CNC Infomation System: open source 3d printer

Showing posts with label open source 3d printer. Show all posts

Proton and Neutron Open Source 3D Printers

Layer One, creators of Atom3D printer, have released two open source RepRap 3d printer. Proton and Neutron. They are open sourced under Creative Commons licence.

Proton has total volume of 38 cm x 28 cm x 37 cm, assembled weight of 4.25 kg and printing volume of 18 cm x 18 cm x 15 cm.

Proton assembly video:

Proton Thingiverse page:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2149685

Neutron is a delta configuration 3d printer. It has total volume of 32 cm x 33 cm x 54 cm, weight of 3.75 kg and printing volume of Ø14 cm x 20 cm.

Neutron video:

Neutron Thingiverse page:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2149660

You can also find both 3d printers on MyMiniFactory Atom3D page:

https://www.myminifactory.com/users/Atom%203D%20Printers

Full details on both printers can be found at company webpage:

http://www.atom3dp.com/zh/mini/

Lulzbot TAZ6 3D Printer Reviews Compilation

Lulzbot TAZ6 is a flagship machine and it comes at 2400 USD price point. Since I'm interested in it, I made a compilation of reviews so you can also check it out.

TAZ6 tech specs:

Print Surface: Heated borosilicate glass bed covered with PEI film
Print Area: 280mm x 280mm x 250mm (11.02in x 11.02in x 9.8in)
Top Print Speed: 200mm/sec (7.9in/sec)
Print Tolerance: 0.1mm (0.0039in) in X and Y axes. Z axis is dependent on layer thickness
Layer Thickness: 0.050mm – 0.50mm (0.002in – 0.02 in), Dependent on nozzle size
Capable Materials: ABS, PLA, HIPS, PVA, wood filled filaments, Polyester (Tritan), PETT, bronze and copper filled filaments, Polycarbonate, Nylon, PETG, conductive PLA and ABS, UV luminescent filaments, PCTPE, PC-ABS, and more every day
Usable Filament Sizes: standard 3mm (0.1in)
Prints best with MatterControl and MatterControl Touch for a truly standalone experience

Here is Joel's review:

Here is MatterHackers review:

Here is a review by Thomas Sanladerer:

Review by XRobots:

Here is the TAZ6 homepage:

http://www.matterhackers.com/store/printer-kits/lulzbot-taz-4-3d-printer

LulzBot TAZ 6

LulzBot released their new flagship the TAZ 6 3d printer. It will be priced at 2500 USD.

Sneak peek:

Here is the setup video:

Here is the features overview. I did not know it has integrated filament wiper tool:

Here is a detailed review by Joel:

Company news release:

https://www.lulzbot.com/learn/announcements/announcing-lulzbot-taz-6

PDF brochure:

https://www.lulzbot.com/sites/default/files/LulzBot_TAZ_6_One_Page_Flyer_v4.pdf

LiteFab Open Source DLP 3D Printer

LiteFab is an rugged open source DLP 3D printer you can build yourself at a low cost and which comes with an excellent step-by-stem construction guide.
The cost for this project is some 400-500 USD plus the DLP projector which you can buy new or used which will cost you some 50 - 1000 USD extra. For this build the developer used Acer h6510bd.

The supporting structure is made from CNC cut wood, aluminum rails and 3d printed parts. It looks very hackable, which is encouraged by the developer.

This machines is developed by Instructables user that goes by name of bongoboy23. Cool name bro! Thnx for this project!

Some of the features of this design:

Quick removable vat
FlexVat design means no secondary action needed for peeling parts off vat. For example, the Form1 pulls the vat down on one side to peel parts off the vat. The FEP film used in a flexvat, being flexible, peels as it flexes. This film also has a much longer lifetime then standard vats, which means less often replacement of the vat.
Quick removable bed
Adaptable for use with any projector
Large vat allows for a large build area
Nice open area for easy access to components, for easier maintenance and modification
Opensource! All the design files are provided.

Resin vat with DLP projector underneath which solidifies the resin with UV light.

LiteFab has a very detailed build guide with all the files at:

http://www.instructables.com/id/The-LiteFab-the-Affordable-and-Rugged-DLP-Printer-/?ALLSTEPS

Knight and a Rook. Very detailed and fine.

Objects printed on LiteFab. Looking good ...

