CR-10 Ultimate Z-Box: The ideal drag chain + X-axis stepper damper bracket + wire management solution

thingiverse

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MABjG5eTEFM" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe> This is my 1.0 release of my Utimate Z-box the the Crealitly CR-10. It combines my idea of the bracket for the dual X damper with stevenfayers drag chain design. Currently printed in a 2 tone white and black design, but of course any colors can be used. The 1.0 design has the following features: - Drag chain - Damper bracket for dual X dampers - Wire management system - Filament sensor - Hotend LED I will soon add a cover without filament sensor mount but with filament guide. Some features are optional. I do recommend this mod for people that have (very basic) knowledge of electronics. Depending of the features you are going to use, you will need to do some basic soldering. I have not tested with the wire extension kit, so i'm not sure if it will fit my design. Personally i prefer to cut the wires, and extend them with some extra AWG24 wire. Just solder it, and add some heat shrink. What you will need to print: - 1 pce Z-Box_Housing_V1.0.stl - 1 pce Z-Box_Cover_V1.0.stl - 1 pce Filament_Sensor_V1.0.stl - 9 pcs Dragchain_A_type_V1.0.stl - 9 pcs Dragchain_B_type_V1.0.stl - 1 pce Bottom_Bracket_V1.0.stl - 1 pce Bottom_Bracket_cover_V1.0.stl Besides these printed parts you will need the following materials: - 11 pcs M3x12 screws (shorter can work too) - 4 pcs M3x8 screws - 2 pcs M3x6 screws - 2 pcs NEMA17 stepper dampers (6mm thick) - 4 pcs M3x5 screws (often supplied with dampers) - 2 pcs M3x40 screws (for mounting of 2nd damper to stepper) - 2 pcs M5x50 (optional, the original bots are just 3-4mm short, but work) - 4 pcs Hammer head M5 nut. - 4 pcs M5x8 screws Optional electronics for Filament sensor - General purpose limit switch. Available on aliexpress. Check out photos. - Thin wire to hook up switch. Optional electronics for hotend LED. - 1 pce 5mm LED, red, 20mA - 1 pce resistor approx 600 ohm (anything between 500 and 1000 will do) Optional electronics for hotend terminal - A total of 2x8 positions PCB screw terminal with 5,08 mm pitch - Prototype PCB with 2.54m pitch holes and a minimum size of 50mm x 25mm Mounting of box: 1) Remove stepper (if you already have a single damper, forward to step 4) 2) Place damper on front of stepper using the the supplied screws 3) Use brass distance bolts to mount stepper. The other 2 distance bolts are not needed 4) remove 2 screws from the back of the stepper, and use M3x40 screws to mount damper 5) Screw back screws of V-slot wheels so the nut comes loose, or replace with M5x50. 6) Mount Z-box on stepper using the V-wheel screws + nuts, and mount damper with M3x6 to the Z-box (there are holes in the back for this purpose) Mounting of bottom bracket: 1) use hammer heads + M5x8 bolts to mount to frame. See pictures for position 2) the hole on next to the bed, can be used to route the Z stepper cables Drag chain assembly: 1) I highly recommend using braided sleeving around the wires in your dragchain. 2) Place all wire in the Z box in the right position. You will need to cut the hotend cable. 3) Snap the A and B type links together around the cable startring at the Z-box housing's integrated drag chain link. Alternate between A and B type to close chain. I should run very smooth. If it doesn't, you may have connected the wrong links with each other. 4) connect the last link bottom bracket. Wire management 1) The extruder cable goes trough the square hole in front of the stepper connector 2) The X limit switch cable goes trough square hole at the near the bottom. 3) The hotend cable goed trough the round 11mm hole and should be routed under the PCB When done, use a cable tie at the bottom of theZ-box to lock the cable in place. Hotend connection terminal: 1) Cut PCB to a size of 50mm x 25mm (the 25mm can be a bit more or less) 2) Make 2 rows of 8 connector and solder them to the PCB back to back 3) Use solder (and wire) to connect the terminals together as shown in photo 4) Place PCB in housing. If it doesnt fit, sand it down a bit. 5) I recommend marking the connections with a sticker of marker pen. 6) Connect wires coming from drag chain to the back side of the terminal block 7) Connect wires coming from hotend to front side of the terminal block. - The (white) thermistor wires have no polarity - The (red) hotend wires do have a polarity, but switching them doesn't matter. - The fan wires do have polarity, and should be connected correctly. Hotend LED 1) Cut the pins of the LED to approx 10mm 2) Solder the resistor to 1 of the pins. 600 ohm is a good value. Increase value for less light 3) Solder wires to the other pin of the LED, and the other side of the resistor. 10cm is plenty. 4) Use isolation material (like heat shrink) to cover any bare conductors 5) Connect to the back of the the screw terminal block on the hotend wire. 4) Push the LED into the hole on the front. Use glue if necessary. - LED's have a polarity, so if the LED doesn't work while the hotend is heating, try switching the wires on the terminal block. If that doesn't work you probably have a bad connection, or the hotend isnt heating. Filament sensor 1) Route the wire/cable coming from the drag chain behind the terminal block 2) Route the wire/cable trough the square hole in the Z-box cover 3) Route the wire/cable trough the square hole in the filament sensor and underneath bridge 4) Solder the wires to the Normally Open pin and the common terminal. 5) use 4 pcs M4x8 scres to mount the sensor to the Z-box cover 6) Place to lengths of PTFE tubing in both sides of the sensor. Its important you put them all the way trough (8mm and 18mm) or the filament will wear out the sensor. Depending on the performance of your printer it can be hard to get them in. If so, carefully smooth out the holes with a small screwdriver or a long m3 screw. It the PTFE is to losse, use a little bit of glue. - The used llimit switch is the most standard type i could find on Aliepress. Check out the pictures for more info. - My CR-10 does not have a stock filament sensor. I will be connecting it to my Raspberry Pi running octoprint in a later stage. - In my case i will be using the NO pin (normally open) but i dont know if other the original sensor may be connected as NC (normally closed). - There may also be the need of some resistors depending on what you are using now. Copy the original design, or use that PCB by removing the switch, and solder the new limit switch to it using some wire. - There are kits available to add such a sensor to the original motherboard of the CR-10 (non S). I guess these could work with a little modification - I will not be advising you on how to implement the sensor output on your CR-10.