# Don't Know Where To Post This



## speedre9 (Dec 27, 2013)

I wasn't sure where to post this as we don't have a 3d printing section.
I'm putting together a 3D printer accessorize for my gantry router, anybody here have one? 
My questions are this, I bought a red top heat bed plate, a 12v power supply. The plate is ready for wiring but, what do I need to wire it to the power supply? Please comment if you know what is needed to complete my heated bed plate. Thank you


----------



## Thetoolman (Dec 28, 2013)

What's the make and model number of your heater??


----------



## speedre9 (Dec 28, 2013)

I got a,   MK 1,  214 mm square, (8.425" x 8.425") from Makergeeks.com
FR 1.6 + 0.15 mm, 2 layers copper HAL lead free plating solder mask, both sides,
white silk screen both sides. Power, input 12v.
Do I also need a borosilica glass plate?


----------



## KMoffett (Dec 28, 2013)

speedre9 said:


> ...
> Do I also need a borosilica glass plate?


http://www.mcmaster.com/#standard-borosilicate-glass/=q0bbd3

Ken


----------



## KMoffett (Dec 28, 2013)

It looks like that heater draws between 7A and 10A at 12VDC. Unless your 12v supply is adjustable, you are going to have a way of adjusting the voltage or current or time to maintain the proper temperature. My choice would be a thermocouple PID temperature controller. You can get these off eBay for ~$30 with shipping. For that current level you will also need an external relay, for ~$5-$10.

Ken

OOPS! I misread the "Do I alos need a borosilicate glass plate?" as, "I also need a borosilicate glass plate."
That I do not know.


----------



## CNC Dude (Dec 28, 2013)

What controller board are you using? I was under the impression that the Arduino based controllers would have a FET switch that you would connect the table top to. This FET will be the 12V switch to the power supply and through PWM you would heat up the table top.

Of course for this to work correctly you will also need a thermistor which would need to be connected to one of the analog inputs. I imagine the controller firmware would need to support this. As far as I know the most typical control firmware (marlin, pronterface, sprinter, etc) handle thermally controlled tables.

I do not have a thermal bed on the 3D printer I designed and built. But as far as I know, the logistics should be identical to the extruder, except the temperature is about 100 C, instead of 220 C as needed to melt the plastic.


----------



## speedre9 (Dec 30, 2013)

To be honest I haven't the faintest idea what any of that is. I'm admit to being brain dead when it comes to electrical or electronical stuff. But I have Mach 3 and Slis3r for control and 3d printer software. I haven't tried any of it as of yet, awaiting arrival of all the parts and supplies. What do I need between the power supply,12v dc 30A, and the heat plate?
How do I regulate the amount of heat I want to the bed. All that other stuff is confusing me right now.
What do I need between the power supply,12v dc 30A, and the heat plate? That's the thing I really need now.


----------



## CNC Dude (Jan 3, 2014)

If you don't know much about electronics then you truly need to make sure your controller board has all of the necessary electronics to control the heat bed as it will be really hard for you to add it yourself. I am an electronics designer so I designed my own. It is not hard, but you will need to understand Power Electronics and closed loop control in order for it to make sense. There are controllers with all of the components out there. Hopefully this is what you are getting.

MACH3 is useless here, as far as I know. Your 3D printer software will do what MACH3 does on CNC machines. For example, I use Sprinter to send the G Code to my Arduino board who then in turn has access to the four stepper drivers and the FETs controlling the heat elements (extruder and hot bed). The control software sends commands to the Arduino board on how hot it wants each heat element. The Arduino board applies a PWM to the heater and measures temperature with a thermistor. The code inside the Arduino board regulates heat accordingly.

For example, in your 3D printer software you will specify that you want the extruder to be at 220C and the heat bed at 100C. The Arduino will take care of it all. Your 3d Printer SW will tell you what the temperature is in a real time basis.

Best thing is to get a controller with all the elements in place. Hope this has made more sense than the previous post.


----------



## speedre9 (Jan 4, 2014)

Issue solved. I am going to use a PID and relay to make this a stand alone heat system. I'm o.k. with it being manual. Thank you to all for the comments and helpful resources and links.


----------

