it is recomended to store the spool inside the original packaging while it is not in use.

.

Load filament

Heat the extruder, through the menu > prepare > preheat PLA / ABS.

Removal: Once it reaches the proper temperature, manually extrude some material and then, pushing the filament driver lever down, pull the filament out from the extruder.

Replacement: With the extruder hot, insert the new filament, and manually rotate the black knob counterclockwise until the material is extruded.

Leveling of the printing bed

  • Start by preheating the nozzle and bed at the desired printing temperatures, so: menu > advanced > temperature > nozzle and bed. Wait for the heating.
  • Make sure that the printer is placed on a flat and stable surface. Check the leveling, so: menu > prepare > manual leveling > position.
  • Follow the next procedure in this order: 01 02 03 01 02 03 00.
    Change the distance between nozzle and bed to about 0.1mm by rotating the leveling wheel corresponding to the hotend position (on a Delta WASP 4070 screw/unscrew the outermost Phillips screws on the heated bed).
  • An higher or lower distance could cause extrusion problems or adhesion ones. A good way to ensure it is calibrated correctly is by attempting to push a sheet of paper between the nozzle and the print bed. The paper should be able to slip under without folding, but just barely.

Driver rotation is skipping backwards

Check the printing bed leveling

  • menu > prepare > manual leveling > position > 00 > 01 > 02 > 03 > 00
  • Calibrate a distance of about 0.1mm between the tip of the nozzle and the glass plate.

Check the filament driver

  1. Make sure that the power cable is well connected If not, turn the printer is off and reconnect it.
  2. Make sure the control is active, then: menu > prepare > movement > 1mm > extruder.
  3. Check that the black knob on the threaded gear is well connected to the motor shaft. To check this, hold the lever of the filament driver and try to pull the knob. Then tighten the M3 set screw on the flat surface of the motor shaft, while centering the toothed part with the filament passageway.
  4. Check if the cooling fan placed under the filament driver motor is working.

Clean the extruder

Driver replacement

  • Turn off the printer
  • Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top of the extruder.
  • Unplug the 8 pin connector placed on the filament driver cable.
  • Cut the plastic cable tie placed on the cable.
  • Remove the 3 green/transparent rubber bands and place the new filament driver.
  • Re-plug the 3 green/transparent rubber bands into the 3 pins placed on the top of the new filament driver.
  • Insert the 6mm Nylon tube into the pneumatic fitting on the extruder.
  • Re-plug the 8 pin connector.
  • Use plastic cable ties to make sure that the cables are located as before the operation.

The plastic of my brand new SPITFIRE Extruder looks worn out

The plastic cover in of our Spitfire extruders is the result of years of research on a very strong material that could resist in time at high-temperatures.

Today our extruders are manufactured in a specific technopolymer with very high performances charged with 50% of fiberglass. As a result, a Spitfire extruder can work for a longer time with high temperatures without melting or deforming. Also, this grants the possibility to assemble and disassemble it on the machine easily for its whole life.

These characteristics mean, for reasons due to injection molding, a matte and not-uniform finishing, with some whiter parts. These are the parts where the fiberglass is particularly dense on the surface.

Replacement nozzle and PTFE pipe

It’s possible to change the nozzle on the extruders purchased between 2016 and 2018, this allows also different nozzle sizes, faster prints, and greater layer thickness. If you have a Spitfire Extruder, purchased after 2018, you can directly change the cartridge as you can see in this video.

To change the nozzle proceed as follows:

  • Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.
  • Unscrew the old nozzle with a 5.5mm spanner key and remove it carefully using a cloth in order to avoid getting burnt.
  • Replace the nozzle with a new one, screw it until tight.
  • Proceed with the manual leveling of the printing bed.

SPITFIRE extruder cleaning

Operation A

Manually set the extruder temperature up 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Load PLA filament.

Rotate the black knob placed on the filament driver, counterclockwise to extrude, clockwise to retract the filament.
Alternate these movements until you see the extrusion of the filament.

Operation B

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

If the filament had difficultly being extruded it’s possible to use a needle (Ø<0.4mm) inside the nozzle in order to remove any internal impurities that are clogging the nozzle.

