Airtripper's 3D Printer and Arduino Blog » SUMPOD http://airtripper.com 3D Printer usage and modifications plus Arduino powered electronic projects and 3D Printing designs. Fri, 09 May 2014 01:20:57 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.8.3 Airtripper’s Bowden Extruder V3 – Updated Designhttp://airtripper.com/1071/airtrippers-bowden-extruder-v3-updated-design/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=airtrippers-bowden-extruder-v3-updated-design http://airtripper.com/1071/airtrippers-bowden-extruder-v3-updated-design/#comments Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:48:01 +0000 http://airtripper.com/?p=1071 Airtripper's Direct Drive Bowden Extruder V3

Airtripper’s Direct Drive Bowden Extruder V3

The Airtripper’s Direct Drive Bowden Extruder is now at version 3 with the design files ready to download from Thingiverse. A lot of work went into the design to improve the usabillity and the look of the extruder. The design is stronger with a much cleaner 3d printed finish, and filament changing is now much easier than before.

The bowden extruder was originally designed to fit the Sumpod 3d printer to replace the bulky MDF extruder housing that was awkward to use. However, the bowden extruder can be used for other 3d printers making use of it’s simple bracket, and the extruder has been popular with the Rostock delta 3d printer. A tube bracket is now availble for attaching to the bowden extruder to help guide the filament from the filament spool. more about that here at Sumpod 3D Printer Filament Handling for Bowden Extruder.

You will find more about this bowden extruder on the following page: Bowden Extruder Upgrade Part 3.

The popularity of The Airtripper’s bowden extruder was boosted when the extruder was included in the development of the awesome Rostock 3D Printer (delta robot 3D printer). To see the bowden extruder in action on the Rostock, watch the youtube clip below.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Bowden extruder V3 Update Details

A number of updates were made to the bowden extruder design with some minor updates on the strut and idler housing.

To get a better fill between perimeters around the screw holes, the rounded ends on the strut have been increased to 10mm in diameter to improve print quality on wider 3d printer settings.  A small taper was added to the edge of the idler bearing housing to make it easier to slide the rubber tube over the preloader hook.

3D Model Updated reference Points

  1. The filament drive gear housing has been filled-in to improve overall print quality by minimizing stringing.
  2. Filament guide funnel size increased and angled for (a) a more gentle filament bend around the drive gear and for (b) easier filament threading.
  3. Holes opened up and angled to give the idler preload screws better clearance from the idler housing hooks.
  4. M4 nut for bowden cable (PTFE tube) now drops in to position much easier than before, also, reduced filament snagging when threading into the bowden cable.
  5. Screw column housing lowered and widened at the top to minimize shrinkage and deformation. The M3 screw now drop in without drilling out, although a 25mm screw is now required instead of a 30mm. However, a 30mm screw will fit with a washer so the screw cap does not drop into the recess.
  6. Holes removed from the fixing bracket to improve overall 3d print quality.
  7. The filament in-feed bracket is re-designed for a much cleaner look and is now attached to a screw column for added strength.
  8. A spacer is added so that extra washers are no longer needed.

Bowden Extruder V3 Parts List & Files

Most of the items below can be acquired cheaply from Ebay. The MR105ZZ Ball Bearing is optional but recommended, and the Rubber Diesel Hose can be replaced for coil springs. The M6 nuts, bolts & washers are for attaching the extruder to the Sumpod 3d printer or any other printer with similar fixing arrangement, just decide what length of bolts you need.

Extruder 3D Design Files

All the files for this extruder project are on Thingiverse for download. I’ve Supplied STL files that combine selected 3d objects for printing in one session. This is good for the smaller 3d objects because the printed layers will be given more time to cool. You can download the files from here:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:35404

Special Parts

  • Nema 17 Stepper Motor. Since this extruder is a direct drive type, a powerful stepper motor will be needed. Point your browser to http://reprap.org/wiki/Stepper_motor for a good source of stepper motor information.
  • Filament Drive Gear. For direct drive extruders, I can only recommend the MK7 drive gear at this point. If this does not work, you probably have Hot End issues. Starting with a tried and tested drive gear will help with your extruder system trouble shooting.

3D Printer Direct Drive Bowden Extruder PartsScrews, Nuts & Washers

  • 1 X   M3 x 25mm S/S Cap Screw Allen Bolt.
  • 2 X   M3 x 30mm S/S Cap Screw Allen Bolt.
  • 2 X   M3 x 45mm S/S Cap Screw Allen Bolt.
  • 1 X   M3 x 6mm S/S Button Head Allen Bolts.
  • 3 X   M3 Stainless Hex Full Nuts.
  • 1 X   M4 Stainless Hex Full Nuts.
  • 2 X   M3 washers.
  • 2 X   M6 S/S Hex Head Bolts.
  • 2 X   M6 S/S Flat Form B Washers.
  • 2 X   M6 S/S Hex Full Nuts.

Ball Bearings

  • 1 X   608 ZZ [8 x 22 x 7] Roller Skate Ball Bearings.
  • 1 X   MR105 ZZ Model Miniature Ball Bearing 5 x 10 x 4mm.

Tube

  • 1 X   PTFE Tube 4mm x 2mm.
  • 1 X   1/4″ 6mm id Rubber Diesel Hose Tubing Line.

Printing the Bowden Extruder

Direct Drive Extruder 3D Printed Parts

Direct Drive Extruder 3D Printed Parts

As a guide for printer set-up, I’ll list some of the settings used to compile the G-code. The toolchain I normally use includes OpenSCAD, Skeinforge, Printrun/Pronterface and Marlin. The settings listed below will be those used in Skeinforge, just the notable settings are included that works for this 3d print. Printing thicker layers and adding extra shells could create gaps in some surface layers, especially around screw holes that are close to a surface edge.

