Upgrading Sieg Mini CNC into 3d printer

CNC zone user stephenmhall published his DIY upgrade of Sieg Mini CNC mill. He made a custom printhead with Stepstruder MK7 extruder and Gnexlab controller.

Detailed CNC zone forum post:

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/general_3d_printer_discussion/155401-adding_3d_printing_sieg_mini_mill.html

here are two more CNC 3d printing upgrades projects:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/01/another-way-to-use-high-end-cnc-as-diy.html

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/01/turn-your-cnc-into-3d-printer-with-add.html

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/07/upgrading-old-cnc-plasma-router-table.html

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QU-BD RPM Rapid Prototyping Mill 3d printer and powerful mill hybrid

RPM is machine in beta, hybrid dual extruder 3d printer / mill with ball screw movement, high power motors and strong mill head. Construction looks very sturdy and high quality.

• it should become open source printer
• Frame Material: CNC Machined Billet Aluminum, Anodized 
• Frame Hardware: Fully Countersunk Stainless Socket Cap Screws (Metric)
• Bed Material: 3/8" Thick Basalt (a volcanic glass) | Ground Flat | Will Not Sag Or Warp When Heated
• Heated Bed: Yes, Silicone Rubber | Fast, Even Heating
• Maximum Size 3D Printable Object (with single extruder installed)
• Approximately X-Axis 12.61" Y-Axis 13.11" Z-Axis 10.84" = 1792 cubic inches
• Minimum Layer Height .1mm or Lower
• Maximum Millable Object Size (based on Medium Duty 1HP Spindle)
• Approximately X-Axis 9.61" Y-Axis 10.11" Z-Axis 10.84"
• Printable Materials | Millable Materials
• ABS, PLA. Polycarbonate | Aluminum, Steel, Stainless Steel, Plastic, Wood etc.
• Linear Motion X | Y | Z
• X-Axis 5/8" dia Precision Ball Screw w/ 1/2" dia Precision Linear Bearings
• Y-Axis 5/8" dia Precision Ball Screw w/ 5/8" dia Precision Linear Bearings
• Z-Axis 5/8" dia Precision Ground ACME Screws (One on Each Corner)
• Motors X | Y | Z
• X-Axis NEMA 23 22kg*cm Bi-Polar Stepper Motor (Texas Instruments Based Stepper Drivers)
• Y-Axis Dual NEMA 23 22kg*cm Bi-Polar Stepper Motors (Texas Instruments Based Stepper Drivers)
• Z-Axis NEMA 23 22kg*cm Bi-Polar Stepper Motor (Texas Instruments Based Stepper Drivers)
• Maximum Mechanical Accuracy At Full Stepping / 32x Microstepping (yes 32x)
• X-Axis .0003 Inches / .00001 Inches
• Y-Axis .0003 Inches / .00001 Inches
• Z-Axis .00016 Inches / .000005 Inches
• Shipping Weight w/o Spindle 70lbs
• Electronics: Azteeg X3 (http://www.panucatt.com)
• Firmware: Marlin ... Testing Custom Firmware & Software
• Stepper Drivers: Texas Instruments Based Drivers w/ 32x Microstepping
• Power Supply: 24v (Most Likely 450w)
• Extruder: Single X-Truder w/ Dual Capable for Future Add On
• Filament: 1.75mm ABS, PLA, Laywoo, Polycarbonate, Nylon, PEEK etc.
• Max Sustained Temperature: 350c

Retail Price after Beta Program Completes

• $1999.00 for the 3D Printing Platform
• $899.00 for the Medium Duty Water Cooled 1HP Mill Package which includes a Hitachi or Baldor VFD (depending on if you want to run off 110v or 220v power) as well as a recirculating coolant system w/ radiator and fan for the spindle.
• 3HP Spindle Mill and Bosch Colt Router Package pricing TBD

Future developments:

• Automated 3D Laser Scanner Price Target <$1000.00 | Coming 2013
• Accuracy .1mm or Better
• 4th Axis w/ HUGE 115 kg*cm Stepper Motor Price Target <$1000.00 | Coming 2013
• For Turning and 4th Axis Milling of Metal, Plastic and Wood Parts
• Stereolithography 3D Printing Price Target <$1500.00 | Coming 2013
• Much Larger Build Area than Current Stereolithography Printers...we will NOT be using a proprietary resin
• Immersive Flood Cooling w/ Remotely Located Electronics Panel <$250.00 | Coming 2013

