Setup
The M3 and M3 Max printers are designed to be installed by customers. Follow the instructions below to install your printer.
Ensure that you have performed the following steps:
Uncrate the printer
See Uncrating below.
M3 / M3 Max Installation Qualification Form
Download and complete this form to verify installation of your M3 or M3 Max printer. Print this document and fill it out during installation so that you have a record.
M3 / M3 Max Printer Startup
This handout describes the process of connecting the printer to power, the network and compressed air. Follow the instructions in this handout before proceeding.
Welcome Screen
Your printer is ready to begin setup when you see the Welcome screen.
Refer to the Printer Startup handout above for troubleshooting if the printer is not ready.
Network Setup | Facilities Setup | Printer Setup | Position and Level | Get Ready for First Print |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Workstation | (2) Adjustable wrenches | 8 mm allen wrench | Tape Measure | Screen Protector Kit provided by Carbon |
USB - ethernet - USB cables provided by Carbon | - | - | Digital Level provided by Carbon | - |
2.5 mm allen wrench | - | - | 8 mm allen wrench | - |
- | - | - | 5 mm small socket wrench | - |
- | - | - | 5 mm allen wrench | - |
The printer touchscreen will guide you throughout the setup process alongside these instructions. Note that for each task, these instructions will:
- Outline the steps of the task
- Show you what successful completion of the task looks like
- Provide troubleshooting steps
- Press Begin in the upper right corner of the touchscreen to start the setup process.
Carbon printers require a network connection due to cloud-based printer software. Follow the steps below to connect the printer to the network.
- Check ethernet status
- Connect to Carbon servers
- Verify connection to Carbon servers
- Finish network setup
Check Ethernet Status
The ethernet cable was plugged in prior to turning on the printer. Check the Network setup screen to confirm that the ethernet connection is recognized.
Successful Connection
- The Ethernet status on the Network setup screen will have a green indicator and a connection confirmation message.
Troubleshooting
1. Check ethernet cable
Verify the ethernet cable is fully plugged in
- At the printer
- At the facility ethernet port
- Use the same port used during site prep to configure and test your network connection.
2. Consult IT department
If the ethernet connection is still not established, consult your company's IT department.
3. Contact Carbon Support
If issues persist, contact Carbon Support.
Connect to Carbon Servers
By default, the printer connects to the local network automatically using DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), which is standard on most networks. Some networks do not use DHCP and in this case, the printer network settings must be manually configured.
Consult with your information technology (IT) team to determine your network requirements and follow the appropriate option below.
Option 1: DHCP network
If the network does use DHCP, then proceed to Step 3 below.
Option 2: Non-DHCP network
If the network does not use DHCP functionality (static IP address) or uses other security measures, then download and follow the Custom Printer Network Configuration handout below.
Note: Leave this window open because you will return here after completing the custom configuration steps.
Verify Connection to Carbon Servers
Now check the setup screen to make sure the printer has successfully connected to the Carbon servers.
Successful Connection
- The Network configuration status on the Network setup screen will show a green check box.
- The printer will automatically connect to Carbon's servers and the Connection status on the Network setup screen will change to connected with a green check box when successful (it may take up to 60 seconds).
Troubleshooting
1. Carbon Server Status
- Subscribe to updates in the event of an outage.
2. Confirm Network Settings
- Ensure network settings provided by your IT team are correct.
- If not able to successfully connect, please reach out to your IT team for assistance.
3. Carbon Support
If issues persist, contact Carbon Support.
Finish Network Setup
If you used the Custom Printer Network Configuration document:
- Unplug the USB-ethernet cable from the USB port on the back of the printer to disconnect the workstation.
- Reattach the communications panel on the back of the printer with a 2.5 mm allen wrench.
Press the > button on the touchscreen and proceed to the next lesson in this course.
- Check Compressed Air Status
- Ventilation Connection Reminder
Check Compressed Air Status
The air hose cable was connected prior to turning on the printer. Verify on the Facilities Setup screen that the compressed air connection is recognized and within the printer's pressure specifications.
