¶ Introduction
This section of the guide will step you correctly installing and aligning the X-axis gantry on the V-Core 4.1, then routing the belts.
¶ Step 1 - Tools for this guide
- The following tools are required for this guide:
- Allen key / hex wrenches in the following sizes: 2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm & 4mm
- A pair of scissors
- The following tools are recommended for this guide:
- A large zip-tie
¶ Step 2 - Prepare the X-axis gantry fasteners
- 8x M3x8 Cap Head Screw with Blue Threadlock (SKU: HW3898SC)
- 8x Washer Simple M3 - Black 12.9 Steel (SKU: HW1817NC)
¶ Step 3 - Prepare the X-axis gantry & toolhead assembly
- The gantry assembly will be different depending on which variant of the V-Core 4.1 you are building:
- V-Core 4.1 CoreXY or Hybrid:
- CoreXY / Hybrid X-axis gantry assembly & toolhead from the Toolhead - CoreXY or Hybrid guide
- V-Core 4.1 IDEX:
- IDEX X-axis gantry assembly and dual toolheads from the Toolheads - IDEX guide
¶ Step 4 - Install the X-axis gantry - Part 1
- X-axis gantry assembly
- Insert the X-axis gantry assembly through the upper section on the right side of the V-Core 4.1 frame as shown
- Set the ends of the X-axis gantry assembly down on to the Y-axis linear rail carriages
- Continue to support it until it has been fastened on both sides, do not allow the assembly to fall
¶ Step 5 - Install the X-axis gantry - Part 2
- X-axis gantry and toolhead assembly - Left-hand side
- 4x M3x8 Cap Head Screw with Blue Threadlock
- 4x Washer Simple M3 - Black 12.9 Steel
- Insert an M3x8 Cap Head Screw through each washer, the XY joiner plate, and then thread them into them into the Y-axis linear rail carriage
- Do not fully tighten the M3x8 Cap Head Screws at this point, leave them slightly loose
¶ Step 6 - Install the X-axis gantry - Part 3
- X-axis gantry and toolhead assembly - Right-hand side
- 4x M3x8 Cap Head Screw with Blue Threadlock
- 4x Washer Simple M3 - Black 12.9 Steel
- Insert an M3x8 Cap Head Screw through each washer, the XY joiner plate, and then thread them into them into the Y-axis linear rail carriage
- Do not fully tighten the M3x8 Cap Head Screws at this point, leave them slightly loose
¶ Step 7 - Loosen the steel gantry mounting screws
- X-axis gantry assembly - Left-hand underside
- 2x M5x12 Cap Head Screws
- Slightly loosen, but do not remove, both M5x12 Cap Head Screws
- X-axis gantry assembly - Right-hand underside
- 2x M5x12 Cap Head Screws
- Slightly loosen, but do not remove, both M5x12 Cap Head Screws
¶ Step 8 - Align and fasten the X-axis gantry - Part 1
- Slowly and carefully move the X-axis gantry towards the front of the V-Core 4.1
¶ Step 9 - Align and fasten the X-axis gantry - Part 2
- X-axis gantry - Left-hand side
- Apply slight pressure to press the XY joiner plate against the Y-axis bumper
- M3x8 Cap Head Screw
- Whilst pressing the XY joiner plate against the Y-axis bumper, tighten the four M3x8 Cap Head Screws half a turn at a time
- Continue tightening each M3x8 Cap Head Screw until all four screws are tightened
¶ Step 10 - Align and fasten the X-axis gantry - Part 3
- X-axis gantry - Right-hand side
- Apply slight pressure to press the XY joiner plate against the Y-axis bumper
- M3x8 Cap Head Screw
- Whilst pressing the XY joiner plate against the Y-axis bumper, tighten the four M3x8 Cap Head Screws half a turn at a time
- Continue tightening each M3x8 Cap Head Screw until all four screws are tightened
¶ Step 11 - Test the Y-axis movement
- Move the X-axis gantry forwards and backwards over the full travel distance of the Y-axis
- Check that the movement is smooth and that it does not bind at any point
- Small changes in resistance are normal, but becoming much harder to push or binding completely are not
- If the X-axis gantry becomes hard to push, or binds completely, loosen each of the four M3x8 Cap Head Screws on one of the XY joiners by a quarter of a turn and then test the movement again
- If there is no improvement, retighten the four M3x8 Cap Head Screws and try the same procedure on the other XY joiner
- Move the X-axis gantry back to the front of the V-Core 4.1
¶ Step 12 - Align and fasten the X-axis gantry - Part 4
- X-axis gantry - Left-hand side
