Evan responded:
Will the Z axis just be lifted by that one corner? It seems like it'd have trouble if you were printing a reasonably heavy object, unless the whole thing is incredibly rigid.
Z Axis and Other Happenings
2022-02-16 22:59 by Jonathan Buford (comments: 0)
Z Axis and Other Happenings
Having a very small team for Makible makes it difficult to balance things sometimes. After focusing on some more general business things for the company and Social Media Week Hong Kong (I'm one of the founders for StartupsHK), I'm finally back in the lab and making good progress again.
I'll finish integrating the controller and the motors tomorrow and get some good video of it moving around in 3D space and seeing how artistic it can be with a pen.
We've also got another new project by a community member in the hackerspace here that is coming along nicely. Today Robert was printing out on the RepRap feet for his cute smartphone controlled robot.
You can find out more about Robert's bot at http://www.unclebobtech.com/.
MakiBox funding is kicking over nicely, with over 30% of our goal raised. I'm about to order the electronics soon, since there is enough to do that, so either way we will ship what has been ordered so far. You can find the funding page here.
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Comment
An aluminium print bed sounds good. Will the slight expansion of the metal as it warms up cause any problems? In the print bed is 150mm long then warming it up from 20°C to 100°C would expand it by about a quarter of a millimetre. Expansion is always a consideration. It will be accounted for one way or another. Most likely with the current design, it would be just absorbed by the geometry, but I'll look at couplings that allow movement in a limited direction and amount if it needs it.
Jonathan Buford responded:
If the table was larger, then it will need some additional help, but it is small enough that the aluminum bed will be sufficiently rigid. I am adding in more but thinner rods and higher precision bearings to take what play there is out of the system. I do have a backup design for keeping it level, but will hold that for larger designs if this can hold the tolerances well enough.
Evan responded:
In the video you've produced it does look extremely solid, so hopefully that'll be fine.
Jonathan Buford responded:
