Advanced Mods – 3d Printer Tips and Mods Wiki https://3dprinterwiki.info 3d printing information, reviews and tips Fri, 22 Dec 2017 22:32:40 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://3dprinterwiki.info/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/cropped-3dprinterwiki-32x32.png Advanced Mods – 3d Printer Tips and Mods Wiki https://3dprinterwiki.info 32 32 Hotbed Burning Terminal Fix with MOSFET Board https://3dprinterwiki.info/heatbed-terminal-burning-fix-with-mosfet-board/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=heatbed-terminal-burning-fix-with-mosfet-board Tue, 10 Jan 2017 17:41:42 +0000 https://3dprinterwiki.info/?page_id=1007 Description
Hotbed Burnt Connector

Burnt Hotbed Connector

The terminals where the hot bed wires screw / plug into the main board are known to burn or stop working. This is caused by the amount of power that passes through the terminal connectors which are not rated for this. If your hot bed stops working it is most likely this causing it. Look for burn marks on the side of the terminal connectors or loose wires. As many start to print other materials, increase their hotbed temps. This in turns puts more strain on the connections on the stock control board in our printers. This increased load will eventually start to melt and burn the stock connectors which were not rated for these higher loads.

One option to fix this, is to upgrade the connectors to XT60 type connectors which can handle the higher load.  This requires removing the existing board connectors and soldering on new connectors. The MOSFET fix outlined below is meant to OFF-LOAD the power draw of the HotBed to another board completely. This will resolve any possible issues with the stock connections melting / burning. In laymen terms, the “MOSFET” is a switch which is able to properly handle the high power draw of the hotbed. It is controlled by the signal coming from the HotBed connection on the control board. This fix costs pretty much the same as purchasing the new XT60 connectors and can be done without soldering anything. The fix should cost $15-$20 depending on the location you purchase the board from.

Parts Required

One of the following or similar Hotbed Power Expanders. Here are some examples of possible MOSFET boards people have used. I have no recommendation here (others may).

NOTE: I take no responsibility for any of you electrocuting yourself or burning your house down. Please perform this at your own risk.

Procedure

(Updated) Here is a link to a very detailed install procedure by “The Nerd Channel”: http://thatnerdchannel.blogspot.co.uk/2017/06/mosfet-upgrade-wanhao-duplicator-i3-v21.html

Refer to the instructions that come with your particular hotbed expansion board (MOSFET board) for specific instructions on connecting the power, control and hotbed wires. See the photos below for examples of how it typically looks.

  • Power off and disconnect all power from the unit (unplug the dang thing).
  • Open the control box (screws on bottom and back of unit).
  • Mount the new MOSFET board in control box. (You MUST use somTee type of stand-off to insulate the board from the control box or one of the parts below).
  • Remove the HotBed connector and wires.
  • Attach the Control wires from MOSFET to the Hotbed Connector and re attach the HotBed connector back to the control board (this step will depend on the revision board and connector style you have). Refer to the specific expander board you purchased for polarity and connection instructions.
    It was noted that on the MOSFET board with the small white two pin header that the wires connect as follows:
         White with Red dots connect to the Melzi Hotbed PWR pin and the White solid wire connect to Hotbed GND.
  • Attach two “NEW” 14 gauge stranded wire from the Power Supply (+V and COM) to the DC IN connectors on the MOSFET board. Be wary of polarity when connecting to your board.
  • Attach the existing wires coming from the HotBet to the DC OUT on the MOSFET board.
  • Close up and test.

Hotbed Power Expansion Example

Hotbed Expansion Mounting

Heat-Expander-for-Plus

Original HB from Controller

DC IN Power from PS

Wiring Overview

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Heat Bed Terminal Burning Fix https://3dprinterwiki.info/di3-mods/heat-bed-terminal-burning-fix/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=heat-bed-terminal-burning-fix Sun, 06 Nov 2016 23:18:10 +0000 https://3dprinterwiki.info/?page_id=946 Description

The terminals where the hot bed wires screw / plug into the main board are known to burn or stop working. This is caused by the amount of power that passes through the terminal connectors which are not rated for this. If your hot bed stops working it is most likely this causing it. Look for burn marks on the side of the terminal connectors or loose wires. The terminal block for the hot bed power can be replace by higher current rated terminals. There are a few ways to do this (solder the wires directly to the board, use similar but higher rated terminal block, or use XT60 connectors that are rated for high current).

There is an alternate method that uses an external MOSFET if the connector hasn’t been damaged yet on this page.

Hotbed Burnt Connector

Burnt Hotbed Connector

Parts Required

Procedure

  • Remove the original hot bed power connector plastic housing from the main board. It is recommended that you watch the video on how to solder XT60 connectors if you have not done that before.

