Tag Archives: OpenSCAD

3D Printer: IDEX for Ashtar K, M, D and C (2021/01)

Updates:

  • 2021/01/31: added comparison regarding Multiple Switching Extrusions (MSE)
  • 2021/01/18: added IDEX Features with Pros/Cons, Ashtar Series Genealogy, Comparison Dual Material approaches, and brief Hardware Requirements
  • 2021/01/15: first version with overview side-by-side

Mid of January 2021 (01/12 – 01/14) I added IDEX (Independent Dual Extrusion) option to 4 designs, all still in early draft stage – here as a summary side-by-side:

Ashtar K IDEX has been fairly easy, as I was using an improved “old” design of the X motor mount for the 2nd motor and 2nd belt, and since Ashtar M IDEX is using the same XZ frame, it was a matter of a few minutes to port that option as well.

Ashtar D IDEX with Classic XY belt routing was more tricky as there was little space left to add another motor, so I realized I need to utilize what’s there and take advantage of it – result is a very space saving solution, but it needs to be verified in real life first.

Ashtar C IDEX with Core XY with an additional X motor was easy, I just reused a slightly altered X motor/pulley mount of Ashtar D, so that was done fairly quickly as well, yet the challenge will be the firmware support, as currently (2021/01) only Duet RepRap firmware supports the CoreXYU as my design falls under.

Features of IDEX

Pros:

  • double printing: duplicate or mirror mode
    • double printing volume at same duration
  • two materials with different melting points
  • two colors (non-mixing) with
    • more reliable than dual nozzle setups, as inactive nozzle does not run over existing printed piece often
  • possibly different nozzle sizes
    • dedicated nozzle for infill vs outline

Cons:

  • slightly reduced build-volume in X-axis
  • added complexity

Comparison Dual/Multi Color/Material Extrusions

blue = relevant positive
red = relevant negative

Independent Dual Extrusions (IDEX)

  • complex setup
  • moderate cost
  • non-mixing
  • dual nozzles
  • dual heatblocks
  • dual heatsinks
  • normal retraction
  • no purge block 1)
  • no oozing over print
  • no inactive nozzle traveling
  • reliable 2)

★★★★★

Dual Hotends 2-in-2

  • simple setup
  • low cost
  • non-mixing
  • dual nozzles
  • dual heatblocks
  • dual heatsinks
  • normal retraction
  • no purge block
  • inactive nozzle oozing over prints
  • inactive nozzle travels over print
  • moderate reliability

★★★★★

Chimera 2-in-2

  • simple setup
  • clone: low cost
  • original: high cost
  • non-mixing
  • dual nozzles
  • dual heatblocks
  • single heatsink
  • normal retraction
  • no purge block
  • oozing of inactive material
  • inactive nozzle travels over print
  • moderate reliability

★★★★★

Cyclops 2-in-1

  • simple setup
  • clone: low cost
  • original: high cost
  • mixing
  • single nozzle
  • single heatblock
  • single heatsink
  • normal retraction
  • purge block required
  • no oozing of inactive material
  • clone: unreliable

★★★★ (clone)

Cyclops NF 2-in-1

  • simple setup
  • low cost
  • non-mixing
  • single nozzle
  • single heatblock
  • single heatsink
  • complex retraction
  • no oozing of inactive material
  • moderate reliability

★★★★★

Diamond Hotend 3-in-1

  • complex setup
  • clone: low cost
  • original: high cost
  • mixing
  • single nozzle
  • single heatblock
  • 3 heatsinks
  • tricky retraction
  • purge block required
  • no oozing of inactive material
  • moderate reliability

★★★★★

Multiple Switching Extrusions (MSE) 2-in-2, 3-in-3, 4-in-4

  • moderate complex setup
  • requires additional servo or motor
  • extendable 2, 3, or 4 colors/materials
  • low cost
  • non-mixing
  • multiple nozzles / heatblocks / heatsinks
  • normal retraction
  • no purge block 1)
  • no oozing of inactive material
  • no inactive nozzle touching print
  • reliable 2)

(rating comes later)

Y Splitter x-in-1

  • simple setup
  • extendable 2, 3, or 4 or more colors / materials
  • low cost
  • non-mixing
  • single nozzle
  • single heatblock
  • single heatsink
  • complex retraction
  • purge block required
  • no oozing of inactive material
  • moderate reliability

