Tips for Storing 3D Printer Material in Warmer Months

We are nearly a month into spring and as the weather warms, it’s important to remember how to best store your 3D printer material to ensure your printer continues to run properly.

Stratasys recently updated its User Manuals for FDM printers regarding the length of time material should sit in the printer unused. If you will not be using the printer for more than 72 hours, unload and store model and support material in the storage bags provided to prevent moisture absorption.

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Find detailed instructions on how to unload and store model and support material below (depending on what type of 3D printer you have – a uPrint model or a Dimension / Fortus model).

Remember that material will stay humidity free inside the spool for at least 30 days after opening the moisture-proof bag. The shelf life if your material spool package remains sealed is more than one year.

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It’s also important to keep in mind the suggested environmental specifications for where you keep your 3D printer:

Temperature Range: 15◦C to 30◦C (59◦F to 86◦F)

Relative Humidity Range: 30 to 70 percent, non condensing

Ensuring the proper environment for where your FDM 3D printer operates and how you store your material spools is imperative to ensuring your system continues to run smoothly and your prints come out just as you envision.

For uPrint/uPrint Plus/uPrint SE/ uPrint SE Plus 3D Printer Owners…

1. Unload material from the printer.
   1. From the display panel press Material… The display will show Add/Remove and S1(remaining%), S2(remaining%) and M1, M2 (remaining%). Asterisks will mark the currently active material bays (the material bays that are currently loaded to the head).
   2. Press Unload…
   3. Press Unload both
   4. The printer will now unload material from the head. When the material has unloaded, you will need to remove the material carriers.
2. Open the material bay doors by gently pressing in to release and pulling outwards.
3. Remove the material carriers by first pushing them in to unlatch and then pulling them outwards.
4. Place the carrier on a flat stable surface. (Do not push the material through the material guide back into the carrier, doing so can cause material to break or become tangled.
5. Open the carrier.
6. Rotate the spool to rewind the material, leaving 2 inches (50mm) remaining at the material guide.
7. Using a cutters, cut the excess 2 inches (50mm) of material from the material guide, leaving a blunt end.
8. Locate the two material retaining clips on the carrier.
9. Place the material guide in the material guide slot on the spool.
10. Place the material in the material notches.
11. Cut the excess material from material guide.
12. Place the material retaining clips on the spool before removing the spool from the carrier.
13. Remove the material spool from the material carrier.
14. Place the material spool in the storage bag that came with the material carrier

For Dimension / Fortus 3D Printer Owners…

The model and support material cartridges may be replaced separately or at the same time. In idle-, load-, or build-related modes, the panel displays the percentage of material remaining in the cartridges. If the system will be operating unattended for a long period, and the material level is getting low, you may want to replace the cartridges before starting a new part. Of course, you will also need to replace the cartridges when they are empty.

Unload material cartridges:

1. From Idle, Press Material …
2. Press Unload…
3. The panel displays Material and prompts with, Unload Both…, Unload Model… or Unload Support…
4. After you have made the above choices, the panel displays Unloading for approximately 60 to 75 seconds (the selected materials will be unloaded from the extrusion head).
5. When unloading is complete, the panel will prompt you to remove a cartridge based upon your choices – i.e., Remove Model Cartridge, or Remove Support Cartridge.
6. Remove the material cartridge(s) by first pushing it forward gently, and then pulling it out of the slot. (*Do NOT try to rewind the material that remains in the system. This will cause material to cross-wind in the cartridge causing cartridge failure.) When you remove a cartridge there will be approximately 180 cm (6 feet) of material that will need to be pulled from the system. (This is normal. Material is only retracted from the extrusion head during ‘unloading’.)
7. To store a partially used cartridge, place a small flag of tape on the material near the cartridge. Cut off and discard the remaining material. The tape flag ensures the material does not retract into the cartridge.
8. Place the material cartridge in the storage bag that came with the machine.

Christine Archer

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