Seen this yet? MakerBot Automated Build Platform

Hi has anything checked this out yet? lol i know its just been posted today but if not check it out

[blog.makerbot.com]

Interesting.

Great stuff!

I foresee the availability of Mendel parts rising rapidly as people get their hand on these.

Making a full set of Mendel still won't be easy, but this will definitely help things. Can't wait to see it in person at Maker Faire.

I haven't looked closely at the software route, but do you have to manually copy the gcode from different files into one file and then print? When it's set up it should spit out bits like there's no tomorrow.

Perhaps there is a simple "repeat" button? Then it could print z-leadscrew bases one night, then something else next night and so on.

First improvement? Maybe move the motor off the platform and on to the chassis. That should remove a significant amount of weight that needs to be moved in the x-y-z direction. Mine's not up and printing yet, but I've heard that the makerbot has a faster build speed due to a smaller mass it needs to kick around.

The platform should be in a fixed position always when you roll the conveyor belt, so that's when I'd mesh the gears between the bed/conveyor belt and the external motor. Perhaps move the platform slowly into place while bumping the motor slowly so they engage.

Almost nobody runs endstops on MakerBots (they don't even come as part of the kit any longer) so at the moment almost nobody has the ability to locate like this.


>
> The platform should be in a fixed position always
> when you roll the conveyor belt, so that's when
> I'd mesh the gears between the bed/conveyor belt
> and the external motor. Perhaps move the platform
> slowly into place while bumping the motor slowly
> so they engage.

Has anybody seen a video of this making a large piece? We have discussed moving build beds extensively and generally question the ability of a conveyor belt design being able to keep the corners from curling up, even heated. It looks great, but until I see proof that parts as big as the bed still come out without curled up corners, and there is some reliable way to automagically get the finished parts off and piled up in a bin, it is still just a pretty, robotic toy.

Mike

I have no interest in cloning this for makerbot. I want one for my mendel.

JohnA Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Almost nobody runs endstops on MakerBots (they
> don't even come as part of the kit any longer) so
> at the moment almost nobody has the ability to
> locate like this.
>

I designed four T-slots in the bottom of this for mounting on other machines. It shouldn't be too much trouble to mount it on a Mendel.

I had assumed we'd just build a acrylic sheet with makerbot mounts and the spring mounts on the underside for mendel compatibility with any makerbot build platform. Also scaling this looks like it'll be dead simple with a reasonable CAD program.

Actually, Pax, I do have a question regarding the conveyor material (PET?) - what is the best way to cut it with a machine? Can it be laser cut? I guess for a prototype I can just use scissors but I am curious what you guys do over at Makerbot.