Introduction: Vulcanus V1 Reprap 3D-Printer 300€

About: I am a 23 years old student from Germany who love to make things. Later I want to become an Electrical Engineer :-) https://www.instagram.com/vulcaman/

Hello,

In this instruction I will show you, how to make a very professionel 3D printer with a low Bugdet of less than 300€.

I'm 16 Years old and I made everything by myself. The "Vulcanus V1"-3D-Printer is based on CoreXY. Which stands for high precisious movement.

Specs:

- Dimensions: 44cm x 44cm x 60cm

- Build Volume: 20cm x 20cm X 26cm

-Travel Speed: 300mm/s tested but you can also try higher values

- Resolution: up to 0.05mm

- Electronic: Ramps 1.4 with TMC2100 1/256 microstep Motordriver


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Update: for those who want to build the Vulacnus Max. I published reworked parts for a better and professionel look/fit.

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1130016

Vulcanus Max

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Update: I published reworked parts for the Vulcanus V1. Please have a look at step 16:

Vulcanus Rework 2016

Step 1: Parts: Mechanics

AluminiumExtrusions:

-16x 40cm Aluminium Extrusions 20x20mm smt-montagetechnik

-4x 60cm Aluminium Extrusions 20x20mm

-2x 29,5cm Aluminium Extrusions 20x20mm

-2x 28cm Aluminium Extrusions 20x20mm

In Total: 31.64€

Nuts and Bolts:

-160x M5 Extrusions Nuts which you can made out of a normal Hex-Nut( see pictures) kleinteileversand

-120x M5x10mm Bolts kleinteileversand

-30x M5x12mm Bolts kleinteileversand

-8x M5x25mm Bolts kleinteileversand

-2x M8x 31,5cm threaded rod kleinteileversand

- some M4 Hex Nuts from your local hardware store

-100pcs M4 square Nuts from your local hardware store

-100pcs M4x 6mm Bolts from your local hardware store

In Total: 14.78€ the things from the internet + 8€ from your local hardware store

22.78€

Linear Motions:

2x 33cm 8mm smooth rods kleinteileversand

2x 34,7cm 8mm smooth rods

4x 36cm 8mm smooth rods

16x LM8UU Bearings Aliexpress

17x 624 Bearings Aliexpress

2x GT2 Pulley + 2m GT2 Belt Aliexpress

2x Axis coupler 5mm to 8mm Aliexpress

Mk7 Drive Gear Aliexpress

In Total: 38.94€

All in all: 93.36€

Optional:

Some Aluminium plates, which I found on the scrapyard

Step 2: Parts: Electronic

- 5x Nema 17 Steppermotor Aliexpress

- 1x Arduino Mega 2560

-1x Ramps 1.4 Aliexpress

-1x Mk2b Heatbed Aliexpress

-1x E3D V6 Hotend 1.75mm Aliexpress

-2x A4988 Motordriver Aliexpress

-2x TMC2100 MotorDriver watterott

-1x Thermistor 100k Aliexpress

-1x 2004 LCD Aliexpress

-1x Rotary Encoder Aliexpress

-3x 40mm Fans Aliexpress

-2x 80mm Fan Aliexpress

-3x Endstops Aliexpress

- ATX- PSU- with 16A or more

-Wires + Resistors

In Total: 152.24€

Optional:

Led Strips

Raspberry Pi for Octoprint

Step 3: Parts: Printed Parts

You can download the 3D printed parts from Thingiverse

1x "belt tensioner"

44x "Corner Bracket 2020"

1x "Direct Drive hotend Clamp"

1x "Direct Drive"

1x "Hotend Fan"

1x "Idler with Endstop"

1x "Idler" (mirrored)

2x"Motor" (1x normal, 1x mirrored)

1x "X-Carriage"

2x "X-end Bolt"

2x"X-end Nut"

4x "Z-Axis LM8UU Bolt"

4x " Z-Axis LM8UU Nut"

2x "Z Axis M8 Nut"

2x " Z Motor"

8x "Z-Rodclamp"

8x "Z-Rodholder"

Step 4: Assemble the First Stage : Basis for the Other Stages

What you need:

-4x 40cm Aluminium Extrusions

-12x Printed Part "Corner bracket 2020"

-24x M5x10 Srews

-24x M5- T-Slot-Nut

What you make:

You put everthing together to a square and tighten everything down.

