MK8 extruder carriage Anet A8.

thingiverse

A custom x-carriage designed specifically for the Anet A8 MK8 Extruder with its stock 37mm long stepper motor. This carriage has mounts for Igus RJ4JP-01-08 bearings, but any 15mm diameter, 25mm long bearings with locking notches will fit perfectly. It also features mounts for 12mm and 18mm round capacitive/inductive sensors as well as BL Touch. Additional files are included to create a silicone sock that protects the hotend from airflow generated by the part cooling fan and keeps the carriage cool from heat emitted by the hotend. The sock should not touch the carriage while mounted. To assemble this x-carriage, you will need the following parts: - 4-5 M3 5-6mm long countersunk head screws or similar inch-sized fasteners - 2x 2mm zip ties to secure cables - Longer screws may be required to securely attach the extruder This custom x-carriage offers significant weight savings, approximately 200-210g when using Igus RJ4JP bearings, compared to the stock carriage with ball bearings. It also allows for much faster movement than the standard carriage. In fact, I was able to achieve a speed of 350mm/s with an acceleration of 6000mm/s2, compared to the stock carriage's top speed of 200mm/s at 2000mm/s2. Before printing the entire x-carriage, consider printing a test part that is half its height to ensure bearings fit properly and do not bind on rods. I recommend using Cura 4.x or later for slicing due to dimensional accuracy issues in older versions. The carriage has been redesigned multiple times since its initial release, with significant improvements made each time. Redesigned bearing mounts were added on May 6th, and bed sensor mounts are still a work-in-progress but will include options for BLTouch and 8/12/18mm capacitive/inductive sensors. On May 9th, the blower fan mount was redesigned to be separate from the extruder mount and included with the bed sensor mount. It is secured using 4 M3 5-6mm long countersunk head screws or similar fasteners. As of May 14th, the design has been almost finalized, with a few minor adjustments made due to issues fitting the stepper motor. Additionally, the height of the sensor mount was adjusted, and it's crucial to include a silicone sock like this one (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2847635) to protect the hotend from heat damage. On May 16th, a test BLTouch mount was added, which will need further testing for its strength. On May 26th, some parts were redesigned and an additional part was added to direct extruder fan air towards the bottom of the carriage to prevent overheating. The final version was released on June 13th after successful printing without any issues over a two-day period. However, the height of the BLTouch sensor mount is still uncertain and may require adjustment. A spacer has been included for this purpose.