Printrbot Simple Metal Heatbed

youmagine

UPDATE Printrbot has created a kit to add a heated bed to your Simple Metal printer here: http://printrbot.com/shop/simple-metal-heated-bed/. You can also buy an aftermarket adhesive one at http://3dpaftermarket.bigcartel.com/product/printrbot-metal-bundle. The stock Printrbot Metal Simple is a fantastic little printer with exceptional accuracy for its price, and I wouldn't change a thing about it. Recently, I had to print a few large flat designs and wanted to try attaching a heat bed to get them perfectly flat. The idea of mounting the heat bed on a raised platform design posted here is that you can insulate the moving parts from heat, use less power, and keep a more constant temperature - I have no idea how this mod stacks up against other designs. Your Printrbot Simple Metal can print PLA super flat, and experiment with other filaments like ABS and Nylon. If you plan to print with high-temperature filaments, I recommend printing these parts in ABS for long-term durability. Instructions: Print four of these brackets and attach the 6X6 aluminum print bed heatbed and thermistor from http://printrbot.com. See BOM for details and instructions. Assemble as shown in the photo, mounting holes in the STL file are tight but allow for better self-tapping into the plastic - you can also insert a nut into the captured space. Using the aluminum heat bed from Printrbot, you won't need to make any changes to your Z sensor (I would use caution the first time to make sure you didn't move anything while installing this mod - go through the M212 calibration process). Once installed, you can easily add or remove the bed without making calibration adjustments. Remember to do all of your Z height calibration with the heat bed at temperature. I have included a PDF file that shows you where to plug in the heat bed, thermistor cable, and power supply. Finally, you will want to send the following code to your machine: M211 X150 Y150 Z140 to compensate for the slight decrease in Z travel because of the heat bed thickness then M500 to save and M501 to check your work. - WARNING - You must replace the laptop-style power source with an ATX power supply that can handle the higher draw of a heated print surface. An old PC tower is a good option. BOM: * 2 each of the provided STL files * 4 small binder clips, 20mm wide * 4 3mm bolts, ~10mm long and nuts * Printrbot heat bed PCB from http://printrbot.com/shop/6-6-heated-bed/ * Printrbot aluminum print bed 6x6 from http://printrbot.com/shop/printrbot-aluminum-6x6-build-platform/ * Thermistor with cable from http://printrbot.com/shop/thermistor-with-cable/ * ATX power supply or other 12-volt source capable of running the heated print surface * "Y" adapter for the ATX power supply from Printrbot, http://printrbot.com/shop/y-power-adapter/ If you're handy, you can make the Y adapter part with some cable wrap to keep the heat bed and thermistor wires neat and tidy. Finally, you may want to insulate the bottom of the heat bed - I used metalized bubble wrap designed for insulating duct work, but cork could be a good option too, making the heat bed much more efficient. Instructions: Assemble as shown in the photo, mounting holes in the STL file are tight but allow for better self-tapping into the plastic - you can also put a nut in the captured nut space. Using the aluminum heat bed from Printrbot, you won't need to make any changes to your Z sensor (I would use caution the first time to make sure you didn't move anything while installing this mod - go through the M212 calibration process). Once installed, you can easily add or remove the bed without making calibration adjustments. Remember to do all of your Z height calibration with the heat bed at temperature. I used a pencil to lightly mark all four corners of the mounting brackets so I can easily install and center my heat bed so the Z sensor reads the bed perfectly - the last spot where it reads the bed is close to the edge, and you don't want the sensor to read off the bed. Finally, you will want to send the following code to your machine: M211 X150 Y150 Z140 to compensate for the slight decrease in Z travel because of the heat bed thickness then M500 to save and M501 to check your work.