Nema 17 blank

thingiverse

So when I purchased a 3D printer, I realized right away that dual extruders would be necessary; I'd use them constantly - it was definitely a requirement.\nIn reality, I've used mine only occasionally, all I have to show for it is a cumbersome excess of material.\nTo rectify the problem and decrease stress on every component, including reducing speed and increasing accuracy capabilities, I made a minimalist Nema 17.\nThe parts fit neatly together; here's how it looks in PLA, though my first version is complete and awaiting prints.\nOnce printed and mounted, the weights came out to be an impressive difference of 287 grams for the original assembly, compared to just 24 grams with all new hardware, making for a substantial savings of 263 grams.\nWith the next prototype, made from ABS, I managed to shave off another 3 grams from the assembly, further lowering the weight reduction total to a remarkable 266 grams.\nTrying to build a "superlight" version only resulted in an unsightly mess; however, it might still have some merit worth pursuing further - maybe.