Delta experts: feedback appreciated

bartolomeus

Fun has started:

Munce31

This delta looks awesome!

Is there any chance you'll be making the design available for others to create their own?

bartolomeus

@Munce31 said in Delta experts: feedback appreciated:

This delta looks awesome!

Is there any chance you'll be making the design available for others to create their own?

Thanks!
I am quite happy myself. Just finished building and started using the printer. With a bowden for now, waiting for the last parts to arrive to install the 4th axis. Calibrated to 0.01 deviation, which seems ok to me. Tbh I haven't even aligned the rails yet. Also the idler mounts need a slight adjustment. I might be able to move the idler mounts up and still clear the effector. This way it will be easier to tighten the belts, and also shorten the belts.

Edit: oh, and yes I might make the designs publicly available. Will take some time though untill I have everything sorted out.

bartolomeus

I am about to receive the last parts to setup the 4th axis.
Now I have a question about firmware configuration: I want the extruder output to keep the same distance from the hotend as when all axis are homed (the endstop of the 4th tower will be mounted lower than xyz endstops). How should I calculate the 4th axis 'rod length?

M665 L288:288:288:?? R140 H340 B117.5

DeltaCon

@bartolomeus: I never thought a 4th axis would be interesting because I thought, probably a false assumption, that the shorter bowden would be stressed during moves. If there is a possibility to keep the correct distance from hotend to extruder given the position of the extruder, that makes a significant difference! So I am curious about an answer to your question

Also: Do you have some newer pictures of the machine in use?

bartolomeus

@DeltaCon said in Delta experts: feedback appreciated:

@bartolomeus: I never thought a 4th axis would be interesting because I thought, probably a false assumption, that the shorter bowden would be stressed during moves. If there is a possibility to keep the correct distance from hotend to extruder given the position of the extruder, that makes a significant difference! So I am curious about an answer to your question

Also: Do you have some newer pictures of the machine in use?

I installed everything last night and configured the 4th axis in the software. Everything is working nicely (printed a large vase to test the setup). Next step is to find how short I can go on the bowden. I doesn't look like the bowden gets stressed much, even on my temporary and fairly rigid extruder mount. I plan on using a short rubber band between the extruder and the carrier so that any tension on the bowden is further reduced. Btw, software maintains a set distance between extruder and hotend, minimising any stress on the bowden.

I don't have any news pics, it looks quite messy right now. I have to clean up some wiring first.

dc42

@bartolomeus said in Delta experts: feedback appreciated:

I installed everything last night and configured the 4th axis in the software. Everything is working nicely (printed a large vase to test the setup). Next step is to find how short I can go on the bowden. I doesn't look like the bowden gets stressed much, even on my temporary and fairly rigid extruder mount.

Some people mount the extruder on gimbals, so that the output direction of the Bowden tube can swivel to accommodate the XY position of the effector.

bartolomeus

@dc42 said in Delta experts: feedback appreciated:

@bartolomeus said in Delta experts: feedback appreciated:

I installed everything last night and configured the 4th axis in the software. Everything is working nicely (printed a large vase to test the setup). Next step is to find how short I can go on the bowden. I doesn't look like the bowden gets stressed much, even on my temporary and fairly rigid extruder mount.

Some pole mount the extruder on gimbals, so that the output direction of the Bowden tube can swivel to accommodate the XY position of the effector.

I thought about a gimbal, but an elastic band seems like a simpler solution.

@dc42 The rail I am using for the 4th axis is too short, 400mm(build height is 340mm). It was a spare I had lying around. Is there a way to limit the movement of the 4th axis?

bartolomeus

With an elastic band or gimbal, it is the effector that is moving the extruder. I want to eliminate any interaction between the two, so I think I am going to hard-mount the extruder to the 4th axis.

@DeltaCon attached a pic of the current state of the printer

DeltaCon

@bartolomeus, Thanks, looks good!
I certainly add the wish for a 4th axis and flying extruder to my build-wishlist!

dc42

@bartolomeus said in Delta experts: feedback appreciated:

@dc42 The rail I am using for the 4th axis is too short, 400mm(build height is 340mm). It was a spare I had lying around. Is there a way to limit the movement of the 4th axis?

No, like the other 3 towers it will move as far as necessary to keep the correct distance from the effector.

bartolomeus

@DeltaCon said in Delta experts: feedback appreciated:

@bartolomeus, Thanks, looks good!
I certainly add the wish for a 4th axis and flying extruder to my build-wishlist!

Graag gedaan.

@dc42 said in Delta experts: feedback appreciated:

@bartolomeus said in Delta experts: feedback appreciated:

@dc42 The rail I am using for the 4th axis is too short, 400mm(build height is 340mm). It was a spare I had lying around. Is there a way to limit the movement of the 4th axis?

No, like the other 3 towers it will move as far as necessary to keep the correct distance from the effector.

Actually, I followed your advice (very long rod length) from another thread (z tracking camera) and now the 4th axis only follows z height and doesn't adjust for the distance between effector and extruder. It's a temporary fix untill the longer rail arrives.

bartolomeus

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