Just out of curiosity (I do not have an active fire. Just a preemptive “just in case” question), if the laser does invoke a fire, is there a procedure that the user needs to perform to put the fire out or do I just let the machine handle it. I do not have the fire suppressor, yet. I understand the machine will close all vents to stop the spread of the fire, but I assume user intervention is required. Fire extinguisher perhaps? If so, what category extinguisher should I use?
Thanks!
Well, if by let the machine handle it you mean watch your printer melt, then sure.
You will need to cut power and have a fire extinguisher handy. You could also invest in those fire suppressant packs that usually go on top of or in an enclosure.
Doing nothing and just standing back isn’t really an option.
It is an electrical fire, so no water, you need a CO2 or other non H2O extinguisher.
Never leave a LASER running unattended.
For those not in the know; Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
If the printer has filaments on, they are great fuel for a bad fire. Toxins are a problem given what is in the box we rely on to make our cool models, functional parts and weird things friends and family demand of us.
You shouldn’t panic, there is no suggestion there will be a fire or a greater risk of one.
However, you should be prepared and know what to do without panicking. Teach anyone else in the home/office as well. Locate an appropriate extinguisher near, but not too close a fire would mean you cannot access it.
Thanks. I figured user intervention is required. I’m mostly experienced with wood fires so that’s why I was asking. You never know with these machines. Consumer machines are getting more advanced so I wasn’t sure if it did anything itself. Opening the door seems dangerous though. Is there a better option for accessing the fire other then the front door?
I’ll find a CO2 extinguisher. If the hardware store doesn’t have one I can order one from a supply place. Anything else I should know?
(Hell, I don’t even leave it unattended when it’s 3d Printing. heh, don’t trust it. You only need 2 of 3 to make a fire. And 3d printing gives all 3, especially with ABS).
CO2 is one of the ones suited to electrical fires. Powder ones are great too.
The labels identify their purpose, and you are looking for one labelled electrical fires. That is true for the U.K.; other countries may have different rules.
A good hardware store will have at least one person who knows the right ones for electrical fires. They do not need any special information about the printer.
While opening the door seems counterintuitive, you need to get to the base of the fire. If it is internal, then open the door with one PROTECTED hand (ideally a second person) and then attack with the extinguisher. Chances are it will be external, though.
More of a general observation rather than specifics:
Not sure about other parts of the world, but in Germany we have to install smoke detectors in (almost) every room. They do give some peace of mind.
The Ei Electronics Ei650 I use were really helpful when the kids discovered the Toaster early in the morning… Once per child 
It is a lesson everyone tends to remember 
In the U.K. only rented properties have this requirement.
Smoke detectors are the seat belts for cars. They seem annoying and pointless until they stop your ability to fly through glass or another person.
The annoying monthly check they work seems far more worthwhile looking at a smoky room and not a burnt out house.
E-stop is there for this kind of case.
stop, extinguisher, and remove the fuel source if possible and safe.
you may lose the printer, but I’d take that over loss of life and home any day.
I let mine run.
No idea why it won’t load.
Also curious about this. I got the laser upgradeable H2D but don’t know if I’ll get a 10W, 40W or skip the laser entirely. Is there a type of fire extinguisher that would not damage the machine? I imagine ABC powder wouldn’t be great for just about everything inside of these machines. Enclosed, cut off the oxygen, cut the power, close the vents. Cut the ignition, starve it for oxygen… but then what? Given the risk is high enough that they sell accessories to put fires out & purify the smoke I’m a little apprehensive about getting a laser.
If your printer catches fire due to the electronics, it is very likely a write off by the time you have noticed, retrieved a suitable extinguisher and utilised it.
The fact that electrical safe fire extinguisher use gases or powder is unlikely going to help the parts burnt to a crisp. Worse, if a LASER is burnt or anything near it, that is not safe for other reasons.
In an ideal world something else sets the printer on fire, you notice it immediately, locate and operate a fire extinguisher, completing that task perfectly and expeditiously, then you have a degree of potential some of the printer can be salvaged.
However, as already stated, the likelihood is, it will be scraped and an insurance claim.
Something that no one has mentioned yet: if a fire is detected by the flame sensors, the machine will sound an alarm (that I feel needs to be louder IMHO, you can test it in the settings somewhere), and close off all vents in an attempt to starve it of oxygen (the printer isn’t hermetically sealed, but can probably reduce the amount of fresh air by a lot doing this).
