9 suggestions for Original Prusa i3 MK4
I would say that probably everyone is posting topics about the MK4. Here I have some suggestions about the main features.
1. New display: the old ones on the MK3 is a pain in my opinion. You have this wheel and this reset button below it. My main complaint is the reset button. Sometimes when pressing the knob, the knob touches the reset, thus losing a 10 hour print whenever I press the knob. A touch screen is much better.
2. Better stepper drivers/cooling: my X, Y, Z motors are ok, but my extruder motor is boiling hot. Maybe next time use the TMC2209 drivers that can drive the motors much cooler. The hot motor contributes to heat in the bond tech gears.
3. Better raspberry pi connection: the current MK3 only supports connecting a pi zero, which does work, but it cannot provide enough processing power. I recommend having a mount for a larger raspberry pi and having a much more powerful voltage converter to power it.
4. Steel sheet detection: Simply add an IR sensor to detect the steel sheet and determine its thickness, and adjust the Live Z accordingly.
5. Size: we all thought that the printers were just not big enough, maybe something like 400*400*450 will be more than enough. This also means that we could switch to a mains powered heat bed.
6. Bigger PSU: the current PSU only delivers 10A while the printer itself can spike up to 15A when printing and heating. Also add a fan to cool the PSU and the electronics.
7. Hotend/extruder: I know that the hotend is great, but it is absolutely massive in terms of its weight. It is also very wide. Maybe make a new version of the fan-shroud to enable non-planar printing. Same applies to the PINDA(make it retractable??).
8. Built-in Ethernet/WiFi/camera: Nothing is better than sending the print directly from the slicer and watch it print without the need of going anywhere.
9. Automatic nozzle cleaning: I tend to have the plastic ooze out of my nozzle when preheating and making a blob of plastic in my prints. Adding a brass brush to the end of the X axis will fix this problem. At the beginning of the print, the printer will rub the nozzle against the brush.
RE: 9 suggestions for Original Prusa i3 MK4
...9. Automatic nozzle cleaning: I tend to have the plastic ooze out of my nozzle when preheating and making a blob of plastic in my prints. Adding a brass brush to the end of the X axis will fix this problem. At the beginning of the print, the printer will rub the nozzle against the brush.
I was also frustrated, and still curious why they havent solved that already? They could 've solved that problem by integrating gcode that heats nozzle before leveling up to 160C (to avoid oozing), and by purging it before print.
M115 U3.6.0 ; tell printer latest fw version
M83 ; extruder relative mode
M140 S[first_layer_bed_temperature] ; set bed temp
M109 S160 ; Set extruder temp before bed level
M190 S[first_layer_bed_temperature] ; wait for bed temp
G28 W ; home all without mesh bed level
G80 ; mesh bed leveling
M109 S[first_layer_temperature] ; wait for extruder temp
G1 Y-3.0 F1000.0 ; go outside print area
G92 E0.0
G1 E8 ; Purge Bubble
G1 X60.0 E9.0 F1000.0 ; intro line
G1 X100.0 E12.5 F1000.0 ; intro line
G92 E0.0
M221 S{if layer_height<0.075}100{else}95{endif}
RE: 9 suggestions for Original Prusa i3 MK4
@hamza-b
Very clever indeed! I kind of did the same, but my printer starts with the homing then mesh bed levelling, then moves to (x=255, y=0, z=0) where there is no steel sheet under the nozzle. It only then starts to heat up(just to be on the safe side), and once it is up to the temperature it moves only the X axis to the left, thus having the steel sheet “scrape” off the residue. Since it already has done MBL, it goes straight to intro line then the actual print.
RE: 9 suggestions for Original Prusa i3 MK4
@hamza-b
Check out my GCODE:
START :
M862.3 P "[printer_model]" ; printer model check
M862.1 P[nozzle_diameter] ; nozzle diameter check
M115 U3.8.1 ; tell printer latest fw version
G90 ; use absolute coordinates
G28 ; auto home and mesh bed leveling
G1 X255 F1992.6 ; move extruder outside of the print area
M83 ; extruder relative mode
M104 S[first_layer_temperature] ; set extruder temp
M140 S[first_layer_bed_temperature] ; set bed temp
M190 S[first_layer_bed_temperature] ; wait for bed temp
M109 S[first_layer_temperature] ; wait for extruder temp
G1 X0 F1769.9 ; move extruder back into print area
G1 Y-3.0 F1000.0 ; go outside print area
G92 E0.0
G1 X60.0 E9.0 F1000.0 ; intro line
G1 X100.0 E12.5 F1000.0 ; intro line
G92 E0.0
M221 S{if layer_height<0.075}100{else}95{endif}
END:
G4 ; wait
M221 S100 ; reset flow
M900 K0 ; reset LA
M104 S0 ; turn off temperature
M140 S0 ; turn off heatbed
M107 ; turn off fan
{if layer_z < max_print_height}G1 Z{z_offset+min(layer_z+30, max_print_height)}{endif} ; Move print head up
G1 X0 Y250 Z200 F1804.6 ; move printhead away
M84 ; disable motors
; I must also say that you should use this AT YOUR OWN RISK