Hangprinter
Release status: Idea stage/Experimental
| Description | A RepRap using walls and ceiling as its frame
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| CAD Models | OpenSCAD
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Ideas the design is meant to implement
- A print-head that hangs down in a string from the ceiling.
- Put all the hardware (except AC/DC-converter) in one single unit.
It should be possible to install in a house by simply by attaching strings to anchor points in walls and ceiling, power wire to circuit board and filament to extruder.
Assumed difficulties
- Special z-compensating firmware will need to be written in order to acheive plane enough xy-planes if print radius is > ca 2 cm.
- It will probably need to be a slow printer, since it relies on tight strings for stability.
- Feeding filament and carrying power wires around while avoiding xy-rotations will require special solutions.
- A custom designed extruder, because all motor shafts will have to be paralell with the z-direction in order to avoid xy-torque induced by them.
- Finding a reasonable home position without imposing lots of constraints on the print start process and/or the position of anchor points.
- Convincing people to put anchor points (screws) in walls and ceiling might prove difficult.
Assumed advantages From Using House as Frame
- Low part count.
- Easy and fast to build.
- Very easy to install and distribute.
- Huge build volume (especially height).
- When printer is not running, noe could retract all the strings. Hanging it in the z-achor point (the ceiling) with no dangeling strings might be elegant storage solution. Could make it popular in big cities, where indoor area is scarce.