You need to repeat this steps four times, because this printer has four "Stages"

Step 5: Assemble the Second Stage Stage: Z-Motor

What you need:

-The Basis Stage from Step 4

+

-10x M5x10mm Srews

-8x M5x12mm Srews

-16x M5 T-Slot Nut

-8x M4x20mm Srews

-8x M4 Hex Nuts

-8x M3x 10mm Screws

-4x Printed Part "Z-Rodholder"

-4x Printed Part "Z-Rodclamp"

-2x Printed Part "Z Motor"

- 2x Nema 17 Steppermotor

If you have some Aluminium plates you also need:

-20x M4x6mm Srews

-20x M4 Square Nuts

What you make:

-You screw the "Z-Rodholder" and the "Z-Rodclamp" together. Then you mount them on the Stage

with some M5x12mm screws and tighten everything down.

- You screw the Nema 17 Steppermotor with some M3x10mm screws in the "Z-Motor". After that you mount them on the Stage with some M5x10mm screws and thigten everthing down.

Step 6: Assemble the Extruder

What you need:

Printed Parts:

- 1x The Spring Block from Thingiverse Thingiverse

- 1x Printed part "Direct Drive"

- 1x Printed part "Direct Drive Hotend Clamp"

- 1x Printed part "Hotend Fan"

- 1x Printed part "X-Carriage"

Mechanics:

-1x E3d V6 Hotend

-1x Micro switch

-3x 40mm Fan

-4x LM8UU

-Some M4 and M3 Srews+Nuts

-3x 40mm Fan

What you make:

1. You put the LM8UU into the "X-Carriage"

2. Then you insert two M4 Hex-Nuts in the "X-Carriage"

3. After that you screw the micro Switch on the "X-Carriage"

4. You srew the Motor on the "Direct Drive" printed Part (2x M3x10 screws)

5. You also need to fix the Spring Block from Thingiverse with two M3 srews (M3x16mm)

6. After that you connect the Hotend with the "Direct Drive Hotend Clamp" Printed part to the "Direct Drive "

7. At last you screw the 3 fans on the "Hotend Fan2 Printed Part (12x M3x10mm screws)

Step 7: Assemble the Third Stage: CoreXY-Movement

What you need:

Printed Parts:

- 1x "Belt tensioner"

- 1x "Idler"

-1x "Idler with endstop"

-2x "Motor"

-2x "X-End Bolt"

-2x "X-End Nut"

-4x "Z-Rodclamp"

-4x "Z-Rodholder"

Mechanics;

-2x Nema 17 Motors

-2x GT2 pulley

-1x GT2 belt

-4x LM8UU

- 2x 33cm (mm smoothrods (X-Axis)

-2x 34,7cm 8mm smoothrods (Y-Axis)

-16x 624zz Bearings

-20x M3x 20 Srews

-20x M3 Hex-Nuts

-16x M5x12mm Screws

-6x M5x10mm Screws

-some M4 Srews (the lenght for the Screws i cut individual from 45mm M4 Screws)

-some M4 Nuts

Electronic:

1x Microswitch

What you make:

1.You Screw the "X-End Bolt" + "X-End Nut" with some M3x20mm Screws and M3 nuts together. After that take the smooth rods in it. Then you connect the Extruder to the X-axis.

2.Now you put the Y-Axis smooth rods in the X-Ends and connect them with the printed parts "Motor" and "Idler".

3.Tighten the "Motor" with some M5x 12mm screws down, the "Idler" with some M5x10mm screws

4.Then you make the Idlers (see pictures) and tighten them down

5.Put the Nema 17 Motors in the "Motor" and tighten them with some M3x 10mm screws down.

6. Connect the belt (Help: CoreXY)

Step 8: Assemble the Last Stage: LED-Light

You just take the step from step-4 and insert the LED-strips in the extrusions.

Step 9: Build the Z-Table

What you need:

2x Aluminium Extrusions

2x Aluminium Extrusions

2x "Corner Bracked" Printed Part

1x PCB Heatbed MK2b or MK2a

1x 100k Thermistor

1x Aluminium Plate

What you make:

You connet the extrusions with the "Corner Brackets" with some M5x10mm screws and T-slot nuts.

Then you put the Aluminium plate on it and tighten it with some M4x6mm screws down. After that you cut a M3

thread in the plate for the heatbed.

