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Prusa i3 – Build Manual

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This manual is intended as a guide to your REPRAP Prusa I3 build, it would be impossible to cover everything
involved in building and tuning a REPRAP Prusa I3 in a single 80 page guide, but it will greatly smooth the
way to getting you up and running quickly. You are strongly encouraged to consult some on the many other I3
resources online especially the RAMPS 1.4 wiki (http://www.reprap.org/wiki/RAMPS_1.4) and other online
Prusa I3 build manuals such as (http://reprap.org/wiki/Prusa_i3_Build_Manual). This is especially true when
you come to tuning your printer during your first prints. Above all, you can build a REPRAP quickly but never
build one rushed. Every nut and bolt thats perfectly tensioned, every rod that's perfectly aligned (especially the
base), every bearing that's perfectly seated .. they will all translate to better print quality. The electronics are
doubly important, check and triple check every connection is correct,tight and secure before powering up to
avoid costly and time consuming mistakes!
Safety Notes:
High Current : Building and Operating a REPRAP involves high current, especially for the heated bed
which can draw 10A on its own. All cables should be securely connected and checked. All high current
connections should be well insulated to avoid contact and well secured to prevent movement at the points
of connection.
High Temp : A REPRAP hot-end can reach well in excess of 200c , caution is advised during operation.
High Forces : A REPRAP motor can exert considerable force, caution is advised putting your hands near
any of the axis while in operation
Fire Risk : An operating REPRAP is a non-negligible fire risk. Don't ever leave one running un-
attended. It would be advisable to have an electrical fire extinguisher on hand while operating a
REPRAP. All of the high current and high temperature electronics are operating while influenced by
vibration and movement, so even well secured and tightened electrical connections can work loose over
time. If for example your heated-bed connection worked loose at the RAMPS it can spark and burn the
plastic housing. A worse example would be your hot-end thermistor working loose, causing a runaway
hot-end temperature which would only stop heating (>500c) after burning through the electrical
connection. You should regularly check your electrical connections for signs of working loose or
excessive heat (especially around the high current RAMPS connections). Your RAMPS fan should also
be checked that it is putting sufficient airflow on these connections.
Hot-End Maintenance : Your MK8 hot-end (in fact any hot-end) is a high maintenance component, to
keep it running safely and producing high quality prints it should be regularly checked and serviced.
You will need to learn to strip down, clean and re-assemble your MK8 with a new barrel/nozzle which
should be done as a rough guide between 1 or 2 kilos of PLA. Here we completely service our hot-ends
after every single kilo reel of PLA to keep print quality high as towards the end of a second kilo reel you
will see print quality visibly degrade. Apart from print quality, safety is also a big factor as the hot-end is
the biggest fire risk on your REPRAP if run un-checked and un-serviced.
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