In an “ideal” (and I feel most likely under responsible use) situation you’d be cutting something like wood which would be what caught fire, not the electronics themselves. If you are watching the laser as you should, you can simply hit the E-stop, open the door, and blow it out, as the flame will likely still be quite small at this point.
If you aren’t paying attention and for some reason the flame sensors don’t go off (I will actually test mine tomorrow with a lighter and report back) and that tiny flame becomes a larger flame, that’s when the real trouble begins and the advice given here (and your extinguisher) will really come in handy
Even worse, if a fire starts while using the laser, venting the chamber could feed the flames with oxygen and spread the fire to the external filter as well. That is just one reason why a printer should never be left running unattended, regardless of the mode.
I mean, even using it as a 3d printer can cause a fire. The material in the filament is in fact flammable, in the right conditions. I’ve had a 3d printer catch fire before just from 3d printing alone. (that’s partly why I was able to afford the H2D since the insurance claim was big enough I could replace it with the H2D).
I’d never leave anything that gets very hot unattended. Not matter what it is.
Since most of you feel leaving a printer unattended while printing is a no-no, how would you manage a print farm? Print only during waking hours? How would you manage that? How would that affect the number of printers to be profitable?
Asking for…well just asking.
I always leave my printers running unattended.
Trigger warning for the weak of constitution, who are easily offended.
It is hard to monitor printers when you live in your death bed 23+ hours a day.
My comment earlier was solely related to the use of the laser, I would never leave one of those unattended. I believe the instructions strongly rec the same.
As to running printers, mine are all on smart plugs. I can turn them on or off by voice. I will turn them on from my bed despite them being in two different rooms of my house. I will set them to print using Bambu Studio or Bambu Handy depending on my needs. I will monitor the using Bambu Handy and security cameras pointed, one camera per printer. The built in cameras are not great and cover only the insides, my camera can be rotated and tilted, turned on and off remotely (yes, by voice again).
I have great confidence in the printers functioning well and as intended. I did the same thing with earlier printers I owned before Bambu Lab invaded my world.
Unattended use of a laser, or even cutter isn’t as safe, particularly the laser. Accidents are rare, but far more likely than a standard 3D printer from most companies.
That doesn’t negate risk, nor do I believe nothing will go wrong, I just mitigate and prepare accordingly.
The CO2 fire extinguishing system has only been announced so far, but is still to come and will then be triggered by the printer’s sensors.
In the meantime, I would keep two cans of fire extinguisher spray within easy reach in case a fire breaks out during laser processing.
The printer only sounds an alarm and shuts off the power, but that doesn’t extinguish the fire.
Aside from that, leaving the laser running unattended is already grossly negligent, and any insurance company will refuse to pay for it.
Relying on an automatic fire extinguishing system doesn’t make things any better—that’s why the H2D has an emergency stop switch.
I also do not understand the whole “I don’t even leave the printer unattended while it’s 3D printing” crowd. These things are designed to run for days without issue, and I run most of my big prints overnight so it’s less active waiting for me. The laser should never be left unattended, I can’t imagine walking away knowing that things is emitting it’s little blue line of blindness and fire.
How do you guys run 3 day prints? Do you pause it overnight and waste 8-9 hours of time that could be printing? Are you coming from something like an old Ender that had a higher likelihood of having issues? Most of the people I’ve talked to who worry about leaving a print unattended are used to lower quality printers because they’ve experienced issues and think that it’s commonplace in all printers
Did you mean to ask me this question?
When I already answered.
I literally wrote the whole thing saying I don’t go near the printer to turn it on or off and happily send my own designs and those of others without ever leaving the bed I am medically required to reside in.
Did you mean to address to someone else or the group as a general question.
If it was directed at me (it can’t be, surely), I am the exact opposite of the people you appear to be confused by.
I often have five printers in two different rooms running for days on end on a different floor of my house. My only attendance is to remove successful prints and change filaments as required.
I couldn’t live without assistive and unattended technology.
I think it is really more about being conscious about what the printer is doing and be smart about safety.
With a 3 day print, you should still be checking on it to make sure things do not go wrong. I wouldn’t let a candle burn for 3 days without at least looking at it every once and a while.
I highly recommend cameras and smart plugs for these machines for safety. I personally have a heat sensor hooked up to a smart switch that will shut off the power to the printer if there is too much heat.