Ourobotics Low-Cost DIY Renegade Open Source Bioprinter

Ourobotics is an Irish company that is developing bioprinters. They published an open source low cost bioprinter based on some standard RepRap parts named Renegade that can be sourced for some 900 USD. I doubt that someone will 3d print a kidney on it in a home workshop but some interesting biohacking project could come up in the future.

Ourobotics also developed high-end bioprinter that can print with 10 materials, has enclosed warm chamber for keeping the cells alive and costs some 12500 Euro.

... here it is printing an ear:

Ourobotics homepage:

https://www.weare3dbioprintinghumans.org/

PDF with build instructions based on a common RepRap:

http://www.3ders.org/images2016/ourobotics-bioprinter-instructions.pdf

More detailed article about the project:

http://www.3ders.org/articles/20160204-ourobotics-releases-completely-open-source-renegade-3d-bioprinter.html

Fabcore Open Source 3D Printer

If you are still interested in new FDM 3d printer development projects here is Fabcore from France. It is open sourced and still under development.

Technical specifications:

200 x, 200 y, 200 z
Drive core in x and y axis
Step version available at Fabrap
Extruder GT2
Hotend 0.4mm, 1.75 pla
Can be customized for ABS

Video of Fabcore in action:

Fabrap homepage in French:

http://fabrap-3d-printers.com/

Files to build it can be found on Thingiverse:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1116747

E3D BigBox Open Source 3D Printer

E3D is well known for their hot ends but now they have this great looking machine on Kickstarter. It comes at a good price, several versions and it is fully open sourced and hackable.

Here is the Kickstarter presentation video:

Here is the Kickstarter campaign page:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/e3dbigbox/the-e3d-bigbox-3d-printer/comments

BigBox company page:

http://bigbox-3d.com/

Technical specifications and prices:

MapleMaker Mini V2 3d printer with fully printable frame

MapleMaker Mini v2 is a 3d printer that has fully 3d printable frame and main components. It is an advanced open sourced DIY RepRap that can self-replicate to much higher percentage. Very interesting!
I wonder how sturdy and rigid it is?

Project description:

The mapleMaker Mini introduces you to the world of additive manufacturing and 3D printing. With your own 3D printer, your concepts and design ideas can be translated from computer drawings to physical objects in short period of time.

The aim of this kit was to reduce costs and create an accessible, hackable, upgradeable, and ultimately, user customizable 3D Printer. We believe that a 3D printer should evolve with it’s users needs and knowledge, and become a platform for any number of future upgrades and additions without the need for costly re-works or additional components.

MapleMaker Mini V2 tech specs:

large 8" x 6" x 6" build volume
All metal hot end (e3d Lite6)
Completely 3D Printed frame and all major components
Simplified frame construction
Simplified printed parts components, all printable in 36 hours or less
LCD control panel and electronics enclosures

You can find all the part on YouMagine:

https://www.youmagine.com/designs/maplemaker-mini-v2-3d-printer

Detailed construction guide in PDF format:

http://www.minimadryan.com/MMM_Web/wp-content/MPM_Parts_Guide_HR.pdf

IndieLC compact DIY 3d printer with linear bearings

IndieLC is a compact DIY 3d printer that uses linear bearings. It is small in footprint but has relatively large print volume for its size.

Key features:

Lightweight and Portable – To be transportable I wanted to keep the weight as low as possible though still keep the functionality of the printer. For this reason I decided to base the design around the smaller Nema 14 stepper motors that provide more than enough torque. I also designed the printer so that it can be flat packed by splitting it down to the 3 main axes to be safely stored in a case for transport.
Versatile – To be able to increase the adaptability of the printer for use with different types of materials (PLA/ABS etc) and allow further development of the use of these materials I wanted to incorporate a heated bed so decided to incorporate the RepRapPro heated PCB. This would also alleviate any potential bed adhesion problems.
Stable – With each printer I have previously built the weakness has been the stability of the Z axis as a result of the motion of the X axis. With the crane style design only having one Z axis support I wanted to minimize the weight being transferred across this axis and so I incorporated the use of a Bowden system with the RepRapPro hotend.
Neat – Having gained experience with routing wires, and finding that due to repetitive motion of the axes failed joints or broken connections interrupted the use of the printer, I decided to use flat core cable like I first saw used on the Mendal 90. This has proved a much more reliable method for wiring.
Noise – After using Linear Bearings for motion on all my other printers I decided to try using wheels and bearings to reduce noise and found Openbuilds V-slot system to be a suitable choice.
Efficient – Larger flat plates are made from laser cut acrylic as it provides a good balance between accessibility, strength, cost, weight and aesthetics. It reduces build time as to 3D print these would take a lot of time and I didn’t want to spend ages printing what were essentially 2D parts! The 3D printing is saved for the more complex, intricate designs. Additionally I feel people have greater accessibility to laser cutters versus other manufacturing options.
Print Area – The printable area of the printer is 140x140x140mm which is large compared to the overall size of the printer – making the most of the space available.

