Remotely using the 3D printers
Although 3D printing requires physical access to the machines, the two HP Color DesignJet 3D printers located in MEA330 can be remotely turned on and accessed by authorized users. This allows users to heat up the printers and send their jobs from their own PC, before going to the room to start the actual printing operation.
Installation
The client software for the 3D printers is available for Windows only (XP and later versions). Download and install the 32-bit or 64-bit version, depending on the OS you are using. Once the software is installed, you can add the remote virtual printer (which represents both available printers) to it:
- Click on Manage 3D Printers
- Click on Add Manually...
- Fill the 3D printer information in the configuration window, then click Add Printer: Please make sure you select the HP DesignJet Color 3D printer, or all your print jobs will silently fail. You can safely ignore the warning message saying that the printer type could not be verified.
Connection
The virtual printer configured in the client software will allow you to use both printers. To select which one you are actually using, you should connect to the status page, and click the Connect link that is displayed near the status of an idle printer. Please note that you can only connect to idle printers, not to those in use by other users. If you turn on a printer from the status page, please wait for the initial calibration to finish (one to two minutes), after what the printer will be idle, and the Connect link will be displayed.
Remote switching
The 3D printers can be remotely switched on. Remote switching temporarily overrides the function of the local switch of the printer: as soon as the local switch is used, it will be again in control of the power status, thus permitting the printer to be normally turned off locally. Users are also encouraged to use the automatic power down function (see below), especially if they will not immediately take their parts after job completion (remind that the printer uses around 1 kW to keep the chamber heated). For safety reasons, a remote switch off function is not available.
Automatic power down
If you are not completely sure that you will take your pieces and turn off the printer shortly after the end of your job, please use the automatic power down mode, to prevent wasting electricty and shortening the lifespan of the printing heads. Once your job has started, you can simply press the Auto power down button on the 3D printer, then (as requested on the display) turn off the power switch. Important: if the power switch is already off because you remotely switched on the printer, first switch it to on to revert the system to local power control, then back to off (after pressing the Auto power down button).