Editors:
Alex Au
Sara Bajor
Marcin Jakubowski
Bhakti Kulkarni
Dixon Nahrwold
Graphic Design:
Jean-Baptiste Vervaeck
Version:
Date:
3D Printer
v18.09; manual v1.0
Stable Release - October 3, 2018
Open Source Ecology Build Manual
Prior Art:
This work builds upon the open source efforts of RepRap, Prusa Research, E3D, Arduino, Lulzbot, Cura, and Marlin.
Table of contents
Prelude: Notes on Using this Guide
Appendix
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10�Chapter 11
Chapter 12
This work builds upon these great open source projects:
Notes On Using this Guide
ABOUT: This printer is an exhaustive build manual for the OSE D3D 3D Printer. Our printer v18.09 is now ready for widespread replication as a full product release, and we intend to make building our printer easy. See 3D Printer Genealogy for previous versions.
WIKI LINKS: Words in blue are hyperlinks - and are linked to pages on the OSE Wiki on a wiki page with the same name. Our wiki is at https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/ If you are reading a printed version of this manual, then you can find the webpage by going to an OSE Wiki page with the same name. For example, for the first link above, you would go to https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/3D_Printer_Genealogy. We are also including QR codes near links to facilitate online access. For example, the QR code for the 3D Printer Genealogy page is near the link above. Likewise, you can access this entire manual online at the QR code on the cover.
ORIENTATION: To follow the build - it helps to define orientation. The front of the machine is defined as in the picture below - such that the control panel with power supply is on the left hand side.
COLLABORATION: This manual was produced during the inaugural OSE Immersion Program for OSE Fellows, who have now been trained to run build workshops of the 3D printer.
To get involved in making this manual better - email us at info@opensourceecology.org with suggestions or offers of assistance. Our next step is to create a 3D printer Design Workbench in FreeCAD, so that people can design their own variations easily. Let’s make this the most widely replicated 3D printer in the world.
Front
Back
Introduction
The OSE 3D printer is a scalable 3D printer which uses the modular Universal Axis System developed by OSE. This 3D printer is fully open source, OSHWA compliant and is intended to be a basis for education programs as well as industrial productivity. The printer features:
But the most interesting part of this 3D printer is its social mission. We call our printer D3D - which stands for Distributive Enterprise 3D Printer. We open source both our machine blueprints - and our experience with making our 3D printer economically significant and easy to replicate.
Lowest Unique Part Count in the World
The OSE 3D printer is designed to be transparent in its design - and it has the lowest unique part count of any 3D printer in the world. There are only 14 parts in OSE’s Universal Axis System - which is used on all the motion axes. The Universal Axis still allows for large 3D printers to be built from these same parts.
The 8 mm Universal Axis can be scaled to build a 3D printer with a 1 meter square bed:
Once you learn how to build the printer with an 8” print bed as described in this manual - you will be able to build a printer of any size. You will also be able to adapt the Universal Axis to other machines, such as the CNC Circuit Mill or Laser Cutter.
Let’s begin.
Bill of Materials Overview
The Bill of Matirials (BOM) consists of the Main BOM and Extruder BOM. The Extruder includes 2 extruder options. One is the Prusa i3 MK2, and the second one is the upgrade - the E3D Titan Aero. We currently recommend the Titan Aero as a high-performance extruder, though we have produced exhaustive instructionals on the former - which we keep here as a lower-cost build option.
The entire bill of materials is by design easy-to-source as off-the-shelf parts. No custom parts are needed. There are 3D printed parts, and the build requires simple tools. There are several frame options. Our intent is to allow for wide replication, with scalability and flexibility that allows industrial performance at a fraction of the cost of industry standards. Our forte is producing larger 3D printers at low cost - as our design method scales inexpensively to machines of 1 meter or larger size.
We experimented with the Prusa i3 MK2 extruder because its blueprints were available from Prusa Research. We attempted the Prusa i3 MK3 - but we could not access the blueprints (Prusa Research said they were available only to customers) and the part sourcing did not appear to be easy off-the-shelf parts. Given that there are probably more Prusa i3 MK2 extruders in the world than any other single extruder - which implies that it works well - and that it is easily 3D printable - we decided to use the MK2. However, our team concluded that it is too difficult to build. Moreover, we could get it to work reliably only without enabling retraction - even though we used the authentic E3D v6 hot end. Once we enabled retraction on difficult prints - extruder clogs happened almost every time. We have yet to figure out how to prevent clogs (typically feed-through clogs, not nozzle clogs) with the 1.75 mm Prusa i3 MK2.
Once you learn how to build the printer with an 8” print bed as described in this manual - you will be able to build a printer of any size. You will also be able to adapt the Universal Axis to other machines, such as the CNC Circuit Mill or Laser Cutter.
Let’s begin.
Bill of Materials
Grand total Usage Cost: $483. See 3D Printer BOM
Parts List
Time Estimate: 45 minutes. 20 layup, 25 gluing.�Use magnetic holders and JB Weld (Kwik Weld or regular) to to glue the frame together. Or weld this together if you have a welder. You can also use a PVC or aluminum extrusion frame, but here we document the steel version. See more info on frame choices at D3D_Frame.
Parts List - Frame
Module 2 - Spool Holder (Completed at conclusion of printer build)
[6] Frame
[2] 14” Rod
[4] Magnets
[1] 16” Rod
Parts List
The Axis has following parts:
For 3D printed parts, see 3D Printer 3D Printed Parts. This also includes all the other 3D printed parts for the 3D printer.
II. Heated Bed
Parts List
Heated bed has the following parts:
See D3D BOM (wiki) for more info - D3D_v18.09#Bill_of_Materials
II. Heated Bed
Tools List
Assembling the heated bed requires the following parts:
III. Control Panel
Parts List
Cut List:
III. Control Panel
Tools List
Control Panel
IV. Extruder
Parts List
See BOM for E3D Titan Aero Parts
Prusa i3 MK2 Extruder has the following parts:
Screws:
3D printed parts:
3D Printed Parts:
IV. Extruder
Parts List
Extruder has following parts:
Heat Sink Fan
Print Cooling Fan
Teflon tubing
Stepper Motor
Heat sink
Collate clip
Sensor
Heater element wire
Extruder drive gear with set screw
Thermal paste
Screws:�[1] M3X8�[4] M3X18�[2] M3X20�[1] M3X25�[1] M3X30�[2] M3X35�[2] M3X40
[4] M3 nuts�[3] M3 square nuts �[4] M3 oversize washer�[2] Springs�[2] M5 washer�[1] Ziptie
Small fan wire�Big fan wire �Stepper motor wire�Print cooling fan extension wire
V. Cable Chain
Parts List
Parts List
*Cable chain body pieces count only correct for a 14 inch frame. If you have a bigger frame, adjust your part count in the following way:
For frame sizes over 14 inches, do the following for every inch over 14 inches: add 6 cable chain body pieces to the total count.
Half of these cable chain body pieces will lengthen the X-axis cable chain. The other half will lengthen the Y-axis cable chain.
Here’s the conversion for common frame sizes: