CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 140 Figure 4.81: Polar Cloud build plate UI SETTINGS 4.6.1.1 The build plate screen: adding or extracting objects You may load multiple objects to the build plate, adding objects from other print jobs you have queued, or adding objects accessible to you in the Polar Cloud, via the “Load Objects from the Cloud” or “Load Objects from the Queue” icon buttons, respectively.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 4.6.2 141 Submit your print job to a printer and begin printing From the build plate screen, clicking the blue “PRINT” button (at the upper right of the screen) submits your print job to the currently selected printer (as shown in the upper left of the build plate screen); see for instance Figure 4.81 (or for additional discussion of build plate screen features, refer to Figure 4.78 in Section 4.6.1). Especially if your object(s) have large .
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 142 Figure 4.82: Polar Cloud build plate screen: progress loading job to printer the build plate, load or change filament, etc. Before your print job begins printing, you may also choose to modify it. And if you are a printer manager or have control access to the printer, you may modify the queued jobs of other members, perhaps shu✏ing the order of jobs, or merging jobs; Section 4.6.4 will further discuss such print queue management operations. 4.6.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 143 printer managers can trigger the actual start of a queued print job (or pause or stop a job that is currently printing). However, when a printer is shared with a group, there is a group setting to allow members of the group to control the printer. When that switch has been set ON, then all members of the group sharing the printer can also make use of the control buttons.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 144 Figure 4.84: Printer dashboard: control buttons active during job print The “CHANGE FILAMENT” button pauses the print (performs a “warm” pause), and backs out the current filament. The “COLD PAUSE” button pauses the print, turning o↵ the heating element in the extruder.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 145 since the filament remains in the still hot extruder, during an extended “warm” pause, melted filament may begin leaking onto your build plate. The “STOP” button cancels the print job: printing of the current job stops, and all heaters are turned on. Note that the print job is left in the queue (should you later wish to make a fresh start on the print); if, however, you do not plan to ever re-attempt this print job, you should delete the job from the queue.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 146 In addition to the control buttons, the printer dashboard also allows controlling the printer temperature. Clicking on the temperature dial will bring up a screen with an option to adjust the printer temperature; see Figure 4.85. 4.6.4 Print queues in the Polar Cloud The Polar Cloud maintains a print queue for each printer, allowing multiple members (those Polar Cloud members authorized to use that printer; see Section 4.5.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 147 Figure 4.86: Printer dashboard: printer owner’s view of job queue A Polar Cloud member (who is not the owner nor a manager of the printer, nor a member of a group with control access to the printer) can see and modify only those print jobs he or she submitted to the printer’s job queue, as well as seeing through the printer dashboard a live view of whatever the printer is currently doing (which may be printing another member’s job). Figure 4.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 148 Figure 4.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 149 Figure 4.88: Printer dashboard: a member queued job waiting while another member’s job prints Note that the control buttons (towards the top right of the screen) are all grayed-out when a member is viewing the printer dashboard of a printer the member neither owns nor manages (nor has control access permitted through group membership): such a member cannot interrupt the printer’s current job.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 150 Figure 4.89: Printer dashboard: member options for editting their own queued job The Polar Cloud also maintains a history list of what has been printed on the printer. From the printer summary display screen, see Figure 4.60, clicking on “HISTORY” will show the history of what has been printed on the printer; see Figure 4.69. 4.6.4.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 151 members, printing multiple objects at the same time may lessen wait time and contention for the printer. Suppose the print queue has multiple jobs queued; see Figure 4.90. Figure 4.90: Two jobs in the print queue Click on the three dots at the upper right of the first job, and select “Edit Job”; see Figure 4.91.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 152 Figure 4.91: Edit a job in the print queue Editting a print queue job will take you to a build plate screen for that object; click the icon to the far right, “Load Objects from Your Queue” (underneath “UI SETTINGS”); see Figure 4.92.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 153 Figure 4.92: Build plate screen: load another object from queue Clicking the load icon will bring up a “LOAD OBJECTS FROM QUEUE” screen; see Figure 4.93. Figure 4.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 154 Check the box(es) for the jobs you wish to merge into the job you’re editting, and then click the blue “LOAD” button (towards the lower right); see Figure 4.94. Figure 4.94: Selecting which objects to load from the print queue The additional object(s) will now also be loaded to the build plate; see Figure 4.95.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 155 Figure 4.95: Build plate: additional queued object loaded Click the “PRINT” button (towards the upper right) to submit this merged job to the printer; a pop-up “SAVE PRINT JOB” screen will ask whether you wish to “SAVE TO EXISTING PRINT JOB” (replacing the print job you originally chose to edit) or “CREATE NEW PRINT JOB” (submit a newly created print job in addition to your original print jobs); see Figure 4.96.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 156 Figure 4.96: Build plate: choose whether merged job replaces original job or becomes a new job If you click “CREATE NEW PRINT JOB”, then at the printer dashboard you will now see three queued jobs, the two original jobs plus a third job which has both objects; see Figure 4.97. If you wish, you may now remove either or both of the original two print jobs: click on their three dots and select “Remove Job”; see Figure 4.98.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD Figure 4.97: Merged job present in print queue Figure 4.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 4.6.4.2 158 Move a print job to a di↵erent printer If you have access to multiple printers, then a print job that is pending in one printer’s print queue may be moved to a di↵erent printer. To do this, go to the printer dashboard, click the three dots at the upper right of the print job icon, and click “Edit Job” to return to the build plate screen for the print job.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 159 go to the dashboard screen for your selected printer, showing what the printer is currently doing. If you are connected to the same local network to which the printer is connected, the printer dashboard will show live video of what the printer is currently doing.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 160 Figure 4.99: Polar Cloud notifications Figure 4.100: Polar Cloud notifications: three pending When you invite a fellow Polar Cloud member to become a member of one of your groups, or invite a fellow Polar Cloud member to become a user or manager of a printer that you own or manage, that Polar Cloud member will receive an invitation notification.