  • Carve: Layer Height = 0.25
  • Dimension: Filament Diameter = 1.75
  • Fill: Extra Shells on Alternating Solid Layers = 2, Extra Shells on Base Layers = 1, Extra Shells on Sparse layer = 1, Infill Solidity (ratio) = 0.25

The STL files should be all you need to print off the extruder successfully, and I’ve provided extra STL files that will allow you to print a pair of selected items or all the items in one go.

3d model images have been uploaded to Thingiverse to help identify which STL files have multiple objects in them. The STL files rendered to images by Thingiverse don’t clearly show the files with multiple 3d objects.

Assembling the Bowden Extruder

The original assembly instructions are still valid for this bowden extruder update and you can find it here: Extruder Upgrade Part 3.

To add to the original instructions

The bowden extruder V3 bill of materials is slightly different from the last version because of a couple of small changes made to the extruder main body. However, all the parts used to assemble previous versions of the extruder will still fit the new version without buying new parts.

As mentioned above (bowden extruder update details), an M3 x 25mm screw is now required for one of the screw posts for attaching the extruder to the stepper motor. However, an M3 x 30mm screw can still be used if a washer is added to the screw before inserting in to the screw column. This will shorten the screw enough to fit the stepper motor body.

Direct Drive Extruder Stepper Motor with Gear, M5 washers and Ball Bearing

Direct Drive Extruder Stepper Motor with Gear, M5 washers and Ball Bearing. Notice the bearing with electrical insulation tape to increase diameter.

The bowden extruder features an axle bearing support for the optional MR105 ZZ ball bearing to spread the load on the stepper motor shaft. Because of variations in 3d printer outputs, it may be necessary to add a bit of extra diameter to the ball bearing. When assembling the bowden extruder, take note of the amount of contact between the ball bearing and the bearing support. If you don’t think there is enough contact, try a piece of electrical insulation tape to add some diameter to the ball bearing. Add as many tape layers as needed to get good contact.

Some types of filament drive gears, after lining them up with the filament on the stepper motor shaft, will leave a gap between the ball bearing and the drive gear. For proper stepper motor shaft support, the ball bearing should be positioned at the end of the shaft. This position can be maintained by adding M5 size washers to fill the gap between the bearing and the filament drive gear.

Related Topics

Sumpod 3D Printer Filament Handling for Extruder
Bowden Extruder Upgrade Part 3
Bowden Extruder Upgrade Part 2
Bowden Extruder Upgrade Part 1

Airtripper's Direct Drive Extruder V3 Assembled View from Front

Airtripper’s Direct Drive Extruder V3 Assembled View from Front

Airtripper's Direct Drive Extruder V3 Assembled View from Back

Airtripper’s Direct Drive Extruder V3 Assembled View from Back

Airtripper's Direct Drive Extruder V3 Fitted without washer on M3 x 25mm screw

Airtripper’s Direct Drive Extruder V3 Fitted without washer on M3 x 25mm screw

Airtripper's Direct Drive Extruder V3 Fitted with washer on M3 x 30mm screw

Airtripper’s Direct Drive Extruder V3 Fitted with washer on M3 x 30mm screw

Raptor Universal Filament Drive Gear from QU-BD

Raptor Universal Filament Drive Gear from QU-BD, CNC machined from a brass alloy and shipped with the MBE Extruder.

Airtripper's Direct Drive Bowden Extruder V3 Fitted to Sumpod 3D Printer

Airtripper’s Direct Drive Bowden Extruder V3 Fitted to Sumpod 3D Printer

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Sumpod 3D Printer Filament Handling for Extruderhttp://airtripper.com/1021/sumpod-3d-printer-filament-handling-for-extruder/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sumpod-3d-printer-filament-handling-for-extruder http://airtripper.com/1021/sumpod-3d-printer-filament-handling-for-extruder/#comments Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:48:23 +0000 http://airtripper.com/?p=1021 Sumpod 3D Printer With Reel Roller Rack

Sumpod 3D Printer With Reel Roller Rack

The more improvements and new features added to the Sumpod 3d printer the more I want to use the 3d printer, and adding better filament handling has gone a long way to improve the 3d printer’s ease of use.

The Sumpod’s sturdy construction has allowed me to set up a filament spool rack on the top of the printer, and adding filament feed brackets to guide the filament round to the extruder keeps friction to a minimum during the printer’s operation. This set-up will go a long way to reduce the printer’s set-up and shutdown time because the filament spool can now be left at the printer.

I’ve made the design files available for download from thingiverse should anybody want to use them. The design files might not suit all Sumpod 3d printer configurations, but the designs should provide inspirations to those looking to improve their own filament material handling.

Sumpod 3D Printer outside – are you mad!

Well, to get the best clear pictures, I make the effort to get the Sumpod outside. I have to make sure it’s a dry day though because getting the MDF case damp might upset the printer’s build platform levelling :). I’ve got more features and improvements lined up for this printer so it looks like I’ll be taking it outside a few more times yet.

And the Problems Before - Basically, I had to put the filament spool where I could get it, and that was mostly on the floor in front of the printer. The spool got kicked over a few times due to lack of space and people walking past, and when done printing, I had to remove the filament from the printer and put away the spool until needed next time. I also had to turn the printer side ways facing so that the extruder was a bit more in line with the filament spool. Which made it difficult to check the LCD screen on the front of the printer.

The solution to these problems will allow me to keep the filament set-up on the printer and have a permanent place for the Airtripper’s pocket reel rollers. Having a spool rack on the Sumpod will allow the printer to stay loaded with filament reducing set up and shutdown times.

Sumpod 3D Printer Spool Rack & Guides

Reel roller Rack and support

Reel roller Rack and support close up

Reel Roller Rack Anchor Screw

Reel roller Rack anchor screw to keep the Rack from tipping and moving.

