Taz Universal Tool Head Adapter Mod

thingiverse

This mod made a huge improvement in ringing artifacts on my X axis caused by the lulzbot univeral tool head adapter. I hope it helps somebody else! This is a simple mod that fixes the X-axis flex inherent to the universal tool head adapter on the Taz. When I changed my extruder to a modified M1.75, I added the stock universal adapter to my Taz 6. While the new hot end was awesome, I was getting a ton of ringing in the X-axis at moderate and higher print speeds and accelerations. I eventually determined that the ringing was due to the significant amount of flex that the adapter plate exhibits. It's floppy AF. While the adapter plate is constrained in the horizontal axis at the very bottom via a clamping fixture, the plate itsef is extremely tall and is only fixed to the X carriage at one other point-- at the very top, with only a single screw. Additionally, the modular mount points are in reverse, with two screws at the top constraining the horizontal axis. The result is a tendency for the large plate to flex, introducing ringing/ghosting artifacts in the X axis. I ended up designing a simple mod that fixes the adapter plate to the X carriage with two bolts next to the two top mount points of the modular mount. You only need to briefly unmount the hotend; nothing else has to be disassembled. The holes are positioned so they shouldn't interfere with the tool head, and are completely clear of the rear bushings. I used the stock Lulzbot M3 heat inserts for mounting, but you could just as easily use a nut on the rear instead. #Instructions: I've included a jig that you can use to drill two 3mm holes through both the adapter plate and the X carriage at the same time. I did this with the tool head still mounted, so that it was exactly where I wanted it. I then unmounted the tool head and enlarged the X carriage holes with a 4.5mm drill from behind. Finally, I inserted the M3 inserts. You can then pop the tool head back on and use two M3 bolts to clamp the adapter plate firmly to the X carriage. If you want a little positionability you can drill-out the holes in the adapter plate slightly so that it has some play in the XZ axis.