- Apply slight pressure to press the XY joiner plate against the Y-axis bumper
- X-axis gantry assembly - Left-hand underside
- 2x M5x12 Cap Head Screws
- Whilst pressing the XY joiner plate against the Y-axis bumper, fully tighten both of the M5x12 Cap Head Screws
¶ Step 13 - Align and fasten the X-axis gantry - Part 5
- X-axis gantry - Right-hand side
- Apply slight pressure to press the XY joiner plate against the Y-axis bumper
- X-axis gantry assembly - Right-hand underside
- 2x M5x12 Cap Head Screws
- Whilst pressing the XY joiner plate against the Y-axis bumper, fully tighten both of the M5x12 Cap Head Screws
¶ Step 14 - Test the Y-axis movement again
- Move the X-axis gantry forwards and backwards over the full travel distance of the Y-axis
- Check that the movement is smooth and that it does not bind at any point
- Small changes in resistance are normal, but becoming much harder to push or binding completely are not
- If the X-axis gantry becomes hard to push, or binds completely, loosen the two M5x12 Cap Head Screws on the underside of one of the XY joiners by a quarter of a turn and then test the movement again
- If there is no improvement, loosen the two M5x12 Cap Head Screws on the underside of the other XY joiner by a quarter of a turn
- Move the X-axis gantry back to the front of the V-Core 4.1
¶ Step 15 - Check the X-axis gantry alignment
- With the X-axis gantry at the front of the V-Core 4.1, check that both XY joiners touch the Y-axis bumpers at the same time
- A correctly aligned X-axis gantry
- An exaggerated incorrectly aligned X-axis gantry
- If your gantry is incorrectly aligned:
- Loosen both M5x12 Cap Head Screws on the underside of each XY joiner
- Repeat step 12, step 13 and step 14
- Re-check the X-axis gantry alignment and repeat if necessary until the X-axis gantry is aligned
¶ Step 16 - Prepare the CoreXY or IDEX belts
- 1x Timing Belt - GATES - 2GT 9mm (6 meters pack) (SKU: HW4225GC)
- The timing belt is provided in a single 6 meter length and is long enough to fit all sizes of V-Core 4.1
- Unroll the 6 meter length and simply cut it in half, giving two 3 meter lengths
- The following measurements are provided for information only. All further steps will assume the 6 meter length was cut into two 3 meter belts
- V-Core 4.1 - 300: 2x 2065mm belts
- V-Core 4.1 - 400: 2x 2465mm belts
- V-Core 4.1 - 500: 2x 2865mm belts
¶ Step 17 - Prepare the Toolhead belt clamp parts
- 4x Rat Rig V-Core 4 - Toolhead - Steel Belt Clamp (SKU: HW4319PC)
- 8x M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screw (SKU: HW3917SC)
¶ Step 18 - Belt routing tip: Using a zip-tie to aid belt routing
- Routing the belts around the idlers can be challenging, but these tips can help ease installation
- Zip-tie
- The larger the zip-tie, the more help it will provide with routing the belt around the idler
- Bend the tip of the zip-tie slightly and feed it behind the idler
- Insert the end of the belt between the zip-tie and the idler
- Slowly feed the belt, and pull the zip-tie at the same time. The zip-tie will help guide the belt around the idler
¶ Step 19 - Next steps
- Please note that several components have been hidden in the imagery on the following steps to allow an easier view of the required belt routing. No disassembly should be performed
- If you are building a CoreXY or Hybrid variant of the V-Core 4.1, then please continue following the next steps
- If you are building an IDEX variant of the V-Core 4.1, then please skip to step 30
¶ Step 20 - Route the lower CoreXY belt - Part 1
- V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- 1x 3 meter length of timing belt from step 16
- Making sure that the teeth on the belt face towards the front of the V-Core 4.1, feed one end of the CoreXY belt through the gap at the back of the toolhead assembly. Start from the right-hand side so that the end of the belt emerges from the left-hand side as shown
- Fit the end of the belt into the cutout on the toolhead
- 1x Rat Rig V-Core 4 - Toolhead - Steel Belt Clamp
- 2x M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screw
- Align the steel belt clamp with the belt and toolhead as shown. Make sure that the teeth on the belt are facing towards the steel belt clamp
