MONO is a smart 3D printer with a 7-inch touchscreen

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This sleek 3D printer boasts a 7″ LCD touchcreen with a user-friendly interface.

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While some 3D printers go for a much simpler, ‘less is more’ approach, one Berlin-based startup has taken another route with their lightweight, desktop machine. Mono Industries has introduced a sleek device equipped with a user-friendly, seven-inch touchscreen that puts all the printing options right at your fingertips.

MONO features a build volume of 16cm x 16cm x 16cm and a built-in webcam so that you can stream the printing process directly to a browser. Although no PC is necessary to control the machine, you can still take advantage of the remote interface to monitor the print status and pause a job. As a standalone gadget, you can print from internal storage, an SD card, DropBox, Google Drive and other cloud platforms. With MONO, you can also define your own macros for bed leveling and filament change, and then store them for later use.

A nice trait about MONO is its user-friendly interface that enables you to visualize Gcodes and simulate a 3D print. In other words, a model is painted layer by layer revealing exactly how the printing process should take place. Each layer is highlighted in a different color to demonstrate how the layers will overlap. A side and front view are both shown as well. Ultimately, the idea here is that you can check out how your print should turn out before it occurs, making it easier to detect errors and fix them instead of wasting filament.

Weighing in at approximately 17 pounds and measuring just 32cm x 32cm x 32cm in size, MONO won’t be taking up too much room on your desktop or workbench. And who can forget its sleek thermoformed acrylglass housing which will surely make it a welcomed addition to any home or Makerspace.

Sound like a 3D printer you’d like to have? Head over to MONO’s Kickstarter campaign, where the team is currently seeking $13,611. Delivery is slated for February 2016.

Check out the world’s first 3D-printed hotel suite

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A hotel owner in the Philippines has 3D printed an entire suite — jacuzzi and all. 

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It goes without saying that 3D printing will revolutionize architecture. However, despite recent projects that range from a 3D-printed estate in New York to an apartment building in China, none of these structures have actually been put to use for residential or commercial purposes. That was until now. First reported by 3DPrint.com, the Lewis Grand Hotel in Angeles City, Pampanga is now home to the very first 3D-printed suite in not just the Philippines, but the world.

The idea to 3D print an entire room was proposed to hotel owner Lewis Yakich by none other than 3D printing specialist Andrey Rudenko, who you may recall from his 3D-printed castle. The 1,500-square-foot suite features two bedrooms, a living room and a spa with its very own 3D-printed jacuzzi, of course.

“The Philippines is actually a great place for concrete printing because of the weather,” Yakich tells 3DPrint.com. “Currently everything is made out of concrete, and it’s a third-world country so it can do a lot of good in disaster zones, etc.”

Construction of the 3D-printed space has been completed, measuring approximately 35 feet x 41 feet with 10-foot ceilings. In total, the project took roughly 100 hours to print, though not continuous due to the installation of plumbing, wiring and such.

Yakich, who also happens to be a material science engineer, worked with Rudenko in designing the massive 3D printer that spews out a mixture of sand and volcanic ash. While it took two months to develop the first printer, they believe the method can now be replicated to build it in about two weeks. According to 3DPrint.com, the machine has been created in such a way that it can easily be assembled or disassembled and then moved to another location.

It should be noted that this is only the beginning of Yakich’s plans to introduce 3D-printed, fully-functional buildings throughout the Philippines. He has, in fact, secured permission from the government to build 200 living quarters for low-income families, which is made possible by the 60% cost savings of 3D printing opposed to traditional methods of construction. He even hopes that this number will grow to 2,000 houses in the coming years.

“I plan to roll over some of the cost savings of using a 3D printer to give a more quality house for the low-income homes. It would be great if I could give them all mini mansions! The people here would go nuts over my homes,” he adds.

As for the printer itself, even despite its size, it still uses the same Arduino Mega (ATmega2560) and software that you’d find in many of today’s more popular desktop devices. The RepRap-inspired unit boasts large motors that enable it to extrude layers 30mm wide and 10mm tall. Want to see more? Be sure to check out Rudenko’s official page, or watch the mesmerizing 3D printer in action below!

