Simple Hack to 3D Print HUGE Parts
Introduction: Simple Hack to 3D Print HUGE Parts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gruBm8ppwgY
☝️☝️**Watch demo video above first. It answers all questions.**☝️☝️
Check out the demo video!
In this tutorial, I will explain how to convert a regular 3D printer into a conveyor belt 3D printer! Why would you want to make this conversion? Because a conveyor belt 3D printer can print infinitely long parts. If you don't believe me then watch some of the demo above!
This project is completely opensource. Resultantly, I have have aptly named this 3D printer the "OpenBelt Printer". I have linked the CAD and firmware to this Instructable. I have also created detailed instructions so that you can easily build (and improve) this 3D printer. My goal is that this project serves as a platform to encourage/inspire other people to build conveyor belt 3D printers.
Supplies
* 1 × FDM 3D Printer
* Instead of starting from scratch, we will be modifying an exiting 3D printer into a conveyor belt 3D printer. Almost any FDM 3D printer is suitable for this conversion. i am using an Artillery3D Hornet for my conversion.
* 50 × M5x8mm Hex Bolts
* Hex Socket Head
* 4 × M5 Sliding T Nuts
* 2 × 8mm Metal Axle
* Each axle must be at least 200mm long. You can cheaply purchase such axles from vendors like Home Depot, Amazon, Canadian Tire, McMaster-Carr, etc.
Step 1: Project Introduction (You Can Skip This)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gruBm8ppwgY
Conveyor belt 3D printers are arguably the most exciting development in 3D printing since RepRap. With its unique design, a conveyor belt 3D printer has two features which no other desktop 3D printer can offer: automatic part ejection and infinitely long printing. Resultantly, a conveyor belt 3D printer can both mass produce parts and print extremely large parts. If it works…
Over the past half decade, a number of desktop conveyor belt 3D printers have been released to the public. Unfortunately, these machines are buggy and finicky; their print quality does not meet our expectations of a 3D printer in 2022. Current conveyor belt printers are reminiscent of hobby 3D printers from 2007-2009: low quality, unreliable, prototype adjacent, but also lots of fun! The caveats and details of conveyor belt 3D printers still need to be ironed out. 807
I believe that there is a missing ingredient that will rapidly move this design forwards: community. In its early stages, amateur 3D printer designs made rapid progress due to a large, committed, opensource community that was working together to make low cost 3D printers viable. Conveyor belt 3D printers need the same open source catalyst.
I have built many, many, many, many, many conveyor belt 3D printers. From the knowledge gained through these successes (and failures), I have designed a new conveyor belt 3D printer that is extremely simple for people to build. The 3D printer is completely free and opensource with the CAD and firmware available in this document. I have also provided detailed build instructions to make it straight forwards for others to replicate (and hopefully improve) the 3D printer. Due to the opensource nature of this project, I have aptly named this 3D printer design OpenBelt - The Opensource Conveyor Belt 3D Printer.
Step 2: Project Design Choices
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gruBm8ppwgY
My goal is that as many people as possible are able to replicate this 3D printer. Therefore, I tried to make the design accessible and easy to follow for people from all technical background. In pursuit of this goal, I made the following design choices while developing this project.
1. All components for this project can be 3D printed
In my previous conveyor belt 3D printer designs, I used a lathe and mill to machine some of the components. I am assuming most people attempting this project do not have access to such expensive machines. So I specifically designed all of the fixtures, jigs, and other components to be 3D printable. I hope this makes it easier for others to fabricate these components.
2. Simple Design >>> Perfect Design
I chose to make this conveyor belt 3D printer as simple as possible. There are many extra features that I would love to add to this machine. But I chose to only include the bare essentials for this tutorial.
3. 807