  • Rotate the lugs so they are to the board edge.

    Rotating Lugs

    Rotating Lugs

  • Tin the pins on the board and on the lugs.

    Tinning XT60

    Tinning XT60

  • Solder the lugs to the pins that are on the main board (after the old plastic housing was removed).

    XT60 Soldered to Board

    XT60 Soldered to Board

  • Cut the Ferrules off the ends of the wires and strip them back about 1/8″ and tin the ends.
  • Add heat shrink over the two wires (before you solder them onto the connector).
  • Solder the two wires onto the other half of the connector making sure you line up the red to + and black to – on the main board.
  • Slide the heat shrink over the ends of the wires and connector lugs and heat them up with a hot air gun or lighter.
  • Plug the connector onto the main board and test.

    Completed XT60 Installation

    Completed XT60 Installation

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Melzie to Ramps Conversion https://3dprinterwiki.info/uncategorized/melzie-to-ramps-conversion/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=melzie-to-ramps-conversion https://3dprinterwiki.info/uncategorized/melzie-to-ramps-conversion/#comments Sat, 23 Jul 2016 19:34:59 +0000 https://3dprinterwiki.info/?p=775 This is a copy of the instructions from http://beginner3dprinting.com which has been offline. There are no photos and I haven’t been in touch with the author yet since the website is offline but I have referenced it for reference.

 

General Info

This guide is intended for anyone who would like to convert their Duplicator i3 from Melzi to RAMPS. RAMPS is not the only board replacement available, but the only one that will be covered in this guide. The process is essentially the same for the other boards.

Parts Required

  • Wanhao Duplicator i3/Maker Select/Cocoon
  • Ramps 1.4 Board
  • Arduino Mega
  • 4 Stepper Drivers
  • 15 Jumpers (included with some ramps 1.4 boards)
  • 2 Pin Dupont Connectors
  • 2 4 Pin Dupont Connectors

Optional Parts

  • Raspberry PI
  • ATX PSU
  • Ramps LCD/SD/Controller
  • Ramps Adapter plate for stock controller housing

Basic Concepts

This conversion is fairly straight forward project. Before you start I recommend familiarizing yourself with a few things:

Assemble Ramps 1.4

  1. Print or open the Ramps 1.4 PDF. This diagram will be very useful throughout the RAMPS conversion process.
  2. Inspect the Ramps 1.4 Board.
    The RAMPS 1.4 board I received had a few bent pins that required attention before mating it to the ARDUINO. Take a few moments and check both your RAMPS and Arduino Mega and make sure everything appears as it should.
  3. Follow steps 1-3 in the RAMPS pdf
    1. Install Jumpers for Stepper Drivers
      Install 3 Jumpers for each stepper driver to enable 1/16 micro stepping for each motor.Before:After:
    2. Connect the RAMPS board to the Arduino MEGA
      Place the Arduino MEGA onto a smooth clean work surface.
      Carefully align the two boards. The Ramps power connector should be centered over the arduino power connector.
      Slowly push the RAMPS 1.4 board down into the MEGA
    3. Install Stepper Drivers:
      • ATTENTION – It is very important to install your stepper drivers facing the correct direction. Failure to do so can and most likely will result in your drivers giving up the smoke.
      • Depending on the stepper drivers you purchased, you may be required to adhere the heatsinks to the boards.
        1 – Remove the adhesive backer and be careful not to contaminate the adhesive with finger oils.
        2- Place the heatsink over the chip and lightly press down. Making sure that the heatsink does not short out any of the exposed pins on the driver board.
    4. Each stepper driver has a small screw potentiometer. The stepper drivers should be installed into the RAMPS 1.4 board with the screws on the lcd controller side of the RAMPS 1.4 board.INCORRECT Stepper Driver OrientationCorrect Orientation
    5. Align the stepper driver with the terminals, facing the correct direction, and carefully push the driver down into place.
    6. Repeat these steps for each of the 4 Stepper drives. ( I recommend buying a few extra)

Disassemble Duplicator i3

  1. Disconnect the power cable from the back of your machine
  2. Remove the 12 screw securing the top of the controller enclosure. Do not lift the top yet.
    Remove the top three screws from the front cover.
    Remove the three screws from both sides of the cover.
    Remove the top three screws from the back cover.
  3. Slowly lift the front of the top enough to see the lcd cable.
  4. Disconnect the lcd cable from the lcd screen.
  5. Slowly remove the top of the enclosure
  6. Remove the four screw securing the MELZI board to the enclosure top.
  7. Carefully check that all of the wires are labelled and labelled correctly. Label any wires that are missing labels.
  8. Check and label all the wires coming from your power supply unit.
  9. I recommend taking some pictures of your MELZI Board, power supply and all of the wiring now just in case you have questions later on.
  10. Disconnect the wires from the power supply.
  11. Carefully remove the hot glue that is used to secure the connectors on the MELZI board.
  12. Disconnect all of the wires from the MELZI Board.
  13. Your Duplicator i3 is now ready to accept the new controller setup.

