Motorized filament re-spooler

1

MGN12H LINEAR RAIL - 150mm

1

GT2 PULLEY 20 TOOTH 6mm WIDE 5mm BORE

1

GT2 IDLER PULLEY 20 TOOTH 6mm WIDE 5mm BORE

240mm  Loop or Length

6mm GT2 TOOTHED BELT

1

M5x20 BHCS

6

608-2RS BEARINGS

2

M8X35 HEX SCREWS

2

M8 HEX NUTS

4

M4X12 BHCS

2

8X4mm NEODYMIUM DISC MAGNETS

1

5X2mm NEODYMIUM DISC MAGNET

6

M3X6 BHCS

5

M3X8 BHCS

4

M3X12 BHCS

4

M3X16 BHCS

4

M3X6 SHCS

9

M3X8 SHCS

6

M3X10 SHCS

7

M3X12 SHCS

6

M3X16 SHCS

4

M3X20 SHCS

2

M3X30 SHCS

1

M3X45 SHCS (Fully Threaded)

9

M3 SQUARE NUTS

5

M3 HEX NUTS

1

M3 HEX NYLON LOCKNUTS

31

M3x4x5mm BRASS HEAT SET INSERTS

4

M3 FLAT WASHERS

4

M2.5X5 BHCS

4

M2.5X10 BHCS

1

MEAN WELL DR-15-12 12V 1.25A POWER SUPPLY

1

DC MOTOR 12V 200RPM GEARBOX 8mm SHAFT

1

PWM DC MOTOR SPEED CONTROL

1

17HS4023 NEMA17 12V STEPPER MOTOR

1

KY-003 A3144 HALL SENSOR MODULE

1

3010 24V FAN

1

C8 PANEL MOUNT AC POWER RECEPTACLE

1

C8 AC POWER CORD (NORTH AMERICA)

1

C8 AC POWER CORD (EUROPE)

2

WAGO 221-415 5-CONTACT LEVER CONNECTORS

1

SPST 20mm ROCKER MINI SWITCH

3

SPST MOMENTARY ON PUSH BUTTON SWITCH

3

RED LED 5mm 3V 20mA

1

GREEN LED 5mm 3V 20mA

2

18AWG FEMALE BULLET CRIMP TERMINAL

2

18AWG MALE BULLET CRIMP TERMINAL

4

JST-XHP-3 3 PIN CONNECTORS

2

JST-XHP-4 4 PIN CONNECTORS

20

JST-SXH-001T FEMALE CRIMP TERMINALS

18

18AWG FERRULES

1M (3')

18AWG SILICONE INSULATED WIRE

(AC & DC power connections)

2M (6')

22 or 24 AWG WIRE - 2M OF EACH COLOR

(Hookup between external components and JST type connectors)

RECOMMENDED: RED, BLACK, BLUE AND GREEN

1

CUSTOM PCB

(Gerber files are in the files section)

1

ARDUINO NANO MODULE

1

A4988 STEPPER MOTOR DRIVER MODULE

2

15-PIN FEMALE DUPONT HEADERS (optional)

2

8-PIN FEMALE DUPONT HEADERS (optional)

1

2 PIN SCREW TERMINAL - 5.08mm PITCH

4

JST-XHP-3 3 PIN MALE HEADERS

2

JST-XHP-4 4 PIN MALE HEADERS

1

LM7805 TO-220 5V VOLTAGE REGULATOR

1

47uF 40V RADIAL ELECTROLYTIC CAPACITOR

4

1/8W 330 OHM RESISTORS

1

1/8W 4.7K OHM RESISTOR

Belt tensioner block

Filament guide carriage and lower arm

Filament guide - Make sure M3 square nut is fully seated at bottom of cavity

Filament guide adjustment knob - set into cavity with drops of CA glue on the edges of the M3 nut

Left and Right limit switch carriages

Left and Right limit switch carriage locking knobs

Insert M3x30 SHCS from the top of both knurled knobs and tighten well. These screws must not come loose since they will be used to adjust and lock the limit switch carriages in position on the rail.

DC motor mount plate. Insert the heat set insert and the two M8 hex nuts into their designated locations on the DC motor plate. The M8 nuts should hold with friction. If not, just use a few drops of CA glue on the edges of the nut before inserting them.

Motor mount plate lock catch arm. CA glue the 8x4mm magnet into its location. Fasten the magnet catch arm to the main body of the mount with a M3x8 BHSC. As an alternative, a 8x3mm magnet with a M3 flat washer/shim underneath can also be used.

