Y Axis Vibration Damper for MakerFarm Prusa i3

The MakerFarm Prusa i3 suffers from the same ailment as most Mendel variants: the Y axis is noisy. The combination of the linear bearings on rigid rods with the bed stack of wood, heat bed and glass causes a loud, buzzing resonance at some feed speeds.

These bearing blocks allow you to mount the LM8UU bearings to the bottom of the bed plate with Sorbothane to damp much of this resonance, significantly quieting the printer.

To use these brackets, you will need to cut pieces of .1" Sorbothane sheet to sandwich between the bearing and the clamp, as shown in the photos. The tabs on the clamps fit into the existing laser-cut openings in the bed. It will be a tight fit; the the clamps are sized to hold the Sorbothane in 15% compression, as specified by the manufacturer for maximum performance.

These bearings should be printed standing on one end, so the filaments are stretched around the perimeter for maximum tensile strength. Once printed in ABS, they will be flexible enough to open and insert the bearings and Sorbothane. I don't recommend PLA because it will be more brittle and may deform over time due to the heat from the bed.

Snap the bearings into the plate and secure them with M3 screws and nylon locking nuts.

The correct Sorbothane sheet can be purchased here:

http://www.amazon.com/Isolate-It-Sorbothane-Acoustic-Vibration/dp/B0084EXBFA

You need only three small pieces, so one sheet is enough for a lot of printers.

Instructions

Be sure to print the clamps standing on end, for maximum tensile strength around the perimeter.

Category: 3D Printer Parts