Challenges and Weak Spots

• The open-source software that is currently available for the milling side of things with the RPM is a bit lacking. We have MasterCAM at our shop and have been testing some open-source as well as commercial software packages. We are also in talks with a RepRap famous developer for a REAL software package for our machine, but as of right now the software end of MILLING IS EXPERIMENTAL! The 3D printing side of things is well sorted and obviously there are many options that work well including Marlin w/ Pronterface and Repetier.
• The BOLT ON UPGRADE that will include the remotely mountable electronics panel and immersive flood cooling setup is NOT ready, yet but may be before the end of the beta program. Milling operations may have to be run dry or with manual cooling methods at least initially in the beta program.

http://store.quintessentialuniversalbuildingdevice.com/product.php?id_product=45

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Update video on FreeD handheld router by MIT

First post:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2012/02/freed-handheld-3d-manufacturing-device.html

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More details on the Othermill, desktop CNC machine that is perfect companion to a 3d printer

Tested.com gives us the tour of Otherfab and presentation of Othermill, tabletop precision mill.  Othermill team member talks about design for milling and connection with 3d printing.  Primary job of the Othermill is PCb milling, but it can also mill aluminum and make molds from machinable wax.
Very cool device, perfect in synergy with a 3d printer.
There is a trend of hybrid machines with both 3d printing and milling options in one machine, but designated machines can probably do the specific job they were designed for much better.





First post about Othermill: http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/05/othermill-desktop-precision-mill.html


Company page: http://otherfab.com/, www.othermachine.co
Direct Othermill product page: http://www.othermachine.co/products/

Othermill frame 

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ZMorph personal fabricator 3d printer

This is one of the best 3d printer designs I saw! It looks like it has EVERYTHING and great design!

Technical specifications:

CONSTRUCTION

aluminium 6mm (precise and very rigid), other parts made of 6mm clear policarbonate and ABS

WORKING AREA 

235 x 235 x 165 mm (larger than before!)

MATERIAL 

ABS, PLA, Nylon (Taulman or other source)

NOZZLE TYPE 

interchangeable hot-ends : 0.38mm, 0.5mm

MATERIAL FILAMENT DIAMETER SUPPROTED 

3mm (1.75 in the future)
MAX. TRAVEL SPEED (TESTED) 

500 mm/s
RECOMMENDED PRINT SPEED WITH ABS 0.3mm LAYER 60 - 150mm/s depending on the quality required. Faster speeds possible with lower layer height. PLA can be printed faster too
RECOMMENDED ACCELERATION 2500 mm/s^2
MIN. LAYER HEIGHT 0.1 (ABS), 0.05 or less (PLA)

HEATED BUILD PLATFORM glass 5mm, kapton heater 200W, standard temp 120 degrees. Recommended to use with interchangeable glass pads (provided)

INTERCHANGEABLE EXTRUDERS 

plastic, ceramics, food (chocolate or paste etc.), additionally dremel mount (standard equipment only includes one plastic extruder, the rest available on thingiverse as open source)we're planning to release double material extruder - for support or multicolour printing (available end of 2013)

ELECTRONICS Sunbeam 2.0, with ARM LPC1769 processor, equipped with 5 stepper motor drivers - 3 for XYZ axis, 2 more for double-material extruder. Run by stable and robust Smoothieware (http://smoothieware.org/)
OPTIONAL LCD touch panel
FIRMWARE Smoothieware
EXTERNAL DIMENSIONS 530x555x480 mm

FUTURE PLANS:

- double extruder design, for adding second material (support or different colour) to your prints. Additional extruders and toolheads will be available in our shop.

- dedicated ZMorph software with its own unique slicing engine (totally different to other slicers, based on our own algorithm) featuring drag&drop printing, remote printer monitoring, host-less printing and more!


PRICE: 1576,25 €



ZMorph at Arena Design Fair - video from ZMorph3d on Vimeo.

http://zmorph3d.com/


It uses Zmorph clip on extruder which provides exchangeable tool-head. Here is the toolhead in printing and laser scanning configuration:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:31158

Here is the Dremel toolhead:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:46986


There is a RepRap wiki page on Zmorph extruder: http://reprap.org/wiki/Zmorph_extruder
Based on information from their web page, they want to make it open platform for tool development.

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY! I WANT ONE!

Update (28.4.2014.):

ZMorph now prints with chocolate also!

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FABtotum Personal Fabricator

Hybrids WILL be the new standard fro desktop manufacturing.






