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Markforged SINTER-2 User Manual

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SINTER-2 USER GUIDE
SINTER-2 USER
GUIDE
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  • Page 1 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE SINTER-2 USER GUIDE...
  • Page 2 For the latest PDF version of this document, visit our support website. Copyright © 2019-20 Markforged, Inc. All rights reserved. Changes are periodically made to the information herein which will be incorporated in revised editions of this publication.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    SINTER-2 USER GUIDE TABLE OF CONTENTS SAFETY NOTES CONNECTING YOUR FURNACE NETWORK REQUIREMENTS POWERING THE FURNACE ON/OFF SETTING UP AND LOADING PARTS SETTING GAS SUPPLY REGULATORS SETTING INERT/MIX REGULATORS SETTING RESERVE REGULATOR DOOR FUNCTION AND OPERATION STARTING A SINTER RUN...

  • Page 4: Safety Notes

    Never reach into the Sinter-2 to remove a newly sintered part without appropriate PPE POWER DISCONNECT ACCESS Take care to set up your Sinter-2 so that the disconnect and power switch are accessible at all times. POWDER STATE Never handle a partially sintered part, as it may be in a metal powder state. If a sinter run fails before completing, always rerun the sinter process to completion before removing the part.

  • Page 5: Connecting Your Furnace

    BEFORE YOU GET STARTED If you turned on your Sinter-2 before adding your furnace to your Eiger account, you must power cycle the unit before it will be connected to your account. After shutting down the furnace, always wait at least 30 seconds before restoring power.
  • Page 6 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE Select Settings > System Info. Select the Network button at the bottom of the screen to display your MAC address. DISABLE ETHERNET Select the Ethernet icon from the dashboard to open the Network Manager. Select Offline, then Done.

  • Page 7: Network Requirements

    SINTER-2 USER GUIDE NETWORK REQUIREMENTS For assistance with setting up your network, contact your internal IT team. Note that the Sinter-2 requires an Ethernet connection for network access, and does not support Wi-Fi. The following network requirements apply to all Markforged devices, not only the Sinter-2 furnace.
  • Page 8 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE HOSTNAME PORT PROTOCOL REQUIRED? REASON s3.amazonaws.com, Downloading .MFP part files mfeiger-production. produced by Eiger (printers s3.amazonaws.com only) cdn.eiger.io device operation www.eiger.io Connecting to Eiger -- required for viewing printer status, queuing print jobs, keeping printer software up to date, etc.

  • Page 9: Powering The Furnace On/Off

    SINTER-2 USER GUIDE POWERING THE FURNACE ON/OFF The Sinter-2 power switch is located on the lower left door on the front of the unit. Rotate the switch 90° clockwise to the ON position to energize the Sinter-2 (see image). Note the following safety concerns: ●...

  • Page 10: Setting Up And Loading Parts

    Parts should be placed on the setters in the same orientation in which they were printed. The part must rest on the same bottom surface in the Sinter-2 as in the Metal X printer, with the same vertical orientation. The bottom of the printed part has a raft that will ensure that your parts are stable and in the correct shape as they shrink in the furnace.

  • Page 11: Setting Gas Supply Regulators

    SINTER-2 USER GUIDE SETTING GAS SUPPLY REGULATORS The Sinter-2 gas supply regulators must be carefully set to ensure proper functioning of the device. The built- in Regulator Setting Utility makes this task easier, providing precise and immediate feedback about gas pressure settings.
  • Page 12 Follow the onscreen instructions and slowly increase the regulator pressure until it falls into the specified range. Press Next. The Sinter-2 will now verify the pressure setting. If it completes successfully, select Next; otherwise, restart the process. If necessary, repeat steps 2-5 for the other gas input.

  • Page 13: Setting Reserve Regulator

    It should only be necessary to carry out this procedure if the regulator setting is accidentally altered, or if you are instructed to do so by Markforged Support. If the reserve regulator drifts more than +/- 10psi from its 100psi target, follow these steps to reset the...

  • Page 14: Door Function And Operation

    SINTER-2 USER GUIDE DOOR FUNCTION AND OPERATION DOOR OVERVIEW The Sinter-2 door is designed to ensure safe operation of the furnace: ● Ensures that the radiation shield is inserted before commencing sintering run ● Will not close unless all six screws are fully torqued ●...
  • Page 15 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE DOOR TORQUE PROCEDURE In order to avoid leaks, the door must be properly torqued. This procedure is outlined in the Close Furnace step of the Start Sinter utility. Always use a star pattern when torquing screws. The numbers in the image below indicate the order in which screws should be torqued.
  • Page 16 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE At the end of a sinter run, the door latch will become unlocked once the furnace has reached a safe temperature. At this point, the user can open the latch handle.

