TRONXY5S 3D Printer Upgrade
Upgrade a TONXY 5S printer for a quality 330x330x400mm print volume.
OK, so you don't feel quite ready to build your own REP_AL COREXY 3D printer and want to buy something "cheap" off the shelf......
Well nothing really comes "cheap" and all these types of printers will require some upgrades to reliably print large volume prints. Large volume prints can run for 2-3 days at a time. You don't want to be in day 1.5 and suddenly the printer stops or the hot end clogs.....
Originally I bought a TRONXY X5S printer and I will take you through the upgrades I made to make the printer reliable.
You can buy a TRONXY X5S with a 330x330x400mm build volume for around 370€ in Europe. In the US they are currently on Ebay for $450.
I think its one of the best starting points with an Aluminium frame and good print volume.
Of course the printer can be used in its original form, but in my personal experience I needed to make the following upgrades:
1. Change the 3D printer control board to a MKS V1.3 Board
2. Buy a 330x330 glass plate for the heated bed.
3. Change the filament extruder for an MK8 filament extruder
4. Change the hot end for an E3D V6 hotend
5. Print a new X axis holder for the E3D hot end.
6. Install an MKS MOSFET
(7) Upgrade the XY Carraiges and stepper holders (files here)
(8) After 6 months of operation the z axis squeeked so badly and was so jerky that I upgraded to the Vslot Z axis.
Total upgrade cost is around €170-180
Cost of the TRONXY X5S with upgrade = €550
(Not including upgrades (7) and (8) = additional €200)
The upgraded printer still has the following drawbacks:
In this configuration the hot bed is still running on 12V which means quite a high amp draw!
The frame is also made from 2020 Alu profile which is ok, but not as stable as 2040 profile.
The XY carriages and bearing stack blocks are made of acrylic and flex quite a lot.
The alignment of the Bearings and stepper motors is not linear. This means that the distance the carriages move is not quite linear. This can be further upgraded with my STL files you can find on thingiverse - link here (upgrade 7)
The Z axis is not very precise, so pausing and restarting prints can lead to missalignments.
CAD Data for this printer with upgrades can be purchased here
Heres a link again to my printer bundle should you have re-considered.