I was talking with support …but i figure that this info would be useful to lots of folks here.
Can some one measure their form 3 (i assume 3+ is the same chassis) need to figure out an enclosure size. One of the measurements we need is the hight with the door open. NOTE - I believe it opens part way up…but also can go all the way to 180 deg? Can anyone confirm? Ive seen it both ways in various videos.
So might be good to have the highest point tallest measurement…
I hinges back, it doesn’t travel upwards. Though the front top edge does describe an arc, so the height does increase. If no one answers sooner, I’ll measure with the printer open/closed tomorrow and post the numbers.
Hinged up all the way, the machine is 29" tall. The lid hinges at the top back corner, and it rotates a full 90º, so the top of the lid is in-line with the back of the machine when fully open. You don’t need any space behind the machine for the raised lid. However, the lower front edge of the lid swings out as the lid hinges up. At its greatest extent, it’s about 5" in front of the lower front edge of the machine’s base.
OK good news I found a great person to work with to make a new enclosure they came up with the measurements and everything is well…so we’re all good there…
I did have one question…
if i keep the printer in a “recirculated air” enclosure obviously the temperature will stay more consistent than exhausting it out the window …as exhaust vents can bring in cold…
Can things get too hot I wonder?
Dont want to hurt the machine insides.
If heat can’t get out, then yes you risk getting the machine too hot. If I was going to go to all the trouble to make something like this, I’d use some HEPA and Charcoal filters and exhaust the air back in to the ambient space. Exhausting outside is overkill IMO. My Laser cutters, mandatory. 3D printers, no so much. But even if you do exhaust outside, the enclosure is going to draw ambient air from the surrounding environment and provided that’s “room temp” as far as the printer is concerned it’s going to think it’s operating in free air like there was no enclosure at all.
I have no way to say if it’d be too hot. Depends on how much heat the machine actually generates and how well the enclosure dissipates that heat. But the chance of it being too hot are much higher if you implement a closed-loop system without any provision for heat exchange with the ambient environment. If the enclosure is a good insulator, the heat inside will continue to increase and you’ll end up with “thermal runaway” which is bad. And even if you don’t get thermal runaway, you can be hotter than is appropriate for the resin you’re using.
I will have them add the vent holes and then put the return hose out the window baffle then… have to just keep an idea on temps so its in the happy range.
I’m working with a great enclosure manufacturer who was able to help generate a custom one…once i can get permission I’ll post the relevant details soon.
The kit includes the STLs for all 3D printed parts. Typically it takes about 48 hours to print everything you’ll need with a .4mm nozzle and .2mm layer height.
Except you’re selling this to owners of an SLA printer that doesn’t have a nozzle. At least, include estimates for printing with a Form3 printer!
If you still want to print your own parts, just remember that temperatures inside an enclosure will melt PLA,
The temperature inside the enclosure won’t get anywhere close to melting PLA. Even if this was for a FDM printer it wouldn’t get hot enough to melt PLA. PLA melts at 170ºC. If the ambient temp inside the enclosure gets that hot, the electronics will fail. Consumer grade integrated circuits like the type used in 3D printers are generally rated to a max of 70ºC. No way would they still be working at anything much higher than maybe 100ºC. PLA’s going to soften up at that temp for sure, but it won’t be melted.
You really don’t need much space side-to-side, so the enclosure looks a few inches wider than it needs to be. Reduce your materials cost a bit if you eliminated the excess space on either side.
I would recommend you hinge the top of the enclosure. You need to swap resin cartridges, I’m not sure you could get them in at an angle through the front of the enclosure.