Better Sealed Prusa Lack Enclosure Enclosure

I've been printing with the Original Lack Enclosure for a while now, and I wanted a new enclosure with a better air seal to hold a higher ambient temperature for printing as well as for use with a activated carbon VOC filter. A lot of commercial products run 100's of dollars or more, so I decided to design my own enclosure re-using the panels and Lack tables from my existing enclosure. This new enclosure takes a lot of material (~1.5kg) and print time (~82 hrs, 0.6mm nozzle).

The foam sealed enclosure does reduces the noise during printing. I measured the noise level of the original lack enclosure got an average of 40 dB. I got about 42 dB without an enclosure. With the foam sealed enclosure, I measured an average of ~38 dB. Note that my testing was with my phone microphone. 

One quirk of this new design is that the enclosure is held in place by gravity. None of the parts are screwed into the tabletop or legs. You can optionally screw the front braces into the tabletop for additional support/stiffness.

Bill Of Materials

• Inherited From the Original Prusa Research Lack Enclosure
  • 2x Ikea Lack Tables (21 5/8x21 5/8 " size)
  • 4x Neodymium Magnets 20mm x 6mm x 2mm'
  • 3x Panels (acrylic, PC, plexiglass, etc.) 440 x 440mm, 3mm thick
  • 2x Panels (acrylic, PC, plexiglass, etc.) 220 x 440mm, 3mm thick
• Materials Needed for this conversion
  • 1.5kg of filament
    • You can expect the chamber temperature to heat up more so than the Original Lack Enclosure, so you will want to print the enclosure parts in a heat resistant filament, IE: ABS, ASA, CPE-hg100, 
    • PETG will as well, just ensure the heat deflection temperature of the filament is at least >60C
    • The 1.5kg estimate is with 15% infill.
  • Approx. 20 meters of 1mm x 5mm foam tape
    • Example: https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832698701344.html
    • The enclosure can be assembled without the tape, but the tape ensures a better seal as well as securing the panels.
  • 36x 4-40 threaded heat set inserts
  • 36x 4-40x3/8" countersunk flat-head screws
  • Optional #12 x 3/4" wood screws (or a similar size)
    • The sizing of these do need to be precise, they are just used to screw the front braces to the tabletops. 

If you already have the furniture and panels, the rest of the materials should be easily sourced for under $100.

Print Guide

You will need to print following parts:

• 4x Corner Frames
  • Any of the following:
  • “Corner Frame”
  • “Corner Frame Cable” (has a cable pass-through)
• 2x “Corner Hinge Frame Right”
• 2x “Corner Hinge Frame Left”
• 6x “Center Frame”
• 6x "Side Frame"
• 6x “Side Frame Mirror”
• 8x “Side Frame Center”
• 2x “Side Frame Front”
• 2x “Side Frame Front Mirror”
• 2x “Hinge Left”
• 2x “Hinge Right”
• 1x “Handler Lower R”
• 1x “Handler Lower L”
• 1x “Handler Upper R”
• 1x “Handler Upper L"
• 1x “Handle Connector”
• 4x “Front Brace”
• 8x “Corner Fastener”

The print time (for me) came out to just under 82 hours total with a 0.6mm nozzle at 0.2mm layer height (using the "0.20mm DETAIL" setting in Prusaslicer with a 0.6mm nozzle width) on a Prusa Mk3s.

Optional The handle pieces have embedded magnets. You will want to add a color change to the layer at approximately 5.3mm to pause the print so you can insert your magnets by hand. The magnets are the same exact size as the ones required for the standard lack enclosure. Ensure you insert them with the correct orientation so the handles will connect.

Assembly Steps

1. Apply the foam tape

You will apply the foam tape to any part that touches the tabletop, table legs, and panels. There are 6mm x 0.8mm grooves on the parts where the tape should be applied.

2. Threaded Heat Set Inserts

Each corner piece will need 2 heat set inserts (16x total for the corners)

Each hinge piece ("Hinge Left" and "Hinge Right") will need 2 heat set inserts (8x total for the hinges)

Each side frame piece (“Side Frame Front” and “Side Frame Front Mirror”) will need 2 heat set inserts (8x total for the side frame pieces)

"Handler Upper L" and "Handle Lower L" will each need 2 heat set inserts (4x total for the handles)

3. Screw the corner fasteners to the corner pieces.

4. Base Layer

Optional The front braces can be screwed into the table top

5. Side Frame Pieces

6. Front Panel and Handles

7. The top layer is the same as the bottom. Your enclosure is now done!

Notes

• If you have any questions, concerns, or comments, feel free to leave them below, or shoot me a message on discord, Magellan#8465
• When using any heated chamber with your Prusa, You may want to print spare parts for your printer out of a heat resistant material.
• You will probably want to relocate your PSU to the outside of the enclosure.
• The chamber is not completely airtight, but it does have a significantly better seal than the stock lack enclosure.
• You will probably want the angled heat bed connector mod.
• Designed in Fusion 360

TODOs

• The corner pieces can be designed without the need for inserts and screws. I just got lazy.
• Side frame modifications for mounting and hanging things from the enclosure is coming