ReDuplicator i3 MK3x - Wanhao i3 Complete Aluminium Extrusion & Prusa Mk3 Overhaul by OmNomNomagon

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

This project is a complete overhaul of the original Wanhao i3 with a few main objectives:
Keep the core components of the printer while upgrading its structure.
Create maximum rigidity through a sturdy 3030 Aluminium extrusion frame.
Allow for future proofing and commonality of parts by basing all printed parts on the current Original Prusa MK3 files.
Reduce the weight of the X and Y carriages where possible to improve print speed and quality.

The Wanhao i3 is a fabulous printer, but new generations of printers have begun pushing the boundaries. It has become apparent that in comparison, the Wanhao has a few deficiencies. Deficiencies which we will address in this project. The key improvements of this upgrade include:
Much better rigidity through 3030 extrusions and metal brackets. Even with my or Azza’s excellent z braces the printer was still susceptible to slight wobble, especially under twisting forces (pull left tower and push right tower). When moving the printer it would require constant releveling due these small movements. Now i can barely get any movement using my full strength.
Comfortably increase Z height to ~200mm
Reduce noise. By not screwing the motors directly onto the metal frame, motor vibrations and noise is reduced significantly.
Move towards more standard Prusa files for future upgradability, but with added strength improvements.
Modular hotend, This design allows for the hotend to be replaced easily replaced without disassembling the printer. I have created a Titan Aero mount as an alternative to the original MK10 with a E3DV6 mount incoming.
Sturdier 4 bearing Prusa style X-gantry. Not sure if it was specific to my printer or a common Wanhao problem, but my X gantry always had a lot of wobble which may have been a source of printing artifacts.
Noticeably better print quality due to a combination of everything above. I am able to print faster with better quality.
All Wanhao i3 variants and rebrands are compatible, however the plus will require additional work to create an enclosure for the electronics. This project can also be built from scratch, or salvaged from other printers as long as measurements are altered accordingly.

Sample Print @100mm/s on the titan aero extruder.

Sample of improved print quality. 0.24mm layer height @ 70mm/s (titan aero).

This project will be maintained both at github and at thingiverse.
The files were created using a combination of Fusion360 and tinkercad. They can be viewed and edited via this Tinkercad link.
Table Of Contents
1. Bill Of Materials
2. Printing Parts & Pre Assembly
3. Base
4. Begin The ZTower
5.1 Hotend MK10 Original
5.2 Hotend Titan Aero Upgrade
6. XAxis Gantry
7. Complete the ZTower
8. YAxis
9. Cabling
9.1. Recommendations & Future Dev
Thanks and Acknowledgements
Prusa Research MK2s
Datvr's Prusa MK2S-x
Thorped's excellent Wanhao Fan Duct
Cyul's spool holder
Thingiverse Issues
After its recent update, Thingiverse no longer displays markup language properly. Please go to github or riganti.com for complete instructions.
Bill Of Materials
Total BOM is approx 100-150USD. However this is highly dependent on what you have laying around, where you source your parts from, what you want to carry over, and where in the world you are. A lot of my costs in Australia were shipping related.
I recommend Misumi for the core parts and will provide part numbers for each of those. Misumi regularly have a 30% off code for first time orders, which helps to keep costs down. For everything else cheap Ebay / Aliexpress parts will do. Many of the printed parts are designed around the Misumi plate bracket hole spacings. If you can’t source these parts (as misumi can be a pain to order from if you are outside of the US), I have another Thingiverse remix filled with tabbed printed brackets. These definitely won't be as strong or sturdy as the proper metal braces however.
Summarised Parts List:
Part
Description
Number Reqd
3030 Extrusion 355mm
Z Axis HFSLB6-3030-355
2
3030 Extrusion 350mm
Y Axis HFSLB6-3030-350
2
3030 Extrusion 380mm
X Axis Tower HFSLB6-3030-380
2
3030 Extrusion 258mm
X Axis Base HFSLB6-3030-258
2
30x30x35 Corner Brackets
Tabbed on SINGLE Side only HBLFSNB6
14
Alluminium Flat bracket
4 mount holes HPTLS6
8
LM8UU Bearings
Std 8mm 15mm long bearings LMU8
4
M5 12mm
Button Head Screw M5
70
M5 16mm
Button Head Screw M5
10
M5 T-Nuts
3030 T-Nuts Drop in preferred
80
M5 20-25mm
Low Profile Button head (less than 4.2mm)
1
M5 30-35mm
Screw M5
1
M3 Heatserts
Brass heat inserts M3 thread M3-UHBRHESF
22
M3 4-8mm
Button Head Screw M3
8
M3 12mm
Button Head Screw M3
6
M3 16mm
Button Head Screw M3
6
M3 30mm
Screw M3
3
M3 6-8mm
Countersunk M3
4
M3 6-12mm
Countersunk M3
8
M5 Nylock
Nuts for Idlers
2
M3 Nylock
Nut for part cooling and heat sert substitute
1 - 15
M5 Smooth Idler Pulley
(Optional) 9mm wide replacement
2
M5 Fibrous Washers
For idler Pulleys
3 - 10
GT2 Belt
6mm belt
1m
50mm Blower
Part Cooling
1
In Depth Descriptions:

