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Sharing the process of assembling a RepRapPro 3D printer

titleThis blog is explaining the procedures to assemble different modules of a RepRap Pro Ormerod 3D printer. At the same time, we will share the points that you should take note of during the process.

In this blog, we start off with assembled modules, X- axis, Y- axis, Z-axis and heated bed.  The finished X- axis, Y- axis, Z-axis and heated bed are shown in the picture below. You can find the steps of assembling individual modules from this link from manufacturer website. I recommend using Google Chrome to open the following link. Explorer might take a longer time to load.

https://reprappro.com/documentation/ormerod/

 

X-axis:

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Some problems that you might face during x-axis assembly, based on the guide provided by manufacturer;

1.    It might be difficult for you to insert the belt when the X- motor is already in its position.

Solution: Fix the X-motor only after inserting the belt. You can pull out the belt so that it can fit into the bearing located on the X-motor.

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2.    You need to twist the top side of the belt so that the grooves of the belt will be facing each other when joining together. 

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Y-axis:

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1.    After you put in the belt, you might find that the wooden bed does not move with the belt. 

Solution: You can use a cable tie on both sides to make sure that the belt does not move freely.

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2.    You need to twist the button on the side of belt so that the grooves of the belt will be facing each other when joining together. That the end of the belt for the y-axis should be like: 

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Z-axis:

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1.    Sometimes the plastic parts do not fit perfectly into position. Therefore, you need to adjust the size of the parts by filing and trimming. 

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Please watch the videos below to get our expert's perspective on assembling modules of the RepRapPro Ormerod 3D printer. Please follow the steps to assemble the modules of the Ormerod 3D printer.

Part I: Mechanical Assembly

Part II: Wiring of 3D printer

Congratulations, you have successfully assembled a RepRapPro Ormerod 3D printer. Now, it is time to do some calibrations.

Steps for calibration

This calibration process is different from the manufacturer. From experience, we found that this method is easier and takes less time. The calibration is to make sure that the heated bed is flat to the nozzle, NOT YOUR EYES. 

1.    Take five points on the heated bed.

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2.    Place a piece of thin paper between the nozzle and the heated bed. (Thickness of the paper should be within 0.06 to 0.07 mm)

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3.    Using the software- Pronterface to move the axis and make measurement.

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4.    Start off with the middle point on the heated bed. Move the nozzle down along the z-axis until that you can feel the some friction between the paper and nozzle. (But the paper still can move)

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5.    Set this position as Z-home by entering G92 Z0 at the command window.

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6.    Move the nozzle to the point at the corner. Move the nozzle down along the z-axis until that you can feel the paper becomes difficult to move. Click 'Get Position' to see the location for Z axis. Record the location values. 

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7.    Do the same for the other 3 points.

8.    Based on the location values recorded, you should move the heated bed so that it can be flat to the nozzle. You can move the nuts to achieve the objectives. Positive indicates that it is higher than the reference (centre) point and negative indicates the opposite.

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9.    After adjusting the heated bed. Recheck the new location values of the points. Start off with the middle point on the heated bed. Move the nozzle down along the z-axis until that you can feel the friction between the paper and the nozzle.

10.    Set this position as Z-home by entering G92 Z0 at the command window.

11.    Move the nozzle to the point at the corner. Move the nozzle down along the z-axis until you can feel the paper become difficult to move. Click 'Check Position' to see the location value for Z. The reading should be in the range of   -0.1 to 0.1.

12.    Repeat the previous step for the rest of the 3 points.

13.    When all the readings are within the range of -0.1 to 0.1, the calibration is complete.

Preparation before printing

1.    You need to convert the 3D design file into a gcode file in order to print. This is because that the 3D printer only recognises the gcode file.

2.    Manually set the Z home location (it will give you a better quality when printing):

Move the nozzle down along the z-axis until you can feel the paper become difficult to move. Entering G92 Z0 to confirm the position for Z home

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3.    Click on X Home to ensure X axis is homed.

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4.    Click on Y Home to ensure Y axis is homed.

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5.    Insert the filament by clicking the extrude button. The length and speed of inserting filament can be adjusted.

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6.    Set the nozzle and heated bed temperature for printing.

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7.    You can either choose load file or SD to start printing. The file from an SD card will have a better quality as compared to a file directly from a PC.

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8.    Now the printing is in progress.

Common Problems and troubleshooting

1.    The fan is not turning when the power supply is on.

Check the Connection between the power board and Duel Board. The connection might not be made properly.

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2.    The printed object is not in its right shape.

The belt for both X-axis and Y-axis might not be tight enough. Please adjust the belt and observe that the heated bed and the hot end nozzle are moving smoothly

3.    When removing the filament, it might be difficult to take out.

The nozzle’s heater should not be turned off when removing the filament. This ensures that the filament is still soft when removing.

During assembly, it might take a very long time for some of these steps. Please be patient during the processes. Have Fun!

 

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