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 161 Figure 4.101: Polar Cloud invitations 4.7.1 Responding to an invitation notification Clicking on the bell icon, towards the upper right of a Polar Cloud screen, will display the list of notifications awaiting your attention; see Figure 4.101. Figure 4.101 shows a range of the possible types of invitations: an invitation to join a group, an invitation to become a manager of a printer, and an invitation to become a user of a printer.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 162 printer, that you are a member of the group or have access to the printer. When you “ACCEPT” an invitation to join a group, see Figure 4.102, a confirmation that you joined will appear and you will have the opportunity to go see the group; see Figure 4.103. Figure 4.102: Polar Cloud ACCEPT a group invitation Clicking on the “CONFIRM” button in Figure 4.103 will take you to the group’s SUMMARY display page, as shown in Figure 4.104.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 163 Figure 4.103: Polar Cloud confirmation of joining a group Figure 4.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 164 When you “ACCEPT” a printer access invitation, whether that invitation is to become a manager (see Figure 4.105) or a user, a confirmation that you may now access the printer will appear and you will have an opportunity to go directly to that printer’s dashboard; see Figure 4.106. Figure 4.105: Polar Cloud: invitation to manage a printer Figure 4.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 165 Figure 4.107: Polar Cloud object detail, by Van Morris 4.8 Viewing other Polar Cloud members Clicking on the icon of a Polar Cloud member, whether that icon appears on an object detail page (e.g., see the upper left of Figure 4.107), group member list, printer member list, or in the activity list for your account (so a user of a printer of yours), will take you to a Polar Cloud member page for that member, such as shown in Figure 4.108.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD Figure 4.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 167 bers; students are typically visible only to other members of their own class groups and their class groups’ managers (typically their own teacher(s)). 4.9 Collaborating through the Polar Cloud You may share objects you have created or printed through the Polar Cloud, either with all Polar Cloud members, or with members in particular groups, or only with specific other Polar Cloud members.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 168 If others have made their printer(s) accessible to you, you can use others’ printers. Accessible printers will show up in the list of printers displayed by selecting “PRINTERS” from the Polar Cloud left-hand top menu; see Figure 4.55 (or Figure 4.110). You may create groups of Polar Cloud members with a shared characteristic (e.g., students in a class) or shared interests. A group is a particularly convenient way to share objects and share (access to) printers.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 169 Figure 4.109: Polar Cloud top menu The main screen also has a drop down menu under the account name at the upper far right, with choices “Settings”, your account email, and “Sign Out”; see Figure 4.1. And just to the left of the account drop down menu is a bell icon, for notifications. You can return to the main screen from other Polar Cloud screens by clicking on the cloud icon towards the upper left. 4.10.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 170 Figure 4.110: Polar Cloud PRINTERS list view screen Clicking on a specific printer from the “THUMBNAIL VIEW” (or clicking on the eye icon on that printer’s line in the “LIST VIEW”) will take you to the printer’s dashboard screen, such as shown in Figure 4.111. Clicking on the “MANAGE” tab from the printer dashboard (or on the squares icon on that printer’s line in the “LIST VIEW”) will take you to the printer management screen, such as shown in Figure 4.112.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD Figure 4.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 172 Figure 4.112: Polar Cloud printer management screen forth between the printer dashboard screen and the printer management screen.) On either the dashboard or management screen, clicking the “LOCAL UI” tab will cause the Polar Cloud to attempt to connect back (over the Internet) to the printer’s local interface (via its local IP address); see Section 4.5.9 and Chapter 5. 4.10.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 173 Clicking on the icon for an object itself will take you to a screen where (for one of your private objects) you may “3D PRINT”, “DOWNLOAD”, or “SHARE” your object, or “EDIT” the object’s text description; see Figure 4.10. For shared objects, you have similar choices “3D PRINT”, “DOWNLOAD”, or “SHARE” (with “EDIT” the object text description not available for shared objects).
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 174 In the left hand side of the window, the object is schematically pictured on the build plate, with three colored axes (red for the x-axis, green for the y-axis, and blue for the z-axis), a “+” and “-” button, and a dial with four arrows around the outside and a central “restore” double arrow. The “+” and “-” buttons zoom in and zoom out, respectively, your view of the object, and the dial rotates your view of the object.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 175 the build plate via the “X-AXIS” and “Y-AXIS” sliders under “MOVE” in the right hand side of the window When “SCALE” is selected, you may change the size of the object via any of the “X-AXIS”, “Y-AXIS”, or “Z-AXIS” sliders under “SCALE” in the right hand side of the window. When “ROTATE” is selected, you may rotate the object via the “X-AXIS”, “Y-AXIS”, and “Z-AXIS” sliders under “ROTATE” in the right hand side of the window. Under “PRINT SETTINGS”: 1.
CHAPTER 4. THE POLAR CLOUD 176 2.
Chapter 5 The printer local web interface If you are controlling your printer directly through its local WiFi (see Section C.1) rather than going through the Polar Cloud, then the printer’s local web interface will be your main control interface. From a device on your local network (computer, tablet, or phone), simply open a browser window connecting to the printer’s local IP address and you will be at the printer local web interface.
CHAPTER 5. THE PRINTER LOCAL WEB INTERFACE 178 Figure 5.1: Polar Cloud printer dashboard shows LOCAL UI tab right), shown in Figure 5.1 The Polar Cloud will then attempt itself to connect to what it knows as the printer’s local IP address. If your local network permits access to the printer’s local IP address from the Internet (which some local networks may not), this will open a new window onto the printer local web interface, as shown in Figure 5.2.
CHAPTER 5. THE PRINTER LOCAL WEB INTERFACE Figure 5.
CHAPTER 5. THE PRINTER LOCAL WEB INTERFACE 5.1 180 Navigating through the printer local web interface Connecting to the printer’s local IP address will put you at the network screen. This is the same screen you would see if you selected the networking icon on the left menu; see 6. The tabs/icons at the left of the screen select additional screens: 1. POLAR3D – the default (network) screen. 2.
CHAPTER 5. THE PRINTER LOCAL WEB INTERFACE 181 Figure 5.3: Printer local web interface Print File (Project Details) screen 3. The lines-with-boxes icon (Controls). At this screen, you may manually direct the printer; e.g., raise the print head, set the temperature, extrude a millimeter of filament, turn on/o↵ the printer’s LED lights, unlock the stepper motors (so that the print head and build plate shuttle may be moved manually), etc.
