Hi everyone!

This was originally discussed here: http://forum.allaboutcircuits.com/showthread.php?t=84290

So an update is in order...

It has been a few months and the Metalbot project is slowly coming together!

Check out what is going on: http://www.metalbot.org/

We have had loads of great ideas and there are quite a few very interesting projects unfolding at the moment (take a look at the projects section).

We are slowly working towards a preliminary design and there are a lot of options now so if you guys have any ideas, please send them our way!

All the best,

Jethro.

 

I may be missing something but I looked at the projects section and I didn't really see any details, just a few drawings and images. It would be good to have technical details on there, what parts are needed, etc.

 

I was recently dispatched to recon upgrades to some industrial 3d metal printers. They were robots, like the type you would see if you watched "How It's Made: Automobiles" but instead of being outfitted with grippers, spray guns, and impact wrenches, they were outfitted with a 3/4" O.D. fiber optic cable going to a focal head. The other end of the fiber cable went to the several-KW "laser" which ran on 480v 3 phase. Laser unit was very big, like as big as a car.

 

I may be missing something but I looked at the projects section and I didn't really see any details, just a few drawings and images. It would be good to have technical details on there, what parts are needed, etc.

We are waiting for some very interesting projects that will be kicking off in the new year. 2014 will be a key year for the Metalbot Project.

they were outfitted with a 3/4" O.D. fiber optic cable going to a focal head.

They must be using one heck of a laser system. Probably in the KW rage I agree. Now this is not practical to us as hobbyists, so we are looking for clever ways around the issue by locally preheating the powder with induction heaters or similar. Still, thanks for sharing!

 

http://reprap.org/wiki/MetalicaRap

In case you are not aware of the project.

 

Hi Mira7!

We are aware of the project, it is great to see work being done to open source an EBM printer! But the technical requirements are harder to reach for us compared with the laser sintering process.

Jethro.