Electronics relocation  

Re: Electronics relocation

All of the cables are terminated within 2" of required length.
Moving the Einsy box means that every cable will need to be re-terminated.

I'd suggest building your printer as is. Make it work. Do the fine tuning. Learn A LOT.
From there, figure out what you need to change, and develop a plan from there.

Good luck!

Re: Electronics relocation

Yeah its tight id say even 2" quoted above may be generous estimate for some of the cables. You would need to reterm every single connector.

Re: Electronics relocation

Alright, I appreciate the advice.

Going to keep my door open here though, really would like to take every precaution I could to protect my investment from day 1, so if anyone has advice for getting that done I'm all ears

Re: Electronics relocation

Could you create a section of your enclosure that could house your rambo or einsy in a cooled section. But still in the same relative position. With the wires going through the wall into the heated zone?

The psu could be moved over to that side too, allowing it to be outside the heated zone but using stock wiring

Regards Joan

Re: Electronics relocation

I was just thinking about that, but was intimidated when looking at images of the assembled rambo which seems to have wires exiting from every side. Do you believe that the wires could be reasonably routed to all exit on the same side in order to facilitate a slight separation? Any thoughts as to how significant a separation might be achieved?

I'm more optimistic regarding the PSU, since it is moved a significant distance in the official prusa lack enclosure instructions. Gives me hope that there is sufficient play for me to do a similar rearranging.

Re: Electronics relocation

I was also imagining doing something along the lines of what joan.t mentioned. Specifically, I was thinking of printing little panels that I could puzzle into place just around the print space, but inside the electronic space. A few cursory surveys of the printer suggest that this will be quite a bit of figuring, but once done everyone and their sister can just print out these panel sheets and quickly have an impromptu print area enclosure, albeit an ugly one.

If there was a 3d model of a working standard MK3 I'd already be doing it because it would be such a simple modeling task. In any case I am with the OP insomuchas I don't see a point of making an enclosure that promotes any sort of heating of the electronics.

Re: Electronics relocation

Well if it helps, there are tons of models out there, here's the first one I found:

https://grabcad.com/library/prusa-i3-mk3-solidworks-1

I'd love to see what you come up with!

Re: Electronics relocation

Until I can come up with some kind of idea of if/how much separation is possible, here's my thought. I'm planning to reprint the outside casing for the rambo in order to bring a duct directly from it to the edge of my housing. Just wanted to share in case it helped anyone or anyone had any critiques of the idea. The attached model is very much a work in progress and does not include intended foam rubber and filter inserts, for clarity sake, nor does it include the general vents, as I haven't modeled them yet.

screen capture software

By the way, I've heard a lot about the PSU and rambo, but no mention of the LCD/controller. I don't think I'm worried about heat there, but I would like accessibility, and I've seen enclosures that have this section fairly remote. Is there sufficient slack for this relocation?

Re: Electronics relocation

Hi John,

I assume you are planning to blow cold air into the Rambo case. this will hit the PCB side, where it will do least benefit, and then cause drafts inside the printer enclosure, which may compromise ABS and other sensitive filaments.

I would look at turning the board round in a new housing, so that the side nearest the print platform becomes the back of the housing, make the back side solid and step the PCB out from the back, a little to allow air to flow up behind the PCB

then I would form the side furthest away from the print bed into a chimney such that the cooling air is ducted from the bottom, across both the front and the back of the board, and out the top, allowing the chimney to move the air by convection,

I would relocate the power supply to the left hand side of the enclosure outside the enclosure, so that the psu didn't get heated unnaturally, this should save you having to lengthen the wires.

and I would seal the wiring holes with something like Bluetac, to prevent unnecessary draughts inside the cabinet .

controlling the temperature inside the enclosure would be another issue, perhaps put a temperature controlled fan at the top of the enclosure, venting hot air out,and provide a diffused air inlet, beneath the heat-bed... perhaps ducting the hot air, out of a window, or through a suitable filter, if the polymer of choice emits nano-particles as I believe ABS does.
if using the window option, you will need to prevent back drafts

maybe provide a stirrer fan to circulate hotter air from the top of the enclosure to mix with the incoming air at the bottom...

but then I may be talking rubbish...

Joan

Re: Electronics relocation

Fantastic! Thank you for the incredibly thorough response Joan!

All of that sounds great. For what it's worth, my plan was to draw air away from the PCB as opposed to blow toward, but all of your points are well taken. I'd noticed the back of the board issue, I just haven't managed to determine how much wiggle room I have to play with when it comes to relocating/rearranging the PCB. I'll take it from your post that there is slack enough to flip the board. I will plan to do that. I really like the chimney idea, leaves room for some fun designing.

I'm not certain that I understand the PSU note. Are you saying that I'll get more length if I plan to relocate the power supply to the side of the print surface opposite the side it it presently on? I believe you if you say so, I'm just surprised to hear that, and more surprised that I'd heard no mention of it in all the enclosures that simply relocate the PSU downward (though they seem to often as not report a need to lengthen wires).

As for venting, filtering, circulating, regulating, that's all still in the works. I appreciate your thoughts, I'll certainly take them into account. I hadn't considered back drafts, though as I'll be running through two sets of filters, two fan banks and about 8 feet of venting I'm hopeful that they won't be a major factor, but I will be vigilant. I think I noticed that you've also replied to another thread I started to the venting/filtering point as well, so I look forward to reading that.

Thank you again, and thanks to anyone else reading through this. The community is the primary quality that drew me to the Prusa. I'm glad to find it so true to reputation

Re: Electronics relocation

Also, any info on the LCD module slack?

Re: Electronics relocation

Hi John, there is not a huge amount of slack in the LCD Cables, longer cables can be obtained, but there is a point at which they will become unreliable, because they are paralell cables and subject to 'cross talk' Pulse distortion, echo and interference.
if you bring the lcd cables straight down from the einsy case and under the base, you may be able to put the LCD at the front left hand side, using the existing cables. you should recover about 100mm of slack by taking out the transition from einsy on the left, to front panel in the middle... simply by going straight from the einsy to the front of the enclosure!

the PSU low voltage and power panic cables go from the bottom of the PSU housing, under the printer frame and up into the Einsy case, so if you relocate it to the left instead of the right of the printer you effectively get about 250mm slack to play with.

regards Joan

Re: Electronics relocation

Awesome, perfect, thank you

RE: Electronics relocation

Hi guys,

i know this thread is nearly 2 years old. I'm really interested if anybody ever built an enclosure with the mentioned features?

I am currently looking for some input to build an acrylic enclosure. so i'm curious about other designs!

RE: Electronics relocation

Hi

I want relocate power and Rambo outside enclosure

And put near prusa only connector for bed and estrusore using cable extension male female sell by prusa

In this mode is possible have all electronic outside box and qick connector for put outside the printer

But a good upgrade is have a connection box near prusa that accept original cable and have in output a single connector that go outside box to electronic and the cable near electronic have a single connector for put in ranbo

Repeate

near prusa box

-In original connector

-Out single cable connector

Cable connector

- to printer single connector

-to rambo original connector female

Near Rambo and power unit (outside box) 

- in original male connector

In this mode for put outside printer need to sconnect only 1 cable

But I 'm programmer not electronic

Exist this solution?