Meta FAQs

See Sodium Hydroxide.

The included software package which is used for controlling all elements of your Robox®, including printing, layout, calibration and maintenance.

This describes all extruded material on the inside of a printed object. It’s density can be varied (as a percentage) between fully hollow and fully solid - see Fill Density

Used to describe the outside surfaces of a 3D model.

A type of 3D printing where two different materials can be extruded on the same layer using two nozzles

More specifically - a timing pulley - used for translating rotational motion into precise linear motion. The pitch of the belt and the number of teeth on the pulley defines the resolution.

This refers to the maximum dimensions of an object which can be produced with Robox® - 210x150x100mm (LxWxH)

Kapton® is a trade name of polyimide, frequently used for high temperature adhesive tapes and films. Many other printers use Kapton® film as a bed surface, however in Robox®, PEI removes the need for any coating on the bed.

This describes the rate of extrusion from the nozzle - normally measured in mm³/s

A print defect caused by uneven cooling of the part, particularly severe in certain materials such as PP, HDPE and ABS. The enclosed build chamber of Robox® is designed to help reduce these effects, by causing the part to cool down uniformly at the end of the print and reducing draughts.

Fused Filament Fabrication. Where a filament of one material (plastic, wax, metal, etc.) is deposited on top of or alongside the same (or similar) material making a joint (by heat or adhesion).

This is the tube which delivers the filament to the print head. It is manufactured from PTFE to reduce the friction on the internal surfaces while maintaining flexibility.

This is a type of polymer which softens on heating, allowing it to be formed into a different shape. This differs from a thermoset plastic, which is formed by a chemical reaction and does not soften on heating, but will degrade.

The X carriage contains the HeadLock™ system for attaching different print heads and moves left to right along the X rails.

This is the enclosed area of Robox® where parts are produced, and is designed to maintain the ambient temperature and prevent draughts from affecting the quality of your print.

This is the first layer of plastic which is laid down on the build plate at the start of a print. It is the most important layer of a print, as it used for adhering the part to the bed.

Due to software/design resources and minimum order quantities for printing etc., the current user manual/QSG is based on how the software *will* be, not it's current state and therefore the customer registration screen is not yet implemented. It will be coming in a future release of AutoMaker, so there is no need to worry about completing it now, you will just be asked to complete once you receive the software update. The presence of the registration screen is not indicative of a successful software/driver install. If you can see the printer status in AutoMaker, i.e. the printer appears when connected, there is not an issue with your installation. If you are unable to see Robox in AutoMaker, please see more information here: I cannot see my Robox in AutoMaker. If you're still having problems, please raise a support ticket to speak to one of our technical support engineers: Submit a New Ticket To allow us to handle your request as quickly and efficiently as possible, please try and complete all fields where applicable.

DC Motors which operate only in discrete increments of rotation (steps). Robox® uses motors with a step angle of 1.8°, meaning there are 200 discrete steps per rotation.

A print defect characterised by a lack of material being extruded, leading to surface finish errors and bad layer bonding. It is usually caused when the extruder cannot force filament into the ‘hot-end’ fast enough, due to blockage, softened/wet filament, or incorrect material parameters.

This describes the speed at which motion axes move, usually in mm/s and can refer to the X, Y, Z and extruder ‘axes’

Perfluoroalkoxy alkane - A flouropolymer with similar properties to PTFE

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, a thermoplastic used as a 3D printer material. It produces tough, impact-resistant parts which make excellent functional prototypes. It can be tapped, sanded, painted and vapour polished allowing for high quality finishing.

Also known as a limit switch, this refers to a microswitch which is used to define the limits of a motion axes. Also see Homing.

The mostly automated process of adjusting software/hardware parameters in AutoMaker™ to take into account any differences in the manufacturing/assembly process of Robox®.