CHAPTER 5. THE PRINTER LOCAL WEB INTERFACE 182 Figure 5.4: Printer local web interface Controls screen 4. The dial/gear icon (Calibration) will take you to the “Calibration” screen, where you may perform Z axis (Z rod) and X axis (build plate shuttle) calibration. Figure 5.
CHAPTER 5. THE PRINTER LOCAL WEB INTERFACE 183 5. The camera icon (Camera) takes you to a screen showing live camera feed from the printer, and various printer status details. Figure 5.6: Printer local web interface Camera screen 6. The network icon (Network) icon will take you to the “Configured Network” screen, where you may see what network the printer is on currently and the printer’s own IP address on that network, and even switch to a di↵erent network.
CHAPTER 5. THE PRINTER LOCAL WEB INTERFACE 184 Figure 5.7: Printer local web interface Network screen Note that the Reset Networks button will remove any configured network profiles, resetting the printer’s network knowledge back to factory defaults.
CHAPTER 5. THE PRINTER LOCAL WEB INTERFACE 185 Note that the “Reset Printer on the Polar Cloud” button on the “Configured Network” screen will obsolete any existing ownership of this printer in the Polar Cloud. That is, any Polar Cloud members who had formerly been the owner of or been allowed access to this printer will now no longer see the P3Dserial-number printer, and instead will see a reference to P3Dserial-number -deleted-date .
CHAPTER 5. THE PRINTER LOCAL WEB INTERFACE 186 Figure 5.8: Printer local web interface Update screen 8. The restart icon (Restart) will ask if you wish to restart the printer: Figure 5.
Chapter 6 CAD software – create your own objects There are many computer-aided design (CAD) software packages available; for 3D printing, you will just need a package that can save object files in .stl file format. The Polar Cloud itself provides access to some convenient CAD software you can access and use – see Section 4.3. Alternatively, if you prefer you may use many popular CAD packages of your choice to generate .stl files. For younger designers or beginners, we recommend Tinkercad.
CHAPTER 6. CAD SOFTWARE – CREATE YOUR OWN OBJECTS188 on a cloud platform, available free to students and hobbyists, and available for Mac or PC. Autodesk 123D Design, OnShape, and Morphi are good apps for iPad users. They have free versions (123D) or free for education versions (OnShape), or free with limitations (Morphi) and you can pay to unlock all the features. Morphi o↵ers discount pricing for schools based on the number of seats purchased.
CHAPTER 6. CAD SOFTWARE – CREATE YOUR OWN OBJECTS189 in designs that they are creating.
Chapter 7 STEAMtrax curriculum STEAMtrax is an innovative new curriculum that integrates engineering and 3D printing technology with core academic knowledge in science, math, language arts, social studies, and art. In the true spirit of the Framework for 21st Century Learning skills, students are engaged in relevant learning scenarios that encourage the essential skills of problem solving, collaboration, communication, clear and critical thinking as well as developing core academic knowledge.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 191 4. Engineering Project Design Process encourages critical thinking. 5. A variety of formative and summative assessments, including rubrics. 6. Flexible modules easily align to NGSS or state standards. 7. Available in digital or print form. 8. Hands-on science kits are available for each module. 9. Modules available for grades K-12. To see a current list of available STEAMtrax modules, go to: http://www.polar3d.com/curriculum 7.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 7.1.1 192 STEAMtrax Star Portal teacher dashboard The teacher dashboard includes nine panels: 1. SUMMARY – A per-class (for cases where a teacher has more than one class using STEAMtrax) summary of the percent of activities (assignments) completed, the total number of students, the number of students recently active (last 30 days), and the number of activities which are unconfirmed (not yet checked by the teacher). 2.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 193 name of the class, the students in the class and the assignments for each student, the assigned exercises for the class and the total number of students who have been assigned/completed/confirmed for each such assignment, and the login data for each student. (The class and student data is customized for each teacher by STEAMtrax; see Section 7.2 for details on this process.) 3. LATEST NEWS – STEAMtrax news for teachers. 4.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 194 9. AVAILABLE MODULES – Teacher-level access to modules. All purchased modules, organized by grade band, can be accessed from this panel. 7.1.2 STEAMtrax module teacher view Every engineering module is organized with four sections. Within each section, material visible only to teachers is labelled in green on the dashboard, while material also visible to students is labelled in red on the dashboard. 1. Module Preparation – Pre-Lesson Instructions.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 195 visible materials under Module Preparation typically include: (a) Welcome – Outlines for the teacher the four key sections of the module. (b) Targeted concepts & skills – Outlines for the teacher how the module aligns to standards. (c) Teacher background – Introduction for the teacher to background science and math concepts that will be taught in the module.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 196 Guide to use in the classroom, and 3D printing file(s) and instructions as a starting point for use and reference. (a) Facilitation Guide – A detailed resource including pacing, facilitation questions, objectives, and overall stepby-step guidance to run the module. It is recommended that the teacher print this out ahead of time to understand the module flow, and jot down any notes. (b) Classroom Guide – A detailed resource for teachers to use in the classroom.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 197 sessment, as well as a (teacher-only visible) assessment key. (a) Evaluation Rubric – Downloadable, and provided as an example rubric for students, as well as the teacher, to reference. (The student module view has access to this also.) (b) Self & Group Evaluation – Students also have a copy of this form in their Student Notebooks.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 7.1.3 198 STEAMtrax Star Portal student dashboard The student dashboard includes five main panels: 1. SUMMARY – Total assignments, Complete assignments, Confirmed assignments. (Confirmed assignments are those that the teacher has reviewed and checked o↵.) 2.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 199 assigned, when it was assigned, and (if completed) when it was completed. 3. ENGINEERS TODAY – Updates on engineering. 4. 3D PRINTING ZONE – 3D printing news, resources, and interesting .stl files. 5. AVAILABLE MODULES – Student-level access to modules. In addition, for K-8 students a “Stacy STEAMtrax” character icon displays a blurb guiding the student to any new assignment or confirming to the student that all assignments have been completed. 7.1.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 200 3. Student Activitities (a) Activities (b) Lesson downloads – Includes at a minimum a Student Notebook. 4. Student Assessments (a) Evaluation Rubric (b) Self & Group Evaluation (c) Assessment – Only becomes visible to students once the teacher assigns it. 7.2 STEAMtrax user import STEAMtrax is accessed through its Star Portal at http://build.steamtrax.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 7.3 201 STEAMtrax user password management The teacher and each student using STEAMtrax will each have their own password.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 2. Locate the student’s class in the MY CLASSES 202 panel.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 203 3. Click on the Login Cards button associated with that class.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 204 The screen will then display a list of all students, including their user names and passwords. This list is updated every time a student changes his/her password, so you always have easy access to the most up-to-date login information for each and every one of your students. 4. Note the Print button in the upper righthand corner of the Login Cards screen. By printing this Login Cards page on a sheet of 8.
