Category: Production Updates

Hi folks. This is our October production update.

For more day to day shipping updates please check https://forum.sienci.com/t/list-of-shipped-machines/1215/210

All info about delivery times, as well as commonly asked questions can be found here: https://sienci.com/2020/09/09/september-production-updates/. If you are looking to order a LongMill, please read the September update.

For customers who have a LongMill order on backorder

All Batch 3 machines have now been sold! New orders coming in will be part of Batch 4. If you ordered a machine before the LongMill went on backorder (it will have shown on the product page if it was on backorder or not), then you will have your machine shipped in 6 weeks (or hopefully less). If you are not sure if your machine is in Batch 3 or 4, order numbers #26649 and lower are in Batch 3, and orders numbered #26650 and above are in Batch 4.

We currently have all of the parts needed to fulfill orders in Batch 3, and we are working on packing and assembling kits to ship machines. Updated shipping schedules can be found here: https://forum.sienci.com/t/list-of-shipped-machines/1215

Everyone who is in Batch 3 should expect to be getting their machine within the next 2-3 weeks.

We are currently waiting on parts to arrive for Batch 4. Parts are currently coming in and we expect to have all of the parts to start shipping Batch 4 in the middle of November. This means that if you are in Batch 4, you should expect to start seeing Batch 4 machines to start shipping in the middle of November.

Batch 4 will consist of 1000 LongMills, which will hopefully alleviate the long wait times and give us more time between batches to stock up on machines.

Expected Batch 4 Shipping Schedule (this is an estimate, and may change over time)

Order #26650 – #26751: Week of Nov 16

Order #26757 – 26820: Week of Nov 23

Expanding the Sienci Labs office

With the high demand for LongMills, we are currently working on expanding our office space to help get more machines out the door. We will be moving into the office space next door to add an additional 4800sqft of shop space at the end of October. This is good timing as our next-door neighbors are in the process of moving out.

With our current space, we are producing around 120 units per month. However, we expect to be able to produce around 300 units per month once we have expanded into the new space. We will also have access to additional space at the rear of the building for storage to hold all of the extra materials we’ll need on hand.

Changes to the LongMill design

Batch 3 and 4 machines come with incremental updates to the design to improve reliability, ease of assembly, and functionality. Improvements are rolled out over time, rather than in set versions or changes. Here are some of the updates. These are all of the improvements with current machines shipped now.

Locking motor connectors

We’ve improved the design of the motor connector to provide a more secure connection between the motor and the wiring that goes to the controller. This change has completely eliminated issues coming from cables becoming detached from the motor body.

Detachable E-stop/Power switch

The latest version of the LongBoard now uses a detachable E-stop as a power switch. Users can use this E-stop to turn on and off their machine, as well as cutting the power to the controller itself. Users can use the supplied 3ft cable to place the E-stop in a convenient place, or use a longer wire to if needed. Documentation of the LongBoard can be found here: https://sienci.com/dmx-longmill/longboard-documentation/

Silver Dacromet coated fasteners

We have replaced black oxide 12.9 grade fasteners with silver dacromet/geomet coated fasteners (hexavalent-chromium free) fasteners to make assembly more pleasant for our customers as these fasteners do not require oil or grease for rust prevention. Please note that black oxide fasteners are still used in some areas but the large majority of fasteners used on the LongMill have been switched over.

Larger ACME locking nuts

Locking nuts on all lead screws have been increased in length to prevent the head of the set screw from touching the bearing.

Additional noise filtering on the LongBoard

The LongBoard comes with additional circuitry to protect it from errant signals for better reliability when using advanced features such as spindle control, limit switches, and more.

The LongBoard also has an additional red LED on the top to make it easier to see if it is powered on or off.

Known issues and updates to our quality control process

I’m happy to report that our ongoing improvements to our QA and machine design have drastically reduced the number of customer issues, and with the implementation of Zendesk and additional processes and training for our staff means that it is easier to get high-quality help. These are some known issues that have affected a small number of customers.

