[CNC74]

Hi all,

I have been chippy for some time now with my FLA100 DIY build and am now looking for my next conquest. I have read alot about the ablity to use Mach 3 with a Gecko's 4 axis port to control the plastic extruder in a retro-fit 3D printer setup on a CNC mill and htink it is a GREAT IDEA!!!!

I am still looking for a level of detail on the conversion and good feedback from existing users that have done it. I saw a vauge write-up from the maker of the GENXLAB heat controller claiming it to be a "simple conversion" prompting folks to buy his $125 heat controller but failing to make any refference to the Steper and extruder or the mounting that will be required.

I am looking for more details and feedback from those that have done it.


Thanks in advance!

[jupdyke]

If you want to do this then I wish you the best. I am not too familiar with FLA100, but I am pretty familiar with the diy 3d printers. Originally I converted my diy cnc router to mount the extruder and used it to print my first set of parts to build a dedicated 3d printer. It was a tough conversion and had a lot of headaches. But many of those were due to early designs of the diy 3d printer. Here is my gut response.

1. get an extruder for 1.75mm filament not 3mm filament. The smaller size makes it much less difficult to extruder reliably. I use a MK7 from makerbot, but qu-bd.com sells a copy of the extruder for much less money.

2. Print PLA plastic, not ABS. Basically the same reason as above, it requires lower melting points and does not need a heated bed. I print ABS with pretty good results but once my abs is used up I plan on switching to PLA.

3. Speed will be a big difference. I don't know what your speeds for the X and Y axis of you machine are but I am printing around 70mm/s which is around 165 inch per min. Because of the high speed and low force on 3d printers belts are commonly used. But you could probably use multistart acme tread or ball screws to get the same speeds. It is possible to print at much slower speeds. My first prints were around 17 inch per min and only took 9 hours for a small 1 cubic inch part.

4. Software might be an issue. I use a arduino based controller board for my printer and run firmware that has several additional machine codes that mach 3 will not be able to do without some conversion. So this will take some doing as well.

Those are just some of the first thoughts to pop into my head. I hope it doesn't scare you away, but rather gives you some places to start working through the details. Good luck and remember to take pictures.

[CNC74]

Thanks for the reply!

Thats a good link for the extruder with a nice price too!

Things that need to be sorted out:

1. Heating the bed and extruder
2. Mounting the extruder to the Z axis of the mill
3. Controlling it in Mach 3 (I am aware of at least two options but need to research the details)

(group)

[tinkeringtechie]

This sounds like an awesome idea. As a fellow FLA100 owner I will be watching very closely. I've got too many projects going right now to jump right in, but hopefully will be able to do the same in the near future.

Were you planning on mounting the extruder along with your router (maybe detachable)? It would be a pain to have to remove the router every time you wanted to print something.

[jupdyke]

For heating the bed and extruder it is less complicated than it might first seem. The bed and extruder only need to maintain a constant temperature. Ideally being able to set the temperature in the software would be best. But in order to print you only need to turn them on and off and maintain the temp. You don't HAVE to be able to control this with software. So a simple PID controller with a switch will do the trick. You could even connect this to one of the output pins in Mach3 for software on/off functionality.

I still think it would be easier to just get an arduino and RAMPS board and connect that to your stepper motor drivers. I would figure out a nice plug in play connection with my motor drivers. This way you can swap the two easily. For the cost of about $100 for the arduino and RAMPS board you can be controlling dual extruders, controlling the temp, generating Gcodes and on the fly adjustment of settings in the firmware such as the flow rate of the plastic.

just my $0.02

Josh

[gorbysantos]

The bed and extruder only need to maintain a constant temperature.

[CNC74]

Hello all,

Would going the standard route with the electronics (Adrino & Ramps) rather than trying to "off the grid" by using a Gecko and Mach 3 be possible using the same stepper motors I already have installed? I ask this because they are much larger and require a lot more power to run. (NEMA 23 425 oz on all three axis)

If it is possible what Ramps compatible stepper driver boards are appropriate for the larger draw?

Thanks for your replies!

:bat:

Also: Is the MK7 extruder the best money can buy or is there a higher quality option (in your opinion)?

[jupdyke]

I don't know which Gecko drivers you have. However, most drivers have similar inputs of ground, step, and direction. If this is true for your gecko drivers it would be very simple to connect them. Just figure out which 3 pins are which and connect them. The Ramps and arduino board typically use pololu drivers and I do not think they could handle that current load for the larger motor. A quick google search of the FLA website shows that they sell the Gecko G540. If this is which one you have then it should be pretty easy to connect it. Just cut an old DB25 cable, find which pins are which and connect the wires to the ramps board.

As for the extruder it depends on who you talk to. The MK7 is the newest extruder you can buy from MakerBot and as I said the qu-bd.com version is almost a direct copy. They even sell a dual extruder if you want to eventually print multicolor or multi-material. This will be extremely nice once the support material becomes common place. Another extruder options would be a Budaschnozzle with a wade extruder. The irc channel #reprap has a very active community and you can always pop in and ask which extruder people suggest. I only have experience with the MK7 personally.

Josh

[cornbinder23]

I have been printing with Mach and a cheap 4 axis stepper board for over a year now. It is pretty easy to get Mach set up and if that is what you already use then thats one less headache to deal with.
I print 3mm abs and use a heated bed. pla is a bit finicky on the thermal break side of the hot end.
I control the temps with pid controllers
In fact I am at home in my living room printing a prototype for my employer
sippin a cup o coffee while my little shop slave is out there making me money:banana:
It has been VERY reliable I have run several prints in the 14-16hr range, just checking in on it every hour or so.

JTCUSTOMS

[jupdyke]

cornbinder23, which extruder are you using?

PLA vs ABS is a lively debate. I was suggesting PLA because it prints at a lower temp, and does not require a heated bed. The latest version of Makerbot's machines are shipped set up to print PLA. Additionally, PLA supposedly does not smell as bad. I also like that PLA is a renewable plastic and made from corn starch.

I also forgot to mention that you would want to be able to connect the Enable pin on your stepper drivers as well. Many 3d printers disable the z axis motor while printing layers to save power and prolong the motor and driver life. Since the z axis moves up one layer height and then does nothing until the layer is printed, their is no need to keep it powered. This will not work with ball screws though.

Josh