LR4 vs LR3 yz plate design question

[which_carpenter (David C)]

Is the main benefit of the yz plates on the LR4 being printed instead of cut from plywood like on the LR3 ease of construction and clean wiring? If I decided to design and mill my own yz plates for my LR4 would that be an immediate downgrade?

The reason I ask is that I’ve had too much time to think about project ideas and not enough time to actually work on real things to keep me busy. So I’ve come up with some dumb ideas about modifying my LR4 which is already doing everything I want it to and I’m perfectly happy with haha. But designing my own 2d milled yz plates would be easier than remixing them for 3d printing.

[azab2c]

@which_carpenter

main benefit of the yz plates on the LR4 being printed instead of cut from plywood like on the LR3 ease of construction and clean wiring?

Yep. Smaller overall X footprint, better rigidity, and other benefits too?

@which_carpenter

If I decided to design and mill my own yz plates for my LR4 would that be an immediate downgrade?

Possibly, depends , would need to build a vanilla yellow brick road LR4, then, test and compare performance differences?

Some untested thoughts/ideas previously shared in a beta topic that may help you/someone wanting to experiment with YZ plates…

@azab2c

@orob

Stacking those 2 plates made me think of a yz laminate plate. I know the LR4 isn’t that way

Are you thinking something conceptually like the following? Maybe Ryan’s done some crazy things for RC3 already?

Sounds very cool. Would be something to see, very distinct, I do like the MP3DP’s v5 plate sandwich look. Personally appreciate designs with appropriate blended use of materials that leverages their fabrication, assembly and operation strengths.

Personally hate printing large flat panels for hours, when a CNC can knock that out in a few minutes.

Personally have no idea how you’d make a YZ sandwich plated plate without increasing overall width a bit because of how Steppers and idlers currently get mounted. Briefly tried 5mm and 1/4" Alu…

Maybe mount steppers rotated 45deg around Z axis with just 2 bolts into inner PLA part, then, liberally slap on some JB Weld to bond stepper to rest of plate This wouldn’t work as-is for Z stepper though (a 45 degree rotated Z stepper body would collide with XZ plate, maybe some other angle between 0 and 45 would work? i.e rotate just enough so 3 most important mount holes land in plastic).

Do like the idea of rigid Alu heat sinking plates on inside and outside. Inside seems trickier, maybe just partially plate, or use a few plates.

The outside exterior of the YZ plate effectively becomes a structurally important, and aesthetically pleasing Peter Plate?

All of this seems to add to overall width of the YZ plate, and overall width of machine which undermines one of the LR4 goals?

fwiw, briefly looked at center racing stripe (less pretty than outer Alu plates imo, but to each their own…) YZ Alu reinforced plate avoids the Idler/Stepper mount problems. But wire channels would need to move to avoid needing multiple Alu parts…

Makers could boot strap their racing stripe sandwiched YZ plates using temporary washers/printed-standoffs until they mill their Alu YZ inner racing plate.

Anyway, just sharing a few border line silly ideas, hopefully this sparks something…

[which_carpenter (David C)]

@azab2c

Possibly, depends , would need to build a vanilla yellow brick road LR4, then, test and compare performance differences?

Good point. I have my standard build up and running. So if I do end up trying some of my hair brained ideas I should come up with some bench marks to run before and after so I know when to go back to the original.

Thanks for the extra info I’ll have to look through it.