[h/t 3DPrint.com]

Now you can 3D print your own gummy bears

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A German company has developed a 3D printer that allows you to create your own gummy treats. 

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If you’ve ever wanted to be Willy Wonka, you’re in luck. Recent advancements in 3D printing have ushered in a number of new machines capable of spitting out various materials, like chocolate, sugar, batter and now, gummies. The brainchild of candy company Katjes, the self-proclaimed “first printer for food to reach the consumer market” was revealed at Café Grün-Ohr in Berlin, Germany.

While from afar, The Magic Candy Factory may appear to be just an ordinary FDM-based printer, a closer look inside will reveal that it’s not extruding plastic, but gummy goodness instead. Users can choose from one of 10 fruity flavors and seven colors, or combine multiple ones for a “rainbow blend,” as well as pick from a variety of shapes to make their own bear, worm or whatever they desire.

To produce the candy, a cartridge is placed inside a chamber located above the printer’s nozzle. A customer uses an iPad interface to customize their confectionary creation and then proceeds to hit “print.” From there, the chamber heats up, along with the tasty contents inside, and expels the preprogrammed shapes — including an octopus, a butterfly and a strawberry — through a pump syringe layer by layer onto a plate. The candy cools down and hardens before being consumed. The entire process takes about five minutes for a 10g gummy design.

(Images: Katjes, Ruptly)

The Beast is a big 3D printer for big ideas

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The Beast lets Makers 3D print four identical objects at the same time.

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Typically speaking, bigger 3D printers mean bigger prices. However, thanks to one Australian startup, that may no longer be the case. Cultivate3D has developed a gigantic desktop 3D printer that rivals the cost of most existing desktop devices on the market.

Called The Beast, and rightfully so, the 3D printer boasts a number of new and innovative features compared to most others available today. Impressively, the machine is capable of printing four identical objects during a single print in completely different colors and materials, as well as constructing a single object within its massive 470mm x 435mm x 690mm build volume. At this size, Cultivate3D says that’s large enough to print two full-size basketballs, four radio-control transmitters or a small child — all at the same time.

From the looks of things, The Beast has the potential of becoming a go-to piece of equipment for anyone looking to pump out giant prints or speed up production of repeatedly printed parts. According to its creators Dan and Josh Herlihy, the machine is capable of achieving resolutions that are significantly smaller than existing desktop FDM 3D printers — 0.00125 millimeters on the Z axis and 0.00625 on the X and Y axes.

What’s more, the printer can spit out objects 10 times quicker than previous gadgets and can be made yet even faster by throwing on its optional larger nozzle. The Beast was designed with flexibility in mind, and will come with a range of add-ons to help transform its functionality.

As incredible as these specs are, perhaps the most eye-opening thing about The Beast is its price. Starting at just $1,850 for its DIY kit and $3,299 for a fully-assembled unit, Cultivate3D’s cost is dramatically less than other printers of similar size and quality.

“The Beast’s enormous build area allows users to print objects that have never before been possible on a printer with such a low price point,” the startup explains. “Our hope is for ‘The Beast’ to make many previously unattainable projects and prints possible and to make it accessible to as many makers, inventors, DIY enthusiasts and artists as we can.”

• Printer size: 690mm x 715mm x 1110mm
• Build volume
  • Single extruder configuration: 470mm x 435mm x 690m
  • Two-extruder configuration 230mm x 435mm x 690mm
  • Four-extruder configuration: 230mm x 214mm x 690mm
• Printer weight: 66 lbs. (30kg)
• Nozzle diameter: 0.25mm-1mm
• Filament: PLA, ABS (J-head model); all types available (E3D model)
• Connectivity: USB, SD card
• Power supply: 110-240V
• Software: Repetier Host and Slic3r
• Operating system: Windows, OSX, Linux

Have a big idea you’d like to print? Head over to The Beast’s Kickstarter page, where the team has already surpassed its $7,129 goal. Delivery is set for January 2016.

gCreate goes big with two new 3D printers

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gCreate has introduced the next big thing in 3D printing. Meet the gMax 1.5+ and 1.5 XT+. 

