Plot XYZ

Plot XYZ

thingiverse

This project aims to illustrate at the most basic level how additive manufacturing works using X, Y and Z Cartesian coordinates. The device simulates a 3D printer by having an X, Y and Z axis that have to be manipulated by hand whilst following predetermined coordinates and placing building blocks on the build plate. Print Settings Printer Brand: RepRap Printer: Prusa Mendel Rafts: No Supports: Yes Resolution: 0.2mm Infill: 50% Rectilinear Notes: The part 'Extruder Slide' prints best with Support turned on at 2.5mm. (I can only speak for the limited Bridging capabilities of my own Reprap) 8/14/2016 Please note that I have updated the build plate and building blocks to having square extrusions and cavities rather than the rounded ones as seen in the pictures. This was simply to aid the blocks from spinning once you started stacking them. Post-Printing Bill of Materials 3D Print the following parts: 1 x Grid Base 1 x Extruder Slide (Includes a Bridge, Print with support if necessary) 1 x X Axis 1 x X Wedge 1 x Y Track Left 1 x Y Track Right 1 x Z Axis Tower Left 1 x Z Axis Tower Right 2 x Z Retaining Arm 80 x Block (You might need more if you want to build more complex shapes) You will need the following few items to build the device after the printing has completed. 24.5cm x 28.5 cm MDF/Plywood Sheet - at least 20mm thickness A Drill with a 3mm Wood/Steel bit 8 Wood Screws - 5mm x 20mm 2 Part Epoxy Glue Access to a desktop printer to print the PDF template for drilling the holes. Tape to hold the template in place on the wood Assembly of the device First you need to obtain a suitable MDF/Plywood Sheet. Download the MDF Base Template PDF and print it. Make sure that you print using 100% scale and not the 'Fit to Page' setting. Line up the corner marked 'Bottom Left' on the template with the bottom left corner of your MDF sheet. Make sure that the edges are straight and use some tape to hold it in place. Drill the six holes that you can see on the template using a 3mm drill bit. If it all went to plan you should now have a board with six holes, and you can attach the 2 Y-Axis tracks and the build plate with your screws following the image below. Leave the screws on the Y-Axis tracks relatively loose. They should only hold the tracks down on the MDF base but the tracks should still be able to pivot around the screws slightly. We will tighten them later. (Please note that the holes at the top of the Y-Axis tracks should not be drilled until later) Six screws that should be fixed first Z- Axis Assembly This assembly requires some 2 part Epoxy glue. Take the two Z-Axis towers, and stand them upright on the inside of the Y-Axis tracks - numbers facing outwards. Insert the retaining arms into the cavities at the bottom of the towers so they grab onto the Y-Axis tracks firmly, but so that they can still slide up and down the track with ease. Once you are confident that everything fits into place you can remove the retaining arms, apply some Epoxy glue on the inside of the cavity and and reinsert the arms. Make sure that you don't spill any glue on moving parts that will stop them from moving later. Z-Axis Retaining Arm into Z-Axis Tower Both arms should fit snugly around the Y-Axis tracks but still be able to slide along the track with ease X-Axis Assembly The X-Axis consists of 3 separate parts. First step is to fit the Extruder Slide onto the X- Axis. Make sure that the numbers on the X-Axis are visible through the small cavity in the Extruder Slide and that it can move up and down along the Axis freely. Now you can place this assembly onto the Z-Axis towers. Slot it into the cavity marked '1' on both sides and then use the Wedge part to lock it into place. X Axis Assembly Fix the Y-Axis tracks Now that all the parts have been assembled you can align the two Y-Axis tracks and drill the last two holes. With the X-Axis locked into the 'Z1' position, slide the Z-Axis towers between the Y1 and Y9 positions. If the two Y-Axis tracks are not perfectly parallel to each other you will have some difficulty moving the Z-Axis towers. Keep adjusting the tracks until you feel comfortable that the Z-Axis towers can move freely. You can now tighten the two original screws on the Y-Axis tracks so they hold the part down. Once they are tight, slide the Z-Axis up to the Y1 position and make sure that there is still no binding. If you are happy that everything looks square, you can drill the last two holes and insert the screws. (Don't over tighten as you might cause the printed parts to crack) Drill and fix the last two screws if you are sure that the Z-Axis towers can move freely along the Y-Axis Finished! Your machine is now completely assembled and you can start creating shapes using the printed blocks and some X,Y,Z coordinates. How I Designed This I designed the Plot XYZ using Solidworks. Whilst designing I tried to bear in mind that all the parts fit onto the build plate of a Makerbot Replicator. Where I could, I ensured that the parts are uniform in thickness which should help avoid warping whilst printing. All the features are quite large to ensure that the parts will not break easily when operated by students in the classroom. The Plot XYZ as a teaching tool Objectives The main objective of this device is to help students understand from a very young age how additive manufacturing works. It simulates the exact same movements of a 3D Printer following G-Code to create three dimensional objects. Instructors can provide students with a set of X-Y-Z coordinates and ask them to create the model using this device and the printed building blocks. The process can also be reversed so that the students must write the X-Y-Z coordinates for an already existing model. By the end of the exercise, students should have a very clear understanding of how objects are created in three dimensional space. Audience The Plot XYZ should be suitable for students from 8 and older. Younger students can start by creating very simple shapes using only the X and Y Axis. More advanced students can be asked to create advanced shapes utilizing all three Axes. Preparation If you can recognize the Letters X, Y & Z and count to 9, you should be able to operate this machine. It is a very slow and methodical process and because it is all operated manually, a student can move at his/her own pace. Steps to get started Start by placing the Plot XYZ device and a large supply of the printed building blocks on a flat table. Download and print Plot XYZ Workbook Look inside to find Lesson 1. Before you start, always move all the Axis' on the Plot XYZ to their home position, in this case X1, Y1, Z1. Look at the first line of coordinates - X2, Y2, Z1. Move each respective Axis to its numbered position. Once you are sure that each Axis is where it needs to be, take one of the blocks and drop it into place through the cavity on the Extruder Slide. You'll notice that the second line of code and a few more lines after only have X and Y coordinates. This simply means that you leave the Z-Axis in place until you are instructed to move it to a new position. Continue plotting all of the X and Y coordinates on the Z1 level. It is important to recognize that this type additive manufacturing machine works from the bottom up and that it always completes all of the X and Y coordinates on one level before moving up one step. If you are patient and finish dropping the building blocks on all the correct positions, you should have an Upper Case 'T' that is two building blocks tall. Pretty amazing how combining a bunch of numbers can create a three dimensional model! Now you can create your own models and write your own code. Completed Model of Letter T Spiral 3D Model Results This device should help any student understand the process of 3D printing and how cartesian coordinates are used by machines to create objects in three dimensional space. If the student advances to a point where they are expected to create their own model and write code, they will also realize that when designing for 3D printing you have to account for certain physical limitations of the machine. This will hopefully aid them when they design more complex objects using CAD at a later learning stage.

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With this file you will be able to print Plot XYZ with your 3D printer. Click on the button and save the file on your computer to work, edit or customize your design. You can also find more 3D designs for printers on Plot XYZ.