M3D Promega Mods 2019
Gearbox v2 Mod - $150

Problem Summary
The promega motors are not powerful enough to push the filament through at reasonable speeds without skipping the extruder motor. The result is that the printer has to be run at slow speeds to achieve some success.

Solution
By adding a gearbox/speed reducer between the motor and the extruder feed system the overall print speed can be increased. This is being accomplished with a cycloidal speed reducer, a unique type of "gearbox" that is designed to give a 13:1 speed reduction. This varies from the original gearbox in that it uses all metal gearing, and does not rely on a planetary gear system, which has more backlash and more moving parts. For the capabilities of our shop, moving away from the laser cut gears was necessary to make this feasible, since the quality issues we had during manufacturing required more time to fix than was reasonable. The new gearbox with motors will likely be shorter than the first version, awarding back some of the Y-axis that was sacrificed for the first version.


Idler Mod - $50

Problem Summary
In a lightweight motion application like 3D printing, frame rigidity, vibration, and other factors all play into print quality. On the promega, small, smooth-walled idlers were used for the belts on the X gantry. Due to the small size, the belt teeth pushing against the idlers was causing a vibration of sorts that was creating visible vertical line patterns in prints.  

Solution
Using the idler mod, we are able to retrofit the X gantry of the promega to use larger, higher quality idlers (bearings). This eliminated the vibration from the belt teeth by creating a larger surface contact to the belt. A higher quality ensures that the idlers continue to turn smoothly after constant use.


Metal Wall-E Insert - $10-$20 each (undecided yet, may also be available in a 3 pack)

Problem Summary
On the Promega Printer, the machined aluminum block on the print head that filament enters through is referred to by the community as the “Wall-E”. This block comes stock with a 3D printed insert on the backside which forms the channel for filament to feed through. The problem is that this 3D printed part wears down quickly. While it is easy to replace, the high rate of wear leads to many failed prints, especially on long running prints.

Solution
To resolve this, we have learned to machine the inserts out of aluminum. The aluminum, while still a wear item, lasts many times longer than the 3D printed versions. These will be available in both Compound and Ktana varieties. See pics below.

Compound E3D Adapter - $20-$30 (undecided yet. Only includes the adapter. E3D hotend components not included)

Problem Summary
The printhead that comes stock on the Promega is called the Compound print head. It gets this name due to the fact that it mixes 2 filaments together when extruding. This has a variety of challenges that many users do not want to deal with. However, it is unable to run only a single filament at a time.

Solution
To resolve this, we have created a special adapter that not only lets the user run a single filament in the Compound print head, but also allows them to use E3D hotend components, which are common, proven, and reputable within the 3D printing community. See pics below.


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Aluminum Compound Wall-E insert
Compound-to-E3D adapter
Adapter Assembled
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