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Last fall, Brooklyn-based startup gCreate unveiled a pair of 3D printers in their gMax line: the gMax 1.5 and gMax 1.5 XT. Despite already having one of the larger build volumes on the market, the team has decided to once again improve upon its capacity by increasing the printable height by nearly two inches.

The newly-revealed gMax 1.5+ and gMax 1.5 XT+ boast volumes of 16’’ x 16’’ x 12’’ and 16’’ x 16’’ x 21’’, respectively, and feature interchangeable bed plates and extruders that enable print jobs in a variety of materials including PLA, ABS, Ninja Flex, Carbon Fiber, water soluble PVA, WoodFill, Bronzefill and stainless steel, among many others.

Like the rest of its family members, both the 1.5+ and 1.5 XT+ are embedded with an Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560) along with a RAMPS 1.4 shield and run Marlin firmware. All gMax machines are comprised of 80/20 aluminum frames in either black anodized or natural silver. Additionally, each kit ships with 3D-printed plastic parts in four different colors: red, yellow, blue or carbon fiber.

Aside from that, it boasts a redesigned LCD screen with an integrated USB connector, better wire management and 2D pen plotting capabilities. By using 8mm four-start precision stainless steel screws, gCreate has also drastically increased its Z-axis speeds while maintaining a minimum of 80 micron layer heights.

Since coming to scene in 2013 with a successful Kickstarter campaign, the team led by Anna Lee and Gordon LaPlante has taken into consideration a vast amount of feedback from its users in order to enhance the overall 3D printing experience. Some of these improvements include its all-aluminum carriage for hassle-free calibration and bed swapping, as well as a metal X-axis extruder plate for simplified leveling and tool head changing.

• Printer size: 28.5” x 24” x 21.5”
• Build volume: 16″ x 16″ x 12″ (1.5+); 16″ x 16″ x 21″ (1.5 XT+)
• Nozzle diameter: 0.5mm J-Head Mk V-BV
• Layer thickness: 80-360 micron
• Power supply: 120V/240V 300W Micro ATX
• Connectivity: USB, SD card, OctoPrint and MatterControl
• Software: Compatible with all major slicing engines and host software (slic3r, Simplify3D, Cura, Printrun, MatterHackers)

Both printers are now available and will ship fully-assembled, calibrated and tested. The gMax 1.5+ starts at $2,495, while the 1.5 XT+ at $2,995.

Maker transforms a vintage toolbox into a portable 3D printer

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This vintage toolbox contains a fully-functional 3D printer along with the filament, spool holder and a power supply.

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A hammer. A screwdriver. A wrench. A pair of pliers. Those are things you’d typically find in any handyman or DIYer’s toolbox. A 3D printer? Not likely. However, if it’s up to one Florida-based bearings company, that may soon change.

That’s because Chad Bridgewater of Boca Bearings recently upcycled a vintage “Blower Repair Kit” toolbox by outfitting it with its very own portable and collapsible 3D printer. While there have been several attempts to create an on-the-go additive manufacturing machine inside a suitcase, this is certainly a first. Not to mention, it will certainly look a whole lot better sitting on a workbench.

“One of the main features that makes this toolbox a good candidate for a printer over other toolboxes is its fold-down front. A spectator is able to view the print from both the top and the front while also allowing extra room for the print bed,” its creators write.

To start, Bridgewater devised a series of mockups to determine what the end result would look like. He employed a 6” x 9” piece of ABS plastic that would serve as his print bed. While prototyping the machine, he decided that the the X and Y-axis would be used to command the bed, while the hotend would be controlled by the Z-axis. Knowing this, he crafted a crude model of the X and Y-axis with parts that he had lying around his studio, and fitted the bed with some linear bearings, a precision cut drill rod and other recycled 3D-printed pieces from previous builds. Once the X and Y-axis were in place, the Maker was able to figure out where the stepper motors might be mounted.

Using the measurements based on his rough draft, Bridgewater began the process of 3D modeling his working model with the help of Rhino. During this stage, he used the program to tighten the tolerances of his design as well.

