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Fleet Management

Section titled “Fleet Management”

Managing a fleet of 3D printers requires organization, monitoring, and efficient resource allocation. AutoPrintFarm provides powerful tools to manage printers at scale.

Fleet Dashboard

Section titled “Fleet Dashboard”

The Fleet Dashboard is your central hub for managing all printers:

  • Live status of every printer
  • Quick actions (pause, resume, cancel)
  • Printer groups for organization
  • Batch operations for multiple printers

Adding Printers

Section titled “Adding Printers”

Auto-Discovery

Section titled “Auto-Discovery”

AutoPrintFarm can automatically discover printers on your network:

  1. Navigate to Fleet → Add Printer
  2. Click Scan Network
  3. Select discovered printers
  4. Authorize and configure

Manual Addition

Section titled “Manual Addition”

For printers that can’t be auto-discovered:

  1. Click Add Manually
  2. Enter printer details (IP, API endpoint)
  3. Provide authentication credentials
  4. Test connection and save

Organizing Your Fleet

Section titled “Organizing Your Fleet”

Printer Groups

Section titled “Printer Groups”

Create groups to organize printers by:

  • Location (e.g., “Building A”, “Lab 2”)
  • Printer type (e.g., “Prusa MK3”, “Ender 3”)
  • Capability (e.g., “Multi-color”, “Large format”)
  • Status (e.g., “Production”, “Testing”)

Tagging System

Section titled “Tagging System”

Apply tags for flexible organization:

  • Material capabilities (PLA, ABS, PETG)
  • Special features (enclosed, camera-equipped)
  • Maintenance status (calibrated, needs-service)

Printer Configuration

Section titled “Printer Configuration”

Basic Settings

Section titled “Basic Settings”
  • Printer name and description
  • Build volume dimensions
  • Nozzle size and configuration
  • Default print settings

Advanced Settings

Section titled “Advanced Settings”
  • Material profiles
  • Temperature limits
  • Print speed constraints
  • Auto-pause conditions

Job Assignment

Section titled “Job Assignment”

Manual Assignment

Section titled “Manual Assignment”

Assign jobs to specific printers:

  1. Select job from queue
  2. Choose target printer
  3. Confirm assignment

Auto-Assignment

Section titled “Auto-Assignment”

Let AutoPrintFarm automatically assign jobs based on:

  • Printer availability
  • Material compatibility
  • Build volume requirements
  • Job priority
  • Historical performance

Load Balancing

Section titled “Load Balancing”

Configure load balancing strategies:

  • Round-robin: Distribute jobs evenly
  • Fastest-first: Prioritize fastest printers
  • Longest-idle: Use least-recently-used printers
  • Custom rules: Define your own logic

Printer Maintenance

Section titled “Printer Maintenance”

Maintenance Schedules

Section titled “Maintenance Schedules”

Set up maintenance reminders:

  • Bed leveling intervals
  • Nozzle replacement tracking
  • Lubrication schedules
  • Belt tension checks

Maintenance Mode

Section titled “Maintenance Mode”

Put printers in maintenance mode to:

  • Prevent new job assignments
  • Run calibration routines
  • Perform repairs
  • Track maintenance history

Downtime Tracking

Section titled “Downtime Tracking”

AutoPrintFarm automatically tracks:

  • Maintenance downtime
  • Failure-related downtime
  • Utilization rates
  • Mean time between failures (MTBF)

Fleet Analytics

Section titled “Fleet Analytics”

Performance Metrics

Section titled “Performance Metrics”

Monitor key metrics:

  • Overall fleet utilization
  • Average success rate
  • Throughput (parts per day)
  • Material consumption

Printer Comparison

Section titled “Printer Comparison”

Compare printers to identify:

  • Top performers
  • Problematic units
  • Efficiency differences
  • Cost per part

Capacity Planning

Section titled “Capacity Planning”

Use historical data for:

  • Predicting capacity needs
  • Identifying bottlenecks
  • Planning expansions
  • Optimizing resource allocation

Best Practices

Section titled “Best Practices”

Regular Maintenance

Section titled “Regular Maintenance”
  • Schedule preventive maintenance during off-peak hours
  • Track maintenance history for warranty purposes
  • Use maintenance mode to prevent accidental job assignments

Naming Conventions

Section titled “Naming Conventions”
  • Use consistent naming schemes
  • Include location and printer type in names
  • Number printers sequentially (e.g., “Prusa-A-01”, “Prusa-A-02”)

Group Strategy

Section titled “Group Strategy”
  • Create groups that match your physical layout
  • Use groups for batch operations
  • Apply group-level settings for consistency

Monitoring

Section titled “Monitoring”
  • Set up alerts for critical issues
  • Review fleet metrics weekly
  • Address recurring problems promptly

Troubleshooting

Section titled “Troubleshooting”

Printer Goes Offline

Section titled “Printer Goes Offline”
  1. Check network connectivity
  2. Verify printer is powered on
  3. Restart printer firmware
  4. Reconnect in AutoPrintFarm dashboard

Jobs Not Assigning

Section titled “Jobs Not Assigning”
  1. Check printer status (should be “Ready”)
  2. Verify material compatibility
  3. Check if printer is in maintenance mode
  4. Review auto-assignment rules

Performance Issues

Section titled “Performance Issues”
  1. Review printer logs for errors
  2. Check for firmware updates
  3. Verify proper maintenance
  4. Contact support for persistent issues

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”