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 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.

1. If a print is in progress, cancel the print on the Form 3/Form 3B 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. Disconnect the power cable from the printer.
2. Remove the build platform first to avoid dripping resin into the printer cavity.
3. Wipe off any resin on the build platform surface. Ambient light can cure liquid resin left on the metal plate, which can cause adhesion issues.
4. Remove the resin cartridge and close the vent cap.
5. Remove the resin tank, place it in its case, and cover it with the plastic lid. 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.

USB port, Ethernet port, power jack

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

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

Tank carrier rails and top shell

1. Dab the tank carrier and top shell with paper towels to absorb liquid resin. Avoid smearing resin across the surface.
2. Clean surfaces with soap and water.

3. If resin has spilled into the printer cavity, contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller.

Tank spring fingers

4. Clean any resin on the tank spring fingers using cotton swabs dampened with soapy water. Resin contamination on the spring fingers may cause tank detection issues.

LevelSense board

5. Inspect the LevelSense board for resin contamination, which can affect the ability of the Form 3/Form 3B to sense resin levels in the tank. Clean any resin from the LevelSense board using a paper towel dampened with 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. The Z axis also contains a drip catcher, 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 tank tool to check for any failed prints or damage to the tank.
2. Remove any failed prints using the tank tool and filter the resin.
3. Dispose of the tank if there is significant wear or damage to the flexible film or if resin leaks through cracks in the tank.

Liquid resin on the rollers and optical window will contaminate the bottom of the resin tank and affect the quality of subsequent prints. If resin gets into the LPU, the printer’s optical components will be damaged and require replacement.

1. With the printer plugged in and powered on, tap the wrench icon to access the Settings screen, then tap Maintenance > Motor Moves. The Motor Moves screen appears. Tap and hold Left (<) to move the LPU housing to the middle of the printer cavity. Other controls on this screen fully sweep the LPU housing across the printer cavity and control the build platform carriage.
2. When prompted by the touchscreen, disconnect the power cable before continuing with maintenance.
3. Check for any resin on the roller holder (the black component mounted on top of the LPU housing), the laser window in the roller holder, or the rollers themselves.

4. Clean any resin in the area of the LPU housing or on the printer with paper towels. Dampen the paper towels with isopropyl alcohol if necessary to fully remove the resin.
5. If you can see resin inside the LPU (through the laser window), contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller for additional assistance.

Always dispose 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 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 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 3/Form 3B 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 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 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.