Scared about my Anet a8 order

Hello, I recently ordered the Anet a8 from Amazon. I know I could have gotten it cheaper, but this seller had great reviews and the service is worth it. I have one problem. I have heard many complaints about the anet a8 heating up too much and melting and/or catching on fire. I'm going to install a MOSFET for my heated bed to reduce the risk, but I am still worried. I've also heard that the risk of melting and overheating is determined slightly by the main board and I want to know if the printer I ordered comes with the newer or older main board. Here is the link to the one I ordered. Anet A8 - Prusa i3 DIY 3D Printer - Prints ABS, PLA, and Lots More [www.amazon.com]

Any 3d printer is a fire risk. See the safety forum here for some ideas on minimising the risks. Get smoke alarms preferably linked ones so if it goes off you hear it, have a co2 fire extinguisher handy. Don't leave it unattended (but if you do, do so after you've gained enough confidence in the machine and satisfied yourself it's properly built and then use all reasonable precautions).

Offloading the high current for the bed heater from your controller is a good idea via an external mosfet/relay, ensure bed heater wires are thick and securely terminated, make sure the thermistor and heater cartridge are secure.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

Consider investing in decent, high quality parts... You get what you pay for, and in the anet a8 you get a cheap power supply, cheap heaters and cheap electronics... All are a fire hazard.

Do your research though, there are alot of safety features you can add

Hi.
I have a A8 with the newer mainboard.
I did print quite alot without any mods. It worked well for me. But there are many reports regarding burnes connectors on both mainboard. And connectors to the bed.
Have don the mosfet mod. Feels better going to upgrade Wires to the bed. And solder them to the bed.
DJdemond is absolutly right in his comments.

Oh. I dont leave it in attended for long periods.
Linked smokealarm is on my list to fix. Bit I do have a webcam that i can monitor the print rwmotley.

Thank you so much. Printer works flawlessly. Paranoid over nothing.

Enjoy.

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Simon Khoury

Co-founder of [www.precisionpiezo.co.uk] Accurate, repeatable, versatile Z-Probes
Published:Inventions

Consider stuffing power supply and board into a metal enclosure to stop potential fire from spreading:

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newbob
Consider stuffing power supply and board into a metal enclosure to stop potential fire from spreading:

Not sure if you're serious or not - but unless you let lots of air into the enclosure it's going to overheat and burn anyway!

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David J

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newbob
Consider stuffing power supply and board into a metal enclosure to stop potential fire from spreading:

Not sure if you're serious or not - but unless you let lots of air into the enclosure it's going to overheat and burn anyway!

Yes, by all means, you have to use forced air cooling if you stuff it in any type of enclosure.

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newbob
...
Yes, by all means, you have to use forced air cooling if you stuff it in any type of enclosure.

And if you do this, you are delivering fresh Oxygen to the fire and spreading it out of the Box again.
Never heard anything more stupid like your Suggestion.
Sorry.

Buy reliable parts, do a clean setup, install a smoke detector, place a fire extinguisher where you can grab it.
If you are really worried - do not leave it allone.

And if you even can't trust it this way: Just don't buy a 3D-Printer.

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Dancer
Buy reliable parts, do a clean setup, install a smoke detector, place a fire extinguisher where you can grab it.
If you are really worried - do not leave it allone.

And if you even can't trust it this way: Just don't buy a 3D-Printer.

Good advice - I used a generous-sized power supply (not from a PC), used the correct gauge wire for the high-current parts, and kept it as neat as possible. I don't have a smoke detector specifically for the printer, but there is one nearby (the normal house one). I do have a fire extinguisher nearby, but again that's for domestic use - but of course can be used on the printer if required.

But the best piece of advice is "don't leave the machine unattended". Although I don't always sit next to the printer while it's working, I am always nearby and can keep an eye on it. I might be doing something else in another room, but I often check in to make sure it's OK. Also, my wife knows how to turn off both of my machines if she spots a problem before I do.

To reassure the original poster - there is an inherent risk with a 3D printer, but you just have to manage that risk. Assemble everything according to the instructions, make sure all connectors are tight, especially on the high-current leads, and keep a close eye on it during the first few prints. Make sure that any wires and connectors aren't getting too hot. After you've used it a while go round and check that the connections are still tight (they can work loose).

Don't panic about it - take your time, take good care, and you'll end up with a useful and interesting hobby.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2017 05:44AM by David J.

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Dancer

Quote
newbob
...
Yes, by all means, you have to use forced air cooling if you stuff it in any type of enclosure.

And if you do this, you are delivering fresh Oxygen to the fire and spreading it out of the Box again.
Never heard anything more stupid like your Suggestion.
Sorry.

Buy reliable parts, do a clean setup, install a smoke detector, place a fire extinguisher where you can grab it.
If you are really worried - do not leave it allone.

And if you even can't trust it this way: Just don't buy a 3D-Printer.

People new to 3d printing should know that all 3d printer kits do not follow safety standards that one would normally expect from a home appliance or even a boiler.

Fused controller boards, thermal fuses, enclosed power supplies should be a standard but it are normally not included. "Don't leave printer unattended" for a device expected to be running for hours at a time is unrealistic and only a way to shift a liability from sellers to customers. Obviously OP wants to print lipo battery boxes so he probably knows about thermal runaway and which wires not to touch but many do not.

[youtu.be]

PS.: Some also do not realize how many 3d printer parts are flammable or toxic when heated:

[youtu.be]

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2017 04:24PM by newbob.

Make the metal box the heat sink...no forced cooling necessary.

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Dancer

Quote
newbob
...
Yes, by all means, you have to use forced air cooling if you stuff it in any type of enclosure.

And if you do this, you are delivering fresh Oxygen to the fire and spreading it out of the Box again.
Never heard anything more stupid like your Suggestion.
Sorry.

The whole point of forced air cooling is that it will *prevent* a fire by preventing things from overheating. So not stupid at all.
Putting your controller board and/or PSU in an enclosure without adequate cooling *would* be stupid. And, probably, "adequate" cooling would require it to be active cooling of some kind, and, probably, forced air would be the easiest and cheapest way to do that.

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Buy reliable parts, do a clean setup, install a smoke detector, place a fire extinguisher where you can grab it.
If you are really worried - do not leave it allone.

And if you even can't trust it this way: Just don't buy a 3D-Printer.

I do agree with this part.

If the metal box is large enough you don't need force air cooling. The metal box acts as a heat sink, but you do have to have enough metal vs the heat source. This practice is done a lot with Industrial equipment through heat calculations and sizing the industrial control cabinet large enough to act as a heat sink. I've designed and installed many industrial electrical cabinets with VFD drives and PLC equipment without forced air cooling and some of these applications are in IP67 environments that get washed down by a high pressure hose where any sort of "fan" vent would just let water inside.