Connect Printer to RAMPS

  1. Connect the x y and z stepper motors to the RAMPS 1.4 setup
  2. Connect the Stepper motor into the E0 stepper connector
  3. Connect the Heated Bed to D8
  4. Connect the Hotend to D10
  5. Connect the Print Cooling fan into D9
  6. Connect the end-stops
    • X End Stop
    • Y End Stop
    • Z End Stop
  7. Connect the Hotend thermistor to T0
  8. Connect the Bed Thermistor to T1
  9. Connect the Power

Configure Firmware

  • Download Repetier Firmware Here
  • Download Arduino IDE
  • Configure and Flash Firmware
    • Open Repetier.ino using the Arduino IDE
    • Build the firmware
    • Flash the firmware onto the Arduino Mega using the IDE

Install/Configure Octoprint

Photo Gallery

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”masonry” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” display=”selected” sort_by=”date” animation_effect=”fadeInDown” album_title=”true” album_id=”3″ title=”connect_print_cooling_fan.png”]

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Board Replacement Options (RAMPS, RADDS, Clone Mini) https://3dprinterwiki.info/di3-mods/board-replacement-options/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=board-replacement-options Mon, 04 Jul 2016 18:35:59 +0000 https://3dprinterwiki.info/?page_id=752 So your Melzi board have blown, maybe due to a user error or faulty electronics or maybe you just want to use a better main board.

There are quite a few options available:

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Converting the Duplicator I3 Melzi controller board to a RADDS controller https://3dprinterwiki.info/converting-the-duplicator-i3-melzi-controller-board-to-a-radds-controller/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=converting-the-duplicator-i3-melzi-controller-board-to-a-radds-controller Sat, 05 Mar 2016 01:52:22 +0000 https://3dprinterwiki.info/?page_id=390 This modification applies to all versions of the Duplicator i3 and is for the serious modder and tinkerer. Performing this mod will most likely void your warranty.  Proceed at your own risk.

Description

This guide will help explain the steps required to convert from using the Melzi controller board to a 32bit processor RADDS board. More information on the RADDS board can be found on the RADDS Electronics for 3D Printer.

Features

  • 6 Steppers on-board : X,Y,Z, E0, E1, E2. (Sample: 3 axis and 3 extruders (Z-axis, and E3 extruder, comes with 2 pins strips for optional second stepper).
  • 6 Heavy duty MOSFET`s (Sample: 1 HeatBed, 3 HotEnds and 2 fans)
  • SD-Card (micro-SD-slot onboard, optional external SD-slot)
  • Standard LCD (5V) with 4×20 characters (HD44780 compatible)
  • Rotating encoder (on LCD panel)
  • 6 endstops (Xmin,Ymin,Zmin,Xmax,Ymax;Zmax)
  • 5 thermistors and an ADC
  • 3 servomotors
  • I2C, SPI, CAN, DAC, RS232 and 8 digital-pins available via pin strips
  • EEPROM
  • Control-LEDs for loads and operation voltage
  • Catch-diodes on the MOSFET`s
  • Car-fuses instead of thermo fuses
  • Variable input voltage: can be supplied from 10V up to 25V
  • Heatbed electronic control supports up to15A without a heatsink
  • Premium screw terminals

– See more at: http://doku.radds.org/dokumentation/radds/#sthash.03SouLUu.dpuf

Firmware

The Repetier firmware (0.92.3) configured for the RADDS board with the RADDS LCD can be downloaded from Dropbox Link
You will need a newer installation of the Arduino IDE (1.6.x) and have the SAMX board support installed. Select the DUE board as the board type before compiling.

Mounting

I designed a mounting plate for the original Wanhao I3 and a faceplate to replace the LCD with a USB connector on Thingiverse

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Bearing Block Mod https://3dprinterwiki.info/di3-mods/bearing-block-mod/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bearing-block-mod Thu, 03 Mar 2016 07:16:13 +0000 https://3dprinterwiki.info/?page_id=340 This modification applies to all versions of the Duplicator i3. Performing this mod may void your warranty.  Proceed at your own risk.

Description

The Duplicator i3’s design causes te top loop of the X-axis belt to rub against the top X axis bearing blocks.  This can cause premature wear to the belt and impact print quality by restricting the movement of the X axis.