- Fasten the steel belt clamp to the toolhead by fully tightening both M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screws
¶ Step 21 - Route the lower CoreXY belt - Part 2
- Take the loose end of the lower CoreXY belt and route is as follows:
- On the rear left-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt around the lower idler
- On the left-hand CoreXY stepper motor assembly: Feed the belt around the lower idler
- On the right-hand CoreXY stepper motor assembly: Feed the belt around lower rear idler, then the pulley on the stepper motor, and finally around the lower front idler
- The teeth on the belt should face the teeth on the stepper motor pulley. If they do not, double check that the belt is oriented correctly
- On the right-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt between the XY joiner and the frame ignoring any of the idlers
- On the right-hand belt tensioner: Feed the belt around the lower belt tensioner idler
- On the front right-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt around the lower idler
¶ Step 22 - Route the lower CoreXY belt - Part 3
- V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- Feed the end of the belt through the rear lower slot in the right-hand side of the toolhead, as shown
- The printed part in the toolhead should guide the belt end out of the front lower slot
- 1x Rat Rig V-Core 4 - Toolhead - Steel Belt Clamp
- 2x M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screw
- Fit the belt into the cutout on the toolhead and then pull the end of the belt gently to remove any slack from the entire length
- Fasten the steel belt clamp to the toolhead by fully tightening both M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screws
- Do not cut off any excess belt at this point
¶ Step 23 - Route the upper CoreXY belt - Part 1
- V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- 1x 3 meter length of timing belt from step 16
- Making sure that the teeth on the belt face towards the front of the V-Core 4.1, feed one end of the CoreXY belt through the gap at the back of the toolhead assembly. Start from the left-hand side so that the end of the belt emerges from the right-hand side as shown
- Fit the end of the belt into the cutout on the toolhead
- 1x Rat Rig V-Core 4 - Toolhead - Steel Belt Clamp
- 2x M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screw
- Align the steel belt clamp with the belt and toolhead as shown. Make sure that the teeth on the belt are facing towards the steel belt clamp
- Fasten the steel belt clamp to the toolhead by fully tightening both M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screws
¶ Step 24 - Route the upper CoreXY belt - Part 2
- Take the loose end of the upper CoreXY belt and route is as follows:
- On the rear right-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt around the upper idler
- On the right-hand CoreXY stepper motor assembly: Feed the belt around the upper idler
- On the left-hand CoreXY stepper motor assembly: Feed the belt around upper rear idler, then the pulley on the stepper motor, and finally around the upper front idler
- The teeth on the belt should face the teeth on the stepper motor pulley. If they do not, double check that the belt is oriented correctly
- On the left-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt between the XY joiner and the frame ignoring any of the idlers
- On the left-hand belt tensioner: Feed the belt around the lower belt tensioner idler
- On the front left-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt around the upper idler
¶ Step 25 - Route the upper CoreXY belt - Part 3
- V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- Feed the end of the belt through the rear upper slot in the left-hand side of the toolhead, as shown
- The printed part in the toolhead should guide the belt end out of the front upper slot
- 1x Rat Rig V-Core 4 - Toolhead - Steel Belt Clamp
- 2x M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screw
- Fit the belt into the cutout on the toolhead and then pull the end of the belt gently to remove any slack from the entire length
