Hi there I was wondering if someone can help me please - I have a really big (120018501600 xyz) printer from Dowell 3D in China (http://www.dowell3d.cn) which I am using to print the biocomposites we have developed into outdoor construction panels to make our ‘Green Camp System’ - basically 3D printing ecovillages from sunshine. Scroll to the bottom of the home page for journal entries about the development of the 3D printer and prototyping thus far: www.create.green

I replaced one of the two filament extruders that came with the printer with a Lily Pellet Extruder ( https://www.recycl3dprint.com/support/documentation ) that was working fine but I have burnt out two of the custom Dowell Motherboards that run custom Dowell firmware.

It is very frustrating that as soon as I get the printer working the mobo burns out and there is basically ZERO support from China and ZERO doccumentation that comes with the printer. Basic things like auto PID tuning do not exist and it is time to switch electronics provider!

The gantry is a good system with four independent z axis motors that actively move as the print is printing to keep the bed level which means there is pretty complex wiring but we think we can do without this feature as I’m printing large panels with a 3mm nozzle but if you have any ideas how we can include that I would be very grateful. The microstepper controller for these larger stepper motors is Microstep driver 9-42v. But as you can see from the attached picture it doesnt have a model number on the front.

The XY gantry motors are larger: (XY gantry motors 57cm23 https://leadshineindia.com/products/leadshine-hybrid-stepper-motor-57cm23 ) and there is one for x movement and one for Y. The microstepper controller for these larger stepper motors is Rtelligent Microstep driver Dm542.

Would the Duet 3 Mainboard allow us to drive these x, y and 4x Z stepper motors without the microstepper drivers or would we still need to use the microstepper motors? I have read the specs and it says the Trinamic drivers have a microstep function that is quite high. Would we even need the extra microstepper drivers? Maybe for the large x y motors as these are 5A?

We also need a driver for the extruder which is a total of 7 stepper drivers and I note the new Duet 3 main board only has 6. Would an extension board allow us to have additional drivers simply working with marlin firmware?

Also can we run an auto mesh-level function on reprap please?

Hope to hear back from you so we can buy both the mainboard and the extension soon.

Many thanks

Charles

p.s: Since time of writing this I have now ordered the Duet 3 Main Board and will buy the expansion when I can afford it next month.

Attachment(s)
Pic of the microstepper driver without any part name on it

@dc42 the power was not on for the USB power hub, now it is it recognises the com port on PC and it recognises com4 in Bossa. I will try to follow the instructions to flash the D3 with Bossa

Big Green Machine Update:

@dc42 @T3P3Tony @chrishamm @Phaedrux

Hi dear Duet team and community. I’m happy to say my Green Camp business is making income so I can afford to keep making some progress:

Update:

1.cutting down the Dowell frame so it fits in my garage:

2: upgrading the X-Y gantry with openbuilds’ 1500 C-Beam Linear Actuators:

This will allow me to run the Massive Dimension MDPH2 Extruder (I crowdfunded for one last year and have it on my desk waiting) just like Dr. D Flo is teaching us how:

https://youtu.be/s27CzktFDCg

link text

Present situation:

• The 6HC, PU and Raspberry survived being drenched for 3 days in the hurricane!!! (Kudos to Duet!!!)

• Old 3HC shorted by fan with and needed replacing

• New 3HC has arrived needs to be fitted and firmware updated.

• What’s the console command that updates the 6HC and 3HC again please?

• In order that I don’t fry another 3HC, I need to learn how to determine the polarity of the wires of the fan and the pins on the board to match them

• I need to work out what is the expansion board I need to drive the MDPH2

• I need to workout the firmware config file. I will ask Dr. D Flo for his

• I need to work out how to reattach the 4 X lead screws for the Z axis / heater bed after I cut them down to match the decrease in size of the printer that I had to make so it would fit in my garage.

