Newbie from OZ

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Newbie from OZ

Postby Bazzwaldo » Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:26 am

Hi there
Been watching the massive growth in 3d printing technology over the last 18 months, I can't believe how fast this has grown!
I am a middle aged semi retired set builder for feature films, I used to stare at the CNC machine and wonder up new designs in my head, this 3d technology keeps me awake at night with the possibilities.
Thinking of wetting my feet and like the sturdy build of the ORD BOT Hadron
I see there are various plug and play attributes to the machinery and electronics so have one or two questions
What stepper motors do you recommend?
What determines the "resolution" or micron size on the Z axis?
Cheers
Bazzwaldo
 
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Re: Newbie from OZ

Postby cvoinescu » Mon Aug 26, 2013 12:30 pm

I won't touch the first part of your question, except to say that most 4-wire bipolar NEMA17 40 mm motors with a current rating of about 0.7 A to 1.7 A will do.

For the second part, because the Z axis is screw-driven, you have more resolution than you need. To get extra-fine layers, in addition to a decent Z resolution and positioning accuracy, which you have, you need a small nozzle. However, the smaller the nozzle is, the harder it is to push the filament out, and the smaller volume you can extrude at a given time; the difficulty increases very sharply with the decrease in nozzle diameter. Nozzles below 0.3 mm or so are impractical. Other people have experimented with ultra-fine layers, and the consensus seems to be that about 0.2 mm is the thinnest layer that still gives good results. In the test I've seen, 0.1 mm looked worse (and took much more time to print).

Skeinforge has an interesting feature, where it can divide layers into a number of thinner layers only on the outside of the part (the perimeter of each layer). With that feature enabled, the outside surface of the object is printed at an increased resolution, but the bulk of the object is printed at normal resolution, so the time penalty isn't that great.

To sum it up, don't worry about the Z resolution, it's better than you can make use of.
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Re: Newbie from OZ

Postby Bazzwaldo » Tue Aug 27, 2013 6:05 am

Hey Cvoinescu
Cheers for the info
I can't believe this other world exists and thrives on collective thoughts improving an already (word that conveys awesome) piece of technology!
Your explanation of the Z axis in terms of threaded increments clears up that end of understanding resolution.
Unfortunately I have NO, ZIP, Nada electronic background but knowing nothing about stuff has never stopped me from having a go.
Looked at some of the prints that didn't turn out so well against the prints that are simply amazing and can see that mechanical accuracy and electronic/software tweeking skills are needed together with a stable electronic/mechanical platform (ORD BOT Hadron).
Like the idea of building from the ground up (in kit form) as I'll know (hopefully) when things bugger up i'll be able to fix it!
When I get my project underway, I wouldn't mind posting the progress on this forum
Anyway, thanks for the heads up and hi, much appreciated
Cheers
Bazzwaldo
 
Posts: 8
Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 4:07 am

Re: Newbie from OZ

Postby cvoinescu » Tue Aug 27, 2013 10:10 am

About the electronics, if you wire them right (which can seem daunting because there are so many connections to make, but all it really takes is a bit of patience), the only adjustment you need to do is the current for the motors. You don't need to touch them ever again -- all the calibration is done in software. You will have to tighten some bolts here and there, and adjust wheels and belt tension until you get them right, but at least you don't need to worry about the electronics. :)
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Re: Newbie from OZ

Postby Bazzwaldo » Mon Sep 02, 2013 4:26 am

Hey Cvoinescu
Thanks again for the advice
I have been following Jeff (JLG) on the "ORD BOT Hadron Help Appreciated" thread.
I am so impressed with your and Rickmellor's assistance, advice and insight I am going to take the plunge and copy the build package Jeff has put together after listening to you guys if thats OK with Jeff
Jumping over to that thread now to ask
Cheers
Neil (Bazzwaldo)
Bazzwaldo
 
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