Tabloid (11 X 17 X 8) 3D Printer

thingiverse

I have observed that many individuals have downloaded this model within just a few hours. Although I appreciate the attention, I want to remind everyone that this is still an unfinished work and remains completely untested. My purpose in publishing it now is to obtain feedback and ensure that I am not heading too far off track with a flawed design or missing something crucial that could improve its performance. Please provide your comments if you notice any potential areas of improvement. Design Objectives: Most significant printer constructed using 8 mm smooth rods. The longest carriage yields less than .05 mm sag with two Bowen J-heads and fans (hopefully). Smallest overall size in comparison to print volume and stationary part during printing. Bearings move on rods as opposed to rods moving through bearings. Guide rods can be obtained from three by one meter pieces. Two 553 mm smooth rods - ten mm subtracted from each end, along with seventy-five mm hot end carriage width equal 458 mm (18 inches) X axis travel. Two 443 mm smooth rods - ten mm subtracted from each end and hundred mm x gantry width equal three twenty-three mm (12.7 inches) y axis travel. Four 248 mm smooth rods - ten mm subtracted from each end, along with twenty-five mm x y frame equal two zero-two mm (8 inches) z axis. It could possibly be taller, but I have placed the least amount of weight on the longest axis and made use of the available material as efficiently as possible. The overall print size is comparable to B size or tabloid paper, thus the name. My intention is to enclose the whole printer for better temperature control; however, since I am printing the parts in PLA, I likely will not heat the enclosure. As of now, I have constructed what you can see in the SketchUp file, and I will provide updates as progress unfolds. Revision List: REV C: Motor mounts corrected to NEMA 17 standard. REV B: After having this assembled, it was quickly apparent that placing motors above slides would result in a more compact footprint. Thanks, Ernie.