Swurlbot 3D Printer Development

I'm working on a 3D printer design, I'm using the Prusa Mendel's leadscrew based system to raise/lower the base, and having a open top for the extruder, it's cubelike with a print area of approximately 30x40x30. It's geared towards having a large printing area. It has the ability ability to tilt the bed giving the printer better ability to print objects that have "overhangs". Here is the current developement: [blog.openswurl.com]. What are your thought/suggestions?

Keep up the good work!

We might be able to help you a little more when the development is more advanced.

Right now, I think you don't need 4 steppers for the z axis. First, it will be very hard to drive them synchronously.
Second, it will be costlier.
If you can place your mechanism at the center, you might only need one stepper. You might want to use low friction guide to prevent any flexion and friction. The printed bed and the printed plastic are pretty light and there is no need of speed on the Z axis, except for homing. You might also take advantage of using a gear ratio and lower the micro stepping. This is just my opinion.

The 4 steppers give the printer the ability to tilt the bed, so it can print overhangs easier. As for cost, this isn't a budget printer, it's more geared towards large-scale high-quality prints.