Another straight forward option is to purchase a PID temperature controller. You would need to use a thermocouple instead of the thermistor, but a whole kit including a controller, thermocouple and SSR can be bought from Amazon for ~$30. Then you just need to wire it to your power supply. Make sure you match voltages of the SSR and powersupply.
Hi guys, since several of you contacted me, i wanted to inform you about the status: We decided to purchase an Z18 to make sure we can adapt our 5th gen replicator HBP system for the Z18. We received the Z18 2 days ago and had a lot of work to adjust everything (really unbelievable how some things were mounted at an 8000 USD machine btw) Do not understand me wrong, we do not plan to make the existing build plate fit to the Z18, we are making a special Z18 version, just in the same kind like we did for the Rep 5th Gen. I think there will be no big problems and I guess in a few weeks i can inform you that it is available.
I cant wait, I have to agree with you the Z18 really lacks in build quality for such an expensive machine, a lot of things happened at makerbot through the production and further development of the z18, many features were cut or posponed and the printer was then finally marketed as a PLA only printer when in actual fact this was suppose to be their flagship printer with multi material support with all the bells and whistles utilising the same patented tech from stratasys, they only went as far as to redevelop the smart extruder + sadly no stratsys engineers were put on the project the team was loosly filled from new and leftover employees from makerbot, the team did a reasonable job all things considered however stratasys probably realised the capabilities of this machine and that it would outperform many of the other very expensive objet and fortus machines if they were to allow it front and center stage time.
Any other news on this? @wabasoc did you get a HBP on the z18? I’d love to chat with you if you did so I can add one on mine. @id3d can you provide some more detail on you upgrades? If you are vetted I’d send you my build plate for you to create a HBP for the z18. Thanks everyone
We did not test the absolute maximum but 100 degrees Celsius are no problem. For ABS we recommend 90 - not cause of any limit, but this has the best results.
