Hangprinter
Release status: Idea stage/Experimental
| Description | A RepRap using walls and ceiling as its frame
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| CAD Models | OpenSCAD
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Ideas
The original idea was a 3d-printer that is just a print-head that hangs down in a string from the ceiling. Other strings moves it in the xy-plane.
An additional idea was to put all the hardware in one single unit, so it can be installed simply by attaching four strings to anchor points (probably 3 hooks for defining xy-plane in house walls, and one in ceiling for defining z-direction).
Assumed difficulties
Special z-compensating firmware will need to be written in order to acheive plane enough xy-planes if print radius is > ca 2 cm.
It will probably need to be a slow printer, since it relies on tight strings for stability.
Feeding filament and carrying power wires around while avoiding xy-rotations will require special solutions.
A custom designed extruder, because all motor shafts will have to be paralell with the z-direction in order to avoid xy-torque induced by them.
Finding a reasonable home position without imposing lots of constraints on the print start process and/or the position of anchor points.
Assumed advantages
No frame could lead to the following advantages:
- The most easily installed and easily distributed 3d-printer out there since it has no frame.
- The easiest and fastest RepRap to build.
When printer is not running, it should be easy to retract all the strings, to save space. Hanging it in the z-achor point (the ceiling) with no dangeling strings will look elegant. This space-saving feature could potentially make it popular in places where indoor area is scarce.
Extreme print heights (> 1 m) with no extra effort.
