Print Without a Cartridge

Feature Requests & Ideas
1

Hey @Formlabs, before you stop updating Form 2 firmware, could you give us a way to bypass tank fill eternity or print without a cartridge?

I’m envisioning a “Skip” button on this screen:

It would bypass the onslaught of messages you otherwise need to wait around for:


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Including this one which has a nasty tendency of stopping your print partway through:

And avoid the lengthy “Sensing Resin” pauses between layers (which might even make printing without a cartridge faster than a full one!)

If it detects the cartridge is replaced later, then the printer could go back to the usual behavior. Alternatively you could give us a toggle that overrides all resin warnings during the job.

My last print should have taken 5½ hours, but stretched to 17½ because of the hour long “Waiting for tank to fill” preamble and endless resin level checks.

After a cartridge runs dry, a quarter of its resin remains in the tank. That’s enough for a lot of printing. But it’s difficult when all your machine does is sit there hopelessly trying to squeeze one last drop out of an empty tank. Take away the unlimited supply of cartridges from your QA team for a few days and you’ll see what I mean!

Using up the last of my resin shouldn’t be a punishing experience that leaves me feeling like my printer is in cahoots with your sales team.

I’m not the only one feeling the pain:
http://forum.formlabs.com/search?q=waiting%20for%20tank%20to%20fill

Thanks for considering this idea!

4 Likes
2

Hi,
If you really want to print to the last drop of resin ( I would not recommend it) you can hack the resin level sensor - tide it in up position with some thin wire or thread and the printer will think that there is enough resin.

3

Can’t do that on a Form 2. Also, even on a Form 3, have you actually done that yourself or encountered anyone who has? I’d have thought “fully up” would be sensed as an overflow condition, and getting the level just right might be challenging.

On a Form 2 you can use Open Mode to print without a cartridge. But then you don’t get the heater or wiper, so it’s not a solution.

You shouldn’t need hacks or gimped modes just to use up your resin.

3 Likes
4

I’d love a skip button! My printer has a “cartridge mismatch” error all the time as if the cartridge’s sensor is broken. I wish I could just tell it to keep printing anyway. I’ve had so many overnight prints that quit a few minutes in because it thought the cartridge was removed.

5

I did it on my Form3
Taped the sensor up with scotch tape and did 2 prints without a problem until my replacement cartridge was delivered. The empty cartridge was in place.
I should design a clip to do it properly…
But indeed a software option is the way to go.

2 Likes
6

I recall someone mentioned if you stick some foil tape in just the right spot you can fool the sensor…