A Wanhao i3 Duh! (these parts will also allow you to upgrade most other prusa style printers, just adjust the lengths of your printer compared to the Wanhao’s smooth rods (X=320mm Z=320mm Y=380mm)


Various 3030 T-slot Aluminium Extrusions
2x 380MM - Tower X - HFSLB6-3030-380
2x 355MM - Tower Z - HFSLB6-3030-355
2x 350MM - Base Y - HFSLB6-3030-350
2x 258MM - Base X - HFSLB6-3030-258

14x Corner Brackets 30x30x25 - Importantly these should be reversible or only be tabbed on one side! We are stacking two extrusions perpendicular on top of eachother. If they are fully tabbed on both sides they will NOT fit. HBLFSNB6 with low profile T-nuts or the single tabbed version HBLFSNK6.


8x Aluminium Corner plates with 4 mounting holes. The legs and printed corner parts are all based on the misumi hole spacing HPTLS6.


4x LM8UU Bearings. These replace the stock Z bearings. It is also worthwhile purchasing some of the longer LM8LUU bearing to replace the X and Y axises if you are coming from a pre 2.1 wanhao. These misumi ones are much higher quality than the originals. LMU8, LMUW8.


70x M5 12mm Button head screws


10x M5 16mm Button head screws

80 M5 T-Nuts. Drop in T-nuts are recommended as they are easier to work with. Some drop in T-Nuts have a longer neck which can cause issues with the Misumi HBLFSNB6 corner brackets. One side of the bracket is protruded, so that even when screwed in very tightly they don't apply enough compression force to secure the frame. In this case 14 T-nuts can be substituted with flat style ones, or pieces of fibre washers can be glued into the grooved areas to reduce the protrusion depth. Misumi also have t-nuts designed specifically for this bracket HNTT6-5. 14 of these can be used.


1x M5 20-25 mm Button Head screw (low profile) The head needs to be 4.2mm or less long as this sits between the idler part and the leadscrew.


1x M5 30-35mm screw


22x M3 Heat-sert Brass inserts (M3-UHBRHESF) W4.4mm x H5.8mm or similar. These are set into parts using a hot soldering iron and are great for making strong functional parts without having to worry about screw threads stripping over time. Proper thermal inserts are recommended, but the easier to source injection molding type ones should work almost as well.


7x 4-8mm M3 Button head


6x 12mm M3 Button head


6x 16mm M3 Button head


3x 30mm M3 screw


4x 6-8mm M3 countersunk


8x 6-12mm countersunk (for leadscrew nuts) you also may want to secure these with nylocks m3 x8


2x M5 Nylock nut


1x M3 Nylock for part cooling bracket. 6 more can be used as a substitute for the extruder assembly if Heat-serts cannot be found.


Some fasteners are carried across from the Wanhao. This includes the hotend screws, and the M4 x-carriage screws.


(Optional) 2x M5 Smooth Idler Pulleys. The original Wanhao pulleys are prone to failure over time and are 11mm wide. i recommend switching them out with new ones while doing this mod. Most replecement ones are 9mm wide which allows you to use the X Gantry Idler 9MM part instead of the X Gantry Idler 11mm (Stock idler) part. The 9mm version has thicker walls which should make it more durable over time.


3-10 M5 washers (Steel or fibrous). Used to secure the X and Y idlers. Variable number required depending on their thickness and whether you are using stock idlers or the usually thinner aftermarket ones.


