X-Stage Assembly
For the Makerbot Curriculum we recommend purchasing the Aluminum Build Surface for Thing-O-Matic® for your Heated Build Platform.
Some builders may also be interested in the Automated Build Platform configuration. The Automated Build Platform will allow you to build multiple copies of individual prints, but uses a belt which will give the bottoms of your prints a rippled texture.
Estimated Time:30 minutes.
Parts List
These are the parts you’ll need to assemble the X-Stage. All laser-cut parts should have their names etched into them. Find and put aside these parts:
- Laser-cut Stage Parts
- X Front
- X Back
- X Top
- X Drive Rib
- X Idler Rib
- X Clamps
- Sixteen M3x16 socket cap bolts
- Sixteen M3 nuts
- Four 3/8″ self-aligning bearings
- 228-tooth continuous timing belt (the short one) or cut down a larger belt (read number silkscreened onto belt before trimming – we offer 272-, 267-, and 265-tooth timing belts)
- Thingomatic Heater Board v1.1
- Thingomatic Heater Board Wiring Harness
The M3 hardware is found in the Hardware Burrito:
The bearings and belt are found in the Belt & Pulley kit.
Attach X Belt to Rib
parts needed:
- Smaller belt
- 2 X Ribs
- 2 low profile M3x16 bolts
- 2 M3x16 bolts
- 4 M3x16 nuts
Due to the variance in wood thickness, we started shipping on Jan 1st, 2 extra low profile M3x16 bolts to avoid interference with the rods. Use the low profile bolts on the lower holes.
Secure it tight with two M3x16 bolts in each clamp.
Attach Front to Rib
parts needed:
- Front
- X Rib
- 1 M3x16 bolts
- 1 M3x16 nuts
Make sure the text of each is facing outward as you secure them to both ribs.
Attach Front to Second Rib
parts needed:
- Front
- X Rib
- 1 M3x16 bolts
- 1 M3x16 nuts
Attach Back
parts needed:
- X Back
- X Front
- 2 M3x16 bolts
- 2 M3x16 nuts
Attach Top to Assembly
parts needed:
- Assembled Front-Back-Ribs
- Top
- 8 M3x16 bolts
- 8 M3x16 nuts
The Top piece will only fit one way. Be sure the text is to the right facing up as you bolt it down.
Heated Build Platform
The heated build platform was the first major innovation in build surface technology in the previous machine. It reduces warping when building large parts by heating the object and preventing a build-up of shrinkage between layers. When the object is done building, it will cool down and can be removed manually from the heated build platform.
Trim plastic
parts needed:
- Thing-O-Matic Heater Board 1.1
- Knife
Take your knife and trim the plastic so that your Aluminum Build Surface will flush with the edges of the Heater Board
Remove QA Sticker
Before you add the heat spreader to your heater board, check both sides of the heater board. There may be a small sticker on one side of the board that was added during the inspection process. If you see a sticker, remove it.
Add Heat Spreader to Heater Board
parts needed:
- Aluminum Build Surface for Thing-O-Matic®
- Heat Sink Paste
With your finger spread the heat sink paste thinly and evenly over the the side of the Aluminum Build Surface that will be against the Heater Board.
When you are done, wash your hands with soap and water.
Align the plates
Notice that there are 3 holes on two sides of the plate. The three holes are on the front and the back.
Make sure you align the platform as shown below:
Attaching Aluminum Build Surface to the Heater Board
Place the Aluminum Build Surface against the Heater Board and tighten with 16mm screws (these screws come in a plastic bag that ships with the Aluminum Build Surface).
Attaching Aluminum Build Surface to the Heater Board
Use two nuts, tightening the nut next to the board with pliers. This board will endure a lot of vibration.
Attach and Level Heater Board Assembly
The Heater Board bolts on to the wooden top piece on the four corners. Put the bolts holding the platform on upside-down and add another nut on the other side of the wood.
Tighten It All Down
Now that it’s all together, tighten all the bolts with 1/4- to 1/3-turns past hand tight.
Congratulations! Your Heated Build Surface is now complete!
16 Comments so far
Keith T.
I am not up to the Automated build platform includednwith the latest kit, but the aluminum heatingvsurface is not a plate, it is an aluminum sticker. It seems to orient kingside aligned with cable clip. Then the six screws can be attached as shown above. No need for heat sick paste and the aluminum plate, unless I miss my guess.