CHAPTER 7. STEAMTRAX CURRICULUM 205 an adhesive label for each student that can be attached to the inside of a binder, folder or adhered to the back of the student’s STEAMtrax Student Notebook. This allows the students to easily manage his/her own password by referring to this label.
Chapter 8 Operational tips 1. Good adhesion of objects to the build plate improves build quality, and reduces the frustration of objects coming loose partway through a build. 2. Good positioning of object(s) on the build plate can improve speed and quality of prints. 3. Know the characteristics of your filament. 4. Perform periodic maintenance on the printer, as discussed in Chapter 10. 8.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 207 2. Print multiple small objects at once; this can actually improve the quality of objects (as well as production speed). 3. Avoid straight-line extrusion runs through the center of the build plate. 8.1.1 Position objects towards the edge of the build plate In consequence of the Polar3D printer’s underlying polar coordinates architecture, note that objects may print faster if you position them towards the edge of the build plate, rather than at the center.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 208 consider printing multiple objects: the time the printer spends moving to another section of the build plate, and then printing a layer of another object, is likely to suffice to let the first object’s layer cool. See Section 4.6.1 and Section 4.6.1.1 for a discussion of adding an object or objects to the build plate. 8.1.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 8.2 209 Adhesion and adhesion problems Sometimes during a print an object will come loose from the build plate, usually resulting in the print being ruined. The first layer of the print needs to stick to the build plate. Preparing the build plate properly, to be sticky so that that first layer adheres, can aid in avoiding this occurrence.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 8.2.1 210 Making the build plate sticky You should ensure that the build plate is a bit “sticky”. What sort of stickiness works best depends a bit on what type of filament you are using. The filament that Polar 3D sells is PLA (PolyLactic Acid) filament, which sticks well to certain brands of hair spray, to the glue in many common glue sticks, or to ordinary blue painter’s tape. Hair spray is particularly quick and easy to apply.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 211 pulling the tape o↵, at which point the rest of the build will likely be warped.) Lay down a uniform layer of tape, with no gaps and no overlapping of the edges of the strips of tape. The painter’s tape will need to be replaced when its surface becomes less adhesive, typically after about five to ten prints at the same location.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 212 until the tip of the extruder is just touching the build plate. When you are at the correct height, click the “Just Right” button. Also, though unlikely: check that the build plate is maintaining a consistent height from the extruder nozzle over the build plate shuttle’s range of motion (since if the height isn’t consistent, that first layer may not be getting consistent “smooshing”).
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 213 from other manufacturers may need to be printed at a slightly di↵erent temperature; check any information from the manufacturer of the filament. Note that ABS filament is quite prone to curling as it cools, which is one reason why we don’t recommend ABS filament for beginners; PLA filament is much more forgiving (if printing at the proper temperature). 8.2.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 214 give adequate adhesion during the build, but not so close that it becomes very difficult to remove the raft from the object once the print has finished; the raft infill controls the density of the interior of the raft, where you want enough material to support the bottom of your main object but not so much that the raft is so solid that it bonds too tightly to the bottom of your main object.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 215 by Polar 3D. Rafts and skirts, in contrast, may be of interest with other filament materials, such as ABS. Figure 8.1: Polar Cloud build plate PRINT SETTINGS The Polar 3D Cloud 2.0 has a feature whereby you can ask to add a brim, raft, or skirt to your object. Once you have selected an object and clicked “3D PRINT” to get ready to print it, then go to “PRINT SETTINGS”, (see Figure 8.1), and under “BASIC” settings scroll down to Support, (see Figure 8.2).
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS Figure 8.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS Figure 8.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 218 Figure 8.4: Polar Cloud build plate Skirt Settings 8.3 Removing objects from the build plate Cooling a printed object, still on the build plate, briefly in the refrigerator or freezer may make it easier to remove from the build plate. Remove the build plate, with freshly printed object still attached, from the 3D printer and place it in the refrigerator or freezer: four or five minutes in the freezer may suffice.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 219 benefit from thoroughly cooling before you attempt to remove an object. For some objects, printing with a raft may better allow removal from the build plate without damage to the bottom of the object. After removing an object, check whether it is time to clean the build plate and/or apply more hair spray (or other adhesion aid). 8.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 220 Polar 3D, measure precisely the diameter of your filament with a caliper. And know what temperature is best for your filament, and be sure to set the printer extruder temperature accordingly. See Polar Cloud PRINT SETTINGS to adjust for a di↵erent filament diameter (under “ADVANCED”) or temperature (under “BASIC”). 8.4.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 221 Wood filament (PLA infused with wood dust/wood fibers) results in objects with the look and feel of wood. A number of di↵erent brands, incorporating di↵erent types of woods, are available.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 222 truder nozzle. Metal PLA filament is considered quite a difficult filament to get printing well, so be ready for a challenge! ABS filament is second only to PLA filament in terms of popularity for general 3D printer use.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 223 or benefit from a heated build plate (not a feature of the Polar3D printer), or are distinctly more challenging to use than regular PLA, and exotic types tend to be more expensive, still other types may be of interest to you. For some further discussion of these and additional filament types, see: Polar 3D youtube video: WWBD – The Di↵erent Types of Filaments 8.4.2 Loading and unloading (and changing) filament Figure 8.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 224 The Polar 3D support site has detailed discussions of loading and unloading filament on Polar3D printers.
CHAPTER 8. OPERATIONAL TIPS 225 4. Feed the filament through the filament guide (the hole at the top of the Polar3D printer). (Having the filament properly guided keeps the filament from flopping wildly from the spool to the print head.) 5. Stick the end of the filament into the feed hole at the top of the print head.