1 Meter of GT2 6mm belt. The X carriage distances are increased and the stock belt may not be long enough. aprox 770mm is required.

50mm Blower Fan. Hopefully you should already have one of these in your arsenal as they make a huge improvement to print quality

Summarised Misumi Parts List
HFSLB6-3030-355 2
HFSLB6-3030-380 2
HFSLB6-3030-350 2
HFSLB6-3030-258 2
HPTLS6 8
HBLFSNB6 14
LMU8 4
Notes:
Substitute with HFSL6-3030 if you would like non anodized silver
HFS-3030 (Standard) or any other type of 3030 can be substituted instead.
Essential Tools
Set Square, ruler, measuring tape. - to ensure everything is a flush 90 degrees
Xacto Knife to clean prints, especially screw holes
soldering iron to insert the brass heat-serts
Printed Parts and Pre Assembly
I recommend ABS or an ABS composite if you have an enclosure or if your printer can produce prints with minimal warping. ABS was chosen as this is what the Prusa MK2s was manufactured with. As of the MK3, Prusa is using PETG which is also fantastic choice. Otherwise PLA may work except for the extruder carriage parts.
If using ABS please allow for a few percent of shrinkage. This is especially important for the feet parts, which need to be exactly level with the underside crossbeam.
Recommended 40-60% infill and 3-4 outer shells for maximum strength.

These parts make use of brass heat inserts in order to make the strongest prints in the space available. They are installed with a soldering iron. Slowly push the insert into the hole while being careful to keep it as square as possible. Use an Xacto blade to clear the surrounding area of any excess plastic.

These inserts are used on the following parts.
2x X Carriage Front Extruder Plate
6x X Carriage Rear Bearing Plate
2x Part Fan Bracket
2x X Gantry Cable Box Bottom
4x X Gantry Idler 9MM
2x X Gantry Motor Mount
2x Y Axis Belt Idler
2x Z Rod Securer X2
You will need multiple copies of the following parts:
Base Leg H26.8mm X4
Cable Guide Drop In X2-4
Cable Guide Slide In X2-4
Tower Corner Bracket Large 80x80x5 V2 (Better Z Clearance) X2 or Tower Corner Bracket Large 80x80x5 V1 X2
Y Axis Rod Holder Left X2
Z Rod Securer X2
Most parts can be printed without issue. Supports should not be required in most cases. However some parts are a little trickier and may benefit from a brim to ensure they print flat. This includes:
X Carriage Front Extruder Plate
X Carriage Rear Bearing Plate
Y Axis Rod Holder Left X2
Y Axis Rod Holder Right
Y Axis Rod Holder Right & Endstop
Pre Assembly Decisions
A few decisions will need to be made before assembly.

The tower top corner bracket is available in 2 forms. Tower Corner Bracket Large 80x80x5 V1 X2 parts are the ones in the photos, and Tower Corner Bracket Large 80x80x5 V2 (Better Z Clearance) X2 parts provide better z clearance.


If you use the stock idler pulleys you will need to use X Gantry Idler 11mm (Stock idler). If using a replacement 9mm idler, the X Gantry Idler 9MM part can be used which should be stronger.

if you have no access to Misumi parts it is possible to either:
Replace the metal brackets with ones from other sources and don't bother with the plastic brackets on top.
Use printed brackets, from the Non Metal Tabbed Brackets folder which will not be as strong.


Spool Holder and filament guides. Even with the increased rigidity I recommend a control box spool holder. The Alternative & Optional Parts folder contains a control box filament guide as well as a top mounted spool roller with PTFE guides and cleaners. This folder also contains alternative stls for cheap Bunnings brackets https://www.bunnings.com.au/zenith-75mm-zinc-plated-corner-brace-bracket-4-pack_p2760923. Also alternative cable routing parts.


Finally the printer can be assembled in two different ways. It can be assembled as outlined here with the vertical rods on the backside of the tower. The large brackets become the front face of the printer. Alternatively is can be assembled similar to the Prusa MK2s where the motors and rods face forward. The benefits of this include a slightly increased Z-height of ~210mm. However i don't have official cable routing for this version but a number of cable chain brackets are available in the Alternative & Optional Parts folder. Instructions are similar but you will need to recheck the placement of your z axis crossbeam and the extruder faces the opposite direction.

