Creating a 3D printer for under $100

Tarkun Gelstronic has created a 3D printer for under $100.

Aptly dubbed the Poor Man’s 3D Printer, the device includes a heat bed and is capable of printing with multiple materials.

Key components purchased by Gelstronic include:

• Atmel-powered Arduino Arduino Mega 2560 (ATmega2560 MCU)
• 
Stackable motor driver shield
• Hotend
• PTFE tube
• Fan
• Additional small items

As 3DPrint’s Monica Aderholt notes, one of the major ways Gelstronic was able to keep the price so low was by recycling old computer and printer parts.

“Tarkun obtained four stepper motors from old DVD and Blu-ray drives, a power supply from an old PC, a NEMA 17-like stepper motor from an old printer and a modified gear from an old Hewlett Packard printer, which was used for the bowden extruder,” Aderholt explains.

“Of course, he had to use a bunch of screws, washers, nuts, wires, etc., but these were things that he and a lot of people would have lying around in their garages. For the frame of the printer, he did cheat slightly, and used some aluminum sheet metal that he had lying around. However, he points out that this could be replaced with wood.”

All told, Tarken ended up spending only 49 Euros, or approximately $67 on all purchased items, which isn’t bad for a 3D printer that offers the following features:

• Fused deposition modeling ABS/PLA
• Heat bed
• Use of open source firmware – a modified version of Tonokip
• Free host software, Repetier-Host
• Bowden-extruder
• Max. build size 40mm x 40mm x 40mm
• Resolution 0.08mm

Interested in learning more? You can check out the project’s Instructables page here.

Atmel is ready to rock @ SXSW!

Atmel’s Tech on Tour trailer is on the road again and heading to Austin, Texas for SXSW. We’ll be at the Hyatt Regency Austin from March 7-9, 2014, so be sure to stop by during the show to see our latest demos.

We’ll be showcasing a wide variety of tech across a number of spaces, including touch, security, microcontrollers (MCUs), wireless, lighting and automotive.

More specifically, you can check out:

• Agent smartwatch (Secret Labs) powered by Atmel’s ARM-based SAM4S and tinyAVR MCU
• Philips Hue Bulbs with Atmel‘s ZigBee and Lightweight Mesh Stack
• Turtle Beach i60 Wireless Gaming Headset with Atmel Wi-Fi
• Direct
Roku3 remote with Atmel Wi-Fi Direct
• MakerBot 3D Printer with Atmel AVR Microcontrollers
• ASUS T100 Transformer with Atmel’s MaxTouch T Series Cap Touch controller and XSense Metal mesh touch sensors

In addition, we’re proud to host a guest appearance by Autodesk, the very same folks behind the world famous Instructables and 123D Circuits.

With 123D Circuits, you can breadboard and simulate your AVR-powered Arduino-based circuits, while writing, compiling and running code right in your browser. When you’re done, you can have the circuit board professionally made and shipped right to your doorstep.

Interested in learning more about Atmel’s tech on tour? You can check out our official ToT page here.

Adrian Bowyer talks RepRap, open source printing

Back in December, RepRapPro debuted a new Atmel-powered (SAM3X8E ARM Cortex-M3) RepRap 3D printer kit that can be assembled in just two hours. Aptly dubbed “Ormerod,” the versatile printer kit was named after the famous entomologist Eleanor Ormerod.

The Ormerod 3D printer features a heated bed, lightweight high-powered hot-end with an integrated cooling fan (ducted to cool the top of prints), a simple elegant drive for 1.75mm diameter filament, a pre-assembled wiring loom and an industry-standard ATX power supply.

 The Duet (Ormerod board) is equipped with both USB and Ethernet ports, allowing Makers to drive the platform with a conventional RepRap app like Pronterface or control the platform via a standard web browser.

The new RepRap’s firmware also features bed-plane correction and orthogonal axis compensation.

 Recently, RepRap creator Adrian Bowyer sat down with Simone Cicero of OpenElectronics to discuss the future of open source desktop 3D printing and RepRap. 

Regarding the Ormerod, Boyer emphasized that the new model was designed to be quickly and easily assembled.

“Plus it has [Atmel-based] 32-bit ARM electronics and ethernet, so you can drive the machine from a web browser,” he said.

In terms of upcoming 3D printing trends, Boyer said one of the most important is likely to be multi-material machines, or platforms capable of putting down mixtures and separating materials with diverse physical characteristics.

