would it be possible to tweak the power button on the front of the printer to shut the printer down instead of just the control panel?
Which printer? Might be important to the answer.
that would be helpful.lol
x1-carbon.
The power switch on the back of the printer is the only real way of turning the power off via the printer.
I have my printers on wifi switches so they can be powered on and off remotely. This allows me to keep them powered off but if I need to start a print I can power them on and do so. This also allows you to power down a printer when it finishes a print either manually or via home automation like Home Assistant.
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There is a guy who has some models on MakerWorld that allows switch actuation from the front of various printers. I haven’t used them but they look like a good design.
Here’s a version for the X1C…
I have not found one but agree it would be nice to power fully off from the front or top.
A friend has the front switch option @JonRaymond mentioned and it works well. I just have not gotten around to doing it.
I like the home automation that @MZip mentions as well. May look into that instead - thx for the idea!
Hehe… reversed the solutions?
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I like the idea - if you get it to work plz let us know. something tells me it won’t be straightforward.
Can you explain how to do this? It sounds like a great solution.
Any of the many wifi plugs will work. In my case I used the Globe one with the Tuya app (Which integrates into Home Assistant). Some of the more fancy one will even tell you the current draw through them which can be handy. Do be sure to get one that’s rated for 15 amps as some only are rated for 10 amps.
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The rating advice is spot on but the any of the many part needs expansion.
Any of the many - with an adequate rating - will work.
Also, a lot of those kinds of devices are cheaply made. Get name brand (and even that isn’t a guarantee). If they use a cheap relay that isn’t well made or adequate for the load, the switch itself can become a fire hazard.
It’s been my experience that relays that have an over current situation will vaporize the interior contact and simply fail. I haven’t seen any that turn into a ball of flames. They simply fail to function. This is by design.
A small, interesting fact: Why are they always placed on the back?
Because everyone knows that one employee who is not paying attention and bumps into it - or it is the end of the day and they feel the need to turn off the printer. It’s really no surprise that product designers deliberately place the switch on the back of such devices.
That was also one of the reasons why I installed large red fake switches in some factory halls, just for those who felt the need to press them every day at the end of the day. (Trained personnel knew the right switch, of course).
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I’m sure safety is a design consideration but in replying I was just watching a burned remote switch teardown where the case popped open when the circuit blew which adds another hazard. Remote switches can be overloaded like pretty much any electrical component. They do fail, smoke, etc. If they truly conform to ratings they shouldn’t sustain a fire but are cheap no-name remote switches truly fire retardant?
What I was basing my comment on was a rash and somewhat ongoing problem with cheap multiple outlet strips that use cheap spring brass for contacts that goes high resistance with use as it loses spring tension and eventually melts the plastic case. Things like outlet strips and remote switches are somewhat commodity items where construction quality and safety can vary widely. Construction in the remote switches I looked at is not unlike outlet strips.
What I advised was to get well-made and name brand switches that don’t scrimp on part quality or safety. Even well-designed/built parts can be overloaded which is why I mentioned adequate ratings for the load and these printers are big loads when heating up.
You initially advised that any remote switch will work on printers that can cause lights to flicker as heaters switch on and off then updated to add adequate ratings - I agreed. The switches have to be beefy and rated to handle the load - which you stated at the end. I was merely emphasizing that the switches must be rated properly.
I tried this…
It works great but you need to move the parts around on the plates as plate 1 is crowded and doesn’t print well.
Sorry about that. I just saw it a year or so ago and when it came up here I thought it might be useful. I haven’t tried printing it.
No worries. Unless you have the anti-vibration feet on your printer you don’t need the thicker base.
Printing a second one now for printer #2.