Open Source 3D Printing Cluster

Introduction

This project is intended to be a Distributive Enterprise which allows for a cloud-based 3D printing service. Payment is included in this service.

As a later phase, backed by the printing capacity of various 3D print clusters

Used For

• 3D Pronting of parts
• as a component of the Open Source Automation Construction Set

Development Stuff

Team

See Christian Log for July 2017 entries.

Working Doc

edit

Cluster Features - Requirements

• Control of 24 printers with one raspberry pi
• Logging of total print time for every machine
• Logging of total number of prints
• Logging of print failure. Suggestions - upon starting a print on a given machine, you are asked whether the last print was successful.

Phases

• 1 - printing, 12 printers
• 2 - Online Ordering of 3D Prints. Software activates printer automatically, and prints shipping label automatically. Shipping via Pickup. Automatic print labels.
• 3 - Integration with postage printing.
• 4 - Addition of Stickers printed on demand.
• 5 - Open source color laser printer and inkjet printer.

Industry Standards

• Polar Cloud - https://polar3d.com/ - Cloud 3D print platform; proprietary, but uses open source OctoPrint.
• Prusa's Latest Print Farm

Minimum Viable Product

• Open Source
• Modular
• User Maintainable
• User Upgradable
• Uses the D3D Printer (although this could be adapted to other machienes in the Open Source Digital Fabrication Construction Set
• Diverse Networking Options (ie USB, Thunderbolt 3, Ethernet, Infiniband, Wifi, Bluetooth, Lifi)
• Scalable From 2 Printers to 1,000 Printers (maybe more...)
• Intigration with the Open Source Automation Construction Set
• User Freindly

Basic Design

Printer

• D3D Printer (Although others could possibly work with the software+any additional hardware too)

Hardware

• Something like a rasberry pi/mini PC (or custom board) takes in the network signal, then this passes it off to the printer's microcontroller+servo controller via USB
• Because it is usb connected and not soldered in this allows for easy upgradability, and modularity
• This could all go in a 3D Printed Enclosure

See Also

• Open Source Automation Construction Set
• Open Source Digital Fabrication Construction Set
• D3D Printer
• 3d Printer Cluster