Material Handling and Safety

NOTE: For complete safety information and instructions for use, please read the SDS and Instructions for Use for all materials you are using. These documents are either packaged in the box with the bottle or can be downloaded from the manufacturer's website.

HARMFUL IRRITANT WARNING: Always wear chemical-resistant gloves (such as nitrile gloves), goggles, and protective clothing when handling print material. Avoid skin contact. Avoid breathing in print-material fumes.

Always practice standard chemical-lab hygiene and follow the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements outlined in this manual.
Always wear chemical-resistant gloves, such as nitrile, when working near print materials or with partially cured parts. It is recommended to wear safety glasses and protective clothing. Protective clothing includes, but is not limited to: closed-toed shoes, full-length pants, and splash-resistant lab coats or equivalents. 3D Systems recommends using 100% nitrile gloves; however, other chemical-resistant gloves will suffice. Do NOT use latex gloves, as they do not provide complete chemical protection.
Wearing contact lenses when working with print materials is not recommended.
Avoid breathing in vapors from print material. To avoid breathing in vapors: when opening the build chamber, allow a few seconds to pass before putting your face near the opening. No special facility and/or ventilation modifications (such as putting an extractor duct on the printer) should be required to operate the printer in a lab or office environment. However, as the printer does emit fumes during printing, it should be in a well-ventilated room.
Always wash skin thoroughly with a nonabrasive soap and COLD water after working with print materials. DO NOT USE HOT WATER OR SOLVENTS to wash hands, as these will stimulate your pores and result in absorption through the skin. Print materials may be sensitizing and some individuals may be more sensitive than others. This can result in skin irritation or allergic reactions. Users who are sensitive to the materials or become sensitized should discontinue use or ensure that appropriate personal protective equipment and industrial hygienic are employed to eliminate any issues.
If a small amount of material gets on your clothing, remove the article of clothing as soon as possible. Have contaminated clothing dry cleaned. If a particularly large amount of material gets on your clothes, it is best to discard them according to all local, state, and federal regulations. Keep contaminated clothing away from food and drinks. Wash hands thoroughly after handling contaminated clothes, even if you wore protective clothing/gloves to handle them.
Use extreme care when handling Ethanol (EtOH) or Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) used to remove excess print material from uncured parts. These solvents are both very flammable.
Keep all print materials and solvents away from heat, sparks, static discharge, and flame. Print-material containers may rupture when exposed to extreme heat. You may choose to store your FabPro/NextDent materials in a fire-resistant storage cabinet; but this is not necessary. Please refer to the SDS for a particular material to view its flash point.
High temperatures may cause a spontaneous polymerizing reaction, generating heat and pressure. Closed containers may rupture or explode during a runaway polymerization.
Fire fighters should use a self-contained breathing apparatus and full protective clothing in the event of a material fire.
Do not leave uncured, liquid materials in an area where persons who are not knowledgeable about their handling or use may have access to them.
Keep material away from food and drinks.

WARNING: Use National Fire Protection Association Class B extinguishers such as carbon dioxide, dry chemical, or foam. A spray of water might also be effective. Do not use a direct jet of water or smothering to extinguish burning material or solvents.

Available Print Materials

Please see the sections FabPro Print Materials and NextDent Print Materials for a list of available materials. Pay close attention to the following handling and disposal requirements:

Material bottle

Uncured material waste is classified as regulated, and in some areas hazardous, thereby requiring special packaging, transportation and disposal. Refer to your local environmental regulatory agency.

Applicable material “waste” includes bottles (empty or full). Any cleaning supplies used to clean up uncured material should be disposed of in the same manner as the uncured material. To identify which disposal requirement applies, contact the local waste disposal service provider. (The local environmental regulatory agency should have a list of qualified providers in your area.) Give the disposal service provider a copy of the material’s SDS to help them determine your disposal needs.

3D Systems assumes no liability or responsibility for proper disposal of the uncured material. Proper disposal of the uncured material is the sole responsibility of the user.

Material Bottle Disposal

Wear protective gloves when handling print material and any object print material may have come in contact with. Be careful not to spill, drop or expose other materials to the material waste.

NOTE: Partially used bottles should be sealed and returned to your storage cabinet for future use.

Printer operators should be informed about the potential hazards of print material prior to performing operations which may result in exposure to uncured material. This includes the removal and disposal of empty bottles and dealing with unlikely spills that may occur during operation.

If a problem with the printer occurs due to a material spill, discontinue printer use until the problem is diagnosed and fixed.

Leaks indicate a serious malfunction. The first priority is to protect users from inadvertently touching the material. Handling uncured material requires the use of nitrile gloves and other protective equipment to ensure there is no direct skin contact. If uncured material spills occur, promptly remove the spilled material with paper towels and wipe up the spill. After wiping the spill, wipe printer surfaces using a nonabrasive cloth and clean with a solvent as recommended in the Cleaning Chart. The printer has a catch tray at the bottom of the build area to protect the projector from material spills. If there is spilled material in the catch tray, carefully remove the tray and clean it with recommended solvent. Dispose of waste material, including any paper towels used to clean up a spill, according to local environmental regulations.

Tools that may be contaminated with print material should be cleaned prior to reuse. Recommended solvents are normally required to clean tools. A final wash with soap and water will remove any excess print material.

