Thingiverse
Anet A6 Z-Carriage (modular, parametric) by runtimeterror
by Thingiverse
Last crawled date: 3 years, 1 month ago
This is a modular Z-Carriage upgrade for the Anet A6-printer. It replaces the stock carriages (those pierced with lots of screws).
The stock carriages don't have a belt tensioner which I consider to be crucial for good quality. I was a bit unsatisfied with the existing upgrades, as I had troubles to get the perfect measures due to warping issues.
The model I developed is 100 % parametric, so everyone can edit measures and tolerances at will.
My priorities were roughly:
perfect distance of the x-rods
perfect fastening of the x-rods
modular design to be able to replace single parts and reduce print time on failure (implicitly supports multi color prints)
reducing the need for supports
ability to upgrade to plain bearings (like Igus)
optics and customizability
Some detail decisions:
The holes for the rods in the braces seem to be oddly shaped: They aren't circles but beveled 8-sided polygons. The rod fits in easier and straight-lined holes can be printed more exactly than curved walls. The polygon is oriented with vertices in each main direction so the rod can be exactly centered without touching the clamp's gap. The polygon is beveled for making the hole not bigger than necessary - some walls are already very thin. Another beveling makes a slight funnel for easier insertion and reducing an elephant's foot which could make the hole too small for the rod.
Some screw holes where you'd expect to have the shapes of hex nut & screw head simply have two hex nut holes. For most of those holes this allows you to decide which way the screw should go in. For others it simply wasn't worth the effort to specialize the screw head hole ;)
Most angles are 45 °. This angle typically can be printed as overhang without any support.
The tensioner knob is rather long. I wanted to provide the longest possible range for tensioning. To get the wheel holder close to the knob I had to bury the knob very deep into the carriage.
I decided to provide my own belt fasteners as the most common ones are rather thick-walled and have sharp edges. Mine can be be customized for your needs, have beveled edges and their measures influence the size of the belt tunnels within the carriages - try to keep them small.
The carriage covers have a grid as bottom layer. This allows to peel them off fairly easy from the bed, but still prevented bending during the print. If you experience any problems with bed adhesion, try to remove the grid or use a raft.
1 Shopping list
Lots of screws! That's the main downside of my design. I tried to mitigate this by allowing to use the screws from the original z-carriages.
All screws are M3 (3 mm thread diameter)
x_rod_brace_clamps: 8 x 14 mm (12 mm minimum, 18 mm possible, if you use the xz_stop, one screw has to be 20 mm as absolute minimum)
x_rod_adjustment: 4 x 12 mm
x_rod_brace to z_carriage: 8 x 10 mm (8 mm minimum, 18 mm possible)
motor screws: 4 x 10 mm (just use the original screws)
z_rod_bearings: 4 x 16 mm (14 mm minimum, just use the original screws)
z_spindle_nut: 8 x 16 mm (just use the original screws)
x_belt_tensioner_knob: the longer, the better (the original 18 mm screws are ok)
x_belt_tensioner (wheel): 16 mm (the original 18 mm should fit, but might touch the back x rod)
z_carriage_cover (optional): 8 x 6 mm (8 mm possible)
hex nuts: 35 (add another one if you want to secure the tensioning screw against turning within the wheel holder; remember to use one lock nut to assure the belt wheel turns freely and the screw cannot get loose)
Also needed: a belt wheel
2 Calibration
First of all you should print right_inner_x_rod_brace and check for the following issues:
The hex nuts should fit in with little to no force
The screws should fit in with little to no force
The clamp should have a small visible gap
The x-rod shall be a tight (but possible) fit. If the clamp's gap is visibly bent open after the rod has been inserted, something is wrong. On the other hand: if the rod isn't held by the clamp at all, that's no better.
If anything is wrong, take a look into the tolerances.scad. The variable _ can be altered to get a better fit. Have a look at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2805660 to figure out the perfect values.