V-wheels

One of the most dramatic quality issues have been with v-wheel sizing. For the complete saga, please read our blog post here: https://sienci.com/2020/08/11/the-epic-saga-of-the-v-wheels/

At the beginning of our production cycle, we found that the v-wheels that we had received from our manufacturer was manufactured incorrectly. Not only did we find issues with this particular batch of wheels, but wheels from other manufacturers would have the same sizing problems.

To address this issue we have ordered in v-wheels from multiple manufacturers to ensure that we have stock of the right size and quality v-wheels. Although we still have inconsistencies of wheels coming in, we have been checking and QAing each v-wheel before shipping them out to ensure that they work correctly.

Power switch

A small number of customers with earlier versions of the LongBoard reported power switches failing. This is due to oxidation on the terminal preventing the power switch from making a proper connection. We have replaced controllers under warranty for switch failure, and we have assisted customers who have this failure out of warranty to do the repair themselves. The repair itself is fairly straightforward and allows for the LongBoard to continue to be operational. Customers can also bring their controllers/ship us their controllers to us to have them fixed for free.

Newer LongBoards (assembled in late June and onwards) come with additional switch protection circuitry that prevents the switch from failing. The detachable E-stops are also significantly more robust. Since this design update, we have not had reports of power switch failure.

608ZZ Flange Bearings

The inner race of the 608ZZ flange bearings that are used to support the lead screws have been found to be tighter than from previous batches. It appears most customers have managed to install them normally, or with a mallet or other tool to get them into place. However, over aggressive force can cause the lead screw or bearing to get damaged. Customers with issues with installing their lead screws and bearings have been shipped replacements. We are currently waiting on a new batch of bearings with C5 clearance which will allow for easier installation.

Hi everyone. Hope everyone is staying safe. This is our production update for September.

If you are reading this because you are planning on ordering a machine, I ask that you please read this update carefully as will provide important information and answer many of the common questions you may have. To be frank, we’d rather be working on building your machines as fast as we can rather than answer questions that can be answered here. I will try to provide as much information for our customers here and update this post over the next few weeks as well.

For customers who have already ordered a LongMill

We are currently shipping machines out as quickly as possible. You can follow our progress here: https://forum.sienci.com/t/list-of-shipped-machines/1215/210

If your machine was ordered but you do not see it posted on the list, please wait a few days for it to be updated.

For customers who are ordering a machine now/planning on ordering a LongMill

As of time of writing (Sept 9, 2020), we are nearly sold out on all Batch 3 machines. I have updated our ordering page to show the current stock availability for LongMills.

If you order a machine that shows “in-stock”, the lead time is 6-8 weeks.

If you order a machine that is “backordered”, the estimated lead time is 8-12 weeks.

• For further info about production, please check our October update: https://sienci.com/2020/10/08/october-production-updates/
• We require full payment for every LongMill order. This is to ensure your spot in line. You can cancel at any time before your machine ships.

Commonly asked questions

Is there any way to skip the line/get my machine faster?

• No. To keep things fair for all of our customers, we ship all orders based on when they were ordered. There are no exceptions. The only way to get a machine faster is to order one sooner.

Does it make a difference in when I get my machine if I pick it up?

• The only difference it will make will be that you will not have to wait for the shipping/transit time for the machine to ship. Typically, machines take around 1-3 days to ship within Ontario. Otherwise, there is no difference.

When do you charge my card/take payment for my order?

• Your card will be charged at the time you place your order. This is to ensure your place in line, purchase parts ahead of time, and have the most accurate estimates on production and delivery.

How can I cancel my order?

• You can cancel your order with no penalty any time before your order ships. Please contact us through our website or email us with your order number and a request to make a cancellation. A refund will be processed through your original method of payment.

Hi everyone. Hope everyone is staying safe out there. Here are production updates for August.

