Mendel90
Revision as of 06:50, 4 March 2012 by AdrianKelly (talk | contribs)
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Release status: Experimental
| Description | A Mendel with flat sheets at 90 degree angles
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Mendel90 is being designed by Nophead to replace many of the threaded rods and printed parts of the [Prusa Mendel] with flat sheets, either MDF or Acrylic. It's advantages compared to the Prusa Mendel are:
- Stiffer, especially in the X Direction, so it can go faster without vibration
- Much less calibration and jigging required; if your holes are in the right places, your rods will be parallel
- Can be drilled with a paper template to make sure all holes are perfect
- Sheets are usually straighter and flatter than rods, as they are thicker and much wider
- All the OpenSCAD files are fully parametric; you can set all the parts to whatever sizes you want and easily increase the build area
- Everything is mounted on one of two planes, so it's all flat
- Frame is held together throughout the machine, instead of just at the corners, so much less warping
- Less vitamins
- Open design, allowing it to be worked on easier and mostly dissasembled without falling apart
- Z axis motors are at the bottom, so that the couplings don't need to support the weight of the X axis
- This means the Z couplings can be smaller, and therefore Z smooth rods closer to the threaded rods, increasing stiffness
- The center of balance is also lower, making it more stable
- Less printed parts, so it can be printed easier and faster
- Parts are ribbed to maintain strength and decrease print time
- Ribbon cables are used to prevent cable tangling and friction
- Rectangular, so it can be shipped and put in Heated Build Chambers easier.
- Uses LM8UU bearings
- Uses 10 instead of 12, so only one package is needed
Disadvantages:
- If you drill a hole wrong, it is much harder to fix than to adjust a nut on the Prusa Mendel
- Less room for adjustment-only a few mm
- Harder to expand to a larger build area once built
- MDF expands with heat and moisture, and Acrylic cracks-MDF could be coated with Epoxy
- OpenSCAD files have not been released as of March 4, 2012-they will be on Github
- More volume of vitamins-sheets are larger than rods
- Probably heavier and harder to ship
- More types of screws
- Louder because sheets act as soundboards
- Fewer bearings might make it less accurate