3 What to print
Components from left to right (roughly):
left_outer_x_rod_brace: holds the left ends of the x-rods and provides the motor support
left_z_carriage: the core part of the left carriage, connecting the z-rod, z-spindle, x-rod-braces
left_inner_x_rod_brace: holds x-rods and optionally the xz_stop
right_inner_x_rod_brace: holds x-rods, can be used for calibrating the tolerances (see above)
right_z_carriage: the core part of the right carriage, connecting the z-rod, z-spindle, x-rod-braces and the belt tensioner
right_outer_x_rod_brace: holds the right ends of the x-rods, has a hole for the tensioner knob and has text on its surface
x_belt_tensioner: holds the right wheel of the x-belt
x_belt_tenioner_knob: contains a hex nut to pull the x_belt_tensioner away from the motor
Optional:
xz_stop: This is necessary when not using a proximity sensor for auto-leveling and when using the original position of the x-stop switch. If you're not sure about this: just print it.
left_z_carriage_cover, right_z_carriage_cover: that's mostly for optics and maybe dust protection
belt_holder (2 x): An alternative to zip ties to fasten the x_belt to the x carriage. They're smaller than the popular ones and can be configured for you needs
4 How to assemble
Please have a look at the overview and the photos I made. If anything is unclear, don't hesitate to ask in the comment section and I'll do my best to explain. This section will be updated over time.
5 What's still open/planned
Holder for plain bearings
allow the x-stop-switch to be moved from the x-carriage to the left z-carriage (no good ideas so far)
As with other designs, the right carriage is too light-weighted. The motor on the other side leverages the right z-carriage, when the x-carriage is on the left side. I'm still looking for something useful to weight it down. A spool would be too heavy, maybe a second motor ... ;)
The stock carriages don't have a belt tensioner which I consider to be crucial for good quality. I was a bit unsatisfied with the existing upgrades, as I had troubles to get the perfect measures due to warping issues.
The model I developed is 100 % parametric, so everyone can edit measures and tolerances at will.
My priorities were roughly:
perfect distance of the x-rods
perfect fastening of the x-rods
modular design to be able to replace single parts and reduce print time on failure (implicitly supports multi color prints)
reducing the need for supports
ability to upgrade to plain bearings (like Igus)
optics and customizability
Some detail decisions:
The holes for the rods in the braces seem to be oddly shaped: They aren't circles but beveled 8-sided polygons. The rod fits in easier and straight-lined holes can be printed more exactly than curved walls. The polygon is oriented with vertices in each main direction so the rod can be exactly centered without touching the clamp's gap. The polygon is beveled for making the hole not bigger than necessary - some walls are already very thin. Another beveling makes a slight funnel for easier insertion and reducing an elephant's foot which could make the hole too small for the rod.
Some screw holes where you'd expect to have the shapes of hex nut & screw head simply have two hex nut holes. For most of those holes this allows you to decide which way the screw should go in. For others it simply wasn't worth the effort to specialize the screw head hole ;)
Most angles are 45 °. This angle typically can be printed as overhang without any support.
The tensioner knob is rather long. I wanted to provide the longest possible range for tensioning. To get the wheel holder close to the knob I had to bury the knob very deep into the carriage.
I decided to provide my own belt fasteners as the most common ones are rather thick-walled and have sharp edges. Mine can be be customized for your needs, have beveled edges and their measures influence the size of the belt tunnels within the carriages - try to keep them small.
The carriage covers have a grid as bottom layer. This allows to peel them off fairly easy from the bed, but still prevented bending during the print. If you experience any problems with bed adhesion, try to remove the grid or use a raft.
1 Shopping list
Lots of screws! That's the main downside of my design. I tried to mitigate this by allowing to use the screws from the original z-carriages.
