Printrbot

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Printrbot

Release status: working

Printrbot.jpg
Description
the simplest, cheapest, RepRap 3D printer in the world.
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Printrbot is the simplest, cheapest, RepRap 3D printer in the world. As of April 2014 there are four versions - Simple, Jr, Plus & Go.

Happy Printing, Brook Drumm

Project Goal

The overall goal is not to win the Gada Prize - although I would be proud :), rather, the goal is to offer a printer that kids can put together and operate. My dream is to provide every school with a Printrbot... and that every Printrbot will produce offspring that produces offspring (...etc....) until every home and school has a 3D printer.

Overview

One 3D Printer Per Home is a huge goal. In reality, only some students will even WANT a 3D printer, so that lowers the bar significantly. My short-term goal is to provide Printrbot 3D printers to any school interested-- AT LOW COST, so that the students who want them can use the school Prinrbot to print the parts to make a Printrbot.... just add electronics, stepper motors, smooth and threaded rod. Through our "Print It Forward" program, we will ask each school to print, assemble and donate a Printrbot to 3 other schools. Although everyone is welcome to source their own parts, Printrbot.com will offer discounts to make this feasible. By relying on schools and Printrbot owners to print 3 other sets of parts to construct a Printrbot, we hope to spread the RepRap love far and wide!

Project Description

Printrbot is a reality. This is a real 3D printer that prints TODAY. I have designed this printer myself, only using other people's work for optional items.

The non-original parts used are:

  • Your choice of extruder
  • 2x belt pulleys
  • 2x Z-couplers

Three Designs: Printrbot Original, -Junior and -Senior

  • The Printrbot is the original design that has a medium sized printbed (6x6x6in/150x150x150mm), and aims at the sweet-spot between practicality and price.
  • The Printrbot Junior is the ultra-small, ultra-cheap version that pushes the boundaries of size, cost and simplicity for a 3D printer, to lower the barriers to entry for 3D printing at home.
  • The Printrbot Senior (Gada Edition) will be the special version built specifically for the Gada Prize. While I am grateful that the Gada prize is pushing the technology forward, I believe that 3D printers that have lesser specifications (than the Gada Prize rules dictate) will still be greatly useful for families everywhere.

Note: according to the official Gada Prize Rules - I formally am using the "no derivatives for the Gada Prize” clause. I believe the approach I am using is unique and original to my design.

UPDATE: 11-13-2012... the Printrbot jr. The Printrbot Kickstarter completely consumed my life for the last year. Transitioning to a viable business and juggling competing priorities has also been a challenge. I have been completely absent from updates and such. My absence from this wiki, the forums, irc, etc, does not reflect on my passion for RepRap. I have recently finished my Printrbot jr. design in laser cut wood. It is quite small, but grew a bit to make it sturdy, practical and include a folding hinge to collapse it down enough to fit in a backpack and carry on a plane -which I do every time I fly. I have even used my printer on the plane at 36000 feet! Since the Jr has been well received, I am excited about considering the design final and converting this design to an absolute minimal plastic version that is even smaller. Both designs, the laser cut AND the RepRap jr. will be completely open source. The idea is to make the jr reprap version the smallest and cheapest to build. Minimalism and simplicity will be key. While I won't be able to scale this design to 12" x 12", I have broken the $200 cost barrier. barely. The Ubis hotend and Printrboard combo we designed is still the most efficient setup out there to my knowledge at 2.5-3.5 amps (peak) at 12 volts amounts to 30-42 Watts. Admittedly, that leaves very little room for a heated build platform.

Printrbot RepRap jr

  • Printrboard electronics
  • Ubis hotend
  • 100x100x100 build volume
  • beams instead of rods
  • 608 bearings instead of linear bearings
  • rack and pinion instead of belts (perhaps wishful thinking)

More to come. -Brook

Laser-cut Printrbots

The original Printrbot design was created with plastic RP components in mind, but since the project's inception, the creators have moved on to a newer, laser-cut design, presumably optimized for mass manufacture. Three models now exist, all based upon the laser cut design: the Printrbot LC, the Printrbot Plus, and the Printrbot Jr.

The Printrbot LC is essentially a re-imagining of the original Printrbot changed to fit the new LC paradigm.

The Printrbot Plus is a larger version of the Printrbot capable of creating objects up to 8" cubed.

The Printrbot Jr is a new, experimental version designed to only extrude PLA to make a cost-effective entry level 3D printer. Its build area is 4" cubed.

Bill of Materials

Currently, I have a mechanically complete Printrbot and am working on lowering the part count and making the construction even simpler. The bot is being printed on a Makerbot Cupcake, so the parts are small and any machine can print them.

TODO: More detailed BOM with STL for printed parts.

The part count is rather low:

  • 18x Printed Parts (not including the extruder)
  • 3x Roller Bearings
  • 11x Linear Bearings
  • 1x 2" bolt
  • 60x Nuts & Bolts
  • 12x Smooth/Threaded Rods
  • 4 Nema17 motors (Z axis uses 2)
  • PCB Heated print bed (5.5" x 5.5")

Updates Planed:

  • We are seriously looking at going with a bowden extruder.... stay tuned...
  • Sanguinololu Electronics (Initially) and a new version of the Teensylu is planned including 100% surface mount parts and integrated stepper drivers. This will be an assembled board. (Board files at http://github.com/lwalkera/printrboard per http://printrbot.com/home/2012/1/1/the-end-the-beginning.html )
  • Hot End: Introducing the NEW "Ubis Hotend" - a super-efficient nichrome wire powered hotend. It can heat at 10 degrees celcius every 5 seconds. This will come assembled in the kit.

Extruder (Wade's Accessible):

  • 4x Printed Parts
  • 3x roller bearings
  • 1x Hobbed Bolt
  • 1x very short threaded rod
  • a few washers, bolts and nuts to mount it
  • 1x Nema17 motor

Total part count (without motors, electronics, hot end): 101 ..... and shrinking.

Specifications

TODO

  • Printed Parts: ???
  • Non-Printed Parts: ???
  • Material Cost: ???
  • Cost: USD 400 - 950 (non assembled)
  • Printing Size:
    • Printrbot: 150x150x150 - 200x200x200mm (6"x6"x6" - 8"x8"x8")
    • Printrbot Jr: 100x100x100mm (4"x4"x4")
  • Precision: ??? (position), ??? (printing)

Further reading

Printed Parts

WORK IN PROGRESS ADDING .STL THUMBNAILS AND FILE LINKS