Successful Compressed Air Connection
- The Compressed air source status on the Facilities Setup screen will have a green indicator and a connection confirmation message.
- Incorrect air source status will be indicated with a red indicator and a message of air pressure that is not detected or too low.
- Correct pressure is between 90 psi and 115 psi.
Troubleshooting
1. Verify House Air Pressure
- Air pressure should fall between 90 psi and 115 psi
- Adjust house air to fall within this range
2. Carbon Support
If issues persist, contact Carbon Support.
Ventilation Connection Reminder
The printer's build area requires direct ventilation. The exhaust duct should be connected prior to turning on the printer. The Facilities Setup screen offers a reminder to complete this action if not already done. Refer to M3/M3 Max Printer Startup handout above for details.
Confirm Ventilation
- Ensure the exhaust duct is tightly connected to the exhaust outlet.
- Click confirm after the hose connection is verified.
Successful Connection
The Ventilation hose status on the Facilities Setup screen will change to a green indicator with a confirmation message once confirmed.
- Position Printer
- Level Printer
- Conditional - Install Seismic Restraints
- Confirm the Printer Is Positioned and Leveled
Position Printer
- Roll printer on built-in casters for fine maneuvers to final position.
- Ensure the following clearances: To wall, another printer, or other obstruction.
- Sides: 240 mm (9.4 in)
- Back:
- Minimum: 380 mm (15 in)Requires 3 feet of slack for all connection cables, hoses and ducts to move printer for servicing
- Recommended: 610 mm (24 in)
- Front: 561 mm (22.1 in) Minimum space for service door to open Actual provided clearance at the front of the printer to meet local regulations for egress and accessibility
Minimum Clearances - Move printer 3 feet back from setup position and fine tune to specified dimensions
Recommended Clearances - Fine tune to specified dimensions
If you will be installing the AO Backpack accessory, please refer to the document below for updated clearances.
AO Backpack Clearances
Level Printer
The goal is to ensure that
- The printer is securely sitting on the feet so it will not roll on the built-in caster.
- Resin will remain level during printing and avoid a resin starvation print defect.
Open Service Door
- Locate the access lock hole on the left side of the printer
- Insert an 8 mm allen wrench into the hole and turn a 1/4 of a turn clockwise
- DO NOT turn counter-clockwise
- The door will release open
Opening the service door powers down certain sub-systems to disable high voltage and enable a safe touch state for accessible electronics within the service area.
Projection Volume Cover
Remove the foam insert covering the projection volume cavity.
Save the insert for later use during maintenance.
Optional manual adjustment
When adjusting the rear feet, you may use the included leveling knob instead of the a 5 mm hex socket wrench described below. The leveling knob fits on the top of the level foot screw extender and is adjusted manually.
If you are using the leveling knob, follow the steps below and replace the 5 mm hex socket wrench with the leveling knob.
Step 1: Rear Foot - Right
- Place a 5 mm hex socket on top of the level foot screw extender in the rear of the printer and twist by hand to lower the rear foot until it rests on the floor
- The feet are fully raised when shipped, so you will need to lower them all the way down.
- Use the socket wrench to turn another half turn lower to tighten.
- A small socket wrench is recommended. Photo shows a 1/4" drive size.
Step 2: Front Feet
- Use a 5 mm allen wrench and turn screw to lower the front foot until it rests on the floor.
- Use the allen wrench to turn another half turn lower to tighten.
Step 3: Adjust the Three Lowered Feet
Before lowering the fourth foot, adjust the first three to approximately reach a level spec.
TIP: When making adjustments, lower the feet such that you don't accidentally raise the feet off the floor.
Place Digital Level on Service Deck The service deck will serve as an approximate measure of level only at this step.
Level Left-to-Right
- Place the digital level facing you to read left-to-right
- Adjust the front feet to reach +/- 0.5 degrees
Level Front-to-Back
- Rotate the digital level 90 degrees facing printer left to read front-to-back
- Adjust the left feet to reach +/- 0.5 degrees
Notes
- The level is magnetic.
