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The recommended system configuration is the following:

• DirectX 10 compatible graphics card, e.g. ATI Radeon 3000 series, Nvidia GTX 300 series
• Display resolution 1920 x 1080
• Intel Core i3 or AMD Athlon 64
• 400 MB hard disk space
• 8 GB RA

To prepare your model for printing, you should go through the following steps:

1. In the main menu go to “File” and click on the “Open model…”.

       2. Choose your model file and place the model on the buldplate. Note, that your model should be in one of the following formats: *.stl, *.step, *.stp, *.3ds, *.obj.

       3. Adjust printing settings in the SLICING panel from the main tabs and click GENERATE.

       4. After a successful generation of the code, you will be offered to view the code or save it to a file. You can press VIEW CODE to see the layout of your model in a 2D or 3D view.

       5. You can save the code by pressing the SAVE TO FILE button. If you want to change printing settings you need to press the BACK button, change desired parameters and press the GENERATE button again.

You can find more detailed Aura overview and video tutorials on the website anisoprint.com/aura/ 

After installation, described on the website, you can open Aura and the main window will appear. You can see the description of the main menu on the picture below.

1. Main menu
2. View cube
3. View axes
4. Buildplate
5. Origin of the coordinate system
6. View toolbar (zoom, pan, rotate, etc.)
7. Main tabs

Most plastics used in 3D printing tend to accumulate moisture (hygroscopic). In its turn, the presence of moisture in filament will cause boiling of the liquid during printing, which will result in an uneven supply of plastic and as a consequence in a defect in the quality of the final part. Some types of plastics are less sensitive to presence of moisture in the surrounding space, but for a better surface quality it is recommended to store plastic filaments in places with a minimum amount of moisture. The solution of this problem is to use a dryer before printing.

Carbon fiber, which is part of the composite bundle, accumulates less moisture than plastics, but it is also a hygroscopic material. Similar to plastics it is required to choose spaces with minimum moisture content in the air for its long-term storage.

NOTICE: do not use heater dryers for Anisoprint CCF (Composite Carbon Fiber) and CBF (Composite Basalt Fiber). Being heated above 40°C for a long time (more than several minutes), carbon and basalt fibers become brittle and improper for printing.

A specially prepared patented composite fiber Anisoprint CCF is used for printing with reinforcement. It provides a high-quality adhesion to plastic. Anisoprint CCF is a composite reinforcing fiber in the form of a tow made of thousands of ultrathin carbon monofilaments, impregnated with a special polymer composition ensuring high-quality impregnation and adhesion between the polymers and the fiber. Composite fiber is used to reinforce the plastic during the manufacturing of the part.

NOTICE: do not print with composite extruder without composite fiber. Otherwise, plastic leakage from the inlet hole may occur.

CAUTION: the manufacturer dislaims any responsibility for the effects of use of non-recommended materials, improperty stored materials; when other materials instead of recommended reinforcing fiber are user. Use of materials non tecommended in this manual may result in damage or complete failure of the equipment

There are two different plastics, included in the Delivery Package: Smooth PA and CFC PA. These plastics are developed to be used in couple for the best performance. Although you can use these plastics in a combination with other types of plastic in EXT and OPEN packs.

Smooth  is  branded thermoplastic polymer material based on polyamide PA12 filled with chopped carbon fibers and developed by Polymaker especially for use with Anisoprint Composer 4/3. The material is intended for 3D printing of secondary (unreinforced) zones of composite parts reinforced with continuous fibers and facing surfaces. The material is supplied as filaments with cross-sectional diameter of 1.75 mm. Smooth  features low moisture absorption and makes use of anti-warping technology. Perfect surface quality and ease of use also make it the best choice for most users.

CFC PA is thermoplastic polymer material based on polyamide PA12 and developed by Polymaker especially for Anisoprint CFC (continuous fiber co-extrusion) process. CFC  is applied as a matrix material in 3D printed composite parts reinforced with continuous fibers. The material is supplied as filaments with cross-sectional diameter of 1.75 mm.

CFC PA has a relatively low viscosity that allows good binding of fiber layers. This plastic is also low absorption grade and can be printed from open-air for a decent amount of time.

CAUTION: supply Smooth PA to the plastic extruder, CFC PA to the composite extruder

 

 

If you use the EXT pack, in addition to Smooth PA and CFC PA profiles you will be able to use plastics from the following polymer families: PLA, PETG, PC, PA, ABS. There are material profiles in Aura available for them that are thoroughly tested and provide stable excellent results.

OPEN material database package includes all materials from NEAT and EXT packages and contains elaborated profiles for any plastic with a melting point below 270°C.

If you use the printer frequently, small particles of plastic and fiber may accumulate in the internal space. From time to time clean the printer platform from accumulated particles and dust with a microfiber and a vacuum cleaner.

The glass of the buildplate will inevitably accumulate particles of plastic and fiber, fixing varnish or glue. To improve the adhesion of the part during printing and the quality of the first layers of the product, it is recommended to clean the surface of the glass before each print with a damp cloth.

To extend the service life of a Composer, mechanical parts of the product must be serviced on a regular basis. For this purpose, you need to lubricate the moving parts: guides of X, Y, Z axes, Z-axis screw, and the nozzle switch mechanism. The delivery package includes special lubricants for all of these parts. Lubrication of mechanical parts of the printer is recommended at least once every six months.

To prevent fiber clogging the extruder cleaning is recommended before each print. This will ensure the successful printing of the parts without fiber clogging.

 

CAUTION: all extruder parts can be hot!

 

 

1. Heat composite extruder up to composite plastic printing temperature (or a bit higher). On the main screen press Composite extruder temperature button and set required temperature.

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       2. Clean the contact surface of the composite nozzle by brass brush from the set of cleaning tools.

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       3. Insert the barbed needle from the set of cleaning tools into the composite nozzle. Spinning the needle, push it through the extruder, until the end of the needle is in the inlet hole of the extruder. Be careful not to break the needle. Pull the needle down and clean it by tweezers so the barbs are clean.

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       4. Remove material, pushed out of the inlet of the extruder with tweezers.

       5. Repeat points 3. – 4. until the needle is clean and the remains of the material stop pushing out of the inlet of the extruder.

       6. From the main screen go to Maintenance > Move > Extruders, change Step to 10 mm and feed 50 mm of the composite plastic filament (press V+ button 5 times). You should see clean plastic exiting from the nozzle and inlet.

You might need to clean the plastic nozzle, for instance – if the under-extrusion occurs. Follow the next steps to clean the plastic nozzle:

1. Heat the plastic extruder to the printing temperature (270 °C for Smooth PA).
2. Clean the nozzle with a cleaning needle from the tool kit. To clean the contact surface of the nozzle, use the brass brush from the tool kit.

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       3. To finish the cleaning, feed about 50mm of plastic to the extruder.