Hey everyone, I’m working on a concept to fix the biggest headache with the **Elegoo Centauri Carbon (CC1)** once you add the **CANVAS multi-material system**. The CANVAS setup requires four PTFE tubes to exit the top of the machine. Currently, the only way to keep the printer enclosed is to use a massive riser (some are over 200mm tall!) just to give the tubes enough room to arc and move without kinking or hitting the glass. This makes the printer huge and impossible to fit in standard shelving. My idea is to replace the rigid lid with an **Industrial-style X-Y Bellows System** (accordion style). **How it works:** The entire top is sealed by two sets of intersecting bellows—ideally printed in **PEBA** (Polyether Block Amide) for its incredible flex-fatigue resistance and light weight. * The "X" bellows and "Y" bellows move with the toolhead. * The tubes exit through a small "floating" puck in the center that follows the head perfectly. * **The Result:** You can use much shorter PTFE tubes with almost zero vertical arc, keeping the printer's total height extremely low while maintaining a perfect thermal seal. **Note:** The attached images are **AI-generated** to visualize the movement and the "gapless" continuous bellow design.
Potential Pitfalls to Discuss:
* **Movement Resistance:** The CC1 is a speed demon (500mm/s). If the PEBA bellows are too thick or have too much "spring" resistance, we risk skipped steps or motor strain. * **Inertia:** Adding a moving frame to carry the X-axis bellows adds mass to the Y-axis. This could cause ghosting or ringing if not kept ultra-light. * **Static/Friction:** We’d need to ensure the bellows don't rub against the frame or each other in a way that generates static or physical drag. **Has anyone in the community tried a dual-axis accordion seal for a CoreXY before?** With the CANVAS system becoming the standard for the CC1, I feel like we need a better solution than just "build a taller box on top." Would love to get some technical feedback on this!