Enemy Delta Robot
Enemy Delta Robot
This delta robot based on work from http://www.enemygadgets.com/delta/index.html
The aim is a cheap delta robot anyone can make with the reprap, laser or routing cutters.
Second aim - make light weight micro extruder specifically for small delta robots.
Third aim - build robot to enter the Gada Prize by becoming inherently cheap to build.
Fourth aim - build a PIC based controller with USB and G-code interpreter that is compatible to reprap software
I need to build a reprap to play with, so I get to know how it works better. As I learn more, I intend to start to build some variant(s) of existing reprap machine. I can then get some of the difficult to make parts from others who make it already in case I run into brick wall with my limited tech.
The biggest headache I can see in this project is getting a micro extruder going that doesn't weigh down the delta robot. Some commercial delta robots can operate at 200 operations per second. The only things that weigh them down are eliminated by using carbon fibre rods.
Fitting a bulky extruder and mechanisms to feed it and heavy current carrying wires for the heater ain't gonna get a fast delta robot. A micro extruder for this delta robot has to go back to the drawing board to address all the issues that it generates.
The first idea for extruder is needle and soldering iron. That won't work apparently because needles are long and pressure to squirt material through long needles is high. To lower the pressure the final hole needs to be one or two millimetres. So make it the usual way reprappers do.
The second idea is to break down water with electricity to make hydrogen and oxygen and then find a high temperature double hose. The inside hose will carry the melt, while the outside hose will have this hydrogen/oxygen mix ignited keeping the inner hose hot. That way, the melting takes place far away from the delta robot's moving head and this keeps the mass of the head small so that the delta robot can wizz around at its natural horrendously fast speeds.
The hydrogen/oxgyen scheme may be a little extreme, but the principle of a double hose has value. For example, if a high temperature hose can be made, then the outside hose can be a coil of nichrome wire and it can keep the inner hose hot and the plastic melt inside that as hot as needed.
