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.

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

Small resin spills on the printer exterior are harmless and can occur during normal use. If resin spills are frequent, learn how to reduce the likelihood of spills.

More extensive resin spills that reach the optical window or 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. Disconnect the power cable from the printer.

2. Remove the build platform first to avoid dripping resin onto the optical window.

3. Wipe off any resin on the build platform surface. Ambient light cures liquid resin left on the build surface, which renders the build platform unusable.

4. Remove the resin cartridge and close the vent cap.

5. Remove the resin tank and cover it with the plastic lid. Make sure the tank is not leaking and set it aside on a clean paper towel.

6. If the resin spill is extensive, take photos of the spill to share with Formlabs Support.

Orange cover

1. Inspect both the inside and the outside of the orange cover.

2. Clean any liquid resin from the orange polycarbonate with soapy water and paper towels.

Shell

3. Absorb liquid resin on external surfaces of the shell with paper towels. Allow the paper towel to absorb the resin. Avoid smearing resin across the surface.
4. If resin has cured on the surface of the shell, scrape off the cured resin using a plastic spatula. A metal spatula may scratch the aluminum shell.
5. Clean remaining resin off external surfaces with soap and water.

USB port, ethernet port, power jack

5. Inspect the USB port, Ethernet port, and power jack on the back of the printer for resin contamination.
6. If needed, clean the contacts inside the ports or power jack using cotton swabs and soapy water.

Open the cover to inspect the following components under the cover: the tank carrier, the shuttle cover, the tank spring fingers, the LevelSense board, and the optical window.

Tank carrier and shuttle cover

1. Apply paper towels to absorb and wipe up liquid resin on the tank carrier and shuttle cover.
2. Clean surfaces with soap and water.

3. Push the tank carrier from side to side to access the areas under the edges.
4. Check for resin in the reservoir located on the front left corner of the shuttle cover. Use a syringe to remove excess resin from the reservoir.
5. If resin has spilled into the printer body, contact Formlabs Support.

Tank spring fingers

6. 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

7. Inspect the LevelSense board for resin contamination, which can affect the ability of the Form 2 to sense resin levels in the tank.
8. Clean any resin from the LevelSense board using a paper towel dampened with IPA. Be careful to avoid contact with the thermopile.

Optical window

9. Visually inspect the optical window with an oblique light source. Follow Formlabs instructions for Cleaning the glass optical window.

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. Soak up any resin with a paper towel.
4. Remove pooled resin using a syringe.
5. Clean any final traces of resin with a small amount of 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.

1. Inspect the resin tank using a spatula to check for any failed prints or damage to the tank.

2. Remove any failed prints and filter the resin.

3. Dispose of the tank if there is significant wear or damage to the elastic layer or if resin leaks through cracks in the tank.

1. With the cover open, look through the optical window to inspect the optical cavity.
2. Check for any resin inside the printer, particularly on critical components such as the main mirror.
3. If you see resin inside the printer, contact Formlabs Support or your authorized reseller for additional assistance.

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 for a day or two so that the resin cures in ambient light. Once the resin cures, dispose of it with regular household waste.

Contacting Formlabs Support for resin spills

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 optical cavity
• 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)

Preventing resin spills

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 wiper may catch this part or push it to one side and cause resin to spill.

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. Storing resin in a standard Resin Tank for longer than one month can cause cracks to form in the orange polycarbonate tank frame. Learn more about proper storage for standard resin tanks and for Resin Tanks LT.

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.