Operation C

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top pf the extruder.

Operation D

Manually set the extruder temperature up to 200° through the menu > control > temperature > nozzle > 200°.

Extract the 6mm Nylon tube, by pushing down the metal ring placed on the top pf the extruder.

Insert a 2mm steel wire inside the extruder, from the top, and push it down in order to remove the material that is clogging the extruder.

SPITFIRE SYSTEM configuration and print

Spitfire set up process:

Operation A

Download, the spitfire system configuration includes PID values and slicing profiles (Cura and Simplify3d) specific for the spitfire.

Operation B

Change the fan type from A to B. From the display menu go to : Advancedsettings/temperature/Fantype-B

If you do not find these options, contact the Support Team to update the firmware.

Operation C

Print the Gcode pid spitfire.gcode  inside the Spitfire System Configuration folder preaviously downloaded.

Operation D

Load the print profiles provided in the Spitfire System Configuration folder, sub folder Spitfire Extruder profiles, you’ll find both profiles for Cura and Simplify3d.

Do you need to replace the extruder?

Warning. Do you need to replace the extruder? The following video tutorial shows how to do it correctly.

Change SPITFIRE Extruder

  • Turn off the printer
  • Unplug the RJ45 connector placed on the top of the extruder
  • Push down the ring on the joint placed in the higher part of the extruder and pull the 6mm nylon pipe.
  • Unscrew the two screws placed under the aluminum board supporting the extruder and remove the extruder by pulling
  • Insert the new extruder
  • Tighten the two screws placed under the aluminum board supporting the extruder
  • Insert the 6mm nylon pipe back in the joint
  • Plug the RJ45 connector placed on the top of the extruder
  • Turn on the machine and proceed with the calibration

Change SPITFIRE Extruder Cartridge

Here the video tutorial with the instruction for change the cartridge of spitfire extruder system. The guide to change and insert correctly the HT o LT cartridge.

Before the cartridge change be sure to have the hot end temperature set at 180°C.

Modify height (calibration)

The height (often called Z max) of the printer is the value that defines the distance between the nozzle and the print bed when it is in its zero position (home).
The height is part of the calibration values ​​of the machine and the right value is essential for good operation.

When the machine is turned on, in the monitoring screen it is possible to see among the values ​​shown that of the height saved in the machine (indicated as Z).

As the height value changes, the following scenarios may occur:

To manually change the height value, each printer is equipped with a dedicated command within the PREPARE menu, depending on the version it can be called:

  • Modify height;
  • Modification Z max (Set Z max).

The procedure for changing the Z max depends on the machine and firmware version.

  • Position the print bed and clean the nozzle;
  • Send the printer to zero position (autohome);
  • Use the command Prepare> Modify height (or Set Z max).

The screen allows you to choose a scale value at the top (between 10 mm, 1 mm, 0.1 mm) and consequently to go down by that value on the Z axis.

  1. With scale value 10, turn the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 20 mm from the printing surface;
  2. Click the knob once to select the scale value at 10mm;
  3. With scale value 1, rotate the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 2 mm from the printing surface;
  4. Click the knob once to select the scale value at 0.1 mm;
  5. With a scale value of 0.1, turn the control knob making the nozzle descend to about 1 mm from the printing surface;
  6. Click the knob twice to activate the “SAVE Z” item;
  7. Turn the knob to display “OK”;
  8. Click to confirm and save the new Z max;
  9. The machine will exit the command and will automatically go to the Home position.

If necessary, complete the calibration with the Prepare> Manual leveling command, adjusting the plane with uniform distance in all positions.

Tutorial

GCODE CREATION

Be sure that the 3d model presents the following caratteristics:
– closed solid
– correct positioning
– .stl file export

SLICING SOFTWARE

The slicing softwares are used to slice the .stl files into different sections, allowing the user to change the printing speed and the quality of the printed object. The result of the slicing is a text file that contains all the commands and the coordinates that the machine will execute.

