As I'm collecting parts to build my first Repstrap, an opportunity came up at work today where I /might/ be able to obtain some old no-longer-used SMT machines. Apparently there's a paste printer, a pick-and-place, and an oven. My ability to acquire one of these machines is by no means guaranteed, but in theorizing about it, I was wondering: if you had access to a surplus specialized Cartesian robot such as the paste printer or the pick-and-place, what would you do? A ) Would you extract the motors and lead screws alone? B ) Would you gut it and ditch everything except for the core Cartesian assembly, wiring it up with new RepRap electronics? (Possibly salvaging and adapting the pick-and-place grabber as an attachable head [like the milling or extruding head]). C ) Would you try to adapt the existing hardware and electronics "as-is" with as little hardware changes as possible? D ) Something else I haven't thought of? It seems silly to pitch a whole industrial robot to only keep the stepper motors -- what all might I expect to be useful from such a thing? In the three R's of reducing, reusing, and recycling -- too often I think people focus on the usually-inefficient method of melt-down recycling before looking at the more desirable options of reducing and reusing. Re-use is very attractive to me, and being able to salvage an old industrial robot has a lot of potential in my mind. On a side note, would such a thing be called a ScrapStrap? :) Anyways, looking forward to hearing your thoughts! --clint https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20522#msg-20522 Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:23:43 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20628#msg-20628 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20628#msg-20628
They are called Pumping station one. they don't have a location yet, but they are getting everything lined up pretty quickly.

[pumpingstationone.org]

and there is also a google group.

[groups.google.com]

i'd say get in touch with one of the main people involved and see what they say. one is a lawyer and could probably give you some info on the donation/tax thing.

Andres]]> Andres Mechanics Tue, 20 Jan 2009 09:38:32 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20605#msg-20605 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20605#msg-20605
Since the foundation is non-profit it might be a tax deduction for your company.]]> freds Mechanics Mon, 19 Jan 2009 18:35:40 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20584#msg-20584 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20584#msg-20584 -------------------------------------------------------
> Where are you located?

Indiana, about an hour due east of Chicago]]> HanClinto Mechanics Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:02:42 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20551#msg-20551 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20551#msg-20551 -------------------------------------------------------
>
> If I could acquire such machinery, is this
> something that the RRRF could find useful? I'm
> really not much of an electronics guy -- I'm more
> of a programmer, and I only dabble in hardware.
>
> Thanks for the input, all!

Where are you located?]]> freds Mechanics Sat, 17 Jan 2009 23:30:37 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20550#msg-20550 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20550#msg-20550
Brendan]]> Annirak Mechanics Sat, 17 Jan 2009 19:38:16 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20549#msg-20549 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20549#msg-20549
If I could acquire such machinery, is this something that the RRRF could find useful? I'm really not much of an electronics guy -- I'm more of a programmer, and I only dabble in hardware.

Thanks for the input, all!]]> HanClinto Mechanics Sat, 17 Jan 2009 18:56:35 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20534#msg-20534 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20534#msg-20534 -------------------------------------------------------
> But RepRap doesn't use SMT...

More and more it is.

Currently the Magnetic Rotary Encoder Kit is mostly SMT and version 2.2 of the stepper controllers will be:

[www.thingiverse.com]

If he is selling pre-built tested boards there are people who will buy them.

Basically a high quality chef's pan for even cooking/heating and a lid can be a SMT oven.]]> freds Mechanics Fri, 16 Jan 2009 22:24:56 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20532#msg-20532 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20532#msg-20532 Annirak Mechanics Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:44:28 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20528#msg-20528 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20528#msg-20528 nophead Mechanics Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:59:46 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20525#msg-20525 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20525#msg-20525
Brendan]]> Annirak Mechanics Fri, 16 Jan 2009 17:28:14 -0500 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20522#msg-20522 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?14,20522,20522#msg-20522
Apparently there's a paste printer, a pick-and-place, and an oven.

My ability to acquire one of these machines is by no means guaranteed, but in theorizing about it, I was wondering: if you had access to a surplus specialized Cartesian robot such as the paste printer or the pick-and-place, what would you do?

A ) Would you extract the motors and lead screws alone?
B ) Would you gut it and ditch everything except for the core Cartesian assembly, wiring it up with new RepRap electronics? (Possibly salvaging and adapting the pick-and-place grabber as an attachable head [like the milling or extruding head]).
C ) Would you try to adapt the existing hardware and electronics "as-is" with as little hardware changes as possible?
D ) Something else I haven't thought of?

It seems silly to pitch a whole industrial robot to only keep the stepper motors -- what all might I expect to be useful from such a thing?

In the three R's of reducing, reusing, and recycling -- too often I think people focus on the usually-inefficient method of melt-down recycling before looking at the more desirable options of reducing and reusing. Re-use is very attractive to me, and being able to salvage an old industrial robot has a lot of potential in my mind.

On a side note, would such a thing be called a ScrapStrap? :)

Anyways, looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

--clint]]> HanClinto Mechanics Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:18:14 -0500