Blu Bot 1.0

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Blu Bot 1.0

Release status: in progress

Blu Bot 1.0 Name Plate.jpeg
Description
Blu Bot 1.0 is a 3D Printer developed and designed by The Ohio State University Industrial Design Class of 2017.
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CAD Models
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Blu Bot 1.0 Design and Development Team

Sketching Process
The Blu Bot 1.0 is the creation of Professor Valamanesh's Design 3550 Materials and Processes 2015 Spring Semester Course. The goals of this project were the basis of understanding the process of additive manufacturing to design a working 3D printer. Team members include: Alex Abele, Tori Boggs, Joanna Celestine, Khanya Keswa, Bill Leonard, Bingyu (Sophia) Li, Carson Long, Jean Paul Pompeo, and Katie Schmiedicker.
The Blu Bot 1.0 is a derivative of the Prusa i3 3D Printer design by RepRap Core Developer Prusajr along with the earlier Prusa Mendel iterations (Prusa Mendel (iteration 1) and Prusa Mendel (iteration 2)).

History

  • Blu Bot 1.0 started: March 2015
  • Blu Bot 1.0 finished: April 2015
  • The course deadline required that the project be started early-to-mid March 2015, ending with the final presentation on May 1, 2015.

Ideation

Objectives To build a 3D printer that is...

  • Fully Operational
  • Has Wire Management
  • Provides Stable Structure
  • Is of Unique Design
  • Embodies Functionality and Aesthetic Balance
Initial Concept Design
Concept Development 1
Concept Development 2

Initial Concept Sketches

Our initial concept sketches included a variety of forms, however we wanted to develop our 3D printer from a box frame to ensure our final structure embodies the structural support for successful printing.

Narrowed Concept Sketches

Our sketches began narrowing to box frames that hide the cords to create a neater and professional look as well as ones which provide a clear viewing screen to show the 3D printing process.
Illustrator 2D Design
Solidworks 3D Design

Continuing the Process

Using our narrowed concept sketches, we developed Illustrator and Solidworks files to clarify 2D and 3D images of our 3D Printer. Our sketch to final process is shown by the images on the right.

Revision

Practicality

  • Plate moves up and down revised to plate moving forward and back
  • Viewing side windows
  • Hidden motors and rods
Physical Mock-Up 1

Physical Mock-up 1

Issues

  • Not enough space for larger components
  • Too small
  • Filament placement
  • Lack of cord management
Physical Mock-Up 2

Physical Mock-up 2

Issues

  • Extra bottom compartment
  • Wider side compartment
  • Chamfers
  • Filament place
  • Window cut outs
  • Vent cut outs

Integral Changes

  • Base structure
  • Cord management
  • Acrylic support plate
  • Power source in a bottom compartment (Isolates heat, easier to cool printer)
  • Extruder

Issues

  • Not enough space for larger components
  • Too small
  • Filament placement
  • Lack of cord management

Execution Process Part 1

  • 3D printed parts
  • 2 fried boards
  • Rough poles
  • Material issues
  • T-Joint engineering (have to CNC?)

Materials

SainSmart Package List Amount
SainSmart RAMPS 1.4 1
SainSmart Mega 2560 R3 1
SainSmart A4988 Driver 5
SainSmart LCD 2004 with Controller 1
SainSmart SD Card Breakout for Ramps 1
SainSmart Cooler Fan for 3D Ramps 2
SainSmart Mechanical Endstop with Cable 6
SainSmart RAMPS 1.4 Wiring Cable 1
SainSmart Heatbed MK2b 1
Thermistor for Heatbed (100K ohm) 2
Borosilicate Glass 1
Aluminium Bed Mount Plate 1
NEMA 17 Stepper Motors Minebea Mill Robot RepRap Makerbot Prusa 3D Printer 5
Assembled J-head Hotend Nozzle 1
GT2 20T Aluminum Pulley 5
GT2 5M Timing Belt 1
USB Cable 1
Materials List Amount
Hillman Group 44997 M8 Metric Stainless Steel Fender Washers 12
608ZZ 8x22x7 Shielded Greased Miniature Ball Bearings 10
18-8 Stainless Steel Flat Washer, Plain Finish, Meets DIN 125, M3 Hole Size, 3.2mm ID, 7mm OD, 0.5mm Nominal Thickness 100
LM8UU Linear Bearings for 3D Printer, Prusa Mendel, reprap 12
5x11x5mm Ceramic Ball Bearing 1
BPB5015M12 Blower Fan 12V DC 2P 50mm 15mm 10" wire 2 pins connect 1 pc usa 1
1/4 x 12 x 24 Fluor Blue Acrylic 1
Aluminum Set Screw Rigid Shaft Coupling, w/o Kenway for 3/16" Diameter Shaft 2
Sintron 3D Printer Controller RAMPS 1.4 Arduino Mega Pololu Shield for Reprap Prusa Mendel Arduino Mega2560 1
PC4-M6 Pneumatic Straight Fitting for 4mm OD tubing M6 6mm Reprap 3D Printer 1
MK8 Drive Gear for Reprap extruder 5mm bore and 7mm Effective Dia Mk-8 1