If you want to read more day to day updates please visit: https://forum.sienci.com/t/list-of-shipped-machines/1215/113

To start, I’m happy to announce that machines are being shipped out now. We’ve sorted through all of the hurdles with v-wheel-gate and getting all the other parts in. As the time of writing, we are getting v-wheels from multiple different sources to keep machines going out the door.

So machines are going out the door now, and we are working to get through our backlog.

Lead times for LongMills

Lead times for LongMills is currently 6-8 weeks.

To answer some common questions:

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When is my card charged?

Your card is charged as soon as you place the order.

---

Your store says that the LongMill is “in-stock”. Does that mean that my machine will ship sooner than the 6 week lead time?

Although we have machines “in-stock”, due to the time it takes to pack and assemble each kit, there will still be a wait time.

For more day to day type updates, please check https://forum.sienci.com/t/list-of-shipped-machines/1215

—-

We are still working on ramping up production to fulfill orders more quickly, however, due to high demand and the waiting list we are working through, it looks like it may be some time until lead times will get shorter.

Right now in the middle of August, we’ve sold around 70% of our batch of 500 LongMills, and I am working on building Batch 4 (another 500 machines). I am estimating that we will be out of stock on Batch 3 by the end of September (*UPDATE* as of Sept 9, we are out of stock on Batch 3). Please check newer updates for info about production). Batch 4 will likely start shipping around the middle to end of October.

We are working hard to get machines out the door as quickly as we can while making sure we keep our quality standards high. I am also considering the safety of our workers as I am refraining from hiring additional in-house staff to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

Shipping times

There is currently a general slowdown in shipping times globally. Although most shipments come within the typical times, we have had a couple of orders that have been either lost in transit or take around 2 weeks to get from our shop to the customer. I would ask that customers please take into account that shipping times may be slower than usual due to COVID-19 when considering a purchase. If you need help with an order that has been delayed or lost, please contact us here: https://sienci.com/contact-us/

It seems like most delays are coming from Southern states and Southern California.

Improving customer support

We now have Zendesk set up! That means that if you contact us through our web forms, you can have your questions and queries answered more quickly!

We get hundreds of emails a week. If you are looking for info and want to help us get away from the computer, the large majority of questions can be answered through reading our FAQ: https://sienci.com/faq/

https://sienci.com/contact-us/

https://sienci.com/contact-us/technical-help/

While you wait

Did you know all of the resources for the LongMill are publicly accessible and can be found here: https://sienci.com/resources?

Also, if you haven’t seen the latest dust shoe design, make sure to check it out!

*Update* We are providing additional updates on orders that have already been placed here: https://forum.sienci.com/t/list-of-shipped-machines/1215/4

Hi everyone, here’s a new production update for our LongMills. If you are planning to order a machine I would recommend reading this post carefully as it will provide more info on when you should expect to receive your order.

Please note that if you already placed an order, the lead time that was indicated on the website is accurate to your order at the time of purchase. For most people June 22, 2020 to July 2nd at 11AM, the estimated lead time is 4 weeks. For folks that placed an order before the 22nd, we are waiting on a batch of aluminum rails to arrive (probably sometime today) to start shipping remaining orders next week. People who place an order for a LongMill may need to wait a little longer as we clear our backlog of orders.

Over the past week, our average number of LongMills sold per day has more than doubled since the previous week. To account for the jump in day to day sales, we need to update our lead times to reflect the change.

We will update our lead time to 6 weeks for new orders to ensure that we have enough time to build high-quality kits to our new customers and provide enough time for potential delays. If you are looking to get a LongMill and want to get it as soon as possible to place an order sooner rather than later because:

• You will be closer to the front of the line on receiving your machine, as we ship in order of when the purchase was made
• It helps us plan out longer-term production to give us more time to prepare materials, equipment, and labor

I will also note that you may cancel your order any time before your order ships with no penalties/questions.

We are away this Friday

Happy Canada Day everyone!

For our international friends, today is a statutory holiday in our country. We will be in the office today but we will be taking this Friday (July 3) off to ride moose, hunt for polar bear eggs, drink maple syrup, and shovel the snow off our driveways.

