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LulzBot TAZ Workhorse User Manual Aleph Objects, Inc.
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Public License (CC BY-SA 4.0). Published by Aleph Objects, Inc., 626 West 66th Street, Loveland, Colorado, 80538 USA. ® LulzBot and the LulzBot logo are registered trademarks of Aleph Objects, Inc. For more information, call +1-970-377-1111 or go to LulzBot.com and AlephObjects.com. ISBN:...
READ THIS MANUAL COMPLETELY BEFORE UNPACKING AND POWERING UP YOUR PRINTER. Hazards and Warnings Your LulzBot TAZ 3D printer has motorized and heated parts. Always be aware of possible hazards when the printer is operational. Electric Shock Hazard Never open the electronics case when the printer is powered on. Before removing the electronics case cover, always power down the printer and completely turn off and unplug the printer.
Modifications and Repairs Warning At Aleph Objects, Inc. we respect your freedom to modify your LulzBot desktop 3D printer. However any modifications or attempted repairs that cause damage are not covered under the Warranty. Questions? Contact Technical Support by emailing support@lulzbot.com, or by calling +1-...
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WARNING! Industry Canada Statement Cet appareil numérique de la classe B est conforme à la norme ICES-003 du Canada. This device complies with Canadian ICES-003 Class B. Australian Communications and Media Authority Statement This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to the Australian/New Zealand standard AS/NZS CISPR 22:2009 + A1:2010.
1.3. CAD AND 3D MODELING SOFTWARE 1.3 CAD and 3D Modeling Software LulzBot is not distributing a CAD or 3D modeling software package. However, multiple Free/Libre Software packages are available. Other common non-free CAD and 3D modeling software are also capable of exporting the required .STL files.
Aleph Objects, Inc., the maker of the LulzBot TAZ 3D printer, completely supports Free Software, Libre Innovation, and Open Source Hardware. Along with the LulzBot TAZ 3D printer being a Free Software and Open Source Hardware design, it has been tested to work with 100% Free/Libre Software.
Cura LulzBot Edition 2.1 Cura LulzBot Edition Installation and Setup Cura LulzBot Edition is available for download on our website at When installing, it is recommended to https://LulzBot.com/cura. uninstall any previous versions of Cura you may have been using. Cura is designed for Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printers.
The filament type categories are separated by ease of use in the top right corner of the screen. From the Category drop down, select "All" to view all LulzBot approved and tested materials, or ease of use that you are comfortable with. The printer ships with a filament sample for the first print(s).
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Printing Support Material The support option will build up material underneath the portion extending in mid air, preventing gravity from making it droop. LulzBot 3D Printers are able to print models that have angles and overhangs, even without support material. This will depend on the overhang distance and angle of your particular model file, but a good rule of thumb is greater than 50 degree overhangs will require support.
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2.2. RECOMMENDED PRINT SETTINGS Build Plate Adhesion This option is used to select different methods for helping ensure your model stays adhered to the build plate, and the extruder is prepared for printing. NOTE: In order to reach your full build volume, you will need to select ”none”...
Cura LulzBot Edition The blue, red, and green outlined corner of the 3D print bed view represents the front left hand corner of the build plate on your printer. You can view your model from different angles by holding down the right mouse button and dragging.
2.2. RECOMMENDED PRINT SETTINGS Figure 2.3: Scaling your Model Rotate The Rotate button will give you the ability to orient your model along all three axes. Once you click the rotate button, three circles will surround your model. The Blue circle will allow you to rotate around the Z-axis.
Cura LulzBot Edition Figure 2.4: Rotating your Model Lay Flat The Lay Flat option is available after selecting the rotate button. This will ensure that the flat portion of your print is securely attached to the bed. It is highly recommended to use this option after rotating your model in the Z direction, as it will help prevent potential adhesion issues during the print.
2.2. RECOMMENDED PRINT SETTINGS Figure 2.5: Mirror Button Location Per Model Settings The Per Model Settings allows you two print two or more objects with different slicing settings between the two. To activate this, first select which model you would like to modify settings on. Once se- lected, switch to ”custom”...
Cura LulzBot Edition Figure 2.6: Per Model Settings Location Custom Supports and Support Blocker Cura 3.6.3 and newer allows the ability to place custom supports where one wants, and block automatic supports where they are not needed. In order to use either of these features, you need to disable “Automatically drop models to the build plate”...
