PrintrBot Plus 2.1 Dual Alu Extruder System

cults3d

These parts provide a means of attaching two PrintrBot Alu direct drive extruders to a PrintrBot Plus version 2.1 (1311) printer, although they may work on older models as well. The design does not accommodate the X-Z upgrade for any Plus version; I plan to make this modification in the future and then create a derivative of this part for a X-Z upgraded Plus. The design also features numerous 40 mm fan mounting places for cooling: two to cool the motor in the back, two to cool the alu extruder components, two to cool the ubis extruder, and two to cool the print job. You can use most of these fans, but they are not required; the holes are provided for your convenience. The design also includes slots to hold M3 nuts for some of the fan mounts, making it easier to assemble. Converting the design to use a single 80 mm fan for the alu extruder parts and motor is possible, but I am trying to keep the weight down by using 40 mm fans instead. The numerous 2-4 mm tall raised slots around the edges are designed to hold zip-ties, which can be used to organize wires and keep them tidy. Using this design will cause you to lose approximately 20 mm of X axis movement due to its wider configuration, which accommodates the second extruder. You must program your maximum movement to be about 180 mm on the X axis. The extruder offset is 37 mm on the X axis, meaning it is 37 mm from the center of the left extruder (extruder 1) to the center of the right extruder (extruder 2). The distance between the center of the extruders and the 'support wall' along the Y axis is approximately 17.45 mm. When I refer to the 'support wall,' I am talking about the vertical wall behind the extruders where you mount the linear bearing sleeves. For reference, the center of the original wood-based extruder is 15.76 mm from this wall, and the center of the PrintrBot designed single Alu extruder is 17.4 mm. You will likely want to slow down your printer with all these modifications, as the extra weight of a second extruder, motor, and hot end can cause it to shake more than usual. I have been able to print at 75 mm/s without any issues, but there is no need to go faster. I always print my printer parts out of ABS because I do not have nylon or other exotic filaments. The infill should be around 50% or higher for optimal results. PLA may not like the temperatures that the motors or hot end can reach when printing with this system. To mount the ExtrudrBoard next to the PrintrBoard within the boxed area in the bottom, I used four M3 15mm nylon stand-offs. There are already-existing holes for it, but I only used two of them as the other two would interfere with the y-axis belt system. The other two stand-offs were just to help maintain strength when plugging cables into the board. You may need to re-flash the firmware on your Printrboard for it to print. My printer came flashed with firmware for three extruders, but it gave Min Temp errors when I plugged in the ExtrudrBoard until I reflashed firmware set to two extruders. I am including the .hex file for the PrintrBoard firmware, which is pre-configured with a max X-Axis of 183 and set for dual Extruders. The PID's are set to what I use, but they may be different for you. I also use M8 threaded rods for my Z-Axis, so the Z-Axis steps may not be correct for you. I am including the SketchUp file for anyone who wants to modify it.