Open the slicing software (ie. CURA) and upload the .ini profile contained into the SD card found with the printer, inside the “Configuration” folder.
Load the .STL file into the slicing software.
Save the .Gcode into the SD card and insert it into the printer.

TURNING ON THE PRINTER

Remove the three clips placed on the movement belts and position the printing bed, fixing it with the threaded fasteners.
Turn on the printer by activating the switch placed on the back of the printer.
Select prepare>auto home from the display menu and check that all the sledges are moving to the endstops

PRINTING BED LEVELING

It’s advised to repeat the bed leveling process before every print.
Select prepare > manual leveling > 0-1-2-3 and adjust the distance between the nozzle and the printing bed (for the model DeltaWASP4070 screw up / down the three screws placed on the aluminum plate inside the printer).

FILAMENT LOAD / UNLOAD
It’s necessary to pre heat the extruder depending on the material that is going to be printed, select form the menu prepare > pre heat PLA /ABS and wait for the extruder to reach the correct temperature.
Place the spool in position (upper part of the machine) and manually insert the filament into the PTFE pipe, then push the filament into the filament driver, rotating the black knob until the molten plastic comes out from the nozzle.

PRINTING FILE SELECTION

Before printing it’s necessary to apply a small amount of hair-spray / glue on the printing bed (we advise to perform this procedure with the printing bed removed from the printer).
The print will automatically start as soon as the extruder and the heated bed reach the predetermined temperature.

PRINTING PROCESS FUNCTIONS

During the printing process new functions will be enabled in the printer menu, such as pause, filament change, stop and save, stop print.

PRINTED PART REMOVAL

Use a spatula to lift the printed part and detach it from the printing bed.

Versione Cura 13.06
1) Aprire cura e cliccare su next

2) Selezionare “other” e poi proseguire con la configurazione

3) Inserire i seguenti parametri

4) Aprire la finestra “Preferenze”

5) Impostare come valore “Step per E”: 0

6) Aprire “Expert Settings”

7) Impostazioni base

8) Caricare il file .stl

9) Impostazioni base per la PowerWASPevo

10) Salvare il gcode

La prima volta che si connette la stampante 3D può capitare di dover installare (se non lo avete già fatto per altri motivi, come ad esempio aver installato Cura) i driver per la scheda Arduino. Vediamo come fare:
Per prima cosa dobbiamo scaricare dal sito ufficiale l’Arduino IDE e installare il software.
Fatto questo, attacchiamo il cavo USB dalla Stampante 3D al computer. Dopo pochi secondi comparirà la finestra:


Poi seguire le istruzioni come mostrato nelle immagini:

Materials Guide

ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene-styrene)

ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene-styrene) is a polymer from styrenics family (PS, HIPS, SAN, ASA) that is widely used for its characteristics and its processability.
Its mechanical proprieties makes it a good choice when there’s the necessity of a strength superior to PLA.
It is also one of the best post-processable materials after the print, and this makes it interesting for the joining of multiple parts and in finishing in general.
In the industrial world the applications are many but one of the main is the automotive sector where we find ABS used in dashboards and other accessories.

WARNING!
Material guides make reference to the official materials resold by WASP.
For materials provided by a third party, the information has to be used only as guidelines.

SPITFIREZENFLEX*
0.40.71.20.40.71.20.40.71.2
YESYESYESYESYESEXPEXPEXPEXP

For this material the HT cartridge is recommended
*FLEX extruder only prints 2.85 mm filament

PROCONS
  • Resistant parts
  • Great post-processing
  • Good performances at high temperature
  • Relatively low-cost
  • Sensible to moisture (hygroscopic)
  • Shrinking and delamination during the print

DIFFICULT TO PRINT: Medium

BED ADHESION: Specific glue
NOZZLE: 225-260 °C
SPEED: 40-90 mm/s
BED: 100°C
HEATED CHAMBER:  Yes (60°C)
FAN: No

WARNING!
The calibration of the printer is always fundamental for an ideal process and for avoiding the damaging of the parts and if the machine itself.
The calibration must be always carried out at the temperature of the printing process to come.
See: Autocalibration, manual leveling

TIPS & TRICKS

ABS is diffusely known to by a complicated material to print for its shrinking and delamination. With professional glue and heated chamber, by the way, these behaviors reduce a lot making it a good choice also for bigger and complex parts.