Print Material Characteristics

The photopolymers used in the print materials may be hazardous if handled improperly. Repeated skin contact with print materials may cause sensitization. Consult the manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for information on specific print materials. For further information on this and related topics, consult the 3D Systems Materials website.

WARNING: Never mix different print materials. doing so MAY render both materials ineffective.

FabPro/NextDent Material Storage

Print materials should be stored in the opaque, non-reactive containers in which they were provided, according to the guidelines given in the SDS, and according to all applicable regulations (local, state, and federal). Protect print material from sunlight, ambient light, and moisture. Close the material bottle after each use. Be sure your material-storage area is dry, dark, and between 18°C-28°C (64.4°F-82.4°F). It is preferable to store the material in a fireproof cabinet. Improperly stored materials may increase in viscosity, and may eventually result in a gelled, polymerized product in the storage container. Materials should be stored in conformance with applicable laws and regulations. The expiration date of the product is mentioned on the product label. Expired material may not perform as expected, and in some cases loses its certification as a medical device for its printed parts. 3D Systems is not responsible for losses incurred as the result of improper storage of print material.

Print Material Disposal

Do not dump print material down any drains. Dispose of print material according to the guidelines given in the SDS and according to all applicable regulations (local, state, and federal). For more information on print-material disposal, please see the section Considerations for Material in the Chapter: Facility Requirements.

Print-Material Spill Containment

There may be certain situations that require containment of a small print-material spill. To clean the spill: wear proper PPE; wipe up with paper towels; clean the spill as soon as possible with the recommended solvent; minimize UV light in the area during clean up; dispose of all waste material according to all local, state, and federal regulations.

WARNING: Untrained personnel should be evacuated from the area.

WARNING: Print material FUMES are flammable. Care should be taken during print material containment and cleanup operations.

A supply of dikes and control booms should be stocked so they are available to contain the affected area in the event of a major print-material spill. The spilled print material should then be absorbed on inert, absorbent material and placed into drums for transfer to an approved waste-disposal site. After absorbing all spilled material, clean the spill location with paper towels and recommended solvent. After cleaning up the spill, individuals should wash thoroughly with soap and COLD water. Any clothing touched by material should be dry cleaned before reuse. If material has gotten onto your skin or clothes, avoid exposure to sunlight or other UV-light sources until skin and clothing have been cleaned of print material. Repeated or prolonged skin contact may cause sensitization. Vapor may be harmful.

Eliminate sources of ignition. Prevent entry into drains. Absorb spilled material onto sand, earth or any other suitable adsorbent material. DO NOT absorb onto sawdust or other combustible materials. Material spills or uncontrolled discharges into wastewater systems must be reported to the appropriate regulatory body. Do not discard material into drains/surface waters/groundwater. Maximize ventilation after accidental release.

Shelf Life

The length of time during which materials are certified for use varies by material. The expiration dates are marked on the material bottle labels. In general, materials are usable for several months after their expiration dates, provided that the materials have been properly stored, handled and not exposed to excess heat. For NextDent^® materials, this is never the case. You must dispose of expired NextDent material according to all local, state, and federal regulations. Using non-expired NextDent materials is required in order to achieve medical certification for your NextDent prints. For non-Dental materials, use of very old material, or material past its expiration date, is possible; but it may shorten your in-service material life (see below). Use of expired materials may also result in suboptimal printing results. 3D Systems does not assume responsibility for failed builds due to use of expired material.

In-Service Life

In-service life of the print material is defined as the useful life of the material after having been poured into the print tray. The in-service life of print material greatly varies depending on material type, usage and environmental conditions. If the material is exposed to temperatures outside of the normal operating limits, is exposed to UV light, is exposed to particulates or vapors in the air such as dust or fumes, or if contaminates are introduced such as partially cured platforms being placed back into the print tray, this will shorten the material's in-service life. The types of patterns and builds performed also affect the in-service life of the material. The material retains its usefulness until a buildup of viscosity or a change in reactivity prevents further processing in the printer. All materials require some level of stirring or spinning to retain their properties. You must NOT mix material from and old material bottle with material from a new material bottle. These materials will be from different batches; and mixing them could render both ineffective. Follow the Instructions for Use of the specific material you are using for complete instructions on getting the most use out of it.

Contamination

Care should be taken when cleaning windows, panels, and other parts of the printer. Cleaning products that contain ammonia should not be used because they can contaminate the material. Instead, use a small amount of recommended solvent on a paper towel to clean up spills. Accidental contamination of materials may change the material’s performance characteristics to such an extent that acceptable parts can no longer be reliably created.

Polymerization

Polymerization may occur upon heating the material bottle. Signs of polymerization of stored material include container bulging, leaking, the emission of heat, or an unusual odor from the container. If you notice any of these traits, do not use the material and dispose of it according to all local, state, and federal regulations.

WARNING: Sealed container may rupture if explosively hot. Please see the material's sds for information on its flash point.

Individual Material Safety

Every material has a different chemical makeup and may have safety instructions that vary from the general guidelines listed in this guide. It is important to read the SDS and Instructions for Use of each material prior to usage to ensure that you know that material's specific safety instructions.