Foton 3Dprinter
Release status: unknown
| Description | Streamlined mechanical system
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| License | unknown
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Contents
Overview
The foton 3D printer's is a redesign of the origional Mendel printer currently being developed by Foton labs.
The designs for this printer are based upon trying to developing a 3D printer that is both technically and economically accessible to as broader spectrum of person as possible. This is seen to be achived thought a design that both simplifies the mechanics to reduce technical complexity and by developing a streamline production process to maintain a low cost per unit end product. The primary factors in the designs of this printer have been:
1. Maintaining a low level of technical complexity for the end user
2. Cost efficiency and commercially
3. Esthetics and form
Materials
The mechanics of this printer are made predominately form a polyester resin, which provides a low cost solution for the bulk of the material, with this is added a flexible agent to vary the rigidity or flexibility of the material. Steel(stainless and mild) is used to provide structural strength, both in the fasteners and for the up right of the frame.
Production process
The majority of the parts are made from an open cold casting process, which is both time and cost efficient and opens the printer up to the possibility of mass production, with production time of parts currently down to as low as one hour.
Assembly
Intergrating many of the mechanical parts has led to a large reduction in assembly time and complexity, with assembly time currently bellow five hours. One of the primary aims has been to create a design with as few parts as possible resulting in a quick and easy to assemble printer suited to the no technically minded person.
Electronics
The development of this printer to date has focused on the mechanics which are designed to work with the standard set of electronics used on a Mendel print, being on a 1:1 scale with the stranded Mendel in size means that there should be no additional alterations to the software or electronics needed.
Distribution
This design is primarily aimed at an "Ikea style" form of distribution, easy to mass produce parts that can be made into a flat pack for shipping and assembled by the average person. Another possible means of distribution maybe to reduce the plastic parts down to a printable size, thus making the printer capable of producing many of its own parts. The current developers release is available via eBay with an end user release expected towards the end of 2010.
Current avents
Current developments include small redesigns, readjustments, and testings that are focused on moving towards a stable release of an fully functional printer with in the next few months.
1. Adding Steel rods to a X and Z axes (short term)
2. Changing bearing system to plastic bearings (short term)
3. Looking at possible alternative extruder designs (medium term)
4. Change frame structure from A frame to cube shaped frame (medium term)
Road map
The foton 3D printer is the first stage in the development of a complete desktop manufacturing system. This concept aims to embrace the whole area of manufacturing from materials development to assembly thus being able to create a more versative and all encompassing system that is capable of empowering end users to manufacturing their own consumer good. 3D printing is just one method for manufacturing, even though it maybe very versatile it has it´s limitations, to be able to eventually manufacture the wide verity and complexity of everyday items we use in an efficiently way may well mean thinking out side the box to incorporate other elements of the manufacturing process. This long term design project looks at incorporating two other important elements, namely materials development and casting. This and any other ideas can be discussed on the forum thread