★★★★★

Tool Changer

  • complex setup
  • extendable to n-colors or materials
  • moderate cost
  • non-mixing
  • multiple nozzles / heatblocks / heatsinks
  • normal retraction
  • no oozing of inactive material
  • no inactive nozzle touching print
  • moderate reliability

(rating comes later)

Footnotes

  1. in theory no purge block, but if ooze shields are shared among switching extrusions (more than 2 extrusions) there may be cross-contamination between colors/materials
  2. the printheads individually are proven to be reliable

Hints:

  • single heatblock = same print temperature
  • dual heatblock = different print temperatures possible
  • dual nozzle = different nozzle sizes possible

Hardware Requirements

  • 1x NEMA 17 42-45Nm with wire, extra stepper motor driver on motherboard
  • 100-110cm long 6mm wide GT2 belt
  • 1x pulley and 1x idler
  • 1x hotend (nozzle, heatblock, heat cartridge, heatbreak, heatsink), extra heating connector on motherboard

That’s it.

3D Printing: Ashtar C IDEX (Independent Dual Extrusion)

Status: just a draft

Updates:

  • 2021/01/14: quick start with a rough draft

Introduction

Well, after the IDEX option designs – still as drafts – worked for Ashtar K (Prusa i3), Ashtar M (Moving Gantry) and Ashtar D (Classic XY), I thought, why not also target Ashtar C (Core XY).

Ashtar D IDEX is definitely a narrow design, so I thought to reuse two parts of it for Ashtar C as well, and hopefully the A and B belts route around – and well, it seems mechanically to work out.

On the firmware part it seems this CoreXY plus additional X motor is called CoreXYU and supported by Duet RepRap firmware – but details need to be researched in more depth. On the first glance the “traditional” CoreXYU setup routes the U belt off the X beam and not place a motor on it as I do, but routes at the end of the frames so the motor is stationary – definitely something also to look at.

Draft

Gallery

Issues to Resolve

  • Firmware supporting CoreXY IDEX:
    • E1: X & Y provided through CoreXY by motors A & B
    • E2: X provided by X motor, Y provided by CoreXY where X=0 remains (both motors A & B have to operate to provide X=0 while Y is moved)
    • Duet RepRap firmware provides CoreXYU support, and it seems it would cover my use case here
    • Marlin firmware as of 2.x does not support CoreXYU yet
  • Moving the X motor – or U motor as in CoreXYU context – off the X beam and route a much longer belt and place the motor stationary like the motors A & B of CoreXY
  • Ooze prevention (same issue as with Ashtar D IDEX)

As I progress I will update this blog-post, and summarize also the developments in the Ashtar C project page.

References

  • CoreXYU: Dual Head for CoreXY, another more complex approach where 3rd motor is also stationary

That’s it.

3D Printing: Ashtar D IDEX (Independent Dual Extrusion)

Status: just a draft

Updates:

  • 2021/01/14: starting the draft, very experimental

Introduction

After just few hours working on IDEX option for Ashtar K and Ashtar M, I thought to try myself on doing IDEX on the very delicate Y carriage on Ashtar D – and after an hour roughly I realized, perhaps it is doable.

The main idea is to reuse the NEMA17 shaft as axis for the idler of the 2nd belt, and use 3mm diameter shaft with 5-10mm length as extension, and stabilize the extension in the idler itself likely the shaft seems long enough by itself – the most space saving option:

If possible, rotate entire X motor mount / carriage and mount it on the other X side.

Draft

I had to color the belts and V modules, as I otherwise get confused while fine-tuning the design within such narrow margins:

  • X1/E1 in green
  • X2/E2 in red

I just love symmetry!
I just love symmetry!

Gallery

Issues to Resolve

  • X motor-mount isn’t fully Y symmetric yet, it’s off by a few mm; needs some further fine-tuning until X2 motor-mount mounting holes align with V module, resolved
  • V module belt mount for X2 needs be adapted, as I can’t mirror it as that “back” mirrored is the “front” side where the printhead is mounted and occupied already, a new piece is required which mounts within the V module
    • dedicated piece ad_xcarriage_beltmount(idex=true) required
  • ooze prevention in rest position: some sort of metal sheet close by where the printhead’s nozzle can rest
  • mature Ashtar D design sufficiently beyond draft stage

As I progress I will update this blog-post, and update the Ashtar D project page as well.

That’s it.

