Designing a new RepRap, Looking for Advice

Greetings everyone,
My wife and I are designing a 3D Printer for education. We want to create a printer that is like a starter printer and easy to build.
I wanted it to have as few parts as possible yet be a good teaching tool for kids and the community about 3D printing with the hope that we inspire them to create new things.

What do you think? Whether good or bad, I just want to make the printer better with the hope that this Reprap will encourage innovation.

This printer will be open source once I finish the prototype and make sure it actually works.

I designed the printer to be small and compact yet use the same linear movement concepts that have been successful in other Rep-raps.

There is concern for the rigidity of the x axis motor mount(base) though, because the two halves are only joined by the motor. I am hoping that once the bed is on it will not be as much of an issue.

Things I have left to do:
Print out the remaining Y axis pieces
- Create a servo Mount for Auto leveling( I think it will be necessary to add this for ease of use.)

Thanks
,
Ryan

Hi Ryan. I'm on the same project (called KidMax) with the Reprap Frenh group, beacause that's my nephiew's wish for it's coming birthday. The project wasn't welcome buy some members, saying that's too smart for a child or he should build guns with it. I wish you won't have to fight same ideas !

Looking at your printer, which is a great job, congratulations, I see many common ideas from the Smartrap. IMHO, it's not suitable for childs. I oriented my project with another leading goal : safety. It must be the #1 word when dedicating anything for childs. Wiring, mecanical parts, heating parts, must be taken away from small fingers. You don't want to expose them to toxic fumes too. I guess they will have at last the same fun while building a safe machine. Educational purposes will be preserved too. Second, keep in mind childs lives in dreams, and anything should be fun and cute to their eyes, or they will reject it. So, the overall look of the machine will be crucial. I hope that will help you. Regards.

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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 !)

Thanks Zavashier ,
We thinking more for kids that are at least 12/13 years of age and have a basic concept of safety.
Still thinking about how we will protect the electronics currently we just have a mount for it in the back.
Its a work in progress, but hoping it can be used as someone's first printer.

something similar

anvil

Quote
edu3d
Thanks Zavashier ,
We thinking more for kids that are at least 12/13 years of age and have a basic concept of safety.
Still thinking about how we will protect the electronics currently we just have a mount for it in the back.
Its a work in progress, but hoping it can be used as someone's first printer.

Ok, it's a reprap easy to build for teens. I got it.

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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 !)