ELEGOO Neptune X 3D Printer User Manual

ELEGOO Neptune X 3D Printer

Thank you for choosing ELEGOO product!
For your convenience, please read this instruction manual carefully before use, the cautions and tips in this manual can help you better avoid incorrect installation and use. For questions or problems not covered in this manual, please contact us at this email address: [email protected].
ELEGOO team is always ready to provide you with quality service.
To give you a better experience of our products, you can also gain knowledge of the operation of the equipment in the following ways:

1. The instruction manual: you can find the user manual and assembly tutorial in the USB flash drive.
2. ELEGOO official website: www.elegoo.com You can go to our official website to find the relevant operating instructions for the machine and contact information.

Cautions

Before using the printer, please read the user manual carefully and follow the instructions to avoid any accidents or damage to the printer.

1. Do not place the printer in vibrating or other unstable environments, as the shaking of the machine will affect the print quality.
2. Do not touch the nozzle and heatbed when the printer is working to prevent high-temperature scald and personal injury.
3. After printing, please take advantage of the residual temperature of the nozzle and clean the filaments on the nozzle with the help of tools. Do not touch the nozzle directly with your hands during cleaning to avoid scald.
4. Please do product maintenance frequently, and regularly clean the printer body with a dry cloth to wipe away dust and sticky print material under the situation of power off.
5. 3D printers contain high-speed moving parts, so be careful not to get your hands caught.
6. Children must be supervised by adults when using the machine to avoid personal injury.
7. In case of emergency, please cut off the power directly.

Machine Parameters

Print Parameters

• Print Principle: FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
• Build Volume: 220X220X300(mm³)
• Print Precision: ±0.1mm
• Nozzle Diameter: 0.4mm
• Print Speed: 30~180mm/s (60mm/s is recommended)

Temperature Parameters

• Ambient Enviroment Temperature: 5°C~40°C
• Maximum Temperature of Nozzle: 260°C
• Maximum Temperature of Hotbed: 100°C

Software Parameters

• Slicer Software: Cura
• Input Format: STL, OBJ
• Output Format: Gcode
• Connection Type: USB flash drive, USB Wire

Power Supply Parameters

• Power Input: 100-120V/200-240V
• Power Output: 24V

Physical Parameters

• Machine Dimensions: 620X473X507
• Machine Weight: 10.5kg

Machine Structure Diagram

The machine structure diagram shows the different parts of the printer, including the Y-axis stepper, extruder stepper, Z-axis stepper, Z-axis limit switch, PTFE tube, X-axis slave kit, nozzle kit, Y-axis slave kit, build platform, X-axis limit switch, leveling nut, filament tube, power socket, power switch, touch screen, USB interface, filament holder, and spanner .

Packing List

Spanner

Tools

Machine Installation

To install the printer, refer to the assembly video on the USB flash drive. Make sure to position the 4 aluminum extrusions with the end with a hole facing upwards and outwards. Once the adjusting block has been correctly installed, turn the nut to tighten the timing belt. If the pulley is loose, you can adjust the metal eccentric spacer. When installing, fix the screws in the corresponding holes and tighten them in turn to prevent misaligned screw holes.
You can find the assembly video in the USB flash drive:

Operation Screen Introduction

The operation screen has three main interfaces: Tool, Settings, and Printing.

Main Menu

• Tool: Click to enter the tool interface, the machine can be tested to preheating, leveling, moving, extruding, etc.
• Settings: Click to enter the settings interface to set the language and fan or query the firmware version as required.
• Printing: Click to enter the printing interface, select the print file, and then start printing.

Tool Interface
The Tool interface allows you to test the printer by preheating, leveling, moving, and extruding. You can also change the filaments.

• Preheat: Select Extrusion or HeatBed and set the temperature to start heating.
• Move: Move the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis manually.
• Home: Set all axes back to the zero position or select one of the axes and set it to the zero position.
• Extrude: Heat the nozzle, set the length of the filaments, and check if the nozzle is discharging properly by clicking In and Out.
• Leveling: Level five points and fine-tune the distance between the nozzle and the platform by leveling nut under the heatbed when the nozzle is moving to the position of each point.
• Filchange: Replace the filaments by clicking Filchange.

Settings Interface
The Settings interface allows you to control the side fan operation, check the firmware version, change languages, turn off the stepper that is running, or continue printing at a certain layer position of the model.

