RepRap Squad has moved

RepRap Squad has moved to a new site that can be found at:

The new site : www.RepRapSquad.WordPress.com
Twitter : @REPRAPSQUAD
E-mail : RepRapSquad@techie.com

I've Setup My RepRap, Now What?

Once you get your RepRap finished and all dialed in. What is the first thing you should do? Besides yell out in victory, you should start by making a journal or diary of your prints. Include such important things as:
Printer:

* # of parts printer has printed in its lifetime:
* Part Name: Plastic Color:
* Plastic type:
* Bed Temp:
* Extruder Temp:
* Print time:
* Layer Height:
* Quality of result:
* Notes for this print:
* Parts of printer that required tightening before/after print:
* And any other info you might find important.

I have a separate log for each printer and it comes in very handy. It also let's me track wear and tear on parts and estimate very closely on when certain things are about to ho out on my printer. I also use this log to estimate my reprap maintenance. If you keep track of the above info for every print; It makes running your bot effortless.

The next step after you've finished your RepRap is to grab a shoebox or Rubbermaid container and print out an extra set of parts for your RepRap. Focusing mostly on the smaller gears and then the larger gears. After that print any other parts you think you might need. That way your always set just in case something breaks and trust me it will eventually. I personally print an entire full set of parts for each RepRap. If I ever use a part or give it to someone in need I always print a new one right away and put it into the box.  Doing this every time has saved me more times then not. So two words of advise, keep a print log and always print a replacement part set with your 1st print after your machine is dialed in.

Thanks for your time!

Basic Stepper Wiring Guide

This is just a basic wiring guide for some stepper motors. Here is a link to a log for all those random stepper motors that have been found in random scraped electronics, printers and scanners. Click here

Stand Alone Printing Ideas

I am currently working on a stand alone or computer assisted control. I have a few options that I am currently looking into. One of them is to drastically slim down the computer size and the other option is similar to the rasberry PI with a pronterface like UI. I kinda like the stand alone option with everything tucked into a larger portable controller with mounted screen. Something that is easily transported and easily setup with any printer that is using Ramps. Some of the other options that I am pursuing are more workstation oriented. I'm sure that either way I go I will be satisfied. If not then I will continue with further redesign. I posted some pictures showing the options of the routes I may take. I currently have a 7" screen mounted to my Printrbot Nintendo ed. That is controlled through an old skool Nintendo controller. I will more than likely take down the 7" screen and mount it into a portable controller that is simply plugged into my current setup. Check back soon, I will update as I continue with the design.

SLA Printing May Be The Future

Early desktop printers were horrible. For the price of thousands of dollars one got lo-res dot matrix printouts on paper that had tractor-feed holes punched into the margins. It wasn’t pretty, but those early models paved the way for high-resolution, low-cost laser printing.

Today’s hobby grade 3-D printers are similarly crude. They all use Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology and are essentially robotic hot glue guns. Fortunately, a new generation of higher-resolution, faster, and more reliable machines are starting to come to market.

This new type of hobbyist printer use Stereolithography (SLA) technology, utilizing light instead of heat to make models. How? A high powered light source hardens a cross section of light-sensitive liquid plastic. The machine then raises the build platform a smidge and the process is repeated. It’s very dramatic — models look like they are being pulled from a puddle of goo.

This pioneering technology brings three much needed improvements to home based 3-D printers:

1. Higher Resolution Models, Built Quicker
Parts made on SLA systems are much higher resolution than prints from FFF machines which have bumpy, ridged surfaces. They aren’t quite as polished as injection molded parts, but are almost as good as professional grade mills.
Also, since the light hardens the plastic simultaneously, the only factor impacting print speed is the height of the object. With FFF printers, speed is determined by the amount of plastic needed to fill in a cross section, which can slow the process considerably.

2. More Complex Geometry is Possible. Trying to print complex shapes with severe undercuts or delicate features on a FFF machine would lead to nothing but pulled hair and wasted plastic. SLA opens up new, richer design possibilities.

3. Translucent Materials
Because of its capacity for high-resolution and the nature of the chemicals used in the process, SLA models can be translucent. They won’t be optically clear, so you won’t be printing yourself new specs any time soon, but the see-through look brings a new palette of options for designers.

Yes, There Are Downsides
SLA-based 3-D printers do have drawbacks. The biggest red flag is that no established companies are selling these kits yet. They’re being developed by enthusiasts (read: no dedicated customer service when you’re in desperate need of help).

Also, they’re expensive, retailing for $1,999 to $3,375. While that’s not too far a stretch from the top-of-the-line MakerBot, it’s vastly more than a $500 BuildrBot.
The ‘consumable’ resin is also more expensive. A few pounds of plastic for an FFF machine costs $50-80, but a similar amount of light-sensitive resin will cost $120+ dollars.

Early-adopter limitations aside, SLA based 3-D printers are much closer to the state-of-the-art in the professional market and will produce parts that have the polished look of mass manufacturing.
Ready to learn more? Than look up SLA 3D printers and see what's on the cutting edge.

There is a new RepRap in town!

