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STACKER S4 User Manual

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S4 USER GUIDE
©Copyright ​ 2 016 STACKER, LLC
Minneapolis, MN 55427
http://stacker3d.com
STACKER®​ is the registered trademark of ​ S TACKER, LLC​ .
Revised: 12 January 2017

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  • Page 1 S4 USER GUIDE ©Copyright ​ 2 016 STACKER, LLC Minneapolis, MN 55427 http://stacker3d.com STACKER®​ is the registered trademark of ​ S TACKER, LLC​ . Revised: 12 January 2017...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 2 User Guide - ​ S TACKER S4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1.1. Product Registration 1.2. Printer Specifications Warnings Unboxing and Assembly 3.1. Hardware List 3.2. Assembly Instructions 3.3. Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) Your First Print 4.1.
  • Page 3 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 3 10.2. Nozzle Height Adjustment 10.3. Calibration of X/Y/Z Motion System 10.4. Vref for Stepper Motor Drives Useful Information 11.1. Connecting & Disconnecting the USB Cable 11.2. Filament Settings Reference 11.3. Printer settings for Slicing Engines 11.4.

  • Page 4: Introduction

    Nevertheless, we highly recommend Simplify3D. We have found ​ S implify3D​ to be one of the best slicing engines available. We provide a license of ​ S implify3D​ with the purchase of a Stacker S4, so to receive your copy, please contact ​...

  • Page 5: Product Registration

    ​ h ttp://stacker3d.com/product-registration/ Your Stacker S4 printer has two serial labels. One is serial label is located inside the controller housing and a second serial label has been attached to the inside of the front right leg.

  • Page 6: Printer Specifications

    STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 6 1.2 Printer Specifications PRODUCT Stacker S4 MACHINE TYPE Cartesian robot FIRMWARE RepRap Repetier BUILD VOLUME 510mm (X), 365mm (Y), 600mm (Z) PRINT SPEED 1-250mm/sec X/Y MOVEMENT SPEED 0 to 250mm/sec POSITIONAL ACCURACY X/Y 6 microns...
  • Page 7 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 7...

  • Page 8: Warnings

    STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 8 2. Warnings Stacker 3D printers are industrial machines that should never be operated around children or left unattended. Careful setup and training is required for optimal results. Read through this entire User Guide and view online resources before attempting to use your printer. Please note, this printed copy of the User Guide may not be the latest version.
  • Page 9 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 9 Age Warning. For users under the age of 18, adult supervision is recommended. Small printed parts can become a choking hazard for small children. Never operate the printer unattended!

  • Page 10: Unboxing And Assembly

    STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 10 3. Unboxing and Assembly The Stacker S4 has been shipped in a wooden crate to protect the printer during transit. We recommend keeping both the crate and packaging materials in case you should ever need to transport the printer or return it to Stacker for warranty service.

  • Page 11: Hardware List

    STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 11 3.1. Hardware List 1. Filament Rail (p/n 30-026) 2. Filament Rail Brackets -- Right (p/n 30-095) and Left (p/n 30-098) 3. (2) Thumbscrews (p/n 40-006) 4. Nozzle Wrench (p/n 50-069) 5. 3mm Hex Key (p/n 50-032) 6.
  • Page 12 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 12 16. (8) Compression Spring (p/n 20-056) 17. (8) M4 Knurled Nut (p/n 20-074) 18. SD Card (p/n 10-094) 19. (4)Blower Fan Duct (p/n 50-071) 20. (20) Filament Guide Tube Clip (p/n 50-069) Note, four of these clips have already been attached to the printer.
  • Page 13 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 13 There are two Z-rails, two Y-rails, and one X-Rail. Rub an oiled cloth along all five of these linear rails to assure they are clean and free of debris. For most users, you will likely need to wipe down and apply some oil or grease on a monthly basis.
  • Page 14 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 14 Use the same two screws to attach the left filament guide rail.
  • Page 15 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 15 Step 3. ​ R emove two M5 x 12mm Socket Head Cap Screws from the rear right side of the printer, and use these screws you just removed to attach the Right Filament Rail Bracket.
  • Page 16 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 16 there is a small amount of red anti-vibration material on each of these screws to prevent the hardware from loosening during operation. E. Attach the Filament Guide Tubes to all four filament drives. Step 1. ​ U sing the 2.5mm hex driver, loosen the two screws on the filament guide tube mounting bracket.
  • Page 17 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 17 Step 3. ​ H old the grey sleeve with both hands as shown. While pushing and holding the tubes together with one hand above the hotend, insert the opposite end through the filament guide tube mounting bracket as shown.
  • Page 18 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 18 Step 5. ​ T ighten the screws on the filament guide tube bracket to secure the grey sleeve tube. Step 6. ​ S ecure the hot end power cable with one zip tie as shown. Trim the tail from the zip tie once it has been tightened.
  • Page 19 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 19 Step 8. ​ A ttach the filament guide tube bar by clipping the bar at four locations to the grey filament guide tube sleeves as shown. Note, the location of the filament guide tube bar is...