• Fan: Control side fan operation.
• About: Check the firmware version.
• Language: Click to change languages: Japanese, German, English, Russian, Spanish, French,Italian, Chinese.
• Motoroff: Turn off the stepper that is running or free a locked stepper.
• Continue: Continue printing at a certain layer position of the model.

Printing Interface

• File: Select the model file and comfirm to start printing.
• Up Arrow/Down Arrow: Page up and page down.
• Crooked Arrow: Back to the main menu.

Please adjust the voltage to match the local voltage before use.

Description of Special Function

Continue: For any further assistance or queries, please contact our customer support team.

• This function allows you to resume printing if you want to continue printing after the model has been interrupted by a misoperation.
• First click 【Tool】-【Home】, observe if the model will collide by setting the X/Y/Z axis to zero in sequence. (If a collision occurs, turn off the power immediately, this function cannot be used.)
• Then click 【Back】-【Move】, move the Z-axis to the height of model interruption, then move the X/Y axis again, and move the nozzle to the top of the model. Observe whether the nozzle is level with the model section or there is a gap of about 0.1mm. (The print head should not be lower than the height of the model interruption position, or model collision will occur during printing.).
• Finally, select 【Settings】 on the menu, click 【Continue】, and then select the model file you want to continue printing.
• Wait for the temperature of the nozzle and heatbed to reach the preset temperature, in the meanwhile, start to read the previous printing information up to the height of the interrupted printing position, then the X and Y axes will back to zero one after another, and then it will start printing.

Continue: If you want to continue printing because of a sudden power outage or accidentally turn off the power of the machine, this function does not need to be set manually. When the printer is reconnected to the power supply and turned on, just click resume to continue.
Filaments Detection: This function is designed to effectively prevent the model from being scrapped after running out of filaments during the printing process by alerting the user that filaments need to be replaced before the model can be printed again.

Platform Leveling

• In the process of printing, we need to level the platform in order to make the base of the model stick to the build platform and not falling off.
• The best distance between the nozzle and the platform is 0.1mm-0.2mm, and you need to prepare an A4 paper to assist in leveling.

1. First, make sure that all the cables are connected, and then turn on the printer.
2. Click【Tool】in the main menu to enter the tool interface and then click【Leveling】.
3. Place a piece of A4 paper between the nozzle and the platform. Click the leveling point, and the nozzle will move to each point of the platform accordingly. Adjust the leveling nut under the platform. (Loosen the nut clockwise, then the platform will rise; otherwise, the platform will fall).
4. Make sure the nozzle and A4 paper just touch, the paper can move smoothly and there is friction force when moving the paper.
5. Level the point 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the same way.
   • After the leveling is completed, the distance between the platform and the nozzle must be verified (1-2 times) according to the above steps ① → ② → ③ → ④ to avoid scratching the platform plate.

Supplementary Introduction of Leveling

Special Case 1:

1. When the machine returns to zero, the nozzle is far lower than the platform. (Even if the four leveling nuts below the platform are tightened, the nozzle is still pressing against the platform.)
2. When the machine returns to zero, the nozzle is far higher than the platform. (Even if the four leveling nuts below the platform are loosened, the nozzle is still a certain distance from the platform.) Solution: Adjust the limit screw of Z axis to a suitable position.

Special Case 2:

1. The backboard of X axis is pre-adjusted before shipped out but during transportion it might get loose. If you find the printing head shaking or loose please use the open-end wrench to fasten the hexagonal isolation spacer until it moves smoothly without any wobble.

Model Test

Extrusion inspection

1. Push the filaments to the bottom of the print head.
2. Click【Tool】- 【Extrude】 , and then click 【In】, the nozzle temperature will be automatically heated to 200°C.
3. After the nozzle is preheated to 200°C, click [In], and the filaments can be spun out normally from the nozzle. The speed of extrusion can be selected as low, medium or high.
4. Please clean off the extruded filaments from the nozzle before printing.

Start printing

1. Connect the USB flash drive with printer.
2. Click 【Printing】 on the main menu and select the model file.
3. When the nozzle and the heatbed reach the preset temperature, the X, Y, Z axis will return to zero, and then start printing.