3D Printer: Ashtar K IDEX (Independent Dual Extrusion)


Status
: verified design

Updates:

  • 2021/07/30: design printed and mounted
  • 2021/01/19: improved 2nd X motor mount
  • 2021/01/15: removable/replaceable ooze prevention
  • 2021/01/14: Ashtar M (Moving Gantry – Draft) also with IDEX option now
  • 2021/01/13: ooze prevention at rest position added, mechanical conflict resolved
  • 2021/01/12: starting with a first draft, one mechanical conflict to be resolved

Introduction

I have been pondering on a dual independent X axis upgrade or option for a while, but the other designs of the Ashtar Series I wanted to do first (Ashtar D and Ashtar M) those matured by now (2021/01), so I decided to get back to IDEX upgrade for Ashtar K:

For now I like to keep single 2020 V slot alu extrusion for the X beam where the X carriage rides, and route the 2nd belt above for the 2nd X carriage – and this was a quick solution as earlier version of Ashtar K had the belt routed above the alu profile so I just reused the old pieces again.

“Above routed belt” option with its pieces are weaker and possibly need enforcement improved the strength, so it’s a fast start – just took me 2 hours – but needs definitely some fine-tuning. Alternatively the 2nd belt could be routed at the back of the X carriages, but fastening the 2nd X motor would be challenging.

For now I use the same code base of Ashtar K and introduce IDEX = true flag, and enhance a few existing pieces in parts.scad and optionally add those new pieces when rendering printer-ak.scad.

As I progress with this option or upgrade I update this blog-post.

Draft

Issues to Resolve

  • X carriage #1 belt mount conflicts mechanical with belt 2: redesign xcarriage_beltmount_2020 piece, make it shorted in Z or fasten it inside V module: resolved, shifted 2nd belt a bit Y off, and shorten xcarriage_beltmount_2020(idex=true) by 2mm.
  • “Above routed belt” pieces are weaker: enforcement required, resolved: piece strengthened (2021/01/19):
    • xcarriage_short_hmount_motor_2020 which is the base piece which routes the belt within the 2020, with idex=true option provides idler holder on top
    • X motor #2 is mounted on a x-mirrored version of xcarriage_hmount_motor(20,"left",idex=true) but definitely needs reinforcement, added ooze prevention in case of idex set
  • Nozzle drip prevention:
    • using a piece of sheet metal which the nozzle moves over when in rest position left or right, first attempt done (see below)
    • and/or use purge box with brush to clean nozzle after and before use
    • make extending “nose” detachable/replaceable as it’s expected to break or overheat otherwise entire X motors mount needs replacement, resolved
      • xcarriage_nose-idex-left and xcarriage_nose-idex-right with 10mm wide sheet metal insert
    • how dealing with long resting hot nozzle?
      • drop temperature by 5-10°C in rest position, and heat up when in use again
      • heat creep possible weakening extending printed nose – heat insulation required attaching sheet metal

Gallery

Ashtar M IDEX

And since Ashtar M (Prusa i3 Moving Gantry – Draft) shares much of the Ashtar K design it took me a few mins to add the IDEX upgrade option as well:

References

3D Modeling: Random Snapshots 2020

3D Printer: Ashtar K History 2018-2020

A brief history of “Ashtar K“, my first designed 3D printer I actually built – documented also for my own sake:

AluX: Prusa i3 Clone

It started with AluX (abbreviation of ALU-extrusion eXtendable) early June 2018, which used CTC i3 Pro B / Prusa i3 Clone pieces as the X carriage, X motor mount and X idler all in STL format. I coded the frame parametric using 2040 alu extrusions/profiles and using smooth rods as rails:

I realized then quickly I need to design and code my own pieces, every single piece I need to control and make it parametric if it makes sense, and not rely on existing STL files, as editing meshes of the STL seemed a waste of time but rather design the piece in OpenSCAD right away and derive new variants if necessary from the geometry itself.

Ashtar X & W Series: Riding on Smooth Rods

Mid June 2018, AluX became Ashtar X (abbreviated as AX), and Ashtar W were using 2040 alu extrusions but differently oriented at the base, still using smooth rods as rails:

At this point I got sufficient experience of the parametric approach and it was obvious to use the frame as rails.

