Kev Man (talk) 07:33, 1 December 2015 (PST) Tmjohnst (talk) 07:37, 1 December 2015 (PST)
Ideas to improve 3d printer (Counterweight):
- Use Mesh design for end effector to reduce weight while maintaining structural integrity
- Enhance material availability:
- Reduce Parts: End effector has helicopter style top to suspend instead of metal bars
- Reduce cost-printer: Mesh design for all 3d printed parts and structures to use less material
- Reduce cost-material: Inject with gas to expand volume(more surface area for less plastic)
- Easier to assemble : attach helium balloons to top so cannot drop and easier to maneuver to fix/build
- Make it safer: Make all support structures out of
- Use carbon fiber frame to decrease weight.
- Use lighter motors to decrease weight.
- Add flat steel plate to base to decrease vibration somewhat.
- Modify end effector to only mount the hot end (alternative material to take care of heat)
- Add vibration reducers (similar to hunting bows) to lower rod vibration and thus the rod can be made of a lighter material.
- Use smaller motors to decrease weight.
- Use less robust board to decrease weight slightly.
- Use a combination stepper driver and computer to decrease overall weight (combine melzi and BBBlack)
- Use microphones to detect mechanical click to reduce wiring to leveling switches.
- Combine heated bed with the frame to reduce weight.
- Add heating to the whole frame to omit heated bed somehow (circuitry needs to be modified).
- Combine frame with vertical beams to reduce weight - or omit vertical columns entirely like on some cartesian printers.
- Extrude with a through-the-center stepper to decrease parts used in extrusion.