  • Page 20: Your First Print

    For typical operation, the Stacker S4 should have at least one dedicated 20 Amp circuit. The power supply is auto switching and will accept 115 to 230 volts of AC power. We have attached a data sheet for the power supply to help you properly connect it to your power source and determine compatibility.

  • Page 21: Turning Off The Printer

    B. Power Up Printer The Stacker S4 has two power supplies and two power switches (one for each power supply), be sure to turn on ​ b oth ​ p ower switches. The printer will will not operate if only one of the power switches is turned on.
  • Page 22 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 22 Rail knobs to secure the rail in place. Place the filament rolls so the filament goes over the top of the roll as shown by the right image below. Step 2. Preheat the print bed and hot end. ​ E very filament has an optimal extruding temperature.
  • Page 23 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 23 a temperature to 220°C. Note, the current temperature of the hot end in the image below is 34.3°C and rising to 220°C Step 3.​ ​ I nsert the filament.​ With the filament drive idler assembly open, insert and push the filament upward by hand through the small hole beneath the filament gear then continue upward past the gear and through the filament guide just above the gear.
  • Page 24 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 24 alarmed. You are seeing the remnants of the PLA filament used during your printer’s initial calibration and testing at Stacker. Step 5. Secure the Filament Idler Assembly. ​ T o close the Idler Assembly, lock the two heads of the screws into the Filament Idler Assembly.
  • Page 25 You should always double check your print bed to confirm that it is clear of tools and printed objects before starting a print. Stacker performed a test print at our factory. This test print may still be on the bed, so you need to remove it before performing your test print.
  • Page 26 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 26 F. Watch your Test Print While your first print is running, watch for any problems with the printer. Although the printer was calibrated prior to shipping, calibration can sometimes be thrown off during shipping. If the printer is not performing adequately, calibration may be necessary to improve print quality.

  • Page 27: Troubleshooting Poor Quality Prints

    If your print quality is less than desired, please take a look at the Simplify3D print quality troubleshooting guide. This User Guide provides excellent visuals of common problems and solutions. ● https://www.simplify3d.com/support/print-quality-troubleshooting/ If your print failed, please go through the printer calibration steps in chapter 6, and contact Stacker for help at ​ i nfo@stacker3d.com​...

  • Page 28: Changing Nozzles, Filament Guide Tubes, And Buildtak

    STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 28 5. Changing Nozzles, Filament Guide Tubes, and BuildTak Your Stacker printer comes with four 0.50mm mid temp nozzles pre-installed. The 0.50mm nozzles provide a good balance between printing speed and detail. Nonetheless, we recommend experimenting with different nozzle sizes because changing your nozzle size can increase print speeds (with larger nozzle sizes) or improve the fine detail of your prints (with smaller nozzle sizes).
  • Page 29 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 29 When the nozzle is hot, release the filament drive idler assembly and pull out the filament by hand. Remove the filament completely from the filament guide tube by hand by pulling the filament out of the guide tube.
  • Page 30 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 30 IMPORTANT: Turn off the heat and wait until the hot end has cooled down before proceeding with the next step! Step 3. Remove the Filament Guide Tube Clips and Filament Guide Tube Support Bar.​ Detach the filament guide tube clips and the filament guide tube support bar from the grey filament guide tube sleeve.
  • Page 31 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 31 Step 5.​ ​ R emove the filament guide tube from the nozzle.​ Use the supplied nozzle wrench to release the grip on the push-type fitting on the top of the hot end heat sink. With...
  • Page 32 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 32 Step 7. Remove the nozzle. ​ T o loosen the nozzle from the heat sink, use the supplied nozzle wrench or a 5mm wrench to turn the nozzle counterclockwise. Once you loosen the nozzle with the wrench, you can turn with your fingers unit it is removed.
  • Page 33 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 33 Step 3. Tighten the nozzle.​ Use your finger to tighten the nozzle, then use the nozzle wrench to turn and secure the nozzle. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN! Just turn the nozzle till it is snug. With the nozzle snug, look at the filament guide tube to see that the push-type fitting was lifted by the filament guide tube.
  • Page 34 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 34 the tube. If the tube and fitting moves up and down, even a little bit, remove the nozzle and go back to Step 1 and carefully redo each step again. Step 4. Replace the filament guide tube sleeve.​...
  • Page 35 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 35 and the inner tube will be inserted into the fitting. The filament guide tube will descend approximately 20mm into the fitting. Step 7. ​ B y turning the grey filament guide tube sleeve, you can manipulate the tube’s arc. You want the arc to stand as tall as possible.

