3D Printer Extruder Notes: Difference between revisions
(Created page with "IN PROGRESS! An extruder is the print head for a 3d printer. It acts like a hot glue gun, pushing plastic filament into a hot end, which melts it and lets it out through a small...") |
No edit summary |
||
| Line 5: | Line 5: | ||
There are already many open source designs for extruders. The Open Source Ecology project wants to develop one that is as simple as possible to build and can be attached to the CNC machine in place of a cutting tool. | There are already many open source designs for extruders. The Open Source Ecology project wants to develop one that is as simple as possible to build and can be attached to the CNC machine in place of a cutting tool. | ||
The [http://wiki.makerbot.com/plastruder-mk5 MakerBot Plastruder MK5] has excellent documentation on its assembly and usage, is built using cut out flat parts, so it doesn't need an | I've done some research into what's out there and here are some relevant existing designs. | ||
==Plastruder MK5== | |||
The [http://wiki.makerbot.com/plastruder-mk5 MakerBot Plastruder MK5] has excellent documentation on its assembly and usage, is built using cut out flat parts, so it doesn't need an existing 3d printer to build, and has tons of experience and testing put into its design. On the downside, it may be a little more complicated than it needs to be. Some potential features for simplification are: | |||
* Using straight cuts instead of curved cuts for improved rigidity and speed and easy of construction, especially by hand. | * Using straight cuts instead of curved cuts for improved rigidity and speed and easy of construction, especially by hand. | ||
* Using fewer different types of parts. Its simpler to source parts, build, and document if is uses 10 of one kind of screw instead of 5 of one kind and 5 of a different kind. | * Using fewer different types of parts. Its simpler to source parts, build, and document if is uses 10 of one kind of screw instead of 5 of one kind and 5 of a different kind. | ||
| Line 14: | Line 18: | ||
It requires many different pieces of hardware and the curved cuts for the mounting bracket add build complexity if cutting by hand without necessarily adding usefulness. | It requires many different pieces of hardware and the curved cuts for the mounting bracket add build complexity if cutting by hand without necessarily adding usefulness. | ||
== Wade's Geared Extruder == | |||
Wade's Geared Extruder seems to be one of the simplest out there - http://reprap.org/wiki/Geared_Nema17_Extruder. It's got only 4 printed parts, including gears. | |||
== Huxley Seedling - Wade's Extruder == | |||
This is a design based on Wade's Geared Extruder which uses layers of flat material, like the MK5, instead of printed parts. | |||
http://reprap.org/wiki/Huxley_Seedling#Wades_Extruder, http://reprap.org/mediawiki/images/b/b8/Wades_Extruder.pdf | |||
== Hot End Designs == | |||
http://reprap.org/wiki/Huxley_seedling_hot_end | |||
http://reprap.org/wiki/DIY_Direct_hot_end | |||
Revision as of 13:35, 8 June 2012
IN PROGRESS!
An extruder is the print head for a 3d printer. It acts like a hot glue gun, pushing plastic filament into a hot end, which melts it and lets it out through a small hole.
There are already many open source designs for extruders. The Open Source Ecology project wants to develop one that is as simple as possible to build and can be attached to the CNC machine in place of a cutting tool.
I've done some research into what's out there and here are some relevant existing designs.
Plastruder MK5
The MakerBot Plastruder MK5 has excellent documentation on its assembly and usage, is built using cut out flat parts, so it doesn't need an existing 3d printer to build, and has tons of experience and testing put into its design. On the downside, it may be a little more complicated than it needs to be. Some potential features for simplification are:
- Using straight cuts instead of curved cuts for improved rigidity and speed and easy of construction, especially by hand.
- Using fewer different types of parts. Its simpler to source parts, build, and document if is uses 10 of one kind of screw instead of 5 of one kind and 5 of a different kind.
- Using round spacers instead if bolts to mount the hot end to the plate in the middle, similar to how the plate is mounted to the feeder. They'd need to be made out of something that can handle more heat and then we might want to replace the existing plastic spacers.
Instead of those plastic spacing rounds, they can use metal ones, then use the same diameter metal rounds for the second-level spacing as I mentioned in the paragraph above.
It requires many different pieces of hardware and the curved cuts for the mounting bracket add build complexity if cutting by hand without necessarily adding usefulness.
Wade's Geared Extruder
Wade's Geared Extruder seems to be one of the simplest out there - http://reprap.org/wiki/Geared_Nema17_Extruder. It's got only 4 printed parts, including gears.
Huxley Seedling - Wade's Extruder
This is a design based on Wade's Geared Extruder which uses layers of flat material, like the MK5, instead of printed parts.
http://reprap.org/wiki/Huxley_Seedling#Wades_Extruder, http://reprap.org/mediawiki/images/b/b8/Wades_Extruder.pdf