Post by plutronus on Nov 20, 2018 5:27:04 GMT -6
Ok...I've seen it all now!
As some of y'all may know, I fabricated a 3D delta 'Kossel' style fused-deposition-material (FDM) printer, more or less from scratch. Actually it began as an AnyCubic 'kit' which, I couldn't cause to function properly. I couldn't even calibrate the printer, but was fun to build. And it wasn't too expensive either, and that was one of its attractors for me. But in retrospect, I would have kept hundreds of Dollars in my wallet had I bought a better quality (pricier) 3D printer. There is an unseen problem in that. Which mid-range priced 3D printer actually works? And out of the hundreds of different manufacturer's models from which to choose? There are many 3D printers out there that sort-of work, or work sometimes, or works great for a short time and then can't be calibrated...?? Or if ya bump it, its needs to be completely re-calibrated (and that can be a night-mare process)...
Many components of my "AnyCubic Linear Kossel Plus" delta 3D printer which I now refer to as the "AnyPubic Linear Crapper" has essentially been replaced. In fact the **ONLY** parts that remain from the original printer are the 20mm aluminum profiles, 3 linear-rails and the 3 stepper motors. Everything else has been replaced. It now has 6 metal vertex corners replacing the plastic corners (that flexed deforming prints), new pulleys (with ball bearings), new high-power and much more powerful controller sporting an Atmel SAM Cotex M3 SAM ARM processor as the original controller was a brain-dead 8 bit Arduino, a new more powerfull 350Watt power-supply that replaced the 75Watt power-supply...the list goes on and on.
To print a 3D object, one loads the 3D printer with its 'ink' or 'filament'. This material appears to be a thick fishing line which is rolled up onto a large spool. These 'inks' or properly, 'filament' are typically available in various types of material such as PLA, ABS, PETG, NYLON, and bunches more including metalic enfused filaments. Also, filament is available in different colors. But are general available in only two different diameters, 1.75 millimeter and 3.0 millimeter. I print using 1.75mm and so far I have only used PLA filament.
The printer pulls the filament off the roll down into the print-head, which is simply a controlled high-temperature heater. The filament is a thermo-plastic, meaning that the filament transitions from a solid to a liquid state at an engineered consistant temperature. PLA filament transitions to the liquid state at (depending on manufacturer material composition)
200ºC to 220ºC. The filament is pushed down into the print head through a channel to routes the filament into a fine hole nozzle. As the filament passes through the heater-block, it transitions to the liquid state, and metered via a motor into the nozzle which squirts the liquid plastic onto the print bed (assuming the beginning of the print).
Say one desires to print a usable water tumbler...a 'glass' for holding water. Just as any printer prints on paper, the 3D printer is commanded by codes to 'draw' a circle on the print surface, and then moves the head back and forth inside the circle, thereby printing the bottom of the tumbler. Only the 'ink' being deposited is liquid plastic, which is cooled by fan as soon as the liquid plastic exits the print nozzle. Cooling the liquid plastic causes it to transition back to the solid state. When the bottom has been completed another stepper motor raised the print head a tiny distance higher above the print surface and the process continues until there exists a water tumbler.
How does one print? Basically one uploads a file containing g-code that describes the object to be printed.
So, where does one get their print object models from? Well, one way to do it, is to design your own. I use OpenSCAD, an open-source, free 3D modeling tool, which is a parametric (a bit like coding except its done using code words and parameters, something similar to the way MatLab works). OpenSCAD will render a finished model but its not a typical drawing tool. To create a cone shaped object, one would write, "cylinder(5, 25, 30)" <== this would create a pointed cone that is 5units diameter at one end and 25units diameter at the other end, and it would be 30units long. I equivalence 'units' which portends no actual physical value to being 1unit = 1millimeter. I prefer using the metric system in lieu of the English numerical system. Its more convenient.
Another way to get object models is to use other folks' models. One really great source is that of "ThingiVerse", a free 3D object library that is hosted by the 3D printer manufacturer 'MakerBot' which stores thousands of 3D printer users' uploaded models. MakerBot provides this free service as a gift to the global 3D user community. Nice huh?
And here is one of those models that I happen to bump into this evening, heh heh, and I think I've seen it all now!
Its the Phone Stand - Commie Hammer!
Created by: Felix_Erable and was uploaded 11-20-18
Heh heh...
One downloads the (zip compressed) files; squirts them into the slicer, squirts into the printer and ya got a Commie Phone stand ya can place on the table for your cellphone!