Spool Rack - The spool rack legs stand on the ridge just inside the top edge of the Sumpod’s outer casing, and anchored down with small screws. There is an option to have four screws to anchor but I’ve just used one in each leg here. Once the anchor screws are in place there is no need to remove them to take down the spool rack, just slacken off the screws a bit and move each leg inward to remove or to place.

The spool rack shelf is just a scrap piece of 8.6mm ply measuring around 255mm by 100mm, basically the size to fit snugly inside the recess in the top of the Sumpod (after the legs are fitted), and the size to fit the Airtripper’s Pocket Reel Rollers. Having the spool rack stand inside the recess prevent sideways swagger, improving stability. M4 Wing nuts are used to attach the 100mm tall legs to the ply shelf which allows for easy and quick packing for transportation. Due to vibrations from the Sumpod during operation, it was necessary to fix the reel rollers to the shelf to avoid spools or reels toppling over the edge.

3D Printer Extruder Filament Guide

3D Printer Extruder Filament Guide

Filament Guide - Now that the 3d printer has a spool rack, I needed to set up a filament guide for the extruder driver on the back of the printer. The plan was to use existing fixtures to avoid drilling new holes or making new screw holes in back of the case, spoiling the paintwork.

I suppose any tube that has very low friction properties will do for the filament guide, I used PTFE tube since I have plenty to spare. Tube brackets are in place to hold the PTFE tube in position to guide the filament round to the extruder from the spool. Without a guide, the filament is at risk of folding or breaking when pulled round sharp bends.

I designed two tube brackets, one to fit on to the Airtripper’s Bowden Extruder and one to fit a case fixing bolt on the top corner of the Sumpod 3d printer. The 4mm o.d. tube is in two pieces where one piece fits between the brackets while the other is used to guide the filament in to the first bracket I call the in-feed. The out-feed bracket is the one attached to the extruder driver.

Conclusion

The spool rack is working very well and it is wide enough to hold more than one filament spool. However, narrow spools are at risk of toppling if the printer is used in an area where it could get disturbed, like people bumping in to the table that the printer is on. For a more secure set up, a spool rack could be made using screw rods that attach to the spool’s hub, similar to whats already out there but made to sit on top of the Sumpod 3d printer.

I can’t guarantee that the spool rack is fit for purpose and regular checks may be necessary. If I had to print these again I would make the rack legs a bit thicker and more robust, and I would also add another 20mm to the height to give the Hot End bowden cable more headroom.

The Files

Get the files from here: thingiverse

Out-Feed Bracket attached to extruder

Out-Feed Bracket attached to extruder

In-Feed Bracket with Tube Guide for Filament Spool

In-Feed Bracket with Tube Guide for Filament Spool

Filament Reel Rollers on Rack with Spool

Filament Reel Rollers on Rack with Spool

Reel roller Rack without filament

Filament reel rollers attached to Rack with one screw in each

Side View of Filament Reel Roller Rack

Side View of Filament Reel Roller Rack

Sumpod 3D Printer with Filament Spool

Sumpod 3D Printer with Filament Spool

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3D Printer Surgery #4 Extruder Upgrade Part 3http://airtripper.com/367/3d-printer-surgery-4-extruder-upgrade-part-3/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3d-printer-surgery-4-extruder-upgrade-part-3 http://airtripper.com/367/3d-printer-surgery-4-extruder-upgrade-part-3/#comments Thu, 03 May 2012 01:49:25 +0000 http://airtripper.com/?p=367 3D Printer Extruder loaded with 1.75mm FilamentAirtripper’s Bowden Extruder V3 for 3d printer is now available. Please make the jump for details to:

Airtripper’s Bowden Extruder V3

The new 3D printer 1.75mm filament extruder upgrade is now complete, all the tweaks mentioned in the Extruder Upgrade Part Two are now built in to the unit, plus extra improvements was made to the overall design, including a newly designed idler to accept the cheaper 608 ZZ Skate Bearing to simplify assembly and to keep the overall cost down. All the project files are now on Thingiverse, STL files and the OpenSCAD 3D script file. Check out the rest of this post for bill of materials, printing and assembly tips.

This 3D printer extruder is design to fit the SUMPOD 3D printer without further modification which makes it an ideal upgrade for SUMPOD users. However, due to it’s simple fixing bracket and bowden feed, the extruder can be easily added to the other 3D printer designs.

3D Printer 1.75mm Filament Extruder

3D Printer 1.75mm Filament Extruder

The extruder, because of it’s compact size, is an ideal solution for multi-coloured printing, and also ideal for multi-nozzle 3D printers.

Rubber Pinch Roller
I’ve been testing a rubber pinch roller idler for a while now, and after close inspection of the roller, I can’t see any damage or deformation in the rubber. In my opinion, the rubber pinch roller has performed very well and performed at least as good as a bare ball bearing. However, I’m not going to recommend it for this extruder because I can’t yet provide details that proves it offers better performance than a bare ball bearing idler. For the extra cost to implement it, some proof of superior performance over ball bearing is necessary before recommending it. You will find more details and pictures about the rubber pinch roller in Extruder Upgrade Part 2.

Sumpod 3D Printer Extruder Upgrade

SUMPOD 3D Prototyping Printer - View from Rear

SUMPOD 3D Prototyping Printer – View from Rear

I’m recommending this 3D printer extruder as a replacement for the original SUMPOD extruder for the benefits including the following:

  • The filament is pushed over a ball bearing instead of a plunger, reducing friction.
  • Filament is guided through the extruder mechanism without needing to disassembling the extruder.
  • A lot quicker and easier to change filament.
  • It’s open and accessible design makes it easier to trouble shoot, and to visually detect signs of filament slippage.
  • Easy to mount on the SUMPOD using the original extruder mount points with M6 nuts and bolts.
  • The new extruder is much lighter and a lot more compact making the SUMPOD more evenly weighted.
  • Improves the overall look of the SUMPOD.
  • Easy to attach a second extruder for dual nozzle set up and multi coloured printing.
  • Option to add a shaft ball bearing that may extend the life of the stepper motor by reducing the load on the internal stepper motor bearings.