The adhesion to the bed is resolved with specific glues that together with the bed heated at 100°C and the heated chamber grant a very good sticking of the base. This should also be helped with a Raft or a good Brim.

A more complex issue is the delamination: if the plastic is cooling down too fast it can’t stick properly to the previous layer creating a fracture on the piece.
For this reason, the chamber must be closed during the whole process and the fan must be at the minimum value (0%).

Delamination may also depend simply on a low nozzle temperature or an exaggerated printing speed.

The supports work fine and are quite easy to remove, without leaving too bad defects on the part.

In the case of very big parts it’s important to design a good surface adhering to the bed and to provide enough material to complete the whole process without opening the printer, causing a thermal shock.

POST-PROCESSING

ABS is probably the material for FDM 3D printing with the greatest post-processing possibilities.
It is easy to sand by hand and it can be smoothed with acetone vapors for a glossy finishing.
With acetone, which is a solvent for ABS, it is also possible to produce a dense liquid (juice) by melting small ABS parts into it, and it’s very useful to join together different parts of the same material without glues.
This makes ABS very suitable for multiple part printing.
Also, drilling and tapping are possible with discrete results.

SIMILAR MATERIALS

ABS is part of styrenics family.
In 3D printing we can find other materials of this family presenting similar characteristics and processability.
Some examples are HIPS, used for soluble support and also very good for post-processing and ASA that is naturally resistant to UV rays and it’s widely used for outdoor applications.

DOWNLOAD PRINTING PROFILE

check if the print profiles are present in ours downloads

BUY IT ON 3dwasp.shop

buy the ABS filaments here

PA CARBON (Polyamide with carbon fiber)

Polyamides (PA), usually known as nylon, are a family of polymers with high technical performances, with a wind range of applications from fashion to automotive.
Its mechanical properties make it ideal for the production of fibers and threads but also in the manufacturing of stiff and resistant parts such as cable ties.

WARNING!
Material guides make reference to the official materials resold by WASP.
For materials provided by a third party, the information has to be used only as guidelines.

SPITFIREZENFLEX*
0.40.71.20.40.71.20.40.71.2
YESYESEXPYESYESEXPNONONO

For this material the HT cartridge is recommended
*FLEX extruder only prints 2.85 mm filament

PROCONS
  • Very stiff parts
  • Nice matt finishing
  • Good permormance at high temperature
  • Easy to print
  • Extremely hygroscopic
  • The fibers inside make it abrasive (also for the nozzle)

DIFFICULT TO PRINT: Medium

BED ADHESION: Specific glue
NOZZLE: 225-260 °C
SPEED: 40-80 mm/s
BED: 100°C
HEATED CHAMBER:  Yes (60°C)
FAN: No

WARNING!
The calibration of the printer is always fundamental for an ideal process and for avoiding the damaging of the parts and if the machine itself.
The calibration must be always carried out at the temperature of the printing process to come.
See: Autocalibration, manual leveling 

TIPS & TRICKS

PA Carbon is a material that is quite easy to print thanks to the presence of the fibers inside reducing the natural shrinking of the polymer.

The shrinking of the material is still present and makes necessary a heated chamber (60-70 °C) for best performances and stability. Together with this the drying of the material before the print is crucial.
When the material is not dried it becomes harder to print, with an irregular finishing and poorer mechanical properties (polyamides becomes more plastic with moisture).

The adhesion on the bed can be managed with specific glues and high bed temperatures (for example 90°C). Raft is a very good choice for this material.

Supports are working fine and when the tuning is correct they are easy to remove from the part.

Long prints requires nozzles resistant to high temperatures and abrasion.
After hours of printing with this material the nozzle size will tend to increase so it’s important to check the diameter of the nozzle and, if necessary, replace it.