- Fasten the steel belt clamp to the toolhead by fully tightening both M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screws
- Do not cut off any excess belt at this point
¶ Step 26 - Align the stepper pulleys - Part 1
- On the left-hand CoreXY stepper motor assembly: Loosen both set screws within the stepper motor pulley
- On the right-hand CoreXY stepper motor assembly: Loosen both set screws within the stepper motor pulley
- Move the toolhead in several large and slow circles, this will cause the belts to take their natural positions on all of the idlers and will correctly align the stepper motor pulleys
¶ Step 27 - Align the stepper pulleys - Part 2
- Inspect both of the CoreXY motor assemblies and verify that there is a small gap between the edges of the belt and the flanges of the pulleys:
- If there is, they are correctly aligned and you can continue
- If the belt is touching either of the flanges, you can either move the toolhead in large circles a few more times, or manually nudge the stepper motor pulley up or down to create the gap
- On the left-hand CoreXY stepper motor assembly: Tighten both set screws within the stepper motor pulley to secure it in place
- On the right-hand CoreXY stepper motor assembly: Tighten both set screws within the stepper motor pulley to secure it in place
¶ Step 28 - Trim the excess CoreXY belt
- It is strongly recommended to leave 10-15mm of excess belt until the machine is fully commissioned and working. Cutting the belt flush at this point could lead to a situation where insufficient belt is available to make adjustments later on
- V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- Using a pair of scissors, or some cutters, cut the excess from the left belt leaving 10-15mm past the belt grabber
- Using a pair of scissors, or some cutters, cut the excess from the right belt leaving 10-15mm past the belt grabber
¶ Step 29 - Next steps
- If you are building a CoreXY or Hybrid variant of the V-Core 4.1, then please skip the remainder of this guide and move on to the installing the accessories
- If you are building an IDEX variant of the V-Core 4.1, then please continue following the next steps
¶ Step 30 - Route the right toolhead belt - Part 1
- Right (T1) V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- 1x 3 meter length of timing belt from step 16
- Making sure that the teeth on the belt face towards the front of the V-Core 4.1, feed one end of the IDEX belt through the gap at the back of the right (T1) toolhead assembly. Start from the left-hand side so that the end of the belt emerges from the right-hand side as shown
- Fit the end of the belt into the cutout on the toolhead
- 1x Rat Rig V-Core 4 - Toolhead - Steel Belt Clamp
- 2x M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screw
- Align the steel belt clamp with the belt and toolhead as shown. Make sure that the teeth on the belt are facing towards the steel belt clamp
- Fasten the steel belt clamp to the toolhead by fully tightening both M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screws
¶ Step 31 - Route the right toolhead belt - Part 2
- Left (T0) V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- Right (T1) V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- Take the loose end of the right (T1) toolhead belt and feed it through the gap at the back of the left (T0) toolhead assembly. Start from the right-hand side so that the end of the belt emerges from the left-hand side as shown
¶ Step 32 - Route the right toolhead belt - Part 3
- Take the loose end of the right (T1) toolhead belt and route is as follows:
- On the rear left-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt around the lower idler
- On the left-hand stepper motor assembly: Feed the belt around the lower idler
- On the right-hand stepper motor assembly: Feed the belt around lower rear idler, then the pulley on the stepper motor, and finally around the lower front idler
- The teeth on the belt should face the teeth on the stepper motor pulley. If they do not, double check that the belt is oriented correctly
- On the right-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt between the XY joiner and the frame ignoring any of the idlers
- On the right-hand belt tensioner: Feed the belt around the lower belt tensioner idler
