Bearing in mind the wider goal of repraps being self reproducing machines I wondered if anyone had tackled the topic of construction.
I mean at the moment a lot has been looked into being able to make all the parts of the 'kit' to make a 3d printer/ router / cutter that could print / cut / rout it's own parts but has anyone yet come up with any thoughts on a machine that could put all those parts together?
I have no degrees in engineering and have 3D printed absolutely nothing and the closest I have come to robotics is a small amount of playing around with Lego Mindstorms NXT which has mostly sat in its box since about 10 years ago so I don't know what I could add to what I've already put but either a fixed box with robotic arms, clamps and electric screwdrivers or some kind of mobile construction bot which can pick up the pieces and put them together would be a place to start I suppose.
Having to make a reprap which could be put together by machine might also affect the shape and size of the pieces of what has to be put together, maybe even the method by which they are attached to each other.
As I said. I'm no technical expert. I'm just hoping to plant a seed for greater minds than my own to nurture.
The other thing I was thinking is that, as laser sintering is a far more advanced method of 3d printing (being able to create parts within parts without a scaffold) has anyone any thoughts on what parts of a laser module could be 3d printed? I know that there must be at least some solid state lasers also. I guess the dream, as with everything else reprap would be for the machine to be able to construct the whole of a laser using laser sintering - this being more likely due to the wider range of materials that method could use.
I'm not sure exactly if this is the best fit for where to post this so please feel free to move it if three's somewhere more appropriate for it to go.
