1 Meter bot project Hello everyone This summer I have been given the privilege of interning for the 3d printing company Re:3d the makers of the Gigabot, a printer with a 2 foot cubed build space. Their motto is think big, print huge, and following their motto they asked me to design and build a printer with a build space of a meter cubed. They also asked me to make a build log and share it with the community, so I will be periodically updating this thread during major steps of the build. Please feel free to post questions or comments I will be happy to answer questions you have Here is a sneak peak of what is to come and a little size comparison for you: [img]http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn28/oak1477/compare%20of%203%20bots_zps41wlcc7s.jpg[/img] Thanks expect an update soon and happy printing! https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,520294#msg-520294 Sat, 10 Oct 2026 00:44:06 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,555713#msg-555713 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,555713#msg-555713 JamesK General Tue, 08 Sep 2015 14:27:29 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,555711#msg-555711 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,555711#msg-555711 oak1477 General Tue, 08 Sep 2015 14:18:28 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,551988#msg-551988 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,551988#msg-551988
I'm interested with this build, whatever open or closed source it is.
There's already plenty of closed source builds on this forum anyways.

But I understand what AndrewBCN says in a way.
Even if "useless" is too much and exploration is always exciting.
Large printers exists (concrete, etc.), but it's not about FDM.
We know FDM prints usualy takes hours on our small printers.
We already know the cost of big printed parts, and profitability is another talk.
But what about printing time on large scale models ?

I wonder how long it takes to print a part equals to a quarter
of that printer's capacity, with a 1.2mm nozzle ? I have no idea.
Surely it will take weeks depending of the part's complexity.
So the time consuming, the huge amount of filament devoured by that monster,
the time needed to stop and feed, and the extented risk of a failed print,
certainly talks against large FDM printers compares to other technologies. But who cares ? :D

As this is an experiment; I share some of Paul Wanamaker's thoughts about motors choice.
To me, to eliminate resonnance issues and minimize print fails risks,
encoded brushless servo motors should be a better choice, at last for XY movements,
with a huge difference on travel times. That may matters a lot !
And I gess the printer's price range will allow to use them.

Othehand, the build looks great. oak1477, you're lucky to work on a project like that.
I like a lot of details, like the aluminium machining, the belt closing/tensioning system.
Keep on exciting us ! ;)

++JM]]> J-Max General Mon, 31 Aug 2015 05:11:03 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,551912#msg-551912 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,551912#msg-551912 I may sound a little negative, however my comments are in fact little hints about what they may be doing wrong without a dissertation on it. What you learn on your own sticks much better than what you are taught. So I'd like to see this thread continue as well.]]> garyhlucas General Sun, 30 Aug 2015 20:43:37 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,551747#msg-551747 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,551747#msg-551747
Just want to hear more of the progress. Especially the failed and fixed parts...( if exists )
-Olaf]]> o_lampe General Sun, 30 Aug 2015 08:46:16 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,551739#msg-551739 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,551739#msg-551739 he may not have progressed beyond iphone cases, Yoda-heads, and tug boats, there are many of us who create 3D printable objects using CAD software. Our only limitation is the size of the printer we can access.

More demos of the uselessfulness of FDM for anything over 30 cm x 30 cm x 30 cm: 20 big 3D printers]]> the_digital_dentist General Sun, 30 Aug 2015 08:25:01 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,551664#msg-551664 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,551664#msg-551664 Or did they decide to develop further behind closed curtains?

-Olaf :(]]> o_lampe General Sun, 30 Aug 2015 03:40:49 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,535269#msg-535269 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,535269#msg-535269
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the_digital_dentist
Anyone who finds this thread offensive to their sensibilities has the option of simply ignoring it.

(tu)]]> CraigMoberg General Tue, 21 Jul 2015 13:36:16 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,535198#msg-535198 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,535198#msg-535198 http://imgur.com/a/ScPIV

So much for the idea that FDM is useless in large volumes...]]> the_digital_dentist General Tue, 21 Jul 2015 10:41:12 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,534122#msg-534122 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,534122#msg-534122 cpus General Sat, 18 Jul 2015 21:47:13 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,534000#msg-534000 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,534000#msg-534000 Marco R General Sat, 18 Jul 2015 11:49:45 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,533464#msg-533464 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,533464#msg-533464
What difference does the closed/open source nature of the company's other products make in relation to this build for which they are providing detailed information on their successes and failures as they progress? I am thankful to see how they are doing things because I may one day decide to build something like this. Knowing some of the problems and their solutions in advance will save myself and others a lot of time, effort, and money. Who would be against that?

