Melzi to MKS gen mount with blower fan attachment for wanhao i3

thingiverse

This is a custom mounting plate designed specifically to fit an MKS Gen 1.4 board inside a standard Wanhao i3 case, utilizing the melzi mounting holes. In addition, there's a designated area for attaching a radial blower fan to keep the stepper drivers cool. I'm using TMC2100 stepper drivers, which tend to run hot at high loads, so I've incorporated a quiet cooling system that combines the printed cage with the blower fan. I drew inspiration from Thing 915320 when creating the melzi mounting points. The files provided include: * melzimount-with_blower.stl: This file contains the mount with additional holes for attaching a fan. * mount-support.stl: A small piece that can be snapped under the rear of the mount to prevent board flexing. * stepper-blowercage_v2.stl: This design covers the stepper drivers, directing airflow from the blower over them. It allows me to run the fan at 5v for silent operation. Update: I've redesigned the airguide/blowercage to direct warm air out of the case during longer prints. * airguide v3.stl Additionally, I've uploaded the MKS Gen schematic and pin-out diagram since the original GitHub repository seems to be down. The parts used include: * MKS Gen 1.4 with 5* TMC2100 stepper drivers from Aliexpress * SDRamps (microSD) also from Ali * Cheap 12v blower fan from Amazon.de * MicroSD -> sd adapter/extender from Amazon.de Useful information: * I reused the original LCD thanks to a guide on Reddit. * The appropriate pins for the MKS Gen can be found on GitHub. * To avoid missed steps, I had to use spreadCycle on the Y axis; other axes are using stealthChop. * I added an ESP8266 with ESP3D for wireless printing. To establish reliable communication, I removed the pulldowns as mentioned in the MKS Gen schematic. Assembly: * I recommend "threading" the screw holes by driving a screw into them before mounting the plate inside the case. This makes life easier later on. * First, mount the fan on one side so you can rotate it out of the way to reach the screw below it. * Clip the blower cage over the stepper drivers. * Mount the plate inside the i3 case. * Mount and secure the sd adapter flat-flex. * Secure the MKS Gen to the mounting plate. * Rotate the fan in position and screw it down. * I had to mount the ESP8266 outside the case to get WiFi reception, using the holes meant for the filament holder as a convenient place to stick the wires through.