Any experience with Core XY motion setup?

[CaptainObvious]

I'd appreciate if anyone who has a Core XY based printer would chip in with some insights.

I'm thinking of building one or two new printers (one for me, one for a friend) and the Core XY concept seems pretty good, it would allow me to install all the motors on a fixed place simplifying wiring, reducing inertia, wear etc, etc...
It all seems very good, but I wonder if there are some problems with that configuration, for example if the long G2 belts would stretch, or cause rippling due to resonance. Also I'd like to make an enclosed printing volume, so that the temperature can be controlled, I don't know how the belts would fare at 60 or 70 degrees C.

[MiniMadRyan]

I know this probably won't answer any of your questions, but I find this a great source for info on coreXY, especially as I'm designing my own coreXY printer at the moment

http://blog.fabtotum.com/blog/2014/0...nces-to-share/

[Roxy]

If you want to play with a Core-XY machine, go for it! But I can tell you that you will most certainly be on a the 'Road less traveled'. There was an obvious bug in the Marlin Core-XY code and nobody found it for months. The reason is hardly anybody is doing anything with Core-XY.

If you really want to do it, go for it. But if you think it is a well supported platform, well... Think again!

[MiniMadRyan]

If you want to play with a Core-XY machine, go for it! But I can tell you that you will most certainly be on a the 'Road less traveled'. There was an obvious bug in the Marlin Core-XY code and nobody found it for months. The reason is hardly anybody is doing anything with Core-XY.

If you really want to do it, go for it. But if you think it is a well supported platform, well... Think again!

I agree that it's less of a mainstream concept than others, but I wouldn't say its not well supported. Smoothieware/Smoothieboards, RepRap Duet and other 'next generation' controllers have much better support for coreXY then what marlin and your standards RAMPS does. There's a great deal of support over on the RepRap forums as well. I think 2016 is when we will see a surge of coreXY machines. Airwolf3D, Smartrap and others are already bringing machines to the market

[Roxy]

That is a good point! I was speaking from a Marlin perspective.

[MiniMadRyan]

I really appreciate Marlin and all the work that goes into it, but I'm slowing starting to believe there's more benefits to using a 32bit controller and firmwares such as RepRap Firmware for coreXY and Delta machines. Maybe I'm just caught up in the hype, but it seems to me, Marlin and older boards are more of a limiting factor on these machines than anything.

[CaptainObvious]

Thanks for the info, very appreciated.
I was planning to use a RAMPs controller for this printer, so I think I better double check how it works with CoreXY.

The printer is taking shape (in CAD at least) and it's looking good so far, after I'm done I'll upload the files so it can be replicated.

[CaptainObvious]

I agree that it's less of a mainstream concept than others, but I wouldn't say its not well supported. Smoothieware/Smoothieboards, RepRap Duet and other 'next generation' controllers have much better support for coreXY then what marlin and your standards RAMPS does. There's a great deal of support over on the RepRap forums as well. I think 2016 is when we will see a surge of coreXY machines. Airwolf3D, Smartrap and others are already bringing machines to the market

I wanted to revisit this thread to give an update, and I see that it took me 7 months to go from mulling the idea to get the printer finished....
I'm happy to report that it works fine running Marlin in a garden variety RAMPS 1.4.