All screws are M3 (3 mm thread diameter)
x_rod_brace_clamps: 8 x 14 mm (12 mm minimum, 18 mm possible, if you use the xz_stop, one screw has to be 20 mm as absolute minimum)
x_rod_adjustment: 4 x 12 mm
x_rod_brace to z_carriage: 8 x 10 mm (8 mm minimum, 18 mm possible)
motor screws: 4 x 10 mm (just use the original screws)
z_rod_bearings: 4 x 16 mm (14 mm minimum, just use the original screws)
z_spindle_nut: 8 x 16 mm (just use the original screws)
x_belt_tensioner_knob: the longer, the better (the original 18 mm screws are ok)
x_belt_tensioner (wheel): 16 mm (the original 18 mm should fit, but might touch the back x rod)
z_carriage_cover (optional): 8 x 6 mm (8 mm possible)
hex nuts: 35 (add another one if you want to secure the tensioning screw against turning within the wheel holder; remember to use one lock nut to assure the belt wheel turns freely and the screw cannot get loose)
Also needed: a belt wheel
2 Calibration
First of all you should print right_inner_x_rod_brace and check for the following issues:
The hex nuts should fit in with little to no force
The screws should fit in with little to no force
The clamp should have a small visible gap
The x-rod shall be a tight (but possible) fit. If the clamp's gap is visibly bent open after the rod has been inserted, something is wrong. On the other hand: if the rod isn't held by the clamp at all, that's no better.
If anything is wrong, take a look into the tolerances.scad. The variable _ can be altered to get a better fit. Have a look at https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2805660 to figure out the perfect values.
3 What to print
Components from left to right (roughly):
left_outer_x_rod_brace: holds the left ends of the x-rods and provides the motor support
left_z_carriage: the core part of the left carriage, connecting the z-rod, z-spindle, x-rod-braces
left_inner_x_rod_brace: holds x-rods and optionally the xz_stop
right_inner_x_rod_brace: holds x-rods, can be used for calibrating the tolerances (see above)
right_z_carriage: the core part of the right carriage, connecting the z-rod, z-spindle, x-rod-braces and the belt tensioner
right_outer_x_rod_brace: holds the right ends of the x-rods, has a hole for the tensioner knob and has text on its surface
x_belt_tensioner: holds the right wheel of the x-belt
x_belt_tenioner_knob: contains a hex nut to pull the x_belt_tensioner away from the motor
Optional:
xz_stop: This is necessary when not using a proximity sensor for auto-leveling and when using the original position of the x-stop switch. If you're not sure about this: just print it.
left_z_carriage_cover, right_z_carriage_cover: that's mostly for optics and maybe dust protection
belt_holder (2 x): An alternative to zip ties to fasten the x_belt to the x carriage. They're smaller than the popular ones and can be configured for you needs
4 How to assemble
Please have a look at the overview and the photos I made. If anything is unclear, don't hesitate to ask in the comment section and I'll do my best to explain. This section will be updated over time.
5 What's still open/planned
Holder for plain bearings
allow the x-stop-switch to be moved from the x-carriage to the left z-carriage (no good ideas so far)
As with other designs, the right carriage is too light-weighted. The motor on the other side leverages the right z-carriage, when the x-carriage is on the left side. I'm still looking for something useful to weight it down. A spool would be too heavy, maybe a second motor ... ;)
Similar models
thingiverse
free
Anet A6 X Axis Half-slit Carriages by kaa_
...ioner and counterbalance mount (optional).
z-endstop justification
use this simple part to adjust vertical position of z-endstop.
thingiverse
free
FT-5 Z-Link bracket by Pyro_Fox
...ove the z-axis down 1 mm. doing so should lock your z-axis in place and prevent unleveling the bed while you tension the bracket.
thingiverse
free
Flsun i3 x/z axis 70 mm redesign by BoyDrone
...v1.6 version allows for more compliance in the design similar to that of the z axis left and right...
thingiverse
free
A6 X-Belt tensioner "V1-V2" adjustable pressure on Z-axis rods by DaveLado
...the x-axis rods from the z-axis rods by adjusting the screws.
after that, tight the belt of the x-axis after.
have a good print!!
thingiverse
free
x-belt alternative tensioner by GPiotr1
...g m5 screws.
i drew a tensioner with a better grip on the belt.
for screwing you can use an m5 screw with any head and a hex nut.
thingiverse
free
Prusa i3 MK2 X-Idler Tensioner by Jasenk
... kit came with extras that i used.
