Hello, I am new to 3D printers, I have a question

[Enigma_M4 119]

... and another valuable source of knowledge are the youtube-videos provided by @fbrc8-erin:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRBgc5zvVEBMU9o7YjCzFYA/videos

They give insight in the function of the printer while showing how to fix some minor or bigger issues.

[Smithy 1,144]

Because you are asking for basics, you can watch any 3D printing video to get more information. A nozzle or a heater to heat the nozzle has every printer.

 

Do you have already an 3D printer?

[Ayman1612 0]

What we have in the printer is a belt of gears?

[Ayman1612 0]

13 hours ago, Enigma_M4 said:

For first orientation, you could try this:

https://support.ultimaker.com/hc/en-us/articles/360013053880-Ultimaker-3-PDF-manuals

the site also contains a lot of information and possibly is exactly what you're looking for.

 

I would like to know what are the functions of the internal parts such as the belt and what sensors are in the printer

[Ayman1612 0]

What is the function of this screw in a stepper motor

[gr5 2,172]

lol.  You have lots of questions.  Keep that screw as tight as possible.  It's called a "set screw".  You want it so tight that the allen wrench twists a bit.  It keeps that pulley from slipping on the stepper motor shaft.  If that gets loose then your X or Y stepper will slip and you'll get issues where your part shifts suddenly on higher up levels.  There's a photo showing this and showing this repair in one of those 3 3dverkstan links I posted earlier in this topic.

 

You shouldn't need to touch any of that stuff.  Try printing a few things and watch the printer in action.  You will slowly understand things.

 

I've never had to touch any of the set screws on my UM3.  And it's probably 5 years old now?

 

That reminds me - time to start the next print on my UM3...

[Ayman1612 0]

Hello, I have a question for general knowledge.
Who passes the commands from the Ultmaker 3 3D printer controller to the motor?

[Smithy 1,144]

Hello @Ayman1612, I also have a question, for what project do you plan to use a 3D printer? 

Do you have something specific your just for you hobby?

[Ayman1612 0]

3 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Hello @Ayman1612, I also have a question, for what project do you plan to use a 3D printer? 

Do you have something specific your just for you hobby?

A project for school I am studying

[Ayman1612 0]

19 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Hello @Ayman1612, I also have a question, for what project do you plan to use a 3D printer? 

Do you have something specific your just for you hobby?

This is my last question, I would appreciate it if you could help

[Smithy 1,144]

Interesting, and what field are you studying?

[Ayman1612 0]

31 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Interesting, and what field are you studying?

Mechatronics,And my project is about 3D printers that's why I ask a lot of questions Wednesday I have the project

[Smithy 1,144]

But only theory or is there a 3D printer in the school?

[Ayman1612 0]

6 minutes ago, Smithy said:

But only theory or is there a 3D printer in the school?

There is a printer at school and there are many other projects. I chose a 3D printer and I am also going to buy one soon for home because it really interested me, even while studying I worked in a factory on a 3D printer not too much

[Ayman1612 0]

9 minutes ago, Smithy said:

But only theory or is there a 3D printer in the school?

And on Wednesday an examiner comes and starts asking me questions about the printer, questions that are difficult and not basic

[Smithy 1,144]

Allright, I wish you all the best and good luck for Wednesday!

[Ayman1612 0]

18 minutes ago, Smithy said:

Allright, I wish you all the best and good luck for Wednesday!

Thank you very much friend, only you can help me with my last question, who transmits the commands from the controller to the motor? Is there a driver?

[Smithy 1,144]

Yes there are drivers to control the stepper motors, but I don't know more details.

[Ayman1612 0]

3 hours ago, Smithy said:

Yes there are drivers to control the stepper motors, but I don't know more details.

 

3 hours ago, Smithy said:

Yes there are drivers to control the stepper motors, but I don't know more details.

Where is the driver located inside the stepper motor?

