MBI's answer: adding cooling fans to R2x

[David Celento]

I finally got a response on adding cooling fans to the R2X:

"I'm so sorry for the delayed reply. I've been waiting for an answer on the fan before I got back to you. I finally got a minute with one our lead engineers.

You will not have to actually add a second port for another fan. You will need to splice the wiring of both fans into a single plug that will go into the existing port. The single When printing with PLA you will need to create a custom profile and enable the fan in the gcode. You will want to set the status in the "do fan line" to true and then reset it to false when you return to print with ABS.

With that being said, I have to let you know that making any modifications that lead to any damage to your printer will restrict our ability to fully support your printer. Please be careful when doing any mods."

I guess the main questions are: Will one port provide enough power for two fans? If so, do y'all think this solution will work?

[Dan Newman]

On 10 Apr 2013 , at 6:21 PM, David Celento wrote:

> I finally got a response on adding cooling fans to the R2X:
>
> "I'm so sorry for the delayed reply. I've been waiting for an answer on the fan before I got back to you. I finally got a minute with one our lead engineers.
>
> You will not have to actually add a second port for another fan. You will need to splice the wiring of both fans into a single plug that will go into the existing port. The single When printing with PLA you will need to create a custom profile and enable the fan in the gcode. You will want to set the status in the "do fan line" to true and then reset it to false when you return to print with ABS.
>
> With that being said, I have to let you know that making any modifications that lead to any damage to your printer will restrict our ability to fully support your printer. Please be careful when doing any mods."

That makes somewhat more sense to me: I looked quite a bit at my Rep 2's board and couldn't
spot hookups for a second MOSFET controlled cooling fan. But you never know, I figured
maybe there were some pads where one could add an SMT terminal block for one.

>
> I guess the main questions are: Will one port provide enough power for two fans? If so, do y'all think this solution will work?

The MOSFET they use for the cooling fan is a 2N7002K which is good for 60V but
only 0.3 A. So make sure that the two fans combined use do not exceed that
current rating @ 24V.

Dan

[Eighty]

Don't see why it wouldn't work. Same setup as the Rep2, except yo'ud be tying two fans into one port. Only question is whether you can find 2 fans that will work at or below the power draw of the Rep2 fan.

[Dan Newman]

On 10 Apr 2013 , at 6:53 PM, Eighty wrote:

> Don't see why it wouldn't work. Same setup as the Rep2, except yo'ud be tying two fans into one port. Only question is whether you can find 2 fans that will work at or below the power draw of the Rep2 fan.

Print at night and use hamsters on exercise wheels. I understand that
they will work for next to nothing.

Dan

[Eighty]

Or, just put a single fan on, with a forked duct.

[David Celento]

Dan, do you have any sense whether there is enough power left for adding two Rep2 fans?

~Dave

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[David Celento]

ooops.. Sorry, Dan and thanks! Just found your earlier response (for some reason it wasn't threaded in my email)

[David Celento]

Anybody happen to have the spec (or a source) for the Rep2 lower cooling fan? (My Rep2 was returned to Norwich last week, so I can't check)

[Dan Newman]

On 10 Apr 2013 , at 7:48 PM, David Celento wrote:

> Dan, do you have any sense whether there is enough power left for adding two Rep2 fans?

I don't have access to a Rep 2X and as such do not know answers to some important
questsions. Namely the current draw of the existing peripherals on the bot. While
they likely didn't change the heater core tech on the extruders, what the current
draw of the build platform is an open question since they've more than likely changed
that from the Rep 1.

And normally, I wouldn't think that adding another 0.1 - 0.15 A fan would be a big
deal, the issue is that MBI did push things near the edge with the Rep 1 and they may
have done so again with the Rep 2X.

Dan

[BH]

Say "forked duct" over and over again and you get my typical reaction to dealing with MBI machines!

[TRAMMALOT]

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