POST-PROCESSING

Polyamides are not very suitable for post-processing, mainly for the presence of the fibers inside
Sanding doesn’t allow to obtain a better finishing than the one of the print itself (that, by the way, is usually quite good).
The material is instead very good for the use with mechanical parts such as screws, bolts and assemblies in general.

SIMILAR MATERIALS

There are many different kinds of polyamides (PA 6, PA 11, PA 12, PA 6-6) depending on their polymeric chains. This changes a lot the possibilities of use of the final object. Also the print settings may vary a lot, but the general behavior is the one described on the top.

It is also possible to print polyamides without fibers. In this case the material is a bit more complicated to print, more similar to polypropylene.
The printed parts are smooth and not abrasive, with different properties: less rigid and more elastic.

DOWNLOAD PRINTING PROFILE

check if the print profiles are present in ours downloads

BUY IT ON 3dwasp.shop

buy the PA Carbon filaments here

POLYCARBONATE (PC)

Polycarbonate (PC) is known for being one of the strongest commercial thermoplastic polymers, versatile and long-lasting.
It’s high deflection point grants good mechanical properties to the material even in difficult environmental conditions, it is rigid but not fragile.
It is widely used also for its good optical properties: glass walls, bottles, lenses but in design furniture.

WARNING!
Material guides make reference to the official materials resold by WASP.
For materials provided by a third party, the information has to be used only as guidelines.

SPITFIREZENFLEX*
0.40.71.20.40.71.20.40.71.2
YESYESEXPYESYESEXPNONONO

For this material the HT cartridge is recommended
*FLEX extruder only prints 2.85 mm filament

PROCONS
  • Very resistant parts
  • Translucid
  • Good performance at high temperature
  • Rigid parts
  • High processing temperatures
  • Sensible to moisture (hygroscopic)
  • Relatively expansive

DIFFICULT TO PRINT: Medium-Difficult

BED ADHESION: Specific glue
NOZZLE: 270-310 °C
SPEED: 40-70 mm/s
BED: 100-120°C
HEATED CHAMBER:  Yes (65°C)
FAN: No

WARNING!

The calibration of the printer is always fundamental for an ideal process and for avoiding the damaging of the parts and if the machine itself.
The calibration must be always carried out at the temperature of the printing process to come.
See: Autocalibration, manual leveling

TIPS & TRICKS

Polycarbonate presents printing properties similar to ABS but requires overall higher processing temperatures.
The material tends to absorb moisture and this complicates the print. For this reason, it is fundamental a drying of the spool before printing in order to prevent shrinking, aesthetical and structural defects.
For the adhesion on the bed, the best choice is a specific glue for the material or a sheet of polycarbonate to be used as a build plate.
Raft or Brim are advised for a better sticking on the bed.

The heated bed and the heated chamber play a key role in the printing of polycarbonate. If these are not available on the machine is necessary to heat up everything as much as possible.

Similar to ABS if the temperatures are not high enough or if the speed is too much some problems of delamination may occur. In most cases the delamination is visible but it may be inside the part, so it’s better to check it after the print.

Supports work fine and are easy to remove, without leaving too bad marks on the part

In the case of big parts it’s important to make sure that they have good adhesion on the bed. It’s also important not to open the machine during the print to avoid thermal shocks.

POST-PROCESSING

Polycarbonate is quite good for post-processing thanks to its resistance to high temperatures. It works fine with other mechanical components such as screws and bolts.

SIMILAR MATERIALS

There is also on the market a blend of PC and ABS that has properties between these two.
It’s ideal when something more resistant than ABS is needed but without the complexity of PC. Also printing settings are in between ABS and PC.

DOWNLOAD PRINTING PROFILE

check if the print profiles are present in ours downloads

BUY IT ON 3dwasp.shop

buy the PC filaments here

PET-G (Polyethylene terephthalate)

PETG is part of the PET family (Polyethylene terephthalate), it’s a very common plastic for industrial use especially in the packaging business(bottles).
In 3D printing, it is very diffused for being quite easy to print with better mechanical properties than PLA.

WARNING!
Material guides make reference to the official materials resold by WASP.
For materials provided by a third party, the information has to be used only as guidelines.