Finally, this forum isn't just for people who can only afford $300 kits- I'll bet there are plenty of people here with the resourcefulness/finances that would allow a build like this. Anyone who finds this thread offensive to their sensibilities has the option of simply ignoring it.]]> the_digital_dentist General Thu, 16 Jul 2015 20:17:06 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,533450#msg-533450 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,533450#msg-533450 This thread is valuable - as long as you continue posting about your experiences and the required fixes After the build is complete - what happens when you actually attempt to print big with it is what's important.
Many people want to build large and need to know the pitfalls. Having built a large printer entirely from scratch I know this process is not easy, so I applaud your efforts!

I see several issues you will have to deal with:
- Resonance from your stepper drivers with Nema 23's - you will likely need tune-able drivers. Make sure the manufacturer has up-to-date software to tune them - that they support, and a cable that will connect to a modern computer ( USB ).
- Bed flatness. If you are using a cast aluminum tooling plate then you might be OK. A rolled-aluminum plate that large is going to warp when you heat it (or you could just print PLA).
- Accurate bed leveling - but you would know this already from your other large models.]]> Paul Wanamaker General Thu, 16 Jul 2015 19:24:34 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532443#msg-532443 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532443#msg-532443
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JamesK
Just to offer a different opinion, I'm delighted to see this project discussed here. Everything I do is heavily cost constrained and I think it's fascinating to see a project undertaken with the resources of a printer manufacturer behind it.

I know there are always emotional and political issues at stake in the open vs closed arena, but I don't see any actual harm in this thread being here. And I can't help but feel that some of those issues may be colouring your response to the project itself. If I understand correctly this is an internship project conducted by a capable but less experienced person and likely within a limited time-span. Under that scenario some of your objections regarding approach and technique seem a little unreasonable.

I'm confused about your suggestion of 30cm as an upper limit for FDM. The use cases and characteristics may be different from smaller printers but I'm curious why you think it is "useless"?

James,

Everybody is free to have their own opinions and express them politely. So thanks for expressing yours.

There is no upper theoretical limit for FDM, you can print a km long object if you want to. However, in practical terms, the vast majority of 3D printable designs are limited to a 1l cube, as you can observe by yourself by checking the thousands of designs available on Thingiverse.

The reasons for this could be the object of a separate thread with several pages of arguments and counter arguments, so I'll stop here. If you want to dig further into this issue, just create a thread in the forum of your choice and I'll contribute as my time allows.]]> AndrewBCN General Tue, 14 Jul 2015 08:49:42 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532431#msg-532431 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532431#msg-532431
I know there are always emotional and political issues at stake in the open vs closed arena, but I don't see any actual harm in this thread being here. And I can't help but feel that some of those issues may be colouring your response to the project itself. If I understand correctly this is an internship project conducted by a capable but less experienced person and likely within a limited time-span. Under that scenario some of your objections regarding approach and technique seem a little unreasonable.

I'm confused about your suggestion of 30cm as an upper limit for FDM. The use cases and characteristics may be different from smaller printers but I'm curious why you think it is "useless"?]]> JamesK General Tue, 14 Jul 2015 08:19:30 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532350#msg-532350 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532350#msg-532350 I don't want to sound like a sourpuss and dampen your obvious enthusiasm with this project, however I have a few objections about it that i would like to convey here.

The first thing is, this is clearly a closed source project by a company that uses open source hardware and firmware in its products, however has returned very little or even nothing to the open source RepRap community.

Second thing is, you are clearly posting this thread as a promotional stunt, since the design and build of a 1-meter FDM is clearly beyond the means and practical use by 99.99% of all RepRappers. And personally I find that the promotion of a closed source product in an open source forum is very disturbing.

The third thing is, as has been noted before in this thread, your project as it stands has very little technical merit, and I would even argue that you are setting a very bad example with your "design as we go" build method. For example, deflection of an aluminum profile can be calculated in advance, yet there is no indication or mention that you have done any engineering calculations in advance for your project, before your build started.

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oak1477
If our design is not stiff enough we will be changing it.

Doh!

The fourth thing is, apparently this one meter cube bot is a dumb (sorry, no other way of putting it) linear upscale of your 60cm cube bot main product. This gives the false impression that 3D printers can be easily upscaled, which is an absolute fallacy.