Here is the IndieLC in action:

Project homepage:

http://www.openbuilds.com/builds/indielc.1976/

Autodesk releases files for Ember 3d printer

Autodesk made all the mechanical files for their Ember SLA 3D printer publicly available making it open source. It comes shortly after they have open sourced the PR48 resin for it. The Ember itself proved to be very hackable.

Why did they do it? Maybe to gain market for their Spark platform? As a sort of move against competition? Who knows ... How will other companies like FormLabs react? That will be interesting! I see that SLA is the new field of growth and competition and we can certainly hope for much more new machines and materials coming soon.

Here is what Autodesk team writes about this move:

With these design files, you can conceivably make your own Ember. However, many of Ember's parts are injection molded, and while it is possible to 3D print these parts (many of Ember's first prototypes were largely 3D printed -- there's a certain beauty in a 3D-printed 3D printer), it's probably more work and ultimately more expensive than buying an Ember. The same is true of the projector -- having a Fusion model of the projector won't help you make your own, but that's not the point.

Our thought is not that you would duplicate Ember, but extend it. The design files allow you to make your own modifications and enhancements. For example, we'd love to see Ember used as a research platform to explore the next-generation of stereolithography.

All the mechanical files can be found at:

http://spark.autodesk.com/blog/autodesk-ember-3d-printer-source-cad-design-files

Source and more information:

http://spark.autodesk.com/blog/embers-mechanical-designs-are-now-open-source

You-SLS open source desktop SLS 3d printer

German student Lukas Hoppe wants do develop cheapest SLS 3D printer which should be very affordable since it would be open sourced. Since it should use widely available parts it would cost under 2000 USD!

He has started a Indiegogo campaign where you can help him fund this project and get more information:

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/you-sls-the-first-desktop-open-source-lasersinter

I wish him all the best since we ALL WANT A CHEAP DESKTOP SLS!!! :-)

SmartCore low cost wooden box 3d printer

SmartCore is a new 3d printer developed by SmartFriendz who gave us SmartRap. It should be VERY affordable, cheap and easy to make since the frame is a simple wooden box made from any available wood sheet.

The design elements like motor size, rod size, print volume and wall thickens are customizable and the design files can be recalculated. Since I'm a huge fan of wooden frame 3d printers I really like this design and will follow the project closely!

The project is still in development and could have some small disadvantages like slightly higher noise level since the box is an acoustic resonator.

All the files needed to make your own Smartrap Core can be found at:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:651117

https://www.youmagine.com/designs/smartcore

SmartFriendz Lab: http://smartfriendz.com/

Here is a video of Smartrap Core in action:

Boxes are cool, they hold stuff! You can even build your 3d printer in a milk bottle box! Yes ... old plastic milk crate! Technology is awesome!

Update (16.3.2015.):

Here are SmartCores printing:

I really like the colors!

FirePick Delta open source DIY pick and place machine that can be made for 300$

Home electronics manufacturing is one step closer with FirePick project which gives you fully functional pick-and-place machine that can also serve as a 3d printer. The entire design is open sourced and can be made for some 300 USD in "hacker" version.

...video of the machine in action is under the text ...

Project description form the project webpage:

FirePick Delta is an open-source electronics manufacturing system, inspired by RepRap and powered by OpenPnP and FirePick's own Computer Vision software. We are taking the beginning steps towards a smart appliance that can manufacture electronic circuit boards in a home or office environment. Our machine is able to assemble open-source hardware boards like Arduino and Raspberry Pi accessories, and also has the capability to 3D print. It features an auto-tool changer that allows multiple plastic extruders, and/or multiple SMT vacuum nozzles. Other tools and applications will be available as our product matures.

