This page was part of an MTU course MSE4777 OA and MSE4777 OB/MSE5777/EE4777/EE5777: Open-source 3-D printingPlease leave comments using the talk page. The course runs in the Fall semester. It is not open edit.Read more...
Broad and/or obvious patent claims for 3-D printing technology may hamper the open-source 3-D printing community's ability to innovate. Previous work on an algorithm protected 3-D printing materials. This page is part of a MTU Open Source 3-D Printing class project to investigate 3-D printing concepts using TRIZ and is presented here as a defensive publication of prior art to help identify obvious 'inventions' for 3-D printing.
Examiners: The ideas on this page dated Dec 3, 2015 and Nov 29, 2016 were developed by university students with less than a semester of formal 3-D printing experience (or by an instructor in class) and thus should be considered unpatentable because of obviousness to any person skilled in the art of additive manufacturing.
Appropedians: This page is open edit. Please fee free to add ideas and sign them below with ~~~~ or to use any of the ideas to built better open-source 3-D printers.

Kev Man (talk) 07:33, 1 December 2015 (PST)

Tmjohnst (talk) 07:37, 1 December 2015 (PST)

Ztverran (talk) 07:51, 1 December 2016 (PST)

Devon Smith (talk) Devon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)

Ideas to improve 3d printer (Counterweight)[edit | edit source]

  1. Use Mesh design for end effector to reduce weight while maintaining structural integrity
  2. Enhance material availability: Make structures out of particle board to reduce weight and use any available wood
  3. Reduce Parts: End effector has helicopter style top to suspend instead of metal bars
  4. Reduce cost-printer: Mesh design for all 3d printed parts and structures to use less material
  5. Reduce cost-material: Inject with gas to expand volume(more surface area for less plastic)
  6. Easier to assemble : attach helium balloons to top so cannot drop and easier to maneuver to fix/build
  7. Use carbon fiber frame to decrease weight.
  8. Use lighter motors to decrease weight.
  9. Add flat steel plate to base to decrease vibration somewhat.
  10. Modify end effector to only mount the hot end (alternative material to take care of heat)
  11. Add vibration reducers (similar to hunting bows) to lower rod vibration and thus the rod can be made of a lighter material.
  12. Use smaller motors to decrease weight.
  13. Use less robust board to decrease weight slightly.
  14. Use a combination stepper driver and computer to decrease overall weight (combine melzi and BBBlack)
  15. Use microphones to detect mechanical click to reduce wiring to leveling switches.
  16. Combine heated bed with the frame to reduce weight.
  17. Add heating to the whole frame to omit heated bed somehow (circuitry needs to be modified).
  18. Combine frame with vertical beams to reduce weight - or omit vertical columns entirely like on some cartesian printers.
  19. Extrude with a through-the-center stepper to decrease parts used in extrusion.
  20. Omit top doughnut entirely - vibration introduced but weight decreased.
  21. Use carbon fiber rods instead of aluminum to decrease weight.
  22. Combine extruder and hot end into a plastic pushing monster to decrease metal and mechanical parts - momentum is increased and accuracy falls.
  23. Use more snap-together parts to decrease bolts and nuts - less metal, less weight (slightly).
  24. Print with a smaller extruder motor to decrease weight.
  25. Use shorter linear bearings to slightly decrease weight.
  26. Less infill for parts that don't need it
  27. Different infill: lighter, stronger infill material
  28. Use different material for structure of printer: some sort of light, hollow, plastic tubing
  29. Change guide rods to carbon fiber
  30. Printed parts of printer with less infill
  31. Make everything out of carbon fiber
  32. Drill holes in support material
  33. Print with lighter material
  34. Plastic hardware
  35. Build a smaller printer
  36. Print a smaller part, sections if needed
  37. Use less bed adhesion (glue) or use blue painters tape
  38. Make part hollow and put hydrogen or helium into part
  39. Make inside of part a vacuum
  40. Move printer to moon
  41. Attach helium balloons to top of printer
  1. Make printer components optimized so that minimum material is usedDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  2. use a smaller extruder headDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  3. make the printer frame out of carbon fiber instead of wood or metalDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  4. print as many components for your printer as you can using less infillDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  5. use a lighter weight material extruder headDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  6. use smaller spools of plastic to lighten the weight of the entire assemblyDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  7. use plastic for your print bead rather than glassDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  8. replace metal hardware with plasticDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  9. use epoxy for joints rather than fastenerDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  10. use aluminum axis guide rods instead of steelDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  11. cut drive belts in half widthwise to use less belt and to lighten the printerDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  12. use an external spool holder and feeder assembly to lighten the printer itselfDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  13. take it to marsDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  14. use smaller stepper motorsDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  15. use plastic linear and ball bearingsDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  16. don't use greaseDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  17. Drill holes in structural components to remove massDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  18. make print bed smallerDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  19. make printer shorter in Z axisDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  20. use smaller diameter wires for electronicsDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  21. optimize electrical boards so that they may be smaller and more efficientDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  22. use plastic tie rods rather than alumDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  23. use printed plastic snap together joints instead of magneticDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  24. take the printer further away from earth's surfaceDevon Smith (talk) 07:11, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  25. use a smaller diameter filamentDevon Smith (talk) 07:12, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  1. Smaller printer head design Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  2. Lighter material used for print head Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  3. Active weight moving beneath printer to counter print head movement Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  4. Thinner rods Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  5. Hollow vertical rods Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  6. Carbon fiber everywhere Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  7. Smaller stepper motors Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  8. Much smaller donut Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  9. Design parts that require less assembly hardware Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  10. Direct air from fan that isn't on the print head itself Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  11. Lighter heating element Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  12. Lighter gauge wire Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  13. More efficient design of boards underneath (ex. smaller boards for non heated bed) Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  14. Plastic rods Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  15. Extrude from top so there's less need for material tube Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  16. Lighter materials used for print Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  17. Smaller printer Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  18. Weight reduction holes in print bed support Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  19. Weight reduction holes in vertical supports Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  20. Weight reduction holes in donut Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  21. Support printer from cables and pulleys and hang weights on other end Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
  22. PRINTING IN SPACE Patrick Gilland (talk) 07:26, 4 December 2018 (PST)
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Authors Devon Smith, Patrick Gilland, Tmjohnst, Kevin Sunderland, Zachary Verran
License CC-BY-SA-3.0
Language English (en)
Related 0 subpages, 4 pages link here
Aliases Obvious 3D printer technology based on 8. Counterweight
Impact 4 page views (more)
Created December 1, 2015 by Kevin Sunderland
Last modified April 11, 2023 by Pedro Kracht
Cite as Devon Smith, Patrick Gilland, Tmjohnst, Kevin Sunderland, Zachary Verran (2015–2023). "Obvious 3D printer technology based on 08. Counterweight". Appropedia. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
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