3d printer cabinet / display

[Imran 0]

Hi All,

 

Sorry to ask such a strange questions on my first post. I work in a public library and we have Ultimaker 2+, we was thinking about having it on public display permanently. Does anyone have any recommendations on a display cabinet, it would need ventilation, have some storage, and on wheels so it can be moved easily to different parts of the building. Ideally with a nice big screen so public can see what is being printed.

 

Is there any recommendations?

 

Many thanks

[SandervG 1,521]

Hi Imran, welcome to the community! Have you already read this thread? It contains some good tips and recommendations.

[Smithy 1,146]

Just be careful, that you have a very good ventilation in your cabinet. There are a lot of problems if you just put it in a cabinet without enough fresh cool air. In that case, the temperature gets too hot inside and your prints will fail. Small ventilators are not enough.

[conny_g 251]

1 hour ago, Smithy said:

Just be careful, that you have a very good ventilation in your cabinet. There are a lot of problems if you just put it in a cabinet without enough fresh cool air. In that case, the temperature gets too hot inside and your prints will fail. Small ventilators are not enough.

My learning in above mentioned thread was that you need the ventilation of a powerful (= high static pressure) 120mm fan.
If you drill holes in the circle of 120mm the net opening is like 35-40% of the area of the 120mm fan, that's enough.
120mm circle: 60^2 x pi = 11.309 square millimeters.

60 holes of 10mm (= 78 square mm) = 4.680 sq mm or 41%.

If the vent opening is much smaller on one side (in or out) then the airflow is not enough to keep the temperature < 30C , temperature rises, PLA gets soft, feeder jams.
And obviously there could be problems with motors heating too much or the electronics as well.
I have done a test with ABS where the cabinet temperature reached 40 C and that was ok, though.

[Imran 0]

Excellent, many thanks for the input. Also impressive thread conny_g - very useful. 

 

I am hoping we can get a cabinet tall enough so we don't need a lid on the top and this can be open.

 

Concern is we prefer the moving / hot parts are not within touching distance of customers / children.

 

Personally I cant wait to get my hand on it, I have a old Toyota MR2 that I have been fixing up and would like to print some parts I cant buy from the dealer. exciting times ahead