Obvious 3D printer technology based on 12. Equipotentiality

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.

Tacopaul11 (talk) 07:21, 1 December 2015 (PST)

Nicolas Winkler (talk) 07:23, 1 December 2015 (PST)

1. use counterweights on each axis to offset extruder weight Bproman (talk) 07:02, 4 December 2018 (PST)
2. raise and lower build plate Bproman (talk) 07:02, 4 December 2018 (PST)
3. cut mass from extruder Bproman (talk) 07:02, 4 December 2018 (PST)
4. grease up rails to reduce friction Bproman (talk) 07:02, 4 December 2018 (PST)

1. Move print bed up and down to allow for easier head changing.
2. Add counter weights to for the head unit to lower energy cost.
3. Telescopic runners to increase z depth.
4. Springs along the runners to make the resting position of the head above he bed.
5. Counter weight for the filament, less work for the extruder motor.
6. Drip molten material in controlled volumes to cool on the print surface.

1. For a DLP or SLA printer change the level of the resin rather than moving the print bed (similar to a water lock) Kerautio (talk) 07:51, 1 December 2016 (PST)