Stratasys Objet 3D Printer Maintenance - Roller Waste Collector

The roller waste collector, also referred to as the roller bath, is a container that collects waste material off of the Stratasys Objet 3D printer roller by using a long, flat blade. Typically a user who receives regular maintenance from a certified technician will rarely have to worry about this part as it is replaced during every yearly Preventative Maintenance visit. The PM kit will come with two collectors, leaving behind a spare for the customer.

On occasion a customer may be asked to inspect or replace this part themselves. Issues that can be attributed to the roller bath are material leaking onto the build area, as well as scraping sections off of the part.

When inspecting the roller bath the first step is to run a head cleaning wizard. In addition to being practical it also give the heads a cleaning, it also will put the printer in the ideal position to access the collector.

When the head has moved to the head cleaning position, the first thing you’ll need to do is remove the UV lamp assembly. There are two screws on either side that can be loosened (not removed) without tools.

Behind the UV assembly you’ll find the roller bath at the bottom of the print block, held on by two screws.

Before removing it you’ll want to raise the waste straws. Newer versions of Objets will have a plastic pull tab at the front of the print block, and older versions will have a metal bar that needs to be raised.

After raising the straws you can now loosen the two mounting screws. They should not come completely off, as they are captured on the assembly. After removing them from the print block you can now carefully remove the whole assembly, revealing the blade and the waste collection area.

The first thing to look for when inspecting the assembly is excessive buildup of material. The collector is constantly collecting material, which is then suctioned out by the waste straws. If the bath is full then it suggests that the straws may not be functioning correctly and will lead to material leaking onto the build area.

Also inspect the blade to make sure it’s flat and solid. Any bends or chips in the blade can cause leaking or can even scrape the parts as it is building. In this case, a replacement will be required.

Hope this helps keep your Stratasys Objet 3D Printer running smoothly!

Travis Testerman
Field Service Engineer
Computer Aided Technology, Inc.