Printrbot Simple Metal PrintrWings

thingiverse

These are insulation covers for the aluminum "wings" of the Simple Metal heated bed upgrade, designed to minimize heat loss. After installing the upgraded heated bed, I observed that the black “wings” became remarkably warm, functioning as both heat sinks and radiators despite the Delrin pieces in the kit meant to insulate the “wings” from the machined print plate. While they probably have some effect, a considerable amount of heat is still lost this way. It seemed logical to place covers over the wings to reduce the heat loss. I achieved that by designing hollow PLA wing covers. They are designed as solid parts, but printed with “hollow” infill and 0.8 mm skin. The parts should be hollow since air is a superior heat insulator. With the added insulation, I am able to reach a bed temperature of 60C in just 4-5 minutes and 100C in approximately 19-20 minutes. Note that the photograph depicts a small rectangular hole on the left which was omitted from the uploaded model. The large rectangular hole is intended for access to the X belt tensioner. The smaller rectangular hole was not necessary and has been removed from the design. Instructions Print the STL file with “hollow” infill and 0.8 mm skin. The parts should be hollow since air is a superior heat insulator. They can be printed with PLA material. If you encounter any issues with fit, an OpenSCAD model is included for modification.