Printing The Parts

3D Printer Extruder Printed Body

3D Printer Extruder Body, printed at 0.2mm layer height.

3D Printer Extruder Printed Parts - Idler Body, Strut and 8mm Ball Bearing Shaft

3D Printer Extruder Printed Parts – Idler Body, Strut and 8mm Ball Bearing Shaft.

Well, there are four items to print, the main body, a support strut, idler housing and an 8mm ball bearing shaft. There will be an STL file for each item so that they can be printed separately, this will produce cleaner parts, especially if you have a bit of trouble with oozing and stringing. For the ball bearing support to be properly aligned with the stepper motor shaft bearing, the 3d printer build platform needs to be as level as it can be for printing the main extruder body.
All the printed parts were printed slowly with a fast travel feed rate with the layer height set to 0.2mm, this helped to reduce the working pressure in the nozzle which made cleaner prints, stringing and oozing kept to a minimum. For these 3d prints I used Skeinforge and Pronterface, and for the 3d printer firmware, Marlin Ver. 1 RC2.

Bill of Materials
All the parts are available from Ebay apart from the brass gear insert, if you are a SUMPOD owner, then you will have the brass gear insert already. The small shaft support ball bearing (MR105 ZZ) is optional but may improve the life of the stepper motor if fitted, also the M3 6mm screw is also optional since three screws is enough to attach the stepper motor to the extruder base. SUMPOD users require two M6 30mm screws to attach the extruder to the 3D printer, longer screws provided with the printer could be cut down to fit.

1.75mm 3D Printer Extruder Parts

1.75mm 3D Printer Extruder Parts

The extruder requires M3 Allen Bolt Cap screws, three of 30mm and two of 45mm, these come with a smooth shaft and a limited amount of threaded shaft. To reduce cost, and you have a Dremel and eye protection, you can purchase all M3 screws at 45mm length, then cut three of them down to 34mm length (not including the cap) and fit them with M3 washers so that the caps don’t sink into the cap recess on the extruder body. Please note that the M3 45mm screws have been sized to fit the idler that is preloaded with 6mm i.d. diesel hose. You could use springs instead of diesel hose, in which case, you’ll need to size the M3 screws to fit accordingly.

Part sources and price is provided as a guide only and I’m not affiliated with any supplier on this post. Shopping around should help to reduce overall cost.

Full BoM List

  1. 1 X   MR105 ZZ Model Miniature Ball Bearing 5X10X4 – Ebay
  2. 1 X   1/4″ 6mm id Rubber Diesel Hose Tubing Line – Ebay
  3. 1 X   5mm Plain Insert – Maritime Models – 1.80 + p&p
  4. 3 X   M3 x 30 S/S Allen Bolt Cap Screw – Ebay
  5. 2 X   M3 x 45 S/S Allen Bolt Cap Screw – Ebay
  6. 3 X   M3 Stainless Hex Full Nuts – Ebay
  7. 3 X   M3 washers – Ebay
  8. 1 X   PTFE Tube 2X4mm – Ebay
  9. 1 X   M4 Stainless Hex Full Nuts – Ebay
  10. 2 X   M6 30mm Stainless Hex Head Bolts – Ebay
  11. 2 X   M6 S/S Flat Form B Washers – Ebay
  12. 2 X   M6 S/S Hex Full Nuts – Ebay
  13. 1 X   608 ZZ [8 x 22 x 7] Roller Skate Ball Bearings – Ebay
  14. 1 X   M3 x 6 Stainless Button Head Allen Bolts – Ebay
  15. Files for 3d printable parts – Thingiverse

3D Printer Extruder Assembly

Some basic tools are required to complete the 3d printer extruder including, a file, drill bits to clean out the screw holes, and allen keys to assemble the extruder. Pliers may be required to grip the drill bits when reaming screw holes, and also to hold nuts while tightening screws and threading PTFE tube. The drill bits are used by hand for reaming so no power drill is required. Pictures are provided below to help with extruder assembly.

When preparing the PTFE tube to accept the M4 nut, file a taper around the end of the tube to make it easier to screw the nut on. Twist the nut back and forth a few times to get a good thread on the tube, and with the nut in place, used a 2mm drill bit to restore the tube’s inner diameter if necessary. Fit the nut, with the tube connected, in to the slot on top of the extruder and screw the tube one turn in to the nut to lock in place after testing for hole alignment with a piece of filament.

To prepare the idler preloader, cut a piece of diesel hose tubing to about 22mm long, then make two holes about 12mm apart for the M3 screws to go through. You can make the holes by pushing a thin shafted plus head screw driver through the rubber, and then move a drill bit back and forth to open up the holes enough to push the M3 45mm screws through. You may have to use pliers to hold the drill bit. Refer to the pictures below for further assembly details.

