Support and motion for huge 100x60 mic8 bed I am designing a really big printer for my business. The bed is going to be a 100cm x 60 cm chunk of 8mm aluminium which will be the Z axis. I am currently deciding how to support and move it. I am thinking of 2 x 20 mm linear rails and 2 x 16 mm ball screws or possibly just using 3 x 16 mm ball screws and no other means of support and guidance. By linear rails I mean the square ones with the re-circulating ball carriages. Or would round guides be better? Any advice would be most welcome! https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,796996,796996#msg-796996 Thu, 12 Mar 2026 03:28:58 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,796996,797100#msg-797100 Re: Support and motion for huge 100x60 mic8 bed https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,796996,797100#msg-797100
Quote
etfrench
Why would you want to move the bed instead of the extruder/hotend?

The bed is moving in Z. Arguably an easier feat to do then moving an XY gantry in Z.]]> Origamib Reprappers Sun, 19 Nov 2017 17:45:21 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,796996,797076#msg-797076 Re: Support and motion for huge 100x60 mic8 bed https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,796996,797076#msg-797076 etfrench Reprappers Sun, 19 Nov 2017 15:04:07 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,796996,797023#msg-797023 Re: Support and motion for huge 100x60 mic8 bed https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,796996,797023#msg-797023
I figured that 2 or 3 screws with 2 linear rails in the middle of the short sides would be best. I dont want to over do the rails and wind up over constrained. What do you think would be best with 3
screws, 2 or 3 rails I could always have 2 screws and 1 rail on one side and 2 rails with 1 screw on the other side?

The bed is going to be heated, I am printing PETG. It will be insulated with cork on the bottom. I am planning on using 230VAC heaters

For the frame I plan on using 60x20 or 80 x 20 for the frame and either 20x20 or 20x40 for the Y axis.

I am thinking of using 12mm MGN for the X axis and 20mm HGW for the Y axis and bed.

I actually only need about 3cm of build height for my business stuff, but will design for 500mm ball screws so I can use it for other stuff as well.]]> SplatHammer Reprappers Sun, 19 Nov 2017 09:35:22 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,796996,797012#msg-797012 Re: Support and motion for huge 100x60 mic8 bed https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,796996,797012#msg-797012
No other means of support? Will the bed be heated?

Linear guides, if used fully-supported (screwed to frame members or plates), are almost always better than end-supported round guide rails, but they are less forgiving of errors in parallelism.

For a plate that size 2 screws might work, but 3 is better.

Don't even think about using 20x20 or 25x25 mm t-slot for the frame. Start at 40x40 and go up from there.]]> the_digital_dentist Reprappers Sun, 19 Nov 2017 08:26:47 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,796996,796996#msg-796996 Support and motion for huge 100x60 mic8 bed https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?4,796996,796996#msg-796996 support and move it. I am thinking of 2 x 20 mm linear rails and 2 x 16 mm ball screws or possibly just using 3 x 16 mm ball screws and no other means of support and guidance.
By linear rails I mean the square ones with the re-circulating ball carriages. Or would round guides be better?
Any advice would be most welcome!]]> SplatHammer Reprappers Sun, 19 Nov 2017 06:12:06 -0500