Prusa Enclosure Concrete Paver Slab Support

For years I've printed on top of paver slabs to help deaden noise and vibration harshness (NVH) caused by the inertia of Prusa printer heads on my MK3.

A recent acquisition of a Prusa enclosure and a MK4 led me down a path of how to best utilize a paver for this setup as well.  

The Prusa Enclosure is essentially a box with doors to the front, with a flat panel bottom. This means anything and everything must enter the enclosure through the front, and become part of its mass wherever it may sit i.e. a desk, table, or workbench. For printing on a concrete slab, this means in a typical setup a paver would also have to sit inside, underneath the MK4 printer, to function the same way.

Putting a paver stone inside the enclosure is possible, but not quite the setup I had in mind when I purchased the enclosure.

I have another enclosure that comes over the top of the printer in a “drop-over” setup (I actually like this) but I wanted to try an actual Prusa Enclosure to see if it works out for me. Unlike many other enclosures out there, the Prusa enclosure has a nice handle carrying system and many fastening points which are features I sought in lieu of my other enclosure.

After analyzing the conditions of the otherwise “stock” enclosure unit, I decided to redesign how this thing would sit on my desk and still use a stone paver.  It's a small desk, so I feel and hear every movement.   

The (3) issues for using a paver with the printer+enclosure were notable.  I have made a .pdf of the problem and solution in the included photos/files.  
 

1. The feet that come with the enclosure attach to the bottom have a pitch of about 18" apart-- too far apart to simply sit atop the paver. The next paver size slab (available locally) is 18" x 18", but this pitch would barely accept the footprint of the Enclosure feet (they will hang-over just a bit).  I didn't like that setup as it seemed sketchy.
   A 16" x 16" stone slab seems more than adequate to deaden noise coming from a Prusa MK3 or MK4 and I already had one on-hand.  Could I use the next size up from that--a  24"x24"?  Sure, but pun intended, that's a weighty addition to any desk or table.
    
2. The stock feet design of the enclosure raises its height off a surface by ~19mm.  For a paver to go underneath, as I planned to do, this is not quite high enough as the paver is 40mm high (some pavers may be thinner or thicker, depending on locality).  So, the missing ~20mm would need to be added on somehow with feet extensions.   
    
3. The last problem is twofold; any weight inside the enclosure has to be supported better in the middle of the bottom panel, and somehow move its mass out to the feet for support.  This was pretty obvious, as if one places a Prusa MK4 inside the enclosure with stock feet, it will slightly bow the bottom panel which is only ~1.2mm thick.  
   
   For some, this is trivial as they likely remove the stock feet and simply let the enclosure sit flat on top of a paver.  This didn't feel right and I wanted the whole enclosure to rest atop a paver and support the structure in a matter that made sense.
   For the sound deadening to work, the bottom of the printer should be in contact with the paver with as large an area as possible to absorb vibration.  So, the bottom-middle of the enclosure needs to be supported as well so that a) the bottom panel doesn't bow, and b) the paver still absorbs with good, stable support.  

YOU WILL NEED:

2525 (8020 product or similar) aluminum profile minimum 500mm length (250mmx2).  It's about $40/m in the US from a variety of vendors.  If you build, tinker, or play with 3D printers a lot this stuff is great to have around.  Cut with a hacksaw, table saw, or a chop saw carefully.

Deburr as the ends of the profile will be very sharp.

Can you print your own 2525 profile instead?  Maybe.  Seems not worth the trouble or risk of failure as aluminum is so much stronger for compression.  Let me know if you print the profile and it works for you, the .stl is included.

Enclosure comes with (4) extra foam pads in the kit for the bottom of the enclosure feet.  You will need those.

For printed parts required ,a stable, easy-to-print material like PLA+ is recommended.  There is a file for the Foam Pad (in case you don't have the spare).  TPU may work as an alternative, but the thickness may need a slight adjustment. 

BOM

• 3D printed Parts from .stl provided
• Spare Foam Pads from purchased Prusa Enclosure
• 16" x 16" concrete paver stone available many home centers (e.g. Lowes, Menards, Home Depot)

Fasteners:

• M3x40 x 8 
• M3x30 x 4
• M3x12 x 4
• M3n x 8
• M3 washers (if desired)
• Paper or other shim material

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Follow the .pdf  or .jpg's for a diagram step to step.  

While the solution isn't perfect…it is a solution.  You may come up with your own as a derivative to this one, or something different altogether.  If you do make this, let me know.  

All STEP files are included here.  If you have questions don't hesitate to reach out to me, cheers.