Andreas Desmedt, a 15 year old student from Belgium developed a new RepRap 3d printer: the DreBot (or Dbot). It can be made for some 300 USD.
Dbot description and technical details:
Dbot in action:
RepRapForum project thread:
http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?166,544217
Andreas will release all the files soon. Here is his blog:
https://andreasdesmedtrc.wordpress.com/
Dbot description and technical details:
The base of the printer is a 3030 aluminium extrusion, everything is mounted on this extrusion, wich means everything is tight and compact, making it easy to carry or put away.
The Z axis is made out off 2 12mm rods with a carriage attached to it using 4 LM12UU bearings. In this carriage, there are 2 8mm rods mounted, wich are for the X axis.
The carriage for the X axis is mounted using 3 LM8UU bearings, two on the bottom and one on the top. For the Y axis, I also use 2 8mm rods. The wooden plate for the heatbed is attached to the rods using 3 LM8UU bearings. Both X and Y axis are driven by NEMA17 motors using GT2 belts.
The Z axis is driven by a M8 threaded rod. The Dbot is controlled by a Ramps 1.4 motherboard, and powered by a 360W LED PSU, wich are both also mounted onto the 3030 aluminium extrusion.
The extruder is a fully self designed extruder, wich is also printable. This is done to keep the costs low. Both the extruder motor and the motor that powers the X axis are located on the opposite site and used as a counterweight for the X axis rods and carriage. The ramps board is located in a casing with a fan, for proper cooling.
The bed itself is a MK3 heatbed. The printers volume is 200(X)x190(Y)x185(Z), wich is almost the whole heatbed capacity. I invented my own heatbed nut mounts, so you only have to turn the screw to level the bed and don't think about the nuts.
Dbot in action:
RepRapForum project thread:
http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?166,544217
Andreas will release all the files soon. Here is his blog:
https://andreasdesmedtrc.wordpress.com/