A resin spill can contaminate sensitive components of the printer, such as the Light Processing Units (LPUs), roller holder, glass optical window, or X- and Z-axis screws. Promptly clean and inspect the printer after a resin spill to minimize any cosmetic or functional damage to the printer.

Small resin spills on the printer exterior are harmless and can occur during normal use. More extensive resin spills that reach the inside of the printer may require additional cleaning and support to assess and reduce potential damage. Resin inside the printer may contaminate or erode critical components. For more extensive spills, photograph the spill and contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller for further assistance.

Immediately after a resin spill, do the following:

1. If a print is in progress, cancel the print on the printer's touchscreen.
2. Clean the resin spill as soon as possible.
3. If cleaning the resin spill immediately is not possible, keep the orange cover closed to prevent ambient light from curing the resin.

Prepare the printer for inspection and cleaning by disconnecting it from power and removing all consumables.

To prepare the printer for cleaning:

1. Put on a new, clean pair of nitrile gloves.
2. Disconnect the printer from its power source.
3. Remove the build platform first to avoid dripping resin into the printer cavity.
4. Wipe off any resin on the build platform surface. Liquid resin cures in ambient light, and resin left on the surface of a build platform renders it unusable.
5. Remove the resin cartridges and close the vent caps.
6. Remove the resin tank, place it in the tank case, and cover it with the plastic lid. Make sure the resin tank is not leaking and set it aside on a flat, clean surface.
7. If the resin spill is extensive, take photos of the spill to share with Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller.

Liquid resin on the outside of the printer can make the printer difficult to use or contaminate other work surfaces. Clean the cover, shell, and ports if resin spills on them.

USB port, Ethernet port, power jack

7. Inspect the USB port, Ethernet port, and power jack on the back of the printer for resin contamination.
8. If needed, clean the contacts inside the port or power jack using cotton swabs and a small amount of isopropyl alcohol.

Open the cover to inspect the following components under the cover: the tank carrier rails, top shell that surrounds the tank carrier rails, roller holder, and Light Processing Unit (LPU) housing.

Tank carrier rails and top shell

1. Put on a new, clean pair of nitrile gloves.
2. Dab the tank carrier and top shell with low-fiber paper towels to absorb liquid resin. Avoid smearing resin across the surface.
3. Clean surfaces with soapy water or a general purpose cleaner, such as glass cleaner.
4. If resin has spilled into the printer cavity, contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller.

The Light Processing Unit (LPU) housing and the build platform carriage ride along the X-axis ball screw and Z-axis lead screw, respectively. Both screws must be clean and lubricated for the build platform and LPU housing to move smoothly and quietly. The Z-axis also contains a drip catcher, which can help prevent or mitigate any future resin spills.

X-axis ball screw

1. Put on a new, clean pair of nitrile gloves.
2. Clean any resin droplets on the X-axis ball screw with a low-fiber paper towel dampened with soapy water or isopropyl alcohol.
3. Shine a secondary light source (for example, a flashlight, LED or cell phone light) along the ball screw to determine whether resin has seeped down the ball screw and into the bearings. If resin has seeped into the bearings, take photos and contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller for additional assistance.
4. If there is resin on the ball screw, remove the resin on the ball screw with a low-fiber paper towel or cotton swab and a small amount of isopropyl alcohol.

Z-tower

Z-motor and lead screw

9. Shine a secondary light source (for example, a flashlight, LED or cell phone light) down the lead screw and inspect the Z-motor inside the bottom of the tower to determine whether resin has seeped down the lead screw and into the bearings. If resin has seeped into the bearings or Z-motor, take photos and contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller for additional assistance.
10. If there is resin on the lead screw, but the Z-motor itself is clean, remove the resin on the lead screw with a low-fiber paper towel or cotton swab and a small amount of isopropyl alcohol.

Resin spills are sometimes caused by a failed print. The failed print will also leave cured resin in the resin tank. Inspect and clean the resin tank before running any further prints.

To inspect the resin tank:

1. Put on a new, clean pair of nitrile gloves.
2. Inspect the resin tank using the tank tool to check for any failed prints or damage to the resin tank.
3. Remove any failed prints using the tank tool and filter the resin.
4. Dispose of the resin tank if there is significant wear or damage to the flexible film or if resin leaks through cracks in the resin tank.

Liquid resin on the roller holder and glass optical window can contaminate the flexible film on the resin tank's underside and affect the quality of subsequent prints. If resin gets into the LPUs, the printer's optical components can be damaged and may require replacement.

To inspect the roller holder and LPU housing:

1. Put on a new, clean pair of nitrile gloves.
2. Bring the LPU housing out of its garage on the right side of the printer. Depending on your printer’s firmware version, there is an option, accessible through the printer’s touchscreen, that moves the LPU housing for maintenance.
3. Check for any resin on the roller holder or glass optical window in the roller holder. If necessary, clean the roller holder and glass optical window following Formlabs instructions.

Always dispose resin and any supplies contaminated with it according to the safety data sheet (SDS). Put the container of soapy water and any soiled paper towels or swabs in a window or other sunny space so that the resin cures in ambient light. Once the resin cures, it can be disposed of in the household waste.

Tools

Clean any non-disposable tools, like the tank tool, or plastic spatula, with isopropyl alcohol.

Follow the resin disposal steps below to dispose of items like nitrile gloves, cotton swabs, microfiber cloths, paper towels, or PEC*PADs covered or soaked in resin before disposing of them in the household waste.

Liquid resin

To dispose of liquid resin:

1. Put on a new, clean pair of nitrile gloves.
2. Pour a small amount of resin into a labeled container suitable for storing resin.
3. Leave the container outside, exposed to sunlight to cure for 1–10 days. Expose resin to 405 nm light and heat for the most effective curing. The liquid resin cures to solid material when exposed to light and heat.
4. Dispose of the fully cured resin and container in the household waste.

Contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller if the resin spill is extensive or if resin has reached the inside of the printer.

Include the following with the support request:

• Photo of the initial resin spill
• Top-down photo of the printer cavity with the LPU housing moved into its maintenance position
• Resin type and version
• FORM file being printed when the resin spill happened
• Diagnostic logs
• The cause of the spill:
  • Failed print
  • Damaged resin tank
  • Damaged bite valve
  • Other (please provide additional information)

While resin spills occur for a variety of reasons, the most common reasons are failed prints in the resin tank, damage to the resin tank, and damage to the bite valves.

Failed prints

When a print fails, the entire print or a part of the print may fall into the resin tank. The mixer is designed to detect such a failure and pause the printer, but some resin may still be spilled.

To avoid print failures, exercise these best practices:

• Design models for printability
• Check for proper model orientation
• Check for adequate supports
• Use unexpired resin that is free from debris and contaminants
• Diagnose and resolve common failed prints

Damaged resin tank

A damaged resin tank can cause resin to leak onto the printer. The flexible film on the resin tank's underside can be damaged by improper storage (such as placing a resin tank down on top of another object) or rough handling (such as using a sharp tool to remove cured resin). Similarly, the tank frame can crack due to an impact or other significant force. Use the provided tank tool to inspect the flexible film and always handle the resin tank with care.

Damaged bite valve

A damaged bite valve on the resin cartridge can cause the printer to dispense too much resin, which can cause the resin tank to overflow. Learn how to inspect and protect the bite valve.