Nema 17 Fan Shroud Mounts

thingiverse

UPDATES! I'm updating the Y-axis shroud and adding a specific X-axis shroud. Y-Axis update - I removed the top two ducts on the pulley side of the stepper due to a recent home operation; the Y-carriage contacted the shroud as it attempted to home and wouldn't pass by to reach the micro switch. I also extended the side shroud to encompass the stepper, allowing for a smooth side duct for additional cooling. X-Axis: The original shroud worked for this side, but came too close to the Rambo board enclosure as the Z-axis moved. I removed 4mm from one side which should clear the Rambo board enclosure and the mounting screw. Extruder shroud remains unchanged. I will include an enclosure print and photos of the temp controller soon. Since building an enclosure for my Prusa I3 Original, the stepper motors seem to run a bit warmer than I want, so I began looking for cooling shrouds and printed a few but decided on this one originally designed by IvanFjodorovich. I liked the fit but the fan opening wasn't large enough for the fans full potential and the base was .9mm thick which required the use of through bolting and additional hardware. So, I decided to add my personal touches. X-Axis & Extruder: I redesigned the mount to open up the fan hole to take full advantage of the 40MM fan unit. I added a thicker base, eliminated the slotted mounting holes, and added stand offs to allow the mounting of the fan with the supplied screws without additional hardware. The four stand offs serve two purposes by spacing the shroud to allow proper airflow, even if you push the shroud full depth on the stepper, and prevents the mounting screws from protruding when mounting the fan motor. The shrouds original design prints well and allows for a snug fit on the stepper motor, so no changes were made there. Y-Axis: Since the Y carriage passes over the top of the Y-axis stepper so closely, I shaved the top fins, extended the bottom and one side's fins to pull more air across those sides to compensate for the lack of cooling on the top. Fans courtesy of Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VRVHFO?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00) and come with the mounting screws also. Third addition to the mix was a way to control these fans. Sure, I could have just wired them direct to the PSU (which means they run constantly even after an all night print - until the power was switched off), or piggy backed them to the extruder fan (but wasn't sure what the board was capable of supporting). I chose the best solution for me. I also found these nifty 12V adjustable thermal fan switch relays with temp sensor (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00VFD08RQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00) allowing me to control the on and off temps of the fan and connecting directly to the unused 12V outputs on my PSU. This way, when the temp on the stepper rises, the fan kicks on, and when they cool, the fan switches off. Happy Printing! I hope that this additional information extends the life of your machine as well. Print Settings Printer Brand: RepRap Printer: Prusa I3 Original 1.75 Rafts: No Supports: No Resolution: .2 Infill: 25% Post-Printing Mount and wire - Mount the fans with the included screws and wire as needed to cool your steppers.