FirePick Delta is an affordable, open-source electronics manufacturing system that sits on your desktop. It's capable of building complex electronic circuit assemblies, like Arduino and Raspberry Pi accessories. It is also able to 3D print plastic parts, just like a standard 3D printer. It assembles circuit boards just like a conventional pick-and-place machine, by using a vacuum nozzle and camera with computer vision to pick up surface-mount parts from component feeders, and precisely place them down on the circuit board. Our machine has an auto-tool changer, and we're working on designing other tools besides the SMT vacuum tip and the 3D print hotend. The system is capable of holding up to four tools and interchanging between them automatically. This also makes it one of the most versatile 3D printers out there, because it can print in four colors of plastic (or in four separate types of plastic, which would allow a single model to have a mixture of PLA, ABS, nylon, and NinjaFlex, for example).

Pick and place machines are used around the world to assemble electronic circuit assemblies, however they usually sell for $50,000 to $500,000. Our machine has a price point of $300 to $5000, depending on modules installed. We should be able to hit that price point by leveraging the open-source technology of the RepRap 3D printer movement. The FirePick Delta is designed to almost completely self-replicate. It is capable of 3d printing its own parts out of PLA or ESD-sensitive ABS plastic. It will also be capable of assembling its own electronic circuit boards. We plan to be the first successful, commercially available RepRap 3d printer to have the power of electronics self-replication. We envision a future where anyone can design (or download existing) electronic projects, and manufacture them in their own home, rather than outsourcing to a traditional factory. This approach saves time and money, and is a much more sustainable solution. FirePick Delta will enable a new wave of small businesses and entrepreneurs to provide unique, bespoke, niche items to the general public, that would be unprofitable for a large conglomerate corporation to manufacture. If you've ever had an electronic project that involved soldering surface-mount electronics, this machine is an incredibly cheap and fun way to do it. If you've ever wanted to sell an electronic board that you've created, and need a way to make lots of them, this machine is for you.

INTENDED USAGE

Prototyping and small runs of PCB's (under 100 per run). Not intended to be used for mass production.
Hobbyists, Makerspaces, high school and college students, entrepreneurs, small businesses.
Great for those with poor eyesight, shaky hands, or those that just don't have the skills to solder on small SMT parts. We occasionally remind those that scoff at our project to check their privileges and remember that not everyone has guru SMT soldering skills or access to a full lab with hot air rework.

COST

We would eventually like to cover three basic demographics:
Hacker and Developer Version: Open framework to go crazy with. Purchased with retail parts from US or foreign distributors. Est. Cost: ~$400-$500.
Maker / Student Version: Base machine in kit form for ~$300-400 is desired. That would not include any tools or feeders, or RasPi or camera. These things are modular and could be purchased at the time of sale or later on. Requires assembly, and support woudl be via internet forum / IRC / mailing list, etc.. The $300 figure is likely more of a BOM cost than final sale price with packaging, shipping, etc.
Professional version: For the tech startups, businesses, etc. Machine would likely retail for $5,000 to $10,000 for a fully assembled machine, with tech support and warranty, and all the other things that a business would look for, before buying a
Note that the Hackaday project is built around the Hacker / Developer version as a prototype, and we hope to offer the second (maker / student version) after the prototypes are built, and crowdfunding is secured. Version 3 ($5000-$10000) will be much later on, possibly 1-2 years from now.

DIMENSIONS

Overall dimensions: 600mm H x 460mm W x 460mm D
Frame dimensions: 520mm H x 300mm W x 300mm D
Max PCB size / 3D print volume: 80mm H x 214mm W x 214mm D

CAMERA AND COMPUTER VISION

Camera: Raspberry Pi 5MP. 3.6mm focal length with f/2.9 aperture. Full control of shutter time, hardware flash, ISO, etc via custom FirePiCam software
Downward looking vision: Currently supported.
Upward looking vision: Planned feature. Will be implemented in the coming weeks. Our software chain fully supports it, it's just a matter of making the 3d printed fixtures and trying it out.
Flying vision: Not yet, but it would be super cool. No timeline to speak of. Forget I even mentioned it.
Computer Vision Software: FireSight (high-level abstraction layer on top of OpenCV), via FireFUSE and FireREST
CV Operations implemented: absdiff, backgroundSubtractor, blur, calcHist, calcOffset, Canny, cvtColor, dft (Discrete Fourier Transform), dftSpectrum, drawKeypoints, drawRects, FireSight, HoleRecognizer, HoughCircles, imread, imwrite, matchTemplate, minAreaRect, MSER, morph, normalize, Points2Resolution, PSNR Compare, putText, QRDecode, resize, SimpleBlobDetector, stageImage, threshold, transparent, warpAffine, warpPerspective, warpRing

