Voron 2.4 based ToolChanger - 400x400mm AWD

[cjkennedy72]

This is the start of my build log for a 400mm x 400mm x 480mm Voron 2.4-inspired 3d Printer. 
 

I have been looking at various designs around the interwebs and have decided that this build will incorporate the components from various mods and adaptations of the 2.4R2 that I have run across. There are a few key "Sources" for the design, so I thought I would highlight those to start.

The toolchanging mechanism is the Funnsor clone of E3D's now defunct toolchanger design. It is available on AliExpress and during a sale some time ago, I picked up the toolchanger and 6 tool plates for what I felt was a fair price. I got the older version, before they added an optional Orbiter clone pre-installed. So, I have stripped the toolplates and modified the Mini-Sherpa to accomdate my needs. 

The motion system is based on this project for an AWD Voron-2.4 design: https://github.com/CloakedWayne/Monolith_Gantry_V2-VT. I will be making modifications to my liking on a few items. I will not be using the Y-Axis in this design, which is more like a V-Core/RatRig/VZbot, but instead am going to work on modifying the Voron design to use MGN12Hs on the Y-Axis and a MGN9H on the X-Axis. The toolchanger is made for a top-mounted linear motion gantry design, so adjustments to the XY joints and tool mounting will be needed. 

Because I want more Z-Axis height, I have chosen to use MGN12Hs here as well. I am borrowing the Z-Axis Joints from the HEVO to Voron 2.4 Conversion design on Printables.com: https://www.printables.com/model/529700-vevo-hypercube-evolution-frame-conversion-to-voron. I started to work on a solution in CAD myself, then found this and decided the time savings was worth borrowing the components while crediting the source. 

These designs are my starting point. There will be some components I have to create, and others I will have to modify to suit my needs. I will be collecting everything once done and putting it in a public repo in my Github account with proper credit to the sources for what I do not model myself. 

The end goal is to have a fixed position bed with 400x400mm of usable surface and the ability to print up to 450mm in height. I have roughed a few sketches and am hoping to mount an extrusion on the front of the gantry to hold the tools that are not in use. If all goes well it will have 6 tools available, but I will be happy with 5 if that is what I can fit. I am probably not going to enclose this printer since I intend to primarily use it with PLA variants, so a heated chamber is of no great concern currently, though this could change as I continue down this path. I am also considering options for spool management/mounting and integrated, independent filament dryers. All structural components will be 3d printed except the toolchanger, plates, and mounts for extra tools. 

Here are some screenclips from Fusion of the tool mounting components I have modeled and tested so far:

More to come soon! I am currently getting everything together to start the build. Hopefully I will be able to get all the extrusions cut and tapped this weekend. Everything is here except some Sunon 4010 cooling fans for the hotends.

Electronics to be used:
Triangle Labs Ceramic V6 CHT-Volcano Hotends
BTT EBB36s - 1 per tool
BTT U2C - 1 per 2 toolmounts/EBB36s
BTT Octopus Max - I need 9 stepper controllers on the main controller (4 for Z, 4 for X and Y, and 1 for the toolchanger's motor)
Mellow IR sensor for bed probing, mounted to the toolchanger, not the individual tool plates

Meanwell 500 Watt 24v and 25W 5v power supplies

OrangePi 5 with 5" touchscreen
 

More to come as I progress, but it might be slow due to work travel. I already know I have to go to Boston this coming week, New York City two weeks later, and vacation starting April 19th... So, you get the idea...

Thanks for following along! This will be a fun one!

[cjkennedy72]

Here is a repost of one of the finished tool plates with everything mounted except the EBB36:

Edited March 16 by cjkennedy72

[Dirk]

Funny... I was directed to the Monolith gantry by Eric Zimmerman on the Voron Discord and started looking for stepper motors. The funny part is you are going to use that gantry. So it will be double fun to follow it. and I do not mind that you will be doing it in-between-vacations which will be taking place all over the US.

Did you already have stepper motors in mind? Or did you even look for them? 

Maybe I should do my own log for the gantry update on my 2.4 350... 

[mvdveer]

Boy - you guys are talented - Following along all the way

[cjkennedy72]

  

I have a bunch of Nema 17 steppers already. This build, I want to try to use up a bunch of what I have hanging around instead of buying everything new. The main thing I intend is that they are consistent brands on the XY plane and the Z plane. It's too easy to get wrapped up in spending a ton of money on stepper motors and I know I have 4x 2 different brands of steppers in the same model, so should be okay there. 

If and only if I run into problems will I buy more steppers right now. I have a bunch of parts on-hand and not enough storage, HAHA!

Thought I would share the mods to the XY Joint. I decided to use the Monolith XY but mount the linear rail on the bottom of the gantry, like a standard Voron. However, due to the additional weight of the tool changer, and what I have on-hand, I found that on-hand meant MGN12Hs. So, I pulled their CAD file and broke out the front-mount design. I have removed the location for the MGN9H, mounted like a VZBot's with the rail on its edge inside the frame, and extended the body to accommodate the lower position of the MGN12s and the correct mounting holes. It is printing now. However, here is a preview in CAD:
 

     

[Dirk]

11 minutes ago, cjkennedy72 said:

a bunch of Nema 17 steppers already

well.. an AWD will indeed be an excellent opportunity to get rid of those!