SPITFIREZENFLEX*
0.40.71.20.40.71.20.40.71.2
YESYESYESYESYESEXPEXPEXPEXP

For this material the LT cartridge is recommended
*FLEX extruder only prints 2.85 mm filament

PROCONS
  • Good mechanical proprieties
  • Discrete performances at high temperatures
  • Relatively low-cost
  • Also transparent
  • Frequent defects on parts
    (stringing, small holes)
  • Limited mechanical performances

DIFFICULT TO PRINT: Easy-Medium

BED ADHESION: Generic glue
NOZZLE: 210-250 °C
SPEED: 40-90 mm/s
BED: 70-90 °C
HEATED CHAMBER:  No
FAN: No

WARNING!
The calibration of the printer is always fundamental for an ideal process and for avoiding the damaging of the parts and if the machine itself.
The calibration must be always carried out at the temperature of the printing process to come.
See: Autocalibration, manual leveling  

TIPS & TRICKS

PETG is very used as easier to print material compared to ABS, when PLA is not enough. This is very good also for printing bigger parts that may be problematic to print with ABS.

This doesn’t mean that the parts are necessarily perfect and there are no problems in the print. A very common issue is the stringing: PETG during the print tends to create strings on the travel movements. This problem can be reduced by working on extrusion parameters and temperatures but it’s difficult to remove it completely.

It’s also possible to find some settings such as “Avoid crossing outline for travel movements” to reduce a bit the stringing.
Another variable is the finishing of the part that can be quite good for PETG. For a better surface you can use a high fan value, but this will make the bonding between the layers a bit poorer.

For the adhesion on the bed you can use professional glues or a good hairspray, minding that at high temperatures of the bed it won’t be working.
It’s important to use abundant glue because PETG otherwise will tend to detach from the bed.

Supports are working fine and are not difficult to remove, without leaving bad marks on the part.
In the case of big parts it’s important to use low values for the fan, to make easier the bonding between the layers.
With big sections the part will be cooling down spontaneously without need of the fan.

POST-PROCESSING

PETG has discrete post-processing properties, it can be sanded and drilled with the help of some water to cool it down.

SIMILAR MATERIALS

There are on the market other versions of PET-based materials and more or less they can be managed as described on the top.
One of the most interesting versions is the PET produced partially from recycled resources, with characteristics similar to PETG but with the benefit of sustainability.

DOWNLOAD PRINTING PROFILE

check if the print profiles are present in ours downloads

BUY IT ON 3dwasp.shop

buy the PETG filaments here

PLA (POLYLACTIC ACID)

PLA is probably the most diffused plastic in the world of FDM 3D printing for its great processability.
The raw material is bio-based and it comes from the fermentation of corn, which also makes this plastic compostable.
The applications in the industrial field are mostly in the packaging business for the sustainability of the material. Talking 3D printing, PLA is the material for models and prototypes of any kind.

WARNING!
Material guides make reference to the official materials resold by WASP..
For materials provided by a third party, the information has to be used only as guidelines.

SPITFIREZENFLEX*
0.40.71.20.40.71.20.40.71.2
YESYESYESYESYESYESYESYESYES

For this material the LT cartridge is recommended
*FLEX extruder only prints 2.85 mm filament

PROCONS
  • Great processability
  • Good finishing
  • Rigid parts
  • Relatively low-cost
  • Wide color choice
  • Bio-based, compostable
  • Poor performances
  • Low heat deflection point
  • Post-processing not great

DIFFICULT TO PRINT: Easy

BED ADHESION: Generic glue
NOZZLE: 190-210 °C
SPEED: 50-100 mm/s (and more)
BED: 50°C
HEATED CHAMBER:  No
FAN: High (maximum)

WARNING!

The calibration of the printer is always fundamental for an ideal process and for avoiding the damaging of the parts and if the machine itself.
The calibration must be always carried out at the temperature of the printing process to come.
See: Autocalibration, manual leveling

TIPS & TRICKS

PLA doesn’t present specific problems during the print, it always has a good sticking between the layers and it doesn’t shrink. The only problems that may occur with this material are the detaching from the bed and the overheating.