“This requirement is much easier to meet with fused filament fabrication (FFF) and inkjet machines than it is with stereolithography or SLS. Having said that I think that SLS will have a growing role at the low end, once one can get reasonable-cost solid-state lasers that will do tens of watts,” he explained. 

”We have subtractive technologies already of course. I personally think that combining subtractive with additive is a bit of a dead end. It reintroduces all the problems that we invented additive manufacturing to get away from.”

Bowyer also noted that most of the innovation in fused filament fabrication originated from the OS community.

“A lot of that is now being commercialized, [yet] a lot of that commercialization is staying OS,” he confirmed.

In addition, Bowyer commented on the rapidly growing RepRap community.

“I rather think that it has all the robustness and the agenda of a colony of microorganisms.  Which is to say that it is pretty robust because it has no agenda. This is not to say that the people involved are not like-minded – they are,” he continued. 

”But their distinguishing characteristic is their desire to solve technical problems and to tell people about the answers. I suppose that that is some sort of agenda, but it is not really an agenda as a synonym for plan.”

Last, but certainly not least, Bowyer offered his perspective on what other major fields could benefit from a RepRap-like approach.

“The biggest has got to be genetic engineering and synthetic biology. Both those are ideal candidates for the RepRap approach – they are easy for individuals to do; they require no very fancy or expensive equipment, and the results can be profound. I’m actually rather surprised that there isn’t a bigger community of biohackers than there is,” he added.

The Sharkbot-Arduino Mega link

Fifteen-year-old Angad Daryani has developed a number of open source projects in recent years, including an e-reader for the blind, a solar-powered boat, an automated gardening system (Garduino) and Sharkbot, a 3D printer powered by the Atmel-based Arduino Mega (ATmega1280).

Daryani, who is also the co-founder of Makers Asylum in Mumbai, recently told DNA that he plans on making SharkBot the most affordable 3D printer in India.

“We have designed almost every part ourselves. We will have different models of SharkBot at different prices- but the goal is to sell 3D printers and expose everyone to 3D printing at a very low cost,” he explained.

 “The logistics and business of Sharkbot will be handled by my dad’s nationwide computer peripherals company – Kunhar Peripherals. We have offices all over the country and thus we are looking at creating a nationwide revolution.”

Daryani also noted that he specifically chose an Arduino Mega to power the SharkBot.

“One needs a lot of I/O pins for a 3D printer. [You] need pins to drive 4-5 stepper motors, 2 mosphets, a graphic lcd, a digital encoder and several other sensors and switches,” he said. “The board we have developed is an all in one, single sided PCB board for 2,000 INR. It’s [specifically designed to] control 3D printers.”

Last, but certainly not least, Daryani emphasized that he will not be only be focusing on the SharkBot, but rather, looking to create a Maker Movement revolution in India.

“Everything that I make, is open sourced so that everyone else can learn how it works or re-make it,” he concluded.

DeltaTrix is an open source 3D printer

The DeltaTrix – designed by Richard Tegelbeckers – is an open source and fully hackable 3D printer. Originally posted to Instructables, the 3D printer was recently funded on Kickstarter in the form of DIY kits and fully-assembled machines.

According to Tegelbeckers, the theoretical printing area of the DeltaTrix is 280mm (11 inch) in diameter.

“As a square this works out as (almost) 200x200mm (8″x8″), which suits the used ‘MK2A’ heated bed,” he explained.

“As it is also useful to be able to remove items, the gap between the uprights is just over 295mm. The maximum build height is around 280mm (11”).”

The DeltaTrix is powered by Atmel-Arduino RAMPS electronics, with a linear delta robot layout providing a mechanically simple motion platform for moving the print head (only).

Additional features and capabilities include an LCD display, SD memory card, support for PLA and ABS filament, independent operation (no need to be attached to a PC), igus linear slides with pretension, Reprappro Hot End and quick changeover print head assembly.

Interested in learning more? 
You can check out the DeltaTrix’s official Kickstarter page here and the original Instructables post here.

The Hobbit goes 3D (printing)

During the Third Age of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, Gandalf the Grey organized an expedition of 13 Dwarves and one Hobbit (Bilbo Baggins) to reclaim the lost treasure in the Lonely Mountain (Sindarin Erebor), located in the north of Rhovanion.

For the uninitiated, Erebor is the source of the Celduin River, as well as the location of the Kingdom Under the Mountain. The town of Dale lies in an expansive vale on its southern slopes.

To guide the above-mentioned quest, Gandalf the Grey provided the expedition with a map and key to Erebor, finding his famous sword Glamdring along the way.

