Anycubic i3 Mega CNC Router Conversion

thingiverse

This is my Anycubic i3 Mega converted to a CNC milling and engraving machine. For this conversion, I'll need several things. Below is a list of modifications I applied to my machine: • 3D Printer Tube Frame Stand: This will be used as the base for the plexiglass enclosure. The parts needed for this enclosure are included with this modification, so they can be found under Thing Files. • Universal X Carriage Mount: This allows you to mount the dremel mount to the X carriage of the machine. • X-axis Belt Mount: This is a required modification for the universal mount to fit on the X carriage. • Dremel Mount: A simple mount that slides into the universal mount. The end of the flexible shaft can be securely attached in this mount. • Y-axis Stepper Motor Cover: A dust cover for the Y-axis stepper motor. • Power Supply Dust Cover: Another dust cover, this time for the ventilation holes of the power supply. • Mainboard Dust Cover: The final dust cover, this time for the ventilation holes of the mainboard. Besides these modifications, I also made some additional changes: • Removed the entire hotend assembly • Removed the entire extruder assembly • Remounted the hotend temperature sensor (the printer will give an error without it) • Remounted the filament sensor (the printer will give an error without it) • Removed all limit switches. These are not needed with the software I use (Estlcam). • Mounted an MDF printbed, for which I printed some solid PLA spacers to get the right height • Mounted an LED strip to create more light • Updated the firmware to allow for G2 and G3 commands, which is done by adding the #define CNC_WORKSPACE_PLANES line in the Configuration_adv.h file of the firmware (although I'm not sure if this was necessary in the end). • Placed a plexiglass enclosure around the printer, the files for which are included with the Thing Files. I used 2mm thick acrylic sheets. Note that there might be some gaps between the different mounts because my wooden base wasn't perfect in terms of dimensions. Furthermore, the top corner pieces are an older version than what I've installed, so you might want to design your own. Besides that, one of the back mounts has a hole in it through which you can route your power and USB cables. • Removed all internal wires that were not necessary for the operation of the CNC machine. This means that things like bed heating wires, fan wires, etc. were all removed. • Placed a 13x1mm aluminium rod within the plexiglass enclosure, allowing me to hang the rotary tool above the printer (this gives the flexible shaft enough room to flex). As you can see in the third image, this conversion definitely works quite well! All three tools and the flexible shaft were included with the rotary tool I bought. For the software, I'm using Estlcam to create the .gcode for the CNC machine. I'm importing .DXF files to Estlcam, which I made with SolidWorks. If you have Fusion 360, then you can also export your design to .DXF and import it to Estlcam. If you have any questions about this conversion, please let me know in the comments. Video of the machine in action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOBnjVCWQJk Support If you want to support me for the designs I publish for free, please consider using my AliExpress Affiliate Link when buying something from AliExpress. It doesn't cost you anything extra, but helps me out a lot :)