Y-Plate Design Option for Mounting Controller / RPI Option

[madgrizzle]

I was thinking that for your next iteration, you consider making one of the Y plates sized to accommodate direct mounting of the controllers and an RPI to help clean up the installation. You’ll have to change the size of the particular plate because the controllers don’t fully fit on the current V2 version. You could size it and add holes for each of the three types of controllers you sell to the left of the stepper and holes for a RPI to the right of the stepper. You could also offer 3-d printed covers (maybe snap-in to slots on the plate?) This is what I’m looking to cut to stand off from the current plate to allow me to mount my controller & rpi…

The left is for the mini rambo, the right is for an rpi4, and the bottoms slits are for zipties to hold down a small power strip. I could use this as the Y-plate itself, but I don’t want to tear the plate apart now that I got it all put together. I’m also trying to figure out if I should add a spool or two for cable management.

[kd2018 (Kyle)]

How much weight can the gantry handle hanging off one side before it gets too lopsided and effects performance?

[madgrizzle]

I don’t think the controller, RPI and a very small power strip really adds much weight. I’ve already got all that dangling off the current y-plate as it is and everything seems fine… it’s just an utter mess.

For my new piece to standoff and mount everything to, I plan to use the thinnest board I can get to keep the weight down…

[jeffeb3]

You would need a power supply too, right?

[madgrizzle]

True… right now I have it zip tied together with my small power strip… Maybe keep it that way with the power supply up against the plate and the power strip out in front of it, all zip tied to the plate… if you follow. The power supply is flat so I think it will work. For my installation where I’m standing off the new plate, I might put the power supply on opposite side of the new plate from the power strip… and zip tie it all up.

[kd2018 (Kyle)]

Could you stack components to give yourself more room? At least the rpi and control board?

[madgrizzle]

My concerns would be having too much heat generated in a small area and having ready access to the connectors and such. Also the mounting hole locations are different so you’d need some bracket or something to stack them above each other.

[vicious1 (Ryan)]

I see what you are getting at. You are right, a lot of people are loading a lot of things on that plate.

Maybe I can come up with a second plate on standoffs like the first LR had.

I have a stack of notes for some minor tweaks I will look into something if you all don’t come up with something first.

[barry99705 (Barry)]

I have way too much weight hanging off mine, it does tweak the plastics a bit. Power supply is stuck to the table though.

[madgrizzle]

That piece of 3/4-inch plywood probably weighs more than everything attached to it. My plan is to stop by Office Depot, pick up a couple legal size clipboards (1/8-inch hard board), cut off the paper holder thing, and use the material to cut the plate for it. The staff there wonders why I come in so often to buy clipboards, but its cheap source of 1/8-inch material and I don’t have to have it shipped in.

https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/477678/Office-Depot-Brand-100percent-Recycled-Wood/

[DuffyNW (Duffy Cavanaugh)]

Maybe a counter weight on the other Y plate to balance the load? This way there’s less chance of the machine getting pulled a little to one side.