  • Page 17: Starting A Sinter Run

    Eiger, and will be notified via email when a run is interrupted or completes successfully. When executing an offline sinter run, no such notification can be sent regardless of the outcome of the run, and Markforged will be unable to provide automatic software updates or remote monitoring during troubleshooting.
  • Page 18 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE START A SINTER RUN On the Sinter-2 touchscreen, select Start Sinter. Confirm that your intended parts are fully washed and dried (i.e. brown parts). This step is important because attempting to sinter green parts that are not fully debound will damage your furnace. Once you confirm that the parts are fully washed and dried, select Next.
  • Page 19 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE Confirm that the inert gas supply is sufficient to complete the sinter run. If you are not using a CLC, you must acknowledge the onscreen notification before proceeding. Confirm that the inert reserve cylinder valve is open.
  • Page 20 Slide the radiation shield into the tube until it hits the hardstop. Note: Running the Sinter-2 without the radiation shield in place will destroy the door packing and interrupt the run, potentially leaving a partially sintered part. Under normal circumstances, the Sinter-2 will be prevented from kicking off a run if the radiation shield is not inserted.
  • Page 21 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE Lock the door after tightening all six bolts. Ensure that the furnace’s wheel locks are deployed in the locked position. Ensure that nothing is touching or leaning against the furnace.
  • Page 22 Start Furnace to begin a series of pre-sinter safety routines. The Sinter-2 will carry out a precheck routine to ensure that the gas supply system is fully ready. You can safely cancel the run at this point by pressing the Abort button onscreen.

  • Page 23: Small Part Express Run

    Facilities Guide.) You can run any combination of small parts, so long as the total weight of the brown parts is 250g or less. Express Runs will take around 17 hours. However, run estimates can vary up to an hour—since Sinter-2 installations vary from site to site, final run time will vary. In particular, customers running 50Hz power will experience a longer cooling time, which will contribute to longer run times.
  • Page 24 You will receive the usual update message when the run completes. Note: Because the Sinter-2 does not monitor your brown parts, it is physically possible to kick off an Express Run with more than 250 grams of parts on the setter. However, this will lead to part degradation and run failure.

  • Page 25: Rapid Cooling

    SINTER-2 USER GUIDE RAPID COOLING The Sinter-2 features a rapid cooling system that keeps overall sinter run times low compared to a passive (ambient) cooling system. The system produces blower and fan noise throughout the sinter run, which is no cause for alarm. Two levels of noise can be detected during operation: the blower shuts off shortly before cooling is complete, while quieter fans continue operation until the end of the run.

  • Page 26: Removing The Raft From A Sintered Part

    SINTER-2 USER GUIDE REMOVING THE RAFT FROM A SINTERED PART Supplies: ● Vise ● Hammer RAFT REMOVAL Place the part upside down in a vise such that the top face of the raft rests on top of the vise jaws. Do not squeeze the part itself in the vise.

  • Page 27: Replacing The Gas Supply

    Sinter-2 gas supply. CLC OVERVIEW The Sinter-2 furnace, gas panel, and gas supply, including the cryogenic liquid container (known in the USA, though not worldwide, as a dewar), should only be operated by trained personnel. The following brief overview of CLC functionality does not substitute for proper gas-safety training.
  • Page 28 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE GAS SUPPLY PANEL ILLUSTRATIONS Mix Relief Valve Post-filter Mix Regulator Inert Shutoff Mix Shutoff Moisture Sensor CLC Relief Valve Regulated Inert Relief Valve CLC Regulator Inert Reserve Regulator Mix Cylinder Change Over Valve Inert Reserve CLC Pressure Sensor...

  • Page 29: Inert Gas Usage

    Moreover, if the Sinter-2 runs out of mix gas in the middle of a run, it will generate a Firmware Error message and terminate the run. Therefore, it is important to swap out mix gas cylinders as they become spent. Note that it is possible to safely swap out a spent mix gas cylinder during a sinter run.
  • Page 30 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE MIX GAS REPLACEMENT PROCEDURE The following text does not substitute for proper gas-safety training. When not being moved, gas cylinders must be securely mounted to the storage rack with a strap or chain. Cylinders must always be safely capped when not in use.

