“The EnderLoop is an Ender 3 conversion mod that turns it into a conveyor belt printer. While this is similar to the CR-30, this mod costs about 1/3 of the price (including the cost of an Ender 3) which increases the accessibility of belt printing, offers more mod flexibility since the core mechanics are those of the Ender 3 which already has a plethora of mods available online, and is available right now. Also, since the support extensions are 3d printed, you can cheaply and effectively add longer support than other belt printers available. The tradeoffs are that it is a bit slower than the CR-30 and requires some DIY know-how with printers. It is currently fully functional (including firmware and slicing configuration for BlackBelt Cura) and ready for anyone who is comfortable modding their printer to use. Also happy to answer any questions. Lastly, I’ve got this hosted on Thingiverse here and Github here.
Here’s a great video with Adam at PowerBelt3D discussing the EnderLoop.
This supports around a 110x200xinfinity bed size.
Note
Models in the printer pictures should mirror what is in the latest source files. Any differences should be minimal and are usually just that I’m running a slightly older version of the model to save on plastic waste.
This is still a work in progress and you will most definitely find issues. Currently, I’ve identified a couple outstanding problems in my build:
Adhesion. I’m just gonna say outright that this isn’t terrible adhesion. It’s just not as good as I like it. It really depends on the model height and surface area touching the belt. You can improve the adhesion slightly by “scuffing” the surface of the belt with sandpaper.
Slight angle on some parts. I believe this has to do with esteps or cooling.
Most of the remaining issues are fairly minor and should either be small model updates or software tweaks.
If you experience any issues, they are most likely a result of bed leveling. I learned this the hard way so certainly check this first. Bed leveling a belt printer is trickier than with a “normal” printer and can cause some strange issues (adhesion, angled prints, head collisions, etc.)
Lastly, I’ll note, and this is less of an issue and more of a limitation, but this will print slower than a normal printer due to the lead screw being used as the “de facto Y axis”.”