The goal of this project is to be used by a 3D Printing service to accurately determine prices of prints based on the amount of material used and the type of material used. The device will be able to measure the weight of a print using a small load cell and display the weight on an integrated LCD screen. In addition to the weight, the screen will display the cost of the print given the current settings.
Bill Of Materials[edit | edit source]
| Part | Price | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Weight Sensor | $16.95 | 1 |
| Arduino Nano | $12.86 for 3 | 1 |
| Arduino LCD | $6.49 | 1 |
| Tactile Switch | $4.33 | 3 |
Github code for scale: https://github.com/zsarnold/OSHE_Print_Scale
NIH Model Library: https://3dprint.nih.gov/discover/3dpx-012320
Tools Needed[edit | edit source]
- MOST Delta RepRap or similar RepRap 3-D printer
- Allen Wrench (For M5, M4 and M3 Bolts)
- Soldering Iron and Solder
- X-ACTO Knife or similar for cleaning printed material
- PC for Arduino Programming
Technical Specifications and Assembly Instructions[edit | edit source]
Fig 1: Scale Housing.
Fig 2: Square Measurement Plate.
Fig 3: Housing with Electronics Mounted.
Fig 4: Display of Price and Weight of Print.
Wiring[edit | edit source]
Arduino Nano
A4 - LCD SDA
A5 - LCD SCL
D2 - Scale module
D3 - Scale module
5v - Scale module/LCD
GND - Scale module/LCD
Scale
Load cell - Scale module
Upcoming Features[edit | edit source]
Push buttons will be located on the sides of the housing and allow for the user to change the material and the user rate (private or university-related). The measurement plate will be modular so the user could measure prints on a plate or in a bowl, which would be beneficial for large amounts of very small prints.
Cost Savings[edit | edit source]
- Cost to build: ~ $34.23 in electronics + $1.65 in filament
- 1000g X .1g Kitchen Scale on Amazon ~ $11.99 (lacks functionality to display a price based on material)
Benefited Communities[edit | edit source]
- OSHE: [1]
- Print Farms