Anet A8 Specific Y-Axis Carriage Plate Upgrade

thingiverse

This is an upgrade to the fastened together h-frame y-axis carriage that is supplied with Anet A8 printer kits. Universal Prusa i3 carriage plates lack y-axis motor clearance and require modifications to be used. This design is a direct replacement, that requires no modifications, and does not reduced z-axis travel. I happen to have access to a laser cutter and 0.160" aluminum plate, so I designed this plate to improve performance and include some similar features I like from the Lulzbot 5 carriage plate. I have added the option for mounting three bearings in an isosceles triangle pattern. The four corner holes are sized for M3 taps to utilize either the original A8 fasteners, or to use the Lulzbot style 3D printed bed clamps. I've also included center holes for M3 fasteners for those interested in using a 3 point leveling system. The belt retainer holes are sized for M4 taps and spaced for use with either the original Plexiglas bars, or the printed toothed retainers available here on Thingiverse. Also added in a revision are the original h-frame M4 bolt pattern, on the motherboard side, that are used for the y-axis cable chain upgrade. The overhung tabs with slots are for cable management or to mount any accessories desired. All threaded holes will require tapping after cutting. Enjoy! How I Designed This Autodesk Inventor Model I have provided the original solid model from Autodesk Inventor as well as a drawing format Inventor file. Different nesting programs for laser cutters require different file formats, so I have provided both files I needed to manufacture this design.