A custom 3D printer design using triple belted Z and custom coreXY. A Kelvin style kinematic coupling is used, and designed to use commonly available, and mostly printed parts. The printer has 8kg of filament storage, inside and enclosed chamber, as well as a separate electronics bay. The print volume is 400x400x450mm

This printer is design to be printed as much as possible by the user. The user can source the frame, panels, bed, fasteners, and linear systems, and mostly print every other major part, including the kinematic system. The goal of the design it to obtain the most functional design, in the most user assemble-able, and repairable package. Essentially, combining the essence of the RepRap ethos, with the large build volumes, and increased quality of modern printers. The printer can function with or without the enclosure, but will not be able to print ABS easily without the enclosure.

Every printer part can be printed on a 256mm^3 printer, including the enclosure. The entire enclosure itself is composed of many small parts, and creates mostly a frame from acrylic panels to create a heat chamber.

The case itself, has 6 major parts which can be assembled from the smaller individual case parts. The main part is the front of the case, which the door mounts to, and is bolted to the front of the printer. Then on each side, a side panel bay is mounted (also bolted to the printer, and to each side of the front case). With the front case, and the two side case bays installed, the 8kg of filament, and the coreXY system is still exposed. Then, three individually separate panels can be slid on and off from the front (so that anything can be removed in a dense print farm) to enclose the printer sides and top. These panels are comprised of the Top panel, which is singular, and the left and right panels cover, which are mirrors of each other.

This printer works with a Kelvin style kinematic coupling. You may be familiar with other printers like the Ratrig using a Maxwell type, but the Stratum uses a Kelvin, because it allows increased contact surface area, an allows the user to print and use more of the critical parts without excess or rapid wear.

This printer also has unique coreXY system. Unlike many other coreXY designs, this printer drives and tensions the entire belt from one position. This way, 4 bearing sets can be removed from the printer, decrease resistance, and increase tension. The minimum belt radius bend throughout the entire printer is 8.5mm, because even the gantry uses large 17mm idlers for the belt. If desired, a more conventional rear drive system is also compatible with the printer, while remaining compatible with the existing tension system.

Most essential parts of the printer can be directly ordered from PCB way, including the extrusion frame which can be ordered using the cutlist drawing, the acrylic panels, which can be laser cut, and the bed files, which can all be CNCed. The FDM printed parts could theoretically be ordered from PCBway as well, but has not been tried because Ideally the user has a single printer which they could print the patrs with themselves.

This is not a final functional printer design. This is a highly experimental printer at this stage, so expect a fair bit of tinkering at this point.

You can find my project and more updates on discord (https://discord.gg/fZzreP3h5), or github (https://github.com/BitDrafted/Stratum-400), or printables (https://www.printables.com/model/1854713-stratum-400-3d-printer)

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