CEL Technology Ltd. (“CEL”) warrants its systems and associated peripheral devices and replacement parts (collectively, the “Product”) purchased from CEL or an Affiliated/Authorised CEL Reseller to be free from defects in material and workmanship according to the terms and conditions stated below: Warranties extend only to the original purchaser of the Product. Unless otherwise specified, the warranty on the original Product, as delivered, extends for two years starting on the date of delivery and will only be offered with a proof a purchase and valid serial number. To ensure your rights are protected, please check that both the warranty card and the Robox rating label (on the underside of the machine) carry the same serial number. Affiliated/Authorised distributors and/or resellers have the right to adjust and/or finalize the properties of the warranty, including but not limited to the duration of the warranty, subject to local regulations. Your sole remedy as purchaser under this Limited Warranty shall be repair or replacement as provided herein. To preserve your warranty rights, Products must be installed in accordance with the then-current User Guide available at www.cel-robox.com/downloads. During the Limited Warranty period, CEL or its designated representative will, at their discretion, repair or replace a defective Product as set forth below. Service Parts and replacement Products will be furnished on an exchange basis, and will be either new or refurbished. All replaced parts or replaced Products become the property of CEL, and you will be invoiced for replacement parts if defective parts are not returned as directed by CEL under this Limited Warranty. This warranty covers all non-consumable parts while used in accordance with official CEL documentation, CEL Robox filaments (“SmartReels”) and with AutoMaker or CEL approved software. CEL has specifically tested and tuned ‘Simple Mode’ in AutoMaker to ensure reliable, repeatable and safe results using these settings with Robox SmartReels containing official material profiles. ‘Advanced Mode’ is for users who are experienced with 3D printing and want a higher level of control. The controls available in Advanced Mode can create situations and combinations of settings which can harm Robox components or create dangerous conditions with some materials. Robox is capable of using 3rd party filaments which are not part of CEL test procedures and users are responsible for the safe use of these materials – only those material types which are available on a CEL SmartReel are officially supported. When Advanced Mode or 3rd party filaments are used, affected components will not be covered by the CEL limited warranty. Provided that you report the warranty claim within the Limited Warranty period, have a proof of purchase and valid serial number and obtain return instructions from CEL or its affiliated/authorised representatives prior to return, CEL or its representatives may elect to cover the cost of returned parts depending on the nature of the fault and this decision is at their discretion. All requests for warranty support should be made through the official support portal at www.cel-robox.com/support by raising a ticket. CEL will not be responsible for any shipping costs or other charges associated with these repairs, nor for any damage which may have occurred during shipping due to poor packaging. It is for this reason we recommend that you keep all of your original packaging materials for such time when the machine may need to be returned. These terms only apply if CEL or its designated representative determines that a fault is present and is not caused by misuse. If no fault is found or CEL or its designated representative determines that the user has caused the damage through misuse, the purchaser will bear the cost of all labour, materials and shipping. These costs will be provided to the user prior to commencing any repairs, and the repair will only proceed once these costs have been paid. Replacement parts independently carry a 90-day warranty from date of shipment from CEL or designated representative location. CEL reserves the right to repair the Product with materials and parts selected by CEL or to replace the Product with another product of the same kind/model. Any replacement product may be new, refurbished, or used, provided that the replacement product has functionality at least