Promptly clean and inspect the printer after a resin spill to minimize any cosmetic or functional damage to the printer. Learn about the primary causes of resin spills and how to prevent spills.

Small resin spills on the printer exterior are harmless and can occur during normal use. More extensive resin spills 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.

1. If a print is in progress, cancel the print on the Form 4 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.

1. Turn the power switch on the printer to the 0 position. Disconnect the power cable from the printer.
2. Remove the build platform first to avoid dripping resin onto the LPU.
3. Wipe off any resin on the build platform surface. Ambient light can cure liquid resin left on the metal plate, which can cause print adhesion issues.
4. Remove the resin cartridge and close the vent cap.
5. Unlatch the resin mixer. Cover the resin tank with the tank lid and remove it and the mixer from the printer. Make sure the tank is not leaking and set it aside.
6. If the resin spill is extensive, take photos of the spill to share with Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller.

La présence de résine liquide à l’extérieur de l’imprimante peut rendre celle-ci difficile à utiliser ou contaminer d’autres surfaces de travail. Nettoyez le couvercle, la coque et les ports de branchement si de la résine a coulé dessus.

Touchscreen

6. Inspect the printer’s touchscreen.
7. Clean any liquid resin using a microfiber cloth dampened with a small amount of IPA.

USB port, Ethernet port, power jack, and power switch

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

The Z-axis assembly contains the motor and lead screw that drive the build platform carriage. They must be clean for the build platform to move smoothly and accurately. There is a drip catcher below the cartridge slot, which can help prevent or mitigate any future resin spills.

Z-tower and drip catcher

1. Clean any resin droplets on the Z-tower with a paper towel or cotton swab dampened with soapy water.

2. En l’éclairant avec une lampe de poche, examinez le godet de récupération de la résine pour voir s’il contient de la résine.
3. Si c’est le cas, enlevez la résine liquide à l’aide d’une seringue et jetez-la en suivant les procédures adéquates.
4. Absorbez toute résine restante avec un papier essuie-tout.
5. Nettoyez les dernières traces de résine avec de l’eau savonneuse et un papier essuie-tout propre.

Moteur Z et vis sans fin

6. Examinez le moteur Z en éclairant la vis sans fin vers le bas avec une lampe de poche pour vérifier que la résine n’a pas coulé le long de la vis ni pénétré dans les roulements. Si de la résine s’est infiltrée dans les roulements ou le moteur, prenez des photos et contactez l’assistance Formlabs ou votre revendeur agréé pour obtenir de l’aide supplémentaire.
7. S’il y a de la résine sur la vis sans fin, mais que le moteur Z lui-même est propre, enlevez la résine de la vis avec du papier essuie-tout ou un coton-tige, légèrement imbibés d’alcool isopropylique.

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.

1. Inspect the resin tank using the plastic tank scraper to check for any failed prints or damage to the tank.
2. Remove any failed prints (using the plastic tank scraper and then by printing a cleaning sheet) and filter the resin.
3. Dispose of the tank if there is significant wear or damage to the tank film or if resin leaks through cracks in the tank.

Liquid resin on the release texture can contaminate the bottom of the resin tank and affect the quality of subsequent prints.

Clean any resin on the release texture with PEC*PADs. Dampen the PEC*PADs with isopropyl alcohol if necessary to fully remove the resin.

Dans certains cas, de la résine liquide peut s’infiltrer sous le bord de la LPU et la contaminer, ainsi que le panneau diffuseur ou l’unité d’éclairage. Si vous constatez pendant le nettoyage que de la résine s’est infiltrée sous le bord de la LPU, vous pouvez retirer et nettoyer ces composants optiques.

Suivez les guides de remplacement des pièces énumérés ci-dessous pour retirer la LPU, l’unité d’éclairage et le panneau diffuseur. L’unité d’éclairage doit être retirée pour accéder au panneau diffuseur. Si vous constatez la présence de résine liquide ou d’autres contaminations, appliquez une petite quantité d’alcool isopropylique propre sur un chiffon non pelucheux et essuyez la surface affectée. Laissez sécher la pièce à l’air libre avant de la réinstaller.

• Light Processing Unit (unité de traitement de la lumière)
• Unité d’éclairage
• Panneau diffuseur

Éliminez toujours la résine et tout matériel contaminé par celle-ci conformément à la FDS. Placez le contenant d’eau savonneuse et les papiers essuie-tout et écouvillons salis sur le rebord d’une fenêtre ou tout autre endroit ensoleillé afin que la résine se polymérise à la lumière ambiante. Une fois polymérisée, la résine peut être jetée avec les ordures ménagères.

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 release texture
• 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 resin cartridge bite valve
  • Other (please provide additional information)

Learn how to recognize common causes of resin spills and how to minimize the likelihood of resin spills.

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 resin cartridge bite valve.

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 Form 4 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 composite flexible film at the bottom of the tank can be damaged by improper storage (such as placing a tank down on top of another object) or rough handling (such as using a sharp tool to remove cured resin). Similarly, the plastic frame of the resin tank can crack due to an impact or other significant force. Use the provided plastic tank scraper to inspect the tank 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 in rare cases. Learn how to inspect and protect the bite valve.