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3D Printer Extruder Base and Stepper Motor Assembly

3D Printer Extruder Base and Stepper Motor Assembly

3D Printer Extruder Strut Assembly

3D Printer Extruder Strut Assembly

3D Printer Extruder Idler Preloader Assembly

3D Printer Extruder Idler Preloader Assembly

3D Printer Extruder 608ZZ Ball Bearing Idler

3D Printer Extruder 608ZZ Ball Bearing Idler

3D Printer Extruder Bowden Tube Cable with Nut

3D Printer Extruder Bowden Tube Cable with Nut

3D Printer Extruder and Stepper Motor Assembled

3D Printer Extruder and Stepper Motor Assembled

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Airtripper’s 3D Printed Pocket Reel Rollerhttp://airtripper.com/313/pocket-reel-roller/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=pocket-reel-roller http://airtripper.com/313/pocket-reel-roller/#comments Sun, 15 Apr 2012 20:21:03 +0000 http://airtripper.com/?p=313 Reel Rollers with 2KG plus PLA Filament loaded

Reel Rollers with over 2KG PLA Filament Loaded

Airtripper’s Pocket Reel Rollers, named like the Wades Extruder, is a piece of kit I’ve needed for a while, and they will certainly beat hanging around the 3D printer loosening coils of filament every ten minutes. I’ve had the printer nozzle printing thin air a few times, after nodding off, forgetting to loosen the printer filament off the reel, and ending up spoiling hours worth of printing. So, if you fancy a set of these reel rollers, get the details below and get the files from Thingiverse.

Design
OpenSCAD was used to model the reel roller, and the design drivers are:

  • Use the least amount of non printable hardware as possible.
  • Easy to set up and put away, as working space is limited.
  • Small enough to drop in a box for storage and transportation.
  • To fit any size spool.
  • All the parts available on Ebay.

Reel Roller 3D Printed Parts with Ball Bearings and M3 Screws

Reel Roller 3D Printed Parts with Ball Bearings and M3 Screws

To make the reel roller compact, I decided to go with two separate set of rollers that I can put under each end of the reel, and as long as the reel can turn easily, the should stay put. However, fixing screw holes are placed in the base of the roller casing to allow for  permanent fixing if required, but I think rubber pad feet will be enough in most cases to stop the rollers from sliding on surfaces. For uneven surfaces, the rollers can be set up on a small board or a book or something.

You’ll notice from the pictures that I’m using four bearings per unit. At first, I wasn’t too keen on using so many bearings but there was obvious benefits. Using four bearings made the units wider making them less prone to tipping, and the extra bearing width will give reels with thick buckled sides more room to move freely. The bearings are cheap anyway, and commonly sold in packs of eight on Ebay.

Reel Roller OpenSCAD Model

Reel Roller OpenSCAD Model

The large bearing bores have enough room to build the ball bearing shaft in plastic as part of the reel roller casing, giving me the opportunity to use the same much lighter and cheaper bolts throughout.

Printing
The SUMPOD 3D printer, loaded with the Marlin firmware, was used for printing, in this project. The printer is fitted with a modified Mendal Parts V9 1.75mm Hot End, and sporting the new prototype extruder I’ve been working on, and the 3D printer is interfaced by the Pronterface software on the PC.

Skeinforge was used to generate the G-code from the following settings:

  • Carve->Layer Thickness 0.2mm
  • Dimension->Filament Diameter 1.75mm
  • Speed->Feed Rate 24mm/s
  • Speed->Flow Rate Setting (float) 24
  • Speed->Object First Layer: all settings to 0.3
  • Fill->Extra Shells on Base 3
  • Fill->Extra Shells on Sparse Layer 2
  • Fill->Infill Pattern: Grid Rectangular
  • Fill->Infill Solidity 0.5

I set the nozzle and heated build platform temperature manually, 190 and 60 degrees respectively. I’m using PLA at these settings.

SUMPOD 3D Printer Hot End Nozzle with Bowden Tube and Fan

SUMPOD 3D Printer Hot End Nozzle with Bowden Tube and Fan

Parts List

  1. 8 x 608 ZZ [8 x 22 x 7] Roller Skate Ball Bearings. Very cheap off Ebay.
  2. 8 x M3 x 30mm Hex Head Screws. Ebay.
  3. 16 x M3 washers. Ebay.
  4. 8 x M3 Nuts. Ebay.
  5. 3D Printer Filament.
  6. Model Files from Thingiverse

Tools Required

  1. 3D Printer.
  2. Hex Key to Fit Screw Heads.
  3. Pliers or Spanner of some type.
  4. 3MM drill bit to clean out the screw holes in the printed parts.
3D Printer Pocket Filament Reel Roller end close up3D Printer Pocket Filament Reel Roller end close up 2
3D Printer Pocket Filament Reel Roller Pair3D Printer Pocket Filament Reel Roller end close up 4
3D Printer Pocket Filament Reel Roller Under Reel3D Printer Pocket Filament Reel Roller end close up 3

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3D Printer Surgery #3 Extruder Upgrade Part 2http://airtripper.com/255/3d-printer-surgery-2-extruder-upgrade-part-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3d-printer-surgery-2-extruder-upgrade-part-2 http://airtripper.com/255/3d-printer-surgery-2-extruder-upgrade-part-2/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:43:06 +0000 http://airtripper.com/?p=255 Continuing the 3D Printer Surgery Series, here’s part 2 of the extruder upgrade. After nearly 15 hours of printing, I’m calling this new 3D printer extruder a success. The success I believe is down to building the complete extruder assembly in OpenSCAD which allowed me to see how all the parts fitted together. The 3D printer extruder is boasting a unique feature not seen in other popular printer extruders, a rubber pinch roller bearing in the idler, more details down the post.

3D printer bowden extruder with brass insert and support ball bearing

3D printer bowden extruder with brass insert and support ball bearing

3D printer bowden extruder with pinch roller idler

3D printer bowden extruder with pinch roller idler

Improvement
The new 3D printer extruder works great, very pleased with the design, and now the extruder is a lot easier to work with. Changing the filament is not such a big deal anymore because now, it’s a lot easier to feed it through the mechanism and in to the bowden tube. All the extruder’s inner workings are now visible making the 3D printer extruder a lot easier to trouble shoot.