We may not be available for pickups and shipments, emails, and calls on this day. We will be back to work on Monday.

In celebration of Canada Day, here are some cool projects to share!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kerri (@zaluski_designs)

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A post shared by Andrew Shortt (@avwoodcraftcanada)

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A post shared by sienci.com (@siencilabs)

Hi everyone. it’s Andy here to provide a new update for LongMill production. As mentioned in the last update, we’ve seen continual growth in LongMill sales which has been a lot faster than we expected. I want to take a moment to thank all of our customers who’ve been sharing their positive experiences with the community and helping us grow.

We expected to run out of machines at the end of July, which was our estimate back April based on what we expected our sales to be at during that time. However, it appears we will be running out of stock on Batch 2 in the next few days.

Lead times

We are nearly out of stock on the current batch of LongMills, with around 30-40 machines left. Ikenna, our operations manager, has told me that he expects that we will likely run out of machines by Thursday (correction, we have now run out of stock a few hours after the time of writing, another 20-30 machines will be available in the first or second week of July).

That means for the rest of the machines in stock, you can expect a lead time of around 1 week, and the following orders will have a lead time of around 3 weeks.

We expect to have around 500 more LongMills in stock by the end of July. We will ship machines based on the order of which they were ordered, and we will ship machines as they become available. We will provide a more detailed update on the availability and shipping times over the next few weeks.

If you want to order a LongMill and want it as soon as possible, I recommend ordering one as soon as possible so that you will be first in line for a machine once we run out of stock or you can get one of the ones that are still remaining.

For parts and end mills, we currently have plenty of stock, so you should expect these items to ship typically within one business day.

Shipping times

Also as mentioned in our last update, due to COVID-19, shipping times may be a little slower than usual. For the most part, we have seen that shipping times are a little faster than it was a month or two ago, but I would still expect that shipping for some customers may be a little bit slower than normal.

For most customers, I would recommend that you expect to have shipping times take 3-5 extra days.

If you prefer to pick up your items, we are still offering pick ups on our dock but we are not allowing visitors inside at the time.

It’s Andy here. If you’ve read our blog, you guys will know I like to post updates about the company and the milestones we’ve had. This past April has been an incredibly busy time for us, especially with adapting to life with a global pandemic going on and a boatload of new orders coming in during this time.

Because of all the craziness I haven’t been able to post as much as I would like to, but we are continuing to adapt as best we can. Here are some updates.

Lead times

April brought us more than double the number of orders than March. Ikenna and the rest of our team have been working hard to ship machines out as quickly as possible, and as we go into the month of May, we don’t see signs of stopping.

As far as shipping goes, we have been able to get most LongMills out the door within a week of when they are ordered, and we are currently working on some new ways to improve our speed and efficiency of getting machines out the door.

Shipping delays and slowdowns

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen an overall slowdown in the courier system. Packages sent through UPS and Canada Post have been slower than usual to be delivered. We have typically seen most packages impacted by 2-3 days, with Canada Post seeming to be more delayed than UPS.

Rest assured, our courier companies have been very responsive on helping us with shipments at this time and are doing their best to keep up with demand.

Here’s what you should know about shipping at this time.

• Packages no longer require signatures and will be left at the door.
• If you have customs duties from UPS, pay-at-the-door services may be suspended. You should receive an email or call about duties and taxes. This only applies to orders above $800USD.
• If your order is going to a commercial location that is known to be closed, it may either be held at a post office for pick up or sent back to the sender. Please note that local post offices may be closed or have reduced hours. We recommend shipping your orders directly to your home or residence.
• Tracking information may be slower to update at times.

We will continue to offer pick-up during business pick-up hours (10AM-4PM) Monday to Friday. Orders will be placed on our dock for pick-up in Waterloo ON.

Batch 3 is in production

With our current rate of orders, we expect stock for Batch 2 of LongMills to run out by July or sooner. We are currently working on building inventory for Batch 3 so that we’ll have machines ready to go as soon as we can once we run out of Batch 2.

