WorkHorse Printer-Z-Axis Design

We’re experimenting with changing the frame size of the WorkHorse 3D Printer. We're now using a 3030 extrusion profile. We also made the side panels two inches wider to have more room in the electronics / Filament compartment.

Z-Motor Mount Sizes

Nema 23 Mount

3030 Frame

2020 Frame

2040 Frame

Nema 17 Mount

2020 Frame

2040 Frame

Z-Axis Lead Screw To Gantry Plate Mount

The old version of the lead screw nut mounts were 3d printed. They would crack over time so the version is now made from aluminum.

Old Z-Axis Lead Screw To Gantry Mount

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WorkHorse Hub

 WorkHorse Printer Y-Carriage Assembly

The Y-axis carriage design for the WorkHorse 3D Printer has been updated. This carriage design will fit on the Workhorse V1 and V2 designs. The carriage mounts to MGN12h linear rails which have a 20mm x 20mm hole pattern.

• More M3 Taped Holes
• New Hotend and Extruder Mounting Locations

see Y-Carriage

WorkHorse V2

Duet 2 Wifi Setup

Use this for your Workhorse Printer Setup but with Duet 3 Setup

1. Connect the Duet to your PC with the USB cable provided. Do not connect other power supplies at this stage.

2. Windows users, download the USB drivers for Duet here and extract the files to a suitable location.

3. Install Drivers.

4. Download YAT Terminal Interface.

5. Setup YAT to use <LF> as the end of line character. Go to "Terminal" Menu -> "Settings" -> "Text Settings" -> "EOL sequence:" set to <LF>

6. Windows Users: Open YAT, and configure the correct COM port.

1. send command M115

2. The WiFi module has a blue LED on it, just next to the Micro SD card holder. This should flash once when power is connected to the board, but will only be lit permanently when connected to a WiFi network. Duets with an external antenna use a different WiFi module with no LED; if you have one of these, don't forget to plug in the external antenna!

3. Send M552 to check the status. It should say "WiFi module is disabled". Now put it into idle mode by sending command M552 S0. Send M552 again to check it's idle, then proceed to the next step.

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 VzBot 3D Printer

The VZbot is a very new corexy 3d printer project by Simon Vezina of Vez3D. The VzBot Printer is a high-speed 3d printer with a simple corexy design that uses less parts compared to core xy printers such as the Voron. The VzBot 3d printer is capable of 3d printing at high speeds. Fewer parts means less components can break and buying parts or troubleshooting is easier.

VzBot Build

VzBot Parts

The VzBot 3D Printer project caught my attention because the mechanical arrangement is similar to the SolidCore CoreXY 3D Printer.

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3D Printer Build - Calculating Wire Gauge

Most 3d printers use either 12V or 24V 

• Hotend 12V heater cartridge can draw up to 4A 

• A heated bed can draw nearly 12A. 

• Cheaper 26-gauge wire are rated at 2 amps

If your wire gauge is not large enough or longer than needed the resistance will be higher This means less watts going through the wire.

Copper wire size uses the American Wire Gauge (AWG). The lower the gauge number, the less resistance the wire has and therefore the higher current it can handle safely.

Stepper Motor Wiring

Rated Current is the maximum current that can pass through both windings at the same time. Set the motor current to no more than about 85% of the rated current. To get maximum torque out of your motors without overheating them, you should choose motors with a current rating no more than 25% higher than the recommended maximum stepper driver current. 

• Nema 17 Stepper Motors: 22 AWG wire with 4 conductors

• NEMA 17 motor wires are 26 AWG

Most motor torque data assumed 24 Volts, at 1.1 amp to 1.5 amp. Roughly 26 to 36 Watts, but remember that's "chopped" or pulsed.

Wire size is based on power transmission requirements and length of wire.

10 gauge wire - 30 amps

12 gauge wire - 20 amps

14 gauge wire - 15 amps

16 gauge wire - 10 amps

18 gauge wire - 7 amps

20 gauge wire - 3 amps (or slightly more)

22 gauge wire - 2 amps

Stranded wire is best for lengthening motor wires, get 9 strands or more. Solder properly and heat shrink. 20 AWG or larger.

Use a shielded 4-core high current wire, so that the wiring creates much less capacitive and induced interference or a twisted pair of twisted pairs.

