squirrelf3d
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Apollo on wheels - installation
🕑 Added 2024-05-23 18:48:14 +0000 UTCDownload : HERE (store page)
If you have a printer with a different backplate, like ender3neo, ender3max or other brand similarly built to an ender3, you can purchase the backplate aftermarket for either ender3/ender3pro or ender3v2 (or get a linear rail instead, MGN12H 300mm, and use the linear rail version of the Apollo which doesn't need any backplate, just a few other printed part that I provide)
Most screws are M3x8, with a few M3x6m and a few longer ones (M3x25, M3x18, M3x16 depending on setup)
Random note about overhangs and a slicer setting, I noticed that changing the wall order setting in your slicer can greatly improve prints and overhang, night and day difference.
Default is usually outer/inner, but instead change it to inner/outer/inner. you will get great overhang, because the overhanging outer wall can now bind to the wall beside it, instead of having nothing to hang on by default and you will also get better dimensional accuracy.
I did build the Apollo so that even a printer with bad dimensional accuracy can print it without issues.
Heat inserts: M3 x 4mm length x 4.6mm Outer Diameter OR 5mm Outer Diameter
Material: as mentioned below, PLA+ and PETG are totally fine, unless you have an enclosure then must be PETG and possibly better,
Part list and print settings:
Main body (universal is for wheels, If you plan on upgrading to rails I have made an upgrade path resulting in the same extra lock version, called "ExtraLock upgrade", which are two little angle brackets that secures to the back of the ducts, I don't think it's in all the Apollo zip yet, but eventually will be )
Print setting: 4+ perimeter walls and 20%+ infill - only place you might want support is inside the front fan opening (I don't usually do it, as any small defect is easily fixed or just hidden)
Material: anything, even PLABackplate one that fits your extruder, if going Bowden select the orbiter 2 back motor or sherpa mini. you will find an adapter plate to connect the Bowden tube
Print setting: 5~6+ perimeter walls and 30%+ infill, no print support needed
Material: PLA+ is fine, and in some cases may actually be better than some overly flexible PETG (depends on the brand, ), but I've done both PLA+ and PTEG without issues. A higher temp resistant material that is also rigid is most appropriate, but ABS and ASA have toxic fumes so they need a filtered enclosure or room ventilation (I've never printed with those)Ducts (found in the common_accessories subfolder ) : you will find many different type of ducts among the files, (most hotend will use the baseline ducts, or UHF ducts for volcano height), they are hard to compare but have all been tested and give good cooling and all should work with most hotends. In doubt just go with the ApolloOG duct, they are a small variation of the original ducts and fit all hotends.
Print setting: 4+ perimeter walls and 20%+ infill, no print support needed
Material: PETG or better, but they are easy to swap so PLA+ is fine and will last months without issue (assuming the hotend has a silicon sock)Any extra accessories needed, like probe mount, bowden mount, led mount, camera mount found in the common_accessories subfolder.
Print setting: 3+ perimeter walls and 15%+ infill, no print support needed (unless very clearly specified, very rare)
Material: if close to the hotend, PETG or better, otherwise PLA is fineYou will also find Printer mods subfolder, but first check the store page for the most recent version of those mods, as the one in the apollo zip may be a bit outdated.
No print support needed (unless very clearly specified, very rare)
Material: I tend to print those in PETG, but PLA is fine too (except no PLA if touching/hoding a motor)
NOTE: You will find a FanMod variation of the main body along with specific FanMod ducts to work with it. This is the setup I use, the right fan is modded to have a larger opening, but not sure how improved the cooling really is. However it's fun just to swap fan covers (non destructive mod) with printed ones., you can also just swap the fan cover without using the FanMod, just print two of the left fan cover ( they are a 1 to 1 replacement )
You will also find a Superfan and Ultrafan version of the main body, those are not ready for use yet, meant to be used with the drone based printed blower fans I made (you can find those in the store page). I have yet to make ducts for them, but if you want to try them, do let me know and I'll make ducts asap, will also be make a enclosure for the buck converts and ESC needed to run those motors.
Installation:
Side note: that larger recessed rectangle area is a place to hide the nozzle camera PCB behind the side fan.
Depending on the type of ADXL345 you might need to use the other heat insert holes.
Ender3v2 only ( backplate isn't threaded and screws will go behind the backplate )
This is technically used on Apollo for rails, to use probe like the Beacon3d or Cartographer3d, but might come in handy on wheel setup as well, but you can always do that later if you need it.
There is an upgrade path to go to a linear rail setup, whereby you can keep you current main body, and will rely on those. The backplate would need to be re-printed for rails.
Ender3 and ender3pro only:
Ender3v2 only:
On some hotend (Dragonfly BMS, V6, etc), you might need to remove the little ptfe clip on top, along with the second piece that goes with it (keep those as they are handy for other little projects, like reverse Bowden and such)
Some top mounted hotend may have an additional printed mounting part, like the dragon, dragonfly BMO.
Taller hotend like Rapido dragon UHF (without the extender nut), etc, won't need that middle printed piece so that the nozzle height ends up at the same level as normal hotends.
Those little M2.5x8 screws sometime unscrew themselves over time (matter of months), (or could be that my noctua fan isn't fully adequate), so make sure they are quite tight, you can just try and wiggle the hotend to check, and anytime you have the opportunity recheck those screws do it.
You can also use a 40x10mm fan, with a spacer (included in the files) or without spacer (in that case you can use M3x14~M3x16 screws)
If you use a side probe, you can route the wires behind the side fans, around the top of the front fan, and behind the right fan. and gather all your cable son the right side. you can also use the left side vertical cable channel if you prefer
You need a PTFE tube between the extruder and hotend that is as close to the exact length needed, to avoid the filament forming a bow or catching an edge when loading it (if you trimmed it too much by 0.2mm or so that shouldn't be an issue )
The ADXL345 can be left there or installed/removed as needed, it's not meant to be wired all the time anyway. the XYZ orientation doesn't have to match the silkscreen, only important part is that each one is aligned with an axis.
