Step 00a.9 — Strain relief: nothing may pull on a terminal¶
Step 9 of 12 · Chapter 00a — Mains safety: read before Chapter 09
(no image — see text)
Parts: none.
Do: Route the mains run inside a wire duct, strain-relieve the deck opening, and zip-tie every drag chain at both ends, so the duct or the chain takes the pull, never a terminal.
Check
You can name the three places this manual anchors a cable near its termination, and why Ch 11 makes the mains inaccessible.
What you're looking at
No parts: a routing rule. Everything here keeps load off a termination: the wire ducts that carry the mains run below deck, the anchor at the deck opening, and the zip ties at both ends of every drag chain.
A terminal is a connection, not an anchor. RepRap's rule is the one to hold: "all wires ends of moving wires and static power wires shall be secured just aside the connection, in order to release any load on connexion." In this build that means the mains run goes inside a wire duct, not across open deck (10.8), the deck opening is strain-relieved (10.69), and every drag chain is zip-tied at both ends so the chain — not the connector — takes the motion (10.66). Ch 10's own warning is that cables pulled tight "will survive assembly and fail in three months".
The same page sets the end state for the whole electronics bay: "All connections of mains (110/230V) shall be physically protected and you shall not be capable to access them even if you try." That is what the bottom panel and the skirts in Ch 11 Part A are for, the AC conduit's lids just before the dead meter sweep (10.80), and the DC duct covers once Ch 13 has driven every motor, heater and fan (Step 10.71). Closing the machine is a safety step, not a cosmetic one — which is exactly why Ch 11 is not allowed to start until Checkpoint #1 has passed.
- Mains run inside a wire duct, never across open deck: 10.8.
- Deck opening strain-relieved: 10.69.
- Every drag chain zip-tied at both ends, so the chain takes the motion: 10.66.
Caution
A terminal is a connection, not an anchor. A cable pulled tight survives assembly and fails in three months. The end state is mains you cannot touch even if you try: AC lids at 10.80, bottom panel and skirts in Ch 11 Part A. Ch 11 does not start before Checkpoint #1 passes.
Source: RepRap — Safety · Ch 10 Step 10.69 · Ch 11 — Read first