Changing the Printing Material

Before producing 3D prints using a different type of printing material than is currently installed, run the Material Replacement wizard to flush the print block and feed tubes.

After changing support material with the wizard, Head Optimization is required before printing.
You should carefully plan production of 3D prints the with different materials to avoid unnecessary waste of the materials currently loaded. The amount of material flushed depends on the flushing cycle chosen and if you are replacing one or more cartridges.
The Material Replacement wizard suggests the best slot locations for placing different material cartridges, based on the materials currently in the system. This ensures minimum flushing of materials currently loaded.
Note: When performing manual material replacement, certain replacement options are blocked to protect the system. In these cases, follow the recommendations of the Material Replacement wizard for best replacement options.
To replace the printing material with the wizard:
1.   Start the Material Replacement wizard from the Options menu.
2.   In the opening screen, click Next.
3.   If the printer cover is not closed, a screen appears, prompting you to close the cover. Confirm that it is closed and click Next.

In the Material Replacement Options screen, you select the settings that determine how the wizard replaces material currently in the system with newly loaded material.

4.   Choose whether you want to produce 3D prints in Single Material mode or in Digital Material(“multiple-materials”) mode.

Single Material mode

Four print heads are used to print, using one model material.

•   This mode is required to produce build trays with the High Quality setting, and to produce trays with the High Speed setting, using only one model material.

Digital Material mode

Each of the model materials loaded is used in two of the print heads.

•   If only one of the model materials is required for printing, 3D prints are produced using two print heads. This makes it unnecessary to replace the other model material.
•   If model-material substitution is allowed, the printer produces trays with the High Speed setting using a mixture of model materials (see Model Material Substitution).
5.   In the Required materials section of the wizard screen, select one or more replacement materials cartridges.
6.   For model materials, select Both if you need to load two replacement cartridges.

Loading one replacement cartridge is more economical because it potentially requires less flushing of material currently in the system. However, when one cartridge is not sufficient, loading two cartridges enables continuous printing until the print job is completed. When one cartridge empties and the other one is being used, you can replace the empty cartridge with a new one.

7.   For Support material, select Both if you need to load two replacement cartridges.
8.   In the Flushing cycle section of the wizard screen, choose how thoroughly you want to flush out material currently in the system:
•   Economy. This cycle can be used when replacing a light-colored model material with a darker material (such as Agilus30 Black™ or VeroBlack™) or if the exact color of the 3D print is unimportant. Use this cycle when replacing cleaning fluid with any model material.

The wizard flushes the system with the minimum amount of material needed to ensure that 3D prints have the mechanical properties of the new material.

•   Full. Use this cycle when the 3D print must have the exact color of the new material. This cycle should also be used before printing with MED610 or MED620, if any other model material is currently loaded in the printer.

The wizard thoroughly flushes the feed tubes and print heads needed for printing, based on your selections in the previous screens.

There are additional settings that you can select for special purposes (see Advanced Settings). If necessary, click Advanced Settings before clicking Next.
9.   Click Next to begin the material replacement process in the printer.

The Cartridge Positioning screen appears, showing you the new location of all cartridges in the material cabinet.

Symbols:

The correct cartridge is in this slot.

No cartridge (or the incorrect cartridge) is in this slot.

The cartridge in this slot has insufficient weight to complete the material replacement process.

The expiration date of the cartridge in this slot has passed.

10.   Replace material cartridges as necessary, according to the instructions in the wizard screen.
11.   Click Start.
12.   Read the warning message, and click OK.
If you continue, you must complete the material replacement process before you can produce 3D prints. To replace material cartridges at another time, click Cancel. If you continue (by clicking OK) and you do not complete the process, you will need to run the wizard again before producing 3D prints.

13.   In the final wizard screen, click Done.

The printer-control application is automatically updated, and it restarts.

When it opens, the interface displays the new material(s). Objet Studio (on the server computer) is also updated and displays the new material(s).

The interface in the job preparation application is also updated, and it displays the new material(s).

14.   Inspect the area around the purge unit and clean it, if necessary.
After changing the type of Support material, you need to run the Head Optimization wizard before printing. See Optimizing (Calibrating) Print Heads .
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