Does this concept have potencial?

Hi everyone,

In the last couple of days this concept for a reprap has been on the back of my mind, so i just did a quick sketch and i´m now asking if you guys think that there is any potential in this concept that makes it worth working on it?

The idea is that the printing bed rotates and the arm does an arc over it.

Its kind like a vinyl record player with a z axis

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[reprapstyle.blogspot.pt]

In the early days of the RepRap project(okay, maybe about seven years ago) a very smart fellow came along and suggested something similiar.

I think in the end no one could see any distinct advantage to this concept.

One key thing that comes to my mind would be to test how efficient the turn table idea is. Given a typical object being printed, how much time would the turntable take to reach different points?

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Yvan

Singularity Machine

I like it but the design is inherently less accurate compared to an axis that moves side to side between two pillars. That arm will have some mass, it will wiggle. I'd make the head move back and forth between two pillars and keep the turn table, a heated pad would be a pain to wire in. I'm more concerned with low part count and simplicity but I do see why this keeps you up at night. I still love it though!

BTW, I hope I didn't sound rude in my first post!

Personally I find the idea interesting. Maybe a dynamic counterweight could be used to offset the swinging mass of the print head? If the build platform/heated bed is constrained to something like 360° of rotation, I can't imagine there is any real problem in supplying voltage to it. Some freely rotating mechanisims are supplied with continous voltage.

In any case, when I get a substantial idea like that, I build it. It is very hard(impossible?) for others to asses a new idea effectively. Heck, it's even hard for the inventor themselves to asses it effectively!

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Yvan

Singularity Machine

I might try and test it some of these days..

I might start with two pillars with a simple axis in conjunction with a rotating table, and if that provides interesting result then explore this approach.

One thing that i´m completely clueless about is adapting the firmware to this kind of design, but every problem at its right time

Yvan don't worry you did not sound rude

One advantage it could have, is that of very accurate circular work. Once my printer is done, I will be adding a fourth dimension - a rotisserie mounted to the z axis to do things not dissimilar from a crankshaft lathe. Keep us posted.

Taking a look at the drawing again I see that if the arm just moves in and out instead of back and forth it will still do the same job. It would be easier to program too, no arc to deal with on the arm.

Good observation Peter.

At the same time, pivoting(rotation) is mechanically much simpler than movement.

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Yvan

Singularity Machine

But swinging the arm means you have to stop the arm. If you are determined to use a swinging arm take a look at a hard drive reader arm and consider scaling it up.

This is a really interesting idea. I have a Printrbot Jr. If you replaced the X-axis with a turntable, your bed surface doubles. You wouldn't need to change the Y/Z setup and wouldn't need to swing the Y-axis. The y-axis throw on the jr. is 4 inches so, theoretically, you would go from a 24 square inch bed (6"x4") to a 50 square inch bed (4" radius). Like the Rostock, print resolution between the center and outside would vary but seems like this is very doable.

KDog

I´ve given it a little more thinking. One mechanical issue that is troubling me is the wiring of the heatbed..having wires arranged in a way that they don't get tangled is not going to be easy!

But the idea of the printrbot mix, having the arm moving back and forth is interesting.

Also if i follow the initial concept looking at devices that have a similar work structure like the hard drive mechanism is a must do to see and compare existing solutions.

But first i have to finish my mendel to witch i have a working prototype and in the end should be looking like the image attached, then i can start dedicating more time to this concept.

Personally, I would not think powering the heated bed is a big issue. For rotating assemblies there are at least three approaches I know of. One is some kind of wireless electromagnetic transmission, or slip ring I believe. I don't really know how that would apply to a heated bed, but it would allow unlimited movement. Second is circular contact plates, not so great, but again unlimited movement. The last is possibly the most realistic. It is just a coil of very flexible wire under the heated bed that allows at least 360° of movement. Alternatively, it could be a single loop of cable inside a flexible cable track, located around the perimeter of the table and folds around as it rotates. Much like the cable feeding power to all sorts of CNC machines.

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Yvan

Singularity Machine

And don't forget the wire for the temperature probe. You could skip the heated bed wiring and heat the underside of the bed with an infrared heater. You just need to keep the area clear of cables and wiring under the turn table.

Peterthinks Wrote:
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> And don't forget the wire for the temperature
> probe. You could skip the heated bed wiring and
> heat the underside of the bed with an infrared
> heater. You just need to keep the area clear of
> cables and wiring under the turn table.

That's a good idea!

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Yvan

Singularity Machine

[www.kickstarter.com]

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- akhlut

Just remember - Iterate, Iterate, Iterate!

[myhomelessmind.blogspot.com]

akhlut Wrote:
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> [www.kickstarter.com]
> -bot-3d-printer/posts/362119

Quote
William Steele
Ultra-Bot 3D:
The Ultra-Bot 3D Printer is a beautiful printer inspired by the original Makerbot Cupcake.

PiMaker :
3) Is it open source? No... this design is so revolutionary that I had to patent it to protect my IP. This design has the potential to change the 3D printing industry. It affords many benefits that make it stand out above all other 3d printers.

Seems to be the standard business model for money grabbers. Build some funds with a clone of Open Source design, then hit them with a proprietary design that is a "unique" improvement of the open source design.

Thanks for giving back to Open Source Bill.

Edit:
Seems that Bill is another guy who has gone AWOL with people's money and leaving them with inadequate products:

Quote

Seth Swanson on Jul 12

Another full month of no contact (June 12th - July 12th). Apparently the firmware was being updated on my printer (June 12th) and then being sent out. How long does it take to install firmware? Does anyone have Bill's shop address? I'd like to drive out and see what's taking so long and why the silence on this.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2013 04:13AM by bobc.

If i go with a heated printing bed i would probably try the slip ring before everything else.

[www.amazon.co.uk]

Or i also found a instructable on a DIY version:

[web.archive.org]

The sketch i did last night really looks like that PiMaker. About the PiMaker: as a designer i was look at projects carefully when people say things like "this design is so revolutionary that(...) has the potential to change the 3D printing industry".

The post on the link on PiMaker is from Dec 4, 2012. Here are two examples that pop up on my research on this concept:

8 January 2012 : [reprap.org]

February 8, 2012: [phlatboyz.blogspot.pt]

On thing i just think that is a wast of resources is the way he is making the acrylic case..To me that just to many time of laser when he can just cut the contour of the acrylic and use heat to fold it into U or L sections. I´ve been meaning to design a small home made machine to "fold" acrylic but mean time i forgot about that. I have to get back to it at some point.

Wipers. Think slot cars.

So i did a first basic model:

i´m basing the build on the X and Z axis design of the FoldaRap, witch right now only have small tweaks (still on initial fase!)

I also plan to use the RepRapPro hotend.

Now i´m going to work on the print bed mechanism, and it will be the first part to get a real development. I will not add a heated bed for the first prototype.

Well i plan to do a prototype if i ever learn how to adapt the firmware to make it work...or someone helps out!

I will keep updating,

Cheers

Nice! Yes, the heated beed wouldn't really be needed to test everything out at first...

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Yvan

Singularity Machine