Chapter 9 Updating the printer Occasionally, an update to the printer firmware will be available. When an update is available, you will see an update button visible in three locations: Figure 9.
CHAPTER 9. UPDATING THE PRINTER 227 1. On the printer dashboard screen within the Polar Cloud; Figure 9.1. 2. On the printer manage screen within the Polar Cloud; Figure 9.2. Figure 9.2: Polar Cloud printer management screen UPDATE button 3. On the printer’s local web interface; Figure 9.3. Figure 9.
CHAPTER 9. UPDATING THE PRINTER 228 Clicking the UPDATE button or Update tab in any of these respective locations will cause the update to be performed. Alternatively, you can force an update as follows. From a device (computer, tablet, phone) on your local network, open a browser window and go to the location: http://localip /update where localip is your printer’s local IP address1 . Figure 9.
CHAPTER 9. UPDATING THE PRINTER 229 Whichever of the three approaches above you use to request an update, you will be presented with a screen describing the update which asks you to confirm that you truly wish to update the printer; an example is shown in Figure 9.4. Click ‘Confirm” to perform the update.
Chapter 10 Printer maintenance The Polar3D printer’s polar coordinates-based design means a simpler machine with fewer moving parts, so fewer maintenance issues. But as with any machine, there are a few parts that benefit from some occasional maintenance attention. 10.1 Cleaning your build plate Something you will need to do fairly regularly is to clean your build plate. Remove the build plate from the printer, and wash it with warm water.
CHAPTER 10. PRINTER MAINTENANCE 231 Plate 10.2 Lubrication There are five spots which can benefit from occasional lubrication: the bottom of the threaded Z rod, and around the bushings on each of the four steel rods (two rods for the build plate shuttle, and two rods for the gantry); see Figure B.1. We recommend Tri-Flow lubricant (often used on bicycle chains), which is a “dry” lubricant.
CHAPTER 10. PRINTER MAINTENANCE 232 For a video demonstration, see: Polar 3D youtube video: WWBD – How to Unclog a Nozzle and Clear a Leaky Nozzle 10.4 Replace the nozzle on the extruder Every so often, sooner if you print with abrasive filaments (see Section 8.4), or not for a long while if you stick with regular PLA filament, you may need to replace the extruder nozzle. Polar 3D support solutions: How do I replace the nozzle on the extruder of my Polar 3D printer? 10.
CHAPTER 10. PRINTER MAINTENANCE 10.6 233 Printer calibration One of the advantages of the Polar3D printer’s underlying polar coordinates architecture, and minimal number of moving parts, is that the Polar3D printer doesn’t tend to require frequent calibration. However, occasionally you may want to check and adjust its calibration. There are two general types of calibration: (1) the z height of the extruder, and (2) the consistent levelness of the build plate. 1.
CHAPTER 10. PRINTER MAINTENANCE 234 Select “Calibration” from the stacked tabs on the left, and click “Z offset down or “Z offset up”, as desired.
CHAPTER 10. PRINTER MAINTENANCE 235 Each click will lower (or raise) the z home of the print head (and hence the extruder) by 0.05 millimeters (about 1/2 the thickness of a sheet of paper). Adjust the z height until the tip of the extruder is just touching the build plate. When you are at the correct height, select the “Just Right” button. 2. The build plate, when sliding forward or back, should remain at a consistent height relative to the extruder tip.
CHAPTER 10. PRINTER MAINTENANCE 236 (a) The build plate shuttle arms in the back of the printer (near the Z rod) may be bent downwards. Push these arms up gently until the extruder nozzle stays at the same height across the entire radius of the build plate. (b) The pads that the build plate mirror rests upon may be slightly o↵.
Chapter 11 Troubleshooting The Polar3D support website has a number of articles and videos discussing commonly encountered issues. You can also open a support ticket at that site. 11.
CHAPTER 11. TROUBLESHOOTING 238 stood up its own wireless network. 2. POLAR3D (BLUE over RED): The printer has been configured to connect to a network, but that network has not yet, or could not, be found. (The LED lights will only remain BLUE over RED for a short time: then the lights will either return to BLUE over BLUE if the network could not be found, or progress to BLUE over YELLOW if the network is found.) 3.
CHAPTER 11. TROUBLESHOOTING 239 And the Polar3D video: Youtube Polar3D channel: WWBD - LED Light Explained 11.2 Clogged or leaky nozzle See: Polar 3D youtube video: WWBD – How to Unclog a Nozzle and Clear a Leaky Nozzle 11.3 Flaws in printed objects 1. If an object appears warped due to coming partially or fully loose from the build plate during the print, take steps to improve adhesion; see Section 8.2 for some ideas. 2.
CHAPTER 11. TROUBLESHOOTING 240 (see Figure 2.1), and consider cleaning the filament drive gear, (see Section 11.2). 4. If strings of unintended extrusion are occurring between separate parts of your print, then either the temperature may be a bit too high – try decreasing the temperature by 5°C and try again – or else you may have a batch of filament that is simply rather runny even at lower temperatures – try increasing the retraction a few millimeters (3 or 4 millimeters).
CHAPTER 11. TROUBLESHOOTING 241 on top of another, that the material is not cooling sufficiently between the layers. Slow down the print speed, or point a small fan at the printer, or print multiple objects (thereby forcing more movement and printing at each layer, hence forcing more time before returning to print another layer) to aid in cooling. 8.
CHAPTER 11. TROUBLESHOOTING 11.4 242 Camera color balance The camera in the Polar3D printer attempts to perform automatic color balancing. However, occasionally its color balancing algorithm may yield strange results, where the camera picture appears to have a strange overall tinge. (In particular, this may happen if the printer is left on in dark surroundings, such as overnight; when the lights get brighter, as in the morning, the color balancing may not readjust properly.) See for instance Figure 11.
CHAPTER 11. TROUBLESHOOTING is restored.
Appendix A Polar3D printer specification sheet 244
Appendix B Polar3D printer diagram Filament Guide Carrying Handle Spool Holder Z Threaded Rod Raspberry Pi Indicator Lights Filament Loading Hole Serial Number Fan Grill Holes Press Fit for Fan Guard Indicating LED Logo Shuttle Arm X Y Sensor 0.4mm Brass Nozzle Build Plate Build Plate Gear USB A USB B - to PC Ethernet Figure B.
