Prusa XL

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Description

The Prusa Xl is a large 3D printer that includes removeable heatbed, filament sensor and multiple print heads. These features can be used to create great prototypes. Multiple heads allow for multiple types of material to be used on one print. The Prusa XL uses FDM Printing. The Prusa XL is a prototyping device that works well for larger prototypes that could possibly be made from multiple materials. The Prusa XL has a hard time with complicated shapes, but it is great at simple models.

User manuals

Prusa 3D Printer User Manual

Terminology

Nozzle/Extruder: The nozzle (or extruder) is the part of a 3D printer which deposits the molten plastic filament onto the 3D printer bed. The extruder can reach 200°-300°C, depending on the filament used, but typically stays around 215°C for regular prints.
Heatbed: The heatbed is a 14.17" x 14.17" x 14.17" plate where the filament will be "printed" on. The bed heats up to around 60°C. Heated beds typically prevent the plastic from warping by keeping it warm. Warping is a common issue that happens on 3D printers, where the plastic of the print cools at an uneven rate, leaving the print wavy and not the way you intended.
Feeder: The feeder is the part of the 3D printer that "feeds" the filament to the nozzle. Sometimes "feeder" and "extruder" are used synonomously, so it's important when you're teaching someone to differentiate whether or not you're talking about the nozzle extruder or the feeder extruder. Feeders are typically composed of stepper motors, gears, and sometimes bolts and pulleys to guide the filament to the hot end.
Fan: There are usually two fans on the nozzle of a 3D printer, and they serve the purpose of cooling the plastic as soon as it comes out of the nozzle. If the plastic is super hot, we don't want it to move as soon as it is in place on the part we're making, otherwise our part will turn out warped or failed. The fans are put in place to strategically cool the plastic as soon as it comes out of the nozzle. You are able to turn the fan speeds up and down in the slicer software (if that is a provided feature), but you can manually configure it on the printer as well.
Stepper Motor: There are two main places where you'll find stepper motors on a 3D printer. There's a motor for each axes, one for the x, y, and z. These motors receive instructions from the gcode to move the certain axes at certain points to create your print. There is also a stepper motor in the extruder setup, pushing and pulling the filament whenever more or less is needed for the current print.
Infill: Infill has to do with a 3D print's structural integrity. It can be multiple shapes and patterns (providing different strength optimizations), different sizes, and different thicknesses. Infill ranges anywhere from 0% (hollow) to 100% (solid). It is very unlikely you'll ever want a print to be 100% infill, because it takes an insane amount of filament and a lot of time to complete. Most 3D prints are 15% infill since it is the most optimal choice for cost efficiency and durability. If your concern is cost, a lesser infill density is a good way to go. If strength and mass is important, a higher density (between 30%-50%) is a good estimate. When using a higher infill, always double check to make sure it's a good idea for your part, and that you're using the right machine. Other 3D printers in the prototype lab have the option of a stronger filament than PLA or ABS, so it may be a better idea to print for strength on those rather than the Prusas.
Filament: There are many different kinds of filament you can use on the 3D printer, ranging from PLA, to ABS, TPU to Nylon. The most common of these are PLA and ABS; the Prusas are usually set up with PLA. PLA stands for Polylactic Acid, it is the most common desktop 3D printing filament because it is odorless and very hard to warp on its own, therefore not always a need for a heated bed. ABS stands for Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. It's one of the most commercial versions of plastic available (found in legos, packaging, and more)--it's durable, scratch resistant, and tough. Heated beds are a must with ABS filament because it is so temperature sensitive, so it warps very easily. The Prusas use 1.75 mm filament.
CAD Modeling and Thingiverse: There are two ways you can 3D print models. You can either design your own with a CAD (computer-aided design) software, or you can find something similar to what you want on websites like Thingiverse. Thingiverse has all sorts of community-contributed designs, which you can download the .stl files for, slice, and print the models. As for modeling your own projects, there are multiple softwares you can use such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, Autodesk Inventor, FreeCAD, and many more.
Slicing: Each 3D printer uses a slicer software, a software where you can import the model file (usually an .stl file) onto a computerized build plate, resize, change up the nozzle and bed temperatures, adjust the infill and precision, and more. The slicer software takes into consideration all your configurations, then "slices" it into a .gcode file, a set of instructions for the x, y, and z dimensions. The 3D printer can read and tell the stepper motors what to do from the set of instructions within the gcode. The slicer software used for the Prusa XL is called Prusa Slicer.

Training

Operation

Printing on the Prusa will always start with an STL file that you export from Solidworks or download from the internet. However, the printer cannot interpret a STL file and must be converted to a gcode file which instructs the printer on how to complete the print. The process of creating a gcode is called "slicing" and is done in the Prusa Slicer software. Prusa Slicer allows you to customize any part of the print process and is color coded to distinguish simple settings from expert settings so you can tell which settings can be adjusted without risk of messing things up. For the most part, the preset setting options will work well but feel free to experiment with settings to improve print detail or speed (check out this video for example). After you have sliced your STL file the rest of the setup is simple. Save the new gcode to the SD card found in the printer, turn on the machine, select "print from SD card" to find your file, and then click to start the print. Make sure to clean the print bed with isopropyl alcohol before the print starts and watch the print for the first five minutes to make sure it doesn't fail. Also, the video below walks through the setup process in detail starting from downloading a stl file which is helpful.

Demonstration

The student will need download, setup, and successfully start a print of their choice, providing it is within reason and follows Prototype Lab guidelines. If possible, they should stay as long as possible in case a print fails, which will be an opportunity to teach them basic troubleshooting of the machine.