  • Page 36: Replacing Buildtak

    If you wish to clean the BuildTak surface, wipe it down with isopropyl rubbing alcohol. ​ D O NOT use acetone​ because acetone will destroy the BuildTak. Custom BuildTak sheets for Stacker 3D printers are available at ​ w ww.stacker3d.com​...
  • Page 37 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 37 To replace a sheet of BuildTak, 1. Heat the bed to 50°C. 2. Peel the old worn sheet of BuildTak from the bed. 3. Use isopropyl rubbing alcohol and a clean cloth to wipe the aluminum bed clean.

  • Page 38: Printer Calibration

    When all other software has been closed on your computer, click the Connect button located in the upper left corner of Stacker RUN. A drop down menu will allow you to select the four head model. With some computers, you may need to go into the Printer Settings menu of Stacker RUN and change the Port setting from Auto to an available COM port.

  • Page 39: Adjusting First Layer Height

    STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 39 When your printer is connected to Stacker RUN, you are ready to calibrate. 6.1. Adjusting First Layer Height First layer height is critically important to 3D printing. When the printer is calibrated correctly, the first layer has a perfect amount of “squish”. If your nozzle is too far away from the print bed, the...

  • Page 40: Volumetric Calibration

    After making any change to the Z-height adjustment screw, you will need to re-home the Z-Axis with either Stacker RUN or the LCD controller (​ ► Main Menu » Position ►Home Z) ​ a nd then test the nozzle gap again. It is good practice to move the gantry all the way forward on the printer, so the nozzles cannot crash into the bed if you have adjusted the Z-height incorrectly.
  • Page 41 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 41 B. Test ​ F ilament Drive E-STEPS Calibrating your filament drive E-STEPS (​ e xtruder steps) is essential to achieving the best quality prints, and it should be done every time you change filament types or brands.
  • Page 42 Step 4. Mark 120mm of filament:​ With a pen and ruler, mark the filament at 120mm. Step 5. Extrude 100mm of Filament:​ Open Stacker RUN, connect to your printer, and use the Manual Control tab to extrude exactly 100mm of filament.
  • Page 43 115mm of filament because we only measure 5mm of filament. Step 6. ​ O pen your EEPROM window in Stacker RUN by pressing Alt+E or select “Firmware EEPROM Configuration” under the Config menu to see your current E-STEPS for each extruder.
  • Page 44 Go back and repeat steps 4 through 6 again to confirm your E-Steps setting. C. Verify Nozzle Size Stacker nozzles use a system of small machined dots around the tip for identification purposes. Be sure to enter the correct nozzle size in your slicing software. Stacker’s standard nozzle size is 0.5mm, also called a 050 nozzle, and these were pre-installed on your printer.

  • Page 45: Pid Calibration

    PID autotune and make the necessary changes to your EEPROM. To run a PID autotune, you will need to open Stacker RUN and enter the flowing text into the manual control line.

  • Page 46: Multi-Head Printing

    7. Multi-Head Printing The Stacker S4 has four printheads, and these heads can be used to print the same part in different materials, at the same time. When printing copies of the same part, this is called ​ m ulti-part print mode.
  • Page 47 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 47 Once the heads have been positioned along the gantry where indicated by the guide, secure the heads by pushing the belt clamp bracket upward with your finger and and securing it with the 2.5mm hex driver. Once tightened, make sure it is secure by moving head one. When head one moves, all of the secured heads should move together along the X-gantry in tandem.

  • Page 48: Multi-Material Prints

    Stacker printer and Simplify3D. Multi-material printing involves a critical process of calibration, and if calibration is not performed correctly, the results will be imperfect. Before attempting ​ m ulti-material printing, Stacker recommends viewing the Simplify3D tutorials to learn the basics about slicing your objects for multi-material printing.
  • Page 49 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 49 measurement by the number of ​ X -axis steps per mm​ to get the distance in steps for the ​ E xtr.2 X-Offset​ . For example, if your ​ X -axis steps per mm​ is 146.1, then you would multiply 146.1 by the exact distance you measured between the two nozzle tips.

