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  1. #1
    Engineer-in-Training gmay3's Avatar
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    Talking MakerFarm 8" Prusa i3v Enclosure

    Hello everyone!

    This is my first post here. I've been researching 3d printers for a few months now and finally decided last week to preorder the MakerFarm 8" Prusa i3v. While I wait for it to arrive, I'm going to design an enclosure for mainly fume extraction and secondarily for a heated build chamber to improve print quality.

    I'm making this post to capture my enclosure design process and then share the plans when it's complete!

    Any feedback or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! If anyone wanted to work together to design this with me, a set of dimensions would be much appreciated!

    1524618_10152347084469913_1144404177_n.jpg

  2. #2
    Staff Engineer old man emu's Avatar
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    You forgot the hole for the filament to come into the enclosure and go to the extruder.

    I'd make sure that I could locate the spool of filament conveniently to the printer.

    Otherwise, OK!

    Old Man Emu

  3. #3
    Super Moderator RobH2's Avatar
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    Glad to see you are getting the Makerfarm. I think you'll like it. I would suggest you wait to build the enclosure until after you have it built so you can measure things. Keep on designing it but if you build it beforehand it's likely you wish you had waited as some detail will get overlooked.

    I've also posted an image with a few suggestions that might be helpful. Post a photo of the housing when it's done. We'd like to see it.

    Untitled-1.jpg
    Bambu P1S/AMS
    NVision4D http://nvision4d.com

  4. #4
    Super Moderator DrLuigi's Avatar
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    In my own design well just a cube, with a acrlic door that can be pulled up, I would always be able to remove the door, Or put a piece between the door and the piece of steel,
    So it wouldnt become to warm, i would do something about that for just in case that it gets to hot and your wood would start warping.

  5. #5
    Engineer-in-Training gmay3's Avatar
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    Wow, thank you so much for all your replies!

    This is great feedback. I am definitely going to wait until I build the printer before buying materials for the enclosure.

    I'm planning to model a general concept in 3d this week and will post an updated 3d model soon. That way I can easily adjust the dimensions before I build it.

    Have you guys had problems with the makerfarm laser cut wood warping?

  6. #6
    Super Moderator DrLuigi's Avatar
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    Well i didnt, But thats also when using under normal enviorements,

    When you do it in a enclosure and your heatbed is on to 110, It might warp as the chamber might get hot,

    I aint totaly sure as i don't have one yet, its still in the make, But if its ready i have a door wich i can easily control how much would be kept open, for fresh air.

  7. #7
    I also have purchased a 8" i3v printer which I am waiting with baited breath (old fish story). My concern about the enclosure is the heating of the electronics. The stepper motors can take the low level heat from the heated printing glass but the Arduino and Ramps 1.4 boards might not like it a lot. It might be better to create an enclosure that allows the electronics to be moved on the outside either the back or under it. We would also need to move the power supply outside.

    Bob

  8. #8
    Super Moderator RobH2's Avatar
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    I haven't heard of any wood warping issues with the Makerfarm. I use two aluminum clip lamps with 200w bulbs on either side of mine and then tent foamcor around everything to create a really warm envelope around the print. I've had no problems with the electronics or wood. I plan to build an enclosure but have had such good luck with the clip lights that I haven't had the motivation to do it differently.

    Most modern electronics can operate in hotter ambient temps than you'd expect. I'd guess that it would take more than 110C to cause major malfunctions. There is the possibility that extreme heating of the components can shorten the life of the electronics. Thermal expansion and contraction is the enemy of electronics. There are number of people who say that if you never turn your computer off, it will run about 3 times longer than if you turn it off daily. There is some merit in that and it's due to thermal expansion. So, if you heat the RAMPS up a lot and then it cools, it's hard on it. But how hard it relative. If it cuts its lifespan from 5-years to 4-years it may be a moot point. I bet none of us have the same printer we have now in 3 years. The technology is changing too fast. I suspect that when I finally build an enclosure, that I'll move the electronics outside of it just for the heck of it, but someone out there may know for sure if that's unnecessary.
    Bambu P1S/AMS
    NVision4D http://nvision4d.com

  9. #9
    Engineer-in-Training gmay3's Avatar
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    It's good to hear that there haven't been many warping issues!

    I'm working on the 3D model now of the enclosure now, about 50% done. Look for a finished model to critique on Friday!

    So far I'm planning to have the power supply external but it's good that you mention putting the RAMPS board external as well. I think that's a good idea.

    I want to put the LCD outside so moving the RAMPS board outside would actually solve a lot of my design problems! Now I wont need a ribbon cable extension. Thanks bteeter!

    As far as extreme heat goes, I'm planning on having active cooling with a very slight airflow running through the front or sides of the case and exiting the case through the back side corner and then out through an exhaust vent from my clothes dryer. I'm hoping it wouldn't get too hot in there but it will definitely be hotter than room temperature.
    Last edited by gmay3; 04-02-2014 at 04:02 PM.

  10. #10
    Engineer-in-Training gmay3's Avatar
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    Ok so here's what I got so far. I would share the google sketchup file but I don't know how to attach it. Here's a few pictures of what I have so far.

    1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg4.jpg5.jpg

    The acrylic sheets (translucent blue) are 1/8" thick and held on by 1/4" diameter by 1/16" deep neodymium magnets for easy removal. The door has a hinge across the top which is on a sled that will slide with the door across the top of the enclosure. The sled will be made of acrylic and will be held in place with a L bracket made of acrylic so it slides well without needing bearings or rollers. The door is 1/4" acrylic and the rest is is 1/4 plywood.

    The air duct section uses a 2.75" fan and there are 88, 1/32" wholes drilled through the plywood in a grid pattern to allow even and limited airflow enter the air duct section. This area ratio of the fan opening to the total area of the holes drilled to be about 14:1 so there will good suction present inside the air duct section. This will then connect to a 4" dryer duct that will exit the house.

    To save some cost, I'm thinking of making only the front door and top panel out of acrylic sheet. What do you guys think? Is it useful to be able to see in the sides of your machine?

    I have more details to add like weather stripping to seal it in and where I'll be mounting the RAMPS and LCD. Right now I'm thinking of putting them on the top right corner of the wood panel over the air ducting. I'm planning to have a few tops of spice canisters (the kind that allow more spice to flow through the top or none at all as you turn their top plate) to the outside so I can allow none or a variable amount of air into the front, bottom, or sides of the enclosure too allow airflow.

    Hope you guys have a great weekend!
    Last edited by gmay3; 04-02-2014 at 04:03 PM.

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