E3D Roto Vitamins Gearbox Assembly Kit

The Revo Roto Gearbox Assembly kit by E3D offers a powerful upgrade for 3D printer toolheads, enabling users to implement the lightweight (about 30 g), high-torque gearbox from the Revo Roto direct drive extruder into their custom setups.

Image 1: The Roto Vitamins kit will fit perfectly with the Roto motor and custom 3D printed covers. Source: E3D.

With a design that replaces the SLM 3D-printed metal heatsink with a customizable printed plastic cover, the kit offers a high level of flexibility for integrating into a variety of setups. Its compatibility with the Roto filament sensors and toolboards ensures seamless communication and enhanced extrusion control, providing users with consistent and improved print quality.

The ingenious design

The gearbox assembly has a gear ratio of 11.262:1 and uses a unique combination of gear stages: a planetary initial stage, a spur secondary stage, and a dual hobb third stage. This configuration produces sufficient extrusion force of 70N+ to fully leverage Revo high flow nozzles' high volumetric flow rates.

Image 2: Exploded view of the Roto Vitamins kit. Source: E3D.

Additionally, the robust design incorporates a motor stall failure mode that minimizes issues and protects the extruder motor. The Revo Roto gearbox is also versatile enough to pair with non-E3D hotends, making it an adaptable choice for users looking to expand their printing capabilities without compromising performance.

Tension adjustment

For optimal filament tension, the kit incorporates a bi-stable idler mechanism (see no. 7 in Image 3) that automatically adjusts to provide the ideal grip for printing a wide range of materials, while also enabling a quick release for easier unloading and cold pulls.

Video 1: The bi-stable idler mechanism. Source: E3D.

The inclusion of a 1 mm dowel pin allows the idler clip to smoothly slide into place, ensuring reliable operation even when the front cover is 3D printed. This intuitive and user-friendly design makes the Revo Roto Gearbox Assembly kit a practical choice for advanced hobbyists and professionals seeking to enhance their 3D printer's performance and adaptability.

Kit contents and assembly

The kit includes the Roto gearbox assembly (2, 6, 7), the Roto hobb gear kit (8-9), a Bowden collet, and two dowel pins (10 and 11). It must be kept in mind that the Roto motor (1), M3 bolts (3-5) and cover (12) are not included. The motor must be purchased separately and the cover must be 3D printed by the user (see Attachments for STL file).

Image 3: Elements of the Roto upgrade with the Roto Vitamins kit. Source: E3D.

Tools required for the assembly are a 2 mm hex key, a 3 mm drill bit, an M3x12 bolt, two M3x20 bolts, and an M3x35 bolt. More information about the Roto Vitamin gearbox kit's technical specifications, assembly and maintenance can be found on the official E3D support page. An illustrated assembly manual can alsobe found in the Attachments section in PDF format.