the pully slide (x-end-idler-front-tensioner) fits one way. if it's tight flip it around.
thingiverse
free
T2.5 Belt tensioner by ceri
...f rod, 4 - 6 mm diameter.
note: you will need to drill 2 4mm holes 20mm apart,for the bolts.
tension and have betterprints !!
thingiverse
free
Anet A6 X-Axis with Anti wobble and tensioner. Now compatible with Manual bed levelling by chekcian
...ezoidal lead screw nuts. however it will also works without these nuts, it just make installation a lot easier and more secured.
thingiverse
free
Anet A8 X Axis Tensioner by FredGenius
...se the two that are currently holding the belt, should be a few more left over from the build).
1x m4x30mm screw.
1x m4 half nut.
thingiverse
free
TronXY X8 X Carriage Belt Tension Mod by duodreamer
...rriage, plus two long m3 screws with nuts. can also use a smaller (625) bearing if you want and if your belt needs the clearance.
Runtimeterror
thingiverse
free
runtimeterror A6 Z-Carriage X Tensioner 5mm Longer by psychrage
...hingiverse
modified runtimeterror's z-carriage x belt tensioner to fit a 20t idler, as i did not have a 16t idler availible.
thingiverse
free
Holes, holes, holes! by runtimeterror
...ow and then.
the example photo shows two prints for 8 mm (7.6 .. 8.4) and 3 mm (2.6 .. 3.4).
the stl file is an example for 3 mm.
thingiverse
free
Profile 4040, 120 mm for Ardumower by runtimeterror
... emc-characteristics for the inductuve perimeter sensor.
the picture shows a 30 mm-version for illustration.
related project page
thingiverse
free
Anet A6 Z-motor scale by runtimeterror
...e. otherwise you won't be able to see the needle above the scale.
can someone please test if this also works for an anet a8?
thingiverse
free
Butterfly (Voronoi, scalable, multilayer) by runtimeterror
...ctly what i had calculated in openscad. maybe a bug due to excessively abusing the csg-functions to improvise missing features ;)
thingiverse
free
Anet A6 PCB Holder (2x MOSFET and Mainboard) by runtimeterror
...r not hitting your print - don't make them too long for not hitting your mainboard's back!!!)
as many zipties as you like
thingiverse
free
Cut Kobayashi Fidget Cube (Infinity Cube, parametric)
...thingiverse i used the fine kobayashi fidget cube from runtimeterror to get one with a different surface. so i...
thingiverse
free
Twig Mobile Holder (ceiling mount) by runtimeterror
... break.
i'm fairly new to 3d-printing and this is my first thing designed by myself. i'd be happy to get some feedback :)
thingiverse
free
Kobayashi Fidget Cube (Infinity Cube, parametric) by runtimeterror
...ot of time in making his cube as printable as possible. he also provides lots of printing tips and solutions to typical pitfalls.
A6
thingiverse
free
keychains - Audi A6 by 3DEwo
...keychains - audi a6 by 3dewo
thingiverse
audi a6
thingiverse
free
centrador anet a6 by redghost3d
...centrador anet a6 by redghost3d
thingiverse
centrador anet a6
thingiverse
free
A6 DUCT FAN by fpdavid
...a6 duct fan by fpdavid
thingiverse
anet a6 duct fan, almost identical with the duct fan that came with anet a6 printer.
thingiverse
free
Anet A6 Table nut
...anet a6 table nut
thingiverse
anet a6 table nut
thingiverse
free
Button Anet A6 by maik82
...button anet a6 by maik82
thingiverse
a button to help change the filaments in the anet a6
thingiverse
free
Galaxy A6 dock by sdedux
...galaxy a6 dock by sdedux
thingiverse
remix of galaxy nexus dock for galaxy a6 or j6
thingiverse
free
A6 Card Holder by Niels132
...a6 card holder by niels132
thingiverse
simple canvas stand made for din a6 cards.
