Make 'n Hack

Makers hangout => 3d Printing => Printer mods => Topic started by: Dave on May 26, 2018, 07:56:58 PM

Title: Printer enclosure.
Post by: Dave on May 26, 2018, 07:56:58 PM
This is an overview of my ongoing 3d enclosure project. It is nowhere near complete and probably never will be.

It started off with an Anet A8 printer which I got as a kit from Gearbest.
It took about 8 hours to assemble due to my OCD which meant that everything was squared multiple times as it was assembled.
Unfortunately the printer only printed for 20 minutes due to a faulty main board which was diagnosed to have a faulty y-axis stepper controller. Gearbest replaced the board with no issue but this meant a further wait of 10 days to get up and running.

During that time a plan formed to build an enclosure. I ordered the parts I thought I would need and made the decision to use 3 Ikea Lack tables which I bought for €7 each.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/YT_u1bb3rUCwt2H8Pt_5d8kA7MPjwqrsUhsgjoVLptZvcDsoMkYMPZ9lME-ZhF7fDEDiQjS72U-STEMi1aMtWrST5Lc9LSBxJ4s9ibAf-e4Oy69xHAAB8XO3B2b_blVqQ28DJGjSFYXuDdsxiGaIdZ1lQscQy_9NKiV0a31hRA3aXi-x4ED5qW6u7pcqI1jZox6Je3ajlzcBIUw2mpftuiXUcpIGM3nc522d11v0Wht4dQNQhUdPiynOWzW5GcVrezi-PiJszD2FKaK_JVHoSgv_Q3G4lq1sIYRP1V380UIKXiUTcIZ7neaU9q_Ze2UUeVFrqSTv24ciDfz-KY4EV2Agccft-2SKfadMkAB7oTyOXrd-UaGnUAbVBTTNxsb_uwrOTyu-dv4cgC8vJsfjwIM3nKp1p3kMnt5rP9lcQgpSsnVxe8Gnh17Esf0p8ZrFIO5KQpwc5zrPEosMPjdCjgZgcO1bXs9dIpYt3gNzLrVBXnB0ADwrIThTzQVg5EfqpyvzuMQIBPlcpKLSZ9KIHy-haM-ROUSBcH1v4zVzwsNXdvY3mTg8TUJUjVvWrYrZqyeUIbmEweBUd7Ogc3dXP_Dqm71Ud7CqpfFxYECJ=w359-h637-no)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/5bdgj68VVFc2lKNFuNFwulW5UqpGGzT4btDnZbOw6nI9RMT0dr4CbFEupUPUKRODs4jpBC4sBYF2VMc8DA-2kKYtF1b1Nof_UDZyArJquY3cw1TZiEMRulZ1ulHK9rnWGmyZEYNL0iz8xJtyegjLzl9V6Clx8f-XCuRjpKCCZ5yo-CN-84nISsDgWojETfdO-E0qQIAudrW1g7HUiAIXuLRyk-RClO-yY-NG_qRSrWsUN9NL6mUW5uU2WR4CGYu91_9zjFzw3gSseZZ4QcfGlyHbX0JhZF22cddpqFRpR3kmZeFTpjVdwpRIiCdTG18goSaPk9e3zgRHrky96jDgl8giHvM_soHel1Qm79lP97tTfTYzRB2cIlxO-Du24StLdjVRLjutFXMvieiMRYq34BhNMwA0hSiwW6fGWC9SPy4VarnDItnHSY0d-q7--NOhGmOpkJnKvp9DxnnNqsp5vCgSo7p0oRtdQsg52bmveieIR3xEvtttjD8QysiqiJNEzt4UrzIM8YN6OKcUQeT8EUo_9P-kz11hjVUdM67HQWxva1uaZQDNE42jaTMlG6PTw03jbTIkRfci5uWOe8_EXpAjPJlMcHkKK4tEFrzY=w359-h637-no)