equal to that of the Product being replaced. After any repair or replacement, the original warranty period will continue from the end-user’s purchase date without extension or renewal. Consumable parts are not covered by this Limited Warranty (these include the printing head, extruder, ThermoSurface™ bed sheet, Bowden tube, filament feed path, filament, accessories (trimming kit, bed wipes, lubricant, tweezers, USB flash drive), power cable, USB cable and on-board microSD card). In particular, the warranty period for the printhead is 500 hours, as defined by the ‘Head hours’ counter on the chip of the printhead, or 100 days from the date of purchase – whichever is greater (comes first). Warranty services may be provided by CEL, an Affiliated/Authorised Reseller, or a third party service provider designated by CEL. No coverage or benefits under this Limited Warranty will exist if any of the following conditions apply: The Product has been subjected to abnormal use, improper or inadequate maintenance, unauthorised modifications, unauthorised repair, exposure to moisture, electrical problems associated with incoming power, or other acts which are not the fault of CEL Technology Ltd. Physical damage or deformation caused by misuse/abuse, falls or blows, electronic faults, broken or bent interfaces or pins, or any other defect or physical damage to the product caused by misuse. Connecting Robox to an electricity source without an earth wire. CEL’s Customer Service Department or appointed representative was not notified of the defect or malfunction of the system prior to expiration of the warranty period that was offered. Parts or consumables were installed and used that were not certified or approved by CEL. The machine has been operating outside of the published specifications e.g. supply voltage, ambient temperature etc. Problems not directly related to the Product itself, such as interference from other electronic equipment or a difference in performance to user-expectations e.g. noise from motor operation, printing speed, or odors released during operation. Damage was caused by force majeure (such as a lightning strike, fire, earthquake, floods, civil disturbance or war, or any other event beyond human control.) CEL will also not be liable under any circumstances for Product replacement or associated labour, loss of use, loss of data or profits, or for any other indirect, incidental, collateral, exemplary, punitive, consequential or special damages, or losses arising out of the purchase of the Product and/or out of this limited warranty, whether based on contract, tort, or any other legal theory and irrespective of whether CEL or any of its representatives is knowledgeable of the possibility of such damage. To the extent such claims are not excludable as adjudged by a court of competent jurisdiction, you agree to accept as sole and exclusive remedy a payment equal to the original purchase price for the product adjudged to be defective plus any necessary expenses incurred by the end-user in requesting warranty service. SOME COUNTRIES, REGIONS, STATES OR PROVINCES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF REMEDIES OR OF INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, OR THE APPLICABLE TIME PERIODS, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT LAWFULLY PERMITTED, THIS LIMITED WARRANTY DOES NOT EXCLUDE, RESTRICT OR MODIFY, AND IS IN ADDITION TO THE STATUTORY RIGHTS APPLICABLE TO THE SALE OF THIS PRODUCT TO YOU. TO THE EXTENT THAT THIS LIMITED WARRANTY IS INCONSISTENT WITH APPLICABLE INTERNATIONAL, STATE OR FEDERAL LAW, IT SHALL BE DEEMED MODIFIED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH SUCH APPLICABLE INTERNATIONAL, STATE OR FEDERAL LAW. This warranty gives you specific legal rights and you might also have other rights that vary from country/region to country/region, state to state, or province to province. EXCEPT FOR THIS LIMITED WARRANTY, AND TO THE FULLEST EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, NEITHER CEL NOR ANY AFFILIATED/AUTHORISED RESELLER MAKES ANY OTHER WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CEL TECHNOLOGY DOES NOT OFFER, ASSUME OR AUTHORISE THE OFFER OR ASSUMPTION OF LIABILITY FOR IT OR FOR ANY OTHER WARRANTY, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED BY ANY AFFLIATED/AUTHORISED RESELLER OR OTHER INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY.

