Prusa 3D Printer (MK3S+)

General Information

  1. Slice your STL model on PrusaSlicer and upload to an SD card. Be sure to use Original Prusa i3 MK3S+ 0.4mm nozzle and Extrudr PLA NX2 settings.
  2. Unlock the printer with your ETH card.
  3. Put the SD card into the slot of the machine.
  4. Navigate through the on screen menu and select print from SD.

Check if the first layer sticks to the surface – if not abort the print and report it to a Raplab employee.

Cost: 1.- / h
Area: 250mm x 210mm
Height: 210mm

White PLA filament, 1.75mm, provided by the Raplab.

You can download PrusaSlicer to your personal computer for free here.

Once installed open the configuration wizard and select “0.4mm nozzle Original Prusa i3 & MK3S+” on the Prusa FFF tab and “Extrudr PLA NX2” on the filament tab. This will Install the necessary printer settings.

PrusaSlicer Tutorial

Open PrusaSlicer on your personal computer. (Install here)

Begin by clicking on “simple” (1). This will hide the features of the software which are unnecessary for a first time users.

Select “Original Prusa i3 MK3S & MK3S+” on the printer tab (2) and “Extrudr PLA NX2” on the filament tab (3). If these options are not available, please refer to the “Installing PrusaSlicer” tab located above in this machine tutorial. Do not skip this step. The print will fail if the correct Printer and filament is installed.

Select the Layer height  “0.2mm QUALITY” on the Print settings tab(4). Setting the layer height to 0.2 will give you the best results. As a rule of thumb, the layer height should be around half the nozzle diameter.

Upload your STL file to the plate by clicking the “add” button (5).

We can now move, (7) scale, (8) and rotate (9) the model to the desired position and size.

Before slicing the model, try to understand the best orientation of the object to minimize the amount of support material required.  It is also important to have a flat surface that is large enough to adhere to the print bed. We can very easily flip the object simply by selecting it, clicking the “Place on face” button (10) and clicking the surface that should be stuck to the build plate.

If we do not have any flat surfaces on our object, it may be a good idea to split our object in 2 with the “cut” button (11).

Once your happy with the position of your object, click “Slice now”(6), which will bring you onto the preview page.

You can toggle between the preview and 3d editor page (12) with the buttons located in the bottom left corner.

  • Ideally when printing we don’t want to use supports. However sometimes this is unavoidable because of overhanging parts on all face orientations. To add supports click the “supports” (1) dropdown menu and select “everywhere”. PrusaSlicer will automatically add the supports to wherever is deemed necessary.
  • If our print doesn’t have a particularly large surface area touching the build plate, it might be a good idea to add a brim. (3) This will increase the surface area, which can easily be trimmed off after printing.
  •  To check the density of the infill, pull down the slider (7). This will reveal the inside of our model. To change the density, click the Infill dropdown menu (2).
  •  To preview any changes made, press “slice now” (6), once again. This will change the button to Export G-code. 
  •  If we feel that the estimated time (5) is too long, we can make further changes to the infill (2) or change the print settings to “0.2mm SPEED” instead of “Quality” (4).
  • Once we are happy with our setting we can click the export G-code (6) and save it onto an SD card.
  • Unlock one of the printers by logging in to the Raplab touch screen pannel.
  • First check the removable heat plate on both sides (4) for any left over bits of print material from the previous user. Small bits can be easily picked away with your fingers and larger pieces can be snapped off by slightly bending the plate. Do not use any metal tools to remove the parts. This will permanently damage the build plate. 
  • Before putting the build plate back check the heated bed (5) for any small pieces of plastic or debris. The build plate has to sit perfectly flat.
  • Put your SD card into the SD card slot (1).
  • Once you put the build plate back. Click the jog-wheel button (2) to get to the main menu.
  • Turn the wheel (2) to navigate and select “print from SD”
  • On the following menu select your file by pressing the wheel (2) a final time
  • Wait for the heat bed and the extruder to reach the correct temperature.
  • Once the print begins, keep an eye on it to ensure the first layer is sticking and that the nozzle isn’t pressing into the bed. Wait until the first layer is complete before leaving the printer unattended.
  • If the machine is running into any problems you can hit the emergency stop button. (3)

Check the progress of the print from time to time. Once the print is complete, you can log out of the raplab login screen. You can then remove the build plate and bend it slightly. The print should pop right off. Pick of any remaining bits of print material with your fingers. Do not use any metal tools, this will permanently damage the build plate. Double check both sides of the build plate and the heated print bed for debris before putting back in place, ready for the next user.

Troubleshoot

Check if the power and usb cable is connected to the printer properly.

Report the malfunction to a staff-member and switch to an other printer.

The print surface needs to be cleaned and a calibration needs to be made. Please contact the Raplab Staff.