I need a little help. I received a Form 2 from a customer that hasn’t been used for a year or so. Everything powered up great and we placed a new & unopened tank and platform into the unit along with new gray resin container. We uploaded a few parts to see how the unit works. The first parts only printed the base of the part onto the tank and nothing onto the platform . Started researching the possible causes so I cleaned galvo mirrors, main mirror, and optical window and everything looked great. This had no impact on the print since it was still bonding to the tank. I also started decreasing the z axis from +0.2 mm to -1.6 mm at 0.2 mm increments with no luck. We looked at the resin that was used and it had a date of 07/2020. Could this older resin be causing our issues or is the laser power diminished to not cure to the platform? Any help would be appreciated
It could be either really; I would try some newer resin first as that is easier than finding a laser that is compatible and replacing it.
Edit: Upon a second read, I noticed you never mentioned the type of model and placement which could be creating a cupping effect and ripping it from the build platform. There are quite a few unknown variables that people would need to better help diagnose the problem.
Thanks for the response. We created a simple cube for a test part that is 3/4" long and was uploaded using PreForm recommendations. The base of the model is bonding to the tank and nothing to the platform. We peeled off the failed part from the tank after each test. No support structures are being created and we moved the model to different locations after each failure to hopefully ensure there wasn’t any anomalies with the tank. I see the laser working during print job and what is printing onto the tank is consistent but there is nothing bonding to the platform.
We just changed the resin to clear and used a new tank and we have the same results. The date on the clear resin is about the same as the gray resin (10/2020).
Also, we just ordered a new tank and resin from Formlabs to see if that is the issue
Hi @Bdavid,
Trying out new consumables will be a good step to take. Standard Resins have a shelf life of 24 months, so the age of the resin could certainly be a factor. If issues persist, feel free to get in touch with our Support Team for further insight.
We received the new clear resin and a new tank but the same failure occurs (only printed on the tank and nothing on the platform).
Hi @Bdavid,
I’m sorry to hear that the issue persisted. There could still be an issue with the printer’s optics despite the cleaning you performed. Asking Support to take a look will be the best way to narrow this down further.