- On the front right-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt around the lower idler
¶ Step 33 - Route the right toolhead belt - Part 4
- Right (T1) V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- Feed the end of the belt through the rear lower slot in the right-hand side of the toolhead, as shown
- The printed part in the toolhead should guide the belt end out of the front lower slot
- 1x Rat Rig V-Core 4 - Toolhead - Steel Belt Clamp
- 2x M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screw
- Fit the belt into the cutout on the toolhead and then pull the end of the belt gently to remove any slack from the entire length
- Fasten the steel belt clamp to the toolhead by fully tightening both M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screws
- Do not cut off any excess belt at this point
¶ Step 34 - Route the left toolhead belt - Part 1
- Left (T0) V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- 1x 3 meter length of timing belt from step 16
- Making sure that the teeth on the belt face towards the front of the V-Core 4.1, feed one end of the IDEX belt through the gap at the back of the left (T0) toolhead assembly. Start from the right-hand side so that the end of the belt emerges from the left-hand side as shown
- Fit the end of the belt into the cutout on the toolhead
- 1x Rat Rig V-Core 4 - Toolhead - Steel Belt Clamp
- 2x M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screw
- Align the steel belt clamp with the belt and toolhead as shown. Make sure that the teeth on the belt are facing towards the steel belt clamp
- Fasten the steel belt clamp to the toolhead by fully tightening both M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screws
¶ Step 35 - Route the left toolhead belt - Part 2
- Left (T0) V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- Right (T1) V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- Take the loose end of the left (T0) toolhead belt and feed it through the gap at the back of the right (T1) toolhead assembly. Start from the left-hand side so that the end of the belt emerges from the right-hand side as shown
¶ Step 36 - Route the left toolhead belt - Part 3
- Take the loose end of the left (T0) toolhead belt and route is as follows:
- On the rear right-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt around the upper idler
- On the right-hand stepper motor assembly: Feed the belt around the upper idler
- On the left-hand stepper motor assembly: Feed the belt around upper rear idler, then the pulley on the stepper motor, and finally around the upper front idler
- The teeth on the belt should face the teeth on the stepper motor pulley. If they do not, double check that the belt is oriented correctly
- On the left-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt between the XY joiner and the frame ignoring any of the idlers
- On the left-hand belt tensioner: Feed the belt around the lower belt tensioner idler
- On the front left-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Feed the belt around the upper idler
¶ Step 37 - Route the left toolhead belt - Part 4
- Left (T0) V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- Feed the end of the belt through the rear upper slot in the left-hand side of the toolhead, as shown
- The printed part in the toolhead should guide the belt end out of the front upper slot
- 1x Rat Rig V-Core 4 - Toolhead - Steel Belt Clamp
- 2x M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screw
- Fit the belt into the cutout on the toolhead and then pull the end of the belt gently to remove any slack from the entire length
- Fasten the steel belt clamp to the toolhead by fully tightening both M3x6 Low Profile Cap Head Screws
- Do not cut off any excess belt at this point
¶ Step 38 - Align the stepper pulleys - Part 1
- On the left-hand stepper motor assembly: Loosen both set screws within the stepper motor pulley
- On the right-hand stepper motor assembly: Loosen both set screws within the stepper motor pulley
- Move both of the toolheads together in several large and slow circles, this will cause the belts to take their natural positions on all of the idlers and will correctly align the stepper motor pulleys