James Mossman
For instructions with aluminum foil see this link:
http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:heated-build-platform-assembly
Chris Ball
A few quick notes;
It looks like at least as of sn. 4186 that there is only one machine screw per tab holding the belt in place rather than two (the holes for the lower low profile screws are missing).
I noticed that my belt was a bit too wide (6.35-6.50mm) to fit in the cutouts for the teeth, a quick bit of sandpapering on the belt seemed to fix that up easily enough.
The provided machine screws for the heat spreader were 20mm.
The heat spreader may warm up a bit more quickly if you take some time now to make sure that the circuit board and spreader are firmly bedded together. I loosely bolted the two pieces together and spent some time pressing the circuit board into the heat spreader to make sure there were no gaps or air bubbles.
Peter Spork
Tip
Get the aluminum plate powdercoated for a smooth trouble free finish. Print straight to the plate without using any tape. I’m using 125c for the bed temp.
Bernie S.
Hello,
Recently placed my MakerBot order and waiting for delivery. Do I need to order the aluminum build plate separately or is it included in the latest kits? Sound like some kits have only foil!
Thanks.
patrick
Do yourself a favor and check if your kit includes the automated build platform. If it does, skip this and go to http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:automated-build-platform-v2-0.
I blindly followed these directions only to get to the end and realize I missed all of the ABP and had to undo 1/2 of my work,,,,,,,
Joe
As Patrick mentions above (Dec 12, 2011), if your kit has the Automated Build Platform (the currently shipping ones have this), DO NOT perform this step – go to the link in Patrick’s post above. ALSO, when you get to wiring the electronics, the Educator instructions do not show where to connect the conveyor belt (blue) wire. You have to look at the “normal” instructions for that: http://wiki.makerbot.com/thingomatic-doc:electronics-installation
Lou Flemal
How about the silicone wiper? Do we skip that if we add the Aluminum plate? Put it into the right front corner anyway?
MakerBlock
@Lou Flemal: You can add the silicone wiper if you like. I don’t use it on my aluminum plate and just use the outline option from Skeinforge. It accomplishes the same basic function – getting a good extrusion going before the print is under way. I prefer having a completely flat aluminum build surface to using the wiper, but I could see why it could be very useful even with the aluminum build platform.
Mason
I’ve seen a comment here and a couple in the original instructions observing that there is one hole per clamp to attach the belt to the rib in the given parts. (No lower holes for the low-profile bolts – unlike the image above.) I’ve seen no follow-up. Is a single bolt per clamp the new normal? Has anyone completed their machine using the single bolt method without issues? I don’t want to regret drilling holes now if there has been a design change. Or having to take everything apart to drill them later….
Mason
Ok – I found the correct rib with the automated build platform laser-cut parts. I had assumed they weren’t needed for the heated platform and set them aside.
Mason
FYI – upon initial testing of my completed Thing-O-Matic, I discovered that the reading for the heater board temperature was pegged at 1024 degrees C – indicating a fundamental issue with the heater circuit. I realized (after a silly amount of trouble shooting) that the circuit on the underside of the heater board was shorted-out by the head of a bolt on the top of the wooden platform. I had followed the directions and used the two nuts to separate the heater board from the wooden portion of the build platform. Adding a third nut seems to have resolved the problem.
Bill
I was unable to keep the belt of the automated platform centered properly. It slowly creeps right and it does not heat evenly as it was lifting when hitting the boltheads. I do not need this function badly enough to fix it so I removed the plastic roll then added kapton tape to the aluminum foil. The build now goes well until I go to remove the project as I lose tape and foil also. I realize this is best done with with the heat on but it is still a pain because I must be here when it finishes.
I like the idea of the powder coated aluminum plate but I did not get a plate to powder coat. Anyone know where I can get one?
Rob
Hello everyone, I am setting up my platform with foil, but later I will install aluminum platform. Will it be ok for me to place the aluminum platform on the foil with the heat goop layer??
If someone can email me to let me know if I can place the aluminum plate on top of the foil later on that would be great!
Allan
I have both the aluminum build surface and the automated build platform. Can they be used together? If so, are there instructions for construction?
Vegard Paulsen
The same short happened to me with the aluminium heated platform when i applied only one nut as spacing between the wooden platform and the heater pcb.
One of the m3 bolts in the middle of the carriage ends up shorting the 5v+ and gnd connection on the PCB making the makerbot thingomatic report 1024 degrees on the platform. A newer revision of the pcb should concern moving the components on the pcb far away from the m3 bolts on the carriage. Hopefully i will get my board working again after fixing this!