Prusa i3 MK3 - First Model Printing; Printing Operations and Model Preparation; Printing Process and Object Removal

7  Printing
● Make sure that the nozzle and the bed are heated to the desired temperature. If you
forget to preheat the printing nozzle and the bed before printing, the printer will
automatically check the temperatures of the nozzle and the bed; printing will start
when the desired temperature is reached - it can take several minutes. However, we
recommend preheating the printer beforehand as described in the chapter 6.3.8
Loading the filament into the extruder.
Do not let the preheated printer idle. When a printer is preheated and non-printing,
material in an extruder degrades over time - it may cause the nozzle to jam up.
● Watch the first few printed layers to be sure filament has attached to the bed
properly (5 to 10 minutes).
● Press the LCD-knob and choose the Print from SD option from the menu, press to
confirm and pick the desired model file_name.gcode. The printer will start printing
the object.
The filename (.gcode) must not contain any special characters otherwise the
printer is not able to display the file on the LCD.A list of acceptable characters would
be clearer
7.1 Removing objects from the printer.
Removing prints from the build plate is much easier because of the ability to remove and
bend the build plate. Different thermal expansion of the steel sheet and plastics used in 3D
printing also helps with detaching prints after the plate has cooled down.
● When printing is finished, let the nozzle and heatbed cool down before removing the
printed object. Always handle the printed objects when the temperature of the bed
and nozzle drop to room temperature. When the bed is hot, objects are very hard to
remove. Remove the steel sheet from the printer and bend it slightly; prints should
pop off.
● If you experience any troubles removing the object (especially the small ones), you
can use a flat tool like a spatula with rounded corners to prevent damage to the
PEI. Slide the spatula under the corner of the object and gently push until the print
pops off.
Pict.   14   -   Removing   the   model   from   the   PEI   print   surface   by   bending   the   steel   sheet
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