Michael KASUN
MUSIC. MAKER.
Prusa MK3S+ Build
Date completed: June 2021 (~25 hours of work)
I had been using 3D printers for a few years and had assembled a Creality Ender printer previously, but found the prints inconsistent and difficult to get good quality. Since I was printing more complex models, I wanted a higher-end printer. Pre-built printers were too expensive for me, and I really wanted to better understand how they work – so decided to build a Prusa MK3S+ 3D printer on my own.
Prusa 3D Printers are well known for the quality of prints and reliability – however, the assembly process was extremely complex and time consuming. The device has hundreds of parts, several motors, complex wiring, belts, heating components, sensors, and onboard processor/computer. Fortunately, Prusa’s instruction manual was well written, but even with that, many of the steps would have been easier with multiple builders, rather than just doing all the work, myself.
Materials
Prusa Mk3s+ 3D Printer Kit
Tools/equipment
Screwdrivers, Allen Wrenches, Wire strippers/clippers, Needle-nose Pliers, Wrenches, Digital Multimeter
Process (my role: I performed all tasks)
The MK3S+ assembly instructions are written in 9 sections, each with approximately 30 unique steps of varying complexity – and I managed the process completely by myself (I’ve actually built 2). The assembly instructions are available at Prusa’s website: https://help.prusa3d.com/category/assembly-manuals_272
Key Learnings
This experience gave me deep insight into how 3D printers work, as well as the assembly of this type of technical machinery (which is essentially a robot). Learning how to configure the firmware and software was also interesting, and I even added a camera so I could monitor builds remotely. Though the build took a long time, required constant focus, and could be stressful when trying to resolve issues – I truly enjoyed it. It was like solving an incredibly complex puzzle – and the result was a device that I could use to serve my other passions (creating props and other items). I’ve since built a second printer so I could print multiple items simultaneously.