The Key to Erebor – a major artifact of both The Hobbit and Middle Earth – will be available as a 3D blueprint on December 13, courtesy of Microsoft UK (MSN/Xbox 360/Windows 8) and Warner Bros. Meaning, LOTR fans will be able to create an exact replica of the key on Atmel-powered 3D printers like MakerBot and RepRap.

“Anyone familiar with the story or who has seen the films knows that Bilbo Baggins could teach most people a thing or two about storytelling,” said Owen Sagness, General Manager for Microsoft Advertising & Online UK. “By offering fans a blueprint for a 3D model of one of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’s ‘key’ artifacts, we’re providing a genuinely valuable and unique experience, while pushing the boundaries of what is creatively possible using new technology.”

The Hobbit – based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s 1937 fantasy novel – is a series of three epic fantasy adventure films directed, produced, and adapted by Peter Jackson. An Unexpected Journey was released back in 2012, while The Desolation of Smaug is slated to go live on December 13, 2013. There and Back Again is scheduled to hit theaters in 2014.

Printing circuit boards with the Atmel-powered EX¹

The Atmel-powered (ATmega2560) EX¹ allows Makers and engineers to quickly print circuit boards on a wide variety of material. Simply put, the EX¹ is helping to transform electronics and prototyping in the same way that conventional 3D printing revolutionized traditional manufacturing.

However, it should be noted that the EX¹ printer isn’t designed to create 3D objects like “classic” 3D printers. Rather, it 3D prints circuit boards by layering silver nano-particles onto paper or any suitable surface to rapidly create a circuit board.

According to a Cartesian Co. rep, printing circuit boards is now as easy as clicking File > Print.

“This lets you create electronics, just as you’ve envisioned – wearable electronics, paper circuits, printed computers or whatever you imagine. A 3D printer creates the objects of your imagination; the EX¹ lets you create the electronics of your imagination,” the rep explained.

“In addition to more conventional circuit board materials the EX¹ can print on a variety of different substrates you might not associate with circuits. Materials we have been able to print on include plastic (many types), glass, wood, ceramic, silicone and even fabric and paper. In fact it is possible to print on most surfaces. If that’s not enough, we are developing coatings that can allow virtually any surface to be printed on.”

Cartesian, says the rep, wants to change the way Makers and engineers think about electronics, with a particular emphasis on wearable electronics.

“One capability of the EX¹ we’re really excited about is the ability to print straight onto fabric. Anyone who has used conductive thread will tell you how frustrating it is when the thread breaks but you can’t find the break! With the EX¹ you can print circuits straight onto the material of your choice,” the rep added.

So, how does the EX¹ work? Essentially, two inkjet cartridges (similar to the ones in a standard desktop printer) print images on a substrate, but instead of ink they lay down two different chemicals. When these two chemicals mix, a reaction occurs, producing silver nano-particles, leaving a silver image on the substrate.

On the software side, Cartesian offers complete flexibility with its software, from simply importing an image with default settings and clicking print, to exerting control over every printing variable.

Interested in learning more about the Atmel-powered EX¹? You can check out the official product page on Kickstarter here.

R-360 is a modular 3D printer

The Replicator Warehouse crew has debuted the R-360, an open source modular 3D printer. The R-360 is equipped with a rotating printing bed for 3D scanning turntable mode and can be folded up for traveling without compromise on printing volume.

Plus, the 3D printer arrives partially pre-assembled, allowing Makers to build the versatile platform in about an hour or so.

“We know that there are vast numbers of amazing Makers or Makers, and some of them are really hesitant to have their own 3D printer because of the high price or the complexity to build,” the Replicator Warehouse crew wrote in a recent Kickstarter post.

“So we’ve invented a new 3D printer for those people. We would like more and more people to have 3D printers and bring more genius Makers into the world!”

On the software side, the R-360 offers easy access to a free slicing service aptly dubbed “Slicer Cloud” which processes files on clusters of online servers. Slicer Cloud also boasts a 3D object files library for Makers to browse and download pre-Sliced objects for fast printing.