Motor mount plate swiveling lock for drive spindle. CA glue the 8x4mm magnet into its location. As an alternative, a 8x3mm magnet with a M3 flat washer/shim underneath can also be used.

Motor drive spindle. CA glue only ONE 5x2mm magnet into any of the 3 locations. Test the magnet polarity with the Hall sensor before gluing them since the magnet can only trigger the sensor in one polarity.

Left front frame section

Left rear frame section

Right front frame section - Part A

Right front frame section - Part B

Right rear frame section - Part A

Right rear frame section - Part B

Right frame crossbar (brake side)

Main electronics enclosure - front view

Main electronics enclosure - rear view

Front console electronics enclosure

Assemble the 20 tooth drive pulley on the stepper motor shaft as shown below. It is recommended to use thread locking compound (Loctite) on the pulley set screws.

Fasten the stepper motor onto the frame bulkhead and limit switch slider rails as shown above. Make sure the motor's connector is facing towards the inside of the bulkhead as shown below.

Mount the belt tensioner block on the frame bulkhead as shown below. Don't tighten the screws yet.

Cut a 240mm length of belt and assemble as shown above. If you purchased a 240mm belt loop, make sure you cut the belt in a groove between 2 teeth

Bring the idler pulley and spacer together and slide them inside the belt loop

While holding the idler pulley and spacer, slide the belt loop over the stepper pulley on the left and inside the tensioner block on the right

Slide the pulley and spacer inside the tensioner block. Align parts with the mounting hole and insert the screw. The screw threads into the body of the tensioner block: DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!

Slide left front and left rear frame sections over drive side crossbar and fasten with screws

Slide the bearings into the frame cavities until they line up with the bolt holes. Make sure they can turn freely once in position. Insert the smooth bolt through the left spindle clamp opening and into the left side hole of the frame. Insert the shouldered bolt into the right side hole of the frame.

Slide the bolt retainer clips into the grooves on the bolt ends

Slide the stepper drive sub-assembly into the frame dovetail slots and fasten it with two M3x6 SHCS

Insert the linear rail bed into the frame notches and fasten with two M3x12 SHCS

Fasten the MGN12H linear rail onto the rail bed with six M3x8 SHCS. Fasten the first 4 as shown above then move the carriage aside to fasten the last 2. Be careful to not let the carriage slide off the rail.

NOTES:

• Some linear rails are sold with rubber stoppers plugged into the holes near the ends of the rail. It is recommended you leave those in until the filament guide carriage is fully assembled.

• The rail mounting screws thread into plastic so DON'T OVERTIGHTEN!

Slide the carriage arm fixed to the belt into the filament guide carriage cavity. Fasten the filament guide carriage to the linear rail carriage with four M3x10 SHCS.

Fasten carriage arm to main carriage body

Insert filament guide into carriage and thread the M3x45 screw though the carriage's internal square nut and into the knob's embedded hex nut. With the knob snug against the washer, tighten the nylock nut against the knob's hex nut.

The whole screw, knob and nut assembly should feel firm and not have any side-to-side play. But it should also be fairly easy to turn.

When assembled properly, the knob should adjust the filament guide position inside the carriage and not move at all while the re-spooler is in operation.

Fasten the brake plate to the brake side crossbar with two M3x12 BHCS

The brake tension adjusting spindle needs to be assembled as follows:

1. Determine which side of the nut is which but threading one of the spindle halves into it. Make sure to thread the flat end of the spindle into the nut so the tapered end points outward.

2. Make sure you can thread each spindle all the way to the center of the nut so that the remainder of the spindle lengths are equal on both sides.

3. To make sure the subassembly does not come loose while in use, it is recommended to glue the spindles into the nut.

Slide the four TPU flaps into the slots on the left and right brake pressure plates. It is not necessary to glue them as they do not tend to slide out during operation.

Slide the left and right brake pressure plates onto the brake side crossbar with the tension adjusting spindle-nut assembly laying in between. Once the spindles are close enough to the threaded holes in the plates, turn the nut to engage the spindle threads into the brake plates.

Assemble part A to part B of left rear frame using two M3x16 SHCS. Assemble parts A and B of left front frame the same way.

Assemble bearings, spindle clips, plastic bolts and retainers clips the same way as illustrated in steps 2 and 3 of Left frame sub-assembly. Note that the the flanged bolt must be inserted in the left or the right hole depending on which type of spindle clip (rimmed or regular) you use in that specific location.