On Robox® this describes the point at which plastic begins to flow from the nozzle, based on the position of the needle valve

The surface at the base of the 3D printer on which parts are actually made. Robox® has a removable PEI bed surface to allow for easy part removal. Also known as a build plate.

Abbreviation of Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory - the type of memory (on a microchip) which is used to store parameters in the printhead and SmartReel™

A Robox® filament reel which includes an EEPROM for storing material parameters - allowing for instant machine set up when it is installed in the dock.

(Typically) an online store of 3D models for printing.

This refers to the process of ensuring the nozzle is always the same distance from the print bed to ensure accurate extrusion, good base surface finish and adhesion. Robox® performs the operation automatically in both dimensions, by adjusting the level of the gantry and continually adjusting its height as the bed moves back and forth.

A Robox® filament definition file - contains material properties for a particular filament e.g. melt temperature.

Wood Polymer Composite - a composite material produced from wood ‘flour’ and a thermoplastic. Can be used for printing ‘wood like’ objects.

High Impact Polystyrene - a simple thermoplastic which is frequently used as dissolvable support material as it bonds well to most plastics and can be dissolved with Limonine. This works well with colourFabb's XT and nGen, PLA and Nylon. ABS is not recommended as Limonine can discolor and distort ABS.

This is a new brand new feature of AutoMaker that tries to ensure nothing will interrupt the print process - it can currently help reduce the risk of print failure due to: A tangled filament reel An out-of-tolerance section of filament which is unable to reach the printhead An obstruction in the printhead/Bowden tube. Running out of filament In future updates of AutoMaker we will be continuing to add more functionality and self-diagnosis for other possible faults, including: Power outage (only for very short periods, as the print will detach from the bed if it is allowed to cool completely) Reduced flow rate due to nozzle / melt chamber contamination Extruder torque issues Needle valve faults Automatic levelling issues Head connectivity issues Skipped steps during the print Temperature control / heating issues SmartReel connectivity and I/O issues Material loading/unloading issues

Polypropylene (PP) - a ‘waxy’ flexible thermoplastic which can be used for 3D printing, however it is particularly susceptible to shrinkage and warping issues due to its large thermal expansion coefficient.

Abbreviation of 3D Printing

A Robox® head definition file - describes a particular head type and associated default parameters

A technique used to prevent warping. Parts are built on top of a 'raft' of disposable material instead of directly on the build surface. The raft is larger than the part and so has more adhesion. Similar to brim in functionality.

This describes the height in mm of each individual layer of the 3D printed object. The thinner each layer is, the smoother the appearance of the outside surface will be, reducing the ‘stair stepping’ effect. Thinner layers = more layers = longer print.

This refers to the twin nozzle system used by Robox® for reducing overall print times. By using a fine and fill nozzle, the exterior of the part can be produced slowly and carefully by the smaller nozzle, and then the inside can be filled quickly with the larger nozzle.

(Adjustable in all dimensions. A parametric model is one that can be resized and or distorted to suit the user's needs. In CAD software, you can resize individual features (e.g. holes, ribs etc.), as opposed to a mesh (surface model), which is more difficult to adjust.

This refers to the storage available on Robox® to store GCode print instructions during printing. It also maintains a history of previous prints, allowing them to be reprinted without reslicing. It is cyclic storage (once full, begins to overwrite from the beginning) which is not accessible on any device except Robox®. A microSD card is used as the storage medium.

These are the plastic housings which hold the X rails perpendicular to the Z axis and form the two sides of the gantry.

This is the part of the printhead through which material is extruded. Robox® has two nozzles of different diameters - 0.3mm and 0.8mm - with the smaller being used for fine details and the exterior surface of the part, and the latter being used for infilling the part at high speed by extruding a large amount of material at once.

This is a phenomenon experienced on many other FFF printers, where molten plastic continues to flow from the nozzle when the extruder has stopped. It is conventionally compensated for using a ‘retract’, where the filament is pulled back to ‘suck’ molten material away from the tip of the nozzle. Robox® uses a needle valve system to stop the extrusion as required at the tip of the nozzle, resulting in minimal ooze.

The angle of a discrete increment of rotation of a stepper motor.

This device is used for pushing the filament to the head along the Bowden tube. It uses two contra-rotating feedwheels to pinch the filament and feed it in a very controlled manner using a stepper motor

This is a term which is used to describe whether a surface model contains any gaps in its surface - i.e. whether it is ‘watertight’. Non-manifold surface models may produce errors in slicing, as the software is unable to define that edge.

As there is no direct feedback from the stepper motor in terms of position, homing is how Robox® determines the location of all axes before starting a print. Each axis moves until it reaches its endstop, which is then defined as the origin. Because the software knows the length of each axis, software limits can be used at the other end of travel