22A - Alan Melendez
- Software development for petal infill with varying geometry and composition Part 1: Hardware and firmware upgrades
- Abstract:
A popular type of Additive Manufacturing is Fused Filament Fabrication. Fused Filament Fabrication heats different types of thermoplastic based filament and deposits the molten polymer on a build surface on a layer-by-layer basis. MP2 uses 3 extruders which feed into the nozzle to achieve localized multi-material composition. The MP2 has been plagued with freezing, power cycling, bed and extruder heating issues, and filament jamming. The goal is to add stability and consistency to printing by rewiring, changing the control board and firmware modifications. These changes were implemented through small modifications followed by testing to make sure the changes being made are producing the correct results. Wiring was managed throughout the printer to keep it away from high temperature components and add strain relief. Firmware was modified to allow the use of an expansion board to drive additional stepper motors. The firmware modifications caused a couple of problems such as SD card software interface issues, low z-axis stepper driver current, and eprom errors. The SD card software interface and eprom errors were rectified using firmware modifications. Firmware and hardware modifications were used to fix these issues. Multiple successful prints were completed after all these issues were fixed. All these modifications have produced a more stable system. Over 10 prints have been completed and there has not bee any freezing or shutting down. Future work includes adding two additional relays for the heater cartridges and full documentation of all changes, procedures, issues and future updates to both software and hardware.
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Could you elaborate on where this printer would be adopted (i.e. lab, industry, home)? Are future works being proposed as a manufactured product? What is the largest specimen that can be printed under this capacity prototype printer?