Feb.20, 2013

There is a new RepRap in town! Kiel-based Kühling&Kühling from Germany published first details on their new RepRap design after a full year of development.Founded by mechatronics engineering students Jonas Kühling and Simon Kühling in 2012, Kühling&Kühling has a goal: to build high productivity open-source 3D printer that requires minimal maintenance.

Named "Kühling&Kühling RepRap Industrial", the 3D printer has a fully enclosed frame with powerful recirculating chamber heaters that raise the ambient air temperature up to 70°C. It features two extruders that allows 3D printer to print with different nozzle diameters. One is for printing the visible outer shell of an object in fine details and another, for saving production time, can be used for printing infill structure by using a bigger extrusion nozzle. You can also just use it for two-color printing.

Specifications:

* Filament diameter: 3mm Build volume: 200mm x 200mm x 200mm
* Number of extruders: 2
* Overall dimensions: 800mm x 600mm x 600mm

Features:

* Printing ABS with zero warping
* Rigid frame made of t-slot aluminium extrusion
* Fully enclosed by acrylic and wood, doors on the front
* A heated chamber capable of 65-70°C recirculating air temperature
* Heated PCB print bed
* Water cooled hot-ends and extruder steppers to ensure reliable extrusion in high ambient air temperature
* Activated-carbon air filter to remove unpleasant smell of molten plastic
* Semi-automatic print bed levelling makes calibrating the machine a matter of seconds
* Z-leadscrew bearing supported on both ends, sugru spider coupling for absolutely wobble-free operation
* Tool-free belt tensioning with built-in thumbwheels
* Direct-drive extruders with high torque geared stepper motors
* Permanent printbed material (FR4) – no Kapton or PET tape needed
* Adjustable nozzle height to align both extruders on the same level
* Custom designed, precision extruder drive gears to provide enough grip on the filament in a heated enviroment
* Integrated LED lighting

Xbox power supply for RepRap

Here is a build from Team RepRap:

Many people use the Xbox 360 power supply to run their heated bed but few ever mention it or offer information on it. So I decided to add it here. Here is some basic information on the power supply and how to use it with Ramps setup.

With Ramps electronics it's really easy to use a separate power supply for only the heated bed. For me, a 203W X-Box 360 Power Supply has proven to be a functional, cheap solution for powering the heated bed or the electronics (~17 amps is not enough for both). This guide might help whoever is brave enough to try it:

Materials: 203W X-Box 360 Power Supply ($15 from Craigslist, remember to make sure it's 203W!) 2 Short Lengths of 12AWG Stranded Wire ($0.37 a foot from Home Depot) 2 12-10AWG Butt Splices (~$2 for a package of 15 from Home Depot - Link)

Instructions:

1. Ensure the X-Box 360 Power Supply is unplugged and fully discharged.

2. Cut off the connector which goes into the back of the X-Box 360 (as close to the connector as possible, or just before the magnet).

3. Peel back the cable's shielding to expose the 4 yellow wires (12V), 4 black wires (Ground), 1 red wire (5V), and 1 blue wire (Standby I assume).

4. Strip a small amount of the red and blue wires and connect them to each other (optionally solder). This will prevent the power supply from staying in stand-by mode after you give it power.

5. Strip and twist the ends of the yellow wires together, then strip and twist the ends of the black wires together (possibly solder these and the yellow wires as well).

6. Place the yellow (remember these are 12V) and black (ground) wires into their own butt splices, crimp, then crimp the 12AWG wire into the other side of each of the butt spices. It will help you to remember which one of these is ground by splicing black wire to black.

7. Put some electrical tape around the connections.

8. Power up (you should see a green light on the power brick) and test with a voltmeter. If everything seems to be working, you're ready to attach the leads to your electronics. (below is a picture of the leads attached to RAMPs 1.4 electronics)

Update on the repstrap Printrbot

I made a new structure that will secure the entire base of My PrintrBot.  I used dampners to take out any movement when the machine is in operation.  Another reason I added this base free feature is to organize my wiring. In the picture you can see that there is a space or void between the base layers under the acrylic. This works perfectly as a cable pass through. I can organize and put My logic power supply under the 1St layer of the base structure. Another purpose of this setup is it allows for more adjustments. I can adjust the angle of the entire machine to make sure it is level no matter what the conditions. Like all My other mods I like everything to be convenient when configuring for transportation or just dial in My machine.

UPDATE: I used threaded rod to hold the z and y axis in place for mock up. It works great. I'm still working on how I want to mount My dual z axis motors.  I want to try and do something similar to the x axis. They definatly will need extra support and I want to have the option of cooling both these motors.  I'm not sure if I want to do active or passive cooling. Ill come back to this later. I started running and wrapping motor and end stop wiring and it working out well. I can already tell that the void I left between the base and the main support structure on the bottom was a good idea. It will help keep everything organized and give it a clean look. Check out the updated pictures. 

UPDATE: Feb 8th 2013
I got My cooling fan setup. Just a few more adjustments. I need to rotate it 180 degrees to keep the wiring out of the way. You guessed it, It's fully adjustable just like everything else. I am a big fan of versatility, if you haven't noticed by now. Check it out.

To see where the printrbot build started click here.

Wiring diagram for a transformer

I've always had a hard time finding information on wiring a transformer online.  So I figured I would put one up for the cause.