We’ve also added additional racking to our space to accommodate larger batches of inventory and help us smooth out our operations and give us some additional space for new products and parts to come down the line.

I’m also happy to mention that between Batch 2 and 3, we’ve had a significant reduction of customer issues through implementation of better QA processes and engineering. You can read our post here about this topic: https://sienci.com/2020/02/18/a-list-of-common-issues-and-how-we-resolved-them-on-the-longmill-v1-and-how-we-improved-on-our-machines-for-v2/

We still aren’t 100% yet but we are working on getting there!

Growth in our very active commuities

It’s been awesome to see a lot of growth and great vibes on our Facebook Group and Online Forum. In the last 30 days, we’ve seen over 4400 comments, posts, and reactions on our Facebook group and over 28,000 views on our Forum, which is amazing. Many of these interactions involve sharing tips, ideas, and assistance to users.

It’s also awesome to see several of our beta testers and many of our senior users continue to welcome newcomers and help them get their machines set up. Our team has continually been impressed at the quality and detail we’ve seen in customer projects, especially first-time projects.

Updates to the LongMill Resources

We’ve been continually updating our LongMill Resources. A quick thank you to our customers who’ve sent us compliments as well as feedback on our resources. We’ve been working with our friend Aleks (https://agontarz.com/) to update the resources and assembly for the last couple weeks. If you don’t already know, Aleks helped us make the highly acclaimed Mill One Assembly Manual. You should expect to see changes happen over the next few weeks!

One year since our Kickstarter…

On April 25, 2019, we raised over $400,000 for the LongMill. It has officially been a year since then and we have now shipped over 600 machines to more than 30 countries. Over a million dollars worth of LongMills have now been sold. We are excited to see what our next year brings!

Want to take a trip down memory lane? Make sure to read our posts here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sienci/longmill-benchtop-cnc-router/posts

We have started shipping orders! Customers should be expecting emails and tracking info from us soon. Please be patient as we get through our backlog.

Orders from Dec and January should be shipping this week and next week, and orders from February and March should ship by the following week.

We will be shipping all orders for LongMills, all order numbers will be fulfilled.

Pickups

We will be getting in touch for customers who have opted for local pickups.

If you are unable to arrange for a pick-up due to the coronavirus, please contact us for other arrangements.

Control box replacements

There are three or four customers that are waiting on replacement control boards. These will ship out in the next few days.

Assembly for LongMill V2

There are some small variations between LongMill V1 and V2 that have been documented in the assembly manual on our online resources. Most changes are very minor and both processes for assembly on the V1 and V2 are the same. However, if you require clarification or are stuck on assembly, please contact us and we will update the assembly manual.

For the last production update, please check out this post: https://sienci.com/2020/02/20/production-updates-for-batch-2/

As covered in the last production update, we have been waiting on the remaining batch of parts to arrive. As of current, we have the full balance of parts with the exception of the control boards. We are expecting the control boards to arrive by the end of the week.

Next steps

As mentioned in the previous update, our goal has to pre-pack and prepare as much as we can so that we can ship everything out as quickly as possible once the control boards arrive.

We have completed packing and preparing for all backorders, and I have provided training to start assembly and testing to build and assemble the rest of the control components to everyone who is part of that process.

GRBL Firmware update for CNCjs

A couple of people have reached out about the connectivity with CNCjs for the gcode sender with our controller. I have since created a new version of the firmware which will be flashed on all new LongMills going forward. Those LongMills will be compatible with CNCjs. I have also been emailed by one of the developers of CNCjs to inform us that they have updated CNCjs to properly connect to the program for older versions of the LongMill as well.

