Makerbot Stepstruder® MK6 Plus Complete Kit

Manufacturer

MakerBot Industries, USA.

Hackability Level

high, the perfect hackable device, you can do what you want with it

It's what the Operators of the world have demanded, and now it's here! It's our MK6 Extruder, with the a redesigned heater core, cartridge heater, and safety cutoff switch kit included!

The MakerBot Stepstruder® MK6 Plus is the most progressive upgrade to the MakerBot® Personal Manufacturing system since the Plastruder MK5 and the heated build platform! It will substantially improve your print quality and bring your MakerBot® to the next level of detail. We have added a high-torque direct-drive NEMA17 stepper motor to the MK6 Plus. This motor strong enough to directly drive 3 mm and 1.75 mm filament with no problem! It’s a powerhouse and the results we have seen using this motor have been amazing.

Using a stepper motor to drive your extruder brings a host of advantages. Fussy DC gear motors are history: stepper motors live substantially longer as they do not have internal brushes to wear out. Stepper motors are also much more precise as the rotational speed can be set exactly, increasing the uniformity between MakerBots, and providing a better out-of-the-box experience. Less calibration, more printing! Stepper motors also allow rapid reversal and 1/8th microstepping control, correcting much of the oozing, stringing, and other build problems associated with DC motor driven extrusion. Complex detail in your prints will looks better than ever, with less post-processing. Check the video to see what you can do with the StepStruder® MK6 Plus.

Makerbot Thing-O-Matic® Printing with Ooze Control from Nick Starno on Vimeo.

That's what a StepStruder® looks like when it backs up the filament and changes location. No strings or drips, making for finer, cleaner prints, and less post-print clean-up. The use of stepper motor driven extrusion is widely regarded as a necessary advancement in 3D printing for the flow control and minute movement that it can provide while printing.

**Bonus: Experimental Upgrade to 1.75mm Filament**

The StepStruder® MK6 Plus Kits also have another upgrade included- optional plates to switch to 1.75mm plastic filament! The DIY 3D printing world has a new format for its plastic stock, and the StepStruder® kits bring you up to speed. We include laser-cut Delrin plates so you can choose between classic 3mm and the new 1.75mm filament stock available in our plastics selection. 1.75mm plastic requires less torque to push through the hot end, and less pressure builds up in the heater barrel. You get less ooze and stringing, and the results look fantastic. 

Fully compatible with the MakerBot Thing-O-Matic® 3D Printer and MakerBot® Generation 4 Electronics, an existing Thing-O-Matic® owner can easily remove their MK5, and swap in an MK6 Plus! Follow our detailed instructions for your build, wire it up, upgrade your software, and presto! You've got stepper driven extrusion and are now kicking out the jams. 

What does the "Plus" mean? It means even more upgraded components! We have added a new and improved cartridge heater and MK6 Aluminum Thermal Core that makes your hot end heat up more quickly, hold it's temperature more reliably, and extrudes even more precisely than ever. It's been specially constructed to pair with our new MK6 Teflon coated Nozzle sizes. The upgraded hot end paired with the high torque NEMA 17 stepper motor creates a finely honed and robust extrusion machine that won't quit.

The MakerBot Stepstruder® MK6 Plus Complete Kit is a drop-in replacement for your Plastruder MK5, and includes all the components and electronics you need to add stepper driven extrusion to your MakerBot Thing-O-Matic® or MakerBot® Generation 4 Electronics. Here's a video of Skimbal's famous Cathedral. Check it out!

Please note: No thermal sensor is included in this kit. You can use the Type K Thermocouple provided with your Generation 4 Electronics or Thing-O-Matic® 3D Printer with your StepStruder® MK6 Plus or you can purchase it here:
- Type K Thermocouple

Includes:

•  Lasercut Acrylic StepStruder® MK6 body parts
• (1) NEMA 17 Stepper Motor - High Torque
• (1) MK6 Fan and mounting bracket
• (1) Molex Y Splitter
• (1) MakerBot® Stepper Motor Driver v3.3 Electronics
• (1) StepStruder® MK6 Metric Hardware Kit
• (1) MK5 Drive Gear
• (1) TO-5 Heat Sink
• (1) MK6 Plus Aluminum Thermal Core
• (1) 40W @ 12V MK6 Plus Cartridge Heater
• (1) Safety Cutoff Switch Kit
• (1) MK5 Thermal Barrier Tube
• (1) MK6 .4mm Nozzle
• (1) Kapton Tape 6mm
• (2) PTFE Coretubes- 3mm and 1.75mm

Please note: No thermal sensor is included. You will need a Type K Thermocouple or you can use one supplied in the Gen 4 Electronics Kit.

Assembly required. For full documentation, click here:

http://wiki.makerbot.com/stepstruder-mk6

DISCLAIMERS. OUR PRODUCTS AND ASSEMBLY KITS MAY BE USED BY EXPERIENCED, SKILLED USERS, AT THEIR OWN RISK. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE BY THE APPLICABLE LAW, WE HEREBY DISCLAIM ANY AND ALL RESPONSIBILITY, RISK, LIABILITY AND DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF DEATH OR PERSONAL INJURY RESULTING FROM ASSEMBLY OR OPERATION OF OUR PRODUCTS.