The table legs were too short so risers were needed to make enough vertical room for the printer.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/JvAkJPtfqM1GFj1cLoxOe7re1a2atO_xffpWnXOUiGs9eOK4x5mCCjLvGwDZT0uo95dlUD4ZZNP_Tk6inKmGzvDqxuRF9xK4Sr0BK026n2ITWsh4xpTOutBqB-OqCHoD_JZOuuKw826sWiCQqUv7N4bRt_sba8peOH-fNw4QKXbP4eBarxz_HbpE9ZWeiiOD9W8N5nDt0PUcyVNO26zhW3BJDlGztdde_YzdfIILiIIsnykMwLauUY4iH5kSM4DO_W8twQfFMTOvekhyiwBagk9JIlbUelwYUYDKvSuyjOttp98GZmn3A4RbQMLgQrPVygWIFoWji4FJ6qplk1SqoDZODPjqyn4SXDfwqT3gDQm5EqAw6gLy_1Rft9T9vKPy21rcaGI8q7LupMu7XXGEmXWS3IV8M-wquV822V-IJZ15V5plmcudCkbUB4knMIot0rCn7w8g8KtORtiE7PwLxbAiAb1SIbfvjqKPeDyyXzExUWO1ThoICXUliM4jvgu629vO8SERtnK0t9stjnA7Vg_HL0xfwDAZqSCGUbL39YmQ4HO58sRvPCv2Ku9-xzR9fdcLWeKlOZjarANmeQ2kpnBTh1tzushMOAWtavzD=w359-h637-no)
The sides ended up being plywood as acrylic sheeting was working out ridiculously expensive.

I decided to move the power supply outside of the enclosure to reduce the chance of it overheating. This required hangers to be designed. I also printed a terminal cover for the PSU and installed a switch.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eESThajXEFvCrNOwsRavK6pu8cMd7bkpllzD9KKwJUw2iM5on9MEAygejdwoO0jJV6YZCQ1_I3MpGQNcbp2RguT2VsWI_QiOIhE2K1dLAho1J1uMrAOsrBwvz2RcNfZmZtwejNuqMNKITpF2x2BN5UyuhUx-74HdVeyoJ8WSowllbkosFR52ex2ASE-H549TjykTtJD5jMS5pGSW_1GMUrRZouHAeWavc6bjXbajVv9vDXNyzt_2JtBvrjHLkJLp1qzjY4lTIJfBze8T7PDJ0-VGjRnWMmC_w3y_yf1TyRNXg7HslVvFhgJw7yOJRChQGGNIVMoQSzP8QXVHqTOR5jYsOHYmWiypoJn3aDGLVqiuHOt9YcGEq6q0cNbb4bzjJVAlsyBR_FTobFQw4k87KOot5Jq63mJrsLVM3157q9Dz0xQU5IRRyCfgkUfMr8JSBbxTd2ZF0JFosOlTjbgToF_Rz97HhJoMvUfW7cRGgI4Ui9ypqyFgfGawaipGTrj8_ZsCtc0lV5Gp-ZBskDlC3_GDAlVqkDCsK0esAZ_ihGSqK8dgY9Afx9l0_rvpSZscEd78oa-G-620g6RNufzrk7DuPICq1NiYRHdQFdR0=w359-h637-no)