¶ Step 39 - Align the stepper pulleys - Part 2
- Inspect both of the motor assemblies and verify that there is a small gap between the edges of the belt and the flanges of the pulleys:
- If there is, they are correctly aligned and you can continue
- If the belt is touching either of the flanges, you can either move the toolhead in large circles a few more times, or manually nudge the stepper motor pulley up or down to create the gap
- On the left-hand stepper motor assembly: Tighten both set screws within the stepper motor pulley to secure it in place
- On the right-hand stepper motor assembly: Tighten both set screws within the stepper motor pulley to secure it in place
¶ Step 40 - Trim the excess belts
- It is strongly recommended to leave 10-15mm of excess belt until the machine is fully commissioned and working. Cutting the belt flush at this point could lead to a situation where insufficient belt is available to make adjustments later on
- Left (T0) V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- Using a pair of scissors, or some cutters, cut the excess from the belt leaving 10-15mm past the belt grabber
- Right (T1) V-Core 4.1 Toolhead Assembly
- Using a pair of scissors, or some cutters, cut the excess from the belt leaving 10-15mm past the belt grabber
¶ Step 41 - Prepare the hybrid belts
- 1x Timing Belt - GATES - 2GT 9mm (3.2 meters pack) (SKU: HW4226GC)
- The timing belt is provided in a single 3.2 meter length and is long enough to fit all sizes of V-Core 4.1
- Cut two identical lengths of belt depending on the size of V-Core 4.1 being assembled
- V-Core 4.1 - 300: 2x 1110mm belts
- V-Core 4.1 - 400: 2x 1310mm belts
- V-Core 4.1 - 500: 2x 1510mm belts
- It is important that both belts are an identical length otherwise issues can occur during tensioning
¶ Step 42 - Prepare the hybrid belt mounts
- 2x vc4_y_belt_clamp_body (SKU: PP000275)
- 2x vc4_y_belt_clamp_cap (SKU: PP000276)
- 4x M3x12 Cap Head Screw (SKU: HW1292SC)
- 6x M3x8 Cap Head Screw (SKU: HW1502SC)
¶ Step 43 - Install the left hybrid belt mount
- X-axis gantry left-hand side
- Prepared vc4_y_belt_clamp_body printed part
- Align the vc4_y_belt_clamp_body printed part with the X-axis gantry as shown. The four Cap Head Screw heads should seat fully into the underside of the hybrid belt mount
- Make sure that the printed part is seated fully on the top of the X-axis. Failure to do so will lead to issues with the hybrid belt
- 2x M3x12 Cap Head Screw
- Insert an M3x12 Cap Head Screw into each of the two central holes in the hybrid belt mount and then fasten them into the threads below
- Be careful not to overtighten the screws as you can damage the printed parts
¶ Step 44 - Install the right hybrid belt mount
- X-axis gantry right-hand side
- Prepared vc4_y_belt_clamp_body printed part
- Align the vc4_y_belt_clamp_body printed part with the X-axis gantry as shown. The four Cap Head Screw heads should seat fully into the underside of the hybrid belt mount
- Make sure that the printed part is seated fully on the top of the X-axis. Failure to do so will lead to issues with the hybrid belt
- 2x M3x12 Cap Head Screw
- Insert an M3x12 Cap Head Screw into each of the two central holes in the hybrid belt mount and then fasten them into the threads below
- Be careful not to overtighten the screws as you can damage the printed parts
¶ Step 45 - Route the left hybrid belt - Part 1
- Left hybrid belt mount
- 1x Length of hybrid timing belt from step 41
- Take one end of the timing belt and orient it so that the toothed side faces towards the loop in the hybrid belt mount, and that the cut end aligns with the slot as shown
- Slowly insert the timing belt into the slot on the hybrid belt mount as shown, routing it around the loop and out of the open slot
- The teeth of the belt should mesh together in the slot, locking the belt in place
¶ Step 46 - Route the left hybrid belt - Part 2
- Take the loose end of the left hybrid belt and route is as follows:
- On the left-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Route the belt upwards toward the hybrid stepper motor assembly