Ashtar T Series: Riding Alu Profiles

Beginning of July 2018, with the Ashtar T series I began to use the frame as rails itself, utilizing 2040 alu extrusions, it also started with the parametric V module (due its shape) composed by 2x V-plates, using 3 wheels which ride on the alu extrusion:

With the parametric V modules the X, Y and Z frame beams became rails as well, simplifying the overall construction compared to earlier designs:

The dual Z motors still residing in the front for sake of accessibility, but then I realized I want them in the back and keep the front dedicated to the printhead.

Ashtar K Series: Riding Alu Profiles, Uni-Length Beams

Mid of July 2018 I started the Ashtar K series, I decided to use 2020 alu profiles and focused on the single length of alu profiles, uni-length so I could reuse the beams for other future designs and since all the designs were parametric, it was easy to attain to find an optimum of single length beams and a common build-plate or build-volume:

The 9 beams design turned out too weak when I actually built the printer, so I added two beams back on left and right, and lift up the 9 beam design.

Eventually I decided to use 500mm alu 2020 profiles to achieve ~380x300x360 build volume; Ashtar K #1 used 400×300 build-plate, and Ashtar K #2 300×300 build-plate. Ashtar K #1 was functional in August 2018, and since then became my working horses together with Ashtar K #2, reliably printing.

See more at Ashtar K project page of the current state.

Next Steps

Ashtar Series Genealogy (2018-2020)

After the Ashtar K I did the Ashtar C Core XY cubic frame also with 2020 alu profiles. Late 2020 I started to design Ashtar M, a derivative of Ashtar K but with a moving gantry and static bed, and Ashtar D with Classic XY alike Ashtar C; and also a draft of a parametric enclosure as well to be adaptable to all of my 3D printer designs.

That’s it.

3D Printing: Simple Compact Extruder with 625ZZ Bearing

Updates:

  • 2021/01/01: sufficiently tested, finally published
  • 2018/12/20: starting with write-up

I used some aluminium MK8-based extruders but realized I required my own parametric extruder using 625ZZ bearing and I looked around and found Compact Bowden Extruder by Dominik Scholz which uses 608ZZ and adapted the overall design but coded it from scratch again in OpenSCAD with 625ZZ bearing for the Ashtar Series:

It’s “right handed” by default, but filament can go both directions. The handle is pushed from inside out with a spring, not so elegant, yet it saves space and filament does not have to go through the handle this way, which I prefer.

Bill of Materials (BOM)

  • M5x14 or M5x16: mounting bearing
  • 2x M3x8: mounting base to stepper motor
  • 2x M3x25: mounting handle and spring
  • M3 nut: insert into slot
  • M3 washer (or print it): hold spring
  • 20-25mm long soft spring (ID 3.2-8mm) or alike
  • hubbed gear OD 11mm (MK8)
  • 625ZZ bearing

Recommended further:

  • PTFE OD 4mm, ID 2mm
  • PC4-M6 straight fitting

Building

Software

compact_extruder() takes following parameters, in case you like to recreate the pieces:

  • type:
    • "base": the base attached to the NEMA 17 stepper motor
    • "handle": the push handle with the spring
    • "indicator": small indicator to put on the axis of the stepper motor
  • mount:
    • "none": (default) just attaches to NEMA 17 stepper motor
    • "mount": simple mount (center)
    • "2020": extends flat (lower left version)
  • btd: Bowden tube diameter (default: 0), if 4mm is used, then Bowden PTFE OD 4mm/ID 2mm tube can be inserted on both sides as guides for flexible filament close to the hobbed gear as shown below
  • m5 can be redefined, e.g. 14 then it sinks in

Hardware

I use PC4-M6 push fit connector with PTFE tube 4mm OD / 2mm ID as guides, and began to use it right away on 3x printers for first tests:

Download

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3265864

includes STLs and OpenSCAD source code of the module

Applications

Direct Drive Extruder

A small adapter allows to mount the Compact Extruder close to the printhead to use it as Direct Drive Extruder:

I did not test the Direct Drive approach as I prefer the Bowden setup on my printers, but have it ready when needed, e.g. for flexible filament.

References

See Also

3D Modeling: Elegant Pieces in OpenSCAD with rcube(), rcylinder() and chainhull()

Updates:

  • 2020/12/31: rcube() extended, RCUBE_FLAT{BOTTOM, TOP, FRONT, BACK, LEFT, RIGHT} support added, rcylinder() with RCYLINDER_FLAT{TOP, BOTTOM}
  • 2020/12/30: rcube() source code extended, support RCUBE_FLATX, RCUBE_FLATY, RCUBE_FLATZ
  • 2020/12/28: inital post

While working on Ashtar D (Classic XY) I looked at some pieces I rushed to design with cube() and hull() and they didn’t appeal to me – yes, it kind of hurt my eyes.

