I wanted to title this post “CRACK PARTY AT MY HOUSE” but I don’t know the sense of humor here very well.
So, a picture being worth a thousand words:
But you still get the thousand words anyway!
Reading the user forum before starting, along with my own experience in plastics as a propmaker, I knew not to overtighten the screws when assembling my Vertex. This led to an expected problem - the motors loosening and shifting from their mounting points on the cabinet. Tightening these screws just caused the nuts to eat into the plastic, which I tried to solve using bigger washers (you can see one in the photo). This, in turn, led to cracking around the holes, which was also not entirely unexpected. I planned a day to look at the problem in detail to see what could be done, and this has led to the UNexpected problem - cracks everywhere!
Not just in places that could be rationalized by repeated adjusting or tightening of screws, but EVERYWHERE that the printer causes flex or torsion on the plastic housing. In particular, the bottom row of images show not only a corner bracket mounting where there are no moving parts at all, but two tabs in their slots, where no screws are involved at all!
My printer is kept on a flat, sturdy surface in a bedroom of consistent temperature and environment. Some time ago I even reduced the “Acceleration” setting to combat the jerkiness of the print motion. Everything seems to point to the plastic chassis unable to tolerate the flex and torque generated by the printer.
I don’t know how this can be addressed, because even if Velleman very kindly replaced the panels it would just start over again sooner or later. My thought is to directly replace them with aluminum cut to the same shapes. My wife is already excitedly looking online for colored anodized aluminum sheet or diamondplate texture because every upgrade can also be an artistic one!
So ultimately, I guess my question is: Can the CAD files for the plastic panels be released so that they can be used for other materials such as aluminum? I suppose I can always trace the old panels, but the more accuracy the better!
VEL448, I -KNEW- you’d say that about the screws, which is why I made sure to show the tabs and slots which have NO screws, but cracks anyway. Still and all, thanks everyone for the quick and useful info. I’ll keep you posted!
[quote]which is why I made sure to show the tabs and slots which have NO screws, but cracks anyway. ;-)[/quote]Holes are weak spots if the plates are under stress. Don’t be discouraged, take care and more importantly: have fun printing!
@Volguus
I used lasercut mdf 4mm for my extended Vertex. Of course it’s softer than polycarbonate, but if you use washers between the nuts and don’t fasten them too thightly it is sufficient. Stability of the housing is the same as the original.
I skipped the tabs and slots, don’t see the use of it. (And those unnecessary holes
svdv, I just saw your thread on the custom cabinet and it looks fantastic! But I agree with you on MDF being flexible like the original plastic… I even have harder HDF on hand from another project (Ghostbusters Proton Pack, lol) and I think it’s not much stiffer. Someone else suggested plywood like an Ultimaker Original but how stiff can 4mm be? I’ll have to check it out. Of course, if I’m building my own case, I guess it doesn’t have to stay 4mm thick…
I read in a few places the general statement that “flex is the 3D-printer’s worst enemy”, and I seek a new enclosure not merely to resist future deterioration from flex, but to minimize flex altogether. This is why I keep coming back to aluminum. But you’re right about why stay with the tab/slot system, and your own example even says why stay with the original size printer altogether? I will indeed view this as not a setback but an opportunity, limited only by the boundary where I’d end up spending more to upgrade this printer than just buying one with the final desired specs.
Hi Volguus
I think it doesn’t matter a lot which material you use, perspex, polycarbonate or aluminium, or even an open construction with profiles. It’s all about stiff corners and I think the plastic Vertex cornerparts do a good job. (As long as the 4 rods aren’t too long.)
My polycarbonate Vertex was and now with this mdf panels the printer is stable as a house. I can’t push the four corners to a diamond and that’s important I think. There is hardly any friction in this construction. At most there’s a tremble in the printbed with fast infill movements in x-axis direction, but that has to do with the bedarms I think.
If you’re going for a material thicker than 4 mm, you have to re-arrange the holes in the cad-drawings and some plastic parts will not fit anymore I presume…
Here you are. These are pdf files, but if you intend to modify something I can provide you with the original ai (Illustrator) files.
Don’t forget to print (or buy) four extra corner parts and to use washers…
Still and all, thanks everyone for the quick and useful info. I’ll keep you posted!
