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.

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.

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. Shine a flashlight on the drip catcher in the base of the tower and visually inspect it for spilled resin.
3. Remove pooled resin using a syringe and dispose using the proper procedures for liquid resin.
4. Soak up any remaining resin with a paper towel.
5. Clean any final traces of resin with soapy water and a clean paper towel.

Z-motor and lead screw

6. Shine a flashlight 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 motor, take photos and contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller for additional assistance.
7. If there is resin on the lead screw, but the Z-motor itself is clean, remove the resin on the lead screw with a paper towel or cotton swab and a small amount of IPA.

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.

In some cases, liquid resin can seep under the edge of the LPU and contaminate it, the diffuser panel, or the Backlight Unit. If you see during cleaning that resin has gotten under the edge of the LPU, you can remove and clean these optical components.

Follow the part replacement guides listed below to remove the LPU, Backlight Unit, and diffuser panel. The Backlight Unit must be removed to access the diffuser panel. If you see any liquid resin or other contamination, apply a small amount of clean IPA to a lint-free cloth and wipe the affected surface. Allow the component to air dry before reinstalling it.

• Light Processing Unit
• Backlight Unit
• Diffuser panel

Always dispose of resin and any supplies contaminated with it according to the 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 with regular 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 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.