Hi All,
Just got my SO3 XXL and I’ve been thinking about where to set it up. Ideally, I want it in the garage on a workbench. However, I live in Arizona and my garage can reach up to 120 during the summer.
Does anyone have some advice on whether the SO3 would be able to handle these temperatures? Any particular parts that would be sensitive?
Looking forward to hearing your experiences! Thanks in advance!
The machines have a lot in common with the starter on a car — but are expected to work to far greater precision — extreme temperatures will affect calibration if nothing else.
The belts have an operating temperature range of −30 to +180° F.
The ATMEGA328 chip on the controller is rated from −55 to +125° C.
The lifespan of electrolytic capacitors will be reduced by higher temperatures.
Thermal expansion/contraction will affect calibration — the ideal is to always have the machine at the same temperature — one which won’t be altered by the machine’s operation. In industry, machines are first warmed up before any actual cutting.
Beyond that, a notable concern is cold and warming and condensation on the electronics.
A number of folks keep their machines in garages — the big concern is belt anchoring / tensioning — that said, the mechanical fastening of the M5 bolts and PEM nuts shouldn’t be affected much by temperature unlike some of the previous techniques (DAMHIKT) — just using the standard operating checklist should suffice: Machine Operating Checklist - Carbide 3D
If your garage is connected to your house, that will help buffer temperatures so you shouldn’t have huge temperature swings that raise the risk of condensation. I’m more worried about my MDF creeping/swelling over time.
Good to hear. Thanks for the quick reply, William!
Hi Winston,
Yes, the garage is connected to the house, so temp swings aren’t going to be too much of a problem I think. Thanks for the advice on the MDF - I’ll keep an eye on it. BTW, I learned a few things from your youtube videos on the SO3 - keep up the good work!
Thanks for watching! My recommendation is to get a slab of MDF or plastic on your table, and machine level it once a season or something. Probably 0.01-2" should keep it pretty darned close to perfectly flat and you’ll get 2-3 years of use out of it.