Additional key specs include:

• Torque – 4.4kg cm or 44 Ncm (62.3 oz.in)
• Voltage – 2.8 V/Phase
• Current – 1.68 A/Phase
• Resistance – 1.65 Ohm/Phase
• Inductance (mH/Phase) – 2.8
• Inertia – 68 g.cm²
• Weight – 0.35kg
• Length “L” – 47mm (1.85 in)
• GT2 belts and aluminium pulleys
• CNC Motor Shaft Coupler (Flexible Coupling)
• 608zz, 624zz bearings and LM8UU, LM10UU linear bearings
• RAMPS 1.4 with Atmel-Arduino ATmega2560 rev3 and 5x A4988 motor controllers
• Mechanical endstops
• Memory card reader
• LCD/SD (upgrade) panel with RAMPS GADGETS3D Shield (Kingston 4GB SD card included)
• Extruder tip – 0.4mm
• Layer heights 0.1mm – 0.3mm
• Printing speed – up to 150mm/s
• Traveling speed – up to 250mm/s

Interested in learning more about the R-360 modular 3D printer? You can check out the project’s official page on Kickstarter.

Made in Space 3D printing startup speaks at Atmel

Friday saw quite a buzz here at Atmel when founders of the start-up Made in Space participated at a speaking event.

Atmel hosted start-up Made in Space to talk about their 3-D printer.

The first-floor training room was packed. In attendance was the Mayor of Mountain View, a retired astronaut and people from NBC News. Made in Space founder Jason Dunn talked about how useful it would be to have a manufacturing method in space. In keeping with the recent craze for 3D printing, Made in Space is well along the way to sending a 3D-printer to space.

Jason Dunn expands and explains his rationale for putting a 3D printer in space.

At first the team tried to adapt an existing 3D printer for space use. They rented time on those parabolic flights where you are weightless for a minute or two. Every 3D printer they tried had severe limitations. Indeed a recent review in Product Design and Development indicates that many 3-D printers don’t work on Earth, much less in orbit. You can see how if a 3D printer needs to be precisely leveled in order to not damage itself, there is little chance it would ever work in space. And don’t forget a 3D printer intended for space use will need to withstand the G-force of launch.

There was a definite startup vibe in the room. I’ve been to those edgy companies that scribble directly on the wall. I guess brown paper serves when you are on the road.

Now last time I checked it was $10,000 a pound to put something into orbit. So the business case for 3D printing in space is that you make parts that you need as you need them. Jason maintains that 3D printing could make 30% of the spare parts on the Space Station. I find that a little hard to believe. Let’s face it, 3D printing makes inferior structural components that have nowhere near the properties of injection molded or machined parts. The space program uses Delrin and polyamide and thermoset high-performance engineering plastics. To my knowledge the “additive string” type of printer cannot use these high-zoot engineering thermoplastics. Even if they did, the resulting parts are never as strong as an injection molded part.

There was a healthy crowd at the Atmel-sponsored function.

Still, you can see how compelling it is to be able to manufacture in space. You can check out Jason’s TEDx talk to see his vision. The second he started his presentation here at Atmel, I could not help but think of the Apollo 13 disaster. If only those astronauts had a 3D printer, they could have easily made a part to adapt the Command module CO2 scrubber canisters to the Lunar module design. Sure enough, the Made in Space people also thought of this scenario. So they gave an intern the job to design and build a part that would have done the job. It took him less than an hour to design the part and the printer had the part built in a few hours more. That would sure have lowered the blood pressure of those three stranded astronauts. And Jason noted that it is the ground crew that can be designing the parts, further offloading the astronauts so they can concentrate on the space-based tasks that they need to get done.

Verified Prints with the Atmel-powered MakerBot

The MakerBot crew recently launched its Verified Prints program for the Atmel-powered Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer. According to MakerBot’s Kate Hannum, the team spent a significant amount of time testing and pre-slicing Thingverse files to curate high-quality print designs for Makers.

“Load these prepped files directly onto an SD card and print beautifully in PLA on your MakerBot Replicator 2 Desktop 3D Printer. We looked for designs without too many parts, too much hassle to assemble, any glitches or unexpected errors, and that don’t take a lot of monitoring to ensure perfection when printing,” Hannum explained in a recent blog post.

“From now on, whenever you see the black MakerBot Verified Files button on a Thing page, you can click into the MakerBot Verified tab to download pre-sliced .x3g files. You’ll also recognize the files as you’re exploring Thingiverse by the red check mark symbol. You can easily access a collection of all the Verified Files here.”

Hannum also noted that experimental works-in-progress are a key part of what makes Thingiverse amazing – a characteristic of the site which will surely continue to grow and thrive.

“[However], we know there are those of you in the community who are just getting started or don’t want to spend the time experimenting with the more challenging designs on the site,” she added. “You just want to download and print – that’s what MakerBot Verified Files are about.”

Although the MakerBot crew started with just over 75 files, the company has already begun testing and adding additional Verified Files to more Thing pages. You can access them here.