With a final 3D model of the working assembly, the Maker began the fabrication phase of the project. For this, the majority of the components for the 3D printer were built by hand and welded using measurements referenced from the Rhino model, or were 3D-printed altogether using the actual CAD data and his shop’s AVR based MakerBot Replicator 2. To ensure that the 3D prints were ready to be used as final, fully-functioning parts, Bridgewater put them on the buffer and cleaned them up with some dish soap and a toothbrush. He then sprayed the frame with Harley Black Crinkle from Powder By the Pound, and proceeded to wash and wax the box before installing its components.

“For the bed I used two pieces of aluminum. The top sheet will be the print bed and will be supported by 4 springs that are attached to a piece of aluminum below that. I used my 1930’s Delta bandsaw to cut them out and my early Hamilton and Delta drill presses for the mounts. To make sure all the holes lined up, I used a divider to mark the holes at an equal distance. I then taped both sheets together and drilled them at the same time,” he explains.

From there, Bridgewater put the printer through a rigorous testing process. Once all of the parts had been cleaned, he finalized the assembly by wiring all of the necessary electronics, which were driven by an Arduino Mega (ATmega2560) and running Marlin firmware.

Beyond that, the Maker installed a 3D printer power supply from Lulzbot, and made a small hole in the side of the toolbox so the power cord could remain plugged in even if the box was closed. After a few minor tweaks, final calibrations and test prints, it was good to go! Interested? You can find an exhaustive breakdown of the multi-step build on Boca Bearings’ blog here.

This 3D-printed, two-story villa was built in three hours

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Is 3D printing the future of homebuilding? 

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If you thought 3D printing a fully-functioning electric vehicle in two days was fast, brace yourselves: one Chinese company has built an entire two-story villa in less than three hours. Hours! Ask anyone who has ever constructed or renovated a home and they will tell you that the dragged-out process can take anywhere from weeks to months, maybe even years. Not for long.

The Zhuoda Group’s revolutionary abode popped up in Xian, China and is comprised of six individually 3D-printed modules (living room, kitchen, bedroom and so forth) interlocked together like a series of LEGO blocks. The company completed approximately 90% of the construction in an off-site factory before shipping the pieces to its final resting ground, where some people were on hand to witness the last installation steps.

While construction of the villa took roughly three hours to complete, the entire project calls for roughly 10 days from start to finish. Yet, when compared to the typical six months required for traditional means of construction, that’s nothing. This efficient and timesaving process dramatically reduces construction costs to anywhere between $400-$480 (2,500-3,000 yuan) per square meter, which equates to approximately $81,000-$96,000 in total — a price that’ll surely drop as 3D printing continues to get cheaper.

Made out of secret materials, the modular house with a steel-framed structure is not only fireproof, but given its region’s susceptibility to earthquakes, has been designed to withstand the shaking of a magnitude-9 event. The Zhuoda Group has filed more than 22 patents for their next-gen technology and is keeping their top-secret material under wraps for now; however, the company’s vice president Tan BuYong has revealed that the new filament is sourced from industrial and agricultural waste and is free from harmful substances including formaldehyde, ammonia and radon.

After the structural framework was 3D-printed, the company applied decorative sheet textures to each module before final assembly. Homeowners will be able to choose from a variety of decorative textures, like wood and granite, and health-conscious folks can even embed herbs into the walls of the house for ‘built-in aromatherapy.’ The building is expected to last, even with normal wear and tear, for at least 150 years.

While this isn’t the first time a structure has been 3D-printed, it is definitely one of the most impressive. Earlier this year, a company in China developed a 3D-printed mansion and apartment, while another firm is currently working on the world’s first fully 3D-printed office. Safe to say, the future of additive manufacturing has arrived!

[Images: Xinhua]

BigBox is a large, hackable and open source 3D printer

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This 3D printer from E3D and LittleBox boasts an impressive build volume, modular design and hotend.

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It’s safe to assume that Makers who’ve dabbled with RepRap and other low-cost, open source 3D printers are most likely familiar with UK-based startup E3D. Combining their experience in crafting high-quality parts, the team has collaborated with fellow British company LittleBox, the designers of the MicroSlice desktop laser cutter, to introduce what they call the BigBox 3D Printer. 