thingiverse
free
A6 Filiment lever by Don_W
...a6 filiment lever by don_w
thingiverse
thumb saver when working with filament on anet a6
thingiverse
free
Anet A6 Blower
...anet a6 blower
thingiverse
anet a6 short air blower, it fit your fan, and is needed when you mount a 30 mm throat
thingiverse
free
a6e aircraft by iluvlabs
...a6e aircraft by iluvlabs
thingiverse
aircraft
Modular
thingiverse
free
Modular rail
...modular rail
thingiverse
modular rail part to be used with any modular parts.
to be used with m2 bolt and nuts.
thingiverse
free
Well (modular)
...well (modular)
thingiverse
modular well. use filament as sticks.
thingiverse
free
Modular O by franciscocardosolima
...modular o by franciscocardosolima
thingiverse
modular system.
thingiverse
free
Modular Box by felipedelcampo
...modular box by felipedelcampo
thingiverse
modular box
thingiverse
free
Modular Holder by franciscocardosolima
...modular holder by franciscocardosolima
thingiverse
modular system.
thingiverse
free
Modular mesh by ACaielli
...modular mesh by acaielli
thingiverse
modular mesh
thingiverse
free
Modular Bracelet by DREIDK
...modular bracelet by dreidk
thingiverse
modular bracelet
thingiverse
free
Modular breadboard by max1600
...modular breadboard by max1600
thingiverse
modular breadboard
thingiverse
free
Modular shelf
...dular shelf
thingiverse
this is a modular shelf made using laser cutter to cut the mdf and the joins are made in the 3d printer.
thingiverse
free
modular birdhouse by lorensan
...modular birdhouse by lorensan
thingiverse
modular housing for birds
Parametric
thingiverse
free
parametric by kassidynowak
...parametric by kassidynowak
thingiverse
parametric
thingiverse
free
Parametric Chain
...parametric chain
thingiverse
parametric chain designed in fusion.
thingiverse
free
Parametric Planter
...parametric planter
thingiverse
parametric planter for small succulents and cactus :)
thingiverse
free
Parametric Dice
...parametric dice
thingiverse
parametric dice with rounded corners. can be easily scaled to any size.
thingiverse
free
Parametric Bear by ATEAM_Shapengine
...parametric bear by ateam_shapengine
thingiverse
parametric bear
thingiverse
free
Parametric coil by localkost
...parametric coil by localkost
thingiverse
parametric coil
thingiverse
free
Parametric Washer by lucibrandus
...parametric washer by lucibrandus
thingiverse
parametric washer
thingiverse
free
Parametric hook by peteruithoven
...parametric hook by peteruithoven
thingiverse
parametric hook.
thingiverse
free
[K] parametric screw / "vis parametrable" by RehabLab-Kerpape
...[k] parametric screw / "vis parametrable" by rehablab-kerpape
thingiverse
une vis paramétrable.
a parametric screw.
thingiverse
free
Parametric Headphone Stand
...parametric headphone stand
thingiverse
parametric headphone stand
Anet
thingiverse
free
Anet by derbodesign
...anet by derbodesign
thingiverse
logo anet
thingiverse
free
Anet e10 , Anet v1.0 by jonathan_943D
...anet e10 , anet v1.0 by jonathan_943d
thingiverse
soporte de ventilador de 80mm, para controladora anet v1.0
thingiverse
free
Anet A8 Anet AM8 Y belt holder
...anet a8 anet am8 y belt holder
thingiverse
anet a8 anet am8 y belt holder
thingiverse
free
Anet A8 Probe Bracket for anet sensor by chelrix
...anet a8 probe bracket for anet sensor by chelrix
thingiverse
anet a8 probe bracket for anet official sensor and marlin firmware
thingiverse
free
Anet logo by JUST3D_PRNTNG
...anet logo by just3d_prntng
thingiverse
anet logo
thingiverse
free
Fan nozzle for Anet A8 with original Anet levelsensor by peteruhlmann
...et levelsensor by peteruhlmann
thingiverse
here is an improved fan nozzle for the anet a8 with original level sensor from anet.