Extruder

For Blubot 1.0, we used a variety of standard and modified printed parts.
We initially planned to use Prusa I3 parts and a Bowden extruder, not realizing that the Bowden separates the hot end and the cold end of the extruder. This did not align with our design intention, and we found that overall the Prusa Mendel printed parts made for a better fit. We did end up modifying a few of the original Prusa I3 parts: all four z axis corners and all the y axis corners were modified to add a way to secure them to our frame. We changed our extruder to a direct drive hinged extruder modified the extruder head mount to accommodate our slightly larger extruder, and used a newer fan duct design J-Head direct drive extruder. We also added a head-cooling fan E3D J Head cooler with Part vents.
The direct drive hinged extruder was incompatible with our sainsmart extruder head, which is similar to a mkV j-head, but not exact. We had a contingency plan, however, and have reverted back to the Prusa Mendel Wade extruder. All part changes have been updated on the google drive.

Modifications

Modified Z Axis Brackets Top and Bottom
Modified Y Motor Bracket
Modified Y Axis Corner Bracket

For Y-Axis Build...

Follow this assembly guide.

Problems Encountered

Electronic

RAMPS Board

Two boards burned and became useless due to manufacture malfunctions and wiring mistakes. Ordering each one online pushed processes backwards and make it take longer. This would cause for a setback in the assembly of the entire project.

Arduino board

One board burned and became useless due to manufacture malfunction further setting the assembly of the 3D printer back.

Structural

Smooth rods

The rods that came with the kit were imperfect thus the linear bearings would not run smoothly across them (Something highly necessary)
A need to buy alternative smooth rods emerged so zinc-plated smooth rods were bought. These rods came in a set of three, each being a meter long so we had to find metal-working tools in order to cut them and grind down the ends to make them useable.

Frame

What materials to use for the frame of the 3D printer was also problematic. In order to stay within a certain budget, acrylic (the better choice) was replaced with wood. 1/2” wood was bought for its structural support, but a CNC router would be needed to cut these into the many intricate shapes. Then, 1/4” wood was bought as a replacement, and these would be laser cut (A more accessible and time efficient tool).

3D Printing

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) Printers

The most accessible 3D printer we have, the MakerBot Replicator 2X, would print in Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. Leveling the platform for this printer proved very difficult and caused many issues including a dislodging of the extruder nozzles when they ran into the platform which causes the extruder to constantly be imperfectly positioned.
When buying a differently colored ABS plastic to print with, a plastic spool was bought from a source that was not MakerBot. This spool resulted in a clogging of the first extruder and so the second was relied on to print with. This second extruder was manufactured erroneously and was actually higher than the first, causing for the prints done with the second extruder to be rammed into by the first extruder and create multiple misprints. The Prusa i3 RepRap printer was given to us as the chosen model for our projects. This RepRap model has multiple alterations and the STL parts that they have linked to them are each unique to the specific model and structure. This makes modifications to these parts through Solidworks (Our 3D Modelling software) fairly difficult as the STL parts do not transfer over well.

Final Process Development

Parts for Assembly
Laser Cutting the Clear Acrylic Frame
PE Covering
PE Covering
Acrylic Laser Cutting 2
Testing and Digital Hook-Up
STL 3D Print Files
3D Printing Printer Parts
Developed Sketch Leading to Final

Final Build

Blu Bot 1.0 Inner Close
Blu Bot 1.0 Inner Close
Blu Bot 1.0 Final Look (Perspective)

Final Class Presentation

"Will be updated after May 1,2015."

Sources

Markerbot Desktop Software

Megatronics 2.0

Prusa i3 Direct Drive Bowden Extruder

RAMPS 1.4 Assembly Guide

SAINSMART 3D Controller Kit for RepRap

Solid Utopia Firmware Guide

Still Extruding: Flats on a Stepper Motor