Kinematic Mount For 3D Printer Bed Shows Practical Design

Aluminum bed with new kinematic mount and base on printer Son of Megamax, at the Milwaukee Makerspace

[Mark Rehorst] has been busy designing and building 3D printers, and Son of Megamax — one of his earlier builds — needed a bed heater replacement. He took the opportunity to add a Kelvin-type kinematic mount as well. The kinematic mount and base efficiently constrain the bed in a controlled way while allowing for thermal expansion, providing a stable platform that also allows for removal and repeatable re-positioning.

After a short discussion regarding the heater replacement, [Mark] explains the design and manufacture of his kinematic mount. Of particular note are the practical considerations of the design; [Mark] aimed to use square aluminum tubing as much as possible, with machining requirements that were easily done with the equipment he had available. Time is a resource after all, and design decisions that help one get something working quickly have a value all their own.

If you’re still a bit foggy on kinematic mounts and how they work, you’re not alone. Check out our coverage of this 3D-printed kinematic camera mount which should make the concept a bit clearer.

8 thoughts on “Kinematic Mount For 3D Printer Bed Shows Practical Design

  1. Looks cool but you can buy ultrabase and a heatbed for 30 bucks and not have to fuss with anything forever. Been running the same bed over a year. no glue/hairspray/cleaning/maintenence at all.

    1. Ultrabase looks interesting, but you really need a flat aluminum plate under it because it is glass and won’t heat evenly if you apply a heater directly to the ultrabase. My design isn’t so much about the bed plate as it is about the mounting method that lets it expand when heated without forcing anything to bend or flex. If you stick an ultrabase plate to an aluminum bed on a bad mount you will still have problems with maintaining a level surface when the bed heats up.

      My design isn’t actually intended to make the plate easily removable, but it can be removed without too much trouble. You have to disconnect the heater and thermistor cables (I used used power pole connectors) and unhook the hold down springs. I don’t normally use it as a removable bed.

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