3D Systems Duraform ProX PA Original Instructions Manual
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3D Systems Duraform ProX PA Original Instructions Manual

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Duraform® ProX™ PA
Material Guide
Original Instructions

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Summary of Contents for 3D Systems Duraform ProX PA

  • Page 1 Duraform® ProX™ PA Material Guide Original Instructions...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    HOW THE DURAFORM ProX PA PROCESS WORKS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
  • Page 3 PROPERTIES AND HANDLING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 SAFETY DATA SHEET .

  • Page 4: Legal Notices

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 by 3D Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is subject to change without notice. The 3D Systems logo is a registered trademarks of 3D Systems, Inc. This document is copyrighted and contains proprietary information that is the property of 3D Systems.

  • Page 5: Printing Parts With Duraform ® Prox Pa Material

    ® DuraForm ProX PA is an engineered production plastic for use on 3D Systems’ ProX SLS systems. It is a general-purpose material that is best-suited for printing parts with fine features and where smooth surface finish is desired. This guide describes how to use your SLS system to print parts using 3D Systems’...

  • Page 6: Warm-Up Stage

    First-order phase changes, such as solidification, occur isothermally; the top of these parts will not cool until the entire part has solidified. This slows the cooling rate of parts subsequently built. NOTE: To help slow the cooling rate, the SLS 380 uses a piston heater and cylinder heater . 3D SYSTEMS, INC.

  • Page 7: Cool-Down Stage

    Some part geometries are more susceptible to post-print warp than others. Condensation in the Process The DuraForm ProX PA contains a small amount of volatile material that vaporizes during processing. This material condenses and sticks on cool surfaces in the SLS system print chamber.

  • Page 8: Print Modes For Duraform Prox Pa

    NOTE: 40% fresh powder to 60% recycled powder is the recommended MQC blend setting. The standard mode has been designed for, and tested in, 3D Systems’ SLS 380 systems with 40% fresh powder to 60% recycled DuraForm ProX PA on an MQC. Please refer to the Sifting Material section for more information on the MQC.

  • Page 9: Duraform Prox Pa Build Preparation Guidelines

    • DuraForm ProX PA powder blend - Improperly recycled material and/or Fresh blend ratios lower than the recommended 40% Fresh may require some adjustments in orientation, location, and process settings to ensure good part quality. These adjustments will most likely increase build times •...

  • Page 10: Part Geometry And Feature Considerations

    Posts built in X/Y plane for strength of lengthwise layers Surface Finish Curved surfaces built in the Z direction may display stepping because of the layered process. Bead blasting and other post- processing can minimize or eliminate the layer lines. 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
  • Page 11 Rotating the part a few degrees about X and/or Y can help to mitigate this distortion. Rotation to 30° is shown to give good results. Along with rotating around X and Y axes, rotating around the Z axis can also help reduce distortion Refer to the Distortion section for more information. 3D SYSTEMS, INC.

  • Page 12: Print Process Settings

    Print Process Settings Although the process parameter default values in the Standard mode are optimized by 3D Systems, slight adjustments may be needed to further optimize the process for specific powder blends and applications. Part and Scale parameters - set for each individual part. Part parameters include laser power and scale for shrinkage.

  • Page 13: Verify Before Every Print

    The DuraForm ProX PA material is a very fine blend of small particles. As you run prints, the material is exposed to heat and energy, and the particles tend to stick together, forming larger particles. You can offset this trend with sifting and blending.

  • Page 14: Blending Fresh And Used Material

    Guide. At any particular fresh powder ratio setting, the minimum volume of fresh and used powder required to initiate a blend are displayed on the MQC home screen. The default fresh powder ratio setting for DuraForm ProX PA material is 40%. Cleaning up the SLS System Material may build up on the roller and in other areas in the print chamber, as well as on the MQC System.

  • Page 15: Post-Processing

    Mini belt sander with 120 grit sandpaper belts CLEANING PROCEDURES Before performing any other post-processing technique, thoroughly clean the parts. To clean a DuraForm ProX PA Plastic part: Remove the print cake from the print chamber. Caution: 3D Systems recommends allowing the print cake to cool to room temperature before removing parts from it .

