Recessed vibration absorber for Prusa I3 mk2

thingiverse

An ultra-low profile recessed vibration damper/silencer foot for Prusa I3 mk2 or other printers, designed to fit snugly within an IKEA Lack table without raising the printer by more than 1.5 mm. This is not merely a springy foot that allows the printer to vibrate freely without disturbing the table; it's a genuine shock absorber. The shock-absorbing function comes from filling the cups with fine, clean sand. The sand adds weight to the feet and effectively converts the energy in vibrations into heat through friction within the sand, rather than storing the energy in the spring and transferring it back to the printer frame. The primary goal was to create an ultra-low profile silencer foot since I'm building an IKEA Lack enclosure and didn't want to elevate the upper table, which would compromise functionality. The addition of sand was an afterthought; it seemed like a good idea at the time, but it could also work well without the sand. To prevent dust from escaping through the cloth between the cup and lid, I've added a thin layer of material to ensure that no debris contaminates the bearings. It's essential to wash and thoroughly dry the sand. The original display mount on the Prusa printer obstructed the front feet' lids, so there are two STL files, one for each side, with a cutout to accommodate the display. If you've relocated the display or have another printer setup, you can use the round back lid for all four feet. Mounting the springs requires precision; they fit perfectly when installed in the exact orientation depicted in the transparent drawing, except for the front left foot, where the lid is mirrored and the springs need to be turned 90 degrees. You may need to trim the edges of the square holes and spring tips with a knife to ensure proper installation. You can also use these feet without recessing them into the printer platform if desired. This project is part of my take on the IKEA Lack printer enclosure concept, with more components to follow.