I have 3D printed the Upgraded Belt Guard - https://www.maslowcnc.com/s/Belt-Guard.stl - from The Not Shop to install during my JST update. They aren’t strong enough printed in PLA (I haven’t tried past 15% infill). The nut pulls through the towers and cracks them off (I printed them upside down and used ironing in the slicer so that the belt would rub against a smooth surface)
Are these parts available separately? This raises a general question I’ve had: What process/material is used for the plastic parts in the M4 kit? Perhaps I can job them out.
That is great feedback. I redesigned it slightly to be stronger. I would recommend printing it at 100% infill. Let me know if you have any trouble with this version.
They are designed to be injection molded, but the mold setup costs are pretty high (around $3,000), but once the mold is made each part is cheap and super strong.
We haven’t made a part for this piece yet, but we’re planning to do that if we can get the money to do it on Monday
I re-printed the provided Belt Guard(7).STL with 100% infill and screw towers oriented up on the print bed. I set the slicer for ironing, a raft, and supports. Looks like this will work. My only notes would be ensuring the nut and bolt shaft would not interfere with the gear. I ended up with an M3x14 for the location noted, and M3x18s in the others. I am printing the rest and when I get back to my bench, I’ll load firmware and make some test cuts.
