pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

We have one here on 148 that we use all the time for random things. In my opinion, the most useful things we make are encoder couplers. The VERY coolest thing we ever made was a custom cog which meshes with a standard #35 sprocket. This allowed us to very simply integrate an encoder into our steering gearbox on Tumbleweed.

I remember geeking out a little when someone suggested it, but maybe I'm just easily amused.

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

Mason,
It would be cool to see a photo of some of the things you've made. I'd love to see the bubble jar and the crescent wrench. Awesome!

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

I think that guy may have worked himself to death.... may want to look into that....


Does it print in ABS? I've played around with the 3-d printer at the tech shop. Its a cool tool, but the materials are absurdly expensive.

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

I don't know about using the printed material on the robot itself, as much as I would recommend casting the material out of something more trusted. Like aluminum or some sort of plastic.

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

The output of such a 3D printer is plastic.

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

We've had one in our Tech Ed lab for the past three years. Classes use it to invent custom parts for mousetrap cars and VEX robots and 1712 has used it for joystick handles, spacers, and a few other custom applications on robots. For students to be able to go from concept to CAD to product right in the classroom is pretty cool stuff.

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

the one at the tech shop is just an older version of the one pictured above. When I was at RIT my fav thing to do was try and make small versions of existing products. Like this.

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

I made my mom a salt shaker with the 3d printer that's sitting at Stranahan. :)

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

Waaaa... I want one!

Envious Andy

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

I thought I saw some cool parts from a powdered metal printer once. It was making tiny custom V8 engine blocks.

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

Either the guy in the background has suffered some terrible deformity that has placed his eyeballs on the top of his head, or he is at serious risk of developing QWERTYitis.

Cool machine...

Jason

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

Can you lead us in the right direction in purchasing one of these?
How much was that thing?
I want one! :ahh:

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

god that is tight so jealous:ahh:

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

You know who has one, er I mean two! :D

What model is it? Fantastic to see another one being used for education, well hopefully anyways:ahh: !

Here is a micro 3d printed wrench for Jane, but you won't be able to make one this small with a Dimension!:eek:

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

Team 2028 uses ours ALL the time. Last year we used it to make the drums our forklift would wind the cable up on. The only thing to remember is to be careful, anything with less than about a 1/4 in thickness is most likely to break as we found out the hard way. Also although it may seem stupid, when printing a larger object, start it the night before, and remember to make sure you have ABS! It also comes in handy to build custom motor mounts for the Denso window motor.

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

Something to remember. According to the parts rules for some previous years, you must account for the cost of materials by using the price of the smallest commercially available quantity. In this case it would be the cost of the spool of raw material.

We have access to a Selective Laser Sintering machine. The material runs something like $100/lb. Unfortunately it is only available in 20lb buckets. That puts a 1 cuin part that weighs about 16grams at $2000. Just a little over the $400 limit.

The rules do change and this is one of the sillier implictions of the previous rules. Why would we want to discourage teams from using this technology if they have it available? Let us hope for better wording in 2009.

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

I shouldn't have been so vague. I meant something a little more durable than the standard 3d print output. I'm assuming they're printing ABS plastic with their dimension.

ABS is already a great plastic, but the applications of it in something like FIRST are numbered. You could use the standard output in low-load, low-impact areas such as potentiometer and encoder couplers and other sensor integration applications. But as soon as they want to start making, stuff that is going to take more of a beating (mecanum rollers, custom wheels, pulleys, etc...) it would be wise to use a more durable material. Cast aluminum is heavy, but if they wanted to try cast polycarbonate, polyethylene, acrylic, etc... I'm sure they would see a benefit as well as an increase in applications for which they could use their printer.

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

That is nice, here is another perspective:

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

Yeah that sounds about right. We've never actually made anything for the robot with it, but we've considered using it to make give aways (think micro-tube-a-saurus's :D)

Anyone know about how strong printed ABS is to regular ABS sheets?

Would a printed ABS transmission plate be just as strong as a machined one?

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

Nope, the printed parts are more likely to shear between the printed layers.

-John

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

Printed ABS part strength as compared to molded ABS part strength varies. It all depends on how the parts are printed, how complex they are and how large or small the features are. Also there are several different strengths of ABS for Stratasys/Dimension printers. Some ABS printed parts can have strengths of 80% + of a molded part. You are never really going to match a molded part because the layers of a 3d printed part are it's weakness.

Here are some more pictures:

The miniature Dimension 3d printer pencil holder on my desk used up around $100 of model and support just to 3d print.

Re: pic: Something is blocking the 548 display case!
 

Yeah, but the coolness factor is up there; somewhere in between Toughbox mounting plates and fishboy on the catbell.