Build Your Own SLA/SLS

Hello everyone, im Dominik from Austria

This is my first post after reading about a week. First, thanks to the founder of this Board, its very useful and important for me to get on with my project.

Im Planning to Build an co2 based sls printer with an 80w tube but run it only on 50% or less to improve tube lifetime. also i want the Build piston in the middle and a Storage piston on the left and the right with an Single Axis Wiper like the big Million euro printer from eos.

My questions Now are which Boards/Electronics do i Need to Drive Three piston steppers, the wiper Axis stepper, the galvo and Turning on/Off theLaser and also set it to durable 40w?

I know there is no Plug and Play Stuff out there yet, but there are so many different Opportunities to make Things Move. I just want to figure out what i Really Need. Ive read about a Board called bluedot which was under Development from a Boarduser called danielm. It looks Good to me but on their Website is written, that only 3 steppers can be Driven.
Should i wait some more Time to give the final bluedot a try or can i reach my goal with Electronics which are currently available?

Im Good with Mechanics and Basic Electronics but
I have no idea how to Code something .. but i want to learn.

So i Hope anyone can help me see a Light in the end of the Tunnel

Best regards,
Dominik

Take a look here, http://reprap.org/wiki/OpenSLS

They used a RAMBo board.

Thanks for your reply, i know this site already but they use a xy gantry, not a galvo. Thats what i want to know - how to Control galvo/ Feed it with slices in the most easiest way.

Oh! I see now! Oopsidazers! hehe

Galvos I know nothing about, which is probably why my brain skipped right over your mentions of it. HAHA!

Although, I too would love to know more about galvos and what software / hardware resources are readily available.

Another thing I would be interested in knowing about on the SLS front is inexpensive sources of polyamide powder that don't involve having to make it from scratch.

Yeah in my opinion xy gantrys are wasted Time and money. When we want to Build this Kind of printer it should be faster than fdm printers.

Just found halaser.eu
They offer controlboards, extensionboards and the software called beamconstruct. Its not that expensive for sls parts. 700€ for a Complete Control of your laser and galvo. Software can slice 3d Objects and send them directly to the galvohead.
They also offer 2 galvoheads - 1400 for analog and 2200 € for a digital One.

So you get an Complete laser Setup and Control for 2500€ including ço2 tube. Thats nice for me.