SOFTWARE

OpenPnP - Is a project to create the plans, prototype and software for a completely Open Source SMT pick and place machine that anyone can afford. This is the GUI, and the program that handles all of the feeder, camera, and general machien setup, and also the job creation and processing.
FireSight - A high-level computer vision framework designed for Pick and Place machines, powered by OpenCV. No programming experience required - A pipeline of image operations is specified with a JSON structure. The results of the operations are returned as a JSON structure.
FireFUSE - FireFuse is the FUSE driver for all FirePick machines. FireFuse maps all hardware input/output functions for FirePick to individual files in the /dev/firefuse virtual file system. For example, the current camera view of the FirePick camera is presented as /dev/firefuse/cam.jpg. Presenting the camera output this way simplifies and generalizes access to the camera, since "it's just a file."
FireBOM - Similar to ThingDoc, FireBOM will auto-generate BOMs, documentation, real-time pricing and distributerer info, and keeps track of approved vendors and SMT part footprints.
FireMOTE - A web-based frontend for OpenPnP.
FireREST - FireREST is an open-source REST protocol for automated manufacturing. With FireREST, you can connect smart camera nodes, CNC application nodes, CNC machines and browser GUIs in a flexible, extensible manufacturing network. For the non-web gurus, this basically allows us to use raw http as a protocol between various systems in a robotics manufacturing network.
Arduino - Needs no introduction :) We will be designing an Arduino-compatible motion controller with modified RepRap Marlin firmware.
Raspberry Pi - Not 100% open-source, but their heart is in the right place. We plan on using the new Raspberry PI Compute Module, and the Raspberry Pi camera, to run OpenPnP and the other bits of software.
OpenCV - is a library of programming functions mainly aimed at real-time computer vision. Written in optimized C/C++. Thankfully, a lot of work has been done to get it working on the Raspberry Pi.
Linux - Too many crappy Pick and Place machines, only running on Teh Windows :-(
RepRap - An initiative to develop a self-replicating 3D printer.
Marlin firmware - The RepRap firmware is a mashup between Sprinter,grbl and many original parts. It runs on an Arduino and handles the very timing-sensitive job of sending STEP and DIRECTION signals to the stepper motor drivers, controls temperature and extrusion. We'll be modifying it to double as a Pick and Place motion controller.
Greg's Wade Reloaded Extruder - Bulletproof extruder design
RAMPS v1.4 - Our custom board will be roughly based off the Ramps, but with the added stuff necessary for pick and place.
StepStick - Allegro A4988 16x microstepping motor driver
Slic3r - The world's best slicing program for 3d printing
Printrun - Pure Python 3d printing host software

COMPONENT SIZE / PLACEMENT ACCURACY

(Note many of these are not practical to place, until we get our feeders and vision 100% working)
Passives down to 0402
Diodes: SMC, SMB, SMA, SOD128, SOD80, SOD323, MicroMELF
SOT-23
QFN, DFN, QFP, SOIC, TSOP, BGA to ~0.4mm pitch
SOT23-3, SOT23-5, SOT23-6, SOT223, SOT89, SC70, DPAK, D2PAK
IC's and large/wide components to ~50mm wide
Aluminum capacitors and tall components <= 15mm H

MODULAR AUTO/RAPID TOOL CHANGING SYSTEM

Holds up to four (4) tools in the machine at the same time
System will recognize tools upon insertion. EEPROM in each tool keeps track of SMT nozzle size, and 3D printing parameters like thermistor tables, etc.
Tools are hot swappable
Average cost of materials per modular tool: $10 - $500, depending on tool.
Current tools offered: SMT vacuum nozzle, solder paste dispense, 3D Print hotend.
Future tools offered: Professional shot-meter style fluid dispense system for scientific laboratory or solder paste / glue dispense.Pen plotter, laser sensitizer (not big enough to cut stuff with), pogo-pin based flying-probe (for voltage testing, etc), Atmel AVR flying-probe programer. Hot air rework station for minor rework. Note that we intend for other members of the open-source community to help us bring these tools into existence, as the need arises.
MODULAR SMT COMPONENT FEEDER SYSTEM
ESD-safe via conductive ABS plastic 3D printing filament.
Average cost of materials per feeder: $5-10
Auto-recognized by OpenPnP via QR code labels affixed to feeders
Tape feeders: 8mm, 12mm, 16mm, 24mm, 32mm, 44mm. Drag-feed with (and without) cover-tape winding, and full-auto advancing version for 8mm
Tray feeders: Non-JEDEC. Holds a few small loose parts. Supports pause/reload prompts.
Tube feeders: NOTE: We've not started these yet, but see them as minimum risk. We started the tape parts first, since they're more desirable. Will have a vibratory source (DC motor w/counterweight). Will be easy to customize and print custom tube feeders for weird non-standard chokes and coils, etc.

