Hello everybody,
my name is Sebastian and together with Jonas I designed a 90% lasercut Prusa i3. Ore goal is a 100% lasercut version. I would like to show you the way we walked...
Nearly three years ago Jonas build his first 3D printer, a MedelMax. After some modifications it printed quite nice and a lot of people used the robust and reliable machine. Meanwhile I become a member of the local hackspace mainframe in Oldenburg, Germany. We also had some 3D printer, but nothing comparable with Jonas MendelMax.
In 2012 the hackspace starts to plan a three day workshop for max. 12 teacher. After just some days we had more than 20 possible participants and we had to stop to promote the workshop. we had more than 30 registrations. The big problem, not a single 3D printing company was interested to support the workshop or to deliver printer kits. There was only one single company that made an offer for a Mendel. From a former workshop we knew that adjusting the threaded rods will be a hard job…..in a group of 12 teachers it could even be impossible to get the machines running within three days.
I did the big mistake to say: "I will organize a printer that will be ready in two days, so we have one day for the introduction of the software part..." I had the MedelMax in mind.
I spoke with Jonas and he told me. The MedelMax is fine, but because of all the screws its also slow to build and there are still things that could be better. Better build a i3.
The i3 looks nice. But we have "just" a 80W laser cutter in our workshop in the hackspace. So no chance to do the main part by ourself. After some search we found the TwelvePro i3, optimized for lasercut. That was inspiring, but didn't go far enough in my opinion, because you have still the treated rods and a lot of printed parts. For a fast assembly that was a no go for us.
Another thing we discovered when we build up a TwelvePro prototype where the tolerances that came along with these printed parts. Especially parts that are holding linear rods or linear bearings need a to be printed very accurately…otherwise the bearings and the rods will wear fast due to the high friction caused by a over constrained construction.
Printing the parts for the prototype took us 3 days…..3 days x 12 printers = 36 days (that was a REAL problem…meanwhile it was only 28 days to go till the workshop should start….)
To make it short. We developed a really lasercut optimized Prusa i3. We spend more than 200h to optimize the frame, for example every join has a number, so its a LEGO like system. Before the workshop we spend again 200h to build more than 5 prototypes to optimize the building manual, the construction and everything related to the printer.
In the end, the printer is ready for high quality prints after just 18 easy steps! We just need 6h from opening the kit to print precise and reliable with a clean and tidy 3d printer!!
![printmate3d.com]( "printmate3d.com")
At the beginning we spend every second on the construction and we just named the printer JoSeb, but meanwhile we call it printMATE 3D.
The workshop was a huge success! Nearly all 12 printer were ready to print at the first day. So we had almost two days for fine adjustments, creating 3D data and do first own prints.
All the happy faces were enough compensation for all the hours of development.
Now we would like to share our results with the community. Because without all the RepRaps and this community all this wouldn't be possible.
For all design files, pictures and more information please visit printMATE3D.com
Best regards
Sebastian and Jonas
PS: Right now we are developing a just three part lasercut extruder. But fore that I will open a new thread.
my name is Sebastian and together with Jonas I designed a 90% lasercut Prusa i3. Ore goal is a 100% lasercut version. I would like to show you the way we walked...
Nearly three years ago Jonas build his first 3D printer, a MedelMax. After some modifications it printed quite nice and a lot of people used the robust and reliable machine. Meanwhile I become a member of the local hackspace mainframe in Oldenburg, Germany. We also had some 3D printer, but nothing comparable with Jonas MendelMax.
In 2012 the hackspace starts to plan a three day workshop for max. 12 teacher. After just some days we had more than 20 possible participants and we had to stop to promote the workshop. we had more than 30 registrations. The big problem, not a single 3D printing company was interested to support the workshop or to deliver printer kits. There was only one single company that made an offer for a Mendel. From a former workshop we knew that adjusting the threaded rods will be a hard job…..in a group of 12 teachers it could even be impossible to get the machines running within three days.
I did the big mistake to say: "I will organize a printer that will be ready in two days, so we have one day for the introduction of the software part..." I had the MedelMax in mind.
I spoke with Jonas and he told me. The MedelMax is fine, but because of all the screws its also slow to build and there are still things that could be better. Better build a i3.
The i3 looks nice. But we have "just" a 80W laser cutter in our workshop in the hackspace. So no chance to do the main part by ourself. After some search we found the TwelvePro i3, optimized for lasercut. That was inspiring, but didn't go far enough in my opinion, because you have still the treated rods and a lot of printed parts. For a fast assembly that was a no go for us.
Another thing we discovered when we build up a TwelvePro prototype where the tolerances that came along with these printed parts. Especially parts that are holding linear rods or linear bearings need a to be printed very accurately…otherwise the bearings and the rods will wear fast due to the high friction caused by a over constrained construction.
Printing the parts for the prototype took us 3 days…..3 days x 12 printers = 36 days (that was a REAL problem…meanwhile it was only 28 days to go till the workshop should start….)
To make it short. We developed a really lasercut optimized Prusa i3. We spend more than 200h to optimize the frame, for example every join has a number, so its a LEGO like system. Before the workshop we spend again 200h to build more than 5 prototypes to optimize the building manual, the construction and everything related to the printer.
In the end, the printer is ready for high quality prints after just 18 easy steps! We just need 6h from opening the kit to print precise and reliable with a clean and tidy 3d printer!!
At the beginning we spend every second on the construction and we just named the printer JoSeb, but meanwhile we call it printMATE 3D.
The workshop was a huge success! Nearly all 12 printer were ready to print at the first day. So we had almost two days for fine adjustments, creating 3D data and do first own prints.
All the happy faces were enough compensation for all the hours of development.
Now we would like to share our results with the community. Because without all the RepRaps and this community all this wouldn't be possible.
For all design files, pictures and more information please visit printMATE3D.com
Best regards
Sebastian and Jonas
PS: Right now we are developing a just three part lasercut extruder. But fore that I will open a new thread.