{"id":71876,"key":"Open_Source_Multi-Head_3D_Printer_for_Polymer-Metal_Composite_Component_Manufacturing","title":"Open Source Multi-Head 3D Printer for Polymer-Metal Composite Component Manufacturing","latest":{"id":1208874,"timestamp":"2025-11-28T01:03:07Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"[[File:Gigahx.jpg|thumb]]\n\n{{Publication data\n| type = Paper\n| cite-as = John J. Laureto and Joshua M. Pearce. [https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/technologies5020036 Open Source Multi-Head 3D Printer for Polymer-Metal Composite Component Manufacturing] ''Technologies'' 2017, 5(2), 36; doi:10.3390/technologies5020036 [https://www.academia.edu/33578996/Open_Source_Multi-Head_3D_Printer_for_Polymer-Metal_Composite_Component_Manufacturing open access]\n}}\n\n{{Project data\n| authors = John J. Laureto, J.M.Pearce\n| status = Designed, Modelled, Prototyped, Verified\n| verified-by = MOST\n| links = https://www.academia.edu/33578996/Open_Source_Multi_Head_3D_Printer_for_Polymer_Metal_Composite_Component_Manufacturing&#124, https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7080/5/2/36&#124\n| location = Michigan, USA\n}}\n\n{{Device data\n| design-files = https://osf.io/jvhqt/\n}}\n\n{{MOST}}\n\nAs low-cost desktop 3D printing is now dominated by free and open source self-replicating rapid prototype (RepRap) derivatives, there is an intense interest in extending the scope of potential applications to manufacturing. This study describes a manufacturing technology that enables a constrained set of polymer-metal composite components. This paper provides (1) free and open source hardware and (2) software for printing systems that achieves metal wire embedment into a polymer matrix 3D-printed part via a novel weaving and wrapping method using (3) OpenSCAD and parametric coding for customized g-code commands. Composite parts are evaluated from the technical viability of manufacturing and quality. The results show that utilizing a multi-polymer head system for multi-component manufacturing reduces manufacturing time and reduces the embodied energy of manufacturing. Finally, it is concluded that an open source software and hardware tool chain can provide low-cost industrial manufacturing of complex metal-polymer composite-based products.\n\n* open hardware source code<ref>https://osf.io/jvhqt/</ref>\n* ini file<ref>http://www.mdpi.com/2227-7080/5/2/36/s1</ref>\n* [[Franklin]] firmware,<ref>[[Franklin Firmware on GigabotHX:MOST]]</ref>\n* Re:3D. Gigabot<ref>http://shop.re3d.org/</ref>\n* OpenSCAD:<ref>[https://www.openscad.org/ http://www.openscad.org/]</ref>\n* IC3D Digital Platform.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170303083122/http://www.ic3dprinters.com:80/index.html http://web.archive.org/web/20170303083122/http://www.ic3dprinters.com:80/index.html]</ref>\n* RAMPS 1.4.<ref>http://reprap.org/wiki/RAMPS_1.4</ref>\n* Pololu A4988 Stepper Motor Drive Carrier.<ref>https://www.pololu.com/product/1182</ref>\n* Arduino Mega Board 2560.<ref>https://www.arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardMega2560</ref>\n* KiCad–PcbNew.<ref>http://kicad-pcb.org/discover/pcbnew/</ref>\n* Slic3r.<ref>http://slic3r.org/</ref>\n\n{{Pearce publications notice}}\n\n== See also ==\n\n* [[Franklin Firmware on GigabotHX:MOST]]\n* [[GigabotHX]]\n* [[Metal wire embedding in fused filament 3-D printing]]\n* [[Experimental Characterization of Heat Transfer in an Additively Manufactured Polymer Heat Exchanger]]\n* [[Expanded microchannel heat exchanger]]\n* [[Towards Low-Cost Microchannel Heat Exchangers: Vehicle Heat Recovery Ventilator Prototype]]\n* [[Design Optimization of Polymer Heat Exchanger for Automated Household-Scale Solar Water Pasteurizer]]\n* [[Finite Difference Heat Exchanger Model: Flow Maldistribution with Thermal Coupling]]\n* [[Expanded Microchannel Heat Exchanger: Finite Difference Modeling]]\n* [[Design, fabrication, and testing of a polymer expanded heat exchanger for absorption chilling]]\n\n== References ==\n\n<references />\n\n{{Page data\n| license = CC-BY-SA-3.0\n| title-tag = Multi-Head 3D Printer for Polymer-Metal Components\n| keywords = open source, osat, 3D printing, RepRap, composite, manufacturing, heat exchangers, 3d printer, polymer-metal\n| sdg = SDG09 Industry innovation and infrastructure\n| organizations = MOST, MTU\n| description = Explore the innovative open-source multi-head 3D printer that enables efficient production of polymer-metal composite components for industrial applications.\n}}\n\n[[Category:MOST completed projects and publications]]\n[[Category:Heat exchangers]]\n[[Category:Heating and cooling]]\n[[Category:Open source hardware]]\n[[Category:3D printing]]\n[[Category:Open source]]\n[[Category:Manufacturing]]"}