Tank3d printer build

[Boyan Silyavski]

At the end after a couple of experiments managed to finish 100% the design of the chain. So now clicks easily, moves right, prints right and most of all attaches link by link flawlessly without any breakage. Anyways i used again hot water to click them, this time all went very nice.

Meanwhile managed to find realistic drawing of the 8x8x2 / 4 start screw in step, which was not perfect and after a lot of fiddling have the nuts 8mm 4 start and 2 start x 2mm pitch in 100 realistic drawing read to print. Very important aspect of all this project is that parts are 100% realistic represented.

Took me a whole day but managed to send a file from Openscad to FreeCAD and from there to ifus, import the Igus in NX11, sew the surfaces while importing and finish with an usable for customization solid model part.Phew... Nuts printed well as seen on picture. Also the chain.






Finished drawing the Z motors and the mounts. Mounts are designed so that will space precisely the motors in all directions





Table design include 2x motors and belts..etc. This is due to the whole idea behind that model to be able to scale bigger easily. Without any actual change of design. Apart from lengths of elements. So to be truly parametric design. Plus motors are cheap, Z plate will be cast and trully from what i see / the printer i am testing/ this is where all designs i have seen suffer. I dont see what is the big deal to include second motor and for mere 20-30 euro more to have no problem with acceleration of the plate. There are cheap signal multiplexers? that make one signal for 2 motors / if board will not support it/, etc.

Anyway most possibly my printer will be at least with closed loop if not with servos. maybe i will build one to see how it goes with cheap motors first.




Now the big question for me is the table plate.

i know i will be cast aluminum >6mm. I made it bigger so it accepts 2 cheap 200x200 heated beds. I will see if i can make it as i said using heated cable or resistors or sth similar. I will isolate it from bellow using special paper and then sheet.

But what small plates i use to connect the heated 100C plate to the bearing blocks???? Rigid connection, no fiddling with adjustable screws and springs? Something that will stand to 130 degree, that will not change dimension, so i make a precise connection. And most importantly willnot transmit heat to the bearing blocks.

Not that the bearing blocks can not be ordered for a couple of dollars to be heat resistant / bronze instead of plastic/ but i would like to be usable with normal bearing blocks, not special. Any ideas of materials? have to be easily obtainable and DIY at least by me.


The whole model starts to look deceptively simple but it was a lot of thought and different approaches tried, drawn and then discarded.