thingiverse
free
Anet Et4 Box
...anet et4 box
thingiverse
tool box for anet et4
thingiverse
free
Anet Logo by Superflex_Plastic_Fantastic
...anet logo by superflex_plastic_fantastic
thingiverse
anet logo to incorporate into designs.
thingiverse
free
Box for Anet ET4
...box for anet et4
thingiverse
this is a simple box for tool of anet et4
thingiverse
free
Anet V1.0 Board Kühlung (80mm Lüfter) / Anet A8 by MadCre8
...anet v1.0 board kühlung (80mm lüfter) / anet a8 by madcre8
thingiverse
anet v1.0 board kühlung (80mm lüfter) / anet a8
Carriage
thingiverse
free
Carriage
...carriage
thingiverse
good luck
thingiverse
free
Carriage wheel
...carriage wheel
thingiverse
100mm diameter carriage wheel
thingiverse
free
Carriage by Dape
...carriage by dape
thingiverse
old fashion carriage model, more files here:https://bit.ly/3ntskqq
thingiverse
free
Inkjet Carriage by joshuajacoby99
...inkjet carriage by joshuajacoby99
thingiverse
inkjet carriage
thingiverse
free
printer carriage by qiao
...printer carriage by qiao
thingiverse
printer carriage
thingiverse
free
MGN12C Carriage by renierduminy
...mgn12c carriage by renierduminy
thingiverse
remix for a mgn12c carriage
thingiverse
free
Carriage cookie cutter
...carriage cookie cutter
thingiverse
carriage cookie cutter
thingiverse
free
Carriage that goes on the carriage 2020 by Hilmo
...goes on the carriage 2020 by hilmo
thingiverse
i am not original creator! please praise original creator! sorry for all caps! ;)
thingiverse
free
Carriage by Mr_Vigil
...carriage by mr_vigil
thingiverse
carriage mount, 7mm cross bars, gt 2 belt, 3m bolts, magnet mount as well
thingiverse
free
Y Carriage belt holder for Upgraded Carriage by Garyriet
...e belt holder for upgraded carriage by garyriet
thingiverse
added a 8mm extension to work with new carriage from reprap champion
Z
thingiverse
free
Z Cam E1 Z-clip by zandoli
...z cam e1 z-clip by zandoli
thingiverse
the z-clip adds a shoe mount to the z cam e1.
thingiverse
free
Z-Wave Plus Z-Stick GEN5
...z-wave plus z-stick gen5
thingiverse
for the key : z-wave plus z-stick gen5
to put on the wall
thingiverse
free
z-mount
...z-mount
thingiverse
z axis steper motor mount
thingiverse
free
z.1.3.1 by coldboxpal
...z.1.3.1 by coldboxpal
thingiverse
pole: 5mm
hole: z.1.3.1.4 > z.1.3.1.3(recommend) > z.1.3.1.2 > z.1.3.1.1
thingiverse
free
Test [Z] BedTest LEVEL [Z]. stl3dmodels.com by mtPrint
...test [z] bedtest level [z]. stl3dmodels.com by mtprint
thingiverse
test level bed [z] 100x100x1mm
thingiverse
free
Z-Crystal_Electrium Z by GameDirection
...m/theplatinumleague/
the platinum league is an ohio based group that was formed to host pokemon tournaments at local conventions.
thingiverse
free
Z-Crystal_Fightinium Z by GameDirection
...m/theplatinumleague/
the platinum league is an ohio based group that was formed to host pokemon tournaments at local conventions.
thingiverse
free
Z-Crystal_Steelium Z by GameDirection
...m/theplatinumleague/
the platinum league is an ohio based group that was formed to host pokemon tournaments at local conventions.
thingiverse
free
Z-Crystal_Rockium Z by GameDirection
...m/theplatinumleague/
the platinum league is an ohio based group that was formed to host pokemon tournaments at local conventions.
thingiverse
free
Z-Crystal_Icium Z by GameDirection
...m/theplatinumleague/
the platinum league is an ohio based group that was formed to host pokemon tournaments at local conventions.