Makerbot 5th Gen Heated Print Bed (HPB) by lanyx

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

Ever wanted to print something other than PLA on your MB 5thGen? Having issues with warped edges? Time to put a heated print bed (HPB) on it. MB does not have any options for an HPB so I had to make my own design. I am now able to print perfectly flat using ABS, PET+, and PLA. I am sure it will do others but have not experimented yet. The HPB will easily heat to 110° C. It will use your existing glass plate. Keep in mind that this will NOT be integrated with the MB software. You will have to manually turn off/on the HPB before/after you print. The temperature controller will maintain whatever temperature you set and I also enabled a safety feature so that if the thermocouple fails or a relay fails closed, it will automatically turn off the power supply to prevent a fire. Materials needed:
350w 12-24v DC power supply http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KXV4WH8?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s02
PCB heatbed hot plate (i got the one with the LEDs already soldered) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015369VT6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s03
12v relay 30/40amp with wiring harness (you only need 1, i bought a 5 pack) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005HFYE1O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s02
Temperature controller able to go above 100°C http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OLOGO9M?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01
Some 14ga wire
5 amp 120v fuse and holder
Heat shrink tubing
120v plug
Masking tape
Painters tape
2 paint sticks or yard sticks that are 5mm thick (Update: changing to Aluminum strips. May have to adjust clips as they are only 3.5mm thick.)
120v LED Panel mount (to let you know if the power supply is running, not required)
SPST panel mount switch (to turn off power to HPB but still leave the control unit on)
110v Power switch ( to turn the HPB and Temp Controller on/off)
Plastic or metal enclosure 4x5x6” to hold all components (recommend plastic if you don't have a nibbler to cut metal squares/holes
Banana female connectors for the ability to unplug Thermocouple
High amperage 12v connector like an XT60 or Dean's for the ability to unplug the HPB.
Both of the above connectors are recommended to be able to remove HPB and remove/replace the blue tape.
Some soldering skills
Some electrical skills
Work very slowly and make sure all your connections are 100% correct prior to energizing. This is a lot of power and easy to make mistakes
Steps:
Build temperature controller
Get plastic enclosure box and cut out square opening for Temperature Controller
Drill holes for the banana plugs, switches, power cables and anything you need in/out of the box
Refer to the wiring diagram on how everything ties together
Use 14ga wire for anything that will have high current
Refer to Inkbird on how the temperature controller operates for the ITC-100RH
Be sure to ground your power supply and case if using a metal box
Remember you are dealing with 120v in the case. Be careful if operating with case open and any shorts or incorrect wiring
Build Heated Print Bed
Print 4 clips prior to dismanteling your print bed
o 100% infil, Standard resolution (200mm)
o Order of preferance on filament (PET+, ABS,PLA)
Remove print bed tray and remove glass
Clean glass of all material and finish with an alcohol wipe
Store print bed plastic tray. Will no longer need
On PCB heater, solder power connections to bottom of PCB (side with the LED connector)
o Make sure the top is flat even at the solder pads
o Make sure there is solder going all the way through the PCB to ensure heating elements on top are getting power
Cut paint sticks/yard sticks 1x235mm, 2x108mm
o Maker sure the paint sticks are 5mm thick (homedepot/lowes)
Center PCB heating element side (noticable by all the rows of traces on the board) on the glass
Tape (masking tape) PCB to glass. Do not wrap tape around edges of glass
Bend thermocouple tip 90° and place in center hold of PCB (update: use some hose bib rubber washers taped around the tip to keep in place over time.)
Using masking tape, put ~3 layers of tape on thermocouple to hold in center of PCB and provide some insulation
Tape (masking tape) wood pieces to PCB as shown in pictures
o Two shorter pieces are for placing on the front side with space for the thermocouple wiring
Cover top of glass with Blue Painters tape. Wipe with an alcohol wipe. This creates a fantastic surface for all filaments. Wipe gets rid of any residue or grease on the surface.
Install new heater print bed on bed platform
Install clips starting top first and snap at the bottom of the platform edge
Admire your creation
Perform level process based on your printer. On the MB 5th gen, I first start with an auto level then finish with a manual level.
o Turn off printer
o Manually turn bed Z rod to move the print bed to within a couple mm of the print head
 Use a paper towel or something as this has grease on it
 You will want to recoat the rod after you are done with grease as this should be done periodically anyways
o Manually move the print head to the center of the print bed
o Use a business card and bring print bed up to the thickness of the business card. You should be able to move the business in an out with minimal friction
o Move the print head to the front center
o Measure with business card again. Adjust front/back knob to same friction as center
o Move print head to rear center, measure and adjust. Do this several times to get front and back as close as possible
o Move print head to right center, then left center and adjust the left/right knob until the exact same
o Do this process several times to get the entire surface of the print bed the same height.
o Keep in mind that the glass may not be 100% flat and that the print head rods may also not be 100% flat. I ALWAYS print with a raft on the MB to eliminate as much unlevel as possible
Once you have everything setup and operational, the below settings should get you started. Adjust for your brand of filament. This entire setup also helps in eliminating any variances you may be seeing by your room temperature. Before I had to put the printer in a closet with a space heater as my house was too cold causing a lot of warping. Now with the HPB I don't have to use a space heater, my prints are near 100% flat and I am able to do stronger filaments.
Filament starting temperature (all numbers in C)
o ABS HPB 110° Extruder 235° Speed 90% (Infill,inset, raft)
o PET+ HPB 70° Extruder 245° Speed 50%
o PLA HPB 50° Extruder 215° Speed 100%