  • Page 31: Replacing Gas Supply Filters

    SINTER-2 USER GUIDE REPLACING GAS SUPPLY FILTERS FREQUENCY OF FILTER REPLACEMENT Over time, gas supply filters become increasingly saturated. Clogged supply filters will not cause sinter runs to fail, but the resulting increased moisture in the gas mixture can lead to reduced part strength. An onboard counter will notify you when the supply filters need to be replaced.
  • Page 32 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE While holding the first filter against the penetrator, bring the thumbscrew that floats on the lower fitting up to the filter, then finger-tighten the filter onto the lower fitting. Repeat steps 9-11 with the second filter and screw it in finger-tight.

  • Page 33: Replacing The Exhaust Filters

    SINTER-2 USER GUIDE REPLACING THE EXHAUST FILTERS The exhaust filters of the Sinter-2 furnace capture byproducts from the sintering process. A single filter should last approximately three (3) runs. The Sinter-2 switches automatically between filters as needed. The system will remind you to replace the spent filter via a yellow notification bar on the touchscreen. The filter must be replaced when indicated.
  • Page 34 In this example, filter 1 is being replaced. Open the exhaust access panel on the door side of the Sinter-2.
  • Page 35 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE Remove the exhaust filter canister from the furnace by rotating the T-handle counterclockwise. The canister will be easily removable once it is fully loosened from the cap. Remove the used exhaust filter from the canister and safely dispose of it. Some liquid wax may remain at...
  • Page 36 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE Use the provided pipe cleaners and a lint-free cloth, remove any wax from the bore and face of the exhaust housing inlet, inspecting the gasket from below to confirm a clean surface for the seal. Make sure to work the pipe cleaner several inches into the inlet bore.
  • Page 37 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE Place the new filter in the canister. Hold the exhaust filter canister up against the seal of the cap and tighten the T-handle, rotating it clockwise until the canister is securely fitted in place. Do not rotate the canister to tighten; doing so will damage the exhaust canister seal.

  • Page 38: Troubleshooting A Leak

    The Sinter-2 system includes the gas supply, piping, tube chamber, and exhaust filtration and ventilation. Onboard utilities and testing can be used to determine whether the Sinter-2 has a leak and, if so, isolate each compartment in turn to determine its root cause.
  • Page 39 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE INITIAL LEAK TROUBLESHOOTING WORKFLOW SPC. If the check fails, proceed to next step. Lift the door handle to disengage the latch so that you can access the door screws. Tighten each door screw with the included 4 mm hex torque wrench until the wrench clicks. Lower the door handle to engage...
  • Page 40 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE Inspect the canister seal and gasket: Open the right side panel door, then remove the canister and inspect the gasket; it should be evenly seated within the canister bracket, clean and clear of wax. If there is debris present, use a lint-free wipe to clean the gasket. Securely reinstall the exhaust filter canister, ensuring that it is centered on the gasket.
  • Page 41 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE Disengage the door latch and unscrew the door screws to open the door. Grease the O-ring on the end cap face. Look at the inside of the door at the ring of grease; dry spots on the door may indicate matching dry spots on the O-ring and a likely place for a leak.
  • Page 42 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE Note: The Sinter-2 contains high voltage and other hazards. Do not remove any panels or protective guards without appropriate technical training and experience necessary to minimize the risks to yourself and others. If you do not feel comfortable accessing service areas of your Markforged product, please contact your Reseller.
  • Page 43 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE If SPC fails in the Stabilize or Leak Check stages, tighten the gas lines at the manifold block above the exhaust filter canisters, and where they enter the end cap. With the right side sheet metal panel removed, remove the door by unscrewing and removing the door hinge screw with a 3mm hex driver.

  • Page 44: Clearing An Exhaust Clog

    SINTER-2 USER GUIDE CLEARING AN EXHAUST CLOG SAFETY FIRST If a sinter run is aborted due to a clog and the furnace displays a POWDER STATE warning, you cannot open the main doors while troubleshooting the clog. Partially sintered metal material is potentially very hazardous; for health and safety reasons, you must always complete a full recovery run before removing any parts from the furnace.
  • Page 45 SINTER-2 USER GUIDE For ease of access, remove the lower exhaust panel by removing the 12 screws using a 3mm hex driver. Remove the tubes and fittings connecting the main tube to the exhaust filters by loosening the fittings using a 7/8” wrench as shown in the image below. Then disconnect the exhaust flex line from the end cap.
  • Page 46 Check the wax tray (located beneath the exhaust filters) for significant wax buildup. If any solid wax is found in the tray, contact Markforged Support for further instructions on cleaning the exhaust system. Power up the Sinter-2 and restore mix and inert gas flow.

  • Page 47: Gas Use Management

    SINTER-2 USER GUIDE GAS USE MANAGEMENT The number of possible sinter runs you can expect before replacing your gas cylinders depends on the furnace type, material being sintered, and sinter run frequency. Refer to the table below to learn more.

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