Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?  

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

It won't be cheap but,  you could find something like this:

https://www.roadcases.com/accessory-ata-style-trunk-case-w-wheels-and-retractable-handle/?tw_source=google&tw_adid=769349605665&tw_campaign=22896818786&tw_kwdid=pla-904779950040&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22896818786&gbraid=0AAAAADuJmeblFXqD6qYzTkD-fQtfhDCEk&gclid=CjwKCAjwnN3OBhA8EiwAfpTYeqqRO7KhcCALaiKj4gOef3HL8apZr3zL5Dklwfue7W5gn1VF60COIBoCZqEQAvD_BwE

Probably cheaper to send it FEDEX.  

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

Thanks. Definitely not cheap.  Maybe I can hammer together a plywood box?

I will be shipping around 400kg+ of personal belongings, so the FedEx will be too expensive. It will an international shipping / relocation company doing door-to-door.

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

My suggestion is to contact Prusa support. They have instructions on how to pack the printers to send back for warranty repairs (or otherwise). 

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

I would imobolize the Axis with Cardboard strips wrapped around the axis and  cover the beds with cardboard.  Remove the LCD.  The MMUs could be wrapped well and packed with the printer.   Prusa when shipping used foam cutouts and multiple layers of cardboard.    A strong wood box is best, but they add more weight.  Seal all inside the box in a heavy plastic bag with dessicant added.  Get as much of the air out of the bag as possible.  If going by air there will be significant pressure changes.   

Are you changing plug power after the move?   New plugs may be needed.  The power supply auto switches ffrom 110 to 220 as needed. 

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

Somewhere at Prusi you will definitely find a procedure on how to unpack the printer from its shipping box. Disconnect and dismantle the LCD. Look at how the individual axes were secured against movement using ZIP tapes, how the fillings made of flexible material were inserted and try to imitate it as best as possible even if you do not have the original materials. Use polystyrene foam, bubble wrap, old newspapers and cardboard to fill the free space in the box. Just disconnect the MMU and put it in the box. And if you have more things to move than just the printer and the container is larger, I think there is less chance of something getting seriously damaged. The printer is not made of glass or porcelain to shatter into 500 or more pieces during the first move like this forum did a few days ago.

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

Great suggestion, thank you Hyiger.

Posted by: @hyiger

My suggestion is to contact Prusa support. They have instructions on how to pack the printers to send back for warranty repairs (or otherwise). 

@vhubbard thank you for sound advise. 

I will need to change the plugs. Voltage at both locations are the same (220-240) but where I am now, the grid is 60Hz and on the other end 50Hz. I think the PSU should handle that.

Posted by: @vhubbard

I would imobolize the Axis with Cardboard strips wrapped around the axis and  cover the beds with cardboard.  Remove the LCD.  The MMUs could be wrapped well and packed with the printer.   Prusa when shipping used foam cutouts and multiple layers of cardboard.    A strong wood box is best, but they add more weight.  Seal all inside the box in a heavy plastic bag with dessicant added.  Get as much of the air out of the bag as possible.  If going by air there will be significant pressure changes.   

Are you changing plug power after the move?   New plugs may be needed.  The power supply auto switches ffrom 110 to 220 as needed. 

@miroslav-h4 also great advise, thank you. Will watch some unboxing videos from assembled printers to get some tips. Hoping the Youtube keeps its 500 pieces together.

Posted by: @miroslav-h4

Somewhere at Prusi you will definitely find a procedure on how to unpack the printer from its shipping box. Disconnect and dismantle the LCD. Look at how the individual axes were secured against movement using ZIP tapes, how the fillings made of flexible material were inserted and try to imitate it as best as possible even if you do not have the original materials. Use polystyrene foam, bubble wrap, old newspapers and cardboard to fill the free space in the box. Just disconnect the MMU and put it in the box. And if you have more things to move than just the printer and the container is larger, I think there is less chance of something getting seriously damaged. The printer is not made of glass or porcelain to shatter into 500 or more pieces during the first move like this forum did a few days ago.

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

That is a great idea.  They will provide the best advice and I am sure this is not the first time someone has done this.  

When I was in the Army, we shipped them in large Pelican boxes (water tight).  

Posted by: @hyiger

My suggestion is to contact Prusa support. They have instructions on how to pack the printers to send back for warranty repairs (or otherwise). 

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

Some articles in Prusa Support searching for "Pack to ship".

