If it is as it appears that both the extruder and hot end now mount directly to the top plate like the Microolight without the need for a separate adapter plate. Great improvement. It also appears that they and have changed orientation of the screws that hold the print head together from horizontal to the vertical VzBot orientation which is excellent. It seems from the image that the top plate screws do not extend all the way through the print head. The vertical screws could pass all the way through the print head as per the Microlight print head. Having these screws pass all the way through provides the option to use ferrule style belt mounts....which are really fast and convenient to work with and add substantial stiffness to the whole structure.....and allows you to get the bulky belt tensioners off the print head. Still a lot of shrouding around the hot end cooling fan. This is not desirable or needed if the hot end now mounts directly to the top plate (instead of the fan shroud) and of course the fan could also mount directly to the heat sink ....so really no need for this shrouding. Making the top plate out of aluminium makes it harder to mount options like tool boards directly to the top plate and means these items need to be separately screwed on to the aluminium top plate, (adding to the total screw count) or modelled as part of some other printed structure on the print head. If the fan mounts directly to the top plate, it also makes it harder to upgrade to other options like CPAP part cooling....so perhaps better to have the fan mount to the back of the print head. An aluminium top plate also makes it hard to change the top plate to mount other top mount extruders and other hot ends. If it is printed you can just print and swap out a different top plate for different extruder and hot end options. It can be argued that an aluminium top plate helps with the heat sink cooling but it is not necessary and is drawing heat away from the top of the heat sink instead of adjacent to the heat break. It could also be argued that it makes the mounting of the heat sink and consequently the hot end more rigid and there is perhaps value in this.
Prepare for trouble & make it double 😍😍
Its about time.
If it is as it appears that both the extruder and hot end now mount directly to the top plate like the Microolight without the need for a separate adapter plate. Great improvement.
It also appears that they and have changed orientation of the screws that hold the print head together from horizontal to the vertical VzBot orientation which is excellent. It seems from the image that the top plate screws do not extend all the way through the print head. The vertical screws could pass all the way through the print head as per the Microlight print head. Having these screws pass all the way through provides the option to use ferrule style belt mounts....which are really fast and convenient to work with and add substantial stiffness to the whole structure.....and allows you to get the bulky belt tensioners off the print head.
Still a lot of shrouding around the hot end cooling fan. This is not desirable or needed if the hot end now mounts directly to the top plate (instead of the fan shroud) and of course the fan could also mount directly to the heat sink ....so really no need for this shrouding.
Making the top plate out of aluminium makes it harder to mount options like tool boards directly to the top plate and means these items need to be separately screwed on to the aluminium top plate, (adding to the total screw count) or modelled as part of some other printed structure on the print head. If the fan mounts directly to the top plate, it also makes it harder to upgrade to other options like CPAP part cooling....so perhaps better to have the fan mount to the back of the print head.
An aluminium top plate also makes it hard to change the top plate to mount other top mount extruders and other hot ends. If it is printed you can just print and swap out a different top plate for different extruder and hot end options.
It can be argued that an aluminium top plate helps with the heat sink cooling but it is not necessary and is drawing heat away from the top of the heat sink instead of adjacent to the heat break. It could also be argued that it makes the mounting of the heat sink and consequently the hot end more rigid and there is perhaps value in this.
I know what that is, but I'm not allowed to say :)
Idex or interchangeable toolheads?
Tease...XD
Not as much as the “Mills (Coming Soon)”