14
votes
Accepted
Differences between moving build plate vs. extruder
Without going into too much detail, since this is a very exhaustive topic, I'll write some pro's of each down from the top of my head:
Cartesian XZ hotend, Y bed (eg. Prusa Mendel):
easy to build (...
- 2,884
14
votes
Accepted
Do stepper motors require any maintenance?
The stepper motor itself does not. You may want to inspect the motors for debris or dust.
Depending on your configuration you may want to check on parts of your printer that connect to your stepper ...
- 470
10
votes
Do stepper motors require any maintenance?
No, stepper motors do not require maintenance. They are a brushless kind of motor, so they do not have brushes that need to be replaced.
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9
votes
Accepted
How fast can printer head move without damaging steppers?
Short answer no
We use stepper drivers to limit the current, the travel speed is at capped by the amount of current supplied by the stepper drivers. This prevents the stepper motors from damaging ...
- 522
7
votes
How fast can printer head move without damaging steppers?
What would my printer do if I set very big travel speed?
If a speed is set above the limits of the stepper, the stepper will stop rotating or stutters.
Basically there are 2 limits, the first is ...
- 33.1k
7
votes
Accepted
How to transport a 3D printer? Dismount needed?
Yes, fix the motors and any other loose/movable parts. Remove the bowden tube if it's there, and any other parts that are sticking out. Put the whole thing in a a bag to protect from dust, and put the ...
- 202
5
votes
z-axis hard to move in some areas - what could be faults, how to improve?
X stage binding like this is almost always caused by parallelism issues with the rods and/or screw. The two-rod-plus-screw arrangement is quite over-constrained and thus requires good alignment to ...
- 6,496
5
votes
Accepted
Cooling fan noise when head is moving in the X axis
As discussed in the comments...
The problem with the fan seems to be its flimsy attachment to the printer head. The fact the fan chassis is not firmly kept in place allows for it to act as a ...
- 4,587
5
votes
Are 3D printed gears applicable for industrial use?
Survivability of parts is a very tricky topic, because a lot of factors go into it. While ABS is a common industrial plastic for molding, FDM introduces quite different challenges that can impact the ...
- 20.5k
5
votes
Herringbone timing belt?
At a nearly microscopic level, the herringbone belt/gear combination will reduce the whoosh effect of a square profile cogged belt forcing itself into a matching profile pulley. Consider a well-sealed ...
- 11k
4
votes
Accepted
What is the best method of printing joints for action figures?
(NOTE: Converting comments to an answer.)
An interference fit would probably work. There are a couple of styles I can think of which would do. Here are some ideas from thingiverse.com which may work ...
- 2,423
4
votes
Is there a reason for the z-axis M5 drive nut to be super loose on the lead screw?
It's probably intentional. Threaded rods are almost never perfectly straight. If the nut is rigidly coupled to the carriage, then the slightest deviation in the screw will either cause it to bind up ...
- 14.6k
4
votes
Converting / measuring bottle threads for creating an adapter to it
It's really unlikely that a bottle is using nonstandard threads; the engineering and tooling cost for doing so would not make sense. Most plastic drink bottles use PCO 1881 or PCO 1810 threads. If not,...
3
votes
Accepted
FreeCAD to design moving parts
freeCad has a draft rotate function in DRAFT workbench:
Select an object;
Press the Draft Rotate button, then;
Click to set the rotating point and rotate.
You will get used to that after a few ...
- 1,922
3
votes
How much work would be converting Prusa firmware/software for CNC use?
Disclaimer
Questions about other machines is still in kind of a grey area right now 06/2016 and your question is, in my opinion, a bit too broad. However, I think it's a great topic to perhaps help ...
- 6,274
3
votes
Differences between moving build plate vs. extruder
I think this is simple, breaking it into simple parts... It is much easier to calibrate a machine where each axis does one thing. For instance, the Ultimaker; one of the few XY-on-the-same-axis ...
- 3,033
3
votes
How to transport a 3D printer? Dismount needed?
Transporting a 3D printer does not require special precautions.
Obviously you should package it to protect it from damage (but this depends on the mode of transportation and how sturdy your printer ...
- 14.6k
3
votes
What are the basic requirements to make a 3d printing machine?
It really depends on what you mean by "make a 3d printing machine"
You could buy and assemble an FDM printer kit. This is "making" in the same way you can "make" a cake....
- 2,432
3
votes
What are the basic requirements to make a 3d printing machine?
This is a pretty vague question. First of all you have to ask what kind of 3D printer you want to make, what do you want to be able to print (size/resolution?) what tools/resources you have access to,...
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3
votes
Accepted
z-axis hard to move in some areas - what could be faults, how to improve?
There could be a few issues at play.
The smooth rods are not parallel which is causing the bearings to bind the further you go up.
Part of the thread is damaged not allowing it to pass through the ...
- 2,090
3
votes
Accepted
Is there a lubricant that can be used for linear bearings, bronze sinter bushings and threaded rods alike?
A mid-weight PTFE grease like the popular Superlube will work in all the cases you mention (bearings, screws, and sintered bushings). 3D printer service conditions are quite light-duty as far as ...
- 6,496
3
votes
Accepted
Converting / measuring bottle threads for creating an adapter to it
You can use a program known as OpenSCAD with the threads library to assist your objective.
The important aspects of a thread are the major diameter (outside diameter at the thread surface), the length ...
- 11k
3
votes
Lead screw orientation
No, but the answer could depends on how you set up the lead screws, what kind of lead screws are used and how they connect to the stepper. Also it is important how you transfer the linear Z motion ...
- 33.1k
2
votes
Accepted
How does Carbon3D's CLIP technology handle bridges and support material?
On Carbon3D's homepage they show a part that appears to have supports in it.
Per a conversation with Carbon3D's support they confirm that their slicing software will generate supports based on the ...
- 427
2
votes
Is there a reason for the z-axis M5 drive nut to be super loose on the lead screw?
I agree with Tom about looseness.
I would suggest 2 solutions:
Use grease which will reduce friction (and vibrations as a consequence);
Use better clutch (coupling). Full aluminium couplings are ...
- 3,448
2
votes
How fast can printer head move without damaging steppers?
Stepper motors contain permanent magnets, which are only really damaged by heat. The coils in the motor are only damaged by high currents that would happen at voltages above the maximum rating of the ...
- 2,330
2
votes
Moving Extruder Gear Assembly
Hanging up the Bowden system won't fix the problems with printing flexible filament: the filament will still press into the bends of the tube and thus lead to under extrusion. Another issue is, that ...
- 20.5k
2
votes
FreeCAD to design moving parts
I would also like to take a look at the A2plus Workbench (Freecad Addon). There you can define constraints which can help with this problem. As far as I know, parts cannot be moved with the mouse ...
- 21
2
votes
Cooling fan noise when head is moving in the X axis
MagLev fans with Vapo bearing are (like the name suggests) magnetic levitation bearings - the rotor "floats" in the air, it's not press-fot like in ball bearings, therefore it has movement ...
- 21
2
votes
Are 3D printed gears applicable for industrial use?
Well, to determine the time life of the gears you will need to do a test called ALT (Accelerated Life Time) but the parts should be last for a long time (not years) however this can be determined by ...
- 1,480
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