Now live on Kickstarter, the BigBox is described as a no-compromise 3D printer that converges high-print resolution, a large build volume and an extrusion system that can spew out nearly every material on the market, all wrapped up in a clutter-free package with a powerful, easy-to-use toolchain. The machines will come in an assortment of DIY kits — Lite, Pro and Dual — or can ship fully-assembled for those seeking a more out-of-the-box experience. Nevertheless, all of the models boast a substantial print volume of about 12″ x 8″ x 11”, auto-leveling as a standard, and are capable of a layer thicknesses as fine as 50 microns.

Each of the BigBox units are equipped with a heated bed, a max print speed of 100mm/second and a E3D-v6 hotend that can reach temperatures up to 572°F (300°C), except for the barebones Lite version which lacks the heated bed, has half the max print speed and employs a “mostly metal” hotend. And as its name would imply, the Dual features two printheads to allow users to print in various colors or two totally different materials simultaneously.

When taking a look at the printer, one of, if not, the most noticeable attribute is its enormous build volume with a 17-liter space that provides everyone the freedom to create big objects without sacrificing quality. What’s more, the build volume has been configured to not just be large in one direction, like many other plus-sized printers, but balanced in all axes with a huge usable surface.

“Objects built in the plane of the bed are stronger than tall objects built away from the bed so this is a real practical advantage,”  E3D’s Sanjay Mortimer and Josh Rowley explain. “Having a larger bed also means that you can pack more items into a single print for high-volume printing. So BigBox has not just a large build space, but a well-proportioned, more useful build space.”

The motion system of the BigBox 3D printers have been designed by LittleBox to offer the right combination of both mechanical reduction and higher resolution motors to achieve twice the standard positional resolution, low drag motion and consistency across every axis. Any vibration and unnecessary wobbling is eliminated thanks to bearings on every corner, which in turn, offers users extreme precision and a smooth experience.

The company’s flagship E3D-v6 extruder has the ability to spit out just about every filament available on the market, ranging from flexible, rubber-like resin to metal and carbon-filled materials. And of course, Makers can still choose to use PLA and ABS.  On top of that, the hotends have interchangeable nozzles depending on if someone is looking for higher resolution or increased print times.

In terms of its electronics, the user-friendly machines include a couple of Atmel MCUs: an ATmega2560 at its core, an ATmega16U2 for managing communications, as well as an ATtiny to be added for “something else that as yet to be announced.” Each device is packed with an LCD display and an integrated SD card reader for untethered printing. Aside from the classic USB connectivity options, BigBox can also interact over the web with OctoPrint and Raspberry Pi.

Sound like a 3D printer you’d like for your Makerspace? Head over to BigBox’s Kickstarter page, where E3D and LittleBox have already well surpassed their initial goal of $46,870. The first batch of units is expected to ship in December 2015 — just in time for the holidays!

Freaks3D may be the most portable 3D printer ever

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ElecFreaks Tech has designed a 3D printer for Makers that is both portable and affordable.

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A classroom desk. A living room floor. A meeting space. A coffee shop. An outdoor picnic table. These are just some of the places that were not well-suited for 3D printing until now. That’s because ElecFreaks Tech has unveiled a revolutionary FDM machine that is not only affordable but portable as well. Measuring 11.4” x 12.6” x 12.8” in size and weighing a little over six pounds, Freaks3D will undoubtedly be welcomed with open arms by the DIY community.

The idea for the Maker-friendly device was born out of their own frustrations with most of today’s commercial printers. As advanced as the technology has become, it’s not without the sacrifice of either form factor, quality or price. The team explains, “Most of them are bulky, not lightweight enough to be carried around, a hassle to use, plus the prices are ridiculously high. We want a reliable, affordable and portable 3D printer that we can take everywhere. More importantly, it should be easy-to-use for general consumer crowds like artists/designers, educators, household wives, even children who are curious about creations.”

