Hercules - QIDI X-Plus I-Mate Carriage for BMG & Dragon / E3D V6 by humebeam

Last crawled date: 2 years, 11 months ago

View QIDI X-Max version
Update June 6, 2021
Micro update of version 1.7, bringing the version number to 1.7.2. If you recently printed an earlier version, don't worry, it's very minor. Change:
Bearings moved 0.25 mm lower so they sit flush with the parts cooling fan duct when it is installed, helps fixating the carriage.
Minor aestetic fixes.
Also, the dial holder received an update, now version 1.2. The updated design means you can leave the dial holder inserted during prints and it will not hit the frame (for X-Max, not tested on X-Plus and I-Mate).
About
Hercules is a sturdy and dimensionally accurate one-piece carriage for the QIDI X-Plus and X-Max that was designed focusing on strength and ease of maintenance while keeping it lightweight. It uses self-securing cable management that doesn't require any cable ties. The PCB snaps in place and is moved to the side so it's not in the way of extruder access.
Scroll down to the bottom of the page to see some test prints using Hercules with BMG and Dragon.
The whole carriage is only roughly 100 g depending on infill and filament type used and the extruder and hotend are easily accessible without removing any other parts, although removing the blower fan attached with a single screw is recommended. Once the carriage is installed, there is no play between the bearings and the carriage.
Hercules is using the popular dual gear BMG extruder and Dragon / Dragonfly or V6 hotend.
It is a remix of cwills75's design which in turn is a remix from jhenrikb's carriage, who did the original. This is however, completely redesigned. I've kept the outer dimensions for the carriage and the mounting holes for the fan duct identical for cross-design compatibility. Thanks to jhenrikb and cwills75 and the other guys pioneering the work and for calculating e-steps and firmware settings.
Why?
Curiosity. I didn't find the original QIDI extruders as bad as some people did but had to find out if they could be improved. I also wanted to be able to print a wide range of filament without having to switch extruders or worry about unrecoverable QIDI high temp extruder clogs and gear slippage. Ease of maintenance is also a big plus.
Is it better?
With Hercules I'm using a Trianglelab BMG (Clone) extruder and Trianglelab Dragon hotend and it prints even better with cleaner lines and the dual gear extruder is night and day. Clogs are a thing from the past and no more grinded up filament stuck in the gear.
Here's a comparison picture by Hercules user techguychad:
Hercules using BMG & Dragon vs Stock QIDI extruder
What to print:
Print these files:
hercules-1.7.2.stl
hercules-dial-holder-1.2.stl
hercules-belt-peg-1.2.stl
hercules-fan-duct-1.3.stl
bmg-handle-short-1.0.stl
Optionally, print the PCB cover as well (it's not needed):
hercules-pcb-cover-1.1.stl
Tools needed
Apart from the obvious M3 allen key you got with your printer already, you also need a JST crimping tool and JST-XH connectors (linked below under BOM) and a soldering tool which you probably already have. The soldering tool is needed for the M3 brass inserts for the bottom of the carriage for attaching the fan duct.
BOM - Bill of Materials
I buy most my 3D printer parts from Trianglelab and the rest from other stores on Aliexpress. Shipping takes a while from China but quality is excellent on the Trianglelab products and the prices are good.
You can buy the parts from either Trianglelab or DForce, which is the sister company, the items are identical but sometimes one of the stores are out of stock so I will link to DForce as "Source 2" below.
You can buy a pre-assembled Dragon hotend:
Dragon Hotend (I recommend Standard Flow)
Alternatively, you can assemble the hotend yourself using spare parts. You need the following parts for the Dragon hotend:
Trianglelab Dragon heatbreak (select New Core V2.0 SF) / (Source 2)Trianglelab Dragon heatsink (Select V2.0) / (Source 2)Trianglelab Dragon heatblock / (Source 2)Trianglelab T-V6 Plated Copper Nozzle / (Source 2)Trianglelab Dragon Fastener screws / (Source 2)Trianglelab Dragon Groove adapter
Also, these parts are needed:
Trianglelab BMG Extruder V2.0 / (Source 2)Trianglelab 6x20MM 24V 60W Heater Cartridge / (Source 2)Trianglelab T-K500 Thermocouple sensor 500℃ (sensor only) / (Source 2)Trianglelab 5015 blower fan 24V (optional) / (Source 2)Trianglelab 24V 4010 40x40x10mm Brushless Fan / (Source 2)Trianglelab Titan Stepper Motor 23 mm (optional, you can use the stock motor but this is 85g lighter)
I also use a Sunon Maglev MF40202V2-1000U-A99 for one of my carriages. It is a 24V 40x40x20 mm (4020) fan that I bought locally, either one is fine.