Here is a video of FirePick in action and the main components:

FirePick homepage:

http://delta.firepick.org/

Project homepage on hackaday.io:

http://hackaday.io/project/963-300-pick-and-place-3d-printer

FirePick GitHub repository: https://github.com/firepick1/

IcePick Delta 3d printer made with no linear rods or bearings

IcePick Delta 3d printer is a design without linear rods or bearings and with sturdy wooden frame. This approach lowers the total price and makes the machine parts more locally sourcable.
The project is developed by TTN and Matt Kimball and is still in intensive development stage.

From project description:

Icepick Delta is a open source 3d printer that was inspired by the Firepick Delta. The project aim is to build a 3d printer with no linear rods or linear bearings. I wanted a delta 3d printer, but was put off by linear rail and rod prices.

When the project started, the Firepick Delta files had not been released yet (they're on github now). The icepick is based on the Firepick Delta, but designed from the ground up.

The repapiness of this design is very high, leading to a smaller number of parts required, in turn lowering cost.

The build height looks to be about 160mm at the moment at a diameter of 200mm. Currently, printing speeds and acceleration have to stay low to avoid backlash. Another option to be explored is braided fishing line.

At the moment, the firmware is functional, but when going outside a certain radius (reachable points), it will decide to home that particular arm. Upper arm homing angle firmware needs some work.
The target printable area will be at least the standard 200mm cube.

More information and filess related to this project are at:

https://hackaday.io/project/1565-icepick-delta

https://github.com/Laura3/IcePick-Delta

FirePick project:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/12/firepick-delta-open-source-diy-pick-and.html

Sli3DR 3d printer by RichRap

Sli3DR (pronounced Slider) is a new DIY open source 3d printer developed by famous RichRap. It has unique moment mechanics configuration that uses Spectra line.

Sli3DR has excellent print results

Here is a diagram of "unnamed" mechanical movement that is used on this machine with Spectra line which originates from old pen plotter machine:

You can find out more about this mechanism on RichRap's blog.

Update: one of the commentators claims it that the mechanism is similar to the movement of Stratasys Fortus machines. Since I'm not familiar with them I can not confirm it ... hopefully this mechanism will be identified and it's origins clarified ...

Richrap's blog and introduction source post:

http://richrap.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/sli3dr-3d-printer-design-files-up-on.html

You can get all the filees needed to make it on Youmagine:

https://www.youmagine.com/designs/sli3dr-pronounced-slider-3d-printer

... and GitHub including Repetier Firmware:

https://github.com/RichRap/Sli3DR

MetalicaRap DIY electron beam welding and vapor deposition 3d printer

MetalicaRap is an open source DIY 3D metal home solar cell printer, based on the principles of electron beam welding and vapor deposition. MetalicaRap is currently in the early design and development phase.

The goal is to have affordable home-manufacturing of solar cells, key electrical parts and milled-quality metal parts. MetalicaRap has a very ambitious mission to bring down a price of home solar power system from 10.000 euro to 400-500 euro range by printing it.
If this projects is successfully developed it could make a major revolution in DIY 3d printing, solar power and DIY electronics.

This project is too big and complex to cover in this post, I'll follow it and update it but be sure to check the project homepage for much more information.

MetalicaRap

Proposed technical characteristics:

A build volume of about 30cm x 30cm x30cm (prototype will be 24cmx24cmx24cm as this is min that can still print babies)
Produces finished parts +/- 20 µm over 20mm
Finished parts should be the metallurgical equivalent to wrought iron milled metal parts(full strength, >98% density)
The printer is largely self reproducing(i.e. it can print many of its own parts)
Single Phase electrical supply
Minimum consumables beyond metal powder (avoiding need for e.g. argon gas would be an advantage for later designs)
Cost for parts which it cannot itself print plus the raw material for printable parts is less than the cost of a used car (self replication plus self build kit may reduce the price by approximately 100 times i.e. from the existing price of a metal 3D printer or solar cell plant; 1,000,000 euro price tag,to 10,000 euro self print/kit price. historically the plastic printer went from 30,000 euro commercial price to 500 euro in 2009 via this approach)
The build-rate can be slow i.e. 0.2 kg per hour.
Max height should be 2.4m so it can fit in a home. ( first/simpler to construct prototype will be taller than this until we know how much we can bend beam while maintaining spot size, the bigger the bend the shorter it will become)
Shape and size of vacuum chamber and electron gun power rating should be suitable for Solar Cell Printing(300W).