2.2. RECOMMENDED PRINT SETTINGS Figure 2.7: Custom Support Settings Location After selecting your model and choosing your custom support option, you can now left click on areas of the model to place blocks. These blocks will either generate support in just that area, or prevent automatic support from being generated in that area depending on the choosen option.
Cura LulzBot Edition 2.3 View Options Different modes allow you to view your model in a variety of ways. This can be helpful for spotting issues before the print even starts. In the top right hand corner, you can select your different view types.
2.3. VIEW OPTIONS Figure 2.9: View in X-ray Layer View To view the tool path of your print head and to ensure no skipped layers or gaps, use this option. You can select different color schemes to highlight different portions of your print. For the rest of these photos and examples, we will be using “Line Type”...
Cura LulzBot Edition Figure 2.11: Viewing Cumulative Layers Figure 2.12: Viewing a Specific Layer 2.4 Monitor Screen The monitor screen will allow you to connect to and control your 3D printer. From this screen you can heat the hot ends and bed, move all axes, send custom gcode commands, and begin prints.
2.4. MONITOR SCREEN Figure 2.13: Monitor Button Location After switching to the monitor tab, the right hand side of the screen will change and new options will be available to control your 3D printer. There are 4 main sections that comprise of Temperature Control and Mon- itoring, Active Print Information, Manual Controls, and finally Predefined Commands.
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Cura LulzBot Edition Temperature Control and Monitoring In the temperature control and monitoring section you can select each hot end’s temperature and the bed temperature. By selecting the“Preheat” buttons with no temperature defined in the boxes, it will automatically set the temperature to whatever is currently set in the quality profile.
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2.4. MONITOR SCREEN http://marlinfw.org/meta/gcode/ for a full list of gcode com- mands and their functions. Movement, Heating, Extrusion After first connecting to your printer, you will be required to home all axes before you are allowed to manually move parts of the printer. This is to ensure the printer knows where its minimum positions are, and prevent collisions with the frame and/or bed.
Once you have your model, profile, and filament loaded, it is time for your first print! Refer to the Quick Start Guide included with your 3D printer. A PDF version is available at LulzBot.com/downloads. Printing from USB Cable Connect your 3D printer to a computer using a USB cable, power it on and select the Monitor button at the top of the main screen.
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Automatic Bed Leveling Before each print your TAZ Workhorse will go through a wiping and a probing procedure in order to determine the slope/tilt of your bed. If your nozzle is dirty or not cleaned properly, this will prevent the printer from being able to create an electrical contact with the corners.
Cura LulzBot Edition Print. Your TAZ will then go through the process of heating, cleaning, and probing your bed before starting the print. Recommended Temperatures and Bed Preparation When generating GCODE, it may be beneficial to adjust temperatures depending on your specific model file or filament. We have also found that for certain materials applying unscented glue stick to the print surface is required for successful bed adhesion and/or part release.
2.7. CUSTOM SETTINGS rotate the blade lifting with the sharp edge into the part, to gently pop the piece off your plate. 2.7 Custom Settings Custom Settings should not be used until enough experience with 3D printing has been gained to feel comfortable with all aspects of the printer and its operation.
Cura LulzBot Edition Setting Visibility When first switching to custom settings, some options will be hidden by default. To select which options are available, go to Settings > Configure Setting Visibility You can now select which settings you would like available and which ones you would like hidden.
2.8. QUALITY TAB SETTINGS Figure 2.16: Differences in Layer Height Initial Layer Height The initial layer height will be the thickness of your first layer being printed. A larger layer height will help ensure adhesion of your part, and help prevent it from coming loose mid print.
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Cura LulzBot Edition • Wall Line Width will alter the width of the extrusion on “walls” only. These will be the outermost vertical shells that comprise of your model. • Outer Wall Line Width will change just the outer most walls line width.
2.9. SHELL TAB SETTINGS • 75% backlash correction on the second layer • 50% backlash correction on the third layer • 25% backlash correction on the fourth layer • 0% backlash correction on the fifth and subsequent layers. Backlash correction is turned on at 100% for the entire print by default by setting the layers to “99999.”...
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Cura LulzBot Edition Outer Wall Wipe Distance The outer wall wipe distance will insert a short travel path into the inner wall before making a travel move. This is intended to allow any ooze from the nozzle to be caught and distributed on the interior of a print, giving a cleaner surface.
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2.9. SHELL TAB SETTINGS with alternating outer walls, and should only be used when that is not of concern. Outer Before Inner Walls Printing the outer walls first can improve X/Y dimensional accuracy. As you will be printing the outer walls first, this setting can lead to cosmetic defects on the outside of your model from extra or missed extrusion after a travel move.
