Posted on 12/02/2014 8:26:58 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
One of the obstacles to jumping headlong into the additive manufacturing milieu for many people is often the expense of the 3D printer itself. Further, for those intrepid, budding engineers, designers, makers, and artists, an initial foray might more reasonably and affordably involve logo-instructables-01using a less expensive and complex machine. Enter one Instructables contributor, “mikelllc,” who has designed a make-it-yourself 3D printer that is constructed largely from recycled electronic components.
Currently, only about 12.5% of all electronic waste, or “e-waste,” is recycled. Instead, the majority of cast-off electronic products — around 20 to 50 million metric tons per year worldwide — end up in incinerators or landfills. Many such products languishing in landfills can also release toxic chemicals into the air and soil, including high amounts of lead. So, repurposing electronic products makes great sense economically and ecologically.
The EWaste $60 3D Printer is inexpensive to make given that you can round up the necessary components and follow the maker’s step-by-step instructions, which are clear and detailed. The process, in short, involves schooling yourself on “how a generic CNC (Computer Numerical Control) system works” and then programming your printer-in-the-making to respond to G-code instructions. With the addition and calibration of a plastic extruder, the tuning of the driver power, and other well-outlined and described steps in the construction process, you end up with a “small footprint” 3D printer that is comprised of upwards of 80% recycled components — an eco-conscious and budget-friendly alternative to springing for a new and potentially costly 3D printer.
One of the major selling points of this design for a 3D printer is that not only do you end up with a usable machine at the end of the process, but that the process of building and programming the thing yourself also provides you with a solid tech-ed mini-course (or maxi-course for the completely uninitiated). What you need to get started are two standard CD/DVD drives from a used PC, a floppy disc drive from which you extract stepper rather than DC motors (you’ll need three stepper motors in all), a PC power supply, cables, female connectors, a heat-shrink tube, and some CNC electronics. There are some components — like a NEMA 17 stepper motor — that you’ll need to purchase new, but for the most part you’ll be going with used and recycled parts.
The Instructables page provides thorough instructions for everything from soldering the cables to the motors and doing the basic electrical work, installing and using Arduino printer control software, downloading firmware, configuring the motherboard, and so on. In the instance of components that are not accessible from previously used electronics, there are instructions and templates for making your own laser cut parts for the frame, which can be assembled without the use of glue.
The 3D printer uses 1.75 mm plastic filament, which is both easier to extrude and also much more flexible than 3 mm filament. Additionally, using the 1.75 mm filament means that you’ll require less power to run your machine, which is definitely earth-friendly, as is the use of PLA bio-plastic (as opposed to ABS). This maker is willing to be contacted for troubleshooting, and the project — and completely usable end result — seems worth the fairly complicated process.
Is this a project you’d think to undertake? Have you already? Let us know how you found the process, and what your results were, at the discussion forum for the EWaste $60 3D Printer at 3DPB.com!
Ping.
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$5.00 is perfectly acceptable.
Couldn’t I buy a 3D printer and then print 3D printers to sell at a cheaper price?
Almost.
Now the cat is out of the bag ...
Seems a reasonable conclusion to me
Your printer cannot print wires and control boards yet.
There will be metal, elastomeric, and PC board parts that can’t (yet) be printed. But yes, printing the 3D printer parts that can be printed is one of the popular things to do with one.
Sounds like the plot from Daniel Suarez's novels Daemon and Freedom(tm), both highly recommended.
Not really but close.
3d printers don’t really do circuit boards at the moment and they do not do micro chips. However, with modifications to the 3d printer’s head (3d printing with a Dremel tool) it is possible to etch out circuit boards. That requires significant changes to the head end, the existing electronics, the slicing software, etc to switch between the two “modes”.
Given the cost of pre-built electronics vs the time required .... it is just easier to buy for most.
I have to admit this whole concept is beyond my understanding. I don’t get how a printer can create things like car parts or guns. It is mind blowing to me.
You don’t use 3D printers to make circuits. But you do use inkjet printers or regular gravure or offset printing processes. Printed Electronics has been the next big thing for a decade now. See: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printed_electronics
bflr
Took me a while to find an article about using printers to print circuit boards. http://www.instructables.com/id/3D-Printing-3D-Print-A-Solderless-Circuit-Board/
This is a different method that using traditional printers to etch circuits. http://www.instructables.com/id/PCB-etching-using-laser-printer/
Here is a picture of the Ultimaker circuit board. http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/121376071237?lpid=82
Note how complex the board is for the cost of $30 to $35. In other words, I could buy the part or spend hours of my time working out the details, finding the right components, printing the board and then solder in the pieces .... or spend $30 ish.
I picked up a small nuclear device the other day for $79.99
60 bucks materials and $5k in labor or $2500 for a finished machine?
I have two 3d printers and I am currently upgrading their performance so I have a fairly good understanding of them. To help explain it to others, I walk them through the following thought exercise.
Think of a ream of regular printer paper - 500 sheets. Now imagine taking each sheet through a “bath” or soaking of glue. As a last step, while the glue is still wet, lay all of the sheets down on top of each other. When it dries, you will have a fairly solid brick.
Ok, now lets modify this process slightly. Imagine that as each sheet is put down, JUST BEFORE it is put down, the excess of the sheet is cut away. Think of our desired object being a butter knife. The normal ream of paper would be very wastefull to cut down all those individual sheets. So instead, I have a nozzel that extrudes, much like expoxy out a small hole (usually 0.4 or 0.35 mm in size) a tiny ribbon of the glue and paper mix.
At each layer, it prints the outline of the object and then fills in the solid parts by going back and forth and laying down the mix of glue and paper. Then when that layer is done, the head lifts just a tiny fraction (0.1 mm) and then extrudes the next layer.
This is how FDM works. There are other techniques but they tend to be more expensive. You still have the limitations of the material be it plastic, chocolate, wax etc. So if you use plastic, you will have a plastic gun. Usable for support parts but not really a good idea for the barrel. However there are other techniques that would allow you to use steel and construct that barrel.
bump for later
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