Introduction: Autodesk Workshop Guide: Markforged Mark Two

By Gabrielle Patin
About: Gabrielle Patin reporting for duty.

This Instructable is for Workshop Users at the Autodesk Technology Center in San Francisco

This Instructable explains how to use the Mark Forged Mark 2 3D Printer. The Mark 2 is a fused deposition modeling(FDM) printer that extrudes filaments of thermoplastic material to print your model, layer by layer. The Mark 2 can also print with material called Onyx which is made of a mixture of strands of chopped carbon fiber with Nylon. The printer can also add strands of carbon to a standard print to increase the parts strength dramatically.

Requirements for using the Mark 2 printer at Pier 9:

  • Take General Workshop Safety Class
  • Read through all the pages of this Instructable
  • Find Shop Staff to go through Safety Check-off

For additional Information on how to use the Mark Two, please see the Markforged Support Site.

Step 1: Safety

The Mark Two generates high temperatures.

Tip: Always allow the Mark Two to cool down before opening the visor or lid, or before reaching inside the printer. Always take extra care when working near the print head.

The Mark Two has many moving parts that could cause injury.

Tip: While the Mark Two is in operation never reach inside it, or open the visor or the lid.

The scraper provided with MarkForged printers is sharp and can cause injury if used incorrectly.

Tip: Always scrape away from yourself. Rest the bed in a vertical position, against a sturdy level surface when removing a part. Always use short, ramming motions to remove a part from the print bed. Always keep fingers or other body parts out of the path of the scraper when removing a part from the print bed. Keep the angle between the scraper and the print bed small while you are removing your part.

Step 2: Materials

Filament and Moisture

Healthy Filament is brittle and should snap when bent. If it does not snap and just bends on itself then it has probably absorbed too much moisture and will result in failed prints. Never leave material exposed to air as it can spoil in 15 minutes.


Onyx

Onyx is the standard material we use on the Mark Two. It is a composite made up of Nylon mixed with chopped carbon fiber and offers our users a high-strength thermoplastic with excellent heat resistance, surface finish, and chemical resistance that is 40% stiffer than ABS.

Continuous Fibers for 3D Printing

The Mark Two can add 3D printed continuous fibers to your part, enabling composite parts robust enough to replace machined metal. Learn more here.

  • Carbon Fiber
  • Fiberglass
  • HSTS Fiberglass
  • Kevlar

Please take special care to NEVER leave plastic exposed to ambient air, and ALWAYS keep plastic in the provided Dry Box.

Tips to avoid ruining plastic:

  • NEVER leave a plastic spool exposed to ambient atmosphere.
  • DO NOT open a plastic spool bag until you are ready to use it.
  • Make sure your Dry Box is FULLY Latched and Closed.
  • Do Not open the plastic Dry Box unless absolutely necessary. If the Dry Box must be opened, make sure to minimize the exposure time.
  • If you are planning not to use your machine for an extended period of time, just keep the spool in the Dry Box with the filament loaded in the printer.
  • The Dry Box & desiccant do a good job protecting from moisture, and Dry Box-stored material should last up to a year before the water content is too high for printing.
  • When re-starting a machine after a long idle period, run the Wet Plastic Purge Print utility until it stops steaming (which may take 2-3 runs).Inspect Plastic bag for any holes or tears prior to using
  • .It should NOT be necessary to add more than one desiccant pouch to the dry box. Be sure to throw older desiccant packs away when changing spools, as they will likely introduce moisture into the dry box environment, rather than removing it.

Follow these Instructions to install a new spool of Material and these Instructions to install a new spool of Fiber.

Attachments

Step 3: 3D Model

You will need an .STL or .OBJ to print with CURA.

Your model will need to be watertight, meaning it has no holes, inverted normals or other errors. You can check for errors in Autodesk's Netfabb or Meshmixer.

Step 4: Print Software: Eiger

Talk to Shop Staff to be invited to the Eiger software.

Or in San Francisco load your model onto the desktop computer nearest the Ultimaker. Open it in Eiger, prepare the file and export it onto a USB to plug into the Mark 2.

Login at Eiger.io

Upload your part, you could make a project, located on the left side of the screen to store multiple parts

Click on the part in the Library that you wish to print and Eiger will open the Part tab

Part Tab

The left side of the screen will tell you the print time and material usage as well as warnings that may come up

The right side will have all your print settings to choose from

Orientation

Click on a face to rotate that face to the build platform

Or select manual Orientation on the right side to rotate by an axis

Part Settings

Select your material type

Open Part settings to change support settings or add a brin for tall thin parts

Material Settings

You can choose the infill, roof and floor layers and wall layers

Internal View

You can inspect your layers for issues.

Print

Press print to start building out your tray, you can add multiple parts to a tray here

Export build, safe it to a USB and load it on the Mark Two

Step 5: Preparing the Print Bed

Preparing your Print Bed Before starting a print, ensure that the print bed is totally clean of plastic from any previous prints.

  • Scrape off any plastic with the bed provided bed scraper.
    • Use proper scraping technique to avoid damaging the bed when removing parts.
  • Use the provided glue stick to apply a layer of glue to the print bed where you intend to print. This will keep the part attached to the bed.You can apply glue to the entire bed, or just where the part prints.
  • After each print, use warm water and a sponge to clean any residual glue from the print bed. The bed is waterproof. You can fully submerge the bed, and wash it thoroughly. Do not use a dishwasher. Do not use soaps or other cleaners, as these may damage or leave residue on the bed.

Step 6: Send Your File to the Printer

Click "Print", at the bottom right corner of the screen, when you are done checking out the layers.

Move the part to the desired position on the print bed. Change the orientation about the Z-axis of the part using the "Rotation" field.

Enable or disable the "Cloud Print Generation" toggle button as desired.

Select the printer you want to print to from the "Select Printer" drop-down, listed under “Available”.

Press the "Print" button.

Step 7:

Removing Parts from the Print Bed

Supplies Needed: Putty Knife

  1. Select Clear Bed on the touchscreen.
  2. Remove the print bed from the printer.
  3. Rest the print bed securely against a flat surface.Note: We recommend resting the bed against the floor or a table.Keep the angle between the scraper and the print bed small while you are removing your part.
  4. Scraping at a wide angle may damage your print bed.
  5. To lift a part without damaging it, begin scraping from the corner of part toward the center.