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Printrbot: Your Very Own 3D Printer

kickstarter.com

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Re: Printrbot: Your Very Own 3D Printer

#31

Post by chronomex »

angusgr wrote: post #28
radicalbyte wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't want to be moving the warm plastic..

I'm confused by this Q&A - I can't think of a hobbyist 3d printer design that doesn't move the build platform: In the Printrbot it appears the print head moves in X & Z, and the build platform moves in Y. Same as the RepRap Mendel. In the MakerBot the print head moves in Z, and the build platform in X&Y. In the Up! 3d printer the print head moves in X, build platform Y&Z. In the Ultimaker, print head X&Y, build platf…

The original RepRap design (Darwin) moved the print head in X and Y, and moved the build surface in Z only (downward as the print progresses).

The Ultimaker machine is based off the Darwin design, and works similarly. Ultimaker has a very lightweight printhead, so they can print incredibly fast.

I haven't seen a moving-head deposition robot that moves only the head. I think this is because the simplest way to make a 3-axis robot involves two tools/surfaces, each moving in at least 1 axis. A tool/surface that moves in all 3 axes needs to be very stiff to avoid juddering around as the machine starts and stops line segments. It's much simpler to make a 2-axis robot and a 1-axis robot, than a 3-axis robot. :)

Re: Printrbot: Your Very Own 3D Printer

#32

Post by simcop2387 »

angusgr wrote: post #29
simcop2387 wrote: post #27

Does anyone happen to know where one gets the plastic for the printing? The price of $500 for this right now looks a lot more affordable than it used to be to me. Being able to source the printing material is the only thing stopping me at the moment.

You haven't said where you are based, but for starters look for either PLA or ABS on this list: http://reprap.org/wiki/Printing_Material_Suppliers (The Reprap wiki also has pages explaining the pros & cons of each.) I don't know what filament diameter(s) the Printrbot will support.

I apologize for not saying where I'm based, (US by the way). But that link is absolutely perfect.

According to the comments on the kickstarter page it'll support 3mm to start with and they plan on having a 1.75mm hotend available for $59+shipping by the time that all the kits are shipping.

EDIT: corrected price of hotend

Re: Printrbot: Your Very Own 3D Printer

#33

Post by nickpinkston »

extension wrote: post #5
nickpinkston wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good list - I think there's a definite hype bubble in cheap 3D printers. All the copy sounds very naive in relation with the reality of what these printers can actually do. Ex: "printer in every home" - that's like saying a CAD designer in every home - not going to happen. Even d/ling from Thingiverse isn't going to be that popular as most of the parts aren't super useful / attractive.

Would you have imagined that one of these would be in every home? http://www.ttsw.com/SuesClasses/OldComputers/ENIAC.gif

It's not that I think the utility of the general public making things at home isn't attractive. It's that 3D printing, in current forms, will be obsolete by the time it's able to do this. People have been trained, and with Apple even more, to like beautiful things that combine multiple materials, the latest electronic hardware, and great packaging.

To believe this, you'd have to this we've got at least: - plastic/metal in the same machine - most likely simultaneously unless people are going to assemble it. - home printable silicon, maybe they could ship it in, but I feel like that defeats the point - they could just ship the device then.

Both of these are really hard material science problems that require tons of research.

The process/materials that 3D printing provide can do none of those things right now - probably not for 10+ years. So, I think all these RepRap clone guys who think, like GNU/Linux, they'll be able to go RepRap -> ? -> Replicator, are a bit naive / hyping it.

They should be creating things that compliment the 3D Printer - like a laser cutter like this:

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nortd/lasersaur-open-sou...

Re: Printrbot: Your Very Own 3D Printer

#34

Post by nickpinkston »

extension wrote: post #26
acgourley wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, there never were nor should have been ENIACs in homes. I don't think he's saying a future 3d printer shouldn't be a real consumer model.

He said it was a hype bubble. Were computers a hype bubble when they were the size of entire buildings? Or later when you had to assemble them yourself and program them with toggle switches? Fortunately, a few people had the vision and patience to keep pushing the technology forward.

Hype means excessive claims - 3D printing guys right now are claiming the RepRap can do useful things for average people, and that's just not the case. Even the commercial machines, like on Shapeways, only produce tchotchkes.

DEC wasn't wrong about the "cloud" - just way too early and in the wrong environment. RepRap clones are at this point now.

Re: Printrbot: Your Very Own 3D Printer

#35

Post by bborud »

windsurfer wrote: post #22
bborud wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

what I'm longing for is a good G-code generator that is affordable, runs on my Linux or OSX, can generate toolpaths for milling as well as 3D printing and can work with files from Sketchup. (Most makers I know don't use Windows and I think there is a huge opportunity for a polished product that will run on either Linux or OSX)

FYI: sketchup doesn't support linux yet.

I know, but since I will be using either EMC2 on Linux or Grbl on an Arduino to run the G-code, I can live with CAM software that runs on Linux.

Re: Printrbot: Your Very Own 3D Printer

#36

Post by simcop2387 »

mcantelon wrote: post #11

Looks promising. Is it open hardware (i.e. anyone can make one without having to buy from the vendor) like the MakerBot?

He is promising to release the designs after they're finalized so it should be possible. The part that caught my eye is that it should be incredibly easy to expand the size of the device compared to many of the other reprap like printers out there. For height alone you just need to get some longer rods from a hardware store, doing the length and width looks like it would be slightly more difficult as you have to make a larger bed but it doesn't look that difficult.

Re: Printrbot: Your Very Own 3D Printer

#37

Post by mcantelon »

simcop2387 wrote: post #36
mcantelon wrote: post #11

Looks promising. Is it open hardware (i.e. anyone can make one without having to buy from the vendor) like the MakerBot?

He is promising to release the designs after they're finalized so it should be possible. The part that caught my eye is that it should be incredibly easy to expand the size of the device compared to many of the other reprap like printers out there. For height alone you just need to get some longer rods from a hardware store, doing the length and width looks like it would be slightly more difficult as you have to make…

Good point!
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