Tag: frame

V1.0

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This miniQuad build is meant for racing. My goal is to build a low-budget version of this:

Charpu’s quad is around 1000 ‎€ and I think I can achieve about the same performance with a fourth of that money.

I am using the same technique as I did with the big Quad V2.0. A sandwich frame, but instead of the round profile booms, I am using square profile because it is easier to make the connection between the carbon fibre bars.

Specs:

The dxf files for the frame are my own design and can be downloaded for free from here under GNU license.

Since the quad is built for racing it is calculated to hover at 30% thrust. The total weight of the aircraft is 535g, battery included.

V2.0

vladpetrescu1 Comment

I am creating the second version of the quad because I wasn’t happy with the performance of the first one. It was too heavy for the generated thrust. The 4 NTM 3536 motors were producing only 150% of the aircraft’s weight. That means the quad was hovering at 66% throttle which is not ok for my requirements, since I want to transport a 400g camera onboard.

My plan is to change the battery from a 3S (11.1V) to a 4S (14.8V) and change the propellers to generate more thrust. I also want to minimize the weight, so I am completely changing the frame structure. I am going again for a sandwich structure. I am using the 14mm booms for the main structure, which will be reinforced by the bottom and upper plates made of PCB. By doing this, I will also benefit from the copper paths and thus, have a distribution board for my ESCs.

The dxf files for the frame are my own design and can be downloaded for free from here under GNU license.

Frame upgrade & first print

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Even from the beginning I didn’t really like the metal bed frame with the threaded rods and nuts, but I chose to build it because it was cheap. So after I finished my printer I started to look up on the internet on how can I improve the quality of the printer. More and more people were complaining about the metal frame which cause alignment issues and vibrations, but no one did anything about it. I couldn’t find any upgrade that could replace the existing frame, so I decided I should take initiative. In fact, this is what an open source project means, I used other people’s work, now it is my time to give something to this society. This is the difference between the old frame and the one I designed:

The dxf files for the frame are my own design and can be downloaded for free from here under GNU license. The CATIA files are also in the repository in case of any further edit.

This bed frame solves the alignment problems and it suits perfectly with the main frame I use. It is now more stable, it has no vibrations and the printig quatily is improved. Please feel free to download the files and laser cut them out of 6mm MDF.

Frame and mechanics

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The frame was cut according to the dimensions from the dxf file and is now ready to support my printer. The order from E3D also arrived with the rest of the parts from the BOM. The only difference from the list is the hot end, because I didn’t want to go for a J-head, but instead I chose the 3mm E3D-V6 since I have heard good things about it.

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Since I had the plastic gears already included in the printed parts, I chose a direct set-up, meaning that the extruder will stay on top of the hot end, feeding the filament inside. This is not necessary the best solution in my opinion because the printing will have to go slower because of the extra weight added on the x and y-axis.

In the present, the printer started to get a shape and it looks like this:

An extra feature added to this frame is the MF105ZZ, which is a 5mm bearing that will prevent the wobbling of the M5 rod on the z-axis. I find this really important because it makes sense to constrain a spinning rod on both ends and not in only one like the original Prusa.

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