Now live on Indiegogo, Freaks3D boasts a design that will surely separate itself from a rather saturated market with an extremely small and lightweight frame that can be picked up by its customizable handle with only a few fingers. Due to low power consumption, the printer can run on a 12V battery pack, or a pair of 9000mAh lithium batteries for two hours if an outlet isn’t accessible.

The device features a v-slot slider system that provides users with precise seamless positioning, as well as simplified extruded-aluminum beams for enhanced stability. Additionally, Freaks3D is equipped with an interactive LCD display for intuitive monitoring and configuration.

As mobile and low cost as it may be, Freaks3D is still able to produce high-quality prints with detailed layer resolution. With no pre-heating required, an all-metal nozzle spews out PLA/TPU material in a wide range of colors without easy breaks or damage, making it an ideal instrument of DIYers of all ages. Simply feed the filament into the entrance path and the printer will take care of the rest.

Freaks3D prints via both USB and SD card. What’s more, the machine is super quiet — so no need to worry about upsetting librarians, teachers or neighbors — and is extremely easy to operate. Once a print job is done, just twist to remove the object.

• Printer size: 11.4” x 12.6” x 12.8”
• Build volume: 5″ x 6″ x 4″
• Nozzle diameter: 0.4mm
• Resolution: 100 microns
• Connectivity: USB and SD card
• Software: Cura, Repetier Host

Following in the footsteps of its latest crowdfunding success, the ELF VR drone, ElecFreaks Tech has already well surpassed Freaks3D’s initial goal of $20,000 on Indiegogo. Shipment slated for August 2015.

Building a low-cost Delta 3D printer out of recycled electronics

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Maker creates a Delta-style 3D printer using recycled parts from an old dot matrix printer and flatbed scanner. 

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When it comes to the Maker Movement, DIYers never cease to amaze us with new ways to recycle electronic waste. Take Instructables user Hesam Hamidi for instance, who has impressively created a Delta-style 3D printer using parts from an old dot matrix printer and flatbed scanner.

Whereas FDM printers typically posses an aluminum or precision shaft frame, the Maker had swapped it out for five pieces of 16mm MDF, fixed together by wood screws. Three adjustable cabinet legs were attached under the body to keep it level, while another beam was added to the top of the body to support the filament spool. Attached to the trio of vertical MDF frame pieces are rail and carriage assemblies taken from the dot matrix printer, which fortunately already had their stepper motors and belts installed.

“Each slider has a step motor that moves carriage by a timing belt for about 430mm. At the end of sliding course, there is a home position sensor that senses the tractor motion end. Each step moves the carriage for 106 microns and in case of using micro stepping drivers we can reduce this length. Dimensional specifications of our 3D printer were specified based on slider motion,” Hamidi writes.

The end effector is also a unique attribute of Delta-style printers. In this project, it was made from a steel plate and provides a mount of the extruder, which is driven by another scavenged stepper motor along with a timing belt pulley and pulley tightening mechanism.

“A U-shaped profile was used to support stepper motor, ball bearings and hotend. Support plate is a CNC cut circular steel plate that has six holes for ball end supports with 120 degrees to each other. Hotend was purchased from a Felix printer with nozzle diameter of 0.3 mm,” the Maker adds.

For the print bed, Hamidi repurposed an Epson flatbed scanner, which was selected due to its durability and smoothness. The inner workings of the device were removed and replaced with a 220V 300W flat heating element beneath the glass. Meanwhile, the bed heater has a 12V element and NTC thermistor to regulate temperature, and is controlled separately by way of a household thermostat.

In terms of its electronics, the 3D printer is based on an Arduino Leonardo (ATmega32U4) and four different stepper drivers that take the place of the common Arduino Mega/RAMPS 1.4 combination. Beyond that, three analog inputs were employed to sense signals of home position sensors, while eight digital outputs send pulses to four stepper motors. Temperature of the hotend and heater are managed separately by individual controllers.

What’s more, the DIY machine boasts a size of 600mm x 650mm with a build volume of 200mm x 200mm x 200mm and can achieve printing speeds of up to 80mm/second in all three directions. Interested in constructing one of your own? Head over to the project’s Instructables page, where you’ll find a detailed breakdown of the build including its schematics and code. In the meantime, watch it in action below!