  • Page 50: Max

    Maximum X travel on X-Rail distance of head 1 390mm 430mm 470mm 510mm On the Stacker S4, you can remove the second, third, and fourth hot ends fairly easily. The first hot end should never be removed from the printer.
  • Page 51 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 51 Whenever removing hot ends, it is critical that the electrical connections are not detached. If the wires are disconnected from the hot end, the printer will go into an error state. When removing one or more hot ends, please follow these steps: Step 1.
  • Page 52 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 52 Step 4. Carefully slide the hot end from the linear rail.​ Using the space opened by removing the guard plate, carefully and slowly slide the hot end to the right to remove it from the linear rail.
  • Page 53 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 53 Step 6. Reattach the Guard Plate.​ After the heads have been removed and stored carefully, reattach the guard plate that was removed in Step 1.

  • Page 54: Maintenance

    Clean filament debris to prevent damage to your printer’s moving parts. 8.2. Linear Guides The linear rail system on the S4 uses recirculating linear bearings and profile rail guides. For optimal performance, lubrication of these parts is essential. Lubrication promotes smooth operation, minimizes friction and wear along the raceways, dissipates heat, and prevents corrosion.

  • Page 55: Controls

    B. Sending G-code to the printer. From the manual control panel, Stacker RUN can accept most G-code commands. For advanced users this can be quite helpful. Here is a list of the most codes that are compatible with Stacker. Implemented Codes ●...

  • Page 56: Lcd Controls

    The following section is provided for the advanced users. The LCD menus provide powerful tools to do just about anything you can do with Stacker RUN. Always be careful when making changes to your printer’s settings through the LCD.
  • Page 57 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 57 The Stacker splash screen will appear briefly on your LCD screen during startup. When the splash screen vanishes, you will see the default screen. The default screen divided into four quadrants which provide basic information about the printer’s status.

  • Page 58: Home X

    Change filament:​ Drops bed a small amount and enables filament to be changed. Preheat PLA:​ Unfortunately, these settings are incorrect for Stacker, but Extruder 1 will be set to 190°C and the bed temperature will preheat 60°C.

  • Page 59: Main Menu » Configuration » Extruder Back

    STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 59 ►Main Menu » Extruder Back ┘ Bed temp: 25.0/ 0°C Temp. 1 : 25.5/ 0°C Temp. 2 : 25.5/ 0°C Temp. 3 : 25.5/ 0°C Temp. 4 : 25.5/ 0°C Turn extr. 1 off Turn extr. 2 off Turn extr.
  • Page 60 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 60 Set Fan 25% / Set Fan 50% / Set Fan 75% / Set Fan Full: ​ A djusts the blower fan speed on the print from 25% to 100%. Ignore M106 cmd:​ Turning this feature on will override any GCODE commands regarding the fan for the remainder of the print.
  • Page 61 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 61 ►Main Menu » Configuration » General Back ┘ Baudrate 250000 Stepper inactive » Max. inactive » Autolevel: Baudrate:​ This should be set to 250000. Stepper inactive:​ This sets a timer as to when the stepper motors to power off after remaining idle for a specified amount of time.

  • Page 62: Select Extr

    STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 62 ● Possibility of missed steps increases (i.e., the printer can lose positional accuracy) With lower acceleration: ● Prints runs slower ● Corners are more round and less sharp ● Printer is quieter ● More precision Print X / Print Y / Print Z: ​...

  • Page 63: X-Offset

    STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 63 PID D: 20.00 Drive Min: Drive Max: PID Max: ■ Select extr. 1 / extr. 2 /extr. 3 / extr. 4: ​ E nables you to select which of the four extruders you are changing the settings.
  • Page 64 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 64 Configuration loaded f. EEPROM Loaded f. EEPROM: ​ T his option will overwrite the current machine settings with the last saved settings.

