AMS Tray with sliding dividers for wide spools

AMS Tray with sliding dividers for wide spools

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AMS Spool Tray with Sliding Dividers for wide spools
AMS Spool Tray with Sliding Dividers for wide spools
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23.5 h
5 plates

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Description

A friend asked me if an AMS could support a 93mm wide spool, which led me to developing this design. By allowing the dividers to slide, they can be moved out of the way and any spool width up to 93 mm wide can be supported. Also by moving the dividers out of the way, desiccant trays, similar to those on the Bambu AMS can be supported.

 

A video of it loading a wide spool can be seen here loading a Prusament spool that was too wide to fit in a normal AMS slot. Spanning 2 slots, I have done several print jobs, totaling over 25 hours of print time using this wide spool, and it has worked perfectly.

 

This design is original, not a Hydra remix. It meets all the capabilities of the Hydra AMS - Enhanced, with a couple of improvements:

- The maximum spool width is 93mm

- Two desiccant trays are supported.

- Locking slides allow the front of the tray to be positively locked into the AMS.

- The main frame prints in 2 pieces. Held together with glue and/or screws.

- My previously published Dry Pods work with this design.

 

Other notes:

 

When the dividers are moved towards the center of a tray, a spool can span 2 slots. The sliding dividers contain the RFID Reader PCBs. RFID Cable Clamps are provided for the main board RFID cable connectors, to ensure that the cables do not work themselves out of the main board connectors when the dividers are moved.

 

The volume of the two desiccant trays is greater than the volume of the respective Bambu desiccant cartridges. They support the factory Bambu AMS desiccant cartridges or loose desiccant pellets.
 

The front of the factory Bambu AMS tray locks into two tabs in the AMS case. As an injection molded tray, the Bambu AMS tray is 262 mm deep to be able to latch into locking tabs in the front of the case and to position the AMS hub correctly against the back of the case. The problem is that Studio limits the maximum Z height of a print to 250mm. To resolve this, I added some sliding locks that can be pushed against the case locking tabs, after the tray is screwed into position, to securely lock down the front of the tray. See photos 7 and 8.

 

Other than the dividers and 2 vs. 3 part tray construction, the process of transferring the original AMS main board, feeders, EMI filter, and AMS Filaments Hub components to this design is identical to Hydra's. No modification to any of these parts is required.

 

Assembly Notes:

 

Two M2x8mm Flat Head hex screws are used to hold the two tray halves together. Before trying to attach the two halves together, use the M2 screws to pull the M2 nuts into their respective slots in the left Slide Tray. Otherwise, it will be very hard to get the screws to catch.

Four M2x8 Flat Head hex screws are used to hold the Sliding Divider Guides to the Sliding Dividers. The RFID Board is a rectangular card with two large chamfers on either side of the connector. With the cable attached to the RFID Board, slide it into the Sliding Divider. Position the Sliding Divider Guide on the bottom of the tray, and Sliding Diver (with the cable sticking through the Guide) on the top of the tray, then screw them together. The Guide locks the RFID Board into position. If the Divider does not slide reasonably easily you may have to clean up some elephant foot on the Guide or the Divider. When positioning the Dividers, always grip them as close to the Guide as possible. Do not try to move them using the end towards the back of the tray!

 

Insert the RFID cables into their respective Main Board plugs, then snap the RFID Cable Clamps onto the RFID connectors on the Main Board.

 

Slide the Case Tab Latch parts into their slots in the front of the tray before inserting the tray into the case. Pushing them in as far as possible.

 

When attaching the AMS Filaments Hub, the mounting screws rest in rubber grommets, which minimize the noise generated by the hub motor. At first glance it appears that these screws attach at an angle, but they don't. All 4 screws. screw in perpendicular to the bottom of the tray. The screw under the motion detector (back right) requires a ball end 2mm hex wrench to install because the motion detector PCB is in the way of a straight Allen wrench.

 

Screw together the two halves.

 

Once all the components are installed, screw the tray into the case.

 

Slide the Case Tab Latches so they mate with the tabs in the front of the case.

 

Push the PTFE tube in the back of the Case into the AMS Filaments Hub.

 

Cable it to the printer, and you should be ready to go.

 

A 10mm diameter sleeve is provided to support 195 mm diameter spools. Drill out the center of the sleeve with a 3 mm drill, then press an 81mm long 3 mm diameter shaft into the sleeve, with about 4 mm sticking out of either end. Press or glue 3x8x4mm (693ZZ) ball bearings onto each end of the shaft. Insert the roller into the second to last position of a filament slot. This roller does not need to be removed if a (200 mm) spool is resting on a 14mm roller in the last position of a filament slot.

 

For 190 mm spools, use the factory 14mm roller in the second to last position of a filament slot.

 

NOTE: Making this mod will invalidate your AMS 1 year warranty!

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