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

If it was an ender i would tell you to sell it, and buy a new one at the other end.

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

Or if were a reprap, print out the parts, mail them to yourself and assemble on the other side. 

RE:

Pelican cases are awesome, but I bet the army paid for it 😀 

Posted by: @cwbullet

When I was in the Army, we shipped them in large Pelican boxes (water tight). 

If it were printers I could buy locally, I would have sold these and just buy new over there.  I love me Prusa printers, but shipping from Europe and import taxes makes it cheaper to ship them from here with my other stuff.

Posted by: @public-username-required

If it was an ender i would tell you to sell it, and buy a new one at the other end.

Posted by: @hyiger

Or if were a reprap, print out the parts, mail them to yourself and assemble on the other side.  

Thank you for the link. Wish I had those foam inserts. Will see if I can make something similar.

Posted by: @ssmith

Some articles in Prusa Support searching for "Pack to ship".

 

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

Close.  Disassemble, bubble wrap all of the pieces that will be reused in a Core 1 build, and ship only those parts in a box.  Have Core 1 upgrade kits shipped to your destination, and then assemble there.

Posted by: @hyiger

Or if were a reprap, print out the parts, mail them to yourself and assemble on the other side. 

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

Something I did not think about and makes a lot of sense. Will give it some thought, thank you.

Posted by: @netpackrat

Close.  Disassemble, bubble wrap all of the pieces that will be reused in a Core 1 build, and ship only those parts in a box.  Have Core 1 upgrade kits shipped to your destination, and then assemble there.

RE:

I don't understand why this is complicated? 

Cable tie the moving parts, put it in a big wooden crate surrounded by and filled with packing chips. Nail the crate shut. Job done.

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

I did this about a year ago: moving from California to the UK, with my MK4 shipped by sea as part of a container load. I didn't have the original packaging, so I just anchored everything in place as much as possible with zip ties as in steps 6 and 7 of https://help.prusa3d.com/guide/packing-the-original-prusa-mk4-for-return-original-packing-material_423967. I lowered the nozzle onto a soft piece of rubber to help protect it against shocks. The printer then just went into a cardboard box with some bubble wrap (or maybe packing paper, I don't recall). It arrived fine after 6 weeks of transit and worked as soon as I had removed all the zip ties. The one thing I considered but didn't do was removing the LCD as it seems a bit vulnerable.

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

Posted by: @public-username-required

packing chips

I have seen guidance from at least two printer manufacturers stating explicitly that no packing chips must be used. You don't want those crumbles in your lead screw nuts and linear bearings.

RE:

When I moved, I broke down my printers by removing the X axis, removed the Z axis and had to take apart the Y axis, bed, PSU, and LCD, and then packed them all into cheap footlockers from walmart and it worked out very well. as I could get 3 printers into 1 footlocker with them broken down. Just pack them well enough and remember, for the most part a lot of companies will charge for weight and volume, so I dont recommend packing them up separately.

Also I would consider the price of shipping them vs. selling them now and getting new ones when you get to your final destination as it could either be the same price as a new printer for the cost of shipping when its all said and done. 

RE: Relocating to another continent: How to pack your printers?

Thank you @venice3d and @same-old-shane. Advise from someone who did it before always helps.

I will definitely remove the LCD.

Also I would consider the price of shipping them vs. selling them now and getting new ones when you get to your final destination as it could either be the same price as a new printer for the cost of shipping when its all said and done.

I need to ship a bunch of personal stuff anyway. Considering the shipping rates and import taxes for the printers and MMU from Prague , I think it should be cheaper to add it to my shipment (no import taxes for my personal stuff). My printers do not have high print hours and are still in good nick.

@jurgen-7, thank you. I will keep that in mind and probably stay with bubble wrap, zip ties, and some high density foam.

RE:

I feel like this is a good example of the over-complication that I see. If you are using reasonable cable ties, wood, and packing chips, how exactly is this going to happen?

I could write: don't use wood is that is dis-coloring, warping, and going soft, and don't use packing chips that look like fried potato snacks that turn to mush then they get wet, and don't use disposable cable straps that are 1 dollar per thousand, but should I need to?

Posted by: @jurgen-7

Posted by: @public-username-required

packing chips

I have seen guidance from at least two printer manufacturers stating explicitly that no packing chips must be used. You don't want those crumbles in your lead screw nuts and linear bearings.