RE: CORE One L Kit interest
I would too love to build the Core One L as a kit, but don't mind Prusa only sell it prebuilt. I understand completely that the AC mains part should not be exposed to everyone. But I really hope Prusa never moves completely away from kits, like the MK4.
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
Having built three Core Ones, I would be interested in a Core One L Kit.
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Chuck H
3D Printer Review Blog
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
I think it will be difficult to release a design with a mains-powered heatbed as a kit.
Is the heatbed itself double-insulated (Class II)? I assume that is not the case and it rather relies on single insulation and a protective earth connection of all metal chassis parts. If so, I struggle to see how one can make this fool-proof -- practically and formally -- in a kit. The user does not have measurement equipment to verify a compliant, low-impedance protective earth connection. And it seems difficult to even ensure that the user attaches all required earth connections at all.
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
I just find it absurd and annoying to think that it couldn’t be kitted because of a line voltage powered heat bed.
How many Heathkits were sold and assembled by people with No Government certifications or intervention. Though it may have happened I never heard of one electrocution. I was building projects, all line powered, from Popular Electronics magazine from scratch when in Jr. High. And so were my nerd friends.
RE:
I just find it absurd and annoying to think that it couldn’t be kitted because of a line voltage powered heat bed.
How many Heathkits were sold and assembled by people with No Government certifications or intervention. Though it may have happened I never heard of one electrocution. I was building projects, all line powered, from Popular Electronics magazine from scratch when in Jr. High. And so were my nerd friends.
Sure, maybe in the US, 40-50 years ago.
However now? Different countries, different certifications and different times. I also remember a time when wearing seatbelts in cars was not mandatory.
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
And that’s really sad…
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
That also explains why there a so few spare parts for the L
So if you have problems with the heatbed you need to send the whole unit back. That alone would be a showstopper for me to buy the unit (at least direct from Prusa). Aside from the high shipment costs, too much gets damaged during transport (especially an assembled unit). I would then look local to find suppliers or find something else (what would be my last resort) where I do not have this issue.
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
Any ideas or updates on the possibility of a kit?
If they're closing down their ecosystem due to the AC bed would be like diving head in into a lava pit... there are dumb decisions but that would be specially dumb.
I would love a kit of this. Would ship faster and then is up to the owner. Annoys the crap out of me when businesses can't sell something because a few incompetent people that mess it up for everyone... in this case would be worldwide.
anyways... mini rant aside, +20 for the kit.
i'm hot in the market for a printer and C1L is a strong contender, but the delay is a bummer. Otherwise I'd be looking at H2D/C or a Trident kit...
fingers crossed
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
Any ideas or updates on the possibility of a kit?
If they're closing down their ecosystem due to the AC bed would be like diving head in into a lava pit... there are dumb decisions but that would be specially dumb.
I would love a kit of this. Would ship faster and then is up to the owner. Annoys the crap out of me when businesses can't sell something because a few incompetent people that mess it up for everyone... in this case would be worldwide.
anyways... mini rant aside, +20 for the kit.
i'm hot in the market for a printer and C1L is a strong contender, but the delay is a bummer. Otherwise I'd be looking at H2D/C or a Trident kit...
fingers crossed
Prusa has stated on Reddit that there will not be a Core One L kit. I suspect future printers will be partial kits only. For example, the INDX upgrade. For kits the only options are: Core One, Voron and RatRig. I suspect though that the next iteration of the Core One will not be a kit either. That ship has sailed.
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
... due to the AC bed
I know I quoted this myself as a limitation but my Voron kit has a 750 W mains powered heatbed ,,,
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
I don’t buy that as the real reason for no kit. That problem is solvable if they wanted to. It could be that the kits are no longer profitable. I suppose it was inevitable.
RE:
I don’t buy that as the real reason for no kit. That problem is solvable if they wanted to. It could be that the kits are no longer profitable. I suppose it was inevitable.
