3D Printing Building an FDM printer, maybe...

[jbr]

VCP also needs to specify what his budget is
PM sent

and always keep in mind that if you don't find the specs you want
design it and build the one you want, I did and it does everything I need it to do

 

[vcp]

Ok, so it's a year-old thread, but I started it, so I get a pass. I've never moved on building/buying a printer and haven't been all that active with printing lately. The only printer I have 'working' is an old XYZ Davinci 1.0 that hasn't been working very well. I'm not particularly interested in sinking upgrades into it.

So I looked at the Voron again in some detail. It's changed a bit, but I just can't get around the complexity of it, especially that 4-motor/8-belt Z-lift mechanism. It's fascinating, but I don't think it's something I want to deal with.

My current choice for a build would be the HevoRT. However, that remains a distant goal. I don't have a good track record at completing long-term projects (ask my wife), and the total price is estimated at about $2K; a bit outside my budget, especially since only a few of the parts I have on-hand would apply. It's pretty cool though and uses a neet 3-motor screw lift for Z. There are videos of the HevoRT printing well at greater than 500 mm/s.

There's also the option of just putting my old Replicator back together again. It worked well enough, but the size and technology limitations would continue to bug me.

But going back to my original list of requirements:

Requirements:

• Core-XY mechanism
• 300 mm^3 minimum, more z is better
• AC heating bed
• dual z-axis screw lift; belt or dual-motor synchronized
• dual cantilevered bed
• 3-screw leveling
• enclosable
• direct-drive extruder
• 24V
• need to keep additional component purchases to <$500
• 220/221, whatever it takes.*

And I've found a printer that checks nearly all of these boxes: The SainSmart Coreception 300.
It's good for all of the above list except that it's a 24V heating bed, and 4-screw bed leveling. I'm pretty sure I can live with that (and I'm already thinking about how to change it to 3-screw). It also exceeds that list a bit in that the XY uses linear rails instead of rods (assuming they're decent rails).

There are a few cons on the Coreception:

• Just a basic glass bed (but that's what I'm used to, and it's easy to change).
• I'm not thrilled about the use of a VGA cable for the print head wiring, and it needs some cable management to avoid putting drag on the head.
• The filament routing and the filament spool handling is poor, but that's fixable too.
• No WiFi connection, but there is room for a module on the controller - dunno if it can be used.

I've got it on order and should be printing by Friday. It only takes about two hours to assemble as the entire core-XY mechanism is pre-built. Gotta figure out where it's gonna live, might just part out the DaVinci.

 

[jbr]

1 meter Z

 

[cwbullet]

The Core XY is an excellent design. I holding out for the Prusa XL. I really like the idiot proof designs and warrantee.,