3Drive

thingiverse

3Drive is a direct drive extruder designed for an E3D hotend but easily adaptable to other slot-mounted hotends with just minor modifications. Key design goals include creating a compact and robust design allowing users to couple two 3Drives end-to-end or side-by-side for dual extrusion capabilities. Filament handling receives close constraint through the use of PTFE tube guides within the body, ensuring flexible filaments are handled without complications. Load ease was another prime consideration: Users can now easily insert new filament without releasing tension on springs thanks to an innovative thumb-flap opening system incorporated into the idler body. Drive gear innovation continues with a precision-engineered Mk 8 drive gear boasting sharp teeth and small circumference for precise handling of even complex materials. The idler's close constraint means most filaments can be simply pushed through, eliminating potential loading difficulties. Mounting systems receive detailed attention in this design as well. E3D v6 mounting capabilities have been expertly optimized yet adapted to work seamlessly with virtually any other hotend equipped with a groove mount by virtue of the mounting design being cleverly versatile. Key aspects regarding mounting procedures involve inserting hotends from below utilizing screws combined with oversized washers mirroring an effective mounting mechanism first designed for Mendel 90 configurations. Conveniently enough, the extruder has no extra holes or mounts to ensure maximum efficiency through optimal utilization of existing hardware on standard stepper motors featuring 4 bolt-through holes. An essential file in Sketchup format provides an extensive platform allowing modification at users' leisure to personalize this ingenious device even further, should personal preferences necessitate changes based upon their distinct application scenarios or future technological innovations becoming readily available within the 3D printing space. Final thoughts regarding printing parameters can be summed up with two clear directives: (1) utilize ABS for all printed components; (2) vary infill percentages using software at your discretion – but do suggest setting it to at least 50%. Assemble units accordingly after successful printing processes, maintaining meticulous focus on detailed assembly steps outlined here in post-processing procedures: 1) Install M3 washers properly on idler body pivots.