Introduction and a question

Discussion in 'E3D-v6 and Lite6' started by Chuck Tilbury, Mar 20, 2017.

  1. Chuck Tilbury

    Chuck Tilbury New Member

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    Hi everyone,
    My name is Chuck and I live in Austin, Texas. I am a software engineer during the day and a mad entrepreneur by night. I have been doing embedded software development for about 20 years.

    My question(s) is(are) a little vague at this point. I am designing a largish corexy printer. I am tired of fiddling with my little (cheap Chinese) Prusa i3 clone. I want to build a printer that will deliver consistent professional quality without having to mess around with it all of the time. (welded aluminum frame) I am thinking about a 400mm cube of build volume with the gantry moving for the Z axis, rather than the bed. The Z height will be set by adjusting the homing switch. That makes sense to me because even though the Z will be heavier, the weight will be predictable and that seems better. The build volume should be scaleable to around 600mm, simply by changing the length of a few key parts. I will probably use a Smoothyboard for the electronics and an external MOSFET or SSRs for the hot end. I am planning to develop a controller that looks more like a CNC with external motor drivers.

    I also want to print fast. As fast as is practical. So, my question is (finally) what print head should I be looking at? I am thinking of a bowden configuration more than direct to lighten the gantry. What print speeds are even possible? Should I expect really dramatic improvements in speed? What about 3mm filament? Does that help speed with a .4mm nozzle? Or is it more for a larger nozzle? I have a lot more questions, but I guess I should stop there.

    Any observations or advise would be much appreciated.
     
  2. mike01hu

    mike01hu Well-Known Member

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    So many variables here Chuck and it is difficult to give linked advice. I would not favour core X-Y, as that is complexity for the sake of it and some of us are not convinced that it will enhance print quality but I would seriously consider a Duex system. Lightness is important for speed and the Bowden system provides that but is less good with 1.75mm filament, so a 3mm system would work better. As to hotends, the E3D series, being all metal, suggest a higher throughput for trickier filaments and the newly announced range with mirrored Titans looks like a more flexible choice. Nozzle size also dictates speed and the Volcano hotend allows larger diameter nozzles that will give you a much higher throughput and, with increased layer height that can be used with these, much improved speed; RichRap (Richard Horne) has had good results with Volcano. You don't mention quality so I assume you are looking at engineering type products where pretty surface quality is less of an issue but if you are looking for aesthetically pleasing products then the higher layer thickness may not be to your liking. Good luck with your project.
     

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