- The level shows the direction of tilt.
- The case for the level has extra batteries if needed.
Step 4: Rear Foot - Left
- Place a 5 mm hex socket on top of the level foot screw extender in the rear of the printer and twist by hand to lower the rear foot until it rests on the floor.
- The feet are fully raised when shipped, so you will need to lower them all the way down.
- Use the socket wrench to turn another half turn lower to tighten. A small socket wrench is recommended. Photo shows a 1/4" drive size.
If your floor is already level, you may complete Steps 2 and 5 only to secure the printer in place and double check that it's level.
Step 5: Final Adjustment
The most important part of the printer to be level is the cassette. Final measurement of the printer's leveling is on one of the clamp pots that hold the cassette in place.
Place Digital Level on Deck Clamp Pot The level is magnetized, so it will stay securely in place for adjustments.
- Measure for level both left-to-right and front-to-back by rotating the level 90 degrees for both checks.
- Continue lowering the feet as needed to reach a +/- 0.5 degrees specification.
- Note that while 0.5 degrees meets the required operational spec, the resin may be visually perceived as tilting in the cassette.
- For optimal results, you may choose to aim for <= 0.2 degrees.
Successfully Leveled Printer
The printer should be resting on the leveled feet such that the built-in casters will not roll.
A correctly leveled printer registers +/- 0.5 degrees both left-to-right and front-to-back.
Close Service Door
There are 2 latches that secure the service door: 1 at the top and 1 at the bottom. Both latches must be engaged to ensure proper printer operation.
- Place your hand on the white body panel near the Carbon logo.
- Press door shut firmly, as you would a car door, until both latches click. Insufficient force can result in a partial latch.
Conditional - Install Seismic Restraints
If local regulations require seismic restraints, secure the seismic bracket after the printer is leveled.
- Verify the seismic brackets are securely attached to the printer according to Printer Startup above.
- Using shims provided with the printer, place shims between the seismic bracket and the floor as needed to fill any gaps.
- Install bolts into the floor (in the pre-drilled holes).
- Ensure the bolts have the lock washer and washer in place as shown.
- Tighten bolts with a 15 mm wrench.
Confirm the Printer Is Positioned and Leveled
Confirm that you have completed the Positioning and Leveling steps.
Press Confirm.
Press the > button on the printer touchscreen and proceed to the next section.
The printer is shipped powered down and with the build arm lowered to protect the hardware during shipping. The following actions are necessary for the printer to be ready for operation.
- Restore System Power
- Service Door Check
- Home the Build Arm
Restore System Power
- The E-stop status on the printer screen should be yellow to indicate the e-stop is disengaged but power has not been fully restored.
- Press Restore system power on the touch screen to power on all hardware sub-systems for operation.
Successful Power Restoration
- The E-stop status on the Printer setup screen will change to confirmed.
- You may hear a click sound of printer sub-systems powering on.
The Restore System Power button will appear on the touchscreen every time the printer goes through boot-up, and you may be prompted to repeat this step in other circumstances after setup (such as if the E-stop is pressed during operation).
Troubleshooting
1. Check the E-Stop Jumper
Ensure that the External E-Stop Jumper was installed and is fully connected.
- v1 - E-stop jumper is user-installed.
- Tighten with a flathead screwdriver if connection is loose.
- v2 - Compact e-stop jumper is pre-installed
- Tighten with a 3/32 allen wrench if connection is loose.
2. Check the E-stop
- The red E-stop button will be pressed in if engaged.
- If pressed, disengage the E-stop by turning the red button slightly clockwise to pop out the button.
3. Carbon Support
If the issue persists, contact Carbon Support.
Service Door Check
The service door for the printer is shipped in the closed position, so no action should be needed beyond a status check.
Successful Service Door Check
- The Service door status on the Printer setup screen should be green with a message confirming the service door is closed.
