LulzBot TAZ5 - Titan & V6
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This page provides a full guide to assembling and installing the E3D Titan Extruder and V6 HotEnd upgrades into your LulzBot TAZ 5 3D printer.
The steps are outlined as follows:
- Assembly of Extruder, HotEnd and head (not required for pre-assembled version)
- Installation into LulzBot TAZ 5
- Software Parameter Changes
Make sure to read the Filament Cooling Fan Voltage section before switching on your upgraded printer
Upgrade Kit Contents
The kit will be available in two forms, the pre-assembled version and the kit version.
Pre-Assembled Version
- Fully assembled head with Titan Extruder, V6 HotEnd and filament cooling fan.
- Allen Keys
Kit Version
- Titan Extruder Kit
- Titan Thumb Wheel
- Stepper Motor
- V6 HotEnd Kit
- TAZ 5 Adaptor
- TAZ 5 Filament Cooling Fan and Nozzle
- TAZ 5 Connector
- Braided Cable Sleeve
- Cable Ties
- Allen Keys
Requirements
- LulzBot TAZ 5 - not currently compatible with other versions
Kit Version
- Pliers
- 7mm Hex Wrench
- Medium Sized Philips Head Screwdriver
- Heat Source for Heat-shrink Tubing (Lighter, Heatgun, Soldering Iron etc.)
Assembly
These steps are not required for the pre-assembled version, for this please skip to the Installation section.
V6 HotEnd
The first step is to assemble the V6 HotEnd. Please refer to the V6 Assembly Page for the full instructions.
- Note that we want the 'direct' rather than 'Bowden' configuration in the V6 assembly instructions.
- You must decide here whether to configure the HotEnd for 1.75mm or 3mm filament. 3mm is the standard for the original LulzBot TAZ 5 head so you may wish to stick with this, however 1.75mm filament is becoming increasingly popular.
- Ensure the wires exit in the direction shown when complete.
- If installing a custom heating element, only use elements of 35W power or less due to the gauge of the LulzBot's internal wiring.
Filament Cooling Fan
Use the two supplied M3x15mm bolts and M3 nuts to attach the filament cooling fan and nozzle to the mounting point pictured. This is easiest done before mounting the stepper motor.
- Position the nozzle with the most curved side facing down as shown.
- Position the fan with the label on the inside facing towards the nozzle and the wires in the closest position to the adaptor base.
- Place the two nuts into their seats located in the adaptor mounting point.
- Run the bolts through the appropriate two holes in the nozzle then through the fan holes. Align the bolts through the adaptor mounting holes and tighten into the seated nuts.
Repeat this process for the two M3x12mm bolts and M3 nuts in the remaining nozzle and fan holes, this time the nuts are seated directly in the fan.
Titan Extruder
Once the V6 HotEnd has been assembled and the filament cooling fan has been installed we can assemble the Titan Extruder. Please refer to the Titan Assembly Page for full instructions though read this section first as there are some differences.
- The adaptor plate is mounted between the stepper motor and Titan Extruder, this is referred to as a 'spacer' in the titan documentation.
- The motor wires should ideally face upwards towards the top of the adaptor plate, if this is not possible then they can face outwards.
- Mount the stepper motor gear before assembling, leave a gap of approximately 0.5mm between the gear and motor face and ensure that the grub screw side of the gear is closest to the motor. Exact alignment instructions will be given in the Titan documentation.
- The idler tension screw is replaced by the supplied idler tension thumb screw. This is mounted with the knurled end extending from the back of the Titan Extruder. the second ring is mounted in the slot where the screw head would usually sit and the spring over the threaded section. The printed thumb wheel extension should be press fit onto the knurled outer ring.
- The heater block should be rotated such that it is a far from the cooling nozzle as possible, with the shortest face facing towards the nozzle and the wires exiting from the rear.
- The heatsink fan should be mounted opposite to the cooling nozzle.
Wiring
Begin by running all wires through the included braided cable sleeve.
The wires for the upgraded head come pre crimped but must be inserted into the included 16-socket connector housing once the head has been fully assembled. The correct pin placement is shown below as seen from the back of the connector when plugged in.
The crimped pins must be inserted into the connector housing as pictured. Ensure the latch pins face towards the outside of the housing when inserting. The pins can be pulled through fully with a pair of pliers - be very gentle. Once installed, ensure the pins are secured properly by placing light pressure on them with a hard object.
The wires should be run underneath the motor and secured to the cable tie point shown below.
Installation
With the full head assembly we can begin installation into the TAZ 5.
Filament Cooling Fan Voltage
The V6 HotEnd heatsink fan is much larger than the stock TAZ 5 fan, it also runs on a higher voltage. As such this connector must be moved on the control board otherwise the fan will not spin, potentially casing hard-to-fix filament jams. The steps for doing this are as follows:
- Ensure the printer is off and we recommend that the power supply is unplugged from the printer as an additional precaution. Take care not to touch or short-circuit any pins as capacitors may still be charged even when off.
- Remove the four bolts shown below from the TAZ 5 electronics enclosure, the enclosure cover should then detach from the main body. Place this carefully on the table ensuring the fan wire is not under tension.
- Locate the connector below and remove it.
- Reconnect the connector to the pins shown blow in the top left corner of the board ensuring the positive (red) wire is on top.
- Replace the enclosure cover ensuring the fan is free from any loose wires. Re-secure the four bolts.
Main Body
The first step is to remove the old TAZ 5 head. This simply requires the connector to be disconnected then the single hex bolt at the top of the head to be removed. Once this is done the head should slide out of its bracket.
Install the new head into the TAZ 5 in a similar manner. This is best done by placing the right-hand corner into the mounting bracket then pressing the other side down to secure the head, this may require some force. Once mounted the securing screw at the top of the head assembly can be replaced.
Reconnect the connector ensuring that it is in the correct orientation and that all pins slide in correctly.
Parameter Changes
Some parameters must be modified in Marlin to account for the change in hardware.
Extruder Steps/mm
The extruder has a different gear ratio than the stock TAZ 5 head. The extruder speed must thus be changed in the TAZ 5 control panel.
First press the selector wheel button, then scroll to Configuration then Advanced Settings and finally down to Esteps/mm. Change this value to 456.0. Note this can be off by ±0.2mm as the wheel will not always allow for precise selection. Once changed, scroll back up to Configuration to return to the previous menu, then scroll and select Store memory to save your settings.
In your slicer (eg. Cura) you must ensure that 'Extruder Steps per mm' is set to zero. This will prevent any override of your Esteps/mm setting. This should be zero by default but it may be worth checking.
Calibration of Extruder Steps/mm
It is recommended to confirm your steps/mm by following the Titan Firmware Calibration section on the Titan page.
Nozzle Diameter
By default the upgrade kit will ship with a 0.4mm nozzle. If this is different from what you currently use, change this in your slicing settings.
Filament Cooling Fan Speed
The TAZ 5 filament cooling fan stock settings do not always give good results. It is recommended to increase the filament cooling fan speed to 80-100% in your slicer if you notice any sagging of parts or excessive warping during printing.
Z-Axis Re-Calibration
Whilst the upgrade has been designed to leave the head in approximately the same place as the standard Taz head - you will need to follow the Z-Calibration steps outlined in the Taz documentation.