Slide the front and rear frame pieces onto the brake crossbar until the holes in the frame pieces line up with the holes in the crossbar.

Fasten the front and rear frame pieces with two M3x20 SHCS.

Lift the left frame sub-assembly up and slide the round cavities on its ends down into the round protrusions on the ends of the right frame sub-assembly.

NOTE: The completed assembly can be solidified by gluing the joints together with epoxy

Drive spindle assembly. Female part threads over male part to capture recipient spool.

Driven or donor spindle assembly. Female part threads over male part to capture donor spool. Female part is identical for drive and donor spindles.

A set of 3 spacers is provided in the print files. Filament vendors can have different spools when width and diameter are concerned. These spacers are designed to compensate for this difference and help center spools (both recipient and donor) on the frame of the re-spooler.

Centering the spools helps ease the adjustment of the left and right limits of the filament guide system. This in turn helps to obtain more evenly wound spools.

• The 25mm spacer works well with spools that are 63-68mm in width*

• The 22mm spacer works well with spools that are 57mm in width*

• The 20mm spacer works well with spools that are 53mm in width*

A Fusion model (25mm) is provided in the files for those who might want to make custom spacers.

*NOTE: Some spools have a recessed center hub. The width as stated above is the width of the spool HUB and not the total width of the spool as such.

The stepper motor motor normally comes with a cable but the connector on the stepper driver side is usually a Dupont style 4-pin connector. This needs to be changed to a JST-XH type connector to be compatible with the JST header on the controller PCB.

Solder the wires to the Dupont female header leads and use heat shrink tubing for insulation. Crimp the wires to JST-XH female terminals on the JST-XH connector side.

Splice all 4 GND (negative) wires together at 50mm from each component. Mind the polarity of the LEDs and the color of the wires. It is recommended to use heat shrink tubing to insulate the black wires after soldering them. Total length of wire harness should be around 190mm.

Splice the 2 red wires (+5V) to the anode (+) of the left side LED. The left side LED is the one closest to the front of the frame on the electronics enclosure cover. It is recommended to use heat shrink tubing to insulate the red wires after soldering them. Total length of wire harness should be around 250mm.

Splice the 2 black wires (GND) to one lead of the left side button. The left side button is the one closest to the front of the frame on the electronics enclosure cover. It is recommended to use heat shrink tubing to insulate the black wires after soldering them. Total length of wire harness should be around 250mm.

Splice the 3 black wires (GND) together. The left side limit switch is the one closest to the front of the frame on the limit switch slide rail. It is recommended to use heat shrink tubing to insulate the black wires after soldering them.

Some motors might have wires that are too short to reach the screw terminals of the PWM speed control inside the front console enclosure. If the wires on your motor are 350mm long or more, just crimp 18AWG ferrules at the end of those wires.

If not, cut the motor wires at 100mm from the body and butt-solder two 250mm lengths of 18AWG silicone wire to those. Staggering the solder joints help to minimize the bulge caused by butt-soldering wires side-by-side. Use heat shrink tubing for insulation.

Cut the fan wires at 140mm and crimp ferrules on the ends. A 12V can be used as well but because it will spin faster, it will be noisier than a 24V fan.

Cut 18AWG wires at specified lengths and crimp the bullet connectors and ferrules as shown. The ferrule end of the wires are connected to the AC input of the Mean Well DR-15-12 12V power supply.

Cut and crimp 3 pairs of 18AWG wires for power connections between the DC power supply, the WAGO block terminals and the electronic modules.

Fasten DC motor to mount plate using 4 M4x12 BHCS.

Mount DC motor sub-assembly to frame using 4 M8x35 Hex bolts and the 42mm printed bolt.

Push bolt clip over 42mm bolt groove to lock bolt in place.

Mount the spindle lock onto the motor mount (just let the magnets align to each other). Use a 35mm length of filament for the spindle lock pivot. A drop of glue on one end will prevent it from sliding out.

Fasten the limit switches to their respective carriages with two M2.5x10 BHCS. The screws are threaded into plastic. DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN! Slide the assembled carriages into the slider rail.

NOTE: Even though the switches are shown as not wired above, it is recommended to wire those before assembling them to the carriages.

Mount the knurled knobs on the carriages. Their purpose is to adjust and lock the position of the left and right limit switches and thus set the left/right limits and the travel width of the filament guide.

Slide Hall sensor module into the frame's slotted mount (near the DC motor mount) as shown. Trim the leads on the back of the PCB beforehand to a ensure proper friction fit.