I agree. If SpaceX has rockets that land themselves there has to be a way that a kit could be made 😂.
Beyond profitability is probably just a lot harder. It is much easier to throw a bag of nuts and bolts into a box than assemble a whole printer. But to do that the pick-packing system that is required for such volumes becomes essentially a full warehouse, which probably is that what it eats the margins; the fixed costs, not the per-item margin.
it's much cheaper to hire unqualified labour that can pick-pack, than what it is to hire a competent person that cares enough and then train them to efficiently assemble a printer.
But again, inventory systems, the machines, the barcode guns, printers, racking, etc might just have become too much.
I think it's a trade for space and less overheads or granular parts in two separate streams (assembly and kit).
edit: all this PLUS the fact that customers have been shifting into wanting more plug-and-play machines. The demand for kits doesn't justify the cost.
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
There are two customer bases. Those that want plug-and-play and those that can and will fix their own printers and build kits. Assembled printers cost to assemble. As for pick and pack bags. Those can be contracted out to larger places and I suspect that Prusa does to that.
What is Prusa going to do for all those that purchase Core One L and have to get them repaired? Set up service centres around the world? That would be very costly. Or have people ship their defective printers back to the factory for repair? If Prusa cannot sell a kit and doesn't supply spare parts, how do those printers get fixed?
As for the AC build plate. Just use a proper connector and there is no wiring. I would love to see the schematic and wiring diagram for the printer. Or even pictures of how the build plate is wired to get an idea why that is an issue.
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
Did Prusa actually say that the AC build plate was the reason for no kits? Or was that a community member who made a speculative comment and it’s been repeated until accepted as fact?
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
Did Prusa actually say that the AC build plate was the reason for no kits? Or was that a community member who made a speculative comment and it’s been repeated until accepted as fact?
Yes, Prusa is on record (well Reddit) stating categorically that there will be no Core One L kits and the reason was the AC bed. However... I suspect there is more to it than that. These printers are starting to progress beyond the capabilities of some kit builders to successfully complete. But that is just speculation on my part.
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
Did Prusa actually say that the AC build plate was the reason for no kits?
In an FAQ on Reddit, Prusa stated that the decision against kits was to "optimize manufacturing and make the printer more affordable", and because "the AC bed offers some complications in terms of certification if it is provided as a kit product".
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
What is Prusa going to do for all those that purchase Core One L and have to get them repaired?
Presumably the same approach they are taking for all other printers that were purchased fully assembled: Offer remote support and spare parts for simple repairs the customer feels comfortable with, and mail-in factory repairs otherwise.
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
Just completed my Trident build after realising that the Prusa kit won't be an option. Really glad I did and the printer is working very well. Built a Formbot kit and it exceeded my expectations. It also has an AC bed and somehow they still sell it.
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
As for the AC build plate. Just use a proper connector and there is no wiring. I would love to see the schematic and wiring diagram for the printer. Or even pictures of how the build plate is wired to get an idea why that is an issue.
I have speculated before that the AC heatbed is most likely not double-insulated (Class 2), but single-insulated. Hence safety of the complete printer relies on proper safety earth connections to all metal parts of the Core One L chassis. That seems had to ensure in a kit build: How do you verify that all safety earth connections have the proper low impedance, or are installed at all where they rely on dedicated ground leads?
RE: CORE One L Kit interest
I'd love to have a Core One L kit, but I completely understand Prusa. I wouldn't be surprised that a kit should cost as much or even more than an assembled version. Given all the extra costs of a separate "production line" for packaging the parts, make a manual, providing support. The extra costs already start with the design of the printer which has to take into account that it is buildable by an unexperienced person. And that design is probably suboptimal from a factory assembly optimisation standpoint. So the fact that the kit exists makes the assembled version more expensive.
The thing that I worry about though is that repairability will also suffer. I did need some repairing on my MK3S-now-MK3.5. And I am typing this post on a framework that I also repaired myself. (My Fairphone didn't need repair until now. It is indestructible.)