Awhile back, I read the update that promised no quick-change beds or toolheads for SM 2.0 owners:
The reasons are sound enough, from an engineering and a financial perspective.
But I wonder if there is a middle path that can be taken. We know from many past posts that users have made the necessary modifications to add quick-change beds and toolheads to their SM2 machines. We know that Snapmaker has a designed a solid quickchange setup. So why not provide a sort of DIY upgrade kit for interested users?
What would this even look like? At the simplest, most unofficial level, it would be a list of parts (and a discount code for ordering them together ), and a dedicated forum thread where users advise each other on how to install them. In addition, schematics for key components such as the bed and the toolhead cases would need to be provided. It would be up to the users to manufacture their own adapters (out of MDF, aluminum, whatever they find suitable) which the quick-change stuff would either interface with or mount to. I have to be a bit vague here, because I do not enough about the design of the Artisan quick-change beds and toolheads to comment intelligently on how this would be achieved.
I want to stress that this wouldn’t be something Snapmaker would officially support. We’re an adventurous sort here; just some specific information and a little bit of guidance would suffice.
I have create my own quick-change tool with wood connectors
The holes in the wood connectors fit exactly for the add-ons, the only thing I had to do was tap a thread into the mounting plate.
I bought the wood connectors from amazon. it takes me about 10 seconds to change them, including inserting the locking screw that I screw into a wood connector.
The toolhead is pretty straightforward - I think @Jade even mentioned in her post that Snapmaker could make such an enhancement, but it would be meaningless without a quick-change bed.
What I was originally thinking of was an adapter plate made by the end user to attach the quick-change toolhead mount to the x-axis, and to attach the quick-change bed mount to the carriage - the point being to use Artisan parts directly on the A350. Now that I think on it, though, the larger build platform of the Artisan pretty much nixes that idea. There just isn’t room between the two Z modules to fit a 400mm platform.
Since the bed would be subject to lateral forces that could pull the XS connectors apart, maybe the CS-series connector possibly work as a quick bed connector:
These have a threaded hole on the top of the connector to allows for a screw to keep the brackets from separating.
I ordered some 2080 black anodized aluminum extrusion to test out an idea. These should be the same size as the laser bed plates; my original plan was to use the extrusion instead of the supplied plates for laser work, as the T-slots will provide much better workholding.
Now I am thinking I might be able to build a quick-change bed system on top of the extrusion - basically mount the heated printer bed or the CNC wasteboard to the extrusion, instead of bolting them the the carriage. That would make the extrusion a sort of default bed for the A350. I suspect I will need to add a layer of silicon or MDF under the heated bed, and the forces required for CNC might be too much for the T-slots to handle (easy to check that one: mount a piece of extrusion in the vise of the Bridgeport, clamp some scrap aluminum to it, and mill all four sides of the scrap).
Hi,
I’ve designed my own version of a quick-change for toolheads. And i have to say, it works very well.
You can find it on Thingiverse and it’s for free.
Here they mention that a quick-swap function IS in the works and planned to be released later this year…
“In the second and third quarters of 2023, we will launch the quick-swap addon for Snapmaker 2.0”
No mention of if it will be for the bed or tool head. My concern that will likely keep me away from buying either is whether or not they might interfere with other (in my opinion) much more needed mods to the machine, like supports to prevent wobble in the linear modules, and how a quick change mod might affect the flatness delta of the 3D print and laser beds.
There are some changes being made in the firmware that imply Y and Z will be affected when quick_change_adapter is true (see this changeset: Feature: support quick change adapter · scotthsl/Snapmaker2-Controller@f29fe0b · GitHub). Sounds to me like it will be available for the bed as well as the toolhead. But of course, we’ll only know for sure once it’s announced .
Definitely. I’m in the midst of adding linear rails to pretty much every axis to account for the various deflection concerns. It’s one of the reasons I don’t care too much about quick-change toolheads - really more interested in the bed (and its 22 screws).
Yeah, I have the y-axis linear support rails installed, and because of how it attaches it already renders incompatible all of the DIY quick-change mod options currently available. Soon I will also have an x-axis toolhead carriage support installed which will do the same. Thankfully, I don’t mind having to change out all those acres if it means I can maintain a well trammed and solid machine.
We definitely need a kind of option to specify if an adapter is installed or not (would be nice to have it on the calibration screen as I don’t know how to manually code it…). Some time ago I’ve printed a quick change adapter and now I always end outside of the bed when doing a manual calibration. It’s even worst since I’m printing on a glass which is smaller then the 3D bed.
You should just be able to set it in the software to fix your problem.
Some thing like this suggestion, I have not needed it yet.
The values specified are added to the endstop position when the axes are referenced. The same can be achieved with a G92 right after homing (G28, G161).
With Marlin firmware, this value can be saved to EEPROM using the M500 command.
), and a dedicated forum thread where users advise each other on how to install them. In addition, schematics for key components such as the bed and the toolhead cases would need to be provided. It would be up to the users to manufacture their own adapters (out of MDF, aluminum, whatever they find suitable) which the quick-change stuff would either interface with or mount to. I have to be a bit vague here, because I do not enough about the design of the Artisan quick-change beds and toolheads to comment intelligently on how this would be achieved.