  • Page 65: Advanced Calibration

    ►Home All​ ) . Step 2. Position the printheads. ​ F irst, disable the stepper motors using Stacker RUN or the LCD controller (​ ► Main Menu » Quick Settings ► Disable Stepper​ ) , then use both hands to push the X/Y gantry to the rear of the print bed as shown below.
  • Page 66 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 66 Start by adjusting the left rear leveling screw. Turn the nut driver clockwise or counter-clockwise until the feeler gauge slides beneath the nozzle with a small amount of friction from the nozzle. When you have a small amount of friction on the left side, slide printhead 2 by hand to the far left side of the gantry.
  • Page 67 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 67 Step 4. Slide the X/Y gantry forward and level the front of the bed​ . Use both hands to move the gantry forward to the front of the bed. Repeat the same testing process with the feeler gauge and the nozzle of head 2.
  • Page 68 10.3. Calibration of X/Y/Z Motion System. Your Stacker printer was fully calibrated at the factory. We are providing the information in this section in the unlikely situation where you will need to perform calibration on the X/Y/Z motion system.
  • Page 69 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 69 By pressing on the belt with your finger, you can feel the tension. The belts should all feel loosely-snug; in other words, there should be enough tension so that the belt will not slip when moving over the pulleys, but the belt should never be drum tight.
  • Page 70 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 70 There are many ways to position your dial indicator to measure the X/Y/Z movements, and the photos below are provided as suggestions. Note, by placing a small piece of paper between the magnet on the printer frame, you can prevent the dial indicator holder from scratching your printer.
  • Page 71 Change your steps in the EEPROM.​ Once you have the dial indicator positioned to measure the X, Y, or Z motor steps, you will need to open your EEPROM window in Stacker RUN by pressing the key combination Alt+E or select “Firmware EEPROM Configuration” under the Config menu.
  • Page 72 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 72 Once you have entered your new steps into the EEPROM and saved it. You should test the results and make incremental changes as necessary. Retesting your results two or three times will provide more precise results.
  • Page 73 1. Turn on the printer. 2. Carefully open the controller housing, (see section 11.1). 3. Do not touch the LCD smart controller or connect via any host software, such as STACKER RUN or Simplify3D while making any Vref adjustments. 4. Using a very high quality voltage meter touch the + of the voltmeter to the VREF Test Point on the driver and the [-] lead to the Ground Nut.
  • Page 74 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 74 5. The current limit can be adjusted by turning the Vref Trim Pot with a small slot head screwdriver. While watching the voltage meter, turn the Vref Trim Pot with a small screwdriver until it has reached the voltage indicated for the driver on the table below.
  • Page 75 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 75 11. Useful Information 11.1. Connecting and disconnecting the USB Cable Your printer ships with the USB cable attached to the printer. In the unlikely situation where the USB cable becomes detached, or if you would like to remove the USB cable, please follow the following steps to attach or detach the USB cable from the printer.
  • Page 76 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 76 Step 3.​ The USB cable runs through a hole along the side of the controller housing. A USB standard B connector is located on the lower left side of the controller card. When connecting or disconnecting the USB cable, run the USB cable through this hole (as shown).
  • Page 77 0.60mm or larger nozzle. 11.3. Printer Settings for a Slicing Engine Because the Stacker S4 is a new printer, most slicing software will not have a default profile available. To create a profile, you will likely need to enter the follow information:...
  • Page 78 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 78 11.4. Power Supply Data Sheet...
  • Page 79 STACKER, LLC TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE & LICENSE As used herein, “Seller” shall mean Stacker, LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company, or any wholly-owned subsidiary of Stacker, LLC. These terms and conditions, and any applicable Seller quotation, sales order acknowledgement and Separate Software License, along with any other documents incorporated by reference in any of the foregoing (hereinafter collectively the “Agreement”), bind the buyer (“Buyer”) and Seller as to any hardware products sold by Seller to Buyer (“Hardware”), any...
  • Page 80 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 80 outstanding balances. In the event Buyer fails to make any payment when due, Seller shall have the right, among other remedies, to terminate this Agreement or to suspend further delivery of Goods under this and/or other agreements with Buyer.
  • Page 81 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 81 concurrent use of the Software and any use on any local area network or other type of network are not authorized. Notwithstanding any term in this Section 8(b) to the contrary, Buyer’s license rights in the Software shall include the right to use the Software in any manner expressly described in any Seller supplied documentation as described in Section 5 above.
  • Page 82 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 82 dismantling and reinstallation of the Goods, shall be borne by Buyer. Except as expressly agreed to in writing by Seller prior to shipment, Seller makes no warranty or representation that the Goods supplied hereunder comply with any local laws, rules, regulations or ordinances, and Buyer shall be responsible for obtaining all permits, licenses, authorizations and/or certificates required by any regulatory body for installation or use of the Goods.
  • Page 83 STACKER S4 USER GUIDE 83 (b) If Buyer’s address is in the United States, the sole and exclusive venue for any claims or actions under or related to this Agreement shall be in the applicable court(s) in the city of Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A. If Buyer’s address is not located in the United States, then Seller and Buyer agree that any controversy or claim...

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