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Why does He Tongxue love 3D printers so much? For those who have watched his latest video, you would know the answer: passion. A 3D printer can create all sorts of strange yet interesting works. If you get to work, wouldn’t it be faster to build your own 3D printer~~
Today’s project features a DIY 3D printer from a foreign guy. The project documentation can be downloaded by replying with “3D Printer” on the Darwin WeChat account. The video below fully records the production process——
If you want to build the 3D printer from the video above,let’s first check what electronic components are needed:
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Arduino Mega 2560 Development Board x1
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Ramps 1.4 3D printer controller board x1: used to connect terminal switches, stepper motor drivers, heated bed, hot end, etc., to Arduino
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Optical Endstop Switch x3: Sensor switch that has NO or NC (Normally Open or Normally Closed) switches, which trigger when the 3D printer’s XYZ axis reaches its end position. There are generally two types of limit switches: optical and simple mechanical, which can be selected based on needs.
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NEMA 17 Stepper Motor x5: The stepper motor has 200 steps, with 1.8 degrees per step.
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PCB Heated Bed x4: The heated bed keeps the extruded plastic warm and prevents warping.
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E3D v6 Hotend x1: A 0.4 mm nozzle that heats the filament through a temperature sensor/thermistor.
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A4988 Stepper Motor Driver x4: Needs a driving circuit since the stepper motors operate at 12V/24V, while Arduino pins output 5V.
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Power Supply 12V/20A x1: Each stepper motor consumes about 1.2 A of current per phase, using a total of 5 stepper motors, and other electrical components also consume a certain amount of current, so the rated current should be at least 20 A.
Mechanical components needed:
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Aluminum profile pipe 38mmx38mmx02mm
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Acrylic board 3mm thick
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12mm diameter steel rod 696mm x2
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8mm diameter steel rod 562mm x2
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8mm diameter steel rod 507mm x2
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3mm aluminum plate
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SC8UU 8mm linear motion ball bearing sliding sleeve x0
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SC12UU 12mm linear motion ball bearing sliding sleeve x4
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SK12UU linear guide shaft x4
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SK8UU linear guide shaft x4
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Base bearing 8mm KP08 x2
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T8 8mm lead screw with nut 500 to 550mm x2
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Stepper motor coupler 5mm to 8mm x2
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GT2 20 tooth flanged pulley for 5 mm shaft x2
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Nema17 mounting bracket x2
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Extruder x1
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1.75 mm PLA filament for 3D printer x1kg
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GT2 belt x 4m
Having introduced all the components, let’s get started!
Step One: Build the Frame
First, I built a frame according to the dimensions from the CAD model. For the dimensions and required quantities of different parts, I have attached a 26-page PDF file (reply with “3D Printer” on the Darwin WeChat account), which can be referenced. The parts and their sizes can be changed according to your needs.
You can see the assembly process in the video above.
Step Two: Electrical Connection
In this step, I connected all the necessary components according to the schematic and circuit diagram. For the main power supply, I used a 12V, 20A DC power supply. For more references, please see the video from 30:57 to 33:15.
Step Three: Code Writing
For the code part, I used the Arduino IDE software and the Marlin firmware.
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Arduino IDE:https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/Software
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Marlin firmware:http://marlinfw.org/
For detailed information, you can refer to the video: from 33:18 to 37:51.
Step Four: 3D Printing Software
There are also more open-source slicer applications, such as:3D Slicer, Slic3r, Ultimaker Cura, Repetier-Host.
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Slic3r:https://slic3r.org/
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Print running: http://www.pronterface.com/
You can refer to the video: from 38:24 to 43:10.
Step Five: Output Results
Once all the work is completed, you can start the printer and prepare for printing. The following images show the results of the 3D printer’s first print.
Have you seen it? Is your mind ready but your hands not? Download the design files and give it a try. Relevant information about this 3D printer can be obtained by replying with “3D Printer” on the Darwin WeChat account.
Get to work and create a 3D printed project just like He Tongxue!
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