A while back I coded a simple rcube([x,y,z],r) which takes r as a radius for the edges, internally it’s an OpenSCAD module which uses 8 spheres and hulls them together, providing round edges; but I hesitated to actually use it in my designs – until now. Further I thought, let’s do the same with cylinder() using rcylinder(d=10,h=5,r=1) providing round edges by using two torii and hull them together.

These two new functions, rcube([x,y,z],r) and rcylinder(h,d,r) allow to create more organic and elegant pieces, see for yourself:

From Bulky To Elegance

The position of the Y pulley mount is given, a bit of an X- & Y-offset to ensure printable area is not sacrificed for the Y carriage:

Using Chained Hulls

And another example . . . replacing hull() with chainhull():

The final version is composed by only 3 pieces chain hulled together:

difference() {
   chainhull() {
      rcylinder(...);
      translate([0,0,-20]) rcube(...);
      translate([...,-60]) rcube([5,20,50],2); // 2020 mount plate
   }
   rcube(...);     // pulley cutout
}

rcube() & rcylinder()

rcube();
translate([5,0,0]) rcube(0.75);
translate([10,0,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2);

translate([0,2,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2,false);
translate([5,2,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2,true);

translate([0,4,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2,RCUBE_FLATX);
translate([5,4,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2,RCUBE_FLATY);
translate([10,4,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2,RCUBE_FLATZ);

translate([0,6,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2,RCUBE_FLATBOTTOM);
translate([5,6,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2,RCUBE_FLATTOP);

translate([0,8,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2,RCUBE_FLATFRONT);
translate([5,8,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2,RCUBE_FLATBACK);

translate([0,10,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2,RCUBE_FLATLEFT);
translate([5,10,0]) rcube([2,1,1],0.2,RCUBE_FLATRIGHT);

translate([0+1,14,0]) rcylinder(3,1.5,0.2);
translate([3+1,14,0]) rcylinder(3,1.5,0.2,false);
translate([6+1,14,0]) rcylinder(3,1.5,0.2,RCYLINDER_FLATBOTTOM);
translate([9+1,14,0]) rcylinder(3,1.5,0.2,RCYLINDER_FLATTOP);

The library code (I might later release it as a separate library):

// Title: rcube(), rcylinder() & torus()
// Author: Rene K. Mueller
// License: MIT License 2020
// Version: 0.0.2

RCUBE_FLATX = [false,true,true];
RCUBE_FLATY = [true,false,true];
RCUBE_FLATZ = [true,true,false];
RCUBE_FLATBOTTOM = [false,false,false,false,true,true,true,true];
RCUBE_FLATTOP = [true,true,true,true,false,false,false,false];
RCUBE_FLATFRONT = [false,false,true,true,false,false,true,true];
RCUBE_FLATBACK = [true,true,false,false,true,true,false,false];
RCUBE_FLATLEFT = [false,true,true,false,false,true,true,false];
RCUBE_FLATRIGHT = [true,false,false,true,true,false,false,true];

module rcube(a=1,r=0.1,rd=[true,true,true],center=false,$fn=32) {
    if(FAST_RCUBE)
       cube(a);
    else {
       x = len(a) ? a[0] : a;
       y = len(a) ? a[1] : a;
       z = len(a) ? a[2] : a;
       rd = len(rd) ? rd : [rd,rd,rd];

          if((len(rd)==3 && rd[0] && rd[1] && rd[2]) || (len(a)==0 && rd)) // rd=[true,true,true] or true
             hull() {
                translate([r,r,r]) sphere(r);
                translate([x-r,r,r]) sphere(r);
                translate([x-r,y-r,r]) sphere(r);
                translate([r,y-r,r]) sphere(r);
                translate([r,r,z-r]) sphere(r);
                translate([x-r,r,z-r]) sphere(r);
                translate([x-r,y-r,z-r]) sphere(r);
                translate([r,y-r,z-r]) sphere(r);
             } 
          else                                                        // anything else
             hull() {
                translate([r,r,r]) rcube_prim(r,rd,0);
                translate([x-r,r,r]) rcube_prim(r,rd,1);
                translate([x-r,y-r,r]) rcube_prim(r,rd,2);
                translate([r,y-r,r]) rcube_prim(r,rd,3);
                translate([r,r,z-r]) rcube_prim(r,rd,4);
                translate([x-r,r,z-r]) rcube_prim(r,rd,5);
                translate([x-r,y-r,z-r]) rcube_prim(r,rd,6);
                translate([r,y-r,z-r]) rcube_prim(r,rd,7);
             }
    }
 } 