NB: Since I started this project a very capable (but not very friendly) engineer, Dr. D Flo, has started building with the same ingredients. I did reach out to him for help so we can print our green camp system shelters for refugee camps etc but he blocked me. Anyway, he seems to have it all working. Have a look how Dr. D Flow built a similar printer using Duet and this extruder in this 4 part series here:

Part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7JpumMS0Po

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xP074X8fUu8&t=1192s

Part 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW0k0BZvWno&t=1749s

Part 4: https://youtu.be/s27CzktFDCg

@Phaedrux also my effort to drill custom 16mm holes for those pulleys so they fit on the ball rods was so jankey it is crazy. I tried so hard to get them centre but they are anything but centre. I finally found some new ones with 16mm bores and I will bang those ones off and replace them with these new ones. At least those were good for proving the concept. If I have to buy more ball rods I will.

I'm looking on upwork for someone to come spend some time with me to work on the machine and get it going as I don't have the time to look after the machine now and it's getting rusty.

@Phaedrux dude they are so damn rusty I had to cover them in greace and force the slidey thing up and down till it all started moving again. I could only afford to buy one new one.

So latest update is that I have installed all of the C-beam actuators, installed new ball thread rods and cut those and the slide rods to fit onto this frame since it has been cut down to fit inside the garage.

The next steps would be to:

• Define what parts are still needed for the printer & order

• Plug kinematics (X Y), test

• Plug Z Axis, test

• plug endstops, test

• plug probe, test

• plug heaters, test

• plug bed, test

• leave the AC to the end

• connecting the extruder requires a metal plate to fit onto the C-beam trolly

• Connecting heated bed

• Pellet feed system

• Drying pellets and testing the system

I am seeking help to complete this project as I lack the time and skills to complete safely.

Big Green Machine Update:

@dc42 @T3P3Tony @chrishamm @Phaedrux

Hi dear Duet team and community. I’m happy to say my Green Camp business is making income so I can afford to keep making some progress:

Update:

1.cutting down the Dowell frame so it fits in my garage:

2: upgrading the X-Y gantry with openbuilds’ 1500 C-Beam Linear Actuators:

This will allow me to run the Massive Dimension MDPH2 Extruder (I crowdfunded for one last year and have it on my desk waiting) just like Dr. D Flo is teaching us how:

https://youtu.be/s27CzktFDCg

link text

Present situation:

• The 6HC, PU and Raspberry survived being drenched for 3 days in the hurricane!!! (Kudos to Duet!!!)

• Old 3HC shorted by fan with and needed replacing

• New 3HC has arrived needs to be fitted and firmware updated.

• What’s the console command that updates the 6HC and 3HC again please?

• In order that I don’t fry another 3HC, I need to learn how to determine the polarity of the wires of the fan and the pins on the board to match them

• I need to work out what is the expansion board I need to drive the MDPH2

• I need to workout the firmware config file. I will ask Dr. D Flo for his

• I need to work out how to reattach the 4 X lead screws for the Z axis / heater bed after I cut them down to match the decrease in size of the printer that I had to make so it would fit in my garage.

@t3p3tony marquee was destoryed in the storm. Project is mothballed till I complete/afford an upgrade to the frame to include cbearm linear actuators from openbuilds to mount my MDPH2 extruder on as per Dr. D Flo’s work

Thanks for your help getting this far

@t3p3tony Hi Tony,

Sorry for the radio silence. The Marquee that I am storing the 3D printer in became quite damp and would drip with moisture when it had rained and any sun shone on a cold day, dispite the cotton inner lining and ventillation I had made for the dome. So I wrapped up the printer in some synthetic sheets and tarps to mothball it over winter. I am now planning to get back into it, starting in the next couple of weeks. I will work to connect everything only through the second (hopefully not faulty extruder block).

Thanks
Charles

@t3p3tony hi Tony, I have the replacement 3HC now and am awaiting a BL Touch to arrive next week.

I’ll try to reconnect the new 3HC and rewire it as it was before just leaving out the fan and 3D Touch.

@t3p3tony

Okay I will as soon as I have some money. Is there a way to diagnose what caused this? Is a fan wired the wrong way or a 3D touch really able to blow a whole board?

@t3p3tony

Hi please advise. Do I need to buy a new board or what to keep things moving forwards?