Old 3D printer bowden extruder

My old 3D printer bowden extruder

New 3D printer bowden extruder

My new 3D printer bowden extruder

Not only is my 3D printer looking more sophisticated, it’s now 700g lighter on the back side. The most important improvement I was looking for was the extra filament pushing force. I achieved that by using a rubber pinch roller instead of a bare ball bearing, a bare ball bearing common with other extruder designs. Unlike bare ball bearings, the rubber pinch roller has a much wider contact along the filament length, forcing the filament to wrap slightly more a round the brass gear insert. This allowed the brass gear insert to have better contact with the filament which reduced slippage and improved reliability in constant extrusion rate at higher speeds. A small ball bearing has been added to the stepper motor shaft to further support the load and to help extend the stepper motor life.

Tweaking
During the the use of the new 3D printer extruder, I made a few notes to further improve the design and reliability. These improvements will be applied to the files and tested before being made available in Extruder Upgrade Part 3.

3D Printer Extruder without Idler

3D Printer Extruder without Idler

3D Printer Extruder Idler With Pinch Roller and Scews

3D Printer Extruder Idler With Pinch Roller and Scews

  • Change the in-feed filament guide hole to an in-feed guide pipe. This is to stop the filament from bending out of line and moving out of the idler’s grip. Only a problem if using a bare ball bearing but not so much of a problem if using the rubber pinch roller, since the pinch roller now has a deep grove filed in to keep the filament in line.
  • Modify the out-feed bowden tube bracket so that the tube can be released without unscrewing the tube from the capture nut completely. This will help prevent spoiling the thread made on the tube by trying to screw the tube back in the capture nut, making it easier to remove and replace the bowden tube.
  • Replace the M4 screws with M3 screws that hold the extruder idler in place. This will allow me to spread the screws wider apart to hold the idler more squarely. Also, the thinner screws will allow the idler to be removed without removing the screws completely.
  • Widen the pinch roller bearing housing in the idler to prevent the rubber roller from scraping the walls. Build in ball bearing spacers in to the wall to keep the bearings centered in the idler housing.

The brass insert gear on the extruder stepper motor is not ideal for 3D printer extruders, but it’s cheap and easy to get hold of. I don’t have a better solution at the moment with out the high cost, so I’ll be leaving this for another day.

Design
I looked at a piece of 3mm glass that I use on my heated build platform and decided that’s a good thickness to start with in the extruder design. So, all the walls of the main body of the extruder and the stepper motor mount is 3mm thick except for the fixing plate, which is 4mm thick. To minimize the amount of plastic used and to cut printing time, I just built plastic in to the design where it was needed, I just used enough  plastic to add support and rigidity. I also put extra holes in to the design to help reduce warping during printing and to improve the overall look of the printer extruder.

OpenSCAD 3D printer bowden extruder assembly model

OpenSCAD 3D printer bowden extruder assembly model

OpenSCAD 3D printer bowden extruder base model

OpenSCAD 3D printer bowden extruder base model

The 3D printer extruder has three printable parts, the main body that attaches the stepper motor and the printer, an idler pivot support strut and the idler housing. All the parts are created with OpenSCAD 3D modeller and exported to STL to be converted to GCode by Skeinforge. The printer extruder currently under test was printed with 0.2mm layer height at 16mm/s and with hot end temperature set at 190 degree C.

Signing Off
I guess that will do for now until Part 3 of the Extruder Upgrade. Part 3 will include all the files including STL files, for those not familiar with OpenSCAD, so that you can print your own. A bill of materials will also be included which all items can be obtained from Ebay.

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3D Printer Extruder Idler Showing Rubber Pinch Roller

3D Printer Extruder Idler Showing Rubber Pinch Roller

3D Printer Extruder Idler Parts, Ball Bearings and Rubber Roller

3D Printer Extruder Idler Parts, Ball Bearings and Rubber Roller

3D Printer Extruder Idler Parts, Rubber Pinch Roller

3D Printer Extruder Idler Parts, Rubber Pinch Roller

SUMPOD 3D Printer Extruder Idler Hack

SUMPOD 3D Printer Extruder Idler Hack

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3D Printer Surgery #2 Extruder Upgrade Part 1http://airtripper.com/139/3d-printer-surgery-2-extruder-upgrade-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3d-printer-surgery-2-extruder-upgrade-part-1 http://airtripper.com/139/3d-printer-surgery-2-extruder-upgrade-part-1/#comments Wed, 14 Mar 2012 11:43:08 +0000 http://airtripper.com/?p=139 In the second post of the 3D Printer Surgery Series I’ll be looking at upgrading the SUMPOD 3D Printer extruder, or filament pusher. I’ll be posting the upgrade process from start to finish so that anybody who is new to 3D printing can get an idea on the development process. In part one I’ll be focusing on getting the non printable hardware side of things together for the filament pusher, and then create the hardware in OpenSCAD - The Programmers Solid 3D CAD Modeller. By the End of the post, I will have a virtual stepper motor assembly to model the 3D printable part around.

SUMPOD 3D Printer 1.75mm filament exruderInside the SUMPOD 3D Printer 1.75mm filament exruder

I had planned to do a post about adding a dimmable lighting feature to the SUMPOD 3D Printer but had difficulties in extruding some of the 1.75mm filament I was using to print the lighting fixtures. I opted to buy the cheaper filament that was available around Europe which in most cases, can be less than half the price of the filament that can be sourced in the UK or America. As far as I can tell, the SUMPOD community appears to be getting better 3D printing performance out of using the more expensive filament. However, I’m not ready to give up on the cheaper filament just yet. I’m going to do some upgrading, starting with the extruder, and hopefully be able to continue using the cheaper filament with more reliability. I should point out that the SUMPOD extruder plunger modding I installed was a replacement for the plunger I lost that was delivered in the SUMPOD kit. The original plunger may have worked much better than my modded version.