For the Heatbed: You stick the termistor with some Kapton Tape on the Heatbed

Step 10: Put the Stages Together

What you need:

-4x 60cm Aluminium Extrusions 2020

- Printed Part " Z-Axis LM8UU Bolt"

-Printed Part "Z-Axis LM8UU NUT"

-Printed Part "Z Axis M8 Nut"

-8x LM8UU

-16x M3x20mm Screw + Nuts

-4x 36cm smooth rods

-32x M5x10mm

-32x M5 T-slot Nut

-2x Axis-Coupler 5mm to 8mm

-M8 Threated Rod

What you make:

1. You screw the first Stage with 8 M5x10mm Screws to the 60cm extrusions together.

2. Then the Z-Axis Stage

3. After that you put two LM8UU Bearings in the "Z-Axis LM8UU Bolt + Nut" and screw them with 4 M3x20mm srews down. Repeat this Step four times

4. Then you connect "Z-Axis LM8UU Bolt+Nut" to the Z- Table

5. Now you screw the CoreXY Mechanics to the Frame and insert the 8mm 36cm smooth rods

6. Now you put the Z-table on the Z-smooth rods

Step 11: Electronic: Wiring

What you need:

-1x Ramps 1.4

-1x Arduino mega 2560

- 2x A4988 Stepstick (For Z-Axis and Extruder)

-2x TMC2100 (X & Y Axis)

What you make:

You connect the electronic like in the schematic picture

Then you solder the TMC2100. To take them into stealthChop Mode 1/16 Microstepping with Interpolation to 1/256 you need to solder them like on the pictures.



Step 12: Modify a ATX-PSU

To use a normal ATX-PSU you just need to connect the green with a black wire.

Then you take two black and two yellow wires out. Connect them to your Ramps.

Yellow = +

Black = Ground

Step 13: Firmware

Update 28.02.2016:

Here is the latest Firmware for the Vulcanus V1.

This time I'am using Repetier Firmware.

I enabled Eeprom and Firmware Retraction.

Also I modifed it that my custom Display work

What you need to do:

  1. Upload the pre-configurated firmware to your arduino mega 2560
  2. Enable Firmware Retraction in Slic3r. (see screenshot)

Where can I adjust the parameters?

  • If you have some basic parameters to change (steps per mm, retract, feedrate, acceleration...), open your Repetierhost, and go to Configuration --> Eeprom
  • For other more advanced settings, please visit the Online Config Tool from Repetier

Step 14: Hook Up the LCD

What you need:

-1x 2004 LCD

-1x Rotary Encoder

-some Wires

What you make:

You connect the lcd like on the schematic. Then you connect the pins from the Display/Encoder to the Ramps.

LCD-Pins-----Ramps 1.4

RS --> 16

E --> 17

D4 --> 23

D5 --> 25

D6 --> 27

D7 --> 29

Encoder Pins:

Direction Pins --> 31 & 33

Button Pin --> 35

After you connect the Display to Ramps you go into the Marlin configuration File and comment out under lcd:

//#define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_SMART_CONTROLLER

to

#define REPRAP_DISCOUNT_SMART_CONTROLLER

Than everything should work


Step 15: Pictures From Print

1. 3D-Benchy from Thingiverse in a resolution of 0.1mm and a print-speed of 90mm/s - sliced in Cura

2. Gear Bearing from Thingiverse in a resolution of 0.2mm and a print-speed of 180mm/s - sliced in Cura

3. Bayonet from Thingverse in a resolution of 0.1mm and a print-speed of 70mm/s - sliced in Slic3r

Step 16: Vulcanus V1 Rework 2016

(If you can't see the interactive 3D model above, its probably because you're not using a WebGL-enabled browser, or you're using the Instructables Mobile app)

Here is the new Vulcanus V1 Rework 2016 edition. I improved allmost every single part of this printer for a more profesionell look. Also the belts are not rub to eachother. You can tension every belt individually.


Features

  • the belts don't rub to eachother
  • you can tension the belts individually
  • the maximal print size in X&Y is now 25x25cm ! by a footprint of 44x44cm
  • the extrusion sizes are the same as in the Vulcanus V1, so you can easily change to the new files

Additionell parts for the conversion:

  • longer smooth rods in X/Y: 2x [8x350mm] & 2x [8x365mm]
  • 16x F624zz Bearings Aliexpress
  • Longer GT2 Belt as in the Vulcanus V1 2x [2m GT2 Belt] Aliexpress
  • Some screws M3 ; M4


Here you can download all required files for the Vulcanus V1 Rework 2016:

.f3d is for Fusion360

.step is for other CAD programms

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