CR-10 Standalone (Tevo Tornado, Afinibot A31, Anet E10) Printer Base

Introduction

The CR-10 format control box is just an ugly nuisance. There's no way to manage the wires well without a lot of effort. It's noisy and takes up a lot of room. Thingiverse and the CR-10 Facebook groups are full of great options for modding the printer and I tried many of them, but they never improved my main issue with this printer. The ugly control box...

This Thing relocates the components below the printer. Panels provide a flexible floor area for mounting various options and a divider below the print bed to deflect heat away from the components; a detail some other designs do not take into consideration. Side panels could be inserted to totally enclose the new component space and ducted ventilation added for fresh air cooling should you wish to add a printer enclosure.

Included is a list of all the CR-10 mods shown in the photos as I find them beneficial. Aftermarket upgrades are also listed to provide ideas. There are many more examples and variations to them available. All models used from Thingiverse are linked below and added as a "remix" to provide designers the credit for their work.

STL's for the printed parts are attached and created in Tinkercad. The board is a MKS Gen L V1.0 and schematics are provided for convenience should you wish to use it.

Updates And Revisions

4/22/2018: Added link and photos for Raspberry Pi mount and Relay Control

Print Settings

Printer Brand:

Creality

Printer:

CR-10

Rafts:

No

Supports:

Doesn't Matter

Resolution:

.2

Infill:

100%

Notes:

Infill is solid for strength, especially for the frame panels. Use a slightly higher extruder temperature to increase strength properties (favor function over finish). I used PLA and it's very sturdy.

Goals of Modification

• Reduce overall printer footprint
• Minimize noise from fans and steppers
• Cleaner wiring and cable management
• Good visual appearance

BOM and Instructions

Base Frame

• Cable Extensions

Extensions are required. For the hot bed and extruder, remove the male aviation plug end and cable sleeve. Retain the sleeve for reuse. Trim wires to desired length and connect associated wires to the control board, mosfet and power supply. The female end can be inserted through a frame panel and the original threaded retaining collars pinch the extensions secure. The X, Y and Z stepper extensions do not need modification unless you would like to trim them a bit shorter, otherwise coil up any extra cabling. The end stop plugs may need pins to be relocated in the jst-xh connectors if you are changing your control board (reference your particular board diagrams, the MKS Gen L board requires this)

• V-Slot Extrusion

I purchased (4) 500mm extrusions and cut them to desired length. Hacksaw (carefully so it's straight) or miter-saw works fine.

• M5 Tap

You need an M5 tap to thread the end of the v-slot to accept an M5 bolt for the corner connectors. Tap each end of each rail.

• Corner Connector

You need (4) of them. *Paneling Measure and cut to fit in the v-slot of your new base frame. Cut a second sheet to fit in the v-slot of the original CR-10 bottom frame. Various materials are available including ABS sheet, hardboard or acrylic panels. Anything 1/4 inch, or 5mm, thick to fit in the v-slot.

• Power Switch

This has a fuse and I thought a good upgrade from the original CR-10 components (example only provided for size and configuration. please ensure it is rated for your application/countries voltage etc.)

• LCD Mount

I used the display mount from this Thing. Please be aware some CR-10 displays have different configurations and you need to measure for your speaker location and/or board plugs. The remixes found in this Thing offer display options for various backing plates should you need.

• LCD Extension Ribbon

The stock CR-10 ribbon cable isn't long enough. You can remove and reposition the plug to the length you need.

Optional:

• Bed Mosfet

Upgrade for the stock CR-10 mosfet. Better construction, arguably improved safety.

• Mosfet Fan

Keep that mosfet cool for those long prints

• MKS Gen L Board Fan

Keep that board, and mostly the drivers, cool for those long prints

• TMC2130 Drivers

Set to #enable stealthchop in Marlin and things are silent. TMC has 2208s out now also on the Filastruder site (in the US anyway)

• MKS GEN L

Many board options available. This is what was used in this Thing.

Hardware required:

• M4x8 screws for frame panels
• M4 drop in t-nuts for frame panels
• M4 size Washers for frame panels (to prevent screw heads from pulling through the printed panels. Unless you use button head screws which are larger diameter.
• M3 screws and nuts as needed for board and fan mounting

Random things

Tools and Connectors

A sampling of items that I used to complete this build

• Ferrules and crimpers
• JST-XH Connectors

Other Upgrades

Mods and Additions

These are various mods and additions used that have improved my machine and highly recommend them.

• Magnetic build plate

A great option to clips and being removable, helps to remove stubborn prints

• Bed Wedge (if needed)

In case your heated bed has a low center

• Y-tensioner

Really helps to dial in the right tension on that heavy Y-axis

• Z-stepper bracket

A must do to absolutely align the z axis. My machine gantry now lowers on it's own.

• Leveling knobs

Easily achieve the perfect level

• Build mat

Many options out there, this is just what was used in this build

• Wheel Upgrade

Better bearings and longer wear life

• Octoprint

Arguably the best way to control the printer

• Raspberry Pi

Required for Octoprint

• Pi Mount and Relay Control

Optional mount for a Raspberry Pi3 with relay control to power the printer board

Disclaimer

This modification is done at your own risk. I assume no responsibility of damage to property or software. There are no affiliate links and links are not guaranteed to provide minimum required specifications. They are solely provided as product examples used for this build.

Category: 3D Printers