FolgerTech FT-5 3D Printer Enclosure

thingiverse

The Folgertech FT-5 is a 300x300 bed printer kit that's a H-bot derivative, essentially a frame. Designing an enclosure for it seems like a no-brainer. Although there wouldn't be much variation, there are many ways to design an enclosure. Here are the plans for the 3d printer enclosure sold at https://www.3DUPfitters.com. You can make it yourself or buy it from us if you don't want to deal with a laser or CNC. This enclosure design was intended to be made out of thick, high-quality acrylic to fit inside the 20x20 rails so accessories can still be mounted on both the interior and exterior of the rails. For example, one popular mod is to order solid aluminum brackets to make the frame more solid, which isn't supported by the manufacturer's enclosure. Maintenance access is through the front doors and removable top. I've been able to completely redesign the interior of this printer since the electronics are accessible in the back, and the interior is accessible through the front doors and the removable top. If you'd rather have removable panels, someone else on Thingiverse has an enclosure that's designed to have magnetically attach the panels for easy removal. The design is laid out for 900x1200mm sheets of 1/8 acrylic for the sides and top, and 1/4" acrylic for the front, although you could use 1/8 for the front as well. If you have a smaller laser, you'll need to edit the DXF files to fit on your machine. The file "top.dxf" contains the top piece, the file "900x1200-2.dxf" has the front, and the remaining pieces are in the file "900x1200-1.dxf". Note that the panel materials must be able to withstand heat or you'll get warping. You may be tempted to use cheap MDF for the panels, but they will warp over time. Good materials include acrylic (so you can see through the printer all around), composite aluminum, or even high-quality plywood that's been painted and covered in polyurethane. Likewise, the latch mounts need to be printed in ABS to withstand the heat and repeated use, printed with a dense infill or your favorite settings for high strength. Note that thinner panels can rattle inside the 20x20, and so you may need to use a rubber gasket. I don't personally use them, but the noise may bother some people. All of the accessories seen in the pictures are also available on Thingiverse or can be purchased from 3DUPfitters. The design includes: * Front lower 1/4" acrylic panel with frame, doors, injection molded hinges, magnetic latch, custom designed latch mount in ABS, steel strike plates, neoprene rubber trim, and matching screws. These doors are thick and will withstand many years of heavy use and still look good. * Upper front 1/4" acrylic panel with frame, doors, magnetic latch (1), custom designed latch mount printed in ABS, steel strike plates (2), neoprene rubber trim, and matching screws. * Lower left side 1/8" acrylic with access port for the power supply. * Lower right side 1/8" acrylic with access port for the USB cable. * Top side 1/8" acrylic with access slit for filament. * 1/8" acrylic for the back (2), including a pre-cut hole for fans or filters. If you don't intend to use a fan, just delete the circle from the DXF file. * Top 1/8" acrylic designed to attach to the top of the 20x20 panels via t-nuts for easy access while still letting minimal heat to escape. The holes for the doors are set up for Adafruit's 20x20 injection molded hinges (8). The strike plates (4) are from CR Laurence: https://smile.amazon.com/C-R-LAURENCE-GDH7BL-Rectangular-Strike/dp/B01GWFJM4G/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1549585158&sr=8-13&keywords=black+strike+plates The latches (2) are magnet: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0761LL9BD/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1