The fifth thing is, I have serious doubts that current FDM printer technology is even remotely practical for objects that exceed 30cm in any direction, not to mention 60cm. At the 1 meter scale, there are no doubts, it is a certainty: current FDM technology is useless.

Summarizing, I really think you should create a blog on your company's website and post about your closed source commercial project in it. Then simply post a link in this forum to your blog, for those that may eventually be interested, however uninformative and misleading your blog may be.]]> AndrewBCN General Tue, 14 Jul 2015 05:19:44 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532229#msg-532229 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532229#msg-532229
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garyhlucas
I'm only guessing, but it looks like you still don't understand the meaning of stiff.

We are still just test fitting parts, once everything is assembled we are going to be doing deflection testing on the frame. We have yet to fully assemble the frame so there has been no point in testing a frame that is just test fitted together. If our design is not stiff enough we will be changing it.]]> oak1477 General Mon, 13 Jul 2015 20:26:36 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532226#msg-532226 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532226#msg-532226 garyhlucas General Mon, 13 Jul 2015 20:05:50 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532177#msg-532177 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,532177#msg-532177



]]> oak1477 General Mon, 13 Jul 2015 17:12:20 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,531094#msg-531094 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,531094#msg-531094
First off i know that this isn't the meter bot but a fellow intern just finished the frame of a bamboo and 3d printed bike so I had to share just a photo of that


Now for the printer, I have been working pretty hard to get as much into the CAD as possible so earlier this week inserted all of the cable trays
Here is my favorite render of it:


I also made some changes to the cover for the hot end assembly. We ended up going with a larger cover to hide all of the wiring that was coming into the assembly. I am pretty happy with the finished look of the cover


and finally, we got the extrusion for the top cover so I assembled that and installed it. The printer is now officially taller than me




Thanks guys for everything. Have a great weekend and happy printing
]]> oak1477 General Fri, 10 Jul 2015 09:46:15 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,530491#msg-530491 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,530491#msg-530491
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JamesK
I like the design for the belt tensioner. I've been making all sorts of a mess around that. Yours is much simpler and tidier. Time to hit the mill again!

Same here. Great job on the design. Can't wait to see how everything turns out! This is one hell of an internship!]]> gmh39 General Wed, 08 Jul 2015 18:43:34 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,530308#msg-530308 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,530308#msg-530308 -Olaf]]> o_lampe General Wed, 08 Jul 2015 08:46:22 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,530293#msg-530293 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,530293#msg-530293 www.youmagine.com]]]> the_digital_dentist General Wed, 08 Jul 2015 08:16:53 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,530264#msg-530264 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,530264#msg-530264 JamesK General Wed, 08 Jul 2015 06:57:31 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,530255#msg-530255 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,530255#msg-530255 Chaser30 General Wed, 08 Jul 2015 06:17:16 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,529775#msg-529775 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,529775#msg-529775
I did some revisions on the design to how the y belts attach to the top bar. We were originally going to use some sheet metal flanges, but decided that was too complicated and time consuming. We settled on 3/8" angle iron as a possible solution that would be easier to work with. I designed a simple bracket and we printed it to test fit everything. Below are a few pictures of some of the y axis stuff


]]> oak1477 General Mon, 06 Jul 2015 19:22:23 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,528540#msg-528540 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,528540#msg-528540






thanks guys have a great 4th of July weekend and happy printing
]]> oak1477 General Thu, 02 Jul 2015 18:41:23 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,528058#msg-528058 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,528058#msg-528058
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o_lampe
Aren´t you afraid the long belts eventually start to swing, when they are unsupported all the way back?
I thought of a different way to mount the extruder assembly, where both sides of the belt are fixed/guided.
-Olaf
Thats why a lot of larger machines have a rack and pinion setup...]]> Floyd General Wed, 01 Jul 2015 14:32:52 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,527965#msg-527965 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,527965#msg-527965 JamesK General Wed, 01 Jul 2015 10:29:04 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,527959#msg-527959 Re: 1 Meter bot project https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?1,520294,527959#msg-527959
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o_lampe
Had a nice party? :)-D
First thing I recon´d were the white balloons :D

Seriously:
Aren´t you afraid the long belts eventually start to swing, when they are unsupported all the way back?
I thought of a different way to mount the extruder assembly, where both sides of the belt are fixed/guided.
-Olaf

We actually had a guy in the office with a birthday so we had set up some decorations and a cake for when he got in, and I would love to hear your idea further on the belts.]]> oak1477 General Wed, 01 Jul 2015 10:14:12 -0400