  • Page 16: Sealing And Infiltrating Parts

    The parts tend to be dense, so low viscosity products or products that can be thinned are easier to use and would be advantageous to use to avoid altering a part’s dimensions. For full infiltration, 3D Systems recommends that you use a vacuum chamber to infiltrate parts. If you only need a surface coat of sealant, then brushing or dipping is sufficient.

  • Page 17: Sealing With Thermal-Cure Sealants

    Set the oven to 100°C. Remove any excess sealant and place the part in the oven for 1 to 1.5 hours or longer for parts with thick cross-sections. Remove the part and apply a second coat of sealant, repeating steps 2 through 5. 3D SYSTEMS, INC.

  • Page 18: Properties And Handling

    • Due to the small particle size of DuraForm ProX PA Plastic material, it is likely to become airborne during handling. For con- ditions where exposure to dust is likely, 3D Systems recommends a NIOSH-approved dust respirator for dust appropriate to the airborne concentration.

  • Page 19: Troubleshooting

    Many of the problems just described involve variables that interact with each other. For example, excessive print bed heat or excessive laser power can cause growth. Insufficient print bed heat can cause distortion. Insufficient laser power can cause weak parts. Refer to the sections titled Growth Weak Parts/Porosity. 3D SYSTEMS, INC.

  • Page 20: Bonus Z

    0.1 mm (0.004 inches) on the first few scans—and causes vertical growth in the Z axis. The difference between growth and bonus Z is that growth may occur on any part edge, while bonus Z occurs only on downward facing surfaces. 3D SYSTEMS, INC.

  • Page 21: Clumping

    Mechanical problems with the roller can also cause cracking of the print bed. If you suspect mechanical problems, contact 3D Systems. Visual Signs: Cracks appear on the surface of the bed.

  • Page 22: Crystals And Condensation

    NOTE: A slight amount of condensation will probably form on the laser window every print. If the condensation is extremely heavy across the entire window, call 3D Systems Customer Service; this may indicate a problem with the SLS system .

  • Page 23: Preventing Curl In Prints

    There are several actions you can take to prevent glazing. These include: • In the Print Build Parameters Profile, reduce the Part Heater Set Point. 3D SYSTEMS, INC.

  • Page 24: Growth

    Preview application. If the STL file is incorrect, you next need to verify that the original CAD file is correct. If the original CAD file is correct, the STL file could be corrupt. Generate a new one and preview the print again. If the problem recurs, contact 3D Systems customer support. 3D SYSTEMS, INC.

  • Page 25: Orange Peel

    You also may want to use the Prime Cycle button to cover the part. Related Problems: Melting, Print Bed, Weak Parts/Porosity, and Cracking of Print Bed 3D SYSTEMS, INC.

  • Page 26: Stray Vectors

    Theory of Cause: The laser window has been covered with heavy condensation, or the laser power is not high enough. When DuraForm ProX PA is improperly recycled, more laser power can be required to achieve full density. Visual Signs: There is little observable contrast between melted and non-melted areas in the print bed.

  • Page 27: Glossary

    Master Duty Cycle. Early in the warm-up stage, during the initial ramp up of temperatures, these ratios are controlled by the process values in the build profile. After 7 mm, the IR camera is used to control the ratios. 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
  • Page 28 Part Slice - In a part build, a single sintered layer of powder - a horizontal cross-section of a part. Pathname - Specifies where to find files located in a computer directory system - a map to a particular place in the directory structure. 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
  • Page 29 Terminate Build - To stop a build in progress. Terminating a build turns off the heaters and does not maintain an inert state. Depending on the material and the elapsed time, you can restart a terminated build. Warm-up Stage - Defines the build profile for the layers that precede a build. See also Build Stage Cool-Down Stage. 3D SYSTEMS, INC.
  • Page 30 3D Systems, Inc . 333 Three D Systems Circle | Rock Hill, SC 29730 | USA www.3dsystems.com ©2022 3D Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. PN: 134015-00 Rev. C...

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