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Cura LulzBot Edition Filter Out Tiny Gaps Filter out tiny gaps will try to identify any mesh errors, or tiny gaps in the outer section of your model. This reduces starts and stops, and helps the outer surface finish of your print.
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2.9. SHELL TAB SETTINGS Seam Corner Preference Cura will automatically try to set up the Z seam on a corner, unless user specified is selected in alignment. The seam corner preference setting allows a user to define how a seam is hidden, without needing to manually define a coordinate.
Cura LulzBot Edition • Ironing pattern will allow you to specify how your horizontal layers are ironed. It is recommended to check layer view after selecting to ensure the ironing pattern fits your needs. • Iron line spacing determines how far apart the lines are when “ironing”...
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2.10. INFILL TAB SETTINGS Infill Pattern The infill pattern will determine the path of how your infill is generated. There are several different patterns to choose from, offering different benefits and drawbacks. • Grid will create infill by making a continuous line, bouncing off each wall at 45 degree angles.
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Cura LulzBot Edition • Zig Zag will create an grid infill pattern similar to lines. However instead of traveling along the interior wall, it will extrude during this move increasing strength on your final object. • Cross will generate a vertical “X” pattern within your infill. This pattern has a lot of stops and turns, and will increase your print time of your final object.
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2.10. INFILL TAB SETTINGS Infill Line Multiplier This option will multiple how many infill lines are generated internally. By default your infill will generate one line, multiplying this by 2 will make it 2 lines, side by side, in the same pattern. This can increase part strength at the cost of additional material and print time.
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Cura LulzBot Edition Infill Before Walls This option will force your printer to build the infill section of the layer before printing the inner and outer walls. This is helpful for increasing adhesion and strength to the outer shells, but can lead to cosmetic defects on the outer shell.
2.11. MATERIAL SETTINGS TAB 2.11 Material Settings Tab The material settings tab will allow you to control how your 3D printers hot end(s) and extruder(s) deposit filament. This includes all temperatures, retractions, and flow rate for different portions of your print. Default Printing Temperature The default printing temperature is defined by the material, and serves a good base point for new profiles.
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Cura LulzBot Edition Printing Temperature Initial Layer In order to help part adhesion, it can sometimes be helpful to print the first layer of your object at a higher temperature than the rest of your object. You can specify this temperature here. A good rule of thumb will be to keep the initial layer 5 Celsius hotter than the rest of the print.
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2.11. MATERIAL SETTINGS TAB Part Removal Temperature The part removal temperature will define at what point your bed moves forward, indicating that your printed part is ready to be removed from the build plate. In general, you DO NOT let the build plate cool fully to room temperature.
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Cura LulzBot Edition Retraction Retraction settings control how the filament is pulled out of your hot end when it is not extruding. Getting these settings just right will prevent leaked filament from falling on your part during travel moves and dual extrusion.
2.12. SPEED SETTINGS TAB and can compress when attempting to re-prime. In general, this setting should be left at 0. Maximum Retraction Count The maximum retraction count limits how many retractions can be per- formed during the minimum extrusion window. These settings prevent multiple retraction moves over the same piece of filament, reducing the likelihood of a strip out while extruding.
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Cura LulzBot Edition Infill Speed The infill speed setting will determine how quickly your infill is laid down. In general this setting can be faster than the wall speeds, as any printing defects here will be covered by your outer shell. Moving too quickly here can prevent infill from adhering properly, causing weaker parts.
2.13. TRAVEL TAB SETTINGS Number of Slower Layers This setting will slow down additional layers past the initial layer speed settings. The speeds will slowly increase over X number of layers, moving from initial layer speeds to standard speeds. Equalize Filament Flow This setting will automatically speed up or slow down your print, to maintain an equal flow volume.
Cura LulzBot Edition the travel path will need extra moves to avoid those sections of your print. • No Skin will prevent the hot end from moving over final surface areas, providing cleaner top surfaces. • Within Infill will keep the travel paths of the tool head within infill areas whenever possible.
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2.14. COOLING SETTINGS TAB and want more cooling. If you are getting weak parts that easily break, you are printing too cool or with too much fan. Enable Print Cooling This checkbox will turn on your fan, and display more settings for finer control of how your printer cools.
