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Maintaining the glass optical window (Form 3L/Form 3BL)

Maintaining the glass optical window (Form 3L/Form 3BL)

In the Form 3L/Form 3BL, the optical components—the laser diodes and mirrors—are contained in two modules called the Light Processing Units (LPUs). The LPUs, sitting inside the LPU housing, move left and right in the printer during each layer of a print. The laser light exits the LPUs through an anti-reflective coated glass optical window mounted on top of the LPU housing. The glass optical window preserves print quality and reliability by protecting the components inside the LPUs from dust, oil, and resin contamination. Keep the glass optical window clean to ensure successful prints.

The LPU housing, with the LPUs, roller holder, and glass optical window, sits in the LPU garage on the right side of the printer when a print is not running. The LPU garage protects the glass optical window from most forms of contamination, but dust can still accumulate on the glass surface over time. As the laser light passes through the glass optical window, any such contamination can cause the laser light to diffuse or weaken, resulting in print defects.

Tip:

If you notice dust or contamination on the underside of the glass optical window or inside the LPUs, contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller for additional instructions.

概览

To maintain the glass optical window, inspect the glass surface for dust, oil, or contamination using a flashlight, LED, or cell phone light. If dust, oil, or contamination is noted, clean the glass optical window following Formlabs instructions. As with most optical surfaces, minimal cleaning is the best cleaning.

Tip:

To protect the optical window from dust, keep the cover closed when the printer is not in use.

所需物品

To remove dust:

  • Flashlight, LED, or cell phone light
  • Non-reactive nitrile gloves
  • PEC*PADs
  • Rubber bulb air blower

To remove dust:

  • Flashlight, LED, or cell phone light
  • Non-reactive nitrile gloves
  • PEC*PADs
  • Rubber bulb air blower

预计所需时间:10 分钟

移除耗材

Always remove the build platform, resin cartridges, and resin tank before performing maintenance on the printer to avoid dripping resin into the printer cavity.

  1. Lift the platform lock and remove the build platform.
  2. Close all resin cartridge vent caps and remove the resin cartridges.
  3. Remove the resin tank from the printer. Place the resin tank in its case.
  4. Set the tank case aside with the build platform and resin cartridges on a clean, flat surface.

检查光学窗口

检查光学窗口是否有灰尘、油渍、指纹或固化树脂。

Tip:

For best results, dim or turn off the main lights in the room when inspecting the glass optical window with a secondary light source. Always wear clean gloves when handling optical surfaces to avoid contamination. Do not touch the roller holder next to the glass optical window to avoid contamination. If the roller holder is contaminated, refer to the support article Cleaning the roller holder (Form 3L/Form 3BL).

 

To access the maintenance option through the printer’s touchscreen:

  1. Put on a new, clean pair of nitrile gloves.
  2. With the printer plugged in and powered on, tap the wrench icon to access the Settings screen, then tap Maintenance > Motor Moves. The Motor Moves screen appears. Tap and hold Left (<) to move the LPU housing to the middle of the printer cavity. Other controls on this screen fully sweep the LPU housing across the printer cavity and control the build platform carriage.
  3. When prompted by the touchscreen, disconnect the power cable before continuing with maintenance.
  1. 将辅助光源照射到(如手电筒、LED 或者手机照明)光学窗口上,查看玻璃表面是否有任何隐藏污染。
    • 尽量使光源以最浅的角度照射。从三面(左、前、右)可接近的边缘在光学窗口上来回扫描光线。

Cleaning with a dry wipe

清除灰尘和其他零散的污染物,以防干扰激光。

Tip:

Avoid using compressed air. If necessary, carefully follow the directions on the canister to avoid depositing propellant onto the glass surface. Propellant contaminates the glass optical window and can affect print quality.

注意:

若使用其他不推荐的材料擦拭光学窗口,可能会损坏玻璃的表面,从而影响打印质量。

 

To remove dust:

  1. Put on a new, clean pair of nitrile gloves.
  2. Use a rubber bulb air blower to gently remove any visible dust from the optical window.
    • Make sure to remove any large particles that may scratch the glass surface.
  3. Use a new PEC*PAD to remove any remaining dust from the optical window with a dry wipe.
    • Wipe slowly, pulling the PEC*PAD toward you, repeating until you have cleaned the entire glass surface.
  4. Proceed with a wet wipe only if the dry wipe does not clean the glass completely.

用湿布擦拭清理

Wet wipe the glass optical window only if oil, smudges, fingerprints, or resin contamination is visible. Only use PEC*PADs and non-recycled isopropyl alcohol with a concentration of 90% or higher to clean the glass surface as any other cleaning agent or material may degrade the anti-reflective coating.

Tip:

If resin has dripped onto the glass optical window, use a small amount of isopropyl alcohol with a low-fiber, clean microfiber cloth first. Move the microfiber cloth slowly to allow the isopropyl alcohol to dissolve the resin. Allow the glass surface to dry before using additional isopropyl alcohol with PEC*PADs to wipe the glass surface.

Notice:

Only use approved materials to wet wipe the glass optical window. Any other materials may scratch or leave residue on the anti-reflective coating, which affects print quality.

 

To clean with a wet wipe:

  1. Put on a new, clean pair of nitrile gloves.
  2. Apply a small amount of IPA to a new PEC*PAD.
  3. Wipe the optical window slowly with the PEC*PAD, pulling the PEC*PAD toward you. Repeat this step until you have cleaned the entire glass surface.
  4. Use your secondary light source to inspect the optical window. Repeat the wipe if any streaks are visible.
    • Multiple passes may be necessary to achieve a streak-free surface. Each PEC*PAD can be used multiple times by refolding the material to expose a fresh surface for each pass on the glass panel.
  5. Dry wipe the glass surface again with a new PEC*PAD to remove any remaining streaks.

 

Further troubleshooting

If streaks are difficult to remove, contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller. When requesting help, please provide photos of the optical window illuminated by a secondary light source and a list of attempted cleaning steps.

完成维护

After cleaning the glass optical window, power on the printer to complete the maintenance process. Close the cover and connect the power cable to the printer and the power supply. The printer initializes and the LPU housing moves back to its home position to perform a calibration.