module rcube_prim(r,rd,i) {
    a = len(rd);
    if(a<=3) {
       if(a && rd[0] && rd[1] && rd[2]) 
          sphere(r);
       else if(a && rd[0] && rd[1])
          translate([0,0,-r]) cylinder(r=r,h=r*2);
       else if(a && rd[1] && rd[2])
          translate([-r,0,0]) rotate([0,90,0]) cylinder(r=r,h=r*2);
       else if(a && rd[0] && rd[2])
          translate([0,-r,0]) rotate([-90,0,0]) cylinder(r=r,h=r*2);
       else
          translate([-r,-r,-r]) cube(r*2);
    } else 
       if(rd[i]) 
          sphere(r);
       else 
          translate([-r,-r,-r]) cube(r*2);
 }

RCYLINDER_FLATBOTTOM = [false,true];
RCYLINDER_FLATTOP = [true,false];

module rcylinder(h=2,d=1,r=0.1,rd=[true,true],$fn=40) {
    if(FAST_RCYLINDER)
       cylinder(d=d,h=h);
    else
       hull() { 
          translate([0,0,r]) 
             if(len(rd) && rd[0]) torus(do=d,di=r*2); else translate([0,0,-r]) cylinder(d=d,h=r);          
          translate([0,0,h-r]) 
             if(len(rd) && rd[1]) torus(do=d,di=r*2); else cylinder(d=d,h=r);
       }
 }

 module torus(do=2,di=0.1,a=360) {
    rotate_extrude(convexity=10,angle=a) {
       translate([do/2-di/2,0,0]) circle(d=di,$fn=20);
    }
 }

chainhull()

module chainhull() {
    for(i=[0:1:$children-2])
       hull() {
          children(i);
          children(i+1);
       }
 }

There is one drawback using chainhull() { } as you can’t use conditional if else with { } within as it combines them as a group and becomes a child structure and so it will act as hull(), so you only can list non-conditional pieces within chainhull() as of OpenSCAD 2019.05, perhaps at a later time this limit vanishes.

That’s it.

Parametric Part Cooler

Status: fully tested, but not yet released

Updates:

  • 2020/12/27: individual renderings for each application
  • 2020/12/21: improve documentation, with application variables
  • 2019/06/16: design solidified, multiple variants tested (Triple Micro Swiss, Dual Micro Swiss, Chimera, Cyclops NF, Dual V6, Single V6)

Introduction

Back in May 2019 I started to customize dedicated printheads, e.g. combining CR10 hotends / Micro Swiss Hotends in dual and triple mode – and thereby required a dedicated Part Cooler. This lead me to develop my own Parametric Part Cooler in OpenSCAD, adapting the design of Radial Fan Fang by Lion4H as I used that one successful for E3D V6 – now a general approach coded entirely in OpenSCAD:

I started with the central heatsink fan in the geometric center, and route the pipes (symmetrically) around it, back to the nozzle; on top using 5015mm fan blower – after a couple of hours the basic form was defined.

As long I am in edit or tune mode, the part cooler is rendered with a few corners – yet, when exporting STL format, the pipe is calculated with refined spline and smooth surface:

Screenshot from 2019-06-17 07-21-14
Parametric Part Cooler for Triple Micro Swiss Hotends
Screenshot from 2019-06-17 07-22-05
Parametric Part Cooler for Triple Micro Swiss Hotends

Variables

part_cooler() takes following variables with their defaults:

  • m=40: size of heatsink fan
  • t=2: thickness of fan mount
  • zoff=17: z-offset of air outputs
  • yoff=8: y-offset of air outputs
  • ws=12: extra width space
  • wx=35: cutout width X at the bottom
  • sq2=0.6: relative squeeze Y-wise at air outputs
  • sq3=0.6: relative squeeze Z-wise at air outputs
  • zb=0.5: relative Z bend
  • smooth=false: switch of smooth pipe rendering (false: fast rendering / editing mode, true: export to STL)
  • name="noname": label on both sides
  • tscale=1: text/label x/y scale

Needless to say, to set or alter those variables you require the fan and the hotend as a model so you can model the part_cooler() around it.

