1 Topic by Retroplayer (edited by Retroplayer 2014-08-14 04:51:06)

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Topic: Crazy idea?

Watching the auto bed-leveling video of the new solidoodles gave me an odd idea. With such extreme leaning, could it be possible to actually do this on purpose during a print to print overhangs without supports or even to change layer direction throughout a print for the most strength?

Imagine rotating the actual print and printing on its side as if it were lying on the bed horizontally!

In support of that, what about vacuum to hold a part to the print bed? Or for that matter, those sticky dash pads (assuming they won't melt, of course)

2 Reply by Tomek

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Re: Crazy idea?

Kind of a cool idea at first.

But one definetive limiting factor, besides whether you could tilt a good bed that much, (you really couldn't probably), is that the Z-axis moves much slower than the X-Y. So it might not do much.


There's a cool printer team I read about though that uses special slicing software to print the top layers on a 3D curved surface (so you don't get stepping patterns.) It was pretty neat!

Writing in a rush, I hope I made sense.

3 Reply by Retroplayer (edited by Retroplayer 2014-08-14 04:50:10)

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Re: Crazy idea?

Tomek wrote:

But one definetive limiting factor, besides whether you could tilt a good bed that much, (you really couldn't probably), is that the Z-axis moves much slower than the X-Y. So it might not do much.

Not quite sure what you mean by this. If you rotate the part, wouldn't it be no different than printing on the part as if it were just printed in that orientation? You are just building up now instead of side to side. Obviously we spend quite of bit of effort placing and chopping our parts in order to print features upward (hence overhangs being a problem.)

I do realize that tilting the bed will limit the X-Y movement so there will be limitations. Rotating the part itself would be ideal of course, but that is a bit more more complicated that just tilting the bed.

It may not be the end-all answer, but there are many cases where it would be helpful in printing things that would be impossible to print otherwise.

I guess the real question is: would the layers actually adhere well this way?

4 Reply by grob

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Re: Crazy idea?

Hehe crazy and totally impractical, but I follow your thinking.

The current solution to the 'turn the part over and print on the side' idea would be printing in two parts and gluing, which I have no problem with! smile

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5 Reply by Retroplayer (edited by Retroplayer 2014-08-14 11:54:02)

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Re: Crazy idea?

grob wrote:

Hehe crazy and totally impractical, but I follow your thinking.

The current solution to the 'turn the part over and print on the side' idea would be printing in two parts and gluing, which I have no problem with! smile


Impractical because we already have the chop and glue approach or because the complexity of tilting the bed isn't worth the limitations it would impose? I am keeping in mind, that we aren't necessarily looking for horizontal. Just changing the angle enough that a 90 degree overhang is now 45 degrees, for example. It might only need to be done enough that when going back to horizontal, the printer has something to build off from.

I don't know.... it is a crazy idea, but I think with some work, there is something to it! Haha

6 Reply by pirvan

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Re: Crazy idea?

The moment you tilt the part (clockwise or counter clockwise), the "Z" axis becomes part of the "X" & "Y" movement.  The head no longer needs to move in a flat plane, it needs to move up and down simultaneously, similar to a milling machine in order to follow the existing contour.

The problem with this is that the slicing software didn't account for this, and has no idea how to tell the "Z" component to move.

To print or, 3D print, that is the question...
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7 Reply by IanJohnson

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Re: Crazy idea?

Google Topolabs.  They are working on 3D tool paths,  which is what you would use in combo with bed tilting.

8 Reply by Retroplayer

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Re: Crazy idea?

pirvan wrote:

The moment you tilt the part (clockwise or counter clockwise), the "Z" axis becomes part of the "X" & "Y" movement.  The head no longer needs to move in a flat plane, it needs to move up and down simultaneously, similar to a milling machine in order to follow the existing contour.

The problem with this is that the slicing software didn't account for this, and has no idea how to tell the "Z" component to move.


Yeah, of course not. Special slicing software would certainly be needed.

9 Reply by pirvan

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Re: Crazy idea?

IanJohnson wrote:

Google Topolabs.  They are working on 3D tool paths,  which is what you would use in combo with bed tilting.

Now, that's what I'm talking about !!

I really want to give this software a whirl.  Any idea when this is going to be available?

To print or, 3D print, that is the question...
SD3 printer w/too many mods,  Printrbot Simple Maker Ed.,  FormLabs Form 1+
AnyCubic Photon, Shining 3D EinScan-S & Atlas 3D scanners...
...and too much time on my hands.

10 Reply by COASTER19

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Re: Crazy idea?

If it's a specific part and time when you need it, nothing prevents you from tilting the printer a bit wink
People have printed with the printer upside-down before too I believe!

That Topolabs video is promising, but I wouldn't expect such a software to be bug-free and reasonably priced at the same time...  At least not initially.

11 Reply by grob

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Re: Crazy idea?

Haha! Whole printer on gimbal!
WE CAN CONTROL GRAVITY!
smile

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12 Reply by wardjr

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Re: Crazy idea?

grob wrote:

Haha! Whole printer on gimbal!
WE CAN CONTROL GRAVITY!
smile

Been there done that.... Results inconclusive wink
150 mm bridge upside down no problem other than it turns out my printer can do that right side up almost as well.
Turns out that x motor doesn't like working against gravity.  Hauling that Bulldog XL uphill really makes it work.

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