Troubleshooting
1. Close the service door
- Press service door closed
If status does not change to closed on the touchscreen:
- Open service door
- Insert a 8 mm allen wrench
- Turn a 1/4 turn clockwise (DO NOT turn counter-clockwise)
- Service door pops open
- Press service door closed again
2. Carbon Support
If the issue persists, contact Carbon Support.
Home the Build Arm
The printer is shipped with the build arm lowered to keep the center of gravity lower and prevent the crate from tipping over easily. To prepare the printer for operation, the build arm must be sent to its home position.
Ensure the area is clear
- Ensure the door opening is not blocked if the printer door has been opened.
- Press Home build arm on the touchscreen to activate the homing operation
- Note that if the printer door has been opened, the prompt will read Close door and home build arm and the operation will close the door first and then begin homing
- The printer screen will show a status message:
- Build arm is homing, keep clear of internal printer build volume until process completes.
- The build arm will begin moving up very slowly at first. This is normal.
Successful Connection
- The Build arm homing status on the Printer setup screen will change to green indicator.
- The printer's build arm will be in its home position.
Contact Carbon Support if the build arm did not home successfully.
Finish Printer Setup
Press the > button on the printer touchscreen and proceed to the next lesson in this course.
The final screen will provide a status overview.
Action Required - Return to prior steps to complete any indicated actions.
Setup Complete - Once all steps have been completed, exit setup to enter normal printer operation.
After Setup
A software update is likely to automatically begin installing after Setup is complete. Allow the update to run before proceeding with printer operation.
A few service tasks are required before beginning operation of the printer.
- Remove the platform from the homed position.
- Remove the cassette.
- Power down the printer.
- Press power switch to the off position
Remove Platform
Remove Cassette
Power Down Printer
- Press power switch to the off position
Perform the following service tasks.
- Check Heater Glass
- Check Spill Window Glass
- Touchscreen Protector Film
Check Heater Glass
The M3 / M3 Max printer comes equipped with two heaters to provide temperature control for highly viscous resins to improve their flow during printing. The heaters are covered with glass to prevent resin from accidentally dripping on heating elements and igniting.
The glass is secured with clips but shipping may have loosened their position.
Locate Heaters
- Heaters reside at the front and back of the projection volume, below where the cassette sits.
- Heaters sit partially underneath a short overhang of the deck.
Inspect Heaters
- Glass properly seated on ledge
- Clips positioned over glass
If glass has fallen out of position, reference heater glass maintenance for a video on securing the glass.
Spill Window Glass
The light engine projects light through the spill window onto the cassette window to cure resin. If the spill window is not clean, it may affect part quality.
Inspect Spill Window
Inspect the light engine spill window inside the projection volume for any smudges, resin, dust or debris that will affect print performance.
Clean Glass If Dirty
- Lightly dampen a blue shop towel with IPA, outside of the printer.
- Do not saturate the towel to the point of dripping solvent.
- Reach into the opening, and wipe the spill window glass with the towel, until it is clean, dry, and without streaks.
Screen Protector Film
It is strongly recommended to apply a screen protector to the printer's touchscreen display.
- Static wipes
- The static wipes are used to remove small dust particles remaining after cleaning the glass and prevent new dust from collecting before the film is applied.
- Lens wipes
- The lens wipes are used to clean the glass surface.
- Carbon Microfiber Cloth
- The microfiber cloth is used to wipe the screen protector film after application to help remove small bubbles.
- Double Stick Foam Tape
- The double stick foam tape is used to dab the screen to remove dust particles.
- Scraper
- The plastic scraper is used to apply even pressure while applying the film. It is also used to remove any remaining bubbles after applying the film.
- Instructional Leaflet
- The instructional leaflet supplements the instructions provided here.
- Screen Protector Film
- A few sheets of screen protector film are provided in the kit.
- Turn on power switch
- Restore system power
Turn on power switch
- Press power switch to the on position
Restore System Power
- Press Restore system power on the touchscreen to power on all hardware sub-systems for operation