A Raspberry pi zero w was also fitted with a camera and I remixed a design from thingiverse to mount this. Octopi was installed and set up to allow access and monitoring remotely, even from mobile networks.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/yCPuyu03VGchUllmRFiEyk0InFyEdcZ2ldmDUa81Fq951G49AaciM0BUSuaquP2U6STrWUqkW1v1VEOXGvL2Pk8j-cgdIiwEAvbn5X6rX44gnvCjtkBqWQvnBrmLCks4MlEnEopXYXfVIoB0koLjS9WjuEBDCojR_wsInLb44-3SLpm4pt5pJFMNJlXMiMcXDsNX9KfRPX0x6CduXQx1jZPji1ig3DrDRvwd5yxma2PgtMPB4nzqSimT0YkOfi4pMXnM0Doks5uKw6er9vuIA56AZ8CKACsK2gD0QY-cF5QhSDjZuqcVdwFF7HS0y5K8z1Ftwr-VkYzbXtO97kJsvqf-GC0Z3OUQmunOrkfir5pBVKh94978tfcc3bUpGq5ZRVazKxcJKAQqN4n3Z-VQ3Llgp-euTpC45hizvUMo0ZFoFuNwTgIH3tHJ7LrOhstt814puu4gEN_AW-dOl9SEcE9kvxOvBwyiAFQhsdpvrQLZKDHbFfwdSc83tsmpKv0B8Hxxo3N6AmNN4VZT0pvL7IJ8eBMEXLg6NPVePoS1yWBTWMbOi3Y2IeL57SjtKiip0tixF7ZB-VMejSc0C9xYPXufLGjgevllgGfunC69=w359-h637-no)
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mJzqmVaIxhgtnJkG3nPg49Lr_m0WkiTpzq-NMHckKkPRsWu6zAdlpz7AopdrF0UgEiBz-Ex0Ye9WTLOo5__coDkRkYF-cmmzOGp2osukhwMuUd7GB4yBKgaLWcx2r-LR8IE_4BYUZs_HObcgIDtH7vbml_VM0_AZXiZYZAU3RdHVfj0erBB1D3QzORRvvJeGEblJ7QoDV_v6xFZlg7XIIbKyv-CC5gjnwDcUFVVIoVC3dsgFsjJHhLtna2ShlXuvFqUg5iFbnYFt8qVavk7xpewPw3qTTU_q-fISLdcOFjmWfL46dcV-cvfs97OmUgpvBnCCoo8oR5ndopEwOtjNopoRjy9HgoU8y4birS-pfdQQDFNXeVas4HprzRhrdwaN-PMgST5WRt0FGvg5knRQnTDe9PAffYQfs0K4SHPD1Vi-myoahQliuH82Jpf1oKLk2MWCCZKniC5y7FDABwFrMDH0GsIY8tj-byPAMhnJWgCWIOMABJ46kLg_K4nZPLIKsoBFj4eCglC9vO5EYIvKbcdcXyAVepRDQPlvo97eGMpkpYiyoC6u62BAO9p9zSusJuyV4b7hYuJA5QH_D5oesMg_7sv1_TZbRplAZ1fC=w359-h637-no)
I installed a surge protected power point which also has 2 amp usb sockets, allowing the pi to be run without a separate adapter.

I bought and fitted a set of colour changing led lamps which were originally designed for under counter use.

Finally, I ran all the cables through some trunking I had in the house to keep everything tidy inside the enclosure.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/8KYabkEAYPWas10ChyrFkm0Rq7LeB2CqKaqksfM4a96gX9eZeHCBKXr2sL0hm4AgQB87MHEAZib8uXn-G6t2MMXKo-mo_BvzuDY_x9uSZc98CO4xaHMMG1-qZSKSUazBLBRmMW49R2K0i_GZOWM5LRCXPDWw5MJsAwjn2H0ZzXJNE8clZfdYcOgenpoaJ4q2gBLPP9LvyP_dGVSPPaNGrJQU95ICF3nm2WVRctv-KA6EmYQ0635iXjecOZhwCBnFAVvWPsgUWDZMvmn59vRkFk0VgeDpUE7Zhi0LtJCKHnatVQXECA0WpPu9Yo8WBen8yumzw_kzTNlrTQE6Lg1z0Wq8bXG3uVO7A_UWuFq7H7Tghoq595-iJ-iXssAQBJCF6g6lrVtKtIYmdGh8WPM4r9LXQA47LA0jGbsC75Lev7JsLrtK3vmeCRfrTjzt_RVdaEduQARgPkqeJSaudZmDnVkLw9VKKu9aHBAiyMabODNkI9ZMrdRRsm69FXSJNp_4aKkz1xxDvIYwQ4IQEhWIS5rTZYBxOd9ITE7vsNMWjuJI77sfqTjZB_bO2IpbHN40yXOT9llcLD0yP5hVqFT9I2Y0Um9FcXZk4IiTCV5y=w359-h637-no)
As it is I am reasonably happy with it. Future plans involve a door, filtration system and filament storage system on top of the enclosure.