Tips: When printing the test model, please observe the printing situation of the first layer. If the situation of A and C appears in the first layer, it proves that the five-point leveling is not well adjusted, so it is necessary to fine-tune the leveling nut under the platform or reset the platform. If the situation of B appears in the first layer, it proves that a good printing distance has been reached between the nozzle and the platform, and printing can be continued.

Software Installation

Tips: Copy the data in the U drive to the computer for preservation.
Our slice software is modified form Cura open source slice software, in order to better match with our company’s machines for printing and meet the needs of our customers.

The software installation steps are as follows:
Open the USB flash drive and navigate to the below file \ Software and Software Drivers folder \ ELEGOO Software folder \ Double-click the ELEGOO- Cura-4.7.0-win64 application to install it.
Follow the prompts in the installation process to the next step. Finally, select the corresponding model of our company as shown below to complete the settings.

Instructions for Use:

Other operation tips:

1. Scroll the middle mouse wheel to zoom the viewpoint, and hold down the middle wheel to move the platform position.
2. Press and hold the right mouse button to move the mouse to change the viewpoint.
3. Click the right mouse button will bring up a pop-up selection.
   Model setting: When printing multiple models, you can configure individual slice settings for the specified model.
   Support sturcture interception: You can set the intercept region on the model so that the set region does not generate support structure.
   Preview image function: Gcode files saved in TFT file format can use to preview the model image in the selection file on the printer, which can identify the printed file more visually.

Online Print

• Connect the printer and computer with USB cable, double-click to open the slicing software, select the corresponding model and then click on the monitor, if the interface shows a blank then it proves that the connection is not successful, you need to install the driver.
• The driver installation method is as follows: Open the USB flash drive and navigate to the below file \ Software and Software Driver Folder \ Software Driver Folder \ CH340G USB Driver Folder \ Double-click the [DRVSETUP64] file to run it and click to install it. (As shown in the picture below.) Please note that this driver software has no virus, so please feel free to install it. If your antivirus software determines that it is a virus, you can close your antivirus software for a while and then continue to install the driver software.
• After the driver installation is complete, reconnect the USB cable, open the ELEGOO slicing software, and then click on the monitor, if it display the printer model and other information, the computer has been successfully connected.
• After importing the model, set the print temperature, layer thickness and other relevant information, and then click on the 【slice】, select the USB online printing.
• The power cannot be cut off and the computer cannot go into screensaver or hibernation mode when connected to printing via USB cable to prevent data transfer failure.

Troubleshooting Guide

• A stepper of the X/Y/Z axis is not moving or making a noise when zeroed

1. The stepper cable is loose. Please recheck the wiring connection.
2. The corresponding limit switch does not trigger properly, please check whether there is any interference in the movement of the corresponding shaft and whether the limit switch wire is loose.

• Nozzle kit extrude anomaly
  • Check that the extruder stepper cable is not loose.
  • Check whether the set screw of the extruder gear is locked to the motor shaft.
  • The heat dissipation of nozzle kit is not enough, make sure that the nozzle kit’s cooling fan is working properly.
  • For clogged nozzles, try briefly heating the nozzle to 230°C and squeezing the filaments by hand to remove the clog, or use a fine needle to unclog the nozzle while it is warming up.
• Model does not stick to the platform or warpage
  • The key to whether the model can stick to the platform is the filaments are attached to the platform when printing the first layer. When printing the first layer, if the distance between the nozzle and the platform is more than 0.2mm, it will seriously reduce the model’s attachment to the platform, so it needs to be adjusted.
  • Set up the build platform attachment in Cura, and select the attachment type 【Brim】, which will help to enlarge the attachment surface and prevent warping and other problems.
• Model misalignment
  • The travel speed or print speed is too fast. Please try to reduce the speed.
  • The belt of X/Y axis is too loose or synchronizer pulley is not securely tight.
  • Drive current is too low.
• Severe wire drawing
  • Insufficient retraction distance, set the retraction distance larger when slicing
  • If the retraction speed is too slow, set the retraction speed higher when slicing.
  • When slicing, tick the box “Z Hop When Retracted” and set the “Z Hop height” to about 0.25mm.
  • Print temperature is too high, which causes the filaments to become sticky.

Circuit wiring

After-sales service registration card

ELEGOO website:www.elegoo.com

References

• ELEGOO: Best Consumer Level 3D Printers, Materials and STEM Products – ELEGOO Official

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