New project Top Down SLA Printer

Here's the place to post pics / video and discussions regarding hardware you've built or are in the process of building.
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upahill
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2016 9:16 am
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New project Top Down SLA Printer

Postby upahill » Tue Nov 22, 2016 9:55 am

Hi All,

I currently have a CTC FDM machine and want something capable of printing higher quality parts but don't have the budget for a commercial machine. Since I have to construct it with as many bits as I have lying around I have been tinkering with a design for the project and think I may have something viable for a prototype.

I have a couple of goals with this project:
[list=]Spend as little as possible proving concept before investing in a high definition projector[/list]
[list=]Use the project to learn and practice Solidworks - so expect some unnecessary design work[/list]
[list=]Begin with a Top Down design as it seems to be much simpler to integrate[/list]
[list=]Have the ability to move the projector at any time to refocus if the projector needs to change[/list]
[list=]Keep the first prototype under £200[/list]

I started with a crude model to a get an idea of how everything would move as I really had no idea what I was doing...



I played around with mounting the projector horizontally with a mirror to cut down on the height of machine, but decided in the end this was too complex initially and would reduce the amount of re-positioning I could do of the projector.



By the end I have this, which I think looks the part, but whether its any good is an entirely different question - but I guess that is what prototypes are for right?

nocover.JPG


The screen is an extra I 'might' add in the future, to display current layer and replicate the projector output from Nanodlp.

mainview.JPG


I am still researching the electronics which seems to be the most complex element of this but so far I am thinking a RAMPS board from eBay with stepper driver and a raspberry pi with NanodDLP.

[list=]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/331905805277[/list]
[list=]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/182303606701[/list]
[list=]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272193237146[/list]

For power I believe an ATX power supply will suffice, but need to do more research into this.

I also had a go at printing the large block that contains the bearings and lead screw nut for the z-axis - its worked quite well. Which is ironic as it seems to be the only good print I have had out of the CTC printer.

IMG_1063.JPG


Total estimated cost so far excluding front acrylic and screen is around £180 so :D

wirelessguyny
Posts: 31
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:54 pm
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Re: New project Top Down SLA Printer

Postby wirelessguyny » Sun Dec 04, 2016 11:45 pm

Nice build.

That vat you have is HUGE for top down. I hope you will be using salt water in addition to your resin if you plan on using such a big vat. I have also been working on a top/down machine here for some time. I have started very small and intend on extending my build plate if I see success with smaller prints first.

All the best.


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