2 Heatbeds for the same Printer

Hey,

I have a Ramps 1.4 board and I am wanting to gain a bigger print area so I will combine 2 heatbeds together.

If I have a sufficiently high enough PSU Amps wise would, I be able to power both beds from the same OP? D8 on the ramps board?

my only concern is that i would pull to much current through the board it's self.

Thanks

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Quote
ayouden
Hey,

I have a Ramps 1.4 board and I am wanting to gain a bigger print area so I will combine 2 heatbeds together.

If I have a sufficiently high enough PSU Amps wise would, I be able to power both beds from the same OP? D8 on the ramps board?

my only concern is that i would pull to much current through the board it's self.

Thanks

The fuse on Ramps D8 line is an MFR1100 which has an 11amp hold rating and 22amp trip rating.

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tjb1
The fuse on Ramps D8 line is an MFR1100 which has an 11amp hold rating and 22amp trip rating.

Yep, not to mention that the connector on RAMPS isn't meant to handle that much current either.

You could just use a relay connected to D8 to control the power to the heated beds though.

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You could also use external pid controllers which can be found for a decent price. That would be the easiest way to do it that I coukd think of. Its true that the traces on the ramps board wont handle that much amperage. Trying to do it with relays is possible and I would recommend using ssr instead of a mechanical relay if you go down that path but monitoring temps without an extra thermistor might get hairy. You would also have to change the firmware. I think your best bet would be to use external pid as it would save you a big headache.

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REPRAP SQUAD
monitoring temps without an extra thermistor might get hairy.

Um, what? You would monitor temps in exactly the same manner as if the power to the heated bed were running directly through RAMPS.

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REPRAP SQUAD
You would also have to change the firmware.

No firmware changes necessary to use a relay, except maybe to disable bed PID/PWM if enabled and using a mechanical relay is desired.

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REPRAP SQUAD
You could also use external pid controllers which can be found for a decent price.

Not nearly as cheap as just getting a relay, especially since most PID controllers require (or come with) a relay anyways.

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REPRAP SQUAD
I think your best bet would be to use external pid as it would save you a big headache.

Honestly, I think having an external PID controller that has to be manually set and controlled would be a bigger headache than just using a relay and letting your printer control the heated bed temperature.

In the end, an SSR that can handle the required amperage can be had for about $10, and is incredibly simple to wire up. No firmware changes should be necessary, and no bulky external PID controller to worry about.

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