From product page:

FABtotum is a multipurpose tool, the first Low Cost Desktop Personal Fabrication device that can operate a wide range of Computer controlled (CNC) manufacturing processes.
Print, Cut, Mill, Scan, Manipulate. Rinse and repeat!
A seamless interaction between the physical and the digital world.
While Current 3D printers are defined as Personal fabricators, there is so much more to personal fabrication than 3d printing alone! FABtotum allows anyone to explore the endless possibilities of a multipurpose fabrication device.
Thanks to a sturdy structure and unconventional tecnical solutions FABtotum is capable of subtractive machining without compromising 3d printing volumes or printing speeds.
Switching to subtractive mode is easy: just remove and tilt the double sided printing plane and expose the milling plane with built in fixtures to secure your workpiece.
Along with 3/4 Axis Subtractive Machining, Fabtotum is capable of 3-axis hybrid Additive / Subtractive manufacturing, meaning you can work in dual mode without loosing the position or having to move the workpiece.

• 3D milling on light materials (Balsa, Foam, light wood)

• PCB milling : make your own circuit boards!

• Engraving

• 2.5 D Profiling (cutting) on light materials (balsa,Foam,Light wood)

• CNC Pre-Drilling

• 4 Axis machining on light materials.

• 4 Axis Engraving 

Digital Aquisition:
FABtotum is capable of scanning solid objects thanks to a built in laser scanner (quick scan, medium quality) and one dimension (Z) touch probe digitalizer (hi-accuracy, very slow).
Using this feature you'll be able to unlock a whole lot of potential: scan and print duplicates of solid objects, create new objects with foams or modeling clay and scan them for further editing in a modeling software of choice, or print them in additive mode or cut/mill in subtractive mode.
Most 3d scanners cannot acquire small objects (such as a coin) and a physical digitalizer cannot acquire complex objects without at least 4 axis of freedom.
FABtotum can do both.
Scanning objects means you'll never run out of stuff to print, you'll be able to experiment with shapes or reverse-engineer objects around you, scanning and then duplicating a modified version!

Specifications:

• Size: 366x366x366mm
• Printing volume (additive) : 210x240x240mm (24 % in additive mode)
• Milling Volume (Subtractive) : 210x240x[your milling bit height] mm
• Scan volume (optical/digitalizer) : as much as accesible (up to printing volume depending on the object shape)
• Scan Angular resolution: from 83 to 133 steps/degree in 1/16th microstepping mode.
• CMOS sensor: 1024x768 or above.
• 4th axis Milling angular resolution: as "Scan Angular resolution"
• Z layer height: from 0.10 to 0.4 mm 
• Z level minimum increments: encoder resolution 0,00047mm (0,47 microns) in 1/16th microstepping. (3mm pitch leadscrew / 200 steps *16 * 2 gearbox = 0,000467 = approx 0.47 microns. ,less than half a micron)
• Additive materials: PLA,ABS : built in protected material storage/coil.
• Subtractive materials: with onboard motor: Foam,Balsa,Plywood,thin Aluminium, brass alloys (PCB layer).
• Additive head: 0.35 or 0.45 or 0.5mm nozzle , Bowden extruder. 
• Subtractive tool: Onboard 30 Watt spindle. standard milling bits (3.25mm diam.)
• Additional tool: space for tools up to 60mm mounting diameter.
• Acquisition method: Laser Scanner (line laser) and Z digitizer probe
• Other systems: mechanical homing endstops, vacuum cleaner port.
• I/O : USB

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/fabtotum-personal-fabricator


http://www.fabtotum.com/

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Mebotics Microfactory

I want to see it in production and on my table. Hope it will live up to the hype around it.

From video description:

We're revolutionizing personal manufacturing with this amazing all-in-one, networkable, four-color 3D printer and milling machine!
Makers making for makers: The Microfactory project began one year ago when four friends, longtime members of an independent maker space in Somerville, Massachusetts called Artisans Asylum, came together to create a better prototyping and machining tool....one that was easy to use, self-contained, and capable of a truly impressive list of tasks. They independently financed the development and testing of five full versions of the Microfactory, resulting in the exceptional product featured here. The Microfactory was entirely conceived, designed and built by people who have spent their lives around machines, who wanted to make something truly revolutionary and highly usable for makers everywhere.
Introducing the Microfactory: a networked, easy to operate, affordable, mess free, quiet, safe and fully-enclosed machine capable of:
printing functional parts in four colors or multiple materials
AND computerized etching
AND computer-controlled milling!
And check out some of the special features we've built in:
Port for a shop-vac hose so the machine "cleans up after itself" while it runs
Noise-reducing housing with safety-stop button
Full on-board computer -- no separate hardware or software needed! Connect and control through any (wired) network.
High-quality industry standard software built right in

http://www.mebotics.com/microfactory.html

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