Conflicts

Conflicts dialog emerges if you have conflict with at least one settings item in your project (material or printer or profile). Conflict means that you already have in your Aura settings an item with the same name but with differing settings. For example, you already have Plastics material named “PLA” and flow multiplier = 1. And you want to load the project which contains material “PLA”, and this material has flow multiplier = 1.1. So, this is the conflict and you should solve it before you can continue to work with slicer. You can do it with the Conflict dialog.

  • To override your local settings check a checkbox for appropriate settings.
  • To add the settings from the project as a copy uncheck a checkbox for appropriate settings.

Session

Session is the settings aggregator. You should specify printer, profile, materials in extruders, and choose extruder for each print entity. The part settings that you can see at the bottom of session panel can be adjusted individually for each print. Besides, this settings are not taken into account during profile comparison and conflict determination. So if you load a project from a file, this settings are always overrrided without conflict.

After you’ve configurated session you can press a generate button. If the generate button is disabled check that you have loaded model for slicing and your models have no intersection between themselves.

Settings

Aura has modular settings system. It means that you have 4 settings modules – plastics, fibers, printers and profiles. These modules are combined in a session, which contains all parameters required for slicing process. Session contains one printer, one or several plastic and fiber materials and one profile.

For each item you can set Name, Version and Description. Item names should be unique. Keep in mind that item name is important to compare settings in case of conflict.

  • Some items have approved mark. APproved mark means that this settings are approved by Anisoprint. Approved items can’t be modified, but it doesn’t stop you from experiments. If you want to make any changes, you can copy the approved settings. You can find AP mark on the right of settings name in settings list.
  • You can delete any non-approved (without AP mark) settings item. Just click on a delete button. If you are trying to remove item which is using by the session you will see a warning.
  • You can duplicate any settings item. Just click on a duplicate button. Duplication creates a full copy of your settings item.
  • You can export any settings item. Just click on a export button. Each settings type has own file format.
  • You can find information about any parameter by clicking on a question mark on the right from the parameter name.
  • You can add new item to list. Just click on an add button, and you will see a new item in a list. Item will be filled with default values.
  • You can import a set of settings. Just click on a import button.
  • You can export all settings from your list . Just click on a export button.

Main window

When you open Aura the main window appears.

Main window

First thing that you may want to do in Aura is to load 3D model of a part. Aura supports *.stl, *stp, *.3ds and *.obj file formats.

  • To load model choose File > Open and then select a model in open file dialog. Also you can press Ctrl+M to call model open dialog.

After you have loaded model it appears on a build plate. Now you can save a project. Project is the combination of session settings (profile + printer + materials), models on a build plate and their layup settings. Project has *.auproj format.

  • To save project choose File > Save project as menu item, specify filename and press Save. Or click File > Save (Ctrl + S) to overwrite the current project.
  • To load project choose File > Open project (Ctrl + P). If loaded project has conflicts with current session a conflict dialog will appear.

Composer firmware update

The latest Composer firmware can be downloaded here.

To update printer firmware you can use Anisoprint Aura. Install and launch Aura.

If you connect Composer to your PC for the first time you may need to install the USB driver. To install the driver unzip the archive and run dpinst-amd64.exe if you have 64-bit OS or dpinst-x86.exe if you have 32-bit OS.

Connect the printer to the PC by USB cable. In Aura main menu open Tools > Composer firmware update.

Composer firmware update tool in Aura

In Composer firmware update tool:

  1. In Port list select the COM port of Composer. If you connected Composer to your PC for the first time, it will usually be the last one. If the list is empty or you can’t connect to printer using any listed port, make sure, that you have installed SUB driver mentioned above.
  2. Click on “…” button near Path field and select Composer firmware file.
  3. Press Upload button. 
  4. Wait until all lines including the last “Success” button become green.

Note

Do not disconnect or turn off your printer during firmware update process.

How to unclog an CFC nozzle?

If the fiber from CFC nozzle of your Anisoprint Composer A4 does not extruded, take the following steps to fix this:

1. Check whether the plastic is correctly loaded in the feeder; Whether plastic filament comes to the print-head;

2. Check that the temperature of the composite extruder corresponds to the temperature of the plastic processing for the fiber

When the CFC nozzle for fiber of your Anisoprint Composer A4 is clogged or blocked, take the following steps to fix it:

  1. Heat the composite extruder and trim the fiber using the menu item («Move –  Extruders – U+ » to push the fiber. If the fiber come out push the button «scissors» to cut the fiber
  2. If the fiber does not come out…

How to unclog an FFF nozzle?

If the plastic from FFF nozzle of your Anisoprint Composer A4 does not extruded, take the following steps to fix this:

1. Check whether the plastic is correctly loaded in the feeder; Whether plastic filament comes to the print-head;

2. Check that the temperature of the extruder meets the recommended processing temperature of the plastic;

When the FFF nozzle for plastic of your Anisoprint Composer A4 is clogged or blocked, this will prevent the material from being extruded. This blockage is usually caused by dirt in the hot end. Take the following steps to fix it:

  1. Heat the extruder and clean the nozzle with the supplied needles. Be careful not to push the needle against the sides as this might damage the nozzle on the inside. Simply insert it and take it out and check if any residue comes out of the nozzle.
  2. If none of the above methods helps to resolve the clogged nozzle, there’s a chance that the nozzle will need to be replaced. Unscrew the nozzle from the hot end (after removing the material) and attach the new nozzle to it.

Which materials can be used on Composer A4?

The anisoprinting technology combines two printing technologies FFF-technology and CFC-technology.

For FFF-technology different plastics may be used. The choice of plastic is directly related to the required physicals characteristics of the printed part and a suitable processing temperature range up to 250°C and a diameter of 1.75 mm: PLA, PET-G, PA, PC, PLA, ABS.

We usually recommend to use PETG or PLA (especially if you’re new into 3D printing), as these is the easiest materials to print with due to their technical properties. You only need to be aware that we can’t guarantee the quality of materials not supplied by ourselves.

For reinforcing material, you need to use our special composite carbon fiber Anisoprint CCF which provides high-quality impregnation and adhesion between the polymers and the fiber. Composite fiber is used to reinforce the plastic during fabrication of the part. You are free to try other reinforcing materials, but we can’t guarantee the quality of materials not supplied by ourselves.

How to insert the filament and composite carbon fiber?

For printing onthe Composer A4 you will need 3 spools: 2 spool with plastic you choose and 1 spool with composite carbon fiber CCF.

Rear side of Composer A4
1 – spool with composite carbon fiber Anisoprint CCF
2 – composite fiber feeder
3 – spool with plastic
4 – plastic feeder

Before you start any print, you need to load filament and composite carbon fiber through the feeder. It’s really important to load the filament correctly to ensure you get the best print results.

Firstly, load the plastic into the plastic feeders:

  1. Press on the guide of the feeder to slack the load spring
  2. Direct plastic into the protective tube
  3. Release the feeder guide

Repeat the same procedure with the second plastic filament feeder.

Thereafter through the items on the Composer A4 display: «Maintenance – Materials – Plastic – Load» following the instructions and load the material.

Secondly, load the composite carbon fiber into the feeder:

  1. Direct composite fiber into the feeder air-fitting. Do not apply significant force to the fiber when loading into the feeder – the composite fiber is fragile and may break. 
  2. Thereafter refer to the screen. Through menu items on the Composer A4 display: «Maintenance – Materials – Comp. Fiber – Load» following the instructions and load the material.