Vertical X Axis Standard
This is the spot for documentation of the standard configuration for vertical X axis assemblies. The original discussion about why we want such a thing is here. (TLDR; It's that big to fit the extruder motor between the X Smooth Rods) If you are a designer of an extruder, X carriage, X axis assembly, or whole bot that works with this standard, consider yourself and editor of this page.
If you are simply looking for an optimized X-Carraige and the separation of your Z Axis Rods is 30mm and you are using a Bowden setup that doesn't require an extruder motor on your x-carraige you can probably use:
- RepRapPro Mendel3 X-Carraige (M5 Threaded, 8mm Smooth Rod)
- Prusa i3 X-Carraige (M8 Threaded, 8mm Smooth Rod)
- Prusa i3 Rework X-Carraige (M8 Threaded, 8mm Smooth Rod)
!! There is a contest going on for those wishing to port existing designs or design new parts that fit the standard!! - Contest over as of Dec 2011 Vertical_X_Axis_Standard_Contest
Contents
Benefits
Benefits of a vertical X axis assembly on Mendel style bots include
1. A vertical x-axis should make head changes and hotend designs easier because the head can slide out unobstructed.
2. Should use less plastic (print faster) than a horizontal X axis assembly.
3. Should be stiffer than horizontal X axis configurations given the same amount of plastic.
4. Naturally lends itself to integrated X carriage/extruder designs as they are now both in the same plane.
5. ? :)
The Standard
The currently agreed upon standard is to space the two X smooth rods 70 mm center to center and the Z smooth and threaded rod 30 mm center to center. A diagram below explains the basic constraints. The Z rod spacing is identical to the Prusa and Mendel, so it is likely that X axis assemblies that conform to this standard could be used as replacements in those bots as well.
Current standard-compliant projects with Vertical X Axis
Feel free to add your project here if you have a design that is or will soon be compliant.
- X-carriage-struder An X axis and integrated carriage/extruder design. To be compatible with Prusa, Mendel, and Orca.
- Test_Tube_Mendel A minimalist version of the Prusa that eliminates printed vertices using fender washers.
- Action68's_vertical_x_axis_reprap A currently conceptual bot with a vertical X axis
- PCB Mill mount for Vertical X axis by droftarts
- Vertical_x_for_Prusa_by_North90ty A complete and very easy to build design for a vertical x-axis
- Vert-X-Belt-Truder Early concept of a vertical x-carriage with belt-driven extruder (no stepper motor on the carriage).
- 3DPrintMi Open frame style Reprap
- Prism Vertical X axis
- Rusty-Vertical-X Another Vertical X carriage, GPL, Circa Oct 2012 Thingiverse Link
Other projects with Vertical X Axis
The following projects are not necessarily compliant with this standard. They may choose to work with the standard or not as they see fit.
- Mixtape_mendel A Prusa style bot designed to be fully parametric.
- 1X2 A Prusa style bot made from standardized blocks of wood. Easily built with hand tools.
- RepRapPro_Tricolour A Prusa Mendel variant. Design was updated circa March 2013 to include a vertical X axis. Uses 40mm X rod spacing.
- EMAKER_Huxley A smaller bot, sort of a mixture of the original Huxley, and the Prusa.
- Gen X Skb-Kiparis remix Based on Mendel. With original idea of vertical x axis and vertical extruder combined with x carriage.
- Doboz
- Wallace ~ Parametric: X spacing is set in the scad file by the variable 'x_rod_spacing', default 30. Z spacing is set by a combination of yz_motor_distance, motor_casing, and the rod size, default of (yz_motor_distance+motor_casing)/2+rod_size for a NEMA14/6mm setup is (25+38)/2+6=37.5
- SibRap Russian printer, have 55 mm vertical distance.