12 minutes ago, cjkennedy72 said:

a bunch of parts on-hand and not enough storage

so you thought lets build a 400x400 x 500 printer to save storage space? Makes sense...

Thanks for sharing a preview of your modification. I will try to understand what you write and show, once I study the AWD cads of Monolith

 

[cjkennedy72]

Their cad drawing is not that helpful in understanding the overall idea behind an AWD design. They only model one side, you have to mirror the parts if you decide to work from CAD. They do provide ready to go STLs with the parts already flipped, but where is the fun in just printing those and going...

[mvdveer]

2 hours ago, cjkennedy72 said:

I have a bunch of parts on-hand and not enough storage, HAHA!

That sounds familiar

[cjkennedy72]

4 hours ago, Dirk said:

so you thought lets build a 400x400 x 500 printer to save storage space? Makes sense...

Sure does  
 

[cjkennedy72]

Well... Those XY Joints were a waste of time. When I tore down the tool-changer assembly it became very apparent that it was designed for a front and back belt path. There is just enough room between the CNC'd plates to make it work with a MGN9H on the top of the X-Axis. So... Back to CAD and I have these:

[cjkennedy72]

[cjkennedy72]

Wow, I didn't mean for this follow-up post to take so long to get to.. but since I started this thread, I have been to Boston and NYC for work. I got home from NYC Friday. I am home for a week, so thought I would get some updates on this up here.

Let's start with the tool-changer mount.... When I started messing with how this will all fit together, it was quickly apparent that the construction of the actual toolchanger was going to cause the belts to have an upward tilt as they cross the X Gantry, so I had to design a replacement part:
 

 

Here it is with the rest of the Original hardware in place:

Edited April 7 by cjkennedy72

[cjkennedy72]

I have printed and have the XY Gantry mounting components ready to go.The original design called for D5-25mm threaded standoffs... since none of those were on hand, I decided to use some similar sized M5 shoulder-bolts instead.



Here is the CAD drawing this was printed from:

[cjkennedy72]

You will notice the change from Green to Red parts... well that Green Filament was trash and printed weird. I finished it off testing parts and am reprinting everything in this Paramount "Iron Red" ABS.

[cjkennedy72]

The primary frame is assembled... I have to put the bed supports on and I can start working on the gantry assembly. I have 4 of the intended 5 or 6 tool plates to a point of needing to figure out how to get EBB36s mounted. So here is the design I have so far to mount an EBB36 and 30mm cooling fan on the back of the Mini-Sherpa. This is still a work in progress. I hope to do a test print for approximate fit in PLA later today.

[cjkennedy72]

Last pic for today... I think. Here are the assembled Rear gantry/motor components:
 

[cjkennedy72]

So, I think I have my mounts for the EBB36s done, or really close. Here is version 1.0.... It mounted up nicely, but I feel like the umbilical zip-tie holes are a bit thin, so I have V2.0 printing now. But, I will still probably use this one too... 
Here is Version 1:

Here is the CAD drawing of V2, which is currently waiting on the bed to finish heating up. I lowered the zip-tie holes and thicked the raised walls of the umbilical support. I also made the holes in the bottom arms big enough to receive an M3 heatset and plan to run a screw all the way through the mini-sherpa into the bottom of the EBB mount. The motor mounting screws go through the motor ears and into M3 Heatsets behind the EBB36 as well.

[cjkennedy72]

So the custom EBB36 CAN board mounts are working out well with the mini-sherpa, I now have 3 mounted and am starting to shorten/lengthen wires to make it all nice and neat. 

Yesterday, the packs of 30/35/40/45/50 mm + M3s came in, so I was finally able to assemble the front montor mounts. Pics for Posterity... First is a final version install of the EBB36 mount, although I have discovered I am going to have to make an EBB42 version based on the "What's on hand that needs to go" idea. Project for another day!

Last night as I was working on beginning to assemble to full Y and X Axises I found I had made a mistake when I modifed the Monolith's XY Gantry joint to move the linear rail under the gantry like a normal V2.4. Long story short, I designed it without accounting for removing the old MGN9 that would have gone inside the gantry like a VZBot or Hexvort. This meant that the pulleys would cause the beltpath to be pulled closer to the gantry at the intersection of X and Y. The offset was looking to be upwards of 5mm per side.

So, last night I developed my XY Joints v2. These are broken into 3 printed parts per side instead of two like the original parts and my "v1" mod. I have printed the MGN12H interface part and just started printing one side for fit and general adjustments that can be applied uniformly to both sides. I'll share the finished parts when the come off the hotbed. 

Here are the reworked XY joints in CAD:

[cjkennedy72]

Forgot to post the pics of the front motor mounts, and now I get to include the XY Joints too.... After I finish the little bit of work I need to have done before I can call it the weekend, I am going to clean and pack the linear rails and get those mounted... hopefully the gantry hung shortly after. The Z gear reduction housing is close..I just need to go grind my 60mm pins flat on one side so I can assemble the gear/bearing component that goes in it.

Picture time!
XY Joint assembled and mounted to the X extrusion:

Also, here is the front motor mount: