The Delta ORD Bot

This is the Delta ORD Bot.  Just like the original ORD Bot, this was done in a crazy short design, fabrication build cycle to have something to bring to ORD Camp this year.  The only way I could pull that off is through  the people before me that have paved the way.

This is purely a project for my own enjoyment and as another demo use of Makerslide.  This was a clean sheet  design.  All of the pieces were custom designed and fabricated for this project.  I really wanted a clean look to it, so I planned way ahead for all the wiring.  I went back and forth a few times on whether to put the electronics on the top or bottom.  I decided on the top top and am happy with the decision.  It was really easy to work on with the top plate removed.

I started with three linear actuators made with MakerSlide.  The motors are mounted on blocks with integral limit switches.  The wiring is done inside the blocks and exit a hole that is hidden in the final installation.

The linkages use stock hobby ball ends from Dubro.  The rods are carbon fiber tubing.  They are adjustable, but they were assembled on a build fixture to insure they are all exactly the same length.

The linear actuators were mounted to a CNC routed piece of 18mm Baltic Birch.  The four point mount made it easy to adjust the angle of them.

  Electronics

The electronics (Except LCD) were all mounted to the middle plate.  This is what I used.

  • Azteeg X3 (does everything I need and is the coolest looking controller)
  • 12V 30A switching power supply from eBay
  • ViKi LCD and control panel.

Anywhere a cable or wire had to go from top to bottom, it went inside the MakeSlide.  Any exposed wires like ones to the hot end or filament drive stepper were decoratively sheathed.  The wiring on the plate was covered by a piece of black acrylic.

Base

The base is made out of 18mm Baltic Birch.  The hot bed is a custom 1/4″ thick 6061 plate with power resistors.  It takes about 8 minutes to reach 90C due to the mass of the aluminum.  It also takes forever to cool down, so you need to be careful removing prints.

It will be replaced with a round PCB style bed when that is available.  There are screw on rubber feet underneath set in from the edge to give it a floating look.

Extruder

To keep the weight of the end effector as light as possible I went with a custom designed Bowden style extruder.
  • Hot End – I used the heater block, nozzle, cartridge heater and tube for a QU-BD extruder.  The parts were mounted to a CPU heatsink, which is cooled by a small 30mm fan.  The cables were run to the top inside a mess wire cover.  The high current heater circuit was run on super soft and wire strand count 16AWG test lead wire.
  • Drive End.    I used the motor from a QU-BD extruder and an MK7 drive gear.  It is connected to the system on a 4 pin microphone connector.  The mate is mounted to one of the MakerSlides and has a hidden hole drilled to pass up the center channel.
  • Tube – The tubing is 1/4″ O.D. Teflon tubing.  The fittings are super light, Delrin quick release fittings.
  • Spool Holder.  I mounted the drive end on top of my existing filament cartridge.  This was a quick and easy solution, but also provided a near perfect position, length and bend for the tubing leading between the drive and hot end.

Firmware

Firmware – I am running the development version of Repetier.  I have also run the customized version of Marlin, but I found Repetier a little easier to work with.

Source files

The source files are on the wiki

Future Plans

  • I want to try a double drive end bowden.  I will put a NEMA 14 at the nozzle and a NEMA 17 at the spool end.  This might eliminate bowden issues while still keeping it light.
  • Lighting.  I want to add something to light up the work area.
  • Release the source (soon)
  • I do not plan to sell and kits or parts.  If you want to buy a Delta consider the Rostock Max or this Kickstarter Project.

 

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4 Responses to “The Delta ORD Bot”


  1. alwayswill

    This is really awesome stuff. Really appreciate the level of sharing you do as this is NOT an easy thing to accomplish. Also, thanks for answering the question on everyone’s mind (at least on my mind) when reading this article…”I do not plan to sell and kits or parts.” I’m sure you would have been bombard with request about it.

  2. Oleksiy

    What is the part number for hobby ball ends from Dubro? What are the part numbers / sizes for fiber rods?
    Thanks!

  3. Oleksiy

    It looks like the part is Du-Bro Monster Ball Links 6-32 DUB2316 or Du-Bro Bulk Heavy Duty Ball Link 6-32 DUB2267.

    Can’t wait for the sources!

  4. bdring

    The Dubro links I used are DUB2267. The price via eBay is about $1.50 per link. The design uses (12) links.

    The source is now available and linked to in the blog post above.

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