Current users and new users should be able to connect to CNCjs with no issues. There have been no other changes to the firmware so if your machine is working fine, there should be no reason to update your firmware. However, if you are interested in the firmware update process, you can check out the guide here: https://sienci.com/dmx-longmill/grbl-firmware/

LongMill lead times for new orders

We will not be updating the current 8-10 week lead time for new orders until we can confirm that the boards have arrived and we are shipping machines at a consistent rate. However, I expect that by next week I will be able to provide a new updated lead-time estimate. Please note that orders will still be shipped based on the order in which they were made.

We know that there are lots of folks eagerly waiting for their LongMills. Here’s an update on the production for the LongMills.

As far as components go, all parts for the LongMill are currently in the shop being packed now with the exception of two of the components because we are waiting for them to be delivered.

• Control boxes
• Control boards

We currently have a partial batch and waiting for the balance to be delivered for

• TB6600 drivers
• Power supplies

There has been a ton of changes we have made to our production to improve the quality and speed of our packaging and assembly, as well as to reduce the chance of errors. We are also working to ensure that we can ship machines as quickly as possible once our inventory is fully stocked again.

Control boards and boxes

We’ll start by talking about the current bottleneck in our production which is with the control boards and the control boxes.

The control boards are currently delayed by two weeks. We are currently having them assembled in China, and due to the coronavirus, factory workers did not start work again until the 17th. I have been told that the boards are expected to complete production and ship next week. All of the PCBs have been made, but we are waiting on the assembly to finish.

In the meantime, we have tested and checked the first batch of drivers to be installed into the control boards so that they are ready to go as soon as the boards arrive.

Control boxes are also in the process of being made. We have made significant changes to the design to 1) decrease assembly time 2) improve durability 3) add mounting holes for mounting to your table. The first 200 sets of parts for the control boxes were completed yesterday and have been delivered to be powder coated. We currently have the first 150 acrylic top panels completed as well, with the remaining expected to be finished at the start of March.

From batch 1, our biggest bottleneck in production has been in the assembly of the control boxes. With the new design, assembly is significantly faster and easier, reducing the bottleneck.

I am expecting this to increase our overall speed in which we can ship machines and get machines into our users sooner.

Aluminum rails, drag chains, and lead screws

Here’s Dylan diligently putting together rails into sets. We are now packing all rails, drag chains, and lead screws into one package to simplify our packaging and process.

This was one of the most time consuming and physically demanding parts of our packing process from the last batch, but we have been able to greatly speed up the packing by using a custom made stand that eliminates the need for two people to wrap the rails together.

Gantries and sheet metal parts

We have received all the gantries and other sheet metal parts ahead of schedule, and have started the packing and assembly for these parts.

Currently, we have all 400+ Y-axis gantries packed and on the shelf ready to go, and many of the Z-axis motor mounts packed as well.

Here’s Esteban putting together the gantries for the X and Z axis. We do this process in house as it can be tricky to get the proper alignment in the linear guides, as well as due to the chance of losing the ball bearings if the linear guide block comes off the rail. Esteban and Jeemin, two students working at Sienci Labs this term, designed and assembled a new jig design (amongst many others being used in production currently) to help align and assemble these gantries.

With the new jig and the threaded holes in the linear guides that were not on the previous version, we have been able to reduce assembly time significantly as well. We currently have around 96 completed assemblies, so just over 300 more to go!

3D printed parts

With the new filament material, improved part designs, and upgraded components on our 3D printers, we have dramatically increased the efficiency in 3D printing. Currently, we have 34-35 printers online churning out parts.

One major upgrade was to the extruders on the Ender 3s. We had done so much printing on the machines that the tensioning arm for our printers were completely worn through.

Other changes include using magnetic PEI sheet beds on all Ender 3s that helps us remove parts quickly and easily, as well as continually improving our print slicer settings to increase print strength and quality.

There have also been some small changes to some of the 3D printed parts to improve the fit and finish of the parts as well (seating nuts, sliding rails through, etc.).

To speed up our packing process and improve our organization, we now will pack all of the 3D printed components into one separate box (as shown in the photo).

Power supplies, fasteners, and Z-axis motor mount plates

We’ve packed and put the power supply, fasteners, and z-axis motor mount plates into another box to pre-pack and prepare for shipping.

