Printed V-Slot Extrusion Rails

Hello everyone, I just had a quick question: Has anyone attempted to use printed v-slot extrusion rails in a reprap build?

I understand that using a 3d printed v-slot extrusion rail would compromise some frame rigidity provided by the aluminum versions. However, given the development of higher strength filaments do you believe the difference be incredibly noticeable?

Printed V-slots won't be accurate, stiff and smooth enough. Remember those are precision parts. Otherhand, that should cost more than aluminium ones. As far there's inexpensive and durable spare parts, like pulleys, bearings and rails, there's no need to print some. IMO

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Collective intelligence emerges when a group of people work together effectively. Prusa i3 Folger (A lot of the parts are wrong, boring !)

Just because you CAN print something, doesn't mean you should.

This is one of the most important parts of your printer, and in the grand scheme, one of the cheaper parts of your printer. Saving money here, will only bite you hard later.

Thanks for your replies.

The price of the aluminum v-slots is not an issue. Printed ones would definitely lack the accuracy and strength of machined aluminum. I was simply asking if anyone has made an attempt at printing them for use in a reprap. My thinking is that if the objective of the reprap project is to create printers that can replicate themselves, why not attempt to take it one step further by eliminating parts that can be easily printed?

You both raised good points about issues with accuracy.

The v-groove rails are so cheap there is no reason to print something like that!

The Repraps are far away to print most of their parts. In volume only some prints more than 50% of their parts but it aint necessarily so, even if the self replicating machine concept is exciting. By the way, the most important parts are not printed : electronics, hotend, guideways. Note the plastic parts could be made out of any material but plastic : aluminium, steel, wood, ceramics, terracotta... And there's no need to print them, they can be machined or hand crafted too. Actualy, the best extruders are cnc machined aluminium, not plastic ones. To me, the reprap concept is more about the home mini factory for all. Any one can be an hobby-engineer, and that's great. Through, thingiverse is plenty of over complicated parts, and a lot of them are useless. There's hundreds of reprap versions but how many of them are doing better than the original concepts ? To me the last evolution of repraps is the Morgan. Everybody's up to add-on to existing machines, with various results, but only few people work on simplifying. The guy who will be smart enough to make a reprap works with the essential components and minimal printed/plastic parts is the guy. Note the most builded repraps follow this principle.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/2014 04:22AM by Zavashier.

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Collective intelligence emerges when a group of people work together effectively. Prusa i3 Folger (A lot of the parts are wrong, boring !)

I have seen someone try to print V-slot, it was... interesting. It printed, but it wasn't very useful.

I'm all for making printers with what you have and as cheap as you can, but the reason printers have moved the directions they have is because you can only get so much precision with cobbled together junk you find. Reprap is a great idea, and someday will likely be possible, but you can only do so much with current printing methods. Those methods are changing and improving constantly, and with it, how we build printers and at some point the quality will be as good with all printed parts as they are for some printed parts, but until then, I'll keep buying extrusion.

If you want as many printed parts as possible, look into the works of Nicholas Seward (he did the Morgan I believe, as well as the Simpson, and Lisa Simpson), he does amazing bots that print decent enough (I haven't seen any of them up close). I wouldn't put them head to head with one of my Griffins in terms of speed or quality, but I wouldn't mind having one, and plan on building one just for fun because they are so interesting.

Quentin Harley has engineered the Morgan

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/27/2014 05:18AM by Zavashier.

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Collective intelligence emerges when a group of people work together effectively. Prusa i3 Folger (A lot of the parts are wrong, boring !)