What’s Up with Kitchissippi Robotics 2021
When I completed the last test build of the Gemini 3D Printer I found that although the CoreXY mechanism worked well – the Z axis still left much to be desired.
The print bed was quite heavy and hard to keep level when the motors were idle and the weight wanted to slide the bed downwards.
I then built it using a cantilever bed which solved the levelling issue but I then found that any fast moment of the print carriage introduced unacceptable level of vibrations which were amplified by the cantilever mechanism.
Around that time, the market became flooded with cheap shoddy 3D printer kits (they’ve gotten better since 2016, to be fair, but it was a crap-fest at the time) and I was unwilling to invest further into the R&D of a CoreXY bot design that it was clear I was never going to be able to sell at the price point I intended, especially if the Z axis solution was going to need more expensive parts than the initial prototypes.
I learned some better CAD software and decided to put aside the designing of 3D printers since it had become an all-consuming activity for a while and was rapidly becoming nothing more than a money-pit instead of a business investment due to the aforementioned market changes.
I’ve made plenty of cool things in the meantime with my upgraded Prusa i2, but lately I have found that the limits of it’s 200x200x100 print volume has become a liability so I dusted off my stacks of aluminum extrusion and boxes of 3D printer parts and I am taking another crack at it.
This time, the goal is to assemble the best of the parts I have with a few newer components into a much simpler and time-proven format and also to use up some of these R&D materials which aren’t doing me any good sitting around.
To this end, the new machine will be aiming for a 300x200x300+ print volume and use the same orientation of the moving axis as Prusa’s printers do.
The main differences between mine and the average Prusa clone (aside from the larger volume) is that the frame is entirely enclosing the mechanism, allowing for a warmer and quieter build chamber and I’m using appropriately sized 12mm linear rods for the guides.
This has been coming together quite quickly, starting with the initial idea at the end of January to a nearly assembled robot by mid-February. Pictures and more details will be coming soon.
Also in the works, check back for some new content that I am preparing related to 3D printing of RC cars and Beetleweight (3lb) combat robots.
Recent Comments