Appendix C Connecting the printer directly to your device The Polar3D printer supports direct, non-Internet-enabled, printing; in such modes, the features of the Polar Cloud are not available, but direct printing may be useful when Internet access is not available yet you need to print an object. (When Internet access is available, see instead Chapter 1 for a discussion of connecting the printer to the Polar Cloud.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE247 surface by applying a coat of hair spray (see above), and raised the print head to make room for installing the build plate, you are ready to install the build plate on the printer build plate shuttle. The bottom center of the build plate has a gear affixed. Place the build plate so that the center of the gear seats over the bearing on the build plate shuttle, and the gear teeth engage with the geared axle of the printer build plate shuttle. 3.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE248 C.1.1 Wireless direct connection For this type of connection, you will connect to the printer’s hotspot directly. (Thus this process starts out rather similarly to configuring the printer to connect via WiFi to a local network, as discussed in Section 1.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE249 Figure C.1: Printer local web interface network status after your printer’s serial number and which the printer stood up itself, 192.168.0.1 will be the address of the printer.) You are now connected to the printer and should see the printer’s local web interface, as shown in Figure C.1; (the printer local web interface is discussed in detail in Chapter 5).
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE250 C.1.2 Wireless direct printing The steps below describe the full process for uploading and printing an arbitrary .stl file. (However, note that the Polar3D printer ships with several .stl files, suitable for an initial test of the printer, already onboard the printer user interface; for your very first print, you may wish to print one of them rather than uploading your own file.) 1.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE251 Figure C.
APPENDIX C.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE253 (b) Select the desired file. (Note that several sample .stl files ship with the Polar3D printer, accessible from the printer local interface, for your convenience in using them as a first print, or for calibration prints.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE254 4. Click the Print File button. C.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE255 (typically your computer) that can control the printer. In particular, Repetier-Host is free software which can be downloaded and installed on your computer for this purpose. You will also need an appropriate cable to connect your printer with your computer, such as a type-A-male-to-type-B-male USB cable to connect to your printer.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE256 C.2.1 Cable direct connection 1. Obtain an appropriate cable, either a type-A-male-to-typeB-male USB cable of the type described above in Section C.2, or an Ethernet cable. 2. Plug the cable into the printer and into your computer. A window should pop up that says it is installing drivers. Do not close that window! 3. Now, download and install Repetier-Host. 4. Start up Repetier-Host.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE257 5. Once the drivers from step 2 have finished downloading, unplug your printer. Then click Printer Settings on the top right of the screen.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE258 First, set the Baud Rate to 115200. Next, click on the down arrow in the box labelled “Port” and make a note of the values shown in the dropdown menu. This will show you what ports you currently have on the device and will help you determine the port used by the Polar3D printer. Click “Cancel” to close the Printer Settings window. 6. Plug your printer back in. Open Printer Settings again. Select the new value in the drop down menu.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE259 Click the “Ok” button to save the changes. 7. Click the red “Connect button (towards the top left of the Repetier-Host window).
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE260 8. Now, configure Repetier-Host to work with your Polar3D printer.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE261 Click the “Ok” button to save these settings. 9. Now, configure the CuraEngine slicer settings. (CuraEngine is the slicer program that converts the 3D model – the .stl file – to Gcode that the printer can read.) Click on the tab that says “Slicer”, towards the right of the window.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE262 10.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE263 11. You will need to download two files from the Polar 3D support page. The files to download are named “Polar Cura Settings.rcp” and “Polar PLA Settings.rcf”. They are available at the Polar 3D support website: Polar 3D support: Repetier-Host/USB printing Save the two files to your desktop. 12.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE264 step 10, navigate to the “Print” tab, click “Import”, and then load “Polar Cura Settings.rcp”: 13. Next, navigate to the “Filament” tab, click “Import”, and load ‘Polar PLA Settings.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE265 14. Navigate back to “Printer Settings” (see for instance steps 4 and 5), click on “Scripts”, then select “Run on Kill”.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE266 Copy the text as shown into the box – or you may copy the text from this link and paste it into the box. Click “OK” to save. Everything is set up and configured properly, and now it’s time to print! See Section C.2.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE267 C.2.2 Cable direct printing Once you have connected your printer via USB cable directly to your computer, and configured the printer controller software on your computer (e.g., Repetier-Host), as described in Section C.2.1, you are ready to print an object! 1. Obtain an .stl file to print.
APPENDIX C. CONNECTING THE PRINTER DIRECTLY TO YOUR DEVICE268 3. You may want to change the position of the object on the build plate. You will generally to position the object so that it is not at the center of the build plate, and instead is near the edge of the build plate – this will tend to increase the speed of the print. (See Section 8.1 for additional discussion of operational tips regarding positioning objects.
Glossary 3D printer The Polar3D printer melts plastic filament and deposits in layers or “slices” to additively build up a solid, threedimensional object. More generally, there are a variety of forms of “3D printing”; see http://www.3dhubs.com/whatis-3d-printing for an overview. Plastic filament 3D printers are relatively inexpensive, and accessible to students.
Glossary 270 brim To promote adhesion of the object being printed, sometimes an extra ring of material may be printed encircling the object; this is referred to as a “brim”. build plate For 3D printers in general, the build plate is the platform on which objects are printed. For the Polar3D printer, the build plate is a round mirror with a toothed gear on the underside, that meshes with a gear on the build plate shuttle.
Glossary 271 captive portal A captive portal is a “landing” web page that a user must view, and at which a user typically must accept prescribed conditions for access, before access is permitted. Free WiFi hotspots at business centers, airports, co↵ee shops, etc., typically permit access by means of a captive portal, where after a user accepts the conditions, the MAC address of the user’s device is permitted access for some period of time.
Glossary 272 corner ringing This is a type of print defect characterized by a ripple pattern which quickly dampens and is seen on the vertical faces of prints, particularly after a direction change in the surface. cylindrical coordinates Cylindrical coordinates are one way of extending polar coordinates to three-dimensional space: cylindrical coordinates use the r and ✓ of polar coordinates, plus a z height.
