This 3D printer Multifunction includes CNC, laser cutter and lathe
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Hardly free energy...
I have a 3d-printer and the concept of making an universal cnc machine with interchangeable 'heads' has been on my mind for years.
I have some ideas about that and am interested in discussing it; are you? But this site is not for that.
Hi Memory, Franco
I have 3d printer from Felix robotics and prior of buying it I was actually thinking about some more universal machine. I know there are already some of this type 3dprinter/CNC Milling machine convertible on the market. I remember I liked one made in Germany. The only question is how good is it for Milling. It would be suitable to do only very limited light jobs. I am technical engineer in the CNC environment so my final decision was to go just pure 3d printer and the milling/turning I can do at work :) What is in my mind is the question how to make 3d printing more precise and higher quality - of course after my thoughts how to make OU device :D
Thanks for the quick reply.
I have little interest in making OU machines, although there are some areas of interest to me.
I have been involved in the cnc field for ~ 35 years, mainly in the service field, but also done retrofits.
Started to do my own designs in the '80s. Currently involved in many things, but we can discuss this off site.
Reply to: nge-pro@hushmail.com please.
We can also add a robotic arm:
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http://www.instructables.com/id/ROBOTIC-ARM-Arduino-Controlled/?ALLSTEPS
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Perhaps if the goal is to build a 3d printer that can also do milling and drilling...then a bench top milling machine might be converted?
Stepping motors driving the x,y, and z axis and perhaps an adapter to handle the 3d printing nozzle on the z axis shaft?
This way, you already have the strong base and do not have to re-invent stronger axis movement rails.
Just a thought...to me, this seems much easier and cheaper.
Bill
pirate, it depends on the intended market.
I visualize a travelling column machine, capable of mild steel milling; linear feedback on all axes; selling for $4k-$10k.
Fraunhofer-Institute "Lasercav" http://publica.fraunhofer.de/keywords/LASERCAV (http://publica.fraunhofer.de/keywords/LASERCAV) and let it translated
http://www.deutsches-museum.de/sammlungen/maschinen/werkzeugmaschinen/nc-technik/laser-licht/laser-bearbeitungszentrum/ (http://www.deutsches-museum.de/sammlungen/maschinen/werkzeugmaschinen/nc-technik/laser-licht/laser-bearbeitungszentrum/)
"open source"-Technology
and here http://www.overunity.de/54/rapid-prototyping-hardware/#.VOHDVyzAuTk (http://www.overunity.de/54/rapid-prototyping-hardware/#.VOHDVyzAuTk)
for some pages there is now the need from search by the the archive.org https://archive.org/ (https://archive.org/) wayback machine
Alternatively to laser https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0wlWQWAnqE
Quote from: Pirate88179 on February 15, 2015, 03:05:17 PM
Perhaps if the goal is to build a 3d printer that can also do milling and drilling...then a bench top milling machine might be converted?
Stepping motors driving the x,y, and z axis and perhaps an adapter to handle the 3d printing nozzle on the z axis shaft?
This way, you already have the strong base and do not have to re-invent stronger axis movement rails.
Just a thought...to me, this seems much easier and cheaper.
Bill
Sure! You can already buy Sherline CNC milling machines and rotary tables off the shelf. All that's needed is a printing head module that can bolt on in place of the milling tool. It's a great idea, somebody should make it work, I'll bet the Sherline company would go for the idea.
TK, Sherline makes small machines with low accuracy and repeatability.
What I have in mind has more rigidity, absolute scales (I have invented a scale that is low cost bus still has <.001' resolution). Maybe a 10" cube work envelope?
Quote from: memoryman on February 16, 2015, 10:08:50 AM
TK, Sherline makes small machines with low accuracy and repeatability.
What I have in mind has more rigidity, absolute scales (I have invented a scale that is low cost bus still has <.001' resolution). Maybe a 10" cube work envelope?
Being the proud owner of a complete Sherline miniature machine shop (manual, not CNC) and just about every accessory in their catalog, I beg to differ with you. I can work to tolerances of 0.0001 inch with the Sherline equipment. Of course it needs proper setup and use... and also it is in storage in another location so I can't demonstrate anything to you except perhaps this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ewRqiKwoXo
Now, I am certain that you could make something that would be "better" and more rigid in a small work cube from scratch, but I also think that a print head for a CNC Sherline mill would work nearly as well for most purposes. Certainly it would be able to achieve 0.001 inch tolerance.
TK:
That is a nice lathe. I always hated 4 jaw chucks...very accurate but, it always took me a while to get it zeroed in. I looked up those machined tools and they are reasonably priced in my opinion. The cnc options do not cost all that much more it seems. I checked out their milling machine. Those bed ways are much more rigid than some rods taken from an ink-jet printer that most use on 3-d printers.
Bill
In no way do I diss the Sherline; they are great machine for cost and size. Maybe money could be made selling a 3D attachment; that just is not my interest.
I visualise a universal cnc machine with extendable X-axis (almost plug'n play) with other features not available in a small desktop machine. My selling price would start around $4k, so not a low cost machine. I see a gap in the market that is not filled.
I am also very interested in developing a uv resin based 3D printer with unusual features. Lack of resources (read: money) keeps me limited.
Btw, 3 jaw chucks are available for the Sherline of course.