P3Steel Vitamins
In RepRap jargon, a vitamin (also called an "imported part" or "non-printed part") is anything that you need to make a RepRap, which a RepRap cannot itself make.
Contents
Lasecut parts
The P3Steel frame is essentially built from 3mm lasercut steel. CAD Drawings are available from GitHub and author's page on Thingiverse.
P3Steel V1.2 | P3Steel V2.0 |
---|---|
Has 3 Bearings on Y Carriage and 4 point heated bed leveling system. | Has 4 Bearings on Y Carriage and 3 or 4 point heated bed leveling system. |
P3Steel V2.01:
CAD file for version 2.01: File:PRUSA i3 steel 3mm lasercut 2.01d irobri.dwg
P3Steel V2.5:
CAD file for version 2.5: File:PRUSA i3 steel 3mm lasercut 2.5DXL e irobri.dwg.zip
Mechanical Parts
Bearings
Motors & couplings
Rods
Threaded rods
Only 2 M5 threaded rods are needed:
- 2x Threaded rod M5x295 mm
Smooth rods
6 Smooth rods are needed of the following sizes:
- 2x Ø8x375 mm for X-Axis (385mm for version 2.5)
- 2x Ø8x341 mm for Y-Axis (350mm for versions 2.01 and 2.5)
- 2x Ø8x320 mm for Z-Axis (330mm for version 2.5)
Screws
Approximately (with a reasonable safety margin):
80 x M3 nyloc nuts.
60 x M3 12mm hex screws. 20 x M3 20mm hex screws. 20 x M3 8mm hex screws.
20 x M3 washers.
2 x M8 30mm hex screws. 2 x M8 nyloc nuts. 10 x M8 washers.
The above does not include the screws, washers and nuts needed by the extruder / hotend subassembly. Stainless steel (vs. mild steel or carbon steel) M3 screws and nuts are much preferable, specially for the frame assembly.
Electronics
Image | Part | Quantity | Unit price | Total cost | Commentaries |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arduino Mega 2560 board (or compatible) | 1 | -- | -- | The printer's "brain". | |
RAMPS 1.4 board | 1 | -- | -- | Interface betwen the arduino board and the hardware. | |
Stepper motor drivers. | 4 | -- | -- | Drive the motors | |
Mechanical endstops. | 3 | -- | -- | Endstops are required to calibrate the home position for each of the X, Y and Z-axis. Mechanical, optical or magnetic sensors can be used. | |
12864 Graphics LCD Controller or 2004 LCD Smart Controller | 1(Optional) | -- | -- | An LCD controller allows printing without having a computer connected to the Arduino, by reading G-code from an SD card. | |
ATX PSU or LED strip 12V power supply. | 1 | -- | -- | See Choosing a Power Supply for your RepRap. We want 12V@16A minimum. |
Extruder / Hotend
This is a tough choice for people building their first RepRap printer, as it can become a major stumbling point during the first attempts to print a 3D object.
If you are not yet an experienced RepRap builder/user, it is strongly suggested that you purchase a hotend with potentially local support i.e. from the same local shop where you usually buy filament from. Once you have decided on a specific hotend, you can decide on an extruder design compatible with it and with the P3Steel.
As of early 2015, there are two popular choices for hotends: - E3D all-metal hotends. - J-head type hotends.
As for the extruder type, these basically fall into two categories: - Direct drive extruders. - Wade's geared extruders.