[gr5 2,172]

Every printer is different.  Some printers have a single controller board.  On that board is the stepper drivers (they are about 1.5cm square and quite visible) and usually on that same board is the CPU.  On cheaper printers the CPU is an arduino style computer - usually not technically an arduino but the same CPU as on an arduino.  On more expensive printers there are often more expensive computers.  Some printers (like the  Ultimaker 3) have complete Linux computer on one board.  It's a powerful computer similar to a cell phone computer with a powerful operating system (linux).  And then there is a second circuit board on the UM3 (underneath) with the arduino style computer which is the secondary computer that controls the stepper drivers which control the steppers.  So that second board is similar to the *only* board on most printers.

 

Arduino style computers are very wimpy.  Very very weak.  Maybe like 40,000 arduinos are enough computing power to match one cell phone computer.

 

The 2 boards in the Ultimaker3 talk to each other through USB interface.  All underneath the UM3 printer.

 

The stepper drivers have 4 wires that go to each stepper.  Look up the wiring for stepper drivers (look at the key pins - the 4 outputs and the inputs are "dir" for "direction" and "step" which is pulsed by the computer to tell the stepper driver to do 1 "step".

 

These stepper drivers are extremely similar to the drivers for the motors on a quadcopter.  But quadcopters have 3 wires instead of 4 going to the motors.

 

There isn't much feedback from the stepper - you tell the stepper to step say 234 times and it moves but the computer doesn't know for sure if the stepper missed a step.  If the stepper misses a step the printer keeps going but now everything is offset by 1 step.  This is usually not a problem but sometimes it is.  The information is one way.  From computer - through stepper driver - to stepper.  There is no feedback in the other direction.

[gr5 2,172]

One way to find the stepper driver is to follow the 4 wire cable from the stepper back to the driver.  The cables usually have twisted pairs and are very distinctive.

 

 

[gr5 2,172]

When you go buy a cheap printer (I assume you are not rich), most people will recommend Creality.  Instead read this guide - this guide is amazing for choosing 3d printers:

Fantastic list:
https://www.reddit.com/user/richie225/comments/rnillw/generic_fdm_printer_recommendations_2022/

 

 

[Ayman1612 0]

2 hours ago, gr5 said:

Every printer is different.  Some printers have a single controller board.  On that board is the stepper drivers (they are about 1.5cm square and quite visible) and usually on that same board is the CPU.  On cheaper printers the CPU is an arduino style computer - usually not technically an arduino but the same CPU as on an arduino.  On more expensive printers there are often more expensive computers.  Some printers (like the  Ultimaker 3) have complete Linux computer on one board.  It's a powerful computer similar to a cell phone computer with a powerful operating system (linux).  And then there is a second circuit board on the UM3 (underneath) with the arduino style computer which is the secondary computer that controls the stepper drivers which control the steppers.  So that second board is similar to the *only* board on most printers.

 

Arduino style computers are very wimpy.  Very very weak.  Maybe like 40,000 arduinos are enough computing power to match one cell phone computer.

 

The 2 boards in the Ultimaker3 talk to each other through USB interface.  All underneath the UM3 printer.

 

The stepper drivers have 4 wires that go to each stepper.  Look up the wiring for stepper drivers (look at the key pins - the 4 outputs and the inputs are "dir" for "direction" and "step" which is pulsed by the computer to tell the stepper driver to do 1 "step".

 

These stepper drivers are extremely similar to the drivers for the motors on a quadcopter.  But quadcopters have 3 wires instead of 4 going to the motors.

 

There isn't much feedback from the stepper - you tell the stepper to step say 234 times and it moves but the computer doesn't know for sure if the stepper missed a step.  If the stepper misses a step the printer keeps going but now everything is offset by 1 step.  This is usually not a problem but sometimes it is.  The information is one way.  From computer - through stepper driver - to stepper.  There is no feedback in the other direction.

Thank you very much for helping me, as I understand it, the driver is under the printer?

[gr5 2,172]

For Ultimaker 3 and most other printers, yes.  It's usually with all the other circuitry.