Category: 3D Printing

2023’s Best Electronics Engineer Gifts | 462

As an electronics engineer, having the right tools can make all the difference in productivity and efficiency. With the 11.11 Shopping Festival just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to upgrade your workbench or surprise your engineer friend with a thoughtful gift. In this guide, we’ve curated a list of top-notch products that are sure to delight any tech enthusiast.

First on the list is high-quality ESD protection from Welectron. Their anti-static mats are not only durable and chemical-resistant but also free from unpleasant odors, ensuring a comfortable working environment. Whether you need a large mat for your workbench or a compact one for your computer desk, Welectron has got you covered.

Next up is the highly anticipated Raspberry Pi 5, a true powerhouse for any electronics engineer or hobbyist. With a significant performance boost and new features like PCIe Gen2 and an RTC module, this little computer packs a punch. As an official Raspberry Pi distributor, Welectron is the go-to source for snagging one of these coveted devices.

For those in need of a thermal camera, the options are diverse and tailored to different use cases. The DytSpectrumOwl is a top choice for PCB inspection on your workbench, while the UNI-T UTi260B and Infiray P2 PRO offer portability and macro lens capabilities, respectively. Whichever you choose, a thermal camera can unlock new levels of productivity and troubleshooting prowess.

The Sugon 8650 Hot Air Station is a game-changer for soldering and rework tasks. With its precise temperature regulation, massive power output, and user-friendly interface, this station can handle even the most demanding jobs with ease. Investing in this top-of-the-line tool is a surefire way to elevate your soldering skills.

Last but not least, the FNIRSI USB power monitors (FNB58 and FNB48) are sleek and highly capable tools for measuring USB power delivery. With their exceptional resolution, cable chip detection, and Bluetooth data logging, these monitors are a must-have for any engineer working with USB-C and power delivery protocols.

3D Printer Monitoring With An ESP32 Smartwatch And Octoprint API | Voltlog #320

Welcome to a new Voltlog, in this video I’m gonna show you how I built this project where an ESP32 based smart wristband allows me to track the progress of my 3D printer in real time. So I thought about how I could solve this problem and I came up with a project where I’m using a LILYGO T-Wristband which is basically an ESP32 development platform built into this smart bracelet form factor. The bracelet connects via Wifi to the local network where Octoprint runs and manages the 3d printer.

Dual Gear Extruder Grinding Itself Problem | Voltlog #308

Welcome to another video about my 3d printing adventures, as you may have seen in a previous mailbag I got myself one of these dual gear extruders to upgrade the standard one that my CR10 came with. The original plastic extruder was working fine initially, but as time passed, the wear increased and it started slipping, the spring was not providing enough tension anymore so it was time for an upgrade.

The dual gear extruder was the obvious choice because it’s affordable and it’s dual gear system should ensure better grip on the filament. I’m not 100% sure but I believe the original design was done by Bondtech and I most certainly got a cheap clone of that from aliexpress. You would think that for such a simple mechanical device it shouldn’t matter if it’s a clone or not but as we’ll see in a moment it does matter as subtle changes can make it better or worse.

I installed my new dual gear extruder, I didn’t make any video about it, didn’t think it was interesting enough and I needed to install it without further delay because I was doing this while I was printing face shields and I needed to have the printer up and running ASAP. It was working great, I printed a bunch of face shields, it had a good grip on the filament but a few days later I accidentally noticed there is a bunch of residue gathered up on the mechanism.

Voltlog #288 – New BLTouch 3DTouch Plastic Pin Sensor Upgrade

Back in 2018 I installed a Bltouch sensor on my Creality CR10 3d printer and I showed the process in Voltlog #177, that video is one of the most popular videos on the channel and now after using the printer with the upgrade for a couple of years I can clearly say it’s probably one of the best upgrades you can do to your 3d printer and it’s pretty cheap. I won’t go into too much detail about what the sensor does and how to install it because that is discussed in Voltlog #177.

However I did experience a downside after this upgrade, some users are reporting the same problem while others don’t face this issue. It’s important to note I am using a BLtouch clone called 3D touch, purchased from Aliexpress. It’s the type that has a metal push rod through the middle. The issue I’m having is a vibration noise coming from that metal pin vibrating inside the sensor when the printer moves on the Y axis. This issue might or might not be present on a genuine sensor or just another unit which might have tighter tolerances.

Voltlog #239 – Upgrading The CR10 3D Printer With New Print Surface And Bed Insulation

Welcome to a new voltlog, it’s time for another upgrade on my Creality CR10 3D printer, and this time it’s about the print surface. By default this printer comes with a glass print surface which sits on top of the aluminium bed and that has worked fine for most prints and settings I’ve tried but occasionally I would get some adhesion problems and with glass you need to wait until the part has cooled down in order to remove it. Not such a big deal but there is this newer magnetic print surface, which has two parts, you get the bottom part with adhesive that you stick to the aluminium build plate of the printer and you get the top part which sticks magnetically to the other part.

This way, with the top surface I should get better adhesion and when the print is finished I can just remove the print surface from the printer to have it cool down faster or maybe for easier removal because I could just bend the surface to cause the part to unstick.

I’m also going to upgrade the bottom heater of the bed by installing one of these insulation sheets, this should help it reach working temperature faster and maybe it will use less power to keep it at working temperature.

Voltlog #181 – Installing Stepper Motor Vibration Dampers On The CR10

In this video you will see step-by-step how I installed a set of vibration dampers on my Creality CR10 3D printer. They feature two metallic parts and a compliant rubber part in the middle that connects the outer two. This will reduce vibrations coming from the motor, stopping them from passing through the frame.

Here are some links to places where you can get the parts shown in this video: