A recent order required a number of large ABS+ parts, so I ordered a 500mm cube printer to handle them. Tiny Machines got the machine to me about a week after ordering, so they did a great job rushing it out for me. The machine as it comes is fairly simple. They do include a […]
New work bench up and running!
Have been a bit busy here. I’ve moved all 3 Taz 6 printers in to a new custom work bench in a corner of my arcade. I’ve got a large order of over 70 parts running at the moment, so I’ll get back to my slicer comparisons shortly!
Comparison of Slicers : Introduction to Cura
Cura is one of the most common slicers for a good reason. For this article, I am working with the 2.6 beta. The goal is to provide a simple, approachable interface to start with. It contains simple quick print settings for novices, then allows you to switch to expert mode and dig in. The default […]
Comparison of Slicers : Introduction
In 3D printing, your slicer is one of the most important tools. There are several options available. You have the vendor backed systems. Ultimaker Cura (Cura QT, New Cura, ect) Lulzbot Cura (Old Cura) Makerbot Print Craftware Tinkerine Suite Zorax Z-Suite Then you have your commercial software Autodesk Netfabb Simplify 3D KISSlicer Repetier Host Browser […]
Models on Thingiverse!
Lately I have been working on learning 3D Modeling and experimenting with Autodesk Inventor and Freecad. I have several things in mind that I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted online already, so a custom design was needed. My first design was a simple bracket to hold up a 1/4in thick canvas that my son […]
Modern Machine Design – Part 3
Let’s start at the beginning of the process. Mechanical design drives everything else, so the interaction between the old school toolies and the CAD jockeys sets the tone for how the controls engineers come into the picture. The paradigm to prevent here is the tendency of the toolie to view the CAD jockey as little […]
Modern Machine Design – Part 2
First-off, lets discuss the old school designers. These guys have a solid understanding of mechanics. They have probably read nearly the entire machinist’s handbooks and memorized everything in the 517 mechanical movements book. They understand how to translate any simple application of force into a complex motion. They understand how to fixture a part so […]
Modern machine design – Part 1
In today’s high tech world, you often see a clash between not only the mechanical and electrical designers, but the younger generation CAD jockeys and the old school 2d toolies. They all have prejudices against the other two. Understanding these, where the other is coming from, and how to balance them is key to producing […]
3d Printing in Industrial Automation
As 3d Printing has been getting more attention, it has gotten difficult to separate reality from the hype. There has been a flood of consumer and commercial grade systems, with the differences in many cases hard to spot. I have spent a great deal of time working with varying materials and printing technologies and have […]
Always physically validate the safety circuit
A couple years back, I was working on the logic for a collection of about a dozen small machines. Most of these were tooling with Amphenol connectors to the cell, with no local safety circuit. The Toolbar PLC just used a set of discrete IO to handshake with the weld cell PLC. The issue here […]