Align Hall sensor chip as shown above. This ensures that the Hall sensor lines up perfectly with the drive spindle's magnets during operation. If the module fit is loose, you can fix it in place with hot glue.

Connect cable to sensor module. The Dupont header side of the cable is not keyed therefore care needs to be taken in ensuring it is connected in the proper polarity as specified above.

Run the Hall sensor cable through the hole on the front of the frame as shown above.

Slide DC motor power cable and Hall sensor cable in the cable channel through. Make sure to leave a bit of loose in the cables on either side of it.

Mount the cable channel to the frame using two M3x6 SHCS. Make sure the cables are not pinched and can move freely inside the cable guide.

Make sure to extract all the files from the zip archive into a folder named GW-FilamentWinder.

Launch IDE and open the file GW-FilamentWinder.ino. IDE will open 4 additional tabs, one for each of the secondary files.

Go to "Tools", "Board", "Board Manager", "Arduino AVR Boards" and select "Arduino Nano"

Go to "Tools" , "Port" and assign a COM port to your Arduino module

Upload the firmware to the module by clicking on the Upload button (right arrow icon on the top left).

The output (red text in the bottom part of the IDE interface) should look like in the picture above. Your module is now flashed and ready to use.

NOTE: If the output text is different from the above picture, this could be caused by one of the following:

• You have the wrong Arduino module (don't laugh, it happened to me)

• The COM port is not configured properly

• The folder containing the script files is not named correctly

• One or more files are missing in the folder where the script resides.

Apply CA glue in the space between the locating brackets of the enclosure and fit the 2 WAGO mounts in that space as shown above. The red mount is for 12V distribution and the black one is for GND distribution. Once the glue has cured, push fit the 2 WAGO terminal blocks into the mounts. Make sure the WAGO openings face upward and the levers face outward.

Mount assembled PCB in the orientation shown above using four M2.5x5 BHCS into the enclosure's plastic lugs. The screws are threaded into plastic so DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!

Slide the enclosure between the right hand frame sides. Make sure the front and rear holes in the frame line up with the heat set inserts on the front and back of the enclosure and fasten it to the frame using four M3x12 SHCS.

Fasten the AC power inlet to the back on the frame using two M2x8 BHCS. The screws are threaded into plastic so DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!

NOTE: Even though wires are not shown above, it is recommended to solder and crimp the wires before mounting the inlet to the frame. Refer to the wiring section of the instructions.

Mount the bottom part of the front console enclosure to the frame using two M3x12 BHCS. The screws are threaded into plastic so DO NOT OVERTIGHTEN!

Connect the AC Live cable and the DC side cable on the DC power supply as shown above.

Connect Neutral wire from AC power inlet to the power supply. The DIN mount spring tab of the power supply should be in the open position to prepare for the next step.

Mount the power supply to the enclosure's built-in DIN rail by sliding it from the top to the bottom. Push the power supply's DIN locking tab inward top lock it in place. Connect the 12V DC supply cable to the WAGO power distribution terminal blocks.

Route DC motor wire through the opening on the side of the front console enclosure.

Connect the PCB 12V DC power input  to the WAGO power distribution terminal blocks.

Route and connect the stepper motor, limit switches and Hall sensor cables to their respective headers on the PCB. All the headers have markings on the PCB for clear identification.

NOTE: Picture above shows cable gate already in place.

Slide the cable gate into its slot in the enclosure. This simplifies routing the cables while allowing to hold them in place once routed. Make sure cables are not pinched and can move freely.

Remove the knob, nut and washer from the PWM speed control module's potentiometer. Hook up the dedicated DC power cable to the outermost contacts of the module's terminal block.

Mount the DC motor PWM speed control to the front cover of the enclosure. Make sure the nut is tight so that the module won't shift or turn while using the control.

Next, mount the pushbutton switch and LED's to the front panel as show above. The LED's can be held in place with hot glue applied from the back of the panel.

Press potentiometer knob into place. A good way to obtain the most even range for the knob pointer is to turn the shaft to the OFF position and insert the knob so the pointer is one notch left of completely vertical in the downward direction.

Hook up the DC motor cable to the center contacts of the PWM speed control's terminal block.

Route the DC power cable and the Switch/LEDs cable harness through the opening in the enclosure and frame.

Push the front cover towards the enclosure while pulling on the cables and set it in its place. Make sure no wires are pinched or crushed inside the enclosure.

Close the cover and fasten in place with two M3x8 BHCS.

