Y-Axis Direct Drive for CTC Replicator Flashforge by 3DWorkhorse

Last crawled date: 3 years ago

Recommended for heated build chambers! (to protect stepper from the heat)

Hi folks!
Another upgrade item for your replicator-like 3D printer. It is a mount to drive the y-axis' rod directly without another belt, so there is no additional force on the y-rod (no bending, easier to rotate) and no backlash due to a "loose" belt.
I found that my prints are a bit more precise since the upgrade. Especially the ringing effect (wave pattern after sharp corners) was reduced on the y-axis.

Why it's mounted on the left side of the printer?

The original mounting point and the new one allow the same direction of rotation for the stepper. It can be mounted on the right side too, but then you have to invert the y-axis in the firmware config, which i didn't want to do.

Why there are 3 versions of the base? What is the difference?

All 3 version have different positions for the upper hole of the y-endstop sensor. I found that my CTC printer isn't laser-cutted as precisely as expected. One hole for the sensor (the upper one) is 2mm off! So i printed the 2mm offset version for myself and added 2 additional version with 1mm offset and 0mm offset. Just in case your printer case is more precise. ;)
Let me know if your holes are off too. When it will not align with your holes tell me and I will upload another version.

Do I need a fan for the stepper?

No, but it's recommended to install a fan to cool down the stepper, because it can become quite hot during long print jobs. And hot steppers can loose steps or can be damaged.

How much space i got between the fan and the stepper for additional heatsinks?

7mm max

Is there a reason the coupler has a non-round hole at the bottom?

Of course ;) The side with the flat-sided hole is for the nema17 stepper's flattened rod to translate as much torgue from the stepper to the y-rod as possible.