Robotic 3D prototypers
Finally time for some work!
The frame, as it was up until now has some slight but problematic structural deficiencies, and it is time for a redesign.
The new frame still use PVC pipe, but used in a triangular configuration that should get rid of most of the unwanted movement.
In the photo below, you can see the pipe adapters during the print. My first attempt last night was the victim of a filament spool tangle, and only printed half way…
Progress… What progress?
The past two weeks I have been busy catching up on real world work, not allowing me even 10min of playtime…
At least the long hours driving afforded me time to think about the road ahead, and I hope to post some progress in the next week or two.
Patience Grasshopper.
Well, a new year has come, the Mayans were wrong (what did you expect) and I am back at work.
2012 brought us “The Plan”, the Electronics, the firmware, the loaner, and the frame.
2013 is the birthyear of Morgan. There are a couple of challenges remaining, not least of which would be the custom firmware for the Morgan’s SCARA configuration.
I hate to be a tease, but things are really starting to shape up. Source files will be made available one week after the first successful print (regardless of quality).
More soon
Due to the holidays, development on the Morgan frame has been halted for 2012.
Progress so far…
1. Working electronics
2. Functional SCARA arm frame
3. Experimental Z axis
The z axis is a bit of a problem at the moment. Wobble in the threaded rod-motor combination cause the build plate to wobble sideways. I now understand why low cost system opt for a second z motor to stabilise the z-axis.
Thanks for your interest. Work on Morgan will continue in 2013.
Cheers,
Quentin
The frame is finally starting to take shape. The interesting thing is, that even after all the planning that went into the build, it is still changing subtly as I go along.
In the picture you can see the double arm SCARA, the belt pulleys and the sliders for the z-axis. Still to come:
The build plate, top mounted z-drive, the motor mountings for the two arm motors, and the Bowden extruder.
The movement is smooth, and it looks very promising indeed!
Cheers,
Quentin
The building of Morgan is continuing, and progress, while slow is steady. December will so far still be the month of completion of the first Morgan prototype…
Some pieces awaiting assembly…
Cheers,
Quentin
While furiously printing parts for the upcoming Ecksbot build at the house4hack course, using the Ecksbot borrowed from Peter, I am printing a few pieces for the assembly off the first Morgan prototype. Watch this space.
The bearings are only coming at the end of the week… but I got some second hand ones to play with at least. A good thing as well since there are still a few issues to work through.
I’d like to have a working framework by the end of the week, and then it is picture time!
It is now becoming unbearable… My whole study is filling up with bits and pieces that I built / collected / hacked out of old stuff / bought etc. Morgan is in its last trimester!
Tomorrow night I will (hopefully) get my LM8UU bearings and two 50cm smooth rods for the Z-axis.
In the mean time, I’m hacking my pololu drivers: the micro stepping mode is not enabled, and to get that working I need to replace the ROSC resistor with a short to ground. The little 0604 links are 7c each… won’t break the bank. If I did not make the step-sticks yet I might have added a solder-bridge on the step-stick in order to program it with a soldering iron in stead of messing about with little specks of 0 ohm resistors.
Exiting times…
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