Original Configuration. CAD files available here

Reversed Configuration. CAD files available here

Assembly
Full Assembly instructions are available on the Gitub wiki of this project Here
Table Of Contents
1. Bill Of Materials
2. Printing Parts & Pre Assembly
3. Base
4. Begin The ZTower
5.1 Hotend MK10 Original
5.2 Hotend Titan Aero Upgrade
6. XAxis Gantry
7. Complete the ZTower
8. YAxis
9. Cabling
9.1. Recommendations & Future Dev
Good Luck!
Changelog
1.0 - Initial Release
1.01 - Updated idler files with multiple z endstop mount points for upcoming Titan Aero upgrade. Sturdier cable cover box. Added 1Meter GT2 belt to BOM as the stock belt may not be long enough (can anyone confirm?)
1.02 - Updated the Part Fan Bracket to Part Fan Bracket V1.1 The original doesn't align with the carriage plates properly. Please print the revised one.
1.03 - Uploaded a new Y Carriage Belt Holder. This one is based on the current MK3 design and is much easier to fix and tension.
1.04 - X Gantry Idler 9MM V2 was missing the heat-sert insert holes to mount the cable box. Updated and fixed with X Gantry Idler 9MM V3. If you have already printed V2, you can keep the part and manually drill 2x 4mm holes spaced 9mm wide and 6mm deep.
1.1 - 11/03/2018 Major Prusa MK3 Update. This updates an update of many of the original MK2s based parts to MK3 Based parts. This includes;

MK3 Based Part Cooling shroud and mount. It performs much better than the original Thorped based one. flawless @60 degree overhang with some sagging @70 degree overhang. The original would show artefacts @60 degrees.. Almost comparable to the Dii Cooler.


Much improved X Carriage. This uses the new MK3 belt mounting method which is much easier to install under tension. The whole extruder assembly can now also easily slide on and off the rods to greatly simplify installation and maintenance. 16mm M3 screws are used to secure the bearings. I've also made and tested changes which allow the extruder assembly to be built without heat-serts and can be substituted with M3 nylocks. NOTE: due to these changes the Rear carriage plate is NOT compatible with the existing Front extruder plate as the hole spacing has been changed. The New Front extruder plate must be used.


Front Extruder Plate. Better spacing around the hotend to improve the filament path. Updating Hole Spacing to be compatible with the new Rear Carriage Plate. Strengthened BLTouch mount. Increase spacing around heater block to reduce residual heat. Not compatible with old extruder plate.


X Axis Motor Mount. Incorporates the new MK3 design. Better Spacing to ensure a straighter belt path. Includes new MK3 tensioner to easily tension X belt. Requires M3nS Nut and 20mm M3 screw. (Enough tension can be applied by without the M3nS) Installation is similar to the Prusa instructions here, steps 11-18.

As this project contains dozens of files already, Older retired files are retired to the Retired Versions directory in github
1.1.1 - Endstop Part For sensorless homing with TMC2130 Drivers.
1.2 - 05/11/2018 - Multiple improvements based on Prusa MK3 R3 release. This includes:

Prusa MK3 R3 based part cooling shroud. This gives a noticeable improvement over the original shroud. Also improved the clearance between the shroud and the nozzle.


Improved X Carriage rear plate. This was strengthend to better handle bumps and knocks. Rigidity is also improved. It is still a common part between the MK10 and titan aero extruders.

Strengthened Z Rod Securer parts. Some people had issues with these snapping in PLA but should no longer be an issue.
1.3 - 17/02/2020 - E3D Hemera mount. Updated fan duct to the most recent R4 release. Added an angle for increased rear fan duct clearance. This will filter down to the other hotend designs shortly. Initial update of parts across to fusion 360. A number of parts have been converted and this will continue over time.

Improved cable mounting system by clipping onto the X axis motor

1.3.1 - 19/02/2020 - MK52 Removeable heatbed Mod - resized rods and extrusions to accommodate the prusa MK3 heatbed.

1.4 - 05/08/2020 - Mk52 and Hemera Parts update. Significantly improved X idler, tensioner and motor holder, new Z Rod Holder design for much easier installations and accuracy. Improved Hemera fan shroud with improved airflow. Continued conversion from tincercad to F360 parts. These changes will filter down to the original reduplicator parts.