3D Printing Procedure for a Stratasys F123 Machine

Setting up a print job on the Stratasys F170 is quite simple and straight forward.

One of the biggest strengths of a Stratasys F123 series machine is its ability to accept almost all 3D model file types, including and not limited to:

• .obj
• .stl
• .sldprt
• .iges

All this is possible with the help of GrabCAD Print. GrabCAD’s ability to turn almost all neutral and proprietary 3D model file into GCode is incredibly powerful. Sending a 3D model into GrabCAD to get printed is a simple drag-and-drop, slice, and print. Easy.

Stratasys F123 Print Tray

Stratasys F123 machines print on reusable trays, which means – if the tray stays clean – you can run multiple prints on a single tray. Print jobs do leave a lasting mark on the tray, as can be seen in the image below, so you can get an idea of how much space you have left on the tray before you should consider using a new one.

The Stratasys F170 prints on reusable trays.

Here you can see markings of previous print jobs. The residual material has been removed, however because this tray has been used multiple times, marks are left over.

Part Placement

The Stratasys F123 series does allow you to preposition your print job if necessary. Only translational positioning is allowed, which means the rotation of the object needs to be set in GrabCAD Print prior to queuing.

Reposition your print if needed using the printer’s touch screen.

Once the print job is complete, remove the tray by unlocking it and lifting. If the part is simple and has a large surface area, simply bend the tray a little bit and the part should snap right off. If the part is more complex, use a sharp edge of your liking and pry it off, again, trying not to damage the board too much.

Use a sharp edge of your choice to pry the part off the print tray. Use extreme caution when doing this, as you could injure yourself.

Support Material

After the part has been detached from the tray, the remaining support material (if there is any) needs to be taken off. Again, there are two options to choose from: pry the support off or use a wash bath. For the benefit of time saving, prying the support structures off works fine, but you could scratch up the print if you’re not careful, or worse, you could tear layers off. Your best bet is to throw the print into a wash bath and let it run for a couple of hours. The support material is water soluble, so it’ll naturally dissolve in a heated wash bath. The result is a nice smooth print with no trace of supports

Learn More about Stratasys 3D Printers

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