The detaching from the bed is easily solved with a good calibration and the use of abundant glue on the bed. Glues must work also at low temperature and they do not need to be professional or expansive except for very complex prints.

The overheating is compensated by the fan on the extruder that is cooling down quickly the material. Sometimes it may not be enough, especially with small sections (for example the top of a cone) or with very high printing speed,

The solutions for this are many: reducing the printing speed, reducing a bit the nozzle temperature, printing more parts simultaneously or using a stronger cooling on the part.

The choice of the extrusion temperature can be important. The parts printed at lower temperatures are typically better for the aesthetic point of view but lack strength.  On the other hand with higher temperatures, we may have some localized aesthetical defects but the layers bond together strongly, leading to stronger parts.

POST-PROCESSING

PLA, being sensible to higher temperatures, is not a great material for post-processing. In the case of sanding and drilling, it is important to cool down the part with water to avoid localized melting. For this same characteristic on the other hand it is easy to thermoform, for example using hot water or a heat gun.

SIMILAR MATERIALS

On the market we find a variety of different materials based on PLA, specifically developed for printing at higher speeds or granting better mechanical properties..

The processability is usually a bit different between the brands but always easy to print.

Between these products we find the powder-charged PLAs, for example with wood powder or metal powder, giving the part a typical finishing after the print. The risk with these materials is the easy clogging that may occur in the nozzle due to the powder.

Another interesting product is the recently developed blend PLA + PHA that is a more plastic material compared to standard PLA, for parts that must not break dangerously.
PHA is a very interesting plastic that makes the blend even more bio-based and compostable.

DOWNLOAD PRINTING PROFILE

check if the print profiles are present in ours downloads

BUY IT ON 3dwasp.shop

buy the PLA filaments here

POLYPROPYLENE (PP)

Polypropylene(PP) is one of the most commonly used plastics for industrial production, with an outstanding range of different applications. It’s appreciated for the ability of working without breaking and for its resistance to chemicals.
The applications are many: containers, labels, tape but also a lot in the chemical and biomedical field.

WARNING!

Material guides make reference to the official materials resold by WASP.
For materials provided by a third party, the information has to be used only as guidelines

SPITFIREZENFLEX*
0.40.71.20.40.71.20.40.71.2
YESYESEXPYESYESEXPYESYESYES

For this material the LT cartridge is recommended
*FLEX extruder only prints 2.85 mm filament

PROCONS
  • Tenacity of the parts
  • Chemical resistance
  • Smooth finishing
  • Good for contacts with liquid, food, skin
  • Extreme shrinking during the print
  • Hard to manage complex shapes

*Makes reference to products with specific certification

DIFFICULT TO PRINT: High

BED ADHESION: Specific glue, PP tape, PP sheet
NOZZLE: 230-255 °C
SPEED: 30-60 mm/s
BED: depending on the interface
HEATED CHAMBER:  Yes (60°C)
FAN: No (or low)

WARNING!

The calibration of the printer is always fundamental for an ideal process and for avoiding the damaging of the parts and if the machine itself.
The calibration must be always carried out at the temperature of the printing process to come.
See: Autocalibration, manual leveling.

TIPS & TRICKS

The main problems when printing polypropylene are two: sticking to the bed and prevent the strong shrinking during the print.

The adhesion to the bed can be resolved with specific glues for this material that tends to detach from the majority of the normal glues

An alternative is the use of packing tape in PP: this film is applied on the bed before the print and removed at the end. The chemical compatibility between this film and the material coming out from the nozzle is very strong. It’s important not to overcome the 40 °C on the bed to avoid the detaching of the tape.

The last solution is the use of a polypropylene sheet fixed on the build plate.
The adhesion is extreme and the removal of the part may be complicated.

In most cases, a very consistent Brim is advised, even on more than one layer.

The shrinking of the material during the print is a more complex issue.
The use of a heated chamber can contain the problem, as much as reducing a bit the extrusion temperature and slowing everything down.

