Take a closed-system 3D printer that is built with premium materials and turn it into an opensource beast with additional upgrades that allows it to easily out-perform any 3D printer at a similar price point.

Change the main controller board with an opensource replacement to improve software functionality; add heated bed for added ease of printing; replace touchscreen with a larger module that will also run OctoPrint, allowing for even more functionality; switch extruder out for a new module that has easily replaceable parts for convivence; add additional cooling to protect new components that may not be as heat resistant as the old components.

This project adds Marlin 2.0.x to the printer, giving it a quieter, more reliable operation than before. OctoPrint has also been added for easy interfacing and control. The numerous fans added to the base of the machine help to create a system of positive air pressure around the electronics to prevent heat soak from the heated elements, and this system helps to keep the hot air in the upper part of the chamber enclosure. Of the original electronics, only the motors, and the chamber heater + relay have been kept while numerous other components have been introduced.

Having only ever used one 3D printer a handful of times, this project started with me knowing essentially nothing but the basics of how a printer operates. I'd never wired or used stepper motors before, nor had I ever used relays or voltage converters until I started this project. I also hadn't done any kind of metalwork before, and the copious amounts I've had to do for this printer have made me something of a novice metalworker. The only documentation that exists in reference to this project are GitHub repos for the software and controller board that are being utilized. Everything has had to be sorted out by myself, down to the custom configuration of Marlin 2.0 which introduces the use of sensorless homing to this machine.