As for extruder and hotend you can use a genuine Bondtech BMG Extruder and E3D V6 hotend instead of course or a Trianglelab V6 clone if you like. Another option is the Trianglelab Dragonfly BMO. The Dragon hotend is the best though.
You also need some bolts:
For extruder: 3 x 40 mm M3 bolts
For blower fan: 1 x 20 mm M3 bolt
For extruder fan: 2 x 15 mm M3 bolts (2 x 25 mm for 4020 fan)
For short BMG handle: 1 x 20 mm M3 bolt
For optional dial indicator holder: 1 x 20 mm M3 bolt
For parts cooling fan duct: 4 x 8 mm M3 bolts
You can get these from Aliexpress as well:
10 pcs M3 Hex Socket Head Cap Allen Bolt Screw L=4-60mm
You also need a JST crimping tool and some JST-XH terminals and connectors. I'm using this IWISS crimping tool which is inexpensive and is doing a good job.
IWS-2820M Crimping Tool + JST-XH Terminals and Connectors (select IWS-2820 2.54 XH-F)
If you don't know how to crimp JST connectors, this is an excellent video showing how to crimp with a mini (two step) crimping tool like the IWISS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHfYzrSF4pY
It's not difficult.
If you want to use a dial indicator to perfect the bed level you also need is a good quality dial indicator:
Neoteck DTI Digital Dial Indicator 0.001/0.00005'' 0-25.4mm/1''
Finally, you need a set of M3 brass inserts, I use these that will fit the Hercules carriage (you need 8 pcs total):
Trianglelab M3 Brass Embedded Nut
Extras:
It might be a good idea to stock up on some extras while you're at it. If you can afford it, a complete additional extruder and a Dragon hotend is good to have on hand as well as an extra thermocouple and heater cartridge but if you're on a budget I would recommend at least to get an additional heatbreak and nozzle:
Trianglelab Dragon heatbreak (extra spare. select New Core V2.0 SF) / (Source 2)Trianglelab T-V6 Plated Copper Nozzle / (Source 2)Trianglelab Hardened Steel T-V6 Nozzle / (Source 2)
That being said, I've had zero issues with my first extruder/hotend setup after 300+ hours. But it's nice to have a second carriage prepared that can be swapped in in about a minute. It's optional of course.
Finally I can highly recommend the Energetic PEI plate as a replacement sheet for the stock Qidi bed plates. I use this for pretty much all my prints nowadays with perfect results.
ENERGETIC 200x270mm Qidi X-Plus Flexible Build Plate
How do I use the Dial Indicator Holder?
You can achieve perfect bed level in about a minute without removing any parts / carriage.
As the dial holder is in front of the carriage it doesn't measure on top of the bed leveling screws but it doesn't matter for accuracy, we still achieve perfect bed level. The script checks the bed level on three different spots on the bed in a triangular pattern. Adjust the bed leveling screw closest to where it measures and by the time the script has looped three times the bed will be perfectly level.
Copy to your USB and just print it like you would a normal model (print the correct one):
qidi-plus-hercules-dial-bed-leveling-script-v1.gcode
Caution! The dial holder attachment should not be inserted during normal prints, it may hit the frame and break!
Buy a Pre-assembled Hercules carriage
If you are interested in buying a complete Hercules unit for a fair price, pre-assembled and ready to put in the printer, check out Olaf's shop here:
Big Qidi Extruder Upgrade Package
Donations
All my designs are free, they're developed and tested in my spare time and most have source files available for easy editing.
If you enjoy this or any of my other designs, a small donation is not needed but welcome. Thanks! :)