X5SA PRO Direct Drive Overhead Filament Delivery System

thingiverse

Update: Jan. 10th, 2022- Corrected length of filament block bearing shaft screws. Was 12mm, they are actually M2.5x10mm. Revised bearing block model and added a 20mm length of PTFE tubing to the build. Without the tubing to guide the filament, the filament would bend and grind on the inside of the connector. Made the filament block <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5195586">its own Thing</a> for any future updates as it is somewhat a standalone unit. <hr> Update: Jan. 5th, 2021- The filament block was not modeled correctly and has been updated. <hr> I have tried several methods of feeding filament to my direct-drive modified X5SA PRO, all of which suffer drag on the filament. This produces inconsistencies in the extruded filament ranging from slight to gross. I've had great success with the <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3939467">overhead filament system for my A8</a> so I wanted to develop something for the TRONXY along those lines. I decided to try and incorporate a previous four-spool drybox/dispenser into the design. It can weigh almost 10lbs so I was going to use 2020 extrusions as the main structural material. Then I found <a href="https://github.com/RepRapLtd/Infinite-Z-Beam">RepRap's Beam designs for infinite Z 3D printers</a>. Intended for belt printers, they claim it produces "A 3D printed beam that is as stiff as steel." I went for a 2040 sized beam just to ensure strength. It seems to handle the weight with no issues. The beams were printed with their long sides on the bed. I printed both 20mm side down as well as 40mm side down just to see if there were any differences in qualities, and both printed with ease. Please note the beam mounts have a cutout on one side for belt clearance, so the orientation of the mounts matters (in the front at least). All hardware is M4 sized. There are also some inserts that go on the top of the beams to give the drybox some traction and cushioning. I recommend NinjaFlex but they would probably work the same with a TPU/TPE of your choice. Without them, the drybox would slowly shift around and threaten to fall off. Filament exits the dry box via my <a href="https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4879930">PC4-M6 Fitting Bulkhead Pass-throughs</a> and through a filament block with guide bearings. The filament would still run into notable friction in the short lengths of PTFE tube as it got pulled to sharper angles at extremes of the extruder's travel. To remedy that. this block uses 1.8mm wide 682XZZ bearings and M2.5 hardware to guide the filament. Everything is designed to keep it at a height where the angle of the filament doesn't exceed a 45-degree-ish angle upon exit from the drybox. The block slides over a PC4 fitting and has a screw and captured nut setup to tighten the block down around the PC connector. The example in the pictures was printed on my resin printer. Z-Beam_Bracket.3mf - corner bracket, joins Z-beams. Z-Beam_Mount_v2.3mf - mounts Z-beam to 20mm extrusion, has cutouts for belt clearance. Beam_Coupler.3mf - joins horizontal Z-beams. Mounts on underside. Z-beam_230mm_20x40mm_filament_brackets.stl - Generated from https://github.com/RepRapLtd/Infinite-Z-Beam All beams used are the same length so you only need this one model. INSERT.3mf - Inserts printed in Ninjaflex for traction. They fit in the open triangles on the 20mm wide side. filament_bearing_block_V3.3mf - for low-friction filament dispensing at any angle. Infinite-Z-Beam-main-X5SA-PRO.zip - software to generate Z-beams. The .SCAD file used is in the software folder along with a couple of other iterations I was tinkering on. <B><u>NOTE:</u></b> The cable drag chain wraps behind one of the beam mounts and will require a little extra length if your chain is set at an optimized length. I put back two links to the chain to cover the extra distance. <hr> Working on publishing the 4-spool drybox, but... ergh... Thingverse is on the fritz, and to be honest, is on its last graces with me. So many things are broken and behind the times. We are still in The Land of STL here... :grimace: