Does EventorBot answer my prayer for a reliable 100-micron layer printer?

You guys told me that in order to print 100-micron layers reliably, the printer must have a solid build, with a good transmission system (with timing belt tensioner etc...) and with stepper motors that have small enough step.

I saw a printer called EventorBot:

[www.eventorbot.com]

that has a solid welded frame (instead of extrusions / rods joined by printed plastic connectors).

Will the welded frame of EventorBot answer my prayer of a reliable 100-micron layer printer?

Though one thing I worry is that the print platform cantilevers with the vertical beam, so how can the print platform be parallel to the top beam that forms the track of the nozzle?

If the print platform is not exactly parallel to the top beam, will it be difficult to have consistent 100-micron layers?


Has anyone used the EventorBot printer (kit or fully-assembled/calibrated)? What do you think about its quality? And how well it perform in making 100 micron layers?


Finally, what is the maximum hot-end temperature of EventorBot? Apart from PLA and ABS, I also plan to print in polycarbonate, which I believe requires an hot-end temperature of 280C-300C.

I believe all of the printer designs can print as well as or as bad as any other printer design. For the most part alot of the printers are using the same mechanical components of bearings, belts, pulleys, linear rods, just in various frames and configurations.

With all printers, the print platform needs to be level at all corners with the the print nozzle.

For polycarbonate you are getting into a temperature range that would require an all metal type hot-end to get any kind of durability over standard hot-end designs.

> Has anyone used the EventorBot printer (kit or
> fully-assembled/calibrated)? What do you think
> about its quality? And how well it perform in
> making 100 micron layers?

The eventorbot has not been yet released...But you can find some personal builds here:

[www.eventorbot.com]

one thing also is you may need to clean the hot end tip, if crap is built up on it then it will not be flat and level with the build surface. you may even want to file it flat. i have a brass brush that i use to clean off my aluminum hot end, it works well because the brass is softer then the aluminum so it reduces wear on the tip.

Found this image of EventorBot's latest Y axis design.



The actual print bed is a plastic plate which attaches with spring-loaded bolts to the outermost black frame. It's supported over very small section in the arm and the arm in turn is supported by a very small section inside the vertical pillar – the pillar only has very closely spaced rods and linear bearings for that, while having to take the torque produced by the Y-carriage moving back and forth.

I would be amazed if this design could print at 100 micron layer accuracy at any reasonable speed even if the steel frame itself was infinitely stiff. The whole Y-carriage is going to vibrate a lot (which is also what the build threads linked above seem to report).

ttsalo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Found this image of EventorBot's latest Y axis
> design.
>
> [forums.reprap.org]
> ename=image-211513-full.jpg
>
> The actual print bed is a plastic plate which
> attaches with spring-loaded bolts to the outermost
> black frame. It's supported over very small
> section in the arm and the arm in turn is
> supported by a very small section inside the
> vertical pillar – the pillar only has very
> closely spaced rods and linear bearings for that,
> while having to take the torque produced by the
> Y-carriage moving back and forth.
>
> I would be amazed if this design could print at
> 100 micron layer accuracy at any reasonable speed
> even if the steel frame itself was infinitely
> stiff. The whole Y-carriage is going to vibrate a
> lot (which is also what the build threads linked
> above seem to report).

Thanks for pointing this out! When I saw the carriage cantilevers in this fashion, I also had some doubts how stable this is.

So am I correct to say that if I were to look for a printer that has sufficient stability to print at 100 micron layer accuracy, the platform of the printer needs to lie flat at the bottom, and the print head is the one to move up and downwards?

Also, would a printer that has a completely static print platform with the print head moving in all axis be a better option?

On this ground, would a design similar to the MendelMax 2 be a more suitable candidate as a 100 micron printer?

Not necessarily a lot of people are printing sub 100 micron on ultimakers and they have moving beds.
The difference is the bed doesn't move while it's printing, just between layers.
The thing that would worry me about the eventorbot is quality control, if that welded frame isn't straight you'll never fix it.

People print at sub 100 micron on ordinary mendels, but they have to be well assembled debugged and you have to spend the time calibrating.
In this hobby printer A doesn't equal printer B even with identical designs and components because build quality really matters.
Even if you could by a calibrated printer who knows how much of that calibration would survive shipping.

Polygonhell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Not necessarily a lot of people are printing sub
> 100 micron on ultimakers and they have moving
> beds.
> The difference is the bed doesn't move while it's
> printing, just between layers.
> The thing that would worry me about the eventorbot
> is quality control, if that welded frame isn't
> straight you'll never fix it.
>
> People print at sub 100 micron on ordinary
> mendels, but they have to be well assembled
> debugged and you have to spend the time
> calibrating.
> In this hobby printer A doesn't equal printer B
> even with identical designs and components because
> build quality really matters.
> Even if you could by a calibrated printer who
> knows how much of that calibration would survive
> shipping.

So in another word, any printer that have beds moving within a layer (including Up! Plus,and even MendelMax) will have the same problem, right?

When you say you are worried about the quality control of Eventorbot, why are you specially worried about Eventorbot? And do your worries on Eventorbot apply on any welded-frame printers?

Finally, what would you choose for a FDM/FFF printer that does 100 micron layers *reliably*, and possibly 50 micron?

I think one of the issues we see with that design is the Y axis is supported in such a small area, this leaves room for the bed to flex when Y is at a minimum or maximum extreme. Especially if those are 8mm rods and LM8UUs (and they look like they are), you could see a x/y axis that has more play than a prusa.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/2013 10:40AM by xclusive585.