Glossary 273 filament In the 3D printing context, filament generally refers to the plastic filament that the printer melts and prints; PLA and ABS are two of the most common materials for 3D printer filament. 37, See also ABS & PLA Gcode Gcode, sometimes written as “G-code”, is a numerical control programming language used to control the operation of machine tools such as 3D printers. While there is an international standard for Gcode, the 3D printing community loosely adheres to it.
Glossary 274 MAC address A MAC address (Media Access Control address) of a network device is a unique identifier assigned for network data layer communications purposes. MAC address are typically assigned by the manufacturer of a network device, encoding the manufacturer’s registered identification number, and are stored in the device’s read-only memory or other firmware. Among other uses, a device’s MAC address is a way of identifying the device for network access purposes.
Glossary 275 ence Teachers Association, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Research Council, and the nonprofit organization Achieve. For details, see http://www.nextgenscience.org. over-extrusion When the extruder outputs a surplus of plastic, over-extrusion results.
Glossary 276 PLA PLA (PolyLactic Acid) is a biodegradable plastic, typically made from renewable raw materials such as cornstarch or sugarcane. Besides 3D printing filament, other common uses are for plastic cups and plastic water bottles. 1, 42, 210, 212, 214, 219, 220, 232, See also filament polar coordinates Polar coordinates describe two-dimensional location via radius, r, and angle, ✓. Compare with Cartesian coordinates, which instead describe two-dimensional location via x and y coordinates.
Glossary 277 relationship between polar coordinates and Cartesian coordinates. Also, a couple of printer operational tips will be more intuitive if you are conscious that the printer is operating, at the hardware level, in polar coordinates. 207, 208, 230, 233, see also Cartesian coordinates print head The print head is the assembly including the heating element and the filament extruder. It moves up and down the Z rod. See Figure B.1.
Glossary 278 ament to some other portion of the build plate where extrusion will be resumed. Retracting (raising) the extruder nozzle for non-extrusion moves helps keep the extruder nozzle from dragging or smearing extruded material while it is being moved to its new position. 139, 176, 240, See extruder SD card An SD card is specific type of memory flash card and is used to convey print files to your printer without using a USB or network connection.
Glossary 279 especially when printing using ABS filament, or to establish a smooth flow of filament. 139, 175, 209, 214, 222, See also ABS slicer The process of turning a 3D model into printing instructions — Gcode — is referred to as “slicing”. That name derives from the fact that the process takes slices of the model and determines the necessary “tool paths” (extruder paths) to print that slice. The slice is a “layer” of the print.
Glossary 280 steps. In a 3D printer, stepper motors are typically used to move the extruder and build plate. In particular, in a Polar3D printer, there are three stepper motors: one controls the movement of the print head up and down the Z rod (z axis), one controls the movement of the build plate shuttle (x axis), and one controls the rotation of the build plate (✓ rotation). 181, See also build plate shuttle, polar coordinates, print head & Z rod .
Glossary 281 has two extruders, then the right extruder is “tool 0” and the left extruder is “tool 1”. To further confuse matters, in Gcode motion commands for the right extruder may use the prefix “A” while the left extruder the prefix “B”. See also extruder & Gcode under-extrusion When the extruder outputs a deficit of plastic, under-extrusion results.
Index 138 Sketchup, 187 Tinkercad, 187 Aqua Net hair spray Clubs, see Polar Cloud, Groups Important ingredient in, 210 CuraEngine slicer Spraying on build plate, 4 Repetier-Host configuration, Demo video, 4, 246 261 Light touch-up for additional Using with Repetier-Host, 268 prints, 210 Direct printing (not through PoBrim lar Cloud) Adding .
INDEX Polar Cloud, 48 STEAMtrax curriculumn, 196 283 Temperature, 42 Wood-infused, 220 Snip o↵ ugly end, 28, 224 Unloading, 223, 225 Video discussion of, 223 Wood, 220 Filament, 219 ABS, 222 Adhesion issues and solutions, 222 Curls as cools, 213, 222 G-code Skirt as draft shield, 214, Delay after each layer, 207 222 Modifying for print in Polar Cloud, 139, 176 Ventilation required, 222 Changing, 144, 223 Polar Cloud PRINT SETTINGS, Diameter 139, 176 Over-extrusion, 241 Printer local web interface Contro
INDEX 284 Configured Network screen 208 of local web interface, 183 Towards edge of build plate DHCP, 21 recommended, 207 Internet connection, 26 Removing objects from the MAC address of printer, 23 build plate, 218 Outgoing HTTP port acPolar Cloud, 51 cess, 20, 24 Account, 52 Static IP address, 21 Activity, 60 Notifications, see Polar Cloud, ACTIVITY screen, 59–61 Notifications ADMINISTRATOR position, 57 Operational tips, 206 Banner, 59 Adhesion, 209 Creating, 12, 53 ABS juice, 211 Display name, 57, 71 E
INDEX 285 Position menu, 57 Queue icon, 137 Print jobs, 61 Loading object to build plate, Printer added to account, 134 61 Loading object to printer, Printer managers added, 61 141 Printer managers removed, Merge jobs, 152, 154 61 MOVE object, 38, 137 Printer removed from acObject image, 136 count, 61 PLACEMENT tab, 136 Profile photo, 58 PRINT button, 36, 43, 135, QUEUED screen, 61 141, 155 Settings screen, 56 PRINT SETTINGS, see PoSign Out, 53 lar Cloud, PRINT SETTINGS STUDENT position, 57 Printer drop-d
INDEX Create, 86 CREATE A GROUP screen, 86, 87 DESCRIPTION field, 86, 87 Invitation to join, 162 INVITE MEMBERS screen, 94 Invite Polar Cloud member to join, 92 JOIN button, 98, 106 Join code, 97, 98, 108 LOCATION field, 86, 87 Members, 92 MEMBERS screen, 93 Membership visibility, 90 MODERATED, Joining, 98 MY GROUPS screen, 85, 87 Object sharing, 73, 74, 98, 168 Object sharing, UNSHARE, 77 Printer control, 91 Printer sharing, 91, 102, 168 Privacy of, 88 PRIVATE, 88 PUBLIC, 88 PUBLIC, Joining, 98 Requesting
INDEX Invitation to join group, 96, 161 Request to join MODERATED group, 98 Objects, 61 Add .stl files, 80 Delete .