Cura LulzBot Edition • Regular fan speed at height or layer is used to determine how quickly your fan ramps from the initial layer fan speed, to the regular fan speed. This is used to generate a good profile for large objects (less cooling) and small objects (more cooling) at the same time.
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2.15. SUPPORT TAB SETTINGS Support Options After enabling support, you will notice a plethora of new settings that can be adjusted depending on the specific application. • Support wall line count will add walls to the outside of your support structure. This will increase support strength, but require more print time and material.
Cura LulzBot Edition Figure 2.17: Different Support Options Support Overhang Angle The support overhang angle will work to limit what areas of the object are support and what are not. A 90 degree setting will only support objects that are parallel to the build plate, while a 0 degree option will support everything.
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2.15. SUPPORT TAB SETTINGS override the automatic calculation, and specify support line distance if you prefer. Enable Support Brim Support brim will place a solid layer underneath your support, greatly increasing adhesion during the print. This is recommended when using sparse or custom infill.
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Cura LulzBot Edition • Support stair step height will determine how support is built on top of your model. This defines how far up your support will build in Z before moving out in the X/Y direction. A good starting point is twice your layer height.
2.16. BUILD PLATE ADHESION SETTINGS TAB Tower Support Settings Tower support will generate support material that expands outside the section of print it is meant to support at the base, and become smaller once getting closer to the support interface. This helps ensure a solid support structure, preventing parts from coming loose mid print.
Cura LulzBot Edition base of your object, a specific number of lines to print, and/or specify a minimum extrusion length for how much skirt to print. Brim Brim will print a single layer thick line that extends around the base of your object.
2.18. MESH FIXES SETTINGS TAB • Circular prime tower will generate a round prime tower, which helps adhesion compared to the square prime tower. When using the prime tower, it is recommended to activate this setting. • Prime tower size will define how large the prime tower is, and thus affect how much filament is extruded each time.
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Cura LulzBot Edition Union Overlapping Volumes Union overlapping volumes will attempt to combine overlapping meshes internally within your object. This can cause intentional internal cavities to disappear. Remove All Holes Remove all holes will ignore all internal geometry of your model, and only focus on the outside shape of the model.
2.19. SPECIAL MODES SETTINGS TAB 2.19 Special Modes Settings Tab The special modes section changes the basic way in which Cura will slice and generate gcode for your model. These can have some interesting effects for specific uses. Mold The mold option will print a negative of your model by generating a shell around your model leaving the internal structure empty.
2.20 Experimental Settings Tab The experimental settings tab is where new features are introduced, and may not be 100% reliable. Please reach out to Support@LulzBot.com with any feedback or issues encountered when using these settings. Tree Support Tree support will generate tree like structures in order to support specific locations of your print.
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2.20. EXPERIMENTAL SETTINGS TAB • Tree support branch distance defines the distance apart the branches are when making contact with the model. A small number will support better, but make the support harder to remove. It is recommended to check layer view before printing to ensure proper placement.
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Cura LulzBot Edition Minimum Polygon Circumference Minimum polygon circumference defines the smallest polygon that will attempt to be sliced. Any polygons that have a smaller circumference than set will be ignored. Maximum Resolution Maximum resolution defines the minimum length of a line segment gener- ated while slicing.
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2.20. EXPERIMENTAL SETTINGS TAB Enable Coasting This prevents extrusion from occurring near sharp corners and at the end of layers, and allows the pressure of the nozzle to extrude the remaining filament. This gives sharper corners, and prevents gaps and blobs at layer changes.
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Flow rate compensation is a setting used to compensate for the pressure delay during retracts in Bowden systems. For direct drive systems such as LulzBot 3D Printers this setting will not be required. Wire Frame Printing Wire frame printing generates a wire frame of your object.
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2.20. EXPERIMENTAL SETTINGS TAB Overhang Wall The overhang wall settings will allow one to set separate settings for just wall overhangs. You can define wall overhang angle and wall overhang speed. Setting the angle to 90 degrees will prevent using this setting. Enable Bridge Settings Bridge settings is one of the most powerful and useful options within experimental settings.
Maintaining Your 3D Printer 3.1 Overview Little maintenance is required keep your LulzBot TAZ Workhorse 3D printer running. Depending on your rate of use you will want to perform a quick check of your printer every 2 to 4 weeks. The following maintenance guidelines will keep your printer printing quality parts.
The pad can be flipped over once and will need to be replaced when both sides are covered in plastic. Replacement nozzle wiping pads are available in our online store at http://LulzBot.com. Do not attempt to use a plastic or polymer based wiping pad as it can melt, rather than clean the nozzle.
