Here's a series showing how construction happened. Left, the basic box with electronics mounted to them. Middle, the z-stage rods were added in and the clear z-stage platform was built (placed in front of the bot). Right, shows the addition of the belts that drive the zstage screws and show the X-Y stage assembly installed.
Here is an image looking down through the unit. The little small platform has 5 brass colored ceramic magnets that hold the build platform to the stage. The platform is held on by magnets so it can be easily removed. The serpentine belt is driven by a stepper motor. This in turn causes all 4 threaded rods to rotate. On the rods are nuts. When the nuts are holding the z-stage platform, the effect is that the z-stage platform raises or lowers.
The next photo shows the the orange build platform installed. It also shows the clear z-stage platform installed and resting on the threaded rod nuts. The extruder assembly has not been installed yet. Before installing, the z-stage platform and build platform must both be leveled. Adjusting the build platform is done by adjusting each individual threaded rod nut till the z-platform becomes level. By having both the build platform and z-stage made level, it insures that the plastruder extrusion head remains at the height it is supposed to be at no matter what location it points to on the moving build platform.
