Formlabs Form 2 Troubleshooting

These are a collection of the most common issues for the Formlabs Form 2. Additional information can be found on the Formlabs support website.

Detachment of a print from the build plate will result in total print failure, and will often create a clump of resin which sticks to the bottom of the resin tank.

A print failure resulting from a detachment can be identified by seeing partial geometry of the print stuck to the bottom of the tank and only the raft (or nothing) attached to the build plate itself.

• Inspect the build plate for serious surface imperfections, replace if significant dings are found
• Check slicing orientation, re-slice with more surface area in contact with the build plate
• Print with a raft
• Look for any “cup” geometry that would increase the effective weight of the part
• Inspect the bottom of the resin tank for clumps of resin [guide WIP]

Any observable difference between the expected and actual geometry of the part is one of the most easily identifiable issues. This will often be most obvious in thinner parts of the geometry, or in the most complex areas of the print.

If a specific XY position has the most defects, the tank should be inspected.

If the defects appear to be random, the issue may be from old resin or difficult geometry (poor slicing).

• Inspect the resin tank for clumps of resin attached to the bottom, remove with the Form Wash included spatula carefully [guide WIP], or replace the resin tank
• Check the manufacturing date of the resin being used, resin more than 2 years old may need to be replaced
• Check slicing orientation, re-slice with more complicated geometry facing “away” from the build plate

Parts should not be sticky or look shiny immediately after curing. This issue can also be identified with unexpected “soft” behavior, or parts failing before they are supposed to.

Often, this is due to parts not being fully dry before curing. Reprint the parts, and follow the harvesting procedures carefully.

• Allow the parts to fully dry before using the Form Cure
• Change the part orientation several times to encourage part drying
• Put the parts in front of a fan or slightly warm airflow to promote IPA evaporation
• Cure the parts at the recommended settings

The formlabs should not have a problem registering that a tank has been installed. An easy way to check if this is an issue is to see if the home screen doesn’t register a tank being loaded even if there is a tank in place.

This typically occurs with older formlabs printers which have tanks being removed constantly. To fix this problem, follow these steps.

1. Locate the bronze colored prongs on the right half of the formlabs.
2. Get swabs and IPA.
3. Soak one end of the swab with IPA.
4. CAREFULLY, clean the bronze prong ensuring the IPA doesn’t touch any other part of the formlabs printer.
5. Use the other side of the swab to clean the prongs to remove any lingering IPA. (Be sure to not get any lint from the swab on the prongs)

Parts should have a smooth finish and no overlapping geometry. This issue is typically identified by many ripples or lots of bumps in the geometry.

This is often the caused by expired resin, debris/clouding/damage on the tank, contaminated optical surfaces, restricted resin flow when printing. To fix this problem, you can…

• Clean the optical window
• Clean the bottom of the tank
• Replace the resin in the tank as well as the cartridge

Any major deviation from the original model is a sign that your printer is either improperly calibrated or not properly cleaned. There are a number of things you can do to resolve this issue.

Before continuing, be sure to download the optics test. This is a great way to check your printer through the process. The optics test only takes about an hour and a half to run with very minimal resin so don’t be afraid to run it often. Here are two pictures showing what the optics test should not look like, below and to the left, and what the optics test should look like, below and to the right.

First item, make sure your printer is level. You can do this by clicking on the Printer Icon, Settings, and then Printer Leveling.

Once you get to the printer leveling screen, ensure the dot is in the circle. If not, use the formlabs leveling tool and follow the instructions on the screen for leveling.

Second item, check the optics window and the orange polycarbonate hood. Any small debris or marks on the window or hood can lead to faulty prints. Follow this guide for cleaning the optics window. For cleaning the orange, spray some Windex onto a paper towel and gently wipe the hood until no marks or debris remain. If you can not get all of the debris or marks off, contact an SLM or LC to assist you.

Third item, check your tank. If your tank has solidified resin at the bottom or dents/scratches it could also cause faulty prints since light is not propagating correctly. If the tank has debris in it, grab the spatula located in the right side compartment of the form wash and very meticulously remove the debris. If the tank is damaged, simply replace the tank.

Fourth item, if you have checked all items before this with optics test and they are still not coming out properly it is most likely that your galvo mirrors have debris or marks on them. Follow this guide and be sure to have an SLM or LC help you if you are not.

Galvo mirror cleaning will generally have to be performed annually.