Applications

After a couple of weeks the part_cooler() was designed for various hotends:

Parametric Part Cooler: Triple Micro Swiss, Chimera, Cyclops NF, Volcano, V6 Lite
  • Triple Micro Swiss (3x CR10 Hotends): largest part cooler, and first application
  • Chimera 2-in-2: two filament/material and two nozzles, yet, a small common heatsink with E3D V6 nozzles
  • Cyclops NF or Lerdge 2-in-1 V2: simple non-mixing 2-in-1 printhead – in use currently on the Ashtar C #1 (Core XY)
  • E3D Volcano: although designs exist, I just wanted to see how my cooler performs in comparison – in use currently on Ashtar K #1 (Prusa i3-like) with 0.6mm nozzle
  • E3D V6 Lite: just an excercise to make it work for this popular setup as well – in use currently on CTC DIY I3 Pro B Y3228

Application Variables

Triple Micro Swiss

name=”triple swiss”
m=50
wx=50
yoff=17
sq3=1
wx=54

* requires a dedicated fan mount: Triple Nozzle Printhead

Dual Micro Swiss

name=”dual swiss”
wx=50

* requires a dedicated fan mount: Dual Nozzle Printhead

Chimera 2-in-2

name=”chimera”
m=30
yoff=10
zoff=18
ws=18
wx=42

Cyclops NF

name=”cyclops nf”
m=30
wx=25
yoff=9

see Cyclops NF

E3D Volcano

name=”volcano”
m=30
wx=24
yoff=12
zoff=21
zb=0.3
tscale=0.9

E3D V6 Lite

name=”e3d v6″
m=30
wx=24
yoff=12
zoff=14
zb=0.2

Pros / Cons

Pros:

  • parametric, reusable design
  • source code available (OpenSCAD) [not yet]
  • modular/stack use:

Cons:

  • other parts must be available as models in order to determine parameters of the part cooler
  • heatblock(s) should wear silicon cover, as air outputs partially affect heatblock which should be avoided

Download

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3680198 (not yet released)

Currently all my parts reside in a single large parts.scad for all Ashtar 3D printers, it helps me to improve designs quickly, but hinders me to release part designs in OpenSCAD source individually – it’s all interconnected and therefore avoid split it into separate files for now. As soon it’s resolved I will release the OpenSCAD sources.

For now three part coolers I released in STL downloadable on the dedicated pages:

Impressions

I’m quite happy with the result and use this Parametric Part Cooler for all my planned use cases.

References

or

3D Printer Ashtar B: Cantilever, First Draft

It has been on my mind for quite a while to do a 2020 alu extrusion based Cantilever 3D printer, and so I started in December 2020 with a rough design, starting from the existing Ashtar K design and cut away parts:

  • using Head XZ and Bed Y
  • aiming common build volume (e.g. easy to source print bed)
    • 140mm to 190mm each axis
  • tried 6, 7 and 9 beams options, settling with 6 beams for now
  • aiming for uni-length 2020 alu extrusions, T-slot and V-slot where a carriage rides (X & Z axis) with V wheels.
  • trying to keep as simple as possible

Frame: 6 vs 7 vs 9 beams

The 9 beams give an overall better sturdiness, but not sure how essential at small building volume (less than 220mm each axis). I might be able to remove beam, the last beam at the back at the bottom reducing to only 6 beams, in that case the Y motor is mounted on the remaining beam in the back.

Z Carriage: 3 vs 4 wheels module

The 4 wheels looks best but it also sacrifices some of the X range by apprx. 10mm, the obvious choice is 3-wide mount – actual tests will tell if the X & Z axis are solid enough.

Different Sizes

The 200mm build axis length would be good, but I’m not sure if the XZ carriage will allow it as the max margin or tolerance would be half of a layer-height, e.g. 1mm layer height ⇒ 0.05mm tolerance, at X = 0 .. max the head should not flex more than 0.05mm. At this this early draft stage I don’t know which size is most suitable, I focus on 180mm build axis.

The project page on Ashtar B summarizes the current state.