Since it is a high tech advanced design with many sophisticated technologies integrated in single device, here are some advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages of current chosen design approach

Fully functional parts directly from standard metals
For most parts it may offer dimensionally finished metal parts IT grade 7
Good metallurgy on all common metals (Melting process rather than sintering process ensures near 100% of solid material)
Closed loop system
Self measurement of finished part tolerances.
May offer automatic self correction (subtractive machining steps during build process and feedback with compensation used in the additive process).
Eventual additional Benefits;
Can print thin film CIGS Solar cells in existing 10−4vacuum chamber with existing electron gun. Will be able to self print additional required parts for solar cell printer.
Can create its own metal powder from scrap metal.
Can finish the refining process for titanium metal by melting titanium sponge, which may lead to a 25 fold reduction in the titanium price.

Disadvantages of current chosen design approach

Vacuum chamber needs on going maintenance.
Given the quantity and quality of metal/materials used in 10-4 torr vacuum chamber construction they may have high cost or be hard to obtain. (Limited outgasing required)
Difficultly in managing metal powders, indicated by the need to have layer error correction, Problem area's including; powder layer flatness, metal meniscus blob formation, metal powder trapped in work piece (i.e. designed internal closed cavities, designed internal porous or honeycomb structures most likely impossible without additional processing or work on the part after printing).
Quality Control may be a hurdle to overcome - on the fly heat treatment process development (to overcome residual stress present in the first few layers) may be desirable but optional. Layer by layer temperature measurement is one way for metallurgical quality assurance. Currently multiple printed and tested tensile test samples are used to prove most processes. This is a problem in general for additive manufacturing of all sorts at present.
Adequate surface finish may require post processing, depending on the purpose of the part.Later by the addition of argon we could do electronbeam polishing.
Non-desktop size wardrobe size,chamber volume approx 0.3m cubed.

MetalicaRap homepage on RepRapWiki, it has very detailed and extensive information and technical drawings of the project:

http://reprap.org/wiki/MetalicaRap

there is a project forum: http://forums.reprap.org/list.php?215%7Cthe

Here is a video that demonstrates the electron beam evaporation and deposition process:

Description with technical specifications from the DropLit page:

Meet DropLit™. Our next generation of 3D printers for makers/hackers/tinkerers. With our world famous laser-cut frames and stainless steel hardware this kit has all the quality people have come to know and trust with our other SeeMeCNC™ desktop 3D printers. Our aim in offering the DropLit™ is to provide a solid foundation for the rapid advancement of the next technological leap in desktop 3D printing. We have one of the most amazing and active communities out there when it comes to delta based 3D printers and look forward to contributing the knowledge that we've all gained and applying it to desktop resin printing.

Droplit™ is an open-source desktop resin based 3D printer *kit* that includes the mechanical parts needed to build and run the z stage. It does not include the projector, you will need to purchase and likely modify a projector separately. We do not provide the projector or any specific models to use, however you can visit our Forum for topics involving which models people have used and what modifications they have done.

Specs (Subject to change):
Build Diameter: appx. 3"
Max Build Height: appx 6"
Layer Height: User defined (avg. .050mm - .1 mm)
Power Supply: ATX PC style PSU (included)
Electronics: Ardunio UNO + GRBLShiled
Firmware: GRBL
The Z axis stage is driven by an M5-.8 screw and uses our own design of an anti-backlash nut and spring assembly to hold less than 5 micron accuracy. The nut design can be downloaded and printed here or found on our GitHub page for the DropLit™
We have tested the DropLit™ with a projector with the following specs:
1024x768 or better native resolution
17,000:1 contrast ratio
3,000 Lumens output
DLP only, LCD will not work
Uses Osram 190w P-VIP lamp (removal of the UV filter required)

DropLit homepage:

http://seemecnc.com/products/droplit-diy-kit

OpenExposer low cost open source SLA 3d printer

Mario Lukas developed OpenExposer, low cost open source SLA 3d printer. OpenExposer is much more than just a 3d printer, it can also be used as UV PCB exposer, laser harp or show laser. It will have different modules for different uses.