Connect the DC power cable to the WAGO power distribution terminal blocks. Connect the Switch/LEDs wire harness to the proper header on the PCB. All the headers have markings on the PCB for clear identification.

Mount 3010 fan to the bottom of the enclosure cover using four M3x16 BHCS and M3 nuts. Make sure the fan wires exit towards the center of the cover.

NOTE: Even though the fan wires are not shown above, it is recommended to crimp the ferrules to the wires before mounting the fan to the cover. Refer to the wiring section of the instructions.

Mount the pushbutton switches from the bottom of the enclosure cover and fasten them with the included nuts and lock washers. Push fit the LED's into their holes until the flange is snug against the cover's bottom face. Hot glue can be used to secure the LED's in place.

NOTE: Even though wires are not shown above, it is recommended to solder and crimp the wiring harness before mounting the components to the cover. Refer to the wiring section of the instructions.

Push fit the AC power switch into the mounting hole on the top of the cover. Make sure to align the switch body ridge to the keyway slot on the left side of the hole.

NOTE: Even though wires are not shown above, it is recommended to solder and crimp the wires before mounting the switch to the cover. Refer to the wiring section of the instructions.

Cover fully assembled and wired.

Connect the AC power switch to the input of the DC power supply and the fan DC power cable to the WAGO 12V power distribution terminal blocks.

Connect the last two wire harnesses (LEDs and Pushbutton switches) from the enclosure cover to their respective headers on the PCB. All the headers have markings on the PCB for clear identification.

Lower the enclosure cover in place and fasten with six M3x6 BHCS. Make sure no wires are pinched or crushed before fastening the cover all the way in.

And that's it. Your motorized re-spooler is fully assembled and ready to use.

Choose your drive spool. Make sure there is a hole or slot on the left side of the spool to anchor the starting end of the filament.

Choose the spacer that positions the spool nearest the center of the frame from side to side. Screw the spindle halves onto the spool hub but don't tighten it yet. Position the filament guide at the center of the rail and use it as a reference for this.

Turn the spool so that the hole or slot is on top of the spool hub. Tighten the spindle, close the spindle catch on the motor drive and the spindle lock on the opposite side.

Turn the brake adjustment nut to spread the brake plates all the way open.

Choose the spacer that positions the donor spool closest to the center of the frame.

Mount the donor spool on the drive spindle, spacer and female spindle. Make sure the spool is oriented so that the filament will unspool from the bottom.

Loosen the knurled knobs on the limit switch carriages, slide them to their farthest outward positions on the rail and tighten the knobs. Make sure the filament guide carriage is in the approximate center of the rail.

Plug in the power cord and make sure the motor speed control knob is in the OFF position. Turn on the power switch. The enclosure fan and the red LED on the front console will turn on. The stepper motor will be energized: this will lock the filament guide carriage in place.

Press and hold the left button on the enclosure (the one closest to the front) to move the carriage towards the front. Bring it to the point where the filament guide arm touches the left side of the spool and release the button.

NOTE: You can use the other button to move in the opposite direction if you need to make adjustments.

Loosen the left limit switch knob and slide it to towards the filament guide carriage until the switch is triggered: the red LED will turn on. Hold the switch in place and tighten the knurled knob.

Repeat the previous 2 steps with the right side button and limit switch carriage. The re-spooler left to right travel is now set up.

Press the button on the front console. The filament guide carriage will move to the leftmost (nearest the front) position where the left limit switch is triggered and the left LED next to the button is turned on.

Also, the red LED on the console will turn off and the green LED will turn on. This means the re-spooler is on standby mode and ready to start.

Pull the filament from the donor spool and thread it through the filament guide arm's channel.

Pass the filament below the spool hub, behind and up to the spool's anchor hole. Bend the end of the filament and hook it into the hole.

Turn the donor spool counter-clockwise until the filament is in a straight path from the recipient spool to the donor spool but not overly tight.

Turn the brake adjustment knob until the flexible TPU flaps are pushing lightly but firmly against the sides of the spool. The brake mechanism accomplishes two things:

1. It provides a constant tension on the filament so that the recipient spool rows are wound neatly and evenly.

2. It prevents the donor spool from from freewheeling and loosing its rows of filament in case the winding motor is brought to a sudden stop or speed change.

Too little pressure and the donor spool will freewheel if for some reason the winding needs to be slowed down or stopped abruptly.

Too much pressure and the filament tension will be too high causing the recipient spool to be wound too tight which in turn could lead to blockages during printing. A nice thing about this adjustment is that it can be tweaked on the fly if the need arises.