 Each individual winding should have a twisted pair, and these two pairs should be twisted (in the opposite sense) together. Twisted pair will reduce induced interference to a minimum, and twist-on-twist is a very flexible way to combine 4 wires. Alas the construction will couple capacitively to nearby signal cables, so it pays to keep separate from them, or ensure all signal cables are shielded. (Signal cables are things like limit switch wiring, encoders, etc...).

Using a cordless drill and a bench vice, keep enough tension to prevent kinking, and reverse briefly to lose any torsion before releasing the wires.

Wire Connectors

The Molex 4 pin connector are rated at about 14 Amps (.093 inch / 2.36 mm diameter terminals.

Wire Gauge Chart

AWG gauge	Conductor Diameter Inches	Conductor Diameter mm	Conductor cross section in mm2	Max Amps for wiring	Max amps for power transmission
0000	0.46	11.684	107	380	302
000	0.4096	10.40384	84.9	328	239
00	0.3648	9.26592	67.4	283	190
0	0.3249	8.25246	53.5	245	150
1	0.2893	7.34822	42.4	211	119
2	0.2576	6.54304	33.6	181	94
3	0.2294	5.82676	26.7	158	75
4	0.2043	5.18922	21.1	135	60
5	0.1819	4.62026	16.8	118	47
6	0.162	4.1148	13.3	101	37
7	0.1443	3.66522	10.6	89	30
8	0.1285	3.2639	8.37	73	24
9	0.1144	2.90576	6.63	64	19
10	0.1019	2.58826	5.26	55	15
11	0.0907	2.30378	4.17	47	12
12	0.0808	2.05232	3.31	41	9.3
13	0.072	1.8288	2.63	35	7.4
14	0.0641	1.62814	2.08	32	5.9
15	0.0571	1.45034	1.65	28	4.7
16	0.0508	1.29032	1.31	22	3.7
17	0.0453	1.15062	1.04	19	2.9
18	0.0403	1.02362	0.823	16	2.3
19	0.0359	0.91186	0.653	14	1.8
20	0.032	0.8128	0.519	11	1.5
21	0.0285	0.7239	0.412	9	1.2
22	0.0253	0.64516	0.327	7	0.92
23	0.0226	0.57404	0.259	4.7	0.729
24	0.0201	0.51054	0.205	3.5	0.577
25	0.0179	0.45466	0.162	2.7	0.457
26	0.0159	0.40386	0.128	2.2	0.361

Motor Current

• Maximum motor current 1.5A peak => Stepper motor rated current <= 1.9A

• Maximum motor current 2.5A peak  => Stepper motor rated current <= 3.0A

• Maximum motor current 1.6A peak with good fan cooling  => Stepper motor rated current <= 1.7A. 

Use motors with lower rated current (e.g. 1.0 to 1.2A) and 24V power, then the drivers will run cooler.

Duet 3 Current

Duet 3 Mainboard 6HC and Expansion board 3HC has a recommended maximum motor current 6.3A peak/4.45A RMS) => Stepper motor rated current <= 6A

Duet 3 Toolboard has a recommended maximum motor current 1.4A peak) => Stepper motor rated current <= 1.75A

2B 2A 1A 1B

One solution is twisted pairs of wire to have one wire carrying the current while the other brings the current back.

Calculating the wire size

A higher voltage means a lower current for the same amount of power. This gives you the opportunity to use smaller wires for the same job. Voltage is proportional to the current.  A higher voltage means a lower current. Wire size influences the amount of current that can pass through it.

• A thicker wire will have less resistance per length

• Less resistance means loss

• The less loss means less temperature increase

In terms of wire size, 24V has an advantage over 12V, as the wires can be much smaller.

A power supply of 300 watts running at 12V or 24V, will use less wire.

Voltage	Current	Power
12V	4A	48W
24V	2A	48W

Wire Sizing Chart and Formula

Calculate the Voltage Drop Index (VDI) using the following formula:

1. VDI = AMPS x FEET ÷ (% VOLT DROP x VOLTAGE)

2. Determine the appropriate wire size from the chart above.

To compensate for voltage-drop, heat and current changes it is recommended to use 6 gauge wire and 4 gauge for over 15 feet.