Mario writes in project comments:

"The main focus of the OpenExposer Project is on the little red box which should contain all electronic and optical parts. This box should be clampable to different modules. The 3D printer which i am building currently is only one of those clampable modules. For PCB etching i am planing to design a module which works like a laminator."

The frame is made from standard RepRap rods and parts. The main part of 3D printer system is a small slit cut into the bed, and a build platform that moves in the Z axis. The bed contains a UV laser and a polygon mirror recycled from a junk laser printer. By moving the bed in the Y direction, laser can be targeted anywhere on an X-Y plane. By adding a tank filled with UV curing resin on the bed there is a complete SLA printer.

It is currently still under heavy development but it looks very promising. There will be many problems to solve like varying focal length laser traces the arc from the polygon mirror since laser printers use a specialized type of lens to insure the focus is consistent, allowing a consistent spot size over the entire sweep of the beam.

Mani features:

unit for multiple laser exposing processes
Arduino compatible
low cost (standard laser printer) parts
case parts lasercut or 3d printable
up to 2 stepper motors can be connected
additional I/O ports for custom extensions
simple protocol
extendable host software

Project homepage with more details, build log and development updates:

http://hackaday.io/project/1129-OpenExposer

OpenExposer GitHub repository:

https://github.com/mariolukas/openexposer

The "Red Box" with SLA module. There are different modules planed like the one for PCB etching.

First test SLA print results of OpenExposer

Update (20.8.2014.):

Here is OpenExposer shown as working SLA 3d printer and its software tool chain:

Makrtoolbox Mk1 low cost open source 3d printer

The Mk1 3d printer is designed and built by father and son team: Earnie Garner and Earnie Garner Jr., who for the last ten years have owned and operated a local technology business in Wahpeton, North Dakota.
Technical specifications:

Build Volume: 6"x6"x6" (150mmx150mmx150mm)
Resolution: <50 microns (0.05mm) X/Y & 100 microns (0.1mm) Z
Nozzle Size: 0.3mm or 0.4mm
Hot End: J-Head ( easily replaceable, upgradeable)
Filament Diameter: 1.75mm
Materials: Tested with PLA and Nylon
Power: Includes 110v Power adapter. 12v 6amp
Controller: Ramps 1.4 board (Arduino based)
Software: G-Code compatible (Using Marlin Firmware) / Free Open
Source programs like Repetier Host or Pronterface

It will be open sourced and all the data will be available at company page.

You can get it in kit form for $ 399 trough their Kickstarter campaign where you can also see video of it in action:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1812501409/makrtoolbox-mk1-3d-printer

Company page:

http://makrtoolbox.com/

LulzBot TAZ 4 3D Printer just released!

Lulzbot TAZ series of printers is getting constant upgrades and new model releases. Nice work! And they are still fully open source.

TAZ 4 technical specifications:

Printing
Print Surface: Heated Borosilicate glass bed covered with PET film
Print Area: 298mm x 275mm x 250mm (11.7in x 10.8in x 9.8in)
Print Volume: 20,500cm3 (1238 in3) of usable space
Top Print Speed: 200mm/sec (7.9in/sec)
Print Tolerance: 0.1mm (0.0039in) in X and Y axes. Z axis is dependent on layer thickness
Layer Thickness: 0.075mm to 0.35mm (0.003in - 0.0138in)
Supported Materials: ABS, PLA, HIPS, PVA, and wood filaments
Usable Filament Sizes: standard 3mm (0.1in)
Physical Dimensions
Overall Dimensions: 680mm x 520mm x 515mm (26.8in x 20.5in x 20.3in)
Weight: 11kg (24.25lbs)
Electrical
Power Requirements: 100 - 240 VAC
Temperature: Maximum operating temperature (Extruder), 240C (464F)
Temperature: Maximum operating temperature (Heated Bed), 120C (248F)

It is priced at: $2,194.95

TAZ 4 homepage:

https://www.lulzbot.com/products/lulzbot-taz-4-3d-printer

TAZ 4

Previous model, the TAZ 3:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2013/12/lulzbot-taz-3-3d-printer.html

Lulzbot factory tour and interview about open source business model:

http://diy3dprinting.blogspot.com/2014/02/lulzbot-factory-tour-and-open-hardware.html

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