Ran Auto PID tuning in new Marlin firmware lastnight. Temp variation has gone from +-5C to +-0.5C which is amazing. Think I could use better connection between my thermistor and the nozzle but pretty happy with that.
I am printing a set of PrintRbot parts. If anyone is interested. Otherwise I am going to throw them on ebay. Second printer is nearly done. Not sure what I am going to do with it but its nearly done. I found a few mistakes with it which I have progressively been fixing. _________________ Steven Martin
Twisted Constructions
http://www.botbitz.com
Wed Apr 18, 2012 11:17 am
Spockie-Tech Site Admin
Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 3160
Location: Melbourne, Australia
I thought of this today, went searching and of course people are already onto it.
Whos going to be first to cobble up a hobby version of this ?
Might even convince me to build a rep-rap-ish sort of thing one day.. _________________ Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people
Sat May 05, 2012 7:33 pm
dyrodium Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 6476
Location: Sydney
Just putting the finishing touches on a 16K word dissertation on rapid manufacturing processes... I've been using the UP FDM printer loads recently and am super impressed with its capabilities, but the finished parts are still fairly fragile and have terrible surface finish. I would suspect that method basically being FDM with metal would have similar drawbacks with overhangs.. warping would be huge factor too! The best metal process atm would have to be selective laser melting with a YAG laser, can do titanium parts with near solid density and any geometry that way Cost... slightly prohibitive.
Lol Reprap is an adventure, don't do it brett. Or if you do do your homework before hand. If I had choice again would definitely by UP!. However if I forget about the shitty kit I bought the building and tweaking process has been fun and now I have it running pretty reliably and some very nice quality (relative for FDM)
As for using a similar process with metal I am not sure. Also the time for running an arc welder to deposit enough material might be an issue particularly maintaining the shielding gas for hours.
I think it would be a cool build but deposition is more for modelling really than functional parts.
Joined: 31 May 2004
Posts: 3160
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Oh dont worry, I figured out that RepRap and the like were a ongoing project (rather than a turn-key appliance) quite a while ago..
I dont really need the machine myself just yet anyway, for the volume of bits I would make, it would be far more cost-effective to just get someone else with more experience to make any parts for me..
I just liked the idea of being able to print in metal.
I would say 3D printing is about where Color Inkjets were in the early 90's. I remember paying nearly $1000 for the first Epson Stylus Color, that took ages to print a single A4 medium res color page. 15 years later, you buy a far better machine for $69 at the post office.
Give 3D printing a few more years/decades, and we will be printing titanium 1 atom at a time.. I just like seeing the next step come along _________________ Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people
Sun May 06, 2012 1:55 pm
dyrodium Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 24 Aug 2004
Posts: 6476
Location: Sydney
quote:Originally posted by Spockie-Tech:
I would say 3D printing is about where Color Inkjets were in the early 90's. I remember paying nearly $1000 for the first Epson Stylus Color, that took ages to print a single A4 medium res color page. 15 years later, you buy a far better machine for $69 at the post office.
Try $39... That's how much I spent on an HP scanner and printer combo... the ink costs more and that's their lose leader approach, but I had no intention using it for an actual printer! They're really quite incredible to see how the designers have reduced the costs while maintaining precision. The sliding mechanism is more accurate and smoother than proper linear bearings I purchased... And they all use encoder strips and cheap DC motors now. I should stop fan-girling about printers >_>
It'll be interesting to see where 3DS' 'cube' printer goes, it's basically a prettier version of the UP and they're spending a lot of money trying to get it out there... "Cubemobile" /facepalm
I like how they're showing everyone SLS prints to sell the FDM machine.
Sun May 06, 2012 2:34 pm
Valen Experienced Roboteer
Joined: 07 Jul 2004
Posts: 4436
Location: Sydney
for a MIG style 3d printer just don't run a gas cup purge
just flood a print chamber with gas and let it sit there.
you only need a few L of gas for as long as you want then
SLS gives you far more benefits though, once silicon laser power gets good enough I can see that being the way its done.
It'll be like inkjet Vs laser printers
The step after that will be depositing different materials for sls so you can have a titanium coated steel part say. The only way to do that today is explosive welding.
Or a bronze bushing in a steel part.
Either way I think its got more 50 years before it competes with subtractive manufacturing. _________________ Mechanical engineers build weapons, civil engineers build targets
looks like it'd be a bit difficult to get your job in and out of _________________ <Patrician|Away> what does your robot do, sam
<bovril> it collects data about the surrounding environment, then discards it and drives into walls
Tue May 15, 2012 10:44 am
Knightrous Site Admin
Joined: 15 Jun 2004
Posts: 8511
Location: NSW
Yeah, it would be a bit awkward, but I assume that with the extreme amount of triangulation, it would be pretty bloody rigid compared to most <$2k mills. You could even go another step and mix up the epoxy and granite mix fill the box section with it to get more vibration damning and weight. _________________ https://www.halfdonethings.com/
- heated bed
- metal pulleys
- steel belted cables
- Hall Effect Z stop
- New bed mounts
- 0.35mm Nozzle
So all in all will probably significantly increase the quality of my prints. But printer will be out of commission for a few days. Also this is definitely going to make things slower as 0.35mm nozzle will really force me to always use 0.2mm layers.
I got as far as disassembling everything to the point where I can add stuff. First on the list is the new bed mounts and then the heated bed but I can see it being slow to go back together.
Anyway more fun... _________________ Steven Martin
Twisted Constructions
http://www.botbitz.com
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Cost... slightly prohibitive.
That's how much I spent on an HP scanner and printer combo... the ink costs more and that's their lose leader approach, but I had no intention using it for an actual printer! They're really quite incredible to see how the designers have reduced the costs while maintaining precision. The sliding mechanism is more accurate and smoother than proper linear bearings I purchased... And they all use encoder strips and cheap DC motors now. I should stop fan-girling about printers >_> 
