1. User Guide
  2. Preventative Maintenance
  3. Cleaning the Printer
  4. Clean/Replace the Catch Trays

Clean/Replace the Catch Trays

Remove and Clean a Catch Tray

This procedure assumes you have either shut down or disabled the Printer.

Once per week, remove the catch tray and clean it of dust or any drops of material with a clean-room wipe and IPA as described below.

If there has been a significant leak from the resin tray, replace the resin tray and install the new catch tray that came with the new resin tray.

CAUTION: Do not attempt to use a catch tray after it has captured a significant spill of material. It can be difficult to clean the glass well enough to ensure perfect transmission of the optical radiation to ensure good print quality. Instead, replace the catch tray. Do not attempt to clean the catch tray while it is still inside the Printer. The cleaning methods discussed below could cause damage to Printer components if attempted inside the unit.

ALWAYS WEAR 100% nITRILE GLOVES WHEN HANDLING THE CATCH TRAY, EVEN IF IT APPEARS THERE IS NO material ON THE OUTSIDE OF IT. Getting fingerprints or other debris on the catch-tray GLASS can degrade print quality. remove/Hold the tray with both hands and upright to prevent spilling.

 

  1. Use a 4mm Allen key to remove the two screws on the Catch-Tray Retention Plate in the upper build chamber. Remove the chassis plate and set it aside with the screws.

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  1. Carefully pull the catch tray toward you until you feel it come out of place, and then pull it out of the machine.

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  1. If the catch tray glass is visually clean of dust and material drips, skip to the section Replace the Catch Tray below. If the catch-tray glass has normal dust or other debris on it, proceed to Step 4. If only the catch-tray reservoirs have material in them, proceed to Step 5. If the catch-tray glass only has a few drops of material on it, proceed to Step 6.

CAUTION: Do NOT reuse material that has spilled into the catch tray. Spilled material is no longer viable for printing, as contaminants could have mixed with it.
 
  1. You may use any of the following methods to clean dust or other debris (not material) off the catch tray:
    1. Use shop air to blow debris off both sides of the catch-tray glass. Be sure you clean both sides. You could also use distilled or deionized water at room temperature or reagent-grade IPA >90% to clean the catch-tray glass. DO NOT use abrasive cleaners, hydrocarbon solvents, or acidic/highly alkaline solutions.
    2. Use a non-ammonia-based glass cleaner and a nonabrasive cloth to remove finger prints or other debris. Be sure to clean both sides of the glass. After cleaning, use shop air and/or allow the tray to air-dry for one hour before reinstalling.
  2. To clean spilled material in the catch tray and discard it:
    1. Wearing nitrile gloves, pour out and discard the material in the catch tray according to all government regulations.
    2. Hold the catch tray over a drip pan and squirt IPA into the catch tray, tilting the tray so that all waste material comes out.
    3. Use a nonabrasive cloth or lint-free paper towel to dry the inside of the catch tray.
    4. Discard all paper towels, gloves, and other waste products involved in the cleaning process according to all government regulations.
    5. You can now reuse this catch tray in a Printer.
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Catch tray with clean glass

 
  1. To clean spots of material on the catch-tray glass:
    1. Pour IPA onto a nonabrasive cloth such as a clean-room wipe.
    2. Wipe the glass inside the catch tray until no more material exists.
    3. Turn the catch tray over and, using a new cloth sprayed with IPA, wipe the glass on the bottom of the catch tray.
    4. Use shop air or give the glass one hour to air-dry before reinstalling.
  2. Inspect the catch tray, ensuring that the catch-tray glass has not detached or become damaged during cleaning. You may now follow the instructions below to reinstall the catch tray on a Printer.

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Reinstall a Catch Tray

Use the following instructions to reinsert the catch tray in the Printer or to install a new catch tray.

CAUTION: The printer will not print without a catch tray installed.

 

  1. Line up the catch tray on the rails.
  2. Hold up the catch tray, flush with the underside of the chassis, and push it toward the print-engine spine until it stops at the back of the rails.
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  1. Push gently against the front of the catch tray to ensure that it does not go back any more and is fully seated in the machine.
  
  1. Reinstall the Catch-Tray Retention Plate and secure it using the 4mm Allen key and the same screws you removed in Step 1 of the previous section.
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