Printing with the Form Auto

After setting up your Form Auto, prepare your models, send print jobs, and start printing.

Preparing a print for the Form Auto

Design and orient your models such that they can consistently and automatically release from the build platform. For more information, see Best practices for printing with the Form Auto.

General guidelines

Note:

Avoid using mini-rafts with the Build Platform 2. The surface area on each mini-raft is too small to properly release from the print surface when it bends.

  • Orient models parallel to the front of the build platform
  • Overlap support rafts on smaller parts
  • Print parts with large flat surfaces directly on the build platform

When printing with a Formlabs resin for biocompatible applications, the Form Auto’s part removal enclosure, part release bin, and wash basket are considered part of the printing process. Maintain separate part removal enclosures, part release bins, and wash baskets for resins for biocompatible applications.

Tall parts

The Form Auto is unable to automatically release parts taller than 115 mm, even if they fit within the printer’s build volume. If your parts are too tall to release from the build platform, PreForm displays the message Parts will not auto release in the Job Info panel and on the print upload screen. A printer installed on a Form Auto can still print such a part, but the Form Auto will not attempt to automatically remove the printed part from the build platform.

Form Auto incompatible resins

Similarly, the Form Auto will not attempt to automatically remove parts printed in particularly flexible resins from the build platform.

Note:

As with tall parts, print jobs in these resins can still be sent to a printer attached to a Form Auto and print normally.

Parts printed in the following resins are not automatically released at the end of a print:

  • Flexible 80A Resin
  • Elastic 50A Resin
  • PU Rigid 650 Resin
  • PU Rigid 1000 Resin
  • Dental LT Comfort Resin
  • Silicone 40A Resin
  • Alumina 4N Resin
  • BioMed Flex 80A Resin
  • BioMed Elastic 50A Resin
  • BioMed Durable Resin
  • IBT Flex Resin

Sending a print job from PreForm to a Form Auto

You either send your print job directly to the Form Auto or, if you have purchased Fleet Control, add it to a queue in Dashboard.

Sending a print directly to a Form Auto

  1. Open PreForm.
  2. Set up your print job. When selecting a printer, choose the Form Auto, as you would an individual printer.
  3. Upload the print job.
  4. Start the print on the printer’s touchscreen.

When the print completes, the Form Auto automatically releases the printed parts using its part removal mechanism. It deposits the printed parts into the part release bin underneath the part removal gantry. You can then start the next print in the printer’s queue, if one is available, or upload a new print job to the Form Auto.

Warning:

Do not remove the cover from the Form Auto while the part removal enclosure or part release arms are in motion. Wait for the part retrieval process to complete before interacting with the Form Auto. Moving parts present crushing and tangling hazards.

Sending a print via Dashboard and Fleet Control

  1. Open PreForm.
  2. Click the Account button in the top-right corner of the screen. The Account pane opens.
  3. Click Log In. The Dashboard login screen appears.
  4. Log into a Dashboard account that has access to the Form Auto.
  5. Set up your print job. When selecting a printer, choose the Form Auto’s Printer Group. Printer Groups are only available in PreForm when logged into Dashboard.
  6. Upload the print job.
  7. Fleet Control sends the print job to the first available printer in the Printer Group with the proper resin type inserted. Monitor the status of the print job using Dashboard.

When the print completes, the Form Auto automatically releases the printed parts using its part removal mechanism. It deposits the printed parts into the part release bin underneath the part removal gantry. It then starts the next print job, if one is available.

Warning:

Do not remove the cover from the Form Auto while the part removal enclosure or part release arms are in motion. Wait for the part retrieval process to complete before interacting with the Form Auto. Moving parts present crushing and tangling hazards.

Retrieving printed parts that do not automatically release from the build platform

If the Form Auto cannot automatically release a printed part after multiple attempts, the printer displays the Part removal failure error message. To retrieve your printed parts:

  1. Unlatch the Build Platform 2.
  2. Pull the Build Platform 2 towards the part removal enclosure to move the part release mechanism back to its home position.
  3. When the Build Platform 2 is free from the build platform carriage, lift it out of the printer.
  4. Separate your printed parts from the Build Platform 2 using the part release paddles or a part removal tool.
  5. To prevent future part removal failures, make sure your parts are set up to release properly when printing with the Form Auto and Build Platform 2.

Next steps

  1. Retrieve the part release bin with your printed parts.
  2. Wash your printed parts. The Form Auto part release basket is compatible with the Form Wash L.
  3. Post-cure your printed parts.
  4. Clean the part release bin.
  5. If you are changing resin types, clean the part release enclosure and Build Platform 2.
  6. Place the part release basket and bin back under the Form Auto part release gantry and continue printing.