New 3D Printer Filament Extruder HardwareInstead of just downloading a design from thingiverse.com, I decided to have a go at designing my own 3D printer extruder. For my first extruder upgrade, I’m just going to keep it as simple as possible and go for the Stepstruder style design. This design will offer improvements such as the use of a bearing instead of a plunger to reduce filament friction. Another welcome improvement will be for easier filament loading. So, without further ado, lets get started on the new 3D printer extruder.

New 3D Printer Filament Extruder Hardware in 3DTo make it easier to design the 3D printable components of the extruder, I’m going to also include the non printable components of the extruder in to the design. This includes the stepper motor, bearings, screws and insert  which are created easily using primitive solids. Each of these non printable components will be created separately, and then added together to produce a partly completed 3D printer extruder. In part 2 of the Extruder Upgrade I will be going over the process of designing the printable component to complete the 3D printer extruder. Continue reading to learn more about the design process of the individual components and how the components are put together.


OpenSCAD script templateIn OpenSCAD I usually start with a template to save typing and it takes the form as what you see in the image on the left. The first line starts with two forward slashes which tells the compiler not to execute this line. This is known as comment out, and usually used when adding descriptive text about lines or blocks of code. The forward slashes are commonly used to activate or deactivate modules in a OpenSCAD script. This allows you to compile only the parts of the 3D model you want to view and export. After the first line there is a block of code declared as a module. This module will only be compiled when the first line has the comment out forward slashes removed and the module name matches.
Script and 3D object of an InsertThe above image represents the insert that will fit on to the stepper motor shaft to grip the filament. Only 3 lines of script is needed to be added to the template script shown earlier to create the insert. This 3D part is contained in a module called insert and it is called by using the first line in the above script. Three primitive solids are used to create the insert, the first two combined in the first union block and the third, while not required to be in a union block, is used to subtract from the first union block because both union blocks are contained in the difference block.
OpenSCAD Parametric Ball Bearing ScriptThe above script is a bit more complicated because parametric equations are used to construct the 3D model – in this case a ball bearing. This allows me to reuse the same script to create different size ball bearing models just by passing three values when calling the bearing module. The three values required are the ball bearing measurements which include inner diameter (id), outer diameter (od) and width (w).
Nema 17 stepper motor OpenSCAD modelThe Nema 17 stepper motor OpenSCAD model is shown above with the script which contains some parametric equations. The purpose of the equations are just to align primitives in relation to other primitives along the z axis. The screws in the 3D model are there as a guide while the printable part of the extruder is being designed. The OpenSCAD script will be altered once the length of the screw has been determined.OpenSCAD stepper motor kitThe final OpenSCAD script, shown above, assembles all the different components to make a partially completed 3D printer extruder. The 3D printable components can now be designed around this assembly and having an instant view of the complete assembly at the same time. This script is a module that calls other modules for each component required for the 3D printer extruder assembly, it also positions and rotates the different components so they fit together correctly. I’ve made the OpenSCAD file available to download so that you can mess with the script yourself.

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Download Zipped OpenSCAD file: stepper_kit OpenSCAD file.

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3D Printer Surgery #1 Z Axis Handlehttp://airtripper.com/95/3d-printer-surgery-1-z-axis-handle/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3d-printer-surgery-1-z-axis-handle http://airtripper.com/95/3d-printer-surgery-1-z-axis-handle/#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:21:37 +0000 http://airtripper.com/?p=95 Welcome to my new blog series called 3D Printer Surgery where you will learn about the tweaks and upgrades I am making to my SUMPOD 3D Printer. Hopefully, the series will be of interest to any 3D Printer owner who wishes to make their printer more user friendly, more productive and importantly, more reliable.

3D Printer Metal Z Handle FittedIn this edition I am going to share the details of the new Z axis handle I’ve fitted on to the SUMPOD 3D Printer. I’m also going to demonstrate how easy it is to print your own Z axis handle. Although this edition is more catered for the SUMPOD owners, there are useful tips about printing tall items that any 3D Printer owner would appreciate.

I must admit, A Z axis handle was not a feature I planned to install, mainly because I did not fancy taking a hacksaw to my nicely painted printer, even if I was sticking my hand in the printer to manually turn the leadscrew. With many thanks to Mike at 3d-printer-kit.com, I now have a nice, shiny new hand made Z axis handle. Mike appreciated the work I’ve put in to Skeinforge to help him and other SUMPOD owners get their first 3D prints off the platform, and very kindly offered to make me a z axis handle.

3D Printer Plastic Z Handle FittedThe Z axis handle is certainly a nice feature to have, and it does help to get that last adjustment in, to get that nozzle just right above the platform during the skirt printing phase.
I would recommend any SUMPOD owner to fit a Z axis handle on their machine, and in order to support that recommendation further, I decided to see how easy it was to design and print one.

Designing the Z axis handle was done with OpenScad, which is a popular open source application used by many 3D Printer owners. This was my second attempt on the design because the first attempt failed during printing because of excessive warping, causing the Z Handle in OpenScadprint to topple over. Despite having a heated platform, the warping was not avoided. I think the warping was caused by a combination of slow printing speed and small footprint on a tall model.

I set about increasing the size of the footprint, a process quite easy in OpenScad, just by altering a few numbers in the code. In fact, a larger knob worked best for improved grip for operating the handle, and it looked better than the original design. Just to be on the safe side, I decided to add a plain around the handle to ensure stability during printing. If there is going to be any warping on the handle, the plain will keep the Z handle anchored down. Now I’m happy with the model, to increase printing speed, I decided to give the Marlin firmware a go. It took a couple of hours to set 3D Printer Z Handle Close To End Of Printup, and made a successful test print at a much quicker pace than I could get with the Sprinter firmware, I was ready to go. Made a couple of changes in Skeinforge, because I’m using Marlin, I reduced layer time to 30 seconds under Cool and removed Z axis move from end.gcode file to avoid crushing the handle at the end of the print. I thought it was best to limit the print speed on the thin part so each layer has a chance to solidify before taking on more plastic.