Process

  1. Remove the top bearing blocks following these instructions.
    1. Remove one of the belt screws to free the X axis belt.
    2. Loosen the set screws securing the X axis rods.
    3. Slide both rods to either the left or the right until they clear the cap.
    4. Remove the four screws above the extruder motor that attaches the extruder assembly to the upper bearing blocks.  Be careful not to let the extruder assembly fall and become damaged.
    5. Swing the free end of the X rods toward the back of the printer and slide the top bearing blocks off the rod.
  2. Mark the bearing blocks where they should be cut and use a hacksaw, dremel, or other tool to cut out a notch in the bearing as pictured.
  3. Reinstall the bearing blocks using the reverse of the above directions.

Another option is to use 3D printed bearing blocks that already have the notch modeled into them.

  1. Download and print the bearing blocks.  Choose from the following options:
    1. Bearing blocks for standard 8mm linear bearings (Wanhao duplicator i3) by tahustvedt – Basic bearing blocks to replace the stock blocks.
    2. Wanhao Duplicator I3 Adjustable X block and attachment by VincentPuthoff – Remix of above with integrated belt tension mechanism
    3. Wanhao i3 X-Axis Belt Tensioner by Heathicus – remix of the above with integrated or attachable belt tension mechanism.
  2. Remove the bearing blocks as outlined above.
  3. Use Snap Ring Pliers to remove the internal retaining clips.  Remove the bearings from the stock bearing blocks.
  4. Install in 3D printed bearing blocks.  They should have a tight friction fit and have no need for the retaining clip.
  5. Install the bearing blocks using the reverse of the above directions.

Videos

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Heater Cartridge Replacement https://3dprinterwiki.info/di3-mods/heater-cartridge-replacement/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=heater-cartridge-replacement Sun, 28 Feb 2016 14:39:04 +0000 https://3dprinterwiki.info/?page_id=111 This modification applies to V1 of the Duplicator i3. Performing this mod may void your warranty.  Proceed at your own risk.

Description

This is not a required modification but there is some discussion on the size of the heater cartridge and the size of the hole in the heater block not matching up. The oem heater core is 6mm in diameter. The heater block hole for the heater is sized at 1/4″ and the heater cartridge does not always make contact on all sides. This can cause heating inefficiency or the ability to heat to higher temperatures. This mod uses a heater cartridge with a diameter of 6.35 and fits the hole perfectly. The heater is also short and fits completely inside the block without excess sticking out (important when using certain cooling shrouds). The wires are also nice and are not nichrome so there is no extra heat generated by the wires like the oem version. This is important because there have been cases of the heater wires getting hot enough to melt some of the other wires in the cable chain. Most of the heater cartridges you find on eBay and Amazon are the 6mm size. The correct size for the Duplicator I3 block is hard to find.

Materials
Process
Removing the Heater Cartridge
Installing the new Heater Cartridge
Reconnecting the Wires

Materials

Process

Removing the Heater Cartridge
  • Move the Z up until it is about half way up. This allows you to gain access to the heater set screw.
  • Power off the unit
  • Looses the set screw on the bottom of the heater block. It may be covered by the insulation but is located centered on the nozzle about 1/4″ away (it will be located on the center line of the heater cartridge hole).
    Heater Cartridge Set Screw
  • Remove the heater cartridge from the hole.
Installing the new Heater Cartridge

There are a couple of ways to connect the new heater cartridge wires. I opted to use a two pin terminal block so it would be easier to remove my heater assembly later if I needed to work on it. The other way would be to use a couple of wire crimps or buttsplices to connect the wires to the old wires just like the way the original cartridge was connected.

  • Remove the old heater cartridge by prying the old crimps open or if there is enough wire pulled out of the cable chain (this should be done already. (See info about the Recall notice) cut the wires off just above the crimps.
  • Solder a two pin terminal to the wires coming from the controller (don’t forget to use heatshrink on the wires)
    or use crimps / buttsplice connectors to connect the wires from the new heater cartridge after the next few steps.
  • Carefully bend the wires coming out of the new heater cartridge over so they are at a 90° angle.
    New Heater Cartridge Installed
  • Slide the new Heater Cartridge into the heater block with the wires pointed towards the temperature sensor location (towards the X carriage).
  • Tighten the setscrew on the bottom of the heater block.
Reconnecting the Wires
  • Route the heater cartridge wires behind the extruder assembly between the bracket and the stepper motor.
  • Determine where the new wires need to be cut at (leave enough to screw into the terminal block or crimp onto the original wire harness).
  • Cut the new wires to length then strip the end of the wires long enough to either screw into the terminal block or crimp onto the existing heater wire harness.
    Heater Cartridge Wires
  • Screw the wires into the terminal block or Crimp the wires to the original harness and cover with heat shrink.
    Heater Cartridge Wires in Terminal Block

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