M3 ID REV 0 Enclosure made with printed hardware

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Rockerdave
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 17, 2018 2:28 am

M3 ID REV 0 Enclosure made with printed hardware

Post by Rockerdave » Sun Mar 31, 2019 12:17 am

I was having difficulty getting consistent results while printing with ABS so I decided to build an enclosure. My first thought was to make something quick and get on with it. Then I began to envision the possibilities,I decided to make a project out of it and do it right. I ended up with something I'm happy with and it is quite functional.

It has 3 doors that enable changing and loading spools. I've even swapped out hot ends through the doors with the enclosure in place, I was also able to level the bed with it in place. It has lights that can be actuated remotely via smart switch. It has a video camera and heater as well as an internal thermometer and humidity sensor. I set it all up on stand with ample storage for filament as well as tools.

Enjoy the pics.
Attachments
20190223_164421.jpg
Door Handle
20190223_163455_2.jpg
Lit up at night
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Storage
20190303_173547.jpg
Camera atop printed pedestal on the heater
20181230_130847.jpg
The printed hardware

jferguson
Posts: 247
Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2015 7:26 pm
Location: St Petersburg, FL

Re: M3 ID REV 0 Enclosure made with printed hardware

Post by jferguson » Mon Apr 01, 2019 8:06 pm

It's pretty nice Dave,
Does your heater have a thermostat? You mentioned a thermometer? What temperature have you found to be best for printing ABS?
best,
john

Rockerdave
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 17, 2018 2:28 am

Re: M3 ID REV 0 Enclosure made with printed hardware

Post by Rockerdave » Tue Apr 02, 2019 12:24 pm

Hello John,

Thank you for your interest and the compliment.

No, the heater does not have a thermostat. It's just a cost effective personal space heater, it was only $14.99. The thermometer and humidity sensor was also cost effective, it is meant for reptile terrariums. it was $19.95 on Amazon. I am still experimenting with temperature. With the heater off and just the heat emitting from the printer the average temp inside the enclosure is around 85 F. With the heater on I have seen temps as high as 110 F. I suspect the optimal to be some where in between. With large prints I have started with the heater on and then switched it off once the temp is around 100 F. It will stay around high 80's low 90's with good a result. For smaller prints I usually will leave the heater off. However, I have found the heater very useful for speeding up the bed heating process which can be be quite long otherwise.

Thanks again.

DB

airscapes
Posts: 594
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2018 11:36 pm

Re: M3 ID REV 0 Enclosure made with printed hardware

Post by airscapes » Tue Apr 02, 2019 1:18 pm

Very cool looking enclose!
My enclosure for my M2 is not heated. Since the bed temp for ABS is 110C, I just fire the heater up while I am prepping the model and have not had too much trouble with ABS. A 8x8x8x4 open ended box I made last year did split in a couple of places but for smaller items I have not had much trouble. On a lager print the enclosure temp measured at the base of the printer next to the Rambo Board where the thermometer is sitting has hit 110F. I had considered a heater when building it but MakerGear support was like.. "All you need is a box, card board works just fine.. So as not to over complicates it I skipped the heat. I think more of the issues with ABS is that it is ABS.. It is going to warp and crack when use as a material for FFF ...heat or no heat..

Rockerdave
Posts: 5
Joined: Thu May 17, 2018 2:28 am

Re: M3 ID REV 0 Enclosure made with printed hardware

Post by Rockerdave » Sat Apr 06, 2019 6:02 am

Thanks for your input. I too have printed ABS without issue in the past. However when the weather started getting cold last fall I noticed I had problems getting the first layer to stick, warping, and otherwise poor quality prints. It doesn't help the proximity to the window in which my printer is located. My current desk furniture and my 3rd bedroom/office layout won't allow an alternative arrangement so an enclosure made perfect sense for me.

Aside from the obvious benefits of the enclosure it also blocks A LOT of the noise emitted by the printer. In the past I would wear cordless headphones streaming from the TV or music source to drown out the noise if I needed to do CAD work or otherwise access the office while the printer was operating. It also helps contain the odor of the ABS, PLA isn't bad but ABS can be annoying. Another benefit is the lighting. This is a game changer! Put a little light on the subject and actually see what's going on without having to use the flashlight app on your phone. Superb! The camera option, while not a direct benefit of the enclosure, was added at the same time so I'll rope it into the benefits since it sits atop the heater. Ever been in the garage, watching TV, eating, or somewhere else and wondered,"How is that print coming along"? Now I can monitor the progress on my phone and actuate the lights on/off at the same time without stopping what I'm in the middle of even if I'm across town or anywhere else for that matter. I've already addressed the obvious benefits of the heater in a previous post, but a less obvious benefit of the enclosure/heater is blocking out humidity from contaminating the filament with moisture since the spools are inside of the enclosure. Finally it keeps the dust off the printer and it is far more aesthetically appealing on the desktop when not in use than covering the printer with a garbage bag.

You have to wonder, if an open ended box would equally suffice why would MG go to all the trouble to package the Ultra One up like a robot? Marketing? Maybe, probably to some extent but the bottom line is enclosures work for a variety of reasons. At work we have the Raise 3D Pro2 and the Raise 3D Pro2 Plus. Both of the fine devices are self contained in lit enclosures that house the filament as well. I think it's a thing?

Final word on enclosures, channeling Ferris Bueller, "I strongly suggest picking one up... if you have the means" :D

airscapes
Posts: 594
Joined: Wed Jan 31, 2018 11:36 pm

Re: M3 ID REV 0 Enclosure made with printed hardware

Post by airscapes » Sun Apr 07, 2019 1:20 am

No, they did not say put it in an open ended box.. they said cover it with a box.. I printed a box that split even with an enclosure.
For the noise I printed dampers our of ninjaflex and placed them between the X an Y stepper and ninjaflex washers for under the screws.
I have attached the files if you wish to try them. You will probably need to replace the screws with the next longest size.
You will not believe how much quieter the machine is. Unlike the dampers you can buy on ebay that only use 2 screws, these use all 4 so the motor does not twist. You will need to adjust the height of the pully on the steppers to compensate for the 2mm damper.
Print everything solid..
dampers.jpg
2mm Neam 17 damper.stl
(171.37 KiB) Downloaded 762 times
Isolation washer 1.2mm nijaflex.stl
(56.33 KiB) Downloaded 795 times

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