We also had all of the fasteners pre-packed and labeled with their size at the factory, to speed up packing and make the assembly process easier.

NEMA 23 stepper motors

One of the most time-consuming part of our packing process has been to wrap and pack the NEMA 23 stepper motors. We’ve now pre-packed all of the motors in cartons in foam, along with the wires together to eliminate this step.

They also have our logo laser engraved on them along with whether they are threaded or not threaded as well, also eliminating us needing to label them as well.

Conclusion

Packing and production continues on and we are working towards getting machines out the door as quickly as possible. Based on our current pace and expected delivery time for the remaining components, I expect that we will start shipping machines early to mid-March.

Our current plan is to start shipping machines as soon as the control box and control board parts arrive and start to ramp up our shipping to 50ish units per week. This means that most of the backlog will ship near the tail end of March and folks that placed their orders in the past month may be seeing their machines sooner than the 8-10 week estimate, but please plan for those estimates to stay the same if you have any time-sensitive projects.

We do have a chance of shipping earlier still if the control boards arrive on time. From our experience with our powder coating company, they often can provide the parts sooner than their lead-time estimates, but I will provide estimates assuming that they stick to the lead times I have been told. If there are significant changes to production I will make sure to post them.

Hi everyone! I just wanted to provide a quick production update and let you guys know what we’ve been up to, as well as some things that you might see in your LongMill. Please note, we are working on making small changes that will improve the performance and ease of assembly of the LongMill. The changes mentioned in this post may or may not show up in the final production version.

We’ve been spending a lot of time the past week to get the parts prepared overseas and taking advantage of the economies of scale to make some small modifications to the hardware to improve performance and assembly for the LongMills. Here are some of those things:

Parts printing has started

We’ve been continuously been printing parts for almost two weeks now, fine tuning the settings on the parts and making adjustments if needed. We are starting with printing the middle Y axis rail supports and X axis rail brackets (Chris calls them “shoulders”), since the designs are finalized on those. Other parts that are being finalized for printing include the X axis motors mounts and the Z axis motor mount. We have asked our motor manufacturer to add threaded holes to the mounting face of the motors to make assembly easier, but we need to have the samples come in for us to make sure that everything comes together perfectly. Samples should arrive in the next week, so we should be able to see how that turns out pretty soon.

We are currently running our two Prusa i3 Mk3s about 16 hours a day. We have two Cetus printers that just went through some TLC so we will have those up and running soon. We are planning to grow the farm by an extra 4 to 8 printers once we finish up the calculations on print time and see how many we need to keep pace with orders.

Using an off the shelf aluminum router mount over a 3D printed mount

We’ve found a good option for an aluminum router mount to replace our 3D printed mount. This means that

• We can save on printing time
• Potentially secure routers better and with more rigidity (but we still need to test this)
• Customers and builders can source the mount from multiple sources if needed

The exciting part of using this off the shelf router mount is that it comes in several sizes, making it easier and more secure to attach some of the larger routers and spindles. We will have to do some testing to see what the Z axis performance is like in terms of moving larger spindles (52mm to 80mm), but it is good to know that it is a possibility.

If we find that the performance isn’t as good, we will stick to printing our mounts. Test mounts are on the way and should show up in the next week and a half.

Taller Y axis plates and Y axis dust protection

We’ve gone and adjusted the height of the Y axis to allow for the LongMill’s Y axis to be flipped to the other side. This can help if you:

• Want make the machine more narrow
• Are worried about dust getting into the lead screws
• Fit more stuff underneath the machine and cut thicker items

One downside of flipping the axis is that it is trickier to set up the drag chain along the Y axis. We’ve come up with another way to make a “shield” that works as well to help block dust. JUST A QUICK DISCLOSURE… all of the machines we’ve been testing and using have had no dust protection on the Y axis and have worked fine over all of the testing. We’ve concluded that this is just an optional precaution if you really want it.