3D Printing
The frame and device sleds are designed to be 3D printed on reasonably sized FDM printers. The minimum build volume you will need is 4.5 X 2 X 5.25 inches. Most printers these days are larger than this and will let you print multiple parts on the build plate.
I will not go into too much detail on the specific details of printing, but in general they do not require anything too complex. I used standard PLA for these parts. The parts are designed to be printed with minimal support, but in some cases support will be required. A few of the parts will also require embedded nuts. The STL files are exported aligned in the suggested orientation for printing.
The case contains the power supply and has slots for three devices. You will want to print all of the parts below. You can get all of these parts here.
| Part File Name | Quantity | Support Required? | Embedded Nuts? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Module Top Cover | 1 | No | No |
| Power Module v2 | 1 | Yes, From build plate only | No |
| Power Module Front Cover | 1 | No | No |
| Rack Ear, Left | 1 | No | No |
| Rack Ear, Right | 1 | No | No |
| Device Module Case v2.1 | 3 | Yes, From build plate only | No |
| Wire Cover | 3 | No | No |
The power module case should have support (shown in red below) from the build plate to the fan surface only. The other parts do not require support.
Print the rack ears without support.
You will need three device module cases for a standard width rack. Print these in the indicated orientation with support from the build plate only.
The device sleds hold the actual devices you are powering. In my case, they are Raspberry Pi computers. Print whichever of these suits your applications.
| Part File Name | Blank | RPi 3 | RPi 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Front Panel, Blank | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Front Panel, RPi 3 Sled, V2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Front Panel, RPi 4 Sled, V2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Sled Base, Blank Front | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sled Base, RPi, V2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Sled Handle V2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
Use this to close off a unused device port. Print the parts in the orientation below.
Since the various versions of the Raspberry Pi has moved the port around, there are different front panels for the different versions of the Pi. The handles and sled base are the same. Shown below is the print for a Raspberry Pi 3 sled. There is also a model for a Pi 4 sled. I haven't tried with other versions of the Pi.
These parts must be printed without support. The RPi sleds have embedded nuts. This means that you have to pause the print and put hex nuts into the four hex sockets before telling the printer to resume. The printer should pause .1" (2.54mm) off the build plate to allow you to install the nuts. The way to make this happen will depend on the slicer you are using, so refer to the documentation for your chosen slicer for details.
Pause the print at the layer shown below to install nuts:
Most of the parts will not require any special post processing, other than general cleanup and removal of supports. A few parts will require a few extra steps before they can be used.
Install eight heat set inserts into the indicated holes in the power module. Set the heat set inserts into the holes and push them into the plastic with a hot soldering iron. Make sure the heat set inserts end up vertical and not at an angle to the holes.
After the plastic is fully cooled, clean up any plastic that bulges around the sides of the inserts.
Install Four heat set inserts into the indicated holes in the back of the device modules. Set the heat set inserts into the holes and push them into the plastic with a hot soldering iron. Make sure the heat set inserts end up vertical and not at an angle to the holes.
After the plastic is fully cooled, clean up any plastic that bulges around the sides of the inserts.