INDEX 288 lar Cloud members, 71 job, 126 Size, 40 QUEUED screen of account, Top menu tab, 61 61 UNSHARE, 77 Rearrange order of, 125, 146 Upload, 65, 125 SNAPSHOT photo, 127 UPLOAD FILES screen, 66– Start and stop, 142 68 Stop, 159 Obsoleting printer ownership, Temperature, 42, 145 114, 184 TIME LAPSE video, 128 PRINT button on 3D PRINT Video (time-lapse) of comscreen, 43, 135 pleted job, 126 Merging jobs, 155 Video of, 158 Print jobs Print queues, 121 After printer ownership change, After printer ownershi
INDEX Printer dashboard, 151 Prioritize Job tab, 125 Remove Job tab, 125, 157 RESUME button, 145 Start and stop jobs, 142 START button, 123, 143 STOP button, 145, 159 PRINT SETTINGS, 139, 175, 215 ADVANCED, 139 BASIC, 139 Bottom and top layers, 175 Bottom Layer Thickness, 240 Brim, 175, 215 Cooling Fan, 175 Downloading, 125 Filament diameter, 175, 219, 241 First layer adhesion e↵ects, 212 First Layer Speed, 212 G-CODE, 139, 176 Infill, 175 Initial layer print speed, 175 Initial Layer Thickness, 212 Layer t
INDEX Dashboard screen, 43, 44, 110, 121, 123, 151, 158, 170 Dashboard screen UPDATE button, 129, 226 DESCRIPTION field, 115, 116 DESCRIPTION field, Searching by, 118 HISTORY screen of printer, 126 INVITE button, 119 INVITE MEMBERS screen, 119, 120 Job history, 150 Job queue, 146 List in LIST VIEW, 169 List in THUMBNAILS VIEW, 15, 109, 169 LOCAL UI tab, 172 Local web interface, 131, 172, 177 Local web interface, Access by group members, 91 LOCATION field, 115, 116 LOCATION field, Searching by, 118 MANAGE s
INDEX 291 Status PRINTING, 44 ton, 155 Status READY TO PRINT, 45 SAVE TO EXISTING PRINT Status UPDATING PRINTER, JOB button, 155 129, 130 Video (time-lapse) of comStatus WAITING FOR RESPONSE, pleted jobs, 128 44, 130 Video of jobs in-progress, 158 Temperature, 145 Ports UPDATE button, 129 Outgoing HTTP must be open UPDATE PRINTER confirmato printer, 24 tion screen, 130 Used by Repetier-Host, 258 Updating, 129, 226 Printer Printing via, 132, 141 Access by other Polar Cloud Account activity, 60 members, 118
INDEX Build plate shuttle Calibration for proper first layer height, 212 Calibration via local web interface, 182 Lubricating the rods, 231 Unlock stepper motors to move manually, 181 Calibration, 233 Build plate shuttle, 212, 235 Local web interface, 182 Operational tips, 211 X axis, 182, 212 Z axis, 182, 211, 233 Camera Color balance, 242 Lights, 237 Local web interface, 182 Polar Cloud, 158 Turn on or o↵ via Camera screen of local web interface, 182 Clogged nozzle, 239 Connect or reconnect to Polar Clou
INDEX 293 Finding, 183, 228 lar Cloud, 11 Network screen of local web Controls tab, 181 interface, 183 IP address, 183 Static, 21 Manual Printer Controls Static in Ethernet Settings screen, 30 under Network screen of Manually extrude filament, local web interface, 183 30 Leaky nozzle, 239 Navigation through, 180 LED lights Network tab, 183 Meaning of, 237 Obsoleting printer ownerMeaning of during update, ship in Polar Cloud, 114, 131, 229 184 Network connectivity probPolar Cloud access to, 131, lems, 25 1
INDEX interface, 183 Solving network connectivity problems, 25 Maintenance, 230 Build plate cleaning, 210, 230 Calibration, 233 Filament drive gear cleaning, 231 Filament drive gear cleaning and poor quality filament, 219 Lubricate, 231 Nozzle replacement, 232 Nozzle replacement and abrasive filaments, 220 Nozzle replacement and carbon fiber PLA filament, 221 Nozzle replacement and glowin-the-dark PLA filament, 220 Nozzle replacement and metallic PLA filament, 221 SD card replacement, 232 Manual controls L
INDEX Manually forcing, 228 Polar Cloud approach, 129, 226 299
INDEX 295 Local user interface ConfiguredWiFi Network screen, 183 Changing WiFi network via Stepper motors Network screen of local Unlock manually via local web interface, 183 web interface, 181 WiFi vs.
INDEX 296 Type A male to type B male Power adapter, 5, 247 USB cable, 255 Power on, 5 Direct connection via WiFi, LED lights blue over blue, 247, 248 5, 247 Printer hotspot network name, Raise print head, 4, 246 248 Security light check, 114 Printer hotspot password, WiFi connection to Inter248 net, 17 Printer serial number, 248 Serial number, 15, 114 Printing, 250 WiFi hotspot network name, Ethernet connection to In7, 248 ternet, 19 WiFi hotspot password, 5 Filament loading, 28 Spray build plate, 4, 246
INDEX 297 printing (not through Polar Cloud) Configuring, 261 Using, 268 Startup screen, 256 Use with direct USB cable connection to printer, 254 Raft Adding Polar Cloud PRINT SETTINGS, Skirt 139, 175, 215 Adhesion aid, 213 Adding Foundation for build, 213 Polar Cloud PRINT SETTINGS, Repetier-Host software 215 Draft shield, 214 Connect button, 259 CuraEngine ABS filament, 222 Configuring, 261 Smooth flow of filament at Polar Cura Settings.
INDEX 298 Diameter variation, 219 Glow-in-the-dark, 220 Feeding poorly, 239 Layers pull apart, 239 Leaking from nozzle, 231, Rough surfaces, 239 239 Shell too thin, 240 Leaking from nozzle durSmall parts squished, 207 ing PAUSE, 144 Strings between separate parts, Over-extrusion, 241 240 Poor quality of, 219 Surface blemishes, 240 Skirt to avoid burps at start Tall or narrow parts squished, of print, 209 240 Strings between separate parts, Telegraphing of interior ma240 terial through shell, 240 Temperatu
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful interference, and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired operation. Any Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