- On the left-hand hybrid stepper motor assembly: Feed the belt around rear idler, then the pulley on the stepper motor, and finally around the front idler
- The teeth on the belt should face the teeth on the stepper motor pulley. If they do not, double check that the belt is oriented correctly
- Route the belt to the front of the V-Core 4.1 assembly whilst making sure to keep it above the X-axis gantry
- On the left-hand belt tensioner: Feed the belt around the upper belt tensioner idler and then back towards the left hybrid belt mount
- On the left-hand hybrid belt mount: Feed the remaining belt through the loop in the hybrid belt mount and out of the slot, making sure the teeth mesh together as shown in step 45
¶ Step 47 - Secure the left hybrid belt
- X-axis gantry left-hand side
- vc4_y_belt_clamp_cap printed part
- Align the vc4_y_belt_clamp_cap with the vc4_y_belt_clamp_body printed part
- 3x M3x8 Cap Head Screw
- Insert an M3x8 Cap Head Screw into each of the three holes in cap and then fasten them into the heated inserts below
- Be careful not to overtighten the screws as you can damage the printed parts
¶ Step 48 - Route the right hybrid belt - Part 1
- Right hybrid belt mount
- 1x Length of hybrid timing belt from step 41
- Take one end of the timing belt and orient it so that the toothed side faces towards the loop in the hybrid belt mount, and that the cut end aligns with the slot as shown
- Slowly insert the timing belt into the slot on the hybrid belt mount as shown, routing it around the loop and out of the open slot
- The teeth of the belt should mesh together in the slot, locking the belt in place
¶ Step 49 - Route the right hybrid belt - Part 2
- Take the loose end of the right hybrid belt and route is as follows:
- On the right-hand side of the X-axis gantry assembly: Route the belt upwards toward the hybrid stepper motor assembly
- On the right-hand hybrid stepper motor assembly: Feed the belt around rear idler, then the pulley on the stepper motor, and finally around the front idler
- The teeth on the belt should face the teeth on the stepper motor pulley. If they do not, double check that the belt is oriented correctly
- Route the belt to the front of the V-Core 4.1 assembly whilst making sure to keep it above the X-axis gantry
- On the right-hand belt tensioner: Feed the belt around the upper belt tensioner idler and then back towards the right hybrid belt mount
- On the right-hand hybrid belt mount: Feed the remaining belt through the loop in the hybrid belt mount and out of the slot, making sure the teeth mesh together as shown in step 48
¶ Step 50 - Secure the right hybrid belt
- X-axis gantry right-hand side
- vc4_y_belt_clamp_cap printed part
- Align the vc4_y_belt_clamp_cap with the vc4_y_belt_clamp_body printed part
- 3x M3x8 Cap Head Screw
- Insert an M3x8 Cap Head Screw into each of the three holes in cap and then fasten them into the heated inserts below
- Be careful not to overtighten the screws as you can damage the printed parts
¶ Step 51 - Align the hybrid stepper pulleys - Part 1
- On the left-hand hybrid stepper motor assembly: Loosen both set screws within the stepper motor pulley
- On the right-hand hybrid stepper motor assembly: Loosen both set screws within the stepper motor pulley
- Move the X-axis gantry forwards and backwards slowly over the entire travel distance, this will cause the belts to take their natural positions on all of the idlers and will correctly align the stepper motor pulleys
¶ Step 52 - Align the hybrid stepper pulleys - Part 2
- Inspect both of the hybrid motor assemblies and verify that there is a small gap between the edges of the belt and the flanges of the pulleys:
- If there is, they are correctly aligned and you can continue
- If the belt is touching either of the flanges, you can either move the X-axis gantry forwards and backwards a few more times, or manually nudge the stepper motor pulley up or down to create the gap
- On the left-hand hybrid stepper motor assembly: Tighten both set screws within the stepper motor pulley to secure it in place
- On the right-hand hybrid stepper motor assembly: Tighten both set screws within the stepper motor pulley to secure it in place
¶ Step 53 - Next steps
- Continue with the next guide: Accessories