I wrote about getting a mini 3D printer as a demo set which I can bring along to maker fairs and such. The Labists Mini 3D Printer (a rebrand of the Easythreed X1) was on sale, so I decided to just get one to see how it goes.
As you can see, it comes in a really compact case. Here is the box beside a box of filament for comparison.
It comes in essentially 3 parts: the base with the Y axis, the X and Z axis arm, and the control box. Assembly is just a matter of placing the XZ arm into the base and fixing it with two long screws, then connecting a few wires to the control box.
I didn't even bother to give it a test print because I am just going to remove the control box and connect the mechanical portion to a MRR ESPA. So I decided to open up the control box to see what is inside.
The mainboard is driven by a ATMEGA1284 microcontroller. (Note: This is an 8-bit microcontroller.)
It seems the ET-4000 V2 is actually an earlier printer from Easythreed. Guess they just use the same board for all their printers.
Stepper drivers are... yup, A4988.
The 12V to 5V step down converter is a MP1584.
I am not really sure what this 74HC4050 level shifter is for, probably for the PCB with the control buttons.
This is the back of the PCB with the control buttons.
And the control board actually has MOSFETs not just for the part cooling fan (which does not come with this kit; you need to get a separate 25mm x 25mm x 7mm 12V fan and print a shroud which can be found on Easythreed's website) and the hotend. It also has a MOSFET and connectors for a heated bed. The MOSFETs for the hotend and part cooling fan are HY1403, but I can't make out what the heated bed uses.
One thing that worries me is the very thin wires used for the hotend. I am really worried how that will hold up with currents above 1A.
Next is to find time to hook it up to a MRR ESPA and try to print something.
Affiliate link to product on Amazon.comAs you can see, it comes in a really compact case. Here is the box beside a box of filament for comparison.
It comes in essentially 3 parts: the base with the Y axis, the X and Z axis arm, and the control box. Assembly is just a matter of placing the XZ arm into the base and fixing it with two long screws, then connecting a few wires to the control box.
I didn't even bother to give it a test print because I am just going to remove the control box and connect the mechanical portion to a MRR ESPA. So I decided to open up the control box to see what is inside.
The mainboard is driven by a ATMEGA1284 microcontroller. (Note: This is an 8-bit microcontroller.)
It seems the ET-4000 V2 is actually an earlier printer from Easythreed. Guess they just use the same board for all their printers.
Stepper drivers are... yup, A4988.
The 12V to 5V step down converter is a MP1584.
I am not really sure what this 74HC4050 level shifter is for, probably for the PCB with the control buttons.
This is the back of the PCB with the control buttons.
And the control board actually has MOSFETs not just for the part cooling fan (which does not come with this kit; you need to get a separate 25mm x 25mm x 7mm 12V fan and print a shroud which can be found on Easythreed's website) and the hotend. It also has a MOSFET and connectors for a heated bed. The MOSFETs for the hotend and part cooling fan are HY1403, but I can't make out what the heated bed uses.
One thing that worries me is the very thin wires used for the hotend. I am really worried how that will hold up with currents above 1A.
Next is to find time to hook it up to a MRR ESPA and try to print something.
8 comments:
Hello there, and many thanks for the tearapart, this is probably the ONLY blog providing some real insight on this printer I have found, so far.
Now, thing is...I have the same printer, hidden somewhere, at home...and I've been wondering: since I see that the board supports a hot bed (it shipped as a separate product and control board, for Easythreed, that I know for sure), what are the chances of adding some kind of auto-leveling device, such as the BLTouch or similar? Does the board have the needed pins?
Nice to see someone else with this printer.
If you intend to use this with a hot bed, just remember, the board runs on 12V, and I don't know if the MOSFET for the hot bed is sized appropriately for high currents. The connectors definitely aren't suited for heavy-duty stuff. Then again, the print size is only 10cm by 10cm by 10cm, and the print surface should be good enough for PLA. Again, trying to sustain a high hot end temperature for other materials may not be a good idea, since the wires to the hot end are really thin.
Also, I don't see any connectors for something like the BLTouch, which requires additional pins for servo control. Then again, with such a small print area, there really isn't any real need for auto leveling once you have the bed leveled manually.
Personally, I didn't like the controller for the printer, so I replaced the control board with my own and do my printing via my browser. You can find posts about this on the blog too.
Olá, muito obrigado pela análise tenho uma EasyThreed k1, é a mesma placa também, mas gostaria de saber, se há necessidade de colocar dissipadores de calor nos MOSFETs, ou drivers dos motores. Reparei que o motor que movimenta a base da minha impressora (acho que é o eixo X) esquenta muito, não estou muito confiate em deixar um longo tempo em funcionamento pra impressão.
Thank you for the comment. Unfortunately, I have replaced the board with my own board (MRR ESPA) so I have actually never used this printer with its original card.
Boa tarde, você sabe se eu trocar os eixos por uns maiores eu consigo aumentar a área de impressão dela
Boa tarde, você sabe se eu trocar os eixos por uns maiores eu posso aumentar a área de impressão dela
Hi, there is nothing stopping you from using the parts of this printer to build your own printer with a bigger print area, if you know how to go about it. It will probably be easier and cheaper to buy a new printer with a bigger print area, though, since the entire frame will need to be replaced, and the only parts that can be reused will be the control board, the stepper motors, the extruder, and the bearings.
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