Spline drive could allow for extremely fast and precise FDM printers

3D printers should become much faster, and more precise.

Belts are slightly elastic and at high speed with high jerk they will and do stretch momentarily and create small artifacts in the print product.

We can get an extremely fast and precise 3d printer by replacing belt drive with spline drive:


The axis gears should be double helical so that there is no vibration from the gears.

The rest of the design is left to the reader

Dunning–Kruger ? Humor ?

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/23/2019 03:16AM by MKSA.

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"A comical prototype doesn't mean a dumb idea is possible" (Thunderf00t)

If you ignore the play in the joints and the spline as well as the increased rotational mass and the high cost for the gear, joints and spline it all makes sense, somehow.

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@neversettles1 I am afraid that your sketch doesn't convey enough information to see where you think there may be an improvement. Can you give a bit more info on how you see this working?

Mike

p.s., It is strange how, since messrs Dunning and Kruger published their paper their names have most often been invoked by those in whom the DK force is largest. I wonder if they allow themselves a wry smile.

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leadinglights
@neversettles1 I am afraid that your sketch doesn't convey enough information to see where you think there may be an improvement. Can you give a bit more info on how you see this working?

Mike

p.s., It is strange how, since messrs Dunning and Kruger published their paper their names have most often been invoked by those in whom the DK force is largest. I wonder if they allow themselves a wry smile.

From the OP: "The rest of the design is left to the reader"

Please do, may be you will understand the irrelevance and absurdity of the claim.

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"A comical prototype doesn't mean a dumb idea is possible" (Thunderf00t)

Cant remember the name of the printer which had xy bed running on splined rods...not sure it really took off.

@MechaBits

you thinking of this [www.youtube.com] ?

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Dust
@MechaBits

you thinking of this [www.youtube.com] ?

Yeah thats the type but it was on a cheaper looking printer, think it had perspex lid.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2019 02:44PM by MechaBits.

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MechaBits

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Dust
@MechaBits

you thinking of this [www.youtube.com] ?

Yeah thats the type but it was on a cheaper looking printer, think it had perspex lid.

This is an ingenious design but I fail to see how you could compare it with the "proposal" above. I bet Everman would be insulted by this comparison.

Note also the smart way the steppers are mounted.

Most probably the 3D printer based on it was doomed by the moving XY bed.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2019 08:36AM by MKSA.

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"A comical prototype doesn't mean a dumb idea is possible" (Thunderf00t)

Well the example above looks like a rack & pinion designed by Heath Robinson but the title says Spline so I thought I was helping to show options.

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neversettles1
3D printers should become much faster, and more precise.

Compared to what? What is your reference printer? How much faster and more precise should they get? How do the artifacts caused by belts stretching compare to artifacts caused by imperfect extrusion? How does that compare to artifacts created by using two phase stepper motors?

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neversettles1
Belts are slightly elastic and at high speed with high jerk they will and do stretch momentarily and create small artifacts in the print product.

We can get an extremely fast and precise 3d printer by replacing belt drive with spline drive:

How do you know it will get faster and be more precise using spline drive? Why do you need to add a long spline and two universal joints to a mechanism to turn a fixed pinion gear that drives the bed or extruder carriage back and forth? How much will the spline shaft twist under acceleration and what sort of artifacts will that create in the prints? What about the universal joints - as they wear a develop play, what will that do you your print quality?

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neversettles1
The axis gears should be double helical so that there is no vibration from the gears.

How much will the high quality gears cost and where can I get them? How often will the pinion gear have to be replaced as it will wear much faster than the rack?

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neversettles1
The rest of the design is left to the reader

Thanks!

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Ultra MegaMax Dominator 3D printer: [drmrehorst.blogspot.com]

The Spline looks like it would push better than rotate.

100% sure this is a troll. Makes a vague comment on a forum with a vague drawing, doesn't reply for a month etc.

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