Ultimaker PVA Removal Station

Description

Key Benefits include:

• Remove PVA up to 4 x faster: Water is circulated by a magnetic rotor to speed up PVA removal up to 4x faster (compared with motionless water). The water changes direction every 2 minutes to push more water against the model – even into the hard-to-reach cavities.
• Minimal intervention, higher productivity: The Ultimaker PVA Removal Station reduces operator time to only a few minutes per print, with minimal maintenance or need for cleaning.
• Work with complete peace of mind: With less hassle, no mess, and complete peace of mind you can rely on and easily monitor the PVA Removal Station. This enables you to confidently continue working while waiting for your high-quality end result.
• Chemically free process: Dissolve PVA support material in a matter of hours using only water.

Which materials is the PVA Removal Station compatible with?

The PVA Removal Station has been optimized for the use of PVA in combination with PLA but is also works with other PVA-compatible build materials, such as PETG, Tough PLA, Nylon, and CPE, as well as equivalent third-party materials.

What is the maximum size print that fits in the PVA Removal Station?

The rinsing basket can fit parts of maximum 200 x 230 x 165 mm when closed. In unusual situations where the printed part exceeds these dimensions, the user may decide to leave the top of the rinsing basket open to fit parts of maximum 200 x 230 x 180 mm – although this is not recommended. The most effective and reliable PVA removal will be achieved with the rinsing baskets completely closed.

Why is the PVA Removal Station not bigger so that prints that are printed at the maximum build volume on the Ultimaker S5 also fit in?

This is mainly done because of ergonomics reasons; making the PVA Removal Station bigger would make it very heavy when filled with water and difficult to handle. Besides that, we see that the majority of sliced prints are not that big; only a very small percentage of all prints exceeds the maximum dimensions of the PVA Removal Station.

What is the volume of the container of the PVA Removal Station?

The total volume of the container is 13,7 liters.

How long does it on average take to remove the PVA from a print with the PVA Removal Station?

Most PVA support structures will dissolve in 1 – 8 hours, depending on the size and density of the support structure. Please note that in some cases the dissolving time may exceed this range; especially when the PVA support structure is very large, dense, and/or the print has support material in internal cavities.

Can the removal speed be increased by using warmer water?

It is strongly recommended to not use warm water (above 33 °C) in the PVA Removal Station. Too high water temperatures can damage or deform printed parts; especially when the part is printed in a material with a low heat resistance. Next to that, water above 70 °C can damage or deform the container.

How often does the water in the PVA Removal Station need to be refreshed?

It is possible to use the water in the PVA Removal Station for more than one print or cycle, but higher PVA saturation levels of the water negatively impact the efficiency. Using fresh water will speed up the cleaning process. It is recommended to regularly check the saturation level and immediately refresh the water when the saturation indicator is not visible anymore or when water has not been refreshed for 1 month.

Can additives be used to speed up the PVA removal process even more?

It is not recommended to use any additives or chemicals. The PVA Removal Station has been designed to dissolve PVA using regular tap water. Using additives or chemicals may harm the product, while the effect on the PVA removal process is unknown.

What is the best way to dispose water of the PVA Removal Station?

PVA is a biodegradable material and can be disposed of down the drain, providing the wastewater distribution network is connected to a wastewater water treatment plant. Check local regulation and refer to the PVA Removal Station used manual for more details.

Does the PVA Removal Station impact the strength and performance of materials that are sensitive to moisture (e.g. nylon)?

The PVA Removal Station doesn’t impact prints in any other ways than water in and improvised container setup would do. Nonetheless, moisture sensitive materials can still take up some water when submerged. Nylon can take up a few percent of moisture, leading to a ‘lubricated’, less stiff nylon. Typically, this means a decrease in modulus and much longer elongation. For other materials like (Tough) PLA and PETG, water absorption is minimal (less than 0.5%) and only a small decrease in stiffness might be observed.

In all cases it is possible to dry the part again after taking it out of the PVA Removal Station, preferably without heat to avoid deformation. Please refer to this support article about drying filaments for some guidelines: https://support.ultimaker.com/hc/en-us/articles/360017464340-How-to-dry-Ultimaker-materials- 

Can the lights of the PVA Removal Station be turned off?

Yes, the illumination can be adjusted by using the buttons on the control panel. For detailed instructions, please refer to the PVA Removal Station user manual.