I’ve had the very good fortune this week to attend the IPC APEX EXPO. Featuring advanced and emerging technologies in printed board design and manufacturing, electronics assembly and test.
http://www.ipcapexexpo.org/html/main/default.htm
In past years a project like RepRap wouldn’t gain much interest. With the world economy in such a mess,the companies are all hungry. I found a great deal of interest in the RepRap projects, so expect a few noobies in for a peak!!!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Use IFF for Rep Rap
The Interchange File Format (IFF)
Link to info and specs:
www.ibm.com/developerworks/power/library/pa-spec16
Y Iff ?
“One of the most disappointing lessons learned from IFF is simply that a pretty good standard can easily be ignored in favor of a huge variety of proprietary formats. A very large number of formats out there have carefully attempted to recreate just the basic functionality of IFF. In practice, this means that graphics programs are stuck supporting dozens of subtly incompatible formats, each of which has its own innovative set of quirks.”
Link to info and specs:
www.ibm.com/developerworks/power/library/pa-spec16
Y Iff ?
“One of the most disappointing lessons learned from IFF is simply that a pretty good standard can easily be ignored in favor of a huge variety of proprietary formats. A very large number of formats out there have carefully attempted to recreate just the basic functionality of IFF. In practice, this means that graphics programs are stuck supporting dozens of subtly incompatible formats, each of which has its own innovative set of quirks.”
IFF Official Specifications
http://www.fileformat.info/format/iff/spec/7866a9f0e53c42309af667c5da3bd426/index.htm
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Recycler a New Approach
I have a bunch of plastic for recycling building up and wish to use it for infill. So maybe this will help someone to run with some of the ideas.
Building on the post I made today: http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?171,34188
What about using a meat grinder? Something that worked in progressive stages, so that large objects to be recycled and something like a tree shredder cuts them down to smallish chunks।
I was thinking along the same lines as you with the meat grinder along with the reuse of a few other kitchen tools। I put some time into the idea of using a "dumpling pan" and further a "pasta maker"। http://probersideas.blogspot.com/2009/11/view-to-extrude-2.html.
Attacking it with a milling bit gives fine powder of course।
I ruled this out a long time ago। KISS, this is the key IMHO The problem with cutting HDPE is it is one of those plastics that gets stronger when you stretch it until it is incredibly strong and very very thin.
Use as a starting point various temps, within progressive stages to reshape and reuse the plastics for infill। The device would operate kinda like how they crush cars down to a chunk। For our purposes, the plunger will push the plastic into an extruder to “reform” the plastic into tootsie roll size, or the preferred filament size rewound into a spindle।
If I had the time would build it:?
Both the French fry cutter, and Can Crusher mechanisms are similar. Might be great as candidates to quickly prototype a working recycler.
Building on the post I made today: http://forums.reprap.org/read.php?171,34188
What about using a meat grinder? Something that worked in progressive stages, so that large objects to be recycled and something like a tree shredder cuts them down to smallish chunks।
I was thinking along the same lines as you with the meat grinder along with the reuse of a few other kitchen tools। I put some time into the idea of using a "dumpling pan" and further a "pasta maker"। http://probersideas.blogspot.com/2009/11/view-to-extrude-2.html.
Attacking it with a milling bit gives fine powder of course।
I ruled this out a long time ago। KISS, this is the key IMHO The problem with cutting HDPE is it is one of those plastics that gets stronger when you stretch it until it is incredibly strong and very very thin.
Use as a starting point various temps, within progressive stages to reshape and reuse the plastics for infill। The device would operate kinda like how they crush cars down to a chunk। For our purposes, the plunger will push the plastic into an extruder to “reform” the plastic into tootsie roll size, or the preferred filament size rewound into a spindle।
If I had the time would build it:?
Some possible Crusher plunger mechanisms
Both the French fry cutter, and Can Crusher mechanisms are similar. Might be great as candidates to quickly prototype a working recycler.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
CES 2010
It's CES time again for me !!!
Alot of my interests are here this time. The show starts in like 24hrs and Makerbot should be here, looking forward to that booth. Some other tech goodies of note: LG's "metal foil" technology. On my list to see and test out.
http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10424068-269.html?tag=mncol;title
Another booth on my list is a 3DFab service that does metal as well as plastic. Their news release is kinda confusing and I am not sure ATM if they have a printer of their own design or not?? 3D is the word this year at CES so maybe the hinted at 3Dprinters from HP etc will show, never know what kinda surprises, but it's all fun.
CNet has some decent live feed and general info....Highly recommended!
http://ces.cnet.com/
Alot of my interests are here this time. The show starts in like 24hrs and Makerbot should be here, looking forward to that booth. Some other tech goodies of note: LG's "metal foil" technology. On my list to see and test out.
http://ces.cnet.com/8301-31045_1-10424068-269.html?tag=mncol;title
Another booth on my list is a 3DFab service that does metal as well as plastic. Their news release is kinda confusing and I am not sure ATM if they have a printer of their own design or not?? 3D is the word this year at CES so maybe the hinted at 3Dprinters from HP etc will show, never know what kinda surprises, but it's all fun.
CNet has some decent live feed and general info....Highly recommended!
http://ces.cnet.com/
Friday, December 25, 2009
Mendula Has a Past History
After a stressful search for parts yesterday I’ve probably sourced 98%. Today I’m relaxed and thought I’d look up background on the parts former owner. Surprised she has an excellent history (more posted on that later).
Now I know everyone’s going to look at the pic and say that’s not a Mendel. Right, Mendula wanted to be a Mendel, or even better yet a RapMan V3. But that was not to be. So she is a Darwin or more correctly an early laser cut RapMan.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Quick Idea: Rulez for the serious RepRaper
As I review the documentation for assembly of a RepRap, many questions come to mind. As a new year approaches its good to review, rethink, redo. So I’ve come up with my list...
1) Focus on the end product the "Quality of the Build".
2) Vibration is a killer…. Less vibration equals higher quality finished builds.
3) No metal on metal contact, unless absolutely necessary Got a use for those scraps now!
4) Greater frame mass doesn’t necessary equal a stronger frame, and translate into a better build.
5) Weight balance of the frame design might be better than greater mass.
6) Top heavy vs bottom heavy designs? Better at least balance your side to side weight or your adding to the problem.
7) Why all this metal? The beauty of plastic is to combine parts for less assembly.
8) They make Nylon washers don’t they?
9) Why aren’t rubber or plastic type washers used with laser cut Acrylic parts,.... can you say crack?
Food for thought?
1) Focus on the end product the "Quality of the Build".
2) Vibration is a killer…. Less vibration equals higher quality finished builds.
3) No metal on metal contact, unless absolutely necessary Got a use for those scraps now!
4) Greater frame mass doesn’t necessary equal a stronger frame, and translate into a better build.
5) Weight balance of the frame design might be better than greater mass.
6) Top heavy vs bottom heavy designs? Better at least balance your side to side weight or your adding to the problem.
7) Why all this metal? The beauty of plastic is to combine parts for less assembly.
8) They make Nylon washers don’t they?
9) Why aren’t rubber or plastic type washers used with laser cut Acrylic parts,.... can you say crack?
Food for thought?
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Mystery material discovered?
What are the commercial 3D printers using for their build surface areas?
Well I’ve discovered the Dimension machines use a”glass foam build platen”.
Sounds a bit like fiberglass?
See Bolson materials Web site: http://www.bolsonmaterials.com/main.htm
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