The main power consumers on a reprap machine are the heated extruder and the heated bed. An alternative may be to use plastic welding using a solvent applied to the filament just before it is deposited (at nozzle tip).
Advantages:
- Prints probably won't curl (no thermal temperature change)
- Potentially smoother prints
- Reduced power consumption due to not needing the heated extruder and heated bed
The main issues with this approach are:
- Can solvents set fast enough? Will the plastic stay in place until set?
- Normally heated extruder snap the plastic with a jolt to end the path - is this possible with solvent, or will it need a cutting mechanism?
- Filament diameter may need to be much smaller for the detail (a reducing nozzle wouldn't work without heat?)
- Solvents are toxic - acetone however is much less so
- How to apply solvent (nylon wick?)
- Ventilation
Acetone Properties:
- Less toxic than most other solvents (can cause throat irritation)
- Ventilation required
- Health hazards are classed as "slight"
- Flammable - will auto ignite at 465C
- Must prevent static discharges
- Soluble in water (water contamination?)
- Evaporates rapidly and will be broken down by UV in 22-days
Materials that acetone can dissolve:
Materials that acetone does not dissolve:
- Kapton (bed surface?)
- PEEK
- PTFE
References:
Is this approach feasible? Any advance will be greatly appreciated.
Redgeneral
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2011 02:14PM by Redgeneral.
My blog - Fabber log - [
fabberlog.blogspot.com]
