RodBot - 3D Printer

thingiverse

Introducing RodBot, a 3D printer project that began as an upgrade to a kit printer but eventually transformed into a complete printer itself. The name "RodBot" is derived from its frame, which utilizes M10 threaded rods for stability and rigidity. All plastic parts are designed to be printable and sturdy for optimal performance. One of the key improvements over the initial kit printer was avoiding the issue where multiple printed parts were mounted together to form a larger component. Instead, RodBot's design emphasizes using larger parts and mounting only essential hardware like rods and bearing blocks, resulting in a total weight of approximately 900 grams for the printed components. The X-carriage on RodBot is designed to accommodate either a Greg's Wade reloaded extruder or the creator's remix of the Minimalistic Mk7 replacement. While other extruders may be compatible with RodBot, using the 50mm hole distance would be ideal. Various parts required for assembly include M10, M8, and M6 threaded rods, 8mm smooth rods, SC8UU bearing blocks, RepRap PCB heatbeds, and a heavy-duty vibration damper. A 3D PDF of the printer is also available for download. Several updates have been made since the last release. The new heatbed is a Helios Heat Bed kit, the extruder has been replaced with a Bulldog XL Extruder, trapezoidal lead screws are now used in the Z-axis, and an adjustable belt tensioner for the X-axis has been implemented. These changes have significantly improved the printer's reliability and performance. Additional updates include modified Y-axis components using 8mm smooth rods, a revised Y-motor mount design for easier printing and increased robustness, and new Marlin configuration files available on GitHub. Hardware requirements and assembly photos are also provided. The printer's design is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.