Power supply specification (first custom build)
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I'm planning my first custom build, a dual extruder unit with a hotbed. I have a bench power supply. Am I better off calculating power draw and buying supply in advance, or testing with a bench supply?
Thanks so much
Joe
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@virgosystems said in Power supply specification (first custom build):
I'm planning my first custom build, a dual extruder unit with a hotbed. I have a bench power supply. Am I better off calculating power draw and buying supply in advance, or testing with a bench supply?
As long as you are just planning, you shouldn't buy anything. First thing is to build the mechanics. Geometry, extrusions, heaters, steppers, print heads … Then, you need a controller - hopefully, a Duet
(no joke, it's really fine).If you finally have printer and electronics sitting in front of you, they will tell you what kind of power they want - What I want to say: don't ask the last question first. In my case, I ended up with a separate power supply for the 5V rail and a rather fat guy for the higher voltages, but that was a logical consequence of my hardware, nothing to think about in the first place.
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@virgosystems said in Power supply specification (first custom build):
Am I better off calculating power draw and buying supply in advance, or testing with a bench supply?
I would say calculate, with a good margin. The link above is a good resource for analyzing your power budget.
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Do you plan to run the heat bed on mains voltage or on DC? This is typically the main consumer.
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What voltage do you plan to use for your servos? 24V is common and better than 12V.
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You want to get a power supply from an established brand such as Meanwell and buy from a reputable vendor to make sure it's not a clone. That's safety. I like their UHP series because they are compact, efficient and fanless.
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If you use an SSR to control the bed heater, again, you want a good brand from a good source. That's safety related.
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