Some other things to mind are: 

  • prefer lower speed (especially with an abundant flow)
  • do not exaggerate with the fan
  • design a part that has good adhesion on the bed
  • avoid overhangs over 35%

The design phase is crucial for a good print of polypropylene, it’s not possible to print any kind of shape with complexities.
The supports can be used but they must be very close to the part and usually are a bit difficult to remove.

POST-PROCESSING

Polypropylene allows working with abrasive materials. As all thermoplastic materials, it overheats if not cooled down. It’s easy to drill and it can be glued with mastic.

SIMILAR MATERIALS

Polypropylene exists in different grades, with different properties and processability.

On the market there are products charged with glass fiber or carbon fiber that make the material easier to print but making the product a bit more rigid and fragile.

A material similar to PP is polyethylene (HDPE) but it is not very used in 3D printing for its poor mechanical properties and the problem of delamination during the print.

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THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMER (TPE-TPU)

Thermoplastic elastomers are polymers that put together the characteristics of rubbers with the processability of thermoplastic polymers. Two common thermoplastic elastomers are TPU and TPE.
These materials can be easily pigmented and they are long-lasting thanks to their great elasticity and resistance to abrasion.
The applications are wide from objects of everyday use to specific products for the biomedical field.

WARNING!
Material guides make reference to the official materials resold by WASP.
For materials provided by a third party, the information has to be used only as guidelines.

SPITFIREZENFLEX*
0.40.71.20.40.71.20.40.71.2
EXPEXPEXPEXPEXPEXPYESYESYES

For this material the LT cartridge is recommended
*FLEX extruder only prints 2.85 mm filament

PROCONS
  • Elasticity
  • Softness
  • Many colors
  • Long-lasting
  • Some complexities during the print
  • Relatively low speed

DIFFICULT TO PRINT: Medium-Difficult

BED ADHESION: Generic glues, specific glues, Glass bed
NOZZLE: 195-235 °C
SPEED: 15-60 mm/s
BED: 50°C
HEATED CHAMBER:  No
FAN: High

WARNING!

The calibration of the printer is always fundamental for an ideal process and for avoiding the damaging of the parts and if the machine itself.
The calibration must be always carried out at the temperature of the printing process to come.
See: Autocalibration, manual leveling

TIPS & TRICKS

The main problems for printing elastomers are the knotting on the driver gear and the shrinking during the process.

The knotting on the gear depends a lot on the extruder used. Softer materials are more subject to this phenomenon.
Another crucial factor is the diameter of the filament that in the case of 1.75 mm makes the process more complex and unstable and requires very low printing speeds.
In these cases, it’s useful to use higher printing temperatures and reducing the speed of the process.

To reduce the shrinking it is useful to find the best temperature for the extrusion and finding the best placement on the bed.
Another problem is the vibration of the part: if the adhesion on the bed is not stable the nozzle may hit the part during the process leading to movements and vibrations that will ruin the quality of the part.
In this case the travel speed and the vertical lift must be set with attention for reducing the vibrations of the object.

A strong cooling helps to maintain control of the process, for this reason the fan is set to the maximum value and a supplementary cooling system can be considered.

The adhesion on the bed is not very complicated, a good generic glue usually works.
For very smooth surfaces such as glass the material will stick without the need of glues.

To facilitate the removal of the part wait for the temperature of the be to lower after the print.

Supporto can be used but being flexible they are very subject to vibrations, for this reason it’s important they have a good base and they don’t print too fast. Also, in most cases, they are not so easy to remove.

POST-PROCESSING

Post-processing is a bit different than in other materials. The resistance to abrasion makes the material difficult to sand, luckily it generally comes out with good quality.
They can be cut with scissors or blades easily.

SIMILAR MATERIALS

These elastomeric materials are many and vary for properties, for example the flexibility measured in shore scale.
Materials in shore A are more flexible while materials with shore D are less flexible.
Lower numeric values means the object is more flexible.
These materials can be also found with certification for contact with skin or food.

DOWNLOAD PRINTING PROFILE

check if the print profiles are present in ours downloads

BUY IT ON 3dwasp.shop

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