The 3D print took a little under 4 hours and was a success, no warping in the handle, and the handle and plain was stuck down real good on the glass. As the heated glass platform cooled, you can hear the base of the plastic starting to dislodge itself. Soon, I was able to remove the handle from the glass bed. The plain snapped off the handle easily, leaving small notches behind. These were easily remove with a file. Putting a bit of electrician’s tape around the top of the Z leadscrew was enough to secure the handle in to position. As you can see in the picture above, the printed plastic Z axis handle and bezel look awesome!

Hope you enjoyed reading the first edition of 3D Printer Surgery. You will find more pictures and a video clip after the jump, the OpenScad and STL files for the Z Axis Handle and Bezel are available to download below.
The next edition of 3D Printer Surgery will be about lighting up the build area with dimmable L.E.D. lights.

Download OpenScad Z Handle and Bezel files

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

3D Printer Metal Z Handle Fitted 3D Printer Plastic Z Handle Fitted 3D Printer Z Handle Bottom of Base Close Up 3D Printer Z Handle Top Of Base Close Up 3D Printer Z Handle with Base Stuck Down Close Up 3D Printer Z Handle Cut Out With Plastic Printed Bezel 3D Printer Z Handle Close To End Of Print 3D Printer Z Handle During Printing Z Handle in OpenScad
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Introducing The SUMPOD 3D Printerhttp://airtripper.com/27/introducing-the-sumpod-3d-printer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=introducing-the-sumpod-3d-printer http://airtripper.com/27/introducing-the-sumpod-3d-printer/#comments Sat, 28 Jan 2012 02:40:21 +0000 http://airtripper.com/?p=27 Well, I now have one of the best looking 3D printers that is available today. It was delivered as a kit and took about three weeks to get it painted, soldered, assembled, and printing it’s first 3d object. SUMPOD Front View This 3D printer is called the SUMPOD and it was one of the cheapest 3D printers available at the time, offered as one of the perks in the SUMPOD IndieGoGo campaign.

Cheap to buy did not mean cheap in construction. This 3D printer was expertly designed, with a case that is strong and rigid, providing a good solid foundation to produce fine quality 3D prints. The SUMPOD’s strong rigid construction also allows it to be re-purposed, changing it from a 3D printer to a router or mill. It’s milling capability is demonstrated in the youtube clip at the end of the post at 3D-printer-kt.com. I’m tempted to do some milling myself but I think the noise will be too much for the other household members.

Herringbone GearI’ve tested it’s 3D printing capability and have been very pleased with the results. The Sprinter firmware was easy to configure and install and for the host software, I used ReplcatorG. RepSnapper was used to calibrate the filament extrusion while Skeinforge was used to generate the G-code. Skeinforge was the most difficult application to master, mainly because the amount of options available to configure. All the printing tests I’ve done have been based on models downloaded from the Internet which was a good way to test and configure the printer, and you have someone else’s print to compare to. I have since designed a model of my own for printing using a 3D application called OpenScad. Since I have some programming experience I thought I’d give it a go.

The SUMPOD 3D printer works great out of the box, capable of printing high resolution models as good as any other 3D printer out there in my opinion. Having said that, I will be looking to make improvements to some parts of the printer, I’ve already added a heated build platform and a Z axis handle. I’ll be posting the details of those improvements very soon.

To complete the introduction to the SUMPOD, there are more images after the jump.

SUMPOD 3D Prototyping Printer Printed Herringbone Gear SUMPOD 3D printer top view SUMPOD 3D printer side view SUMPOD 3D printer X axis SUMPOD 3D printer Y axis SUMPOD 3D printer extruder SUMPOD 3D printer Ramps 1.3
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Getting Your First 3D Printhttp://airtripper.com/5/getting-your-first-print/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=getting-your-first-print http://airtripper.com/5/getting-your-first-print/#comments Sat, 21 Jan 2012 02:43:28 +0000 http://airtripper.com/?p=5 For the fellow SUMPOD owners wanting a quick start to getting that first 3D print.

Well, the files are now available to start you off on getting your first print off the platform. The printing speed is going to be slow and steady with the first layer 3D Printed Geargoing down the slowest. The settings have been adjusted so that a complex build with a lot of vertices can be printed in high quality like the Wades herringbone pinion gear. This should allow you to test the calibration of your printer.

For less complex prints you can crank up the speed up by de-activating the Cool plugin in Skeinforge. If the build looks like it’s going to be messed up, you probably trying to print it too fast. Adjust the speed by changing the flow rate and feed rate settings under Speed in Skeinforge.

For SD Card users, de-activate Cool plugin in Skeinforge and see how fast you can go by adjusting the flow rate and feed rate settings under Speed in Skeinforge. You should be able to print complex builds much quicker, without spoiling, than those printers without SD Cards.

The settings under Cool in Skeinforge makes the build take at least 60 seconds to print each layer. Any layers that are going to take more than 60 seconds to print will not be affected by this. The bigger the layer the faster the print speed, up to the feed rate set under speed in Skeinforge.

I’ve added all the files in Skeinforge profile with all the settings used to print the gcode file that is also included. There is also the STL file used to generate the gcode with an image of what it should look like. Unzip the file and place the SUMPOD_PLA folder, that contains Skeinforge settings, in to the profiles directory. Mine is stored in “C:\users\mark\.skeinforge\profiles” on Windows 7. You should fined yours in the similar area.

If you’re having difficulties with the files, please use the forum at the SUMPOD Web site www.sumpod.com. This will allow other SUMPOD users to get involved to help solve the issue.

Download this file for the settings: skeinforge_conf

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