Maintaining Your 3D Printer 3.8 Bed Leveling Washers and Calibration Cube Keep the washers and calibration cube mounted on the Y axis plate clean and dust free by wiping them periodically with Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA), or a clean dry cloth. If the bed leveling washers are not clean during the bed calibration process the print surface or tool head may be damaged.
After you become familiar with printing using the default settings, a few advanced techniques may help in getting better and more consistent prints from the LulzBot TAZ Workhorse 3D printer. Some of these instructions are items and materials not included with the TAZ. With any of these ad- ditional items or materials, follow safety and usage guidelines as instructed by the manufacturer.
MAXTEMP The thermistor reading has gone above the maximum temperature set in the firmware (300°C for the TAZ Workhorse.) This could be caused by shorted thermistor wires, a failing heater or poorly set PID values causing the hot end to overrun its set temp.
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Resolution: • Use the correct Quickprint profile in Cura LulzBot Edition. • If you’ve just switched from a material that is printed at a higher temperature to one that prints at a lower temperature, try heating the hot end to the wipe temperature recommended in that material’s...
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Hardware and Software Source Code The LulzBot TAZ Workhorse 3D printer is a Free Software and Open Source Hardware design. All of the source files are available at http://download.lulzbot.com/TAZ including: • The latest version of this document, with L T E X source code.
For common technical support questions for your LulzBot TAZ 3D printer please visit LulzBot.com/support. Also, visit Forum.LulzBot.com for support and tips from the LulzBot 3D printer community. If you have further questions, e-mail our support team at Support@LulzBot.com. The Technical Support Team is available seven days a week except when closed due to weather or holiday.
Warranty Information 8.1 Warranty Warranty information for your LulzBot TAZ 3D printer can be found at https://www.lulzbot.com/support/warranty Extended Warranty Optional extended warranty terms are available for purchase at https://www.lulzbot.com/store/parts/lulzbot-taz-extended-warranty. 8.2 Modification Warning WARNING: At Aleph Objects, Inc we respect your freedom to modify your LulzBot desktop 3D printer.
• Spain (Madrid ): +34-912901413 • Sweden (Stockholm ): +46-812410612 • Switzerland (Zurich ) : +41-445087565 • United States (Loveland): +1-970-377-1111 9.4 Websites Aleph Objects, Inc., the makers of the LulzBot brand of 3D Printers: www.AlephObjects.com LulzBot 3D Printers and parts: www.LulzBot.com Forum.LulzBot.com...
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Index Symbols bed level compensation, 33 .gco, 12 bed plate, 86 .gcode, 12 belts, 77 3D models, 19 bill of materials, 86 3D printed parts, 86 Blender, 13 blowers, 78 both mode, 68 ABL, 33 BotQueue, 14 acceleration control, 55 bottle, 80 acetone, 77 break up support in chunks, 70...
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31 fill gaps between walls, 41 cooling settings tab, 56 filter out tiny gaps, 42 Cura, 16 final printing temperature, 50 Cura LulzBot Edition, 16, 86 first print, 32 custom supports, 24 flow, 51 flow rate compensation, 72 forums, 88...
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INDEX horizontal expansion, 42 hot end, 77, 80, 86 keep disconnected faces, 66 keep heating, 51 ICES, x ignore small z gaps, 43 latex, 86 infill, 18, 44 lay flat, 22 infill before walls, 48 layer height, 17, 36 infill density, 44 layer start, 56 infill extruder, 44 layer view, 27...
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Glossary .GCODE The file extension for G-Code files Cura Cura LulzBot Edition is a cross-platform software package that combines a slicing engine with a printer host interface. 3D Printer Also referred to as additive manufacturing, is the process of fabricating objects from 3D model data, through the deposition of a material in accumulative layers.
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Resolution In general terms, the resolution you print at can be determined by the layer height you use. The LulzBot TAZ can print at a layer heights of 0.05 mm to 0.50 mm with the standard tool head.
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GLOSSARY Slic3r Slic3r is a cross-platform 3D model slicing engine. It’s used to process the 3 dimensional model into the GCODE (tool path) needed to physically generate the print. Spool Plastic filament coiled and stored on a plastic reel. Preferred over 1.75mm filament due to improved feeding and better mounting options.
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Notes Use the following pages to record notes and any personal preferences or tweaks you make to your LulzBot 3D printer for future reference.
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