Anet A8 Specific Y-Axis Carriage Plate Upgrade

thingiverse

This is an upgrade to the h-frame y-axis carriage supplied with Anet A8 printer kits that's fastened together. Universal Prusa i3 carriage plates lack clearance for the y-axis motor and need modifications to be used. This design is a direct replacement, requiring no modifications and not reducing z-axis travel. I have access to a laser cutter and 0.160" aluminum plate, so I designed this plate to improve performance and include similar features from the Lulzbot 5 carriage plate. I added an option for mounting three bearings in an isosceles triangle pattern. The four corner holes are sized for M3 taps to use either the original A8 fasteners or to use Lulzbot style 3D printed bed clamps. Center holes for M3 fasteners have been included for those interested in using a 3 point leveling system. Belt retainer holes are sized for M4 taps and spaced for use with either the original Plexiglas bars or the printed toothed retainers available here on Thingiverse. A revision has also added the original h-frame M4 bolt pattern, on the motherboard side, that's used for the y-axis cable chain upgrade. Overhung tabs with slots are provided for cable management or to mount any accessories desired. All threaded holes will require tapping after cutting. Enjoy! How I Designed This Autodesk Inventor Model I have provided the original solid model from Autodesk Inventor as well as a drawing format Inventor file. Different nesting programs for laser cutters require different file formats, so I have provided both files needed to manufacture this design.